Set Apart “Elect”

by Jose Barajas

One year, when I was working for the City of Long Beach at Houghton Park, we got the opportunity to go to Disneyland and take the kids from the daycare to enjoy the day. It was Mickey Mouse’s Sixteenth Birthday celebration and many cities were invited to celebrate and be part of a parade in a big pomp and circumstance celebration. We got to go around and enjoy the day on all the rides, but the best part came when they kicked the general public out and only those who were invited, got to stay and enjoy the park, rides, food and drinks for free, because we were “set apart” from everyone else.

Jesus in John Seventeen, which is His real prayer and not what many call the Lord’s Prayer, in Matthew Six, in verse Seventeen says, 

““Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.” ‭(NET‬‬) 

Where is our Hope?

by Jose Barajas

I love the movie, “The Shawshank Redemption. It is based on a short story from one of my favorite writers when I was growing up, Stephen King. Andy Dufresne is imprisoned for killing his wife, even though he didn’t do it. After having spent two weeks in solitaire confinement for playing opera music over the prison loudspeakers, Andy is telling his fellow inmates how it was the two easiest weeks because of the music he had in his heart and mind. Him and Red, his best friend in prison, go back and forth saying, 

“Andy Dufresne : That's the beauty of music. They can't get that from you... Haven't you ever felt that way about music? 

Red : I played a mean harmonica as a younger man. Lost interest in it though. Didn't make much sense in here. 

Andy Dufresne : Here's where it makes the most sense. You need it so you don't forget. 

Red : Forget? 

Andy Dufresne : Forget that... there are places in this world that aren't made out of stone. That there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours. 

Red : What're you talking about? 

Silver Coins? Why Not Gold?

Mark A. Atterson

“SILVER COINS”? WHY NOT GOLD? These TEN coins correlate to PEOPLE WHO ARE SINNERS, therefore THEY ARE EXTREMELY VALUABLE IN THE EYES OF GOD. But isn't** GOLD** more valuable than SILVER? This all depends upon your PHYSICAL and SPIRITUAL perspectives. As the late Dr. Chuck Missler pointed out time and again, “Silver is Levitically symbolic of BLOOD. We will find that the Tabernacle rested on silver, with every detail being symbolic of Christ... wood once alive depicted (Christ's Humanity), the gold His Diety, The planks rested on SILVER SOCKETS; silver is the Levitical symbol for BLOOD...” Even Judas, as he threw the 30 pieces of SILVER on the temple floor, exclaimed, “Behold I have betrayed innocent BLOOD!” Matthew 27:4. SILVER CONNOTATES SACRIFICE, THE LETTING OF BLOOD. Everything OUTSIDE the Tabernacle was SILVER, but INSIDE WAS GOLD.

"The law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood. Sins cannot be forgiven without a blood sacrifice"
Hebrews 9:22.

Pour Out Your Blessings To The Lord

Peter C. Steinhagen

He would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.
2 Samuel 23:16

What has been like “water from the well of Bethlehem” to you recently— love, friendship, or maybe some spiritual blessing (2 Samuel 23:16)? Have you taken whatever it may be, even at the risk of damaging your own soul, simply to satisfy yourself? If you have, then you cannot pour it out “to the Lord.” You can never set apart for God something that you desire for yourself to achieve your own satisfaction. If you try to satisfy yourself with a blessing from God, it will corrupt you. You must sacrifice it, pouring it out to God— something that your common sense says is an absurd waste.

How can I pour out “to the Lord” natural love and spiritual blessings? There is only one way— I must make a determination in my mind to do so. There are certain things other people do that could never be received by someone who does not know God, because it is humanly impossible to repay them. As soon as I realize that something is too wonderful for me, that I am not worthy to receive it, and that it is not meant for a human being at all, I must pour it out “to the Lord.” Then these very things that have come to me will be poured out as “rivers of living water” all around me (John 7:38). Until I pour these things out to God, they actually endanger those I love, as well as myself, because they will be turned into lust. Yes, we can be lustful in things that are not sordid and vile. Even love must be transformed by being poured out “to the Lord.”

If you have become bitter and sour, it is because when God gave you a blessing you hoarded it. Yet if you had poured it out to Him, you would have been the sweetest person on earth. If you are always keeping blessings to yourself and never learning to pour out anything “to the Lord,” other people will never have their vision of God expanded through you.

Well,Bethlehem,David,Thirst,Blessings,Living Waters,

Giving Comes With A Price

by Chima Anaele Sylvanus

Sometimes the beauty of our faith is not seen in our preaching, anointing, noise making, programs, nor in our zealousness but rather in our simple act of kindness. Just as David's heart was revealed in the kindness he showed Johnathan's  grandson, Mephibosheth. (2Samuel Ch 9)

For many, ministry is just tool they use to acquire earthly treasures, yet for the Apostle it was the other way round. Their labor was more intense and harder than other men so as to be a blessing to the weak and the poor saints. They did not mind doing anything for the glory of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ.

God's Handywork Psalm 19:1

”To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens are telling of the glory
of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1 (Amplified Bible)

by Adam Lustig

One thing is for sure, whether we are believers in Yahshua or not, the busyness of this life can attribute to us forgetting the essentials of life. Folks that are far away from God get caught up in the trappings of this world and the business of it eventually brings them to a place where they say “where has my life gone.”

I love this time of the year, Nov 01 - 12/31, is my favorite because, thankfulness is on my thoughts. From God’s daily blessings to the birth of the savior of the world, my heart is glad.

In this journey that God has us on, if we are not careful, the relationship we have with our Lord can wane by getting caught up in the trivial things of life and forgetting to pause and say:

“Thank you Father for all you are in my life.”

But God has a genital way of nudging us with his handiwork to remind us how great He is. Back in my Boy Scouting days when I was on staff at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, God would nudge me even though I had not bowed my heart to his son. God was reminding me of his greatness that he would use later to bring me to the throne of Grace. God’s handywork was all around me.

The mountains and majestic pine trees that starched upward, wild animals that would out of ciuriosrituy gently walk toward me with no fear from me or them, all these were God’s handiwork. Deep within the recesses of my mind, I was saying only God could do all this even though I was far from him.

When I was pastoring, I used to tell people that would come to the church questioning me if there was a God or not. I would tell them to drive out to the dessert of Southern California at night get out of their car and just stare into the heavens and God would give them a front row seat to his majestic creation of the heavens.

In this business of life I pray that we all, especially, as we are drawing close to the end of the year that we would stop often look up at God’s handiwork and remember he is still their drawing men, woman, boys and girls into his presence.

Thanks for Listening

Christianity

The Ancient Church of Antioch is in Damascus Syria. It was on the
road to Antioch where Saul of Tarsus met Christ and was converted.
It's also where the followers of Christ were first called Christians.

by Adam Lustig

”Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought
him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught
great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."
Acts 11:25-26

Have you ever thought what the world would be like without Christianity impacting it? Ask a secular person who has heard propaganda and misinformation about Christianity and they will tell you everything they have heard minus the the truth of scripture. Many of us get upset the way Christianity has been attacked by the/a lie, forgetting that many of us were there at one time.

A Soldier In Training

by David M Heishman

I’m A Soldier In Training; In God’s Army Enlisted;
I Will March For My Master; And My Father’s Insisted.
He Has Called Me To Share; As I Go On This Mission;
I Will Minister Hope To The Hurting; As They’re Placed In Condition.