What Are We Living For?

We, at Grace and Truth, were told that “We were saved to be a partner/”help meet” in finishing the works of God; to “occupy,” that is, to do kingdom business til He comes.” 

[Pastor; Gen 2:18; Lk 19:13]

We were also told, “Part of (man's) identity is that man would be involved in (God's) doings.”

[Pastor]

“For it is God that worketh IN you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

[Phil 2:13]

In the Psalms, David (by the Spirit of God) asked,”What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man that Thou visitest him?” cf.

[Heb 2:6]

The re-discovery is that, in His 'visitation,' the Lord is exercising oversight over us, to cause a considerable change in our circumstances; either for better or for the worse, “to bring us to an expected end;” that our joy might be full.

[Pastor; Jer 29:11; Jn 15:11]

Can you hear the Lord saying, “Herein is Love, not that your mind is on Me, but My mind is on you? I know what I did, and what I AM doing.”

[Pastor]  

“Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth.”

[1 Sam 3:9]

ThenSingsMySoul:

OUR LIFE IS NOT OUR OWN,

TO YOU WE BELONG;

WE GIVE OURSELVES, WE GIVE OURSELVES TO YOU!

What To Believe?

That is the question; “to fortify, and refine our understanding of the things of the kingdom of God.”

[Pastor; Eph 1:18]

“There was something unique about Abraham's faith, above Abel, Noah, Moses, and others; that santified him as “the father of the faith.” Because it wasn't the dynamics of the steps (of faith) that Abraham took, but the nature of the promise Abraham received from God, that made his faith special; more so than the promise itself. For the promise was a “Seed,” who was Christ.”

[Pastor; Rom 4:16; Gal 17:7; 3:16]

“Too often, we pervert the dynamics of the kingdom to consume upon our own lust; believing God for everything but Christ; and there is no faith absent of the Lord, Jesus Christ.”

[Pastor] 

The subtlty is when we consider believing God, our fleshly minds are riveted on “a result, or outcome,” or blessing;

like, What God can do for us, that we can't do for ourselves; unlike Abraham, whose response to God was to simply obey His voice ...without expectation for a “result, or outcome;” being fully persuaded that what God had promised He was able to perform.

[Pastor; Rom 4:21] 

“Abraham believed God (unconditionally).” 

ThenSingsMySoul:

I BELIEVE GOD, I BELIEVE GOD;

IT SHALL BE DONE JUST LIKE HE SAID.

TRUST AND OBEY, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY;

I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE GOD!

Jenelsie's Corner (#251)

My Grace and Truth Family,

We have received a precious faith through the righteousness of God, not through our “righteousness”.  In His sight our righteousness is as “filthy rags.”  By our God’s own election and arrangement, the church has been made the righteousness of God by Jesus and HIM only.  Now grace and peace have been multiplied to us (the church) through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  And beside this, HE adds to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity—love.  Our Father God has said that if these things “be in us”, and abound, then they make us fruitful in the knowledge of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

By the working of the Holy Ghost in us, God’s people, it is so!  Amen.  Hallelujah!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Sister Jenelsie

Pastor’s wife

The Shift - Heaven Came Down

The revelation of God with, IN, and among, man is the  paradigm “shift” necessary to begin to comprehend the reality that now Emmanuel has come, and tabernacled IN His “body.”

[Matt 1:23; Col 1:27; Rom 12:5]

This is how we can “with the mind, serve the law of God,” and become the “portal for heaven's manifestation in the earth.”                                                           The Spirit said: “We're on behalf of God to man (as ministers of reconciliation); and Jesus (as our intecessor) is on behalf of man to God.” [Rom 7:26; Pastor; cf. Ezek 36:26-27]

Thus, God has come from “far to near” to take the burden of fulfilling the law of righteousness upon Himself ...

that we would be living “epistles to be known and read of all men;” unveiling who Jesus is among men; that mankind would “see Jesus,” walking in shoe leather...and be drawn to Him.                                          [Pastor; 2 Cor 3:2; Jn 12:21, 32]

Lastly, I heard: “Faith is not How we get to (God), in order to connect; but, rather, acknowledging that God's connection (in and thru the Spirit of Christ IN us) is NOW!” [Pastor]

  

ThenSingsMySoul:

HEAVEN CAME DOWN AND GLORY FILLED MY SOUL,

WHEN AT THE CROSS THE SAVIOUR MADE ME WHOLE,

MY SINS WERE WASHED AWAY -

AND MY NIGHT WAS TURNED TO DAY -

HEAVEN CAME DOWN AND GLORY FILLED MY SOUL!

Jenelsie's Corner (#250)

Dear Grace and Truth Family,

Our Lord has brought us to a revolutionary way of understanding and thinking and believing:  HE IS NOW and our faith is now!  Throughout the week HE has manifested His “Nowness”; HE is indeed a “present help”.

My desire for us at Grace and Truth is that we would become a body of believers established and converted by this truth.  The Holy Ghost is already at work to perform HIS WORD in us—the very “Word” that HE has spoken to us.

Rejoice and be glad!  Hallelujah!

Your sister,

Jenelsie Howell

Pastor’s wife

Jenelsie's Corner (#249)

My Grace and Truth Family,

Here we are already into another year experiencing His grace and mercy in great measure.  Our GOD is with us!  We can rejoice and be glad.  HE has spoken that HE is in the midst and in the mix.  By this new covenant, the Lord will never leave nor forsake us.  HE lives in us; we live in HIM.  Our GOD is with us!

Hallelujah!

Love in Christ Jesus,

Sister Jenelsie

Pastor’s wife

The Reason Of The Hope

God is not a man, that He should lie; nor the son of man that He should repent, or change His mind: hath He said, (concerning GTFI; even your gift, and calling), and shall He not perform His word? Or hath He spoken (concerning His purpose, and His plan), and shall He not make it good?                  [Num 23:15]

These words were put in the mouth of Balaam, concerning God's chosen people, when Balak, the king of Moab, tried to bribe Balaam to curse the children of Israel.

[Num 23:5, 12, 16]

Now, the Spirit of the Lord is saying to GTFI, “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith,” which has been engrafted into your DNA; to “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father ...the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;” feeding and shepherding the Lord's flock into His rest.”                   [Rom 10:8; Matt 28:19]

The reason for GTFI's hope is that “He is faithful who promised,” and His promises, in Christ, are “Yea, and Amen;” and His “gifts and calling are without repentance.” Hence, we are “Moving Forward,” in 2012; forgetting those things which are behind, and “Pressin' On” toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ.

[Heb 11:11; 2 Cor 1:20; Rom 11:29; Phil 3:13-14]

ThenSingsMySoul:

WHAT A MOMENT YOU HAVE BROUGHT US TO!

SUCH A FREEDOM WE HAVE FOUND IN YOU.

YOU MAKE ALL THINGS NEW,

AND WE WILL FOLLOW YOU, FORWARD ...