Our Citizenship is in Heaven

Lawrence Kelley preached for us on Tuesday night. His lesson was called "Our Citizenship is in Heaven." Here are some lessons I learned.

1. There is to be a stark contrast between Christians and the world, like the difference between light/darkness, dead/alive, God/Satan, and Heaven/Hell.

2. I must spend time with Jesus in order to become more like Him.

3. I need a nearness to and an understanding of the cross of Christ.

4. I must focus on the Lord and stay about from His enemies.

5. As a church, we are a Heavenly colony representing the Motherland.

6. I must be about the business of pressing the rights of the King of Kings!

7. I eat His bread and I drink His cup...I must be the King's man!

Jason Cicero

Let This Mind Be In You

Lawrence Kelley preached for us Monday night. His lesson was called "Let This Mind Be In You." Here are some lessons I learned.

1. Unity doesn't just happen...

2. As we receive His blessings we should extend them to others (see Philippians 2:1-4).

3. If God is against you, what are you going to do?

4. Love never sacrifices to a dead end (see Philippians 2:5-8).

5. God knows how to use those who pour themselves out for others.

6. Trust God to weave your sacrifice into something beautiful (see Philippians 2:9-11).

7. The way up in the Kingdom is down (see Matthew 25).

Jason Cicero

Conduct Worthy of the Gospel

Lawrence Kelley preached for us Sunday evening. His lesson was called "Conduct Worthy of the Gospel." Here are some lessons I learned.

1. The gospel is worthy something (see Philippians 1:27).

2. The value we place on the gospel will determine how we behave (see Philippians 1:27).

3. What is the gospel (the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ) worth to you?

Jason Cicero

To Live is Christ

Lawrence Kelley preached for us Sunday morning. His lesson was called "To Live is Christ." Here are some lessons I learned.

1. Paul's purpose statement: "so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20).

2. To magnify is to enlarge, to show as great - Christ is worthy of our magnification!

3. Death is the last expression of faith and confidence in Christ (see Philippians 1:21).

4. Death is not "gain" if you are not living for Christ (see Philippians 1:21).

5. As you enjoy the blessings of Christ, don't lose sight of the blesser, Christ Himself (see Philippians 1:23).

Fill in the blank: "For to me, to live is _____, and to die is gain."

Jason Cicero

The King is Preached

Lawrence Kelley preached for us yesterday. His first lesson was called "The King is Preached." Here are some lessons I learned.

1. Jehovah delights in working through difficult circumstances (see Genesis 50:19-20).

2. When I find myself in a difficult circumstance will I respond with despair or faith?

3. Courage as well as fear is contagious (see Philippians 1:14).

4. It is not our circumstance, but our attitude that determines our effectiveness (see Philippians 1:12-18).

5. The fear of man paralyzes; the love of Christ moves us forward (see 1 John 4:18).

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

Lawrence Kelley

April 25th-28th

Mark your calendars for this upcoming special series on Philippians with Lawrence Kelley.
Complete list of lessons:

• Sunday
  • 9am class: “The King is Preached”
  • 10am worship: “To Live is Christ”
  • 5pm worship: “Conduct Worthy of Christ”
• Monday
  • 7pm: “Let This Mind Be in You”
• Tuesday
  • 7pm: “Our Citizenship is in Heaven”
• Wednesday
  • 7pm: “The Rare Jewel of Contentment”

Through Many Tribulations

"And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:21-22; NKJV).
Every Christian will enter the kingdom of God "through many tribulations" (Acts 14:22). "Tribulations" literally means "pressure." Vine says it refers to "anything that burdens the spirit." From Pentecost until Jesus comes again, the Dragon is making war with those who "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17). The “pressure” we experience will continue until the Devil is “cast into the lake of fire” at the second coming of Jesus (Revelation 20:10).
If I am to enter the Kingdom I must adopt a proper perspective about the tribulations. The mind of Christ concerning the “pressure” I will experience is revealed in the Roman letter: “…we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God have been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5; NKJV).
While I long for the “pressure” to end, I wait. And I remember. I remember the precious truth contained in these words: “Who shall separate us from the love Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35; NKJV). The “pressure” I experience is not powerful enough to separate me “from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:39; NKJV).
As I experience these “many tribulations” where is God? He is near. And He comforts me. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; NKJV). On your way to the Kingdom, receive His comfort. Comfort others. Continue in the faith. Long to join “the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14; NKJV).
Jason

The Road of Resolution

These steps will help you to keep on the right road with GOD through the upcoming year.
Relationship - Reaffirm your relationship with GOD. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5; NKJV).
Review - Look back on the past year and ask GOD to show you areas of sin and weakness that might have hindered your spiritual growth. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24; NKJV).
Repent - Confess your sin and ask GOD to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; NKJV).
Refresh - Ask GOD to refresh you and to give you a new vision for the year ahead. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” saith Jehovah, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end” (Jeremiah 29:11; ASV).
Renew - Ask GOD to help you see your life from His perspective, and renew your commitment to His vision and purpose for your life. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2; NKJV).
Resolve - Resolve to be faithful to GOD’S purpose in your life and to glorify Him in the areas that He has called you to serve. “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14; NKJV).
Record - Record in a prayer journal your progress, remembering that it is only by His grace that you are able to grow in Him. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16; NKJV).
Hear the Conclusion - Jesus will walk with you each step of the way. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4; KJV).
Jason

The Lord Has Been Mindful of Me

“What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that you visit him?” (Psalm 8:4; NKJV)
The Lord has been mindful of me. I have taken blessings for granted. I have had days of trouble. I have sinned. Yet, the Lord has been mindful of me! He blesses and blesses again. He remembers me. He recalls me. He calls me to His mind! Who am I “that You are mindful of” me? “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth” (Psalm 8:1; NKJV).
The Lord has cared for me. I have taken blessings for granted. I have had days of trouble. I have sinned. Yet, the Lord has not only been mindful of me, He has cared for me too. Who am I “that you are mindful of” me, “the son of man that you visit” me (Psalm 8:4; NKJV)? He visits me. He looks after me. He cares for me. “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth” (Psalm 8:1; NKJV).
Have I been mindful of the Lord? Am I mindful of Him with my time. He is always aware of me. Am I always aware of Him? Am I mindful of Him with my money? He has given me all things. What have I given Him? Am I mindful of Him with my energy? He devotes all of His energy to my well being. What of myself have I given to Him?
Hear the Conclusion! He is worthy of our attention. He is worthy of our praise, adoration, and thanksgiving. He has been mindful of us. He has cared for us. He is mindful of us. Be mindful of Him! “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9; NKJV).

Jason

The Glory of God

“The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, ‘Glory!’” (Psalm 29:9; NKJV).

“Glory” has to do with the beauty, power, or honor or God. It is a quality of God's character that emphasizes His greatness and authority. The word is used in three senses in the Bible:

1. God's moral beauty and perfection of character. This divine quality is beyond man's understanding: “The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens” (Psalm 113:4; NKJV). All people "fall short" of it (Romans 3:23).

2. God's moral beauty and perfection as a visible presence. While God's glory is not a substance, at times God does reveal His perfection to man in a visible way. Such a display of the presence of God is often seen as fire or dazzling light, but sometimes as an act of power. Some examples from the Old Testament are the pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21), the Lord's deliverance of the Israelites at the Red Sea (Exodus 14), and especially His glory in the tabernacle (Leviticus 9:23-24) and Temple (1 Kings 8:11). Since the close of the Old Testament, the glory of God has been shown mainly in Christ (Luke 9:29-32; John 2:11) and in the members of His church. Christ now shares His divine glory with His followers (John 17:5-6, 22), so that in their lives Christians are being transformed into the glorious image of God (2 Corinthians 3:18). Believers will be fully glorified at the end of time in God's heavenly presence (Romans 5:2; Colossians 3:4). There the glory of God will be seen everywhere (Revelation 21:23).

3. Praise. At times God's glory may mean the honor and audible praise which His creatures give to Him (Psalm 115:1; Revelation 5:12-13).

See His glory. Let His glory be seen in you. Give Him the glory in your life.

Jason

The Fellowship of the Forgiven

“5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:5-10; NKJV).

Who we are. The Vestavia church of Christ is a fellowship of forgiven people. The blood of Jesus cleansed us from our sins when we were baptized into Christ: “…who washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5; NKJV). We continue to receive forgiveness as we confess our sins to Him: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; NKJV). We are not the fellowship of the perfect or the perfected: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected” (Philippians 3:12; NKJV). It is imperative that we know who we are in Christ Jesus. We are “accepted in the Beloved” because “through His blood” we received “the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:6-7; NKJV).

Fellowship. Koinonia has to do with joint participation. When we think of fellowship we should think relationship. The Father has called us “into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:9; NKJV). Because of our relationship with God, we have a relationship with one another. Together we are the fellowship of the forgiven.

Forgiven. To forgive is “to send away” (Thayer’s). We have a relationship with God because He has sent our sins away. We have a relationship with one another because He has sent our sins away: “He has made us alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Colossians 2:13; NKJV). Together we are the fellowship of the forgiven.

Hear the conclusion! Folks need forgiveness. We have found it in Christ Jesus. Let us be about the business of telling others what we have found in Him: “…for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found…” (Luke 15:24; NKJV).

Jason

Hidden in My Heart

"The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

Give a little more.

Sing a little louder.

Pray a little harder.

Study a little longer.

Read a little more.

Forgive a little faster.

Listen a little longer.

Speak a little slower.

Think a little nobler.

Jason Moore

The Blood of Christ and Atonement

Christ instructed the Disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” in Mark 16:15. There is but one gospel Jesus would have us preach according to Galatians 1:6-10. It is imperative that we get the gospel right (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

The New Testament gives us some direction in Galatians 3:24 concerning where to begin. The Law of Moses is pointing us to Christ, to faith in Christ. Faith in Christ is according to GOD’S eternal purpose (Ephesians 1:3-6).

In order to understand the gospel, we must first understand GOD. GOD is holy (Leviticus 19:2). He is set apart from sin, pure. He is “wholly other.” His holiness is made known to us in mainly two ways: justice and love (Psalm 33:4-5). Because of His holiness, what punishments He pronounces must be executed. And yet, because He loves His creation, He longs to make provision to help us out of predicaments caused by His justice.

Because GOD is holy, He longs for His people to be holy (Leviticus 20:26). Sanctification is the process of making holy, or removing sin. It is only when one is without sin that spiritual fellowship can exist (Isaiah 59:2).

Sin is transgression of GOD’S law which is a reflection of GOD’S character and will (1 John 3:4). Sin results in spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1). All have sinned (Romans 3:23). Because of sin, we die spiritually and mortally (Genesis 3:19). The price of sin is life (Hebrews 9:22). GOD’S justice demands death as payment. The punishment fits the crime because of the holiness of GOD.

So man is in a miserable situation. An unholy people separated from a holy GOD. Is there any hope? Thanks be to GOD, yes! GOD’S love provides a way to pay the price. GOD gives us what we do not deserve—Life! This is grace. GOD does not give us what we deserve—death! This is mercy. Forgiveness is all wrapped up in the idea of atonement.

To atone is to cover, to cover over, to purge. Atonement is the mechanism of reconciliation between a holy GOD and an unholy people (Leviticus 16:30). Atonement is offered in the Old Testament by the blood of animals. The animal’s life was represented by its blood and the animal’s sacrifice represented the sinner (Leviticus 17:11). Life makes atonement. The blood of the animal represents life, the innocent life of the animal atones for the sinner, the innocent life represents the guilty life. Faith made this process of atonement work. GOD accepted the sacrifices when they were offered by faith.

The sacrificial system of the Old Testament is fulfilled in the one sacrifice of Christ Jesus. By His blood we are redeemed. Redemption comes when one obeys the gospel of Christ by faith. In baptism (immersion in water), one dies with Christ, his sins are washed away by the blood of Christ, and judgment is declared: innocent by the blood of the Lamb!

Jason Cicero