Life Church Vineyard

Pastor Mitch Price

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.

How marvelous. How wonderful  is my Saviors love for me. 

Holy, holy are You Lord God almighty!

Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb

You are holy! You are the Lord God almighty!

The resurrection changes everything!

Psalm Sunday. The highs and lows of Holy Week

Jesus came in to Jerusalem to fulfill the coming of our King. 

It was the best of times it was the worst of times. Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities”.

Every generations seems to think they are living in the worst of times. 

Jesus experienced the worst of humanity. Those who forget history will repeat it. Jesus had told His disciples that He would suffer, die and be resurrected. They did not understand.

How quickly we forget.

The Roman government ruled the lives of the Jewish nation. It was all about power and control. Tensions were high at the time of Jesus. Everyone of them was praying for the Messiah. They desired justice from their enemies. 

Matthew 11:

2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” 

7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 

8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Mark 8:31-35

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

They were expecting the Messiah to overthrow the Roman government.

Sometimes the Body of Christ expects the same. How sad. 

There was tension and confusion but there was also hope. Their human expectations were not immediately fulfilled. It would not be until His resurrection that the full meaning of the His birth, death and glorious resurrection. At the Pentecost Holy Spirit opened their eyes to the truth of the Scriptures. They would then understand.

Matthew 21:6-11

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” 11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

The same crowds who shouted Hosanna  on Palm Sunday only days later shouted crucify Him.

Luke 19:41-44

41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 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.”

The New King James Version

They failed to realize who He was and that He would lay down His life as a ransom for all who believe in His salvation. 

He died so that we could live!

His return is inevitable. We need to stay prepared for His return.

What are we hoping for? What is the Jesus you pray to? Are we praying for His will or ours to come? 

For God so loves the world that He gave us Jesus, His only begotten Son, to die in our place. 

Spread the Good News! 

The Tree Church

Pastor Chris Reed

Greater things are yet to come!

Cause grace rewrote my story!!

I have lived in the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful…

I will sing of the goodness of God!

John 16:13-14

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

The person of Holy Spirit

60% of Christians do not believe that He is the third person of the Godhead who indwells those who believe in Jesus.

Jesus is the Leader, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He did not leave us orphans but gave us Holy Spirit to indwell  and guide us in following Him.

There is one God in three persons. They work in mutual cooperation. A house divided cannot stand neither can the Body of Christ. 

Colossians 1:15-18

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Everything that Spirit does is to point us to His Son. 

The Spirit prepared the way for Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:16

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Pneuma-God breathed! All Scripture is God breathed.

2 Peter 1:21

20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Satan prowls this earth seeking to destroy and kill our faith in the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Genesis 3:15

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

In their fall God had already prepared a way for their return.

Genesis 49:8-10

8 “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

Man could never redeem man, only God, in the Messiah could. His perfect sacrifice for our imperfect, sinful life.

2 Samuel 7:16

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

Isaiah 53:4-5

4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But 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.

And then Jesus…

Through every chapter of the New Testament it brings to life the only hope of mankind…Jesus!

Everything will be recreated and restored in our risen King. 

This is our story. Holy Spirit moves in our lives to bring us to the fullness of Messiah. Our life is orchestrated through Him. He has shaped our life to bring us to Jesus. He will never leave us nor forsake us until we are safely home. 

The Holy Spirit led Jesus his entire journey here on earth. He empowered Jesus to do the miracles and teachings. 

Matthew 3:16-17

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

Luke 4:18-19

18 “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 sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Acts 10:37-38

37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

The New King James Version

We will always feel inadequate to fulfill our discipleship because we are. Only in the power of Holy Spirit can we do anything.

Daniel 9:16–19

The Body of Christ is the visible sign of Gods’ presence on the earth. With the power of Holy Spirit indwelling His people we are redeemed to do good works. We are the hands and feet of the risen Savior.

‘It is finished!” Jesus cried. Stop and listen. Can you imagine the cry from the cross? What was finished? The history-long plan of redeeming man. The message of God to man. The works done by Jesus as a man on earth were finished.

A cry of defeat? Hardly. Had Jesus’ hands not been fastened down, I dare say that a triumphant fist would have punched the dark sky. This is no cry of despair. It is a cry of completion. A cry of victory. A cry of fulfillment. Yes, even a cry of relief: “Take me home.” Come, ten thousand angels! Come and take this wounded one to the cradle of his Father’s arms. Farewell, manger’s infant. Take this Son to his Father. He deserves a rest. Bless you, holy ambassador. Go home, rest well. The battle is over! It is finished. Max Lucado 

I do know this... these days I’m drawn to soft hearted and courageous people.
Thank God for you. Don’t lose your soft heart.
And to this... my prayer for Peace...
For those who are fleeing: sanctuary
For those who are staying: safety
For those who are fighting: peace
For those whose hearts are breaking: comfort
For those who are no future: hope
Amen. SabbathMoments 

Daniel 9:16–19

16 “O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. 17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” The New King James Version

Daniel entreats Yahweh to subdue His wrath and forgive on the basis of His righteous acts—His legacy of saving works (Psalm 103:6). The Israelites are in captivity because of their ancestors’ sin. If the temple associated with the God of Israel has been disgraced, so too has God and the nation to whom it belonged.  

Daniel’s reference to the desolate sanctuary would have resonated with those living in the days of Antiochus. Daniel’s prayer reaches its peak with four imperatives asking Yahweh to forgive and take swift action. The condition of God’s city—the temple—and His people reflects on Him. Daniel pleads for their restoration so that the greatness of God’s name might be restored, not defamed. Daniel is concerned with God’s reputation among the nations; he does not want to bring any reproach on His name. Faithlife Study Bible

Daniel reflected on the greatest redemptive event of Israel’s history, the exodus from Egypt, and prayed that God would repeat what He had done long ago. Your sanctuary is a reference to Solomon’s temple, which had lain in ruins since 586 b.c. 

It is important to note that the only basis for Daniel’s appeal was the grace of God. Do not delay: These words must be understood in light of Daniel’s reference to the 70 years. Daniel knew full well that all of God’s promises had not come to pass, nor had the blessings been conferred on the regathered and restored people. The NKJV Study Bible

Here is a believing appeal to the mercy of God. It is a comfort that God has been always ready to pardon sin. It is encouraging to recollect that mercies belong to God, as it is convincing and humbling to recollect that righteousness belongs to him. There are abundant mercies in God, not only forgiveness, but forgivenesses. Here are pleaded the reproach God’s people was under, and the ruins God’s sanctuary was in. Sin is a reproach to any people, especially to God’s people. The desolations of the sanctuary are grief to all the saints. Here is an earnest request to God to restore the poor captive Jews to their former enjoyments. O Lord, hearken and do. Not hearken and speak only, but hearken and do; do that for us which none else can do; and defer not. Here are several pleas and arguments to enforce the petitions. Do it for the Lord Christ’s sake; Christ is the Lord of all. And for his sake God causes his face to shine upon sinners when they repent, and turn to him. In all our prayers this must be our plea, we must make mention of his righteousness, even of his only. The humble, fervent, believing earnestness of this prayer should ever be followed by us. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Numbers 6:25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

Psalm 87:2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Lamentations 5:18 Because of Mount Zion which is desolate, with foxes walking about on it.

Acts 2:32-35

God holds me in the palm of His hands and Holy Spirit will guide, protect  and never leave me all the days of my life.

Jesus is not on that cross for his sins.  He is there for ours! And the thief on the cross makes the same request any Christian makes. “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom!” Max Lucado

We live because Jesus died for us!!

This I know for certain: We all need stories that fortify us.
Stories for self-care, to refuel our better angels.
Stories to create sanctuaries of calm.
Stories about mercy and freedom from heartlessness.
And these must be our stories; stories we must own. If we don’t own the story, it owns us. And when we are disconnected from our best selves, we pummel one another. And you can count on this: dehumanizing and shaming never help. When it is our story, choose. Pro-actively, bringing our whole self to this moment.

Kassie Temple's story (the Catholic Worker Movement), reminds us that throughout history, people, very ordinary people have taken exception to hopelessness and to exclusion. And to hate. And to violence.
Ordinary people... that’s you and me... Sabbath Moments

Acts 2:32-35

32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ The New King James Version

In His ascension, the resurrected Jesus is glorified by God the Father to a position of authority over all things. We have received the promise of the Holy Spirit Jesus promised earlier in Acts. In claiming that Jesus does the work of sending God’s Spirit, Peter implies Jesus’ unity with God the Father in purpose and power to assert that this psalm of David shows that David was aware that someone far greater than himself would fulfill God’s promises to him of an everlasting kingdom, someone who was simultaneously distinct from Yahweh and yet also David’s Lord. 

David did not ascend into heaven or claim all authority, but Jesus did. 

According to Peter’s interpretation, this psalm of David envisions a time when the Messiah would reign, but would still await the time when all His enemies would be conquered. This echoes how the kingdom of God is understood in the Gospels—that it is both present yet in many ways coming. Faithlife Study Bible

Joel prophesied that the Spirit would come; Jesus fulfilled that promise when He sent the Spirit. If Jesus was dead, He could not have sent the Spirit. Therefore, He must be alive. Furthermore, Jesus could not have sent the Spirit unless He had ascended as Lord to heaven. Therefore, Jesus is both our Master and our Savior.

Peter knew that no one could dispute the point he was about to make from Psalm 16:8–11, in which the Messiah is described as not decaying. Because David had been buried and had not come back to life, the psalm had to be speaking about someone else, David’s heir. Peter pointed out that this heir is Jesus, who was put to death and resurrected. Not only had Jesus been raised from the dead, He is now at the right hand of God. As further proof of this Peter quoted David again. According to Psalm 110:1, the Messiah would sit at the right hand of God. David had not ascended to the heavens. But the apostles declared themselves to be witnesses of the very ascension spoken of in this psalm, the ascension of Jesus. Based on these points, Peter’s conclusion is clear: Jesus, the One who had been crucified, is both Lord and Christ.

Jesus’ death for our redemption was not an afterthought; it was part of God’s eternal plan.  The NKJV Study Bible

Christ was God’s Holy One, sanctified and set apart to his service in the work of redemption. His death and sufferings should be, not to him only, but to all his, the entrance to a blessed life for evermore. This event had taken place as foretold, and the apostles were witnesses. Nor did the resurrection rest upon this alone; Christ had poured upon his disciples the miraculous gifts and Divine influences, of which they witnessed the effects. Through the Saviour, the ways of life are made known; and we are encouraged to expect God’s presence, and his favour for evermore. All this springs from assured belief that Jesus is the Lord, and the anointed Saviour. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary 

Psalm 68:18 You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God might dwell there.

Psalm 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

John 14:26 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.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Mark 3:1-5

There is never a wrong time to do good. We are the hands and feet of the One who loves us the most! It is so easy for the Body of Christ to become legalistic, like the scribes and pharisees, believing their goodness had anything to do with the grace and salvation given us in Jesus.

Luke 6:7 So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.

Do you know the Jewish phrase ahavat chinam? “If we were destroyed, and the world with us, due to baseless hatred, then we shall rebuild ourselves, and the world with us, with (ahavat chinam) love for no good reason. Better I should err on the side of love for no good reason, than I should err on the side of baseless hatred.” I need to absorb this. Because when I do see hate, I have difficulty believing that our hearts are vessels of love. 

People, very ordinary people have taken exception to hopelessness and to exclusion. And to hate. And to violence.

Small gestures. Of kindness. And compassion. And hope.
Yes. And amen. 

Very ordinary people have taken on "the impossible" time and time again. Good news? This isn’t a ploy. It comes from who we are. It spills from the inside out. Because here's the deal: This capacity—for love, compassion, kindness, truth, forgiveness, justice, restoration—is within. Every one of us. These are the weapons of the Spirit.

What I do know is that an act of gentle courage has my name on it.
Maybe even today. Grace and mercy and sanctuary and justice are not always convenient. Go figure. There is no perfect time to stand up. Or to do soul searching. Or to say this is who we are. Or to call on our better angels.

“Not all of us can do great things.” Mother Teresa reminds us. “But we can do small things with great love.” And today, is my hour. To stand. To speak. To love. SabbathMoments 

Mark 3:1-5

3 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. The New King James Version

Jesus demonstrates His lordship over the Sabbath by healing a man. This action provokes the Pharisees and their allies to plot against Him. Profaning the Sabbath was a capital offense.

Jesus’ question about the Sabbath is provocative and was intended to question common viewpoints. 

Elsewhere Jesus teaches that love of neighbor not only fulfills the law but is central to the kingdom of God. Here, Jesus tangibly demonstrates that human traditions and moral codes should not conflict with love of neighbor. This biblical idiom, often rendered as “hardness of heart” indicates both stubbornness and opposition to God’s workings. Faithlife Study Bible

The Sabbath controversy continued as Jesus visited the synagogue. The Pharisees watched Him closely, not to hear the words of life but to accuse Him. 

Christ put the meaning of the Sabbath to the test. Certainly it was more consistent with the intention of the law to restore this man’s afflicted hand, even on the Sabbath, than to destroy his hopes for the sake of keeping human tradition. The Pharisees did not respond, for they knew that they would condemn themselves. 

It is possible, as Paul exhorts, to be angry and not sin. Jesus demonstrated this righteous anger. He was grieved with sin but did not sin Himself by retaliating or losing control of His emotions. The NKJV Study Bible

Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

Matthew 12:9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

Matthew 12:10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

Matthew 12:11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

Life Church Vineyard

Pastor Mitch Price

I am chosen not forsaken 

I am who YOU say I am

I am a child of God…yes I am.

1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! 

Purposeful Practices

Luke 19

19 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

Zacchaeus positioned himself to be seen and known by God.

We can be positioned next to Christ but never conned with Him. 

Without Jesus it is impossible to please God. And without  Holy Spirit guiding our life…we will struggle and fail. We need to work on our relationship by giving Him our time. Our life can be a continuance of prayer for His guidance.

The disciples of engagement.

Prayer-study-stewardship

Journaling-dialoguing-comfession

Fellowship-worship-celebration-service

Witnessing

Salvation:

The one time event in which we move from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive in Christ

Justification

The pronouncement of not guilty being officially, legally declared, righteous

Sanctification

The ongoing process of being separated from sin.

Glorification

The fulfillment of the process. Experiencing perfection in Christ.

At salvation we immediately experience justification and our sanctification begins. Resulting in sanctification, which results in our final glorification.

The meaning of life is to come into relationship with Jesus!

1 Timothy 1:9

9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners,

1 Corinthian 1:18

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Romans 5:10

10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 

Hebrews 10:14

14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Philippians 1:6

6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

The more time we give to Holy Spirit the more He power He has to change us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:1

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Romans 6:11

11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

The New King James Version

The Tree Church

Pastor Matthew Johnson

I am thankful for a Catholic upbringing that always taught on the Triune God. In confirmation, at about age 13, we invite Him into our life to reside in us and to guide us. Without Him in my life I would have remained lost.

Come Lord Jesus come. Your love won’t be undone! Your grace is enough.

Remember the parable of the prodigal son and then realize how much God loves you!

The posture of the Father is love and grace. He paid the price so that you could be with Him eternally.

Death came to life in Jesus when the stone was rolled away from that grave. 

Our God came down from heaven to prove He was real. He added flesh and blood so that we could relate to Him and in His righteousness call on His name. We can come to Him broken knowing that He cares for us. 

Our God is One in three. God the Father. God the Son God. God the Holy Spirit.

With God’s presence in our life Holy Spirit wants to empower us. Every one of us has a calling and He enables us to carry it out. Whether it is a wife, a mother or a caretaker for aging parents He will walk beside us.

Matthew  28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 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.

God calls us to spread the Good News of the Gospel. 

Acts 1:4-8

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 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.”

We have to have the power of Holy Spirit to accomplish what we cannot on our own. When the spiritual and the physical meet,  the power of God is released in our life. We don’t deserve any of the gifts and we do not have to be at a certain level to receive them. It is all about GRACE.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Concerning the gifts from the Holy Spirit if you are open to receiving them He will come.

Demonic spirits will attack you. Satan hates Jesus and all those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. It is the grace of God that protects you from the wiles of the devil.

Romans 12:4-6

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

We need to maximize the gifts we are given. All of us are important to the Body of Christ. God has designed each of us individually to share those gifts with others. 

Galatians 5

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 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 that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Lamentations 1:21-22

Vengeance belongs to the Lord not us.

His amazing grace covers our sins in Jesus!

This week we’ve been talking about my favorite theme: grace.
Anne Lamott notes that Grace is an "unseen sound that makes you look up.” Or, stops you. Literally. Right where you are. And doesn’t let you go. Sabbath Moments 

Lamentations 1:21-22

21 “They have heard that I sigh, But no one comforts me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; They are glad that You have done it. Bring on the day You have announced, That they may become like me. 22 “Let all their wickedness come before You, And do to them as You have done to me For all my transgressions; For my sighs are many, And my heart is faint.” The New King James Version

The poetry of the old testament often contains calls like this for Yahweh to judge enemies. Now that judgment has come on Jerusalem, the city longs that Yahweh’s promised day of judgment would come on the other nations. This second lament focuses on the great suffering inflicted on Zion when Yahweh became like an enemy. The emphasis is on the wrath of the Divine Warrior unleashed against His people, but the poet has no illusions that Yahweh’s anger is unwarranted or unjustified. Faithlife Study Bible

Those who previously had been friends of Judah became Judah’s enemies. Several times the “day” of God’s wrath is mentioned in the Book of Lamentations. The term is used to refer not only to the time of Jerusalem’s fall in the past, but also to a future day when God would rectify all of the wrongs that the nations had committed against Israel and God. The NKJV Study Bible

Whatever may be learned from the sufferings of Jerusalem, far more may be learned from the sufferings of Christ. Does he not from the cross speak to every one of us? Does he not say, Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Let all our sorrows lead us to the cross of Christ, lead us to mark his example, and cheerfully to follow him. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Psalm 35:15 But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together; attackers gathered against me, and I did not know it; they tore at me and did not cease;

Lamentations 2:15 All who pass by clap their hands at you; they hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that is called ‘The perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth’?”