Hello friends! I hope that you and your families are doing well. Here are some messages that I heard this past week that I hope will comfort you and strengthen your faith.

I am thankful to the Holy Spirit for bringing me back to learn from pastor Francis Chan. This message about rejoicing in suffering really resonated with me and I especially loved hearing about how his daughter met her husband, and how the church could take lessons from the gang about unity and loyalty! I’ve never been in a gang but when you think about it, young people join a gang for safety, security, status and a place to belong. I also think that once they join a gang, they are loyal to their gang because of fear. I’m not saying that fear is a good motivator but it does work well for loyalty and obedience.

Like the concept that I shared earlier of “hard-easy” can be applied in our faith journey. First, learn the hard concepts in order that you obey God (if fear of judgement or discipline works for you then embrace that). Then after, the easy concepts like God’s love and promises will eventually become perfected in you. I’m definitely not there yet but the more I study God’s word and commands in the Bible, the more I understand the why’s etc. I don’t like all of God’s “house rules” but I understand better now why they are there. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/francis-chan-teachings/id1572390227?i=1000613299765

Today, 9/15 is the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah. Jesus celebrated all the holidays in the Bible since he is Jewish. I believe there are many blessings that come if Christians celebrate the Jewish holidays or at least understand what they are about. Here is a good information about this holiday. 

https://www.jewishvoice.org/rosh-hashanah#infographic

This pastor teaches about the importance of observing the Jewish holidays for Christians in order to open portals to greater blessings and supernatural help. Give her a listen and pray about the stories she shares. They are literally out of this world! 

https://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/dr-sharon-nesbitt/#

Here is an excellent teaching about God as our potter and we as his clay. Yes, another hard principal that I had to learn the last 13 years and still learning daily. I don’t love this house rule, but it is what it is. God is the boss, we are not.

http://sermons.tsc.nyc/at-the-potters-house/

That’s about it for today. Happy New Year!

1 John 4:18-19 (NKJV) – 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4&version=NKJV