Happy Valentine's Day

Today, let's Celebrate the Real Meaning of LOVE

National Friend Sunday is Coming!

March 30 marks the first annual Friend Sunday, when churches all over will join together and encourage their members to reach out and invite friends and family to a special service where friendship is honored and encouraged.

Through word of mouth and church outreach, the Friend Sunday movement hopes to reach every home in America with an invitation to a Bible-believing church and ultimately into a relationship with Jesus. Get your CHURCH involved today! 

Outreach, Inc.offers lots of materials to promote this Sunday and make it a success.  But a bare minimum, they offer the opportunity for you to list your Church for FREE in the Friend Sunday Database so that whosoever may be looking for a friendly church, can find YOU . . . So why are you waiting?  Visit http://friendsunday.com/addyourchurch and get your CHURCH involved today!  Or visit their Facebook page and make a commitment to invite all your friends to church.

What the world needs now is Jesus!  And who better to introduce Him then a FRIENDLY Church whose mission is to make God known!

Are You Following The True Shepherd?

John 10:1-2
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

Be careful of whom you take Godly counsel from.  For if anyone comes to you teaching a Gospel other than Jesus the Christ crucified and resurrected they are a thief and a robber, attempting to steal your faith and thus your eternal reward and promise. 

That is why it is important to study the word for yourself, so you can know when someone is preaching or teaching a distorted doctrine.  The bible says study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth – 2 Timothy 2:15. 

There are many that God has appointed to be under shepherds of His flock and there are many who have called themselves to the position.  I thank God for all those Pastors, Preachers and teachers who preach and teach the unadulterated (complete and total, having nothing added, mixed or diluted) Word of God from sincere hearts of love and reverence for the Lord! 

Prayer –   Lord thank you for the true shepherd Jesus the Christ who has given us a spirit of discernment that we will not fall prey to those who come for reasons other than your authentic call.

To God Be The Glory

The weeks of Advent remind us to set aside some time during the holiday season to reflect on our faith. The Bible readings we will read echo the Advent themes of waiting, preparation, hope, and the coming of the promised Messiah.

AMAZING GRACE, AMAZING LOVE

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Isn’t it comforting to know that even on your worst day, the God who created heaven and earth loved you so much that He willingly suffered so you wouldn't have to.  Willingly died so you could live! 

In this present day and age where people are more selfish than selfless, more self-centered than self-sacrificing, that kind of love is unheard of, that kind of sacrifice birthed from love is simply A‑M‑A‑Z‑I‑N‑G!

PrayerLord you are truly amazing . . . to think a God like you could love a person like me is simply amazing.  Thank you for your love, teach me not to ever take it for granted.

To God Be The Glory

The weeks of Advent remind us to set aside some time during the holiday season to reflect on our faith. The Bible readings we will read echo the Advent themes of waiting, preparation, hope, and the coming of the promised Messiah.

It's Coming . . . Look For It!

And visit Outreach.com to see how your Church can use the Son of God movie to reach others for Christ!

Son Of God | "O Holy Night" by Jewel

Son of God comes to theaters February 28, 2014. Now, the larger-than-life story of The New Testament gets a larger-than life treatment in the stand-alone feature SON OF GOD. Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, the film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar®-winner Hans Zimmer. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado portrays Jesus as the film spans from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. It marks the first motion picture about Jesus's life since Passion of the Christ, released ten years ago.

He Will Be Called Wonderful

by Billy Graham
Billy Graham, the world-renowned author, preacher, and evangelist has delivered the gospel message to more people face-to-face than anyone in history and has ministered on every continent of the world; millions have read his inspirational classics.

He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. — Isaiah 9:6

My dictionary defines wonderful as “so unusual or magnificent that it causes wonder and amazement.” What a description of Jesus!

First, Jesus was wonderful in His pre-existence. As the perfect man who was also God, He existed from all eternity. Only He is equally at home in Heaven and on Earth.

Jesus was wonderful in His birth. To right the wrongs of the world and redeem a fallen race, God sent not angelic armies but a tiny baby, His Son, to accomplish this majestic purpose — born not of man but of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was wonderful in His life. His enemies could not find a single flaw in His character. His miracles and His teaching both testified to His divine authority.

Christ was also wonderful in His death. He died for others just as He had lived for others: to make our salvation possible. And this death led to the wonderful, glorious resurrection, opening for us the door to Heaven and eternal life.

Jesus is wonderful indeed!

* * *
Reflection
In your daily life, is Jesus “so unusual or magnificent that (He) causes wonder and amazement”? Draw close to Him! Be amazed! Come share on our blog what wonderful things the Lord is doing that fill you with wonder and awe! We’d love to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily

To God Be The Glory

The weeks of Advent remind us to set aside some time during the holiday season to reflect on our faith. The Bible readings we will read echo the Advent themes of waiting, preparation, hope, and the coming of the promised Messiah.

We are LIVING Stones

1 Peter 2:4-6 (NKJV)
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
     “Behold, I lay in Zion
     A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
     And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

In this text, Jesus is likened to a Stone foundation, in fact here He is called the Chief Cornerstone.  He is also referred to as a Living Stone, to indicate that He is the source of life to ALL His followers.

Peter tells us that people who follow Jesus are likewise like Living stones.  This reveals that it is in union with Christ that we live, move and have our being.  See the stones of a building are of no real use unless they occupy their proper places in a building, and rest securely on the foundation.  Stones dislodged from a building that are no longer connected to the building are no longer considered building material or useful but instead are generally referred to as rubble; defined as fragments of broken stones & bricks.  But those who build their house on Jesus, on the unadulterated and pure Word, then like the wise man who built his home upon the rocks, come what may, you’re Still Standing!

There is actually a plant called living stones (a/k/a Lithops), they look very much like the rocks they are growing near.  The difference being of course that they are not rocks but actually a plant native to South Africa.  They range in color from gray to brown to green with varied patterns on top.  Although it looks like a rock, during late summer a single daisy like flower will bloom from each plant.  Similarly, we are living stones, we look like everyone else by way of our outward appearance; yet we are different; for we, through God, are made fully alive.  Moreover, when we are properly nourished by the Word of God, and reach maturity just like Lithops you can see us begin to blossom, flower and bear good fruit!

To God Be The Glory

The weeks of Advent remind us to set aside some time during the holiday season to reflect on our faith. The Bible readings we will read echo the Advent themes of waiting, preparation, hope, and the coming of the promised Messiah.

Watchmen on the Wall

Mark 13:33-37 (NIV)
Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.  It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Throughout scripture we are told to wait and watch for the Lord’s second coming.  To be the watchmen on the wall, expectantly seeking Christ’s return.  Yet, how many Christians have fallen asleep at the wheel and have come down from the wall where we are instructed to wait and watch for the coming of our King . . . how many have said to their selves, Jesus is not coming anytime soon, why don’t I live like there is no tomorrow, eat, drink and be merry, do what I wanna do, do what makes me feel good.

For those getting tired of waiting and watching, feeling overlooked because it’ is as if the wicked prosper and those who claim they know God can boldly do all manner of evil and it appears they’re covered.  To you I say hold on to your faith, daily fight for your faith, for God says He is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will they also reap in due season.  Beloved the hour is sooner than you think, continue to wait and watch, for He is coming again!

To God Be The Glory

The weeks of Advent remind us to set aside some time during the holiday season to reflect on our faith. The Bible readings we will read echo the Advent themes of waiting, preparation, hope, and the coming of the promised Messiah.

Having this kind of morning ... Glory to God!

Ever just think of the goodness of God, and bust out in praise? If God is to us who we say He is, our everything, our all in all, our way maker, peace giver, lover of our soul; then we should have no problem singing His praise from every rooftop and in every circle of influence we find ourselves.

If God is as good as we say He is, we have a moral obligation to share Him with a hurt and dying world.  To let Him outside of the four walls of the church to flow freely through us whereever we are.

SocialMedia is the quickest, easiest and most economical way to do just that!  Are you sharing the good news of Jesus in your life in your technological conversation streams?  If not, why not?   

Don't hide your light under a bushel within the four walls of a "church building", but be the living stones God intended and take the Gospel to the four corners of the world.

Matthew 5:15-16

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.