Safe in God's Love

Hello Everybody,
 
God is so good. Today we were reminded that we are always safe in His love. He has predestined us from before the foundation of the world. "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" Ephesians 1:4. Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" John 15:16. Nothing will change what He has predestined us to be and do. Even with this we still have to make choices every day; so ask, seek, knock, and obey God, following the leading of the Holy Ghost (God in us/Christ in us/Spirit of truth/Comforter/Counselor) in everything. There are consequences to each choice. Amen.
 
We began with Psalm 29:1-2 as led by Deaconess Priscilla, "Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his  name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Praise Him again everybody!
 
We studied Romans 8:28-39. Please read it below and be blessed by the Word of God. Let Him minister to you personally through His Word:
 
Romans 8:28-39 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
 
Deaconess Crumbley began by saying that we are safe in God's love. Safe means: free from harm or risk; secure from threat of danger, harm, or loss; protected from or not exposed to danger or risk. God is working through us to glorify Himself. She said, "I normally teach on loving one another, but today it is about God's love for us and being in His love. God is working in your life in all things, for a purpose. There is a purpose for everything in each of our lives. We say, 'I want to be like Jesus!' Really? He came here to die and take away the sin of the world. We are talking about God's love for us. Do you want to be like Him? This is for those who love Him and are the called. He calls us to be formed into the image and likeness of God. You can try to make it happen on your own, but when you find out that God did it, it is a whole different thing. He is intricately in every part of our lives, in us and through us."
 
She testified of how God moved her through all of her trials, circumstances, different jobs, etc., to get her to where she is now, being much more confident. "God gives you the confidence you need. God will use you in whatever you have gone through to minister to others. We are back to the 'I want to be just like Jesus!' Do you still want to be like Jesus? We are counted as sheep for the slaughter?" "Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter" Psalm 44:22. "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" Romans 8:36-37. Answer: Yes! "Everything you go through, God works it out for your good. Yes, God has great things for us."
 
Elder Sorrell brought forth this truth: "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," 2 Timothy 1:9. He said that we are afraid of what God wants. We fear the very thing we need! All things work for good even when it looks bad!
 
Eldress Jefferson pointed out that we need to be an asset to any "company" that we are working at and we need to be an asset to this "company" here at GWOD.
 
Apostle Crowder explained the profound truths in verses 29-30, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified" Romans 8:29-30. She trumpeted that God has predestined us and nothing will change what He has planned for us. He has predestined our calling and nothing will change it! He perfects us, we do not have to perfect ourselves, we cannot perfect ourselves! We were sent to GWOD to be perfected. We cannot look to going somewhere else until He perfects us here. Apostle Crowder explained that Sis. Kathy was moved from confidence to confidence through one job after another, but we are here at GWOD to be proven. He moves us out of our comfort zones to establish us, but He won't move us out of GWOD before we have been proven. 
 
She reproved us by saying that we have been appointed to our calling whether it be prophet, evangelist, teacher, etc., but we don't want to be appointed. We draw back. Drawing back and a lack of confidence hinders God's call on our lives. Some of us have to be pulled like a horse! He has to put bits and bridles on us to take us into the wilderness! We went to Isaiah 63:13, please read it again:
 
Isaiah 63:13 "That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?" The wilderness place takes us to higher heights and deeper depths. You will know that the Lord is speaking.
 
Psalm 107:23-24 "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep." You aren't going to see the depths until you get out of your comfort zone. He has to speak to you. You must get out of your comfort zone in order to get into the deep. Don't be afraid. Whether you draw back or not, you will still have to do it, you are predestined! God already called us before we came out of our mother's womb! "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" Jeremiah 1:5. Well, bless the Lord, everybody! When you say, "Yes!" then fear leaves.
 
Psalm 42:1 "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." It is work to be "grown up." We (like children) say, "I don't want to be grown up!" But we are predestined, so get up and do it! Go out and do a work for God. We must grow up.
 
Co Pastor Lane expounded more on Romans 8:29 and Romans 8:35-39. Here is a summary of what she said:
 
Romans 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." He foreknew us and He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. Predestined means something that cannot be changed. God sets us up for specific things in specific ways. We have been saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. We are a people in relationship with Him. It is predestined that we will be conformed, we will be saved, we will be delivered. It is set in stone! If God knows us, then our end is eternal life with Him. The objective is for Him to know us. We must understand and believe, "I will be saved, I will be anointed, I will be victorious."
 
Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? "Who" is a person, but tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword are things. Only a "who" can separate you and you are this "who." Things cannot separate you form the love of God.
 
Co Pastor Lane continued by saying that God tells us how to love Him. If God knows us there is no fear because, perfect love casts out fear. We will know if He knows us. We must be Spiritually and emotionally involved and attached to God. We are made right by Him. He makes us right. He fixes it and makes us right! If we could do it we would, but we cannot. God's time table is different than ours. It is set in stone and we are predestined to be delivered. He will do it perfectly. Just do whatever He is telling you to do. Our focus should be on working with the brethren, there are many brethren (some that need to come in). He walks with us everyday, just believe Him. You must believe that you are really saved. He sees us through the blood of Jesus.
 
Romans 8:29 is a guarantee that we are saved, delivered, etc. and that victory is assured. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."  So we say, "Yes Lord, pour in me, stretch out in me, I trust You Lord." Stand up and fear will go. Perfect love casts out fear. Not only is He for us, He is in us. "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" John 15:5. Also, "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" Colossians 1:27. He is our hope of glory. Hope is, "I know it is going to happen!"
 
Co Pastor Lane explained that the "lack of confidence" is a thought. It is not real, it is only in your imagination. You sit with your imagination and imagine the worst. Then you act on that thought. Change your way of thinking. Replace the thought with, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" Philippians  4:13. If He called you to it, He has equipped you already, so put on the whole armor of God and stand (see Ephesians 6:10-20). It is our thoughts, not things that hinder us. You are rescued from the bad thinking. Listen to God. He tells you, "Now, I want you to say this..., now go here and do this..., etc." You don't need to be jumping or running first in order to pray for someone or to speak a Word, just know that God is in you and leading you.
 
Romans 8:31 "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Don't let the devil tell you that you cannot get anything right. We can all get it right through the Holy Ghost. It is God that makes it right. So change the way you think, and get up and move. Move that stronghold. The enemy says, "You are not," when you are so close to being "in His image" through the Holy Ghost. Don't let the enemy stop you. May I add, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" 1 John 4:4. Amen!
 
Co Pastor McCarty began to preach and took us to Matthew 13:28 to dismiss some bad thinking! Here it is below:
 
Matthew 13:28a "He said unto them, An enemy hath done this." An enemy has done this, not the Lord! Because of not following instructions, the enemy can sneak in and do this...! God says He will work it out for our good. When it happens, we pray more. Trouble will come, but God will work it out for our good. Satan may attack you, but it doesn't mean that God is not working it out. All you have to know is, "Rest in God, He is working it out." Joseph was sold by his brothers because of their jealousy, but God meant it for good. "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." Genesis 50:20.
 
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." There are two important things to understand about knowing that all things work together for good:
 
1. To them that love God,
2. To them who are the called according to His purpose.
 
We must hear the call and respond. We must be committed to come to church and to praise God. We have to come boldly to the throne of grace. Predestine means to determine ahead of time. You have been predestined a certain amount of trials. Because you are the called, be determine to walk through the fire. It is no more, "I can't" or "I don't know if I can," God has called you. When He calls us He invites us. It is an open invitation. Do we trust Him enough to accept the invitation. He justifies us and washes us by His Word.
 
Romans 8:33-34 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Who has the nerve to speak out against God's elect. No! Get rid of it.
 
Romans 8: 35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Who shall separate us from the love of God? You can walk through the trouble that hurt you. Get in a place with God and you will trust Him as you go through, even to the point of not feeling the hurt. Nakedness means destitute, but God has covered you. We are more than conquerers. Get in a place where you are harvesting and reaping at the same time. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ. You are safe in God's love and free from danger and hurt. Freedom is not always free. When you find out that you are free, you are free indeed. 
 
Apostle Crowder closed out the service by saying that we must have ears to hear God and not only through the Scriptures. Believe God as to who we are and stay prayerful. While driving listen to God, for He will spare you and take you the safe way. Don't speed. Be careful how you move your physical body, because old injuries can once again get you down if you are not listening to God.
 
Well, there you have it once again. Be blessed and continue to pray one for another. Always love God and love one another. Until next time, be safe in God's love. I will leave you with this truth, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." James 1:12. 
 
Love,
 
Sis. Jane