Pastor Karen Kepkay

The early church was growing to the seams and the apostles found themselves in a crucial situation. Being just twelve of them appointed as apostles of Jesus, they were unable to minister the Word, something they were chosen to do, while meeting practical needs of the widows. Based on what they learned from Jesus, they solved this issue by encouraging others to serve and lead in a supporting role. The outcome was extraordinary and is now the biblical recipe we follow in our local church so we can fulfill the Great Commission!

There is no better place to begin than in prayer when fulfilling the Great Commission.
The disciples returned to Jerusalem and obeyed what Jesus commanded them to do. They went to the upper room and prayed in one accord for 10 days, along with 120 believers. What is notable is that after they prayed, and received the Holy Spirit, they did not stay in the upper room. They all went out in His power and were busy discipling and teaching others as Jesus commanded.
Let’s learn from the early church and disciples – PRAY and GO! Apply the pattern of prayer and action to herald the Good News that Jesus is alive and here to set the captives free, and adding to His church.

These are some of the truth I discovered about marriage in God’s eyes but there are more of course. I highly encourage you, whether single or married, to gain understanding of the purpose God intended between a husband and wife. In this manner, you can walk in the intended purpose of being in covenant with your (future) spouse.

We have a good Heavenly Father, who holds us in the palm of His hand, and He accepts, loves, and affirms us. John 10:29 says that we are in the Father’s hand and no one is able to snatch us out from His hand. in Him we are secure, and that is good news!

Have you ever been desperate to know God’s will for a specific life decision and desire to do the right thing? Or perhaps you are in a bind about circumstances and don’t know what to do practically?

What a wonderful trace of the Grace of God through history and imperfect people, messy lives, and scandalous reputations. You might identify with Jesus’ relatives in his family tree, or perhaps you wonder if the skeletons in your family’s closet precludes you from God’s love. The good news is that the same grace is available to you and I – the unmerited favor of God, where He takes initiative to pursue us despite our sins, and expresses his love in the action of sending Jesus to pay for the penalty of our wrongdoings. His grace remedies our inability to become righteous and allows us to be born again as new creature in Him. Grace has a name – His name is Jesus who came to this earth through a very human lineage so he can identify in our weakness but redeems for eternity.

At first read, this verse sounds like a great contradiction. How can someone who mourns be blessed or happy? Where does the promise of comfort come from? The kingdom of God is an upside-down Kingdom compared to the world’s. Jesus leaves us in the beatitudes not only a set of attitudes to take on but He gives us a sure promise that we can receive when we fully embrace His ways.

At different points in our lives, it is possible to feel overwhelmed by unchangeable circumstances. At the moment, we are trying to make sense of global issues such as the COVID pandemic, Russia-Ukraine conflict, global inflation, food insecurity and climate change, to name a few. At a more personal level, we might be feeling pressed down while waiting for a new turn of events, or the fulfillment of a promise or purpose. Though these circumstances are seemingly out of our control, we rest in the assurance that “God works everything for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:2*). God is sovereign over all, but in all these things He calls us to pray and persevere.

We all have experienced that feeling after saying something that did not sit well either in our heart or in someone else’s heart. We end up thinking “Did I just say that?”