God's alternatives.

Christians who are neither isolationists not conformists, but God's alternatives. What do alternatives look like? They are on the ship of culture, but they are not of the ship. They understand that the ship is eventually going to sink. But they also understand that their job is to offer the people an alternative to the options of religious legalism or carnal conformity, a way of escape from the judgment coming on the ship, as well as a new way of living while they're on the ship. God's alternatives show this sinking world system what God looks like in its midst. Alternatives understand that this present age is under God's judgment and will be destroyed someday. But an alternative does not stand by and watch while society self-destructs. As God's alternatives called the church, we are called to show the world what this ship would look like if it sailed under divine direction.
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Hopelessness

You feel alone. You feel like no one understands you, or will ever love you. You feel unseen, small, worthless. But the Lord has not only seen you, He made you from the first and loves you. He has a special purpose-just for you-that is vital to His plan. Rejoice now, for God is your Father and you do not take even one step by yourself.
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BISHOP JAKES LAST MINUTE CHANGE CAUSES HIM TO AVOID EXPLOSION AT HIS HOME
Bishop T.D. Jakes told the congregation at his church Sunday that alast-minute change of plans kept him from being killed in a naturalgas explosion at his Fort Worth home last week, according to anAssociated Press report.
At the Sunday service at The Potter's House in Oak Cliff, Jakes saidthat he would have been getting dressed near the site of the blast ifhe hadn't suddenly had a feeling that he should cancel a meeting.
Because of that, he was nowhere near the sunroom of his home when theexplosion occurred.
According to a report by WFAA-TV (Channel 8), Jakes was in anotherhome on the property at the time of the blast.
Lt. Ken Worley, spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department, toldreporters at the time that the explosion appeared to be accidental butthat no cause had been established.
The sunroom – originally a large patio that had been enclosed as partof a renovation – had a gas-fed pool heater and a large gas-fedbarbecue grill, Worley said.
Damage was centered in the sunroom, and there did not appear to be anystructural damage to the 15,000-square-foot home, he said.
There was no fire because the explosion consumed all the available gas, he said.

Your New identity in Christ.

Your new life in Christ should sustain you so that when you want to fall, no matter how hard you try you don't go anywhere because Christ sustains and supports you. Read (Romans 6:8-10). You say, "Well, how come I'm not experiencing that?" Because you must do something. Look at verse 11 and our key word: " Even so consider (reckon) yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Paul says, "You must reckon it to be so. Count it as true. Buy into your new identity in Christ." He is saying that if you know you've got a million dollar spiritual bank account, start writing checks on it. It's no good to have a million dollars and never reckon it to be so. You act on a million dollars by writing a check. Otherwise, you could live like you're broke. During the Civil War, it was legal for a man who wanted to stay out of the Union Army to pay someone to fulfill his draft obligations. Well, a man named Pratt paid a man named White to go to war in his place. White was killed. Pratt was re-drafted. But Pratt took the agreement between himself and White to the draft board and told them the second draft was invalid because he died "in White." The draft board had to agree Pratt was legally dead. When Satan comes to re-draft you into your old life when he tries to recall you to your old way of thinking, talking, and acting-you've got to show him the agreement. You've got to say," Jesus Christ has already died in my place. You can't draft me to that old life anymore. You can't take me back to that old way of thinking anymore. The payment has been made. You can't call me back into your service." Satan has no more claim over you, because when Jesus died, He died once. No more payments are necessary for you to have victor in your spiritual life. You've already died. Satan is like a deposed dictator who wants to keep running the show of your life. You must tell him that he has been kicked off the throne once and for all.
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The importance of Submission

Verses 22-24 of Ephesians 5 explain the doctrine of submission. Now this is a bad word to many women, because it has been defined so badly or used inappropriately to oppress or subjugate women. Most women hear the word submission and think, Oh, no, not that. The dreaded "s" word. But submission is a biblical concept. Jesus submitted Himself to the will of the Father, so we know right off that submission has nothing to do with inferiority. Jesus is equal to God the Father (see Phil. 2:6); He is "very God of very God," as the theologians say. So submission doesn't have to do with the wife being less than the husband. Submission has to do with accomplishing a divine agenda. Jesus submitted to the Father in order to accomplish the divine plan in our salvation. Husbands and wives are equal heirs of God's grace (see 1 Pet. 3:7). A wife is of the same value as her husband. Submission doesn't mean she has to be a doormat or any such thing. Any woman is equal to any man in value before God and man. But when it comes to His kingdom agenda a wife's submission is absolutely necessary. It means that she recognizes his position as head of the home to accomplish God's agenda in the world. Thus marriage, like the trinity, is a hierarchical partnership. While all parties are equal in value, essence, and significance, there is a distinction in function (hierarchy) in order to fulfill God's kingdom in history. This issue of submission hits right at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. Therefore, a wife who does not submit to her husband is not submitted to God. She can do all the spiritual stuff, but if she is not reverencing her husband as her head, she is living in carnality. I realize this may not be a popular message today, but God did not call me to be popular. I want to encourage and affirm Christian couples as they seek to carry out God's agenda. But before we can get this thing right, we need to be honest about the problems we face. What I'm about is helping you and me face ourselves honestly in the light of God's Word.
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Bible Study

Onlin Bible Study on wed: 7pm to 8pm go to www.kingdombuilderschurch.net Sunday church onlin from 10:00am to 12:00pm
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Marriage

In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul says that marriage is a picture of the relationship the church is to have to Christ. He is our Husband. When Paul talks about the submission of the wife and the headship of the husband, he says this is how Christ and the church relate to one another (vv. 22-24). When he instructs husbands to love their wives, the comparison all the way through is to Christ and His church. And just in case we might miss the point, Paul spells it out in verse 32: this mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. He's saying that there's something bigger here than the marriage of two people. Marriage is to be a picture of Christ and the church. Marriage was never merely an end in itself. It was created to be a picture of a bigger program. But as long as two people keep focusing on each other's differences and personalities and don't get along, they play right into Satan's hands. He wants to get us focused just on ourselves so that we miss this bigger picture. See if a husband has never learned to love and lead like Christ and a wife has never learned to respond like the church is supposed to respond, they are not only failing to live up to God's expectations for them; they are failing to reflect Christ and His church properly. The church is to respond to Christ the way a wife responds to a loving and self-giving husband. In this way the family functions as a mini-church in its community. Thus the world is never without a witness or without righteousness existing in its midst. God bless your marriage.
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