Connected In Christ

Faith is Like Wifi It's Invisible But It Has The Power To Connect You To What You Need.

Prayer The Strongest Wireless Connection.

God Is My Wireless Provider.

God Is Like A Strong Signal Available To Everyone And The Only Password Is Jesus. Get Connected.

Hebrews 11 verse 6 says: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Mark 11 verse 24 says: Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Psalm 54 verse 4 says: Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

John 14 verse 6 says: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In all of this we see how God can give us the Faith, to overcome obstacles. We see how when we be still and know, that in prayer and supplication we will be provided in what we need cause God is our Provider. We see how we don't always need a strong internet connection, because we realize that God is already like that, because we are deeply connected to Him.

Our Bible is what can give us the Hope we need, the Faith we need, The encouragement we need in order to grow, and we can pray that God shows us the way into other's hearts in order to let us see how we can honor him in the way we should go.

Continually throughout every scripture we see all these things, and the only passwords we need in our life is Jesus and Prayer, because without those what would we have?

Well, we would have despair and we would believe the lies of the Enemy.

The Enemy would love to steal, kill and destroy, but God comes to give us life so that we have it abundantly and to the full.

Let us remember all these things as we go about our weeks and let us share the Good News.

Our Purpose In Christ

 Who are we as children of God? Who are we called to be? Are we like David, who was a man and is a man after God's own heart? Are we like Joshua who was brave and fought a battle? Are we warriors living for Christ? All questions to ask ourselves as we discover in scripture tonight what our purpose in Christ is.

Proverbs 16 verse 9 says: In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Matthew 28 verse 19-20 says:  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Ephesians 1 verse 11-14 says: In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Romans 8 verse 28 says: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Jeremiah 29 verse 11 says: For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you but to give you a hope and a future.

Isaiah 43 verse 7 says: Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Proverbs 19 verse 21: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Ephesians 3 verse 11 says: According to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

In everything we see how our purpose which is a plan, is found in Christ. We think we sometimes have that figured out. Remember the reflection questions? Well, you see who we are as children of God are disciples who have a purpose to serve. Who we are called to be are His children, honoring Him in the plan that He continues to reveal to us. We are brave, but sometimes it's okay not to be brave and it's ok to not have things all figured out. While we may be warriors living for Christ, we are also warriors who have different strengths and weaknesses. We may not always have what the rest of our purpose in Christ is, but here's the thing, God doesn't want us to have it all figured out.

God would want us to surrender it to Him, we may not know what the future holds but we know who holds the future, and in a song by Matthew West called Future Looks Good says:

I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds my future, Bad news on the TV, bad news on my phone, I got bad news all around me, yeah, it won't leave me alone, So, ask me why I got this smile upon my face, Well, the good news is the bad news don't get the final say, I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds my future, I don't know where the road may go but I know who makes a way, Ain't no fire, ain't no storm gonna steal my hallelujah, I don't know what the future holds but with you the future looks good, Good, good, so good, The future looks good, Good, good, so good, Well, I don't have all thе answers, ain't much I've understood But I know I sеrve a God who's working all things for the good, So, when I need a soul reminder that You still do great things, I just look over my shoulder and see how far you've carried me And I say I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds my future, I don't know where the road may go but I know who makes a way, Ain't no fire, ain't no storm gonna steal my hallelujah, I don't know what the future holds but with you the future looks good.

Let us remember that as we are in Christ and let us remember that there is purpose for our pain, purpose for the plan, purpose for those who seek Christ in the most difficult and wonderful times, but as always let us go and tell everyone about God and how God will never give up on any of us because He loves us all. 

Let us also go out and be someone who even if we think we know the purpose we think we are supposed to have in Christ, God is truly the only one that knows our purpose in Him because He has a plan for all of us.

When Things May Seem Not So Easy

 Have you ever wondered if a task was going to seem easy to you? Have you ever thought that some things that seem so simple in life are the easiest things to do but then you realize it might not be?

Well, when we think things seem easy without even beginning to think that things may not seem so easy, we can start to think and maybe even start to make ourselves believe that we will have things in life that are easy even when they may seem not so easy to begin with.

You see, God didn't call His Disciples or us to have a life that was easy or live in a life that is just going to be easy.

Many things may see easy but they are not so easy to do with tasks that become hard.

It's like riding a bike for an example, it's one of those things that you think is going to be easy but it turns up being not so easy to do.

Does that mean you give up on riding a bike? No, you keep trying and persevere to allow yourself to try.

Where would we be if things were easy? Where would we be if things seemed not so easy and were just difficult in life?

 Let's look at scriptures that talk about this subject because I feel like in any circumstance we shouldn't take things for granted so easily as things that might get taken for granted may not seem so easy at all.

Ephesians 2 verse 9 says: not by works, so that no one can boast.

What does this scripture look like to you? For me, it looks like when we feel like we can easily take something for granted that is when we begin to realize that things may not seem so easy or come so easily because without Christ we would have nothing and with Him, we have everything.

Romans 5 verse 8 says: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. To me this scripture means that we see how God has demonstrated His Love and while were still Sinners, He sent His Son to die on the cross to be forgiven. It also means for me that in order to receive Christ's unfailing love we need to accept it and be open to it because without His Love what would we have? Would we have the Enemy telling us lies in how that God's Love doesn't come to us? Think about that for a moment. Think of what it would look like if God's Love wasn't in our life.

James 1 verse 2-4 says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We see here that God is Faithful and True in what He does. We see how God can give us what we need, and how no matter what we can grow further and deeper with Him in knowledge while not lacking in anything because God will give us the strength we need to overcome.

See things may seem easy and sometimes life can be simple but then we begin to see how things may not seem so easy and that's when we rely on God for Wisdom and for Truth.

We even begin to see in John 16 verse 33 that God shows us what it is like to go through something but with a peace while we go through trials and tribulations and gives us the opprotunity to take heart because He has overcome the world.

Faith it makes it possible, not easy. 

We need to keep things simple and not let Satan complicate things for us.

The will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect You.

God did not say it would be easy, but He did say He'd be with you.

''He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.''

When we finally look at these quotes, especially the last one, we see how when things may seem not so easy because they are not, we begin to understand what God is doing to bring these things to completion in our life and show us that with just a little Faith, we can come a long way and with just a little Hope we can have that seed planted deep into our Heart for Him and because of that, we can begin to see that what we do for Him is what He wants for us. No matter what we are facing in life, God holds this entire world in His Hands and He has a plan set in place or even set in stone, and it's our job to continue to serve Humbly for Him.

I want to end on this last lyric from Casting Crown's song called Anything But Easy: I can see the path You've chosen, we both know where this is going, I'm afraid of how your story is gonna end And this scared as I am, I know this could be my last chance, To stand between You and forever's, yeah, It will be easy to talk about the weather, It will be easy to look beyond the wave, But I love You too much to not say something, Without the truth my love means nothing, Sometimes love is anything but easy, Anything but easy.

I wanted to end on that lyric to show just when we think something is easy, it's anything but that.

Faith Into Action

 When we think of words, what comes to mind? When we think of actions, what is something we can do?

You see, we need words to speak up, but it's more than just using words, it's the actions we put in place.

We need to do something in order to stand up for what we not only believe in but for what is right.

James 2 verse 18 says: But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

In this verse, it means to me that we need to put our faith into action, and use our words to speak up.

1 John 3 verse 18 says: Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

To me this verse means that not only should we love others with our words or speech but with the actions done in love and through our words and speech that they may glorify in God's Truth which remains Holy.

Colossians 3 verse 17 says: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Now this verse to me means that whatever action we do whether it is in word or by a deed that we should do it all in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ who is our Savior and give thanks to Him with Gratitude and be humbled in what we do, as we give thanks to Him because He is our Father in Heaven and because His Name is Majestic in all the Earth and in all of Creation.

Colossians 3 verse 2 says: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

In this verse, it means for me that when we set our minds on the things that are above and not on the Earthly things, that God will continue to show and reveal to us in His Timing, His Good and Perfect Will that He has for our lives because God made us in His Image to do His Will.

I woke up this morning, Saw a world full of trouble now, thought, How'd we ever get so far down, and, How's it ever gonna turn around, So I turned my eyes to Heaven, I thought, "God, why don't You do something?" Well, I just couldn't bear the thought of People living in poverty

Children sold into slavery, The thought disgusted me, So, I shook my fist at Heaven, Said, "God, why don't You do something?" He said, "I did, yeah, I created you" (now listen) If not us, then who, If not me and you, Right now, it's time for us to do something, yeah, If not now, then when Will we see an end To all this pain, Oh, it's not enough to do nothing, It's time for us to do something, I'm so tired of talking about, How we are God's hands and feet, But it's easier to say than to be, Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves, It's alright, "somebody else will do something", Well, I don't know about you But I'm sick and tired of life with no desire, I don't want a flame, I want a fire and, I wanna be the one who stands up and says

"I'm gonna do something", If not us, then who, If not me and you, Right now, it's time for us to do something, yes it is, come on, If not now, then when Will we see an end To all this pain

Oh oh, it's not enough to do nothing, It's time for us to do something.

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You, To receive the food of Your holy Word, Take Your truth, plant it deep in us, Shape and fashion us in Your likeness, That the light of Christ might be seen today, In our acts of love and our deeds of faith, Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us, All Your purposes for Your glory, Teach us, Lord, full obedience, Holy reverence, true humility, Test our thoughts and our attitudes, In the radiance of Your purity, Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see, Your majestic love and authority, Words of pow'r that can never fail, Let their truth prevail over unbelief, Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds, Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us, Truths unchanged from the dawn of time, That will echo down through eternity

And by grace, we'll stand on Your promises And by faith, we'll walk as You walk with us

Speak, O Lord, 'til Your church is built And the earth is filled with Your glory.

In all of this we can see how when we speak our actions can mean a whole great deal but we also see how when we put our Faith into action, we can make a really big difference for God.

God would want us to put our Faith into Action and He would want us to Put our Action of Faith that we receive from Him into Practice everyday to where we are able to speak up.

To where we are able to speak up and share His Truth, and to walk in Humility while doing it.

Let us be a Light this week, but let us speak up and put our Faith into Action for God.

Motivated In Christ

If you can change your mind, you can change your life.

Keep your face always towards the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.

Success is not final; Failure is not fatal; It's the courage to continue that counts.

You define your own life. Don't let other people write your script.

In these quotes we see how sometimes the choices we can make, allow us to change our mind to change how we want to do things better.

We also see that if we keep looking up and keep it toward the sunshine, the shadows will fall behind us.

I think it's important to know that neither success is final, our failures are not fatal because it's the courage that we have in our heart that counts and sometimes we have the courage to stick up and define who we are in Christ, so that we don't let other people who may not know us well, to write who God says we are in Him.

Proverbs 3 verse 5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

 Matthew 19 verse 26: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Philippians 4 verse 13:   I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Jeremiah 29 verse 11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Romans 8 verse 28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Deuteronomy 31 verse 6:  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In these scriptures we can see how each one can motivate us to want to do what God has called each one of us to do.

We see how God gives us the strength to overcome obstacles. We understand how sometimes the best motivation we need, comes from God.

Mercy

Open

Trust

Inspire

Various

Astonish

Truth

Inspired

Onward

Noble

Inspiring

Nice

Compassion

Hope

Rise

Intelligence

Saved

Truthful

We see here in this acronym that we should want to have motivation in Christ by showing mercy, being open to showing grace and love. We see that we should Trust in the Lord because we should always want to inspire those to come and want to know Christ. There are various things we can do to stay motivated in Him and know that we will do God's Work by His Good Works and Will, as we astonish to strive in Him.

No matter what we see His Truth which is Inspired by everything we see around us and that should make us inspired to move onward with a noble heart where it can be nice to have an inspiring perspective with a Childlike Faith and Heart.

We should want to have compassion towards others and Hope that when we rise, we rise to the occasion of knowing that it's not about the intelligence we have to go out and do God's Work, but knowing that it is by Grace we have been Saved and we can see that this is Truthful Knowledge because God sent His Son to die on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven.

I think it is important to have the motivation to want to strive well, to want to be someone that Christ sees us as because we are His Child and we were made in His Image.

We should want to have the motivation in our heart to want to please God in what we say and do to help others.

The Will Of God Will Never Take You To Where The Grace Of God Will Not Protect You.

What You Are Is God's Gift To You, What You Become Is Your Gift To God.

God Never Said That The Journey Would Be Easy, But He Did Say That The Arrival Would Be Worthwhile.

In all of this, let us remember that we should want have Motivation In Christ every single time out, so that we can do His Will and make Him Happy in what we do.

I want to end on these two songs as we close our time together.

The first song I want to share comes from TobyMac with his song called City On Our Knees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9XyAMnSh6g

The second is by Switchfoot with their song called Dare You To Move.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE-Krlqi4fk

The reason for ending with these two tonight is because we should want to be able to move in how God calls us to move, we should want to be more than just living in a city on our knees and want to be motivated to do His Will as His Beloved.

Let us be Motivated In Him every single time out to Honor Him.

Finding A Way Home

 We often think how is it that we sometimes can feel lost? How can we find the way home again?

Well see there's a Pureflix Series called Going Home but there's a theme in the beginning of every start to the episode with a song called The Way Home by Aaron Morgan.

Now to me, the song makes me smile when I hear it, and I feel  it’s an encouraging reminder song that no matter what you’re facing God will always show the way home.

The Troubles that you carry, keep your love from reaching out and I know this can be scary but I can help you lay them down, a life well lived is not the end when we let go we live again, the ones you love that have come and gone are the lights that you see leading you back home lighting the way on this winding road, you won't walk alone, I'm right by your side to make your way home.

When I think of these lyrics, I think of how God is leading the way back home even in our struggles.

When we struggle with grief, when we struggle in pain, when we struggle in suffering.

God always points us in the direction of finding the way home.

Sometimes finding our way home leads to finding our way back into the home in which one day where we all want to  be which is in Heaven with Jesus.

John 14 verse 1-2- Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

John 14 verse 6- Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Ephesians 4 verse 11-12- So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

1 Thessalonians 5 verse 23- May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3 verse 4- When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Philippians 4 verse 7- And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 11 verse 1-40- Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 

By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 

And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 

If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,  even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.

Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 

He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 

Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 

They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Philippians 3 verse 20-  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 6 verse 23- For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5 verse 1- For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

John 1 verse 1-  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 Corinthians 12 verse 27- Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

 

Isiah 32 verse 8- But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.

Joshua 24 verse 15- But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Matthew 7 verse 25- The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

2 Samuel 7 verse 29- Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

Colossians 3 verse 14- And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Psalm 91 verse 1-2- Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

 Micah 6 verse 8- He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[ with your God.

In a lot of these scriptures we see how even God can bring us back home, we see how He can bring us back to a place where He is not done with us yet, and shows how even while we are still doing what we are called to do on our Earthly Home before we are called Home to our Eternal Home that we need to act justly, love with mercy and walk humbly with Him each and every single day because walking in the Light of Christ even if we sometimes fall short of finding our way home, God will still leave the 99 to find the 1 and bring them back, because we have a merciful and loving Father who loves us a lot.

When we are called Home, well that is when Christ will tell us well done good and faithful servant.

Sometimes it can be hard to minister to people who may not know Him and maybe while they are trying to find their way home, that is maybe where God is stepping into our lives to help them.

When I say help them, it could mean to pray with them to find their way back home, it could be talking with them, whatever the case may be, we know that God's Will, will be done and He has a plan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJxs-v0KWQo

I'm sharing a link with this study because I want all of you to be able to hear the lyrics of this song.

I want you all to take in what these lyrics are saying to you, into what Christ is speaking to you.

You never know what someone may go through, so let us go out and pray for them.

Pray that we don't lose sight of Home, pray that we can help others in a way to find their way back to home.

Home is Where The Heart Of God is and The Heart Of God is Where Our Forever Home is.

I hope that this encourages you in your weekend and week, to know that you are never alone and even if you get lost from home or you know of someone or don't know them and they can't find their way home, we can trust that with prayer and conversation with them and with God, that God will always bring them back Home and that He will bring us back Home when we get lost at times.

Let us always remember these things so that we can uplift and encourage one another daily.