A Sure Hope – 23-May-2021

by Pastor Marie

A Sure Hope:
Keep Your Hope in View: moving forward

WE at RCF are continuing to move on to deeper Truth. 
Hebrew means “those who crossed over.” We have passed from shadows to substance and from doubt to the reality of faith.

This is the message of Hebrews 6.
It reads:
Verse 1: Now is the time for us to progress beyond the basic message of Christ and ADVANCE INTO PERFECTION. The foundation has already been laid for us to build on.
Verse 3: so, with God’s enablement, we will move on to deeper truths.

Heb 6 verse 11-12 reads: “We long to see you passionately advance until the end and you find your hope fulfilled. So don’t allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their faith and patient endurance.”
 
Heb 9:12 God’s Promise of eternal blessing is given on the basis of faith in the saving blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. He has paid the ransom forever.
 
Heb 10:35-36, this is the Promise of a new covenant and a new creation life.
 
Another name for testing is proving and advancing. We go from glory to glory, but there is suffering involved and walking through.
Heb 6:19
Heb 6:19-2AN UNSHAKEABLE HOPE! Heb 6:18
 
Jesus is the trailblazer [the Forerunner], and He blazed a trail for us to enter into this sacred chamber and seize the hope that has been already fulfilled in His eyes… to have a company of king-priests who will dwell with him in the holiest of holies and minister from there out to the nations of the earth… LIVING IN THE KINGDOM REALM DISPLAYING HIS GLORY.
 
In Hebrews 6:15-17, Abraham waited patiently in faith and succeeded in seeing the Promise fulfilled. God swore an oath added to His Promise to confirm his statement and end all disputes. He wanted to end all doubt and confirm it even more forcefully to those who would inherit his promises.
 
Let’s look at Abraham for a minute.
 
In Genesis 13, Genesis 14, Abram goes to war and wins against four enemy kings, recovering his nephew Lot. He would take none of the spoils from the enemy.
In Genesis 15, as a result, because of Abram’s integrity and actions, God called him and said Fear Not! I will be Your Faithful Shield and Your Abundant Reward. Abraham did not go to the enemy or the world for his supply but trusted God.
 
We can receive this word from our God as well; He WILL BE OUR FAITHFUL SHIELD AND OUR ABUNDANT REWARD as we remain faithful to Him trusting Him in our lives.

God gave Abram instructions to set up an altar to make a blood sacrifice. Abraham obeyed. God showed up.
 
Genesis 22 brings us to the testing of Abraham. He was instructed to sacrifice his only son Isaac on the altar on Mount Moriah.
Abraham heard God and obeyed Him. Testing means proving and also signifies an elevated banner. God allows us to see ourselves when we are in a difficult situation and shows us Who He is.

God had provided Isaac miraculously.
He also provided for Abraham, the ram in the thicket for the sacrifice.
Abraham made the altar on Mount Moriah, which means “chosen by Yahweh” and comes from a root word meaning “vision or sight.”

WE are called to our own Mount Moriah being chosen by Yahweh and see.
He’s the HOPE THAT HOLDS US… A SECURE ANCHOR. 

Hebrews 6:13-19
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever.”
We are Safe and Secure- Psalm 91

The Power Of His Love – 16-May-2021

by Pastor Roy Esposito

  • Ephesians 6:18   -” The Two-Edged Sword” of the Spirit
  • Established will of God
  • The Communicated will of God
  • Deuteronomy 32:2-3 – The Rain – Depth teachings of the Spirit
  • Acts 5:34-39 – Gamaliel — ”If the Teaching is of human origin it will fail.

From God — Unstoppable”

  • The handling of the Word of God must be intimate, personal, and seen as HOLY
  • 2 Samuel 6:1 – Ark transported from Abinadab to Jerusalem
  • Uzzah struck dead because the Presence of God can’t be steadied by human strength
  • The PRESENCE is HOLY and must be carried with Faithfulness, Reverence, Steadiness, and Sacrifice – not carted like a COMMODITY.

“Personal relationship with God in this manner is of greater benefit than any meeting, gift or doctrine.” – PR

  • Hebrews 2: 14-15 – The “LIGHT” releases those who through the fear of death are in bondage all their life
  • The devil – a PYTHON – a “constrictor” – Constricts us through FEAR and controls our worldview
  • I John 4:4 – “God IS Love.” – Love is the Opposite of Fear
  • John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay his life down for his friends.”
  • Our path to total freedom is to TRUST IN THIS
  • II Corinthians 5:14-15(TPT) – Christ’s love fuels our passion and motivates us.
  • I Corinthians 13:8 – “Love never fails!”
  • Love is the fulfillment of the law.
  • Jesus’ love is the LIGHT that fulfilled the law.
  • The power of the Cross does not just free us from SIN – it grants us freedom from the CAUSE of SIN.
  • Want to get Free? – Get LOVE — GET JESUS!
  • 1 John 2: 7-11(TPT)

”We need the Power of His Love more than the love of His Power!” –PR

  • In the “Valley” John could only see BABYLON  (Confusion and Chaos)
  •  Revelation 21:10 – Taken to a “great and high mountain” – Saw the New Jerusalem descending from heaven
  • Embracing the Power of His Love elevates us into the “Light” and away from the “valley of confusion and chaos.”

Shaking Free

Shaking Free

“Break through the FOG, into the FLOW, and Shake Free of the world!”

2Cor 10:4-5 (NKJV) — Cleanse thought channels

“Cast down arguments”  — B.Simmons — Citadels of argumentations

Citadel — A fortress that commands a city, used to CONTROL its inhabitants

Argumentations — Are not discussions of differences but are control devices spoken in arrogance. They are rebellious ideas and attributes that are subsequently reflected in rebellious and dishonorable behavior.

” High Things“ –  a PRIDEFUL attitude. It is a barrier to receiving the TRUE knowledge of God.

— Take prisoner every disobedient thought, scheme, or pattern of thought to stand before Christ’s reconciliation and cleansing

Renew your minds  — Rom 12:2(TPT) “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you ….”

Rom 12:1 — Surrender to God is an act of WORSHIP

Col 3:2 (TPT)  — “Fix on the things that are from above…”

Col 1:19-21Embrace the Cross  – brings all things back to their original intent

Col 3:3-4 (TPT)  — The Cross severed the tie to this life and reveals our true life in Christ

Eph 6:18  “Two-Edged Sword” A) The Written Word  established will of God  

                                                            B) Communicated will of God — Relationship with Him

— “Success in gaining spiritual authority depends on the degree of surrender and obedience  we choose to make to both aspects of or dimensions of His Word.”  — PR

– Spiritual Conflict  — God has allowed it b/c through it our substance and character are tested and proven

Battles are won through the Christ-like thoughts and the character they produce.

Jer 17: 10  – “I, the Lord, search the heart and mind — I give according to the fruit of one’s doings”

— Power is given to those whose character is tested and proven– Lk 4:1  Lk 4: 14

The FRUIT of transformation is TRUTH — Peace (Shalom) 

— “In order to convey Truth and give Peace to others we must first have them in our own hearts.”  — [ Eph 4:15 – AMP ]

People of True Faith live as though they actually BELIEVE what they say they believe. 

True Freedom — is the ability to live in balance with all created things and being able to enjoy them and use them reasonably without becoming dependent on them.

Jesus’ life was SPENT — not SAVED!     He poured out the resources and gifts He had generously and so was never chained to them or imprisoned  and constrained by them

Jn 14:30  – “ …..he has no hold on me.” — Jesus 

Simple Faith – 02-May-2021

Simple Faith

by Pastor Roy

— Postmodern worldview  — Nothing is truly knowable.  -No cycles, patterns, or absolutes

— Postmodern thinking — allows one to discredit and discount everything and everyone leaving loneliness and insecurity as a result

— Philosophically — Nihilism — NIHIL = NOTHING

— Creates a “Market Mentality” –  things have no INHERENT value only EXCHANGE value.

— “The Temple of Creation” becomes a place of buying and selling.   (Jn 2:15)

Col 1:27 – The Great Mystery  — Christ within our hope

Deception — Not a misrepresentation of doctrines or codes but is a result of NOT KNOWING HIM

“Market” worldview — Pulling each other downward in the spiral of skepticism instead of the mobility of HUMILITY

— “As long as we keep trying to deal with the mystery of evil in some other way than FORGIVENESS and HEALING we will continue to create negative ideologies like fundamentalism and nihilism.”  – Richard Rohr

— 2Cor 5:17 — Jesus– Lives as the Bridge to transformation and the Model of the New Creation

— He saves us from ourselves and offers us an antidote for the poison of nihilistic thinking —    SIMPLY BELIEVE, with SIMPLE FAITH!

— “If you want to know what kind of tree you’re looking at, look at its FRUIT— not its botanical name.”

Jn 14:18-24 — “I will not leave you orphans…”

Jn 14:16 — Gives the Holy Spirit to help us

Gifts –1Cor 12:7-11  —  and  Fruit —  Gal 5:22-23

GIFTS are GIVEN and are irrevocable (Rom 11:29),

   FRUIT must be GROWN.” — PR

— Matt 7:20 — Known by our fruit

— “People of true faith LIVE as though they mean what they say they BELIEVE.” – PR