Weekly Feast - Believing

Those of you familiar with this blog who attend Fellowship know that we are involved in a 52 week feast.  There are meditations available for every week of the year to study and review.  As the Lord leads, I will be sending these out each week to further encourage everyone to feast on the Word of God this year.  These scriptures meditations are also available on the Fellowship Website, www.fcchosengeneration.com.

May the Lord bless you.

Believing (Week 6)

Believing is an act that can only be enforced by you.  There will be many people who come across your path that will try to have you doubt what you believe in, but you have to be strong and use the faith that God have given you to endure.  Sometimes you will have to put people off from around you that doubt your belief as Jesus has done in the scriptures Luke 8:50-54 ⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.⁵¹ And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.⁵² And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.⁵³ And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.⁵⁴ And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.

As we know Jesus was all about God’s business.  He did not let anything get in his way.  We should be of the same mind.  When God has placed something in your heart to do, we just have to do it.  We have to get past trying to convince others and put them out and be about God’s business.  When God has a plan there is no room for distractions.  Even during this feast you are going to come across people and not necessarily strangers, but family and friends that will try to take you off track of your purpose, but you have to press on as Paul did in Philippians 3:14  press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

This week we want you to believe what God has told you in his word, a vision, or a dream.  As it is written in1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.  So whatever God gives you or show you there should not be any confusion about it, but peace.  However, He will at times send someone to confirm what he has given you especially, I believe, if you are new in your walk to help you become a more mature believer.  Also, always seek wise counseling Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.  God never leaves us alone, he will always have a ram in the bush for those who believe and love Him.

This week let’s work on believing God’s word.  Where there is any doubt remember this  scripture,  Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Lifeline is produced from the Evangelistic Ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA. You are encouraged to share this message. The Fellowship Church website (www.fcchosengeneration.com) includes a link to the Lifeline Blog (www.lifelineatfellowship.blogspot.com) where you can find previous messages. 

Evangelist Robinson also posts her entries on Facebook and Twitter. To subscribe to the mailing, or for questions and comments, tweet (@evangeliststeff) or send email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. Fellowship Church can be reached at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because You Are a Chosen Generation

455 Hwy 138 W. Suite C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Between GA Hwy 85 and US 19/41

Across from EJ Swint Elementary School

Church Website - www.fcchosengeneration.com

The Assembled Number

Matthew 10:2-7

King James Version (KJV)

² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

³ Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

⁴ Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

⁷ And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The Assembled Number

I want to share one of my favorite English words with you - triskaidekaphobia (pronounced tricks-a-deck-a-fobia in case it's a new word for someone).   I'm a word nerd and that is definitely a nerd's word.  

The word refers to the fear of the number 13 and it seems appropriate given our new year.

It's interesting how we fixate on things in life...assigning luck, both good and bad to numbers and things, labeling things as our songs, our jams.  But this one, this fixation on the number 13 is of special interest.  There are buildings all over the world that don't have a 13th floor.  There are people who will do everything they can to avoid the number.  

There are good 13's though.  A 'baker's dozen' usually means 13 and who doesn't want an extra cupcake?  And there's this group that started with Jesus.  Everywhere they went together, it was a group of 13 when we include our Savior.  It's our habit in the Believer's world to talk about the Twelve...but then as now, what were the disciples without their Teacher?  What are we without our Lord?

Simply put - we're lost.

I'm not superstitious (another favorite word). I don't practice triskaidekaphobia.  I have a black cat at home who crosses my path everyday.  But there are people who put their belief in these things...strongly.  There are people who are paralyzed without guidance from astrological writings or who cannot function without consulting 'the bones'.  

I serve a living Savior.  There are those who would lump this in the category above. The difference is there isn't a chicken foot or a star alignment who willingly left Heaven, allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross, got up from the grave and who sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for me.  Living, breathing intercession on MY behalf.  On your behalf.

Thirteen is a wonderful number.  So is two because the Word testifies where two or more are gathered, Jesus in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).  100 is a favorite number because Psalm 100 calls for a joyful noise that anyone can make.  Three works too for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  One is incredible because there is One Lord, one faith and one baptism (Ephesians 4:5).

I could go on.

Loved ones, there will always be people who give more credence to the creation than the Creator.  I cannot, and wouldn't think to, change anyone's belief, but I can share truth.  And when we're each ready, Truth reveals itself to us.

I hope that this is the luckiest year of your life and mine because I pray that this year is the year we all go deeper.  If that means meeting Christ for the first time, then wonderful.  If that means moving from a knowledge of Christ to discipleship, all the better. If it means finally working in that calling that's been assigned, PRAISE GOD!  As long as it means more of Jesus by December 2013 than we know this January, then it's a great year.

The number doesn't matter as long as Christ is the One.

Happy New Year!

Lifeline is produced from the Evangelistic Ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA. You are encouraged to share this message. The Fellowship Church website (www.fcchosengeneration.com) includes a link to the Lifeline Blog (www.lifelineatfellowship.blogspot.com) where you can find previous messages. 

Evangelist Robinson also posts her entries on Facebook and Twitter. To subscribe to the mailing, or for questions and comments, tweet (@evangeliststeff) or send email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. Fellowship Church can be reached at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because You Are a Chosen Generation

455 Hwy 138 W. Suite C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Between GA Hwy 85 and US 19/41

Across from EJ Swint Elementary School

Church Website - www.fcchosengeneration.com

Fear Not and Be of Good Courage

Matthew 2:10-18

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

¹¹ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

¹² And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

¹³ And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

¹⁵ And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁸ In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Fear Not and Be of Good Courage

It has taken me a while to get my head around what happened in Connecticut last week.  I've had long conversations with my son, with friends and family and with myself.  I avoided the news most of the weekend because it was just too sad for me to absorb 24/7.  

It's hard enough to "fear not" and courage seems to wane just listening to the stories.  I can't even imagine being there.

The Holy Spirit reminded me however that this was the exact environment into which our Savior was born. Someone lost in his own insecurities and challenged, found it necessary to take the lives of babies.  We saw it with Moses.  We saw it again in the Word when Jesus' birth was announced.  We saw it last week.

Far too often it is the children in our communities who bear the burden of adult problems.  Whether from sex trafficking or abuse, divorce, drunkenness, texting while driving, war, or outright murder, it is usually the children who are faced with the gale force of the problem, both as victims and survivors.  This was true for Sandy Hook. It's true in Afghanistan and Syria today.  It was true for downtown Atlanta last night.  It was true in Bethlehem 2000 or so years ago.  As the Word reminds us; there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

I don't know magic words of comfort.  If I did, I would have been on a plane to Sandy Hook, CT Friday afternoon.  But whether it's Hurricane Sandy, a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, or at the scene of a car accident on a local highway, loss is loss to those who bear it.  Our call, our duty as members of the body of Christ is to share in one another's joys and tragedies.  That means laying aside jealousy when there is joy to share and and putting down apathy when there is loss.

Mary watched her Son, our Savior, crucified for crimes He did not commit.  This is the same Son she shielded and whisked away into Egypt when Herrod decided to murder newborn sons at His birth.  Its a burden no parent should have and yet, many do.

I will not fathom an answer to why this happened.  But I do know this.  This season of joy and laughter we celebrate this month was literally born out of the blood of innocents.  It wasn't a light thing with God then, and it isn't a light thing with Him now.  So, to cope, to deal, I am placing this in the hands of God.  If He can forge a plan to save all of mankind with a tragedy, He can handle this mess and the others we create.

Isaiah 40 says it best:

Isaiah 40

King James Version (KJV)

40 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

² Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

³ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

⁴ Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

⁵ And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

⁶ The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:

⁷ The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

⁸ The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

⁹ O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

¹¹ He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

¹² Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

¹³ Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

¹⁴ With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

¹⁵ Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

¹⁶ And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

¹⁷ All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

¹⁸ To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

¹⁹ The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

²⁰ He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

²¹ Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

²² It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

²³ That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

²⁴ Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

²⁵ To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

²⁷ Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

²⁸ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

²⁹ He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Peace that surpasses understanding.  Joy unspeakable.  Comfort and Hope.  This is my Christmas prayer for all of us.

Lifeline is produced from the Evangelistic Ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA. You are encouraged to share this message. The Fellowship Church website (www.fcchosengeneration.com) includes a link to the Lifeline Blog (www.lifelineatfellowship.blogspot.com) where you can find previous messages. 

Evangelist Robinson also posts her entries on Facebook and Twitter. To subscribe to the mailing, or for questions and comments, tweet (@evangeliststeff) or send email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. Fellowship Church can be reached at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because You Are a Chosen Generation

455 Hwy 138 W. Suite C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Between GA Hwy 85 and US 19/41

Across from EJ Swint Elementary School

Church Website - www.fcchosengeneration.com

The Shepherds

Luke 2:8-20

King James Version (KJV)

⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

¹⁷ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

¹⁸ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

The Shepherds

It's that time of year again.  Schools and churches are working on their Christmas plays and concerts.  Bed sheets are being turned into shepherds cloaks.  Pretty soon, congregations will be all atwitter about little girls wearing blue scarves holding baby dolls, wise 'men' in fake beards and cardboard sheep, and angels with garland halos and sheer white stocking wings.

The shepherds are often an overlooked group in these local dramas.  They get the word from the angels and then sit quietly on the side while the wise men get all the lines in the play.  But, as Luke testifies, they were the evangelists in this story.

The heralds appeared and announced the birth.   The birth of a King is an important occasion.  Even now, England's Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are barely months pregnant, and the event is being heralded far and wide.  Why?  Because the child will be third in line to the throne of England.  Regents matter.  Their arrival should be announced.

But it was the shepherds who carried the story not only of His birth, but who this Jesus is.  The Word says these workers 'made it known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.' (Luke 2:17).  Sheep have to be moved regularly to new pasture or they will eat the grass to the root.  Their occupation gave the method of their vocation - their calling in Christ.

We can get a little narrow-minded sometimes in how we hear our callings.  When the Holy Spirit gives us a duty, a call to ministry, it's easy to interpret that through the thin lens of a pulpit.  Preaching matters.  Location doesn't.  We are all called to be ministers.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

¹⁸ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

¹⁹ To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

²¹ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

It doesn't mean that the way we make our living, how we occupy - our occupation - has to change because our calling has been heard.  Instead, we need to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  If we're supposed to change our occupation, then He'll tell us and lead us that way.  

Like the shepherds that were working outside Bethlehem all those many years ago, we just need to tell.  Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32).

So, as we press in this Christmas season, squeeze out the movies and the music and the shopping for a while and let's let the shepherds lead us.  Let's listen to what's being spoken to each of us, individually and collectively.  And when we hear, tell.

After all, we are often like sheep and will go astray without a shepherd....preferably the Good Shepherd.

John 10:25-30

King James Version (KJV)

²⁵ Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

²⁶ But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

³⁰ I and my Father are one.

Merry Christmas!

Lifeline is produced from the Evangelistic Ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA. You are encouraged to share this message. The Fellowship Church website (www.fcchosengeneration.com) includes a link to the Lifeline Blog (www.lifelineatfellowship.blogspot.com) where you can find previous messages. 

Evangelist Robinson also posts her entries on Facebook and Twitter. To subscribe to the mailing, or for questions and comments, tweet (@evangeliststeff) or send email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. Fellowship Church can be reached at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because You Are a Chosen Generation

455 Hwy 138 W. Suite C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Between GA Hwy 85 and US 19/41

Across from EJ Swint Elementary School

Church Website - www.fcchosengeneration.com