By
Pastor Darryl Woodson
Colossians
1:12-18_Giving
thanks unto the Father, who has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who has delivered us from
the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: For by
him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible
and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And
he is before all things, and by him all things are held together. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Psalm
145:3_Great is the
LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
The
main focus for the church in this year 2014 is Discipleship, both at an
individual level as a disciple of Jesus Christ and as a body, being disciple
and disciplining others in our lives.
At
the start of every Sunday morning sermon, this declaration will be affirmed by
all the Christians in attendance;
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I am called to ‘go’ and make disciples.
I am part of a disciplining church.
By His Grace, I
will be a disciple and I will disciple others.
In Jesus’ Christ, Amen!
Now
to be a true disciple of Jesus is to abide in His Word. To abide is to exist, to continue, to dwell, rest, to stand firm.
We are called to the true form of being a disciple, to abiding in the Word of
God, to abide in Jesus.
John
8:31-32_Then
said Jesus to those Jews who believed on him, If you continue in my word, then
are you my disciples indeed; And you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Adam
and Eve had the seed of God in them and that kept them in connection to God
Himself constantly. Let us stay in constant communion with God.
A
disciple of someone doesn’t care what people around them say about whom or how
they follow, and this works both ways, whether of good or evil. We have to be
decided and disciples of Jesus Christ alone! We cannot afford to be
double-minded about who we are disciples to, only Jesus.
Because,
James
1:8_A double-minded
man is unstable in all his ways.
Not
living, abiding and dwelling in the Word and in redemption causes us to not
belief, to distrust in the Word of God. But in belief, we can ask anything of
the Father in His Will and receive it;
Luke
11:9-10_And
I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one
that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be
opened.
God’s
providence in 2014 will be greater in our lives mainly in the areas of our
faith, God’s favour and in our finances.
So
let us house-clean and get the squatters in our minds out for good. These
squatters spoken about are the strongholds in our minds.
2nd
Corinthians 10:3-5_For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the
flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strongholds ;) Casting
down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Abiding
in the Word of God will set us on the course to not heeding to ours fears, past
failures and problems, from the fear of taking risks and following were the
Spirit leads us even when we have to go in uncertainty. Let us go into
abandonment in 2014 and undertake the challenges that come our way, they prove
there is gold! Shalom!