Good Sunday to everyone on the 1st Sunday in November. There are only 49 weeks left in 2013. I hope everyone remembered that today was the day to set your clocks back 1 hour. Day light savings time officially ended on the East coast today at 2 AM. Waine and I are in Thomaston today; a rare Sunday just to kick back. My honey has a lot of honey-do's to do today and so far no complaints. We worshipped today with the AME Methodist church in Thomaston and took communion. What a blessing to be able to take communion and to celebrate the sacrifice of the ONE that loves us best!
We finished Malachi and I am led to start Acts. The book of Acts provides a bridge for the writings of the New Testament. As a second volume to Luke's Gospel, it joins what Jesus "began to do and to teach" as told in the Gospels with what he continued to do and teach through the apostles' preaching and the establishment of the church. Acts verses 1 -26, "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to Heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”3 Then they gathered around Him and asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers and sisters,the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: "May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’and, “‘May another take his place of leadership. Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.
Here it is! Jesus the Christ has commanded us to be His witness. Not just that He was born, He lived and that He died for our sins AND that He rose again! Our lives are to be a WITNESS for this glorious event . We never have to die when we live in faith. He will never have the grave as a resting place. When we cross the River, it is into a new consciousness with God. What a thought. On that GREAT GETTIN' UP MORNIN', we will experience the true nature of why we were created. We will be one with the God of the Universe. So why is it that Christians are not living abundantly. Why is it that Christians walk around defeated, anxious, sad and angry. What kind of witness is that! When Christ ascended He sent the Holy Spirit that has empowered each of us with the same Spirit that exists in God and in Jesus. So why do we live in fear? A lot of Christians live a defeated life; they have allowed circumstances to overpower them. Remember that there is NO FEAR IN LOVE. As GOD is LOVE, as Christians there should be no fear in us. The Devil is a liar. He lives in fear and when we turn away from the CROSS the devil is able to convince us that we have been abandoned. That is when you need to step out in FAITH and PROCLAIM the good news for yourself and other. Speak TRUTH to POWER! The TRUTH is that Jesus the Christ is alive and well and dwells within us to protect us and to have us experience the beauty of our inner nature. Hallelujah! Claim it today and rejoice for He IS RISEN!!
To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to serve Him. To serve Him is to love you! Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Stephanie
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