Sermon Notes by Bro. Paul Holderfield, Jr.  Friendly Chapel Church of the Nazarene, North Little Rock, Arkansas May 15, 2016

posted by Amanda Pride

Grace & Gratitude

 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Colossians 3:15-20

 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do,whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

"No one has ever become poor by giving."__ Anne Frank

"Dead people receive more flowers from the living ones because regret is stronger than gratitude."___Anne Frank

Grace without the "G", all we have is race.  Without God there is no race. 

 All of us are standing on the foundation of someone else. Paul shared words from his mom as she ended her prayer for the church this morning.  "Tell all my children, I love them".  The Love of a mama.  We have to humble ourselves, stop talking about people and be so busy being the "nobody telling everyone about Somebody Who can save their souls".  Jesus!

If we're not willing to give up everything would you be willing to be made willing?

Edward Kimball, no one has ever heard of him but his witnessing to Dwight L. Moody led to his conversion in Christ. This started a chain of events that led to   a young Billy Graham hearing a sermon by Mordecai Ham.  

We have to get the Word in us and let it dwell in us.  Put our belief and trust in Jesus.  Let our belief  in Jesus stir up the Gift in us.  

The Peace of God has to rule in our hearts.  Encourage each other with songs and thankful hearts.  God has Graced us with families.  Count your blessings one by one. :)  Gratitude.  Phil 4:7 And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God gives us a family to care for but they belong to Him.  

Romans 12:2 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

God's Grace does it's work in our hearts.  If we are spending our lives trying to fit in we are saying Jesus is not enough.

By the Grace of God I am what I am.  It doesn't matter what color we are or what we have done.

Paul said he didn't even deserve to be called an apostle because of his martyring of Christians.  Let His Grace work in us and bless us then it will flow outward from us to others and bless them.

Do you know Him?  Don't leave this world without knowing Jesus.

We that know Him, are we impacting others with the Gospel, the Goodness of Jesus?  God's Riches at Christ's Expense.

God is still speaking, are we listening?

After fighting the good fight and finishing the race, former President Nelson Mandela has crossed over into Glory to await the crowns the Lord has stored for him.  I have great respect for Mr. Nelson Mandela, and I have always been fascinated at how Almighty God, our Father uses people whom the world sees as weak and despised to carry out His plans and purposes. 1 Cor 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty .  

I believe the Lord used Nelson Mandela to end apartheid in South Africa, He used Mahatma Ghandi to  advocate for the rights of Indians, both at home and in South Africa. Gandhi became a leader of India's independence movement, organizing boycotts against British institutions in peaceful forms of civil disobedience. He used Martin Luther King, Jr. to fight for civil rights for justice and equality for all people.  Mr. Mandela dreamed of having one day a "Rainbow Nation" "We enter into a covenant that we shall build a society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without and fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity – a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world."
Nelson Mandela, Inaugural Address, Pretoria 9 May 1994.

Apartheid as an official policy was introduced following the general election of 1948. Legislation classified inhabitants into four racial groups, "black", "white", "coloured", and "Indian", with Indian and coloured divided into several sub-classifications,^[7] and residential areas were segregated, sometimes by forced removals.

As I'm studying the bible I have seen the pattern throughout with Moses, born a slave, become the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. Joseph, Jacob's son was sold into slavery by his brothers, who were jealous of him.Genesis 37:³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. ⁴ But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.  Joseph was thrown into prison due to an unjust charge by Potiphar's wife but by God's great plan did not remain there but became second in command to Pharoah over all of Egypt. Gen 45: ⁸ So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Joseph could've harbored resentment and anger in his heart toward his brothers and with all the power he posessed as second in command over all of Egypt he could have repayed evil for evil for what they had done to him, but he chose instead to forgive them. Genesis 45:⁴ And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.⁶ For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷ And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. ⁸ So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Injustice, poverty and inequality are still in our world today but so is God's unfailing love, unending grace and His Precious Holy Spirit.  All of us are imperfect vessels that only the Master can make fit for His use, as for me I would like to be used as a vessel of honor, to plant seeds of love not hate.  When I think of how evil can be inflicted on other human beings depending on the color of one's skin is heartbreaking but I know who our enemy is and it is not each other.  I know nothing takes our God by surprise and His plan of Redemption for us was carried out through The Lord Jesus our Savior and His Finished work at the Cross. 

 In the Old Testament, the Lord gave specific instructions in how the High Priests garments were to be made. "And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled.
"And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings.
"There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes." (Exodus 39:8-14)
 

The Book of Revelation speaks of a rainbow around the throne of God Revelation 4:3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 

 

 Ezekiel 1:28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

 

Nelson Mandela spoke of a covenant to build a rainbow nation.  Jacob, father of the 12 patriarchs. made Joseph a coat of many colors and Joseph set an example of forgiveness and deliverance. Martin Luther King said he dreamed "one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers." I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

 

The Glorious Father of our Lord & Savior Jesus placed our sins upon His only begotten Son and He was bruised and striped for our sins and transgressions,  God has placed on all of us who confess our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Robe of Righteousness.  Isaiah 61:10

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels 

 

 Jesus is now our eternal High Priest, and all of us in all of our different shades, hues and colors lay on His breast, upon His heart.  1 Peter 2 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chiefcornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

 

I do believe the Glory of the Lord is being revealed.. I'm listening Lord, I'm listening.

 

Peace & Blessings to you, my God Family.

How can I be good to the Lord Jesus?

Hello my God family, I'd like to share with you a revelation the Lord gave me concerning a message my brother, Patrick Sims and his wife Laura, who are very dear to me, received from our Lord Jesus. Patrick & Laura and Laura's sister Beatriz and brother Sergio were at Bethel Church in Dallas, Tx.  Brother Harry Gomes from India was ministering and glory to God, the presence of Our Lord Jesus was there. A certain part of the message they received personally from the Lord that day was "You have been so good to me, I'm going to bless and anoint your whole blood line".  The Lord had been revealing Himself to Patrick through dreams (Acts 2:17) leading up to this moment and He went not knowing what to expect but He knew it was going to be wonderful and it was.

 As children of God we know when we have encounters, revelations, intimacy with the Lord, we are never the same.  Patrick called me excited the same day & told me this Word was for me also and I received it with a heart of joy, gratitude and awe.  That day & the  following days after I would meditate and pray on this message asking the Lord,  Lord Jesus You have been and are so good to us, how have we been good to you?  I started thinking about how He provides and cares for us daily, (Psalm 68:19), His plan of redemption for us (2 Cor 5:18-19) and Him leaving His throne in Heaven to come in this world to rescue us from evil, eternal death as 100% man and still 100% God (Colossians 2:9) teaching, healing, casting out demons, forgiving sins, feeding, preaching the gospel, going about doing nothing but good and knowing the kind of horrific suffering and death He would have to go through for us.  All the while bearing our sins on that Cross and most of all having God, The Father, turn away from Him while He hung there.  His presence no longer with Him because God is Holy and Just and He cannot look upon sin.  Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are One, have always been One..In the beginning God, Genesis chapters 1&2, this is referring to the beginning of creation, heaven, earth, man, everything made that was made.  This is not talking about the beginning of God, God is The Beginning and The End, The Alpha and Omega so as the bible lets us know in Genesis 1:26 &, Jesus and the Father were never separated until the cross, John 10:30 I and my Father are one.  He even cries out in Matthew 25:46“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  God had to turn His back on His Son so He will never have to turn His back on us. Hebrews 13:5.  He had to bear and take our punishment for our sins so now God will never punish us for them or even remember ours sins anymore. My brothers and sisters if this isn't the Good News then I don't know what is.  This is the gospel, the power of God unto salvation.  I praise You Lord Jesus for Your indescribable gift of Righteousness and Abundance of Grace to us.  Thank You for saving us by your willing sacrifice.

The Gift of Salvation is to the whole world but only we accept Him, who repent of our sins, believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth that Jesus is the Son of God, will be saved.   He died for our sins and rose for our justification and we are saved.  Romans 10:9.  He is a patient, kind and loving Savior (Rev 19:11-16 He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords too now, He is the Warrior like no other, there is not enough time in this day or in my knowledge bank to truly do Him justice in description, so just know HE IS infinitely more than what I am writing here.) and He teaches us everything we will need to know through prayer, His Word and His Holy Spirit.  He gives us a New Spirit and a New Heart.  Ezekiel 36:26.  He knows we are not perfect that's why He imputes His Righteousness to us.Romans 4:5-8,  Man this is awesome. We grow in Him by Grace, the Holy Spirit and His Word.  I can hardly contain myself just thinking about Him.  Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!!  Glory to God in the Highest!!

Thinking about all of His goodness towards us brings me back to my question regarding the message my brother and Laura & their family received,  I asked the Lord, How have we been good to you? I know it is by faith in You through Your Grace that we are saved.  The Lord answered me by His Spirit and told me when you fed the hungry, clothed the homeless, gave to the needy, visited those in prison, cared for the sick, you were being good to Me.  Matthew 25:35-40.  My mouth fell open, how many times have I read that scripture and understood it but never saw it as the Lord Jesus receiving good from us when we are good to those who are in need. Notice it doesn't even say He said when you did it to those who believe in Me, He said ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’  He wants us to love and be good to everyone who is in need.  To share with them our gifts (spiritual and physical).  How powerful it is to know we can love on Our Lord and Savior Jesus, Almighty God, just by being good to someone who needs someone to be good to them.  He did it for us. 

Peace, Love and Blessings to you my God family.