This is my beloved son

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying,” This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16–17
 
This image is very different. Not a flaming sun of intolerable brightness, but a soft, quiet, vulnerable dove - the kind of animal poor people offered for sacrifices in the temple. God’s pleasure in his Son comes not only from the brightness of his majesty but from the beauty of his meekness. The Father delights in his Son’s supremacy and in his servant hood. “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand” John
3:35. “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights” Isaiah 42:1
The Father’s very soul exults with joy over the servant-like meekness and compassion of his Son. The Father cries, “Behold, my Servant in whom my soul delights!”
 
One of the sermons of Jonathan Edwards that God used to kindle the Great Awakening in New England in 1734–1735 was titled “The Excellency of Christ.” In it Edwards unfolds the glory of God’s Son by describing the “admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies in Christ.” His text is Revelation 5:5–6, and he unfolds the union of “diverse excellencies” in the Lion-Lamb. He shows how the glory of Christ is his combining of attributes that would seem to be utterly incompatible in one Person. In Jesus Christ, he says, meet infinite highness and infinite condescension; infinite justice and infinite grace; infinite glory and lowest humility; infinite majesty and transcendent meekness; deepest reverence toward God and equality with God; worthiness of good and the greatest
Patience under the suffering of evil; a great spirit of obedience and supreme dominion over heaven and earth; absolute sovereignty and perfect resignation; self-sufficiency and an entire trust and reliance on God.”
 
God calls us to love and admire the Son as He loves and admires His only Son. When we do, we bring delight to the Father and glory to the Son.

Man Must Put God First

MAN MUST PUT GOD FIRST! And why don't we?! He made us! He gave us life! Our very existence! The world we live in! Our families! Our children! All we need to survive and the Blessings in our lives! And Eternal Life! A relationship with HIM - the CREATOR OF ALL, the GREAT I AM. Think about it!!! If we don't put God first in our lives, it leads to destruction and death. Think about it. The state of mind of the world today. The devastations that are happening. Yes, the planet is changing too and these are natural causes. But Who made nature? Certainly not us! I'm reading the Book of Jeremiah and it was time when God's people turned from Him a lot and they paid for it - a lot. From attacks from other nations, in their cases. Not to diminish everything I just posted about the FORGIVENESS OF SINS. THAT ALWAYS HOLDS TRUE. But to completely turn from God, ignore Him, to not think we are sinning and not repent it (as I once did)...It makes ya think. That's enough from "Pastor Me" :)  -- -- And God says put God first. ('Thall Shalt Have No Other God But Me')  God's first commandment

Christ By His Precious Blood Does Actually Put Away Sin

"The grandest fact under heaven is this - that Christ by His precious blood does actually put away sin, and that God, for Christ's sake, dealing with men on terms of divine grace, forgives the guilty and justifies them, not according to anything that He sees in them, but according to the riches of His mercy which lie in His own heart. "It is God who justifies the ungodly”; He is not ashamed of doing it. We should never tire of proclaiming it. We should not be ashamed to receive it. " by Pastor Rex

Do You Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins?

(from Pastor Rex Holt)

“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” - Romans 8:34

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men” (Matt 12:31)

I believe in the forgiveness of sins, do you? You may be steeped up to the neck in every form of sin and evil. With one word He can make you clean and remove all defilement from your life.

Before trusting in Christ I was plagued with doubts and fears about my present and future. I felt the sting of condemnation and the shame of hypocrisy. I wondered if a person could ever know for sure that he was forgiven, clean and free from condemnation. But one wonderful autumn night, I heard with my heart the call of the gospel, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”. I knew it was for me. Christ died for my sins. He was buried and rose again on the third day for my justification. I placed my trust in Christ for salvation. I received Him as Lord of my life. It was a seed moment for me. All my future was packed into that moment. I enjoyed such a peace as I had never known. I knew instantly that I was forgiven, clean to the core, and accepted by the Father. I felt as sure of my forgiveness and acceptance as I previously felt of my shame and guilt. I was free and I knew it.

I look forward to seeing you this evening at Mercy Chapel. We start refreshments and fellowship at 5:30 with Worship and the Word at 6:00pm. We will continue our study of Ephesians. This Saturday the passage is Ephesians 2:8-10 and entitled, "Where is boasting?". The children are studying the quality of "Gratefulness"

"Saturday evenings" would be a great time to bring friends and family and neighbors who need Christ. Let's be bold in sharing the good news of this wondrous gospel of Grace. http://nextgenministry.us/?portfolio=mercy-chapel  (Not around these parts?  Listen to his sermons here, too, from anywhere!)
Rex

A Must Watch Story!

IT IS BEAUTIFUL!  Amazing.


http://www.cbn.com/tv/embedplayer.aspx?bcid=1403094459001

When Things Don't Go As You Would Like

"WHEN THINGS DON'T GO as you would like, accept the situation immediately. If you indulge in feelings of regret, they can easily spill over the line into resentment. Remember that I AM SOVEREIGN OVER YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, and humble yourself under My mighty hand. Rejoice in what I am doing in your life, even though it is beyond your understanding. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In Me you have Everything you need, both for this life and for the life yet to come. Don' t let the impact of the world shatter your thinking or draw you away from focusing on Me. The ultimate challenge is to keep fixing your eyes on Me, no matter what is going on around you. When I am central in your thinking, you are able to view circumstances from My perspective." (Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling" book - May 22)

References:
1 Peter 5:6 (GNT) "Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that He will lift you up in His own good time. (7) Leave all your worries with Him, because He cares for you."

and John 14:6 (GNT) Jesus answered him, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one goes to the Father except by Me."

If the World Hates You...

John 15:18 (GNT) "If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated Me first."

I Am Able To Do Far Beyond All That You Ask

(from Jesus Calling book by Sarah Young)

"I AM ABLE to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine.  Come to Me with positive expectations, knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish.   Ask My Spirit to control your mind, so that you can think great thoughts of Me.  Do not be discouraged by the fact that many of your prayers are yet unanswered.  Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark.  The more extreme your circumstances, the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation.  Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention.  Keep your eyes and your mind wide open to all that I am doing in your life."

Wow, I just noticed that.   To view our troubling situations as "setting the scene for God's intervention".

References 3 scriptures:

Ephesians 3:20-21 (GNT)  "To Him who by means of His power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen."

Romans 8:6 (GNT) "To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace."

Isaiah 40:30-31 (GNT)  "Even those who are young grow weak; young men can fall exhausted.  But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed.  They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak."

Revelation 5:13 (GNT) "And I heard every creature in Heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea - all living beings in the universe - and they were singing:  'To Him who sits on the throne and  to the Lamb, be praise and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!"