In Congress, July 4, 1776...

... this declaration was published: THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. It said: When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

1. The first of these unalienable rights is life.

John 10:10 (NKJV)

10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  

2. The second unalienable right that they sought after was liberty.

John 20:3031 (NKJV)

18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. '  

3.  The third unalienable right they stood in was the pursuit of happiness!

1 Tim 6:12 (NKJV)

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

As we celebrate our independence let us not forget our dependence on Jesus for life, liberty, and our happiness!

Imagine a city like New York City...

... with its hustle and bustle.  Much of what happens in that city affects not just New York state but the entire world.  As you fly over the city at night or see photos of the city with lights beaming after dark one can only imagine all the activity that is taking place.  Imagine it if it lost all electrical power...what would happen in that type of blackout...the whole thing shuts down. New York City has all the potential in the world but without power it becomes useless and its potential is wasted. Not to mention the crime that would take place as the darkness invaded the city.

The same is true for us as believers. If we don’t have access to spiritual power, how can we accomplish what needs to be done?  Power to overcome sin!  Power to overcome the enemy of our souls when he launches his attacks against us!  Power to endure hardship and affliction!  Power to witness!  Power to speak!  Power to pray!  Isn’t more spiritual power probably the greatest need the Church has today?

Jesus had something very important to say to His followers before He ascended to the right hand of the Father:  Luke 24:49 (NIV) “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." He knew that if this gospel was going to be preached, if people were going to be set free, and if His disciples would be able to stand in adversity that they would have to be clothed with power. Is it any different for us?  No! We must be filled with the Holy Spirit and power!  Let us, Life Church, receive His promise and be endued with power!

Father’s Day!

A day set aside to celebrate our earthly fathers and to express love to them.  Many of us our fathers have passed away but I am sure that their influence is still with us in some way or the other. There are times that I do something or say something and I realize that is exactly what my dad would have done or said. The impact of a father on his children cannot be measured but rest assured that it is one of the most important jobs on the planet.

So how can we tie the role of a father to the power and in-filling of the Holy Spirit?  I am so glad you asked! The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:18 (NLT) “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit...”  What is Paul saying here?  He is saying do not be intoxicated by anything that will destroy your life but rather be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Many fathers are intoxicated by their work (or whatever) and spending way too much valuable time away from their families and away from their heavenly Father. I exhort you, fathers, to not get caught up with anything or anyone who distracts you from your God given responsibilities. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and lead your family into God’s presence at home and church!  Remember Jesus’ words: John 10:10 (NLT) “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”  Get baptized in the Holy Spirit and lead your family!

Genesis 12:13 (NLT)

“The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Isn’t it amazing that God would say, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.” God’s heart has always been toward His chosen people Israel.

We have tried here at LIFE CHURCH Assembly of God to focus our attention on blessing and praying for Israel. Why?  The simple answer is that God has told us in His Word to do so and we are trying to obedient to Him. We want the blessings of God to be upon us and upon our church so we pray for Israel every time we meet together. We believe one of the reasons God has sustained us through the great recession is because of our love and prayers for the Jewish people.

So what is God’s goal or purpose for the children of Israel and for us, the Gentiles?  Ephesians 2:14 (NLT)  “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”   God’s goal is that none should perish but that all would come to repentance and find LIFE! God wants Jews and Gentiles to Live in Freedom Everyday!

All of us, if we are honest...

 ... with ourselves, have weaknesses and even sins that easily harass us. As I am writing this I am watching a hawk try to dry it wings while sitting on a fence.  A pesky mockingbird does not think the hawk should be resting or drying out so he feels it necessary to fly at him over and over. In Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

What is that thing in your life where the enemy is attacking you and constantly harassing you so you cannot rest in the Lord? Maybe you have trouble loving someone...been there, done that, and have the t-shirt. Has life sucked out your joy and you are having trouble coping with one day at a time?  Peace is far from you because of trouble in the family or the events coming on our world. You have no self-control when it comes to saying “no” to the temptation of the enemy or “yes” in your obedience to Jesus. What are we to do?

In Galatians 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, selfcontrol. Against such there is no law.”  As we seek God and are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will provide everything we need for life and godliness!  Again Paul says in Galatians 5:16 NKJV “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”  Be filled with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and you will Live in Freedom Everyday!  

As we approach Memorial Day...

...we want to give thanks for the men and women who have given their lives in the military to keep us all safe. We still have those who are serving and we still here on a regular basis those who are dying to defend our freedom. Also, thank you to those of you who were willing to lay down your lives by serving in the armed services. I see such a parallel between our military and believers who are called to fight the good fight. 

As I thought about this I was reminded of the Warriors Ethos (Part of the Soldiers Creed of the US Army).

A. I will always put the mission first. Soldiers are called to put the mission first. They know that nothing takes priority over winning the battle and defending the great USA! As believers, we should absolutely know that our Commander in Chief Jesus has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. That is our first priority…our mission.

B. I will never accept defeat. Those in the military know that there has to be this “Never say die” attitude when it comes to securing the victory. As Christ’s soldiers we know Jesus has already secured the victory for us so we keep marching toward the prize.

C. I will never quit. One thing I continue to love about those who volunteer in the U S Military, is that, the men and women who serve and fight are the best of the best and they do not quit. God, please help the church to rise up with the power of Holy Spirit and never give up!

D. I will never leave a fallen comrade. This has to be one of the most honorable commitments that our soldiers make because it means my personal safety is not an issue, getting my friends home is. I pray we all have the same attitude of making sure no one is left behind! 

May all of us give thanks this Memorial Day for the blood bought freedom we have!

When Jesus therefore saw His mother...

In John 19:26-27 (NKJV)  When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. Jesus turns to John and says, take care of her, and looks at his mother and says, let him stand in my place as your son.  John lived a very long life, and I believe he took care of Mary until she went to heaven. Jesus is on the cross, bearing the weight of the sins of the whole world on His shoulders, yet He sees to it to make sure His mother is taken care of after He is gone!  As God, Jesus is dealing with eternal matters, but as a man, He’s showing all of us today how important it is to take care and love our mothers! Here are seven ways we can build her identity.

1. Love her by what you say!

2. Love her by your touch!

3. Love her by being patient!

4.  Love her by your willingness to hear her heart!

5. Love her gratefully!

6. Love her generously!

7. Love her honorably.

Ephesians 6:1-3 (NLT)  “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise:
If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”