rosegarden

a. Their are many world religions but only one way to God the Father. His Word says so and His Word is the ONLY Truth: (Jesus) I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9) This (Jesus) is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12) (The Word) -Jesus (the only one) came in human form (spotless - sinless - Son of God) in order to save all humanity (if they would accept His sacrifice in payment for the sin of Adam and become a new creature in Christ). Jesus became the second Adam, without sin, who came to save mankind. b. Everyone has their own opinion, but if it doesn't line up with the Word they are wrong. This offends the world because they think they can live anyway they please and do whatever they want and not have to answer to God or anyone else. Maybe if they give to charity or do a few good deeds they think they are ok. You can't even talk to them about sin., they are offended. It is not in their vocabulary. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 3:22-24) c. We can declare the truth to them by loving them and being an example of Christ and speaking the Word of God. Not condemning them but looking beyond their fault and see their need of Christ. Telling them that God is not mad at them but loves them. When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (Rom. 5:12) God's remedy was sending His only Beloved Son to die for them in their place and to bring them Salvation, Healing and Deliverance and to spend Eternity with Him. All He wants is to have fellowship with us as He did in the garden with Adam and Eve before they sinned and sin entered the world. If we don't accept the way God made for us by Jesus, their is an eternal hell that await us.

a. Jesus, our Rock represents strength, unmovable, unshakeable , powerful, hiding place and protection, things humanity wants. b. and c. These images repel people because of their pride, they are independent, don't need a savior, they can do for themselves. They will not humble themselves, cry out and fall upon This Rock for mercy and forgiveness. c. Jesus is my Rock, as He is my Lord and Savior, the Strength of my life, Provider, Protector, Healer, Deliverer, Friend that sticks closer than a brother, His Spirit lives in me, my body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and so much more He is to me. He is the Stone that others have rejected and He is a Sure Foundation.

a. We should conceive of the church as One (In Christ): Jesus the Head and we the Body. b. Both - We are one , the Church- all together. One God of the whole earth and one body of believers throughout the whole earth. That is how you can go anyplace in the world and meet another believer in Christ and you have the same Holy Spirit working in you and you really connect because we are One body of believers . c. As Jesus is the Head, we are to hear from Him, spend time with Him, as He did in prayer with the Father. We are to live according to the Word of God and are to treat one another with love and care. Hearing from the Head the Body works perfectly and in unison, one helping another with no schisms in the body and doing what the Lord purposed for us to do. Like our human body works perfectly doing what God purposed it to do, every organ, cell, nerve, artery, etc. helping one another and working in unison. d. The Pastor of the local church represents the Head. As he is a man of God and seeks guidance from the Lord, we are under the Pastor and help and minister to the people, such as laying hands on the sick, visitation at hospitals, praying for needs, distributing communion, teaching Sunday school, youth, child care, ministering to Seniors, etc. e. As a body we follow his leadership, we are to respect our leadership, as he is the head. By helping in the ministry, volunteering, helping with connect groups, choir, children's church, communications, wherever help is needed. We are to love and serve one another. We are the Body of Christ and in partnership with God to do the things He called us to do and be the things He called us to be.

a. The Good Shepherd cares for, feeds, protects, provides, restores, leads and guides, comforts, calls them by name and lays down his life for the sheep. He seeks and saves the lost ones. b. The hired hand is not faithful, does not care for the sheep but only for his own good, when there is trouble - he runs and cares not for the sheep and the sheep scatter and may never come back in the fold and many are turned away from the Lord. We can demonstrate that we are good shepherds being faithful, helping those in need, lead and guide them into all truth, pray for them, comfort them, encourage them when they need it, friend and disciple them.

a. Just as God had redeemed the Israelites from slavery and bondage, Boaz took on the role of Kinsman-Redeemer and married Ruth provided for her and cared for her. Jesus loved us, redeemed us, paid the price for our sin, buying us from slavery and bondage to sin by His own precious blood, cares and provides for us. b. We were lost and under the power of sin and definitely needed to be ransomed. We were under the sin of Adam and Eve which gave us our sin nature and caused us to sin continually. The people sinned so much, therefore, God gave Moses the 10 Commandment that they were to live by, which brought curses because his people continually broke the law. But, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree: (Gal. 3:13) c. The death of His Son. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

a. We can assist in Jesus' mission to seek and save the lost by letting Christ shine through us, living a holy life, spending time with the Lord praying for the Lost, being led by the Holy Spirit's prompting to speak to them. Who knows, we can plant a seed of the Word, or harvest what others have planted. Truly loving and having compassion for them, because we were there once. b. Sure, we want them to come into the Kingdom but they won't get there by our pushing and shoving. We are to love them, let our light shine, live a life of peace, prayer and caring. We have told them where we stand and they know it. When they want prayer, they know where to come. God is drawing them, pray for open hearts, laborers in the harvest field - people they might listen to, if not you.

a. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10 He came for those in need, those who were hopeless with no way out, those who thought that they sinned too much and that they could never be forgiven. Jesus loves everyone and is there for them, like a friend. He longs for them to trust and believe in Him and that He came to save them. To me personally, I was in a bad marriage and felt all alone. Not happy, said to myself there has got to be more to life than this. Someone told me how Jesus changed their life and I too wanted that. I trusted Jesus with my life and have never been the same. He is more than a friend to me. He is my life, my true happiness and so much more. b. Psalm 1:1 says this: Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. We are not to associate with sinners and do the things they do. We are not to look on the outward appearance but see their heart and their need for Jesus. Telling them that there is no sin that can't be forgiven. It would be so wonderful to see the miracle Jesus can do in making them a new creation. So Amazing!

a. We are to follow Jesus' example, as we are born of God by the Holy Spirit and His Spirit lives in us, we are to take the challenge of being obedient and doing what the Spirit encourages us to. Not our own will, living for ourselves, but being the Body of Christ and doing His will. As He was obedient to the Father and doing just what He saw the Father doing, and say what He heard the Father saying. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (Luke 4:18) Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:21) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (John 14:12) b. Humility is difficult because we sometimes still tend to walk in the flesh and not be obedient, pride rises up and we need to say no and let the Spirit have control' c. Obedience is hard because we still tend to want to do things our way, we still have doubt and fear about stepping into God's will totally and not really trusting He will take care of things when we step out it faith. d. I am still finding out who I am in Christ and the power and authority that is available to me. I am struggling with not stepping out like I should, rejection, doubt, not really trusting, because if I was, I would be doing it. I need like the mother bird does, to be pushed out of the nest and learn to fly. ?

a. We are to remember the Lord and proclaim His death till He comes again. Remember how much He loves us that He suffered and died for us. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21) The night Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My Body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (I Cor. 11:23-26) b. We should partake often so that we will always remember the Lord and what He has done for us. It is so easy to be taken up by the world and we need to keep that intimate union with Him, acknowledging sin and being continually cleansed and not muddied up with the things of this world. c. It is easy to forget what Jesus has done for us if we are taken up with things of this world and putting Him last. We need to remember how He has taken us from a world of sin and has given us His righteousness. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor. 5:17)

a. In the Old Testament, I recall that the Israelites, when they brought animals to sacrifice to the Lord they were to be a lamb with out spot. wrinkle or blemish, not a deformed animal and nothing could be wrong with them. They had to be perfect or they would not accept them. Jesus is the Lamb of God. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 18-19) b. Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him. (Heb. 9:25-28) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. (Ps. 103:12) c. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1Peter 3:18) I was the unjust, Christ represented me on Calvary. When He died, I died to sin. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1Peter 2:24)

a. We cannot be righteous in our own selves. Jesus bore my sin and gave me His Righteousness. He exchanged my sin for His Righteousness. "The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:11b). As His disciples we are to live Holy lives now that we have the Spirit of God (The Helper) residing in us. "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:14-16) Jesus is our Advocate if we do sin. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:(1John 2:1b) Jesus is in himself the Righteous and Holy One. When he lives in us and we in him, he infuses his own righteousness into our lives. b. Primary characteristics of sheep vs goats: Sheep - Doing the Works of God, feeding, loving, clothing, providing, caring for God's sheep. These showing they love God with all their heart and others, as themselves. Goats - Not caring for others and not loving God. Thinking only of themselves.

a. To me the I am and what it means to me is: that He is the I AM - He is everything we need or ever will need. - I am your Life, I am your Hope, I am your food, drink, happiness, joy, truth, peace, righteousness, song, delight - you could go on and on...... b. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) All the I AM's are so wonderful, but this word means the most to me because I want to go His Way, walk in and hear His Truth, and live His Life through me.

a. Jesus is Lord over all. He may not be Lord in us if we don't obey immediately, but He loves us, is patient and kind and is working in us. Being human we are drawn to things of this world and self but we are to renew our minds with the Word of God, spend more time in His presence hearing from Him and what He wants for us to do, being led by His Spirit in us. b. We need to know the Word, believe it, trust Him and follow His teachings and leadings. c. Surrender and really believe and trust in what He accomplished at Calvary included wholeness for my body also.

a. The title of "Lord" to Jesus means, at the very least, "master, superior," but is usually intended to refer to Jesus as divine. The characteristic Christian statement of faith is, "Jesus is Lord" (1 Corinthians 12:3). b. The title, "Lord Jesus Christ" contains a powerful and comprehensive statement about who Jesus is! He is God himself!

a. "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." (John 1:18) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1-2) And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35) b. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. (Eph. 1:5) We are adopted into God's Family by a spiritual birth when we asked Christ to come into our lives. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13) c. He is One with the Father . One Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made. d. The cross was very costly in the death and suffering of the Son of God but we look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2) It was God's plan because of His great love for us and because all that it accomplished for us - salvation, healing and deliverance and destroying the works of the devil. Oh, who can comprehend God's Love and wonderful grace in the giving of His Son for us.

a. Jesus is the Father's Beloved but God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) He did it all for us. It was a plan since the beginning of time. To deliver 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: (Col. 1:13-14) b. & c. It doesn't make sense in the natural but it does in the spiritual because that is how much God loves us. So much that He gave His life for us.

a. Jesus in His pre-existent state was in the form of God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) b. Yes, I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30) We pray to the Father in Jesus Name. c. Yes, I was in need and committed myself to the Lord and He revealed Himself to me. d. I love Jesus because He first loved me and revealed Himself to me and showed me what He was really like and that He loved me. In really getting to know Him I want to love Him more and more each day.

a. & b. Jesus loves me, saved and redeemed me and sent His Holy Spirit to live in me. I try to be sensitive to listen the voice of the Holy Spirit and to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:2-4 c. I need to be even more sensitive and to spend quality time in fellowship and praise and worship with Him and not to be distracted, because it is really not Him missing out but me.

a & b. In agriculture the A root, of course, is the source of a tree's life, A branch is a stem or extension from the axis of a tree, the fruit is the result of healthy growth. In the spiritual: God the Father the Root (the source of all life). He sent His Son Jesus, the Righteous Branch, we the Fruit. Passing it on: I am the vine (Jesus), ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5 "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit." (Isaiah 11:1) "'The days are coming," declares the LORD, 'when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.'" (Jeremiah 23:5) "In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land." (Jeremiah 33:15) "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." (Revelation 22:16) "See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed." (Revelation 5:5)

a. Because the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful miracles that he had done and were jealous because he was getting praise and honor from children calling Him the Son of David, but they would not give in to claiming he was the Messiah, even though everything pointed to it and even though those that were healed were calling Him the Son of David. b. The Son of David signified that He was a descendant of King David. He was the Messiah that came to save His people. He is King of Kings but His Kingdom is not of this world.

a. The Christ, the Son of the Living God. b. He was inspired not by flesh and blood, but by The Father in Heaven. c. He only told a few, His disciples and the woman at the well, and the demons knew it. To those He healed, they were told not to publish it but they did and then Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

a. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7) and: For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:2-5) b. A child is born - because He took on humanity in order to save us. Man of sorrows - Because He bore out sin, sickness and disease and delivered us.

a. Meaning of Christ and Messiah is: The Anointed One. b. The Davidic Covenant influenced Messianic expectation in Jesus day because it was a promise given by God (2 Sam. 7:12) When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. They had hopes of the coming Messiah who would establish His Kingdom and save them from their enemies and that He would be their King. But Jesus Kingdom was not of this world. (Luke 1:31- 33) Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”…

a. Jesus came to bear our sin, sorrows, pain, sickness and deliverance through His suffering on the cross. He continually had fellowship with the Father and encouraged in prayer came to do the will of the Father, but when in came crunch time He had to look to the Father and said not my will but thy will be done. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2). b. We too, when we experience sorrow need to come to the Father in prayer and knowing he cares for us, cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7) We need to release our sorrows and let go of them because Jesus already took them for us and gives us freedom, so we don't need to let them dominate our lives.

Since Jesus is God's Son and became Son of Man to pay the price for our sin and the sin of the whole world, we ought to be completely thankful, obedient and worshipful and continually giving God praise and worship. Who else could do what He has done and accomplished all that His death, burial, resurrection and Ascension did. This brings to mind excerpts from two beautiful songs: 1.) I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus, Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true. I would tell you how He changed my life completely; He did something no other friend could do. No one ever cared for me like Jesus; There's no other friend so kind as He. No one else could take the sin and darkness from me; O how much He cared for me. And to that, we sing this song: 2,) To Thee we ascribe glory, To Thee we ascribe honor, To Thee we ascribe power and majesty Holy is the Lord.