Jenelsie's Corner (#179)

My Grace and Truth Family,

Yes, blessing and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!  I give our Lord ‘thanks’ for you all, and make entreaty for you with all joy.  Also, I’m thankful for the fellowship we experience with each other through encouragement and testimony of the faithfulness of our Lord to work in us to bring His Word to pass.

The WORD preached and taught in our midst during this time is to ground us in the Truth—Jesus.  Now this subject about f-a-i-t-h which Pastor is bringing forth is indeed separating and cleansing us from the leaven that is so much a part of our understanding.  HE is giving us rest from all the mental activity (including frustration, disappointment, worrying) by rooting out, pulling down, destroying, throwing down and then building and planting the FAITH of the SON of GOD in our minds.  After all, we are joined to HIM, and it is in HIM and by HIM that we live, move and have our being.

Oh, what blessing and peace HE has delivered to us, the body of Christ, even at Grace and Truth Fellowship.  Our confidence can be in this very thing:  HE who has begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

With His love,

Jenelsie

Pastor’s Wife

"Faith" is "A Gift"

“Don't be misled, my (dears). Every good ...and perfect GIFT is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”  FAITH, a GIFT “from the Father”...”not of works, lest any man can boast.”

[Jas 1: 16-17; Eph 2:8]

ThenSingsMySoul: ALL (WE) HAVE NEEDED (HIS) HAND (HAS) PROVIDED.

Unless Abba, our Father, gives (provides) this “faith” to us we won't be able to receive (it/Him). Has God given this unspeakable “gift” to you?

So we GIVE THANKS, FOR (GOD) HAS GIVEN JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON...

And the life we now live, in (this body of) flesh, we live by THE “FAITH OF THE SON of God,” who loved us, and gave Himself for us. [Gal 2:20]

It is written: “Without FAITH it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God MUST BELIEVE that He is,  and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” [Heb 11:6]

ThenSingsMySoul:

HAVE FAITH IN GOD,

HAVE FAITH IN GOD,

HAVE FAITH IN GOD,

HAVE FAITH, HAVE FAITH, IN GOD!

[Mk 11:22]

Jesus said “Ye believe in God, believe also in Me”[Jn 14:1]

Jenelsie's Corner (#178)

My Grace and Truth Family,

I want to share with you how our Lord manifested Himself to me in this past week:

While driving from home to home in the Mercury Tracer (Ricky’s first little car), I made a mental note that the car was not equipped with a CD player, tape player, computer, nor MP3.  Since I have become spoiled by at least one of these amenities being at my fingertips, I chuckled when I realized that the car featured none.

About 5 miles later I experienced another “eye-opening” thought:  I was actually driving myself to each destination.  With the next breath, my mouth opened with shouts of “thank you” to DADDY and singing “Praise is What I Do”.  From within the Holy Ghost continued to provoke me with melodies of worship to Father God and the Lord Jesus.  The presence of the Lord was awesomely overwhelming!  No CD!  No tape!  No computer! No MP3—just the Holy Ghost!  Out from my belly flowed His living praise!  The Holy Ghost was at work to reveal the w-o-n-d-e-r of His Person living inside of this body, which has been purchased for Himself.  Hallelujah!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Sister Jenelsie

Pastor’s wife

Eternal Life

The Spirit of the Shepherd, who gives “eternal life”  to  His sheep, spoke volumes in the midst of Grace & Truth on Sunday.

[Jn 10:27-28]

I heard the Lord say again: I AM (the) “living water...whosoever (drinks) of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst (again);” and, ” I AM the bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.” Then He asked: “do you believe this?”

[Jn 4:10, 14; 6:51; 11:26]

Jesus said: “The words that I speak are spirit and they are life; but you would not come to Me, that you might have Life.” When the disciples were asked “Will ye also leave me?” Peter acknowledged: “Thou (alone) hast the words of eternal life,” to whom else shall we turn?

 [Jn 6:63; 5:40; 6:68]

“These words spake Jesus, (as He) lifted up His eyes to heaven, and (prayed), Father ...this is 'life eternal,' that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”

KNOW Jesus, KNOW Life ...NO Jesus, NO Life!

ThenSingsMySoul:

WHERE COULD I GO? WHERE COULD I GO?

SEEKING A REFUGE FOR MY SOUL?

NEEDING A FRIEND TO HELP ME IN THE END;

WHERE COULD I GO, BUT TO THE LORD!

[Emmylou Harris]

O The Glory!

So, the take away from the “word of the Lord” unto the “church” was, “When (they) were ONE, making ONE sound (of praise and thanksgiving unto) the Lord, THE GLORY of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” [2 Chr 5:13; 1 Ki 8:11]

It was all about the “presence” of the Lord; represented by the Ark of the Covenant (where His presence was manifested), in “the Most Holy Place” in the temple.

This was a prophetic picture of Abba's purpose to ultimately make the “body of Christ” (aka. “the temple”) the dwelling place of THE GLORY of the Lord; by His Spirit.[1 Cor 3:16]

The prophet Haggai declared: “The GLORY of (the) latter house shall be greater than of the former;” speaking of better things to come. [Hag 2:9]

The book of Acts records: “When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with ONE accord in ONE place” when the GLORY (Spirit) of the Lord filled all who were in the house.

[Acts 1:1]

Jesus prayed: “(Father) I have given them the GLORY that (You) gave me; that they may be ONE , even as We are ONE.”

[Jn 17:22]

Therefore the Apostle Paul charged the “church” at Corinth to: “GLORIFY GOD in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's;” because  we have been bought with a price.                [1 Cor 6:20]

ThenSingsMySoul:

LET THE GLORY OF THE LORD RISE AMONG US,

LET THE GLORY OF THE LORD RISE AMONG US,

LET THE GLORY OF OUR KING RISE AMONG US,

LET IT RISE! OOH, OOH, LET IT RISE!!!  

The "Vision" Revisited

We were reminded, and eloquently so, that: “Where there is no 'vision,' the people perish (run wild/TLB, or wander aimlessly/CES);” which is a stinging reproof to those among us who have been slack to even search out, consider, and become acquainted with God's 'vision' for Grace and Truth Fellowship.

[Prov 29:18]

The “vision” is a map (a guide, a 'spiritual' compass, an internal GPS) that directs our path (steps) into God's distinct purpose for our ministry. (ie. “give diligence to make your calling and election sure;”  “that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God”)

[2 Pet 1:10;Rom 12:2]

The prophet Habakkuk was instructed, by the Lord, to: “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”

Are you familiar with the “vision” of GTF? Do you read your Sunday bulletin, or visit the “vision” written on the GTF website, under the heading Identity?

Let me encourage, and exhort, you to continue to declare Christ's “preeminence in all things;” to write, read, rehearse, walk and run with the “vision,” as we follow Pastor's lead, as he hears and follows Christ.

[1 Cor 11:1]

ThenSingsMySoul:

WE EXALT YOU,

WE EXALT YOU,

WE EXALT YOU, OH LORD! 

Jenelsie's Corner (#177)

My Grace and Truth Family,

Holy Father is wonderful to give us another opportunity to present our bodies to Him again today.  The Lord spoke to us at Ashton Gardens Assisted Living Facility on last Sunday, saying that as we present, HE renews our minds.  He supplants our own wayward thoughts with the truth of His Word and brings to light the Life given through Jesus Christ.  The Truth washes and sanctifies us unto God.  The Truth deals with depression and delusion, dissuasion and doubt which bombard through the mind.  The Holy Ghost goes to the very deep recessions where thoughts have exalted themselves and pulls them down.  The Truth exalts the Lord Jesus and magnifies Him in our hearing to the point of provoking His praise and worship with thanksgiving.  So we “give ourselves away”!

I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, that you present your body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to HIM, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world by thoughts which would dominant and captivate your mind:  but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, perfect will of God.

Hallelujah!

Your sister,

Jenelsie Howell

Pastor’s Wife