“The Time is at Hand!”

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His Angel unto His servant John: VS3 Blessed is he that Readeth, and they that hear the Words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: For The Time Is At Hand.”  ~ Rev. 1:1-3

Twice in the Book of Revelation we hear these Words: “The Time is at Hand.” It is a time to pause in our daily activities and give God time to speak to His Children. We have been in a “hurried” mode for a long time. Everything around us is fast and it seems for some, we arrive at the end of the day exhausted and weary. In this “time oriented season” it is apparent that God often gets left out. “Our Father” desires time with us! As we meditate upon Him and His Eternal Plan, He draws nigh and surrounds us with His Holy Spirit. There is no better way to meditate upon “Eternal Matters,” then in the Book of Revelation. As the Scripture above tells us – God desires to reveal the power of His Son to humanity. Could it be as Christ draws near, evil seeks to prevail and seems so intense in this point and time? As we open the Book of Revelation in a time that it seems evil is prevailing, we hear the Word of the Lord --- “He that Readeth, and they that hear the Words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand!” There is a Blessing for the “Reading of the Book of Revelation.”  Somethings we can only ponder until the mysteries be revealed, but this one thing we know, God is revealing His Son and saying: “The Time is at Hand.” For sure I know this, the time of shoring up our Christian life is at hand. It is a time to draw nigh unto our Father in Heaven. It is a time to meditate upon His Word, for there are signs that point to His return. O let the Church hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the Church. The Revelation Prophecy of the “End Time” begins with the Church as we hear the Lord say — “He that hath an ear let him hear!” Seven times we hear this statement in the Book of Revelation. The Christian must “hear” what the Spirit of God is saying to us in this hour; For the Time is at Hand, and the signs of His Coming are prevalent!    Loving You, Pastor

My Father

Today we celebrate our fathers, we are thankful for every one of you. We ask the Heavenly Father to bless you in a special and unique way today! We not only celebrate our fleshly fathers, but our Heavenly Father! When we say my Father it tells us we have been fathered, it’s personal. Some have had painful experiences, and some have had good experiences; but we all have had an eternal father who has given us Promise and has not failed us. Jesus said: “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with Power from on high.” Luke 24:49 – Jesus talks a lot about His Father in Scripture. Jesus referred to “My Father” fifty some times in the Gospels. Jesus also called God “Our Father” some twenty one times in the Gospels. This is awesome for Jesus clearly shows us that those who believe on Him share the same relationship with God in Heaven that Jesus does. We probably need to pause here and give this statement some thought. It seems that relationships are thin in this moment and time, but we have a Father who desires to be in relationship with us at all times. --- There are many Fathers in Scripture who in the midst of danger, difficulty, and misfortune, maintained a Godly Fortitude. We also note the strength of our Forefathers who placed the foundation of a Godly Nation before us and fought for our Liberty. Some gave up their livelihood for the Freedom to Worship our Heavenly Father. We are grateful for our Fathers who have faithfully served in the wars and those who are serving still today.... Not only is Jesus “My Father” but He calls God “Your Father” twenty-one times in the Gospel. Here is a powerful thought: The Israelites had no concept of God as “Father.” They saw Him as Jehovah, the transcendent God. Usually they never thought of God in intimate terms. So, when Jesus arrived calling God “My Father,” it was a totally new concept and it even angered many of them. Jesus revealed this to His disciples in Luke 11:2 “Jesus said, When ye “Pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.” Immediately we note as we come into Salvation we are intimately related to God through Jesus Christ. Rom. 8:15‑16 “...ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the Children of God!” Just as our human father has certain responsibilities for his children, God has taken responsibility for us, “His Children.” Thank God for our Fathers and Thank You God that You are Our Father! Loving U, Pastor

“The Cup Of Blessing

“I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of Peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and Pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.”  ~ Jer. 29:11-13

As we read this Passage of Scripture in Jeremiah, we see the Revelation of “The Cup of Blessing!” We have Communion with our Heavenly Father when we partake of the “Emblems of His Body and Blood!” Communion has a strong meaning –It is the sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a Spiritual level. -- It is a relationship between an individual and the Lord Himself. It is the Service of Christian Worship which the Bread and the Fruit of the Vine [Jesus called it the Fruit of the Vine in Mt. Mk. & Lk.] are consecrated and shared. Consecrated is: Something sacred; dedicated exclusively for a Divine Purpose. This is the theme of the Message today, His Divine Purpose for us as we partake of the “Cup of Blessing!”  This “Cup” that we share today is a most powerful sign of our relationship with Christ. It is said we are partaking of the Communion of “The Blood of Christ!” and in “The Bread” that we partake of, it is said to be the Communion of “The Body” of Christ! And as we follow this Exhortation, we see the Word of God tell us: “For we are all partakers of that One Bread!” Over the many years that some of us have been partaking of The Lord’s Communion, we sometimes forget the Power of this action. I hear Paul say in 2 Cor.13:14 that “The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you…!” Christianity is not just a “tradition” it is a Divine Purpose for the Believers in Christ. Something that should be noticed in this Scripture is the “Holy Trinity” of God. In Holy Communion as the  saints lift “The Cup” – take “The Bread,” the whole Trinity attends the Holy Moment. It should effect us as it did the two men who met Jesus on the road to Damascus … When they sat at dinner and Jesus took the Bread and Blessed it, Broke it and gave it to them; their response was – “Did not our heart burn within us!” O may our hearts burn with the presence of the Holy Ghost today as we receive the Emblems of our Saviour!  Let us remember “we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that One Bread! 

Loving You, Pastor