On Family Sunday so much occurred. Youngers were on the worship team; Pastor Michel and Aiden Anselmo made the announcements; and Pastor Josiah presented Intentional 21.
What is Intentional 21? It is a focus on our spiritual health. Usually we as a church community practice the Daniel Fast. However, this year Pastor Josiah asked us to ask the LORD what we should fast. Should we limit our television time? Should we stop being on Facebook, Twitter, and/or TikTok? Should we limit our eating to what Daniel ate? What would help each of us reflect on our powerful, sovereign, loving Father; our Lord Jesus Christ; and the Paraclete the Holy Spirit? Please, LORD, show us the way, and may we decide each day to engage in growing closer to You. Intentional 21 will begin January 7th until January 28th.
Pastor Josiah also recapped about Jesus:
**He remained in communion with the Father.
**He followed what He heard the Father guiding Him to do
**He walked out life with His disciples.
**He modeled the Kingdom of God lifestyle.
In other words, Jesus was in union with the Father; He was obedient to the Father; Jesus lived life with His disciples; and finally He walked out the Word. From the LORD, we learn how to be more than a Sunday service believer. For us to grow, we need to be in constant contact with the Father, obey Him, live in community, and meld His message with our actions. Thus, the mission is Culture Like Christ; by the way culture is both a noun and a verb.
Building on the mission, Pastor Josiah established that “Faith Chapel’s vision is very simple yet powerfully deep.” “The vision is JESUS.” That period is intentional and powerful. Revelation 22:18-19a states
“And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the prophetic
words of this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here,
God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. And
if any one removes any of the words of this prophetic book, God
will remove the person’s share in the tree of life….”
Parallel to keeping the word pure, we need to keep our vision (where we are going) pure-Jesus.
-nothing more and nothing less. 1 Corinthians 2:2 states it well. “For while I was with you I was determined to be consumed with one topic-Jesus, the crucified Messiah.” (TPT) In Greek “determined” means to choose or to prefer. We choose and prefer Jesus. Philippians 3:8-9 states
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite
value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded
everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
and become one with him…” (NLT)
We need to keep Him the affection of our hearts. For Jesus embodies love, generosity, selflessness, humility, surrender, discipling.
In addition from John 14:6-7a, we remember that Jesus said,
”I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the
Father except through me. If you had really known me,
you would know who my Father is.” If a person wants to know the Father, she/he needs to know Jesus. “The person of Jesus is the great revealing of the Father to us.”. The Father and Jesus are one.
Again by knowing Jesus, you know the Father. The Father is powerful, mighty, and good.
“Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is
wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries
will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early
morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat;
For God gives rest to his loved ones. Children are a gift from
the LORD; they are a reward from him.” Psalm 127:1-3 (NLT)
Pastor Josiah gave these sustaining truths for the “house”:
1. The home must be built by the Lord.
2. The home must be protected by the LORD.
3. The home is blessed by the gift of the LORD,,,children!
From these three verses we learn about the LORD’s power. Unless He builds the house, it will not stand. He is mighty as He protects the land. And He is good because He gives the loved ones rest and the gift of children who are our future. Let’s apply these words to our home-FC must be built and protected by the LORD. And the children are the gift from the LORD. Praise His name.
Our vision is Jesus. May we be salt and light in this troubled world.
Calendar:
1/3 Midweek Encounter
1/19-LB potluck, worship, speaker-Dave Kiplinger
Submitted by
Larry and Annette Linthicum
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