The Church Of Jesus Christ Headquarters: 2797 Bryant St. Portage, IN 46368 Phone: 219-763-1049 www.JESUSCHRISTISGOD.ORG Message of Hope Official Organ, owned by: The Church of Jesus Christ Editor of the Message of Hope: Sis. Wendy Leslie Please send all articles to: MESSAGE OF HOPE 236 Southwind Dr. Valparaiso, IN 46385 Bugsy2004@msn.com Articles and Pictures due: November
1st
What Does The Church of Jesus Christ Believe? We believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God and is the SOLE authority on every subject. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Almighty God. Rev. 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” God put on a robe of flesh and walked here on earth for 33 years to fulfill prophecy for the New Testament Church, which is The Church of Jesus Christ. According to the Word, John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us….” The Church of Jesus Christ believes that everyone must take His word seriously, John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I Am He, ye shall die in your sins.” We follow God’s plan of salvation. Acts 2:38, “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Baptism is by immersion in water only. The evidence of the infilling of the Holy Ghost is according to Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” John 3:5 states, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” We must then live a clean, holy, and dedicated life to Jesus Christ thereafter taking diligent heed to the Word. The Church of Jesus Christ must be found faithful to His Word. We must be partakers of Communion service. This service consists of the Lord’s Supper and Foot Washing. 1 Cor. 11:24, 25, “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (25) After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, “This cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” John 13:14, 15, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. (15) For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you.” Watch, pray, forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, give your tithes and offerings, so that YOU can be counted among the faithful when our one and only Savior, Jesus Christ, comes back in a “cloud with power and great glory”!
Executive Board of Bishops Bishop Jarret R. Spence, Presiding Bishop 2298 Fern Street Portage, Indiana 46368 Phone 219-762-7492 Bishop Tommy Johnson, Asst. Presiding Bishop P.O. Box 505 Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024 Phone 731-285-9200 Bishop Paul Rose, Secretary/Treasurer P.O. Box 344 Cabin Creek, West Virginia 25035 Phone 304-595-5640
National Youth Leaders Bro. Jarret & Sis. Caryn Spence 804 Pennsylvania Avenue LaPorte, IN 46350 Phone 219-325-3904 Bro. Travis & Sis. Nora Hensley, Assistants 437 Tecumseh Street Warsaw, IN 46582 Phone 574-551-4487
Bishop of Jamaica Bishop Orville Rodney 199 Catherene Mount Albion P. A. Montego Bay, St. James, Jamaica, W. I. Phone 876-952-6676
Bishop of Canada Bishop Mathias Gooden 75 Dunlop St., Apt. 406 Richmond Hills, ON L4C 2M7 CANADA Phone 905-883-8543
State Bishops Bishop Charles Hays, Sr. 409 Fitch Street Albion, Michigan 49224 Phone 517-629-7053 Bishop Danny Walls P.O. Box 216 Ingalls, Indiana 46048 Phone 317-485-4105
United We Stand
Divided We Fall
www.jesuschristisgod.org www.thechurchofjesuschrist.net
Report from Montpellier, Ohio
Praise the Lord, brothers and sisters! The Church of Jesus Christ in Montpellier, Ohio is so blessed and we rejoice in the many great things the Lord is doing. The summer is passing swiftly and we are so thankful for the Lord’s traveling mercies. The Lord is great and greatly to be praised! We were so blessed to have Bro. Johnny Garza and Sis. Sandy Garza with us for services a couple of weeks ago. We praise the Lord for Bro. Johnny receiving the Holy Ghost!! Then we were surprised with a visit from Bishop and Sister Johnson. Bishop Johnson taught on “perfect and perfection.” The Lord is always working on perfecting His saints. In Hebrews 6:1 it states that, “Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.” On Sunday, August 24th, Bro. John Brandenberger was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ! This was our very first baptism here at the church. It was such a blessing and we can see God is still moving in the hearts of the people! Bro. Blaine has been teaching on the heart. Many times it has been heard, Well, God knows my heart. Yes, He does… but, do you? Let us examine our walk daily with the Lord and see where our heart really is. In Matthew 6:21 it says, “For where your treasure is, there will be your heart be also.” In 2 Peter 1:5-8, Peter wrote: “and besides this, giving all diligence, add to your 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. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Verse 10 says: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” So let us examine our hearts and find where God would have us to be and do for Him. For our whole duty is to fear God and to keep His commandments. We love and pray for each and everyone!! Sis. Charity Pennington Pastor, Elder Calvin Pennington The Church of Jesus Christ Montpelier, OH
The Power of the Holy Ghost Love, Grace and Mercy from God through His Son Jesus Christ, greetings to The Church of Jesus Christ. In Acts 2:38 Peter commands what must be done in order to be part of the family of God. In Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive the power (gift) of the Holy Ghost”, but we must first believe for the scriptures says, “…for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” After receiving the Holy Ghost we are commissioned to be witnesses due to the power of the Holy Ghost which lives in us. Our speech must be seasoned with salt, humility, truth and the grace of God so as to draw others to Him. When we receive the Holy Ghost, power is come upon us which changes our lives completely. Living a new life to God’s standard and doing that which is right and holy. So many are turning away from God, some are spectators instead of participators. We are not singing, praying or reading the Bible as we used to do before when we first came into the body of truth. The power of the Holy Ghost is reserved and is available for all believers in Christ who want to serve Him in spirit and truth. God bless you all, let’s keep the faith. Sis. Doreen Benjamin Hamilton, Canada
Praise the Lord! Great news from The Church of Jesus Christ in Portage, Indiana. I am so thankful for the Word that goes forth during the preaching and teaching that stirs the hearts of people just like it did in Acts 2. Jesus Christ is still drawing people and pouring out His spirit upon those that sincerely heed His call. Sarah White was baptized on October 11, 2007 and received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues on August 16th, 2008 at the Pierceton Tent Revival. I thank the Lord that all in my household is saved. We have all begun a race that is not finished yet. In the race you do not have to be the first to win – you just need to finish being full with works in the truth. My hope and prayers is that we continue our walk with Jesus Christ and grow in faith that we may overcome this world and reign with the Almighty God – Jesus Christ. Sis. Donna White Pastor, Bishop Randell Spence The Church Of Jesus Christ Portage, IN
PRAISE REPORT FROM PORTAGE, IN We here at The Church of Jesus Christ in Portage, Indiana are still rejoicing form all the blessing that the Lord has been bestowing on us since our last report. On Sunday, August 10th, Bro. Clarence Rogers was baptized in The Name of Jesus Christ before the night service. During the alter service that same night Bro. Johnny Garza received the gift of the Holy Ghost. We were all ready for the Tent Revival in Pierceton, Indiana which took place later that week August 14-16. The services were so filled and the word of God sent out every night to those in the neighborhood around that could easily hear what went forth from the word of God. The tent itself is like the tabernacle in the wilderness. It is a witness to the world that there are people that are willing to serve the Lord and spread the word to the lost. The Tent Revival ended with Sis. Sarah White claimed the Holy Ghost. We are celebrating these spiritual births in the church here in Portage and look forward to future births very soon. We also want to thank the Lord for the word that has been brought forth to us during the past month. Bishop Spence has been bringing forth messages some of which were titled, “Time Is Running Out” and “Don’t Reject God Too Long.” The word has been warning us to be obedient to the Lord, to get ready because time is running out and how we need to follow God’s way because there is no other way. God is trying to prepare His people for the times that are quickly coming. This is back to school time and I was thinking about how when I was in school I had a backpack full of books. Every school year the backpack seemed to get heavier even as I went to college. Those college years were when my backpack had the heaviest load and I had to travel the farthest with it. That led me to the thought that as we live from day to day we have spiritual weight that gets placed upon us but how we are told in Hebrews 12:1 to “lay aside every weight,” and Psalms 55:22 tells us to “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.” I’m so glad we don’t have to carry around a heavy load that life puts on us every day. God just asks us in Matthew 16:24 to, “take up his cross, and follow me.” Jesus Christ Himself told us in Matthew 11:28 and 30 to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, ad I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Even though we have to live in this world with all its cares and troubles, we don’t have to live with the weight that bogs us down. We can give the weight to the Lord so we can “run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1) until He comes back for us or calls us home. When this world is laying burdens on us, all we need to do is be like Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19, when he read the letter of the impending destruction, he went to house of the Lord and spread the letter before the Lord, and prayed. God is always ready to hear His children when they call. God gave us access to His grace (Romans 5:2) and made a way for us to be able to endure. When life starts to hinder us and places burdens on us, we can just continue on as a strong soldier and give all the burdens to the Lord. He knows how much we can bear and His word
says He won’t place more on us then we can bear. I’m glad the Lord is merciful to His people. Reporter: Sis. Deanna Johnson Pastor, Bishop Randell Spence The Church of Jesus Christ Portage, IN
Strength Where You Need It! (1 Peter 1:13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; Gird – To fasten, secure; to equip; prepare Loins – The muscle on either side of the spine in the lower back. In the above verse, Peter is edifying or building up the church. He tells them to “gird up the loins”. Throughout time, men have placed belts (girdles) around their loins as a means of increasing strength in the region of the back that bears the stress of exerting force in lifting and carrying burdens. This is the area of the body that if not strengthened and if not cared for properly will break down and fail under the weight of our labors. Anyone who has done manual labor for an employer in recent years has probably been required to learn proper techniques for lifting and carrying heavy items, and quite possibly has been issued a safety belt to aid them in their job. As Peter ministers to them he makes it plain that the loins to which he refers are their minds. Our spiritual loins are our mind, because it is with our mind first that we serve God. It is by the strength of our mind that we bring our bodies into captivity to the will of God. In Romans 7:18-25 the apostle Paul writes about the continual warfare that each us faces, and declares that it is with our minds that we serve God. Our minds are the first defense against sin. Our minds bear the brunt of Satan’s attacks. All his devices are aimed at breaking down the stronghold of our mind. (Ephesians 6:14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; Paul here writes that it is truth that will secure and prepare our minds for the battles we face. What is truth? (John 17:17) Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. Make no mistake about it. Our spiritual strength, the long term security of our walk with God, lies in our knowledge of His word. If I know the word of God says that He will never leave me nor forsake me, then I can stand secure in that knowledge no matter what the devil throws at me. If I know the word says I can do all things through Jesus Christ, then I can tell my flesh it is wrong
when it cries out that it I am too weak to bear up under the trials and temptations I face. I pray that we can all lay Peter’s words to heart and gird up the loins of our mind, be sober (calm, not under the influence of passions), and hope all the way to the end (ours or the world’s) for that grace that will appear at the Lord’s return. Yours in Jesus Christ Pastor Elder Mickey Dodd The Church of Jesus Christ Dyersburg, TN
Pierceton Report Praise the Lord everyone! Let everything that hath breath, praise ye the Lord. God is great and greatly to be praised. Let’s lift our voices together to our King. For He is worthy of all praise! We thank Jesus Christ for all He has brought us through and the many, many blessings He has given each and everyone of us. Even the very breath we breathe is a blessing. So, let us count our blessing and be thankful for what we do have, not grumble and complain about the things we don’t have. If we have a roof over our head, food, and clothes we have more than some people do. Just be grateful for all God has given to us. We were glad to have been able to attend this year’s General Convocation in Portage, Indiana. God really moved through the services and so many were blessed. But the best part was the preaching and teaching that came forth. What a reminder of who we are as God’s people, and to stand for the truth in this dark world because He is coming back for a people, His bride, who have made themselves spotless and without blemish. Don’t give up the “old paths” but walk in them and don’t stray in this last hour. Jesus is coming and coming soon! So, let’s be ready, watching and praying for His return. What a great convocation! We are also thankful for a great Tent Revival here in Pierceton, Indiana. There was a good turn out. We thank all the churches for coming and all their support, especially for all the ones who set up and tore down the tent. We know there’s a lot of work that goes into it and we pray you’ll be greatly blessed for your sacrifice. God really moved in the services and so many were touched and renewed. We are thank God for the one that received that Holy Ghost. It was such a wonderful sight to see. Praise the Lord for all He has done and is doing. We were blessed to have Bishop Johnson in service and preach for us that Sunday morning. He taught on how we are servants of Jesus Christ and how we need to grow in knowledge of Him. We also need to be obedient and faithful in the small tasks that we are asked to do and God will make us rulers over bigger things. We are so thankful for Bishop and Sister Johnson and pray God blesses them greatly. We are very thankful for our pastor, Bishop Robert O’Dell and all that he teaches and preaches.
Lately he has been teaching on how the last of Bible prophecy is being fulfilled right now and to heed the warning of all that is happening. God gave us these signs so we could be prepared for His return. We need to watch, keep our eyes open, be alert, and do not fall asleep in this last hour, and pray. If there ever was a time to be on our knees, it is now. Don’t be so caught up in this world’s day to day routines that you forget God and become sluggish in His way. As apostle Paul said we need to die daily to this sinful world and make time for the things of God. We need to also grow in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of Jesus Christ. Our whole duty as mankind is to fear God and keep His commandments. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) The work that we do will be judged one day by God Himself, whether it be good or whether it be evil. We need to receive instruction and learn from it, then we will become wise. (Proverbs 1:1-9) We need to apply ourselves and our lives to doing the work of Jesus Christ and all He wants us to do and be. Seek after God’s will and His ways put Him first and all the rest will work out, too. We can do it and we can make it. Living for Jesus Christ and His ways is a doable thing. It is not too hard when you set your mind to it. WE CAN DO IT! Sis. Nora Hensley Pastor: Bishop Robert O’ Dell The Church of Jesus Christ Pierceton, IN
Youth Report from Dyersburg, TN
The youth in Dyersburg has been doing great. Bro. Pete and Sis. Tammy are still doing an excellent job. On the last Saturday of each month we have a youth outing. Sometimes we will play volleyball and games or we‘ll have a youth service. We had a great youth service at the end of July right before everyone went back to school. A lot of the younger kids learned songs and it is great to see them taking part. Just continue to remember the youth. Youth Reporter: Sis. Laura Beth Dodd Pastor, Elder Mickey Dodd The Church of Jesus Christ Dyersburg, TN
Halloween Is it a Trick-or-Treat? As you look at this question you might remember the times of dressing up and going door knocking for something good to eat. Or, you might think of the times that little children that came to your door all dressed up and think that nothing could ever be wrong with that. If you were to look at the countless News Paper Articles you might say that you were right. But the truth of the matter is that there is a danger in this Holiday that many people don’t even realize. When we look at Halloween many think that it is just some Holiday that the Satanist decided to pick to worship Satan. But Halloween has been around much longer than what most people even realize. One little fact that most people don’t know is that Halloween was banned in the United States until 1845, and because of a Potato Famine in Ireland many emigrants came to the United States bring with them their Druid holidays. One of those Holidays was the festival that marked the beginning of the Celtic New Year. In this festival they would worship a god named SAMAN (Shamhain). He was their, “lord of death and evil spirits.” This pagan god was seen as a ghostly skeleton, holding a sickle in his hands. We today know him better as the GRIM REAPER. History tells us that in the 800’s the Catholic Church tried to establish a new holiday on Nov. 1st. This Holiday was called “All Saints Day” or “All Hallows”. (Hallows means saints) The night before this festival was called “All Hollows’ Eve” Then the name was changed to “All Hallow e’en. Which then the word Halloween gets its name from. No matter how the holiday received its name is not important, but rather what day it was done and what they did on that day that is in important. Oct. 31st what could ever be wrong with this day? Remember that some believe that it was just a day that the Satanist chose to worship Satan on. But looking into other religions we find something very shocking. In Egypt we find many festivals but one stands out from the rest. It is the Festival and Mysteries of Osiris at Dendera. This Festival was held between Oct 28th and Nov 6th. This Festival celebrating the annual death and rebirth of Osiris, the god of the afterlife. According to the myth Osiris was killed and dismembered by his brother Seth. When Osiris wife had heard what was done she went and found all the pieces of her husband and put him back together. According to the myth that after his body was put back together he was able to have a son Horus, with his wife. Since Osiris was able to bring forth life from his dead body the Egyptians believed that he had triumphed over death thus becoming the god of the afterlife. Notice the days in which this festival takes place on: Oct. 28th – Nov. 6th some might say that there is nothing wrong with this but we find an Egyptian god of the afterlife being celebrated. Now look at Halloween and the god that is worshiped on this day. SAMAN who to the Druids the lord of death and evil spirits. And
when do we celebrate him on Oct. 31st. We must say that it is strange at the very least. In 1st Kings 12:25-33 we find Jeroboam afraid that the children of Israel were going to turn back to God and would then return and kill Jeroboam. So, Jeroboam sets out to build two golden calves and places them in Bethel and Dan. He then ordains a feast telling the people that they should “behold their gods that brought them out of Egypt.” As verse 30 states that, “this became a Sin.” I would like for you to look at verses 32 & 33. Notice that the feast that Jeroboam devised in his own heart was found in the 8th month and the 15th day. You might say that this has nothing to do with our Halloween because Halloween is found in the 10th month and the 31st day. Here is one thing we must remember is that in the Bible days the Jewish people did not have our Calendar as we know it. The Jewish people used two types of Calendars: A Civil Calendar which was the official calendar of kings, childbirth, and contracts and a Sacred Calendar which was used for all the Jewish festivals. Since we are talking about a festival of the children of Israel, then we must use the Sacred calendar. The 8th month on this calendar is the month of Heshvan. Compared to our calendar it runs from Oct. 16th – Nov. 13th. The 15th day of Heshvan would be our Oct. 30th. The day before the world celebrates Halloween. Is this mere consequence? NO Look at the 28th verse: 1 Kings 12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. At first glace we don’t find any god of the dead being worshiped here. But have you ever wonder where Jeroboam got the idea of worshipping the golden calves? The answer to that is found in Exodus 32:1924. As the children of Israel were waiting for Moses up on the mountain, we find that they became in-patient with him and decided to make their own gods. As we know the story we find that on the return of Moses he sees the calf and becomes very angry but where did Aaron come up with the first calf? In Exodus 12:40-41 we find that the Children of Israel had spent 430 years in bondage to Egypt. As the Moses soon realized that it was easier to bring the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt than it was to get Egypt out of the Children of Israel. Now remember in Egypt they had a festival called, “Festival and Mysteries of Osiris at Dendera.” As we have brought out that this festival was celebrated in honor of the Egyptian god Osiris “the god of the underworld.” But how does the Golden calf that Aaron and Jeroboam tie into all of this? In Egypt they had an animal called the “Apis Bull.” The Apis bulls were considered to be the earthly incarnation of a god - but unlike other animals who could only intercede with deities on behalf of humans, the Apis Bull was believed to be the very god himself living amongst the human population. They were chosen for their special markings and were indeed
treated as gods on earth - when the bulls died they were then mourned, mummified and then buried with the same glory that occurred with the death of a pharaoh. The Apis Bull was worshipped because it was believed to be the Egyptians god Osiris. Many times his name is found with the name Apis-Osiris. According to Plutarch “Apis was a fair and beautiful image of the soul of Osiris.” When we look back into the Bible we find that the Children of Israel worshipped these images for many years, and just like 1st kings 12:30 says, “And this thing became a sin.” In the book of 2 Kings 17:14-18 we find the Children of Israel once again worshipping these golden calves but they added to their sin.
(Picture of the Apis Bull Idol) In verse 16 we find that not only did the Children of Israel worship the two calves but they also had made a grove in which they worshipped all the host of heaven. Notice the last word in this verse - Baal. When most Christians hear that name they remember the many times that his name is mention throughout the Bible. But who is he really? The word Baal means "master" or "owner". Baal was a common name of some Syrian and Persian deities. Baal is still the principally thought of as a Canaanite fertility deity. The cult of Baal celebrated annually his death and resurrection as a part of the Canaanite fertility rituals. These ceremonies often included human sacrifice. According to mythology we find that the story of Baal and the story of Osiris is surprisingly seemlier. The Babylonians account of Baal plays out as him being the fertility god just like his Egyptian counterpart Osiris. In both accounts the god is killed and brought back to life because of the love of the gods’ wife. So with that said, we can come to the conclusion that Osiris and Baal is indeed the same pagan god just with a different name. Look at the following verse: Genesis 10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. The reason why this verse is so important is because we find that these sons of Ham become great nations. Cush is the father of Nimrod who is the founder of Babylon. And we find Mizraim is the founder of Egypt. Egypt in Arabic is spelled Misr. Phut becomes allied with Egypt (Mizraim) and becomes the nation of Libya. Canaan becomes the father of the Canaanites. Within these four nations we find many of the same myths being told with different names. You might ask why did they have different names? When God separated the language from the people at the Tower of Babel they left into their different nations taking with them the same stories just with different names. The fact remains that they were still the same god; Osiris and Baal
Through out the world there are many festivals that celebrate the dead. Also in many customs we find a so called god of the dead or lord of the dead being worshipped. A true child of God knows there is only one True God. Some might say what is the difference between Jesus Christ and these pagan gods; didn’t He do the same as them? The difference is that while other false gods claim to have been raised from the dead only one can claim that he is the Living God. In Mark 12:27 it states that, “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.” Another difference between the false Idols and Jesus Christ is how they are worshipped. When we find a false idol being worshipped we find people being sacrificed. According to Romans 12:1 it says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” If you still have the question about who is the true living God, then the best place to look is in the book of 1 kings 18:18-40. If you were to read the story, you would find that Elijah proved without a doubt that Baal (the god of the dead / Osiris or any of the countless other names) was not a true God, but only a trick that satan had fooled the people with. Elijah asks the question, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” In conclusion I hope that anyone that reads this will see that Halloween is NOT just a ordinary holiday. It is more then just a holiday that people dress up and receive candy. The truth is that satan has dressed up Halloween to be cute but in fact it is a festival of the dead. The Bible hives commandment in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 that we are not to have fellowship with idols and to be separate from all unrighteousness. I hope that I have proven that Halloween is a trick and not a treat for those that claim to be a servant of the Living God, Jesus Christ. Bro. Jon. Leslie Pastor Bishop Jarret R. Spence The Church of Jesus Christ Portage, IN
In Him is all I Need His abundance for my emptiness, And His life for my lifelessness. His love for my coldness, And His light for my darkness. His truth for my deceit, And His joy for my sadness. His victory for my defeat, And His rest for my restlessness. Submitted by: Sis. Caryn Spence Pastor, Bishop Randell Spence The Church of Jesus Christ Portage, IN
Don’t Be Left Behind
I heard the trumpet sounding early one cloudy mourn. I knew it was the big one there was no mistaking that horn. I had heard the story told often obey Him, if you want to go or keep on doing things your way and stay here, you know? In a twinkling of an eye, He came back in the clouds, just like He said He would. The only thing missing is I didn’t go with Him, oh how I had wished I could. The life that was so simple would be that way no more, all because I left Him and refused to walk through His door.
The worldly things now seemed so foolish, and I knew it was too late. I missed my change at heaven and seeing that pearly gate. The destruction that will follow is nothing I want to see, but because I had it my way, it’s the way it’s gotta be. Oh, what was I thinking, doing what I wanted and being on my own, that’s exactly what I got now and to me it was being shown. I wish I just had one more chance to make everything alright; I would live for Jesus Christ and do good in His sight. I was so very happy to know it was all a dream, but knowing it would all happen so quickly such was a terrible thing. I’ll let this be a warning and let God have His way. He’s got the saving power; all I have to do is obey. Written by: Sis. Monica Savarese Pastor, Bishop Randell Spence The Church of Jesus Christ Portage, IN
____________________________________________________________________________________