Psalm100; 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