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By Way of The Cross
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Salvation Covers

All Three Tenses

 You ask, "What do you mean?"  

Salvation is past, present, and future.  

1.  When you in faith asked Christ to save you, because of what Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary, you were saved.  That is past tense.   You were saved from the penalty of sin.  

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9  

2.  As you live each day as a Christian, you are being saved.  This is called Sanctification. You start out as a baby Christian and grow into a mature Christian.  Sanctification is becoming more like Jesus everyday.  But you in your own power can not do this. You must walk in the Spirit.  When you were saved, you were indwelt by the Spirit of God.  Only in the power of the Spirit can you grow and become a mature Christian.  This is the present tense and you are being saved from the power of sin.  

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20  

Christ must live in you for there to be growth.  

3.  Now the future tense.  One day Jesus will call His church home. When this happens, you will go to be with Jesus in Heaven. You will be saved from the presence of sin. In heaven there will be no sin.  This is called glorification.  

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.   For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heavenwith a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:   Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."   I Thessalonians 4:13-18  

Past, present, and future are the three tenses of Salvation.  Salvation from the penalty, power, and presence of sin.  

Christ's sacrifice gave us a complete salvation.  

May God bless you in 2010.  Let this be your best year yet and grow more like Jesus everyday.  

God bless,  

Gerald English   


 

 

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“One Thing”


    The Apostle Paul had an amazing capacity for simplicity. 
He said, “this one thing I do;”.  Don't you wish life boiled
down to this one thing?  But in a way it does!  What was the
one thing he did?

     “Forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward to
what lies ahead,” (Philippians 3:13).  What a worthy goal
for this new year.  Forgetting the past, living for the future. 
What better way to live?

     Someone has said, “Many of us are crucifying ourselves
on a cross between two thieves; regrets of the past and worries
for the future.

     God wants us to live lives free of the regrets and pain
of the past.  There is forgiveness for that.  And if you need,
get some Christian counseling.

     He also wants us to be free of the fear of the future. 
What worry really is, is fear!

     Just this morning I read, “The fear of man brings a
snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.” 
(Proverbs 29:25)

     So it seems to me we have a choice, fear or faith. 
I don't know about you … but I'd rather choose faith! 
I hope you will too.

     Remember, “this one thing I do.”  Will you say that
in January 2010?  Will you do that?  Forget the past and
reach forward in faith.

God bless you,


Pastor Steve Weaver

Parkwood Baptist Church

http://www.parkwoodbaptistchurch.com/ 



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He is Crazy About You!
 
 
Face it, He's crazy about you!

*Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.
*He can live anywhere in the universe, but He chose your heart.
*If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
*He sends you flowers every Spring and a sunrise every morning.
*If He had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
*What about the Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem; not to mention that Friday at Calvary.

Are you crazy about Him?
Tassel Chrystal Daley

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Growing in Grace

     I am positive we must grow in the knowledge
of Grace to mature as a Christian.  Realizing,
we do nothing with Grace in our own strength,
but by the power of God.  At the day of Salvation, God gave us everything that we needed to mature as a Christian. He gave us His strength, His power, His love and basically His victory! However, we as Christians find it so hard to grow, wonder why?  Maturity as a Christian is directly tied to a personal
relationship with Christ but cannot be found without the receiving of Grace and then, the returning of Grace to others.  Grace is something that is given freely.  We must also be willing to accept that Grace for us to mature in our Spirit-man. 

     Humility is a huge component to Grace.  We must humble our self to accept Grace.  Many times, we want to skip the humility part.  We do not want to humble ourselves before God and say, I am wrong God, please forgive ME! No Excuses given, no justifications offered just, I sinned! Humility must start between you and God alone.  God doesn’t proceed to beating
you up.  I believe that is Satan that offers condemnation.  At least my experience has been, He only loves.  He wraps His loving arms around us and says, I am so glad you gave
up so I can bless you .

     Grace forces us to accept who God says we are.  We are His children.  He says we are the apple of His eye!  He says we are saints.  Saints justified not through our own actions, but by Jesus Himself.  We are redeemed through Him.  Let’s give up own lives to Him and live by Grace and give freely that Grace to others.

     To mature as Christians, we must also be willing to bestow that Grace onto other people.  Funny thing, we like the Grace that Christ affords us, but we hold others to a standard that is far from Grace.   We all grow at different times and seasons. We expect that God
is patient with us, but we want others to instantaneously mature.  It is a double standard that most of us are all too familiar with, don’t you agree?

     I love Grace because it is the total foundation of the Word of God!  It is why Jesus came to Earth, to give us His Grace.  Let’s remember we are all special in His sight and He loves us all the same.  He does not love
one more than another.  He doesn’t love us more if we are the best or the worst at this maturing thing.  He just Loves.  Let’s be more like the Son.

In Jesus name,

Traci Holloman







 

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The Entrepreneurs Prayer for the New Year!
 

As I awaken with the gift of yet another day
and prepare for the tasks at hand, I offer up
this most ardent prayer:

I pray for continued clarity of purpose so that
I may hold my vision steady and keep my focus on
the needs and success of others, which in turn
shall bring me my success.

I pray for the wisdom to expect abundance in my
life, that it surrounds me and is available for
the taking and to be shameless and unapologetic
upon its receipt, for I deserve abundance.

I pray for a cheerful countenance, be it clear or
cloudy skies and that I may radiate and infect others
with my positive attitude.

I pray for the trust of others that they may recognize
my sincerity and true intentions so that we may move
forward together.

I pray for the strength to fend off adversity and use
my desire and determination as both weapon and shield.

I pray for the courage to carry forth my convictions
during the battle of business and to resist temptation
to a quicker monetary result when such temptation
compromises these things for which I stand.

I pray that I may be used as a lightning rod to collect
the amazing ideas already present in the universe and
when blessed with such inspiration, that I may be able
to apply my talents and abilities to turn the power of
thought into measurable advancement of my goals.

I pray to retain my childhood wonder so that I can
recognize and revel in the small miracles of each day
that others may miss.

I pray for an infinite supply of self-confidence for
it alone fortifies faith, strengthens my resolve and
conquers the largest enemy I will ever face – fear.

I pray for a compassionate spirit and the patience to
offer those who seek my advice and my help, my full and
undivided attention.

I pray for good health and a feeling of well being, and
the continued desire to those areas of my physical life I
may be neglecting in the name of my spiritual and
entrepreneurial advancement.

I pray that today is a day of excellence and at its
conclusion I can acknowledge and be grateful for the
forward motion I have made and the growth I have
experienced.

I pray most of all for the understanding and support
of those closest to my heart, my family, that they
will equate what may seem like endless hours of apparent
pre-occupation with affairs of business to what is at
the very core of my being, that which drives me, for
once I achieve what I have set out in its fullest, I will
become that more complete being I strive to be.


It is for these things that I pray,
for I am an entrepreneur.

 

 


 

 As we end the year 2009...

Top 10 Predictions for 2010

 1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
 
 2. Prayer will still be the most powerful thing on Earth..

 3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

 4. God will still honor the praises of His people.

 5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
 
 6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

 7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

 8. There will still be room at the Cross.

 9. Jesus will still love you.
 
 10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

  Isn't It Great to remember Who Is Really In Control,and
that;
"the Word of the Lord endures forever." 1 Peter 1:25  

This was given to me by my good friend, Charles Odom. 


 

Editor Gerald English

My name is Gerald English

To read and listen
to my testimony, go to


Gerald English

and click on the Bible


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Dr. Joey Faucette

"What's your wish for the new year?"

 

I sat with a group of mostly college students, all of them women, as they talked about what was going on in their lives. One’s boyfriend was due home from Iraq in a couple of weeks. Another was trying to make her life more purposeful. And another had quit smoking.

“I just decided to quit,” she said. “I quit cold turkey—no patch, no pills, no gum. I just quit. And it was hard,” she said, “I mean I’ve been smoking for seven years. It’s what I do. I smoke. I’m a smoker. And my friends don’t understand. They ask me for my lighter and I say, ‘I quit.’ And they say, ‘What?’ They ask to bum a cigarette and I say, ‘I quit.’ And they say, ‘Why?’”

She went on to say, “I know I’m doing the right thing, but it sure is hard.”

Doing the right thing is hard, isn’t it? Even if your old behaviors are killing you or make you miserable, they’re still familiar, aren’t they? And the people around still expect you to be that way, don’t they?

Yes, doing the right thing is hard, but it’s well worth the effort. Resolve to do the right thing in 2010 as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

Dr. Joey Faucette

http://www.listentolife.org


Sinner's Prayer

A simple prayer of faith is all you need to pray for Jesus to save you.

If  in your heart you believe by faith that  Christ died for your sins on the cross, and that He arose, and He is a living Savior today, then that faith can save you. 

Here is the prayer you must mean in your heart:

"Dear Jesus I need you to save me.  Please forgive me of my sins.  Come  into my heart.  Amen

This is what happens when you pray that prayer and mean it.

1.  Eternal life is yours.  

2. Your sins are forgiven.

3.  Personal relationship
      with Jesus orever 

4.  He will never leave you.

Why not ask Jesus to save 
you today?

 


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Brenda House
 

As White as Snow 

As white as snow our sins are forgiven,

A new day with Jesus makes life worth living.

He takes all our sins and casts them into the sea,

So that His children can have peace and forever be free.

A new year has begun and who will we tell,

That Jesus is the ONLY way to be saved from Hell?

Does it really matter to us that others are lost?

Are we willing to share the gospel, no matter the cost?

May God give us the boldness to share the love of His Son,

As we wait for our Father to say to us. “My child, well done”. 

Brenda House

January, 2010 

 

 

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An Article from

Pastor Richard Walker

JESUS IS ALL WE NEED
Well, we have entered a new calendar year. 
Most people are praying that this year will
be “better” than the last.  Some are
praying to get a job, some are praying
to get well (or to not get sick), and some
are praying for financial help, for another
automobile, or for a new home.  In order
to help their chances of getting these
prayers answered, some have made a
resolution to go to church more, to read
their Bible more, and to pray more.  The
question is this:  What if you do go to
church, read your Bible and pray, but
there is no job, you don’t get well or
you get sick, and you don’t get that
financial help or that automobile or
home.  What then?
In John 6 we have an account of people who
followed Jesus for those types of things. 
I call them SEEKERS.  In the first part of
the chapter, Jesus had fed the five
thousand and they followed Him.  However,
Jesus says in verse 26, “You seek
Me . . . because you ate of the loaves
and were filled.”  There are many people
today who seek Jesus for selfish reasons,
for those other things.  John Piper has
stated that “the desire for these other
things” is a real problem.  He says,
“The weakness of our hunger for God is
not because He is unsavory, but because
we keep ourselves stuffed with other
things.  . . .  When God is the supreme
hunger of our hearts, He will be supreme
in everything.”
Like many today, the people in John 6
were fascinated with sensationalism. 
People still love excitement, the
spectacular, and the impressive.  It
seems to me that there are still many
people who care very little about Jesus
actually, but they seek Him for what
they can get out of Him. 
It is said that people are always looking
for something for nothing, no cost, or
no sacrifice.  However, when Jesus starts
talking about SACRFICE, many of these
“disciples” began to back off.  Verse 66
even says that many “went back and walked
with Him no more.”  When Jesus started
asking something of them; making
references to the cross and death,
and how one becomes a true disciple,
they left.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who
died in a Nazi concentration camp,
wrote “The Cost of Discipleship.” 
He stated profoundly, and prophetically
of his own life, that when Jesus calls
a man to follow Him, He bids that man
to come and die.” 
Sensationalism can still draw a crowd. 
I am concerned that many today are looking
for that kind of church.  Let me remind
you that we do not see Jesus going after
that crowd or begging them to stay. 
He does not make deals; He does not
promise us a job, wealth or health,
in order to convince us to follow Him.
What we need to realize is the SUFFICIENCY
of Jesus alone.  Jesus even gave His inner
group of disciples the opportunity to leave,
but Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall
we go?  You have the words of eternal life”
and “we believe and know that You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God” (vv. 68-69). 
Anne Graham Lotz wrote, “JUST GIVE ME JESUS!” 
It’s not evil for us to want a job, health,
and financial stability, but only Jesus is
sufficient for what is ultimately necessary. 
Reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 16:26,
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains
the whole world, and loses his own soul?” 
Follow Jesus because of who He is; you will
not be disappointed!
 

Scripture of the Month



"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

  Galatians 2:16

The formula for your Salvation is:

 Faith + Nothing = A Right Standing with God

You can do nothing to save yourself.



 


 

 

His Mansion
HIS MANSION MINISTRIES

His Mansion is a Christ-centered residential care recovery program, located in Deering, NH.  We help men and women between 18 and 35 years of age that have difficult life.

His Mansion Ministries.


 

 




Appalachian Church Planting

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"...it is our dream to plant
indigenous churches
in the
Appalachian Region from
North Georgia to New York! "


Randy Bonner

 Go to:
 http://appalachianchurch.org


Article Submissin Instructions

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the complete inerrant Word
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only as the vessel that was
used.

Also we believe that the
Bible is the story of
God's Son, Jesus Christ,
and that He is the only
way to the Father.

If you believe this, then
you are welcome to submit
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would like to submit
Articles that would be
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"Seek the kingdom of God
first..."



Doug Tidwell - Technical Editor Doug Tidwell

Technical Editor








Picture of the Month

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So Paul wrote the THESSALONIANS A LETTER, encouraging them with Christ’s coming.


Brother Nyantakyi Andrews
Young Minister in
Ghana West Africa

To learn about his ministry

Pray for him as He does
the Lord's work.