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Showing posts from 2014

Monday Morning Blog > 8-4-2014

FREE #4 - The Faith Factor Galatians 5:5-6  (NIV)   5  “For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.  6  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”     Paul’s words here speak to a Vital Factor in the fight for your soul … Essentially the Enemy wants you in Bondage – Jesus Christ wants you Set Free. Paul states then the PRIMARY FACET IS FAITH.  **FAITH IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THE HANDCUFFS OF BONDAGE**  … FAITH DEFINITION: HEB 11:1 (AMP) “NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].”  There are Three Strategic Components to FAITH:  (1) You are Assured of What You Can’t See [Faith is TRUST];  (2) You have Hope and Inward Proof of What i

Monday Morning Blog 7-28-2014

Here's the last MMB for July 2014! You can't control the weather ...       ... but you can control the temperature of your soul! You can't control life circumstances ...       ... but you can control your spiritual reactions! Followers of Jesus have CONTROL ISSUES! If they are NOT under the Spirit's Control ... Thunderstorms break out! Hurricanes Form Lightening strikes causing fire pockets wind and hail stir up and causing frightful damage Even though you can't control the outside weather -- you most certainly can control (under the Holy Spirit's power) the SPIRITUAL weather of your life! SUNNY DAYS => under the Spirit's Control - you bear Fruit ! Gal 5:22-23 WARM CALM NIGHTS => under the Spirit's Control - you have Mind Renewal ! Phil 4:4-8 BREEZY AFTERNOONS =>  under the Spirit's Control ... you have Victory ! Rom 8:5ff STIRRING MORNING SUNRISE =>  under the Spirit's Control ... you have a Testimony !

Monday Morning Blog ... on Tuesday!

I missed MMB this week. I admit I am a bit out of sorts due to becoming very tired. But tiredness is no excuse for RESTFULNESS IN JESUS. I am reminded of that Psalm passage, "Be still and know that I am God". Often I hear my best friend and wife of my youth playing a YouTube version of this hymn. It inspires me and motivates me to take my moment of rest by being still in His presence. Amazingly, I am revitalized. I am renewed. I am ready. So even though a day late, the blog is here! We were treated to an interesting Sunday with our yearly trip to the Beach being postponed but some still being there and some being at AGF! I am just glad our God is everywhere present. He is where you are! So please remember, dear reader, you can rest in Him at any time because his open arms are always there. At BHFs (VBS Big Heart Farms) we reviewed the Fruit of the Spirit, and this past Sunday morning we looked again briefly at what character God's Spirit motivates in us as His Fr

Monday Morning Blog - July 14, 2014

FREE OF RELIGIOUS RITUALISM - Galatians 5:2-4 Paul speaks of the shackles of the "Law" when he refers to the Jewish Religious Ritual (and Requirement ... before Christ came) of circumcision. He does so to compare the Law with Grace. Essentially the Law was a bondage ... a burden; because no one could keep it acceptably. One could try but any failure caused the whole thing to be labeled "FAILURE".  God provided freedom from the bounds of the law in Jesus Christ (who, by the way, is the only one who kept the Law perfectly, being impeccable Himself - without sin). Freedom in Christ Jesus erases all facets of bondage included religiousness! The words Paul wrote, he wrote from the Holy Spirit who used Paul's own experience as a Hebrew and Jewish Leader. See what he says in verses 2-4.  (NIV)  2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himse

Monday Morning Blog - Mon 7 July 2014

Galatians 5:1b (NIV) "Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again" Freedom, this past 4th of July weekend, was on people's minds while they celebrated Independence Day. Family, Friends, Fireworks and Freedom mark this annual event in our country. Unfortunately, there are many celebrating freedom who are caught up in bondage and don't even realize it. That's the intent of our series "FREE" at Amazing Grace Fellowship in Bristol, NH. Seeing Freedom as Jesus Christ intended Real Freedom to be viewed. Jesus gives Freedom Assurance because He is the Bondage Breaker! He IS Freedom; He OFFERS Freedom and He PROVIDES Freedom! All this is God's design for mankind who is under the bondage and shackles of condemning sin. Being set free and remaining set free is God's Goal for us! Paul's words in Galatians 5 are striking. When he says "don't let yourselves be burdened again", it implies you've already bee

Monday Morning Blog - June 30, 2014

The New AGF Sunday Study Series is Called ... FREE. Paul makes a striking statement in Galatians 5:1 when he writes, "It is for FREEDOM that Christ has SET US FREE." (NIV) Being set free assumes we are in bondage. The handcuffs pictured above are an appropriate illustration as to the kind of bondage sin shackles mankind with. Paul's statement is made about those who've been "uncuffed" ('set free') from sin's shackles. But that freedom addresses the area we all find ourselves in at birth when sin's 'handcuffs' are latched upon us. We entered this world as sinners for "all have sinned" (Paul in Romans 3:23). We all need to have the handcuffs released and that's what Jesus did when He died and rose again. He offered a FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE! Luke said it this way ... "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (set free from bondage)" Acts 16:31 NIV. So that covers you in your relationship to God

Monday Morning Blog - June 23, 2014

The Mission of Jesus is now our mission! That has been the focus of our Sunday talks at Amazing Grace Fellowship these past 2 months. Interestingly, testimonies shared at our concluding session of this series showed how fulfilling Jesus' Mission in Us is bringing fruit and advancing the Kingdom! So, the Gospel is the BIG THING!  In concluding the series, it was necessary to revisit the Vision Cast for AGF both for today and into the future. Following these and seeing these as priorities will fulfill the DNA of the Ecclesia (church) ... Love God, Love Others and Make Disciples (Matt 22, 28 and Acts 1). So here is the list of 15 Visionary Statements for us here in Bristol and the surrounding communities within Grafton and Belknap Counties:  *AGF WILL:     1- FOCUS ON JESUS’ MISSION AS OUR MISSION  (Going Anywhere, To Anyone, Doing Anything So the Lost Can Be Saved)     2- PROMOTE THE KINGDOM MANDATE  (by Loving, Serving & Sacrificing for the Sake of the Lost)     3- MA

Monday Morning Blog - Monday, June 16, 2014

Happy Day after Father's Day. It's Monday morning, the coffee's brewing, the Bible's open and it's time to create some notes to you especially as a follow-up to Sunday at AGF in Bristol, NH. REJOICE! After two years of invites, a young 10 year old boy came to AGF with his classmate (the persistent inviter) and during KidZone, the boy asked the leader how he could become a Christ-Follower. Right there, right then the young boy gave his life to Jesus to follow Him forever. Father's Day by the Heavenly Father Kingdom Advance! Praise be to our God! REPORT! These past seven weeks at AGF Sunday Worship, the Bible Talks have centered around Jesus' Mission being our Mission. We want to equip the Ecclesia for the future. The Body follows ... Jesus. The Body serves ... Jesus and all. The Body lives ... Jesus in our world. And the Body proclaims ... Jesus (using His unique message and methods).  MISSION ... has been challenging the "norms" of what many