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Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts

March 24, 2014

The Kingdom of God is Within You


By Tony V. Hammack


Abundant Life Today Media
Abundant Life Today Podcast

Podcast: Play in New Window | Download
To watch the video, click here.
Abundant Life Today Video
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.


The Rule and Reign of Jesus Christ

Luke 17:20,21
20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.

What is the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is expressed where Jesus Christ rules and reigns in the hearts, minds, and actions of His people. It can be further boiled down to: The Kingdom of God is the rule and reign of Jesus Christ in the Earth.

Lordship is the goal of our Christian activity 

Christ’s Lordship
Professions, positive confession, participating in spiritual disciplines and a relational pursuit of Jesus are all appropriate, however, if these pursuits don’t lead to the lordship of Jesus, there will be no kingdom expressions.

Jesus wants to be our Lord in every area of our lives

To Love is to Obey to Obey is Lordship 

John 14:23 
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Luke 10:27 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Emotional Surrender 

Christ wants to Rule our hearts and souls, our emotional make up.

Jesus wants to be the perfect ruler of your feelings. He never wants you to feel something he wouldn’t feel. He never wants you to let your emotions and thoughts run wild with worry, anger, lust, anxiety, stress, hatred, or bitterness. Where sin rules our emotions, Christ does not.

Surrender of Strength

Christ wants us to submit our strength or abilities to his Lordship because of our love. What are you good at? Where are your strengths? Christ wants us to Love him with our strength. Exercise our strengths for his glory. Stop and think for a minute, how can you love God with your strengths? Sometimes God will take our strengths and transform them for his purposes.

Surrender of anything to Jesus allows him to use it. When we surrender to his Lordship he can turn a walking stick into a serpent; Take a fearful man and make him a mighty general; take 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and feed 5000 men. If we will surrender and trust the Lord with our lives he will anoint the things he want’s us to do and cause amazing things to happen.

Surrender of our Ways of Thinking

Christ wants us to love him with our minds, surrendering our thoughts to his kingship. Loving Christ with our minds causes us to focus our thoughts on Christ. When this focus is “dialed in” through prayer, Jesus gives us directives and information. When acted upon this will extend the Kingdom of God.

We need to Experience Christ 

Isaiah 29:13
The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

A man with an argument is always at the mercy of a man with an experience. Our experiences if they are in agreement with scripture are to be trusted. If they are not in agreement with scripture they are to be considered human / sociological / psychological or demonic.

The Jesus Revolution

The Revolution that Jesus is still the leader of is a peaceful revolution to rule the hearts and minds of people. He’s empowered us with the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to conquer the wills of people everywhere causing people to come into the Kingdom of King Jesus.

People will Bow Now or Bow Later 

Philippians 2:10 
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Some Kingdom Manifestations 

Romans 14:17 
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Causing us to live rightly and affecting our internal character with peace and joy.

Where the Kingdom of God is manifested the kingdoms of this world come down.

Luke 11:20 
But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

In the New Testament strange behavior, mental illness and physical illness are linked in with demonic activity in the lives of people.

The Devil is the one who causes sickness. Sickness is subject to the kingship of Jesus Christ and must submit to his Lordship.

Mental Illness can be subjugated to the Kingdom of God or put under the control of Jesus Christ.

Any organized group of people who try to accomplish anything, if they are individually surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus the organization, will move in the direction of King Jesus. Where there is sin, greed, etc. in the camp it will move toward selfish agendas and goals. Jesus said, “If you’re not for me you’re against me.” The default setting for humanity is evil.

Jesus wants your whole heart. Any part of you not surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus leaves that part of you vulnerable to the enemy.

1 John 4:4 
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Today, is there something that the Holy Spirit is telling you to surrender? Is he calling you to a greater level of love?


Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map

January 13, 2014

Major on the Majors and Minor on the Minors


By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
Abundant Life Today Podcast

Podcast: Play in New Window | Download
To watch the video, click here.
Abundant Life Today Video
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

 Romans 14 is talking about Christian people who make a big deal out of days of the week and dietary issues. The thesis of the Chapter is to do everything unto the Lord and be true to these personal convictions without pressing these convictions on others in regard to special days and diet. This chapter could further be boiled down to “Major on the majors and minor on the minors.”

The Majors are:

  • Righteousness 
  • Peace 
  • Joy 
  • The Holy Spirit 
1. Righteousness
Positional and Practical Positional Righteousness is the gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God. This righteousness is unattainable by obedience to any law, or by any merit of man's own, or any other condition than that of faith in Christ.

As we trust in Christ, 2 Cor. 5:21. says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 

Because Abraham believed God, it was credited to him as righteousness. Rom. 4:3. 

Practical Righteousness – This faith thus exercised brings the soul into vital union with God in Christ, and inevitably produces righteousness of life, that is, conformity to the will of God. 

The righteousness God reckons to us causes us to become in Christ all that God requires a man to be, all that he could never be in himself. 

2. Peace 
That tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is. 

Peace with God 

Romans 5:1 
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Peace with God opens the way of love and true spiritual growth. 

1 John 4:18 
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 

God’s kindness leads to repentance 

Romans 2:4 
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 

Peace with this life 

1 Timothy 6:6-10 
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 

Peace Comes through Prayer 

Philippians 4:6,7 (Amplified) 
6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. 7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace 

Colossians 3:15 
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

3. Joy 
to experience great pleasure or delight, a state of happiness, the emotion evoked by well-being. 

I am very small, but I can change your life. I can make you immune to worry and strife. When you have me you leap like a little boy. But I never come from getting the latest toy. I can cure your heart when you’re
feeling blue. No one can destroy me, except for you. What am I? 
Joy 

Joy is different from happiness in that the word "happy" comes from the same root word as "happen": "hap." "Hap" includes the ideas of chance or fate. The feeling of happiness comes from what happens to a person by chance, but joy is a source of delight, it is what lies underneath all emotions, no matter what happens to a person. If Joy is there it’s separate from circumstances. 

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. When our root’s are connected to the Holy Spirit we will bear His fruit. 

Apple trees don’t have to try to bear apples, they just do. In the same way when we’re rooted in him we’ll bear his fruit. 

4. The Holy Spirit 

The third person of the God head, co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action, and will with God the Father and Jesus the son. 

The Holy Spirit in the Beginning 

Genesis 1:2 
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 

Luke 24:49 
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 

Acts 1:8 
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Pentecost 

Acts 2:1-4 
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 

Acts 10:44-46 
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. 

Acts 19:6 
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. 

Let’s check our priorities this morning. Let’s be sure to major on the majors and minor on the minors. 

Let’s also seek God for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Maybe today you’d like to be filled for the first time. Maybe you want a fresh touch from Heaven or a refilling.




Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
View Larger Map

October 1, 2013

The Blessed Life is the Obedient Life


By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
Abundant Life Today Podcast

Podcast: Play in New Window | Download
To watch the video, click here.
Abundant Life Today Video
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.
 



If you asked people if they wanted to be blessed or cursed the majority I’m sure would choose to be blessed; yet the “blessed life” seems elusive to many.  The key is found in God’s Word.

It doesn’t matter how much scripture you can quote, how loud you can sing, how high you can jump, or how many meetings you can attend. If all this doesn’t translate into obedience to God’s Word the blessings of God will evade you.

Deuteronomy 28:1-2
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.  All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
  • Spiritual blessings
  • Relational Blessings
  • Financial Blessings
  • Health
  • A Disciplined Life
Spiritual Blessings – Having peace with God and an assurance you are right with him and in good standing with the King of Kings.

Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Timothy 1:12
I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

1 John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 Timothy 3:13
Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Relational Blessings -- Having great relationships with people who genuinely love you and care for you. No strings attached. Agape love! Knowing your family is right with the Lord

Acts 16:34
The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Financial Blessings – I believe our God is the God of more than enough. Consider the 5 loaves and 2 fishes. The disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. (Mark 6:43)

Galatians 3:14
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Genesis 24:35
The Lord has blessed my master (Abraham) abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

Health – I believe sickness is not a blessing. I do believe God can “make lemons into lemonade” but I don’t believe he has to start with lemons!

I also believe we can learn things through sickness but I never believe God puts sickness on anyone! Sickness comes on mankind because of the sinful world we live in.

3 John 1:2
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

A Disciplined Life – A disciplined life is being able to do what’s right even if you have a desire somewhere to do what’s more immediately gratifying but detrimental to your long term good.

2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Grace

Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

The Law

Galatians 2:21 (KJV)
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Romans 7:8-11
But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

Love Relationship is Key

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”


Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
View Larger Map