Saturday, January 15, 2011

Meeting With God

By Dr. Charles F. Stanley 

This week's topic: New Life In Christ
Many of us have been blessed with close friends. Imagine if we never spent time with them but instead just thought and talked about how wonderful these special people are. Wouldn’t such behavior be foolish? Yet some Christians do just that. 
Despite accumulating vast knowledge about God and the Bible, they miss out on rich fellowship with the Father, the best friend anyone could ever have.
It is possible to fill our lives with spiritual information and activities—all of which are good—but fail to develop a close relationship with the Lord. Take a quick inventory to see if this might be true of you: Do you attend church only out of a sense of duty? Do you pray with lofty or repetitive words rather than speaking to God from the heart? Do you serve solely out of obligation?
In Scripture, we read about many people whose personal encounter with the Lord was energizing and life-changing. Abraham, Gideon, Moses, and Paul were just a few who spoke with Him one-on-one (Genesis 7:4; Judges 6:12, 14; Exodus 3:2; Acts 9:3-6). We probably don’t expect dramatic “burning bush” experiences today, yet all believers should still have precious, intimate times with God. Whenever we open His Word and invite the Holy Spirit to illuminate its meaning, we can hear directly from our heavenly Father.
The Bible tells us, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Walking closely with the Lord takes commitment and time. Start now by dedicating a portion of your day to meeting with your Friend.
Scripture Of The Day: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” - James 4:8
Dr. Charles F. Stanley
Dr. Charles F. Stanley, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, is a New York Times best-selling author who has written more than 35 books. “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley” can be heard around the world via radio and television broadcasts, the handheld In Touch Messenger and the ministries…

Friday, January 14, 2011

Time to Refresh

By Cory Bradley 

This week's topic: New Life In Christ
Semantics, semantics, semantics.
Did you know words can shape our reality and frame our very world?
If so, then maybe you'll agree with me that (in this New Year), NEW may not be so NEW anymore! I strongly believe that this year, new may actually be something old. Something original. After all the New Year hoopla fades away, I wonder if perhaps our focus this year should not be as much on looking for something new to occur in our lives, but rather to rediscover what we already possess in God. To rediscover what He has already given "in" us before the foundations of the world. This year, I began with this idea in mind: It's time to REFRESH. Isaiah 46:9-10 says,"Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done." This passage of scripture popped an interesting metaphor into my head. On every internet browser, there is a REFRESH button. Usually, you need to hit this button if the page's content needs to be updated or if the page is in freeze mode or somehow stuck. Sometimes you even need to hit the REFRESH button when the page has not fully downloaded all of its contents. You may even need to hit the REFRESH button when we lose the connection with the invisible communication signals in the atmosphere. See where I'm going with this? This new year, when your life's hardware seems to freeze or if the page you believe you should be on is not fully loaded with all of the icons you think you need, it may not be time to look for something new. All that you need is already in you. It maybe time for you to just hit the refresh button. Try it today.
Scripture Of The Day: "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done." - Isaiah 46:9-10
Cory Bradley
Cory Bradley serves as the worship leader for New Birth Charlotte, where Bishop Terrell Murphy serves as Senior Pastor. Cory, who has worked with artists such as LaDonna Mole and William Murphy III, is an emerging worship leader and a explorer of the transformative power worship can have in every believer. For more about Cory, visit http://www.newbirthcharlotte.org.…

New Life In Christ


In Colossians 3:9-10, Paul wrote: "...since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him."
Notice that you have to put off the old man with his deeds and you must put on the new man. This new man has been renewed in the image of Jesus, who created all things (Colossians 1:16). Neither your body nor your lifestyle will automatically change when you become a Christian. You must change them.
The good news is that while you were the "old man" you could not change many things about yourself. However, now that you are a new man, you can put on the things that go with someone who is created in the image Jesus.
When the Bible says "the old man," it means the old lifestyle, the old way of doing things. "The old man" was subject to lying, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy conversation and the like (Colossians 3:8-9). You must "put them off" by no longer doing them. Then you must start doing the things shown in the Word.
"Yeah, but how do I do that?" How do you curse someone out? You open your mouth and words pour out. Only now, you open your mouth and let nice things, good things, friendly things pour out, instead of all that garbage. The "old things" are a matter of habit that must be broken. You will have to work at it. You have a commandment from God to do this and you can do it through Jesus.
You cannot "put off the old man and put on the new" in your own strength. However, you can do all things in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13). You may not always feel like doing it, but feelings do not count. You cannot go by feelings. We must learn to walk by the Word of God.
Your body and mind will be telling you to do something else. Thoughts will tell you that it is too hard to resist the old habits. But the spirit-man that is the real you will be saying, 'No, this is God's way. This is what I have to do to enjoy the fullness of God.'
Staying in the Word and then acting upon it is what brings about a quality lifestyle in Jesus. A victorious life does not just happen. You must purpose to do the Word.
You may think, "This sounds to me like a whole lot of work." Really, it is not any more work than all of the foolish, non-productive things that you were accustomed to doing before the new birth. The only reason it seems hard is because you are making a change, and human nature rebels against change.
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to curse? All those words I used more than 40 years ago, I could let come out of my mouth again. I have not forgotten them. However, once you re-educate yourself to speak God's words and to do things God's way, spiritual things become easier, and you now have the Holy Spirit to help you.
After a while it will become just as easy to spend time praying and studying the Bible as not to do these things. What is hard is making up your mind to pray and to stay in the Word. Once your mind is made up, once you are committed, the rest is comparatively easy.
The "new man" is God's man - a spiritual man. The new man is a man recreated in the image and likeness of God. The new man searches the Word of God to find the parameters of his new life. The new man puts God's Word into operation through his mind and deeds. Therefore, put off the old man and you too will live a victorious, overcoming life in Jesus!
This devotional was excerpted from Dr. Price's book, "The Victorious, Overcoming Life." 
Scripture Of The Day: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visithttp://www.faithdome.org.

How to Know God is Leading You


God guides us by closing one door then opening another. Abraham didn't know where he was going, but he knew he couldn't stay where he was - and that's enough to create movement in the right direction. Knowing you can't stay where you are is often the starting point of God's guidance. And it usually begins with an inward stirring and restlessness in your soul. Seasons have beginnings and endings. When a season is over, you sense it's time to move!
"They headed north [to]...Bithynia, but again the Spirit...said no. So instead they went on through Mysia province to the city of Troas. That night Paul had a vision. In his dream he saw a man over in Macedonia, Greece, pleading with him, 'Come over here and help us.' Well, that settled it. We would go to Macedonia, for we could only conclude that God was sending us to preach the Good News there" (Acts 16:7-10 TLB).

Notice, when God kept Paul from going into Asia, Paul didn't stay there praying and asking "why?" - he just kept moving. For Paul, trying something and it not working out was no big deal. He believed that his gift to God was his willing heart and his mobility, and that God's gift to him was that He would always guide him to where he needed to be. What God prevents, denies, or keeps us away from, is as much divine guidance as what He permits and opens up to us.

Every door that didn't open, every opportunity you didn't get, every call that didn't come, is as much God's guidance as those that did. Think about it!
Scripture Of The Day: "Abraham...obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." - Hebrews 11:8 NIV
Bishop E. Earl Jenkins
Bishop Edward Earl Jenkins is the senior pastor and founder of the True Servant Worship & Praise Church located in Trenton, New Jersey. For over twenty years, Bishop Jenkins’ unique method of preaching and teaching has opened doors to allow him to touch the hearts of many lives near and far. For more information, visit him at http://www.eejministries.org

Begin Again

By Sharon Frame 

This week's topic: New Life In Christ
The desperate father refused to eat or drink. For days he laid prostrate on the floor of his house and wept. He begged God to heal his sick child. After all, it was HIS sin of adultery that had angered the Almighty. The child was innocent. But heaven showed no mercy. The baby boy died seven days later. 
It was a most scandalous crime. King David had an alliance with a married woman. The bewitching Bathsheba got pregnant. David had her husband killed to cover up his tracks and claim her as his new wife. But then the word of God came and convicted him.
King David agonized over his son while the child was alive. But when he drew his last breath, David stopped mourning. He got up from the floor, washed his face and went to the temple to worship God. He then went home and ate a big meal. His quick recovery shocked his servants. How could he shut the door to his loss so fast? But what was done was done. David would waste no more time living in regret. It was time to begin again. Some people choose to pitch a tent around their failures and camp out.
David wasn’t having that. He decided to accept God’s forgiveness, and release his guilt and emotional baggage. That’s the only way he could move forward.
What is it that you insist on holding on to that God has instructed you to let go? Is it a destructive relationship? a bad habit? No amount of prayer or fasting will make it good. God says release it. It stands in the way of your new beginning.
This New Year doesn’t need to be saddled with old baggage. Take a cue from King David. He took three key steps to begin again.
First, the moment his son died, David released his guilt and grief. Suddenly, he saw clearly enough to reconnect to his true purpose. And that was simply to serve God.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 says: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
David’s sin had severed his fellowship with God and blocked his vision. Once he fully released it, he went straight to “church” to worship.
That was the second step David took. He got refreshed.
Each new day, God gives us 86,400 seconds to refresh, to begin again. Unlike your vacation days or cell phone minutes, these seconds don’t roll over. You can’t accumulate time. Spend it living your purpose not regretting your past.
The day you release and refresh, is the day you begin to reclaim right-standing with God. This third step is the only way to true peace and prosperity. Reclaiming right-standing simply means to accept God’s forgiveness, and forgive yourself! This was key to David’s deliverance. 
No matter how shameful our past failures, God urges us to begin again. Here is an amazing irony: From the ashes of our “mess,” God can create something marvelous.
David didn’t want to lose his child, even though it symbolized his “mess.” God replaced him with Solomon, the second child born to David and Bathsheba. Solomon would rise to become one of the greatest rulers of ancient Israel and the wisest man in the world during his time.
What personal greatness might you be holding up because you won’t release old hurts and failures? The birth of your “Solomon” cannot occur while you linger in the grave yard of your past mistakes. The lord said in Isaiah 43:19, “Behold I do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
God has made a way for us to release, refresh and reclaim our rightful place in Him. Now is the time to begin again. 
Scripture Of The Day: "Behold I do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” - Isaiah 43:19
Sharon Frame
Sharon Frame is an author, empowerment speaker, former CNN anchor and award-winning TV journalist whose passion is to encourage and equip women. Her latest book is Wired to Win! The ultimate guide for women who want to Plug In, Power Up and Push Through to Personal Greatness! For more information, visit http://www.sharonframespeaks.com

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM

By Kwaku Gyamfi


I greet you again in the invincible name of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that we continue to increase and abound in the knowledge and wisdom of our God. May you be filled with the glory of His wisdom 
(2 Chronicles 1:10) and also that you “may [be] grant[ed] a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you” (Ephesians 1:17-18).
      The Bible accounts in Judges 2:10-12 saying, “And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers, and there arose another generation after them who did not know (recognize, understand) the Lord, or even the work which He had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them 
out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods of the peoples round about them and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord to anger.” We can attest that this generation had no memory, knowledge, information or legacy that had been handed down by their fathers and because of that their ignorance led them to do that which was evil in the sight of God. Because they did not know who God is and what He has done in time past and is still able to do they had no real affirmation on the revelation of who they were or for what purpose(s) they were created for. Therefore, the Bible says they did evil in His (God) sight by serving foreign gods. Doing evil in the Lord sight meant they were living off the radar of their true self. Being in sin means living on false identity, purpose and destiny. Though the children of Israel forgot about their God and commit iniquity in His sight, it is my prayer that we shall be a “generation that seek after the God of Jacob, the generation that seek His face” (Psalm 24:6). We will not repeat their dumb mistakes for the Bible also says that “we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may declare and proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9-10).
            It is on this ground of reason, identity and destiny that the Lord has laid on my heart to share with you in this post on a subject entitled: THAT I MAY KNOW HIM. When I speak on the subject of knowing Him (Jesus Christ) I’m talking about your original DNA. Jesus came to the earth not only to restore the relationship between God and man but more so to reintroduce MAN to MAN. What am I saying? What I mean is that Jesus is waiting to introduce you to you. There is stuff inside of you that is dying to come out. Why? Because you are wired for greatness, your future is neither ahead of you nor outside of you, but rather trapped within you. You are programmed for success and failure is not an option. You have in you blood type G.O.D. You are the carrier of His divine nature, so “let your D.N. be A!” What do I mean by that? D.N.A here means Divine Nature Activated. So in getting to know Jesus intimately and in depth, we reactivate our Divine Nature. Paul in Philippians 3:10 said, For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope].” After departing Corinth on his second missionary trip he (Paul) wrote to the church saying, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” In these two verses Paul confirms something unique about Jesus that is so fascinating. He shows us that intimacy with God is not so that I only get to know who God is, but also that I get to discover who I am in Him. In essence Paul is saying, “Jesus, I have come to the realization that you are my Creator. And as a great Creator-teacher, I want you to teach me who I am so I wouldn’t waste my time imitating another man, or be jealous of this person or that person; teach me so I can be happy with who I am. Open the eyes of my spirit so I can see the invisible, because if I can see the invisible, I can do the impossible. Until you discover who God is, you’ll never know who you are, your full potential or what you can do.
            The great psalmist David once asked a question in Psalm 8:1-6 that resonate in my spirit with awe each time I ponder on it: “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, who 
have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.” Three awesome truths are revealed in this passage (1) “God made man a little lower than the angels”—this speaks of man’s divinity. The word “angels” there in the Hebrew translates Elohim, which means God. So essence, God created man a little lower than Himself. (2) “God crowned man with glory and honor”
—this speaks of man’s dignity—dignity in the sense of his nobility and worthiness. (3) God made man to rule over all the works of his hand and to put all things under his feet speaks of his dominion power.
            Since the beginning of time, people have been searching to find the reason and meaning to our existence. And in that search they are asking these five (5) questions: (1) Who am I? (2) Where am I from? (3) Why am I here? (4) What can I do? (5) Where am I going? The question of “Who am I” deals with your identity as to your make up, attitude, behavior and characteristics (your DNA)—the reason why you do what you do. Question two “Where am I from” deals with heritage—this is what evolutionists (atheists and agnostics) have been associating with saying that we came from Apes. Number three “Why am I here” deals with purpose—as to what is the reason of you being here? What make you so special, important, distinct and significant from everyone else? Question number four “What can I do” deals with potential—your true ability: the gifts, talents and skills within you are waiting to be released and deployed. And last but not least “Where am I going” deals with destiny—what does the future holds for you? When you come to the end of your life what would you have accomplished? What do you want people to remember you by? So I paraphrase by asking this: What is (insert your name) that God is so mindful of Him? To scrap the tip of this mammoth iceberg of a question, let go back to the beginning—to Genesis one. As a matter of fact before you turn to Genesis chapter one first turn to Genesis chapter zero—which simply says GOD. Before there was anything God is. The term God denotes a being that needs no one or anything to exist, He simply is. And the Bible affirms that it was Him who spoke the universe into existence. Genesis 1:1-2 reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” This passage reveals two distinct beginnings. In verse one of Genesis chapter one, God creates the heavens and the earth and as always: “IT WAS GOOD!” But in verse two of the same chapter we find three things happening that is not like God: (1) the earth is without form (meaning there is no formal order to how God made it operate), (2) it is void (meaning there is chaos, turmoil, confusion and total anarchy on earth) and (3) darkness is upon the face of the deep (the word darkness there in the Hebrew means ignorance—meaning the earth did not know or understand why it exist or was there for). Romans 14 show us that God is not a God of confusion but rather of order. The Apostle John in his epistle also tells us that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If that is so then my question is how did this evil came about? What brought about this catastrophe? When God created the earth in Genesis 1:1 everything was perfect. It was His will and intent; it was what He has desired. But in verse two of Genesis one we find the world in total disarray—it’s without form, void and darkness is on the face of the deep (water). This is where it gets interesting. In Proverbs 25:2 the Bible says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory [and honor] of kings [mankind] to search it out.” So let’s search it out by putting the pieces of this puzzle together. Understand this that before man was created God had already created the angels in heaven. Ezekiel 28:14-15 tells us that Lucifer was the “anointed cherub…and I have see thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Lucifer was beautiful; he was the worship leader of heaven. When he sings God himself gets up and dance. However, he allowed pride to get to his head. And as Isaiah 14:13-14 says for he said in heart that, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” There are five “I” here and whenever you see that you are seeing the spirit of Satan. Because of this arrogance and bad attitude God declared in verses 15, “yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the side of the pits.” He didn’t want to serve God. He instead lusted for power and glory that only God was due. And for his insolence and insubordination God gave him the boot. He was cast out of the third heaven to be confined to the pits of hell and when he fell to the earth total confusion broke loose. And this is what we find happening in Genesis 1:2. He was the initiator and instigator of disorder, confusion and ignorance. So therefore if anything is disordered, confused or in the dark in your life then you must understand that something of the evil one is influencing things. Witnessing the turmoil that Lucifer’s (Satan’s) presence brought to earth God then comes back down to recreate, reorder, reorganize and restructure the earth to its original glory. Then God asks Himself, “How can I make sure that this never happens again?” His answer to Satan’s destructive presence was: “Let Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make man in our own image and likeness and let them have dominion on earth [including Satan]” (Genesis 1:26). The creation of mankind was the answer to God’s dilemma. Understand that when Lucifer fell to the earth he was happy because now there was no one to boss him and order him around or tell him what to do. God was his boss and he worshipped when God told him to; What God wanted is what he did and he resented for Him for that. He has always desired to be his own god. Satan forgot that the potter is mightier than the clay. And being pregnant with children God decided He would birth His Sons in the earth to rule over Satan and keep him in check. Everything created in the world was made to solve a problem—that is what we call purpose. Our main purpose and reason for creation is to have dominion power. We are wired to be in charge. We are not to be afraid of this unemployed cherub, this two-time toothless parasite pest roaring around as a lion. Do not be afraid, “for God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7). You are not to be scared of demons, satans, devils, witches, wizards, dragons, serpents, powers, principalities or any other imps of hell. They are one of the many reasons why God created us (mankind)—we are as I said earlier to keep him in check. However, man failed in his task. He lost his spiritual genes (the indwelling of the Holy Ghost). And because of that he couldn’t connect with divinity. When man fell, God not only lost His earth to the enemy but also His man—His son. However, fast-forwarding forty and two generations, we see Jesus (the second and last Adam—meaning the Original of which the first Adam was made a copy of) coming to restore order as God did in creation. So in Galatians 4:4-5 it reads, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Jesus the genos of God came to earth for one purpose—to re-inject God’s DNA (the Holy Spirit) back into man. In Mark 4:39-41 something amazing happened on the Sea of Galilee. The Bible says, “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They became very much afraid and said to one another, “WHO THEN IS THIS, THAT EVEN THE WIND AND THE SEA OBEY HIM?” When the disciples asked that question I believe the miracle of silencing the sea was in turn saying to them that, “this is what you were meant to be and when I get through My assignment this what you can become. In Him (Jesus) dwells the fullness of the Godhead and if He lives on the inside of you then you have to understand that you are dangerous and a threat to the kingdom of darkness. By His sacrifice on the Cross He completely stripped the enemy of the power he stole from Adam in the garden and gave it back to us (believers—children of God). When you discover Jesus you discover yourself. When you function and operate like Jesus, you act out your true nature. It is my prayer that we come to know HIM more intimately as the day draw closer! May you who are called sanctified by God the Father and preserved in the Lord Jesus Christ be graced with mercy, peace, favor, success, prosperity, divine health and love! May you grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our God and multiply and abound in all things. Amen! 


Agent of Change (Eternal Affairs)








WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

By Kwaku Gyamfi


“ Crucify him...crucify him...” their blood thirst appetite so demanded. “But I find no reason, no fault or grounds upon which to administer such twisted injustice,” replied the Roman procurator. He knew and understood the grandeur of the dilemma. The situation had over brewed beyond his capacity. On one side is total anarchy—a riot ring-leaded by the high priest himself. And on the other hand is anticipation, an eerie feeling of what the Nazarene’s sect would do if their master isn’t released. But with tension brewing on all sides and screams intensifying, a murderer by popular demand is released in His place. Unable to persuade them any further, he (Pontius Pilate) gives in to their ill will, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”[1] Fatigued, thirsty, despaired, bruised and betrayed, a cross that weighs a ton is strapped on His back. As He set course for Golgotha in this vindictive atmosphere, His shredded body continues to taste the tip of the taskmaster’s whip demanding that He pick up the pace. “He [has] no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He [is] despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. He bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”[2]
 His (Jesus) sacrificial death was to the establishment of a new kingdom, a fulfillment of promise, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”[3] What church per se did Jesus “even to the death on the cross” so humbled Himself to build? In the valley of Christendom, I hear of a new battle royal, a denominational tag of war so hype, I wonder who would emerge victorious. I hear of the Black church and the White church, as if something of a sort exist. The Black church paints the Lord’s picture/image with Afro hair. The White church on the other hand depict Him with blond hair and blue eyes—as if one group has a monopoly on Jesus. Is Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Pentecostals, and so forth the Church Christ suffered to established? No, that's simply a misguided assumption. Though it has a physical manifestation, the church of Jesus Christ is an invisible kingdom. The Greek rendering of the word “Church”[Gk. EkklÄ“sia] means the called out ones. If that is so and Ecclesiastes affirms that there is nothing new under the sun,[4] then we can trace the history of the Church even to Abraham, when the Lord called him out of the Chaldeans. It was God’s re-establishment of a new order of His Church, an order that Adam (His original Church) had demolished. This Church, which is called the Body of Christ, is an insurmountable giant. Universally and locally, Christ is the sole proprietor and owner of this establishment. The Church is not a building or a four walled structure, not a Cathedral--those structures are simply meeting grounds. Your body is the temple of the living God (I Cor. 6:19-20) and therefore, wherever you are the Church is present. We (the Church) are not passive and stagnant, but rather active, vital and mobile. We mount on with wings like eagles, as we invade, conquer and occupy till our Blessed Hope is revealed. The Church is built upon a solid Rock (the Rock of Ages--Jesus Christ Himself) and the only way a person becomes part of this establishment is by revelation—the understanding and acknowledgment of the deity of Jesus Christ. 
Our mission and purpose comes in threefold ministry— ministering to the (1) Lord, (2) the Saints and (3) the dying world of sinners. Remember, where two or three (the Church) are met in His name there His presence dwells. Hey, you Church you, become that one radical voice the dying world has been itching to hear. 



Agent of Change (Eternal Affairs)



[1] The New American Standard Bible(John 19:6).
[2] The New International Version(Isaiah 53:2-5).
[3] Ibid., Matthew 16:18-19.
[4] Ibid., Ecclesiastes 1:9