(by Pastor Jean)

I like the Amplified Bible’s rendition of Heb 3:14; “For we (believers) have become partakers of Christ (sharing in all that the Messiah has for us), if only we hold firm our newborn confidence (which originally led us to Him) until the end.” What a marvelous thing to be a “partaker of Christ”! The word “partaker” means someone who shares in or partners with someone else. So, what exactly can we partake of? First and foremost, we can enjoy His love; there are so many verses that tell us how much God loves us (for example John 3:16, Jer 31:3). We can also receive His salvation; which includes forgiveness, healing, deliverance and protection. We share in His grace, the gift of the Holy Spirit, His guidance, wisdom, strength and ability. Not to mention the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) and the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:8-11). However, did you notice the word “if” in the verse above from Hebrews? We have a part to play if we are to enjoy the wonderful privilege of being a “partaker of Christ.” We have to hold firm our confidence until the end. What does that mean? Another word for “confidence” is conviction or firm trust. I believe it means we are to stay faithful to our beliefs about Christ that we had when we first became Christians and continue in that faith despite the challenges that may come.

(by pastor Norman)

“Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God” (Isa 41:10 NKJV). With God in our lives, we don’t need to fear anyone or anything (Ps 118:6). “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Ps 27:1a; NKJV). God has given us strong, sound, disciplined minds with no fearful spirits (2 Tim 1:7). Fear filled thoughts come from the devil who basically seeks to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). God has delivered from us from all fears (Ps 34:4b). However, fearful thoughts will still try to steal our joy. The apostle Peter exhorts us to be “casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7; NKJV). The apostle Paul gives good advice; he said, don ‘t be anxious, but pray for God’s help to cast off fear; give Him thanks and His peace will overwhelm you (Phil 4:6-7). The Psalmist encourages us to trust God and not to fear (Ps 56:3-4). A man named Jairus asked Jesus to come to his house and pray for his daughter who was close to dying. On the way, someone came and let them know that his daughter was dead. Jesus’ simple response was, “Do not be afraid, only believe” Jesus then raised the child from death (Mark 5:36; NKJV). Fear has to bow to our faith in Jesus. The apostle John tells us that, “Perfect love casts out fear” (John 4:18a) and that if we are struggling with fear, we should check our love levels! As we abide in, make God our refuge and love Him, He becomes our refuge and fortress removing all need for fear (Ps 91:1-16).

(By pastor Jean)

The book of Proverbs has a fair bit to say about joy, “A heart full of joy and gladness makes a cheerful face” (Prov 15:13; AMP) and, “But a glad heart has a continual feast (regardless of the circumstances)” (Prov 15:15; AMP). Then in Prov 17:22 we read that a joyful heart can be like a medicine and bring healing. Nehemiah 8:10 is a much-quoted verse and tells us that God’s joy is strength (the Hebrew word for strength actually means a refuge or place of protection). In the New Testament we read that Jesus expressed joy, “In that very hour He was overjoyed and rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21; AMP); that was when the disciples returned from ministering and told Jesus about the success they had. Paul also encouraged joy; he told the Philippians to, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice” (Phil 4:4; NKJV). In Acts 13:53 we learn that the disciples were, “continually filled with joy” (AMP). (See also Rom 14:17). So, they obviously expressed joy in both the ups and the downs of life. Where do we find this joy? In Psalms we read that it is in God’s presence that we find it (Ps 16:11). Joy is also a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), so that means that joy will develop in us as we grow and mature and spend time connected to God. Finally, in the words of Habbakuk, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines…. yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation” (Habb 3:17,18; NLT).

(by pastor Norman)

Moses taught Isarel to make a priority of God’s words and teach them to their children (Deut 11:18-23). Joshua preached that if they meditated on God’s word constantly, they would prosper (Josh 1:8). (See also 1 Peter 1:2). In the book of Proverbs God’s wisdom is emphasized (Prov 2:1-7), we are to “seek her as silver” (V4; NKJV). “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17; NKJV). God’s word is truth and life (John 17:17, Heb 4:12) and that truth sets us free from all satan’s plans has (John 8:32). God’s word is powerful (Heb 4:12) and as we gain revelation and understanding from it, the Holy Spirit can change us to be like Jesus (2 Cor 3:18). Spending time in God’s word grows our faith (Rom 10:17). We can receive God’s word from sermons, Bible Studies and especially our own study and meditation. Christians in the early church, “continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine” (Acts 2:42a; NKJV). The apostle Paul taught the people in Berea about Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection and they studied scripture to confirm what Paul had taught (Acts 17:10-11). The apostle Peter exhorts us to, “desire the pure milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2a; NKJV) and Paul encourages us to, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16; NKJV). We need to be fanatics for God’s word- the results are glorious!

(By Pastor Jean)

Colossians 3 verses 15, 16 and 17 all end the same way with an encouragement to be thankful. In Col 4:2 we are told to be persistent and focused in our prayer life with an “attitude of thanksgiving” (AMP). (See also Phil 4:6). 1 Thess 5:18 teaches us, “In every situation (no matter what the circumstances) be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (AMP). We read here that it is God’s will for us to be thankful so that means we should make it a priority to develop an attitude of gratitude. Again, when speaking to the Thessalonians Paul tells them that they are to live a life in a way that shows gratitude to God (1 Thess 4:1). We also read a lot about thanksgiving in the Psalms, for example,” Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name” (Ps 100:4; NKJV). The verse after that tells us why we should be thankful; because God is good, His love endures forever and He is faithful. Not only that but we know from reading the New Testament that God in His love, sent Jesus to die for us and give us eternal life (John 3:16). He saved us by His grace and we didn’t have to do anything to deserve it (Eph 2:8,9). He gives us His peace (John 14:27), His joy (Rom 15:13) and all good gifts (James 1:17) and much more! Have you ever noticed that grateful people are a pleasure to be around? Let’s always be looking for something to be thankful for, in both the ups and downs of life!