Billy Graham explicitly warned against reading horoscopes, categorizing astrology as an occult practice that believers should avoid. He argued that while God created the stars, they are intended to testify to His power and glory, not to guide humans or foretell the future.

According to Graham, seeking guidance from horoscopes reflects a lack of trust in God and opens individuals to spiritual forces that are not from God. He stated that:

Only God knows the future; human predictions are, at best, guesswork and, at worst, dangerous occult involvement. Reading horoscopes is a substitute for the divine guidance found in the Bible. Christians should not engage in sorcery, interpreting omens, or magic, as the Bible clearly warns against such practices.

Billy Graham cited several specific Bible verses to support his stance against horoscope reading and astrology:

Deuteronomy 18:9–13; He referenced this passage, which forbids God’s people from engaging in divination, sorcery, interpreting omens, witchcraft, and consulting the dead, calling these practices “detestable to the Lord.”

Isaiah 47:13–14; Graham frequently cited these verses, in which the prophet Isaiah mocks astrologers and stargazers, challenging them to save Babylon from its coming judgment and highlighting their powerlessness.

Psalm 19:1; He emphasized this verse, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” to argue that the stars were created to reflect God’s power and glory, not to predict human destinies.

Psalm 23:1–2; Psalm 25:9, 12; Psalm 32:8; Luke 1:79; John 7:17: Graham encouraged believers to seek guidance from God through His Word and the Holy Spirit, referencing these passages about God’s guidance and wisdom.

As God leads, we will be discussing the occult according to what the Scriptures say.

— Sister Claudia for Pastor Paul

Late spring in Florida brings bugs, and for our dogs, that means fleas.

Recently, I gave my dogs a bath, for they were overrun with fleas. After the bath, I looked at my dog and wondered, "Do you know the purpose of a bath? Do you realize that after the bath, you no longer scratch and itch? You can sit peacefully. Maybe if you did know, you wouldn't pull on the leash the whole time." Then a thought hit me. I am not much different from this dog. How often does God wash me through trials and tribulations to rid me of the fleas of this world, without me even understanding?

What if the fleas, for us, are the works of the flesh? Anger, bitterness, sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. They come naturally. Only through Jesus Christ can we be cleansed from those fleas.

In that case, let us face trials and tribulations with thanksgiving. They have a purpose: to wash us, to make us more like Jesus, to give us peace and joy. Let us not pull on the leash; be patient and yield to the will of the Father.

James 1:2–4: "My brethren, count it all joy when you face various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. But let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing."

Beulah Lewis for Pastor Paul & Sister Claudia

God cares deeply about our lives and does not intend for serving Him to be overly burdensome. So, how can we truly please God and serve Him as He desires? Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that it is impossible to please God without faith. This verse highlights two essential beliefs: first, that God exists; and second, that He rewards those who sincerely and diligently seek Him. Merely believing in God's existence isn't enough; we must also trust that He will reward our genuine efforts to follow Him. This involves putting our whole heart into our faith, trusting that God will bless us and reveal Himself in our lives. In essence, faith is more than just belief—it is a confident trust that God will honor our honest pursuit of Him and that He is always present. To truly please God, we must seek Him with diligence and sincerity. In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus speaks about the sacrifices made by those who follow Him. He promises that anyone who leaves behind family, possessions, or even personal comfort for His sake will be rewarded abundantly—receiving homes, friends, blessings in this life, and eternal life in the next. This serves as a reminder that following God may involve sacrifices, but these sacrifices are always worthwhile. Whether here on earth or in eternity, trusting in God and remaining committed to Him will bring blessings, regardless of the hardships or sacrifices along the way. Historically, religious leaders had made it nearly impossible to be deemed righteous before God due to an overwhelming number of laws and rules. They created standards that no one could fully keep. But Jesus challenged this system. He taught that all the commandments hinge on two fundamental principles: Matthew 22:36-40, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments." Brother Michael R. for Pastor Paul & Sister Claudia

In Matthew 6:10, Jesus teaches us to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." The kingdom is within our reach. As followers of Jesus, we should live in a way that shows we are part of God's kingdom and practice its principles every day. The Bible describes the Kingdom of God as God's rule over everything, not just a piece of land or a country. When Jesus talked about the kingdom, He meant God's power to bring salvation, healing, and order to the world. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is both something we can experience now and something we look forward to in the future. Right now, Jesus is showing us God's rule through His actions and through the lives of believers. In John 18:36, Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." This means His kingdom isn't based on earthly things or governments. Jesus' followers are like travelers in this world, waiting for God's perfect rule to fully come. Because of this, we shouldn't get too caught up in the things of this world that don't truly matter. God's Kingdom is spiritual. God's authority lives in the hearts of people who believe in Him and turn to Him. When someone accepts Jesus and asks for forgiveness, they become part of God's kingdom. This kingdom is characterized by righteousness (doing what is right), peace, and joy through the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). It's not about physical borders, but about God's will being done in people's lives and in the world around us. As believers, our goal is to live according to God's kingdom principles and to help bring His love and peace to everyone around us. Brother Michael R. for Pastor Paul & Sister Claudia

The Apostles' Creed, though not written by the apostles, is the oldest creed of the Christian church and is the basis for those that followed. Its most used form is:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

In its oldest form, the Apostles' Creed goes back to at least 140 A.D. Many early church leaders summarized their beliefs when they had an opportunity to stand for their faith—see, for example, 1 Timothy 6:12. These statements developed into a more standard form used to express one's confession of faith at the time of baptism. It is not Scripture, but it is a concise list of the great doctrines of the faith.

The word "catholic" means "relating to the church universal" and was the word used in the original version of the creed. It does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, but the church—the body of Christ—as a universal fellowship.

The phrase "He descended into hell" was not part of the creed in its earliest form. (This article was provided by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.)

The Apostles' Creed is a concise statement of Christian faith that summarizes core beliefs, including belief in one God; the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); Jesus Christ's incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension; as well as the hope of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins. It serves as a foundational creed for many Christian denominations, expressing their shared faith and devotion to God's plan of salvation.

—Brother Michael R., for Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Easter is a special time when we celebrate Jesus' resurrection and the gift of new life. However, we can keep the spirit of Easter alive in our hearts all year long by focusing on God's love and the lessons Jesus taught us. When we remember that Jesus rose to give us hope and forgiveness, it reminds us to live with kindness, faith, and gratitude every day. One way to maintain the message of Easter is by seeking God first in everything we do. Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." When we put God first—through prayer, reading the Bible, and trusting Him—we grow closer to Him and keep His love at the center of our lives. This helps us stay joyful and hopeful, even during difficult times, because we remember that Jesus' sacrifice was made out of His love for us. Keeping the message of Easter alive also involves trusting in God daily. By seeking God first and living out His teachings, we can experience His peace and joy every day. As Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." When we focus on God and His love, Easter becomes more than just a holiday—it becomes a way of life that fills our hearts with hope, kindness, and faith all year round. Romans 8:11 declares, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised up Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." Remember that promise when you struggle to put the old sin nature down. God bless! —Brother Michael R. for Pastor Paul & Sister Claudia

As Holy Week and Easter approach, we reflect on the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, which had separated us from God. Through His death, Jesus destroyed the work of the devil and made it possible for us to have a close relationship with God once again. The Bible tells us in Luke 9:23 that Jesus called His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. This means that we should put God's kingdom first and choose His way over our own selfish desires. Denying ourselves is a decision to make God's priorities more important than our own. When we take up our cross, we give up selfish ambitions and choose to live for the Gospel—the good news about Jesus. This is not always easy, but it is what Jesus asks us to do if we want to be His followers. Jesus' death was not just a sacrifice; it was also the beginning of new life for His followers—the body of Christ, which is the Church. As Jesus carried His cross, He showed us how much He loves us and how we should love others as well. Following Jesus means drawing close to Him by obeying His Word and becoming more like Him. It means trusting Him and living in a way that pleases God. When we accept Jesus' sacrifice on Good Friday, we are called to live for Him every day. As Romans 12:1–2 reminds us, we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices and not conform to the pattern of this world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is the best way to honor Jesus' sacrifice and to grow in our faith. —Brother Michael R., for Pastor Paul & Sister Claudia

John 14:15–18: “If you love me, you will obey my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Jesus shared comforting words with his disciples about the Holy Spirit, whom he calls the Advocate or Counselor. His words show that God’s guidance and support are always available through the Holy Spirit, empowering believers to live out their faith and carry Jesus’ message to the world. He reassures them that even though he will be leaving them physically, they will never be alone, because the Father will send another Advocate to stay with them forever. This promise shows that the Holy Spirit will continue Jesus’ work and be a constant presence in their lives, guiding and supporting them as they carry out his mission. Jesus explains that the Holy Spirit will act as a divine teacher, helping the disciples understand his teachings more clearly. He says, “He will teach you everything,” meaning the Spirit will help them gain divine wisdom and insight. The Spirit will also remind them of all that Jesus has taught, ensuring that his message lives on in their hearts and minds. This special role of the Holy Spirit helps the disciples stay connected to Jesus’ teachings, even after he is no longer with them physically. – Brother Michael R. for Pastor Paul & Sister Claudia

Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This teaches us that Jesus’ sacrifice was not something He had to do, but something He chose to do out of love for everyone, even when people did not deserve it. The cross also helps us understand forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Colossians 1:20 says, “And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace with his blood, shed on the cross.” This means that through Jesus’ death, our sins are forgiven and we can be at peace with God. Another verse, Colossians 2:14, explains that Jesus canceled the charges against us, removing the punishment for our sins by nailing it to the cross. This restores our relationship with God and brings us peace. Finally, the cross calls Christians to follow Jesus and live a life of dedication. Luke 9:23 teaches, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” This isn’t about suffering for suffering’s sake, but about making a choice to live in obedience, self-denial, and service. The cross is also a symbol of victory over sin and death, as Colossians 2:15 states: “He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christians have victory over evil and have eternal life. Brother Michael R. for Pastor Paul & Sister Claudia

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, it says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This means that although faith and hope are very important, love is the most important of all. The Bible explains that love is more valuable than all the gifts and talents we may have. For example, even if someone can speak in many languages, understand mysteries, or have strong faith, without love, all these things are empty. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:1–8 that if we have all these powerful abilities and gifts but do not love others, we are like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal; meaningless and annoying. So, what does real love look like? The Bible describes love as patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast, and it is not proud. It does not dishonor others or seek to be the center of attention. Love is forgiving and does not keep a record of wrongs. It rejoices in truth and always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. The best part is that love never fails. Even if everything else passes away, love remains forever. To love like this is to show what Jesus Christ is really like. God Himself is love. When we choose to love others genuinely, we are showing His nature. No matter what we do in life, whether we are kind to friends, help those in need, or forgive someone who hurt us, we are doing it with love. Love is the greatest gift of all because it makes everything we do meaningful. So, let’s try to love others just as God loves us. That way, we can make the world a better place and follow Jesus’s example. Always remember: The greatest is love. — Brother Michael R. for Pastor Paul & Sister Claudia

Sometimes we see ourselves in a really negative way, doubting whether we’re even capable of doing good or reaching our potential as believers. But God doesn’t see us that way. He looks at us with kindness, grace, and love, recognizing that every person has value. Imagine someone praying desperately, their voice trembling as they try to find stability in the chaos of life. Even though their life is full of struggles and they haven’t achieved what they hoped for, God’s view remains gentle. He sees love in that person, even when others might only see despair. This shows us that in God’s eyes, everyone—no matter how small or insignificant they seem—is loved and important. From God’s perspective, there are no “losers” or hopeless cases. He sees us as humans with feelings, hopes, and fears. Whether it’s a lonely child, a lost father, or a person without a home, God’s view is always full of compassion and understanding. Even when life feels cold or unfair, heaven feels the pain and knows each person’s suffering. The fire of compassion shines brightly in God’s eyes, giving hope and comfort to everyone who needs it. We need to look past our struggles and see the grace that’s inside each of us. It reminds us that we all deserve love and kindness. God’s grace is always there, ready for us to accept. When we show empathy and trust in God, we can find hope and a sense of belonging. And in God’s eyes, no one is ever truly lost. We simply need to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and receive God’s free gift of grace. Homework assignment for the week: Listen to the song “In Heaven’s Eyes” by Sandi Patty. You can find it on whatever platform you use to stream your music. Bro. Michael R., for Pastor Paul and Sis. Claudia

Do you often feel held back by past mistakes? Does your mind replay bad choices, making you wonder, “What if?” This heavy feeling, called regret, can be like a shadow that always follows you. It can stop you from enjoying today or looking forward to tomorrow. Regret is a powerful emotion—it can make you feel stuck and unable to move forward. This often harms your personal life and even your connection with God. But God helps us heal and find true fulfillment. Repentance vs. Self-Condemnation: Healthy remorse is called repentance. This means you feel sorrow for your sin and turn away from it, asking for God's help. It’s about changing your path. Self-condemnation, on the other hand, is dwelling on past wrongs without seeking God's forgiveness. It traps you in guilt and shame. The Enemy’s Tactics: Satan often uses regret as a weapon. He wants to keep believers bound by their past, making them feel unworthy and useless. These feelings can hinder your spiritual growth and your ability to serve God. The enemy wants you to believe that God cannot forgive you—but that is a lie. Peter’s Denial and Restoration: Peter, one of Jesus’s closest friends, denied knowing Him three times—just before Jesus’s death. Luke 22:61–62 describes Peter’s deep sorrow when he realized what he had done. But his story didn’t end there. After Jesus rose, He restored Peter. In John 21:15–19, Jesus asked Peter to feed His sheep, giving him a new purpose. God is good. He has so much more in store for you—more than you could possibly imagine. You will never find peace and fulfillment if you're stuck in the past, reliving yesterday’s mistakes. God is making all things new. Brother Michael R. For Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Have you ever heard anyone say that they follow the Golden Rule? The Golden Rule refers to a principle of conduct taught by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in the Bible in Matthew 7 and Luke 6. It encourages individuals to treat others as they would like to be treated, promoting respect, kindness, and love. The Golden Rule captures the spirit behind a major portion of the Old Testament, emphasizing love for one's neighbor. It has also been expressed as: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Golden Rule applies in various situations, promoting good relationships between friends, neighbors, and coworkers. It encourages people to do good to all, including their enemies. The bottom line is this: we want to be treated well and fairly by others—but are we willing to treat others the same way? We can make excuses about how unique and different our own situation is. We can justify almost anything if it makes us feel better. The truth is, people can rub each other the wrong way sometimes. But here's another truth: you can't afford to be unkind and hateful to others. And you do not have the right to mistreat or abuse any human being—someone whom our Savior, Jesus Christ, died for. Jesus died for your enemy as well as for you. That should mean something. Amen! Bro. Michael R. For Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

We need to see God, in all of his glory, great and mighty, He is bigger than all our problems. He is not a man that He should lie. So, do we take Him at his word? If we could only fathom how magnificent is our God. There is nothing that compares to Him. Yet , He chose us, to be His own, and has a plan for our future. Just How big is God? Psalm 145 states, "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom”. God was not created. God is self-existent, and has no beginning or end . God is measureless, boundless, and outside of any limit whatsoever. God's greatness is beyond what can comprehend. There is no way it can be fully understood. Titus 2:13, “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ” Jesus is going to make a triumphant return, and when he does the world will see His true greatness and all the power of an awesome God. And no one can fathom what God has in store for his children when time runs out and we are thrust into eternity. 1 Corinthians 2:9, However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him. Is your image of God bigger than your greatest sin and your most condemning feelings of shame. Your biggest problems? Psalm 34:3 states, Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! Its a matter of perspective. You will either focus on the Greatness of God or you will only see Big ugly problems. Let us see God big, as big as we can imagine Him. “Oh, magnify the LORD with me! Bro. Michael R. for Pastor Paul

When God Ran by Benny Hester, from the album Benny From Here (1985) “The only time I ever saw Him run was when He ran to me, Took me in His arms, held my head to His chest, Said, 'My son's come home again.' Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes. With forgiveness in His voice, He said, 'Son, do you know I still love you?' It caught me by surprise, It brought me to my knees, When God ran.” The story of the Prodigal Son is found in the book of Luke, chapter 15:11–32. A certain father had two sons. One of the sons demanded his inheritance, and the father gave him what he had asked. He soon squandered his wealth on a life of luxury and sin. Life was a party with fun friends. However, the money eventually ran out, and so did his good-time friends. When the prodigal son reached rock bottom, he was eating slop with pigs. He longed to return to his father as a humble servant. The son took the journey back home with the intention of begging his father for a place in his household. The father saw him from afar and ran to meet him. The father not only threw a welcome-home feast but also restored the son completely. He put his robe back on him and gave him the family ring. It was as if he had never left. The father exclaimed, "My son, who was dead, is alive." The father in this parable is a picture of a loving God. God will not rest until we come to our senses and come home. He is waiting with His arms open wide. You may feel like you cannot return to God because you have gone too far, but if you are in God's family, He will always make a way for you to come back home by His grace. God is going to run and meet you where you are. Amen! Brother Michael R. for Pastor Paul

Isaiah 9:6-7 – “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end.” I have been meditating on these two verses and have come to the conclusion that everything we need in life comes from God. This becomes a reality when we have a relationship with Him. God is not just a counselor; He is my Wonderful Counselor. He is not just a “god”—no, He is the Mighty God to me. We are not left as orphans without a father; He is our Everlasting Father. If you need peace in your life, He is the Prince of Peace, who gives us genuine peace that surpasses all understanding. All we have to do is reach out and receive all that Jesus has for us. Jesus has declared that He has come to heal the brokenhearted and set at liberty those who are hurt. In all that we go through on this earth, God is mighty, and He is in control. We do not have to fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Instead, He has given us this beautiful thing called grace—the favor of God that we could not earn. God says, “I am with you. Child, you are mine.” What do you need today? God has already provided the victory. He is the God of all comfort: “I am the God who heals you. I know you by name, and you are mine.” The apostle Paul proclaimed that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, and that same Spirit will quicken our mortal bodies. The same Spirit that brought Jesus out of the grave dwells inside the believer. That supernatural power is removing all that is not of God from our spirit, mind, and body! God said it—that settles it. We are healed, delivered, and set free by that same Spirit. Let us walk in the healing power and unity of the Spirit. Victory Life Church has been set free! Walk in His healing power. Praise God—Jesus is enough!

As many of you know, I recently had the privilege of going to Peru with Reimagine for the second time, where we spread the gospel, built houses, ministered, and loved others as Jesus commanded. These missions would simply not be possible without the generosity of our church family. Even if I were to stay home, the materials, labor, transportation, food, and general donations still cost money. However, money, when employed wisely, is one of the few tools in our lives that has the ability to create positive change almost anywhere we choose. This year in Peru, during one of the building projects, the team and I were tasked with demolishing an unserviceable house and building a new one in its place. During the project, I noticed an onlooker watching us from a moderate distance. It was clear the woman was curious about what we were doing. She might have wondered, "Why are there roughly thirty Americans seemingly tearing apart the house of an elderly woman? What are these foreigners doing outside of Lima or another tourist-friendly cosmopolitan city center?" I took it upon myself to explain to her not only what we were doing but also what Christians do. As I greeted the elderly woman, she told me in broken Spanish that she only spoke Quechua, an ancient aboriginal language still spoken in the highland provinces of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. Thank God, one of the Reimagine team members happened to speak Quechua as a first language. With the help of my translator, this elderly indigenous woman encountered the Holy Ghost and received a physical healing miracle. This is just one example of how changing the lives of others in impoverished communities is made possible through the generosity of Christians in the United States, who choose to part with some of the money they’ve worked so hard for. This is why I make it a point to do a presentation upon returning from a mission; a visual aid can help you see that every dollar made a lasting change in many people's lives. You've shown the love of Jesus to people who live in third-world poverty due to circumstances far outside of their control. Because of the generosity of our church family and others, lives across the world are being changed. Thank you for giving to missions and thank you for sending me! -P.J.

Psalm 100; 4-5, "Enter into His gates with thanksgivings, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." Psalm 103: 1-4," Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies." | John 3:1, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God, and so we are." One of the things that God had against the children of Israel, as God kept them 40 years in the desert, was they were not thankful. As we meditate on 1 John 3:1, we are awe struck by the love of the Father. It is not that we love him, but that He loved us first, and chose us to be His children. Nothing in the universe can change the fact that God loves us. Not only does He love us, but He pours out his love by His benevolent action in our lives, as Psalm 103 tells us. Let us not put ourselves in the position of finding out what happens when we forget all His benefits. When we forget to give Him thanks. Lord, we pray that you open our eyes that we may see you; Open our ears that we may hear you; That we would see and hear the miracles all around us; That we may taste and see that you are good; Remember the miracle of the loaves and fishes, as well as the water turned into wine. Thank you for the cross Lord. Thank you for the price you paid. What great Love. Look at Paul and Silas singing and praising God in a Roman jail. The jail fell down and the warden and his whole family was saved. Can we give Him praise. What about the gift of salvation? Can we be thankful for heaven. Can we be thankful that we could get up this morning. And let us thank God for the 10 thousand other things we should thank Him for. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18, " Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." What is God's will for me? We may say, God tell us here in these verses, We are to rejoice me. Let's be thankful. Pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything. For this is the will of God for God bless you all, Pastors Paul and Claudia Raught

Psalm 119: 9-11. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word; with my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” When King David was confronted by the prophet Nathan, David declared, I first have sinned against God. Surely, he had sinned against the man that he had arranged to be killed in battle, to cover up his own adultery. But our sin is against God, that is why David declares that thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against MY God. Help us Lord to take your Word seriously. We will all have to stand before a righteous God and give a record of all we have done. Verse 10: “with my whole heart I have sought you.” Psalm 119: 9-11. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word; with my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” When King David was confronted by the prophet Nathan, David declared, I first have sinned against God. Surely, he had sinned against the man that he had arranged to be killed in battle, to cover up his adultery. But our sin is against God, that is why David declares that thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against MY God. Help us Lord to take your Word seriously. We will all have to stand before a righteous God and give a record of all we have done. Verse 10: “with my whole heart I have sought you.” Another example of a young man who served God out of his whole heart; let us see the reward of those who have pleased God: in the devotional, “The Best of The Bible” this week's entry pertains to Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Joseph was loved by his father. To show his love for Joseph, Jacob had a special coat of many colors made for Joseph. His 10 other brothers hated him for this special attention Joseph got. To make it worse, Joseph told on his brothers. To make matters worse, Joseph had dreamed that they would all bow down before him. They hated him all the more. They had a chance to get rid of him, so they sold him as a slave to merchants traveling to Egypt. Joseph was bought by a high-ranking officer in Pharaoh's army. God is with him, and his owner promotes him. Soon he would run estate. His owner's wife takes notice of Joseph. He is a very handsome young man and she tried to seduce him. Joseph's answer was that everything my master has put in my hands but you- I will not sin against my God by doing this great sin. She lied about Joseph. He is put in prison, where soon he is running the whole prison. After several years, through the dreams of two men that Pharaoh had put in prison, Joseph is taken out of prison. God gave him the interpretation of the dreams that Pharaoh had. Pharaoh then promoted Joseph to second in command of all of Egypt. Joseph was groomed for his high position over many years. Our most unexpected opportunities may come at the least expect them. It was just another day in prison when he was bought before Pharaoh. Yet Joseph was ready for almost anything because of his right relationship with God. It was not his knowledge of dreams that helped him, it was his knowledge of God. He had walked with God and his heart was for God. Be ready, by walking and searching for God with our whole hearts. Who knows what great plans God has for you? Joseph was united with his family. Remember, both David and Joseph knew when they sinned, that sin was the first sin against God. Read Genesis 37: 47, you will be blessed. -Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Isaiah Chapter 40 verses 1-8 1.Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. 3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. 6The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: 7The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah Chapter 40 verses 25-31 25To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.26Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. 27Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? 28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. These scriptures were taken from Isaiah the 40th chapter. Please read the whole chapter and you will be blessed. God promises that if our hope is in Him, we will soar on wings of eagles; we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint. Thank you, Jesus for your Word. -Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

"Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide in Christ.” 1 Corinthians 7:24 What does it mean to abide in Christ? In order for the Father to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), we must abide in Christ. What does it mean to abide? It means to remain, rest, stay, wait, and continue. Abiding in Christ, then, involves waiting upon the Lord and entering into His peace. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” - Isaiah 40: 31. Jesus said,”I am the vine, you are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without (separately, apart from) me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. Just as a branch draws its life-source from the vine, believers must stay connected to Christ for His life to flow through them and produce spiritual fruit. Branches “live and move and have their being”( Acts 17: 28) only by the life of the vine. Abiding in Christ is a patient expectancy, it is neither wasteful idleness nor anxious striving, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him” Psalm: 62:5. Abiding in Christ, therefore, means to draw supernatural strength from the presence of the Lord and walk moment by moment in the leading of His Spirit. Abiding in Christ means the following:Bearing spiritual fruit; Hearing the Word and keeping in your heart; Loving Jesus and doing what He says; Loving others; Trusting God and making Him your refuge; Hating the world system - “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” 1John 2:15; Remaining steadfast in the faith of the Gospel. ***This was part of Michael's Wednesday night Bible study. Hope you enjoy the lesson. Let us seek to abide in Jesus. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all else will be added.” -Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Psalm 23: 1- 6, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For you are with me. Your rod and your staff they will comfort me. You prepare a table before in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.” How can “I let go, and let God?” Psalm 23 tells us how. As we read and meditate on these words, because He is my shepherd I shall not be in want. All that I need, His hand has already provided. I have no fear. Even though, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Death is only a shadow. He leads me and He restores my soul. Oh, how weary we become. The cares of the world try to steal from us, but God restores. He leads me on His path, which is righteousness, for His name's sake. He prepares a table before me. He comforts us when our day is long, and we are brokenhearted. You anoint my head with oil, you give me abundance in all things. Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in your house forever. God does this for us, His children, not because He has to, but it's because His heart wants to. How privileged we are to be His children. Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jesus says call on me, I'm here to answer. We serve a mighty God. Looking up, let's stay under His rod and staff. We can trust our heavenly Father. -Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Acts 1: 4-5,8, “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, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 2: 1-4, “ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” We know that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The New Testament told of John the Baptist baptizing people in the Jordan. He said there is coming One after me that is greater than I, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. The Holy Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness where He was tempted for 40 days. Jesus came out of the desert with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus later told the disciples that it is needful for him to go away so the Holy Spirit can come. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus and the Father at the creation in Genesis, and although the Old Testament. Jesus knew the disciples could not do their job without the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be witnesses for Me. You will cover the earth with the Good News that a Savior has come. You will do miracles and signs and wonders shall you do in my Name. And you will gladly and bravely have the power to give your life for me. It began on the day of Pentecost as the disciples carried out God's plan by working with the Holy Spirit. As on that first Pentecost, so it is today. It has been over two thousand years and the Holy Spirit is still working. We are here today as brothers and sisters because of the work of the Holy Spirit. We can also receive that power. Holy Spirit fill us afresh as you did that first Pentecost, we need you. We receive the gifts of the Spirit as you see fit. We walk in your Power and love in Jesus' name. Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Matthew 6: 7,” But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” The kingdom of God is where God is King. Is God the King in your kingdom? I pray so. God will not share his Kingdom. Seek God first and all these things shall be added. That is all that we need to do. Jesus says, not to worry about anything else- I know your needs; God knows where you live, he has your address. He knows you are praying for those children, grandchildren, so many things, but our God is a great God. Again, He says I know what you require and that is enough- What a wonderful Savior. In Matthew 7:7 and 8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, and knock it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” It goes on to say if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts how much more your heavenly Father knows what to give you. We must have faith in God's Word. Also, it says to keep on asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Like the widow before the unrighteous Judge, we have to put action behind our prayers. Trust in the Lord with our whole heart and lean not on our own understanding. Seek God's kingdom first. Amen Isaiah 55:6-13, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways. And My thoughts than your thoughts. (11-12) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please. And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy. And be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Folks, “Let us seek the Lord first.” - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Wonderful, merciful Savior Precious Redeemer and Friend Who would have thought that a Lamb Could rescue the souls of men Oh, You rescue the souls of men Counselor, Comforter, Keeper Spirit we long to embrace You offer hope when our hearts have Hopelessly lost our way Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way You are the One that we praise You are the One we adore You give the healing and grace Our hearts always hunger for Oh, our hearts always hunger for Almighty, infinite Father Faithfully loving Your own Here in our weakness You find us Falling before Your throne Oh, we're falling before Your throne You are the One that we praise You are the One we adore You give the healing and grace Our hearts always hunger for Oh, our hearts always hunger for You are the One that we praise You are the One we adore You give the healing and grace Our hearts always hunger for Oh, our hearts always hunger for This is one of my favorite songs. What a message of God's love and grace. Let us worship him folks. He is worthy. Whatever we have to face this day, week, or year; God is with us and we will praise Him. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

It had been 400 years of slavery for the descendants of Abraham. It was time, God remembered his promise to Israel, that He would come and deliver His people. And so He did. He sent Moses with this message to Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” After God shows himself strong, and Pharaoh and his little gods small, Pharaoh lets the Hebrew children go. God shows Pharaoh his mighty arm. He could have destroyed them all, but only took the first born. God had sent Moses to cry out “let my people go” and so it happened as God said it would. God keeps his Word. We see it in God's heart for His creation to be free. Last Sunday we celebrated Independence Day. I love the the 4th of July and am so grateful to be born in America. This was God's will that we be free. Also, there is a higher freedom that God wants his children to walk in. That is to be free to walk in the Spirit, to be Spirit-led. Jesus said, “whom the Son has set free is free indeed”. The truth sets us free. One of our founding Fathers, Patrick Henry is quoted as saying, “Give me Liberty or give me death.” That has to be our heart's cry too . I will have liberty from all my worry, negativity, addictions, cares of the world and anything that keeps me from walking free in Jesus. We can have many things that keep us in slavery. The Bible tells us the violent take it by force. We are told to pull down those strongholds in our mind. In other words, if we mean business, we must fight to win this war so that we can walk in the freedom Jesus wants us to have. Jesus tells us in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted. To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of the sight to the blind. To set at liberty those who are oppressed. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”Jesus has come, his heart is to see us walk in Liberty. John 8:31-16, “ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him. If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. They answered Him, we are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, You will be made free? Jesus answered them, most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Let us walk in that freedom that Jesus purchased for us at Calvary. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Have you ever wondered why we as Christians eat a small piece of bread and a drink of grape during the church service? For thousands of years, Christians have continued a practice called communion. Communion uses bread as a symbol for Jesus' body and wine or grape juice as a symbol for His blood. Jesus himself started the tradition of communion. He instructed His followers to use bread and wine to remember the sacrifice He was going to make when He died for our sins on the cross. Jesus called Himself, “the bread of life”, which means that we're nourished by Him. We survive because of Him, and He satisfies us when everything else leaves us empty. The early Church celebrated Jesus by taking communion, sometimes every day. In Acts 2:42-45, it was a chance to recognize Jesus and thank God for all He has done for us. 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26, “For I have received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you; that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take eat; this is my body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me. In the same manner, He also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in My blood, this do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me”. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.” Taking communion does not make you a Christian. It does not save you or get you to heaven. God warns us about communion without considering what it means and why we're doing it. And to intentionally set aside time to remember what Jesus has done and why He did it! In the book of Corinthians 11: 27-31. We are to remember Jesus is the one who provided all we need. Let us remember, it's not about the bread or juice; it is about the body and blood of Jesus. It is not the ritual or the method; it is about listening to Jesus and doing what He says. Communion is not an obligation, but a celebration. Communion celebrates the Gospel; Jesus was broken for us so we can be fixed by Him. Communion marks the story of Jesus. He gave Himself completely to give us a better life, a new start, and a fresh relationship with God. It's about a person to worship. Jesus wants us to remember when we have communion, that He gives us our daily bread and also our spiritual bread, so that we can keep walking daily with Him. Let us do this in remembrance of Him. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Hebrews 12: 12-14,” Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peach with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Seek holiness. Without it, no one will see God. God is a Holy God and we must become like Him. We must become the image of our Father. More of you, Jesus, and less of me. Knowing that Satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy us, and all that we love. One of the ways that Satan works against us is through demons that he sends to torment us. They try to harass us, and they try to oppress us, and try even in some cases possess us. Demons have to have an entry point. It could be a mutual appetite for a particular sin. For an example, you might entertain lustful thoughts and a spirit of like appetite might come in; then you would not be able to control those thoughts. This lustful spirit or demon would grow stronger and you weaker. Demons stay true to their appetites. In this case a demon of hate would not have an appetite for lust. How do we prevent this from happening? By having a clean house. We pull down those strongholds. We don't let them take root in our mind or heart. And, we walk in Holiness. No demon is going to stick around when there is no like appetite to hang on too. This is very serious, as we want and need to walk in victory. To have a successful Spirit filled life. We cannot be in partnership with the devil and also walk with God. The two cannot walk together. So we must clean our lives up, see if there be in wicked way in us, and walk in holiness. Happiness is, walking in holiness before God. Ephesians 1:3-4,”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and with out blame before Him in love.” 1Corinthians 7:1, “ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. We must resist the devil. Then it says he will flee from us. Let us have a clean and holy house and church folks. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

This Sunday is Father's day. I want all fathers to know how important you are. How needed you are in your family. You were hand picked by God to be that one and only father in your family. Embrace it, and know you can do this. Jesus said for you to take up your cross daily and follow Jesus. This is your privilege and it is your job. I am so proud of our fathers. I am so proud of my sons and my grandsons. You are mighty men of God. Your heavenly Father is so proud of you. I can hear him say that's my son, that's my boy. There are two places in the New Testament that it refers to God as Abba, Father; as if, it is OK for us to say Daddy to our heavenly Father. Our Father longs for a close, intimate relationship with us. He is not some far off deity in some far off galaxy that can only be reached on Sunday morning during church service. Rather, He chose us to be His child. 1John 3: 1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! And so we are.” In the book of John, Jesus talks about and reveals to us that relationship between Jesus and the Father. Over and over Jesus says, “the Father and I are one.” Matthew 6:8-13, “Our Father in heaven, Holy is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For your is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” Let us look at “Our Father.” How wonderful is He. Jesus is saying that our heavenly Father wants us to know Him. He wants us to know we are safe. It is alright to be honest with him. He wants us to know that He choose to love us. We did not choose Him. If you think that no one loves you. Know that that is not true, because you have a heavenly Father who loves you. He sent His very own Son to die for you, and as sons and daughters, we will spend eternity with Him. What great news! I hope this makes your day. It has mine.- Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Psalms 144:1,”Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hand for war and my fingers for battle.” We do not like to think of war. Psalms tells us God himself trains us. Natural war and spiritual war will come. And folks, let me be the first to let you know, we are at war! The devil has come to steal, kill, and destroy us. We must know this warfare is relentless. The devil has already lost the war and he knows it. His desire is to take us down with him. He wants to kill us. Thank you Jesus we have already won, just as he has already lost. This is why we need to know the Word and we need to know what it tells us about this war. It all started in heaven, in Revelation 12: 11-12, “And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, o heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” 2Corinthians 10:3-6. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not natural but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” Isn't it wonderful that our warfare is not natural, but mighty in God. God fights the battle with us and we are not alone. He has given us His Bible and it gives us all the information we need to be more than conquerors. Bring every thought into captivity into the obedience of Christ. Don't let your thought life destroy you. Don't let Satan win. "Strongholds" can be fortresses in our minds. We must pull them down. We can win and we must win. Not only for ourselves, the body of Christ, but also for a lost world. It is not about us. Yes, God wants us to walk in freedom, but we fight for others. Spiritual warfare will continue, but we will win because Christ has won. Only the mighty, in Christ can win. Let us read Isaiah 54:17  “ 'no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,' declares the LORD”. We have God's word. We can stand on it. Praise God! - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Every tongue will confess and every knee shall bow on earth, above the earth, and below the earth to the name of Jesus. Everything that has ever been made, or will be, is subject to the name of Jesus. The Bible states that there is power in the name of Jesus. You might ask, “who can use the name of Jesus?” All those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior can use that precious name. Isn't that wonderful! Jesus told the disciples, “I have been given all authority,” then He says to His disciples, “I have given you all authority to lay hands on the sick, to cast out devils, to speak in new tongues, to raise the dead.“ There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain. These three work together; the Blood, the Word, and the name of Jesus. The book of James says that the devil trembles at the name of Jesus. We could use a little trembling in the church at the name of Jesus. The gospel tells of a Roman Centurion who came to Jesus. His servant was sick and dying. He told Jesus that it is not necessary for Jesus to come to his house, but only that Jesus speak the word that his servant will be healed. He told Jesus, “I have men under me and I say go and they go, I say come and they come. “ Jesus marveled at his faith. This man understood that all authority had been given to Jesus, and this sickness had to bow to that Name. Oh, that as a church, we would walk in that authority. In Acts Peter and John came to the Temple to pray and a beggar was laying there who had been lame since birth. Peter looked at him and said, silver and gold I have none, but what I have I give to you. He used the authority of the Name of Jesus. The man was healed. He gave God the glory, leaping and praising God. What a wonderful name. Philippians 2: 5-11,” Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and giving Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” What a beautiful name it is! The name of Jesus! - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassion'd stress A thorough fare for freedom beat Across the wilderness. America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law. O beautiful for heroes prov'd In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life. America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness, And ev'ry gain divine. O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears. America! America! God shed his grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea . HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY Let us pray for our wonderful country. God has been so gracious and kind. Father, we pray for your mercy and grace. Let us return to the God of our father. We ask that you forgive us of our sins. In your wrath remember mercy. Let us remember those that have went before, those that served, those that died. Let freedom ring. God bless America. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

The world looks at us and asks, “Is there anything to this Jesus?” Many times we do not set that example. We know that we are a continuing work and God is not finished with us yet. We know that God really loves the world and God loves us, and we are to love each other. Even when people are not very loving and kind we are to love. The Holy Spirit is moving very strongly in this hour and the spirit wants to use us. God has been speaking that into my life. We are to listen and hear what the “Spirit” is saying. The Holy Spirit is working two ways in our lives today. First, the Lord is cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit to produce it in our lives. Galatians 5:16-18 ,22-25 “I say then; walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. But the fruit of the Spirit is, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are in Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” The 16th verse states, in the beginning, that we are to walk in the Spirit and it ends with telling, that if we live in the Spirit, we must walk in the Spirit. There is a progression here. As God is working in our lives to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit. Our eye is on Jesus, the beginning and end of our perfection. Jesus said, ”Preach the Kingdom, with signs following, heal the sick, cast out demons, freely you receive freely give.” To do this God has given us the” Gifts of the Spirit” to work as He wills, for the building up of the Body of Christ and to fulfill “The great Commission”. We need the gifts working and we need to pray they are manifested at Victory Life Church. This is God's will. God wants his church to walk in the the Spirit. 1Corinthians chapters 12-15, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant; there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. But the manifestation of the Spirit is giving to each one for the profit of all: for to one is giving the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of Spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” We can, and we need to have these gifts working in our lives, and in the church, as He wills. Let us pray to this end. Let us put action to our prayers and as the Lord leads. Let us be open to the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can do with one word what it would take us many sermons to do. However, we are not negating the preaching of the word, and there is no substitute for it. Let us arise and shine church. Let us walk in the Spirit. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

You should be in the book of James if you are reading along with us this month of May. The second verse tells us “My brethren, count it all JOY when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” I have always thought this verse to be very strange. Have you noticed God asks the impossible out of us sometimes... knowing that we have to trust him? Because it is hard to count “it” all joy. That joy in the verse really means to leap for joy. If you live in NW Florida, this week we found ourselves in another crisis and this one a shortage of gas. No gas, just long lines, and people hoarding gas. I find this very irritating and un-American. Talk about not thinking of your neighbor first. Hopefully you have not lost all of your joy by now. In Nehemiah, we are told “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” So this joy is accessible only through God. The joy of the Lord is our strength. God's joy, not ours; not the world's, but God's. Thank you Jesus for your strength! We need that holy strength, because we will have trials. We will suffer, but though it all we have Jesus. In Hebrew 12:2, “looking into Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” We were His joy, he endured the cross for us. No wonder we want to please him. He did it all for us. That is why we leap for joy when the way is so hard. We have Jesus... the beginning and the end of our Faith. If we will always look to him, that joy can be ours. How do we respond to the world when they ask us, “How are you?” Do we have a cheerful outlook on life? Regardless of what is going on in our life, we can lift their spirits. We should be a positive, uplifting, encouraging and hopeful people of faith. Who, in all circumstances, give God praise. Psalm 100: “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

 “A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: 'Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!' Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Adorn her life with praises!” Although Solomon was talking about a “natural” wife and mother it is also talking about the spiritual, God's church. We are called to be a virtuous church are a church of moral excellence. God, as always, sets the bar high... But would we want it any other way? The God we worship is worthy of all praise and glory. Let us look to the virtuous woman as our example to follow. Have a wonderful Mothers Day, all you mothers. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Mark 10: 17-22, “Now as he was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, Good teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? So Jesus said to him, why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal. Do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and your mother. And he answered and said to Him teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth. Then “Jesus, looking at him, “loved him,” and said to him, one thing you lack, go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at the word, and went away sorrowful. For he had great possessions. “ In Matthew 6: Jesus tells us not to lay up treasures on this earth where you can lose them, but lay up treasures in heaven. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. So, we must guard our hearts. Jesus also told us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him. Jesus did not make it easy for the rich young ruler. Nor does He make it easy for us, His body and church. Jesus was showing him his heart. Just like Jesus said, ”It's been said don't commit adultery, but I say if you look on a woman with lust you're already committed adultery in your heart.” See, Jesus always got to the heart of the matter. From the heart comes all the issues of life. Check your heart. Is it in line with Jesus? I want to bring this out, that the verse says, Jesus looked at the the young man and loved him. " Jesus wanted to get him to look at himself. The ruler had kept the commandments since his youth. He was not a bad guy. But one thing the rich ruler needed was to give his heart completely to Jesus. The Psalmist said, “ search my heart Oh, God and see if there be any wicked why in me. “ I believe we have been under heavy demonic attacks. As long as we are on this earth, Satan is going to come against God's church. We must fight this fight. We cannot fight if our hearts are not totally given God, so take some time and let God search your heart. If He shows us there is something in our lives that is holding us back, give it to Jesus and put it under the blood. Do not pick it up again. We can walk Holy, as He is Holy. With God all things are possible. Be encouraged He loves us. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

The Lord has put it on my heart that prayer is a daily discipline. Recently I heard, not surprisingly, that the Bible is the most purchased book, but also the least read book. I was not surprised. The one Book that brings us life is the one book so hard to consistently read, to study, and to fall in love with. One reason, we have a devil who does not want us to read the words that bring us life. So, its his job to keep us to busy, sidetracked, and distracted. The devil will do whatever it takes to take us out of the game. But, all the credit cannot go to our enemy. We have a role in this too. We must choose to take time to study the word of God. Jesus said, in the Lord's Prayer, “give us this day our daily bread.” Just as we need to eat food daily for health and strength, we also need to be spiritually fed each day. When I was a child, I loved the stories in the Bible. I believed the Bible was God's Word. There was much that I did not understand. I believe until we die the Holy Spirit will be opening the Bible up to us and we will understand more and more. We will continue to learn from the word of God until we graduate into His presence. Until then, we are students and disciples. I had a real break though in my twenties. It was then I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  I could not put the Bible down. It became a brand new book to me. The Holy Spirit began to teach me the Word. I have tried to be a student of the Word ever since. We must train ourselves to study. You could say studying the Word is a discipline. It is just like tithing and being faithful. Paul, the apostle, said we should daily search the scriptures. That teaches us to obey the Word of God. It gives us the ability to walk a Holy life just as Jesus did, and said we must do. Luke 9: 23,24 “ If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ”For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Let us daily fall in love with Jesus and His Word. “Thy Word I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against You.” - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

God has been dealing with me about His Church. We are his church. In Mathew, “Jesus says the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church”. Jesus says,” the thief comes but to steal, kill, and destroy but I (Jesus) have come to give you life and give it more abundantly.” Jesus says Satan will not succeed. But, Satan says I will see about that. Jesus said that the gates of hell will come against the church, but He also said the gates of hell will not win. Hell does come against God's church. So, we will see battle.  Sometimes I fear, as with the seven churches in Revelation, five of which Jesus says, I have this against you. The cares of the world and many other things, get us in trouble. Satan uses our many distractions against us in warfare. Remember, we are at war, but Jesus says the battle is His. Let God arise and his enemies be scattered. In my own life, when I have an occasion to be offended, I don't dwell on it. I just don't pick it up. I don't let it eat away at me. The enemy knows us too well and he knows what will work on you and me. We must be smart in this war. Also, I feel that the church has lost its first love, that excitement about our first love relationship with God.  The book of Acts talks about times of refreshing that are coming from the Lord. If we want to walk in victory, we need to stir this up in us. God wants to bring many souls into the kingdom and He wants to use us to do it. Let us be alert, and be available, in these most difficult times. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. There is hope, and as always, it comes from God's own Word. Isaiah 54: 17,: No weapon formed against you shall prosper. And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” 1Corinthians 10: 3-6,”For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Not only did Jesus tell the disciples that He would die and on the third day that He would arise from the dead, but He also said that He would go away to prepare a place for them. Jesus said He would return. Oh, glorious day! But first, He would go to Father and would sit at the right hand of God, ever making intersession for us. He will return. We have this blessed hope. God's word is true. It will not return void, but will do what God says it will do. What a wonderful Savior. We should feel his presence on this Blessed Easter. After His death and resurrection, Jesus had a meal and fellowship with his disciples for a period of 40 days. Before he ascended, He told them not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came. On the day of Pentecost the spirit fell upon them. Then, they became witnesses for Him all over the world. They carried the good news to the ends of the earth. As they watched, Jesus was taken up into heaven, then suddenly two men dressed in white clothing stood beside them. The angels said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. But He will come back in the same way you saw Him go. He will return the same way. We see this again in Revelations where it is promised that Jesus will return. He will come again as a King on a white horse and every eye will behold him. What a wonderful day! Come quickly, Lord Jesus. What are we to do to until that day comes? We must carry on and fulfill the great commission. Tell everyone Jesus is coming and that we must be ready. “Carry on Church” Revelation 1:4-8, “May grace and peace come to you from the One who is, an who was. And who will come. May grace and peace come to you from the seven spirits who are in front of God's throne. May grace and peace come to you from Jesus Christ. What Jesus gives witness to can always be trusted. He was the first to rise from the dead. He rules over the kings of the earth. Give glory and power to the One who loves us! He has set us free from our sins by pouring out his blood for us, He has made us members of his royal family. He has made us priests who serve his God and Father. Give him glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming in the clouds! Every eye will see Him. Even those who pierced him will see Him. All the nations of the earth will be sad because of him. This really happen! Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the Last, says the Lord God. I am the One who is, and who was, and who will come. I am the Mighty One!” - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Hebrew 12:2, “ Looking unto Jesus who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Let us look into the author and finisher of our faith as we enter into “Holy Week.” We needed a Savior and God sent His only Son, that through Him we could be saved and cleansed from our sins. While we were sinners He died for us. Let us meditate on this wonderful act of love. In the book of Isaiah, we see the suffering servant. Isaiah 53: 3-5, “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surly He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrow; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed.” He was the perfect, spotless lamb. All we would need would be found in Him. Isaiah 53:7- 10, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as sheep before its shearers is silent. So He opened not his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him He has put His soul an offering for sin.” Christ was dead. All seemed hopeless on that fateful Friday when Christ was crucified. But, Friday is not the end of the story. There is more. Praise God! It had been prophesied that Christ would suffer and die. It was said of Him that He will be disfigured by suffering. He will be widely rejected. He will bear our sins, diseases, and sorrow. He will make a blood atonement. He will be our substitute. He will voluntarily accept our guilt and punishment. He will be buried in a rich man's tomb. He will justify many from their sin. He will die with transgressors. He will be exalted. He is the fulfillment of prophecy. It may seem like that dark and hopeless day, but hold on to His promises. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is risen! It is finished! It may be Friday, but rejoice. Sunday is coming. Somebody SHOUT! Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

ROMANS 5: 6 - 8,” For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We only have one more Sunday until it is Easter. Let us remember and meditate on the sacrifice He made for us and all that He endured for us. This is the “Passion Of the Christ.” Let us walk these last few days with Him. Even though we do not and cannot understand the totality of His love for us. How much He suffered for us. All we can do is believe in Him and receive God's love for us. I pray, open our hearts Lord to your love.  How can it be that His Son would choose to die for us. The God of all creation has ordained it. Now we are able to have victorious life here on planet earth and a glorious one in heaven for eternity. Revelation 13 says that He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Our redemption was not an afterthought. “From the foundation.” Does that make you a shout? God had it planned, His Son would die for us. What love. Let us walk with Him and feel His joy and pain these weeks ahead. Hebrews 13: 8,” Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.” He will not change. That same Jesus who died for you, will bring you through every trial and be with us to the end. What a wonderful Savior. John 3:14-17, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

We thank Jesus for victory. The battle belongs to the Lord. In the Old Testament there are many stories of how God interceded for His children. One is found in 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, verses 1-30. In this battle three nations came up against Israel. At this time King Jehoshaphat was king, and he was a good King who served God. Israel could not win. There was a multitude coming against them, but Jehoshaphat went before God and laid it all out. He told God in verses 12-18, “O, our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” Jehoshaphat knew one thing for sure that God is his answer, his only answer, and he cried out to God, and said, “our eyes are on You,” And as we read in verses 14-18, God takes care of His people. “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you; do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not your, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surly come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.” They went out in the morning for battle and as they praised God, He destroyed their enemies with a great victory. What did they do, but worship and praise? They need not fight in this battle. While I was in Texas recently, I got up early and was praying for several people when God gave me these scriptures. We need not fight this battle. This battle belongs to the Lord. Folks, know that God's Word is true. Let us praise and worship our God, as we let Him fight our battles. The battle was won at the Cross. When Jesus came out of that grave on Easter morning, He did not bring any diseases with Him. No sickness, no poverty, no broken hearts. We have been set free from the curse. Let us walk in the victory that has been bought for us. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Lent is a time of spending more time in prayer and reading my Bible to better acquaint myself with the words of Christ. A time to do as the book of Matthew tells us in chapter 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” It goes on to say not to worry about things, or tomorrow. God will take care of that. We must listen and hear what God is saying. We are to separate ourselves from the world. Let us, even with our busy worlds, try and do this. God wants to do awesome things among us. God wants to purify and enlighten us through His word. We can change those thing that are not pleasing to our Father. He will show us the way to go. God wants to bring us into a deeper love relationship with Him. All these are reasons we set ourselves aside to seek Him more. Isn't it wonderful to think what God can do with us? This is grace folks. Mark 1:9-15, “It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptizer by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him as a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are MY beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and angels ministered to Him.”Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe in the gospel.” Remember to honor God in all you do, and to praise and thank Him for all your blessings. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

ROMANS 8:31-19 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Let us run into His everlasting arms. Jesus said that He will never leave you, He will never forsake you. He will be with you unto the end. Last year, and this year so far, has brought us many challenges and some tragedies, and yet we trust in Him. Hebrews tells us, “Now the just shall live by faith”. It speaks of those who overcame tremendous odds, fears, and death. Many chose torture and did not accept deliverance, but instead chose death, that they obtain a better resurrection. Please read Hebrews chapters 11-13. You will be blessed to read of the Bibles heroes of faith who walked knowing that nothing could separate them from the love of God. Hold tight to your faith and trust in Him who is trustworthy. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are adopted into the family of God. What a wonderful thing. We become sons and daughters of the King. I have a hard time imagining that. When God calls us to be His sons and His daughters He becomes a very personal Father to us. Paul tells us in the gospels that we can call Him our daddy. In all fake religious you have to earn your way into the favor of a so called god or goddess. And then there is no guarantee you will ever be good enough, or that you can work hard enough to be enlightened. One false denomination teaches that only so many can make it into heaven at all. That leaves us in a really a sad and hopeless situation. But Jesus says come to me, all who are tired and weary, and I will give you rest. It's not about our works, It's not about us at all. Out of our love for God, because of His love for us, comes the desire to keep His commandments and obey the Father. And in 1John , He says his commandments are not grievous, but again we serve, we obey out of love. What a wonderful life. 1John 2:28 & 29, 1John 3:1-3, And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” First, we are children of God. God, our Father has bestowed his love on us. We shall be like him. And because of that blessed hope we walk in righteousness as He is righteous. We walk and we talk as are Father does. We are conformed to his image. We even look like our daddy. How wonderful is that? I pray it's true in my life, in our lives. Thank you Father for loving us. God said he loved me, that settles it. Amen. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

It is a catch on words, but it is true, that we must let go of last year and let's go with God. Let's see what He has planned for us this year. Our guest speaker last week, Bro May, spoke to us about what God has planned for us. God is a “now” God. He heals the past, he saves us from the past, but He is a now God. He is also a God who speaks to our future. There is much to be done. Bro May spoke through the Holy Spirit about what God has in store for many of us and this ministry. The blessings that He has for them. So God is going forward and we want to part of that blessing. Many souls will come into the Kingdom and not only do we want to part of this great end time revival that will cover the earth, but also bringing up those into the faith. We must teach and preach the sound doctrine of the Word of God. Many will not even know the elementary teaching, so we must be ready. Isaiah 43: 18-19, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? God has given us our orders and we have been given the authority to walk in his power. Remember his word, you shall receive power, and so we have. Matthew 28:18-20,” And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you ; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” Luke 24: 46-49,” Then He spoke to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold I send the promise of my Father unto you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” We are ready, so let's go. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

We know both love and kindness are important Fruits of the Spirit. You can't have one without the other. As the song goes, What the World Needs Now is love, sweet love. We can start with a little kindness. Let us let both the fruit of kindness and love grow together and see what God does. I have been sharing that God has been telling me for sometime to come away with Him. In this hour, God is saying come away my beloved, come away with me. We can be distracted by so many things that want to steal our time and attention. Jesus said to Martha that Mary had chosen what was good and right. She chose the better thing as she was seeking Jesus and sitting at His feet, instead of being distracted by other things.  He said that would not be taken away from her.  Let us seek to love Him more. As the deer pants for the water brook, so my heart longs after you Lord Jesus. Out of this love for Jesus comes everything else. The first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your mind, soul, and strength. Then we should love each other as God has loved us. Service with out love, in any form, is just a job and becomes nothing more than a chore. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” How do we do this? How do we put on love and put on kindness? 1 Peter tells us to put these things on, to add these things. What things? Peter says that we are to give all diligence, to diligence add faith, then add virtue, to virtue, knowledge, self-control. Do you need self control in your life? I know that I do. With relationship with Him  comes perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and then love. We put these on, we add them to our dress and to our daily walk with Jesus. Then the world will see the manifestation of Christ's love and the fruit of love and kindness in our lives. They will say, man I need this, I really need this love. It really must be about this Jesus. Now is the time! 2 Corinthians:6, tells us, now is the day of salvation. When Jesus told those fisherman to follow Him, they left all. What's holding you back from doing this? He said, “Come follow me.” And so they did. The rest is history. Love turned the world upside down. There is no greater love than what Christ did for you. I choose kindness! I choose love! - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Psalm 40: 1-4a, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit. Out of the miry clay, and set my foot upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth. Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust.” Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust. During these troubled times blessed are we who put our trust in the Lord. I waited patiently for the Lord. That is a pro-active statement. We are not just seated in despair, but we are actively seeking God. We are patiently waiting on the Lord. God hears our cries. He knows where we are living. He has your address. He brought us out of the miry clay, out of a horrible pit. That is pretty bad folks. Do you feel like you are just slipping into that clay? No solid ground there? But, Jesus sets us on the solid Rock, amen! We are not in a hopeless state. He has put a new song in our hearts and a praise unto Him. We will trust in our savior. Jesus is our Savior. On this the solid Rock I stand, all else is sinking sand, as the song goes. Isaiah 43: 1-3a, 18 and 19,” But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel. Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you, when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” God is doing a new thing. Let us walk in it church. God bless us all. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Song of Solomon 2:10-14,” My beloved spoke, and said to me; rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. (b.) Rise up, my love. My fair one, and come away.! 2;4, “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” God has been speaking and saying to me, come away my beloved. Come away with me. There is a secret place in God, there is a hiding place. We must run into our beloveds arms. We know that God is able to, and will, keep us. We see in Matthew 23,24, and 25, that Jesus tells us what will take place in the end time. We must be ready, but God is telling us that He has a hiding place for us. Our hiding place is our heavenly Father, Himself. Psalm 32:7, “You are my hiding place, you shall preserve me from trouble; and shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” We can have hope. We have faith in our God. We can even, yes, be joyful in the secret place. Psalm 91: 1- 16 , He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most Highs shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2, I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3, Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4, He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5, Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6, Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7, A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8,, Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9, Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10, There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11, For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12, They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13, Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14, Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15, He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16, With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.'' Folks we must trust in the Lord.  - Pastor Paul and sister

It is hard for us to understand how we can be the Lord's wife, the Bride. Revelation 19: 7 : ”Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” His wife has made herself ready. We have something to add to this marriage as the bride of Christ. We have made ourselves ready. Recently, the Lord spoke to my heart and said He wanted me to renew my vows to Him. God wants, and longs for, that holy and pure commitment to Him. Our first love, that first love we had when we first came to Him, or perhaps, that sinner who has come home. Deuteronomy 6:5,” You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Friend, He will accept nothing less than our all of our love given to Him. This is what He wants. It is also what our hearts long for. Let us surrender afresh this day, this hour. Your will Father be done this year. Revelation 21:2-7,”Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, God himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold I make all things new. And He said to me, write, for these words are true and faithful. And He said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the End, I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son.” Revelation 22:17,” And the Spirit and the bride say “Come. And let him who hears say, “Come”! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”(20,) He who testifies to these things says, “Surly I am coming quickly.” As the bride of Christ, let us make ourselves ready. He is coming quickly. Come Lord Jesus. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Luke 2: 9-10, “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord stood before them. And the glory of the Lord shore around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tiding of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” To all people! Jesus was born for everyone. Perhaps that is why he was born in a stable, with shepherds for his first visitors. This was to show that Jesus was accessible to all people. The Wise Men came visiting from the East. Everyone who opens his heart to Jesus is welcome. There is a place for you at His table. Let us carry the Good news to a lost and dying world and tell them that the Savior has come. What do you need in your life? Do you need a Counselor, someone who will listen and will give you wise advise? Jesus is the one who will always tell you the truth and He knows your heart. Maybe you need a father. He is not just any father, but a Father who is also mighty God. He is someone who will speak Peace, someone whose very name is Prince of Peace. Someone who will be there tomorrow, always. Someone who is said of, that His government will never end. We find that all we need is in Jesus Christ. He is truly the answer to all of our prayers. Only He can fill our hearts with joy, peace, and love. Only He fills the void in our hearts. He is our everlasting Father. Maybe your father has let you down, He will never let you down. Child of God, why not surrender all to Him. This Christmas, why not go to the cross? He is waiting for you and for me. The greatest gift has come and He is waiting. Like the shepherds and the wise men, let us worship Him. Thank you Jesus for coming into our world. We love you Jesus. Isaiah 9: 6-7, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is giving; and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful. Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Galatians 4: 4-7, “ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,crying out, “Abba, Father”! Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” There is a fullness of time in God. A visitation, you could say, when God says this is it. I have had it happen in my life, also in the life of my family. The perfect timing of God is fulfilled when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Out of this, salvation comes. And as the scripture tells us, we are adopted into the family of God. God becomes our Father and we can come to Him, as our “Abba, Father” or “daddy, Father.” ...even as heirs of God! How can we understand such a wonderful personal relationship as we enter into our new birth. All old testament scriptures leads us to the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of the law and prophets. In Luke 1:20,” But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time”. Zacharias, a priest before God and a righteous man, he and his wife Elizabeth were blameless before the Lord. They had been chosen to be the parents of John the Baptist. Elizabeth had been barren when the angel came to Zacharias and told him he and Elizabeth were to have this child in the fullness of time. And it happened as the angel said. Then in Luke 1:26-45, this same angel came to Mary and declared she will have a son , he will be the Son of God. He will save his people from there sins. The Messiah, the promised Messiah in the fullness of time is coming. Then in verse (45) “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord”. Blessed are those who believe. Mary had to believe and she did. She became the mother of the Savior of the world. This Christmas we also must believe, and so we will. “The just will walk by faith.” .- Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Luke 19:41-44,”Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, if you had know, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Jesus knew that his popularity was short lived and the people would turn against him. The prophecy would come to pass in 70 years when Jerusalem would be destroyed and it's people either killed are dispersed though out the world. Lets go back to Jesus' birth. When the greatest event in all history was about to take place only a hand full of shepherds and some wise men would know what happened. Even the religious, when they realized that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, did not even seek Him out. I was thinking about this as I was thinking on the coming Christmas season, would we have been like the populous and just let this event pass us by. I feel that God is going to visit His church this Christmas season. It will be a special visitation. Let us be full of anticipation waiting for this event. Let us be found worthy. Let us meditate on His greatness. Let us be like the woman who bought costly perfume and anointed Jesus's feet and worshiped Him. Let us worship Him, let us draw near with our whole heart. We have something to say. Jesus is here! I heard recently that there is going to be a divine importation coming into every area of our lives and that it will yield much fruit. We must be hear the voice of God. We must have the mindset that says, “Send me, Lord!”. Peter told us how to get prepared for our visitation in, 1 Peter, 2:11,12. “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Let us be found ready. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Psalm 150:1-6,” Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to his excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!!!” God wants us to praise HIM in all and every circumstance. When we praise Him, we acknowledge that our heavenly Father is in control. We can, and must, trust Him. Reading over the prayer list that Pastor Paul sent out was startling. And I know there were more prayer requests added. The needs are great, but we serve a great God. As we let go of our needs, some in the line of miracles, and give them to God. Whatever the need, God is bigger and greater. Our job is to praise Him in all circumstances. I love how in Psalm 150, the praise for our God gets greater and louder. Have you noticed that as we praise God, we get smaller and He is enlarged. Oh, let us magnify the Lord and exalt His name together. So many times in the Bible, we are told to be thankful. What happens if we are not thankful? In Deuteronomy chapter 28, there are 68 versus, the first 14 are the blessings and the last are the curses. Verse 47 reads like this,”Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you.” Romans 1: 21,”because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful.”Let us remember the importance of being thankful and praising Him, who is worthy of all praise. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18,”Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”. Have a blessed, happy and thankful Thanksgiving! – Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

BY FAITH THEY OVERCAME Hebrews 11:32- 40 “And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 12 :1 -3,” Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Several times in Joshua chapters 1,2,3, God tell Joshua and the children of Israel to be strong and of a good courage. They were going where they had not gone before.  2020 has been this way. We have not went this way before, and God is telling us, like the great men and woman before us to be strong and of a good courage. Like those before, we can be more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. Let's rejoice our God is good.  – Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

We are in election season 2020. I find peace a fleeting thing. Which led me to see what God says. First of all Jesus in Isaiah is called “The Prince of Peace.” If you want peace we must look to Jesus. There is no lasting peace outside of Jesus. Also, in Isaiah, it tells us we can have perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Jesus. So, we make the choice if we will walk in peace. We must trust in Him as Proverbs tell us. Our trust is in Him. We must remember as the old song says, :This is my Father's world.” In the New Testament, we are told to pull down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the most high God. So again the answer is Jesus. Let us not forget we are a Holy and chosen people. Set aside for God. In Matthew 5: 9,” Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”. We also have job to do and that is to be the peacemaker. Also, we are told as much as possible, to live at peace with all men. You can see that if we go by God's word we can walk in peace. We can make a difference. Let's do it folks. In John it tells us , peace I leave with you, what kind of peace, God's peace. In Psalms 37, it tell us, to fret not. Boy, I need to here that. Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Philippians 4: 4-9, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Hebrews 11:32- 40 32“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 12 :1 -3,” Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Several times in Joshua chapters 1,2,3, God tell Joshua and the children of Israel to be strong and of a good courage. They were going where they had not gone before.  2020 has been this way. We have not went this way before, and God is telling us, like the great men and woman before us to be strong and of a good courage. Like those before, we can be more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. Let's rejoice our God is good.                    -- Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Isaiah 41: 10,” Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” In Matthew, the 24th and 25th chapters, Jesus tells the disciples what will happen at the end of the age before He returns to set up His kingdom. Those chapters tells us that many deceivers will come saying they are the Christ. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, nations will rise against nations, there will be famines, pestilences, earthquakes, All these are the beginning of sorrows. They will deliver us Christians to be killed. Many will betray one another, we will be hated by one another, lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Then we face the great tribulation, such as not been since the beginning of the world. Unless those days were shortened, no one would be saved, but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Then Christ will come. For us the elect's sake. God will not forget His sons, His daughters. He will come for us. Thank you Jesus, remember those who endure to the end. We must have patience, we must have endurance. If we are not watchful, fear will invade our lives like the enemy it is. God wanted us to know what was going to happen in the end times so we will prepare and also to bring others into the kingdom. As with Esther, perhaps, we were born for such a time as this. We cannot dwell on these things. We must look to our help. Our help cometh from the Lord, and our help is here. Jesus has come, the Holy Spirit indwells in us. All is well. Psalm 118:6, “The Lord is my side, I will not fear, what can man do to me? Romans 8:31,” What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 1John 4:18,” There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” Philippians 4:6,” Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Remember. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a strong mind. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

As Christians, there are certain things we must do. In Philippians, we are told to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. This is done through repentance and allowing God to search our hearts. We are real good at hiding our secret sins. God is not going to put up with that. We as a church are reading first and second Corinthians. The word of God lays it out and tells us what God wants in our life. It addresses how we deal with other Christians. Are we walking pure before the Lord? It speaks of sexual sins, which so many do not take seriously today. Please read Corinthians with us and you will be blessed. This brings us to Daniel. Daniel lived in a time where, once again, Israel had sinned. Their punishment was to be taken back to Babylon as slaves. Jeremiah later tells them to live at peace, because they would live there 70 years, and then God would raise up a King that would lead them go back to Israel. This happened during the times of Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, and Ezra. It is good to go back and read these books. God as always showed His faithfulness to Israel and toward us. Daniel is part of the Royal line. He is chosen out of many to receive special attention, education, and training to work and live in the King's house. Daniel 1: 8, “ But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the Kings food.” The secret was that Daniel purposed in his heart. Daniel emphasizes our separation to God, with Daniel and his friends as the ultimate example. Through Daniel and his friends God shows his power and presence. From their decision not to eat the king's food, to the refusal to bow to the king's image, Daniel and friends displayed such an uncompromising spirit that God could and did show spectacular displays of His power on their behalf. In another story, the king made this huge statue of himself and commanded everyone to bow down to it. If they did not bow down they would be cast into the fiery furnace. There were three Hebrew men that refused to bow. It was brought to the King's attention. The king was thinking they may not have understood  his order and repeats the whole thing about bowing down, and what will happen if one does not obey the king. They reassured the king in this way, Daniel 3:16-18,” O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king, but if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up”. We know the story, the king is enraged. He has the furnace heated up seven times hotter He has them throw in. The heat is so intense that the guards die. Then the king asks, did not we throw three men in, but there are four. And the fourth man is as the son of God. That was Jesus folks. There is a great delivery, God is glorified. Because they purposed in their hearts, God could do mighty acts. God is waiting on us. Let us purpose in our hearts. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Luke chapter 15, tells us three stories. The first is about one lost sheep. We could be that sheep. We were that sheep at one time. Luke 15: 4-7, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them. Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety nine just persons who need no repentance.” He leaves the ninety nine and goes after that lost sheep. How great is His love for us. Isaiah 53:6-7, “ All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one, to his own way. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet we opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent. So He opened not His mouth.” That is the our great shepherd. Thank you Jesus. The second story is about a lost coin. Luke 15:8-10, “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which was lost! Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” What endless pursuit will the Father go to for us. Yes, to bring us home. Which leads us to the final story. It is found in Luke 15: 11-31. It is fondly know as “The Prodigal Son”. I hope you will read it. Maybe you will identify with the prodigal son, or maybe the son who stayed home, or maybe the father. Or maybe all three. See you on the other side of the story. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Isaiah 8: 6, 7: ”For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will unto His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” What wonderful scriptures for this hour and for this day. We had a wonderful time of prayer this weekend. Let us continue to do so. We need to pray. The world needs our prayers. America needs our prayers during these day before this election and the rest of 2020. Let us believe that as we pray God is going to move in miracles, signs, and wonders. We need Hope. He is here and His name is Jesus. Isaiah says it best. Jesus has already come and has established His government, and it says this government will have no end. No matter how hard man tries to find peace and change the world for better, he does so just in his own strength and can do very little. He usually makes a terrible mess of things. Isaiah says there will be no end to His peace. We need that assurance today. In John we have that assurance. John 14: 25-27, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Thank you Jesus, I need that peace that can only come from God. In the days ahead we will have His peace. What a wonderful promise. Let not your heart be troubled, trust in Jesus. In Psalm 3, it says, to trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. I make this quality decision, that I will have God's peace that passes all understanding. In this day, in this hour, I will walk in peace. Thank you Jesus that you are my peace. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Send Revival, (Start With Me) as performed by Petra on the album Revival Words by Matt Redman Based on 2 Chronicles 7: 14, Isaiah 6: 5-8 We're looking to your promise of old That if we pray and humble ourselves You will come and heal our land You will come, You will come We're looking to the promise You made That if we turn and look to Your face You will come and heal our land You will come, You will come To us Send revival, start with me For I am one of unclean lips And my eyes have seen the King Your glory I have glimpsed Send revival, start with me Acts 3:19, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Joel 2:12-14,” Yet even now...return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments. Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness, and relenting of evil. Who knows whether He will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him?” As we end our ten days of “Returning to the Lord", let us continue through the elections, and through the end of 2020. Who knows what God will do? This has been a wonderful time of drawing closer to God. He is love, mercy and kindness. What a wonderful Savior. Thank you Jesus for allowing us to be a part of these ten days. May we all be blessed. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

One of the blessings of repentance is joy, as we confess our sins to our heavenly Father. What joy knowing He has forgiven us. Just knowing all is well is such a release. In John 16:20-22, Jesus tells the disciples that He is going away and they will know sorrow, but He will return to them and He will also send the Holy Spirit. He will not leave them as orphans. They will be filled with joy. Hebrews 12:2, tells us to “look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We were the joy that He saw. How can we not worship Him. What an awesome God. Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” What is the kingdom but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is what we have been seeking after in “The Return”. Let's not let it go, but let us run with it. Isaiah 35:8-10,”A highway shall be there, and a road, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others, whoever walks the road although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with sighing. With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 51:3,11, “For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. So the ransomed of the Lord shall return. And come to Zion. And come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” God's word is so good. Be blessed. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

I have returned to the God of my childhood, to the simple faith I once knew. I have returned to Jesus my Messiah, my Lord and Savior.  We have been talking about “The Return” movement for a while now. I hope you are seeking God on what He would have us do as a Church and as the corporate body of Christ. This year has already brought us to our knees. With the 2020 election, we must seek God. I feel we understand the importance of this year's election. Sometimes our faith grows lukewarm, our worship is halfhearted and we are not really “there.” We must seek His face in true repentance, to embrace God's love and abundance in our lives as we surrender afresh to Him. Psalms 139 says, “search me and know me see if there be any wicked way in me”. The Return, is about our return to God by coming before His presence in humility, in sincerity, in prayer, and repentance. I hope you have set aside September 18-28 for these 10 days of prayer, fasting, and repentance. It starts with the Biblical Feast of Trumpets and ends with the Day of Atonement, Saturday, September 26, 2020 in Washington DC. Most of us can't go Washington DC, but we can set that day aside to go before the Lord. I don't know about you, but I need this. We must return back to God. 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” If My people will humble themselves, and pray, seek My face, turn from their wicked ways, then God says I will do. Let us run to the alter. James 4: 7-10,” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Rev. 3:19,20, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and He with me.” Let us repent quickly and open that door wide. He is waiting to come dine with us. I am so excited about this opportunity that God is giving us. God bless us all. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Matthew 28: 18-20,”And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” How important is missions? Very important, if you believe the Bible. Some will say, and rightly so, I didn't even know we had a Mission's program. I apologize for that, as your Missions lady I have not done much to promote it, especially for our new people. Most people do know that on the second Sunday we take up a mission offering. This will change. I want us all to have a love for missions. The Word says to go into all the World. This means both our local “world” and far away lands such as China, India, etc. We at Victory give locally as the opportunity arises. As in our food pantry and as in helping people who need gas, food, lodging. We give monthly to Evangel Fellowship, the organization we are under as a tax covering and as a fellowship of churches we can go to for spiritual help, advice and council. We have been blessed to be with Evangel Fellowship for many years. We want to be blessing to East Milton and this area. Through the years we have supported several groups, but in the end it came down to three that we have consistently tried to bless. 1. Adullam International Ministries led by Pete and Angie Spackman. Rescuing the most vulnerable. For years Adullam House have taken in the children of parents who are in prison. Everyone is welcome. Bbesides giving the homeless children a home, they have a full accredited school and much more. Now it includes International Ministries. God is always doing the impossible at Adullam House. 2. Friends of International, Jim and Mary Mather. Jim and Mary started as missionaries to Pakistan. The Lord led them back to Mobile, AL to work and mentor international students; many lonely, confused, scared, and homesick. Many they have befriended, many they led to the Lord. These then carry the gospel back to there native country. The Mather's are doing a great work for the the Lord working with these students and families. 3. Waterfront Rescue Mission here in Pensacola is our local mission. As you know, they feed and house they also train many of our local homeless population. They do a much needed work. In the last year Waterfront Mission has provided 53,000 nutritious meals, 19,000 nights of shelter, and did 19,000 hours of Christian counseling and work training! Let us continue bless the homeless. Let us continue to open our hearts wide Church. God is pleased when we give. For questions contact sister Claudia. Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

I know in my own life, this year of our Lord 2020, God has made it so clear to me that this is not my home. In Genesis 47, Joseph brought his father, Israel, before Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked him how old he was? His reply was that he had sojourned on this earth 130 few and hard years. We need to remember Psalm 90 tells us to number our days. In the Bible, we are told there is a time to be born and a time to die. We are Pilgrims on this earth. As we get older we realize more and more that this is not our home. But, God does not just leave us here with a few hard years. He gives us Hope. Roman 5: 2-5, “Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Not only this but, God has promised us a resurrection life. In John 11, there is the story of the death of Lazarus, Jesus's friend. Jesus was away ministering and he got the word that his friend was sick and He needed to come and heal Lazarus. That sounds like us. When Jesus got there his friend had been dead and buried four days. All hope seemed to be gone, but then... we have Jesus. Martha says to Jesus, if you had been here my brother would not have died. (verses 25 & 26)”Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to Him, yes Lord, I believe you are Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”Jesus rebuked death and Lazarus was raised from the dead. Oh, glorious day! How good is God? There is hope for this world, His name is Jesus. Let us cling to Him and remember that Jesus is our resurrection and life. This is not our home. Heaven awaits us. The Bible tells us eye has not seen nor ear heard what God has for us. This is dedicated to my great grandson Tommy Bolton, who has graduated to his new home with Jesus. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Matthew 5: 3-12, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemaker, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Blessed are the poor in spirit, who recognize their spiritual poverty. Seek God first. We are solely dependent on Him. Do we mourn over the condition of the world? We cry out to God that he would show us mercy, as we show others mercy. Do we hunger and thirst for more of Jesus? Folks we will not make it unless Jesus is our all consuming passion. Don't let the devil fool you into thinking that a little of Jesus will be enough. No he will destroy you. The Sermon on the Mount is where you could say God makes the Old Testament come to life in day to day living and it starts with “The Beatitudes.” It calls us to be the peacemakers. We are to go the extra mile and turn the other cheek. It calls us to rejoice when we are misunderstood. Even be glad, for so they persecuted those before and will do so to those who come after us. “The Beatitudes” is the beginning, let us run with it and let the Holy Spirit change us. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

It Is Well With My Soul ”The song "It Is Well With My Soul" was written by a successful Christian lawyer, Heratio Spafford. His only son died at age 4 in 1871. In 1872, the great Chicago fire wiped out his vast estate, made from a successful legal career. In 1873 he sent his wife & 4 daughters over to Europe on a summer trip on the ill fated SS Ville du Havre. Since he had a lot of work to do, he planned to follow them later. The Ship sank and he lost his 4 daughters with the wife being the only survivor. She sent him a famous telegram which simply read, "SAVED ALONE...." On his return home, his Law firm was burned down and the insurance company refused to pay him. They said "It's an Act of God". He had no money to pay for his house and no work, he also lost his house. Then while sitting and thinking about what's happening to him, being a spiritual person, he wrote a song - "Whatever, my Lord, You have taught me to say - It is well, it is well with my soul". When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Refrain: It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

For many years now, we have had our yearly Baptism service on the river. We have a service, then the baptism, and afterwards we eat and have fellowship. So far, even with the Florida summer heat, it's a great time. We have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and then we share with the world openly what we have done. We officially, openly are adopted into the family of God. Even though we know that happens at the the new birth. Over the years I have learned more about the persecuted church and I have learned how very precious baptism is. In some areas hostile to Christ, baptism is looked on as the final betrayal to culture's belief system. They suffer from rejection from both family and society. This can led to suffering and even death. Still they gladly and joyfully do it to show their obedience to Christ. How proud our heavenly Father must be of His children. Can you see Him telling Jesus, that is my daughter; that is my son. John baptizes Jesus Luke 3: 21 &22, “ When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” In Acts the 16th chapter, there is story about Paul and Silas. They are preaching the Word. Many people are being healed and saved with miracles. Then, a slave girl who made a lot of money for her owner, kept following Paul and Silas yelling after them.. She kept saying these are sons of the most high God. Paul got tired of it and told this evil spirit to come out of her. When the owner saw what had happened, they had Paul and Silas beaten with many stripes and they threw them into prison and told the jailer to keep them securely. The jailer put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in stocks. In the midnight hour Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God, with the other prisoners listening to them. When suddenly, there was a great earthquake. The whole jail was shaken, the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. The jailer was about to kill himself, thinking every one had walked out of the prison, when Paul shouted don't harm your self we are all here. The jailer fell at Paul's feet and said, “What must I do to be saved? “ So Paul and Silas said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.” This is your time if you are saved and need to be baptize. Please do. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! "America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates, and the music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never met. During this Fourth of July week, let us turn our hearts to this wonderful country and how much God has blessed us. Much has come against us. Much prayers are needed. Let us, like those before, be found faithful. God bless the USA. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Since the first of the year, Pastor Paul has asked us to read a particular book in the Bible. This month we have been in Genesis. I love all of the Genesis' stories. The story of Abraham probably is my favorite. He is called the Father of faith. First God called him to leave all that he was familiar with and go to a strange land. He promised him in return that he would be a father of nations. From him and Sarah, his wife, all the families of the earth would be blessed. He would inherit all the land that he could see. He would be rich and honored with a long life. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Righteousness means right standing with God. At ninety-nine years old the son of promise is born, Isaac. Sarah is ninety. God keeps his promises, even though sometimes it seems that He has forgotten. Don't give up your miracle. It is coming. The best is yet to come. Abraham had his son, the son of promise and then God ask an almost unthinkable thing. He told Abraham to go up to Mount Moriah and offer Isaac as a living sacrifice to him. Hebrews the 11th. Chapter, verse 17 , ”By faith Abraham when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promise offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, in Isaac your seed shall be called, concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he received him in a figurative sense.” We see Isaac as a foreshadow of Jesus. But Abraham's son would not have to die in the end. The Father, this time though, would not save his own Son. “Jesus”would die for the sins of the whole world. What a wonderful book the Bible is. God says heaven and earth will pass away before his Word. 1 Timothy 3:16,“ All Scripture is giving by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Let us fall in love with God's Word. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

A great big wonderful Happy Father's Day to all our Fathers. You are so needed, you are not replaceable. You are loved. Have a great day. We love you all. I have heard Dr. Dobson say on his radio show, “Focus On The Family”, that a little girl that never had a dad who was there for her, was still looking for him, no matter what her age. She could me 10, 20 40, 50. She was still looking for him. So you dads are important. No one can take your place. We have the most awesome example of a father in our Heavenly Father. From Genesis to Revelations God reveals himself to us. He never changes and is always faithful. In Isaiah 9:6, One of the Messiah's title is “Everlasting Father”. If you ever wondered if your father would be there tomorrow. Think about it no more, you can have an Everlasting Father. What a wonderful word for these times we live in today. He is an everlasting father. In Matthew 6: 9-13,we have the Lord's Prayer, “Our Father in heaven, holy is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For your is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” God wants to bring His kingdom down to earth. We see His care for us through the story of the the lost sheep. One sheep leaves the fold and the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find this lost sheep. And rejoices over the lost sheep when it's found. We see it with the Prodigal Son as well. The waiting and watching for that lost son. So it is with us, God searches for us. The Good News is that we can come home. We, like the prodigal son, can come to our senses. We can be adopted into the family of God. Romans 8: 14-17. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you receive the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” That is worth living for and dying for. We are adopted into the family. We have an everlasting father. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

GOD TESTS OUR HEARTS 2020 is a year of revelation. I believe God is allowing us to see our hearts at this time. Truly, He has pulled back the curtains on our hearts to show us our hidden thoughts. Jeremiah 17;9 “THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY WICKED; WHO CAN KNOW IT?” Has your own heart shocked you? Have you ever thought, I didn't know I was capable of that? We have all done that. We can either cover our sins up or we can ask forgiveness and go on. Psalms also tells us that God tests our hearts. Psalms 139:23 & 24,” Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” God wants the light of his love to shine in our hearts. He won't stop until we are delivered from ourselves. I hate to tell you, but it may take a long time. It seems there is a lot of me that needs to be healed and delivered. A lot of me needs to get out of the way, so that the Son can come shining though. The world needs Jesus. How does the world see Jesus except though his Church? Also, as Hebrews tell us in Chapter three, we have a heavenly calling. This world is not our home. God is revealing that to us. Are you not homesick a little for that heavenly home? Where there will be no more tears, no more fears, no more hate, and no more wondering what this world bring us tomorrow. Truly it puts us on the right road that takes us to that heavenly city. How do we show the world, that desperately needs Jesus, the way? This might help. Colossians 3:12-17,” Therefore, as elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another; and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, signing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Let us let Jesus do that much needed work in our hearts. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Acts 1: 4, 5-7, 8, ”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. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and Samaria and in Judea, and to the end of the earth.” Jesus said to wait in Jerusalem until the promise of the Holy Spirit, then you will be witnesses. He wanted them to wait. There is a timing in God. One word from God at the right time and the captured can be set free. Jesus said wait until my time. What happens when we wait? We are tested. Then we receive. While we wait, we learn to abide. We learn to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and to listen to His voice. The Comforter comes and then much, much more happens. Thank you Holy Spirit, you are here to bring us times of refreshing from the Lord. Oh, come Holy Spirit we need you, we are desperate for your presence. Saturate every cell in my body, never let me go. We need you Holy Spirit this minute, this day. Psalms 27: 13,14, “ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage. And He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalms 37: 7,”Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” Lamentations 3: 25-26, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seek Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Isaiah 40: 30-31,”Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Jesus had been with the apostles, whom He chose, for forty days. He taught them that He was the Messiah with many infallible proofs, and showed them things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He told them to tarry in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father. He said, “You shall be baptized with the Holy spirit not many days from now.” He also promised that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit would come, and they would be witnesses of Him. Acts 2: 1- 4,”When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The Promise that the Father had made had come. One Spirit, but they were all filled. All were sent to carry the the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This same Holy Spirit lead the Saints to do mighty acts as chapter 11 of Hebrews tells us. That same Spirit allowed them to go into the arenas facing the lions and the jeering crowds as they knelled in His presence knowing that there was a more perfect reward. The Holy Spirit was, and is, the Comforter that all saints would need thoughout the ages. 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. 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.” We all are those a far off, God did not forget us. He opened the door for us to come int the Kingdom also. What a mighty God we serve. Truly He is worthy of all our praise. Acts 3: 19-21, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presents of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”Come Holy Spirit we pray. Come in your power and Grace. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Mark 1:4-14, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (7-8) And he preached, saying, there comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (14-15) Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The Good News. What or where is the kingdom? It is where God is King. Who is king in your kingdom? This is the question the Holy Spirit is asking today. Does King Jesus rule in this kingdom? I pray so. Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father,” you have heard from Me, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” How we prepare are hearts for the baptizing of the Holy Spirit is by a spirit of repentance. How do we walk in victory in this Christian life? By walking in repentance. Or, we could say, the “Surrendered Life.” I believe if we want to walk in Victory, we must walk in repentance. Every day, search me oh God and see if there be any wicked way in me, as David the Psalmist said. We must be transparent to ourselves and the world. As people, we are good a not letting the work of the Holy Spirit go deep in our hearts. But, we must and Jesus will not give up. He will keep working in our lives. This a wonderful thing. As the Holy Spirit works in our hearts. We used to sing this little song. “He (Jesus) is still working on me.” He's still working on me. Well he is, thank you Jesus that you are ever diligent. We must be quick to repent and quick to forgive. Don't hold on to anything that would hinder the Kingdom working in your life, Let it go and don't pick it up again. God wants to bring a mighty revival across this land it must start with repentance and forgiveness. What a glorious day when Jesus washed my sins away. - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

1-2: I, Jude, am a slave to Jesus Christ and brother to James, writing to those loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ. Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way! 20-21: But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! 22-23: Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven. 24-25: And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating—to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. Yes. Between versus 5 and 16 Jude writes, exhorting us to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. Certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long were marked for condemnation, ungodly men, who used God's grace into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. They teach that grace is God's permission to sin. Understand that such teaching is godlessness. They teach rejection of authority; love of money; promises that stray from biblical truth; grumbling and complaining; destructive behavior and self-promotion; flattery when it is to their advantage; pride and lust of the flesh. They pretend to love God and appear to do good works,but not having the Spirit. They lead many astray. Run from these people, as Jude warns us. John warns us that the spirit of anti-Christ is already among us. Please read versus 24 and 25 of Jude. They tell us we are to fight the good fight of faith. We win. God can keep us as we trust in Him. . - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Proverbs 31: 28, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” We are talking about the Virtuous Wife in Proverbs 31, verses 10-31. It refers not only to a literal wife and mother. It also refers to the “Church” which is called,“The bride of Christ.” Please read these versus. We are the bride. God wants us to be this virtuous woman. So let us strive to please our heavenly husband. One day we will walk in this glorious way. Like most woman, I love being a mother and a grandmother, and if you are as old as I, a great grandmother. It just gets better folks. It does help if those children, grandchild, etc. are perfect in almost all their ways. I could go on but you understand. I am so blessed, so rich indeed. There are so many awesome examples of great mothers. If I could name them all truly it would be like the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. By faith they, and so it would be. It doesn't end there, but covers even today... and those mothers yet to come. I want to talk about a little woman named Hannah, the mother of one of Israel's greatest prophets, Samuel. Hannah was married, but she was barren. She cried out to God, and He answered her, giving her more than she ever dreamed. Isn't that just like our God. Read this account in the first few chapters of 1 Samuel. You will be blessed. Hannah told God, if He would give her a son that she would give him back to God. God gave Hannah a son and she gave him back to God. During this time Israel was also barren. The Word of the Lord was rare. Eli was the priest and he is old, his sons were corrupt. God is about to move and take the priesthood away from Eli and his wicked sons. Hannah kept her vow to God and brought Samuel to Eli to be raised as a priest. By faith, Hannah left her young son in the hands of the old priest and his corrupt sons. But, God kept Samuel and He grew in the Lord and became a great prophet of Israel. God gave Hannah five more children. Let us walk in faith and see God do mighty wonders in our own homes. He wants to do abundantly more that we can ask or believe. He wants, with us, for our children to grow to be mighty men and woman of God. God is faithful. Let us be found faithful. . - Pastor Paul and sister Claudia

Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” That is a promise, folks. The earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Think of it — God’s glory. Let it be so, Lord. We need His glory as never before. “No, the National Day of Prayer has not been canceled!” Thank you, Jesus. What a mighty God we serve. We will pray. Many times, in the Gospels, Jesus says to us — using the words, “When you pray.” Not, “if you pray,” or “when you have time to pray.” It does not say, “If you feel like praying, then pray,” or “I wish you would pray,” or “maybe you could pray a minute.” No, Jesus says, “WHEN you pray.” I need to pray. You need to pray. We all need to pray. Once a year, we come together as a nation to pray for our country. No one knew that 2020 would be a year beyond our imagination. We didn’t know that a virus that began in China could impact us like it has. Truly, not knowing what tomorrow will bring, makes us realize how much we need to pray. We need to make sure our relationship with God is where it should be. No one is promised tomorrow. We must praise and seek Him today. Our country has many enemies — within and without. There are many countries that would rejoice in our destruction. We have many internal problems. We need strong leaders that will not faint. We need leaders who will cry out to God in His divine mercy to spare us. We need to cry out for His continuous mercy. We have a job to do. We are to pray for this country we love — and not let go. We need to pray for our President, Vice President, Congress, all our government officials, and for our Military. Pray for protection, and pray that our military would be on alert 24 hours a day, and pray that nothing can get by our intelligence department. We need to pray for all these things — and more. 1 Samuel 12:23: “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and right way.” — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Last week we looked at the Great Commission from the book of Matthew. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me; now I give you that authority. You go into all the world and preach the gospel. Make disciples of all nations.” Luke 16:15–20: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.” And the Lord working with them, confirming the Word. When God sends us, we are not alone — He is with us. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me; now I give that same authority to you, because you are going to do those miracles that I did. You are going to cast out devils, and you are going to lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. You are going to speak with new tongues. If you drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt you. You will preach the gospel to the world.” We have a job to do, folks. It is to preach the gospel of Christ with signs following. Let’s do it. Remember, we are not alone — the Holy Spirit dwells in you and me. We are the vessel that God uses. Jesus said, if you will only believe as a child, and if we have that mustard seed of faith, we would say to that mountain, ‘Be cast into the sea.’ Jesus is telling us to go into Milton, Pace, Florida, the United States, and all of the rest of the world. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Matthew 28:9–10: “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and they will see Me.’” Matthew 28:18–20: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.’” Each of the disciples accepted the Great Commission. Jesus rose from the grave, then He met the women and told them to go tell the brethren that He goes before them and will see them in Galilee. Before He returned to heaven, He explained to them the work He had for them. He told them that all authority had been given to Him in heaven and earth. That is all authority — not just some, but all. Then, He told them to go into all the world, make disciples, baptize them, teach them all that I have taught you. And then He promised them He would be with them until the end of the age. What a wonderful Savior. Jesus will not leave us alone — He will be with us. Whatever life brings us, God is with us. He will strengthen us, protect us. The disciples were faithful to the Great Commission — even to the death. We too have been given that commission. Let us also be found faithful. We have a work to do, folks. The book of Hebrews tells us to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us. We are running the race, as Paul says, to win. Remember, Jesus says, all authority has been given to Him — and He turns around and gives us that same authority. So let us walk in it. Let us turn the world upside down for Jesus. Amen! — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Matthew 28:5–6: “Do not be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen.” Oh, happy day! What a glorious morning! What good news! Jesus has risen, just as He said He would. The world has never been the same. A Savior has come. He fulfilled all the prophecies and all the promises. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event of the Christian faith. The very foundation of all Christian doctrine hinges on the truth of this account — His birth, His ministry, the miracles, and His betrayal. Christ was sentenced to death by crucifixion; He was spit on, tormented and mocked, had a crown of thorns, and was nailed to a wooden cross. On the cross, Jesus spoke several times. The first: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” — Luke 23:34 His last words were: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” — Luke 23:46 Jesus breathed His last breath and died. Friday, the earth shook, and the disciples went home — all hope gone, all dreams suspended, all gone. That was Saturday — but Sunday was coming. Again, what a glorious day. Jesus has risen! Jesus showed Himself to several of His followers. He spent time with them, as He had told them all these things had to be. He went away — but that was a good thing, because He sent the Holy Spirit. All is well. There is an empty tomb. There is a Risen Savior. He will return — just as He said He would. Oh, happy day when Jesus washed my sins away. Let us celebrate Jesus. Happy Easter, everyone. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

We will soon be entering into the most Holy Week of the year for Christians. Jesus was ushered into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday as a great hero. Before the week was over, He had gone through betrayal, beatings, unimaginable torture, abandonment, and at the end, He was crucified. All the things He told His disciples would happen — did happen. Jesus came to earth to redeem humanity. The Creator was killed by the created. Yet, it was told before the creation of it all — and yet Jesus still came. He still died on that cross, and He still rose — just as He said. What a Savior! As we find ourselves staying home this Easter, remember God has given us this unique week to really seek Him. It is an opportunity we had not seen before March of this year. How could we have known this strange disease would change the world as it has? Once again, we turn to our only blessed hope — Jesus. Let us embrace Holy Week as never before. Lord, let this be our most remembered Holy Week. Help us not forget the cross. In all that is going on around us, help us to focus on what is important. Jesus took the journey that first Holy Week as the Lamb of God. Jesus fulfilled the meaning of Passover by giving His body to be broken and His blood to be shed as a sacrifice, freeing us from sin and death. During the Last Supper, Jesus established the Lord’s Supper, or Communion. And He told His followers to remember His death by sharing the bread and wine. He said to “do this in remembrance of Me.” Luke 22:41–42: “And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’” “Nevertheless, Your will, Father, be done.” Are we ready to say, “God, Your will be done”? I pray, as we enter Holy Week, we will seek His will in every situation. I pray, Father, that as Jesus was, we too will be found faithful. May God bless us and keep us at this time and forevermore. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Luke 17:5–6: “And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ 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.’” It is not the size of the seed — it is the size of your God. How big is God in our life? “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In Revelation 21:1 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away.” In between Genesis and Revelation, in all of the 66 books in the Bible, is the story of a Mighty God, a Heavenly Father. We can trust in Him. Proverbs 3:5–6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” We cannot trust in ourselves, but we can trust in God. Jesus says, “I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.” We are not orphans, but we have been adopted into the family of God. We were bought with a price — the precious blood of Jesus is that price. Here are some scriptures to increase our faith: Romans 8:15: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Psalm 34:4: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” Let us perfect our love. Let us love the Lord our God with all our strength, with all our heart, and all our understanding. And love our neighbor as ourselves. Let us enter into His rest. We can do this, saints — God is on our side. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Matthew 6:9–13: “In this matter, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Sometimes, when things are really crazy, we need to remember that we have a Father who cares — and He has made a way for us out of all our troubles. 2 Chronicles 5:13: “The Lord is good, and His love never ends.” Do you understand? His love never ends. During the storms of life, we need shelter; we need a hiding place. Psalm 32:6–7: “Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 91:9–11: “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you.” God will not let us down, if we seek our Father first. He will take care of us. We are surrounded by His great love. Lord, we are grateful to be in Your care. We are overwhelmed by His love. We have a good, good Father. He promised He would never leave us nor forsake us. We can trust in Him. His Word is true. Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord your God in the midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” This is one of my favorite scriptures. God’s love is so wonderful. Can we not praise His name? He is worthy. Let us put our trust in Him. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

I was thinking of all the problems we have in this world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24 not to worry and not to fret, because all these things must take place. See that you are not troubled; for all of these must come to pass. Read chapter 24 of Matthew. In Psalms 91:9–10: “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil shall befall you, nor shall plague come near your dwelling.” We have God’s word. Let us trust in Him. In 1 Corinthians, we are told: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” The best is yet to come for us who love God. We see only in part now, but soon we will see face to face. To God be the glory, great things He hath done. Let us praise Him, church. We have all heard of after-death experiences, and I do believe most of them are real. I do believe they are just a part — a comfort for those who go through these experiences, but also a glimpse into heaven for us. In the Bible, we have a real experience of heaven. I believe that this was personal ministry to Jesus, also Peter, James, and John back then, but also for us to see a bit of heaven. We are not to lose heart, but know God has so much more for us. It only gets better for God’s children. Matthew 17:1 “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John His brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light; and behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. While He was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him.’” We see for a moment heaven came down. Jesus was transformed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, His clothes became as white as the light. The Bible tells us there is no darkness in Him. This is just a taste for us. We will see Him face to face. This is our hope — knowing our loved ones are with Jesus in His fullness. We shall behold Him. Oh, what a glorious day. Let us rejoice with this glimpse that the Bible shows us of heaven. There will be a great reunion one day. Let us determine to be part of the great cloud of witnesses. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

The wonderful thing about the gospel is that all are welcome. In Luke 8:1–3, we see a group of women who ministered with Jesus: “Now it came to pass afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.” In the book of John, we see these same women at the cross. John 19–20 tell the story: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son.’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’” In chapter 20, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark, but she noticed that the stone had been taken away and there were no guards. She ran back and told Peter and John, who then ran to the tomb. The other disciples left and returned to their own homes. Verse 11: “But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping; and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”’ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord.” Even though the other disciples had left, Jesus commissioned Mary to go and tell His brethren that He was returning to His Father. What a wonderful Savior. What joy Mary had — she was the first to see the risen Lord, to know her Savior, the One who had delivered her and set her free. She had been there as He ministered and had stood at the cross. Oh, glorious day when Jesus washed my sins away. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

As we prepare our hearts for the Easter season, let us take this time to reflect on God’s great love. This is a time of fasting and repentance. Let us rejoice; let us be thankful. For God so loved. God cannot but love—He is love; His very being is love. His love is pure, with no hidden motives. This is the simplest definition of His love. In the Old Testament book of Hosea, Hosea is told to marry a prostitute because Israel had prostituted herself to false gods. Hosea married a woman named Gomer. They had three children, whose names God told Hosea to give as symbols of His dealings with Israel. Gomer left Hosea and returned to her old life, just as Israel had backslid against God. God told Hosea to buy her back, which he did. This illustrates God’s undying love for Israel. Hosea reveals the heart of God—His heart for me and for you. In chapter 6, God calls us to repent: “Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has struck, but He will bind us up.” In chapter 11, God shows His continuing love for Israel—and for you and me. It is so beautiful; it is overwhelming. Hosea 11:1–4, 8–9: “When Israel was a child I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. They called them; therefore they went from them. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images. I taught Ephraim to walk; I took them by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love; I was to them as one who eases the yoke from their jaws, and I stooped and fed them. How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion is kindled. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst; and I will not come with terror.” Do you feel God’s love and His heart for us in Jesus’s sacrifice? There is no greater love than this. Let us seek Him. He is worthy. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

If you remember anything from Sunday school growing up, you have heard of Daniel and the three Hebrew children. I challenge you to dare to be a Daniel, even if you must stand alone. Daniel is certainly one of the greatest men of faith in the Bible—Hebrews 11 says he “stopped the mouth of the lions.” The Bible story goes like this. Once again God's people had fallen into sin and idol worship. Once again God sent them into captivity. This time it was in what we know as modern-day Iran, the Persian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem. Jerusalem fell, and many Israelites were taken to Babylon as captives. God told them to build houses, marry, and have children, because they would be there 70 years. Then God would deliver them. Daniel was one of the young men taken captive and carried to Babylon, where he would live the next 60 years. He survived the rule of four kings. He lived to see Jeremiah's prophecy fulfilled—the promise that God would bring his people back to Israel. Daniel showed us that you are never too young to make a commitment to the Lord. Daniel is the ultimate example of complete separation unto God. We can live a life of uncompromising integrity. This is the one verse Daniel’s whole life stands on. Daniel 1:8–9: “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favor and mercy with the chief of the eunuchs.” Like Daniel, we must purpose in our hearts that we will serve the Lord. We will not compromise our walk with Him. We will walk with integrity and confidence in God’s power and presence. We will show the world that we are God’s children. Read Daniel, and you will see God move with mighty acts of power. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The God of Daniel is our God. Let us purpose in our hearts. Amen. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

I SURRENDER ALL Author: Judson W. Van De Venter All to Jesus I surrender, All to him I freely give; I will ever love and trust him, In his presence daily live. Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all, All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all. All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at his feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain) All to Jesus I surrender; Make me, Savior, wholly thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that thou art mine. (Refrain) All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to thee, Fill me with thy love and power, Let thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain) All to Jesus I surrender; Now I feel the sacred flame. Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to his name! Another word for surrender is obedience. Hebrew 5: 8-9, “ though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” Let us joyfully obey and accept this wonderful gift of salvation. I surrender all. All to you Jesus. - Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Today, in many places, Christians are dying for Christ. The last edition of The Voice of the Martyrs magazine reported several cases in which pastors were beheaded. In one African country a pastor was held captive for a month and then beheaded. Jesus spoke openly about counting the cost of being a Christian. Would a king go to war unless he had counted the cost and concluded that he could win? Jesus said that foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. Is Jesus trying to talk us out of following him? No—He simply does not want our enemy, the devil, to be able to say that Jesus did not tell the truth and cannot be trusted. All the disciples, except John, died a martyr’s death. We are to embrace the cross, knowing that, as Hebrews 11 states, they did not die in vain but accepted the cross, trusting that what lay before them was greater than the suffering of the moment. Luke 9:23–26: “Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his own glory and in his Father’s and the holy angels.’” Luke 14:25–27: “Now great multitudes accompanied him. And he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.’” Jesus was at the height of his ministry. His following numbered in the thousands with miracles, healings, and the feeding of multitudes. He could have said, “This is it—let’s go to Jerusalem; I will make myself king and live easily.” But instead he says we must put nothing before him—father, mother, wife, children, or anything else. You must take up your cross and follow him. In the Gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly says he only does his Father’s will. We must do the same: “Your will, not mine, Father.” What a wonderful eternal plan God has for us. Will we follow? I pray so. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Mother Teresa once picked up a man from the street; he was being eaten alive by worms. She went to him, cleaned him, and he asked, “Why do you do this?” She said, “Because I love you.” What sets us apart from other religions and those in the world? It is God’s love. For God so loved the world that He gave. We know that love kept Jesus on the cross. Oh, that I would love as Mother Teresa loved that dying man covered with worms. We know that love indwells us, for the Holy Spirit indwells us. So let us begin. Let us do as the Bible tells us and simply be kind to one another. Several years ago, a movement began called “random acts of kindness.” You may also have heard of “Paying it Forward.” If someone does a kindness for you, pass it on to another person. Just one small thing can change a life. Sometimes they are not so small, but either way, it’s a wonderful way to show kindness. Let us pray to be sensitive to each other’s needs. Bless someone each day. Let us change the world with one kindness at a time. Luke 6:35–38: “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” We will reap what we sow. If we sow kindness, we will reap kindness. If we sow love, we will reap love. This is the better way. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” — 1 Cor. 13:4–8 Love... A better way. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Recently we have been talking about spiritual warfare in church. In the book of Jude, it states that in the last days, ungodly men will be more evident. They will wax stronger, but the kingdom of God will also grow stronger. We know the Word says our fight is not against flesh and blood. In Revelation 12:1–12, it talks about a war that takes place in heaven. This war ends with Satan and his angels being cast out of heaven. It is truly amazing. The saints overcome through the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. They loved not their lives unto death. In Genesis 3:1–16 (verse 15), Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and disobeyed God. Their punishment was exile from the garden; they would no longer have that close relationship with their Heavenly Father. But God says your seed (Jesus) will crush Satan's head. Jesus has restored everything. How do we win the battle? Jude tells us we must contend for the faith—that faith which was once delivered to the saints. Read Matthew chapters 5 through 7, known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us how to live—not just to live, but to live as Jesus would live. Our kingdom is not like the world's; we are to walk as Jesus walked. What would Jesus do? Jude 3–4: "Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. For certain people have slipped in among you unnoticed—ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Jude 20–25: "But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And show mercy to those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Please read the book of Jude. It's only one chapter, but it contains much good teaching. God is calling us higher into Himself. We must follow. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

He promised us that He would be a Counselor, A Mighty God, and the Prince of Peace. He promised us that He would be a Father, And that He would love us with a love that would not cease. Well, I tried Him — and I found His promises are true. He’s everything He said that He would be. The finest words I know could not begin to tell Just what Jesus really means to me. I stand amazed when I think that the King of Glory Should come to dwell within the heart of man. I marvel just to know He truly loves me — When I think of who He is, and who I am. For He’s more wonderful than my mind can conceive, More wonderful than my heart can believe. He goes beyond my highest hopes and fondest dreams — He’s everything my soul has ever longed for, Everything He’s promised, and so much more. More than amazing, more than marvelous, More than miraculous could ever be — He’s more than wonderful. That’s what Jesus is to me. I heard this song recently, sung by Sandy Patty. Isn’t it wonderful? Sometimes we just need to glory in His presence. What a wonderful Savior. I want to love Him more — So much more that the cares of this world grow strangely dim In the light of His glory. I pray these words will be our words — And that they will change the world. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Isaiah 45:2–3 states: “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.” God not only goes before us—He does so much more. He makes the crooked places straight. Jesus said the thief (Satan) comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But God breaks Satan’s power and gives us His secrets—the secrets of victory in spiritual warfare. We are overcomers. We are winners. Satan has already lost. Remember, God goes before us. Wherever you are, God has already gone ahead of you. Praise God! In the book of Joshua, Moses had died, and Joshua was given the responsibility of bringing the children of Israel into the Promised Land. They had wandered in the desert for 40 years as a punishment for their disobedience. Then God told Joshua that the time had come. He commanded Joshua four times in chapter one: “Be strong and of good courage.” In chapter three, verse five, Joshua told the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Please read the first three chapters of Joshua—they are awesome. God instructed Joshua to be strong and of good courage, and then Joshua was to tell the people to sanctify themselves, because God would do wonders among them. This is a new year, and like the children of Israel, we have not yet entered the year 2020. What will our promised year be like? God is telling us to be strong and of good courage. He is telling us to sanctify ourselves, for God is going to do wonders among us. Amen! Will there be giants in the land? Yes. Will there be strongholds? Yes. But we have God’s promise that He has gone before us. Thank You, Jesus! We at Victory Life are excited to enter this new year with you, into this new land. Thank You, Jesus, that You go before us. — Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Revelation 22:1–21 (6–17, 20): “Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true, and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must quickly take place. Look, I am coming quickly! Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic words of this book.’ ‘Worship God!’ He also said to me, ‘Don’t seal the prophetic words of this book, because the time is near. Let the unrighteous continue in unrighteousness, let the filthy continue being made filthy; let the righteous continue in righteousness; and let the holy continue being made holy. Look, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to repay each person according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to attest these things to you for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.’ Both the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ Let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift. He who testifies about these things says, ‘Surely, I am coming quickly.’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!’ Jesus calls for anyone who hears to come, and anyone who is thirsty to come. The Spirit says, “Come,” and the bride says, “Come.” It is time for all to come in. God gives us the choice, but those who remain outside will remain outside. Three times, Jesus emphasizes, “I am coming quickly—be ready!” Beloved, this year of our Lord 2016 is a year of action. Jesus will come quickly. Will we be ready? I pray so. Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

If you want to be an obedient Christian, you have one of two choices: be the pastor of a Bible-preaching, Bible practicing church, or help someone who is. According to the Word of God, you need your pastor and he needs you! Here are some ways that you can be a tremendous help and blessing to your pastor.

1. Pray for Him and His family. Praying for your pastor daily will help him, and it will keep you tender toward his leadership. James 5:16, “ The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

2. Show up for the Preaching of God's Word. Pastors are commanded to feed the flock. However, they are not commanded to make “home delivery” of the feed. Your pastor cannot feed you if you do not show up for the meal.

3. Pick a ministry (a job) and be Faithful. Jesus taught that the primary attribute for His followers was faithfulness. Rare is the church member today who can always be counted on for serving faithfully.

4. Obey the Lord in your Stewardship. The church needs your offerings for the Lord's work. More importantly, you need to be obedient to the Lord and give it. If every church member were obedient about giving, churches would look for good ways to use the Lord's money. 2 Cor. 9: 6-7.

5. Teach your children to Respect their Pastor. Hebrews 13: 7,17, Honor, respect, and obey your pastor whomever he happens to be. He may not be “ideal pastor”. He certainly will not be perfect, but God has placed him in the office of pastor and that office is worthy of respect and honor.

6. Envision a Great Future for Your Church.

7. Take an Active part in making that vision a reality. James 1:22,-25

8. Be faithful in prayer for one another. James 5:16, Eph. 6:18

9. Be aware of those struggling and look for ways to help. Hebrews 3:, 12-13

10. Extend personal care to each other - function as the body of Christ. Gal. 6:2

11. Share Christ and your Church with others. Luke 14: 23

12. Keep a Positive Spirit Ps. 146:5, I John 5:4 Determine to focus on the good things in life and the good things about your church. Anybody can criticize. Encourage your pastor by sharing his vision for your church.

Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Deuteronomy 7:9–15: “Then know that the Lord your God is God—the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments. Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and mercy which He swore to your fathers. He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain, new wine, and your oil, the increase of your cattle, and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt, which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.” He will love you and bless you. You will be blessed above all people. God’s desire is to bless you! Deuteronomy 28:1–14 contains fourteen verses of blessings. God clearly wants to bless us. We, too, need to bless one another and pray for one another. Fathers need to bless their children. We should pray a blessing over our children when they leave home, when they go to bed, and when we wake up. The more we bless, the less we will curse those we love. I leave you with this great prayer God told Moses to give to the children of Israel: Numbers 6:22–27: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel: Say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’ So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” Remember, God’s heart is to bless, and let this be our heart also. Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Hebrews 12:14: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 1 Peter 1:13–16: “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” God wants us to be holy. Over and over again, we are told, “Be holy, as I am holy.” We are not told to be all-wise or all-powerful, but to be holy, as He—God—is holy. If we are to reflect our Father’s likeness, then we will seek holiness. Even though we might hear the Word preached at church, or we might read the Word, we often interpret it the way we want; our understanding can become clouded. We need to pray, asking God to quicken His Word so that we truly hear it. We can be spiritually deaf if we ignore it. Lord, help me not to overlook these solemn words: “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness; without it, no one will see the Lord.” Dear Jesus, help me to take Your words seriously, knowing that You put Your Word above Your Name. If You say I must be holy as You are holy, then help me to rid myself of all in my life that is contrary to You and Your nature. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Last week we talked about our enemy, and the week before that about the two kingdoms. We know that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are translated from Satan’s kingdom into God’s Kingdom. You are in one kingdom or the other. Jesus has come to give us life—and life more abundantly. So, by this verse alone, we can tell which kingdom we are residing in. If you are not in God’s Kingdom, then why not? Matthew 6:24–25: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Then Jesus goes on to talk about the birds and the lilies, and how He takes care of them all. If He takes care of these, He will also take care of us, and therefore we should not worry. We are not to be distracted by these things. If our heavenly Father knows our needs, then to worry about them is a sin. We cannot serve two masters. You might say, “I would never do that,” but we do so by our very actions. We need to settle the fact that we are not masters of our own lives. We have already read that we are either of the devil or of our Father, God. You cannot serve God and yourself. We cannot live in two camps. It makes us miserable—and, as usual, everyone around us becomes miserable as well. You will not win either way. So I would plead with you to bow your knee to God’s Kingdom and make Jesus the Lord of your life. As the song says, “Life will get sweeter as the days go by.” What a great life, what a great God. Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” God has been dealing with me about His Kingdom. What is my place in the Kingdom? The kingdom of God is where God is King; the kingdom of heaven is where God rules and reigns. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light—that is God’s Kingdom. You are either in one kingdom or the other. The first step into the Kingdom is repentance. John came preaching, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He was announcing the rule of God’s King—Jesus—now available to bring life, and life more abundantly. When Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus, Jesus told him how to enter the Kingdom. He said, “You must be born from above.” Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we become a new creation in Christ, and the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. The Lord’s disciples were taught to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” He has all power and all glory. Galatians 5:16–26 tells us that to live in the Kingdom, we must walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. There are 137 references in the Bible to the Kingdom; over 100 of these occur during Jesus’ ministry. As we can see, Jesus spoke much about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. Is God King over your kingdom—over my kingdom? Let us search our hearts and know for certain that God is King. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia

Psalm 57:7–11: “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I myself will awake early. I will praise You, O Lord, among the people; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great to the heavens, and Your truth to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.” My heart is fixed, O God. Last week we talked about how to go to hell in three easy steps: by being self-righteous, being worldly, and being unbelieving. What is David saying here? He is making a statement about having fellowship with the Father: “My heart is fixed.” We need this fellowship with the Father. If not, we become self-righteous, we become worldly, and we become unbelievers. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” We must first and always seek our Father’s kingdom. All else will be added after we do this. First, we must have fellowship with the Father, and then we must have fellowship with each other. Remember, God loves people. He died for people. He died for you and me. My heart is fixed, O God; my heart is fixed. Praise God—I cannot be moved. My heart is fixed, O God; my heart is fixed on You. May we be blessed as we seek the kingdom first. Pastor Paul and Sister Claudia