Christianity

The Holy Spirit lives inside the heart of every believer and supplies guidance and access to God.

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”  Colossians 3:16 (NASB)

________________________________________

Let this be a time of worship to God.  Pray each prayer and add your own personal message to God.  Read each scripture as though reading it for the first time – listen carefully for the voice of God.  Listen to each song paying close attention to the lyrics provided.  These songs were carefully chosen.  Even if the music is not your favorite style of music, know that the musicians performing are sincerely making music to the Lord.  Try to feel the passion in their words and their musical expression.  Give thought to the message presented and confirm the truth therein by opening your Bible and taking some time to do your own personal study.  May you be greatly blessed.

________________________________________

Let’s Pray Together

Father God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, we worship and adore you.  Fill our hearts with that which is your will and control our steps as we celebrate your approaching kingdom.  We look to you for all our basic needs and thank you for all that you provide.  Please forgive us Father for all the mistakes we make along the way and soften our hearts so that we may forgive others.  Keep us safe from the enemy who wanders about looking to devour our souls.  Fill our minds with your wisdom and our hearts with your love.  We ask these things in the Holy name of Jesus.  Amen.

Christianity

Take a walk with me through the Essential Doctrines of Christianity. Let’s look closely at precisely what it is followers of Jesus Christ believe.

There is only one God. He has always existed and will always exist.

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

God is one essence, but three persons – Father, Son, Holy Spirit

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

We are sinful and cannot please God by our own good works alone.

 “There is none righteous, not even one” Romans 3:10

Jesus became a human being through a supernatural conception in Mary’s womb.

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” Matthew 1:23

Jesus is perfect.

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus Christ is, in essence, God. He is divine.

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” Colossians 2:9

Jesus Christ was fully human, as well as fully divine.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” John 1:14

God – and God alone – is able to rescue us.

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy” Titus 3:5

Faith, not works, connects us to God.

“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” Romans 4:5

Only Christ’s sinless life, sacrificial death and bodily resurrection can bring us to God.

“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” 1 Peter 2:24

Jesus rose bodily from the grave.

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:9

Jesus ascended, body and soul, to God.

“While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven” Luke 24:51

Christ represents our best interests before God.

“And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” 1 John 2:1

Jesus is coming again soon, and we should all be ready.

“They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory” Matthew 24:30

This essential doctrine is the basic understanding of what it means to be a Christian.  These are the truths that we believers affirm through our praise and worship of God.

Let this song fill your spirit.

This I Believe (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship

The Whole World

Jesus told his disciples that Christianity would spread throughout the world.  This miraculous truth helps to confirm our faith.  Indeed, Christianity can be found all over the world today.

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations.”  Matthew 24:14 (NASB)

The Internet makes it possible for anyone to spread the gospel message all over the world.  There are no limits to our ability to communicate God’s truth across the globe.  We can assist in this effort by contributing to missionary organizations that are dedicated to spreading the Word or simply create our own online presence to share the good news of salvation through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”  Mark 16:15 (NASB)

When Jesus instructed his disciples to preach the gospel to the whole world, he encouraged them to make disciples.  If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, your ultimate goal should be to become a true disciple.  Discipleship involves knowing the Word of God, praying consistently, fellowship with other believers, using your God-given talents to spread God’s love, and sharing the gospel with others through words and actions.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit lives inside the heart of every believer and supplies guidance and access to God.  Jesus reigns as our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He is with us now and forever.

Let this song lift your spirit.

He Reigns – Newsboys

It’s the song of the redeemed

Rising from the African plain

It’s the song of the forgiven

Drowning out the Amazon rain

The song of Asian believers

Filled with God’s holy fire

It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation

A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing

Glory, glory, hallelujah

He reigns, He reigns

It’s all God’s children singing

Glory, glory, hallelujah

He reigns, He reigns

Let it rise about the four winds

Caught up in the heavenly sound

Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals

To the faithful gathered underground

Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation

Some were meant to persist

Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples

None rings truer than this

It’s all God’s children singing

Glory, glory, hallelujah

He reigns, He reigns

It’s all God’s children singing

Glory, glory, hallelujah

He reigns, He reigns

And all the powers of darkness

Tremble at what they’ve just heard

‘Cause all the powers of darkness

Can’t drown out a single word

When all God’s children sing out

Glory, glory, hallelujah

He reigns, He reigns

All God’s people singing

Glory, glory, hallelujah

He reigns, He reigns

Our Savior

Followers of Jesus, believers, Christians, are travelers passing through this world on their way to eternal glory.  Our true home is the kingdom of God that will be revealed to us when Jesus returns.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 3:20 (NASB)

Our mission here in this world is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and spread the love of God by serving others.  This is the kind of godly behavior that will be rewarded by our Savior when he returns.

“Godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”  1 Timothy 4:8-10 (NASB)

God supplies, through Jesus Christ, the righteousness we could never attain in our own power.  It was God’s great love that bestowed upon us this awesome gift.  This is the God who lives in the heart of all believers, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – our God now and forever.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”  Jude 24-25 (NASB)

Allow this song to speak to your heart.

My Savior My God – Aaron Shust

I am not skilled to understand

What God has willed what God Has planned

I only know at his right hand

Stands one who is my Savior

I take him at his word and deed

Christ died to save me this I read

And in my heart I find the need

Of him to be my Savior

That he would leave his place on high

And come for sinful man to die

You called it strange so once did I

Before I knew my Savior

[x2:]

My Savior loves

My Savior lives

My Savior’s always there for me

My God he was

My God he is

My God is always gonna be

Yes living, dying let me bring

My strength my Solace from the Spring

That he who lives to be my king

Once died to be my Savior

That he would leave his place on high

And come for sinful man to die

You called it strange, so once did I

Before I knew my Savior

[x2:]

My Savior loves

My Savior lives

My Savior’s always there for me

My God he was

My God he is

My God is always gonna be

[x4:]

My Savior loves

My Savior lives

My Savior’s always there for me

My God he was

My God he is

My God is always gonna be

I am not skilled to understand

What God has willed what God Has planned

I only know at his right hand

Stands one who is my Savior

Thank you for spending this time worshiping God.

His door is now open to you.  You are in God’s presence.  Don’t leave without Him.  Keep Him with you throughout your day.

Go in peace.

All scripture references are linked to Bible Gateway so that you can read each verse in context.  Bible Gateway allows you to change the verse to your favorite translation and compare it side-by-side with multiple translations.  In addition, you can select to hear an audio version of any verse by clicking on the speaker icon.  Keep the Bible Gateway App on your phone so that you can visit the Word of God at any time during your day.

Stay Focused on God