Thursday, May 30, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
TOMORROW'S MEMORIES WILL BE MADE TODAY.
This is MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, a national holiday that began to honor those who suffered and died in the tragic war between the States. Over the years the significance of the day has grown to not only honor the war-dead, but to also remember loved ones who have passed from this world to the next.
It is important that we pause to REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE.
Too often we live detached lives. Some think that there is nothing to be learned from the previous generation. (That’s arrogance). Some seem to be afraid of displays of emotion. (That’s pride or insensitivity.) Some are so selfish that they simply refuse to look at anyone but themselves. (That’s narcisism).
It is important that we remember that TOMORROW’S MEMORIES WILL BE MADE TODAY! How we will be remembered is in our hands.
Are we builders… Or are we a demolition crew…
Are we encouragers… Or are we discouragers…
Are we faithful… Or are we unfaithful…
Are we lovers… Or are we haters…
Are we hopeful… Or are we those who despair…
Are we lifters… Or are we downers…
Are we workers… Or are we lazy…
Are we thinkers… Or are we feel-ers…
Are we spiritual… Or are we sensual…
Are we self-controlled Or are we out of control...
Are we lovers... Or are we haters...
Are we forgivers... Or are we grudgeholders...
Are we lovers... Or are we haters...
Are we forgivers... Or are we grudgeholders...
Are we Spirit-driven Or are we Purpose-driven...
Are we Christ’s… Or are we Satan’s...
Finally, if you’re like me, there are memories you wish with all your heart you could erase from the record. Men may or may not allow that. But GOD is gracious. Ultimately how we will be remembered is determined by the set of the sail--the sail of our soul. We remember King David's immorality but God remembered him as "a man after God's own heart." How is that possible?
It is possible because, David was not rebellious, nor was he self-righteous when confronted with his sin. David was a repenter!
To those who repent of their sin, He washes away the guilt, the presence, and the power of sin!
Hallelujah! WHAT A SAVIOR!
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER!
RAVENHILL – PENTECOST or
HOLOCAUST
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in
all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
1. CONVICTING, CONVINCING POWER
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
2. CONVERTING POWER
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:
3. SAVING POWER
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek
4. DELIVERING POWER
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
5. WITNESSING POWER
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus:
and great grace was upon them all.
6. PROFESSING & POSSESSING
POWER
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
7. INDWELLING POWER
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency
of the power may be of God, and not of
us.
8. SUSTAINING POWER
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, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them
that have no might he increaseth strength.
9. EXCEEDING POWER
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
10. OVERCOMING POWER
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
11. GENUINE & AUTHENTIC POWER
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn
away.
12. KEEPING POWER
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time.
SOMETHING WITHIN!
All
that I know
I thank my God
I've got something within me
Something with me, Lord
That holdeth the reins
Something within me
That banishes pain
Something within me, Lord
That I can't explain
All I know I thank my God
I've got something within me
I thank my God
I've got something within me
Something with me, Lord
That holdeth the reins
Something within me
That banishes pain
Something within me, Lord
That I can't explain
All I know I thank my God
I've got something within me
IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT - PENTECOST 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN8mFMOWtZI
THIS
SUNDAY IS PENTECOST SUNDAY!
-It’s been 50 days since
RESURRECTION SUNDAY.
-It’s been 10 days since
ASCENSION DAY. (The day Christ returned to heaven and promising to come again.)
It was on
PENTECOST that THE DISCIPLES WERE FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
JOHN
the BAPTIST proclaimed, “I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am
not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with
fire.”
JESUS said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit.” (John 3:5,6)
JESUS
invited those who were thirsting for more,
“If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink.38 He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.39 (But
this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive:
for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified.) (John
7:37-39)
JESUS
promised, “I
will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;17 Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in
you. (John 14:16,17)
JESUS
breathed on his disciples and said, “RECEIVE
YE THE HOLY GHOST!” (John 20:22)
THE
HOLY SPIRIT IS SO ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION THAT THE BIBLE PLAINLY SAYS, “IF ANY
MAN HAS NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE IS NONE OF HIS!”
(Romans 8:9)
FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH –
2969 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St. Ann, MO 63074 – Pastor Rick Jones – Tel. (314)
607-1424
OH
HOW WE NEED A FRESH OUTPOURING, AND INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
It
is the SPIRIT who invites us to God. (Revelation 22:17)
It
is the SPIRIT who convicts and convinces sinners of their sin. (John 16:8)
It
is the SPIRIT who breathes spiritual life into those who are dead in sin. (John
6:63, Romans 8:10).
It
is the SPIRIT who empowers the believer over sin. (Romans 8:6)
It
is the SPIRIT who enables the believer to witness. (Acts 1:8)
It
is the SPIRIT who fills our hearts with love. (2 Timothy 1:7)
It
is the SPIRIT who comforts us in all our trials. (John 14:16)
It
is the SPIRIT who teaches us. (John 14:26)
It
is the SPIRIT who guides us. (Romans 8:14)
It
is the SPIRIT who makes us disciples—disciplined (2 Timothy 1:7)
It
is the SPIRIT who bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of
God. (Romans 8:16)
It
is the SPIRIT who gifts God’s people to do God’s Work. (1 Corinthians 12:4)
It
is the SPIRIT who graces God’s people to walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22).
It
is the SPIRIT who sanctifies, and purifies the heart. (2 Corinthians 2:13, 1
Peter 1:2)
It
is the SPIRIT who hallows worship. (John 4:23)
It is the SPIRIT THAT IS
THE VITAL NEED OF EVERY BELIEVER, EVERY FAMILY, and FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH!
Come
with an open heart!
Come
with a hungry heart!
Come
praying for a mighty outpouring of God’s Spirit!
Come
with a determined heart!
Come
with a willing heart!
Come
with a yielded heart!
Come
with a longing heart!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
CHRISTIANITY IS A RELATIONSHIP
|
S
|
WATCH THIS TWO MINUTE MESSAGE:
CHRISTIANITY IS A RELATIONSHIP
INCERE
CHRISTIANS all agree…Real Christianity is Personal—We personally know Christ
and He knows us.
Real
Christianity is Relational—We walk with Christ and He walks with us
And
Real Christianity is Unconditional—The Lord loves us unconditionally and we
love Him unconditionally.
So
then what is the point of all the specific instructions God lays out in His
Word? If Christianity is personal,
relational, and unconditional—why bother with particulars?
Why
did God bother to give Moses the Big 10?
“Thou shalt
have no other Gods…Thou shalt not lie…”
Exodus 20
Why
were the Prophets so passionate about obeying God?
“To obey is
better than sacrifice” 1 Samuel 15:22
Why
was Jesus so definite in His teaching?
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it
is that loveth me:” John 14:21
Why
were the Apostles so explicit in their preaching and teaching and writings?
“The unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God…” 1 Cor. 6:9
Hi,
I’m Pastor Rick Jones, and I have about a TWO MINUTE MESSAGE I’d like for you
to think about.
It
is true that Christianity is essentially a personal loving relationship with
God through Christ, but it is not true that I alone decide if there will be a
relationship, nor is it true that I alone define the nature of my relationship
with God.
AGREEMENT
IS THE BASIS OF THIS RELATIONSHIP
In
order for there to be a real relationship there must be a willing agreement—God
and I must agree to be in this relationship.
If I do not agree to be in relationship with Him, then there can be no
relationship. If He does not agree to be
in relationship with me, then there can be no relationship. (By the way, If
there had been no Savior, we can be sure that God would never have agreed to be
in relationship with sinners.)
OBEDIENCE
IS THE EVIDENCE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP
The
proof that I want to be in a relationship with God is my willingness to agree
with God.
The
man who said, “I want to be in relationship with you God, but if you ask me to
sell my stuff and give the money to poor people, I’m walking” …ended up walking
away. God wants to be our first and only love.
Christ
really wants to have a relationship with us, but He insists upon defining that
relationship. It has to be on His terms.
And
there’s a reason for that. Fallen men,
all of us who have sinned, need FORM—specific instructions—in order to see, to
understand, and to do what is right. Sin
dims our sight, dulls our moral sense, and diminishes our will to do right.
FORM
not only shows us what GOD WILLS for us to do, it also shows us what is in our
WILL—do we resist or receive the FORM as God revealed it in His Word?
LOVE
IS THE BOND OF RELATIONSHIP
If
your lover were to say to you, “I love you so much dear! I would climb the
highest mountain! I would swim the
deepest ocean! I would cross the hottest
desert for you… but honey I’ve got to take care of myself first,” you’d have
good reason to doubt the depth or the sincerity of their love.
JESUS
said I love you so much dear, I would die for you! And HE did.
Would
we say to Jesus, “I love you so much, I would die for you?” or how about this,
“I love you so much, I would live for you?”
Christianity
is a relationship, but it is not a relationship of equals. Christ is Lord, I am His loyal servant. God is Father, I am His child.
PRAY,
GOD I LONG FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. I
KNOW THAT I HAVE SINNED AND I ASK YOU, IN JESUS NAME, TO FORGIVE ME, AND GIVE ME
YOUR SPIRIT, THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND HOLINESS. HELP ME LORD TO WALK IN YOUR WILL AND IN YOUR LOVE
THE REST OF MY LIFE. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT - GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
This evening's Hymn is my Mother's favorite. Drawn from Jeremiah's Lamentations 3:21-23
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_0jhcP1QvQ
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_0jhcP1QvQ
Thursday, May 9, 2013
TWO MINUTE MESSAGE - DOES GOD LOVES ME JUST THE WAY I AM?
WATCH THE TWO MINUTE MESSAGE HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfH-nt4ZIFM
Have
you ever heard someone say “God loves me just the way I am.”
Is
that true?
HI
I’M PASTOR RICK JONES and I have about a TWO MINUTE MESSAGE for you to think
about.
Someone
once told me, “God made me this way so He must love me this way” Is that true?
Does
God love the brothers who bombed the Boston Marathon?—just the way they are?
Does God love people who break their promises, who live only to please themselves, and who could care less about other people?
The
Bible tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” We read, “God demonstrated His love to us in
that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us…”
SO
GOD’S love is not based on what we have done—good or bad—
It
is not based on how important we are—
It
is not based on our income—
It
is not based on where we live—
It’s
not based on who we are related to—
GOD’S
LOVE FOR US IS BASED ON WHO WE ARE—HIS CREATION. He breathed life into us, and He loves
us! Our DNA was designed by Him, is
held together by Him, and is highly valued by Him!
AND
THINK OF THIS…THOUGH WE HAVE IGNORED HIM, EXCLUDED HIM, DENIED HIM, AND
DISHONORED HIM, HE STILL LOVES US.
That’s amazing love.
GOD’S
LOVE IS LOADED WITH BENEFITS! HE WANTS
TO SHOWER US WITH THE BLESSINGS OF HIS LOVE BUT that can only happen when we
reciprocate--or return His love. A man
may love a woman, do all that he can to show her that he cares and that he will
be loyal to her, but unless she reciprocates—returns his love, there can be no
relationship.
IT
IS WHEN WE DO RESPOND TO HIS LOVE, and WHEN WE RECIPROCATE HIS LOVE, that a
wonderful thing happens—we begin a loving relationship with God Himself!
Here’s
how the Bible puts it, “God is love; and he that abides in love abides in
God, and God in him.”
SO
PRAY, AND TELL GOD THAT YOU ARE SORRY THAT YOU HAVE IGNORED AND EXCLUDED
HIM. ASK HIM TO FORGIVE YOU AND TO LIVE
IN YOU. IN JESUS NAME.”
AND
THEN…GET READY FOR A LIFE-CHANGING RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CREATOR! Because —WHILE
GOD LOVES US JUST THE WAY WE ARE, HE LOVES US FAR TOO MUCH TO LEAVE US AS WE
ARE. Remember He knows what we could be, and what
we ought to be… He made us!
The
dishonest become honest,
The
dissatisfied become satisfied,
The
unfaithful become faithful,
The
self-centered become Christ centered,
The
unholy become holy, and the
TWO MINUTE MESSAGE - THE HEART OF THE MATTER
WATCH THE TWO MINUTE MESSAGE HERE:
The
Bible says , “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” If God really does love the world, if He
loves everyone who has ever lived, If He loves all who are living, and He loves
all are going to live, then why is it that not everyone goes to heaven?
I
HAVE ABOUT A TWO MINUTE MESSAGE I’d like you to think about. Hi, I’m Pastor Rick Jones.
To
get to heaven, to be saved, we must believe the truth.
We
have to believe The truth about ourselves (I’m a sinner in need of a Savior) and
we have to believe God’s Truth—Jesus!
I
think it’s interesting to see how many people say that that believe “in Jesus”
but they don’t believe Jesus!
They
say, Oh yes, I believe Jesus…but that doesn’t mean I have to forgive everyone…
Well, yes actually it does!
Jesus
said, forgive one another… in fact taught us to pray, “Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who’ve trespassed against us!”
SO
IF YOU’RE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN JESUS, the historical facts about Jesus, BUT
YOU’RE FINDING IT HARD TO BELIEVE JESUS, to really believe that those hard
things—forgiveness, going the extra mile, humility, moral purity, being willing
to suffer and sacrifice for Him—are so important, I think I know why.
I
THINK THAT AT THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM IS—OUR LOVE.
If
we really loved Christ, we would love to do His will—to please Him.
When
a man loves a woman he loves to please her.
When a woman loves a man, she loves to please him. When a man or a woman loves God, they love to
please HIM!
If
we don’t desire to please God then we don’t love Him. And if we don’t love Him are not His.
I’m
not saying that our love for Christ will be immediately perfect. God wants to
perfect our love and because we love Him we want Him to perfect our love.
But
I am saying that that our love for Christ must be, even at the beginning, pure!
Jesus
said, that the first and great commandment is, Love the Lord with all your
heart soul mind and strength. He said
the second commandment is Love your neighbor as yourself. Love.
Love.
If
you’re having troubles believing Jesus, that’s not a matter of the mind, that’s
a matter of the heart.
PRAY,
GOD, I THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME. YOU KNOW
MY HEART BETTER THAN I KNOW MY HEART.
FORGIVE ME FOR NOT LOVING YOU AS I OUGHT
TWO MINUTE MESSAGE - FREE TO LOVE
WATCH THE TWO MINUTE MESSAGE HERE:
Everyday
we hear someone saying, “I should be free to love who I want to love, anyway I
want to love, and anytime I want to love them .”
I
HAVE A THREE MINUTE MESSSAGE I’d like
you to think about. Hi, I’m Pastor Rick Jones, Faith Community
Church, St. Louis.
We
often hear people saying that as Americans they should be free to love who they
choose to love. The truth is, that is
not uniquely American—that’s Human! We
are all free moral agents, gifted by our Creator with freewill. We are free to
love who we choose to love. There’s no
arguing that point.
So
if God made us free to love who we choose to love, does God care who we love? I
mean He created us all. So why would he
care who we love?
It
turns out that who we love defines who we are.
The
first and greatest of God’s commandments is, “ “Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Godly people love
God. Worldly people love the world. Sensual people love pleasure. Materialists love things. Prideful people love themselves.
LOVE DEFINES US.
LOVE DETERMINES US…
HOW JOYFUL WE ARE.
If we love people more
than God we will be, sooner or later, disappointed. If we love things more than God we will be
sooner or later dissatisfied. If we love
pleasure more than God we will be tormented by our insatiable cravings. Some loves are fatal attractions!
Simply because we have
a attraction to a particular person or experience or possession does not mean
that we should love that person, or experience, or possession.
Love and Lust are not the same. Love is spiritual, self-less, and eternal. Lust is physical, selfish, and temporal.
Finally, LOVE DECIDES
OUR DESTINY.
Scriptures teach us that
while we are free to love who or what we want to love, we are not free to
determine the consequence of our choice.
I may chose to love myself more than I love God, but when I stand before
the Lord, He will say “depart from me.”
To those who chose to love Him, He will say, “enter into the joys of the
Lord.”
You know, whether or
not we make it to heaven is not determined by God’s love—that’s a settled
fact—God loves the world. Our destiny
hinges on this question, “Do we love God?”
TWO MINUTE MESSAGE - MAY 8 2013 - SPIRITUAL ENERGY
WATCH THE TWO MINUTE MESSAGE HERE:
The
power to move an object, or the capacity to do work—is called ENERGY! ENERGY may be electrical or mechanical, nuclear
or kinetic—but you can be sure of this—WITHOUT ENERGY NO WORK IS ACCOMPLISHED. Energy is invisible—but the effects of energy
are seen throughout our world and our universe.
IF
ENERGY is what we call the power that moves the PHYSICAL UNIVERSE, what might
we call the power that moves the SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE?
HI,
I’M PASTOR RICK JONES, and I have about a 2 Minute Message for you to think
about.
Christians
believe that God made the universe.
Materialists believe that the universe made God.
We
believe God made everything—not that God is everything.
We
believe God holds everything—and that He upholds everything—
We
believe God is present in time—and that He was present before time, and that He
will be present after time.
We believe that the seen and the unseen
universe—the physical and the spiritual universe—are ordered by God.
Just
as the Physical universe operates according to the laws of physics, the
Spiritual universe operates according to Spiritual laws.
The
Bible teaches us that “Things that are seen are temporary… things not seen are
eternal…” That means that Spiritual
universals are more permanent than the physical universe.
If
it is energy that moves the physical universe IS THERE A FORCE OR ENERGY that
moves the spiritual universe? THERE IS.
It
is the force that moved God to create humanity and then re-create lost
humanity…
It is the force that brought Christ to earth, moved Christ’s compassion, and held Christ to the Cross.
It is the force that compelled the Apostles to sacrificially give their lives for the spread of the Gospel…
It
is the force that compels God’s people to “go the extra mile” to “return good
for evil,” to “sacrifice willingly to help” and to “joyfully honor and obey
God.”
THE
“ENERGY” OF THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE IS LOVE.
This
energy… this force … this love is INFINITE,
This love is SPIRITUAL not sensual
This
love is SELF-LESS not selfish
This
love is LOYAL not
WHEN
GODLY LOVE ENERGIZES—OR IS IMPARTED TO US—WE ARE WHOLE AND HOLY!
WHEN
GODLY LOVE ENERGIZES, We find the
POWER
to do what we ought to DO
WISDOM
to think as we ought to THINK, and
WILL
to BE as we ought to BE!
GOD
LOVES YOU!
OPEN
YOUR HEART TO HIS LOVE…
HE
LOVES YOU AS YOU ARE, BUT HE LOVES YOU FAR TOO MUCH TO LEAVE YOU AS YOU ARE.
PRAY,
LORD GOD, FORGIVE ME FOR NEGLECTING AND
REJECTING YOUR LOVE… I AM SO THANKFUL YOU LOVE ME AND THAT YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN
UP ON ME. I PRAY THAT YOUR LOVE WOULD
FILL MY HEART, AS I YIELD MY WILL TO YOUR WILL.
I PRAY THAT I WILL ACT, AND THINK, AND LIVEK ENERGIZED BY YOUR GREAT
LOVE. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)