Do Not Be Anxious

Our Lord Jesus tells His followers - 

 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:26-34)

May God help you through the Holy Spirit that you may follow the teachings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and live a worthy life to be called God’s child.

Importance of Christian Fellowship

In order to understand the importance of Christian fellowship, we must first understand what Christian fellowship is and what it isn't. The Greek words translated "fellowship" in the New Testament mean essentially a partnership to the mutual benefit of those involved. Christian fellowship, then, is the mutually beneficial relationship between Christians, who can't have the identical relationship with those outside the faith.

 The mystery and privilege that is Christian fellowship is that it exists because God has enabled it by His grace. Those who believe the gospel are united in the Spirit through Christ to the Father, and that unity is the basis of fellowship. This relationship is described by Jesus in His high-priestly prayer for His followers: "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (John 17:23). The "complete unity" He refers to is the oneness that Christians experience in true fellowship, oneness with one another, with Christ and with the Father. Just as the Father is in Jesus, so is Jesus in us, and we have unity with one another because of the uniqueness of that relationship (1 John 1:3).

Great is God’s Faithfulness

God’s faithfulness gives us confidence.

Scripture:“My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!” Psalm 108:1

Faithfulness is defined as: “constant; true to one’s word or promise”. This defines Our God! “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; My God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18:2

A Firm Foundation

“Who but our God is a solid rock?” (Psalm 18:31). God has not changed. In a world where everything is rapidly and constantly changing, God is like a solid, unchanging rock that we can stand on. God’s word is true and we can count on it because it is based in His faithful character. “The grass withers and the flowers fade but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) God does not make mistakes or change his mind. He is not swayed by public opinion. God is a firm foundation.

An Unfailing Love

CONQUER TEMPTATION WITH THE BIBLE AND PRAYER

The words come out of God is powerful. When He said in the beginning of creation, “Let there be Light”, there was Light. And almost all created being come into existence as God commanded.

Therefore, the Psalmist says, "the Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. ... When He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command" (Psalm 33:6, 9).

JESUS USE THE WORD OF THE BIBLE :

When Satan tempted, Jesus Himself used the words from the Scripture to win over His adversary.

Jesus told him, "The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" ( Matthew 4:4 )

Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the Lord your God.'" (Matthew 4:7) 

"Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.'"( Matthew 4:10)

JESUS IS THE WORD :

YOU CAN BECOME GOD’S CHILD

God loves you. He created everything in the universe.  He created man and woman to rule over the earth under His care. But man violates God’s law and can no longer receive the true help of God. Violation of God’s law is called ‘sin’ in the word of God’.

Therefore, according to the word of God, man sin against God. Man is sinner.

God is Holy and perfect. Man is sinner and fall short of God’s glory. As such, man can no longer have relationship with God. Hence, man can no longer receive the true help and true blessings of God, the creator.

In order to relate with God and receive His help and blessings, the relationship of man with God must be restored as was in the beginning. This is possible now and there is only one way – you must become God’s child.

God love all the people of the world. He wants to make us His children. Therefore, He sent His only Son, Jesus to do all necessary work we are require to do in order to become God’s children.

Jesus became man and lived on earth two thousand years ago among men and women in this world, in the land of Palestine. He taught the people about the Kingdom of God and Heaven, how to become God’s child and enter the Kingdom of God and heaven, and how to become God’s child.

Jesus was crucified on the cross like criminal and died. This was God’s plan to save us from eternal condemnation, eternal punishment in hell which is called ‘the second death’.

Jesus died in our place or on behalf of all of us. But to receive the benefit of His death, one must believe that He (Jesus) died in his place to save him (believer).

Jesus is the Son of God. He cannot die for ever. God raised Him (Jesus) again from the dead and is living for ever as the Spirit. God gave Him all authority on earth and heaven.

In His authority, Jesus will come again for the second time to bring believers to be with Him in heaven and to punish all who does not believe in Him.

Thus, Jesus has done all necessary task we have to become God’s child. We have no other task to do to be ‘saved’ or have ‘salvation’.

In the word of God ( the Bible), restoring the already relationship with God is also known as ‘Salvation’, when one become God’s child, he is ‘saved’ from the eternal punishment of God.

The only one we must do is ‘to believe in Him that Jesus is the Son of God and died for us.

How to Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit

KEY VERSE :  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off —for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:38-41)

This is the instructions of Apostle Peter how one can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God Must Be Heard 

First, the Word of God must be heard. Peter has preached that in God’s plan Jesus was crucified, raised, and exalted as Lord over all the universe and that forgiveness of sin and spiritual renewal can be had from him. The Word has been heard.

ON PENTECOST

More than 2000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth promised to His Disciple Peter that He would founded His CHURCH on Peter ( better understand ‘by using Peter’). His disciples did not understand what Jesus means.

One day, this Jesus, told His disciples ( in simple version)  “you will not understand all things I am telling you. But you will understand when the Helper come.”

“This Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father ( God in Heaven) send to you in my name  ( in Jesus place) will make you understand all this I told you. He will tell you all the truth about me”.

 “I am going away soon.  But I will not leave you like an orphan. I will come to you again to help you. I will send the TRUE HELPER when I go away. And it is good that I go away so that the TRUE HELPER come to you in my place. If I do not go away, the Helper will not come. But if I go away, the Helper will come to you and he will be with you for ever”.

His disciples could not understand what Jesus was telling them. Jesus, actually, was telling them that he will die but will send the Holy Spirit to help them. He also told them three times that He would die but will rise again on the third day.

Jesus’ prediction came true. He died but was raised from the dead on the third day. He appeared to His disciples and others and lived with them for forty days on earth again. Then, He left them, instructing them to stay at Jerusalem till Pentecost. He means to say that the Holy Spirit will come on Pentecost. As such, His disciples and other followers stayed at Jerusalem, waiting the promised of the Lord Jesus.

What can we gain by studying the Bible?

a. The Bible teaches us many important truths that we cannot learn anywhere else.
b. The Bible introduces us to the real, living God.
c. The Bible teaches us how to live in a way that honors and pleases God.
d. The Bible promises us many wonderful blessings if we follow its teachings.
e. The Bible shows us how we may have an everlasting life full of joy and peace.
Scripture References
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

God is Infinite and Eternal Being :

 "The Bible reveals God as the only Infinite and Eternal Being, having no beginning and no ending. He is Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is the Supreme Personal Intelligence, and Righteous Ruler of His universe. He is life, and therefore, the only source of life. (John 5:26)
 Man is natural and cannot know God by wisdom. "Can you discover the depths of God?" (Job 11:7)  God is a person and can be known only by revelation. In the Old Testament He revealed Himself to and through His prophets. In the New Testament He reveals Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 1:3)"
 The better we come to know God, the deeper our love grows; the deeper our love grows, the more we want to live lives pleasing to Him; the more we want to please Him, the easier it becomes to obey the teaching and commandments of Jesus.

The Word of life

 We declare this to you about the Word of life. The Word existed before the world began. This is what we have heard. We have seen it with our eyes. We watched it. We touched it with our hands. This is about the Word of life. The person who gives life came. He showed this life to us. We saw it and we are witnesses to it. We declare to you that this is *eternal life. It was with the Father. It has now appeared to us. This is what we saw. This is what we heard. We declare it to you also. We want you to share in this life together with us. It really has united us with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1-4)