Fred Hammond - No Weapon

EFFECTIVE PREACHING = AN EXPANDED CHURCH

Acts 2:40-41 (NKJV) "And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them"

TAKEAWAY: When Christ is EFFECTIVELY EXPOUNDED, His Church is EXPANDED!


-PJV

IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS

TRIBULATIONS ARE PART OF MY PROCESS!
Acts 14:22b says, "We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God"

I can't avoid the tribulations in my life because it's part of my process on my way to my purpose and destiny! The fact that you're facing what you're facing is a sign that you're right where you're supposed to be and on your way to where you're called to go.


-- STAY STRONG!

Pastor V.

In the PRESENCE under PRESSURE

This BLOG by Pastor Stovall Weems helped me in an incredible way today and I thought it would be a blessing to the readers of my BLOG please be blessed, challenged and changed as you read it.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE BLOG: In the PRESENCE under PRESSURE

FORGIVENESS Part 1

I found an incredible Quote about FORGIVENESS that simply says...

"A Christian will find it cheaper to pardon than to resent. Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, and the waste of spirit"

-- Hannah More

I'M ON ASSIGNMENT

There's a popular saying among Christians these days that simply goes "I'm on Assignment", I've even found myself saying it in times past. What "I'm on Assignment" means is that there has been a task assigned to me by God that I must share with others. Don't get me wrong there's absolutely nothing wrong with saying or being "On Assignment", but I do want to remind us of the great responsibility that comes with "Being on Assignment". Let me start by saying that there is a difference between "being on Assignment" and "wanting to be on Assignment"

HERE'S A PREVAILING TRUTH: Your Assignment will always be in proportion with your Ability and your Availability. The More Able and Available you are to God, the greater your Assignment! In other words your Assignment will never be greater than your Ability or your Availability!

James 3:1 declares this in the Amplified Translation... "NOT MANY [of you] should become teachers (self-constituted censors and reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we [teachers] will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity [than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation]"

So remember before we take an assignment or desire an assignment be sure and understand the EXPECTATIONS that come with carrying out that Assignment!


STAY STRONG!
Pastor V.

FROM "THROUGH" TO "TO"

While that title may sound weird or funny or even stupid the truth is all of are going "through" something and as long as you're going through, eventually you're going to come "to" something. All of us have something that we're dealing with that continuously and consistently put our Patience to the test. Maybe it's a relationship, maybe it's a career decision that's eating away at you, maybe it's parenting your Child or Children or maybe it's a spiritual decision that you're struggling with (e.g. looking for a New Church, praying for an unsaved spouse or family member). Whatever you're struggling with to wait to happen in your life and it seems to be taking some time to manifest or come to fruition, the key is PATIENCE! Patient is the key to you getting and reaching your "TO".

Listen to what Job said, while dealing with Pain, agony, confusion and discomfort on just about every level over in Job 14:14 (NCV), he says, "...All my days are a struggle; I will wait until my change comes". Job in his greatest season of struggle, even as he prepares for the possibility of death, he ministers to us one of the greatest faith statements in God's word as he says that what he's on his  way to, is greater than what he's going through. So his Ultimate glory pushed him to a place of being patient in his struggle. Meaning he didn't take for granted what he knew God had already promised for his life.

Listen, don't let what hasn't happened keep you from seeing what God has already said would happen! Endure your "through" so that you can enjoy your "to". Romans 8:28 (NKJV) shares this with us.... "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose". Hang in there, God is allowing you to go "THROUGH" something, in order to bring you "TO" something. It's part of His Divine Plan!


-- STAY STRONG!
Pastor V.

GOD NEVER CALLS THE QUALIFIED, HE QUALIFIES THE CALLED

Religious jargon, trying to sound overly charismatic and religiously deep doesn't qualify a person as a representative of Christ. I've heard people time and time again use overly charismatic and deep religious jargon to try to make themselves appear spiritually above the "rest". My influence and effectiveness as a Christ-follower has nothing to do with how Religious I sound, but how Faithful I am in my walk with Jesus and my conviction to hold to His truths and boldly share and declare Him with the Spiritually Lost, which is one indication that I've been with Him!

We find this very thing taking place over in the Book of Acts Chapter 4 and verse #13. Peter and John through their Bold preaching and teaching "shocks" those who are under the sound of their voice. Here's why...

Acts 4:13 (NIV) "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus"

They didn't meet the World's qualifications, but they met God's. God didn't call them because of their ignorance, but He called them "in spite of" their ignorance. They weren't the most educated, they weren't the most eloquent in speech but it was their Bold Witness and Honest conviction of God's Truth that caused them to stand out and have a great influence and impact on those around them. 

So you don't have sound religious and try to be overly charismatic to prove to people that you're child of God, when you've been under the greatest personal training ever, the guidance and direction of Jesus Christ, your life will speak for itself and it will become an obvious sign to those around you that you've been with Jesus!

-- STAY STRONG!

Pastor V.