Sunday, November 20, 2016

How to Have A Blessed Sunday

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"Let us not negliect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near" Hebrews 10:25.

For many people, Sunday is their only day to sleep in, do yardwork, watch sports on television, do housework, or simply relax by the grill with family and friends. They guard their one special day with their lives, and even the "gates of hell" can not prevent them from their self-appointed assignments. For them, church is not a mandate. It's an option, if at all, that often falls near the bottom on their list of things to do. They call it a blessed Sunday when the sun sets and they can sleep with their tasks complete.

And then there are the "bedside baptists," the people who feel they need God, but not the church and its "sanctified" traditions. They would rather spend Sundays perched in front of the television watching church on the cable stations, or by listening to it on the radio. They would rather "claim their blessing" by "sowing a seed" into a ministry in another state rather than drop a dollar in the offering plate at their local church. Without a "Holy hug" nor handshake, nor a "Good Morning! Good to see you," they call it a blessed Sunday when the credits roll on their favorite televangelist or gospel show and they have "experienced God" alone, all by themselves.

These two groups of people are missing the real blessing that Sundays bring. A blessed Sunday is one that involves fellowship with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 tells us worshipping and fellowshipping together is not an option, but a mandate. *Here are four reasons Christians should make it a habit of fellowshipping together every Sunday:
  1. Fellowship provides encouragement and love. Being in the presence of other believers can encourge us to live for Christ, as well as give us a sense of belonging and acceptance that we don't receive from the world.
  2. Fellowship allows us to learn from spiritually mature Christians.  In the biblical account of the early church, we are told how the apostle Paul's friends, Priscilla and Aquila, took time to help another believer learn more about Jesus (see Acts 18:26). Likewise, younger Christians in the church today  have the opportunity to gain spiritual wisdom and insight from more mature Christians.
  3. Fellowship helps us discern false teachings.  The Bible warns of false teachers and teachings, to which the young and immature believer are especially susceptible because their lack spiritual understanding. A healthy, Bible-teaching chuch will encourage new believers in their growth and help them discern truth from error.
  4. Fellowship prepares us for Christ's return.  As the day for Christ's return comes closer, we need to help each other through difficult times and to keep our problems in perspective. We also need to encourage each other to live holy lives and to share God's Good News with others in the time that remains. God wants the body of Christ to stand out and be a light in these dark and evil days.
These are just four reasons to assemble together with other believers on Sundays. Also, God tells us in the Ten Commandments to honor the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. God tells us to seek first His Kingdom. Regardless of whether you or a Saturday or Sunday worshipper, the point is we are called to worship and fellowship together. There are no lone ranger Christians. Have a blessed Sunday this Sunday. If you have strayed away from Christian fellowship, step out on faith and begin again. Find a healthy, Bible-believing church and attend. Do it, not for the preacher, nor for the choir, nor for your family and friends. Do it out of obedience to God, because it is how to have a blessed Sunday.

*4 reasons found in New Believer's Bible, first steps for new Christians, New Living Translation., page 1119.

Check out the Jesus Saves Social Network  for more ways to fellowship with a community of believers.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Get A Grip! The Bible Will Improve Your Life!

By:  Angela Lee Price

Is your life spinning out of control?  Get a grip!  That's right.  I said get a grip...on the Bible, of course!  It will improve your life!
Sometimes we get careless, and we become prayerless. There are four causes of prayerlessness, overestimating ourselves (pride); underestimating God (unbelief); overestimating its difficulty (ignorance); and underestimating its value (time). When we are prayerless, the devil distorts situations and cause us to get anxious and become sidetracked.
When we get a grip on the Bible, we can remind God of His promises. God, you said in your word, "No weapon formed asked me shall prosper" Isaiah 54:17. God, you said in your word, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" Hebrews 13:5.
When we get a grip on the Bible, we can remind God of different stories in Bible and how He fought battles for His people. You can remind him of how He rescued the three Hebrew boys from the fiery furnace, and Daniel from the lions den. You can remind Him of how he delivered Israel from capitivity, and how Jesus quieted the raging storm, saying "Peace. Be still." If He did it for them, He can do it for you.

When we get a grip on the Bible, the Holy Spirit will bring scriptures to our remembrance in times of trouble to counter the fiery darts of the enemy, like Philippians 4:6-7: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." And Isaiah 26:3, "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You."

Here's How to Get a Grip on your Bible:
Pinky Finger - Hear
Ring Finger - Read
Middle Finger - Study
Index Finger - Memorize
Thumb - Apply
Palm (Center of hand) - Bible
Listen to the Word of God daily, read it, study it, memorize it, and apply it to your life. Keep the Bible in your hands. Get a grip on the Bible and see won't it strengthen your relationship with God, improve your life, especially your prayer life!

Monday, November 07, 2016

I Won't Complain!

By: Angela Lee Price

This is an awesome attitude of gratitude! Have you ever noticed how ungrateful people have a way of seeing the negative in every situation, of seeing the picture half empty instead of half full? They complain because they feel people owe them something, or because they perceive that other people have done them wrong. However, the psalmist has assessed his/her life's situation, “When I look around and think things over,..." Looking around and thinking things over causes us to not be so self-centered. In doing so, the psalmist arrived at a final tally that is in the black. That is, it is to the good. Notice I didn't say it is good, but it is to the good, "My good days outweigh my bad days." In other words, the psalmist is saying when I add it all up, God is still with me. When I look around, I see what other people are going through. My situation is not so bad. Yes, I have had some bad days. To be honest, we all know at least a few people who have had a lot of bad days. However, God was faithful, even in prolonged suffering and hardship. God was faithful, even when we were unfaithful. Through it all, He made good on His promise, for the Lord said in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." Remember, you plus God equals the majority. So, regardless of what we have gone through, like the psalmist, we should say, “Thank you, LORD.” You should sing everyday, and at Thanksgiving, "I won't complain."

Friday, November 04, 2016

Put Your Weight On God

"Trust in the the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths"  (Proverbs 3:5-6.)
Do you have a weight problem?  If the answer is yes, then put your weight on  God! I have discovered that God knows what He's doing at all times, in times of extreme illness, chronic health challenges, even obesity. When we sit in a chair, we just sit down in it. We place our whole weight in the chair without giving it a second thought. We trust that the chair will hold our weight. Likewise, we should trust God to hold our weight, carry our burdens and our problems without second guessing His ability to do so.
When we lean, we place part of our weight on God and part of it on ourselves, someone else, or something else. This causes us to worry, snack and eat all the wrong foods.  This prolongs our ability to get lean and lose weight. This proverb teaches us to "lean not on our own understanding." We should not lean, for example, on ungodly weight loss plans and surgeries that could potentially leave us in worst shape than we were in the beginning.  We should lean not on drugs and appetite suppressants that could potentially leave us jittery and cause us to become addicted to them.  We should lean not on quick fixes to cure what it took, in most cases, years to create.   
God may not give you a quick fix to your weight problem, but He will give you a certain promise.  God promises to "direct our paths" when we acknowledge Him "in all our ways."  In acknowledging God and walking in His paths, you might discover it's not what you're eating that's your biggest problem, it's what's eating you!  While you wait on God, put your weight on God. Trust in Him fully. He will carry you through!
If you are trying to lose weight right now, how are you putting your weight on God? 

Jesus Saves Ministries One Can Make A Difference Food Drive Underway

Jesus Saves Ministries and The Life Conference Suite are accepting donations for our fourth annual Thanksgiving Hope Basket distribution November 18th & 21st. Our goal is to provide a Hope Food Basket with turkey to 30-40 families.
Due to support from Dare to Care this year, we are asking specifically for the following food items:
Stuffing/dressing mix,
Jars of turkey gravy or chicken gravy,
Elbow macaroni,
Cornbread mix,
Cake mix/desserts,
Icing.

 Here's How You Can Help: 
  1. Pray for the Lord's will to be done through this initiative.
  2. Bring donations to our office at The Life Conference Suite, 2001 W. Broadway, Suite 10, Louisville, KY, Monday-Friday, 10A-5P. 
  3. Provide names of person(s) who need assistance.
  4. Volunteer to help pack the basket on Friday, November 18th or Monday, November 21st​. 
Thank you for helping to bring hope to families in need in Louisville, KY.

Related Posts:
Jesus Saves Ministries Partners to Feed Seven Families At Thanksgiving

Jesus Saves Ministries One Can Make A Difference Food Drive Underway

Jesus Saves Ministries and The Life Conference Suite are accepting donations for our fourth annual Thanksgiving Hope Basket distribution November 18th & 21st. Our goal is to provide a Hope Food Basket with turkey to 30-40 families.
Due to support from Dare to Care this year, we are asking specifically for the following food items:
Stuffing/dressing mix,
Jars of turkey gravy or chicken gravy,
Elbow macaroni,
Cornbread mix,
Cake mix/desserts,
Icing.

 Here's How You Can Help: 
  1. Pray for the Lord's will to be done through this initiative.
  2. Bring donations to our office at The Life Conference Suite, 2001 W. Broadway, Suite 10, Louisville, KY, Monday-Friday, 10A-5P. 
  3. Provide names of person(s) who need assistance.
  4. Volunteer to help pack the basket on Friday, November 18th or Monday, November 21st​. 
Thank you for helping to bring hope to families in need in Louisville, KY.

Related Posts:
Jesus Saves Ministries Partners to Feed Seven Families At Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 02, 2016

Are You The One?

By: Angela Lee Price
Have you ever heard people say "thank you" insincerely, only because it was the politically correct thing to say, or simply as a way to end a conversation as if to say, "that's all, goodbye!," "you may go," or "you're dismissed"? There is a difference between worldly thanks and Godly thanks. With worldly thanks, what is said is not what is meant. With worldly thanks, there is no sincere "holler up" to God as the provider of all things, and neither is there "follow up" with actions commensurate with the sincerity of our hearts. Jesus healed ten lepers, but only the one, a foreigner, a Samaritan, returned to say thank you. Jesus asked the whereabouts of the other nine, and then told the one, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well" (Luke 17: 11-18). Don't miss the blessing of giving thanks. When praises go up, blessings come down! All ten lepers were cleansed, but only the one was cleansed and made well. As believers, we should be thankful to God not just at Thanksgiving, but at all times. The Bible says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:18 NIV). The Bible declares, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from the hand of the enemy" (Psalms 107:1-2). And Hebrews, 12:28 states, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" Are you the one offering Godly thanks, "follow up" to your "holler up"? God is good! Jesus saves!

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