Divine Transformation

Romans 12: 1-2, 'I beg you therefore brothers by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice; holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.'

The longer I've been saved, the more I appreciate the will of God in my life. To think, that there was a time when I could've gone in a different direction - away from His will in order to fulfill my desires, but I would've never been a part of anything so precious as what I see today! Our call, our desire, and our passion is to see young men rise up to be what God has called them to be...this is tremendous and I'm so glad to be included in all of it! We are going to take Pasadena TX for Jesus Christ; although we have suffered many setbacks and blows from hell, we've thrown a few punches and licks in ourselves!

Romans 8:31 - 'What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who shall be against us?'

The wonder-working power of God is the hottest thing going today! Do you want Jesus to totally transform your life? What are you waiting for? Why do you prolong the agony of eating the fruit of your own decisions rather than surrender to a Living and Loving God?

These past few weeks have been ones of grace and mercy from heaven! God's ability to change a human life still amazes me! Then on top of all that, to allow me to be instrumental in the workings he has for others' lives; I'm truly blessed beyond measure, both me and my wife! As this year winds down, I'm certainly glad for the most part that it is OVER...honestly, 2015 has been hell!! Through it all though - God has kept us, blessed us, and taken care of His people. We will overcome and be victorious because victory is a CHOICE, not a mere outcome!

To God be the glory, Amen!

He Saw Them Straining

Mark 6: 45-52, '45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.'

Our goal as believers is to get to the other side. In our text, we see that Jesus 'made' them go across...these well-trained fishermen understood the waters were unkind, but Jesus wanted them in the boat anyway! Verse 48 is the text I want you to pay attention to...Jesus knew they were going to struggle, He watched them anyway. I wonder if He simply wanted to see what decisions they were going to make during the time of their struggles. What do you do, when the waves of life keep crashing in on you?

Do you quit, or do you keep rowing? No doubt, they were tired - I mean, they fed over 5, 000 people that day! This didn't take 10 minutes, this took all day long! So their physical strength is spent, and the difficulty of making it across, probably sapped their spiritual strength! This happens to you and I when life crashes in on us...but I'm here to tell you - it's not what happens to you, but how you process it!

Finally, Jesus called out to them after supposing they had seen a ghost! We always expect the worse when we're tired...however, Jesus got into the boat and calmed the storm for them...He will do the same for us if we cry out to Him! Be real with God! If you see a ghost, cry out - it's the Lord there - He said so Himself!  You know, you can live on the strength of verse 50...'Be of good cheer...do not be afraid...'

Knowing that is knowing enough...keep rowing - Jesus will walk up and get in with you...not to help you row, but to calm the storm!

Which One?

Isaiah 61: 1-3

61 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
 and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times; that is, when people refuse to let go of the past, they will NEVER be able to go forward…ever. There are people here who are stuck in a perpetual vortex of time: namely, the past. This timeline is your bread, and it is your meat, and it is your drink. This intoxication has caused an addiction very few are free from – well, I’ve come to preach that you may have hope, freedom, and total deliverance from this…in order to be free – you must establish where you are, who your enemies are, and who your friends are. Without an honest assessment of where you are; you’ll never be free.

In the Kingdom of God: Typically, you have 3 types of people wandering through it (I’m going to use a physical reality to explain spiritual health

You have people who bear WOUNDS / SCABS / SCARS concerning the timeline of your life.
Let’s identify what these mean to you, find out exactly which one describes you the best, and what you must do thereafter.

a. Wound – ‘An injury to living tissue caused by a cut, blow, or other impact typically one in which the skin is cut or broken’ | to inflict injury (physically, mentally, and / or emotionally)

2 Chronicles 16:12-13 (NKJV)
12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.
13 So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign.

Ruth 1:20-21 (NKJV)
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;[a] call me Mara,[b] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

Acts 23:12-14 (NKJV)
12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. 14 They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul.

Herein lies the Violation and the Violated. Wounds are very painful; in some cases, it’s very difficult to almost impossible to function normally while bearing a wound.

- People are pulled from warfare when wounded
- Medical attention is given to the wounded
- Physical incapacitation is regularly found in the wounded

This is not only true physically, but it is true spiritually. The wounded in the Kingdom of God CANNOT FIGHT EFFECTIVELY – many of them have to be pulled from the battle.
Extra Care has to be rendered to the wounded because they are not as self-sufficient as o

Speaking of Fighting (FIGHTING WITH OR AGAINST YOUR HUSBAND OR YOUR WIFE MEANS THAT YOU ARE FIGHTING AGAINST YOUR FAMILY AND GOD)

Also, the wounded cannot function with much dexterity or nimbleness as others because of the wounds they carry. THE WOUNDED ARE AT A SPIRITUAL DISADVANTAGE and you are prone to fail and fall…however, there is ONE power ALL of the wounded possess…the POWER OF CHOICE.


I asked someone earlier in the week: if you were in an accident and were badly bruised and suffering – if the paramedics arrived and were rushing you to the hospital…how long do you want that trip to be? The same is true with the wounded…your wounds last only as long as you want them to.

b. Scab – ‘The incrustation that forms over a sore, burn, or wound during healing.’

Luke 24:15-16 (NKJV)

15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

Acts 1:8-11 (NKJV)

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

John 19:14-15 (NKJV)

14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”

Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”

The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”

A scab is interesting. There are few physical facts about a scab that make a lot of sense when put under the microscope of Spiritual living.

- A scab is ugly

- A scab is deformed

- A scab is itchy and uncomfortable

- A scab is hope

- A scab points towards a better future

It’s designed to cover the wound, allowing it to heal without hindrance. The problem with scabs however is the PROCESS. No one wants to go through the ugly, deformed, itchy, uncomfortable time of scabbing. However, we want a better future and hope.

Jer. 29:11 – ‘The thoughts that I think towards you are of peace…to give you a future and a hope’

THE LORD IS THE SCAB LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

This is the essence of Atonement.

Ezekiel 16:59-60, 63 (NKJV)

59 For thus says the Lord God: “I will deal with you as you have done, who despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

60 “Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

63 that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord God.’”

I will agree with you that, scabs are difficult to live with – so is change, so is progress, and so are new beginnings…BUT THEY ARE WORTH IT

c. Scar – ‘A mark left by a healed wound, sore, or burn’

Genesis 32:25, 31 (NKJV)

25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.

31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.

Naturally, scars have no pain. Scars are marks of history, but a peculiar type of history…it tells you and the world of what has been HEALED.

There are some of us that have a multitude of scars! However, no matter how many you’ve had, if you bear scars, none of them hurt…if they still do – THEY ARE NOT SCARS…THEY ARE WOUNDS…

Which one would you prefer to carry? Scars, scabs, or wounds?

Believe it or not, most prefer to carry wounds! One of the main reasons is quite clear – dealing with pain is something we wish to minimize as much as possible.

Dealing with Pain: The Timeline

People and / or animals that have wounds respond to life differently than most. You see, they are in pain and for survival sakes, they wish to keep that pain down and suppressed; in fact, the wound is so painful – they’ll do anything to protect themselves.

Example: a wounded animal is more dangerous because anyone or anything that would approach it is a potential threat to the wounded area…therein lies the problem

HEALING ONLY COMES BY TOUCHING THE WOUNDED AREA: HEALING BEGINS WHEN MORE PAIN IS INFLICTED…

*Our hearts were wounded by sin, so the solution was to KILL the Messiah whose death gave birth to Salvation and the Church* It took more pain to do that!

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The question remains: which one of these people are you?

If you are wounded, are you willing to let someone apply the necessary touch to start the healing process?

If you bear scabs, are you patient enough to allow them to do their job?

If you bear scars, will you let them tell a testimony, or will you allow what got healed to lose its potency because of your focus on the wound that transformed into that scar?

I’ve heard people define scars as a lasting effect of trouble…why? Well, they refuse to let go of the pain associated with the wound, and also refuse to rejoice in the healing that the scar reflects.

Where in this timeline do you find yourself? It’s through the blood of Jesus Christ, that no matter what time of life you’re in; He will be there for you, ready to touch your life with His love.

Handling Rejection

Luke 9:51-56

A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior

51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”

55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

How do you handle rejection?

No one wants to be left out / neglected / glossed over or forgotten about

This is true in marriage > Family > Church life

Background:

Samaritans were viewed as ‘half – breeds.’ They are considered to be ethnic traitors, bad guys, etc. When the nation was divided, Samaria was the original name for the capital of the Northern Kingdom founded by Omri…

1 Kings 16:21-24

Omri Reigns in Israel

21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri reigned. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and reigned twelve years. Six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24 And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill.

The Samaritans inter-married with the people of that region, (they’re no longer pure) – we still have these issues with racial upheaval today!

Examples: ‘Tex-Mex’ | Newyoricans | Creole…etc.

So you can only imagine the bad blood that’s between these 2 people (Jews vs. Samaritans)

Even Jesus had to deal with this:

John 4:9-10

9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

In the text, we see 2 totally different responses to this rejection experienced. In verse 54, we see that the disciples wanted to bring fire down upon these 'creatures'; but in verse 55, Jesus rebukes them because they picked up a 'spirit' they knew nothing about.

As you can see, this is more than just tragic happenings in your life, this is a spiritual issue!

Verse 56 - For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

Jesus understood what and why He was going to Jerusalem…to save, not to judge.

Rejection never deterred Him – His aim was reaching the lost; His being rejected didn’t affect His destiny (destination)

So you see, the spirit of rejection is to destroy holy momentum.

This spirit moves on so many levels. There are people here and beyond who are so afflicted by this spirit…

They no longer seek friendships

They no longer fellowship

They develop a critical and / or cynical view of life

You won’t seek people out because you’re afraid of being hurt – this is a form of Pride…here’s an example:

1 Kings 21:3-5

3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!” 4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?”

Do you respond to rejection in this manner? Another example is Naaman. There’s another true story where there was a leper in the church and he approached Jesus with this verbiage – ‘If You’re willing, You can make me clean…’

So, we see the examples of rejection - unfortunately, we don't see how to process it correctly so that we can be free - here's where Jesus comes in!

He reveals the answer in verse 56 of our text…He keeps the disciples in check about the main aim and purposes of His heart…

Whenever you suffer rejection – no matter what level or circumstance…you first need to understand that it’s not about you – it’s about what you’re trying to do for God…

People reject the momentum of God in your life…

• Our natural tendency to overcome rejection is to CHANGE our convictions to please others > the bible says Jesus was determined…
• The Main thing is to keep the Main thing the Main thing…

Know who you are in Christ…understand that Jesus never rejects you!!

Hebrews 13:5

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Can you believe this? If you can, you’re on your way to freedom!

Married to the Mindset

John 8:31-36

The Truth Shall Make You Free

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

This discourse was arguably a turning point in Jesus' ministry because He was attacking straight on, a mindset that hindered His people - and still hinders them to this day.

You must understand that the Jews rejected Jesus because in their eyes, He failed. What was expected of their Messiah was not found anywhere in Jesus Christ. Look at the list of heroes in the Word of God leading up to Jesus and what they achieved...Moses brought Egyptian deliverance, Joseph saved them from the famine, King Saul delivers from the Amorites, David delivers from the Philistines; Jesus didn't do any of these things...in fact, He allowed Himself to be captured and killed by Israel's enemies!

What's so amazing about this truth is, all of the prophets of old testify to the fact that the Messiah will give His life, but the Jews didn't wanna focus on that as much as they wanted to focus on the destruction of their enemies and the reestablishing of Israel.

I gave that background to say this: Christians today can and have adopted the same mentality when it comes to Jesus Christ...if He doesn't 'perform' to said expectations, we naturally pull away and stop trusting Him.

Numbers 14:11 - 'Then the Lord said to Moses, 'How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?'

All throughout the Old Testament we read the disappointments of God towards His people - in many ways, He is still disappointed! Our unbelief, our mindset towards Him has always disrespected and challenged His might.

So where is humility? Where is sincere repentance? It is trapped in the prison of our own preconceived ideas, and only a miracle of revelation can break us out.

Some of the mindsets we've adopted over the years have the potential to destroy our Christian faith: one of these is our approach to church attendance...it amazes me how people simply refuse to attend evening services! Some of the larger churches in America have given up the fight and simply have services in the morning because people will not come. Where did we get this from? Another mindset is working on Sundays...our church days were set aside for exactly that - Worship! The fear of financial strains and dependence has created a mindset that deters us from spending quality time with our God.

There are many more, but the truth is - we need a miracle from God and a determination to cling to His truth...let me make a statement to you:

Our faith many times can be linked to our abilities...lately - many of us link our faith to our determination...

In other words, you'll believe God as long as you are motivated to do so...but when opposition or obstacles appear, you back off - this cannot be in our Christianity...we must believe God no matter what! It's the only way we'll break free from these mindsets that hold us down.

Jesus said, you shall know the Truth (Me), and the Truth (Me), shall make you free. Do you want to be free? Or are you satisfied with your present state of mind? Repentance and humility towards God is our only chance of freedom.

Help Wanted

Hebrews 5:12-14

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

This is not a rebuke, this is a reality. I understand that each one of us are different stages in our Christian faith – I certainly thank God for those of you who are young in the faith…I also understand that there are others who should be further along but for some reason or another, you have yet to transition onto greater things with God.

Oswald Chambers:

In the teachings of Jesus Christ the element of judgment is always brought out, it is the sign of God’s love. Never sympathize with a soul who finds it difficult to get to God, God is not to blame. It is not for us to find out the reason why it is difficult, but so to present the truth of God that the Spirit of God will show what is wrong. The great sterling test in preaching is that it brings everyone to judgment. The Spirit of God locates each one to himself.

If Jesus ever gave us a command He could not enable us to fulfil, He would be a liar; and if we make our inability a barrier to obedience, it means we are telling God there is something He has not taken into account. Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.

1 Peter 4:17

17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Do you understand the weight of that scripture – judgment is coming to the House of God! Listen that is not a place that is a PEOPLE! We are the house of God!

As I’ve preached before, the church is the measuring stick of a Christian’s faith…if you wanna know how well you are doing in God’s kingdom…look at how you function in the church…

-        Your devotion to services
-        Your love for the people
-        Your worship and praise
-        Your dedication to its functions
-        Your level of sacrifice

All of this is taken into account…we are stewards of the bride of Christ…how we treat His bride is direct reflection of our love for Him…

Nehemiah 4:6

6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

The key to that scripture is…’for the people had a mind to work…’

Honestly, it’s very frustrating to see the work on hold or cease simply because I’m not here. It’s amazing to me that whenever I’m away – all of the problems surface, and they become unbearable…puzzling to me.

When will we have the victory whether I’m in town or not?

Understand this truth – I’m your pastor, not your parent! There are things you need to settle and handle on your own! I will not allow myself, or my wife to be hurled into your petty squabbles…you should be mature enough to settle your own messes…

Gossip, backbiting, and slander, is not the way to handle things…we turn people away with all of our hatred towards one another…

John 13:35

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

How can people know that the Potter’s House Christian Church is a place where they can find love, when we don’t even love the people who are already here?

Your love for one another is seen in these ways:

-        Pray for one another instead of talking about each other

-        Fellowships should be filled with God, not other people’s business

-        Evangelism should be impulsive, not a drudgery > you should WANT to outreach

-        Applying the Word to your life on a daily basis

Just to name a few…I need your help! Without you, there is no church house…we need each other…when I come to church, I want to be encouraged! Don’t you?

 

Necessary Road Traveled

Genesis 37:5-10
⁵ Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. ⁶ So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: ⁷ There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” ⁸ And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. ⁹ Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
¹⁰ So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?”

The Kingdom of God is more than a place, it's more than a culture - it's a direction. When we give our lives to Jesus, He immediately takes us on a voyage for Him, with Him, through Him. As a child of God, YOU ARE GOING SOMEWHERE...too many of us waste time trying to figure out where we're going or even why...isn't enough to understand that no matter where or why, you're going with Jesus?

It says that Joseph had a dream...the dream came with 2 versions...his and God's...he dreamed of greatness, however, we being armed with the privilege of reading the entire story, we know that his life was filled with everything BUT...according to the Lord, Joseph's dream consisted of treachery, lies, betrayal, solitary confinement, and rejection. What we need to realize is, through it all - Joseph had to keep going forward for God, no matter what.

This is where we fall - our circumstances make our decisions for us versus the will and voice of the God who called us...we time His promises and we place deadlines on His fulfillment; when they don't materialize, we shut everything down...YOU HAVE TO KEEP WALKING AND MOVING FORWARD - BLIND or MAPPED...the inspiration and strength MUST come from the knowledge that Jesus is with us. Nothing stopped Joseph from believing, therefore, nothing stopped his anointing and fruitfulness...everywhere he went, everything he touched / put his hands to / PROSPERED...

Quote:  "I believe, I believe
but it's a dream that I ain't seen yet,
chasin' a dream that I ain't dreamed yet,
but I'm a meet it half way if I keep on walkin'" - Mali

This is 99% attitude/perspective and 1% courage. Can you handle that? Or will you continue to wallow in your own self pity because things haven't turned out the way you planned? Hey, the wilderness NEVER had a set of gates...YOU CAN LEAVE ANYTIME YOU GET READY...

Truly Worthy

Jeremiah 32:8-11
8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. 9 So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money—seventeen shekels of silver. 10 And I signed the deed and sealed it, took witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales. 11 So I took the purchase deed, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open;

In this scripture there are 2 rites (Inheritance & Redemption) // Also, there are 2 deeds; Sealed deed and Open deed

Probably what had happened was Jeremiah's father had passed away...Jeremiah's uncle (Father's brother), bought the land from Jeremiah's mom to help the family financially...

Later on, Hanamel (The son of Jeremiah's uncle), came to Jeremiah and said, hey buy this field (God told Jeremiah that this would happen)...buy it for the rite of inheritance, and the rite of redemption...
Here's what this means...if the uncle bought the field, when the uncle dies, Hanamel (the uncle's son) wouldn't get the land, Jeremiah would because it was originally his father's land to begin with.
Jeremiah had the rite of inheritance, even though his father died - but he also had the rite of redemption if he wanted to buy it back before his uncle passed away...


Now, there are 2 deeds - an open deed and a sealed deed...
A sealed deed forever belonged to the original owners of the property - it couldn't be altered or changed...the open deed however can be edited to include or exclude people
I said all that to say this: God used this transaction in the bible to show us His rites and deeds on this planet...

Think with me - Adam originally had dominion, but he lost it...when Jesus was confronted in the wilderness by the devil and the devil boasted saying that all of the earth belonged to him, Jesus didn't correct him!
You see, God gave Adam, the open (edited) deed, but God kept the sealed deed!

Revelation 5:1-5
5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

That is the deed ladies and gentlemen...only Jesus was qualified to open it because He owned the rite of inheritance (Son), and the rite of redemption (Savior)...when all hell broke loose on the earth because of sin...

Jesus called the loan...not to buy back the earth, but to purchase you and me!

Trust Him and Obey

1st Cor. 16: 9 - 'For a great and effective door is opened to me, and there are many adversaries.'

It is with deep regret and frustration, I must declare our New Building Project disbanded. We have tried to the best of our ability to gather the necessary resources in order to remodel the structure granted to us on Thomas Ave. Unfortunately, there are obstacles in our way we simply could not overcome at this time.

With all due respect to the owner, the Realtor, and all parties involved, we must bring this to an end. Perhaps in the future, we may embark on another adventure in the pursuit of a larger facility...hopefully at that time, we will be better prepared, prayerfully, financially, and business-wise.

To all our supporters, especially the General Contractor E.L. White, I so appreciate your prayers, labors, and blessings. When God closes a door - He can open a window!

What I have taken away from this experience is, no matter what the setback may be; God meant for us to go through what we went through in order to teach me, and the congregation about timing, patience, and preparation. There are other doors being opened to us right now > the momentum of the church is still at a fevered pitch, and people are grateful for such an open and transparent Leader, and our hearts are filled with expectancy as we draw closer to our first revival of 2015...

Pray for us as we pray for you! God bless you