Knowing Your Covenant

May 2011 Newsletter

2011-06-20T14:25:00.002-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

We are living in an hour when all of creation is waiting for the “manifesting of the sons of God”, when the power of God is seen through the Church. The entire universe is crying out for the climax of the ages and the return of Jesus Christ. And we are here to do business on behalf of our King, Jesus, and as His Ambassadors, we are here to manifest His Kingdom. We’re not here to take sides, we’re here to take over! But we can’t do that as long as we are still infants and toddlers.

The Father wants us to grow up, and if we’re grown up, that means that we are no longer carnal. If we are still carnal that means that we are still subject to the flesh, and God wants us to grow up into a spiritual man and have our flesh take a back seat. That’s when we’ll walk in the fullness of His power and anointing, and do the works of God.

Legally through Jesus Christ, we have inherited all things. Jesus has been appointed heir of all things, and because we have received Him as our Lord and Savior, we are now children of God, so then we are now heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. And the blessings that God has planned for us to enjoy legally belong to us now. Jesus bought and paid for them through His death and resurrection, and satan cannot legally take our inheritance from us. But when we fail to appropriate the promises of God, we are actually handing them over to the enemy.

Galatians 4:1-7, “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is the master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world, but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father”! Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Verse 2 tells us that as a young child we were under a tutor or someone who has been placed in a position of teaching and training us until we are ready to take full responsibility. But until that time, even though you are an heir of the entire estate, you are not yet ready to totally take possession with all of the rights and full privileges.

In the Book of Hosea, God spoke through the prophet saying, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” And He was speaking of Israel, but the same truth applies to the church today. Israel was not only destroyed because of a lack of knowledge, but also because they rejected that knowledge and refused to listen to the laws of God and obey them. They were in rebellion! And because of this lack of knowledge that still exists in so many of God’s people today, many have been deceived and act as though there is nothing that can be done about the attacks from the enemy, and somehow they have to accept them and learn how to live with all of the adverse circumstances in their lives. But their eyes have been blinded from seeing their true position of strength and power in Jesus Christ, because they haven’t grown up.

One of the satan’s strategies in this hour is to bring God’s children to a place where they have hardened their hearts against God and against His government, and those He has placed in authority over them. Eventually they are led to a place where they are totally alienated from God. And Paul warns us that satan will lead us, step by step into a deep, dark pit of spiritual darkness, where we are not only alienated from God, but we are unable and unwilling to hear His Voice and we become calloused, disobedient, and totally unrepentant. And this does not happen overnight. It is a gradual progression of steps.

If you remember, Israel refused to hear God’s voice and instead they murmured and complained against God and against Moses. They were filled with unbelief; they didn’t believe that God would do as He had promised and so they rebelled against Him, refusing to obey the charge He had given to them to go in and take possession of the Land. They chose instead to follow after their own will. And as a result of their disobedience and sin against God, they were not allowed to enter into the Promised Land. And the Apostle Paul drew a parallel.

The children of Israel were given covenant promises and an inheritance that was theirs based upon their faithfulness and obedience to God. And just as they had forfeited their inheritance, Paul warned the believers of the possibility of losing their position and inheritance through the sin of unbelief and the hardening of their hearts. Hebrews 3:12-14, “Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” And although Paul wrote this to the early Church, he is actually exhorting you and I to examine our hearts to see if there is any unbelief, because it is through that sin that our hearts become hardened toward God.

The Father wants to build you up. He wants you to go in and possess the land. Every place that the sole of your foot shall thread belongs to you. He expects you to rule it and to govern it; He does not expect the enemy to come in and tell you what to do. He wants you to rise up on the inside so that you will become the master, and as the master, you will no longer fall for the lies of the enemy. When you get strong, you are not weak in any area of your life. You’re “meek” because we are told that the “meek shall inherit the earth”, but being meek does not mean that you are weak.. The definition of meek in the dictionary means: to be patient and mild; not inclined to anger or resentment. It also means that you are teachable.

As Ambassadors of God, we are to advance the Kingdom, and society in general is supposed to reflect our influence, but something has happened. It’s exactly what happened when the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land. They had an identity crisis. Israel BECAME the product of their environment. But we have something they didn’t have in that Jesus prayed that the Father would keep us above all of the evil that is in the world. Israel became a product of their environment, but the Father has provided everything we need to keep us from becoming a product of our environment. We are IN the world but we are NOT OF the world.

When you are grown up in God, you are no longer carnal but have become a spiritually mature man or woman of God, and the devil will no longer be able to pull anything on you that you can’t see first. If you stay up there with God, He’ll show you everything that is coming on this earth. Scripture tells us that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” And the scripture also tells us, “How can they hear without a preacher?” The body of Christ has been waiting for the shepherds to feed them the right food, because the quality of intake will determine the strength of your output. In other words, as an infant we were told to “desire the sincere milk of the Word”, but as we begin to mature, we now have teeth and we need to be fed meat. The quality of the Word that you take time to put into your heart will determine the strength you walk in. We are called to stand in the gap, not make gaps in the wall. We are supposed to take our place on the wall and do the impossible. But to do that, we have to grow up.

If you would like a complete copy of this 5 part series entitled Growing up in God, ask for CD110510-CD110522. Please allow fifteen days for delivery.

Love,

Paula

P.S. I want to thank my Internet listening congregation located in the United States, France, Italy, Canada, China, Latvia, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland, and Romania, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, Kenya, Zambia, India, Uganda, and the Philippians. As you sow your financial seed this month, know that you are a part of reaching the Nations for Christ as partners with this ministry, and sow it from that place of victory as an overcomer and one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has taken care of all of your needs. We have over 511 connections in the United States; 396 are in TEXAS, and the remainder is in other Nations throughout the world.

We are still working on the 24 hour a day Internet radio that will broadcast teachings and Christian music that are prevalent to the hour we live in; that will uplift and encourage you. Prayerfully it will be ready by the end of April. Also, if you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Knowing Your Covenant is back on KDKR at 91.3 fm, 92.1 fm, and 97.5 fm on your radio dial at 7:45 every Sunday morning. We are also on KXEG, 1280am on your radio dial, in Phoenix, Arizona at 7:45 a.m. We are also in prayer and making plans for our first mission trip to Africa!

Join us live at www.knowingyourcovenant.com at 10:30 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings. Click on the “Listen Live Audio” button on our website for audio only. Or you can click on the “Live Video Streaming” button for the live video for those of you that want to see a live video.

• I would like to receive the complete series on "Growing up in God" for a love offering of $25.00.
• I would like to receive the single CD on “How To Survive In Tough Times” for a love offering of $7.00.

If you can’t afford to make a love offering at this time, please contact our ministry. It’s important that we get the Word of God into your hands, and the Lord will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory! Please allow 15 business days for delivery.

The Word tells us: “If two of you shall agree as touching anything on earth, it will be agreed in heaven.” Please contact us via the website if you are in need of prayer.

June 7 at sundown marks the birth of the Church. It is the Feast of Weeks, or what we know as the Feast of Pentecost, and I will be holding a private conference for the Spiritually Mature Women of God. For information, contact the ministry office at 972-517-1418.

If you would like to hold a conference or seminar in your hometown, or if you would like more information about this ministry or how you can be part of the outreach of this ministry, please contact our office during business hours, Monday through Friday, or go to our website at www.knowingyourcovenant.com.

April 2011 Newsletter

2011-06-20T13:55:00.002-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

As we prepare to celebrate both the Feast of Passover and the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I would like us to spend a few moments to understand what we are actually celebrating.

Many people believe that the feasts that God instituted were only observances for the children of Israel and are no longer relevant to believers today. But the truth is, they are very significant. They reveal important truths about the relationship God wants us to have with Him today, and His supernatural provision for every area of our lives. The feasts that God established as His feasts reveal to us the manifold blessings He provided for us, and He wants us to keep His feasts, not only through the outward observance and rituals, but by fully recognizing what they represent, and then taking hold of His blessings by faith and appropriating them in our own lives today.

These feasts are what the Bible calls “holy convocations”, which have been established by God Himself. Two very important Hebrew words appear in the Book of Leviticus, chapter 23, and each word is translated as “feast” in the English language. Leviticus 23:1-2, “And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying: ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, concerning the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be “holy convocations”, even these are My feasts.”

The Hebrew word “miqra” is translated as “convocation” and it means: “a rehearsal”. So, we can see from this that God gave these festivals to be yearly rehearsals of the future events in the plan of our redemption. He gave us these times of rehearsal to teach us about the major events in the redemption of mankind, and if we want to understand those major events, then we need to have an understanding of what God was teaching us BY and THROUGH these rehearsals.

The word “mo’edh” means: an appointment or a fixed time; a fixed season or an appointed time. God Himself delivered Israel from the bondage of slavery and He commanded all of us to observe this “appointed” holy day, the feast of Passover, throughout all generations as a memorial, beginning with Moses and the children of Israel.
God spoke to Moses and told him: “I will use you to bring My people out of the land of Egypt; out of bondage and slavery, and you will be an instrument in My hands to redeem My people and bring them to freedom.” Now, the curse of sin was brought upon mankind through the disobedience of Adam, and there was only one way the curse could be removed. It had to be bought and paid for by the shedding of blood. So God told Moses to take a lamb to be slaughtered. But how could an innocent lamb have anything to do with the deliverance of His people? How could a lamb provide the necessary strength? But God said: “….that the lamb shall be their means of escape… And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses; ….the blood shall be to you for a “token” upon the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you…”

It was not just in the killing of the lamb, but in the shedding of the blood that is a parallel of The Blood that would one day flow on the Cross at Calvary. They were to kill that lamb at sundown right in the doorway of their home. The blood was to drain into a basin, and then they were to take the blood of the lamb and cover all of the doorposts on the three sides with it. So, the entire doorway to their home was covered in that shed blood. And God told Moses that the blood was to be a sign to Him, that when the death angel brought destruction, He would pass over the homes with the blood coverings. That blood provided their protection and their escape from death, and would also provide their victory! That innocent lamb became their substitute, making it possible for the Lord’s judgment to pass over them, and so it was that God Himself instituted the Passover as “A night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt.”

On the night before Jesus was to lay down His own life for the sins of the world, He celebrated the Feast of Passover with His own disciples. When the day had come that the sacrificial lamb was to be killed, He sent Peter and John to make preparation for them to celebrate that appointed time together, and the disciples did as Jesus had instructed them to do and prepared the Passover meal (Luke 22). When everything was prepared and they were seated around the table, Jesus, KNOWING in a few hours HE would suffer and die, told them, “I have earnestly and intensely desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer….”(Luke 22:15) And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying: “This is My body which is given for you; this DO in remembrance of Me.” And then He took the cup in His hands and said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26) Luke 22 says; “This cup is the New Testament in My blood which is shed for you.”

What a glorious moment it was as they celebrated this Passover meal. There in that Upper Room, as He was preparing to lay down His life and to give Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and shed His own blood, He was celebrating this “appointed” festival and Covenant meal with His disciples. This would mark the end of the Old Covenant and the establishment of a New and better Covenant with God. This was the hour that God had ordained from the foundation of the world! This was the day that HE would enter into a blood covenant relationship with man, and it would be sealed with the Blood of His only Begotten Son. In just a few hours Jesus Himself would become that spotless sacrificial Lamb, Who was slain to take away the sins of the entire world. He would be that ONE perfect sacrifice that would be offered on the Altar of Almighty God! The following day He would become the sacrificial offering; “The Lamb of God” without spot or blemish. Can you imagine the emotion that welled up inside of Jesus as HE ate the flesh of that lamb? That lamb signified His own sacrificial death. And He drank of the fruit of the vine that represented His own blood. Through His death, Jesus fulfilled the Passover Feasts. As the sacrificial Lamb of God was slain, His blood was shed for the remission of OUR sins.

This was the hour for which He had waited when the purpose of His coming to the earth would be fulfilled. Hebrews 10:5-7, “Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but instead You have made ready a body for Me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no delight;….Lo, here I Am come to do Your Will, O God, to fulfill what is written of Me in the Volume of the Book.”

Isaiah 53:7, tells us that: “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened NOT His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened NOT His mouth.” As we celebrate Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday right up until Resurrection Sunday, I want you to realize that this is OUR celebration! And the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the very day that changed the course of history; this is the day that left its mark on all of eternity! And this is the day of all days! Glory to God!

The blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb applied to the doorposts, kept the children of Israel safe from the destroying angel of death and was the means that God used to deliver them out of Egyptian bondage. The Blood of Christ that was shed on the cross, when it is applied to your life, cleanses you from sin and has the power to completely destroy every bondage of satan. The blood of Jesus is the basis for your release, and you are no longer a slave to sin, because you are a child of God. Throughout His death, Jesus fulfilled the Passover feast, and as the sacrificial Lamb of God was slain, His blood was shed for the remission of our sins.

If you don’t know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can send me a personal note, or you can email me at pastor@streamsoflifechurch.com, and I will personally write you back and pray with you.

Love,

Paula

P.S. I want to thank my Internet listening congregation located in the United States, France, Italy, Canada, China, Latvia, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland, and Romania, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, Kenya, Zambia, India, Uganda, and the Philippians. As you sow your financial seed this month, know that you are a part of reaching the Nations for Christ as partners with this ministry, and sow it from that place of victory as an overcomer and one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has taken care of all of your needs. We have over 511 connections in the United States; 396 are in TEXAS, and the remainder is in other Nations throughout the world.

We are still working on the 24 hour a day Internet radio that will broadcast teachings and Christian music that are prevalent to the hour we live in; that will uplift and encourage you. Prayerfully it will be ready by the end of April. Also, if you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Knowing Your Covenant is back on KDKR at 91.3 fm, 92.1 fm, and 97.5 fm on your radio dial at 7:45 every Sunday morning. We will also be on KXEG, 1280am on your radio dial, in Phoenix, Arizona beginning May 1, 2011 at 7:45 a.m.

Join us live at www.streamsoflifechurch.com at 10:30 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings. Click on the “Listen Live Audio” button on our website for audio only. Or you can click on the “Live Video Streaming” button for the live video for those of you that want to see a live video. You can also contact us via our “blog” at www.streamsoflifechurch.blogspot.com.

• I would like to receive the complete series on “Righteousness” for a love offering of $25.00.
• I would like to receive the single CD on “How To Survive In Tough Times” for a love offering of $7.00.

If you can’t afford to make a love offering at this time, please contact our ministry. It’s important that we get the Word of God into your hands, and the Lord will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory! Please allow 15 business days for delivery.

The Word tells us: “If two of you shall agree as touching anything on earth, it will be agreed in heaven.” Please contact us via the website if you need prayer.

February 2011 Newsletter

2011-03-12T16:34:00.002-06:00

Dear friend in Christ,

Last month we talked about the Kingdom of God, and that His Kingdom HAS come. His Kingdom is inside of you and me, and our assignment from the Father is to bring the principles of this Kingdom to the world. But the love factor is something that we really need to give our attention to because if we want to go higher with God, we have to go higher in Love. And you’ll have lots of opportunity NOT to love, but you and I cannot advance the Kingdom unless we walk in the Love of God and obey the commandment that Jesus gave us. And when those opportunities come to get out of the Love walk, just step to the side and check yourself, and then bring yourself right back in step with the Love of God. Because everything in the Kingdom of God hangs on that Commandment that Jesus gave us.

Matthew 22:37-40, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and GREAT commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these TWO commandments hang ALL of the Law and ALL of the Prophets.”

We’re not talking about what the world calls “love”, we’re talking about the Love of God. The Agape Love of the Father, and it’s not a “feeling”, it is a CHOICE. Just like the choice we make to live an honorable clean life, and to walk in integrity and truth.

2 Timothy 2:20-22 tells us that, “In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor…if a MAN purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor; sanctified and meet for the master’s use and prepared for every good work…”

This scripture tells us that we are to purge ourselves. God’s house is a large house and there are both the vessels of honor and those that are vessels of dishonor, but get it straight right now, GOD wants everyone to be a vessel of honor! And you are the one who makes that choice!!!

I want to talk to you for the next few minutes about the justice of the Father that has in fact COME on this earth. If you get into the Bible and work your way through it, you’ll find that God’s justice begins in the Book of Genesis all the way through the end of Revelation. Even to the point where Abraham was talking to God and asked if the God of all the earth would “DO RIGHT.” He was talking to Him about the condition of Sodom and Gomorrah and all that was going on in that mess. The Word of God contains the very justice coming on the earth from Almighty God. And I had no idea that this Bible spoke so much about His justice until I began doing a study on this subject.

In the Book of Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet speaks about God’s justice coming on this earth: “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father (of Eternity), Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with JUSTICE, and with righteousness……even forevermore……” (Amplified)

This is a key ingredient for the Kingdom manifestation on the earth in these final moments. The Kingdom of God is the Government of God and it is the rule and the reign of God. We’re talking about the realm above this realm. It is a supernatural realm, and although it is invisible to the natural physical eye, it is very real. It is another reality and Jesus Himself preached on it. And my brothers and sisters, everybody in this world is looking for it. People want the “supernatural” and they look for it everywhere. They’re looking for peace, prosperity, health, and safety. They’re looking for a place where they can have peace and joy in their lives, and what they’re looking for is the very Kingdom of God.

We’re talking about a heavenly reality. And when Jesus came, He preached about the gospel of the Kingdom and said, “…the Kingdom of God is not in meat and drink, but in righteousness and peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost.” People from all over the world are trying to get into the United States; they’re trying to immigrate here because they want that peace and joy, and they’ve heard that the United States is the land of opportunity, and it is!

So, the Kingdom of God is God’s government bringing that reality into the earth. And when we received Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we not only became a member of God’s family, born again INTO that Kingdom, but the Kingdom itself became a part of us, and we are to go out into the world and establish His Kingdom on the earth.

Do you remember when Jesus told Nicodemous, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” And Nicodemus said, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born? And Jesus said, “Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh IS flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” In the original Greek that scriptures says, “You must be born from above.” So there is another reality that exists. And our assignment as ambassadors for Christ is to bring this Kingdom reality to the earth and make this earth just like it is in heaven.

The Kingdom of God has come, and if you are born again, this Kingdom is set up in your heart (your spirit man) and will manifest in your life through the blessing. And the blessing is powerful enough to change anything in your life that has been destroyed and turn it around. You can reverse the curse that you have in your life right now by getting to the place where the Kingdom of God is truly a reality in your own life. But there are certain things we have to do. One of those things is to make the decision to die to self! To know Christ in the power of His resurrection, we absolutely must know Him in the fellowship of His suffering and be willing to be conformed unto His death.

But there are few Christians who truly know what it means to die to self, and even fewer who have actually experienced that. And that’s one reason why there is such a severe lack of power in so many of our churches today. Most Christians are not willing to put their flesh down. To be truly dead to self and walk with Christ in obedience to God’s Will and to be united with Him, you must be willing to give up all claims to your life. Every day you must be willing to deny SELF and to take up God’s Will for your life.

If you want to know Him in the power of His resurrection, and if you want a full demonstration of the power of God in your own life, you must be willing to die to self and walk that road to Calvary with Him; to walk that road of obedience to God’s will and that you no longer have any rights or desire of your own. And the driving force behind all of your thoughts and actions must be in knowing and then DOING the Will of God.

If you don’t know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can send me a personal note, or you can email me at pastor@streamsoflifechurch.com, and I will personally write you back and pray with you.

Love,

Paula

P.S. I want to thank my Internet listening congregation located in the United States, France, Italy, Canada, China, Latvia, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland, and Romania, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, Kenya, Zambia, India, Uganda, and the Philippians. As you sow your financial seed this month, know that you are a part of reaching the Nations for Christ as partners with this ministry, and sow it from that place of victory as an overcomer and one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has taken care of all of your needs. We have over 511 connections in the United States; 396 are in TEXAS, and the remainder is in other Nations throughout the world.

We have a brand new feature that will be up and running, prayerfully, before the end of February…..a 24 hour a day Internet radio that will broadcast teachings and Christian music that are prevalent to the hour we live in; that will uplift and encourage you. And if you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Knowing Your Covenant is back on KDKR at 91.3 fm, 92.1 fm, and 97.5 fm on your radio dial at 7:45 every Sunday morning.

Join us live at www.streamsoflifechurch.com at 10:30 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings. Click on the “Listen Live Audio” button on our website. You can also contact us via our “blog” at www.streamsoflifechurch.blogspot.com.

• I would like to receive the complete series on “The Kingdom”for a love offering of $25.00.
• I would like to receive the single CD on “How To Survive In Tough Times” for a love offering of $7.00.

If you can’t afford to make a love offering at this time, please contact our ministry. It’s important that we get the Word of God into your hands, and the Lord will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory! Please allow 15 business days for delivery.

Our Sunday morning services are now at the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Allen, TX. The address is 1220 N. Central Expwy. We are also streaming the audio for all those who are part of this ministry via the Internet. Praise the Lord! Tell someone to listen in or invite someone to join us for fellowship and service.

January 2011 Newsletter

2011-02-15T18:53:00.002-06:00

Dear friend in Christ,

Shalom and Happy 2011!! I pray that you had a very merry and blessed Christmas and I’m believing with you for a prosperous, joyous and peaceful new year. Last year is over so be done with it, good or bad. The past has passed, and it’s a new year closer to our Lord’s return!

We’re living in an hour when the world, and the things IN the world are dark and there seems to be no peace. In fact, we are truly living in the final moments of what the Bible calls the Last Days. The people in the world, who are without Covenant with God, are earnestly and diligently seeking peace. They look for it everywhere; in relationships, in drinking, in drugs, in shopping and over-spending, all in an attempt to fill the void and bring them peace. Most people spend their entire lives working and striving to obtain the very best that this world has to offer. But no matter how much they have, they’re never satisfied and they continually want more or something better.

One of the greatest attacks by the enemy in the battles we face in our mind is in the area of worry. Both the real and the imagined worries attack our minds on a daily basis as the pressures and the stress of these end times press in on us from all sides in an attempt to discourage us and take our eyes off of the Word and the promises of God. And if you’re like most Christians today, you spend hour after hour and day after day worrying about your finances, and how you will pay your bills, how you will be able to make your house payment or your rent; how you will be able to buy food and clothing and the other necessities of life. But God wants you free and delivered from those worries and those cares. He wants you to walk in victory where there is absolutely no room for worry or doubt because you know that God will supernaturally provide for all your needs. In fact, in the Book of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus commands us to lay aside all worry. Matthew 6:31, “…..take no thought saying what shall I eat, or what shall I drink, or how will I be clothed?......Verse 33, “But seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” The Amplified Bible puts it this ways: “But seek, aim at and strive after first of all HIS Kingdom and His righteousness; His way of doing and being right, and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” And that’s quite a promise!

Jesus told us in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy, but I have come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” I believe that one way the enemy tries to steal our joy and our peace is by trying to get our minds off of Jesus and then onto the problems and the pressures in the world. Satan knows that if we keep our eyes on Jesus that we’ll realize that He has already defeated the enemy, so he continues to do everything he can to keep our eyes on the problems and the cares of our life, and not on the answer. I’m telling you today that no matter what you might be facing, if you’ll look to Jesus, HE IS the answer and HE IS your peace. The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom, which literally means: nothing missing and nothing broken. And that’s God’s desire for each one of us, that we have His peace in our lives. Do you remember the words of our Savior when He said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you, not as the world….let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

“Arise shine, for thy light is come, and the Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the DARKNESS shall cover the earth, and GROSS darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His Glory shall be seen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1-2)

When Jesus was born, the Father looked 33 years down the road at how Jesus would die and rise again to bring us freedom and salvation, so He said, “I’ll just declare peace on earth NOW! And when the shepherds were living out in the fields “keeping watch” over their flock of sheep, an angel of the Lord brought them the Good News and Tidings of GREAT JOY! Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, PEACE, goodwill toward man.” Peace from God to you and to me! If you have made Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior, His Glory should be seen on you because you are part of His Kingdom and no matter where we go in this world, we bring His Kingdom and the provisions of His Kingdom with us.

God has always planned for you and I to enjoy perfect peace, and He sent Jesus, Who is our peace! He didn’t just bring the message about peace. He is the Prince of peace, and He is the only real source of peace in our lives. When Satan entered the Garden of Eden he brought with him sin, sickness, death. poverty, hatred, rebellion, and fear. When Adam and Eve fell, Satan gained the power over mankind and we were separated from God and in dire need of a Savior. And Praise God, the Father sent Jesus into the earth. Our Savior HAS come! He was born to set us free. John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” And then the scripture in 1 John 3:8, “…for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Jesus Christ is our Savior! He has delivered you from anything the enemy tries to throw in your direction, and it does not matter how hard or how difficult things get in your own life, or what you might be faced with, if Jesus is your Savior, then He is a friend Who sticks closer than a brother. Jesus told us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you; I Am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” And He is the greatest example we have of a life that was dedicated to the work of the Kingdom of God.

As a soldier in God’s great end-time army, you absolutely must know that there are no victories without battles. The Word tells us, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of all of them." You won’t sail through life without facing times of pressure, but we have a promise from God that He will never leave us in that condition. We are to look to Jesus Who is our example of someone who was dedicated to the work of the Kingdom, and I believe that we can’t even begin to comprehend the extent of Satan’s brutal attack on Him. Jesus was tempted at all points, even as we are, yet without sin because He was alert, consistent, obedient, even unto death, and disciplined! And the breakthroughs in our life come through the characteristics of Jesus Christ Himself working in our lives through dedication in prayer and in faithfulness to stand on His Word in faith, and then ACT on those promises.

The world’s system is crumbling under the deceptive control of demonic spirits. The very government of this world system is corrupt and is being led by a thief; Satan himself controls the kingdoms of the world. He is the prince of the power of the air, and he is the ruler over the evil powers and principalities of the darkness of the world. He rules over the world system, and he designed it to crumble. Now, he does rule over the world’s system, but he is NOT in control of the world because the world does not belong to him. God has not given him the power or the authority to exercise dominion over it.

As prince of this world, Satan does not have dominion or control over the believer! We have, in fact, been delivered out from under Satan’s power and dominion of darkness and we have been born again INTO the Kingdom of God. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He turned all of that authority and dominion in this earth over to us…. “All authority has been given unto Me….now YOU GO in My Name….”. We are part of God’s Kingdom, and that Kingdom is not of this world. The entire system on the earth has been established on a foundation that God did not build. Satan cannot create anything, and he cannot think of anything new, so he took God’s plan and he perverted it. He did this so he could manipulate people and cause them to have no relationship with the Father, or even have a revelation of His Kingdom. He works through people who are blinded from the Truth, and uses them to build his own kingdom. And as the prince of the air, Satan is behind a system that controls the economics and the finances of this world. He controls all of the man-made religions, and the political processes on the earth. But we have the Kingdom of God inside of us, and we are to rule over everything that Satan has established.

The Kingdom of God HAS come, and that Kingdom is inside of you. We are to bring the principles of God’s Kingdom to the world. If you don’t know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can send me a personal note, or you can email me at pastor@streamsoflifechurch.com, and I will personally write you back and pray with you.

Love,

Paula

P.S. I want to thank my Internet listening congregation located in the United States, France, Italy, Canada, China, Latvia, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland, and Romania, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, Kenya, Zambia, India, Uganda, and the Philippians. As you sow your financial seed this month, know that you are a part of reaching the Nations for Christ as partners with this ministry, and sow it from that place of victory as an overcomer and one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has taken care of all of your needs. We have over 511 connections in the United States; 396 are in TEXAS, and the remainder is in other Nations throughout the world.

Pass along our website to your friends and loved ones. We have a brand new feature that will be up and running, prayerfully, by the end of January…..a 24 hour a day Internet radio that will broadcast teachings and Christian music that are prevalent to the hour we live in; that will uplift and encourage you.

Join us live at www.streamsoflifechurch.com at 10:30 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings. Click on the “Listen Live Audio” button on our website. You can also contact us via our “blog” at www.streamsoflifechurch.blogspot.com.

• I would like to receive the complete series on “The Kingdom”for a love offering of $25.00.
• I would like to receive the singe CD on “How To Survive In Tough Times” for a love offering of $7.00.

If you can’t afford to make a love offering at this time, please contact our ministry. It’s important that we get the Word of God into your hands, and the Lord will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory! Please allow 15 business days for delivery.

News Flash! We’re moving to a new location at the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Allen, TX. The address is 1220 N. Central Expwy. We will still be able to stream the audio on Sunday mornings according to the management staff there. Praise the Lord! Tell someone to listen in or invite someone to join us for fellowship and service.

November/December 2010 Newsletter

2011-02-15T18:47:00.003-06:00

Dear friend in Christ,

I would like to begin this letter by thanking you for your prayers and for your kind notes this past month. Pastor Rick is recovering nicely and we are giving all of the praise and glory for his full restoration to our Heavenly Father.

It seems that the season of fall, which is truly one of my favorite times of year, came and went before I had the chance to really enjoy the beautiful landscape and the crisp frosty mornings. There were so many things that needed my attention in the ministry, and then my husband had emergency heart surgery just two weeks ago. Fall is the season of reflection and it’s a time to gain a new perspective and take the time to evaluate what we accomplished the past year, establish the goals that we want to reach, and remind ourselves of all the things that God has provided for us. Thanksgiving is a reminder that God has always been faithful. For me, this has always been a time of quiet reflection on the past and a time to focus on the solid and simple things of life that we take for granted. Like our health and the very fact that Jesus HAS redeemed us and delivered us from the entire curse; that “By His stripes we ARE healed”! It’s time for you and me to usher in the sincere spirit of gratitude and praise to our Heavenly Father and what He provided through the gift of His Son.

We’re doing a study of the Last Days events in our church, and one of the things that we have to understand is that we have been sent here from another government to do diplomatic business on behalf of our King. We are here to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth as Ambassadors for God.

In the Book of Matthew chapter 6 and verse 33, it says: “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all HIS Kingdom and His righteousness, and His way of doing and being right, and THEN all these things taken together will be given to you besides.”(Amplified Bible) One of the strongest attacks of the enemy comes in the area of worry. Both real and imagined worries attack our minds daily as the pressures and stress of these end times press in from every side to try to discourage and defeat us. But Jesus commands us to put worry aside, and He encourages us that we SEE that our heavenly Father has faithfully provided for every need that we have. He assures us that the Father knows what we need even before we ask, so there’s no reason to be concerned. And He goes on to explain to us that there is a higher purpose in seeking those things that are above then just filling our own needs. It will release the blessings of God into our life, and bring us the answers that we need to every situation and problem we face. That’s God’s supernatural intervention on our behalf, and when we do it this way, then our needs will be His Righteousness, and that’s when all these things that you need in life shall be added unto you.”

The Kingdom of God is another reality. It is the very rule and reign of God; it is the government and the system of God, and Jesus told us to pray to the Father, “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God throughout the gospels, and He told us that the Kingdom of God is within us. Luke 17:20-21, “And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the Kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said: “the Kingdom of God comes NOT with observation; neither shall they say, look here or look there, for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”

The Kingdom of God is not some distant place in heaven where we are going “someday”. Jesus said in Luke 10:8-9, “….whatever city you enter…heal the sick that are there and say unto them, “The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” In other words, we are bringing the Kingdom with us. But, we’re not here to take sides; we are here to take over.

In the Book of Daniel chapter 2, we see where King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and that dream really disturbed him. Now, he couldn’t remember his dream and he called for all of the magicians and soothsayers, the wizards, and so forth, to come in and tell him what his dream was, and what it meant. But they couldn’t do that…..Verse 12-13, “For this cause the King was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all of the wise men of Babylon……” In other words, it didn’t look good for the men of Babylon, including Daniel and his three friends. But Daniel approached the throne and said, “I can get the answer from God…for I know that My God knows what to do, and He knows the dream that the King had.” Well, Nebuchadnezzar gave Daniel some time to seek God, and the Lord revealed to Daniel in a night vision what the dream was and what it meant. In essence, there was a statue in his dream that had a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, the belly and thighs were brass, the legs were of iron, and the feet were part clay and part iron. It represented the different Kingdoms and the different ruler ships in the world. And in that same dream he saw a stone that was cut out without hands, and that stone came and destroyed the statue and broke it to pieces, which became like dust, or chaff in the wind. The stone became a great mountain that came up and filled the entire earth. And the interpretation of that dream is that those different kingdoms and ruler ships of the world become the Kingdom of God. And all of this was prophesized in the Book of Revelation and also in the Book of Isaiah…that God’s Kingdom shall spread throughout the earth. Jesus came to bring the government of God back into the earth to rule over everything. And Daniel’s prophetic vision makes it clear that the Kingdom of God has come to take over the Kingdoms of the world. As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we are to move forward IN Christ as the stone who increased into a mountain and covered the whole earth. As born again believers, we are ambassadors for God in the earth. We are the church, and the Kingdom of God is IN us. We are to go out into the world and bring the Kingdom of God to those in need of healing and deliverance and salvation. That’s our assignment, and that’s the reason we are to become separate from the world and walk holy before Him.

The gospel of the Kingdom is the gospel that unhooks you and separates you from the world’s system. I pray God's blessing upon your lives and all that you put your hands to. If you don’t know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can send me a personal note, or you can email me at pastor@streamsoflifechurch.com, and I will personally write you back and pray with you.

Love,

Paula

P.S. I want to thank my Internet listening congregation located in the United States, France, Italy, Canada, China, Latvia, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland, and Romania, the United Kingdom, Africa, Poland, and Australia, Kenya, Zambia, India, Uganda, and Canada.
As you sow your financial seed this month, know that you are a part of reaching the Nations for Christ as partners with this ministry, and sow it from that place of victory as an overcomer and one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has taken care of all of your needs. We have over 511 connections in the United States each week as we stream our services live, and 321 in Nations throughout the world.

Pass along our website to your friends and loved ones. The NEW website IS UP and RUNNING! Soon we will have Video streaming.

Join us live at http://www.streamsoflifechurch.com/ at 10:30 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings. Click on the “Listen Live Audio” button on our website. You can also contact us via our “blog” at www.streamsoflifechurch.blogspot.com.

• I would like to receive the complete series on “Knowing Your Covenant” for a love offering of $25.00.
• I would like to receive the singe CD on “How To Survive In Tough Times” for a love offering of $7.00.

If you can’t afford to make a love offering at this time, please contact our ministry. It’s important that we get the Word of God into your hands, and the Lord will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory! Please allow 15 business days for delivery.

September 2010

2010-10-08T16:55:00.002-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

We are living in the last days and in this End Time Harvest God is going to have a people of war. People who are holy and totally committed to Him, and empowered with His strength deep in their inner man. We have entered into a very dynamic, volatile, crucial period of time where apostasy is festering deep in the hearts of many Christians, causing them to become lukewarm and uncommitted. But on the other hand, God has loosed a great revival of His Spirit into the hearts of those who are willing to be totally His.

The Father doesn’t want us to be conformed to this world; He doesn’t want us to act or talk or even think like the world, but to be changed and transformed to His Will. Romans 12:1 & 2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and BE NOT conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” We cannot afford to think and live like this world. We have to get our mind renewed with the Word of God. To think, talk, and believe in line with His Word, and then act on it.

The whole world is programmed to believe negatively, and if you are not diligently spending time in the Word of God, you will make the same mistakes the world makes. The world without God is in spiritual death. They are programmed to death and not life, because the world is following after sin, all the way to death, which is a separation from God, and all the way to Hell. And certain things will only change in our life by the renewing of our mind. To those who are unsaved we say, “Be born again”, but to those who have received the New Birth we say, “renew your mind”.

We are a three part being; we are a spirit, we have a soul where our mind, our will, and our emotions are located, and we live in a physical body. When you received the new birth, the only part of you that was affected by the born again experience is your spirit man. But your soul remains the same; you have the same way of thinking, and your physical body will continue to do what it’s told to do. It’s not enough to have a successful life on this earth just to receive your Salvation through the New Birth. That just gets you into heaven and gets your name in the Lamb’s Book. But to be a successful Christian in this world you’re going to have to renew your mind. You cannot have progress or success as a Christian if you don’t renew your mind. And the problem with most people is they think that by receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior, all of their problems are solved. They have the mistaken idea that because of the new birth everything else will fall into place. That’s not how it happens, because we all know Christians who are still living defeated lives. They are not successful in the promises of the Word, and they are not making any progress as a Christian.

Romans 8:5, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” The flesh is a way of thinking that goes against God’s Word. And notice, Paul tells us that those who are after the flesh, MIND those things. They set their MIND on the things of the world and the dictates of this world’s system. They’re demonstrating by their lifestyle that they are IN THE FLESH and their very actions and the words they speak are set on the things of the flesh. So the question is, why do Christians end up serving the flesh? Why do Christians end up abusing other people, or end up on drugs, or cheating, or lying and getting involved in perversion? It’s because they don’t know what they’re doing is wrong. They haven’t renewed their minds to the Word of God. And if you don’t renew your mind to the Word of God, you are going to do whatever it is you have set your mind to do. You’ll have sex outside of marriage and get involved in perversion. You’ll lie and cheat and have addictive behavior because your mind hasn’t been set on God’s Word.

And friends, you have to set your mind ON PURPOSE. The same way you set your alarm clock on purpose. If you want to know why you’re doing certain things, it’s because that’s what you set your mind to do. If you end up doing certain things that are contrary to God’s will for your life, it’s because you set your mind to do those things. You don’t just have a bag of pot in your hand and say, “Golly, how did this get here? Who put it in my hand?” Your mind is set to do those things.

So obviously, for you to change the actions in your life, you have to back up and say, “What am I thinking?” And just like the prodigal son, you have to “awaken to your true condition.” You have to come to your right mind and the right way of thinking. Without renewing your mind to His Word, you will not live a spiritual life that lines up with God’s Word. The Father wants us to have a lifestyle that lines up with His Word and puts the Love of God on the line in every situation that you are faced with. And renewing your mind is not a one-time event. It is a lifetime process.

Christianity is not just spiritual. Spiritual intelligence is required for progress and success in the things of God. You must become an intellectual, not according to the knowledge of the world, but being an intellectual as far as the Word of God is concerned. Your intellect must be impacted by the Word of God, and you must be in the process all the time of renewing your mind to this Word, and then ACTING on what you have learned, or success will not be possible. And God has outlined for you and for me everything we need to know to walk in His blessing. He’s outlined for us how to walk in Love, how to walk in peace and joy, how to stay free from offense, and how to receive whatever we desire when we pray as it lines up in His Word.

If you want things to change in your life, you absolutely must renew your thinking to come into agreement and alignment with God’s Word.

I pray God's blessing upon your lives and all that you put your hands to. If you don’t know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can send me a personal note, or you can email me at pastor@streamsoflifechurch.com, and I will personally write you back and pray with you.

Love,

Paula

P.S. I want to thank my Internet listening congregation located in the United States, France, Italy, Canada, China, Latvia, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland, and Romania, the United Kingdom, Africa, Poland, and Australia, Kenya, Zambia, India, Uganda, and Canada.

As you sow your financial seed this month, know that you are a part of reaching the Nations for Christ as partners with this ministry, and sow it from that place of victory as an overcomer and one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has taken care of all of your needs. We have over 511 connections in the United States each week as we stream our services live, and 321 in Nations throughout the world.

Pass along our website to your friends and loved ones. The NEW website IS UP and RUNNING! Soon we will have Video streaming.

Join us live at www.streamsoflifechurch.com at 10:30 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings. Click on the “Listen Live” button on our website. You can also contact us via our “blog” at www.streamsoflifechurch.blogspot.com.

• I would like to receive the complete series on “Knowing Your Covenant” for a love offering of $25.00.
• I would like to receive the singe CD on “How To Survive In Tough Times” for a love offering of $7.00.

If you can’t afford to make a love offering at this time, please contact our ministry. It’s important that we get the Word of God into your hands, and the Lord will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory! Please allow 15 business days for delivery.

August, 2010

2010-08-29T17:51:00.003-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

As I sat before the Father, seeking what He wanted to bring to you from His Word, I had so many scriptures that kept coming before me. He wants you free! He wants you to walk in that overcoming victory that belongs to you because of the covenant you have with Him.

Ephesians 2:8-12 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

If you have made Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior, you are no longer a Gentile. The word Gentile means: people who don’t know God and people who are without a covenant and without hope in this world.

Now, we WERE Gentiles, but if you have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, you are no longer a Gentile. We are the church! But we come from a Western mindset. I’m not talking about being a cowboy; I’m talking about our culture. We don’t think like Covenant people. We don’t have the mindset of the Eastern culture; or the Jewish people because of the fact that we have been raised in a Gentile environment for the most part.

The Covenant sacrifice of the Blood of Jesus took the Gentile believers who were far off from God and joined them together with the Jewish race in the New Covenant. When we made Jesus our Lord, we were GRAFTED in, to enjoy the covenants of promise through the New Covenant, and were included as HEIRS of all of God’s promises.

So why then isn’t the body of Christ, as a whole, seeing more of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit? Why aren’t we seeing more miracles? The Father showed me that the reason most Christians don’t experience this awesome manifestation is due to a lack of understanding concerning our rights and privileges. A lack of understanding the Bible, and all that belongs to us because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary.

The Book of Hebrews promises us that we have a better Covenant with better promises because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. In order to understand how much better these promises are we must know and understand what the Old Covenant promises were. In Deuteronomy 28 we find very specific promises that God made to Abram and his seed; promises of health and well-being, blessing, prosperity, and victory.

These were very awesome promises, and it was hard for Abram to believe God actually wanted to do these things for him, however, in the Book of Genesis chapter 15, we read how God mad a blood agreement with him in order to convince Abram once and for all that He meant what He said.

Abram understood what a covenant was and how to prepare to enter into a covenant. He knew that a blood covenant signified an absolute and unbreakable guarantee of someone’s word. Nothing short of a blood agreement could have convinced him of God’s desire to bless him. By cutting this covenant with Abram, God established a love relationship with him that could never be broken without the penalty of death.

When two families made covenant together they gave to one another everything they had, and all they represented. They were no longer two, but one. Families bound themselves together in blood agreements in order to fill in the gaps that were created by each other’s weaknesses and needs. Together they were both strong.

In Genesis chapter 17 we learn that the circumcision of the flesh was to be a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. Those who failed to obey and remained uncircumcised were guilty of breaking the covenant and were considered outcasts. When God laid out the terms of the covenant blessings, He laid out the terms of the Covenant that Abraham was to keep. The major requirement and condition God spoke to Abraham and his seed for them to inherit the covenant blessings was obedience.

The circumcision of the flesh in the Old Covenant is a foreshadowing of the circumcision which takes place in the heart and spirit of the seed of Abraham under the New Covenant. And by making covenant with Abram, God proved that He wanted to exchange His strength, His weapons, and His authority with Abram, and He proved that He wanted to bless him for a thousand generations.

Romans 4:21 tells us that Abram truly got the message. He became “fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was well able to perform”, and his life was never the same again. Even his named changed to Abraham, which means, “father of many nations.”

And while God was binding Himself to Abraham on earth, He was also making that same covenant with Jesus in heaven. Galatians 3, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith NOT, and to seeds as of many; but as of ONE, and to THY SEED, which is Christ.” Abraham was the earthly representative and Jesus was the heavenly representative. That covenant was not only between God and Abraham, but between God and Jesus. And by making covenant with Jesus, His only begotten Son, God was making covenant with someone He KNEW would never break any of it and thereby, He was able to remove the need for a curse.

So, how does this apply to you and me? Galatians 3:29 is the binding tie: “IF you be Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” We are the unborn generations who looked on as God cut that covenant with Abram as the father of our covenant of faith. And Romans 8:17 calls us “joint heirs” with Christ. Through the New Covenant, God has promised to care for you and me the same way He loves and cares for Jesus. And our Covenant is better than the old. Even though you and I have been guilty of breaking the terms of our Covenant, we have been freed from the penalty.

Jesus Christ is our sacrificial lamb, and He established our covenant with God. His own blood was shed and we have a new and living way to approach God. The very blood of Jesus has made the way for you and me to have a covenant relationship with the Father. And our Covenant with God is a Covenant of peace. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”

I pray God's blessing upon your lives and all that you put your hands to. If you don’t know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can send me a personal note, or you can email me at pastor@streamsoflifechurch.com, and I will personally write you back and pray with you.

Love,

Paula

P.S. I want to thank my Internet listening congregation located in the United States, France, Italy, Canada, China, Latvia, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, Africa, Poland, Australia, Kenya, Zambia, India, and Uganda.

As you sow your financial seed this month, know that you are a part of reaching the Nations for Christ as partners with this ministry, and sow it from that place of victory as an overcomer and one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has taken care of all of your needs. We have over 511 connections in the United States each week as we stream our services live, and 321 in Nations throughout the world.

Pass along our website to your friends and loved ones. The NEW website IS UP and RUNNING! Soon we will have video streaming.

Join us live at http://www.streamsoflifechurch.com/ at 10:30 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings. Be sure to click on the “Listen Live” button on our website. You can also contact us via our “Blog” at http://www.streamsoflifechurch.blogspot.com/.

I would like to receive the complete series on “Knowing Your Covenant”
for a love offering of $25.
I would like to receive a single CD on “How To Survive In Tough Times” for a love offering of $7.00.

If you can’t afford to make a love offering at this time, please contact our ministry. It’s important that we get the Word of God into your hands, and the Lord will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory! Please allow 15 business days for delivery.

The Word tells us: “If two of you shall agree as touching anything on earth, it will be agreed in heaven.” Please have your prayer team join me in the prayer of faith for:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________
City, ST & Zip Code: _____________________________________________

Summer Newsletter

2010-07-31T21:57:00.001-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

On July 4, 2010 we celebrated the birth of our nation. Independence Day! Many of us celebrate this holiday with picnics and family gatherings, and then close this day with a display of fireworks. But do we remember WHY we celebrate this National Holiday?

As I sat before the Father, He put me in remembrance of the fact that this nation was founded as a republic. When this nation was birthed, our founding fathers walked out of Constitution Hall and asked Benjamin Franklin “What do we have, a democracy or a republic?” And he answered them and said, “You have a republic…if YOU CAN KEEP IT.”

When I was a young girl in school, and even in High School, we started our day with the Pledge in honor of our flag and our nation, and we always had a moment of PRAYER. But we don’t say the “Pledge of Allegiance” anymore, anywhere, and we don’t have prayer in school. Just a “moment” of silence.

As I sat at my computer I began to recite the words to that pledge: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”

And as I sat there, deep in thought, the Lord began to show me how those men drew up the Constitution of the United States, which are the Laws of this nation and they are based on the principles found in His Word. It is the Hallmark of our Independence.

America is a republic! At least, that’s what it was set up to be. And yet most people mistakenly think that it was meant to be a democracy! But it’s not. It’s slowly becoming one because as Christians we’ve allowed that to happen. We’ve been complacent concerning the things of God.

The difference between a republic and a democracy is that a republic is ruled by LAW and not by people. A democracy is rule by a majority of the people. And in a democracy, all it takes is to have the wrong majority of people rule and you’ve got lots of trouble.

Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule the people mourn.” When the righteous rule—even the sinners rejoice, but Proverbs 14:34 tells us, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to many people.”

America was created to be a nation that is governed by Law, and those who are elected and appointed to positions of authority are expected to follow that law. And that law is the “Constitution of the United States.” The danger is this: when the people of a republic cease to be a people of principle, they stop following the Law, and as a result, the republic can be lost. America faces that very danger today!

America was once a nation of people who built their lives on God Almighty and His principles, but as we have ceased to be a people of principle, and as the church itself has ceased to be established on God’s uncompromised Word, we have in effect, tied God’s hands so that He can not bring to pass in our own lives, and in this nation, all that He has promised.

Fifty-two of the fifty-five signers of the Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians. The three others believed IN the Bible as the Divine Word of Truth, and in God Almighty, and in His personal intervention. America was not founded on religion, but based on the doctrine of the Bible and Jesus Christ. In The Book of Isaiah 33:22 we find the foundational principle for our country, “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King, He will save us. The Constitution of the United States is a tremendous document, a Holy Spirit anointed document in its original form.

Patrick Henry wrote: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by RELIGIONISTS, but by Christians; NOT ON RELIGION, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here.”

Consider these words from George Washington in his farewell speech, September 19, 1796: “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience BOTH forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

It is absolutely appalling to have Satan parade his works before us in this nation through men and women who have obviously followed the corrupt ways of this world and openly made the decision to sin against God and this nation, and their own families.

Today we are asking God to bless America, but how can He bless a nation that has departed so far from Him?

1 Timothy 2:1-3 says, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

In Proverbs 21:1 we find that “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

God assures us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

If we as believers want all of God’s blessings in our homes and in our nation, then we must begin by declaring God’s principles and then live by them! We need to do the one thing that God has commanded from His people, and that is to intercede and pray. We are to pray for those in authority, and we are to pray in line with God’s Will.

I pray God's blessing upon your lives and all that you put your hands to.

If you don’t know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can send me a personal note, or you can email me at pastor@streamsoflifechurch.com, and I will personally write you back and pray with you.

Love,

Paula

P.S. I want to thank my Internet listening congregation located in the United States, France, Italy, Canada, China, Latvia, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, Africa, Poland, Australia, Kenya, Zambia, India, and Uganda.

As you sow your financial seed this month, know that you are a part of reaching the Nations for Christ as partners with this ministry, and sow it from that place of victory as an overcomer and one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has taken care of all of your needs. We have over 511 connections in the United States each week as we stream our services live, and 321 in Nations throughout the world. Pass along our website to your friends and loved ones. The new website is now up and running, please be patient as we work out any remaining kinks you may encounter.

Join us live at www.streamsoflifechurch.com at 10:30 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings. Be sure to click on the “Listen Live” button on our website. You can also contact us via our “blog” at www.streamsoflifechurch.blogspot.com.

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for a love offering of $25.

If you can’t afford $25, please contact our ministry. It’s important that we get the Word of God into your hands, and the Lord will provide for our needs according to His riches in glory! Please allow 15 business days for delivery.

The Word tells us: “If two of you shall agree as touching anything on earth, it will be agreed in heaven.” Please have your prayer team join me in the prayer of faith for:
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2010-07-13T20:55:00.008-05:00

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!

HOLY GHOST REVIVAL
SAVE THE DATE
JULY 18, 2010

Multimedia Evangelist, Prophet, Radio Host of "Knowing Your Covenant"
Pastor Paula Hewell

Will hold a Holy Ghost Revival
Sunday, July 18, 2010
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Build a Foundation Church
4634 CR 617
Alvarado, Texas 76009

If you are in need of healing or a miracle in your life,
or you know someone who does .......
Come expecting God to Confirm His Word
With signs following!

Pre-register Today!
http://www.streamsoflifechurch.com/
972-517-1418
Admission is FREE.

2010-06-15T11:25:00.010-05:00

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!

HOLY GHOST REVIVAL

SAVE THE DATE

JUNE 26, 2010

Multimedia Evangelist, Prophet, Radio Host of "Knowing Your Covenant"

Pastor Paula Hewell

Will hold a Holy Ghost Revival

Saturday, June 26, 2010

9:00 a.m. - Noon

Newman Park Christian Center

7922 Fairport Road

Dallas, Texas 75217

If you are in need of healing or a miracle in your life,

or you know someone who does .......

Come expecting God to Confirm His Word

With signs following!

Pre-register Today!

http://www.streamsoflifechurch.com/

972-517-1418

Admission is FREE.

Registration for a free lunch is required

May 2010

2010-06-15T10:34:00.004-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

Praise the Lord! This IS the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! I am so thankful that we have been set free by the Blood of the Lamb, and that we have freedom in this nation! Sometimes we take our freedom for granted. Our freedom both in the natural realm, and our freedom in the spiritual realm. This Monday, May 31, we will be celebrating Memorial Day. There will be parades and picnics; people will visit the cemeteries and memorials, and there will be a national moment of "remembrance" that takes place. Our flag will fly at half-staff from dawn until noon.

My dad was in the United States Army and served our country in World War II, and my own husband served in the United States Air Force for 26 years! So I know what it's like to have a military background and I am truly proud to be an American and to enjoy the freedom we have because of the men and women who serve to protect this country!

Something the Father wants us to realize is that we are all faced with times of battle in our own lives. So many people today are caught up in the struggle of simply trying to survive all of the obstacles and opposition that life brings them. But we were never designed by God to be defeated. God's original design for all of us was to be victorious and to triumph and live above those things. The Word tells us in 1 John 1:5 that we are over comers. In fact, it says, "And this is the victory that overcomes the world...even our faith."

The most important battles that you and I face everyday are the spiritual battles. The battle to escape our sinful nature; the battle to triumph over Satan; the battle to enter into that place of victory and rest that God has designed for all of us. But we can't win these battles on our own.

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus won the victory FOR us so we can live in that victory today. He completely defeated Satan and delivered us out of the dominion of darkness. 2 Corinthians 2:14 boldly declares that God always leads his people in victory! He has a plan for each of us to have victory over every challenge and pressure that we will ever face.

God has placed His very Own Spirit within us, and He has given us the POWER to walk in obedience and keep His commandments. As we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, and we are controlled and guided BY Him, we are then able to obey God and His Word and we will walk in that overcoming power.

But knowing the location of the real battle we face with the enemy is vitally important. We have to realize that the greatest battlefield we have is in our mind. The war is either won or lost in our mind! There's really only one place that Satan can attack people, whether they are Christians or have never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and that one place is the battlefield of their mind.

In the Book of Ephesians chapter 6, and beginning with verse 10 through 17, we find the powerful weapons that God fashioned for you and I to wear, that will not only protect us from the enemy, but they will also enable us to be perfected and fully equipped to serve God. And as we look closely at each piece of this Armor, we can see that each one describes the attributes of Christ.

1. The "girdle of truth"; Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..."
2. The "breastplate of righteousness", Jesus IS righteous; He has become our righteousness.
3. The "preparation of the Gospel of peace"; Jesus ushered in the Kingdom by preaching the
Gospel.
4. The "shield of faith"; He is the author and finisher of our faith.
5. The "helmet of salvation"; as the promised Messiah, He HAS on the helmet of salvation.
6. The "Sword of the Spirit"; the Word of God IS Jesus; He is the Living Word of God. And
He IS that two-edged sword when we speak His Word out of our own mouth in faith.

We cannot depend on our own strength and our own intellect. God never intended for you and I to face those problems and pressures in our own limited understanding and strength. He planned and purposed for you and I to face everything in His unlimited and unsurpassed power. We have everything we need to win this war! We are fighting a defeated foe and we have the full armor of God, which includes the Word, which is the Sword of the Spirit. We have the mighty name of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit Who lives inside of us to operate that "dunamis" power through us as we allow Him to work.

As that end time spiritual warrior, you have to pick up that sword and allow the Holy Spirit to cut away all of the sin and the dead works in your own life, and begin to cut to shreds everything the enemy tries to use against you. Begin to walk in the demonstration of the power you know you have over sin, the flesh, and the devil! By faith you have an everlasting Covenant with God, and He has sealed that Covenant with an oath! He promised us in Psalm 89:34, "My Covenant will I not break..." And, He has given us the Guarantee that He will do absolutely everything that He promised to do in us and for us. Jesus Christ has become the "surety" of a better Covenant. He stands as a surety for God, that He will do all that He promised in the Covenant. And He stands as a surety for us with God that we will keep our Covenant with Him.

I pray God's blessing upon your lives and all that you put your hands to.

Love,

Paula

April 2010

2010-06-15T08:24:00.006-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

2 Corinthians 4:3-4, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe NOT, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (KJV)

Satan is an imposter! The dictionary defines an imposter as "one who assumes an identity or title that is not his own for the purpose of deception." Satan is the Arch Deceiver, and Jesus described his true character and nature when He called him, "the father of lies..." in John 8:44, "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies." And the scripture in
2 Corinthians 4 tells us very clearly that as the god of this world, he has blinded the minds of those who don't believe the Word. Satan uses deception to defeat Christians and pervert the Truth, and the weapon he uses against the children of God is the very weapon the Father has given to us to defeat Satan! He uses the Word of God.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan used the Word against Eve. He deceived her into thinking that God's Word was a lie and caused her to doubt what God had spoken to them. But you and I have the Holy Spirit living in our spirit man; the Spirit of Truth Who leads and guides us into all truth and leads us in paths of righteousness. We are told to transform our minds by the renewing of our mind with the Word of God so that "we can prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God."(Romans 12:2)

This scripture in 2 Corinthians 4:3 calls Satan the god of this world. Not because he is a god, but because people follow him like he is. He wants to keep us in the dark, and gross darkness covers the earth where the things of God are concerned. The people in the world cannot receive the things of the Spirit because the Bible tells that they are "spiritually" discerned and hidden to "natural man".

Friend, you cannot be in faith and be depressed at the same time. It is impossible. When you are IN faith, you're not looking at the circumstances around you that will depress you. With faith, you are able to look at the eternal realm. Jesus told us that "all things are possible to them that believe." But faith does not ignore the problem or pretend that it doesn't exist. Faith recognizes the problem and then presents it to God, acknowledging Him in the face of the circumstance and then declaring that His Word and His Truth and His promises are greater than any circumstance.

Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see, and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as REAL fact what is not revealed to the senses)." (AMP) This tells us that faith is the "title deed" of what we have asked for. In other words, we are holding onto "nothing" until the manifestation takes place, with the "guarantee" that we already have it.

Proverbs 3:5-6, "Lean not to your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." In other words, we are to put our trust and our confidence in God, and not in our own ability and natural strength. Jesus has already paid the price in full for everything you need. All you have to do is get the Word down in your spirit man, in abundance, and then begin to confess that Word out of your mouth. We don't have to talk Jesus into doing anything else! The answer to all of our needs is having the Word of God in our heart and in our mouth, and take for our self what He has already provided. But it has to be more than just speaking words; it has to be a living reality in your life.

Faith has to be in two places; it has to be in your mouth and in your heart according to Romans chapter 10:8, "But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart; that is, the Word of Faith, which we preach.", and in Deuteronomy 30:14, "But the Word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it." (KJV) And if you were to read both scriptures in detail you would find they go on to say that the Word, which is Christ, is not far off. It (He) is not in heaven nor is it (He) in the abyss (sea), but it (He) is very near you...in your mouth, and in your heart.

That means that everyone can take the Word of God and receive whatever they need. God has already established it and agreed to it. And that means we don't have to talk God into doing anything for us if we can find it in His Word. So, why would anyone do without? Only because they're lazy! Only because they couldn't be persuaded to believe what God has promised. Having an unteachable spirit is the same as walking in unbelief and doubt; it's also the same as walking in stubbornness and pride, arrogance, and rebellion. And those things, the Bible tells us are like "unto witchcraft." As a born again Christian, the only reason to do without in any area of life is because we refuse to honor God and trust His Word, because His Word will produce in our life anything He tells us.

Under the Old Covenant, God required 100 percent obedience, and he gave Israel a choice to obey Him and reap His blessing, or to walk in disobedience and reap the curses. But the enemy has deceived Christians into thinking that God no longer requires the same obedience. DO NOT BE DECEIVED! God has never changed! Without obedience to God, there can be no covenant relationship with Him. Disobedience breaks our fellowship with God. Jesus said, "If you abide in My Word, and hold fast to My teachings, and live in accordance with them, you are truly My disciples." (TAB John 8:31)

You act on what Jesus told us and you keep putting the Word down in your heart until it's in there in abundance. Make deposits of the Word until it's in there more than anything else, and when it becomes abundant, that's when it will come out of your mouth; it is the overflow of what you have deposited.

Love,

Paula

March 2010

2010-06-14T18:36:00.005-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of what we have come to know as "holy week, and the Feast of Passover falls on Monday, March 29 this year. Traditionally Christians have understood that the festivals are exclusively Jewish feasts; however, the Book of Leviticus tells us very clearly that these are "festivals" of the Lord. so, in reality, God in His Divine wisdom, has instructed all of us that these feast days are for both the Jew and the Christian alike, and they are to be celebrated JOINTLY with each other - FOREVER!

If you have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, then you are the seed of Abraham and you are included in these appointed times. But it's sad to realize that so many Christians, including ministers of the Gospel, have no idea of these "times" established by God. We need to have an understanding and appreciate the fact that these feasts are "appointed times" that have been given by God Himself, and it's very important that we understand the biblical calendar that He gave us.

There are two primary calendars in the Bible; the first one is called the "civil" calendar and it's used from Genesis 1:1 to Exodus, chapter 12. The second calendar in the Bible is the "religious" calendar, and it's used from Exodus 12 to the Book of Revelation chapter 22. God established the religious calendar in Exodus 12:2 when He said, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you."

He gave the religious calendar so we could understand that these feasts are actually appointed times, and that they "foreshadow" important events in our redemption. These appointed times are the same "festivals" that the Lord speaks of in the Book of Leviticus 23:2, "...the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations...". The Hebrew term translated as convocation in Leviticus is "miqra", which means: a rehearsal. So, you can see from this that God gave the festivals to be yearly "rehearsals" of the future events in the redemption of mankind.

There are two very important Hebrew words that appear in the Book of Leviticus, and each word is translated as "feast" in the English language. Leviticus 23:2, the word for feast is the Hebrew word "mo'ed", as it is written:"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them concerning the feasts (the moe'd) of the Lord..." The word "mo'ed" means: an appointment; a fixed time or a fixed season; an appointed time. So God Himself is telling us that He has ordained a :"set time" or an exact time" when He has an appointment with all of humanity to fulfill certain events in the redemption. In fact, Yeshua came to the earth at the "exact" time that was ordained by God.

Our Heavenly Father gave these festivals for the purpose of teaching and instructing His people concerning the plan of redemption and our personal relationship with Him. In the Book of Luke chapter 22 we find Jesus celebrating the Passover feast with His own disciples. The day had come when the sacrificial lamb was to be killed and He sent Peter and John to make preparation for them to celebrate that "appointed" time together. And as they were seated around the table, Jesus KNOWING that in a few hours HE would suffer and die, told them, "I have earnestly and intensely desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall eat it no more until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God."

Passover is an ancient feast and one that spans some thirty-five centuries of human existence, and it carries a very powerful message for you and me today. It forms the primary background for understanding the events in that Upper Room, the symbolism of the Lord's Table, and the meaning of the Messiah's death. There in that upper room, as He was preparing to lay down His own life; to give Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and to shed His own blood, He celebrated a covenant meal with His disciples which marked the ending of the Old Covenant and the establishing of a new and better Covenant. This was the hour that God had ordained from the foundation of the world! This was the day when He would enter into a blood covenant relationship with men, which was sealed with the blood of His only begotten Son. This was the day when the ONE perfect sacrifice would be offered on the alter of Almighty God.

The Feast of Passover was given by God to be a rehearsal of the first coming of Yeshua, and this ceremony is observed in remembrance of the PAST, but it is also in preparation for the future. The redemption of God's people from Egypt is a type and foreshadow of the redemption of Christ. Jesus is our Lamb that was slain. And we are to appropriate and apply the Blood of Jesus in our lives, and as we place that blood over our lives, the Father sees that blood covering and the angel of death and destruction passes over us.

We've been taught that the Feast days of the Lord are only for the Jewish people, but they are Holy Convocations that God Himself has ordained. And it's just like receiving a "summons" to go to court. This is a summons to appear before Him. God has prepared a feast of redemption and joy to which everyone is invited. Come and partake of Jesus, the bread of life, the Lamb of God, the Mediator Who has taken our judgement upon Himself.

Come to the feast of the Lamb! Jesus, our Messiah, paid a terrible price that we might belong to God in Love, and He constantly invites us to come to Him. His invitation is an honor bestowed in Love, but it is also the offer of an opportunity that we dare not refuse. You are the guest to be honored by accepting His offer of abundant life in Christ Jesus.

Love,

Paula

February 2010

2010-06-14T17:33:00.006-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

On February 14 we celebrated Valentine's Day. It's the day that has customarily been set aside to express our love for that "special" someone in our lives. We hear a lot about love, but the truth is, very few people really know what love is. For most, it's an emotional phantom that appears, then vanishes without warning. It seems to be illusive, indefinable, forever sought after, but rarely ever found. And even believers seem to be confused about love. People talk about "falling in and out of love", but that's an emotional response. Love is not a feeling, and a feeling is not the evidence of love. Love is a person; the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8 that "God is Love." And in John 3:16 we read, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." That's the greatest act of Love anyone could give. The Father gave because of His unsurpassing love for you and for me. And His love was translated into giving His highest and most treasured possession. He didn't send one of His angels, He gave of Himself; His ONLY begotten Son.

God IS Love and He wants us to know and understand that absolutely NOTHING can ever separate us from Him. No tribulation or trial, or sickness and disease, not lack or poverty, or a bad marriage, or even faced with life in prison. Nothing can ever separate us from the Love of the Father. The scripture in 1 John 4:8 does not say that God HAS love; it says that He IS love. And that is the key to all Bible revelation. It takes an understanding of God to walk with Him and to walk in His great commandment of love.

In the Book of Ephesians, chapter 3 and verse 18, the apostle Paul prayed that we "may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth and length, and depth and height; and to KNOW the Love of Christ." We have the ability to KNOW the very Love of Christ, and that can't be anybody but God, because God IS love PERSONIFIED.

Love has to be our first and greatest quest in life. It must be the very center of our time and our thinking because God has given us the commandment to love. And because He has commanded us to walk in that Love, He sent Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit to live on the inside of our spirit man to help us.

Love is a law of heaven and a law of earth. In fact, the apostle James calls this the "royal law of love." This is the commandment of the Church from our Heavenly Father that we love one another. 1 John 3:23, "This is His commandment, that we should believe on the Name of His Son, Jesus, and love one another as He gave the commandment." This is our primary calling in life, and the key issue to everything we face.

In the Book of Matthew, chapter 22:36-40, we can find exactly what Jesus told us about this commandment when He answered the young lawyer who had asked Him, "Master, which is the great commandment of the law? And Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all of the law and the prophets." So this tells us that all of the Torah, which is the first five books of the Bible, and all of the Prophets, and that includes the New Testament because the New Testament was prophesied into existence, and Jesus is a part of that prophetic utterance. (The Prophet spoke and the Word took upon itself FLESH, and He dwelt among us). So, all of the Law and all of the Prophets hang on these two commandments, and the way Jesus put it and the way He taught it, He went into great detail, and these two commandments are rolled into one. They are in the proper order. We are to love God with our entire being, and we are to love our neighbor as we love our self.

That's the way He gave the commandment, and that's the very process that we are to walk in, and as we walk in this commandment, it will keep us in a place before the Father where we are holy and blameless in His eyes.

God tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments, and He's not only given us the definition of Love, He has also given us the instructions so that we can know HOW to love as He loves. 1 Corinthians 13 describes the behavior of love, "Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy; it is not boastful or vainglorious, and does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited, arrogant and inflated with pride; it is not rude and unmannerly, and does not act unbecomingly. LOVE, God's love in us does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it, and pays no attention to a suffered wrong. It does not rejoice at injustices and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes; it is ever ready to believe the best of every person; its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances and it endures everything without weakening. Love never fails, never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end." Does this describe you love walk?

If you've made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, you've already taken the first step of obedience. The very love of God has been born within you, but unless you take action, that love will remain hidden inside of you. Like faith, love becomes active through the knowledge of His Word. And that's exactly why Paul said, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement." The love of God is released in your life by acting on the knowledge of God's Word, and without revelation knowledge, followed by action, that love lies undeveloped, and selfishness continues to reign supreme in our lives, even though we are a new creature in Christ.

1 John 2:5-6, "But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. And by this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." In other words, as you ACT on the Word of God, the love of God will be perfected in you, and that's when love will begin to flow from you to others.

love,

Paula

January 2010

2010-06-14T14:42:00.005-05:00

Dear friend in Christ,

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

A few days ago the Spirit of the Lord began to speak to my heart very clearly about the goodness of God, even in the midst of tribulation and trouble. He is always there, and you can trust Him with your life. We're living in an hour that the Bible describes as "perilous times". 2Timothy 3:1, "But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come..." The Strong's concordance describes "perilous" as: harsh, savage, difficult, dangerous, painful, fierce, grievous, and hard to deal with. And I believe that most of us can agree that this certainly describes the economy and the moral status of the entire world. We hear about wars and rumors of wars, and nations rising up against nations, and about great famines, pestilence and earthquakes happening all over the world.

Matthew 24:6-7 tells us, "And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you NOT be troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places." Just look at how the earthquake in Haiti has caused such a tremendous crisis and time of grief in the lives of all those precious people.

So many people are facing times of trouble in their personal lives. But God is still on His Throne and He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He told us in the Book of Matthew "not to worry about tomorrow... sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Time after time, the Bible talks about God's goodness, and Psalm 145:9 sums it up this way: "The Lord is GOOD to all." Now, you might think, "I've always heard this." Many people believe that God is good, but head knowledge alone doesn't affect their daily lives. It takes more than just knowing His Word to change the circumstances in your life. It takes a revelation from the Word of God. Revelation is a truth that becomes so real to you as the Holy Spirit shines light on His Word, that it becomes a part of your personal life. It's not something you hear and forget. It's something that you act on, and it's that knowledge that is acted on that brings results.

Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 6 NOT to worry. One of Satan's greatest weapons is to bring worry to our minds. Both real and imagined worries attack our minds daily as the pressures and the stresses of these end times press in from every side in an attempt to discourage and defeat us. But Jesus commands us to put aside worry. He pleads with us to see that our Father has faithfully provided for all of our needs. And He assures us that our Heavenly Father KNOWS what we need even before we ask, so there is no reason for us to worry.

2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us: "Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." That means we are to take those thoughts that come into our heads and line them up with the Word of God. Do those thoughts agree with what God has to say about whatever it is you are dealing with? If not, cast them down! I'd like to tell you that this is easy, but it's not. In this busy world it's easier to get our priorities out of order. We can become so caught up in the cares of daily life that we don't make time for God and His Kingdom. And as a result, the Word gets choked out by the cares and the distractions, and what Jesus called "thorns".

In Mark chapter 4:18-19, Jesus talks about the thorns choking out the Word. And among other things, "the cares and anxieties of the world...creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless."

It's easy to yield to worry. And that spirit of worry and fear can literally take over your life and stop the Word of God from producing any fruit. So don't feed on it. Worry is just meditating on the lies of the devil, or on the circumstances that you are facing in your own life.

So, how do you stop? You replace worry with faith in what the Word of God tells you. Run to the Word and feed on it day and night. Find scriptures that apply to you situation and keep them in front of your eyes; keep them going into your ear and your mouth until that truth gets into your heart. In other words, meditate on the Word of God. That's exactly what God told Joshua to do in Joshua 1:8, "...but you shall meditate therein day and night that you may observe to do according to ALL that is written therein; for THEN you shall make your way prosperous, and THEN you shall have good success."

Meditating on His Word is fixing your mind on what God has to say, and you will gain revelation and insight into His ways and the Holy Spirit will make it a reality in your heart. Carefully ponder how the Word of God applies to your own life and change your situation. You are placing yourself in agreement with what God has to say about you; seeing yourself as He sees you, and most importantly, you will then be seeking His Kingdom, instead of giving way to worry.

The revelation of God's goodness will help you receive from Him whatever you need. Perhaps you have not yet taken the first step of your journey of faith because you've never received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Maybe you've heard about Him, an you might even believe the things that you've heard as truth. If so, you are not alone. Many people, even good churchgoing people are in the same condition right now. They know ABOUT Him, but they don't have a living relationship with Him.

If you don't know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can contact me through this blog and I will write you back and pray with you.

love,

Paula

December Newsletter

2009-12-27T16:36:00.006-06:00

Dear friend in Christ,

Christmas is truly my very favorite holiday! My heart and my mind are bursting with wonderful memories of my own childhood, but more importantly, I am filled with the knowledge of Jesus Christ as my own personal savior. The day Jesus was born is the day the Kingdom of God had come to the earth, and the Father's great plan for the fullness of the blessing without measure went into it's final phase!

As I sat before the Father this week and asked Him what He wanted me to share with you this month, He told me to tell you about His Love and His peace. Luke, chapter 2:13-14, says, " And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, PEACE, good will toward men." The angels were praising God because peace was being declared between God and man; between heaven and earth. Not between men or among men, but peace from God toward you and me.

But how could peace be declared between God and man before Jesus had faced one test, or before He had gone trough even one temptation, or before one person had ever been healed or delivered under His ministry? How could God send the angels to say such things when the battle for our redemption was still 33 years away? Jesus was just a tiny infant lying in that manger.

Romans 4:17 tells us that God calls things that be not as though they were. So as as far as He was concerned, it was done. He had already set His faith on our redemption. He began treating men as though they had never sinned. And He reached out to them in His great love and totally offered Himself to mankind as though Jesus had already gone to the cross.

1 John 4:16 tells us, " And we have known and believed the love that God has for us." We've all read about His love. We've all heard about it, but I don't think that most of us really believe it. If we really believed the Love He has for us , it would totally change everything about us and everything around us. Jesus told us in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you..." What a change that will make when you get the revelation of just how much He loves you and then you begin to walk in THAT love toward others. The Scriptures tell us that "God is love"! And He is so in love with us that He has given you and me everything He has through His grace. Jesus said, "I have come to give you life and to give life more abundantly."

Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in ALL points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come BOLDLY to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need." Jesus has personally experienced everything that we've ever had to face. And in the Book of John 14:27, He told us, "My peace I give you, not as the world gives..." In other words, He is the true source of our peace because there is no peace in this world without Him.

Our heavenly Father loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should NOT perish but have everlasting life. Jesus is the first born of every creature, and as the first-born, He is given a privileged position. He existed before all creation and God the Father appointed Him heir and legal owner of all things. As born again children of God, we are joint-heirs with Christ.

He was in the beginning with God, Who spoke the world into existence, and He was ONE with God. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was WITH God and the Word WAS God...", and yet He stripped Himself and laid aside His Glory and His Divine abilities and came to earth in the form of human flesh, with a Divine purpose...to destroy all the works of the devil, to break the power of sin and death, and to restore us to our original position of holiness and righteousness!

His Blood has made you whole! Colossians 1:21-22, "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present YOU holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight." The moment you received Jesus as your Savior, you were not only cleansed of all sin and clothed with His righteousness, you were made whole!

We started this letter with the words the angel spoke on that first Christmas morning: "...and on earth, PEACE, good will toward man." God has planned for you to have His peace right in the midst of all the problems that seem to be facing us in this hour. His peace is IN and THROUGH the Blood of Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate price so that you would be able to have His peace. It belongs to you, but you have to appropriate it in your own life by faith. So no matter what you may be facing today, God has made the way for you to come boldly into His very Presence and receive His Grace, His Mercy, and His Peace.

This Christmas Day as we gather together with family and friends, let's reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, and let's celebrate the blessing! Let's celebrate Jesus! Let's celebrate His peace, His righteousness, and His love. That's what Christmas is all about. It's about the joy of the celebration! God the Father gave us Jesus Christ, and in Him, He has freely given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has provided everything we would ever need to open our hearts to His blessing and to walk in His peace and His Love.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

love,

Paula

Tune In

2009-12-06T13:29:00.005-06:00

Hear Pastor Paula's Christmas Eve message:

December 24, 2009

2:30 pm

KDKR 91.3 FM

Dallas/Ft. Worth

Don't Miss It!

2009-12-05T16:33:00.004-06:00

Make plans now to join us at our

Christmas Eve Service
Celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ

10:30 am December 24, 2009
Collinwood Nursing Home
3100 South Rigsbee Drive

Plano, TX 75074

November Newsletter

2009-10-29T16:03:00.005-05:00

Dear Friend in Christ,

Fall is truly one of my favorite seasons. I love the undeniable aura that surrounds it. The beautiful landscape as the leaves change color. And the crisp, frosty mornings are a refreshing change from the oppressively hot days and the sweltering nights. A pleasant reminder of my childhood as my dad watched football in the living room with my grandfather and uncles, and the aroma of freshly baked apple and pumpkin pies in the kitchen, as my mother, grandmother and aunts prepared the Thanksgiving Day feast. A nostalgic reminder that God has indeed "shed His grace on this Nation". We have so much to be thankful for as we sit at our dinner table celebrating the bounty; a table that is overflowing in the abundant harvest of all that He has provided for us.

This is a season of reflection. It's a time to gain a new perspective, and to take the time to evaluate what we accomplished the past year, and establish the goals we want to reach. This all implies change, and our Heavenly Father graciously moves upon us by the Holy Spirit, taking us from summer to autumn, and patiently He waits for change to begin in our lives.

At the roots of His agenda is this promise in Philippians 1:6, and we need to think of it as a guarantee. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" In other words, the One who started this good work within you, won't leave the work unfinished. He won't quit and He won't fail. And He doesn't expect you to figure out for yourself how to get the work finished.

Thanksgiving is a reminder that God has been faithful. It's a time of quiet reflection on the past and a time to focus on the solid and simple things of life, so that everything else fades into insignificance. It's a time for you and me to usher in the sincere spirit of gratitude, and truly walk in His Love, and extend His mercy and grace to others.

We have so much to be thankful for, especially as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. But the part of Thanksgiving that most believers have missed is the element of honor. As Christians, we reverence and honor God by walking in His ways and following after the leading of the Holy Spirit. And as I said, we have so much to be thankful for. Knowing every ugly thing we've ever done, and still, His mercy endures forever! That's exactly what Psalm 136 tells us. Giving honor and praise and worship to God is something that we should desire to do, and to do that in excellence of worship, in thanksgiving for all He has done for us.

1 Chronicles 16:25 says, "For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods..."; verse 27, "Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place."

This scripture tells us to fear God and worship Him in His holiness, not because we are afraid of Him, but because His mercy endures forever. Verse 34 says, "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." That's why we worship and praise Him; because His mercy endures forever! That's the reason we are to separate from the world and walk holy before Him. We praise and worship Him because His mercy endures forever, and His mercy and His grace are stronger than anything, and will outlast everything in our lives.

God established many feasts of thanksgiving under the Old Covenant. He told the people to shout and dance, rejoice and praise Him. And that's what they did. They celebrated their covenant with Him, thanking Him for blessing them. Deuteronomy 8:18, "But you shall remember the Lord your God; for it is He that gives you power to get wealth..." And in the Book of John 10:10, Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." And that's something to shout about!

When was the last time you praised God and thanked Him for the abundant life He's provided for you? Giving thanks and honoring Him is very powerful. When you honor Him, He will honor you and take up your part, and that praise and that thanksgiving will bring deliverance and freedom to your life.

We are blessed as a nation to have Thanksgiving as a national observance to thank God and honor Him for everything He has given to us. But in reality, we as Christians have something to celebrate in Jesus every day of the year. And the foundation of our thanksgiving to God is the Covenant we have with Him. In that covenant we have protection, strength, and the power of God as a Father to His children. And it's His desire that we remember everything this covenant contains and means to us.

As believer's, it's absolutely essential that we know and understand God's grace and His mercy, but so often, the religious world misrepresents God to us. If we are to have faith and confidence in Him, we have to be able to trust in His mercy. And this confidence doesn't come from man's attitudes about God; it will only come from a relationship with Him and spending time in His Word.

Psalm 30:4-5, "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. For His anger endures but a moment."

Psalm 145:8-9, "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of GREAT mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works." As new creatures in Christ Jesus, we are His workmanship. Therefore, His tender mercies are over you and I all the time.

Love,

Paula