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"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
(Psalms 100:1, 4 KJV) "Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him." (Psalms 68:4 KJV) The best way to start a day is with praise and worship for Our Awesome God. It always begins the day on a positive note and we usually find that, at the end of a day, the day has been productive. Sometimes, we get all tense knowing some of the obstacles in our paths for a certain day. We do better if we start all days with a small worship service of our own. Read His Holy Bible, pick a praise Psalm and read it, tell our Father the problems you are concerned about, sing praises to Jesus Christ and lay your problems at Jesus' feet. This sharing of your concerns with Someone who can do something about the problem will relieve that tension you have and you'll feel better. Knowing that Our Awesome God loves us (1 John 4:10) and does all things for our good (Romans 8:28) gives us great comfort in the tumult of this world. He keeps His promises and is always there with a strong arm to help us. We need to remind ourselves of His love, faithfulness and righteousness. So we should have a daily worship for Our Awesome God as we begin each day. Plan for it!! Make it happen. You can vary your worship service as you want and need, using Our Awesome God's promises, praise songs, His attributes, Jesus Christ's love for us and naming the things God has done. We humans tend to forget what God has promised and done for us and we can become discouraged when we have problems. But if you dedicate a regular time every day to hold a personal worship period, it will keep you closer to Our Awesome God and remind you of His power and love. It will make your day more peaceful and less tense to live when you start it by worshipping God. We (as a church) want all people in church, worshipping Our Awesome God with faith and obedience every Sunday. If you are not yet a Christian, it is time that you should know and love Our Awesome God as your Creator and Savior. Join us at Living Word Baptist Church as we pray and worship Him this Sunday at 10:30 AM and at 6:00 PM for Bible Study along with AWANA for children 7:30 PM. On Wednesdays, we meet at 7:00 PM for Prayer Requests and a Bible Study follows until 8:00 PM. We love visitors!
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"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
(John 20:29 KJV) We are easily distracted from the unseen Kingdom of Our Awesome God by the things of this world that we can see. Take Peter for instance, if he was going to walk on water to Jesus he had to ignore what he could see, the high wind and waves battering the boat, and walk to Him. He would not get there if he focused on the waves and he couldn't do both. Peter had to focus on Jesus, a Jesus he could see, but he needed a trust he could not see to get him across those angry waves. When he lost that focus and trust, he started sinking. When you pray, you cannot see anyone and yet, by focusing on talking to Our Awesome God, you can know He hears you. And when He answers, you cannot see Him but the deep peace He leaves with you makes you know He heard and will take care of the "problem." Sometimes the telephone rings and we answer it instead of going to prayer time. We are easily distracted by the physical things we see instead of the job we set out to do--pray. God is patient but He wants us to eagerly trust and seek Him. He is in control of all things. Are you easily distracted from doing what God wants you to do because you cannot see Him? He will still be with you and know if you did what He asked. So remember that your commitment to Our Awesome God is more important than picking up your suits from the cleaners. God is your future but you cannot see Him unless He makes it happen. Ah, but He loves you! Our future is heaven if we are God's children. Are you a Christian just waiting to go home? It will be a perfect world with no poverty, no crying, no death, with justice, with no fighting, with happiness, plenty to eat, clothes and a mansion are provided. Most of all, Our Awesome God will be there! Heaven is not yet seen by us, but it is there. Our church is a loving church that wants to help others and ourselves to have a better understanding of Our Awesome God and His love, mercy and grace for all of mankind. Join us at Living Word Baptist Church as we love others while preaching and teaching from our Holy Bible about God and His Son, Jesus Christ. On Sunday, our church has a Bible Study at 9:30 AM, a Worship Service at 10:30 AM and then at 6:00 PM there is another Bible Study hour along with a children's program called AWANA which goes until 7:30 PM (September through May). On Wednesdays, we meet at 7:00 PM for Prayer Requests and Bible Study along with a separate Spanish Bible Study until 8:00 PM. We love visitors! "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
(Psalms 16:11 KJV) Sometimes we get so immersed in the problems around us that we forget that deep joy we have felt when Our Awesome God was near and we felt at complete peace with everything around us as we talked to Him. This is that deep joy that you get when talking to our Lord and Savior. It is a peaceful joy that we can feel when we have trusted God to take all our problems. Because you often feel that He is life since our thoughts are washed in His thoughts and our wills are strengthened by His will. We say we will never let this feeling get away from us but it does. When this marvelous joy starts leaving us, and it does start when we turn to the world and leave His presence, we need to schedule our next talk with our Lord and keep it. We need to talk quietly with Him all day as He helps us with our problems and the problems of others around us. But when bedtime comes, our visit with Our Awesome God needs to happen to keep that joy in our hearts. Often we are tired and we just crawl into bed and pull the covers up, forgetting to pray before we sleep. We miss out on one of the greatest ways to relax when we don't tell God our problems and pray at the end of a day. It becomes the norm to smile most of the day when you have the joy of the Lord in you, to hug those close to you, to clap your hands and sing to the Lord. Our "first love" is there with that deep peace that keeps you wanting to spend more time with Him. But you need quiet, time to pray, to focus on Our Awesome God and to leave this world briefly in order to get that joy back. You will be a happier person and so will those around you when you can feel Him helping you with words and giving you ideas to help others. PRAY until it returns! Singing songs of praise and joy to Our Awesome God helps us continue to feel this joy longer whether we sing or we listen to the song. Reading His Bible and things He has done for others makes the joy and peace linger longer in your heart and mind. You may have other methods that you use. LWBC is a Bible believing church that tries to live Jesus Christ's commandment to "love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12 KJV) Join us this Sunday as we learn more about Our Awesome God and how to teach others from His Holy Bible. Join us at Living Word Baptist Church as we have Bible Study at 9:30 AM then pray and worship Him this Sunday at 10:30 AM. Then at 6:00 PM we start an hour of Bible Study along with AWANA for children until 7:30 PM (September through May). On Wednesdays, we meet at 7:00 PM for Prayer Requests and a Bible Study along with a separate Spanish Bible Study until 8:00 PM. We love visitors! "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
(1 John 1:9 KJV) "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7 KJV) At the end of each year, we should look back over the year and see if there are sins we continue to sin. Do we sin the same sin often enough to consider the sin "habitual?" These are sins we may need to find help to overcome. This may be in the form of a free program found in a church such as one called Celebrate Recovery (Matthew 5:3) or it may require a Biblical based counselor. Ask our Pastor Richard Stevens if this is a problem that you need some help with and where to get help. List your sins that you did overcome and gave to Our Awesome God this year. Then list any new sins or possible sins you may have and be sure to ask God to show you any other sins you still have, bundle them all up and bring them to God in prayer, asking Him what to do to get rid of each one (Proverbs 3:5). Write down the answers He gives you and always make sure God is your partner in getting rid of your sins and it usually helps to have a human advocate who you are responsible to. Leaning on Our Awesome God and depending on His help is the only way to be sure the sin is gone (Psalm 8:124). So take all the sins you have right now "bundle them" and, with God's help, figure out how you are getting rid of each. Work on not sinning, one sin at a time. Get your New Year's Resolutions, which should include your sins, together and start on them now. Ask our Pastor about help from Celebrate Recovery. You need success! So if you are a Christian and believe in Jesus Christ, you should tell all that you meet about Jesus Christ and what He has done for you and your sins. If you aren't a Christian, you need to come to our church or any church that preaches and teaches that Jesus Christ died for you, taking your sins upon Himself and arose the third day to sit by God, interceding for you when you sin. Our Awesome God wants all to enjoy heaven with Him. He loves you! He wants you to love Him and obey Him! We invite you to our church services on Sunday morning (9:30 AM) and Worship Service at (10:30 AM) Then again Sunday evening (6:00 PM) for Bible Study along with AWANA for children which goes until 7:30 PM. Wednesday evening (7:00 PM) there is a Prayer Meeting and Bible Study. When you come, ask about the choir and the Prayer Team. We love visitors and would enjoy meeting you and telling you about Our Awesome God! "And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?"
(1 Kings 19:12 -13 KJV) When one slows down and listens after problems have happened, one may hear that "still small voice" telling one to stop. It might come as Elijah heard it or it might come in other forms, but Our Awesome God knows the best way to stop you when you are going the wrong way, doing the wrong thing or you just need to slow down. We often do not know or understand God because we do not listen for or heed His gentle calls to stop and consider what we are doing. A whisper can barely be heard and is especially hard to hear as you rush to and fro, so sometimes it must be felt as a pressure on ones' heart and mind. It is like a warm gentle breeze blowing calmly across your soul. It warms and comforts you when you heed it and listen. This feeling and voice are well worth your wait. So listen and wait for Our Awesome God to whisper in that "still small voice" so He gets your attention. When you are pursuing a path that clearly follows scriptural commandments but you sense that God wants you to do something else that is not on that path, stop and pray before going on. Consider the action and test It against scripture. Does it involve anything that might violate Our Awesome God's word? If not, do the action as best you can as soon as possible. Leave the results and consequences up to God. Once the assignment is accomplished, God may give you another job. If not, you can return to your original path, but you might want to pursue it in a different direction. A good example is found in Paul’s journey described in Acts, chapters 16 and 17. Sometimes God closes doors (Acts16:6-7). Sometimes God tells us directly by voice or in a vision (Acts 16:9). Other times God uses circumstances (Acts 17:13-15). Paul never did get to Galatia or Bithynia but he preached the Gospel wherever he went. Our Awesome God never explains His plan to us. He gives us commands in the Bible and lets us work out our own plans to obey them to the best of our ability. Then God blesses them with results that may not be what you expected. But you should always be listening for Him to tell you when He wants you to do something else. You will learn to listen and obey while developing a deep and abiding love for Him and His gentle stops. Join us at LWBC every Sunday at 9:30 AM, we have small group Bible Studies and at 10:30 AM, we meet in the sanctuary for Worship Service. Sunday evening is at 6:00 PM we have Bible Study along with AWANA for children until 7:30 PM. Our programs include a Wednesday Prayer Meeting and Bible Study but are varied as we teach and preach from Our Awesome God's Holy Bible. We love visitors! "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."
(Luke 22:31-32 KJV) Testing of a person by Our Awesome God is usually done through their faith. We feel the testing of our faith as more acute when it involves us feeling alone with the problem. The feeling of being deserted by everyone will make you feel as a soldier would if all his weapons were removed and he was asked to wipe out a tank. Alone! Paul wrote, "I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7) but they cut off his head not long after. His faith was still there. There were three things he rejoiced in having done: 1) "having fought the good fight", 2) "having finished the race" and he had, 3) "kept the faith". Paul's faith had been tested multiple times, making his faith stronger, and he passed as he joined Jesus in heaven. May our faith be as strong when our testing occurs. May we remember that we are never alone even when we are wrong we can always ask Our Awesome God to come be with us, and He will, testing us and strengthening us to teach us to lean on our Lord as we spread God's message to all. Like Paul, we need to keep trying so we can finish "the race" and keep "the faith" so that we can wear that crown like Paul will wear. So that we can test and strengthen our faith and know that we can do it because, having the faith, we believe. Our Awesome God may be testing us so we will know how much faith we have. We need to remember that the most important thing we can do is have faith in Our Awesome God and keep that faith strong. So if testing will strengthen that faith then let us be glad He is testing us, for the time will come when we will need a strong faith like Paul. Faith is "an unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence". Our Awesome God is a reality to me. He is in my heart and helps me daily, testing me as I go through , increasing my faith and knowledge of my Father God. You develop by testing and pushing yourself to your limit in anything to get better at it. God helps you to do the same. Come join us as we work in Our Awesome God's vineyard, telling others about His story of love and salvation. Our church starts with small groups on Sunday at 9:30 AM and a Worship Service at 10:30 AM. On Sunday evening at 6:00 PM, a Bible Study meets for an hour along with a program for children called AWANA which goes until 7:30 PM. We have a Prayer Meeting and Bible Study that meets at 7:00 PM on Wednesday. "And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him...But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord : and be sure your sin will find you out."
(Numbers 32:21, 23 KJV) The book of Numbers in our Holy Bible relates the victories that the Lord God had given Joshua and the Israelites as Moses led them across the land toward Canaan. After Moses died, God told Joshua to be of "good courage" and do as God told him. So they crossed the Jordan River into Canaan and they took Jericho, a large fortified city. Then they came to a little city called Ai who had a small army and Joshua was soundly defeated. God had assured Joshua that, if they kept God's commandments, Our Awesome God would be with them and they would win. What went wrong? The children of Israel had a small hidden problem (Joshua 7:1). The problem became noticeable when Joshua sent 3,000 troops against the little city of Ai. Although this should have been enough to easily defeat Ai's small army, the Israelites fled before them. Joshua had no idea why this happened. Then Our Awesome God revealed that a man named Achan had taken an "accursed thing" from the sacking of Jericho and hidden it in his tent (Joshua 7:11). Only after the small hidden problem was found and taken care of could Israel go on to win the Promised Land. We need to remember, small hidden problems must be brought to the surface and dealt with because of the damage and consequences they cause. Our Awesome God knows that we did wrong and we need to take care of the hidden problem before we go on. Do you have those "small problems" in your life? The "hidden problems" may consist of cursing aloud or in your thoughts, it may be taking things that don't belong to you, it may be pride, it could be envy, etc. but check what you think and do with what God wants, then change anything He would not want. Small "hidden things" can grow or just may be a big problem with God. All sins are large to God. If you are a Christian who has strayed away from Our Awesome God or someone who has never been a Christian or a person who needs to help minister to others, join us at Living Word Baptist Church on Sunday at 9:30 AM for Bible Study and at 10:30 AM for a Praise and Worship Service. At 6:00 PM Sunday evening, we have a Bible Study along with AWANA for children until 7:30 PM. On Wednesday, we meet at 7:00 PM for Prayer Requests, and a Bible Study follows until 8:00 PM. We welcome all people and love them! |
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December 2016
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