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It is sad that the only thing that keeps dust from collecting on your digital Bible or your paper Bible is when it is used on Sunday mornings at church.
Lord, give us a desire to read and study Your Word. Give me a desire to read Your Word. Speak to me O’ God.
Father God, thank You for not giving up on us when we fail You. Your love never fails! You never give up on us. Your love never runs out on us.
Let us rest in Your presence and feel Your warm embrace. Lead us and teach us to live like You, and teach us to love like You love!
Daddy God, I love you–but not with the amount and the conviction that I should (and that You deserve). Help me to put You first in all that I do.
Help us to honor You Lord. Let us not receive glory, but I pray that we will give glory and honor unto You.
Praying for Harvest Church today as they have a joint service out at Amhurst in Albemarle. Harvest on Hwy 52 and Harvest@Amhurst will be worshipping together as one body under a big tent that has been rented. Church is not a word that describes a building; Church is an action of going out to be Jesus and show Jesus to those around us, those in our nation, and to those in every nation!
Harvest Church has been holding Tuesday night services at Harvest@Amhurst at 6:30pm since July 12th. Amhurst is where God has specifically called us to. We are bound and determined to fulfill the will of God there and to show that community that God loves them as much as He loves us. Read more about the Tuesday night services here.
For those that are not familiar with Amhurst, Amhurst is an area in Albemarle, NC that is known for drugs and violence. Harvest Church believes that Jesus Christ is bigger than that! We believe that God can change that community to be known as a place where people love the Lord. God is a Healer, Restorer, Provider, and Savior!
Two Harvest Church congregations to worship together
Harvest Church, located at 24238 U.S. 52 S., Albemarle, holds special services in the Amhurst area of Albemarle.
According to Pastor Bill Baldwin, Harvest Church is making an effort to plant an outreach church in Amhurst.
Baldwin, members of the church band, other members of Harvest Church and members of the Amhurst community gather on Tuesday evenings at a ball field to share a message, praise music, prayers and refreshments.
“It’s been a real good thing,” Baldwin said.
Harvest Church plans to purchase land in the area for a permanent church building in the future.
This Sunday, Harvest Church’s Sunday morning crowd and Tuesday evening crowd are coming together for a special service.
“We’re putting both of our congregations together this Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m.,” Baldwin said.
“It’s going to be a good day. We’re going to worship together.”
Both Harvest Church groups will gather on the ball field near Bell Avenue in the Amhurst area.
“We’ve rented a tent,” Baldwin said.
“I’ve never done a tent meeting in my life, so this is going to be interesting.”
The special service will include worship time, praise music led by Harvest Church’s band and a picnic afterward.
For more information, contact Harvest Church at (704)986-0505 or visit its website at www.discoverharvest.org.
By Marina Richardson, Staff Writer
CNHI | Friday, September 2, 2011 | source
Pray for Harvest Church as we are lead by God into the mission field that He has called us to. This opportunity is not for us (Harvest Church) to gain any glory; the glory belongs to the One that deserves ALL honor and All glory. To God be the glory forever and ever, AMEN!
For more information on Harvest Church or Harvest@Amhurst you can contact the church by email (info@discoverharvest.org) or by phone at 704.986.0505.
If you were told that you had to jump out of a plane and were handed a parachute, would you take the parachute? In this thought-provoking video from The Skit Guys, Tommy makes the jump between our lives here on earth, the afterlife and the purpose of salvation. -The Skit Guys
#follow or #unfollow ….What do you do? You have a decision to make. Should you follow Jesus or turn away from Him? Your choice affects you for all eternity…
Video:
If you would like to follow Jesus and have a relationship with Him, please contact me.
The Grace Card is an amazing movie that proves that forgiveness is where the healing truly begins. Go see this movie, and it will teach you a lot about the situations that we face in life!
I promise to pray for you every day, ask your forgiveness, grant you the same, and be your friend always.
In our daily lives, we go through so much pain and struggle. Through trials and tribulation, we forget how important we are to God, and we forget how much God loves us. We put on the weight of the world more and more each day. We let the what others say and think about us define who we are. We neglect to remember who we realy are–who God MADE us to be.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” -Matthew11:29
REMEMBER: You ARE God’s original masterpeice.
“When God chisels the dead weight out of our lives it can be very painful.” -The Skit Guys
In your daily life, who or what are you representing? Are you representing Christ? Or, are you representing things of the world? People around you are watching what you do and say everyday. The things you say and do affect what people think of you. If everything people see you do or hear you say are negative/bad/perverted things, then they are going to think you are not a good person to be around. If everything people see you do or hear you say are good/positive/loving/caring things, then they are probably going to think of you as being a good role model for others. And, if people hear you say and do good things at one moment and then turn around and say and do negative things, then they will see you as a hypocrite.
No man (or woman) is perfect; no, not one. We all mess up at times. However, we need to remember that people are watching us and listening to what comes out of our mouth.
Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 7: “15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
We are known by the fruits we bear. What kind of fruit do others see you bear?
Are you misleading others by saying that you are a Christian, but change your actions once you walk out of church.
Below are a few examples are misrepresenting Christ that I saw on Facebook today.
People post statuses about love and thanksgiving, but then they turn around and post a status that is rude/perverted. They represent Jesus in one post, then represent the darkness of our sinful world in another.
Christianity is not a religion. Religion is “the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith“. Christianity is a lifestyle and a relationship with God. There is no such thing as a part-time Christian. Everything that we watch, hear, do, think, etc defines who we are.
Humans take pleasure is seeing others suffer (especially if they have done wrong to us). In Matthew 18 we find that we are to forgive others. We are to keep no record of the wrong doings of others. We should forgive them. “21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” We are to forgive others no matter how many times they wrong us.
So many times in life we think we can do it all by ourselves. Or, we may think that there is no way that a situation can be changed. At these times we need to ask, “Who am I following?“. Are you following hard after God, or are you chasing something that is worthless? At times, we get caught up in doing our “own thing”. We forget about God; we just push Him out of the picture. But, Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” [Matthew 11:28]. He also tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for disater, to give you a future and a hope.” [Jeremiah 29:11]
I have been talking with my friend Jesse through a few Facebook posts about Jude 1:4. It talks about people in our churches, even today, that twist the Word of God. They change the truth to make themselves and others feel better. Jesse states in his blog post that “people in the Church who are using Christ as a get out of hell free card, not as Lord and Savior”. I fully agree with him. People try to work there way into heaven, pray their way into heaven, preach their way into heaven, tithe their way into heaven….
“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” -Jude 1:4
There is no way that we could even be good enough, give enough money, pray enough, or work/serve enough to be able to have eternal life in heaven. It is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can have salvation. Grace and mercy have two different definitions. Mercy is God withholding what we do deserve, which is death; grace is God giving us what we do not deserve–eternal life in Christ. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8 that “for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”
In the video below, Nate Pfeil elaborates on this point.
What is your take on this? Do you agree?Comment here
Jesus died for my space in Heaven, but He also died for your space in Heaven. “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed” [Isaiah 53:5]. When I think about Jesus dying, I am reminded of what Simon Peter said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God ” [Matthew 16:16]. Who is Jesus to you? To me, Jesus in my savior that died in my place to take away the burden and consequence of sin, all of my hurts and pains, and He delivered me from the doom of eternal death (complete separation from God). Paul tells us in Romans that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Paul goes on to say that “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Like everyone else, I am not perfect. I have had my own downfalls, and for many years I had no one any greater than me to help me back up. It was a struggle to go through life each and every day. One day things could be fine and then the next they were what seemed to be the worse that they could get.
Thanks to my maternal grandparents, I am in a better place today. They showed me Gods love, and they started taking me to church each Sunday when I was very young. I am so glad that they did. I seriously doubt that I would be where I am today without their influence. I also am thank for other family members, my church family, and my pastor that prayed for me and encouraged me. They all have been there for me through everything that I am going through.
Since becoming a Christian. I have surrendered my life to my Savior Jesus Christ; even my thoughts, actions, and my reactions. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” [Galatians 2:20].
However, I am still not perfect, but I am going to strive to my best to model my life after Christ’s life as He loved here on Earth. With His example, I am able to keep my self in check each day.
’Cause Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
I have heard the question asked before, “what if when you die you find out that there is no heaven, no God, no Jesus. What if you just wasted your time?”. My friend, I tell you that my life will have been much better off than if I had lived my life for myself and my own desires. I would have been into so many things. Who knows; it may have been drugs, alcohol, a life full of living off of sexual desires, or even suicide. But my faith in God has given me strength and a purpose for living. Jesus tells us in New Testament that “…mandoesnotlivebybread alone, butmanlives byeverywordthat comes from the mouth of the Lord” [Deuteronomy 8:3]. This is very true–I would not be able to have the joy that I have without God’s Word.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:1-21
God has definitely changed my life for the better, will you let Him change yours?
If you would like to talk with me about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then please contact me.
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