Journey Church— The Gathering

The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him— something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came.

Beware of the pleasant view of the fatherhood of God: God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That thought, based solely on emotion, cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament. The only basis on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ.

Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin. We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things. But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one — “Against You, You only, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4).

PRELUDE /
validating our self-worth in
possessions,
achievements, abilities,
appearance, acceptance,
titles, social status,
finances and other superficial securities
will leave us with a shallow sense of greatness
or absolute unworthiness.

When we wrongfully place or equate our value to the perishable things of this world, we take God’s creation and measure it to man-made deficiencies.

As God’s treasured possession, let me remind you,

When you are found in Christ, you are irrevocably identified in Him and redeemed through His works on the cross. There is no drastic deed, expensive earning, or futile fortune that will compare to the priceless blood of Jesus Christ. It is by His redemptive works on the cross that you are made worthy.

Jesus Christ died once and for all for our sins to be forgiven. With Jesus Christ as the perfect and final sacrifice of our sins, we must willingly confess our sins to Jesus, through repentance. Ultimately, we must walk away from our sin and grow to love Jesus more than that sin by applying the Bible to our lives.

"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" John 3:16 NIV).

As heirs of Christ, we must fulfill His last words and command, and continue making Jesus known to all of His children.

Will you join us in accepting this invitation to carry out Jesus' Will and Testament?

“Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

Revelation 3:10-11 NKJV

What does it mean to hold fast? And what is Jesus asking us to hold fast to?  Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible heavily use this term to express the utmost gravity of its meaning.  

Hold fast, in its literary meaning, implies to hold on, and tightly to; remain in.  In relation to the Bible, the physical meaning is suppressed more so by the spiritual state, no longer having bodily representation, in which holding fast exalts the human spirit to endure beyond its physical condition. 

During this time of seeking God for answers, while I was on this trial of testing my faith, I have allowed the world to dictate and demand more of my time, energy, and soul. I started to seek more work, more answers from the world, resources of running a business through world-view and turning my back from God. Maybe, because I didn’t receive the answers my flesh wanted to hear, or maybe, my flesh was impatient and I wanted answers immediately. I wanted to find comfort in my own knowledge which can lead to spiritual death. Seeking advice from humans can lead to much confusion and despair.

Broken promises, unkept commitments, disloyal relationships, faded friendships, unfaithful deeds, betrayed bonds, untrustworthy responses, distant hearts...

As the tides change, so does the very nature of our thoughts, decisions and life-spoken vows.  People and circumstances change like the tides that rise and fall.  Our words fail, and our best-kept promises shatter hearts.  

Throughout the Bible, God made uncountable covenants with generations of the faint-hearted and the faithful.  God can ultimately work His divine will through anyone, but when He calls, who dares to listen, and to believe, and to react to obey by walking in faith?  Who stands up and says, “Here I am, LORD,” like Abraham? And Jacob? And Samuel? And Isaiah? 

Unity in One Body of Christ

God desires His children to be decisive; unquestionably resolute; purposeful and determined. 

God spoke to me tonight:

“I just want to know your heart.”

This revelation woke my spirit up and gave me a new light into uncovering my unseen heart before my Heavenly Father.  The infinite fact that God already sees our hearts despite our own willing submission brings assurance about what we do not see and acknowledge.  He desires us to reveal our hearts to Him.