Resurrection - A time of New Birth & Promotion!!

I'm sitting here on this April morning, leading up to Resurrection Sunday, and thinking about the upcoming changes in my life and our ministry, but thinking even more about the changes that were about to take place in Jesus' life and ministry, this week, thousands of years ago!

He was approaching His time of destiny, the very reason He was born into this earth! His death, burial, and resurrection would change the world and mankind forever! He went from being a baby, born in a barn, to being a carpenter by trade, to then begin His ministry at the age of 30 years old. After His baptism in the river Jordan, He would then be known as the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, to those who would believe! After fulfilling His earthly ministry and being resurrected from the dead, He is now known as the King of kings, Lord of lords, and our High Priest for eternity, seated at the Father's right hand!! WOW, there has never been, and never will be, another person who has walked the face of the earth, who has known promotion like Jesus has!

Resurrection sunday is a day of new beginnings, a time of new birth, a time of promotion! Romans 8:29 declares that Jesus is..."the firstborn among many brethren." We, who have believed that Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One) and have believed, that He was raised from the dead, and received Him as our Savior, are now reborn in our spirits and are now one with Him. We are joint heirs with Jesus, seated with Him in the heavenly places!! Glory to God, that's some major promotion for us as well!!

 I also can't think about Resurrection sunday, without thinking about the fact, that it was also the birth of Christian Faith Fellowship, then known as "Church of Champions" in Keller, Tx., back in 1990. Little did we know, that Resurrection sunday, that we would become it's pastors and what all God had planned for us & the church over these last 24 yrs.! We were just obedient to get the work started, by finding a building and having services, thinking God would bring us a pastor! Well, He did, just not who we thought it would be, but who God had chosen!

Here it is 24 years later, and we have found ourselves in that same position of finding a building, so we can keep the work that God started, back in 1990 in Keller TX. going, and reaching more people with the life changing message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!  At the beginning of 2014, during our 3 day fast, God spoke to me that this would be a year of...."Advancement & Promotion"...I look at this move as nothing but that!!

I want to encourage my church family and anyone who reads this, to always remember, that the beginning of something "new", also means an "end" to something. Yes, it is sad to say "goodbye" to things in our past, and in our case, to the building we have worshipped in for the last 18 yrs. and the memories we have made there...BUT,  "new beginnings" also brings, a "new excitement" of what lies ahead, and new memories to be made! Just as Jesus was wiling & obedient to "go" wherever and "do" whatever the Father's will was for Him, and He saw promotion, so will the Father bring promotion to us, as we are willing to "go" & "do"! We will see "advancement & promotion" in 2014, and this is just the beginning!  I love you, remember God's plans for us, are in His hands!

Until next time, may the Lord bless & keep you, and give you peace!

Your Sister in Christ,

Kathy

New Year, New You?? The "New" is already in "You"!!

Happy New Year everyone!! I love the month of January, it is a "fresh start" and a "clean slate", I love that about it!! I'm always in a cleaning & organizing frenzy this time of year, I'm not a "spring cleaner" but a "New Year cleaner"! Something about it just makes me want to go through cabinets, closets and drawers (you know, those areas no one see's but you) cleaning out all the stuff I don't need or use anymore! A time to organize the things I do need and use, so I know where they are and can get to them quickly, when needed! In the process I often find things I forgot I had. Things that would've been very helpful to me in the year that just passed, if I would've known I had access to them! Keep that in mind, as I change thoughts for a moment!

At the beginning of year we also hear this phrase a lot, "A New Year, A New You", I have to admit, it usually makes me roll my eyes when I hear it, but God showed me something "new" about it this year and combined it with my cleaning and organizing frenzy! Not only do we need to "clean out" the things that aren't needful or useful to us in the natural & spiritual sense...BUT, He showed me that we also need to recognize the things that are there, spiritually, that maybe we forgot we had access to and have been there all along in our "new spirit"!

If you are a born-again believer...you..your spirit, the real you, has already been made "New"! 2 Cor. 5:17 (Amp.) says...."Therefore, if any person is in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation ( a new creature altogether), the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold the fresh and new has come."

Hallelujah!!! That is Good News, but how often do we forget that? The old has passed, the fresh and new has come!! We tend to refer to ourselves in the natural (our body) and the soul realm (where we are still dealing with old thoughts and habits) more than we do the spiritual realm and "your spirit" is who you really are!! God has made you, your spirit, "new"! He placed His "Holy Spirit" in our spirits when we accepted Him as our Savior! We have access to the Holy Spirit, (who is God Himself ) and everything He is and has!! Look at Gal. 5:22 (Amp.) - "But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self control (self restraint)..." WOW....this is all available to the believer at anytime!! I don't know about you, but I could have benefited from some of these fruits in the passed year but forgot I had access to them!

Realize this "New Year" that you already are a "New You" and draw on all that is already in you and accessible to you by the Holy Spirit, who is in you!!

Until next time, may the Lord bless and keep you!

Your Sister in Christ,
Kathy

"Being Thankful & Joyful this Holiday Season - No Matter What Season of Life You Are In"

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - "...in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you..."

Well, the Thanksgiving/Christmas Season is upon us! WOW, this year has flown by!! I'm writing this the day before Thanksgiving and thinking about how thankful I am! I saw this scripture this morning and thought about the Thanksgivings & Christmas' in the past that I didn't think I could be thankful! Have you been there?

Have you ever looked at that verse, and thought..."How can I do that, when I'm going through so much pain?" I think we probably all have at one time or another in our lives or will in the future! Notice, Paul didn't say to give thanks "for" everything but "in" everything, there is a huge difference! There have been times during past holidays that what I was "in" was not from God, it clearly went against what His Word says is His Will for me, but what was His Will, was for me to give Him thanks right in the midst of it!!

As hard as it was, I made the decision to obey and thank Him for being right "in" the midst of my pain with me!! Even though my circumstances were not "joyful" or "jolly", I still learned to give Him thanks and be joyful, not "for" what I was going through, that was the key, I was going "through" it , not setting up camp to stay there!! I knew His Word and knew that if I stood on what His Word said about my circumstance it had to change! Thanking Him and choosing to be joyful is a act of faith, and it is faith that opens the door to allow God into our pain/circumstance so He can change it by the power of His Word! When we only cry and complain during those hard times, we are welcoming fear into the circumstance and that is Satan's playground, believe me, I've learned the hard way!!

Whatever season you are "in" right now, find your answer "out" of it in the scriptures! Sickness, loneliness, financial issues, marital issues, grief from losing a loved one? Whatever it may be God has a way "out" of what you're "in" and the first step is to give Him thanks while you are still "in" it!! Ask Him to lead you to the scriptures that He knows will bring revelation to your spirit, so you can release your faith and come out of it!! Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen!! Even though you can't see it now, doesn't mean it doesn't exist!!

I want to pray over you, if you are going through a difficult season of life right now..."I ask You Father in the Name of Jesus, for all those reading this, that are in a hard place & season in their life, that You by Your Holy Spirit will give them strength to obey Your Word and give You thanks even in their pain, and that they would feel Your love surrounding them even now! I thank you Father that Your Word holds the key to their healing & answer and that you lead them by Your Spirit to just the right verse that will bring hope and light into their situation. Thank You Father for hearing and answering our prayer today, in Jesus Name....Amen (So Be It)

May I be the first to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS" to you, because of Christ we have a reason to be joyful!!!

Until next time, may the Lord bless and keep you!

Your Sister in Christ - Kathy

Beloved of God - "Be Loved" of God today!

I wanted to share a nugget of Truth with you, that God gave me this past Sunday Night during our Granbury service. Darryl has been teaching an excellent series on "Now abide: Faith, Hope & Love." He was speaking on "love" out of 1Cor. 13:4-8, he was not focusing on us loving others according to these verses (although we are suppose to), but on the fact that that is how God loves us!

While he was speaking the Holy Spirit reminded me of Matt. 3:17..."And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Jesus had just been water baptized and the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him like a dove. Right after that, in chapter 4, Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for 40 days & nights, Jesus heard these words, not from His loving Father but from the tempter..."If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written..." Notice Satan left off the "Beloved" part?? 

I believe the main temptation of Satan was not to get Jesus to turn stones into bread, but I believe he wanted to tempt Him to doubt His position in God, His sonship, that He was God's beloved! In many scriptures in the New Testament we are now referred to as God's "Beloved" also. Have you ever noticed Satan doing that with you after you have received a "word", or had a revelation, come to you from the Father?? Satan is the same tempter today as he was then, he will try to do the same to us as he tried to do with Jesus! Notice also that Jesus did not answer him with His own words but with the Father's ...."It is written!"

(The word "Beloved" is defined as: Adored, much loved, cherished, treasured, prized highly, regarded, admired, esteemed. That is how God sees His Son Jesus and that is also how He sees us who have put our trust in Jesus as our Savior & Lord!)

This seems to be Satan's No. 1 temptation to the believer as well, if he can get us to doubt the Father's love for us and our sonship, he will steal our "roar" and our confidence to stand up and declare God's Word right in Satan's face like Jesus did!! 

Remember, you are the Father's beloved, let Him love on you today and you return that love to Him and others! 1John 4:7&8,11 - "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."...Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 

Until next time, may the Lord Bless you & Keep you!

Your Sister in Christ - Kathy

  

"Gracious Living"

Have you ever heard the phrase "gracious living?" When I hear that phrase, I immediately picture an elegant woman, on a wealthy estate, walking through her gardens sipping tea! Haha!! To you that phrase may bring something totally different to mind. The meaning of "gracious living" is: fortunate, prosperous or happy. The Holy Spirit, however, has given me a totally new picture of what "gracious living" should be to the believer! The word "gracious" means: to be kind, courteous, pleasant, esp. towards those of lower social status.

We live in a world where the majority of people are only looking out for themselves, their dreams and what makes them happy. The words courteous & pleasant don't seem to be words that describe the majority of people we encounter on a day to day bases. However, we as believer's, should be examples of Biblical "gracious living!" Each day we will encounter situations where we can show grace to someone, be kind & courteous to them, even when we aren't receiving that same treatment in return. We also have the choice to "return evil for evil", but if we are going to live by the Bible, like all believer's should, we must obey Luke 6:31 that tells us: "Treat others the same way you want to be treated." Aka/the Golden Rule! No matter what your social status may be or not be, you treat everyone the same. It's amazing how one act of kindness or "graciousness" can cause a chain of events that brings peace & pleasantness to your surroundings. I've also seen the complete opposite and seen a chain of destructive behavior.

My encouragement to you is to be known for Biblical "gracious living." No, that may not mean you'll spend your afternoons strolling through a garden sipping tea, but that you are known as one who shows "grace" to others and changes your surroundings by living in a "gracious" manner.


Until next time, may the Lord bless you & keep you,

Your Sister in Christ,

Kathy

Are You the One?

1 Cor. 9:24 - "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but ONE receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it."

The word "win" means: To lay hold of, so as to make ones own, prize of victory.

We should live with this mindset, it should be our motivation everyday, to be the "ONE"! In many more scriptures, Paul refers to his walk with God as a race.

In Hebrews 12:1, he says..."Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

I know, we don't know for sure who wrote the book of Hebrews, but it sure sounds like Paul to me! Chapter 11 had just spoke of the great men & women of faith who have gone before us! Therefore, he says, or because of this, we should lay aside every weight & sin that would ensnare us! These great men & women of faith kept their eye on the reward, or the prize. They didn't let circumstances, family, persecution, even lions, keep them from staying focused on what God had promised them. They were running their race with focus & purpose. In the same way, we should run with endurance (steadfastness) the race that is set before us!

Gal. 5:7 says..."You ran well, WHO hindered you from obeying the Truth? Many people start out their race well, but they let people (who's) hinder them or divert them from the racecourse.  Have you ever noticed in a race, you have to stay on the course. If you leave the course, try to take a shortcut or get to the finish line some other way, you are disqualified! So it is with our race, or walk with God on this earth, we MUST stay on course, or the narrow path. Jesus, Himself, said in Matt. 24:13...."he who endures to the end shall be saved." Not, he who started well but then did his own thing, but he who endures to the end, stays with the course that the Word of God has set before us, he shall be saved!!

Paul says in 2 Tim. 4:7...."I have fought the good fight, I have FINISHED the race, I have kept the faith." Paul was about to leave this earth, he was about to receive his reward, or prize, for his time here on earth. He kept with the plan of God for his life, he didn't let anyone divert him, he "finished" his race. He didn't let all the afflictions he went through on earth keep him from looking to that prize that was set before him at the finish line, he ran his race in such a way to win it!!

We should do the same!! Are you living your life so you can be that ONE to win?? If not, it's not too late to make the adjustments necessary to run your race and win. Follow the racecourse the Word of God has laid out for us. Stay on the narrow path that leads to life, don't let a "who" lead you down the wide path that leads to destruction! Keep that "prize"...Heaven...set before you...and hear "Well done, good and faithful servant, when you reach that finish line!

Until next time, may the Lord bless & keep you,

Your Sister in Christ,

Kathy

How to Bring in the New Year - It's not too late

Happy 2013 to you all!! What kind of year are you planning on having?? You might ask..."Well how can I know? Do I really have anything to do with it or do I just wait and see what happens?"

You have everything to do with what kind of year you are going to have, even though you don't know what all this year may hold for you! You can choose to respond to each challenge according to the Word of God and get biblical results. You can also start the year out right by evaluating your life and choosing to take a good look at yourself and where you stand on these important issues in your life.

Here is an excellent list of things to examine about yourself, so you can go into this new year with a clear conscience and confidence that you are setting yourself up to reap "good" in this year.

1.) Examine your walk with God. - Psalms 27:8 - Are you seeking God's face (who He is) or His hands (what He can do for you?)

2.) Examine your money. - Matthew 6:19&33 - Are you building your kingdom or God's Kingdom? You can tell by looking at where your money is going. Are you laying up treasure in Heaven or on earth?

3.) Examine your heart towards others. - Mark 11:25&26 - God is just, He can not forgive you, if you are not forgiving others. Read the story of the "Unjust" servant in Matt. 18:21-35. A real eye-opener,  and can help explain why some people live tormented lives.

4.) Examine what you see, hear and do. - Proverbs 4:20-27 - It makes all the difference in the world in what you reap in your life. See, hear and do "good" and you will reap "good", if you don't give up!

5.) Leave the past behind. - Philippians 3:13&14 - Learn from Paul, if anyone had a challenge with forgetting their past, it was Paul. He had actually been persecuting christians, but that was before his encounter with Jesus. He was not the same man, and neither are you if you've encountered Jesus in your life. Even things you've done after receiving Jesus. If we repent, and turn from our sins, He is faithful and "just" to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).


I hope this helps you, and it is something you look to through out the year to make sure you are keeping your life in line with God's Word. Only by obedience to God's Word can we assure ourselves a year of inward peace, no matter what circumstances come against you or what is going on in this world. Remember, as a born again believer, you are not of this world, you are of God!

Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you!

Your Sister in Christ,
Kathy