LET THE POOR SAY I AM RICH!

To be poor means that sometimes we have to be poor in finances.  God, in His infinite wisdom, will sometimes place us in that position in order to bless us. No? Okay, what if you found yourself in that position anyway?? You may learn that this statement is not as bad as you first believed, when God shows up, shows off, and shows out!

To be at the point that you don’t believe that God exists, is also part of being “poor”. This is the most excruciating dilemma to experience, even if one has known God to be real before. Some believe the lies of the adversary, the enemy, the devil, as he likes throwing shadows at us and stating repeatedly that “There is no God, why believe in things you cannot see?” Agnostics, I have had the opportunity to know, question God’s existence because of the state of the world and they ask how God could allow such things as murder, rape, and all the rest to happen.

But the same enemy that lures the lost into these sins is the one who blames God, but you knew that, I’m sure. We have an adversary, and often he is about making himself loom large and trying to put God in a box or to phase Him out altogether! Our adversary is very angry and will stop at nothing (which God will allow)to take as many of us to hell with him in end times as possible! This is one that the devil uses on our young people, who are still tender shoots, reaching up from the soil in which they are planted, seeking…not sure of  just what as yet, but indeed, seeking. 

Even children raised in the church, yes, even those of the most devout households, begin to question the existence of God whenever life and hardship, volatile situations and emotional upheaval begin in their lives…much like some of us, until God revealed Himself, amen? This is why it is so important to instill in our children the true grace and mercy of God, not the harshest of discipline, unbending religion, lovelessness that our youth sometimes do not understand. The Bible advises us not to spare the rod, but it also says not to provoke our children to wrath, so that they become discouraged. (Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 6:4) In short, love them like Jesus did—with sincerity, concern and goodwill; this will show them the love of Christ.

Be assured, God will always be greater than our adversary! And He cannot be contained and will not be trampled upon! He is THE Mighty King of All the UNIVERSE!

 Often those of means and great privilege can be poor in spirit, and some will even say that they feel that they are “going through the motions”. Money or the lack of it doesn’t necessarily have to put us in that situation; the Pharisees and Sadducees also found themselves buried in their traditions and customs. But any well-to-do individual should know that their many blessings stem from the Creator of all the Universe. There are those who know God is the one who has given them the increase. One would be omitting a very important statistic if that were not mentioned, here. In fact, I believe that there are many Christian believers who attribute all their prosperity to God…these, too are truly blessed.   

When you are poor in finances, and there is no one who can help you (take our present economy, for instance), God is able to step in and prove to us that He alone is our Provider; He alone can make a provision. He’s proven that many times to me.  (That’s when God proves to be our HERO!) He does this without my asking sometimes, but sometimes I have to ask. Because, the Bible says both are the case: “He knows what we have need of even before we ask”, and “We have not because we ask not”.   

The Bible says that we are kings and priests…but none of us own anything…many people of God are speaking a prosperity message, and although His love can extend to us in financial areas, some of us are special, in that God strengthens our faith in ways that they have never fathomed—through poverty! “It’s gonna have to be God” is a song that Karen Peck and New River sing, and this is an example of such a concept.

The bible speaks of having all we want, but owning nothing; of being “in this world”, but not “of it”. Matthew 10:37-39 supports the premise that we are to love God more than family, and more than our own lives.  When you are at the point that you cannot move and shake, wheel and deal, God can! He made the ravens feed the prophet, ( 1 Kings, 17:19) He can surely feed us, who have fallen on hard times.   

The Bible says to seek the kingdom of God first, and all these “things” shall be added unto us. Things like faith, hope, and love! This applies to things that “money just can’t buy”, too.

“A Christian who owns nothing is dangerous to the devil. He is able to go wherever God wants him to go. He is able to take any chance because he is not afraid of losing anything. He is completely able to drop what he is doing to follow hard after God.

Such is not the case of many Christians. They are hampered by what they own. They are afraid of losing the security their jobs give so they refuse to take the profession to which He has called. They are afraid of alienating their children so they refuse to go to the mission field. They want to have a new car so they borrow until they can't possibly tithe. Each thing they own ties them down. They have been made impotent with their possessions.” –“Having everything, owning Nothing”, by Prentis

The rich young ruler was not able to let go of his many possessions. He had the legalistic approach down pat; he had followed the law and had done quite well for himself. He had such love for his wealth that he could not grasp the great importance and incredible peace of following Christ and dedicating his life to His service. To him it was a sacrifice too great to make, because the Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing. Pastor Tom says it’s like trying to tell a person what 7Up tastes like when that person has never tasted it before; it cannot be described. Salvation is a wonderful, beautiful experience! Grace! That’s still the great, freedom-building tool of Christ to enable us to love one another with no bounds. And the possessions of this man hindered him and finally saddened him, for he realized the importance he had placed upon material things.

Finally, being poor in spirit can also mean that you have “poured out” all of the wine that God has poured into you in Ministering to the saints and bringing sinners to Christ, and you need to be “ministered to”, or “poured back into”. The wine is the love of Christ. Keith Green put it, “My flesh is tired of seeking God, but on my knees I’ll stay…I want to be a pleasing child, until that final day.”

Being poor in spirit is when we have been broken by our life’s experiences. By reaching down to help our fellow brothers or sisters up repeatedly, some of us have become ‘threadbare’ in the battle that has been waging for the souls of the lost. The maintenance of and ministering to the Saints can suck the spirit out of  Preacher, teacher, and soul-winner… if you let it.  In cases like this, we need to retreat, regroup, and pour our efforts into the Word of God, and spend much time on our knees, in intimate contact with the Maker of the Universe. And attending Church with fellow believers is very important, in that our spirits can be rejuvenated and we may find times of refreshing. Also, some prayer for your Pastor and Sister and Brother in Christ can help them to be encouraged, given strength and renewed faith. Be an impartation of GRACE to those who need God.

Here it is, another Friday, and the house has got to be cleaned today, as Chapel Service is taking place tonight at 7:30 p.m.

My dear friend, Melissa Craven, has left the first comment on the guestbook that I’ve seen for months, now. You may or may not know it, but Melissa is my Sister in Christ, a young woman whose family goes to the same church, Victory Fellowship, as the VFO men and Pastor Tom and me. She has four wonderful children and a great husband over whom she dotes. We sang a Christmas special at the Church party a few Wednesdays ago. It was a song entitled, “Christmas Shoes”.  If you have ever heard it, you would remember it…it’s about a little boy whose Mama is dying and he is buying her “Christmas Shoes” so that when she meets Jesus she will “look so great”.

It makes me get a lump in my throat just to think about that song.

This Christmas was wonderful for Victory Family, Mississippi. I hope that the Home in Houston also was blessed to know what the Season was really all about…I’m sure it was, because the thing that the Home is designed to do all year long is to revive lives and restore them from addictions and give them a new lease on life, these men who have, some of them, never known what it’s like to live a sober, Christian life. My husband, Pastor Tom, will never be the same after his experience with Victory Family Outreach. He has learned some life skills that will stay with him until the day he goes to meet our Maker.

I asked him last night if he thought that those skills were necessary, and he said, “Yes, it teaches men to be responsible.” Things like cooking, washing dishes, taking the initiative. No longer is it woman’s work to keep the household in order—not for Thomas Rowley, anyway. He is practically self-sufficient. Sure, I still clean and do laundry and all the rest, but it’s refreshing to know that if I am busy that my husband will pick up the slack in other areas. God is good.

Pastor Tom is out fundraising today with Nicholas, one of our men in the Home. Pastor Tom will be preaching tonight. It has been some time since he did so, and we’re looking forward to hearing what God imparts through him.

It’s a quarter to ten and the high will be 68 degrees today, with a 52-degree low. Suffice to say that this is a lot warmer than the days have been in the last couple of weeks. We have both gas and electric heat here in the Home. We have been fortunate in that our tank has not run out as of yet.

On the ninth of January, a group of wonderful women who call themselves the Christian Women’s Job Corp of Philadelphia will be re-convening to mentor women of all walks of life in job skills, etc. I participated in their last Semester (16 weeks) for a couple of months, finding out about their program from Jan Cooper, the teacher of the Program last year. 

These women are a refreshing and lively group, full of love for those whom they mentor and one another. Pastor Tom says that the best exercise for the human heart is to bend over and help someone else up, and that is what our group does. They study the Bible, have lively conversation, take instruction on the computer, and also have homework…lots of it (complete with “sticky notes”, lol). Life skills, interview instruction, goal setting and other subjects are taught. There could not be another instance in my own life more important than this, in my opinion.  Women need encouragement and love in order to thrive in their lives. This group of women provides that encouragement and love, and do it with grace and a kind of love and joy that only God can give. I am honored to be a part of their group.

The subject of my blog today is whether or not we are operating in the plan and purpose of God in each and every life today who is reading this.  Pastor Tom and I surmise that often, because of free will, we make choices in life that are contrary to the calling and purpose of our Lord.

How to know if we are operating in the calling that God has for us? God gave us the intelligence and the mind of Christ to do all that He has instructed us to do in His Word. What is the mind of Christ? The more you study the Bible, the more you know who Jesus is, and who you think you should be! It says that when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have the mind of Christ, and automatically we should know what we should do. To visit the infirmed, imprisoned, to feed the hungry, and to help those in need. Listen to Keith Green’s “The Sheep and the Goats” song if you are in doubt as to what to do. He makes it all so clear, and Jesus Christ said “If you did it to the least of these, you did it unto ME”. It doesn’t matter if that believer is living a life of sin or not…

For instance, what if you saw a man on the street, a homeless man, who wanted something from you? What if he was drinking and had not had a bath for some time? Would you walk on the other side to avoid him, or stop and give him what he asks of you? Needless to say, you wouldn’t ask him if he believed in God, you would give him what he needs, Amen? For we don’t know if we may be entertaining angels unawares! It’s what is in your heart when you give that matters. This gift you give may turn a wayward heart to God, you never know!

And never underestimate the power of prayer. Too many have lost interest in the insight it takes to see when each prayer is being realized. Sometimes I say, “God, this is a long-term prayer”…sometimes, it is only a heartbeat away, but there was a time when the angels of heaven would reveal to me that a prayer was being answered and God wanted me to know that asking for things in Jesus’ name would be honored. They still are today. It was what the women in the Home in Houston called a “faith-lift”. So don’t think, when you are not able to help monetarily or in physical ways, that prayer will not avail that person who is looking for a miracle. God can help them even when you cannot.

A person needing food for their family should not be turned away, especially when you can give from your abundance. This is your reasonable act of service.

So wisdom and a liberal amount of both would be great, if you’re truly looking for God’s Will in your life. I cannot stress enough the avoidance of grieving the Holy Spirit when prayer is painfully absent and a person is standing in its need.

Sometimes I look for a voice in my spiritual life to tell me my next move. Sometimes I wonder just what I am surmising in the reading of the Word! But nothing equals those times when a thought will “drop” into my conscious mind after reading a good deal of the Word and the knowing that God is directing my decisions. Let go and let God lead, guide and direct you.

My life is so much more satisfying when I am doing what God has directed me to do. The writing of our Ministry’s letters, this blog, my singing and the simple acts of reading the Word and prayer to our wonderful God replenish and embellish my life! For at the end of the day, both Jesus and Soloman said in his pondering that to Worship God and to love your neighbor is the real reason we are alive. Let your heart be led by the Spirit today, and give unto God His due! He truly is Worthy!

NAMES FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT

One of the most famous and discussed chapters explaining the Holy Spirit are in John 3, when Nicodemus comes to Jesus Christ and asks how a man is to be born again. “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(John 3:5-8)

The simple term, “Spirit” is defined as, “invisible, non-material part of humans, supernatural being (third person of the Trinity), other lesser supernatural beings; see ‘spiritual’”.  Which is defined: “Having to do with God; the human spirit, or other supernatural spirits.”

The Holy Spirit is also named “God”. In (Acts 5:3-4), Ananias and Sapphira had conspired to lie to the Apostle Peter about the amount Ananias had received for a piece of property which they had sold. They would keep part of the proceeds and lie about what they acquired for the property, making themselves appear to be more generous than they truly were. But being endowed with discernment and knowledge by the Holy Spirit, Peter informed Ananias that he was aware of their deceit, calling the one that they had lied to not only the Holy Spirit, but also God: What made you do such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”

The couple had succumbed to temptation by the adversary and were drawn away by their sinful lusts and enticed, just as the enemy will try to provoke us to today. Even though the battle for our souls is finished and we have been declared “not guilty”, the devil tries to make God’s people stumble, even in today’s modern world.  Satan’s overthrow is coming, when Christ returns to rule and reign, judging the world in righteousness and with justice.

The Holy Spirit also holds the title of “Lord” in 2 Corinthians 3:18, when we are described as having ‘unveiled faces’, all reflecting the Lord’s glory, being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (Paraphrased)

Let us go back for a moment. In 2 Corinthians 3: Verse 13, the new covenant is compared to the old by the reminder that Moses covered his face with a veil in order to keep the Israelites from seeing the residual glory of being in God’s presence.  Pick up in Verse 14: But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15) Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16) But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

How can it be that the veil, which was rent in two during Christ’s agony on the cross, can be ignored by the observers of the Law and those who walk in condemnation even today?

Halleluiah! You don’t mind if I celebrate, do a little victory dance right now, do you? I would like to tell you that I have always had revelation knowledge of Christ’s saving grace, but that would be untrue. Suffice to say that today I am really bummed out by those who still try to keep that first covenant, who say that the Old testament must be adhered to to the letter in order to live and to be saved, and refuse to accept the free gift of salvation and redemption from the curse of the law that Christ made possible for even them. But they will not accept Him in that way; they might as well say that He was just a man and be done with it if the law is still in control of this people we call Christianity. Jesus said that not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled. When Christ died on that cruel cross for all my sins, that happened, just as Christ read Isaiah 61:1-3 in the Synagogue and said, “today this scripture is fulfilled”. That is how I understand it! Now we have to claim with boldness that the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death. Amen? Amen!

To put that another way, The Life Application Study Bible puts Verse 18 in this perspective: “The glory that the Spirit imparts to the believer is more excellent and lasts longer then the glory that Moses experienced. By gazing at the nature of God with unveiled minds, we can be more like Him.  In the Gospel, we see the truth about Christ, and it transforms us morally as we understand and apply it. Through learning about Christ’s life, we can understand how wonderful God is and what he is really like. As our knowledge deepens, the Holy Spirit helps us to change. Becoming Christ-like is a progressive experience. The more closely we follow Christ, the more we will be like Him.”

Fulfilling all righteousness, Christ came and led a sinless life. He was baptized, and he was selfless in all that He said and did. But the law was not the reason Christ came; it was to seek and to save that which was lost. Those who kept the law were what Jesus loosely termed as “the righteous”—self righteous, in all honesty. And today the same can be said of those who think that their deeds will make their election sure. Christ makes us able to be reconciled to God, not our white sepulchers and our religious traditions…that’s why He supported man’s being Lord of the Sabbath, and not the commandment to keep it Holy. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Christ requires and what He does not. As I admitted, I’m still learning. And nothing could benefit you more than to be in a Bible-based church and reading and praying to God at this time in our lives. The revealing of Christ in my own life is so very much a blessing and an honor! That’s why I call the Holy Spirit “Lord”.

The secret wisdom spoken of in 1 Corinthians 2 is that of salvation, which was revealed upon Christ’s resurrection, through the power and the revelation of the Holy Spirit, called simply “his Spirit” in verse 10.  The King James says it best, when it states, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

I am reminded as I write this that Jesus questioned Nicodemus once about his belief in what He told him. “If I tell you of earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe when I tell you of Heavenly things?” (John 3:12) he asked.

It is beginning to unfold in this study, as I write this, that the conversation between Nicodemus and Christ, the Son of the Living God, was crucial in the forming of the Christian’s understanding about the Holy Spirit; it cannot be lightly dismissed. This subject has been on my mind much lately, because of unbelievers and their confusion over the liberty in which we operate as Christians! The Old Covenant is important in that it reveals our need for a Savior, while the New Covenant is in response to the facts: we cannot live according to the Law and expect to be reconciled to God. (“The LORD our Righteousness”--Jeremiah 23:6) God said that we would live if we observed the law and did the orders of the commandments, but also said all the earth stands condemned before almighty God, (Romans 3:19, paraphrased)thereby making infinitely important the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on Calvary to one and all of us as believers.

God sent his Son into the world that all might be saved through Him. This is the message of the Spirit of God. This is the conviction that tugs at your heart whenever you go into a church and listen to the Pastor or Preacher reveal God’s Word. It is the Spirit of God in 1 Corinthians 3:16; it is that conviction of your sins and your need for a Savior that comes with John 15:26, in which Christ promises, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.”

God is not only love; He is complete, unadulterated TRUTH. The truth about me was what made me turn to Christ to begin with. I knew that I was a sinner, that I was “tore up from the floor up”, that I was always making mistakes and that I needed what the Baptists call a “Personal Savior” (I was raised as a Baptist). Somewhere inside me was the propensity for being fallible, flawed, a misfit.

Again John 3:12 questions and challenges us to believe, and therefore follow and uphold the commands of Christ, not the law, given to us by a mediator (Galatians 3:19), angelic though it was. Ah! Do you find that hard to understand? Jesus Christ said, “Do not think it is I who judges you, but Moses, whom ye trust” (Paraphrased, John 5:45). One greater than Moses now was among them, and what would they (we) do? Would we be disobedient and refuse to do the Will of our Savior, or would we believe Jesus was the Way, the Truth and the Life, and be done with it? I took Him into my heart at the age of twelve, but did not really have what my heart could believe to be strong faith until He opened my heart’s eyes many years later. I was like that “small and useless seed”, that I had written about in my youth, “Fleeing from its home to greet the sun…suddenly it sees a whole new world, and kills itself before its life is done.”

It was all about dying to the flesh; it was all about leaving no stone unturned until I had exhausted all avenues of investigation of the worldly way. I had gone rogue and had become an enemy of God, but my life was only beginning when I cried out, “Lord, I can’t go on any further; take my life and do with it what you will.”

“Except a seed fall to the ground and die it can in no wise bear fruit”, Christ said. (Paraphrased, John 12:24) It is God who gives that seed the opportunity and the ability to bear fruit. I’m so glad that Jesus set me free and gives me the opportunity to bear much spiritual fruit through His Word and His Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is also known as the “Eternal Spirit” in Hebrews 9:14:  “How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (NIV)

The forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ, as I have believed, has lifted the shame and the guilt I possessed from past mistakes and made me able to do all that God requires of me at this point in my life. Ain’t God good? This scripture does not mean that I can continue to sin so that grace may abound, because the Word says of such a concept, “God forbid”. It means that my struggles, my stumbling, my flaws, and defects of character, are all covered by the blood. And the Holy Spirit is making good use of us today, if we are, indeed, sons and daughters, children, of God.

Does this passage mean that consciences filled with past mistakes are condemned to repeat those mistakes? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. But it is established that the Holy Spirit has a great work to do here on this earth and in you. “Have your way, Holy Spirit; have your way.” Amen.

Have a safe and enjoyable New Year's! We at VFO love and appreciate you all. May God bless. Teresa Rowley

As We Countdown to Christmas…

Acts 19 is a “supernatural” Chapter. It speaks of healings that take place from the mere cloth that touched Paul’s body, just as the Word of God preaches that those who believe on Christ would be able to do all that He did, and more.

Jesus healed the lady with the issue of blood in the same way! --She merely touched the hem of His garment.

The Bible does not make empty promises, as some of us may have done at times. It delivers the truth and it does not compromise that truth and those promises! However, this does not mean that all people will have that healing power through such means as Paul had.  

This chapter speaks of demonic interaction with “vagabond Jews”, exorcists, described as “Son’s of Sceva, the Priest”, who adjure the evil spirits to leave those they oppress in the name of Jesus Christ, whom Paul was preaching. This particular evil spirit answers those seven men with the comment/question: Jesus and Paul we know, but who are you? Then it proceeds to attack, strip them and wound them! These exorcists fled from “its” presence.  

This chapter also explains that people were being baptized in the names of John, Christ, and the Holy Spirit! Each of those methods are important, because the baptism of repentance (John’s) is important, just as the baptism of Jesus Christ asks Him into your heart and the baptism of the Holy Spirit give you power with God and men! Repentance, Guidance/Salvation, and Power, all important, amen?

A good sign: speaking in tongues and prophesying! But this does not always happen in the life of every believer. (1 Cor. 12:29-30) Sometimes the Holy Spirit comes in quietly. Don’t let yourself become discouraged by the fact that you don’t speak in tongues. These are gifts of the Spirit; you may have received other gifts! Such as prophecy (speaking the word of the Lord with a powerful anointing), and revelatory visions.

This scripture—1^st Corinthians 12(The diversities of Gifts) -13 (The Love Chapter), we discussed in an excellent Bible study yesterday at the House of Hope. I began this study just before Bible study that same morning. Confirmation!

--Why is it that I still marvel? Christ asked His disciples that same thing whenever they would stand with their jaw dropped over something that they had seen happen because of Him. “Why is it that ye marvel?” As both God and man, he couldn’t relate to our astonishment/amazement over the things He had done. Anyone who can walk on water doesn’t get all puffed up and amazed over miracles that God produces in his life, amen? 

Not only was it a stance of Godly confidence, assurance that the Father would provide all that was needed, but today confirmation means for me that I am on the right track and that I am in the center of God’s will! That’s exciting news. It’s like having Jesus Christ speak directly to me through my friends, Pastors, and Sisters and Brothers in Christ to counsel and encourage me. Coincidence became a thing of the past long, long ago. There is no such thing as happenstance. Nothing happens randomly; all happens for a reason that sometimes only God knows! Some people are still trapped in that “random” chaotic existence that, for all practical purposes, serves to weaken their faith.

But sometimes things that happen are not good things. Some of those things that cause pain, hardship, etc., are really “Blessings”, or “Mercies in disguise”. Sister Bonnie at Church recommended a song called “Blessings”, by Laura Story (contributing artist), which I sang at VFC a couple of weeks back. It explains that somehow we always want the easy road, but that sometimes suffering, the fellowship of Christ’s suffering, is what God sends, for this is what is needed in order for us to grow.

The men of VFO sang a song the other Friday evening called “We’ll understand it, all by and by.” This song would do many of us a service if we listened to its wisdom…no sense grasping at straws and attempting to discover all answers and solve all mysteries before the time comes. “Wait and see”…this is a requirement of patience and often part of the Christian life.

Paul also left the synagogue after three months of preaching there because of hardened hearts and unbelief of those who spoke evil against him, just as the Bible had said we should do when others will not receive us. Wipe the dust from your feet and move on, it orders us.

Only 5 days until Christmas morning. Whether giving thanks for the Spirit, its gifts, or suffering, which produces perseverance and Godliness, we are truly blessed as a people of God! Amen? We here at VFO are glad to be operating in our calling and have been truly blessed by the men who have come to us over the last year.

Our prayer for you all is that you continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that your joy may be full…because of your love for you fellow man this season and throughout the year.

Sister Julie, I don’t envy your job, getting the presents for all the men of VFO (although being Santa’s little helper three years in a row was fun!), Houston, but I know that those big gift bags will usher into some of the lives of those men a love that they have never even experienced before. From all walks of life, these men grew up in what could be loosely called dysfunction or something not too convincingly called a family life as little children and they have never known the love of Christ. Too often this is the case. Drop outs from education, having no roots in and of themselves, they are nomadic and severely hurting individuals. I wanted to let you know that I remember them this Holiday season. My prayer is that you don’t miss anyone, and that God empowers the showers of blessings for them so that they find a warm place growing in their hearts for the love of Christ. God bless you, and Victory Family Outreach, Houston.

Love to all this wonderful Christmas Season! --TR

…That’s been my problem of late…!

Since my husband has been in the hospital, I have been filling in my time with some old stand-by’s: movies, music (although it has been Christian music), working with the Men in the Home. I have tried to pray as much as possible, and am afraid I have fallen short on my responsibility of writing this blog. For this I am quite sorry. I attended a meeting in Union at the House of Hope today, (Monday) and Pastor Byron said that perhaps I needed to be drifting a bit, like a feather on the breeze, for now. “Write me a song about what that is like,” he said.  

 In other words, this could NOT be a problem, for once! I should be filled with joy that I have so little to name that could be categorized as problematic; I have my health, for instance(don’t get me started on how great my blessings are! I’ll be here all day!). My husband’s sickness has left me feeling a bit like a fish out of water, however, with a big void in my life. I try to go and see him first thing in the morning, at 6:00 a.m. and we talk on the phone all day off and on. He is doing better, now, I might add, and I hope we will have him home by tomorrow night, all things going as planned.

I can’t tell you that it has been hard for me to run a Men’s Home--I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! We now have three men in the Home, and they have been great in supporting me during this strange time.

We had a ladies’ Christmas party at the Church last Saturday evening, and it was very nice, and I now have a “Slate Wall LED Fountain with Spinning Ball”, as well as some great new movies for Tom and I to watch when he gets home, but as I said, it’s just not been the same without my buddy, Pastor Tom. 

Chapel Services, as you have read, are still taking place, and we have a faithful crowd every Friday, some of whom also drop by the hospital with regularity to lift Tom’s spirits.

…I guess you could say that I just “let go”…the weather has been cold and we have been keeping the home fires burning…only a few days left until Christmas day.  We managed to get a Christmas tree up a few days ago, and it looks nice…hope Tom will be able to see it real soon.

(NOTE: I am now writing this blog on Tuesday evening, and Pastor Tom has returned home! We just had the most wonderful dinner, and I am even more content to have him here once again. Blessed and Worthy is the Lord of all things; He has brought him home to us!  12/13/11)

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Paul addresses the Christian believers of Colosse about their faith, which had been suffering great confusion due to the following similar schools of thought:

“Syncretism” combines ideas from other philosophies and religions (such as paganism, strains of Judaism, and Greek thought) with Christian truth. This heresy was later termed Gnosticism.  It emphasizes special knowledge and denies Christ as Lord, Son of God, and Savior.

Gnosticism:  A system of false teachings existing during the early centuries of Christianity. It was popular during the second century.  Its root word is Gnosis, the Greek word for “knowledge”.  The Gnostics believed that knowledge was the way to salvation. For this very reason, Gnosticism was condemned as false and heretical by several writers of the New Testament.

It was for this reason Paul addressed the Colossians in A.D. 60, reinstating the Deity of Christ and His connection with the Father in heaven, reminding them of His death on the cross for sin.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important that we do not slowly fade away from the truth of the Gospel and from all that God has entrusted us with in areas of Salvation!  “Casting Crowns” wrote a song about how we don’t slip into our old lifestyles in a day:

"Slow Fade"

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Spiritual wisdom, strength, and focus  are needed as Christians today, just as it was needed in that time in history.  Paul was forever, it seems, dividing the Word of truth and reminding the children of God in his writings not to deviate from the truth of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, as others were bombarding these new converts with heresies and what Christ called the “leaven” that would damage the whole Christian church if you let it run its course. His case in point was the amount of people who were fed from the loaves and fishes. In one place, the faith of the people had been greater than in the other place.  This was due to heretical teachings and legalistic thinking on the part of the leaders of the day, who had taught the people how to interpret the law.  

The Holy Ghost showed me a scripture about the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees earlier tonight, showing me Matthew 16:5-12. The disciples did not understand what He meant until He had explained His phrase about the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees. Faith can be severely diminished by false doctrine.

Legalism, Judaism--“fake fire” as one of our dear Pastors from Houston once termed it-- Mom Carmen once preached a sermon about how we should examine our worship and our gift at the altar: Is it Holy, or is it Fake? Is it worldly, or is it purely sacrificed?  God sees the heart, it’s not like we can hide our true colors from Him! In truth, what we have been taught will work its way into what we sacrifice to God…there’s no way around that. So you see how important it is that we know the whole truth of God’s Word! This is what I try to establish in my own life as much as I can. We all have been taught some propaganda and some wheat-choking weeds can be found in any and all gardens in life. The idea is to “read the Word,” Frank Medders said, “and weed the garden daily”.    

Discernment of the spirits that meet us every day--the signs, the comments, the written word, as well--are all subject to our minds and hearts as Christians. We are blessed in that God has given us this discernment and this will often retrieve us from false doctrine just in time, so that His very elect will not be misled. Colossians is all about reinstating the truth of the Gospel and the Good News of what Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary.

When known as God to us, Christ makes our relationship with Him top priority in life, not second-hand or even second-class news. The church is full of people who only dance around the Master every Sunday or even on Wednesday, but never really approach the Throne of Grace for help in time of need. They own a Bible, but don’t carry it anywhere and don’t open it up except when the Preacher quotes a scripture in Sunday Service. I should know; I used to be that way…this sort of “relationship” with God is headed for destruction. Gnosticism makes other things, entering in, vie for our attention constantly, weakening our relationship with God.

We, as Christians, cannot tolerate a watered-down Christ. There is still power in the Blood, and we cannot ever forget the great price that has been paid and the wondrous Grace and Mercy that He has rained down upon us! Am I talking about devotion to God? Yes, I am.  

All too often, television, sports, fashion, even education (and so much more)will also often weaken our resolve to live as close to Christ as possible. My dear Husband says that God can sometimes bless us with something that eventually becomes our “Isaac”, until it becomes our life, and has God taking a back seat in our hearts.  This is the kind of thing that we must guard against. Christ’s interests must be our top priority.

To recap, we cannot let fake doctrine and legalistic dogma and outside interests weaken our relationship with or our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! It’s too easy, I might add, to lose our grip, and again, our focus, on Spiritual things in this life.

Paul opens up his letter to the faithful brothers at Colosse: “Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This Book has been termed as the “Prison Letter”, among others, for Paul had been in prison while writing it in Rome. He was given special privileges (God’s favor on HIS life), such as the right to accept visitors and write letters, and Paul made that right count on his part.

Crossroad to ideas and religions, Colosse was home to many Jews who had fled there after being forced out of Jerusalem by the persecuting Antiochus III and IV, almost two hundred years before Christ. Epaphras, converted by Paul, was the founder of the Church there in Colosse. Contradictory teachings had confused those Christians there.

In other words, the devil was working to tear down all that had been established as Godly in Colosse. But God! God had Paul in prison, faithfully guiding the Christians there in Colosse, leading, guiding and directing them in how to refute heresy and to believe the true Gospel. Paul’s reassurance was key to the continued spread of Christ’s message, as you may see. When persecutions come, don’t let them make you step back into old lifestyles or lose ground in your walk with Jesus!

As we look at the opening greeting, we see that giving thanks for God’s blessings, such as grace and peace, were part of Paul’s usual greetings in Philippians, Ephesians, and Philemon, all called “Prison Letters”.  (NIV—Life Application Study Bible)

Paul refutes here the belief that special knowledge must be ascertained in order for man to have eternal life, and reinstates the legitimacy of the Colossians’ belief in Christ. He commends the Colossians for their faith, love and hope, all part of the fruit of Christ’s transformation of all…both of them and of us.

…Do I myself exude these traits? Do you have a repentant heart over things that are not- so-Christ-like about you? God is merciful, as I have been so wrong at times and I’m also hard to live with sometimes. I give great thanks to God for the mercy and grace that He gives us and for the process of sanctification, for without God, nothing good lives in me.

With God, however, I have this blessed hope which produces that same love and faith of which Paul was speaking! –And I thank God for those who encourage me and do not discourage and criticize and wash their hands of me. Too many of the addicts of this world have burned too many bridges and been shut out from family and friends; I pray that God give them both grace and peace this Christmas season. J

In Chapter 1 verse 6b, Paul says, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard about it in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.” Paul, I believe, is reminding the Colossians of what a great promise and work God is doing among them, if they choose to faint not, and encouraging them to continue in their belief of the Truth. This spread of the promise of Salvation was due greatly to the work of the man in chains, Paul himself, and God’s great hand of Providence.  This truth changed people wherever it was preached.  For transformation, not just information, the Word of God gives us all the opportunity to get to know the Creator and to learn about His love for us.

According to Paul in Chapter 2: Verse 2, 18, the knowledge of Christ is all we will ever need to discover and understand, Amen? It is, indeed, mysterious, rich, and all-encompassing, this knowledge of Christ.

“The Church had been inundated and undermined by such heresies as:  1) Important secret knowledge is hidden from most believers; 2) The body is evil; 3) Christ only seemed to be human; He was not.  Paul refuted these beliefs with the reassurance that God lived in a human body, embodied in Christ, and that Christ was indeed, fully human and fully God.”(—Paraphrased, NIV LAS

Asceticism (defined as “self-denial as a principled way of life”) was being taught, while Paul taught that this sort of lifestyle did nothing to conquer evil thoughts and desires; it only led to pride.  (Col. 2:20-23)

In Chapter 1: Verse 15-20, Paul reminds the Church at Colosse that Christ is the image of the invisible God, firstborn over all creation.  He spoke of the creation and Christ as its creator, also coming to earth as a man to taste and conquer death for all of mankind.  And so through this passage Paul refuted the denial of Christ’s dual existence, describing Him as both God and man.  “Christ is God in the flesh, he is the eternal One, head of the body, first in everything, supreme.”(NIV, LAS This and many other scriptures establish Christ’s dual existence as God and man. (Philippians 2:6; John 10:30, 38; John 12:45; John 14:1-11)

Not only did Epaphras provide the hands and feet of Paul’s ministry, but he also reported back to him the love of the Spirit that the Colossians possessed. Galatians 5:22 states that Christian love comes from the Holy Spirit, in fact it is named as one of the fruits of the Spirit. “22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23) Meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.” The blessed assurance that these perhaps-disillusioned people needed was freely given in this letter to them.

Because of their love for one another, Christians can have a far-reaching impact on both their communities and upon the world. It is an action, not just an attitude or emotion. It is, in short, a by-product of our new life in Christ. Christians have no excuse for not loving, because it is the sort of love that acts in the best interest of others.

These “traits”, or qualities, can make a Christian stand out in any given situation. You’ve met them; they are the kind of people that you don’t soon forget. Their interaction with you is usually memorable.  In this instance, Paul is stating that these fruits of the spirit prove that we are Christians, not the special knowledge or wisdom of Greek philosophy, Judaism, or other areas of expertise that comprise the Worldly view.

I have known only a handful. They are truly a remnant of what once was the majority in this country, but don’t fret; God is coming back to take His people Home! “Soon the eastern sky, it’s gonna part, and I’ll see His (Jesus) face”! –Blessings and honor and glory and power and dominion be to God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

Happy “Holy Days”, Teresa Rowley

“and He lifted up his eyes on his disciples…”

There’s an old saying: “Good conversation is as stimulating as strong coffee, and it’s just as hard to sleep after.”

Friday night Chapel service was again engaging and enlightening tonight (December 2, 2011), and although the founder and the Leader of the Home was in the Hospital, spiritually speaking, we all got a feast on the Word of God, the Word being God!

Yes, for all who didn’t know it, Pastor Tom was admitted to the Hospital on Wednesday for having a blood sugar above 500. They have been regulating this for three days now, and Brother Thomas will most likely be in there for the weekend. As a result, I was sad that he could not attend the Chapel service, which Brother Pastor Byron preached. He was accompanied by his wife, Kitty, and children, as well as a visitor that they brought along.

Please pray for Pastor Tom, who has been navigating in illness and carrying a very heavy burden for the Lord here in the Home. Almost single-handedly, he carries out everything that needs to happen in order for the Home to be a smashing success, and this is because HE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST, WHO GIVES HIM STRENGTH! Amen? I am not ashamed to say that I missed him tonight, and he was sorely missed by all who attended.

Our man in the Home, Nick, opened the Service, and gave a short testimony as to the restoration that God is doing in his marriage and with his wife and children. They came to spend the night tonight with their Daddy, whom it is obvious that they love very, very much. He handled the task with ease, and Minister Ricky Rogers, also in attendance, said the opening prayer.

I tried to take as many notes as possible, as the conversation was lively and the Bible study was very satisfying to the soul. Many took part in the Service…I sang “Be Not Afraid” and “Hem of His Garment” after the prayer, and introduced Pastor Byron Artis. Here at the notes I took and I hope it blesses you as much as it did the people in attendance, man, woman, boy and girl.

We began to read in Luke 6: Verse 20.

Pastor Byron asked the room just what they believed Jesus meant when he said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

I spoke up and offered that, to me, it meant that the poor were rich in faith.

I was corrected by Ricky Rogers, who said that it was referring to the poor in spirit, which I could also see as true. J

Hunger…what did that mean? Bro Byron said that this hunger and thirst was for righteousness. (Verse 21)

Then it was phrased in the 22^nd verse that “Men shall hate you for the Son of Man’s sake.”

Righteousness can cause people to turn against us, someone said.

Dalton then spoke up and said that we are all obligated to be disciples as children of God, not just the Pastors, preachers, and teachers. This was discussed for some moments, and then we returned to the fact that righteousness will sometimes make others reject, insult, and exclude you. (Verse 22)

“People discuss what others do”, Byron said.

But! Byron reminded us to “Love your enemy, do good to them that hate you.”

Against goodness and kindness and love, there is no law, Ricky Rogers, I seem to remember saying, interjected.

Then Brother Byron and Brother Ricky had an interchange about when someone in your life takes advantage of you. Then, they agreed, they could be called your enemy.

“But still you give to them and God repays you. Jesus is the biggest giver, was he not?” Bro Byron reminded us.

But, a person, let us continue, who does spitefully use you, I said…

Byron picked up the thread and said “those people who hate you, have extreme dislike…animosity, those who are presumptuous”; these are the ones who are using you.”

Thomas then said, “Contempt prior to investigation” to reiterate.

This meant that people who run you down have contempt for you; and in such cases, they know better, because, Byron said, “The Holy Spirit will ‘check’ you”.

People do things, he went on, for different reasons. Rarely does anyone do something in kindness. Most do it for fame, notoriety, recognition; not to help people.

Going on to Verse 29, we were taught that sometimes it’s not really being stricken on the cheek that this verse is referring to, but in context, it meant that when someone uses you, you should LET THEM!

“When God dips His Love in my heart”, the song goes, He “sets my sinful soul on fire”, was what went through my mind as the Pastors discussed the benefits of letting people “spitefully use you.”

Ricky then told a story about a man in his life who he showered with much blessing, who one day gave him  something: a tomato with a worm in it! Everybody laughed. He went on to say that he put the tomato on the dining room table and looked at it every time he passed by it, until he began to have bitterness in his heart! Then he finally said that he wouldn’t let that happen, and he was going to let the worm eat its way out the other side and would then eat the rest that he left! ‘Laughs all around about that.

There was then a discussion about being conditional about our giving, and dictating what to do with what you give to others. That’s not right, either, we decided! “God has his hand out to me, and I have my hand out to you”, Brother Byron reminded us.

But people will give and go brag about it, or complain. Giving should bring us joy! Amen? When you brag or complain, you just “ate your seed”.

On to verse 30:  “Don’t expect a payback. Give ALL your goods, to all who ask you, don’t pick and choose. If you respond to God’s Word, YOU WON’T END UP IN THE HOLE! It simply means, when you give to someone who can’t pay you back, that you and God are talking, and that person has just benefitted from that.

For instance, have you ever heard of someone who says, “Ok, I’ll help you, but you have to fill out an application”, and that person is conditional about whatever they will get.

When we deal with people in the Natural, in a “realistic” kind of way, we get Natural results. We keep trying to know each other after the flesh: “You have all of this; all of this is your problem!” –When as Christians we should be saying, speaking, professing LIFE, not negativity! When Jesus walked up to people, He asked them, “What is it that you want?”

Don’t assume that that or this is what they need; ask them.

Doing well to others, such things and deeds change, transform others’ lives.

Verse 34: don’t loan, Byron said but GIVE. The world is totally upside down when it comes to money, possessions, treasuring things.

35: But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36:  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37: Judgment: “TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES.” Byron said, in response to my comment about not judging, but not going around people who will cause you to fall, too.

Ricky then spoke up and said that we are to “discern between the spirits”, and know the person by the fruit that they bear.

Then Byron broke us all up by calling such a thing “being the Christian Police”, swinging his imaginary billy-club and looking much like Charlie Chaplain. “You can change their fruit in whatever soil it is, by helping them, not by being legalistic (my word).

He then made a comment that we all know is true: that when we run people down and distinguish them as not as good as we are, it is because of an inferiority complex, and we are trying to feel superior.  Many things spoken prior to that statement have been due to that very problem in many a life.

(Verse 38) And then it was commented that this is the truth about tithing. Brother Ricky then said that we shouldn’t give to God expecting that tithe to benefit us, but to give in right standing, with the right intentions. Which is? A honoring of God and what He means to us. Oh, how I wanted to say that there are even people who have made a competition of Salvation, believing just to reap the reward of Heaven!

As you give, it will be given you, which is true, however. Not necessarily will it be money, but mercy, compassion, and Grace will be your reward, Byron said.

Then Rick said, “I want to tell you a story, about “Righteous Rick”, how he couldn’t find a man who was honest as he was. He said something to God about it one day, and I’ll be if God didn’t send a man who wanted to arrange to pick turnip greens from his garden and pay him later. He was at first cynical, but someone told him, he said, that this man was honest. And so he took a chance and trusted the man to pay later for them, and wouldn’t you know that this man did that very thing? He was so glad that he had found someone else in the world as righteous as he! J

Then Brother Byron went to a book and gave us scriptures to read:

John 13:34-35: a new command to love one another was issued here.

Romans 12:9-10:  to think of one another more highly than we think of ourselves, this was what was discussed.

1 Thessalonians 4:9.

1 John 2:10: He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

1 Peter 1:22:  May your heart be PURE, and love FERVENTLY;

“Thomas, this means, “ Byron puts his hands on his shoulders, “I will honor and prefer you because of who you are.”

Byron then called a man up to the front and declared a covenant with him that Byron would not discuss and involve himself in conversation anything putting this man down, because he loved him. The man replied that he loved Byron, too.

“Love covers a multitude of sins…DO THE WORD!”

Not wanting to add or take away from what transpired, I will bid my readers goodnight, and I hope you all have a good day tomorrow.

Love you all,

Teresa

You may have noticed, I've taken a short hiatus since Sister Sarah blew me away with that teaching on grace! I feel as if I should somehow apologize for not catching on the way I should have before now, but at the same time, I'm just pleased as you are to be living the life of Grace and mercy that Christ has afforded us. I hope this study blesses you, as much as it did me. Thanks to God for all the Pastors who are teaching that the Law of Sin and death has been done away with by the Spirit of Life! Halleluiah! Amen. The Spirit of Life has set me free from the law of sin and death! Amen!

I prefer the newness of life that the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ affords…not the old life of hardship from wrong choices that I have made. I recall those times as being very cold and lonely. And nothing compares to the new life I now have and the new person I am becoming.

This entry is about HOPE.

This hope is eternal, faith given by God both to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ and to believe that God can help me do all things.

I won’t feel helpless, as those who are godless do. I must not groan as unbelievers do, who have no hope for the future. In spite of it all, God has ultimate control and will one day return to make everything right. That’s significant. There are no hopeless situations with God.

Leviticus 26:40-45 God shows that He has mercy upon those with a broken and contrite spirit, and that He will remember His promises to us if we confess our sins and return to him from wherever our sins have scattered us. God is slow to anger and rich in love, determined to help us to grow in any and all situations. God’s goal is to bring about continual growth in us, through every experience, be it hardship or outright blessing. We remain hopeful in suffering to see God’s merciful ways of relating to his people.  

Jeremiah 29:11-13 reinstates God’s love and goodness and holy intention to bless and not to harm us. This means that, even if we go through hardship, suffering, and pain, God will see us through that and bring upon us a Glorious conclusion. 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. 12) Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

When Jairus’ daughter died, the servants came to him and said that he should not trouble Jesus further. But Jesus told him not to fear, only believe. (Mark 5:35-36) Hope and promise is the mind of Christ, not despair, confusion, and hopelessness.

Hope dictates that we have faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. “For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18b) Realize, know, and meditate on the world beyond this, that unseen world in which life goes on forever! Believe, and do not doubt. Terrible illness, persecution and pain can be tolerated more easily if we remember this: that this life is not all that there is. Living in a place without sin and suffering is what awaits every believer, and the knowledge of this can help us live above the hardships of this life.

And so, it is not to placate us, this promise that life hereafter awaits us. It is to help us to endure the suffering that we face in this world.

For this life is only temporary, and that which awaits us is eternal.

Luke 18:35 portrays a beggar sitting by the wayside begging as Jesus passed by. This beggar heard that Jesus was passing by and cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  This man was filled with hope because he knew and had faith that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus healed him because of the beggar’s faith that it could happen. He said, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Faith. That is the substance of things hoped for--hope being to desire something with confident expectation of its fulfillment.

1 Corinthians 15:54-56:

54) When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

55) “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? 56) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”

Hope is all a part of the faith that Jesus, although crucified, rose again on the third day and made it possible for His own to follow Him into life eternal and become heirs to the glorious riches of Heaven!

Satan had seemed victorious at the fall of man in the Garden of Eden and when Jesus was crucified. But Christ won the victory by being obedient unto death on a cross, becoming a curse for us, so that the penalty of sin, which is death, could be paid and we could go free! This selflessness was what defeated the adversary.

Colossians 2:15: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” This is the death and resurrection of Christ: that we as sinners could become children of God by the Power of the Holy Spirit and that His mind could renew us and our once-sinful nature. The old nature was evil, and it was crucified with Christ, the sinless Lamb/Son of God, and now we have a loving nature—not of ourselves, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is called Grace!

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

(Romans 6:5-11) We are united to Christ in both His death and resurrection; therefore we are no longer living a life of sin, but a life of service to God. We must count ourselves alive to God in Christ Jesus but dead to sin. Do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies, but offer yourselves to God as being brought from death to life, shunning evil and letting your bodies be instruments of righteousness.

Because of what Christ did on the cross, we stand “not guilty” before God. Now it is possible to live for Christ and not to be a slave to sin! This is reason for the hope we possess.

Romans 8:19-22

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20) For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21) that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22) We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”

Because salvation is a gift from God, it is not something that is earned! Yes, there must be a choice made on our part. But the divine appointment of our calling was destined by God for us from before the foundations of the earth were ever formed!

Also, the present state of the world need not give us a pessimistic or negative outlook about it; we must have hope for its future glory. The new heaven and new earth that is coming and the new order that will free the world from decay and frustration, sin and death should be exciting to contemplate for all believers! For now, however, our calling is to heal bodies and souls and to fight the effects of sin in the world.

1 Thess. 1:10 teaches those who are persecuted to look forward to the deliverance that is coming for each of them in particular. Life’s perspective is not complete without this hope: the return of Christ to take us Home.

2 Corinthians 5:5 states, “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose” (having what is mortal swallowed up by life) “and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

We now possess eternity inside us! Therefore it is a guarantee that our eternal bodies await us at the resurrection.

(Hence the mortal is made immortal, the corruptible is made incorruptible!)

In verses 6-8 of that same passage, Paul was saying that he was confident to be going to spend forever with Christ. He even went so far as to say that to be absent from this fleshly body is preferable, because then we will be in the presence of the Lord! Great concept, wonderful promise, something for which to look forward.

Read Philippians 3:13-14. It paints a picture of eager hope and expectation, leading to the desire to “press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us, forgetting what is behind, and reaching out to what lies before us. Leave the past behind! God is not concerned with your yesterdays; He is a God of the present and He has your future in mind.

Hebrews 6:11-12 And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end; that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (KJV) Hope is an antidote for boredom or laziness. Train hard, and run well the race that God has set before you!

Revelation 22:20-21

When God makes a promise, you can bank on it. A book of hope, Revelation shows that evil has an end and that God is and always will be in control. It promises a great reward for those who believe God for their salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalms 25:3 “Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed; let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.”

Waiting on the Lord is a past-time of the hopeful. Remember hope as confidence in God’s Word and His promises.

The word hope and similar verses are many in the Word of God; here are some:

Psalms 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Anxiety attacks? Not anymore! God is able, more than able to accomplish what concerns me today, and SO MUCH MORE! When God smiles on us, it is like Manna from heaven! Dejected and blue? Try God! He’s “the quicker-picker-upper.”  

Psalms 62:5 “My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from HIM.”

Put your trust in God alone. “In Christ Alone”, recorded by several artists, (Avalon, Natalie Grant, etc.) is a song that I love very much, and it is true! Also, the old Hymn goes, “I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.”

Psalms 119:74  They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

Anyone who hopes in God’s Word 1) has faith, 2) knows God’s Word, 3) knows the Lord.

Psalms 130:7 “Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.”

Mercy, grace, deliverance, redemption! There’s healing in the name of Jesus, amen? God has laid his hand upon us and has got our backs.  

Psalms 146:5 “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”

Why? Because he knows that He will never fail! Hope in God and contentment in Him are just the beginning of what it’s like to serve the Living God! There’s so much more, and I’m only just scratching the surface, no matter how long I’ve been a Christian. There is no end to His love, and He wants a relationship with you.

Psalms 147:11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Knowing the kind of power, or at least beginning to know it, that power that God possesses and being in awe of it, pleases God. It is essential to have reverence for God in order for us to gain wisdom and understanding. God’s mercy is forever enduring and without it, we would be lost…literally.  

Heb 10:23 (Amp) “So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His Word.

And who is the Word? Jesus! God cannot lie, or change His mind. Titus 1:2 says that God cannot lie. “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”…His Word is irrevocable, and the commands He makes cannot come back to Him void, but will accomplish that thing for which they were meant. Bull’s-eye. Every time.

Heb 6:19 (KJV) “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast….”

THE ANCHOR HOLDS! This is what keeps us centered and steadfast, walking the path and focused on the Lord of Life.  

Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;”

This chapter tells us what we can be doing while we are awaiting Christ’s return, and how to live a Godly life.

1 Thess. 5:8 “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” This is the mindset of those who long to be in Christ’s presence forever. We just want to “Ride with the King”! This helmet and breastplate is part of the armor we should all, as Christians, wear.

I end this blog with the final scripture in Romans 15:13: Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

How to expound on a verse that so succinctly states it that way? God alone is the writer and the author and the creator of this study; I hope I have removed myself far enough from this endeavor to let God’s Words be effective in your life. Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power be to God! Amen.

‘Just a note:

What has ever happened to this year? Time just flies when you’re serving the Lord. It seems just like last week that we celebrated Thanksgiving, and here it is again. We all have so much to be thankful for; we take so much for granted. For instance, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the job we have, the roof over our heads, the food in our fridge, the fridge, the electricity that runs the fridge, etc. It’s all God’s, isn’t it? We get so proud and haughty; we think it’s ours and we did it.

I’m so proud of my husband, Pastor Tom. What an awesome man of God he is. He stepped up to the plate tonight and hit another home run for the Lord. What a privilege it was when he was asked to give the Thanksgiving Sermon in the Choctaw Nation, at Lighthouse Baptist Church. God used him to make us more aware of the blessings that God has given us. But the one thing that stands out most in my mind was when Pastor Tom spoke about the greatest gift any one of us has or could have, and that was the free gift of salvation  because of the work of Jesus Christ.

It was amazing how I watched him thread the needle and weave the yarn as he got everybody in that congregation to understand the gift of salvation and how they stood up in unison, all of them, and said the Sinner’s prayer. Hallelujah! More family members added to the kingdom of God. Let us not forget that it’s really not about us, but it’s about Jesus.

My husband, Thomas, mentioned to me that they wanted him to come back at a future time to deliver the word, again, which, of course, he said he would. It is so powerful, as I sit and watch the movement of the Holy Spirit in this one small church of the Choctaw Nation. I had the wonderful opportunity of singing two of my songs, which ministered to them just before my husband preached. I could see by gazing into my husband’s eyes, how proud he was of me, as I sang unto the Lord. When we walked into that church earlier, it was like we were coming home, for you see, this is not the first time Victory Family Outreach has been asked to come preach at this church. We thank God that he has opened up a door to the Choctaw Nation, to spread the good news about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We are building up friendship and bonds which will never be broken. Pray for us as we do the work of the Lord.

Now moving on…I was at the VA Hospital today, talking with someone in travel pay, and we were belaboring the Thanksgiving Dinners we were all planning to eat tomorrow…some of us even have more than one dinner to attend! We agreed that the inevitable weight gain was on the way and that the New Year’s Resolutions were soon to follow the Holidays, Amen? Once again, we must operate moderation when engaging in the festivities. It’s like the wiles of the enemy; we are familiar with his schemes, and we are certainly familiar with gorging ourselves with all that dressing and familiar fare; we do so every year! And so, I pray for God’s guidance in this; no need to be what my husband calls a “piglet”.

On another note: Amanda, my bestest friend, accompanied me to Jackson today, and we didn’t even get lost! Hallelujah! Now you would think that my years spent city dwelling would make me less intimidated by the traffic and the big city, but NO! I already got “crunched” back in August for easing over a pothole, much to my embarrassment. People look at my great little car and call it a “wreck” now, but it still runs well, and probably always will, God willing.  I have a friend from Church looking for a new left quarter panel to replace the sizable “wrinkle” there. ‘Lost a hubcap, too…what an unfortunate turn of events, ey? But as I said, it’s dependable. I thank God for that car!

I give thanks for this song in my heart, something that was pointed out by a dear friend of mine who knew me “when”. I used to babysit her children when I was eleven years old, and today the children have all grown up and have children all of their own.  Granted, there was a time when I lost that song, but I testify today that God has replaced my sorrow with Joy and my mourning has been turned to laughter.  That’s the great and mighty and wondrous God that I serve, and I’m sure that many of you serve Him, too.

Grace gave me something I didn’t deserve, while mercy held back what I did deserve. That should be said again, even though it’s been said previously in other places of this blog. I am covered by the blood!

I’m thankful for my VA benefits and for the travel I got to do when I was young.  I’m thankful for all the places I’ve seen and for all the good-quality people I know and have known.

I’m thankful that my DAD is 81 and still gets around like a “cat squirrel”, as the neighbor puts it. I pray that I have him around a lot more years; ever the hero, he said to me once, that he would never leave me. I cherish the relationship we have and he makes me smile.

I’m thankful for my Pastor(s) and my church family. I’m thankful for Brother Jack, Sister Karen, Sister Kitty and Brother Byron, Brother Ricky Rogers, Brother Mike and Sister Gail, Brother Bragston, Sister Sherry, Pastor Steve and Sister Julie, Pastors Joe and Carmen, Pastor Frank Medders and Sister Teresa Medders, Sister Theresa Nuncio, and all the rest of the people who have poured their love, correction, and instruction into me and encouraged me and lifted me up in prayer on more than one occasion.

I’m also thankful to all the folks who have donated deer and meat and vegetables, and fruits, and other foods to the Home…folks like Sister Bobby and Brother Tom. They truly are the salt of the earth.  

I’m so very thankful for the excellent wife that my DAD found in Ms Emma.

I’m thankful for the time in history which I live.

I’m so very thankful for my wonderful Lord, Savior, and friend, Jesus Christ! That’s first and foremost.  I’m thankful that God chose to save me…and you, and the multitude that will stand before the Throne of God someday soon and sing a new song, the song of redemption!

I’m thankful for this tool to get our message out to the people about God’s work here in Philadelphia, Miss.

I’m thankful to Jan Cooper, an excellent teacher for Christian Women’s Job Corps, who invited me to become a mentor and give back to the community some of the great wealth I have received of the kingdom of God. Thanks to Mickey, Sandi, Ms. Mary, Ms. Roberta and all the rest! You’re really the best! I’m thankful that Glennis and Edna and Caroline and Kathy all are newly-graduated and ready to take on the world! I’m thankful for what I learned from them.  To be tenacious, dedicated, trusting, faithful, and most of all, to have the love of God inside. They were precious; I felt honored to take part in the program.

I’m thankful that, no matter what the economy does and whether the end comes, God will still be in control and that FAITH will see me through. Now that, I’m deeply thankful for!

I’m so thankful that I have my health; that is hard to recover when lost.

I’m thankful for our Bible studies at the House of Hope every week and for my dear friend, teacher, and fellow blogger, Caroline Hollingsworth, at:  CHOLLINGSWORTHMINISTRIES.ORG  .

I’m so very thankful for the young men that I adopted as my sons for this last two years. They have made me proud and I have grown to love each and every one.  Even those who need to come back and give this program more than lip service.

I am thankful for the Word of God! What a blessing that is, just as Prayer is for me, too.

God is good.

I’m thankful for wholesome programming, and good books, and sobriety. I’m thankful for my stepdaughter, Jaime, and my niece and nephew, Michelle and James. And yes, I’m thankful for Facebook; how else would I keep up with my family and friends?

What are you thankful for today? Is it material? Or tangible, or abstract? Is it spiritual or physical? Or all of the above? Remember God today, as He has given ALL the increase. He defies words; He is WORTHY of our praise and He alone is God; I worship HIM! AMEN.

Good morning, everyone! I’m sitting here, listening to Walt Mills, and it’s 6:10 a.m., Friday. Pastor Tom got me this CD just the other day, and “Oh, there is power in HIS name!” Amen? Our little dog, Chloe, just came out to check on me. The men are still asleep in the men’s quarters, and all is right with the world!

I just contemplate the time I’ve spent writing this blog sometimes and shake my head. It was, at times, God-inspired, and at times, it was “just me”. But at all times, it was joyfully written, knowing that God would give the increase, amen? God is so very good. Thank you to all who have encouraged me and to God, especially, for all the confirmation I receive in response to these “entries”.

As I hear God calling for me to come to Him in prayer, I make a note of last night’s teaching by Sister Sarah Gibson…a wonderful Lady in the Lord. I took the notes you read previously; her teaching was very enlightening! Thanks again, Sister Sarah!

Nicholas, one of our “keepers” here in the Home, helped me to lead the singing at our Bible study last night, a first for both of us. He has a “can-do” attitude and is a young man who has a calling on his life. God has sent people into his life to tell him that he should be a Preacher, and Nick has embraced that concept.

We also just received another young man named Wilson on Tuesday afternoon. Originally, he is from Louisiana. He has already begun to inch himself into our hearts here at VFO. God makes all our troubles but momentary when it comes to our calling here, on 488 and 21 in Philly, and we anticipate more participants in the future that we can help onto the road to recovery from addictions.

The road is scheduled to come through here, someday, and this house may be demolished then, but for now, we’re doing what God has called us to do, and that is to help others to shun evil and do good, glorifying the Father and saving souls. Whatever may happen, God is still in control and He has a plan, of that we can all be sure and all be comforted.

There are so many hurting financially this Christmas season. There is one family looking for a Christmas tree, another lady looking for appropriate clothing in order to attend church and to go to a job interview.  If you can, try to help someone this Christmas season; God will reward you, and you will see smiles of joy and will feel the most heavenly warmth in your heart! For God did not intend for us to “hoard” all that we have been blessed with; if you have two of anything, it probably means that we should share (this advice from Bro Ricky Rogers, a minister of the Gospel we hear here in Chapel service on some Fridays @ 7:30)!

What a humbling experience it has been, this last few months, to have a Godly calling and to have it begin to build up…God alone can make it possible for me to do all that He is wanting to do. I think that the thing that we should guard against is that temptation to believe that we are to please the folks in our lives, and not the Great and Mighty God who provides everything we need to do HIS WILL! If we get lost in the expectations of others, we cannot possibly run, without God’s Supernatural power, the race He has set before us. So how do we succumb to that Power? Through prayer and the reading of the Word, causing the renewing of our minds, which will enable us to understand what our calling is…and what to refuse to worry about when it comes to tomorrow! And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will then be ours.

It’s like the tithing principle. If you are faithful, and do that simple thing, (be faithful in the small things) God will supernaturally stretch and multiply your finances! God also does that in the areas of our obedience to His Will and our tasks to those He has assigned such an honor! It is an HONOR to serve God, just as it was an honor to serve my Country…only this time, it stores up heavenly rewards, those that last throughout all eternity!

The men are helping two ministries today, before they come home to set up for Chapel services tonight. Today will be a busy day for them. They truly deserve a good Christmas, and this is the reason God revealed to me that I began this blog. I am requesting your help in giving our three men a memorable one. If you have any gifts to give, please send them to our Home at 15071 Hwy 488, Philadelphia, Miss. 39350, and if you would like to make a donation, please send it per PayPal on the “Needs of the Home” page in this Website. It is secure and an accepted way to give during this special time in the lives of these men, who are finally getting a look at the beauty and the kindness of Jesus Christ. God will surely reward those who help those who cannot repay the favor, amen? This is just a Godly principle that many have discovered and can attest to.

Well, the door downstairs slammed about thirty minutes ago, and Pastor Tom is up and ready to go. It’s seven o’clock; it’s a rarity for him to get up at this “late” hour…he got some rest, for once!  He gives me a “peck” and he’s gone to be with the men downstairs; another day at VFO. God bless you all, and Merry Christmas!

Teresa R.

There have been a lot of books written about GRACE.  “Chrislam” is a new Religion, combining Christ’s message with Islam, ALL in the SAME church! It is not good to water down the message of the Cross!

Grace does not allow or condone sin; too many are saying that their errant behavior is all under Grace. Grace is not a wink from God about the sins that you commit; it is God’s influence on our lives. It is the undeserved favor of God, Merciful God that He is, keeping from us the punishment for sin that we deserve, giving us the wondrous gifts we don’t deserve.

Paul was misinterpreted as having believed that very thing; in Romans 6, God said through him, 1) “What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2)  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

This chapter speaks of the deliverance from sin, not the overlooking of it.

John 1:16 speaks of the gifts that God has poured out upon us. “And the fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” The Amplified puts the same verse this way: For out of his fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and we were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.” Is this not marvelous?

Ephesians 2 refers also to “A Gift of God.” Verse 5: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved 6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7) That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

Some things GRACE is/and/Is NOT:

Grace can be insulted: Hebrews 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace?

Grace can be given in vain: 2 Corinthians 6:1 WE THEN, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

We are called into Grace: Galatians 1:15 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my Mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16) to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood,”…

Grace can be frustrated: Galatians 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

We can fall from Grace: Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

Grace can be rejected: Luke 11: 20 “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” (This was spoken by Jesus when he realized the thoughts of the Pharisees that Jesus was casting out demons by the authority of Beelzebub.) In this instance, they rejected the Grace of God which was in their midst.

We can GROW in Grace: 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

We can stand on Grace (which could also be evidenced in 2 Peter and other places in the Holy Word.)  

Sometimes we fall short of Grace. Romans 2:1 “”Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest does the same things.”  

Romans 4:16: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.” This is why God chose the Way of Faith!

Grace is too big, too wonderful to describe; we can only receive by faith what is given by GRACE. We need to learn to GROW in Grace.

Let us DEFINE Grace:

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” Whatever you are in need of, Grace can supply. And God will supply it!

If someone asks you to do something, and you say, “I can’t do it!” that springs from PRIDE; you are thinking about your own ability to do something and not depending upon the GRACE of God to carry you safely through the task for which you are called. (That is faithless)  

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” God makes every provision for us to complete our every work for which we are called!

Our weakness is something that God can work with, for in 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul is speaking with God about a thorn in the flesh that he has: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

How much grace we receive and how fast we receive it is our responsibility.

Delight in lovingkindnesses…you can have so much grace, and abundance of it, that you are bent over from carrying it! God will make all your life fully provided for, and you will lack nothing, if you accept his grace through faith. We are supposed to have both earthly and financial grace, too!

…don’t show grace to people who think that they deserve it…this is pride, which goeth before a fall.

But God is able to bless with a LARGE amount of Grace: 1 Chronicles 29: 12:  “Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”  AMEN?

I repeat this scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work;”…

Any power or ability from God is part of His GRACE. He is also showing power and dominion, which are part of His GRACE.

Don’t trust in your own weakness; this is pride.

How to describe the difference between faith and Grace? If I told you that the door in the room which you sit is called faith, I would have to tell you that GRACE is the room that door accesses! You have to go through the door of faith to access the ROOM of Grace.

When people tell you that you are sick because of your sins (just as they tried to accuse Job), remember that it was due to one man’s sin that sickness came into the world: Adam. Grace’s influence is greater, however, than the sin of ADAM. God’s Grace is greater, because of what Christ has done.

Romans 5:1 : "Therefore Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

GRACE is GREATER than all my SIN!

Let us not be ignorant of our spiritual gifts. Receive an abundance of GRACE.

It is not us who labor, but God’s GRACE within us. Let God do the work; you can’t stop doing all your bad habits and sins on your own, it has to happen SUPERNATURALLY. Let go, Let God.

This lesson was given by a dear lady in the Lord, an ordained Minister, Sister Sarah Gibson, of Meridian, Miss. This message enlightened us at VFO and we left encouraged, as always; Sister Sarah is truly anointed and I just wanted to say, “Thank You” for taking the time to teach us this valuable principle about GRACE; my faith, as well as the men’s, were strengthened. … Love to all of you who read this blog, Amen.