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Today, Many in America Live and Act as “enemies of the Cross of Christ” Thereby, Traveling the Road to Eternal Death MESSAGE SUMMARY: God has told us that we are His children and citizens of Heaven. To this end, God has given us the Holy Spirit as a pledge of our inheritance as His child. Also, God gave you the Holy Spirit to provide you with the power to live a Spiritual life. However, far too many continue to live and to act as “enemies of the Cross of Christ” by having their minds focused on earthly things as the lords of life. If this picture of your life-actions and life-focus describes you, then you very well may be on the road to eternal death and destruction. Therefore, you must return to Jesus and His way of doing things – Jesus' pattern of discipleship, servanthood, and submission is a path to your Salvation. Paul, in Philippians 3:18-20, defines an “enemy of the Cross of Christ: “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.". Jesus Followers have their life-focus driven by the realization that they are His child and a citizen of Heaven; therefore, you and your life-focus, as a Jesus Follower, are all precious to God since He sacrificed so much to adopt you as His child. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I praise you because your love seeks my good in any and every situation. Forgive me for the seeds that I have squandered. Soften my heart to surrender to your will in and through me. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 120). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Past Failures. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Grace. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 7:19-23; Romans 8:13-17; Revelation 8:9-24; Psalms 49a:1-10. WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Go! Make Disciples!” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
In Today's Secular Uncertainties, God is Sovereign; and God “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he {God} will” MESSAGE SUMMARY: Political discord and health care uncertainties surround us in all directions today. Without Jesus in our lives, we have reasons to be anxious and fearful. However, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:31: “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”. The future years may hurt our pride, wallets, and/or our freedom. On the other hand, we should not let the current secular political environment and culture hinder our resolve to continue in our fearless faith in the truth; our constant hope in the future; and our radical love for our neighbors. God has a plan; and, regardless of how things look from our eyes, we must remain faithful to His purpose. Now is the time to draw near to Jesus and to advance His Kingdom. Our gaze must remain on Jesus if we want to walk on the water during the storm. God is the King of Kings and the Sovereign God of the Universe. As Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 4:17 when God told Nebuchadnezzar: “to the end that the living may know that the Most High {God} rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he {God} will and sets over it the lowliest of men.”. God is always involved in our lives, and He gives the government offices “to whom he will”, even if the political processes produce “the lowliest of men {or women}”. Sometimes, we receive the elected officials we need, and sometimes we receive the elected officials that we deserve; but God is always Sovereign and faithful. TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be a complainer (Philippians 2:14). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 6:31; Philippians 4:5-7; Daniel 4:17; Psalms 106c: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: “Go! Make Disciples!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Today's Political and Religious Climates Harden Hearts of Many “Believers” Who Turn Away from God - Jesus Followers Are to and Can Help Those with Hardening Hearts MESSAGE SUMMARY: No matter the hardness of a person's heart, who has walked away from God, they will respond to your initiatives that are based on your love and trust. However, so many of us Christians are so focused on doing their religious or spiritual things and keeping to their “busy” schedules that they do not have time to love and care for the needs of other – physical and/or spiritual. Is there anything you can do for someone with a calloused heart or who has walked away from God because they were not discipled? Yes, you must start by praying for them – asking God to move in their lives; asking God to intervene in their life situations; asking God to break up the hardness of their heart. Also, you must build a better personal relationship, with this person, through your trust and caring love. In Mathew 18:12-13, Jesus presents God's perspective regarding the pursuit of even one person that has walked away: “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, to you I acknowledge that I don't want to go the way of powerlessness and humility. Like Peter, I want to know what you are doing with those around me. I love you. Help me to trust you with this day, with tomorrow, and with my whole life. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 92). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Compulsions. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Patience. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Acts 1:8; Romans 2:15-16; Psalms 47:1-9. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Go! Make Disciples!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Must Carve Out Quiet Times to Listen for the Holy Spirit Who Speaks to Us in His “still small voice” MESSAGE SUMMARY: God will speak to you, but you must learn to listen for Him. Learning to listen for and to God requires focused and "in-tune" listening in combination with a filter for all the in-life clutter that your lifestyles and culture create. As Paul tells us in Romans 10:17, followers of Jesus must listen and hear the Word from the Lord: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.". You are going all the time with stimuli from many different sources – how can God speak or be heard, in a still small voice, through all your noise? To hear and listen for God, "lengthy times in silence and solitude" with the Lord are needed. Times of quiet prayer with God permits the noise and clutter get taken away. Again, in Psalm 141:1, the Psalmist admonishes us to call upon the Lord and to listen for God's Word: “LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!". TODAY'S PRAYER: Abba Father, I admit that I am often afraid and embarrassed to openly tell you all that is going on inside me — even though I know you know it all anyway. Teach me what boldness in prayer looks like as I draw near your throne of grace. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 112). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Exodus 19:5; Daniel 9:9-14; John 10:2-16; Psalms 106a:1-12 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Go! Make Disciples!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
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 FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 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: “Go! Make Disciples!” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Go! Make Disciples! MESSAGE SUMMARY: Most Christians, today, are living in disobedience to the Lord – Christians and churches are ignoring the commands of Jesus. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus told His Apostles, in His last commission right before His Ascension to Heaven: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”. Jesus commanded His Apostles to Go and to Make Disciples. This is the mandate to every follower of Jesus. Christians were not called “Christians” until Acts 11. Before Acts 11, they were referred to as “Disciples”. Being a “Disciple” is a way of living and being – a liver, teacher, and doer of Jesus commandments and His Gospel. The Bible teaches us the characteristics of being a “Disciple”: 1) loving; 2) Holy Spirit filled; 3) knowing and is learning the Bible; 4) knowing how to pray; 5) knowing how to Worship; 6) walking with Jesus; 7) sharing with others in need; 8) having a disciple; and 9) being a faithful witness. God wants a personal dynamic relationship with us. The people of our world need the followers of Jesus to GO and to MAKE DISCIPLES. People are waiting to see Jesus through His followers – people who can speak the Word of God to them. The literal translation of Matthew 28:19-20 is not the command “Go” but “as you Go”. Jesus was assuming that, as His followers, we were already Going (i.e. Evangelism); therefore, His command of us was: as you go, make Disciples! 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 FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 28:19-20; 1 John:4;20-21; John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; John 7:38; Galatians 5;22-24; Acts 2:44-47; 1 John 3:16-18; Acts 1:8-9. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). 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
Agnostics, Atheists, Seekers, and Christians Watch Jesus Followers; Do They See Jesus or a Christian Hypocrite in You? MESSAGE SUMMARY: In 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, Paul writes a complex statement that tells you, as a Jesus Follower, about the most important tool that God gives you for communicating the Gospel to others-- God lets others see Jesus in you through your life in Christ! Therefore, by living in Christ, your life becomes the most compelling argument for the Gospel – an argument that far surpasses the power for God's Kingdom from written or spoken words. Paul's 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 text reads: “Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”. Do others, from your life, see Jesus in you? TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, in order to be with you, I need you to show me how to “create a desert” in the midst of my full, active life. Cleanse me from the pressures, illusions, and pretenses that confront me today so that my life may serve as a gift to those around me. Amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 26). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will seek God's perspective on my situation. For I know that in all things God works together for good to those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. From Romans 8:28 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Isiah 35:1-9; John 1:14; Isaiah 11:1-2; Psalms 44b:14-26. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Hearing God's Voice” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Must Carve Out Quiet Times to Listen for the Holy Spirit Who Speaks to Us in His “still small voice” MESSAGE SUMMARY: God will speak to you, but you must learn to listen for Him. Learning to listen for and to God requires focused and "in-tune" listening in combination with a filter for all the in-life clutter that your lifestyles and culture create. As Paul tells us in Romans 10:17, followers of Jesus must listen and hear the Word from the Lord: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.". You are going all the time with stimuli from many different sources – how can God speak or be heard, in a still small voice, through all your noise? To hear and listen for God, "lengthy times in silence and solitude" with the Lord are needed. Times of quiet prayer with God permits the noise and clutter get taken away. Again, in Psalm 141:1, the Psalmist admonishes us to call upon the Lord and to listen for God's Word: “LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you!". TODAY'S PRAYER: Abba Father, I admit that I am often afraid and embarrassed to openly tell you all that is going on inside me — even though I know you know it all anyway. Teach me what boldness in prayer looks like as I draw near your throne of grace. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 112). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Exodus 19:5; Daniel 9:9-14; John 10:2-16; Psalms 106a:1-12 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Go! Make Disciples!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers' Personal Relationship with Jesus Comes from Humility as Sinners Through Seeking God's Mercy in Prayer MESSAGE SUMMARY: We do not deserve it; but we able to come to God, in a Personal Relationship with Him, because of His Mercy. We are all sinners. As Paul tells us in Romans 9:18: “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.". With God's Justice without His Mercy and His resulting Grace, you would face only eternal death as Justice for your sins. We can never enter God's presence for prayer when we are in our pride with our focus on ourselves. Also, Paul reminds us, in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, that, in your Salvation through God's Grace, Jesus makes us “boast” only in the Grace provided us by God: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'”. We can only enter God's presence when we humble ourselves in Jesus. Humility and penitence before God invite His presence – here I am, Lord; just as I am; have mercy on me a sinner. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Inconsistencies. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Faithfulness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 18:1-4; 1 Corinthians 1:29-31; Isaiah 19:22; Psalms 44a: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: “Hearing God's Voice” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Follower's Greatest Witness for the Gospel of Jesus, in a Hurting World, is for Others to See Jesus in Them MESSAGE SUMMARY: You need to live the Christian life in whatever you do – at home; in your job; in the way that you drive; and in the way that you treat your friends. We live in a hurting world, but God wants more for you. To achieve God's desire for your life, you must stay in fellowship and communion with God; and you must let Him 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: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Inadequacy. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Abundance. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Colossians 3:16-17; Matthew 21:21-22; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalms 43:1-5. WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Hearing God's Voice ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
“For they {Earthly Parents} disciplined us for a short time . . . but he {God} disciplines us for our good, that we may share his {God's} holiness" (Hebrews 12:10) MESSAGE SUMMARY: The Lord disciplines his children; therefore, so should we. Our discipline can take many forms, for example: 1) teach children a lesson, even hard lessons; and 2) it is OK to take away children's privileges. The Lord's discipline is out of love; and our discipline, for our children, should, also, be out of our love. Nobody likes discipline -- we do not like it; our kids do not like it. However, discipline works to bring righteousness and peace, and discipline brings fruit to us and our children down the road. In Hebrews 12:7-10, the author of Hebrews succinctly describes the Biblical perspective regarding discipline: It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as {His} sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they {Earthly Parents} disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he {God} disciplines us for our good, that we may share his {God's} holiness.". TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to be still and to wait patiently for you in silence. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 125). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, God is working His will in my life (Philippians 2:13). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 2 Samuel. 7.13-15; 1 Corinthians. 11:32; Ephesians. 6.1-4; Psalms 42:1-11. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Hearing God's Voice”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Can Influence and Lead a Return to God by Our People, Churches, and Nation Through the “Five Exhortations” MESSAGE SUMMARY: In the Bible, you can find five exhortations, from the God, that are right on point for our times of uncertainty in America: 1) Do not fear; 2) Continue to tithe; 3) Get out of debt; 4) Help our brothers and sisters in need; and 5) Pray. The people in Malachi's day were withholding what was God's, and they were paying a price. But even in those conditions of the nation's sin and faithlessness, God said to the nation, in Malachi 3:7, “From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?'.”. God does not change – God today is the same faithful Creator of the Universe as He was in the time of Malachi. Return to God, both as individuals and as a nation; and see how God will bless us! TODAY'S PRAYER: Forgive me, Father, for at times treating you as if you were my personal assistant or secretary. Your ways are unsearchable and beyond understanding. Help me to put my trust in you and not in my circumstances. In your presence, I am silenced. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 87). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Anxiety. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Peace. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Malachi 2:1-17; Malachi 3:7; Malachi 3:16-18; Psalms 41:1-13. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Hearing God's Voice”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Maintain a Constant Presence of Jesus in Their Lives Through Prayer and a Focus on Their Personal Relationship with God MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, you must maintain a constant conversation, through prayer, with Jesus; and you must look to see how God is involved in the events surrounding your daily life. If the Lord is in your life, then your life's circumstances will relate to Him. The Psalmist tells us, in Psalms 100:2-5, that God is with you because He made you to: “Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to generations.". Therefore, practicing the presence of Jesus in your life helps you to stay in tune with Jesus' influence in your life. Being in tune with Jesus' presence, in your life, is like listening to an FM radio station – you must tune into the right station and then listen. Tuning into the right station, for the presence of Jesus, requires that you maintain an awareness of your circumstances and their relationship to Jesus. TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 2 Corinthians 4:13-15; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18; 1 John 1:5-10; Psalms 104a: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: “Hearing God's Voice”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ 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 FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 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: “Hearing God's Voice” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Hearing God's Voice MESSAGE SUMMARY: Introduction: The Gospel is based on both the Old and the New Testaments. The Gospel must go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit – the Gospel is a Spiritual message. Today's Message: In John 10, Jesus is speaking about the “shepherd”; the shepherd: 1) enters through the gate; 2) has the gate opened by a watchman; 3) sheep listen to his voice; 4) calls each sheep by name; 5) leads his sheep by going ahead of the sheep; and 6) has a voice by which he is known to his sheep and they follow him. In the first century, shepherding was an intimate profession; and the shepherd was always with his sheep. The shepherd talked to his sheep, and the sheep knew the shepherd's voice. Also, in John 10, Jesus talked about the “false shepherd” who is a “thief and a robber”. The sheep do not follow the “false shepherd”. Jesus says that the “thief (false shepherd) comes only to steal, kill and destroy”. In John 10:7-10, Jesus says that He is the “gate”, and He is the way (gate) by which we are saved from our sins and eternal death; and we are provisioned for a full life as His followers. Like the sheep that follow the good shepherd, if we follow Jesus, we will all hear His voice. How do we know the voice of Jesus? Consider that: 1) we must enter only through the gate – Jesus; 2) we must be a sheep of the Good Shepherd and follow Jesus through an intimate relationship with Him; 3) we must learn to listen (for example, today we listen through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit – the Holy Spirit is charged with communicating the will of God to mankind and to sync our mind with the mind of God); 4) we obey as we listen – in the New Testament, the words “hear” and “obey” are the same words – God will speak directions for our lives; and 5) we don't harden our hearts to the voice of the Lord – listen to His voice and obey. As the Lord says: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalms 46:10). 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 FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 10:1-18; Ezekiel 34:22-34; John 5:25-29: Ezekiel 43:2;1 King's 19:12; Isaiah 30:21; John 10:27-30; Hebrews 3:7-15. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.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
For Jesus Followers, Jesus Presence Provides Confidence and Light in Times Which Could Bring Fear and Uncertainty into Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: If You are a Jesus Follower, you can live in the presence of Jesus for your life. Living in the presence of Jesus means that you live in personal holiness; therefore, you are living in the light of Jesus. Many times, you are so tempted to walk in the darkness of doom and gloom; and when you go through something difficult in your life, you walk in darkness without the presence of Jesus and His light for your life. The Apostle John, in 1 John 1:5-7, so clearly presents what it means to “walk in the presence and light of Jesus” for those times that bring fear and uncertainty into your life: “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.". One day, the Lord will come in judgment; but for now, you can walk in the light and presence of Jesus through your prayerful personal relationship with Him. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I have spent much of my life running from pain and loss, medicating my pain, and quickly moving on to the next project — the new urgent demand. I ask for the grace to embrace all of life — the joys and the sorrows, the deaths, and the births, the old and the new. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 110). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be ashamed of the Gospel. I will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (including me). From Romans 1:16 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 7:12-16; 1 John 1:5-10; 2 Corinthians 3:12-18; Psalms 38b:12-22. 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 Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Are Expected to Serve the Needs of Others and to Reflect Jesus to Others as We Serve their Needs – “To Serve is Christ” MESSAGE SUMMARY: You will never be more like Jesus than when you are serving others; and your best way to witness to non-believers is for them to see Jesus in you. Your best example of service is Jesus. To serve is Christ. Jesus instructed us, regarding serving others, in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”. Jesus, the Son of Man, did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. If Jesus came, lived, and died on earth as a servant, why would you, as a Jesus Follower, not realize that you are expected to serve? If, as Paul tell us in Romans 8:28-29, we are being conformed into the image of Jesus, then we are being taught how to serve: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.". To serve is to live as a reflection, to others, of Jesus in you. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Evil Ways. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Goodness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans 8:28-29; Romans 14:18-19; Daniel 4:17; Psalms 38a:1-11. 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 Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Today's Fear-Laden Events and “Noise” Will Not Matter If You Practice the Presence of God as You Live Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: You cannot practice the presence of God when you practice the presence of fear. You may be inclined to fear for the future of our country or fear about your personal finances or family or health issues. If you practice the presence of God, you will have peace in amidst your life-storm and trauma. The “Presence of Jesus” in your life begins with persistent prayer to the end that you constantly and consistently seek to include Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, in all aspects of your life. “Practicing the Presence of Jesus” in your life will prove to be life changing a rewarding. Jesus provides comfort for your anxieties in Mathew 6:33-34: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.". Also, in Mathew 11:28-30, Jesus makes it clear to you that He wants to walk with you in your times of trouble and fear so that you can offload to Him, the Creator of the Universe, some of those issues that drive your fears: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.". If you practice the presence of God, it will not matter what this world or the devil throws your way. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Lust. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Perfect Provision. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 3:16-17; 1 John 5:1-5; Psalms 37:41-50. WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
As You Live on Earth, God Has Work for You; You Are to “Live in Christ” So that Others See Jesus in Your Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, God Expects You to Both Work for Kingdom and Witness for the Gospel. Also, as a Jesus Follower, you are to live in Christ and to let others see Jesus in your life. If you are to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for you – God has work for you; God's work for you is real work. The spiritual life is work – it is fruitful labor. Also, Godly conduct is a necessity to live in Christ as we are instructed in Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Not only does God have a work for you, but you, also, have a witness for Him through your actions, words, and your attitudes. Your actions, words, and attitudes constantly reflect who and what God is in your life. Paul admonishes us, in Galatians 6:2,9-10a to follow the law of Christ and to do good and live a moral life: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ . . . And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”. Also, Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12, succinctly presents what it means for a Jesus Follower “to live in Christ”: “To be a witness, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.". Are you following Jesus so that you are living in Christ and letting others see Jesus in your life? TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will think like Jesus (Philippians 2:5f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Galatians 5:18-26; 1 Peter 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Psalms 37d:21-40. 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 Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
This Is the Time, in Our Fear-Evoking Events, that Jesus Followers, Like Jesus and King Hezekiah, Need to Get Alone with God and Pray MESSAGE SUMMARY: Immediately, Jesus made His Disciples get in a boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side while Jesus dismissed the crowd. After Jesus dismissed the crowd, He went up on a mountainside, by Himself, to pray. He was alone with His Father. In Mark 1:35, Jesus' prayer life is presented: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.”. If there is one Christian discipline that is neglected by Christians of today, it is the practice of getting alone with God and having a quiet time to pray -- not you and your computer; not you and a friend; but only you and God alone in your prayer. We can learn a great deal from King Hezekiah, in Isaiah 37:15-17a about his personal relationship with God, through personal prayer, as he is faced with a powerful invasion of Israel: “And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: ‘O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear.'”. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, in order to be with you, I need you to show me how to “create a desert” in the midst of my full, active life. Cleanse me from the pressures, illusions, and pretenses that confront me today so that my life may serve as a gift to those around me. Amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 26). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Despair. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Joy. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 17:1-5; Matthew 26:36-40; Isaiah 37:14-17; Psalms 100:1-5. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Your Focus on Yourself and not on God or Others Will Lead to a Miserable Spiritual Condition – To serve is Christ MESSAGE SUMMARY: When we show up at our church on Sunday, what is our purpose – is it to serve or to be served? Too many of us go to church seeking what the church can do for us. Our church should provide us a place to worship Jesus in Spirit and in the truth of His Word. Also, our church should provide a chance to serve others -- To serve is Christ. We will never be more like Jesus than when we are serving others. We are all serving someone, but who are we serving; are we serving ourselves or others? In Mark 10:43b-45, Jesus explains that His followers must have mind focused on service and being a servant to others: “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”. The longer that we stay focused on ourselves and not God or others, the longer we will remain stuck in a miserable spiritual condition. To serve is Christ. TODAY'S PRAYER Lord, I praise you because your love seeks my good in any and every situation. Forgive me for the seeds that I have squandered. Soften my heart to surrender to your will in and through me. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 120). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Fear. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Faithfulness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 20:1-16; Philippians 2:21-30; Matthew 25:34-46; Psalms 99:1-9. 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 Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Have a Personal Relationship with the Creator of the Universe So Pray, Listen, and Be Patient for God's Call MESSAGE SUMMARY: No interaction with the Holy Spirit is too small for you or for God, and no Spiritual outcomes are too big for you or for God. Jesus illustrates, in the “Parable of the Mustard Seed", that big things come from small beginnings. The selection, by Jesus, of His initial twelve Apostles, led to the growth of Christianity from twelve followers to more than two billion Christians. So, when God gives you a vision or He puts on your heart to start a ministry or to visit the home bound; and you think the Spirit's is so small or inconsequential, just remember small beginnings lead to significant outcomes through the Lord. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commissions and promises His support to His Apostles and to us; therefore, how can any call, from the Holy Spirit, be too inconsequential or unsupported for us to embrace: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'” Pray, listen, and be patient. After all, you have a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe! 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): Matthew 20:1-16; Philippians 2:21-30; Matthew 25:34-46; Psalms 37b:11-20 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 Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
The Sermons on the Amount, Part 4 - The Devastation of Debt MESSAGE SUMMARY: This Sermon series assembles important Biblical references to all aspects of money and finances and their influence and impact on us; therefore, helping us to apply these Scriptures to our lives today. The reason for this series is because money and possessions have captivated our culture; and the Bible gives us specific instructions regarding how we should handle money. Debt is the obligation to pay back what is owed, while being in bondage to another person. Additionally, being in debt means we are presumptuous about the future, as we are told in James 4:13-14: “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.". The effects of debt on our lives include: 1) producing bondage to creditors; 2) causing us to evade self-examination; 3) interfering with God's provision; 4) damaging to God's reputation; 5) promoting impulse buying; 6) promoting impulse spending; and 7) stealing our resources through high interest payments. Suggestions for dealing with the effects of personal debt on you and your families: 1) start where you are and intentionally get out of debt – a purpose in your heart as a priority; 2) it is OK to ask for help; 3) live within your means; 4) pay with cash or a debit card and stop using credit cards; 5) begin to save as much as you can; and 6) ask God to help you – pray daily for God's guidance and wisdom. Get out of debt and don't be a slave to debt. As Jesus tells you in Matthew 7:26-27: “And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”. God is a faithful; pray for His help guidance in your debt and financial situation before it is too late. 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): Matthew 7:24-27; Proverbs 22:7; Deuteronomy 15:6; Proverbs 27:1; James 4:13-14; Philippians 4:19. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. 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/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
As a Jesus Follower, Is Your Faith So Solid that, Unlike the “rich ruler”, You Would “follow Jesus” in a Financial Storm? MESSAGE SUMMARY: If a financial and economic calamity were to occur in America or in your family, would you still be content with Jesus; or would your faith be tested? In a personal financial problem, would you cling to your “wealth” like the rich young ruler, in Jesus' Parable, from Luke 18:18, 22-24: “And a ruler asked him {Jesus}, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' . . . When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ‘How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!'”? It is not beyond the realm of possibility that we could face a situation in which our economy goes off the cliff; prices inflate; and life's necessitates become scarce. When you compare yourself to the remainder of the world, you are wealthy like the young ruler – we are all earthly rich in this country. Therefore, can you, unlike the “rich ruler”, “follow Jesus” in a time of financial calamity as well as in good economic times? TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I have spent much of my life running from pain and loss, medicating my pain, and quickly moving on to the next project — the new urgent demand. I ask for the grace to embrace all of life — the joys and the sorrows, the deaths, and the births, the old and the new. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 110). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will trust in the Lord with all my heart. I will trust in the Lord with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways I will seek to know Him, and He will make my pathways straight. From Proverbs 3:5f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 18:21-27; James 5:1-6; Mathew 6:24-25; Psalms 37a: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: “The Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Your Uncertainty and Fear Lead to Anxiety; About What Are You Anxious, and Have You “let your requests be made known to God”? MESSAGE SUMMARY: From Philippians 6, Paul tells us: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”. What are you anxious about? If you are in Christ, Jesus tells us to present our request to the Lord. In Matthew 6:6-8, Jesus instructs His followers how to come to God in prayer: “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.". If you are in Christ, you can talk to God and present your issues and requests to Him as if He knows nothing about your situation. You must ask God through your regular prayer life and your personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe. What are you anxious about? In Matthew 6:34, Jesus assures His followers that “anxiety” is counterproductive: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, after his loss, you gave Job prosperity, blessing him with twice as much as he had before, but that has not always felt like my experience. Grant me patience. Help me to trust and wait on you, especially in those areas of my life where I have no idea what you are doing, when my hardship will end, or where you are taking me. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 115). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Heartlessness. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Kindness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 6:31-34; Philippians 4:5-7; Matthew 6:6-8; Psalms 35b:15-28. 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 Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Does Being a Jesus Follower Embarrass You? Are the Holy Spirit and the Gospel on Your Life's “Back Burner” to Be Warmed Up Only in a Life Crisis? MESSAGE SUMMARY: Living in the Holy Spirit sets us apart from our fellow human beings who are living without the Christ. Most of us had great passion in our lives as we approached the age to get our driver's license or the age of eighteen when we would be an “adult”. Why don't we have the same kind of passion about our spiritual life? Why don't we want to grow up and mature in the Lord? As Paul tells us, in Titus2:11-13, we must focus on living a Godly life while, also, living our life in the Holy Spirit: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”. We have the capacity to live like no one else because we have presence of God in our lives through the person of the Holy Spirit and the gift of a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe. TODAY'S PRAYER: Abba Father, I admit that I am often afraid and embarrassed to openly tell you all that is going on inside me — even though I know you know it all anyway. Teach me what boldness in prayer looks like as I draw near your throne of grace. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 112). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Resentment. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Compassion. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Titus2:11-15; 2 Timothy 3:2-7; Mark 11:15-19; Psalms 35a:1-14. WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
We All Are Filled with Something. The Jesus Follower is Filled with the Holy Spirit! MESSAGE SUMMARY: If you believe that Christianity is just a bunch of rules and laws for you (all of which you cannot keep!), then you really do not know what Christianity is all about. Jesus Followers are filled with the Holy Spirit. All of us are filled with something. With what are you filled? The Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 4:5-6, admonishes you to be faithful to the Gospel and to live in the Spirit like God: “but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.". Some people are filled with the world or the devil or alcohol or drugs or materialism or their jobs or just themselves. You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As you walk with the Holy Spirit, Paul instructs in Ephesians 5:15-17 to make wise use of our limited time on earth and to seek God's will through the Holy Spirit: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.". Come Holy Spirit; fill us with your presence and power. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? If not, why not? TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Self-Centeredness. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Love. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 5:15-21; Acts 2:1-4; 1 Peter 4:1-6; Psalms 34a: 1-11. 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 Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Prayer Is a Conversation that God Wants to Have with You; Just You and the Creator of the Universe MESSAGE SUMMARY: God desires to walk with you and to help you, but God does not provide you with this support unless you pray and ask Him. James, the brother of Jesus and the author of James 5:13-16, succinctly describes prayer and its power for the followers of Jesus: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”. Prayer gives you the ability to communicate directly with God, the Creator of the Universe. Therefore, why not take advantage of this incredible communication tool, Prayer, that God has gifted you? Just do it – just pray and ask God for His help. The only way to learn how to pray is just to pray – just pray with your heart. Prayer is just you and your Lord in conversation – a conversation that God wants to have with you. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me kicks against going to the foot of the cross where you will root out of me all that is not of you. Help me not to fear the “deaths” it will take for me to be transformed into a free person who loves you and others well. Have mercy on me, O Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 103). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Anger. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Forgiveness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 2 Kings 20:5; James 5:13-18; Philippines 4:4-9; Psalms 93:1-5. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
To Be a Jesus Follower, You Must First Enter the Only Door to God's Kingdom and that Door is Jesus – the Door to Eternal Life MESSAGE SUMMARY: In John 14:6, Jesus says: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one come to the Father but through me.”. In Luke 13:23-25, Jesus is asked a pivotal question; and Jesus responded: “And someone said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?' And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.'”. It is not that Jesus does not want all to be saved, it is just that the “gate”, to our Salvation and Eternal Life, is “narrow” and difficult to enter. We enter Eternal Life through Jesus and Jesus alone, and so many miss this fundamental tenant of our Christian faith; and they miss knowing Jesus – Jesus is the door, the narrow door. Neither Islam, nor Hinduism, nor just “my personal religion” is the door – Jesus is the only door. 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 RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 14:6; Mathew 3:1-3; John 4:1-5; Psalms 33a:1-11. 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 Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
The Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor MESSAGE SUMMARY: This Sermon series assembles important Biblical references to all aspects of money and finances and their influence and impact on us; therefore, helping us to apply these Scriptures to our lives today. The reason for this series is because money and possessions have captivated our culture. Jesus' “Parable of the Talents”, in Matthew 25:14-30, tells us a great deal about our responsibilities and accountability regarding the “talents” that God has given us – also, we are to supervise these “talents” that God has given us. We have been given different “talents” by God; and God will give us blessings based on how we supervised the “talents” which He has given us; however, God will punish us if our supervision is not acceptable to Him. Stewardship – we are God's Supervisors, which is an awesome responsibility. As God declared and challenged us in Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.". Therefore, humankind is supervisor all that God, the Creator of the Universe, created. With this awesome responsibility of stewardship, God has given us some instructions in Scripture to help us in this responsibility: 1) God has entrusted us with those “talents” that He has given us and He provides the opportunity for more; 2) God expects us to use what He has given us and according to His will – involve God in the process; 3) God has provided for our needs and enjoyment but, also, God expects us to address the needs of others; 4) God expects us to work using our “talents”, skills, and gifts; 5) God expects us to abide with His principles regarding money – a) the first part of our “increase” is Holy and Sacred to God (God is owner), b) tithing (God owns all and the first 10 percent is returned to Him as the prophet Malachi tells us in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse {e.g., Church}, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.".). c) giving is Worship, and d) saving; and 6) God will hold us accountable. God has entrusted us with what He has given, and He has provided us with the opportunity for more. You cannot out give God; and God is always faithful. 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): Matthew 25:14-30; Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 21:31-41; 1 Timothy 6:17; Acts 20:35; Genesis 2:15; Proverbs 14:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 18:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Proverbs 3:9-10; Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-12; Proverbs 23:5; Exodus 23:15; Proverbs 6:6-8. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “To Be a Jesus Follower, You Must First Enter the Only Door to God's Kingdom and that Door is Jesus – the Door to Eternal Life”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Not Forgiving Someone HURTS YOU and NOT Your Perceived Offender; Forgive Like Jesus Who Forgives You, Unconditionally MESSAGE SUMMARY: If God has forgiven you, why do you have to confess your sins? Confession is for you. For you to forgive, as the Christ forgives you. Your forgiving others means that you release others from the offense that you believe they have committed. Jesus set the “forgiveness standard” for you as Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:31-32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.". Someone said that “holding a grudge and not forgiving is like drinking poison yourself to kill your enemy”. However, your forgiveness is not conditioned on the offender coming and asking you for their forgiveness – if you are like Jesus, you have already forgiven the offender. If you do not forgive like Jesus, the offense festers and turns into resentment; and these unhealthy feelings are happening in you and not in the perceived offender because you have not forgiven your perceived offender as instructed be Jesus – “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will entrust to Him my future. I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. From 2 Timothy 1:12 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 4:31-32; Mathew 6:14-15; Psalms 130:3-4; Psalms 32:1-11. 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 Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?"” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
The Holy Spirit, God's Personal Relationship Presence, Is Our Life's Ultimate Counselor and Helper – the Creator of the Universe MESSAGE SUMMARY: Your relationship with God is a continuous and not a one-time event; therefore, followers of Jesus are to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit, as we are told in Acts 2:3-4: “And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.". We should ask the Lord to fill us with the Holy Spirit every day. You need the continuous refreshing of the Holy Spirit because YOU are a broken vessel – you sin; you get tired; you work hard; you act stupid; and you rebel against God. Be filled with the Holy Spirit now – filled in this moment of the present. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, the presence of God in our lives in a personal relationship, provides us with the ultimate counselor and helper in our life – the Creator of the Universe. Do you ask the Holy Spirit to fill you every day to experience the continuous power of God's gift? TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I relate to Peter's headstrong nature, and to his struggle to understand what you were telling him. It is difficult for me to understand how you are running the universe and my place in it. Transform my stubborn will, O Lord. Teach me to wait on you. Help me to trust you. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 95). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Procrastination. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Self-Control. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 5:21; Acts 2:1-4; 1 Peter 4:1-6; Psalms 31b:13-24. 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 Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?"” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Have, Are, and Will Face Derision, Persecution, and Death; But God Addresses “Impossible” Situations and Transforms Lives MESSAGE SUMMARY: The Apostles did not get into their life roles, after Jesus Resurrection and Ascension, without much grief and anguish; but Jesus transformed their lives. God addresses impossible situations in our lives, too; and then He transforms our lives, through His grace, into something of beauty. Jesus' Cross was an impossible situation, but now we view the Cross as a sign of triumph -- our triumph as believers and followers of Jesus! In John 10:27-30, Jesus succinctly describes how He transforms the lives of those that follow Him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”. Additionally, in today's uncertainties and fears and with the new and uncharted paths that our life today demands that we follow, Paul, in Colossians 1:5-6, gives us hope through God's Grace and the Gospel: “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth". TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, when I think about my losses, it can feel like I have no skin to protect me. I feel raw, scraped to the bone. Looking at Job and Jesus helps, but I must admit that I struggle to see something new being birthed out of the old. Enlarge my soul through the trials and losses of my life. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 101). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Past Failures. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Grace. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Colossians 1:5-6; John 11:25-26; John 10:14-18; Psalms 31a:1-12. WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?"” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Discussions Today Are Void of Respect About Anything; Therefore, Jesus Followers Are Called to Lift Others Up with Praise and Encouragement MESSAGE SUMMARY: Be humble, gentle, and patient bearing with one another in love. Your “calling” by Jesus is to love one another; to lift each other up; and to praise and to encourage one another. How often, in the church, do we get our feathers ruffled and start “acting like a bunch of turkeys”? Too many of us “are not responding to God's call”; but we “are doing our duty”. After all, isn't just “doing our duty” what we have been taught? Paul succinctly defines our obligations as a follower of Jesus in Ephesians 4:31-32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.". Our service to God is more than service or obligation (i.e., “duty”). Your “calling” should be to respond to Jesus' call by emulating Jesus in your life. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will live as Jesus would (Philippians 1:27). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Mathew 6:14-15; Psalms 130:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Psalms 30:1-12. 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 Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?"”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Must Meet Jesus' Expectation of His “Great Commission” By Both “Going” and “Making Disciples” MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus, in Luke 15:4-7, tells us, through His Parable of The Lost Sheep, the importance to God of our discipleship: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.". Immediately before His Ascension into Heaven Jesus told the Apostles and us today, in His Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, that as we go into our communities and into all parts of the world, we are to make disciples: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'”. We must begin, as followers of Jesus, to meet His fundamental expectation for us by both going and making disciples! TODAY'S PRAYER: Abba Father, I open my clenched fists to surrender everything you have given to me. Reestablish my identity in you — not in my family, my work, my accomplishments, or what others think of me. Cleanse the things in me that are not conformed to your will. By faith I unite my will to yours so that the likeness of Jesus Christ may be formed in me. In his name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 85). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Addictions. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Self-Control. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 10:16; Matthew 16:24-28; Psalms 29:1-11 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 Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?"”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Are Sinners Who Have a Savior Because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners . . .”; Is Jesus Your Savior Too? MESSAGE SUMMARY: We are all sinners, but we now have a Savior – Jesus. As Paul tells us, in 1 Timothy 1:15-16, that the Gospel provides Salvation for all followers of Jesus, including the worst of sinners -- Paul: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.". Also, Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:3b-6, further points out that God wants all of us to be saved by His Grace through Jesus if we only, as sinners like Paul, reach out to bring Jesus into our lives: “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.”. It is only because of Jesus the Christ that we receive the healing that we need. “I am a sinner who now has a Savior – do you”? TODAY'S PRAYER: Abba Father, I open my clenched fists to surrender everything you have given to me. Reestablish my identity in you — not in my family, my work, my accomplishments, or what others think of me. Cleanse the things in me that are not conformed to your will. By faith I unite my will to yours so that the likeness of Jesus Christ may be formed in me. In his name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 85). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Timothy 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 2:3b-6; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Psalms 89a: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: “The Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?"”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ 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 RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 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: “The Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?"” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
The Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?" MESSAGE SUMMARY: This Sermon series assembles important Biblical references to all aspects of money and finances and their influence and impact on us; therefore, helping us to apply these Scriptures to our lives today. The reason for this series is because money and possessions have captivated our culture. In Colossians 1:16, Paul establishes Jesus' Divinity and primacy: “For him {Jesus} all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.". Jesus is the Creator and owner of all things both Earthly and Universally. Also, the Psalmist, in Psalms 24:1-2, establishes the supremacy of God's “ownership” of all things: “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.". God's aspects of “ownership” include our: 1) time – we can't change time or add time to a twenty-four-hour day or our earthly lives; 2) land – we are but passing through with only temporary stewardship for the land we occupy before our death; 3) animals – God created and owns all animal life; 4) gold, money and finances – as God tells us in Haggai 2:8: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.”; and 5) all that we possess (tangible and intangible) – health, mind, family heritage, creativity, bodies. When we realize that Jesus owns everything, even though we have worked hard to obtain and enjoy the benefits of land, money, time and the other tangible and intangible components of our lives then and only then do we obtain a freedom to truly live our lives to the fullest. Everything that we “have” and “enjoy” is because of and from the ownership of God, as we are told in 1 Chronicles 29:14-15: “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.”. Jesus is either the Lord over all, or He is not the Lord at all! In the New Testament, the word “Lord” means the one that rules over us for our own good. In these times today, we must be intentional to have Jesus as the “Lord” over our lives, money and possessions. Intellectually, we must come to a place where we recognize and accept that Jesus is the owner. Most people in Western Christianity never come to this realization and acceptance of Jesus' ownership and “Lord” over all. The Lord wants to bless us and reward us while we recognize His ownership and use, to His name, of all that He has permitted us to use and possess in our lifetime. It helps to openly acknowledge God's ownership of all that we possess – acknowledge to God that we are in partnership with Him for all that He has permitted us to possess while we are on this earth. In his writings, Andrew Murray recommends guidelines that we: 1) receive all our money with thanksgiving and as coming from God; 2) lay everything down before God as belonging to Him; 3) let our dealings with money be a part of our spiritual life; and 4) make the study of the Word of God, relating to finances and money, become a key part of our lives. 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 RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 6:19-24; Colossians 1:15-20; Psalms 24:1-2; 2 Peter 3:8; Matthew 6:27; Leviticus 25:23; Daniel 4:17-30; Deuteronomy 8:18: Psalms 50:10; Matthew 6:26; Haggai 2:8; Job 1:20-21; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Chronicles 29:14-15. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “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””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
The Faith of Christians, Churches, and Nations Can Be Tested and Doubts Arise in Today's World; However, God Is Faithful and Will Not Forsake You MESSAGE SUMMARY: God will never leave you or forsake you. Even when difficulties arise and you are tempted to walk away from your faith, God will not leave you. When you are tempted to doubt God, remember that God is faithful. When the Apostles questioned Jesus about faith and prayer, Jesus told the Apostles, in Mathew 21:21-22, that your faith is powerful and that God will respond to your faith: “And Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.'”. Hold, unswervingly, to the hope and faith you profess because God, who promised us, is faithful. While you are endeavoring to hold onto your faith in God and Jesus' Gospel, you need to always remember the faithfulness of God, even in those times in which you may be doubting or questioning your faith. Do not give up your faith! TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will entrust to Him my future. I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. From 2 Timothy 1:12 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Psalms 91:1-10; Mathew 28:16-20; Mathew 6:25-34; Psalms 18b:11-20. 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 Sermon on the Amount – Part 1 “Where Your Treasure Is”” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Pray for One Another in Our Race Issues and Go Make a Difference in Our Communities; Jesus Followers Are Here for Times Like This MESSAGE SUMMARY: With regards to our race issues, it will NOT be through political parties, rallies, elections, slogans, or marches that our attitudes and practices are changed or the souls of our nations are converted. Rather, the deep change, which we all need, will only be through a spiritual awakening. This spiritual awakening will come only from repentance – the turning away from our sin and toward God and his righteous ways in Jesus Christ. As Jesus commanded us in John 5:12: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”. Also, in John 13:34-35, Jesus commanded us: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”. Jesus' “one another” is all inclusive and not just those that look like you and/or of your culture. The Bible makes it unequivocally clear that we are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27): “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”. You can start real “racial change” right where you are -- in your own heart first and then in your own relationship with God. At that point, you can then lead the change your own community -- one person at a time; one relationship at a time; and one act a time. You can reach out and build a relationship with someone different than you. However, doing nothing is no longer an option for us. Let us pray for one another about these things and let us get out and make a difference in our local communities. God has placed us here for such a time as this. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, fill me with the simple trust that even out of the most awful evil around me, you are able to bring great good — for me, for others, and for your great glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 91). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Insensitivity. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Gentleness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Genesis 1:27; Revelation 7:1-17; Ephesians 2:19; John.13:35; Galatians 6:2; Romans 12:15; Psalms 103:12; Isiah 1:18. 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 Sermon on the Amount – Part 1 “Where Your Treasure Is”” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
God Is Focused a Jesus Follower's Heart, and He Changes Their Thinking and Attitude Through a Change in Their Heart MESSAGE SUMMARY: God makes you a new creation through your new heart created by an indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your life. God is interested in your heart, and He wants you to have a righteous heart– God changes your thinking and your attitude through a change in your heart. In Romans 8:26-27, Paul describes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Followers resulting in a new person, with a new heart, in Jesus: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.". As a Jesus Follower, you are salt and light, comes from your righteousness – not just in deed and appearance but, also, in your inner person -- your heart. TODAY'S PRAYER: Unclutter my heart, O God, until I am quiet enough to hear you speak out of the silence. Help me in these few moments to stop, to listen, to wait, to be still, and to allow your presence to envelop me. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 23). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Past Failures. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Grace. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Proverbs 3:1-7; Romans 2:29; Romans 8:26-28; Psalms 18a:1-10. WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermon on the Amount – Part 1 “Where Your Treasure Is”” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
When the Bottom Falls Out in Your Life, Ask God to Get Involved Through Prayer AND Thanks – You will Be Amazed! MESSAGE SUMMARY: Sometimes the bottom falls out in your life, and you wonder where God is in all your stuff. Well, the challenge to you is to “Thank God” by turning your eyes away from all your life's “stuff” and turning your eyes to God and thanking Him! We have no better teacher, of the need to address God with our thanks, than when, in Luke11:2, Jesus responded to His Disciples' request to teach them to pray: “And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.'". By taking your situation to God in prayer AND thanks, you will be amazed at what will happen to your situation which, before you asked God through prayer AND thanks, seemed insurmountable. What do you usually do? You worry and fret – you focus on the negative and give the adverse situation so much power, in your life, rather than focusing on God and giving Him thanks. In Mathew 6:34, Jesus tells you not to be anxious about your life situations: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.". Ask God to get involved in your life through prayer and thanks – you will be amazed. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, may your will, not my will, be done in my life. You know how easy it is to call myself a Christian but then become busy, forgetting about your will and desires. Forgive me for this sin. Help me listen to you, and grant me the courage to faithfully surrender to you. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 25). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, My life is about Christ (Philippians 1:21). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Corinthians 11:25; Colossians 2:2-3; John 10:25-30; Psalms 17:1-15. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermon on the Amount – Part 1 “Where Your Treasure Is””, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Are to Pray Directly to God for “all people” Because God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus taught us to pray to God for others and ourselves. We are told, in Hebrews 5:7-8, that Jesus, as a Human, prayed to God in both content and manner as: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications {submissive requests}, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.". In your personal relationship with God, you can come before God, as Jesus did, on behalf of yourself or others in Intercessory Prayer. You are given the privilege of following Moses' example for Intercessory Prayer because of what Jesus has done for you. Jesus has given you the privilege of entering the Throne Room of God to have access to God the Father – this access to God is through prayer. In 1 Timothy 2:1-4, we are told the importance if intercessory prayer: “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.". TODAY'S PRAYER: Unclutter my heart, O God, until I am quiet enough to hear you speak out of the silence. Help me in these few moments to stop, to listen, to wait, to be still, and to allow your presence to envelop me. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 23). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because of I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Compulsions. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Patience. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Exodus 33:11; Exodus 32:11; Hebrews 5:1-10; Psalms 73b:15-28. 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 Sermon on the Amount – Part 1 “Where Your Treasure Is ”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ 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 FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 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: “The Sermon on the Amount – Part 1 “Where Your Treasure Is”” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
The Sermon on the Amount – Part 1 “Where Your Treasure Is” MESSAGE SUMMARY: This sermon begins a series which assembles important Biblical references to all aspects of money and finances and their influence and impact to help apply this Scripture to our lives today. The reason for this series is because money and possessions have captivated our culture. Jesus discusses “money” in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:19-21): “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.". The Bible does not condemn the accumulation of wealth and possessions. Rather, the Bible encourages hard work to produce and save wealth and possessions in combination with related generosity and thankfulness while always remembering that all “treasure” comes from God and is God's. It is clear, from the Bible, that God wants to bless us with what is necessary to live fruitful lives during our earthly life. However, the key to Jesus' warning, in Matthew 6:19-21, is ourselves and not the act of deriving money and “treasure”. It is when “money” and “treasure” and the process of their accumulation becomes an idol of ourselves then our lives' focus leads to our greed and materialism and away from a Kingdom focus. The Biblical reference to the “heart” represents our eye and soul of who we are – our lives' focus. If our “heart” is generous, we will have the insight into the light of God's Kingdom. However, if we are greedy and self-focused then we will become “self-deceived” – not seeing reality. Jesus emphasizes that we cannot serve (i.e. single-minded focus upon) both God and “money”. God could care less about our “money”; God is concerned about our “hearts”. If our “heart” is in the right place, them our “money” will be in the right place. 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 FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 6:19-21; Proverbs 6:6; 1 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:17; Matthew 6:22-23; Psalms 119:10; Psalms 119:19; James 1:5; 2 Corinthians 9:11; Matthew 6:24; Luke 12:16-21; (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). 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
In Today's Uncertainty, We Need to Remember that God Wants to Walk with Us In All Our Life Situations, Both Good and Bad – Just Ask Him MESSAGE SUMMARY: “Lord is my helper and confident, why should I be afraid? What can man do to me?” For this confidence, you must know who Jesus is – both in your heart and in your mind. Jesus is the Son of God – God in the flesh. As Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.". Therefore, You do not need to worry about troubling circumstances in your life because you know that He is with you; and He will guide you no matter how dark your life seems. Jesus is the light that shines in darkness. As Jesus tells you in Luke 12:4-5, that when you have anxiety and fear in your life, you must determine if this anxiety derivative of the right kind of fear: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”. When you are faced with life's tragedies and the anxieties that result from just living your life, Jesus can turn those situations and your fears into ways and results that you cannot fathom, understand, or anticipate; but you can certainly appreciate. Why not give God a chance to walk with you in all your life situations -- good and bad? Ultimately, the Psalmist got it right in Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.". TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will seek God's perspective on my situation. For I know that in all things God works together for good to those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. From Romans 8:28 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 4:4-9; Mathew 6:25-34; Psalm 23:1-6; Psalms 22b:17-31 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Our Sovereign God May Not Return to Us If Jesus Followers Do Not Lead America's Return to God; You Are Here for These Times MESSAGE SUMMARY: If enough of us get serious with God, then, perhaps, God will heal us and this land. When we, as both individual Jesus Followers and as a country, turn to the Lord, will we hear God's call and answer as in Isaiah 6:8: “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.'”. As Jesus Followers but in our non-Christian behavior: we are mean; we are angry; we are judgmental; and we are selfish and self-centered. Also, in our non-Christian behavior, we are often in bondage to debt, drugs, and extramarital sex. In all these non-Christian behaviors, we are not different from the unbeliever next door. Therefore, we are not very different from God's people in the time of Hosea described in Hosea 11:7,10-11: “My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High {God}, he shall not raise them up at all . . . They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD.". We need to ask ourselves: “Am I being faithful to Jesus Christ and what needs to change in me and my life? Also, we need to ask ourselves “how am I disobeying the Lord?”. Will you then say to God: “Here am I! Send me.” If NOT ENOUGH “Self-Identifying Christians” answer God's call to lead America in our “return to God”, then God, in His sovereignty, will not return to America – you are here for times like these! TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I come this day inviting you to cut those deeply entrenched chains that keep me from being faithful to my true self in Christ. In doing so, may my life be a blessing to many. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 44). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Inconsistencies. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Faithfulness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Hosea 11:1-11; Isaiah 6:8-13; Matthew 13:13-17; Psalms 13:1-6. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
In Our Race Issues, Pray for One Another and Make a Difference Through Repentance and Reconciliation; Jesus Followers Are Placed Here for These Times MESSAGE SUMMARY: With regards to our race issues, it will not be through political parties, rallies, elections, slogans, or marches that our attitudes and practices are changed or the souls of our nations are converted. The deep change, which we all need, will only be through revival that comes from repentance – turning away from our sin and toward God and his righteous ways in Jesus Christ. As Jesus commanded us in John 5:12: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”. Also, in John 13:34-35, Jesus commanded us: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”. Jesus' “one another” is all inclusive and not just those that look like you and/or of your culture. We do not have just a “skin problem”, we have a “sin problem”. As Dr. Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Church in Dallas Texas recently said: “The evangelical church needs to speak up where it has been silent on injustice and racism. The biggest problem, in the culture today, is the failure of the church. We would not even have a racial crisis in America if the church had not consistently failed to deal with racism as the severe sin it is. But because the church has historically ignored and downplayed it {racial crisis}, the issue still exists. Where the church is called to set an example, we have cowered.”. The Bible makes it unequivocally clear that we are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27): “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”. Any hostility between brothers and sisters in Christ is an affront to God and damages our souls and the “blessed community” so many of us seek. You can start real “racial change” right where you are -- in your own heart first and then in your own relationship with God. At that point, you can then lead the change your own community -- one person at a time; one relationship at a time; and one act a time. You can reach out and build a relationship with someone different than you. However, doing nothing is no longer an option for us. Let us pray for one another about these things and let us get out and make a difference in our local communities. God has placed you and me here for such a time as this. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I can relate to the Israelites in the desert and their desire to return to what is predictable — even if it is miserable. Change is hard. Grant me the courage of Moses to walk the delicate balance of being still and moving on to the new life in Christ that you have for me. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 72). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Inadequacy. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Abundance. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Genesis 1:27; Revelation 7:1-17; Ephesians 2:19; John.13:35; Galatians 6:2; Romans 12:15; Psalms 103:12; Isiah 1:18 WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Followers Can Personally Talk to God, the Universe's Creator, About Issues Like His Will for You; but Do You? MESSAGE SUMMARY: As a Jesus Follower, you have a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe; and you can talk to God like you talk to your father. Remember God loves you. Imagine climbing up into His lap and imagine Him wrapping His arms around you – He is God your loving father. As God tells you in 2 Samuel 7:14-15: “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.". You need to start talking to Him as the best dad there could ever be. Talk to God, regularly, about your life; your concerns; and your needs. You need to ask Him for His counsel, and you need to ask Him questions regarding His will for your life. TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, may the pains I experience in life kill the things that need to die in me — arrogance, pride, and indifference to others. Help me, daily, to see my frailty and how dependent I am on you, the Master of the Universe. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 72). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will proclaim Him. (Philippians 1:15f). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Romans 1:7; Matthew 6:7-15; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Psalms 12:1-8. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Jesus Gave His Followers the Earth's Most Intimate Relationship – a Personal Relationship with God, the Universe's Creator MESSAGE SUMMARY: The idea of an intimate relationship is to truly know someone; and you are given the privilege of knowing God, the Creator of the Universe. You are given the privilege of being close to Him and to have a personal and dynamic relationship with the God of the universe. Your relationship with God is made possible through Jesus the Christ and God's gracious gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul, in Romans 8:37-39, succinctly defines God's uncompromising love for you through His personal relationship with you: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.". Jesus puts the Holy Spirit in your life so that you can commune and have personal fellowship with God -- the most intimate relationship on earth. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to be still and to wait patiently for you in silence. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 125). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Loneliness. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Presence. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Corinthians 11:25; Colossians 2:2-3; John 10:25-30; Psalms 70:1-5. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB