(CLICK THE TITLE) Good morning everyone. On this beautiful Morning, we come before God in praise and worship for the grace and mercy of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. He died so that we didn’t have to. Tell everyone that doesn’t know Him that He’s alive and wants to know them.
Today’s Prayer
(based on Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 10:10 and 20)
Good morning, Lord and Savior. I sit here today in reverence and awe of You and Your sacrifice and power and love. Many years ago You cried out with a loud voice and yielded up Your spirit, after suffering a horrible torture and crucifixion. I am thrilled and amazed by what happened when You accomplished that purpose. I can only imagine what it was like to witness the veil of the temple torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaking and the sky darkening, and the rocks splitting, and the graves opening the moment You spoke to the Father and gave up Your spirit. Then to see and hear the centurion and guards become afraid and acknowledge, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Hallelujah, yes You were and are! I am thankful that when that veil was torn in two, You opened the way for us to enter the Holy places through Your blood. You are my great Intercessor, who carried Your blood to the altar and covered my sins, and who stands before the Father on my behalf. Thank You Jesus, Savior, Lord! I have been sanctified through the offering of Your body, once for all. Therefore, through Your blood and Your veil of flesh, I may boldly enter the Holiest. I believe. I trust. My hope is in You. Thank You.
Let’s eat.
The Gospel of the Kingdom
This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. – 1 John 2:5-6
This is a awesome revelation. The bible tells us that when Christ came to earth, He came to bring to mankind the gospel of the Kingdom. Over the centuries, the Church has tended to emphasize only a portion of the gospel. That portion is the gospel of salvation. However, Jesus came that we might have more than just salvation. He came to give us a whole new life that was accompanied by signs, wonders, and His Spirit living in us and revealing Himself to us daily. He came so that we might walk on this earth as He did. If our lives are not reflecting the same things as Jesus’ did, we got to ask why?
I have noticed three distinct types of believers throughout my years of walking with Christ. First, many of us come to Christ out of a need for salvation. Our hearts have been touched by His call on our lives. We reason and analyze the claims of Christ and make a decision for Him. It is the convenient time to accept Him in our lives. This first stage is often characterized by a “Bless me, Lord” attitude toward God. It is the first stage that primarily brings salvation into our lives. Some never really go past this first stage.
The second stage is the crisis stage. A crisis takes place in our lives, and we are motivated to seek Christ with a whole heart. However, this motivation is not out of pure love for Christ; rather, it is motivated by the desire to get out of the pain of living. The motivation is to solve “the what” versus “the why” in our lives at the time. This stage is best characterized as “Help me, Lord.”
In the third stage we begin to experience the gospel of the Kingdom. It’s the place where Jesus resided in His walk with His heavenly Father. It is the place of conviction. The numbers of people who live at this level are quite few, but these people are experiencing the reality of a walk with God that is foreign to all others. They are seeing daily occurrences of His involvement in their lives. They are motivated by a deep love for Him. They know Him. These people have an attitude characterized by these thoughts, “Have me, Lord; though He slay me, still will I trust Him.”
Where are you today? Have you merely accepted His salvation to simply float along, or do you seek Him with a whole heart only when a crisis occurs? His desire is for you and me to live a life of conviction, motivated by our love for Him and His love for us. This is where we will experience the gospel of the Kingdom.
Quote of the Day
Once I knew what it was to rest upon the rock of God’s promises, and it was indeed a precious resting place, but now I rest in His grace. He is teaching me that the bosom of His love is a far sweeter resting-place than even the rock of His promises.
Hannah Whitall Smith
WITH HOPE AND FAITH
REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
GCKRS HELPING HAND FOUNDATION – THE RELATIONSHIP FACTORY