And He spoke all things pertaining to the Kingdom! Acts 1:3

What a final conversation! What a way to leave those who you have mentored and discipled – just as important as the first conversation; come and I will make you fishers of men. Jesus leaves the disciples before his ascension with one last conversation and He spoke all things pertaining to the Kingdom.

The Kingdom was so at the heart of everything Jesus was about: He lived it, expounded it, demonstrated it, taught it, displayed it, revealed it and gave access to it! Wow! And to top it off, Jesus’ final conversations with the very ones who were about to take hold of that very same kingdom baton had their final conversations with Jesus about the very same Kingdom!

I think there is something here that we need to pay very close attention to – what is the Kingdom? Where is this Kingdom? Who is this Kingdom and why was it so important that Jesus deemed it essential as His parting words and conversation to His disciples?

Do you recall in Matthew chapter 7:24 Jesus said, “therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, I liken to a wise man who built his house upon a rock and when the rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew and beat on that house and it did not fall for it was founded on that rock!”

There is significant importance to be taken to what and when Jesus speaks. There is stability, assurance, knowledge, protection and future in all that He says. Jesus’ conversation throughout scripture all point to a Kingdom that must be enjoyed, lived in and embraced by all who have been given access to discover it.

Pay attention today to this conversation in Acts chapter 1 verse 3 as Jesus’ parting instruction in His will and testament before leaving their natural world to occupy His seat beside His divine Father – do you remember He said where I am you will be with me also…

And He spoke all things pertaining to the Kingdom…

Pastor Michael

“And I will send you another…”

The beautiful thing about God is that He always has a plan – reconciliation (restoring man back to Himself). From the very beginning (Adam, Eve, Serpent and sin – Genesis 1-3) until NOW; God’s plan is to always restore us back to Himself.

 After the death of Jesus; before His passing he said,

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:16 (King James Version)

God’s ways and plans can sometimes be forgotten by man (universal context), even after we have acquired of them. We don’t always intend or desire to, but things get in the way – people, circumstances, situations.

God’s Word can also slip from our eyes, even though it should forever be before us (Deuteronomy 11:18) and not forgotten (Proverbs 4:21). But thank God He ALWAYS has a plan!

The Bible says,

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

John 14: 15-18 (New King James version) 

We have the GREATEST gift of all… the HOLY SPIRIT. Let us turn to Him and get back to our rightful place in God.

What do we need for 2019?

-       What truth do we need to be led into?

-       What do we need to return back to?

-       What do we need help with?

-       What do we need guidance on?

-       What have we forgotten or not yet learned? Etc.

Let us ask Him; the Spirit of Truth - He knows EVERYTHING.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7 (New King James version)

 Don’t walk in 2019 or beyond without Him.

BY STACEY SPENCER

Built to Last

Over the past few months I have been overwhelmed by the leading of the Holy Spirit. There is a call for us to come higher, to mature and give more of ourselves to God. This call requires a response not by word but by action. Sometimes I find giving God more of me or stepping out deeper in faith is overwhelming.

In order to manage this overwhelming feeling and to navigate through the tornados of life to climb higher with the Lord, I have been trying to learn to take selah moments. A selah moment is taking time to pause, reflect, assess, and then respond. I would like to invite you as the reader to use this time as a selah moment. Let's pause, reflect, and assess your walk with the Lord. So I pose the same question I have been contemplating for the past month:

Are you building to last? Are you building your spiritual life to last?

The word build has been used a lot within our church over the past few years. We call our Bible study Building in the Spirit, and we have also spent a lot of time on the topic ‘building a strong spirit.’ The word build is defined as, ‘to construct (something) by putting parts or material together; or to make, become stronger or more intense.’

So are you constructing your life to last? Are you building your spiritual life to become stronger so that you can overcome daily challenges with God; not with sin? Do your daily decisions and what you spend your time doing help you end your day connected to God? Are you as passionate and determined for the things of God, or are you now just going along with the form of Christianity denying that God is living and powerful?

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus teaches His disciples about building themselves on the right foundation. A person who builds himself on a rock is a person who hears what God is saying and does it. Jesus calls this man a wise man, he is able to stand in every type of weather and not fall. A person who builds himself on sand is a person who hears what God is saying and does not do it. Jesus calls this man a foolish man, he is unable to stand in bad weather and will fall.

Question: Are you a wise man or a foolish man? Are you building yourself on the rock or on the sand? Are you hearing what God is saying, and doing it; or are you hearing what God is saying and not doing it?

It is the action of doing or not doing that determines whether you are building to last. Let us not be ignorant to the enemies devices. Many have been a part of the body of Christ and have fallen away for this very reason; they built wrong. They heard but did not do.

We must think soberly so we do not fall into the same wrong pattern because let's be honest, it can easily be done. In 1Corinthians 3:10-11, Paul informs the church of Corinth that as a wise master builder he has laid the foundation, but he then warns them, ‘let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’

Let us hear the same warning today, ‘take heed how you build on your foundation.’ For your only foundation should be Jesus Christ and what He is saying because anything else cannot stand against the arrows of the enemy. We must build our spiritual life to be able to stand in every season. Regardless of how things may look or feel, we are called to trust and obey. There is no other way to STAND in Jesus.

Selah

BY CHARLENE-KERR-SPENCER

References

Definitions: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/build

Images: Pixabay.com