All For One & One For All - Matthew 28:18-22 (NIV)

Scripture of the Day:

Matthew 28:18-22

“All For One & One For All”

Then JESUS came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to ME. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

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O.K.  I will try to keep this from sounding like a riddle or tongue twister! GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Spirit are One, and because THEY are all One, THEY gave for all!  THEY gave for you and me . . . righteous and unrighteous . . . saved and unsaved . . . lost and found!  Many times we are approached with the question, how can all three be One.  In other words, we are questioned about the “Trinity” of GOD!  Many have made the argument that there must be three of them!  Last week we spoke of “Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient”, which should help us better understand and explain the capability of GOD in three persons!

A more practical approach is looking at the fact that I am a son, a husband, and a father!  To my parents, I am a son.  To my wife, I am a husband.  To my children, I am a father.  If all of them were standing in the same room with me, I don’t give up being any one of the three, but I remain all three!  As a man, I can only answer as one to each, but GOD can answer All For One & One For All!  The Trinity of GOD is your great “I Am”  If you need a father, HE says “I Am”, If you need a brother, HE says “I Am”, If you need a friend, HE says “I Am”

Whatever you need . . . whenever you need it . . . in the Trinity, GOD is our great “I Am!”  HE is All For One & One For All!  We are to "GO" and make disciples of "All" nations and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!  By the authority given to JESUS, we are commanded to baptize in the Trinity of GOD!

HE Will Never Die - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NKJV)

Scripture of the Day

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NKJV)

“HE Will Never Die”

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.

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Here is some sound doctrine on the Word of GOD!  HE Will Never Die!  JESUS gave up HIS life, and by the power of GOD HE will always live! When JESUS ascended back to glory, The Holy Spirit was left with us!  GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Spirit will never die!  We never hear anyone say, “GOD is dead” . . . nor do we hear anyone ever say, “JESUS is dead and HE never got up from the grave” . . . so why do we hear, “The Spirit is dead”  If GOD is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are we saying apart of HIM is dead?  I hope not, because HE is a Holy GOD and HE is always whole and complete in all that HE does!  We can quench the Spirit and we can grieve the spirit (Isaiah 63:10), but man will never kill the Spirit, therefore HE Will Never Die.

Now . . . what we have to understand is the flesh will die and we can kill our own worship by quenching or grieving the Spirit, but HE Will Never Die!  I may enter into a worship service with my heart weary or harden!  I may expect the praise and worship team to lift my desire to praise!  I may expect the pastor to preach a good sermon to encourage me or even chastise me with truth . . . but never ever should I think the Spirit is dead!  If the Spirit is dead . . . even for a second . . . who are you sealed by until the day of redemption? (Ephesians 4:30)

GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Spirit Will Never Die!  Amen!

Again, please don't limit GOD to the size of your reality!  HE's Too Awesome, HE's Too Amazing!

A Solid Rock - Matthew 16:18 (NIV)

Scripture of the Day

Matthew 16:18 (NIV)

“A Solid Rock”

¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

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I usually reference three different translations of the bible (KJV, NKJV, NIV) for studying.  The word ecclesiology means the study of the church.  Which many of us focus on “What is the church?” vs. “Who is the church?”  Just as we are to be apologetic (yesterday’s SOD), we must have a basic understanding in ecclesiology.  Now of course I cannot break it all down in a SOD (I know I have a 10 – 15 second window), but I do want us to take the time to study the church.  In this verse we can see that JESUS tells Peter that on this rock HE will build HIS church!  Now, there isn’t any translations that lead us to believe that JESUS was pointing at a rock on the ground.  Nor do we ever read that on a particular rock JESUS began to build HIS church!  This would eliminate the “What”, so let’s focus on the “Who”. Derived from the Greek word “Petros”, the name Peter means stone.  In Matthew 4:18 we see that there were two brothers Simon (called Peter) and Andrew.  So Peter’s real name was Simon, but they called him Stone (Rock).  Which should help us understand that JESUS was going to build HIS church from Peter . . . not a rock sitting on the ground!  So, who is the church?  I’ve always wondered why none of the disciples asked JESUS, “What is a church?”  Although this is the first mention of “church”, not even doubting Thomas asked about a church!

¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ¹⁶ But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)  Again, no one raises their hand and ask, “Teacher, what or who is a church?”  JESUS doesn’t say take it to the administrative office, the pastor, or the counselor . . . HE said that after you have taken it to all of them, take it to the church!  This is another reason ecclesiology!  By reading the entire book of Acts, we will not find the church referred to as a facility.  Even when Saul was destroying the church, it says he went from house to house and dragged out the men and women.  (read Acts 8:1-4).  In fact the church begin to meet at the homes of believers!  Believers are the church! 

The more we understand ecclesiology the more our churches will be “A Solid Rock” that JESUS has built! This SOD should generate a lot of discussion, so please check out http://inhishandministry.blogspot.com/ later to see the comments!  And please note that I do not claim to be an expert in ecclesiology!  But hopefully you have learned a new word to add to your biblical rolodex!

Let Us Learn More About JESUS & The Church That HE Built!

HE Is Omniscient - Acts 15:18 (KJV)

Scripture of the Day

Acts 15:18 (KJV)

“HE Is Omniscient”

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

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The word “Om-nis-cient” means having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding of all things.  Going back to the automobile . . . if I design an automobile to have all the things I want in it, I will have a general knowledge of what I want.  I may have to bring in different experts, but I would have a general knowledge.  But the expert who developed the fuel injection knows everything about it.  The expert that developed the suspension knows everything about it.  There may be an expert on each of the parts, but they may only have limited knowledge on everything else!  But GOD, who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them knows everything about everything!  HE is aware of all things with full understanding of the capability!  HE knows just how much you can bear!

I know a few folks who think they know it all, but I serve the GOD who truly knows it all!  I always say, there is nothing in the world that can happen and GOD will say, “Didn’t see that coming!”  Check this out  . . . GOD can’t even hide knowledge from HIMSELF!  HE is the only One who knows the end!  If you want to know what GOD thinks about something . . . you should ask HIM!  HE has all the answers!

Have A Blessed 3-Day Weekend! Remember, “Yesterday,” “Today,” and “Tomorrow”

HE Is Omnipresent - Psalm 139:7-12 (NIV)

Scripture of the Day

Psalm 139:7-12 (NIV)

“HE Is Omnipresent”

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

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The word “Om-ni-pres-ent” means present everywhere at the same time.  GOD is not at the beginning, and then race to the end before you get there . . . HE is the beginning and the end at the same time.  HE is the beginning, the middle and the end at the same time.  GOD is the bookends to everything!  When HE promised that HE would never leave us nor forsake us . . . we can believe HIM because of HIS omnipresent attribute!  No man or angel can claim this attribute!  Not even the wind can be everywhere at the same time!  Think about it . . . not even the air can claim this attribute throughout the universe!  Only our Omnipresent GOD can claim to be everywhere at the exact same time!  From the highest mountain to the deepest sea, HE is there!  No matter where you are right now . . . GOD is there with you just as HE is here with me . . . at the same time!  I don’t know about you, but this is very comforting to know!  Because HE is everywhere, HE knows where we are, and where we are going!

Who can be greater than the GOD we serve?  No one!

HE Is Omnipotent - Jeremiah 32:17-18 (NIV)

Scripture of the Day

Jeremiah 32:17-18 (NIV)

“Omnipotent”

                                 

“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. ¹⁸ You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty,

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This word “Om-nip-o-tent” means almighty or infinite in power.  In Genesis 1:1, GOD is identifying HIMSELF as Omnipotent with, “In the beginning . . . “  This should help us understand GOD was there before we began!  Therefore HE is our beginning!  The passage above describes just how powerful HE is!  HE is the creator of everything and in full control of everything.  Man can develop something or build something and then lose control of it . . . But GOD, who created everything, is always in control!  Think about the automobile.  Man built the automobile, yet he cannot control what another man does behind the wheel!  We can put laws in place, restrict the lawbreakers, yet we cannot control what a man will do behind the wheel!  Nothing happens without GOD’s permission and HIS knowing!  GOD is always in control of what happens behind the “Will”  HE can make a rock cry out!  HE can make a donkey speak!  HE can make a mountain move! 

I know I will never be able to understand all the reasons why GOD does what HE does, but I have full faith that HE is always in control.  Don’t limit HIS power to your reality, but understand that HIS power is unlimited in HIS Truth!  GOD doesn’t rely on man for anything . . . but man should rely on GOD for everything!  What A Mighty GOD We Serve!

3-Day Week - Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Scripture of The Day

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

“Three Day Week”

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

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Although there are 7 days in a week, Christians should acknowledge these 3 days!  The first is “Yesterday”!  I take what I learned from it, but never try to live in it.  What was yesterday is now a part of my testimony.  Don’t let yesterday hold you back!  Always move on to “Today”!  This is the day that the LORD has made for us to live in.  What does “Today” mean to you?  GOD wakes us up “Today” so that we can continue to do HIS will!  That is why I love “Today!” and I hope for “Tomorrow” We can hope for tomorrow and the joy it brings, but it is only by the Will of GOD that they turn into another “Today”

Thank GOD for “Yesterday”, Rejoice In HIS Blessings “Today”, and keep hope for “Tomorrow”

Be Blessed In Your 3-Day Week!