Podcasts about i am a child of god

When Jesus Asked You: “Whom do you say that I am?”, Did You Answer Jesus: “You are my God and the Lord of my Life!”?  MESSAGE SUMMARY: The stories of the New Testament tell us that Jesus was no ordinary man. The Apostle John, in John 1:1-5, points out that Jesus, the Word, was the Creator of the Universe: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.". John tells us that Jesus had authority over nature, over creation, and over life itself, and he tells us that Jesus was the life-giver that came to earth for us. In John 20:26-29, Jesus asked the Apostle Thomas a fundamental question that Jesus asks you today– “Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me?'”: “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.' Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'”. When Jesus has asked you: “Whom do you say that I am?”, and how did you answer? Did you tell Jesus: “You are my God and the Lord of my Life!”? Have you, in your life, become a Jesus Follower? If not, why not   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 1:1-18; Isaiah 7:2-14; Matthew 1:21-24; Psalms 67:1-7. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Being in Christ, Part 2” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Being in Christ, Part 2 MESSAGE SUMMARY: In Dr. Beach's message today regarding “Being in Christ”, we continue to explore what it truly means to be 'in Christ' and how this transformative reality should shape our lives. The central theme revolves around the profound idea that 'to live is Christ,' as expressed by the Apostle Paul in Philippians. This isn't just a lofty concept, but a practical approach to every aspect of our lives. We're challenged to view our circumstances, relationships, and even difficulties through spiritual eyes, recognizing that being in Christ gives us a new perspective. The message emphasizes two key outcomes of living in Christ: fruitful labor and godly conduct. As believers, we're called to not just believe, but to live out our faith in tangible ways that reflect Christ's character. This teaching invites us to adopt a new motto - 'For me, to live is Christ' - and to apply it in every situation we face. It's a call to transformation, urging us to align our thoughts, actions, and attitudes with the reality of being in Christ.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 1:22; Philippians 1:27; Matthew 20:1-16 (The parable of the workers in the vineyard); Philippians 2:1-4; Philippians 2:5-8; Mark 10:45 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “When Jesus Asked You: “Whom do you say that I am?”, Did You Answer Jesus: “You are my God and the Lord of my Life!”?”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Being in Christ, Part 2 MESSAGE SUMMARY: In Dr. Beach's message today regarding “Being in Christ”, we continue to explore what it truly means to be 'in Christ' and how this transformative reality should shape our lives. The central theme revolves around the profound idea that 'to live is Christ,' as expressed by the Apostle Paul in Philippians. This isn't just a lofty concept, but a practical approach to every aspect of our lives. We're challenged to view our circumstances, relationships, and even difficulties through spiritual eyes, recognizing that being in Christ gives us a new perspective. The message emphasizes two key outcomes of living in Christ: fruitful labor and godly conduct. As believers, we're called to not just believe, but to live out our faith in tangible ways that reflect Christ's character. This teaching invites us to adopt a new motto - 'For me, to live is Christ' - and to apply it in every situation we face. It's a call to transformation, urging us to align our thoughts, actions, and attitudes with the reality of being in Christ.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 1:22; Philippians 1:27; Matthew 20:1-16 (The parable of the workers in the vineyard); Philippians 2:1-4; Philippians 2:5-8; Mark 10:45 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “When Jesus Asked You: “Whom do you say that I am?”, Did You Answer Jesus: “You are my God and the Lord of my Life!”?”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Essentials Part 6– A Peculiar People MESSAGE SUMMARY: In exploring the essence of the church, we're reminded that it's far more than just a building. The church is a living, breathing community of believers, called out by God for a divine purpose. As we delve into the Greek word 'ekklesia,' we understand that we are God's chosen people, set apart and peculiar in His eyes. This message challenges us to embrace our identity as the messianic community, the body of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. How can we tune into the Holy Spirit's frequency in our daily lives, allowing God's voice to guide us? As members of both the visible and invisible church, we're part of a grand tapestry of faith that spans across time and cultures. Let's reflect on how we can embody the marks of a true church in the 21st century - repenting, reproducing, reconciling, and showing relentless compassion. In doing so, we fulfill our calling as Christ's body on earth, bringing His love and truth to a world in desperate need.     TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 2 Peter 2:9; Luke 2:11; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12 (general reference to different functions in the body of Christ); Acts 1:4-5; Revelation 21:27. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Essentials Part 6– A Peculiar People MESSAGE SUMMARY: In exploring the essence of the church, we're reminded that it's far more than just a building. The church is a living, breathing community of believers, called out by God for a divine purpose. As we delve into the Greek word 'ekklesia,' we understand that we are God's chosen people, set apart and peculiar in His eyes. This message challenges us to embrace our identity as the messianic community, the body of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. How can we tune into the Holy Spirit's frequency in our daily lives, allowing God's voice to guide us? As members of both the visible and invisible church, we're part of a grand tapestry of faith that spans across time and cultures. Let's reflect on how we can embody the marks of a true church in the 21st century - repenting, reproducing, reconciling, and showing relentless compassion. In doing so, we fulfill our calling as Christ's body on earth, bringing His love and truth to a world in desperate need.     TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 2 Peter 2:9; Luke 2:11; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12 (general reference to different functions in the body of Christ); Acts 1:4-5; Revelation 21:27. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

As a Jesus Follower, the Greatest Witness for the Gospel that You Can Give Is for Others to See Jesus IN You MESSAGE SUMMARY: We live in a hurting world, but God wants more for you. You need to live as a Jesus Follower in whatever you do – at home; in your job; in the way that you drive; and in the way that you treat your friends. To achieve God's desire for your life, you must stay in fellowship and communion with God; and you must let God work in your life. In Colossians 3:17, Paul challenges us: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”. If you live your life, in all places and situations, in the name of Jesus, you will live a better life in our hurting world. As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.". Remember, the greatest witness for the Gospel, as a follower of Jesus, that you can give is for others to see Jesus in you.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Colossians 3:16-17; Matthew 21:21-22; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalms 43:1-5. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Essentials Part 2 – More than Just a Man” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Essentials Part 2 – More than Just a Man MESSAGE SUMMARY: In our exploration of Jesus Christ's identity, we delve into the profound truth that He is more than just a man. We examine His pre-incarnate existence, His claims to divinity, and the historical responses to these claims. The Gospel of John provides key insights, particularly John 1:1 and 1:14, emphasizing Christ's eternal nature and His incarnation. As we reflect on Jesus' 'I am' statements, we're confronted with His bold assertions of equality with God. This message challenges us to consider our personal response to Christ's identity. Will we ignore, deny, or embrace Him as Lord? The story of the six-year-old girl describing Jesus as 'God with skin on' beautifully encapsulates the mystery of the incarnation. This exploration invites us to open our hearts, yielding our lives fully to Christ's lordship, and experiencing the transformative peace that comes from truly knowing Him.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans 6:23; Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 1:7; John 1:1-4; John 8:58. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “As a Jesus Follower, the Greatest Witness for the Gospel that You Can Give Is for Others to See Jesus IN You”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Essentials Part 2 – More than Just a Man MESSAGE SUMMARY: In our exploration of Jesus Christ's identity, we delve into the profound truth that He is more than just a man. We examine His pre-incarnate existence, His claims to divinity, and the historical responses to these claims. The Gospel of John provides key insights, particularly John 1:1 and 1:14, emphasizing Christ's eternal nature and His incarnation. As we reflect on Jesus' 'I am' statements, we're confronted with His bold assertions of equality with God. This message challenges us to consider our personal response to Christ's identity. Will we ignore, deny, or embrace Him as Lord? The story of the six-year-old girl describing Jesus as 'God with skin on' beautifully encapsulates the mystery of the incarnation. This exploration invites us to open our hearts, yielding our lives fully to Christ's lordship, and experiencing the transformative peace that comes from truly knowing Him.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans 6:23; Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 1:7; John 1:1-4; John 8:58. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “As a Jesus Follower, the Greatest Witness for the Gospel that You Can Give Is for Others to See Jesus IN You”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Beginnings In Prayer - Part 4: Listening to God Because He Desires to Speak to Us MESSAGE SUMMARY: Prayer is: 1) spending time with God – acknowledging God's presence in all our lives' activities; and 2) conversation with God – listening to and talking with God. Prayer reflects on our relationship with God. Why don't we pray. The Apostle James, in James 4:2-3, provides a perspective regarding Prayer Life: “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." In praying, we should know the difference between prayers of "petition" (praying for one's own needs) and prayers of "intercession" (praying for the needs of others). God wants prayers of "petition" from us -- all our needs and concerns should be brought to Him in prayer because He loves and cares for us. However, God want us to, also, focus on others and their needs (intercession) -- physical and spiritual. "Intercessory prayer” is fundamental to deepening our prayer life and our personal relationship with God. We need to consider "how we listen" to and for God. Usually, God speaks through the Holy Spirit like He spoke to Mary. Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit and “listening” through the Apostle John in John 16:13-15: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.". God, mostly but not always, uses that "still small voice" in our minds. We need to seek out places and times so that we can listen for and to God. Listening validates relationships in our secular lives -- why would it be different in our relationship with God? God wants to speak to us because we have a relationship with Him -- He loves us and wants to be with us. God's "Counselor", the Holy Spirit, is His primary communication bridge to us. God speaks to us, through the Holy Spirit, as He promised. God guides us to all truth -- to His direction for our lives. When God speaks to you, write it down, as God tells us through the prophet Habakkuk in Habakkuk 2:2-3: “And the LORD answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end — it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.'". God, often, speaks to us through the Bible, through other people, and through our circumstances. As we listen for God, we need to respond to God as Samuel did in Samuel 3:10b: "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.". Pray specific prayers, in the Holy Spirit and in Scripture, for ourselves and for others -- be persistent.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Jeremiah 33:3; John 16:7-14; John 10:1-25; Habakkuk 2:1-3; 1 Samuel 3:1-18. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Daniel's Prayer Was “seeking him {God} by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting . . . ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and done wrong'””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Beginnings In Prayer - Part 4: Listening to God Because He Desires to Speak to Us MESSAGE SUMMARY: Prayer is: 1) spending time with God – acknowledging God's presence in all our lives' activities; and 2) conversation with God – listening to and talking with God. Prayer reflects on our relationship with God. Why don't we pray. The Apostle James, in James 4:2-3, provides a perspective regarding Prayer Life: “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." In praying, we should know the difference between prayers of "petition" (praying for one's own needs) and prayers of "intercession" (praying for the needs of others). God wants prayers of "petition" from us -- all our needs and concerns should be brought to Him in prayer because He loves and cares for us. However, God want us to, also, focus on others and their needs (intercession) -- physical and spiritual. "Intercessory prayer” is fundamental to deepening our prayer life and our personal relationship with God. We need to consider "how we listen" to and for God. Usually, God speaks through the Holy Spirit like He spoke to Mary. Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit and “listening” through the Apostle John in John 16:13-15: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.". God, mostly but not always, uses that "still small voice" in our minds. We need to seek out places and times so that we can listen for and to God. Listening validates relationships in our secular lives -- why would it be different in our relationship with God? God wants to speak to us because we have a relationship with Him -- He loves us and wants to be with us. God's "Counselor", the Holy Spirit, is His primary communication bridge to us. God speaks to us, through the Holy Spirit, as He promised. God guides us to all truth -- to His direction for our lives. When God speaks to you, write it down, as God tells us through the prophet Habakkuk in Habakkuk 2:2-3: “And the LORD answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end — it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.'". God, often, speaks to us through the Bible, through other people, and through our circumstances. As we listen for God, we need to respond to God as Samuel did in Samuel 3:10b: "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.". Pray specific prayers, in the Holy Spirit and in Scripture, for ourselves and for others -- be persistent.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Jeremiah 33:3; John 16:7-14; John 10:1-25; Habakkuk 2:1-3; 1 Samuel 3:1-18. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Daniel's Prayer Was “seeking him {God} by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting . . . ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and done wrong'””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

At Jesus' Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Think about the magnitude of your direct and personal access to God that your prayers give you, through Jesus, if you will only pray. Before Jesus, ordinary people did not have direct access to God, through the Throne Room of God, with a direct personal relationship with God. In Old Testament times, people would come to the priests; and the priest would offer up a sacrifice on behalf of the people. The priests, and not the people, were communing directly with God. On Good Friday and at Jesus death on the cross, the “Temple Veil” was torn from top to bottom (i.e. “Temple Vail” was a large, very thick, and very heavy barrier that divided that portion of the Temple accessible by those wishing to sacrifice for prayer and the “Holy of Holies” where the only the High Priest could meet with God and pray on behalf of the people of God.). At Jesus Resurrection, no longer was an intermediary (e.g., a Priest) required for direct prayer with God by the people in Christ (i.e. Jesus Followers).  Because Jesus created a New Covenant relationship with His followers, now your prayers are in direct communion with God, the Creator of the Universe. Everyone, who is in Christ, may have access to the Throne Room of God in the name of Jesus. What a privilege this direct access to God is for those who are in Christ. The author of Hebrews, in Hebrews 4:16, tells Jesus Followers that, because of the Gospel, you have direct access to God's “throne of Grace” for your needs: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 4:1-13; John 15:9-10; Revelation 4:1-2; Psalms 69c:25-36. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Struggle with Time -- Until I Determine How I Want to Use My Time, Others Will Determine How My Time Is Used” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

The Struggle with Time -- Until I Determine How I Want to Use My Time, Others Will Determine How My Time Is Used MESSAGE SUMMARY: Life will never settle down until we chose to settle down in living our lives. Life is a choice more than we realize. We are given twenty-four hours in a day, and if God had wanted us to have thirty-six hours in our day, He would have given us a thirty-six-hour day. Therefore, if we don't have enough clock in our day, we are doing some things we should not be doing. We can determine some of the time traps that keep us from serving the Lord and how we can address the traps to better serve ourselves and the Lord. Is the clock our dictator; do we allocate time to serve the Lord, our families, and our work? How do we delegate? Life will never settle down until we choose to settle down; life is a choice. To manage our time as God would have us manage our lives: 1) Work is important and necessary, but working is not living; 2) Time is life first and then money; 3) More life productivity means more time; 4) How we use our time significantly effects our self-esteem, identity, and our fulfillment; and 5) We cannot control time, but we can control how we use time. We must get control of the time issues in our lives. The simple formula for managing our time: Pray, Prioritize, and Plan. Managing our time better is a fundamental question as we end a year and begin a new year. We must learn to honor the Lord by "honoring our time".    TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Ecclesiastes 9:11-17; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Romans 8:18. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “At Jesus' Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

The Struggle with Time -- Until I Determine How I Want to Use My Time, Others Will Determine How My Time Is Used MESSAGE SUMMARY: Life will never settle down until we chose to settle down in living our lives. Life is a choice more than we realize. We are given twenty-four hours in a day, and if God had wanted us to have thirty-six hours in our day, He would have given us a thirty-six-hour day. Therefore, if we don't have enough clock in our day, we are doing some things we should not be doing. We can determine some of the time traps that keep us from serving the Lord and how we can address the traps to better serve ourselves and the Lord. Is the clock our dictator; do we allocate time to serve the Lord, our families, and our work? How do we delegate? Life will never settle down until we choose to settle down; life is a choice. To manage our time as God would have us manage our lives: 1) Work is important and necessary, but working is not living; 2) Time is life first and then money; 3) More life productivity means more time; 4) How we use our time significantly effects our self-esteem, identity, and our fulfillment; and 5) We cannot control time, but we can control how we use time. We must get control of the time issues in our lives. The simple formula for managing our time: Pray, Prioritize, and Plan. Managing our time better is a fundamental question as we end a year and begin a new year. We must learn to honor the Lord by "honoring our time".    TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Ecclesiastes 9:11-17; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Romans 8:18. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “At Jesus' Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

A Day Is Coming – Part 2 MESSAGE SUMMARY: We are in the season of Advent, which means “coming” or “arrival”. The Church begins this season of “arrival” or Advent as the time we recognize and celebrate the “arrival” of Jesus – both Jesus' “first coming” and His “second coming”. We celebrate Jesus' “first coming” on Christmas Eve. The season of Advent is, also, a season of hope; and Advent is the beginning of our Church's “New Year”. In the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 24 through Isaiah 26 presents prophesies regarding the future about 600 years before the birth of Jesus. More specifically, Isaiah 24:1-13 describes the destruction of the world resulting from the sinful acts of God's people. However, Isaiah 24:14-16 describes a period of joy and hope in the world. As in the time of Isaiah, we should not give credence to the prophesies, by fellow humans today, of the world's destruction and/or a specific date for Jesus' ”second coming” {arrival}. Jesus told us both not to be “anxious” about those things that we cannot control and that “no one knows the day and the hour” of His return (i. e. Jesus “second coming”). Rather, in this season of Advent, we recognize the hope brought to the world by God's grace and His gift of Jesus. Our hope is built upon Jesus' birth, death on the cross, and His Resurrection all providing us with the means for our Redemption, Salvation, and our Eternal Life. However, there will be a day when Jesus returns again to earth (i. e. Jesus' “second coming”) on a day that cannot be predicted by humans. Jesus' “second coming” will establish His Kingdom and a new Heaven. Therefore, even though we do not know the when of Jesus' “second coming” we haves God's promise of the what Jesus' “second coming” will mean. We need not fear the “second coming”. The “second coming” is a promise by God and should lead us, in this season of Advent, to renew our preparation in hope and not fear and anxiety. We have God's promise that nothing can separate us from His love, as the Apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:16-19: “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us." We do not want to get so wrapped up in the details of Jesus' “second coming” so that, like the First Century Jews, we miss Jesus. One certainty, in Jesus' “second coming”, is our “Judgement”. Jesus' “second coming” will “arrive”, but we have nothing to fear if we are ready. We are “ready” by living lives of Faithfulness to the Gospel and through Repentance. Is there something in your life with which you have not dealt with in Repentance? If so, you are not “ready”. We must be willing to follow Jesus and to respond to those things He asks of us. The Apostle John tell us in Revelation 22:20-21: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The Grace of Lord Jesus be with all. Amen”. Do you want to be ready for Jesus' “second coming”? If so, are you ready     TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Isaiah 24:1-16; Romans 8:38-39; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; 1 John 4:16-19; Revelation 20:4; Matthew 25:31-32; Johnb5:24; 1 Corinthians 11:28-32; Romans 11:25-27; Luke 1:31-33; Hebrews 1:8; Hebrews 10:37-39; Revelation 22:20-21. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers' Righteousness Will Flow, with the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, from Their Heart Through Their Personal Relationship with Jesus”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

A Day Is Coming – Part 2 MESSAGE SUMMARY: We are in the season of Advent, which means “coming” or “arrival”. The Church begins this season of “arrival” or Advent as the time we recognize and celebrate the “arrival” of Jesus – both Jesus' “first coming” and His “second coming”. We celebrate Jesus' “first coming” on Christmas Eve. The season of Advent is, also, a season of hope; and Advent is the beginning of our Church's “New Year”. In the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 24 through Isaiah 26 presents prophesies regarding the future about 600 years before the birth of Jesus. More specifically, Isaiah 24:1-13 describes the destruction of the world resulting from the sinful acts of God's people. However, Isaiah 24:14-16 describes a period of joy and hope in the world. As in the time of Isaiah, we should not give credence to the prophesies, by fellow humans today, of the world's destruction and/or a specific date for Jesus' ”second coming” {arrival}. Jesus told us both not to be “anxious” about those things that we cannot control and that “no one knows the day and the hour” of His return (i. e. Jesus “second coming”). Rather, in this season of Advent, we recognize the hope brought to the world by God's grace and His gift of Jesus. Our hope is built upon Jesus' birth, death on the cross, and His Resurrection all providing us with the means for our Redemption, Salvation, and our Eternal Life. However, there will be a day when Jesus returns again to earth (i. e. Jesus' “second coming”) on a day that cannot be predicted by humans. Jesus' “second coming” will establish His Kingdom and a new Heaven. Therefore, even though we do not know the when of Jesus' “second coming” we haves God's promise of the what Jesus' “second coming” will mean. We need not fear the “second coming”. The “second coming” is a promise by God and should lead us, in this season of Advent, to renew our preparation in hope and not fear and anxiety. We have God's promise that nothing can separate us from His love, as the Apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:16-19: “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us." We do not want to get so wrapped up in the details of Jesus' “second coming” so that, like the First Century Jews, we miss Jesus. One certainty, in Jesus' “second coming”, is our “Judgement”. Jesus' “second coming” will “arrive”, but we have nothing to fear if we are ready. We are “ready” by living lives of Faithfulness to the Gospel and through Repentance. Is there something in your life with which you have not dealt with in Repentance? If so, you are not “ready”. We must be willing to follow Jesus and to respond to those things He asks of us. The Apostle John tell us in Revelation 22:20-21: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The Grace of Lord Jesus be with all. Amen”. Do you want to be ready for Jesus' “second coming”? If so, are you ready     TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Isaiah 24:1-16; Romans 8:38-39; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; 1 John 4:16-19; Revelation 20:4; Matthew 25:31-32; Johnb5:24; 1 Corinthians 11:28-32; Romans 11:25-27; Luke 1:31-33; Hebrews 1:8; Hebrews 10:37-39; Revelation 22:20-21. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers' Righteousness Will Flow, with the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, from Their Heart Through Their Personal Relationship with Jesus”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Wake Up America! MESSAGE SUMMARY: Paul points out to us, in Romans1:18, that God is not a disinterested bystander in either our lives or the life of our country: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.". From the end of WWI, in 1918, through the middle of the 1930s, Hitler and the National Socialist Party coopted the Christian Churches in Germany as the National Socialists rose to power politically, thereby, reducing Germany to only one state-supported religion. Also, the National Socialists coopted all of Germany's political parties to reduce Germany to a one-party country. Is the Christian Church, here in the US, abdicating its role, as the Christian Church did in Germany, by not speaking with a voice that is heard against the changing culture? As followers of Jesus, we and our churches need to wake up to the cultural changes that are opposed to Jesus' teachings and the Bible. The US was created, by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, to be a “country of laws”; and the founding legal context for these laws was the Ten Commandments of God. However, our current and evolving culture, and its related value system, is opposed to the Ten Commandments of God. As we adhere to the new culture and its values, we are in opposition to God and the basic tenants of Christianity. Therefore, our departure from God positions us for the Wrath of God as posited in Romans 1:18. God's Wrath may well take the form of God turning us over to our lusts, desires and the outcomes of this changed culture – as we walk away from God, He may walk away from us. It is not too late for the US to wake up! As God told Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.". God has instructed us that He will forgive us if we: 1) humble ourselves: 2) seek Him, not our culture; 3) turn from wicked ways; and 4) pray. Will America wake up and follow God's instructions. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans1:18; 2 Chronicles 7:14; A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Wake Up America!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

America Will Not Survive as a Nation Unless the People of God Stand Up and Plead for Our Survival - Pray for America MESSAGE SUMMARY: As Americans, we are a privileged people, all of us, to live in a country, relative to the rest of the world, that is privileged. The key element of this privilege” is freedom. However, something has been changing -- we are seeing many of the freedoms and blessings of America changing into curses. For example, our obsession with materialism has put most Americans into the bondage of debt; and our drive to feel happy has led many into the addiction of drugs and alcohol. We must all realize that our freedoms and liberties must be used for Godly purposes, or we will lose our freedoms. As we are told in Psalms 33:12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!". Today, through our actions, laws, and the cultural revisions of our founding Christian principles, we have told God that we do not want Him around. While God is love, He is, also, justice. Therefore, God has obliged us; and He has done what He said He would do -- God is withdrawing His presence and His protection and holding back His divine wisdom, which has guided us for so many years. God is leaving us to reap the consequences of our focus away from Him and to lives without Him. The signers of the Declaration of Independence began a revolution which started the United States of America. The American Revolution was rooted in the belief that all people, even the King and governmental leaders, are subject to the rule of God and not above the law; and everyone is endowed by God, our Creator, with certain inalienable rights. Many people have tried to deny that America's founders created a country which wove together the idea of self-governance with Christian principles. With God's Ten Commandments as the cornerstone of our Democracy, most Americans and those others living in our country cannot name even three of the Ten Commandments. If a Christian religious context was assumed, by the founders of America and the government based on the Constitution, it seems we have a significant problem in our culture today. Now, it appears, America's focus is to get rid of all things relating America to Christianity, the Bible, or anything that smacks of God – and, pretty much, these efforts to remove God's influence from the public square appear to be succeeding. Today, we must all Pray for America – to carve out a time each day when we, each and every one of us, prays for America. In our prayers, we must confess our sins as individuals and collectively as a country. Additionally, we must pray for our President, Members of Congress, the Supreme Court, and our other leaders and those others in authority. Our Prayers for America should pray for the moral issues of today; blessings and protection for our leaders that are walking the walk of their Christian faith; and for a Spiritual Revival and Awakening in America. We will not survive as a nation unless the people of God stand up before God and plead for the survival of America. Spiritual laws are like the laws of physics – they are absolute unless another force intervenes. Therefore, as America increases its violation of God's laws at an increasing rate, we will face both the implicit and explicit consequences of violating God's laws unless He intervenes – we must pray for God's intervention! Paul instructs us for our prayers in 1 Timothy 2:1-6: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.". We must make Praying for America and, personally, for its leaders a priority in our lives. If we are praying, then God will show us what to do. Only the intervention of God will change the downward direction of America, and we must ask through our prayers. God has intervened before, and He will do it again. America was built on prayer, as we learn from the writings of Benjamin Franklin, and upon the Christian faith of our founders. Will You pray for America and take responsibility for the survival America and its blessings and freedoms for our country today and for our children and grandchildren in the future?   TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Psalms 33:12; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; James 1:4; Proverbs 3:5-6. WEBSITE LINK:  www.AWordFromTheLord.org/ WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S SERMON VIDEO – “Cultural Turmoil and Health Threats Bring Fear, But Your Fear Is Overcome By Following God's Call and Seeking His Will”:  www.AWFTL.org/watch DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Reflections on the Elections   BACKGROUND: This message was drawn from a sermon delivered by Archbishop Foley Beach during a prior Presidential election season. While this sermon was delivered in the past, its thesis that “God is right in the middle of our elections” is based on Daniel's interpretation King Nebuchadnezzar's dream: “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men”. America is once again in an election cycle which has only begun with the election of a President. MESSAGE SUMMARY: “Where is God in all of this”? We were so engaged in prayer leading up to the election that it's hard to believe that God was not involved in this election. God was and is in the middle of this election and our country's governance just as He was in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar's vision and Daniel's interpretation (Daniel 4:17 ESV). “Someone asked me: ‘How could God allow a pro-abortion president'?”. At this time, we cannot answer this question, but God can and does use anyone in His plan for Salvation that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. In Isaiah 55.9, God reminds us: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”. Every person in leadership is flawed to some degree. “If He can use me as His minister of the Gospel, He can use anyone! King Cyrus was a great sinner and a bloody pagan, but God called him by name to be His servant. Look at Alexander the Great, another true pagan who was bloody, brutal, and bisexual; and yet, God used him to build a common language and roads, like the Via Morris highway which connected Europe to Africa and was located next to Capernaum where Jesus set up His base. Therefore, this road literally paved the way for the coming of the Messiah.” The election of Lincoln is another example God's sovereignty. He used Lincoln to hold the nation together in spite of Lincoln being hated on all sides. Because God is Sovereign, it is often said that God gives us the government we need or the government we deserve — it is too early to know which path God has now chosen for our governance. As we approach these 2024 elections, remember: “The Most High rules the kingdoms of men, and He gives it to whom He will.”  (Daniel 4: 17, 24-25, 32, 37) TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Daniel 4:17; Daniel 4:24-25; Daniel 32; Daniel 37; Mat. 22:16-21 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Wake Up America!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Reflections on the Elections   BACKGROUND: This message was drawn from a sermon delivered by Archbishop Foley Beach during a prior Presidential election season. While this sermon was delivered in the past, its thesis that “God is right in the middle of our elections” is based on Daniel's interpretation King Nebuchadnezzar's dream: “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men”. America is once again in an election cycle which has only begun with the election of a President. MESSAGE SUMMARY: “Where is God in all of this”? We were so engaged in prayer leading up to the election that it's hard to believe that God was not involved in this election. God was and is in the middle of this election and our country's governance just as He was in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar's vision and Daniel's interpretation (Daniel 4:17 ESV). “Someone asked me: ‘How could God allow a pro-abortion president'?”. At this time, we cannot answer this question, but God can and does use anyone in His plan for Salvation that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. In Isaiah 55.9, God reminds us: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”. Every person in leadership is flawed to some degree. “If He can use me as His minister of the Gospel, He can use anyone! King Cyrus was a great sinner and a bloody pagan, but God called him by name to be His servant. Look at Alexander the Great, another true pagan who was bloody, brutal, and bisexual; and yet, God used him to build a common language and roads, like the Via Morris highway which connected Europe to Africa and was located next to Capernaum where Jesus set up His base. Therefore, this road literally paved the way for the coming of the Messiah.” The election of Lincoln is another example God's sovereignty. He used Lincoln to hold the nation together in spite of Lincoln being hated on all sides. Because God is Sovereign, it is often said that God gives us the government we need or the government we deserve — it is too early to know which path God has now chosen for our governance. As we approach these 2024 elections, remember: “The Most High rules the kingdoms of men, and He gives it to whom He will.”  (Daniel 4: 17, 24-25, 32, 37) TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Daniel 4:17; Daniel 4:24-25; Daniel 32; Daniel 37; Mat. 22:16-21 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Wake Up America!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Wake Up America! MESSAGE SUMMARY: Paul points out to us, in Romans1:18, that God is not a disinterested bystander in either our lives or the life of our country: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.". From the end of WWI, in 1918, through the middle of the 1930s, Hitler and the National Socialist Party coopted the Christian Churches in Germany as the National Socialists rose to power politically, thereby, reducing Germany to only one state-supported religion. Also, the National Socialists coopted all of Germany's political parties to reduce Germany to a one-party country. Is the Christian Church, here in the US, abdicating its role, as the Christian Church did in Germany, by not speaking with a voice that is heard against the changing culture? As followers of Jesus, we and our churches need to wake up to the cultural changes that are opposed to Jesus' teachings and the Bible. The US was created, by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, to be a “country of laws”; and the founding legal context for these laws was the Ten Commandments of God. However, our current and evolving culture, and its related value system, is opposed to the Ten Commandments of God. As we adhere to the new culture and its values, we are in opposition to God and the basic tenants of Christianity. Therefore, our departure from God positions us for the Wrath of God as posited in Romans 1:18. God's Wrath may well take the form of God turning us over to our lusts, desires and the outcomes of this changed culture – as we walk away from God, He may walk away from us. It is not too late for the US to wake up! As God told Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.". God has instructed us that He will forgive us if we: 1) humble ourselves: 2) seek Him, not our culture; 3) turn from wicked ways; and 4) pray. Will America wake up and follow God's instructions?     TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans1:18; 2 Chronicles 7:14; A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Wake Up America!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Reflections on the Elections   Background: This daily devotional was drawn from a sermon delivered by Dr. Foley Beach during a Presidential election season. While this sermon was delivered in the past, its thesis that “God is right in the middle of our elections” is based on Daniel's interpretation King Nebuchadnezzar's dream: “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men”. America is once again in an election cycle. MESSAGE SUMMARY: “Where is God in all of this”? We were so engaged in prayer leading up to the election that it's hard to believe that God was not involved in this election. God was and is in the middle of this election and our country's governance just as He was in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar's vision and Daniel's interpretation (Daniel 4:17 ESV). “Someone asked me: ‘How could God allow a pro-abortion president'?”. At this time, we cannot answer this question, but God can and does use anyone in His plan for Salvation that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. In Isaiah 55.9, God reminds us: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”. Every person in leadership is flawed to some degree. “If He can use me as His minister of the Gospel, He can use anyone! King Cyrus was a great sinner and a bloody pagan, but God called him by name to be His servant. Look at Alexander the Great, another true pagan who was bloody, brutal, and bisexual; and yet, God used him to build a common language and roads, like the Via Morris highway which connected Europe to Africa and was located next to Capernaum where Jesus set up His base. Therefore, this road literally paved the way for the coming of the Messiah.” The election of Lincoln is another example God's sovereignty. He used Lincoln to hold the nation together in spite of Lincoln being hated on all sides. Because God is Sovereign, it is often said that God gives us the government we need or the government we deserve — it is too early to know which path God has now chosen for our governance. As we approach these 2024 elections, remember: “The Most High rules the kingdoms of men, and He gives it to whom He will.”  (Daniel 4: 17, 24-25, 32, 37).   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Daniel 4:17; Daniel 4:24-25; Daniel 32; Daniel 37; Mat. 22:16-21 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Wake Up America!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Wake Up America! MESSAGE SUMMARY: Paul points out to us, in Romans1:18, that God is not a disinterested bystander in either our lives or the life of our country: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.". From the end of WWI, in 1918, through the middle of the 1930s, Hitler and the National Socialist Party coopted the Christian Churches in Germany as the National Socialists rose to power politically, thereby, reducing Germany to only one state-supported religion. Also, the National Socialists coopted all of Germany's political parties to reduce Germany to a one-party country. Is the Christian Church, here in the US, abdicating its role, as the Christian Church did in Germany, by not speaking with a voice that is heard against the changing culture? As followers of Jesus, we and our churches need to wake up to the cultural changes that are opposed to Jesus' teachings and the Bible. The US was created, by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, to be a “country of laws”; and the founding legal context for these laws was the Ten Commandments of God. However, our current and evolving culture, and its related value system, is opposed to the Ten Commandments of God. As we adhere to the new culture and its values, we are in opposition to God and the basic tenants of Christianity. Therefore, our departure from God positions us for the Wrath of God as posited in Romans 1:18. God's Wrath may well take the form of God turning us over to our lusts, desires and the outcomes of this changed culture – as we walk away from God, He may walk away from us. It is not too late for the US to wake up! As God told Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.". God has instructed us that He will forgive us if we: 1) humble ourselves: 2) seek Him, not our culture; 3) turn from wicked ways; and 4) pray. Will America wake up and follow God's instructions?     TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans1:18; 2 Chronicles 7:14; A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Wake Up America!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Reflections on the Elections   Background: This daily devotional was drawn from a sermon delivered by Dr. Foley Beach during a Presidential election season. While this sermon was delivered in the past, its thesis that “God is right in the middle of our elections” is based on Daniel's interpretation King Nebuchadnezzar's dream: “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men”. America is once again in an election cycle. MESSAGE SUMMARY: “Where is God in all of this”? We were so engaged in prayer leading up to the election that it's hard to believe that God was not involved in this election. God was and is in the middle of this election and our country's governance just as He was in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar's vision and Daniel's interpretation (Daniel 4:17 ESV). “Someone asked me: ‘How could God allow a pro-abortion president'?”. At this time, we cannot answer this question, but God can and does use anyone in His plan for Salvation that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. In Isaiah 55.9, God reminds us: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”. Every person in leadership is flawed to some degree. “If He can use me as His minister of the Gospel, He can use anyone! King Cyrus was a great sinner and a bloody pagan, but God called him by name to be His servant. Look at Alexander the Great, another true pagan who was bloody, brutal, and bisexual; and yet, God used him to build a common language and roads, like the Via Morris highway which connected Europe to Africa and was located next to Capernaum where Jesus set up His base. Therefore, this road literally paved the way for the coming of the Messiah.” The election of Lincoln is another example God's sovereignty. He used Lincoln to hold the nation together in spite of Lincoln being hated on all sides. Because God is Sovereign, it is often said that God gives us the government we need or the government we deserve — it is too early to know which path God has now chosen for our governance. As we approach these 2024 elections, remember: “The Most High rules the kingdoms of men, and He gives it to whom He will.”  (Daniel 4: 17, 24-25, 32, 37).   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Daniel 4:17; Daniel 4:24-25; Daniel 32; Daniel 37; Mat. 22:16-21 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Wake Up America!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

America Will Not Survive as a Nation Unless the People of God Stand Up and Plead for Our Survival - Pray for America MESSAGE SUMMARY: As Americans, we are a privileged people, all of us, to live in a country, relative to the rest of the world, that is privileged. The key element of this privilege” is freedom. However, something has been changing -- we are seeing many of the freedoms and blessings of America changing into curses. For example, our obsession with materialism has put most Americans into the bondage of debt; and our drive to feel happy has led many into the addiction of drugs and alcohol. We must all realize that our freedoms and liberties must be used for Godly purposes, or we will lose our freedoms. As we are told in Psalms 33:12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!". Today, through our actions, laws, and the cultural revisions of our founding Christian principles, we have told God that we do not want Him around. While God is love, He is, also, justice. Therefore, God has obliged us; and He has done what He said He would do -- God is withdrawing His presence and His protection and holding back His divine wisdom, which has guided us for so many years. God is leaving us to reap the consequences of our focus away from Him and to lives without Him. The signers of the Declaration of Independence began a revolution which started the United States of America. The American Revolution was rooted in the belief that all people, even the King and governmental leaders, are subject to the rule of God and not above the law; and everyone is endowed by God, our Creator, with certain inalienable rights. Many people have tried to deny that America's founders created a country which wove together the idea of self-governance with Christian principles. With God's Ten Commandments as the cornerstone of our Democracy, most Americans and those others living in our country cannot name even three of the Ten Commandments. If a Christian religious context was assumed, by the founders of America and the government based on the Constitution, it seems we have a significant problem in our culture today. Now, it appears, America's focus is to get rid of all things relating America to Christianity, the Bible, or anything that smacks of God – and, pretty much, these efforts to remove God's influence from the public square appear to be succeeding. Today, we must all Pray for America – to carve out a time each day when we, each and every one of us, prays for America. In our prayers, we must confess our sins as individuals and collectively as a country. Additionally, we must pray for our President, Members of Congress, the Supreme Court, and our other leaders and those others in authority. Our Prayers for America should pray for the moral issues of today; blessings and protection for our leaders that are walking the walk of their Christian faith; and for a Spiritual Revival and Awakening in America. We will not survive as a nation unless the people of God stand up before God and plead for the survival of America. Spiritual laws are like the laws of physics – they are absolute unless another force intervenes. Therefore, as America increases its violation of God's laws at an increasing rate, we will face both the implicit and explicit consequences of violating God's laws unless He intervenes – we must pray for God's intervention! Paul instructs us for our prayers in 1 Timothy 2:1-6: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.". We must make Praying for America and, personally, for its leaders a priority in our lives. If we are praying, then God will show us what to do. Only the intervention of God will change the downward direction of America, and we must ask through our prayers. God has intervened before, and He will do it again. America was built on prayer, as we learn from the writings of Benjamin Franklin, and upon the Christian faith of our founders. Will You pray for America and take responsibility for the survival America and its blessings and freedoms for our country today and for our children and grandchildren in the future?   TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Psalms 33:12; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; James 1:4; Proverbs 3:5-6. WEBSITE LINK:  www.AWordFromTheLord.org/ WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S SERMON VIDEO – “Cultural Turmoil and Health Threats Bring Fear, But Your Fear Is Overcome By Following God's Call and Seeking His Will”:  www.AWFTL.org/watch DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

America Will Not Survive as a Nation Unless the People of God Stand Up and Plead for Our Survival - Pray for America   MESSAGE SUMMARY: As Americans, we are a privileged people, all of us, to live in a country, relative to the rest of the world, that is privileged. The key element of this privilege” is freedom. However, something has been changing -- we are seeing many of the freedoms and blessings of America changing into curses. For example, our obsession with materialism has put most Americans into the bondage of debt; and our drive to feel happy has led many into the addiction of drugs and alcohol. We must all realize that our freedoms and liberties must be used for Godly purposes, or we will lose our freedoms. As we are told in Psalms 33:12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!". Today, through our actions, laws, and the cultural revisions of our founding Christian principles, we have told God that we do not want Him around. While God is love, He is, also, justice. Therefore, God has obliged us; and He has done what He said He would do -- God is withdrawing His presence and His protection and holding back His divine wisdom, which has guided us for so many years. God is leaving us to reap the consequences of our focus away from Him and to lives without Him. The signers of the Declaration of Independence began a revolution which started the United States of America. The American Revolution was rooted in the belief that all people, even the King and governmental leaders, are subject to the rule of God and not above the law; and everyone is endowed by God, our Creator, with certain inalienable rights. Many people have tried to deny that America's founders created a country which wove together the idea of self-governance with Christian principles. With God's Ten Commandments as the cornerstone of our Democracy, most Americans and those others living in our country cannot name even three of the Ten Commandments. If a Christian religious context was assumed, by the founders of America and the government based on the Constitution, it seems we have a significant problem in our culture today. Now, it appears, America's focus is to get rid of all things relating America to Christianity, the Bible, or anything that smacks of God – and, pretty much, these efforts to remove God's influence from the public square appear to be succeeding. Today, we must all Pray for America – to carve out a time each day when we, each and every one of us, prays for America. In our prayers, we must confess our sins as individuals and collectively as a country. Additionally, we must pray for our President, Members of Congress, the Supreme Court, and our other leaders and those others in authority. Our Prayers for America should pray for the moral issues of today; blessings and protection for our leaders that are walking the walk of their Christian faith; and for a Spiritual Revival and Awakening in America. We will not survive as a nation unless the people of God stand up before God and plead for the survival of America. Spiritual laws are like the laws of physics – they are absolute unless another force intervenes. Therefore, as America increases its violation of God's laws at an increasing rate, we will face both the implicit and explicit consequences of violating God's laws unless He intervenes – we must pray for God's intervention! Paul instructs us for our prayers in 1 Timothy 2:1-6: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.". We must make Praying for America and, personally, for its leaders a priority in our lives. If we are praying, then God will show us what to do.   Only the intervention of God will change the downward direction of America, and we must ask through our prayers. God has intervened before, and He will do it again. America was built on prayer, as we learn from the writings of Benjamin Franklin, and upon the Christian faith of our founders.   Will You pray for America and take responsibility for the survival America and its blessings and freedoms for our country today and for our children and grandchildren in the future?   TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f).   SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Psalms 33:12; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; James 1:4; Proverbs 3:5-6.   WEBSITE LINK:  www.AWordFromTheLord.org/   WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S SERMON VIDEO – “Cultural Turmoil and Health Threats Bring Fear, But Your Fear Is Overcome By Following God's Call and Seeking His Will”:  www.AWFTL.org/watch   DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

America Will Not Survive as a Nation Unless the People of God Stand Up and Plead for Our Survival - Pray for America   MESSAGE SUMMARY: As Americans, we are a privileged people, all of us, to live in a country, relative to the rest of the world, that is privileged. The key element of this privilege” is freedom. However, something has been changing -- we are seeing many of the freedoms and blessings of America changing into curses. For example, our obsession with materialism has put most Americans into the bondage of debt; and our drive to feel happy has led many into the addiction of drugs and alcohol. We must all realize that our freedoms and liberties must be used for Godly purposes, or we will lose our freedoms. As we are told in Psalms 33:12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!". Today, through our actions, laws, and the cultural revisions of our founding Christian principles, we have told God that we do not want Him around. While God is love, He is, also, justice. Therefore, God has obliged us; and He has done what He said He would do -- God is withdrawing His presence and His protection and holding back His divine wisdom, which has guided us for so many years. God is leaving us to reap the consequences of our focus away from Him and to lives without Him. The signers of the Declaration of Independence began a revolution which started the United States of America. The American Revolution was rooted in the belief that all people, even the King and governmental leaders, are subject to the rule of God and not above the law; and everyone is endowed by God, our Creator, with certain inalienable rights. Many people have tried to deny that America's founders created a country which wove together the idea of self-governance with Christian principles. With God's Ten Commandments as the cornerstone of our Democracy, most Americans and those others living in our country cannot name even three of the Ten Commandments. If a Christian religious context was assumed, by the founders of America and the government based on the Constitution, it seems we have a significant problem in our culture today. Now, it appears, America's focus is to get rid of all things relating America to Christianity, the Bible, or anything that smacks of God – and, pretty much, these efforts to remove God's influence from the public square appear to be succeeding. Today, we must all Pray for America – to carve out a time each day when we, each and every one of us, prays for America. In our prayers, we must confess our sins as individuals and collectively as a country. Additionally, we must pray for our President, Members of Congress, the Supreme Court, and our other leaders and those others in authority. Our Prayers for America should pray for the moral issues of today; blessings and protection for our leaders that are walking the walk of their Christian faith; and for a Spiritual Revival and Awakening in America. We will not survive as a nation unless the people of God stand up before God and plead for the survival of America. Spiritual laws are like the laws of physics – they are absolute unless another force intervenes. Therefore, as America increases its violation of God's laws at an increasing rate, we will face both the implicit and explicit consequences of violating God's laws unless He intervenes – we must pray for God's intervention! Paul instructs us for our prayers in 1 Timothy 2:1-6: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.". We must make Praying for America and, personally, for its leaders a priority in our lives. If we are praying, then God will show us what to do.   Only the intervention of God will change the downward direction of America, and we must ask through our prayers. God has intervened before, and He will do it again. America was built on prayer, as we learn from the writings of Benjamin Franklin, and upon the Christian faith of our founders.   Will You pray for America and take responsibility for the survival America and its blessings and freedoms for our country today and for our children and grandchildren in the future?   TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f).   SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Psalms 33:12; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; James 1:4; Proverbs 3:5-6.   WEBSITE LINK:  www.AWordFromTheLord.org/   WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S SERMON VIDEO – “Cultural Turmoil and Health Threats Bring Fear, But Your Fear Is Overcome By Following God's Call and Seeking His Will”:  www.AWFTL.org/watch   DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

For Jesus Followers, Fasting, with Food, Will Symbolize a Victory Over Oneself and Solidify a Personal Relationship with God MESSAGE SUMMARY: In the early Christian Church, which was under great stress and constant physical danger, God's direction and blessing was needed. Therefore, fasting was considered by Church leaders as a key element of their communion with God when they needed both His direction and blessing, as we find in Acts 14:23: “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.". As a challenge, "consider the food issue" in your life, especially when you need God's direction in your life, because food has such a stronghold on us. Fasting and tithing can significantly deepen your personal relationship with God because fasting is not easy; but success in fasting, especially with food, can symbolize your victory over yourself and solidify your commitment to your personal relationship with God.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 4:1-2; Matthew 6:16-18; 2 Samuel 12:15-17; Psalms144:1-15. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Turkeys and Eagles, Part 2: Created to Be Like God” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Turkeys and Eagles, Part 2: Created to Be Like God MESSAGE SUMMARY:    Introduction – In Part 1 of this series, “Called as an ‘Eagle' But Saved as a ‘Turkey'” we learned, from the story about “Bubba the Eagle” and from relating this story to Ephesians 4, that many of us Christians have been “Turkeyized”. We learned that, rather than practicing New Testament Christianity, we have been practicing, in too many places, “Churchianity”. Now, we are looking at Paul's letter to the Ephesians to help break us out of this “Churchianity”. Rather than soaring with the eagles, too many of us are gobbling with the turkeys. Message – In this teaching today, we will look at “Created to Be Like God”. We live in a world that has many people with no desire to soar, and they will never reach the heights that God intended for us. Too many Christians are grounded because we have not been taught how to soar like an eagle. Now, “turkey thinking” posits that “living as a Christian is no different than living like everyone else”. However, “eagle thinking” posits that “as a Christian, I think different from everyone else” In Ephesians 4:17-18, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”. Analogous for us today, we can substitute “nonbeliever” for “Gentile” in this passage. The key to how we live is how we think. This behavior is, also, illustrated in Romans 1:21 where Paul describes where he cannot tell if a group is really Christian because their thinking is so messed up. “Turkey thinking” says “I am a sinner always in need”, but “eagle thinking” says “I am created to be like God”. When becoming a follower of Jesus, we become a new creation, and the Spirit of God indwells us; therefore, God is in our lives as we live our lives. In this context, “turkey thinking” would say “I'm just a sinner and I'm stuck”; but “eagle thinking” says “I'm created in the image of God”. We should be different from those nonbelievers living in today's culture because we have Jesus living in us. However, many of us have been “Turkeyized”; but with Jesus in our lives, we can soar with the Eagles!   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Ephesians 4:17-32; Romans 1:21-23; Genesis 2:5; Colossians 1:15-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Psalms 67:1-7. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “For Jesus Followers, Fasting, with Food, Will Symbolize a Victory Over Oneself and Solidify a Personal Relationship with God”: at our website:  https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God's Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life's Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always” MESSAGE SUMMARY: You should fear, respect, and praise God's power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but, as a Jesus Follower, you should “fear not” in life's trials and tribulations or at your time of judgment. As David's praise tells us in Psalms 103:13: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”. David models again and again, in Psalms, how we should praise God. For example, in Psalms 146, David says: "Put not your trust in Princes; Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!". When we are wondering how to praise the Lord, we can read one of David's Psalms to God like David's praises to the Lord in Psalms 112:1-2: “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.". Also, we learn in Proverbs 1:7, the “fear of the Lord” and “wisdom” are closely linked: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.". These verses from the Old Testament point to the fear, respect, and praise that God warrants and demands from His power, sovereignty, and Holiness. On the other hand, as we see when the Apostle John quotes Jesus from Revelation 1:17-18, when Jesus, in all His power and Glory, reassures us of God's Grace and His plan for working out the Salvation and Eternal Life for all those that have accepted Jesus as their Savior: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.'”.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Revelation 1:17-18; Psalms 118:1-20; Proverbs 1:7; Psalms 73a:1-14. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Some Christians Easily Walk Away from God, But God Rejoices When They Return” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Some Christians Easily Walk Away from God, But God Rejoices When They Return MESSAGE SUMMARY: From the Gospel of Luke (Luke 15:11-32): Rejoicing in Heaven As Christians, we tend to easily walk away from Jesus, but He rejoices when we return. Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son – As Viewed through the Eyes of the Young Son: The younger son, firstly, took his inheritance, for which he was not yet entitled, and abandoned his father and family to move to a “distant country”. These were the actions of someone who abandoned his responsibilities, disrespected his father, broke off his relationship with his father, and then treated his father as being dead. In the “distant country”, the younger son quickly squandered his inheritance through sinful living. Being destitute in the “distant country” that was experiencing a severe famine, the younger son hired himself out to tend pigs (NOTE: For a Jewish person of that period, it was an abomination to work with pigs.). Also, he was starving; therefore, the son ate the food rejected by the pigs. However, in the desperate situation in the “distant country”, the young son “came to his senses” – he had an inner awakening. As a part of coming to his senses, the son, as described in Luke 15:17-20a, remembered and returned to his father: “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father.”. Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son – As Viewed through the Eyes of the Father: As requested by the younger son, the father gave the younger son his unentitled inheritance; and, without resistance, the father let his young son leave. When the young son “came to his senses” and returned to his father from a “distant country”, the father saw his son returning; and the father ran, thereby disgracing himself, to meet the young son while the son was still a great distance away. The father's heart was filled with compassion and love upon the return of the young son – the father was expressing unmerited and unsolicited love for his returning son. The young son had disgraced and disrespected his father, and the young son deserved to be punished. However, the father took all the hurt, disrespect, and punishment merited by his young son on himself. The father expressed this punishment merited by the young son when the father ran to his son; accepted and restored the son back into his family without question; and celebrated the return of the young son. The father, in this parable, demonstrates God's love that God gives to us when we return to Him from a “distant country” of sin and broken fellowship. When we return to God, we see His love for us, but not for our sins and our actions that broke our personal relationship with Him. We and the young son must face the consequences of our sin when we walk away from God: but through Jesus' acceptance of the cost of our sins on the cross and through our repentance, we can return to the love and fellowship offered by God. Summary: When we return from walking away from God, He rejoices; and there is rejoicing in heaven. God's perspective, regarding someone who has walked away from Him, is expressed, in Luke 15:31-32, when the father is explaining to his older son why he is accepting and celebrating the return of his young son from a “distant country”: “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”. This parable clearly reflects that God wants intimacy and a personal relationship with us, and it hurts God when we walk away from His relationship with us. However, God and Heaven rejoice when we repent and return! As we consider those around us who have rejected and walked away from God, what should we do for them? We should: 1) pray, asking God to invade their life and circumstances to the point they will want to return to Him; 2) love them where they are – we can't rescue them; 3) “let them go” – they have intentionally rejected God (as the young son rejected his father), and our chasing after them may harden their heart to God; and 4) like the father in the parable, “be looking and expecting” their return – when they return, we need to embrace the one returning, with the love of God, like the father embracing and accepting his young son in the parable.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Luke 15:11-32; Luke 15:7; Luke 15:10; Psalms 45:1-17. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/ WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God's Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life's Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers' Righteousness Will Flow, with the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, from Their Heart Through Their Personal Relationship with Jesus MESSAGE SUMMARY:  You are called, as a Christian, to live a life that is deeply righteous and not shallow, superficial, or hypocritical. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.". Your righteousness, as a Jesus Follower, should flow from your heart and from being in communion with the Holy Spirit. You should allow the Holy Spirit to create a clean heart and a pure heart within you. The righteousness of a clean heart is the righteousness that Jesus wants of His followers, as the Psalmist tells us in Psalms 51:10-12: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.            Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 5:6; Matthew 5:10; Psalms 112:1-6; Psalms 39:1-13. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Stop Making Excuses for Not Following Jesus and Follow Him Without Reservations” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Stop Making Excuses for Not Following Jesus and Follow Him Without Reservations MESSAGE SUMMARY: From the Gospel of Luke (9:51-60): “Following Jesus” Christians are not just believers in Jesus; Christians are followers of Jesus. Jesus asks us to follow Him, but it's not like He is physically here on earth with us to show us the way. We must discern His intended way for us by listening to His voice and reading His Word and by aligning ourselves with the Holy Spirit who is leading us. Part of what Jesus is teaching us in Luke 9:51-60 is to stop making excuses and reasons for not following Him. Jesus calls us to follow Him now and without reservations. In Matthew 10:37-39, Jesus significantly refines the context and implications of His call to us as His followers: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.". Our calls from Jesus to follow Him may, often, be moment by moment. As Jesus said to the First Century Christians: follow me today! Is Jesus the Lord, or is Jesus your Lord? You must consciously make the decision to follow Jesus because He will call you. Jesus said: “Follow me.”. Who and what are you following   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 9:51-60; Matthew 10:34-42; Psalms 18d:31-40. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/ WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Have a Personal Relationship with the Creator of the Universe So Pray, Listen, and Be Patient for God's Call”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Our Relationship with God Is Based Solely on Our Relationship with God, and He Desires to Have a Relationship with Each of Us MESSAGE SUMMARY: We may have a Godly father and mother, but our relationship with God is not based on their relationship with God; it is solely our relationship with God. God has given us covenants as a way to build our relationships. The people of Israel found out quickly that when they desired to live their lives apart from God that they brought disaster upon their lives. God is a covenant God. He will bless us if we obey Him; but if we disobey him, it leaves us to the consequences of our sin.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Exodus 19:5-6; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Nehemiah 9:26-32; Acts 3:22-26. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Our Realities Speak to Our Real Priorities” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Our Realities Speak to Our Real Priorities MESSAGE SUMMARY: From the Gospel of Luke (12:32f): Our Realities Speak to Our Real Priorities In Luke 12:32f, Jesus speaks to His priorities for us by declaring that He has given His followers His kingdom. Living in His Kingdom sets Jesus' priorities for us. The goal for us is to live to kingdom priorities and not our own priorities. In Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life, Rev. Warren presents five kingdom priorities: 1) worship; 2) fellowship; 3) discipleship; 4) ministry; and 5) evangelism. By being in fellowship with God, we can discern His priorities for our lives. Luke 12 speaks to two priorities for God's kingdom: 1) being ready followers, and 2) and being a responsible steward. To be a ready follower of Jesus, we must: 1) be ready to give; 2) is ready to go and serve the Lord; and 3) be ready to greet the Master. For the kingdom priority of being a ready steward, we must answer the question: “After being entrusted with God by much, are we being responsible for His gifts?”. With our trust in God, God, the Creator of the Universe trusts us – is your life worthy of God's trust? It is a deep privilege to know God's will for us and His trust for us. God will give us the tools and power to be good stewards of the trust that He has provided us if we are in fellowship with Him – God wants to bless us if we seek and follow His will for us. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17).   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 12:32-48; Romans 14:17; 1 John 3:1; Psalms 147:1-20. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Our Relationship with God Is Based Solely on Our Relationship with God, and He Desires to Have a Relationship with Each of Us”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers Have Eternal Life, Even Before their Earthly Death, Because Whoever “believes him {God} who sent me {Jesus}” MESSAGE SUMMARY: First, the moment you become a Jesus Follower, you have immediate Eternal Life; and you become a Citizen of Heaven.  Jesus tells us, in John 5:24, that His followers have Eternal Life and are Citizens of Heaven here on earth living their earthly lives: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.". As Christians and Citizens of Heaven, we know that the Lord is coming back -- either to greet us when we die or before we die at His Second Coming. For most of us, however, our vision of Heaven is clouded by looking backwards; therefore, the return of Jesus does not have any power in our life. Paul reinforces the return of the Lord of Heaven in Philippians 1:6: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.". When Jesus returns, we will put on our spiritual bodies, as promised. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:17: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'”.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Peter 1:1-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-27; Luke 22:20; Psalms 1:1-6. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Are You Willing to Speak Up and Share, Publicly, Your Relationship with Jesus?” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Are You Willing to Speak Up and Share, Publicly, Your Relationship with Jesus? MESSAGE SUMMARY: Are You Willing to Speak Up and Share Publicly Your Relationship with Jesus? (Resurrection Anglican Church; Woodstock, GA) To what extent are you willing to share with others your relationship with Jesus? What price are you willing to pay, personally, so that others may know the good news of Jesus – the Gospel? What are you willing to go through to advance the Kingdom of God? In Ephesians 3:1-2, the Apostle Paul summarizes the price that he joyfully accepts to carry the news of the Gospel to the Nations: “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentile -- assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you.". In Acts 26:19, Paul gives his public testimony, in his hearing before King Agrippa; and told the King and everyone in attendance that he, Paul, felt privileged to testify, to the Nations, about his conversion and his relationship with Jesus: “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.". Paul was in prison facing a trial by the despotic Emperor of Rome, Nero. However, you may never have to go to prison or face death to communicate the Gospel; but you will face both physical and emotional discomfort as you become a visible follower of Jesus. While articulating the Gospel to others is important, the most effective way to communicate the Gospel is not by what you say but how you live – walk the talk and let others see Jesus in you. The world, the country, your friends, and your family have so many issues and hurts for which Jesus and His Gospel are the answer; but we keep this good news a secret by our unwillingness to live a visible life walking the talk of the Gospel and sharing the Gospel. Do you have the faith and courage and are you willing to share the Gospel? If you do, then pray for God's guidance to you for His will and role for you.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 3:1-21; Acts 9:15; Acts 26:12-23; Psalms 124:1-8. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/ WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Have Eternal Life, Even Before their Earthly Death, Because Whoever “believes him {God} who sent me {Jesus}””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God's Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life's Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always” MESSAGE SUMMARY: You should fear, respect, and praise God's power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but, as a Jesus Follower, you should “fear not” in life's trials and tribulations or at your time of judgment. As David's praise tells us in Psalms 103:13: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”. David models again and again, in Psalms, how we should praise God. For example, in Psalms 146, David says: "Put not your trust in Princes; Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!". When we are wondering how to praise the Lord, we can read one of David's Psalms to God like David's praises to the Lord in Psalms 112:1-2: “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.". Also, we learn in Proverbs 1:7, the “fear of the Lord” and “wisdom” are closely linked: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.".   These verses from the Old Testament point to the fear, respect, and praise that God warrants and demands from His power, sovereignty, and Holiness. On the other hand, as we see when the Apostle John quotes Jesus from Revelation 1:17-18, when Jesus, in all His power and Glory, reassures us of God's Grace and His plan for working out the Salvation and Eternal Life for all those that have accepted Jesus as their Savior: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.'”.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f  SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Revelation 1:17-18; Psalms 118:1-20; Proverbs 1:7; Psalms 73a:1-14. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Come Holy Spirit” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Come Holy Spirit MESSAGE SUMMARY: Special Introduction – The Spiritual Discipline of Giving: We are challenged by God to bring our whole tithe into the storehouse (church) because God tells us that we cannot out give Him. After all, everything we have is from God. Our gifts to God should be from our first fruits and not our last fruits. Developing the discipline of returning our first fruits to God breaks the hold of materialism on our lives. Today's Message – Come Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is God Himself. The Holy Spirit is a presence of God in the Trinity of one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells us, as our counselor, always pointing to Jesus in truth. People are not convicted and converted in their hearts and minds to become followers of Jesus without the Holy Spirit. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our churches, not much will be accomplished. It is impossible to be a Christian and to live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit. The character of Jesus' followers is manifested through their lives bringing forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit, as presented in Galatians 5:22-23: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control . . .”. Otherwise, our lives will only reflect the fruit of the flesh as presented in Galatians 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these . . .". The Holy Spirit seeks to work through us in a way that those around us see the fruit of the Spirit and not the fruit of the flesh. What do people see when they look at our lives? As followers of Jesus, we need to live through God's gift to us of the power inherent in the Holy Spirit.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Malachi 3:8-12; Proverbs 23:5; Genesis 1:2; Psalms 1:39; Acts 1:4-5; 1 Corinthians 2:10; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 1:35; Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 14:16; Acts 2:42; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:6-7; John 3:4-8; John 14:16; John 16:7; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God's Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life's Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jesus Followers Are Given the Incredible Gift of the Holy Spirit - “your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way'” MESSAGE SUMMARY:  In Isaiah 30:21, Isaiah tells us: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.". We know from the New Testament that Christians are given the Holy Spirit to walk with them -- "a word {voice} behind you". As a Jesus Follower, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in you; and the way the Lord speaks to you is through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit -- the Spirit will speak, and you will know that it is the Lord. As God told His people in Exodus 19:5-6: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 14:23-27; Acts 2:1-4; Exodus 19:1-6; Psalms 55b:13-23. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “After Jesus' Resurrection, He Appeared Many Times to Many People and the Apostles; Today, We Have His Gift of the Holy Spirit” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

People and the Apostles; Today, We Have His Gift of the Holy Spirit MESSAGE SUMMARY: Repentance is a turning away from evil. In Luke 24:15, Jesus appeared again after His resurrection: “While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.". Most Christians around the world see Easter not as one day but as the Season of Easter, lasting fifty days. During this Season of Easter, Jesus appeared many times to many people, including several encounters with His disciples and the Apostles along with an appearance to a group of more than five hundred people. On the fortieth day, Jesus ascended into Heaven. After Jesus Ascension, He appeared to Saul, who became the Apostle Saul, on Saul's trip to Damascus. Beginning in Luke 24:36 (“Luke's Great Commission”), Jesus opened the Apostles minds spiritually to the Gospel; and the Gospel is summarized in “five truths” – the Gospel is a: 1) “double historical event” – Jesus death and His Resurrection, which really happened; 2) “double proclamation” – repentance (the Gospel demand) and forgiveness (the Gospel offer) of sins will be preached in His name; 3) “double reach or focus” – the preaching of the Gospel was to begin in Jerusalem with the Jews, but it was to be extended to all nations; 4) “double validation” – validated by the prophecies of the Old Testament and the Apostles' witness through their writing of the New Testament; and 5) “double sending” – Jesus promised the sending of the Holy Spirit to His Apostles, and the sending of the Apostles to the nations of the world in the power of the Holy Spirit.. If Jesus was speaking to His Apostles in Luke 24, what is He saying to us, His modern-day disciples, about two thousand years later? Jesus is telling us, today, the same thing that He told His Apostles in Luke 24!   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 24:36-49; Psalms 119:18-20; Romans 1:16; Acts 1:8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Are Given the Incredible Gift of the Holy Spirit - “your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way'””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Is Your Faith Yours, or Is Your Faith a Faith Derivative of the Faith of Others? MESSAGE SUMMARY: We first believed because of what our parents taught us; but then we heard for ourselves, and we believed. You and cannot live on another's faith in Jesus – With regards to faith, “God has no grandchildren”, only His Children; therefore, your Salvation comes only from your faith and not the faith of others. Each of us must hear for ourselves and come to the Lord in our own faith. As Paul tells us in Romans 10:16-17: “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?'. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." You and I each will stand before the Lord alone in judgment -- we will speak for ourselves with only Jesus to speak for us. Others to whom we minister, such as our children, can her about the Lord and the Gospel from us – for the first time or in reinforcement – but they must hear for themselves and believe for themselves to be saved.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Matthew 7:24-27; Psalms 53:1-6. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Beginnings In Prayer - Part 4: Listening to God Because He Desires to Speak to Us” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Beginnings In Prayer - Part 4: Listening to God Because He Desires to Speak to Us MESSAGE SUMMARY: Prayer is: 1) spending time with God – acknowledging God's presence in all our lives' activities; and 2) conversation with God – listening to and talking with God. Prayer reflects on our relationship with God. Why don't we pray. The Apostle James, in James 4:2-3, provides a perspective regarding Prayer Life: “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." In praying, we should know the difference between prayers of "petition" (praying for one's own needs) and prayers of "intercession" (praying for the needs of others). God wants prayers of "petition" from us -- all our needs and concerns should be brought to Him in prayer because He loves and cares for us. However, God want us to, also, focus on others and their needs (intercession) -- physical and spiritual. "Intercessory prayer” is fundamental to deepening our prayer life and our personal relationship with God. We need to consider "how we listen" to and for God. Usually, God speaks through the Holy Spirit like He spoke to Mary. Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit and “listening” through the Apostle John in John 16:13-15: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.". God, mostly but not always, uses that "still small voice" in our minds. We need to seek out places and times so that we can listen for and to God. Listening validates relationships in our secular lives -- why would it be different in our relationship with God? God wants to speak to us because we have a relationship with Him -- He loves us and wants to be with us. God's "Counselor", the Holy Spirit, is His primary communication bridge to us. God speaks to us, through the Holy Spirit, as He promised. God guides us to all truth -- to His direction for our lives. When God speaks to you, write it down, as God tells us through the prophet Habakkuk in Habakkuk 2:2-3: “And the LORD answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end — it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.'". God, often, speaks to us through the Bible, through other people, and through our circumstances. As we listen for God, we need to respond to God as Samuel did in Samuel 3:10b: "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.". Pray specific prayers, in the Holy Spirit and in Scripture, for ourselves and for others -- be persistent.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Jeremiah 33:3; John 16:7-14; John 10:1-25; Habakkuk 2:1-3; 1 Samuel 3:1-18. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Is Your Faith Yours, or Is Your Faith a Faith Derivative of the Faith of Others”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORDFROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Pastor Andrew continued our series "Self-Inflicted" with a powerful message titled "I'm Driving Me Crazy." It is so easy to think that other people or external circumstances are the excuse as to why we face obstacles in our lives. But the greatest challenge is the battlefield of the mind. Our mind can deceive us into thinking we are far worse than we really are. This is not to undermine the painful experiences of our lives but to challenge us to think more intentionally about our thoughts during difficult times. The emotional turmoil we experience can sometimes be more intense in our minds than in reality. It's crucial not to overreact and be mindful of the choices we make during life's challenging moments. The chaos might feel overwhelming, but it's essential not to let it dictate our responses. You know when your mind is getting the best of you when you are consumed with worry, not able to be yourself, or your actions reflect that of anxiety, fear, or doubt. It is in these moments our mind begins to whisper thoughts that can result in destruction. These whispers often carry thoughts that don't align with God's plan for our lives. They infiltrate our minds through external influences, the enemy, but most significantly, through our own self-talk. So, how do we navigate through this? We acknowledge that our mind is a powerful tool that can be used to heal, grow, and transform our lives! This is good news. We can determine the outcome of our lives by taking control of our thoughts and realigning them with the truth of God's word. Remember, the loudest whispers are often the ones we say to ourselves. It's time to filter out the thoughts that don't serve us and align ourselves with what God truly desires for our lives. How, then, should we navigate these voices? Here are some ways to quiet the noise in your life and hear what God has to say.When it comes to……- Other people: minimize their influence (not their value).- The enemy: read the bible and repeat scripture over your life. - You - lean not on your own understanding, read scriptures based on the promises of God, and break a sweat (get active and move your body).Sermon Scriptures: - Proverbs 26:20-22- 1 Samuel 18:6-12Additional Scriptures to Explore: - James 3:6 - 1 John 4:18Big Idea: The chaos that you feel will always be driven more by what is happening in your mind than what is happening in your circumstances.Reflective questions for the week: - What thoughts have you allowed to run rampant in your mind recently? Write these thoughts down. Then, reframe these thoughts by writing down a statement of truth that is in alignment with what God says about you. - In what ways (other people, the enemy, or you) are you most negatively impacted by your thought life? - What is one thing you could do this week to help you take every thought captive? Describe this in detail, find accountability, and put it into practice. - Share the negative statement you are letting go of this week with a trusted friend/mentor/City Group Leader, and share with them the powerful statement of truth that you are declaring over your life. Statements to declare over your life: - MY THOUGHTS MUST COME INTO ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT CHRIST SAYS ABOUT ME.- I CAN CONTROL MY MIND. - I HAVE POWER THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SURRENDER MY THOUGHTS TO CHRIST.  - MY EYES ARE ON JESUS AND HIS WORD. - I AM NO LONGER A SLAVE TO FEAR. I AM A CHILD OF GOD.

Daniel's Prayer Was “seeking him {God} by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting . . . ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and done wrong'” MESSAGE SUMMARY: There are times when you need clarity, understanding, knowledge and insights from God about the specific issues that you, your family, your church, or your country are facing. In your personal relationship with God as a Jesus Follower, the Lord will speak to you; but sometimes it takes your listening and fasting to hear Him. For example, when Joel received a Word when the land was to be destroyed, he called a fast (i.e. Joel 1:14): “Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.”. Some things you are facing in your life must be dealt with by both prayer and fasting. Fasting releases a spiritual power – in your weakness, God is made strong in your life. Daniel's prayer, from Daniel 9:3-5, provides a context for asking direction from God: “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.'".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Joel 1:13-16; Matthew 6:16; Daniel 9:3-7; Psalms138:1-8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Struggle with Time -- Until I Determine How I Want to Use My Time, Others Will Determine How My Time Is Used” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

The Struggle with Time -- Until I Determine How I Want to Use My Time, Others Will Determine How My Time Is Used MESSAGE SUMMARY: Life will never settle down until we chose to settle down in living our lives. Life is a choice more than we realize. We are given twenty-four hours in a day, and if God had wanted us to have thirty-six hours in our day, He would have given us a thirty-six-hour day. Therefore, if we don't have enough clock in our day, we are doing some things we should not be doing. We can determine some of the time traps that keep us from serving the Lord and how we can address the traps to better serve ourselves and the Lord. Is the clock our dictator; do we allocate time to serve the Lord, our families, and our work? How do we delegate? Life will never settle down until we choose to settle down; life is a choice. To manage our time as God would have us manage our lives: 1) Work is important and necessary, but working is not living; 2) Time is life first and then money; 3) More life productivity means more time; 4) How we use our time significantly effects our self-esteem, identity, and our fulfillment; and 5) We cannot control time, but we can control how we use time. We must get control of the time issues in our lives. The simple formula for managing our time: Pray, Prioritize, and Plan. Managing our time better is a fundamental question as we end a year and begin a new year. We must learn to honor the Lord by "honoring our time".    TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Ecclesiastes 9:11-17; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Romans 8:18. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Daniel's Prayer Was “seeking him {God} by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting . . . ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and done wrong'””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORDFROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

A Day Is Coming – Part 2 MESSAGE SUMMARY: We are in the season of Advent, which means “coming” or “arrival”. The Church begins this season of “arrival” or Advent as the time we recognize and celebrate the “arrival” of Jesus – both Jesus' “first coming” and His “second coming”. We celebrate Jesus' “first coming” on Christmas Eve. The season of Advent is, also, a season of hope; and Advent is the beginning of our Church's “New Year”. In the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 24 through Isaiah 26 presents prophesies regarding the future about 600 years before the birth of Jesus. More specifically, Isaiah 24:1-13 describes the destruction of the world resulting from the sinful acts of God's people. However, Isaiah 24:14-16 describes a period of joy and hope in the world. As in the time of Isaiah, we should not give credence to the prophesies, by fellow humans today, of the world's destruction and/or a specific date for Jesus' ”second coming” {arrival}. Jesus told us both not to be “anxious” about those things that we cannot control and that “no one knows the day and the hour” of His return (i. e. Jesus “second coming”). Rather, in this season of Advent, we recognize the hope brought to the world by God's grace and His gift of Jesus. Our hope is built upon Jesus' birth, death on the cross, and His Resurrection all providing us with the means for our Redemption, Salvation, and our Eternal Life. However, there will be a day when Jesus returns again to earth (i. e. Jesus' “second coming”) on a day that cannot be predicted by humans. Jesus' “second coming” will establish His Kingdom and a new Heaven. Therefore, even though we do not know the when of Jesus' “second coming” we haves God's promise of the what Jesus' “second coming” will mean. We need not fear the “second coming”. The “second coming” is a promise by God and should lead us, in this season of Advent, to renew our preparation in hope and not fear and anxiety. We have God's promise that nothing can separate us from His love, as the Apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:16-19: “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us." We do not want to get so wrapped up in the details of Jesus' “second coming” so that, like the First Century Jews, we miss Jesus. One certainty, in Jesus' “second coming”, is our “Judgement”. Jesus' “second coming” will “arrive”, but we have nothing to fear if we are ready. We are “ready” by living lives of Faithfulness to the Gospel and through Repentance. Is there something in your life with which you have not dealt with in Repentance? If so, you are not “ready”. We must be willing to follow Jesus and to respond to those things He asks of us. The Apostle John tell us in Revelation 22:20-21: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The Grace of Lord Jesus be with all. Amen”. Do you want to be ready for Jesus' “second coming”? If so, are you ready   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Isaiah 24:1-16; Romans 8:38-39; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; 1 John 4:16-19; Revelation 20:4; Matthew 25:31-32; Johnb5:24; 1 Corinthians 11:28-32; Romans 11:25-27; Luke 1:31-33; Hebrews 1:8; Hebrews 10:37-39; Revelation 22:20-21. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “At Jesus' Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

This sermon was recorded on November 4th 2023. I was blocked from uploading it until today. It is a Holy Spirit inspired sermon about the truths around The Father. I sing an original song I wrote while off-grid with my hero of 2020 that became my husband of 2022, one of the top trained assassins that protects American Presidents. He politely asked to retire last year when we got married and the Biden Administration denied his retirement and tried to have us killed instead because he protects President Trump and they tried to USE ME AS A SPY. I am going to forgive all these nasty men that were paid over millions of dollars to try and ruin my reputation prior to me marrying my husband but we are NOT going to sweep this under the rug. The Father is the only one I need and he sent me my King to protect me for life and all his warriors of light look out for me for they swore oaths to protect me. NO ONE ANY FURTHER IS GOING TO ERASE MY HISTORY. I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Jason Johnson you get this meeting set up with your bosses and call my husband and apologize for all the wasted time away from him. Deuteronomy 24:5.

Letting God Be Lord Over Your Finances, which Are His but He Entrusted to You, Will Liberate Your Life! MESSAGE SUMMARY:  We are so focused on earning money and other financially driven life activities so that it is easy for money and finances to become our god. Making finances “our god” violates the Second Commandment. If Jesus is Lord over all Creation, as we are told in Psalms 24:1, then: “The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”; therefore, everything that has been entrusted to you is God's. In James 5:1-3, the author of the Book of James provides insight into someone who does NOT make God the Lord of their finances: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.”. Therefore, let God Be Lord over your finances, which really are His finances.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of love. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 132). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Psalms 24:1-10; James 5:1-6; Psalms 25:1-22; Psalms 45:1-17. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Turkeys and Eagles, Part 2: Created to Be Like God” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Turkeys and Eagles, Part 2: Created to Be Like God MESSAGE SUMMARY:    Introduction – In Part 1 of this series, “Called as an ‘Eagle' But Saved as a ‘Turkey'” we learned, from the story about “Bubba the Eagle” and from relating this story to Ephesians 4, that many of us Christians have been “Turkeyized”. We learned that, rather than practicing New Testament Christianity, we have been practicing, in too many places, “Churchianity”. Now, we are looking at Paul's letter to the Ephesians to help break us out of this “Churchianity”. Rather than soaring with the eagles, too many of us are gobbling with the turkeys. Message – In this teaching today, we will look at “Created to Be Like God”. We live in a world that has many people with no desire to soar, and they will never reach the heights that God intended for us. Too many Christians are grounded because we have not been taught how to soar like an eagle. Now, “turkey thinking” posits that “living as a Christian is no different than living like everyone else”. However, “eagle thinking” posits that “as a Christian, I think different from everyone else” In Ephesians 4:17-18, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”. Analogous for us today, we can substitute “nonbeliever” for “Gentile” in this passage. The key to how we live is how we think. This behavior is, also, illustrated in Romans 1:21 where Paul describes where he cannot tell if a group is really Christian because their thinking is so messed up. “Turkey thinking” says “I am a sinner always in need”, but “eagle thinking” says “I am created to be like God”. When becoming a follower of Jesus, we become a new creation, and the Spirit of God indwells us; therefore, God is in our lives as we live our lives. In this context, “turkey thinking” would say “I'm just a sinner and I'm stuck”; but “eagle thinking” says “I'm created in the image of God”. We should be different from those nonbelievers living in today's culture because we have Jesus living in us. However, many of us have been “Turkeyized”; but with Jesus in our lives, we can soar with the Eagles!   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Ephesians 4:17-32; Romans 1:21-23; Genesis 2:5; Colossians 1:15-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Psalms 67:1-7. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Letting God Be Lord Over Your Finances, which Are His but He Entrusted to You, Will Liberate Your Life!”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

God Sees Jesus Followers as “In Christ”: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” MESSAGE SUMMARY: As Followers of Jesus, we are "In Christ" -- God looks at us and sees Jesus in us. Throughout the Epistles we find: "In Christ" or "In Him". In Galatians 3:14, Paul tells us that our faith in Jesus makes us “In Christ” and recipients of God's Covenant with Abraham: “so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.". Also, Paul goes even further, in Galatians 3:25-28, to tell us that, through our faith in Jesus, we no longer need any kind of intermediary because we are “In Christ” and we have a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe: “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”. The benefit our position "In Christ", as Christians, is that when God looks at us, He sees Jesus, the Son; therefore, He then sees us as His sons and daughters.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans 3:21-26; Romans 6:5-11; Romans 6:22-23; Psalms 77a:1-10. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Some Christians Easily Walk Away from God, But God Rejoices When They Return” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB