Church of the First Born

“God’s Not Pau Yet” We are here for a purpose, His purpose. As we realize that and begin to step into the call He has on our lives to reach the world, we will be met with opposition. Opposition determined to stop us in our tracks. Opposition that we need to be prepared for or we will falter. We can prepare ourselves by ensuring we have sound footing upon The Rock and that we have a firm focus on w...

It's easy to get caught up in a mentality of "waiting for the rapture" and forgetting that we are on a mission. A mission that we are called to do. A mission that is still very needed. As our vision is focused through the lenses of the Word, we shift from focusing on the world around us which leads to fear, despair, and indifference to gazing on the Lord which leads to faith, hope, and love. Faith...

A new year is an opportunity to reflect and review the past year and cast a fresh vision for the upcoming year. It's also an opportune time to take a realistic measure of how we stack up. A measurement is only as accurate as the tool used to measure. We need to be sure that we are measuring with The Word or we will be deceived as to where we really stand.

In this age of deception, it is critical to be able to identify the truth. At times, the line between truth and deception can be obvious. At other times, the line may not be as clear and requires clearer vision to discern it. We need to be sure we are doing what we can to improve our vision. If we aren't being proactive and correcting our vision, we won't pick up on the subtle deceit that tries to...

Does Jesus really know what I’m going through? I’m sure we’ve all asked ourselves that question a time or two. A quick review of the events of His life reveal that He knows the enemy’s primary tactic very well. He knows what it is like to have your identity attacked. We see the king of the universe born in a manger because there was no room. In the world’s eyes, He was the son of an accused fornic...

During the Christmas season, it's easy to focus on the virgin birth and loose sight of all the details that surrounded it. Details that make the story almost unbelievable. Details that God perfectly orchestrated. Details that if not perfectly orchestrated would have changed the course of history. The sad thing is that much of the world missed these details and therefore missed the event. These peo...

For the Gospel to be "good news" the need for a savior must be established. Once the need is established, the "good news" becomes the best news ever and we can't wait to receive it. Although salvation is obtained by simply receiving the gospel, our decision should be reflected in our lives. Salvation should be evidenced by our continuing steadfastly, pursuing the knowledge of Christ, confessi...

As we enter the holiday season, we tend to reflect on everything we have to be thankful for. If you have a hard time finding things to be thankful for, it's time for a change of perspective.  As Christians, we should be the most thankful people on the planet. Not only for all that has been but also what will be done by God. No matter how much we have to be thankful for now, the best is yet to...

We all know the promises God has made to us. We can probably even recite many of the scriptures containing them from memory. The question is, do we know the condition(s) tied to the promise(s)? Many, if not all, of God’s promises are attached to conditions that we are called to meet. In order to claim the promise(s), we have to know and meet the condition(s).

The call to fruitfulness is two-fold. We are called to be fruitful and multiply. The first step to bearing fruit is to abide in the vine, as we have been discussing. As we abide, fruit will be produced in our lives. Multiplication occurs as that fruit is spread. As we cultivate fruit in our lives; seeds are spread, planted, and produce fruit in others. The idea of being fruitful and multiplying is...

Abide is not a commonly used word these days. However, if you spend much time at all reading the New Testament, you are likely to come across it. Due to it's prominence, it is obviously something we should consider and understand. Being a Christian does not mean you are abiding. Becoming a Christian grafts us to the vine but it takes effort to abide there. An effort that is much more than attendin...

"If God really knew me, there’s no way He could love me." This is likely a train of thought we have found ourselves in a time or two. Thankfully, our standing is not based on our own merit , because our righteousness is as filthy rags. Our standing is based on His merit and we have been counted as righteous and seated in heavenly places.

We are known by our fruits. A Christian that is not bearing fruit should examine themselves and determine the cause. Perhaps the soil has not been properly prepared. Perhaps thorns have made there way in and choking out the good fruit. Perhaps we are not abiding in the vine. Whatever the reason, we need to address it because God is looking for and desires fruit from our lives. We should have this...

It's easy to say "I believe in Jesus," but our we living a life that backs this statement up or a life that is contrary. God is looking for faithfulness. When things are going good, faithfulness is easy. It's when life happens, when things get a little more real, faithfulness is tested and proven. Will you stand before Him and hear "Well done good and faithful servant" or "depart from me you who p...

The joy at the time of salvation is undeniable. Unfortunately, that new found joy, a joy that feels like it could never go away seems to dwindle as we face a few trials and are knocked down a couple of times. The good news is that our joy can be maintained and/or rekindled. When we switch the source of our joy from what He has done for us to what He has in store for us, no longer will our joy leve...

To say that love is the motivating factor behind everything God has done, is doing, and will do for us is not saying anything we haven’t heard before. However, when we reflect on the things He has done for us out of love, we have a desire to share that love. When we share that love, when we allow others to encounter that love; lives are reached, lives are restored, lives are revived.

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Restoration is a process. Like any other process; it may be daunting at times, we may become discouraged and lose hope in the middle of it, or it may be more challenging that we anticipated. One thing to help propel us through the process is to have a vision of the end goal. When we are able to cast a vision and cling to the promise of our complete restoration, we will be able to endure the proces...

As with many things in life, vision should not be taken lightly. If our vision does not align with God’s, we will find ourselves of course in our daily lives. The longer we pursue a vision that is not in proper alignment, the further off course we will end up. Before we start casting vision for our lives, we need to be sure we are aligned with Him. Then our plans will align with His plans. Our pur...

A life without purpose is a life lacking worth. If you find your life today lacking purpose, cast a vision for tomorrow. “A vision is a picture of a preferred future that stirs passion and steers purpose” (Chip Judd).