Church Of The Lost Sheep

"We share the same spirit of faith as the one who wrote  the psalm,  “I believed; therefore I spoke.” We also believe, and that belief leads us to acknowledge that the same God who resurrected the Lord Jesus will raise us with Jesus and will usher us all together into His presence. All of this is happening for your good. As grace is spread to the multitudes, there is a growing sound of thanks being uttered by those relishing in the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 4:13-15 in the Voice Bible Version [This is the 8th lesson of this series] Resurrected This song sums up the excerpt above ( 2 Cor 4:13-15), and indeed sums up  this series of messages as a whole. Christians sing songs of praise and thanskgiving, in awe and worship, of the God who made it possible for us to be reunited with Him and live forever. All these are of course, nonsense to those who do not believe and needless to say, to those who do not understand. But for those who do, it is the one t...

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." John 3:16-17 Thanksgiving It's Thanksgiving Week and although many of us may find it hard to be thankful with anything right now, but really there is always something to be thankful for.  If we can't think of one, maybe it is because we have taken it for granted that Christ saved us from the comparatively more miserable and purposeless lives we were living before He found us. If we have no idea what the Good News of the Kingdom of God is all about, maybe this is the week to find out and join the ranks of the living. How to Live the New Life The Good News of Salvation is still the best news and most times the only good news. Pandemic The world we live in is already in a state of pandemonium.  With the pandemic it just got ...

" Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they did so. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. For the famine has covered the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt." Genesis 45: 4-8, Jewish Scriptures Looking at our time right now, still in a pandemic after two years, we can see from the excerpt above that the story of Joseph is something we can relate with. The scene we read above is after Joseph revealed himself to his brothers who have talked with him several times ...

" And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives." -Apostle Paul, 1st century Colossians 3:15b-16a [This is the  25th  message of this series] This lesson is intended for mature believers (or adulting believers). For a more orderly study, please go through all  previous messages  first, if you haven't yet. New Nature This is the  10th  part of this  series , within a series. To continue, we were talking about how Apostle Paul is telling the first church in Colassae what "to do",  in place of things they started to quit doing. Thankful In the morning as we wake up, it is a good idea to start the new day in an atmosphere of worship and an attitude of gratitude. Let us sing a song such as this and think about how we did not deserve mercy and nothing we did was the reason why God loves us.  Once we begin from this mindset, it is easy to be humble and extend the same love God gave us, towards other...

  "You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise. Come right into his presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to him and affectionately bless his beautiful name! For the Lord is always good and ready to receive you. He’s so loving that it will amaze you— so kind that it will astound you! And he is famous for his faithfulness toward all. Everyone knows our God can be trusted, for he keeps his promises to every generation!" Psalm 100:4-5 TPT We will segue from the previous message (passage from Psalm 9) into today's (Thanksgiving Day's) message. Psalms were written to be sang to the Lord. Most modern songs of praise are still taken from the Book of Psalms, if not from other passages of Scriptures. Smooth Transition As we segue, the theme is an uninterrupted transition like when we end one praise song and start the next one. And today we will talk about five things. 1. Praise is the password - the Holy Spirit (the ...

Sing Praises to the Lord "I will praise you, Lord,     with all my heart     and tell about the wonders     you have worked. God Most High, I will rejoice;     I will celebrate and sing     because of you." Psalm 9:1-2 (A psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “The Death of the Son.”) 2020 Vision 2020 was the year that allowed humankind to see clearly.  For the first time, everyone in this big ship we are all travelling in (as we go around the sun once every 365.25 days), most if not all of us onboard got affected, many of us got sick, some of us died, many are still suffering and our daily routines changed, whether we like it or not. And all due to a little virus. Titanic And whether we believe it or not, or whether this pandemic virus is deadly only among the more vulnerable among us, all of us in this ship we call earth, are all in this togethe...

God's Will "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 This is now the 12th message of thanksgiving*. Not sure if you have read through the first 11 messages, but if you have then you should know by now, what this series of messages are all about. The short passage above taken from the first letter of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians exemplifies the spirit of this series. And like that short passage (from the 9th message) taken from the letter of Paul to the Colossians, the passage about is also a guide for living the Christian life -- perfect to think about on this season of Thanksgiving and Advent (the arrival of Jesus). So how do we live a life according to God's will? Here i...

The Shepherds and the Angels "And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Just then, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the City of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they hurried off and found Ma...

The Ten Lepers "It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Taking a good look at them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.” Luke 17:11-19 This is the 10th message in this series on thanksgiving* and it makes sense to talk about 10 people. Ten These 10 people got shunned...

"Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way." Colossians 3:15-17 This is now the 9th message of thanksgiving* and we really need to get it down by now, especially this Advent Season. The short passage above taken from the letter of Apostle Paul to the Colossians would really put this message of Thanksgiving and Advent (the coming of Jesus) down to a science, if not a recipe book. So do we live a life of thanksgiving? Here is the recipe list: Peace - live in peace (God's peace) with everyone Cooperation - live ...

Zacchaeus "Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by. When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?” Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.” Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to fi...

The Story of the Lost Sheep "By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Their grumbling triggered this story. “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue." Luke 15:1-7 This is the Season of Thanksgiving or giving thanks. At the same time it is the Advent Season or the time to remember and celebrate the arrival of the Savio...

A Virgin Conceives "In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you. She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great,     be called ‘Son of the Highest.’ The Lord God will give him     the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob’s house forever—     no end, ever, to his kingdom.” Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept with a man.” The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, ...

A Childless Couple Conceives "During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old. It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. But the angel reassured him, “Don’t fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a ...

"So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story’s beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught."  Luke 1:1-4 This is now the 4th message in this Thanksgiving Series*, which was originally written as no more than a single (stand alone) message. It is just amazing how things work so much more than you intended them to be, and they do so, effortlessly and without trouble. Advent Today as we start the Advent Season and as we begin to read the Book of Luke, as recommended by the previous message, let us pause not only to thank Luke but also this unknown person he named Theophilus. Th...

Mary’s Song of Praise Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,     and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy,     and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation     to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things!     He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones     and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things     and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel     and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors,     to Abraham and his children forever.”  Luke 1:46-55 This is the third installment in which is now a series ...

"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes."  1 Corinthians 11:23-26 The Last Supper, The First Thansgiving Meal The Apostle Paul wrote to the first believers in the City of Corinth about the Last Supper that Jesus had with 12 of his closest followers. [Live Science published an article  about an Archaeological Study on the Last Supper.] This narrative was also wriiten about by the Gospel writers in: Luke 22:19, Mark 14:22 and Matthew 26:26. Matthew was one of the 12 disciples present in ...

Psalm 100 A psalm. For giving thanks. "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Song of Thanksgiving The Old Testament Book of Psalms is a collection of songs and prayers that are meant to be sung. Many of them are songs of praise, worship and thanksgiving. Thanksgiving This Thanksgiving Week, as we give thanks to the things we treasure the most, let us take pause and ponder upon those we  may not have given much thought. Let us filter our celebration with this song, the 100th Psalm. Let us take a look at what it might be trying to teach us today. Song of Praise Shou...

"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (MSG) Worthy is the Lamb Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., and of all things that originated there, this is probably one of their best ideas. As Paul wrote to the early believers in Thessalonica, regardless of our individual circumstance, everyday we can find at least one thing to be grateful for. For really, as a believer in Christ, you cannot help but be mindful of how much you are and what really you are, grateful for. And first and foremost, is for the cross. The song in the grainy video above, represented a generation of worshippers (during the late 1990s and early 2000s -- at the time I met the Lord). And as we watch this video today, Thanksgiving Day is Throwback Thanksgiving Thursday. But let us not forget, the most important thing about being a Christian -- and that is Chris...