Marriage: Image of God

God gave us three institutions to live by: marriage, family and the Church. So is it any wonder that marriage, family and the Church is under attack?
“We are in a culture war. It is not between the right and the left. It is between right and wrong; good and evil; light and darkness; sin and righteousness. The battleground is the home. Satan has aimed all of the artillery of Hell at the destruction of the family. His chief weaponry is deception. He is the father of lies. Adrian Rogers said: “The lie is the most dangerous thing on the earth. Satan knows that belief is the father of action. He would rather you believe something wrong than to do something wrong.” - Dr. Clayton Cloer
John 8:37-47 The devil is the father of lies and his children desire to lie and do his deeds.
Our battle is not against people, but it is against the lies and ideologies they have embraced:
2 Cor 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Some Christians believe we shouldn’t get involved in politics, but John the Baptist did in Mark 6:18 he told King Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife," and it infuriated Herodias and John was executed.
Luke 7:24-28 Jesus speaks about John.

Cohabitation: ( 10 million Americans) The research is now clear according to Nancy Wartick. Cohabitation prior to marriage serves to undermine, rather than to strengthen the marital bond. "Couples who move in together before marriage have up to two times the odds of divorce, as compared with couples who marry before living together. *Moreover, married couples who have lived together before exchanging vows tend to have poorer-quality marriages than couples who moved in after the wedding. Those
who cohabited first report less satisfaction, more arguing, poorer communication and lower levels of commitment."
Homosexuality: it devalues each other because you declare that neither person’s gender is necessary for a relationship to work. It also reduces a person’s identity to their sexual behavior. Human beings are more than just a sexual activity. It devalues the other person because it renders one of the individuals unable to parent a child. It devalues a person because it creates promiscuity. This sexual activity can only be experienced outside of marriage. Even in nations where same sex marriage is legal, only 5% of same sex couples choose to marry.

God’s design for marriage:
1) Rooted in Creation in the Old Testament, Gen. 2:24
2) Reflects something of God’s Character in the Earth. Pastor Jim Garlow of Skyline Church in California: “We know that God is neither male nor female. Yet we are made "in His image." In spite of the fact that we are, as individuals, made in the image of God, the true, full image is expressed when the two halves of humanity complement each other and become one.
3) Re-Affirmed by Jesus in the Gospels Matt. 19:4-6 Marriage was instituted by God at the beginning, for male and female becoming one flesh, God creates the union not the state, and only God can separate it.
4) Explained by Apostle Paul in the New Testament Eph. 5:25-31
5) Revealed by John in Revelations 21:9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife."

Sanctity of Human Life

Sanctity of Human Life is not just about abortion, it is about understanding we are made in the image of God and as Christians we are to live a life that honors God. That does not mean we are perfect, it means we stand up for what we believe is right according to the Bible and do our best to walk it out. We are to protect the lives of our weakest, most vulnerable citizens who can’t protect themselves. Cloning, euthanasia, disrespect and devaluing our elderly, child slavery, assisted suicide, human trafficking, prostitution and pornography, harvesting human fetal parts, and embryonic stem cell research are key issues that erode the sanctity of human life. God instituted three major structures in order for humans to walk out our sanctification; marriage, family and the Church.

“It’s my body!” Not really; life begins at conception. The small baby has his or her own DNA (at conception), own heart beat (in 20 days), and soon will develop his or her own fingerprints. Ps 139:13-14 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” A fetus is a separate body growing inside of a woman’s body. Fetus is Latin for “little one.” Before we were born, God created us with our calling and purpose. Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Your baby may be a powerful man or woman of God; Satan hopes this baby is never born…who are we listening to?

“I don’t believe in abortion, but I believe in choice.” This reasoning is ludicrous! Try using the same reasoning with rape.

“Don’t force your morals on me!” This sounds like a good argument but stop and think…most of our laws are based on morality for the protection from people who lack morals. Incest, statutory rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, theft and so on.

Roe V. Wade: Built on Lies. The United States Supreme Court made a decision to legalize abortion…based on lies. The lawyers for the defense argued that between 5,000 and 10,000 deaths per year were attributed to “back-room” or “alley” abortions. This was a blatant lie that the lawyers later admitted. In 1972 (the year before the legalization) only 39 women died from illegal abortions according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control. The defendant, (Norma McCorvey) lied about being raped so it would speed things up in court, and stated the case was built on lies. Another land mark case for abortion was Jane Doe -V- Bolton. The defendant, (Sandra Cano), said, “I never went to the lawyers to get an abortion. I went to the Atlanta Legal Aid to get a divorce.” Sandra had no idea that her lawyers were using her to legalize abortion. “I found out years later, when I had the records unsealed, that I had supposedly sued to have a panel of nine doctors and nurses at Grady Hospital in Atlanta to give me an abortion. It was a suit which I was never knowledgeable of, and never went to court to pursue.”

Did you know? Abortion can and has caused bladder injury, bowel injury, breast cancer, ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, ill effects on future pregnancies, failed abortion, hemorrhaging, hepatitis, infection, laceration of the cervix, perforation of the uterus, placenta previa, post-abortion syndrome (mental and psychological problems), retained products of conception, Rh incompatibility, severe rapid bleeding, and sterility.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is forgiveness for the abortionists, the mothers and fathers; all who have sinned. We love and embrace these people, but hate the sin.

God Said…We Did…Judgment III

Review: 2010 will be a year of judgment as to how we respond to God’s Word. We learned many times people will not listen to God because of their hardened heart. A hardened heart comes from pride, rebellion, selfishness, disbelief and being offended. Every daily choice we make is a step in a certain direction whether towards God or away from God. The number 10 also means: “trial or test to be measured for the purpose of accepting or rejecting.”

2 Cor 5:10-11 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Judgment Seat: Strong’s #968 bema (bay-mah); From baino which means “to go” as a step or stride. It indicates there will come a time when all believers will stand before Christ and be judged for the steps we took as we walked out our salvation. This judgment comes with a reward as to our obedience to God’s Word.

In Rev. chapters 2 and 3, Jesus addresses the 7 churches and He starts off by saying, “I know your works.”

In Rev. the Bible speaks of the 10 kingdoms of man that will be judged after uniting together and giving their authority to the beast and make war with the Lamb. Man’s rule is coming to an end after 6000 years of failure.

Are we truly thankful...fall down and worship God with a loud voice!
Luke 17:11-19 Story of the 10 lepers
Are we robbing God? Do we truly serve Him or money? Where is our treasure, the Kingdom or our own wallet?
Malachi 3:8-12 tells us that man has robbed God (and himself of a blessing) because he will not tithe or offer. A tithe is giving back to God what He calls His; the first one tenth of all our increase which brings a blessing on the other 90%.

Are we ready for His return? Are we spending time in His presence? Is our heart beautiful for our groom? Do we look to people or God for help?
Matt. 25:1-13 the parable of 10 virgins.

The most horrifying experience will be for those who think they are a follower of Christ and that they know Him, but He will say to them; “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.”

God Said…We Did…Judgment

Are we ready for His return? Have we laid down our life, picked up our cross and followed Him?

Biblical Parenting

God holds the parents responsible for the upbringing of children, not grandparents, the schools, youth clubs, not the state, not peers and friends. The father is in the highest position of authority and therefore he is the one most accountable to God. Too many fathers leave the parenting to the mother and many fathers are totally removed from the parenting. When a pregnancy outside of marriage occurs, the chances of the father not being involved drastically increases. If a father is leaving most of the training to the Mother, he is not being a godly father or husband.
Eph 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: 3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Provoke "Provoke," literally, "to call forth," hence, to excite or stir up, whether in a good or bad way; to make angry and rebellious.
Training Strong’s # 3809, paideia (pahee-di'-ah); tutorage, i.e. education or training; by implication, disciplinary correction: chastening, instruction, nurturing
Admonition Strong’s #3559 outhesia (noo-thes-ee'-ah); calling attention to, i.e. (by implication) mild rebuke or warning:

Prov 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Deut 6:6-9 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Two things are necessary for training our children: a right attitude and a foundation of Biblical principles. Training is different than teaching. Teaching is telling someone how to do something, and training them is showing them by example. Our attitude creates the environment in which we train. Encouragement, patience, affection, firmness, listening and love will create a God-honoring environment. Condemnation, unrealistic expectations, sarcasm, un-healthy fear, criticism, and intimidation cause a destructive environment which will lead “provoke your children to wrath.”

Should we as Christian parents spank our children?
No if you have anger problems, drinking problems or issues with Social Services. It is ok to spank if it is done in a loving God-honoring manner:
Never in anger, never to injure, never excessive, never with your hand. Always calm, explain why, always on the buttocks, always a hug and reassurance afterwards. Stop spanking once adolescence begins.
Prov 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
Prov 22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
Prov 29:15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Hebrews 12:3-11 God chastens those He loves and calls sons.

Next Sunday: “How to Have a Great Marriage”

Woe to the Offended

Matt 18:7 “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!”

Woe Strong’s # 3759 ouai (oo-ah-ee), means grief. Webster; grief is mental suffering over affliction or loss, distress or sorrow. A condition of deep suffering.

Matt 23:1-36 Jesus proclaims woes to the scribes and Pharisees for their false humility and causing others to stumble.

Offended Strong’s #4625 and 4624, skandalizo (skan-dal-id-zoe), a snare or stumbling block in the way which hinders right conduct or thought. The noun to which it is related referred to the bait-stick of a trap used to catch animals. It also means an enticement to error or sin.
From skandalizo we derive the English word scandalize. According to
Webster, scandal means: discredit brought upon religion by unseemly conduct in a religious person; conduct that causes or encourages a lapse of faith or of religious obedience in another.

When we become offended, we are the one in sin (regardless of what someone did to offend us) and as a result because of this sin of offence in us, we will cause others to stumble in their Christian faith especially newer believers. We are in bondage; we are in a spiritual jail.

Matt 11:6 “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

Matt 13:57-58 So they were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

The offense does not come through the one who offended you, once you become offended, the offense wants to flow through you.

Matt 24:3-14 Jesus tells us the pattern of what happens when we become offended: offense, betrayal, hatred, deception, our love grows cold.

Matt 13:57 offense happens because of familiarity

Rm 14:21 offense happens because of a dispute of doctrines

Luke 17:1 most of our offenses will come from those who we are closest to; our spouse, our Pastor and other believers

Prov 18:19 Once a brother is offended, he will build up walls around himself and go into protection mode, giving nothing out and letting nothing in. This is like the Sea of Galilee as to the Dead Sea.

So what do we need to do? Next Sunday’s message: “No Millstone for Me!” Come and learn the answer for abundant life free from offenses.

You Must Be Born Again

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
…6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'…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.
Perhaps the most popular Bible verse of all is John 3:16 and the prelude is Jesus telling us we must be born again.
Rm 6:6, Eph 4:22, Col 3:9 all tell us our old man is dead, indicating we have a new life a new birth.

A birth is a very specific date in time where a new life begins. When a baby is born, a doctor or nurse immediately records the day and the time. It is a definite recorded occurrence. There is no doubt to all who were present at the birth, a new life entered this world. That is why Jesus used the analogy of being born again. There is a definite recorded occurrence in the spiritual realm of a person being born again. It is an experience that “you know that you know that you know,” (1 Jn 5:13). Once we are born again, our spirit enters the Kingdom of God and all of Heaven is our witness. Many profess Jesus as Lord, but were never born again. Matt 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
We can’t say we live in the Kingdom and live in this world.

2 Cor 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Titus 3:5 through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
1 Peter 1:22-23 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
When we are born again, we will have a sincere love for our brother and sisters in Christ and this will draw us to church, to be a part, to help out, not stay away and stay home.

Salvation doesn’t just sort of happen.
It isn’t because you are a certain religion like Catholic or Lutheran.
It isn’t because you have gone to church all of your life
It isn’t because your parents are Christians or go to church
It isn’t because you pray to God
It isn’t because you are a good person and try to help others
It isn’t because you read your Bible from time to time
It isn’t because you cry and say you are sorry
It isn’t because you believe in God or Jesus James 2:19-20 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe -- and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
Even if we believe, but we do not have a new life (good works) our faith is dead.
Salvation comes from repentance. Matt 4:17 The first thing Jesus said…
Repent, Strong’s #3340 metanoeo (met-an-ah-eh-oh). From meta, “after” and moeo, “to think.” Repentance is a decision that results in a change of mind, which in turn leads to a change of purpose and action, (The Spirit Filled Life Bible). It also means to turn 180 degrees and go the other way.
True repentance results in a new life, a new way of thinking; we are truly born again by the Spirit of God coming to dwell in us.

The Church That Doesn’t Care!

At Life Song Church we don’t care if you dress gothic, emo or don’t know, we don’t care if your hair is a fro hawk, mohawk or you know Tony Hawk, we don’t care if your body has piercings, tattoos or boo-boos. At Life Song Church all we care about is you!
John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
Jesus said this to the Jews as He was teaching in the temple. They marveled at His teachings, but because He was different and His teachings brought conviction, the Jews did not like His doctrine. Jesus made a man well on the Sabbath and for this the Jews criticized Him. In today’s language, Jesus did church different from the norm. John 7:16-18 Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

At Life Song we do church different from the norm. We seek to do the will of God but in a way the young and the young at heart can understand.
We don’t care about a person’s past and all of the bad choices he or she made (all of us have made bad choices). Jesus Christ is about hope for a better tomorrow. Jesus loves you just as you are (and so do we) but His death brought us new life and the power to overcome our weaknesses.

Matt 9:12-13 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
The reason there are no perfect churches is because if there were, none of us could attend! We would mess it up! The Church is a hospital for the sick, not a social club for the saints.

Luke 19:5-7 “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

Hos 6:6 “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
The word ‘mercy’ used in this text means faithfulness or loyalty. God is after a relationship with us and our faithfulness comes from trusting and knowing God. We could be the greatest ‘doer’ in the kingdom, but without fellowship and love, it is useless.

If a prostitute came to our church and wanted to give us her pay check to help pay for a new cross and communion plates, should we take her money knowing how it was earned?
READ Luke 7:36-50

How many times have we thought to ourselves, “Well at least I’m not as bad as this homosexual, prostitute, adulterer, smoker, drunkard, pot smoker, druggie, politician, tattoo freak, because at least I go to church, and give my money and pray and so forth?” READ Luke 18:9-14

Humility will allow us to be the CHURCH THAT DOESN’T CARE, and through His love, many sinners will be saved! That’s our doctrine and we’re sticken’ to it!

“I do not want you to be ignorant”-Paul

In the NT the Apostle Paul warns us about being ignorant about spiritual issues. Many Christians are ignorant because of two main reasons: not knowing because of a lack of knowledge, or because we chose to avoid something we don’t understand. Sometimes we are ignorant because of the traditions we were taught (religious doctrines). Mark 7:13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."
The Scripture gives us a choice; not to be ignorant, or to be wise in our own opinion. In our ignorance, Satan will take advantage of us and we could lose hope.
Ignorant; Strong’s #50, agnoeo (ag-no-eh'-o); not to know (through lack of information or intelligence); by implication, to ignore (through disinclination). Disinclination: Webster; a preference for avoiding something.

Rom 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion,
Paul was teaching the Gentiles that God still desires to save Israel in spite of Israel’s rejection of Christ.
Rom 10:2-4 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Many Jews had a zeal for God, but it was according to their own understanding. These Jews were ignorant of God’s righteousness.
2 Cor 2:11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
In our ignorance Satan will take advantage of us.
1 Thess 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
Ignorance can cause us to lose our hope.

1 Cor 12:1-11 Paul tell us about the Gifts of the Spirit:
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:” Paul goes on to list the gifts: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing's, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues and interpretation of tongues.
1 Cor Chapter 14 Paul explains how to apply tongues to a church service and says in verse 38, “But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.”

Is Speaking in Tongues from the Devil?
That would make Jesus a liar according to Luke 11:9-13. Serpent and Scorpions are words used for the power of the enemy. Jesus taught the gift of the Holy Spirit is from our Father God and is a good thing.
Speaking in an unknown language (tongues) is a sign of receiving the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:45-46 “because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” Acts 19:6-7 “And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied
Isn’t speaking in tongues the same as speaking in another known language like Spanish or German? Acts 2:1-8
Tongue; Strong’s #1100, glossa, (gloce-sah’); a language (especially one not acquired through your own effort). The Bible refers to this as an “unknown language” between man and God.
Tongue: Strong’s # 1258 dialektos, (dee-al’-ek-tos); discourse, dialect, language. A discourse in a verbal interchange of ideas.

Biblical Communion

Communion, Strong’s #2842 koinonia (koy-nohn-ee-ah)
Fellowship, Strong’s #2842 koinonia (koy-nohn-ee-ah)
Communion and fellowship is the same word. The words indicate people working together for the common goal of bringing people to Christ and then equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. At this point we are called the Church also known as the Body of Christ. The crucifixion was a one time event that put into motion a continual process of believers being the Body of Christ. Becoming a Christian is a journey, not a destination.
Phil 2:12-13 work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Communion is a celebration of remembering Christ’s crucifixion and looking forward to His return.

Transubstantiation: Roman Catholic doctrine that believes the bread and wine used for communion actually is transformed into the literal flesh and blood of Christ.
Consubstantiation: Protestant doctrine that believes the bread and wine are spiritually the flesh and blood of Jesus, but yet the bread and wine are actually only bread and wine.

Continuity of scripture: the Bible speaks against cannibalism and drinking blood. If the bread and wine of communion actually turned into the flesh and blood of Jesus, would this not be cannibalism? It only makes Biblical sense that Jesus was speaking of spiritual transformation not a physical one. To represent His body, Jesus used a piece of bread even though a roasted lamb was on the table. Why did Jesus use bread and not lamb? Would not lamb depict Christ’s flesh better than bread? Jesus called Himself the “bread of life” and He never turned into bread, it was a spiritual symbolism.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
Did Jesus mean that whoever eats His bread of life will literally never be hungry or thirsty? Or did He mean this spiritually? Obviously spiritually.

Matt 26:26-29 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
In order to keep the continuity of Scripture, it only makes biblical sense to take what Jesus said spiritually and not literally.

Read: 1 Cor 11:23-34 The Bible tells us to take communion in remembrance of Jesus and that we are to check our hearts. Jesus’ blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. We need to actively pursue forgiveness and repentance.

We must deal with the sin in our heart and realize God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to live a sanctified life in Christ.
2 Tim 3:1-9…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!... 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Tempted: Passing the Test

Once we are filled with the Holy Spirit by water baptism, laying on of hands, or hearing the Gospel preached, we are now lead by the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit comes direction, gifts, fruit, comfort and a peace that passes all understanding. This infilling of the Spirit of God is for our sanctification which allows us to live a holy life pleasing to God and empowers us to build the Kingdom of God.

Matt 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Tempted Strong’s #3985 peirazo (pi-rad'-zo); to test (objectively), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline: assay (examination and determination as to character), examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try.
Tempted from Satan’s perspective: enticement to sin
Tempted from God’s perspective: a testing of our character
God allows Satan to tempt us in order to use what Satan has meant for evil to be used for God’s glory. Much of our tempting (testing) comes from the sin that is within us.

We build the Kingdom of God one soul at a time through repentance, baptism and sanctification.
Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Rom 14:17-18 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

1 Cor 10:12-13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Heb 2:18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Heb 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Temptation starts as a thought in our mind and if we do not pull it down through the Word of God, it will manifest in our actions and eventually lead to spiritual and even physical death.

How do we pass the test?
If we are equipped, we have what it takes to pass the test. The only way we become equipped is through the Church, AKA the Body of Christ. Make a commitment to be here every Sunday and use our gifts for His glory.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

According to Pastor Duane Vander Klok, Jesus has a present day ministry that consists of the following three things:
1. Building His Church (Matt 16:18)
2. Making intercession for us (Rom 8:34)
3. Baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt 3:11)
In the NT it is implied that everyone who was saved, was water baptized. Water baptism goes hand-in-hand with being Spirit filled. Those who are water baptized with the knowledge of the Holy Spirit are usually filled with the Spirit upon baptism. Eph. 5:18 tells us to “be filled” with the Holy Spirit. The Greek word implies “be being filled,” or in other words after the original infilling, it is a continual process. Coming to church is one way to be filled. It is believed that the Church was born on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4 in which everyone was filled with the Spirit.
Acts 1:4-6 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter, Joel (OT), John the Apostle, and Paul all spoke about being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
This is the fulfilling of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32

Acts 8:14-25 Simon the Sorcerer
Acts 19:1-6 Paul at Ephesus

Some doctrines (denominations) are confused about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and either ignore the corresponding Scriptures or claim that certain parts of the Holy Spirit’s ministry at some point stopped and are no longer relevant to today’s Church. Most of these doctrines believe in the fruit of the Spirit, but deny, delete, ignore, or change (are ignorant) about the gifts of the Spirit that come with the infilling of the Spirit.

Heb 13:8-9 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.

Rev 22:18,19 John warns us anyone who adds to or takes away anything that is written in the Bible is in danger.

It is not just a few Scriptures that speak about the gifts, fruit, infilling and power of the Holy Spirit, but entire chapters are written about this. We are filled with the Spirit in order to be empowered to complete our ministry. We do not battle against the natural, but the supernatural and for this we need the Holy Spirit.

1 Cor 12 Paul teaches us about the Gifts of the Spirit and there is more written in Scripture about tongues and prophecy than almost any other gift.

Experience the Power of Water Baptism

Matt 3:16-17 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Jesus allowed John to baptize Him in order to give us an example of what happens to believers who are baptized.

Baptism fulfills all righteousness (Matt 3:15). Jesus was water baptized before He started His ministry.

The Heavens opened up, the Holy Trinity came together, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and God was pleased.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit, had strength to fast, power to resist Satan, wisdom to answer the tempter, and was not deceived.

*Baptism, Strong’s # 908; baptisma (bap-tis-ma): From the verb baptize, to dip or immerse. In Christian baptism the stress is on the baptized person’s identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection.

Jesus commanded us to be baptized.
Matt 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Part of becoming a disciple of Christ is by being baptized. Here again we see the correlation between water baptism and the joining of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Mark 16:16 Jesus said; “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

There are no infants water baptized in the NT

Do we have to be water baptized in order to be saved? Many Bible scholars believe if a person confesses to be a follower of Christ but refuses to be baptized, he or she most likely is a false conversion.

Water baptism is the most important step of faith in a Christian’s life. Salvation puts Christ in us and baptism puts us in Christ.
Gal 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ… 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Clark Kent put on a cape and became Superman, Spiderman a mask, Ironman an iron suit and all are pale in comparison to Christians who put on Christ (Christ means anointing). The anointing represents the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill whatever task is at hand and not even the power of Satan can stop us! In Christ we receive the promises of God.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Power, Strong’s # 1411, Greek dunamis: a force, ability, abundance, might, strength, worker of miracle(s), wonderful work, energy, explosive power. Dunamis compares with the words dynamite and dynamic. Both deal with power that brings about unstoppable change.

God’s Economic Plan
The Seed Principle

There are four main principles in God’s economic plan;
1. Covenant/Walking by Faith 2. Tithing/Firstfruits/Firstborn
3. The Seed Principle 4. The Kingdom/ Stewardship

1. Covenant with God is walking by faith. It is being a doer of the Word.
2. Tithe/Firstfruits/Firstborn is putting God first in our finances and He
will bless the rest of everything we do. It shows trust, obedience, and a
desire for God’s rule and reign in our lives.
3. The Seed Principle is that all life (physical and spiritual) comes from a seed. Jesus is called “The Seed” (Gen. 3:15), the Word of God is designated as “Seed” (Luke 8:11; Pet. 1:23), the growth of the believer is likened to a plant (John 15), the evangelism of the world to a harvest (Matt. 13:30) and our character is to be judged by our fruit (Matt. 7:17; 12:33) Spirit Filled Life Bible Whether we plant good or bad seeds we will have what we sow (Gal. 6:7) The Kingdom of Heaven is a seed (Matt. 13:31). Our faith is a seed (Luke 17:6).

Gen 8:20-22 20 God's Covenant with Creation:… 22 "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease." This is the Law of Seedtime and Harvest.

Luke 8:11-15 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God... 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
The Word of God will bear fruit in our lives, but it takes time. There are three reasons we don’t bear fruit: no understanding, no commitment (leads to becoming offended), and greed/selfishness.

Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. World’s translation: What comes around goes around.
Whether we plant good or bad seeds we will have what we sow.

2 Cor 9:6-8 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Matt 13:31-32 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

1 Cor 3:5-8 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Luke 17:6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.”

Tithing-Firstfruits-Firstborn Part II
God’s Economic Plan

There are four main principles in God’s economic plan;
1. Covenant/Walking by Faith
2. Tithing/Firstfruits/Firstborn
3. The Seed Principle
4. The Kingdom/ Stewardship

Joshua led the Children of Israel into the Promised Land and their first battle at Jericho. God gave specific instructions that all of the spoil, silver and gold are to be consecrated to the Lord. This is because of the Firstfruits principle and this would bless all of their other battles. Achan took and hid some of the spoils and the next battle Israel was defeated by a small city called Ai. Taking the Firstfruits removed God’s blessing and actually put a curse on Israel. Joshua 6 and 7, Lev. 23:10

Mal 3:8-10 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say,
'In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”

Old Testament Law as to New Testament Grace
Some Christians have said “We do not have to tithe because it is OT law.”
The Ten Commandments are OT law, have they been done away with? Certainly not. The idea that OT law saves us has been done away with because we are saved by grace, but it is that same grace that allows the OT law to be written on our hearts and in our minds. We need a “heart check.”
Matt 5:17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
Jer 31:33 “I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
In Matt. 23:23, and Luke 11:42, Jesus scolds the Pharisees because they are using the tithe to justify themselves and pushing aside mercy and faith. Jesus told them they ought to tithe, but they need to embrace mercy and faith.

In the NT we have the firstfruit of the Spirit Rom. 8:23, Jesus is the firstfruit of those who have died 1 Cor. 15:20, we are a firstfruit of His creatures James 1:18. Jesus was Mary’s firstborn Son, and is called the firstborn of many brethren, the firstborn over all creation, and the firstborn from the dead. We are called the “church of the firstborn!” Heb. 12:18-24. Jesus was God’s firstborn Son, born spotlessly clean and was sacrificed to redeem us the unclean.

God said the tithe, firstfruit and the firstborn are all His in the OT, and they are still His in the NT.

The reasons we tithe:
? Being in covenant with God we walk by faith honoring God because He owns everything
? We acknowledge God is our provider, not the world’s economy
? We put God first through the principle of firstfruit and firstborn and in return God puts His blessing on all that we do.
? Jesus told us we ought to
? We do not want to rob God or become accursed
? We cannot give an offering until we have tithed
The Blessed Life by Pastor Robert Morris, Gateway Church, Southlake, TX

God’s Economic Plan
Tithing-Firstfruits-Firstborn

There are four main principles in God’s economic plan;
1. Covenant/Walking by Faith
2. Tithing/Firstfruits/Firstborn
3. The Seed Principle
4. The Kingdom/ Stewardship

1. Covenant/Walking by Faith
A covenant is a contract that we enter into with God in which God sets the conditions and terms. We accept the covenant (contract) by a step of faith. Noah had to build the ark, Abraham had to leave his home, and Moses had to return to Egypt and deliver Israel. God’s covenant is to bless us, our families and the people around us. Every believer can enter into The New Covenant through Christ. Our step of faith is to repent, accept Jesus, pick up our cross and follow Him. Matt 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Jer 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. God will put His statues in our heart through the Holy Spirit and we need to trust Him and obey His Words in the Bible. This is being in covenant with God.

2. Tithing/Firstfruits/Firstborn: Putting God first and trusting Him!
Tithing represents a specific amount, Firstfruits represents possessions and increase, firstborn represents redemption. In order to understand tithing, we first must understand Firstfruits and firstborn. We first walk by faith and then the blessings come. Everything we have belongs to God. If we truly believe that, we walk by faith and honor God with our Firstfruits.
Prov 3:9-10 “Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.”
Firstfruit, OT, Strong’s #7225, re’seeth, (ray-sheeth), from the same as OT:7218; the first, in place, time, order or rank, principle thing, chief, beginning.
In Scripture God declared 16 times that the firstborn whether of beast or man belonged to Him; Ex. 13:2. The firstborn is to be either sacrificed or redeemed. If the firstborn is unclean (spot or blemish) it needed to be redeemed by a clean firstborn being sacrificed. This way the clean firstborn redeemed the unclean. Jesus was Mary’s firstborn Son, and is called the firstborn of many brethren, the firstborn over all creation, and the firstborn from the dead. John 1:29"Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! We are called the “church of the firstborn!” Heb. 12:18-24. Jesus was God’s firstborn Son, born spotlessly clean and was sacrificed to redeem us the unclean.
If we honor God with our Firstfruits, He will redeem (bless) all that we put our hands to. If we withhold from God what is His, He will withhold His blessing from what is ours. This is what is meant by Matt. 16:25-26 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Tithing is a combination of Firstfruits and firstborn. It is NOT just about giving 10% of our income, it is about giving our first and our best to God, not our leftovers. Giving 10% so God can bless the other 90% will bring much more prosperity than us keeping 100% with no blessing (actually it brings a curse Mal. 3:8-12). The tithing principle permeates our time and talents as well. We give our best time and talent to build His Church. Sunday is the first day of the week. Going to church and giving of our treasure, time and talents puts God’s blessing on the rest of the week.

God’s Economic Plan

Are we trusting in our 401K, pension, stock market, economy, government aid, employer, and our own ability to provide for our needs? Or do we trust in God? How can we tell if we truly trust God? If we look at where our treasures are (how we spend our money) we will have our answer. Jesus said in Matt 6:20-21 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This is the time of year when we receive reports on how we spent our money for all of last year. Where is our heart? The Kingdom of God, or the kingdom of man? Matt 15:8-9 "These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
It is not about giving money because we have to, it is because we want to; it is in our heart to bless others. Our jobs, savings, retirement and so on are all good things if we are good stewards and realize all these things come from God. There are four main principles in God’s economic plan;
1. Covenant/Walking by Faith 2. Tithing/Firstfruits 3. The Seed Principle 4. The Kingdom/ Stewardship

Principle #1. Covenant
This is the most important principle of all because all of God’s promises are based on being in covenant with Him.
Covenant; Strong’s #1242, diatheke (dee-ath-ay-kay): a will, testament, pact, contract, an agreed upon plan to which both parties subscribe. While the word may signify an agreement between two parties, with each accepting mutual obligations, most often it is a declaration of one person’s will. In the Bible, God initiated the whole action, set the conditions, and defined as a decree a declaration of purposes. God made covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, Israel and His Church. WW The Spirit Filled Life Bible

God sets conditions, tell us the purpose and waits for us to accept the covenant by taking a step of faith which is our spiritual “handshake”

Noah: Gen 6, 7, 8 and 9 God initiated contact with Noah for the purpose of a covenant, set the conditions (build an ark, save the animals and your family) and declared His purposes (the world was completely corrupted and God’s judgment has come. God said He would establish His covenant with Noah and his family). Noah heard from God and had to step out in faith in order for the covenant to be fulfilled…build an ark that would take 100 years to build and endure the mocking from an unbelieving society. After the flood, Noah gave an offering to God and He said; “Thus I have established my covenant with you: Never again will I flood shall there be a flood to destroy the earth…I set My rainbow in the cloud and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth.”

Abraham: Starting in Gen. 12, God spoke to Abram, set conditions, and made a declaration of purposes and then changed his name to Abraham meaning “Father of a Multitude.” God would make a nation, the nation of Israel and call them His people through Abraham and Sarah. Abram had to walk by faith by leaving his country and his father’s house when he was 75 years old. Then after Isaac was born, again Abraham was tested by having to sacrifice his only son, and then God supplied the sacrifice and Abraham called God Yahweh-Jireh; “The Lord will Provide.”

The New Covenant: God sent His only Son, to pay the price (death) for our sins so His statues could be written on our hearts and He will be our Father and we will be His children. It is knowing everything belongs to God, and being His children, we are given steward ship to build His Church.

Sanctity of Human Life: Stronghold

Once we open the door and allow a certain stronghold to operate among us, it continually grows stronger until it has fortified itself. At this time people will believe a lie over the truth because after you tell someone a lie over and over again they will believe it as the truth. It is like a small crack in a dam. If it isn’t dealt with it becomes a flood of water that will wreak havoc in people’s lives and they will be swept away, consumed by the flood of popular opinion. This stronghold is what we battle against; it is called spiritual warfare. Everyone is searching for the truth, but it is only found in Jesus Christ as taught by understanding the Bible literally. Many of us Christians who do not believe the literal interpretation of the Bible have portrayed Jesus in our own image; we want Jesus as savior, but not as our Lord. Simply put, we want to believe we are saved, but do what we believe is right according to what we feel, not according to accurate teaching of the scripture. We have lost the fear of God and reverence for His holiness.
Prov 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

2 Cor 10:3-6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Stronghold: Greek, Strong’s #3794 ochuroma (okh-oo'-ro-mah); to fortify, through the idea of holding safely; a castle (figuratively, argument): It is a fortified city. According to Webster it is a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic.
People are building a kingdom based on secular perspectives ignoring or twisting the truths in the Bible. These people (many unknowingly) are building the kingdom of darkness. Unfortunately, many profess to be Christian but have been blinded by the stronghold of the enemy.
Rom 1:22-25 “Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

Creature: Strong’s #2937 ktisis (ktis'-is); from NT:2936; original formation is a thing, building, creation, creature, ordinance.

John 17:17-19 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.”

Sanctity of Human Life is not just about abortion, it is about understanding we are made in the image of God and as Christians we are to live holy. We are to protect the lives of our weakest, most vulnerable citizens who can’t protect themselves. Cloning, euthanasia, child slavery, war prisoners, assisted suicide, human trafficking, harvesting human fetal parts, and embryonic stem cell research are key issues that erode sanctification. One of our greatest avenues to nurture our sanctification is through the family concept as shown to us in the Bible. Sexual immorality destroys families.

The March of Death; Chuck Colson
Freedom of Choice Act or FOCA
1-19-09 Fox News baseball bat assault
Deut 30:15-20 Life or Death?

Stay the Course!

2009 is going to be a challenging year for everyone, yet a victorious year for all who “Stay the course!” Spiritual warfare will intensify, but we will be equipped and ready. God’s supernatural power will flow through us as the gifts of the Spirit. God’s supernatural grace will cause us to withstand the enemy through the fruit of the Spirit. This will be a year of Divine completeness. Many spiritual things will be completely establish and come to fruition, whether the fruit of righteousness, or the fruit of corruption. Many people will leave the church, but many will be added. Disinterest, discouragement, and dissatisfaction will cause many Christians to leave the Church. One of the best things we can do to empower our shield of faith is an attitude of gratitude. The ones who stay faithful, in covenant and continue building His Church will be blessed. Stay the course!

Pastor Duane’s advice; Don’t quit and love your wife.

Disinterest: Haggai 1:1-15 the people returned from exile for the stated purpose of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, and had made a start to their assigned task, but grew disinterested when the enemy mocked the builder’s efforts. People’s interests turned from God’s house to their own homes.

We hear it all the time; the music is too loud, the pastor wears blue jeans, the church is in a barn, too fanatical, what is a non-denomination church anyway it probably is a cult, you give too much money to that church, that church is only for youth, homo bashers, you are wasting your time it will never amount to anything, conservatives are ruining the country, secular music bashers and the list goes on. We believe the vision of Life Song is from God and we are called to build a church that stresses the importance of a relationship with God over a religion (rules and regulations) and we will stay the course!

Discouragement and dissatisfaction Haggai 2:1-23; some of the older people in the band of returned exiles had seen Solomon’s temple when they were children, so that no building, however beautiful, could compare with the glory of that former temple. These children now adults are discouraging others including the younger generation. Now that the people started to rebuild after stopping for 16 years, they expect an immediate return. Haggai taught them that uncleanness (sin) is infectious, but holiness is not. Team work was a key to success in rebuilding the temple.

When we first come to know Christ, the initial glory is wonderful, everything is great including the church we go to. As we mature as Christians we can grow weary from the battle and start to become discouraged. We tell ourselves “I have been a Christian serving God for so many years now and I don’t see any improvement from when I first started.”
Many times we will long for that glory we felt when we first came to Christ. Because things are different now, we can feel empty or not as spiritual as we once were. We may look at our building in a barn, a beat-up Youth house and a small congregation and think “This is it after all of our effort?” We are so blessed we walk in victory and have much fruit. Stay the course!

Gal 6:7-10 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Stay the course!

Much of the information is from The Spirit Filled Life Bible Thomas Nelson Publishers.