"My faith rests not in what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is doing for me." Charles Spurgeon
It's not about me or anything I bring but it is about Christ in me!! Is this your claim or do you still believe that you have something to offer?
While God does give us the resources and abilities to do things. It isn't us that does it. It is God working through us. The end of John 15: 5 says it best, "for without me ye can do nothing.". Also in Philippines 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.". You see its not us it's Christ in us!!
Have a blessed day!!!!
Anthony
Monday, September 17, 2018
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Justification is Everything
I preached a message Sunday morning titled “Justification is
Everything”. I felt after I left the pulpit that there was so much more I
needed to say. So, this is an addition to that message.
We live in a world where justification is everything. As
long as we can justify it it is ok. This isn’t TRUTH! While that may be in the
world it is also running amuck in the churches among bible believing
Christians.
You may be thinking to yourself that this isn’t right. Well
let me give you some examples.
The Bible tells us that God hates gossiping but so many of
us are guilty of this. “What, not me, I’ve never gossiped a day of my life!”
Well let me ask you. Have you ever asked a prayer request for someone and give
all the details of the request? Has someone ever come to you and shared a
burden to which they asked you to pray for them and then you turned to your
prayer group and said, “pray for so and so because they are burdened by
complete disclosure”? Or has someone come to you and done this without you
stopping them? Justifying gossip by claiming it’s a prayer request is still
gossiping.
How about telling a little white lie to save someone’s
feelings? I know there is no one guilty of this because the Bible tells us not
to lie. We are caring compassionate people and we are to love others the way we
want to be loved. We would not want someone to hurt our feelings so therefore
we spare other’s feelings. Or we may stretch the truth to keep us from getting
into trouble. A lie is a lie no matter
how you justify it.
We even justify not witnessing to others because “I’m not as
educated as so and so”, “what if they ask me something I don’t know about the
bible”, “that’s the pastor’s job; that’s why we pay him”,
or “I’m just to busy with all the junk I have in my life”. What if someone
justified not sharing with you?
I tell you that there is coming a day when you and I will
stand before an all mighty righteous God and we won’t be able to justify the
actions we have committed. The only justification we will have on that day is
if we were / are covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
I know that this is / has been a touchy subject because we
have all been guilty of this at some point in our lives. Lord knows I have been!
If you have in the past or if you are currently trying to justify your actions,
then I submit to you that it’s time to confess and repent. According to God’s
Holy Word “God cannot look upon any sin” (Habakkuk 1:13). I submit to you that
if you have unconfessed sin in your life that you aren’t in a right
relationship with God the Father.
The good news according to 1 John 1:9 is that “if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and JUST to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness”.
I love you all,
Pastor Anthony Kennedy
Sunday, September 2, 2018
The Shema Prayer
The Shema Prayer.
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord : And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
"Shema (“hear”) is the Hebrew word that begins the most important prayer in Judaism. It is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, which begins with the command to “Hear.” The whole Shema prayer, which includes verses 4-9, is spoken daily in the Jewish tradition. The Shema prayer was so influential and important that Jesus used it as the beginning of His answer to the “greatest commandment” question in Mark 12:28–30. When Jesus began His answer with the Shema prayer, He acknowledged the Lord God as most important and that complete devotion to Him is the most important of the commandments. Even today, Christians can look to the words of the Shema as a wonderful expression that the Lord is the one true God. As we acknowledge His lordship, our response remains to “hear” Him, love Him with all our heart, soul, and might, and love our neighbor as ourselves."
Not boasting nor bragging but these words are written and posted beside the door of my home. When we leave our home they are there to remind us to love God and to carry / talk about Him everywhere we go.
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord : And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
"Shema (“hear”) is the Hebrew word that begins the most important prayer in Judaism. It is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, which begins with the command to “Hear.” The whole Shema prayer, which includes verses 4-9, is spoken daily in the Jewish tradition. The Shema prayer was so influential and important that Jesus used it as the beginning of His answer to the “greatest commandment” question in Mark 12:28–30. When Jesus began His answer with the Shema prayer, He acknowledged the Lord God as most important and that complete devotion to Him is the most important of the commandments. Even today, Christians can look to the words of the Shema as a wonderful expression that the Lord is the one true God. As we acknowledge His lordship, our response remains to “hear” Him, love Him with all our heart, soul, and might, and love our neighbor as ourselves."
Not boasting nor bragging but these words are written and posted beside the door of my home. When we leave our home they are there to remind us to love God and to carry / talk about Him everywhere we go.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Broken Relationships
Some broken relationships can be healed and the two people can be reunited. Other relationships may not be rejoined, and in those cases you will need to seek healing from the broken relationship itself.
Whatever the case you find yourself in, carrying around emotional pain is similar to living with an untreated wound. It can lead to further infections as the bacteria of bitterness and regret is left to spread. On top of that, if you had an open wound filled with puss on your arm (yet under your shirt) and someone brushed up against you unaware of your wound, your reaction would probably be to jerk your arm, or to became angry and possibly say something unkind, or even to walk away in pain. This reaction wouldn’t make sense to the friend or stranger who simply brushed up against you. It would seem like an over-reaction to them.
Any over-reaction is tied to an old reaction that has not yet healed.
That is why it is critical to either heal your broken relationship with someone, or heal from a broken relationship. Otherwise, you run the risk of harming future relationships due to the wounds from the past.
These words are so true!!! Men this also applies to you and I. If we have broken relationships with other men and/or our families they need to be healed!
There is no need to carry our pride and bitterness around any longer. Make amends while there is still time!!
If you were unfortunate to not make amends before it was to late give it to God!! God will forgive you and help heal your broken heart.
I love you and God bless!!!
Pastor Anthony
Whatever the case you find yourself in, carrying around emotional pain is similar to living with an untreated wound. It can lead to further infections as the bacteria of bitterness and regret is left to spread. On top of that, if you had an open wound filled with puss on your arm (yet under your shirt) and someone brushed up against you unaware of your wound, your reaction would probably be to jerk your arm, or to became angry and possibly say something unkind, or even to walk away in pain. This reaction wouldn’t make sense to the friend or stranger who simply brushed up against you. It would seem like an over-reaction to them.
Any over-reaction is tied to an old reaction that has not yet healed.
That is why it is critical to either heal your broken relationship with someone, or heal from a broken relationship. Otherwise, you run the risk of harming future relationships due to the wounds from the past.
These words are so true!!! Men this also applies to you and I. If we have broken relationships with other men and/or our families they need to be healed!
There is no need to carry our pride and bitterness around any longer. Make amends while there is still time!!
If you were unfortunate to not make amends before it was to late give it to God!! God will forgive you and help heal your broken heart.
I love you and God bless!!!
Pastor Anthony
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