Church Covenants

Have you ever wondered why most church covenants state that a member should not drink any alcoholic beverages? The word clearly states that everything should be done in moderation. Philippians  4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

How often do people do anything in moderation?  How many people actually just have one glass of wine or one mixed drink or just one or two beers? How many people buy their kids fast food often to save money or time even though it isn't healthy?  How often do people let their kids fill up on empty calorie foods so they won't have to cook?  How many people never drink water because soda taste better?  It is so important to do things in moderation.

But what else goes along with that? Why should godly people do everything in moderation?  Why do we have to do things in moderation? We have to exercise self control. Let's read the rest of that passage of scripture. Philippians  4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.  4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Nine times out of ten when we are not doing things in moderation we are not keeping ourselves in check and our thoughts are running wild. But why else would the word instruct us to do everything in moderation?  And why do most church covenants instruct us to not drink alcoholic beverages?  The word states that a drunkard will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians  6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.  6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.  6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.  6:14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.  6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.  6:16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.  6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.  6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.  6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Let's see how this works: 1. We don't do things in moderation. 2. We don't keep our mind in check with the word. 3. We take for granted our salvation by giving in to the flesh, and; 4. Sin enters our minds and hearts. It is true we all make mistakes but if you will be honest with yourself you consciously make the decision to not do things in moderation because the holy spirit tells us right from wrong.

Church covenants do not state to not drink alcoholic beverages out of religion but out of knowledge of the common human being. Do yourself a favor, if you know you can't do something in moderation don't do it at all to resist temptation. God bless you.

God Hears Us

God is still our great physician. He hears our petitions. I know what it means to be kept by God because I can look back over my life and see where he has healed my body, healed me emotionally from baggage that I was carrying around from my past, protected me from being drowned, kept me from being killed in a car accident, and kept me from being paralyzed from the neck down. God has healed me from a heart condition and seizures, a bone spur and many other times.

God wants to heal you too. God is no respecter of persons. We are all special to him. He loves us each and every one. And He deserves our love and respect. He is Yahuah Elohim. He created the heavens and the earth. He is our sufficiency in all things. He woke us up this morning.  He deserves our praise. We should glorify His name and be thankful for Him and bless him.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I owe God my life. He has saved me from dying. He has given me life over death. And he has healed me from fibromyalgia, mitral valve prolapse, enlarged heart, hypertension,  tonsillitis and so much more.

He has not only saved me in this life but given me hope. He has cleansed me from my sins. He has given me eternal life. I look forward to the return of Christ. God is my everything and he is yours too. He is perfect. He is love.  He is a caring and giving father.

Won't you give all your worries and cares to him. Won't you give your heart to the keeper of hearts and God of love. God is love.

For the thief cometh not, but for to kill, and to steal, and to destroy: but I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.
John 10:10.

If you want to give your heart to God and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and don't know how or just want someone to pray with you or talk to contact me at clewislisa01@gmail.com.

Putting God First

I have had to make the decision to give notice of resignation to my employer. I love the company that I am working for and am going to miss my work family and the regular customers at my place of employment. It is heavy on my heart to put God ahead of everything and everyone else. The scripture "Exodus 34:21 NIV You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest." and "Romans 8:10-17 NIV But if Christ is in you,then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation-but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." I can not deny nor do I want to deny my God. He has protected, healed, kept me, and enveloped me with peace that is beyond all understanding in the face of any adversity. I trust my God. I believe what his word is truth and I want to serve him better.

He has taught me how to think so that I am not depressed, anxious or worried about things that I have no control over. I have learned to depend on him in so many different aspects of my life. He has never left me nor forsaken me. He gives me favor. He loves me. He takes cares of me. I do not expect to live a life free of problems but I do expect them to be taken care of by my father because he loves me and I believe in him and his promises. This world is not where we will spend our eternal life. Our savior has gone to prepare a place for us where there will be no sickness, no sadness, no sorrow, no tears, no death. "Revelation 21:4 NIV He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Who am I to put anything ahead of my creator. He gives life and he takes it away. He has given me life.

One particular trial that I went through is a marvelous testimony to God and what he is capable of. He protected me from being paralyzed from the neck down and from experiencing side effects from pinched and damaged nerves, spinal cord impingement in two different areas of my cervical spine and spinal canal stenosis. He has healed me from depression, mitral valve prolapse, enlarged heart, seizures, endometriosis, a bone spur that was on my spine under the metal plate in my neck and so much more. I cannot not put him first.

"Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things."

I Can Not Imagine But I Believe

It is unfathomable to me what Jesus went through when he was beaten and crucified. I have read about it in The Word of God, the Holy Bible. I have heard it taught on and preached on. I have seen movies about it but even the movie The Passion can not depict the gruesomeness of what Jesus Christ went through for us.

A scourging was meant to do great physical damage to a person's body and to demean and humiliate the person who was being scourged. A Roman scourging was usually done by two Roman soldiers and they would alternate lashes. We know from the written Word that Jesus was whipped thirty-nine times.  Roman soldiers used different types of whips. Roman whips were made to cut into the flesh and to rip flesh from the body. A Roman scourging was considered a slow death that occurred over a period of two to three days due to blood loss and infection that would set in.  A crown of thorns was pressed into his flesh. Stakes were nailed through his hands and feet. People who were crucified eventually died from exhaustion and asphyxiation.

Christ died because he gave up the Holy Ghost. It was finished. It was done. He finished what he came into the world to do. I can not imagine what Jesus went through or how badly he suffered but I know that he did it. Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save and to heal everyone who believes on him.

Jesus suffered worse than anyone has ever suffered or ever will so that when we believe on him we are cleansed from sin, sickness and disease.  He took all of our sin on himself. He took all of our sickness and disease on himself. He didn't take part of it because we made a mistake or sinned or made a bad decision or was born into a family that has a certain disease that is passed through the bloodline. He took it all on himself and died for us while we were dead in sin that we will have eternal life. Then after being the atoning sacrifice for our sins he returned to the Father and asked the Father to send to us another advocate to help us and be with us forever, the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit.

When we allow our conscience or wrong thinking patterns to hinder us from receiving healing and enjoying peace and joy then that is our bad. That is our mistake. We make mistakes. Our flesh is sin. We have to keep putting ourselves back in line. We have to work on putting on the mind of Christ and living an acceptable way for the one who suffered and died for us. Every day we have to work at living and breathing the word of God so that it becomes natural to us but we will have a war going on inside of us until Christ returns for us because we are flesh and we are spirit. The Spirit is life.We have to change our thinking patterns so that our way of thinking lines up with the Word of God. Jesus did not halfway do anything. And what he has done is done. It is up to us to accept his forgiveness and it is up to us to accept and claim our healing.

Study the word of God and learn the promises that he has made to us. God never changes and the Word never changes. Accept the holy spirit and be born again into the family of Christ and allow the holy spirit to lead you, guide you and teach you. And very importantly in receiving God's promises, speak God's Word over you life and the lives of your loved ones. Your words either speak death or life into your life. It us up to you to control your thinking and the words that come out of your mouth and what you speak into your life. God bless you.

Thank You Father

Father,

Thank you for waking me up this morning. Thank you for a beautiful day. Thank you for creating me in your likeness. Thank you for giving me a heart after your own heart. Thank you for being my everything. Thank you for being my mother, my father, my sister and my brother, my aunt,  my uncle, my son and my daughter, and my husband. Thank for who i am today. Thank you for all the times that you have put me back on the potters wheel and kneaded me, and shaped me and molded me. Thank you for the holy spirit teaching me, leading me and guiding me. Thank you for keeping me, watching over me,  protecting me, uplifting me, unconditionally loving me. Thank you for for making me your child and for spoiling me. Thank you for restoring to me everything that has been taken from me. Thank you for preparing a table for me in the presence of my enemies. Thank you for anointing my head with oil. Thank you for making my cup to run over. Thank you for cutting away from me and my life everything that isn't of you. I ask you today my wonderful father, to use me, speak through me, bless others through me, use me to plant your seed,  use me to water your seed, and use me to say the right things to the little children and help them through this difficult time. Thank you for being my father. Thank you for choosing me before the foundations of the world. You are the one true God. You are wonderful. You are mighty. You are compassionate and a God of love. You know everything. You have my best interest at heart. I pray that your will be done in me and in my life, in my career and in my relationships. I pray that your will be done not my will in all things. I trust you with all of my heart. I trust you with my life here and my eternal life. I trust you to take care of me, heal me, lead me, teach me. I trust you to never leave me nor forsake me. You are my strength, both my commander and my comrade. I love you with my heart, mind, soul and life. Use me Father. Thank you for manifesting the fruit of the spirit through me. Thank you for the gifts of the spirit. Thank you that in Jesus name I cast out demons and heal the sick and speak in tongue's and interpret and prophesy. Thank you for discerning of the spirits. Thank you for covering me with armor to do battle from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head. Thank you for the sword of the spirit which is your word living within me and bringing into remembrance that scripture which i need in any moment. Thank you for covering me with your grace, enveloping me in your love and keeping me safe under your wings. You are perfect, you are loving,  you are kind, you are forgiving. You are my God and Father, my everything. I love you.

Why I Fast

I have found that I need alone time with God to be spiritually strong. I take the time to nurture my heart and spirit with the food that it craves by joyfully depriving myself of something fast my body doesn't need. Food is important for our health and fasting is food to our spirit. Our spirit should control our thoughts and actions not where the world takes us.

Even if you have only a few hours dedicate your time and fasting to God and get some alone time with him in the word and prayer and praise. We are almost constantly bombarded with worldly things and negatives and problems but how we spend our free time is our choice. When you make the decision to focus on God and worshipping and praising him and thanking him and give yourself the time to reinforce your mind and heart with positives and promises and faith you are giving yourself the ability to deal with the worldly stuff and negatives. You can fast by not eating during this time or not drinking your favourite soda or whatever. Just everything you do do it unto the Lord. I love everyone.

Jigsaw Puzzle

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle
Each moment is a piece.
Some are filled with laughter
Others filled with grief.

We can only see glimpses of what
Was and what will be
Would you rather trust God
Or fuss over a little piece

God can see put entire life
From beginning until end
Enjoy all the good parts
Give all the bad to him.

He is more capable than we
To fit the pieces together
We only see little glimpses
But he sees everything.

Written by
Lisa Lisa Collier Clewis
18May2016