The Lord's House Community Church

January 24, 2025

Scripture

 Hebrews 4:12  

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Thought for Today

 Great surgeon’s focus on identifying the “root cause” of disease in the body.  Surgery performed to save a person’s life requires the use of invasive tools that cut deep into flesh, tissue, bone and cells. Surgeons are trained to identify and remove disease from the body of their patient to enable the patient to heal.  They accomplish this by using very sensitive diagnostic imaging equipment and precise surgical tools that can remove the most microscopic pieces of diseased tissue and cells.

 As powerful as surgery is to remove disease and promote healing, The Word of God is even more powerful to change your life. Sin is the disease that produces spiritual sickness and death in us. Jesus Christ is the Living Word, who gave His life and shed His blood to cleanse us of our sins, so that we may live. When you read and study The Bible, God’s Holy Word, it gets inside of you and changes you from the inside out to enable you to live for Jesus Christ. Through His Holy word, God reveals His plan of love, salvation and redemption for mankind directly to you. In Hebrews 4:12, the Hebrew writer provides a vivid description of the power of the Word of God. It is living (active, always at work in you), powerful (filled with God’s power), with sharpness/precision/accuracy to pierce your total being (Amplified Bible: the completeness of a person and the deepest parts of our nature). God’s Word diagnoses and shows the inward condition of our thoughts and intentions. It will produce permanent change in your life. That’s the power of God’s Word!

The Word of God is life-saving and life-giving! You can’t live a victorious life without it. Read it, study it, meditate on it, apply it! Hide (deposit) the Word in your heart. God wants to unleash the power of His Wod in your life. Are you open to it?

It’s Time to Pray

Heavenly Father, Reveal to me the power of Your Word. Give me a love for Your Word so that I will read it daily and share it with others. Holy Spirit, please teach me how to study and apply the Word of God in a way that produces growth and Christlikeness in me, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

How may I serve you?

Mr. Truitt Cathy founded Chick-Fil-A as a Christian restaurant chain with desire to honor God and serve people. He made a vow to operate his restaurants Monday thru Saturday and to close on Sunday to honor God and to enable employees to worship in their local church. When purchasing food at Chick-Fil-A, customers are greeted by an associate who says, “Welcome to Chick-fil-A, How may I serve you?” Following payment for the food, the order is filled by and associate that says, “Thank you, It’s my pleasure!”. These greetings and customer service expressions are more than mere words. Chick-Fil-A intentionally trains each employee to serve customers with sincerity, honesty and integrity. Customers are very loyal and have made Chick-Fil-A one of the best restaurant chains in history.

In daily life, it seems that many people want to be served, but few are willing to serve others. Serving other people takes time, can be challenging and is often inconvenient. Christian service must be given from a heart of love and desire to serve Christ. The result is a genuine act of kindness or labor that helps people to feel appreciated. Serving should be a labor of love for Christ’s sake. To please Him, you must serve with the right attitude.

Jesus lived a life of service to others. The gospel tells us that “even the Son of Man” did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). It further tells us “He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38). Our Savior, who performed miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead and gave His life for our sins, made himself a servant out of His great love for us. We are called to “serve others as faithful stewards” (1 Peter 4:10) following Christ’s heart, pattern and example. It is great to serve with a joyful spirit and a glad heart.

It’s Time to Pray

Lord Jesus, thank you being the greatest servant who ever lived! I am your servant. Teach me to serve you and the people in my life with gladness and excellence. Be pleased with my attitude and my service, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Thought for Today

Have you ever seen the view from the top of a mountain? The summit of a mountain is a majestic place and offers a majestic view to those who have the rare opportunity make it to the top. It has been described as one of the most life-changing experiences that one can have. Maybe you have experienced this while looking down from an airplane or watching a movie with mountain views. However you might have experienced it, such spectacular views elevate your thoughts and change the way you see the world. The experience provides you with a view from some of the highest places on earth and enables you to see valleys, rivers and other terrain at great distances. You gain a far greater line of sight and broader vision.

As He begins to preach the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives His disciples and the multitudes of people a “View from the Top” as He begins with “The Beatitudes”. Matthew 5:1 describes when Jesus saw large gathering of people, He went up on a mountain and took a seat and His disciples gather around Him. Jesus was intentional about everything He did. Therefore initiating His ministry from the mountain was symbolic of elevating their standard of thinking and living to the standard of the Kingdom of God. Each Beatitude describes a kingdom character trait that Jesus desired His disciples to receive, understand and live by daily as citizens of the Kingdom of God. He knew that as they took in each Beatitude, their soul and mind would be elevated to be more like His. He gave them the highest view of what their life could become for the kingdom if they followed Him believed on His name. Each Beatitude begins with “blessed” (happy, supremely blessed, special joy granted to the person who receives salvation* Spirit Filled Life Bible).

Today, just as He taught His disciples and the crowd that day, Jesus wants to give you a fresh “view from the top” to increase your spiritual vision and understanding of His Kingdom… He wants to elevate your thinking to a Kingdom mindset. He wants to reveal His divine character and nature in you. There is a higher standard that you can attain as a disciple and servant of Jesus Christ if you seek first the kingdom and His righteousness.

Once you receive a “View from the Top” you will never be the same. He will place your feet on Higher Ground. You will praise, worship, pray, receive the Word and serve with greater Kingdom fervor and faithfulness.

Less of you, More of Him!

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s table land,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

It’s Time to Pray

Lord Jesus, I repent for living beneath Your standard. Pour into me a fresh vision for my role in your Kingdom. Elevate thinking and living to the standard of the Beatitudes. Help me to gain your “view from the top”. Lord, plant my feet on Higher Ground. I decrease so that You may increase. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

January 19, 2023

Lost and Found Values

A tribute to the life, legacy and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”  And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Thought for Today:

We are living in a period of immense prosperity for some and profound poverty for others. There is a great divide in our nation and the world and that divide is widening daily. We are also experiencing a rapid decline in moral values and good old fashioned respect. It is difficult to remember a time when public name calling, character attacks and outright meanness were practiced daily by elected officials and business leaders who hold the highest offices in our country. This erosion of values at the top has swept through our society like a tornado through a defenseless community. We see it everywhere in our lives. People behaving rudely, yelling profanities, fighting others and attempting the make their point by any means they choose.

The result? A fundament loss of human decency, lack of respect for other people and an indifference toward the laws of God. Where is the standard of moral law and values that was once part of the way we lived and taught our children to live? I submit that the standard has been lost because our society has strayed from practicing God’s values from the Bible. Certainly, there are many people who practice the moral values declared in God’s Word, however the soul of our nation is tainted by those who live lawlessly.

Dr. King stated, “The great problem facing modern man is that the means by which we live have outdistanced the spiritual ends for which we live.” In that moment, he revealed our focus on “means” or material things has exceeded of focus on spiritual values. When this happens in a society, people become so consumed with the pursuit of their rights and possessions rather than serving God and the people in their lives.

But do not despair, all is not lost! We as a people can find, practice and teach moral values again if we choose to return to the values God commands in the Bible as the basis for the way we live.

Dr. King expressed the same optimism later his sermon when He stated:

“If we are to go forward, if we are to make this a better world in which to live, we’ve got to go back. We’ve got to rediscover these precious values that we’ve left behind.”

 In Deuteronomy 6, The Lord sums up this great moral command  when The Lord declares through Moses, that they must “Love the Lord with all of their heart, soul and strength…” He further commends the words to their hearts and commands them to teach these values to their children continually (at all times).

As he closes, Dr. King emphatically declares His faith in God to restore lost values by preaching” “I’m not going to put my ultimate faith in the little gods that can be destroyed in an atomic age, but the God who has been our help in the ages past, and our hope for years to come, and our shelter in the time of storm, and our eternal home.”

It’s Time to Pray: 

Almighty God, You have commanded me to love You with all of my being, to keep your commandments and teach them to my children.  Your word is the source of all truth, righteousness and moral values.  I confess that I have allowed my values to stray from the standards of Your Word. I repent and return to truth of Your Word. Teach me to keep Your holy values at all times by the power of the Holy Spirit so that I may glory to Your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

January 21, 2025

UNDISPUTED CHAMPION!

Scripture

Thought for Today

Preparing to watch Notre Dame and Ohio State compete in the college football national championship is a reminder of all that is required to be an UNDISPUTED CHAMPION. Both teams are of championship caliber and came into the game with excellent records having overcome many obstacles during a long and challenging season. However, only one of these two great teams will emerge from the game as the UNDISPUTED CHAMPION of college football.

UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONS are rare in any sport or field in life. Think about how difficult it is to compete against competitors for an entire season and be considered a winner by competitors, the press and fans. UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONS are not perfect, in fact they may numerous weaknesses. But these champions are known as champions for their ability to work hard, stick together, overcome adversity, persevere through troubling situations and pursue victory with diligence.

In this life we face many challenges that are far beyond our natural ability to overcome. Additionally, you have a formidable opponent in the devil who hates you and is constantly devising plans and schemes to defeat you by keeping you in a state of discouragement and despair. As we experience these things, it is critical to fight the good fight of faith by declaring God’s Word to gain victory. To become the Undisputed Champion that God has made it possible for us to be in Christ, we must know and practice the following the principles Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-10.

It’s Time to Pray

Almighty God, I ask you to fill me with the excellence of Your power from Your heavenly treasure so that I will operate in Faith to persevere and overcome every challenge that the enemy sends to defeat me…Help me to live as an UNDISPUTED CHAMPION for Christ…in Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Scripture:

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Acts 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

January 18, 2025

January 17, 2025

Good News

Scripture

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things and the God of peace will be with you.

Thought for Today

We live in a world filled with trouble. Negative news, negative responses, negative communications come at us from every direction. Many days it can be difficult to find good news in the midst of the all the bad. Troubling times and bad new

s can produce a negative spirit and pessimistic, cynical responses even in believers. When a negative spirit is received, you can begin to fo

cus on what is wrong in your life and circumstances rather than what is right. A great friend once preached a message “The Good News is that the Bad News Ain’t So Bad!” That message stuck with me. It helped me to understand that no matter how bad things may seem at times, there is always greater ‘good news’. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ‘good news’ of God’s saving grace through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that saved us from our sins and gave us everlasting life. Remember, God is in control, your faith is in Him and that Jesus Christ is Lord unto the glory of God the Father.

Paul challenged the Philippians not to be anxious about anything and to receive peace which surpasses all understanding to guard their hearts and minds. He challenged them (and us) to focus their minds on positive things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report…meditate on (ponder deeply) these things. When you choose to focus on these virtues, you focus on ‘good news’ rather than what is wrong, you will realize that these virtues will enable you to live in victory. As I ponder this passage, I understand that my attitude and reactions to life are shaped by the way I think!

It’s Time to Pray

Gracious God, help me to be mindful of all that I take in to my mind, soul and spirit. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to choose to think on the ‘Good News’ of Jesus Christ and respond to every situation with a positive mindset and unlimited faith in His ability to do the impossible…in Jesus’ name. Amen!

January 16, 2025

Scripture

Matthew 6: 14-15 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Thought for Today

Are the words “I forgive you” in your heart? Are those words followed by “will you forgive me?”

Forgiveness is at the heart of God’s love for you. He demonstrated His unfailing love when Christ gave His life and shed His blood to forgive your sins and mine. When you confess your sin, Christ is faithful and just to forgive you of your sin (1 John 1:9). He never remembers that sin again. Having received this great forgiveness from Christ, why do we have such a difficult time forgiving the people in our life?

Do you find yourself holding on to something someone said that offended you? Are you angry with a family member or friend who did something that hurt you? Are you harboring unforgiveness against a co-worker or manager because of the way they mistreated you? Think about these and other examples of unforgiveness that you are harboring in your heart.

It’s Time to Pray

Forgiving Father, please forgive me of my many sins, faults and weaknesses. I need your forgiveness. Teach me how to love and forgive others as you have forgiven me. Once I have forgiven them, give me the desire to release them from the offense and move forward. Deposit your Word in my heart so that forgiveness is part of way I live for you, in Jesus Name. Amen!

January 15, 1025

REPOSITIONED for Victory!

Scripture

2 Chronicles 20:17

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

Thought for Today

When enemy nations came together to make war against Judah. The Spirit of the LORD spoke through His prophet Jahaziel to assure King Jehoshaphat that God was with them and would protect His people, Judah. The Lord God had and unconventional plan for defeating the enemies of His people. He essentially instructed Jehoshaphat to re-position the people of Judah and set praise and worshipers in front of the fighting men. He then told the people, He instructed “do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  (v.15) The next day, he said to the people, “Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord” (v.17)

Judah’s Levites began to praise and worship the Lord with loud voices, the Lord sent ambushes, and the enemies defeated themselves. Just as the Lord had assured, His people Judah gained victory over their formidable enemies without drawing a weapon because He had repositioned them for victory.

Just as with King Jehoshaphat and His people of Judah, God desires you and I to draw faith, assurance and courage to trust Him and His Word in every circumstance of life, in every battle, we must know that the spiritual battle is far greater that the physical. When faced with impossible odds, we must know that God will fight each battle for us, and He will always give us Victory though our Lord Jesus Christ.

 It’s Time to Pray

Lord God, You are the Lord who commands Your people in battle and leads us to victory. You have never lost a battle. Thank you for being my shield, mighty fortress and strong tower. I thank You for teaching us to listen and obey your commands. As I face the battles of life, help me to know that the battle is not mine, but God’s. Just as with people of King Jehosaphat and the army of Judah, help us to learn to position ourselves so that when You reposition Your people, we will see Your salvation in victory. In Jesus Name, Amen!