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Saturday, November 3, 2018

RETURN TO MAKER

2 Corinthians 5: 18 - 21
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  

Today we come before you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who died on a cross to make available deliverance, forgiveness and freedom from sin so that we might have eternal life through him. 

Often it seems that what God made simple and straightforward, man has complicated.

Jesus the Savior, the son of God, God Himself come in the flesh, stood silent before his accusers next to Pontius Pilot and let those around him hurl their false accusations at him.  He made no effort to defend or excuse himself.
  • He stood silent while they accused him of being a blasphemer, though he knew he was the way the truth and the life the word incarnate. 
  • He stood silent while they accused him of stirring up riots, while he knew that it was he who had come to bring them a peace that passes all understanding. 
  • He stood silent while they accused him and desired him to be put to death, while he knew it was he himself who had breathed their first breath of life into each of them and that it was through him that each might find eternal life. 

This Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings who came to the earth he created as a human child, born in a lowly manger so that we would see - if we would choose to have eyes to see, that our deliverer desired to understand us, to relate to our human condition and circumstances, and to show compassion for our hurts and our troubles and our sorrows and then show us the way to joy and rejoicing and victory! 

In the name of Jesus we who trust and believe in him call out to those who may not yet have turned their eyes to him, who may not yet have turned their hearts in hope toward him in order that they might receive his gift of salvation and be bathed in his redeeming grace; we call out his mercy before others that they would have opportunity to see and opportunity to experience the saving grace of the God who made formed and created each one of us, knit us together particularly and specifically within our mothers womb's and brought us forth for his purpose, for his pleasure for no reason that rests in us, but only because, not just that he loves us, but that he is love.

  • The Lord your God, (for he is yours as well as ours, even before we ever acknowledge that truth), he  desires not only that you know the Way, but that you abide in the way and allow it to transform the manner in which you live your life. 
  • The Lord your God desires not only that you have life and life eternal but that you live it in abundance with joy and rejoicing. 
  • The Lord your God (who made formed and created you), desires not simply that you know of him, that you know about him, but that you know HIM with a deep and abiding knowledge concerning him and his truth which is our truth. 
  • That in the beginning before ever you or I were HE IS. And that in that beginning because his very character is love, he held you and I within his heart right from the beginning, and in his perfect timing has brought each one of us into being, and written our names in the lambs book of life, all those who would both hear his truth and trust and believe his truth. 

And his truth is not a concept, it is not an idea, it is not a theology or an ideology.

He himself is the truth, who came to earth as man, to deliver his creation, each one of us, from the wickedness, darkness and evil schemes of the devil we know as satan. 

He himself is the way! The way to what you might ask? The way to the purpose for which God created you. To eternally live in harmony in His presence!

 He himself is life! Both the source of and the giver of life.  He provides life that is eternal, abundant, productive, and worthwhile.

 He is the truth! Truth is Jesus!

Truth is not a religion, it is not a denomination, it is not man-made nor is it subject to man’s approval, mans validation or mans reasoning. 

Truth is a man, the man Jesus, the son of God, God incarnate.  The full expression of everything that God is, is Jesus! 

It is perfectly expressed in his willingness to give everything for others to have everything they could ever need or want. Not only the material wealth of this world, but eternal life in an eternal state of joy and peace and abundance and happiness and fulfillment. 

And his promise is an uncomplicated extraordinary promise. That those who seek first his kingdom and his righteousness shall receive all the abundance both of his kingdom that is spiritual and of his creation, this world which is physical.

In return for him giving his life, his very being - everything that he is, breath and life and purpose and love and forgiveness of sins and being washed clean of all unrighteousness and being made right with him, the ruler of the universe, having given his every thing to pay the penalty for our debt, in return for all of this he asks one thing and one thing only from us. 

Our heart.

The seat and center of all and everything that we are with all of our faults and flaws and issues and problems and sorrow’s; that we give all of that to Him and receive in return for trusting him who created it all - made it all - formed it all - planned at all and is executing it all and keeping it all going - we receive instead eternal life, abundant life, and joy unspeakable!

That is the entirety of the reason Christ, the Messiah, the Savior the Son of God, JESUS! - that is why He came - to make available to each one of us RECONCILIATION to our Creator, God Almighty.

Everything else - the behavior we display, the choices we make, the actions we take and the words we speak are an external expression of the internal truth of being born-again, filled with Holy Spirit and overflowing with the Love of God through Jesus!


 2 Corinthians 5: 18 - 21
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  

The Christmas season is one where many of us begin to think about this baby born in a manger.  We may wonder about this Creator who claims to care so much about us.  Especially if we are having a hard time, going through a deep sorrow and life hasn't worked out quite like we thought it would, like we thought it should.

This Christmas season, I pray sincerely, honestly and fervently that you will KNOW the love of God in tangible ways in your life and experience that love in practical application in your life. 

Need help? Want help? Have questions?  Contact us - it would be our joy and privilege to reach out to you on His behalf and reconcile you to His love!

Sunday, March 18, 2018

WHAT ARE WE WATCHING FOR?

Luke 21; Matthew 24; Revelation - these verses specifically address the signs and occurrences immediately preceding Jesus' return to earth, His Second Coming, to gather His saints to Himself and take them with Him to the Heavens.  According to Corinthians and Thessalonians, this means that those who have died in Christ will be raised from the dead and those still alive physically will be instantly changed from physical to spiritual. (I Corinthians 15; I Thessalonians 4:16)

Jesus Himself made it clear that no one knows the exact time, not even He, but God the Father alone knows the time.  Waste of our time guessing and setting dates and times, and it shows a disrespect for God to speculate and calculate after we've been told it's not for us to know!

HOWEVER - we are told to be aware of the signs which will indicate the season of His coming.  We are told that we are to be prepared at all times.  We are told that we have a duty to perform - we are to WATCH & PRAY.

We need to watch for the signs of His coming in order to match our preparation to what we see.  We need to pray for ourselves and others, that we will be prepared, that we will know Him and the power of His resurrection.  Pray for salvation.  Pray for forgiveness of sin.  Pray for a heart of obedience to do His will.  Pray for eyes to see the signs.  Pray for wisdom to understand what our response must be to all that He initiates.  Pray for souls to come to Christ.  Pray for the Body of Christ to be alert, awake and ready for His coming! (See the story of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25).


Monday, March 12, 2018

All the Prodigal Children

Once I thought that my ancestry was American Indian and then I discovered that it was not and it has been wreaking havoc with my sense of who I am! I am having to reconfigure my identity in a manner of speaking. 

So it is when we get born again of God's spirit.  Our identity has CHANGED!

The Apostle's idea of repentance would have been formed by the Hebrew word shub, which means “To turn back and retrace your steps, in order to return by the right way.”

I experienced a most amazing revelation this morning concerning the prodigal son story involving the fact that I am a prodigal daughter!  When I was 7 years of age I was filled with the Holy Spirit.  I know this, because that is the age I began to "speak with other tongues" though I'd received no instruction from anyone concerning this spiritual phenomena, nor was I brought up in a pentecostal church.  I had asked God, in my ignorant innocence, to provide me a way to speak to Him without my family being aware, as I had been "forbidden" to bother them anymore with my requests to pray before dinner!

However, although I began reading a Bible at the age of six, and although I was aware of the Lord and his commands and principles that I read in the Bible, awareness and knowledge and understanding to the end we apply things in our lives are all very different things.

The prodigal son grew up in the home of his father where he had everything he could ever ask for or need.

Although he was aware of all his father's goodness and wealth and provision he obviously lacked any understanding concerning his father's provision and love and care for him. 

That lack of understanding led to his foolish decision to squander that which his father had provided to him in the most horrendous manner. 

And yet a day came when he, as the biblical story reveals to us, came to himself. He came to an understanding of that which previously he had only been aware of but lacked any wisdom concerning. That even the lowliest servant in his fathers house was well fed and well cared for. So he went back to his fathers house where he was welcomed by his father with open arms, the killing of the fatted calf took place along with a great banquet so the father could show his son the complete acceptance of him back into the family.

This parallels my own journey with the Lord.  Many of you may also see your own journey's in this story.

Although I was aware through my reading of Gods word, I lacked any maturity, wisdom, or understanding concerning the Lord and all that was available to me as a born-again child of the Living King. 

This led to my squandering what God was giving me as I moved through my life, which was clearly obvious as seen by the choices I made in my life. 

But when I "came to myself" - which meant that I went from being aware to gaining some wisdom and maturity and understanding, and I returned home to the heart of my Heavenly Father, I was welcomed back with open arms and complete forgiveness of all my sin. All of it!  Jesus had willingly sacrificed Himself on a cross so I had no debt to pay! (side note to the "big brother" in the prodigal story)

This is different then putting one's hand to the plow in wisdom and understanding and commitment and then turning away from it thereby making you not fit for the kingdom of the living God.

Just as the prodigal was able to return home and be fully restored to the family and fully fit for the kingdom of his father, so was I, as a prodigal daughter, able  be fully restored and fit for the kingdom AND SO ARE YOU!

That forgiveness and washing away of the stain of sin, separating you from SIN FOREVER and COMPLETELY is available to any and everyone who simply ACCEPTS the atoning work of Christ.  

The cry of Christianity has not changed.  Man may have added and subtracted and sometimes even twisted truth over the years, but the Bible still contains the truth revealed - and the answer for a sinner is still the same:

REPENT, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.  

At hand means close by - waiting for you and I to turn away from sin, ask for forgiveness and receive it from the only Wise God, Who created us, breathed the original breath of life into us and loves us with an unconditional and everlasting love.

John 3:16 is so famous precisely because it is so true!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life"

We are all prodigals in one fashion or another, either not having yet been saved by His grace or having sinned since that salvation experience and needing to confess (see 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness).

Every one of us has a loving Father waiting with OPEN arms to welcome us BACK into the Family of God, where we will be forgiven, washed clean, beautifully dressed in His righteousness through Christ, and delivered from eternal death into Eternal Life through Christ Jesus who paid the penalty IN FULL for all our sin!




Are you listening for the sound of the trumpet....or seeking after acceptance from men?


Do you know what to look for and what to pray for in these perilous times?  Join us as we DIG DEEP into Biblical Truth for wisdom and understanding!

Saturday, February 3, 2018

"WHAT" IS NOT ENOUGH - WHY YOU NEED "HOW"


Lately I have found myself quite often thinking in terms of "I wish I'd known that when I was younger," or more specifically "Oh if only someone had taught me that years ago!"

I remember hearing GREAT bible teachings when I was much younger than I am now, and with my head stuffed with impressive knowledge I bet I really thought I was something in the Lord!

So why then did I fumble and fall so often?  Why did sin still plague me and lead me fully astray far too many times?

I have since come to a wiser place and deeper understanding that knowledge and "knowing to the end of doing" are two different animals!

What good was it to know the greek word for this or the cultural reasons for that when I had no idea how to apply the TRUTH to my own thoughts and actions in order to produce godly fruit that glorified my God? (and  brought the blessings I so desperately wanted to see in my life?)

Have you ever felt that way?  Like you've just spent an hour or two even, listening to a really terrific sermon, a great teaching straight from the Word of God; it was so good you have a page or two of notes because what you were hearing excited your soul and stirred your heart.  Then you get in a quiet place the next day, on your own, just you and your bible and a willing spirit, and you begin to go over the notes and realize that it is terrific information, important information, life transforming information - but that's all you have.

Cold. Flat. Lifeless. Powerless. Information.

There is nothing about how that information is to be applied so as to bring about the life changes you really want, you desperately need to make.

And it is so FRUSTRATING!  You go back to the scriptures and read but the life and power and understanding just aren't there or at least, not easily understood; or you realize that you just don't get it.

This is why so many people don't pick up the bible and read it every day.  They know they "should" because that's what everyone tells them, but it is just dry words to them and the possibilities only seem to taunt them in the frustration they are feeling in being unable to grasp how to to apply and receive and enjoy the TRANSFORMATION AND NEW LIFE that is so obviously promised.

That may not be your experience but that was my experience.  I kept thinking there was a secret key ingredient that was just MISSING from me.  Maybe my past was too bad, too traumatic, too SINFUL  for me to experience what I came to call the VOILA' - that incredible moment when the Word of God and the desire in my heart came together to produce FRUIT!  Fruit that blessed me, blessed those around me, and glorified God Almighty!

It's why the focus here at Turn the Tide Ministries is on explaining and sharing as much as possible the PRACTICAL APPLICATION of what is in reality and truth a spiritual occurrence.

2Corinthians 5:17 shares a TRUTH
If any person is IN CHRIST they are a new person, the old has passed away, BEHOLD all things are become new.

How does that work exactly?  Perhaps you have confessed Christ as Savior (and if not, this is the first thing that must happen to begin a new life) and yet the same tired feelings plague you, the same nasty words come out of your mouth and the same defeated thoughts are swirling around in your brain.

THAT IS FRUSTRATING ISN'T IT?!?!

And most teaching stops with telling you what you SHOULD be, what you OUGHT to do, how things ARE SUPPOSED TO BE; but they never really tell you HOW!

Here's how, and if you will do your part, God who cannot lie will absolutely do His part.

Romans 12:2  YOU reject the ways of the world by simply NOT ACTING THE SAME WAY (Be not conformed to this world) and change your thought patterns by your will and decisions to the thought patterns of truth (by the renewing of your mind) and God will bring about the spiritual transformation so you ARE shining His light and living His truth and doing His will (that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God).

You renew your mind by reading the bible so it's in your head and the SPIRIT will bring it down into your heart in a spiritual act we can't understand but we can receive.

OUT OF THE HEART COME THE ISSUES OF LIFE; Proverbs 4:23

If the word of truth isn't in your head, it can't be brought to your heart and then come out in your life.

Get that word in there!  It probably won't happen overnight, but as you stay faithful, He Who is faithful will continue to work.

2Corinthians 10:5 tells us to cast down imaginations that exalt AGAINST GOD and instead, bring every thought into obedience to Christ.

How?  By being aware of what thoughts we are harboring and allowing to occupy our minds and asking God to help you get rid of those that don't please Him!

Practice; yes, just like if you were learning to play the piano, practice thinking right thoughts.  (Philippians 4:8)  You won't learn the piano overnight and you'll never learn without practicing!

We call this Practicing Intense Godliness.  We are deliberate about it.  We are committed to it.

Read Romans chapter 6.  Apostle Paul taught how to live as a new creation in Christ.  He gave practical advise for living as a Christian.  He didn't mention weekly meetings or financial concerns  because that isn't what living a Christian life is about.  Gathering with the saints, supporting the works of ministry are side effects of a Christian life.

The actual Christian life is about pleasing GOD in your personal everyday life first!  Romans 6 is an excellent starting point, and if you hit a sticking point that you aren't sure of, ask your pastor, your bible study teacher or click here  for help.

I have since discovered, as I pray you will too, that VOILA' moments are happening all the time as we walk with the Lord and grow deeper with Him in wisdom and understanding.  They aren't a one time thing but a constant in the life of those who choose to live a Christian life!

We pray that everyone reading these words will be inspired to GO READ GODS WORD and begin to see the transforming word of the Holy Spirit in their lives to their blessing and Gods honor, in Jesus mighty name, AMEN!

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Ambassadors in the Embassy


The following is what the Holy Spirit put on my heart this morning and revealed to me; I posted it on Facebook but I thought you might not see it. I hope you don't mind but I really wanted to share it with you:

What do you think of when someone says the word church? We may think of church as a gathering of people, or perhaps we think of church as a building where we go on a Sunday or Wednesday, or maybe we think of church as religion.

To some degree each one of these definitions is correct in certain ways. That's actually quite sad, and if I may be so bold, allow me tell you why this is so.

The function of the Body of Christ is for each member to be an Ambassador for Christ, (2Corinthians 5:20) or as it says in Acts 1:8 to be witnesses to Christ, which would make the buildings that we go to to be equipped for the work of ambassadorship Heavens Embassy. Just as we have a countries embassy existing in foreign countries, these buildings we call church should actually be the Embassy of Heaven here on earth!! Representing NOT our ideology, doctrines or beliefs but the TRUTH of the Almighty God, the Sovereign Creator of all heaven and all earth.

If we understood that in all its fullness, how would that change our behaviors and our interaction with the community around us?

A little food for thought from Turn the Tide Ministry as we head into our weekend.  Share, comment, contact us for prayer, with questions or for more information about being an Ambassador for Christ!