Keeping Covenant to Them That Love Him

Daniel cries out in Prayer to a Great God who keeps Covenant and Mercy with His People.  No doubt we have been a recipient of such Mercy as we walk in Covenant with the Lord.  The Covenant of the Old Testament is quite different from the Covenant of the New Testament that was written in the Blood of Jesus.  Most often saints don’t read Leviticus-Numbers; these are contained in the first five Books of the Bible that hold the instructions/restrictions of the Covenant that God gave to Abraham. If we sincerely looked into the Old Testament Instructions of Covenant it would truly make us more thankful for the New Covenant given to us on Calvary. Covenant is mentioned in the Bible 292 times; by this we know it is a very important issue with God.  “A Covenant is a written agreement, a binding Promise: a pledge, a contract.”   If we just had the time to stop and meditate upon these instructions we would be so grateful to Jesus for liberating us from them, by bringing in the New Covenant. Once Jesus died on the Cross, shed His precious Blood the New Covenant became our Promise!  Every Born Again Christian must know this, but it is good to take another look at it that our Covenant Keeping God.  How awesome it this?  Broken Covenants abound in our society!  Oh how we need the Covenant Keeping God! When He said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee – He keeps His Word. It is also very interesting to read Hebrews while you are investigating the Old Testament Instructions. Because it is here that we learn the power of the New Covenant that God keeps with us in mind.  Note Hebrews 8:1-2 “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens;  A Minister of the Sanctuary, and of the True Tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”  Jesus is the source of all Blessings as He keeps His Covenant with mankind. To name a few Blessings: Mercy, Remission of sins {thank you Jesus} Good things to come, Eternal Redemption, Purged Conscience, Eternal Inheritance, Victory over the enemy, Access to God, etc.  He is a Covenant Keeping God! Loving you, Pastor

How Shall We Praise Him?

How Shall We Praise Jesus?  So often our Praise is Thanksgiving and that is truly a blessings unto the Lord.  But as I mused on the thought “How Shall We Praise our Lord” – Truly Praise Him from the depth of our being. I Hear the Psalmist “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will Sing Praise to my God while I have my being.” So often as we try to focus on Him and Worship, many thoughts cloud our mind.  In this day of ‘fast things’ sometimes our Worship is caught up in the fast pace of life and does not touch our soul in such a way to bring Peace to our spirit. So often I have preached from the Book of Psalms, and here I am again. In the Psalms, this Passage mentioned is the 104th chapter, I encourage you to read the glorious facts of God’s creative power. As the writer of this Psalm comes to a close, there are vows and admonitions of Praise.  “I will sing unto the Lord; I will Sing Praise unto my God; My meditation of Him shall sweet; and I will be glad in the Lord!”  O that saints would Praise Him with such a strong ‘will’!  The Writer of Hebrews records God’s Message to us: “I will make a New Covenant; I will be Merciful to the unrighteous; I will put My Laws in their heart; I will never leave thee nor forsake them,” How awesome is that?  If these Promises of God be in our heart and soul then a Song of Praise should erupt from the depths of our being.  There is shallow praise, – Jesus made such a comment in Matt 15:8 “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.” My thought in this Message today is to inspire us to think on the depth of Praise that is in our heart. Does it pass our soulish realm, the place of our personal “I Wills?” And bring us into Spiritual Communion with the Presence of God? His Praise can not be hurried, it must be thoughtful, thankful, prayerful and filled with a depth of feeling – a feeling of love and devotion. “How Shall We Praise Him?”  With a Whole Heart!  We were created to Praise Him! The Word of God reveals in Ps. 102:18 ...“This shall be written for the generation to come: And the people which shall be created shall Praise the Lord.”   Together let us search the depth of our heart and give Him Praise!  I truly believe that God’s heart longs for His people to Sing and glorify. Loving you, Pastor

A Song in the Night

I hear the melody of a Song ringing in my Spirit – “More of you Lord, More of you!”  This should be our greatest desire that we would be filled with more of our Lord and Saviour!  That in the midst of our Night Season, that is, our trials and temptations, and hardships, we would cry out for more of the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that there is a season to all things.  Eccl 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” VS 11-13 “God hath made everything beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the Gift of God.” A question was posed to me: “Why does mankind linger in the night seasons? Meaning the dark-side of life.  Thus a Message was born in my spirit – “A Song in the Night!”  We are familiar with Paul and Silas who sang at Midnight under horrendous circumstances – Perhaps the Lord is calling for a Song in the Night Season. Even as Paul and Silas were suffering their spirit sang the Praises of God.  What a thought, if we could sing God’s Praises when we are fearful, in danger, or suffering, in sorrow, or Anxiety, duress... this is the works of darkness, the works of the enemy! But God has promised “A Song in the Night!”  Ps. 40:2-3 “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock, and established my goings.  He hath put a New Song in my mouth, even Praise unto our God: [And it has an effect on everyone around you] many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”  The Message I believe the Lord would convey to us is – He is in our night and if we will Praise Him with our Song, His Loving Kindness will pour over us.  Ps. 42:8 “The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the Night His Song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.” O Church we must “admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Singing with Grace in our hearts unto the Lord.” ~ Col 3:16 The Night Seasons have great purpose!   Loving you, Pastor

How Far Will You Go?

The Message today Epiphany Greetings in Jesus great and wonderful name. Epiphany is on the Church calendar which means: The Revelation.  It is the Revelation of Jesus the Christ to the Gentiles.  There is much to be said about this Revelation.  Jesus originally came for the Hebrew nation. He is the “King of the Jews!”  When we celebrate Epiphany we are celebrating the glorious fact that Jesus also accepted the Gentile nations. Again our Message today is built upon the Prophetical Utterances of the Old Testament.  As God speaks of the Generations of Noah, we hear this profound statement; Genesis 10:5 “By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.”After the great flood, came the Gentile Nations. And Prophecy continues; here is an excerpt from Isaiah 11:10-12 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious.”  I am always amazed at what we find when we search the Scriptures. God’s Word is so revealing! It is when we meditate upon it and research all the information and Seek Him with a whole heart! This cannot be done in 10 minutes or in a devotional, it will take time in a good solid study Bible.  “How far will you go?” How far will we go to seek the One born King of the Jews?  Wise men journeyed a great distance, under dangerous circumstance, with only a sign in the heavens. We have the sincere Word of God, yet Christianity seems to be satisfied with hearing a Message or reading a devotion. Our sign is: The Word of God, Prophecy fulfilled, and direction of the Holy Spirit. Let me pose this question: “How far will we go in sin?” – In our habits that perhaps does not please the King? – In our attitudes, and our doubt? We must stretch our fleshly soul and go the distance to touch the Father’s heart in Spiritual matters, to take in the Wisdom of our God that He might be revealed in us.  How far will we go for Him? Matthew 6 talks about the ‘Cares of Life’ and Jesus said:  Matt.6:32-33 “For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  How awesome is this? Jesus personally encourages the Gentiles to seek Him first! How far will we go to seek Him who is born King of the Jews? O Lord Jesus, help us go the distance, Loving you, Pastor

Meditate Upon God's Goodness

The Message today Meditate: ‘to reflect deeply on a subject; devout religious contemplation; to silently calm your mind to focus on Spiritual reasons; to spend time in quiet thought for Spiritual purpose:’ In reading these definitions of Meditate, we quickly realize that it is most often difficult to silent our thoughts, to calm the stresses of the day [which the Word of God calls the ‘cares of life.’] and to shut out the many voices that surround us. As we take time in our busy schedule to Meditate upon the Word of God and the things of God, we quickly note that there are vibrant signs, moving us toward the Coming of the Lord.  He is Coming by life or by death, He is Coming. The Spirit of God is admonishing us to take time to Meditate upon the Goodness of God, to see His power in the land of the living, to quietly set before Him in Worshipful Meditation. Do we see the signs of the time; do we recognize how far our nation is moving from Godly concepts?  Jesus said in Luke 21:31-34 “When you see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand.   Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” In this New Year that lies ahead of us, let us take time for Spiritual matters, time for more personal Prayer, time for reading more of God’s Word, and then time to set and soak in what it is that He is saying to us in 2016. Let us determine to “Increase in Spiritual motivation,” that is, in our inner man.  From Jesus dedication in the Temple at His birth, He increased in   There will be challenges set before us, take time to Pray before decisions, to Meditate upon the Word of God. Remember that the Holy Spirit is present in you and surrounds you; He is there to comfort you, strengthen you, and to guide you into Truth. In this New Year let us wax strong [wax: means to increase-increase in spiritual strength]. Let us follow Jesus example; Wax strong in Spirit – consider the power of the Holy Ghost in our life; Fill our lives with Wisdom, that is take in more of His Holy Word, research, meditate and reflect on the powerful resources of God’s Word. And Scripture tells us the Grace of God was upon Jesus.  His Grace should motivate our life, granted us favor with the Lord and favor with mankind.  As we Meditate upon Spiritual matters in this New year, we will experience the Great Goodness of our God!  Let us Increase together in Him.     

Happy ‘Increasing’ in this New Year!     Loving you, Pastor