Simple Heart

In life we seem to put more focus on things we didn't get accomplished while giving no regards for the things we did achieve, leaving us feeling downhearted especially as we draw closer to crossing over into a New Year 2024. No matter the setbacks we should know what God plans for us are; it is to prosper us, to give us hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plan to proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Trust God, His divine presence encompasses the entire universe! We are not disqualified because we didn't get to accomplish what we set out to do or failed at something we did! If anything beloved He, Our GOD qualifies the disqualified! BELOVED, SIMPLE HEART WISHES YOU A HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

When life situation have you feeling alone, and God comes in or interrupt your thought process to remind you that you don't face these situations by yourself. God is with you and He is with you always. Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.

Hebrews 2:6 — New Century Version (NCV)- It is written in the Scriptures, “Why are people even important to you? Why do you take care of human beings? Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Life is a gift from God. Adam became a living being by the breath of God (Gen.2:7), and if God were to withdraw his breath from humans, they would perish (Job 34:14-15). Since life belongs to God, humans do not have absolute autonomy over their own lives but are stewards of the life given to them by God. The lives of all humans, both their own and others', are to be cherished and guarded. The value of human life is intrinsic, for it derives from God, who made human beings in his own image In the mind and heart of God, people are His foremost concern. Job makes the same observation, but with a different emphasis. “What is man that you are mindful of him?” celebrates the dignity and esteem of humans in the eyes of God despite their seeming insignificance. Even in our lowly state, God honors us greatly, so much so that He gave us authority over creation. What's more, we learn that we are the center of His attention, the apple of God's eye (Psalm 17:8).

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 New Living TranslationThree different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

God's ability to do, should never be in question. For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding "Yes!" And through Christ, our "Amen" (which means "Yes") ascends to God for His glory. He keeps His commandments to a thousand generations. In Genesis 1:3. God said, "let there be light," and there was light. The promises of God are always true. God will do what He said He will do. His promises are rock solid. As people we sometimes fall short on what say, but God never fall short. HE IS NO PINOCCHIO. His promises are guaranteed.

Distraction according to the dictionary is a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. Pay attention to the signs in order to identify when you're been distracted. There will be a lack of interest in these areas (1) Prayer life (2) Reading the word (3) Studying the word. They are no longer our priority because we allow something else to take it's place. We don't have to stay with the distractions, that wants to stop us from fulfilling God's calling. But remember there is hope. 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness".

John 15:26- You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

Why is Easter Celebrated There is no celebration of the resurrection in the NT. Easter is celebrated by Christians as a joyous holiday because it represents the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament and the revelation of God's salvific plan for all of humankind. In commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus, Easter also celebrates the defeat of death and the hope of salvation. Christian tradition holds that the sins of humanity were paid for by the death of Jesus and that his Resurrection represents the anticipation believers can have in their own resurrection. The Date of Easter And Its Controversies Fixing the date on which the Resurrection of Jesus was to be observed and celebrated triggered a major controversy in early Christianity in which an Eastern and a Western position can be distinguished. The dispute, known as the Paschal controversies, was not definitively resolved until the 8th century. In Asia Minor, Christians observed the day of the Crucifixion on the same day that Jews celebrated the Passover offering—that is, on the 14th day of the first full moon of spring, 14 Nisan (see Jewish calendar). The Resurrection, then, was observed two days later, on 16 Nisan, regardless of the day of the week. In the West the Resurrection of Jesus was celebrated on the first day of the week, Sunday, when Jesus had risen from the dead. Consequently, Easter was always celebrated on the first Sunday after the 14th day of the month of Nisan. Increasingly, the churches opted for the Sunday celebration, and the Quartodeciman (“14th day” proponents) remained a minority. The Council of Nicaea in 325 decreed that Easter should be observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21). Easter, therefore, can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. In 325 the Council of Nicaea decreed that Easter should be observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21). Easter, therefore, can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Eastern Orthodox churches use a slightly different calculation based on the Julian calendar. As a result, the Orthodox Easter celebration usually occurs later than that of Catholics and Protestants.

Psalm 73:26 (NASB) My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the [strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 34:18 (NASB) The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 18:2 (NASB) The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. John 14:27 (NASB) Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.

He did it again, He kept me Psalms 103: 1-3 Bless the lord, oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgives all my iniquities, who heals all my diseases, who redeems my life from the pits, who crowns me with steadfast love and mercy. who satisfies me with good so that's my youth is renewed like the eagle. Psalm 144: 1 Praise be the lord, my rock, who trained my hands for war, my fingers for battle. She is my loving God and my Fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge.

Bring People Together Bridging the generational gap at church is possible through rather straightforward ways. And anyone can help bring people together. Whether you're a church member or leader, you can play a role in proposing, volunteering for, or developing one of the following avenues for multi-generational church activities. • Small Groups: There's a time and place for age-based groups, but small groups organized in other ways can bring together people of all generations and backgrounds. Teaching and fellowship are the focus here. Small groups are a great way to develop relationships within the church. • Mentoring: A formal ministry for mentoring can connect younger and older Christians. Older believers can disciple and guide younger believers, as Paul exhorted in Titus 2. Reverse mentoring can be valuable as well, helping to challenge the older generation. After all, younger and older Christians can learn a lot from each other. • Outreach: Projects spanning service, missions and evangelism work should be a focus for any church. They're the perfect opportunity to bring people of all ages together. Working alongside each other — whether it's building a church across the world or beautifying a local school playground — creates bonding opportunities. • Prayer: A prayer ministry is a tangible way to join people in an essential spiritual practice. It can be incredibly simple, too. People can pray at specified times whether they're in the same place or not. By establishing a formal prayer ministry, churches can help people cherish the power of prayer and experience the joy of praying for each other. Extracted from: online.betheluniversity.edu

a. Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists: At that time, there were Jewish exorcists who practiced their trade with a lot of superstition and ceremony. Here, a group of itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to imitate what they though was Paul's formula for success. b. We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches: The Jewish exorcists failed because they had no personal relationship with Jesus. They only knew that Jesus was the God of Paul, not their own God. ii. We could say that the sons of Sceva did not have the right to use the name of Jesus, because they had no real personal connection to Him Names were very significant in biblical times; even prophetic, like in this case. The baby inside of Mary's womb would someday die on the cross to save mankind from their sins. He would be the personification of what this name meant. There are many times in the bible where his name is written as Jesus Christ. One might think when we say Jesus Christ that Christ is his last name but that's not the case. The proper phrase would be Jesus who is the Christ. That's why you will also find it written as Christ Jesus. Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah or Anointed One. The one the Jews had been waiting centuries for was here. Jesus is the one who was to come into the world. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Redeemer, the great deliverer, the Savior. This is the name of Jesus.

Luke 9:1-2 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. The word for authority in Greek is “exousia” …which according to Strong's Concordance means, “authority, especially moral authority, influence, (b) of a spiritual power, and hence of an earthly power: right or privilege, conferred power; delegated empowerment (authorization): delegated power as in authority God gives to His saints.” The word power is the Greek “dunamis” meaning “might, power, marvelous works: (a) physical power, force, might, ability, efficacy, energy, ability (properly, ‘ability to perform'); power through God's ability.” Dýnamis, according to Strong's Concordance, “is a very important term, used 120 times in the New Testament.” dýnamis (/dýnamai, "able, having ability") – properly, "ability to perform" (L-N); for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord's inherent abilities. "Power through God's ability" (power) Inherent: vested in (someone) as a right or privilege

1 Cor. 13:1-8a If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

Gratitude is a special gift given to us by God. Gratitude is fundamentally about not taking things for granted. It is being thankful for what we have and receive. Thankfulness is a powerful means of drawing near to God. The Bible talks a lot about gratitude. Paul says we should be: “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20, NIV) As Christians, we have a double benefit from gratitude. Firstly, research shows that gratitude makes us happier even if we aren't Christians, but secondly, as Christians, gratitude strengthens our relationship with God. Expressing gratitude is beneficial to us even if God is not involved. Extracted from - The Gift of Gratitude to God – Lindy Pegler, 2019

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 1 Cor. 16:13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. Romans 15:5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 -18 Rejoice always. pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. As you read the scripture above, I know you might somehow be thinking; Easy for you to say, when everything is going well, even though you might not say. And you know what you are right I know it's not always, to be honest let me just say; it's not easy to rejoice always pray without ceasing and to give thanks in all circumstance but my dear friend in order for you and I to see the will of God accomplish in our lives, our family lives, and our Church, for the City in which we live and for our Nation, we need to God our Creator of heaven and earth, our true Source for guidance, and understanding. Father our desire is to please, so teach us; how to rejoice always, to truly pray without ceasing and to give thanks in the midst of chaos, because Your Word instruct us that by doing so brings You pleasure.

1 Timothy 4: 1-2 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

Psalms 91:14-16 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

1 John 2:15-17 & 24 – 27 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. The Holy Spirit gives believers the ability to understand and recognize spiritual truth. Those who have the Spirit know the truth about the Father and the Son and can detect what does not accord with the truth of the apostles' teachings. The world is a moral system that is under the influence of Satan and is opposed to God and to Christ's Kingdom on earth. The world appeals to people's fleshly desires and thereby diverts them from God. Those who are from this world need God to redeem them from it.

Joel 2: 1-2 & 28-29 Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us. It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again. “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike. And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth—

Romans 8:1-4 & 35-39 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Peter 1:1-3 & 13-16 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

Philippians 4:8 (New Living Translation) And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT) Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. The fivefold ministry gifts is given by Jesus to the Church for the purpose of equipping the Body of Christ for the work of ministry. The fivefold ministry is gifted people given to the church to aid and assist in its spiritual growth.

The Holy Spirit is a person, the third person of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor an impersonal force. He is a person equal in every way with the Father and the Son. All the divine attributes ascribed to the Father and the Son are equally ascribed to the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts are tools given by God for doing the work of the ministry. Different people are given different gifts to handle different tasks. Spiritual gifts are God's provision for the Holy Spirit to minister to people, through people. Without spiritual gifts people can minister one to another only in the flesh. Think of the greatest Christian you know. Now consider this: God has called you to do what this person cannot do. Your God has given you a special endowment that suits you perfectly for your special position on the Team. The Christian who knows he has the gift of Serving will not belittle himself because he is not a pastor. He can accept himself knowing his Lord has given him a special endowment that suits him perfectly for this special position on the Team. The Christian who knows that her gift is Administration, and is functioning effectively in her capacity, will not think herself unworthy or unnecessary because she is not a Teacher.

Divisions in the Church I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe's household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! - 1 Corinthians 1:10-13(NLT) The Corinthian believers were arguing over which of the leading evangelists (Paul, Apollos, Peter) was best. Paul rebukes them for their quarreling and worldly comparisons. As a minister of Christ and the Good News, he and the others are all channels through whom God works Order at the Lord's Supper But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God's approval will be recognized! When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord's Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. What? Don't you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God's church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this! - 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 You make the church a place to be despised and shame the poor by your conduct. Instead of putting the food on a common table so all could partake as needed, the rich ate by themselves and the poor ate by themselves. The rich despised the poor and this led to the divisions and strife, drunkenness and shame which causes disqualification from the Lord's Supper and death. 7 Disorders in the church • Division (vs 18) • Heresies (vs 19) • Selfishness (vs 21) • Misuse of the church (vs 22) • Shaming the poor (vs 22) • Partaking unworthily of the Lord's Supper with its benefits (vs 27-30) • Failure to judge selves (vs 31-34)

The Body of Christ is a common, yet complex term used in the Christian faith. Some may initially think we are talking about the physical boy of Christ, as in His human form while on Earth. But the term “Body of Christ actually refers to the members of His church, throughout history. Who or what is the body of Christ? The Body of Christ is the Church, made up of all those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Each Christian, then, is a part of the Body of Christ

Isaiah 40:28-31 Weary Yaga (Hebrew); yaw-gah; to gasp, hence to be exhausted, to tire, to toil-faint - physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; fatigued; tired; having the strength much exhausted by toil or violent exertion (Webster's American Dictionary)

God said, "Let us make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness........." (Gen. 1:26a) The image of God is a foundational concept for understanding our significance and purpose. Understanding that we are created in God's image and likeness helps us to see the basis for the dignity and purpose of our life and work Our worth is connected to our Creator. If God is of great and inestimable worth, then human beings made in his image must be of great value, too. We were created to display God's character and His characteristics. Also, through us God would display His attributes. “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation.” Col. 1:15 When man sin, we took on the image of sin and no longer displayed the Godly characteristics that God originally intended for us. We now display sin-like characteristics. Gal. 5:13-25 At the heart of what it means to be a Christian is to receive a new identity. In Jesus, we do not lose our true selves, but we become our true selves, only in Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all [comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Anxious: Experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome, wanting something very much, typically with a feeling of unease. Although written to the Philippians church, the principles of Philippians 4:6 applies to all believers today. When we have problems and worries, we often forget to pray to God about them. God does not promise to change every situation to our liking but what He does promise is to give us peace to endure during any situation. In other words, He may not change our circumstances at the moment but He will change our perception about our situation to prevent any inner turmoil.

Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." meaning of afraid: Filled with fear or apprehension When fear grip our hearts, our response to His calling usually is : I am not capable, use someone else. We should realize that fear desire is to stop us from fulfilling God's purpose. God's word reassure us, strengthen us and increase our faith to make that step. I pray you will be encouraged. Take the limits off and trust His provision. God Got you!!!!

Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Romans 10:9-11 (Amplified Bible) Because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations].” JOHN 3:16, NIV “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This verse captures the heart of the gospel; That Jesus died for us, loves us and that eternal life is a free gift.

In discovering God's purpose for your life, there are five basic questions you must have an answer to: o Who am I? (IDENTITY) o Where am I from? (HERITAGE) o Why am I here? (PURPOSE) o What can I do? (POTENTIAL) o Where am I going? (DESTINY) Ps. 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” The blueprint for our life is contain in the Word of God (BIBLE). It provides God's guidelines for you, the path for you to follow. I encourage you to read these scriptures: 1 Jn. 3:1-2, 1 Pet. 2:9, Phil. 3:20, Eph. 2:20, Jer. 1:4 -10, 1Cor. 12:7, Jn. 14:1-4

In making a decision to follow Jesus, we are allowing ourselves to access the refuge of salvation. It is through salvation that we gain God's protection. We find complete safety in God, as our refuge but we must first recognize Him as such.

Christianity is based on the Christ Centered Life. Christ offers a new life that is being conformed to the image of Christ. Christianity does not try and improve the old self. In Christ we exchange the old for the new (life that is found in Christ)

Understanding HIS original intent. Understanding our true identity in CHRIST.

I Pray For You Today

Identity: The condition of being a certain person or thing, according to the dictionary. People often base their identities on what they do.

Praying that the truth of God will be reveal throughout land.