“When a man undergoes treatment from a doctor, he does not need to know the way in which the drug works on his body in order to be cured. There is a sense in which Christianity is like that. At the heart of Christianity there is a mystery, but it is not the mystery of intellectual appreciation; it, the mystery of redemption.”- William Barkley
Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in Him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.
It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. (Ref Ephesians1: 7-14 The Message)
As you watch this Hillsong video entitled “This is Our God“, my prayer is for you to be touched by God personally. Just keep your heart and mind open, have a quiet moment, and lift up your spirit and let God communicate with you.
Hillsong This is Our God
Love the Hillsong worship song? You can buy DVD album by clicking this link:Hillsong’s This Is Our God or Audio CD on this link: Hillsong’s This Is Our God
You were about to enter your Church on a typical Sunday morning. You noticed a homeless man sitting on your church’s doorsteps. What would you do? Would you simply walk straight inside your Church and pretend that you didn’t see the homeless man? Would you walk to this homeless man and make a conversation with him? Would you offer him a food or drink? Would you go and speak to him and if you could pray for him? Would you invite him to go inside your Church?
This what Pastor James exactly did to test his flocks on how they would react to the situation. He dressed up as a homeless man to the surprise of the congregation when he entered to do his Sunday preaching. Watch this interesting video and find out how his flocks respond when they saw him as a homeless man in front of their church.
Matthew 25: 31-44 New King James Version
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the [c]holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer [d]Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Tags:
homeless pastor, homelessness, charity, christian charity, evangelism, outreach
This is a very beautiful rendition of the popular hymn “In Christ Alone.” Keith and Kristyn Getty along with the band (drummer David Zimmer, bass & BVs Justin Hartman, guitarist Jordan Davis), along with the orchestra from Shadow Mountain Church in San Diego, leading “In Christ Alone”.
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.
In Christ Alone
Original Artist: Stuart Townend, Keith Getty
Watch Video of Keith and Kristyn Getty with the band (drummer David Zimmer, bass & BVs Justin Hartman, guitarist Jordan Davis), along with the orchestra from Shadow Mountain Church in San Diego, leading “In Christ Alone”.
From a very religious man into a trophy of His grace!
This is the testimony of Micah Wilder. A mormon from the Latter Day Saints Church. He was on his two-year Mormon mission trip when he encountered a pastor that he is trying to convert to his LDS Church. Micah narrated: “When I was 19 as you can see that I went into the Missionary Training Center in Provo Utah and went on my two-year mission trip and I actually got sent to Orlando, Florida and what you may or may not notice that Orlando is a very evangelical in Bible based area and I didn’t understand this at the time so I was a little naive as a young Mormon missionary but I was convinced that I was just going to get to Orlando and convert everybody that I saw and be the greatest mission or ever and so I got there and I was being very zealous and trying to convert people into my faith and riding my bicycle and knocking on doors and I’ve been there for a few months and I got a little you know what you might say overzealous in my attempt to convert others because I actually attempted to convert a Baptist minister in his whole congregation to the Mormon Church which I was unsuccessful in by the way but it did open an opportunity for God to begin an amazing work in my life.”
Watch his powerful testimony below how Micah ultimately left the Church of Latter-day Saints and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. His story did not end there. He is also on another mission!!! It will be worth your time watching this and make sure you SHARE this page to your friends and families especially if they Mormon or they belong to the Church of the Latter Day Saints.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17
You’ve got to see this video. It’s brilliant and powerful. What an innovative way to testify to the goodness of God! Men and women from all walks of life in this video prove one thing: God is involved in our personal lives! He knows every detail, He knows every battle, and He knows every circumstance of our lives. In His eyes, nothing is hidden.
Do you have a cardboard testimony? Care to share one? Why don’t you type in to the comment box just below this post? The bible tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Sharing our faith by our testimonies is a bold action glorifying God and edifying and bridging people to God. We serve a living God. A real God. An awesome God.
If I were to write my cardboard testimony, it would be this: “I am a drunkard. I am a liar. A sinner recidivist! But by God’s Grace, I am a Holy Spirit- led man.” What’s yours?