The Lord's Prayer (What does it mean?)

Lord, teach us to pray... Jesus disciples had seen Him pray many times.  

Sometimes he prayed all night and sometimes His prayers were just one sentence. Jesus' followers made the connection between Jesus' intense prayer life and the power He showed in every aspect of life. They must have realized that prayer was the link. Finally, one disciple asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus gave them a deceptively simple, childlike prayer which has come to be known as "The Lords Prayer" The prayer is recorded in Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6: 9-13. Matthews version highlights the seven key parts or petitions:

Our Father which art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy Kingdom come

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors

And lead us not into temptation. but deliver us from evil

As we come into 2016, I want to share and teach the Word of God in a refreshing way making it absolutely clear on why and what the scriptures are telling us. 

Join us as we start the first spiritual and inspirational series "The Lord's Prayer" HERE on 1/3/16.

Every Sunday and Wednesday night. I am looking forward to a blessed season for all of us. 

God Bless. 

 

God's Eyes On The Earth

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 

(2 Chronicles 16:9)

One of THE most difficult things about enduring trials and suffering is the sense that we have to bear them on our own. When we go through difficult situations, we long to know that someone out there cares about our pain and notices when we need help--especially if that someone is willing and able to aid us in our distress. 

That's why the promise in this verse is so comforting. God's eyes constantly roam throughout the earth looking for people whose hearts yearn for Him and seek Him. God is longing to help us. And when he finds such people he immediately supports them in their work, their families, and the struggles and challenges they face, both big and small. 

So imagine you're one of those people within God's range of vision even now. Where's your heart these days? Is it "fully committed" to God, as the verse says, or are you on the fence, loving or trusting in other things as well? Do you doubt God's goodness? Do you keep Him at arm's length because of bad things that have happened in your life or because of choices you want to make that are counter to His will?

Take some time even now to intentionally focus on God. Submit to Him. Listen for Him. Tell Him that you're not "fully committed" to Him and His Kingdom but you want to be. He longs to bless you. He knows everything involved with your situation, and He will strengthen you in every challenge you face. 

For more on God's goodness go here now and then join us Wednesday on our podcast. The new series "The Lord's Prayer" God Bless and have a great week!! :)  

3 Ways the Coming of Jesus was Foretold

The true reason for the Season!! :)

I ran across this post from our partner Godlife.com and had to share it for the Christmas week.

Merry Christmas and may God Bless you from all of us at the "CUP"

There are more than 300 prophecies in the Old Testament

Written by Joy Godlife.com

Scripture:

“For to us a child is born, …. and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.” Isaiah 9:6-7

There are more than 300 prophecies about Jesus (the Messiah) in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfills every prophecy! Since it’s the Christmas season, let’s take a look at 3 ways the coming of Jesus was foretold.

1. The Miracle of His Birth

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). God uses His supernatural power to give us evidence that He, and He alone, is doing something amazing. The foretold virgin birth is only possible by God. It is important that Jesus is called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Jesus is unique because he is a man, or a “seed of woman” (Genesis 3:15), and the Son of God (Matthew 3:17).

2. The City of His Birth

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2) Jewish scholars agreed that Jesus would come from the descendants of King David (Isaiah 11:1-2), and be born in Bethlehem.

How amazing that God arranged for a pagan Roman emperor to take a census, causing a pregnant virgin to travel to Bethlehem at just the right time! “And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary and while there, the time came for her baby to be born.” (Luke 2:3-6)

3. The Purpose of His Birth

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus had to suffer as the prophets foretold (Luke 24:26-27). He died in our place so we could have peace with God. This is why the Angels sang at His birth: “Glory to God in the Highest! And Peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:14)

“Without Faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6) Have you received the peace that Jesus died for you to have? Click here to learn how to please God by having faith in Jesus Christ.

Have a Merry Christmas with Family and friends and

May God Bless you!

How Can I Believe In Something I Can't See?

 Good question right??

You can believe in an invisible God because the evidence of His existence is all around you in the things He created.

Christ is the exact likeness of God, who can't be seen. (Colossians 1:15 NIV)

This not only gives us an idea of His majestic power, but a glimpse of His divine attributes as well. Still, He knew that human beings could easily misinterpret the evidence and end up as many did, worshiping idols instead. That is why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth---to show us exactly what He is like.

God Himself can't be seen, but Christ is His "exact likeness." Jesus told His disciples, "If you really knew me, you would know my Father also. From now on, you do know Him. And you have seen Him." Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father. That will be enough for us." Jesus answered, "Don't you know me Phillip? I have been among you such a long time! Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:7-9 NIV)

The Bible further tells us that Christ "is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV) "and radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God" (Hebrews 1:3 NLT)

God is love, and Jesus is like His Father in every way. By living a love filled life here on earth, in plain view day after day, Christ showed what God is like in real time. Through His actions, Jesus demonstrated that God is a caring God--that He is concerned with peoples struggles and trials and temptations. By constantly healing their sickness, He showed that God is concerned for our sufferings. By dying for our sins, Jesus proved how far God was willing to go to bring us back into His presence.

His entire life, Jesus Christ showed us what God is like.

I know most kids well, my daughter starts her school break today!!

Enjoy your family and  Have a Merry Christmas!! 

Discussion question...

How has someone who has seen Jesus seen God?

email us at dale@thecupministry.org

Check out our latest blogs and sermon podcast HERE

Where Did God Come From?

Before ..You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting, You are God. (Psalm 90-2 NKJV)

Have you had friends or family try and tell you about "The Big Bang Theory" Not the  TV show!! :)  Or how about evolution?

Let's squash those theories and myths right now shall we?


God has always existed. There has never been a time when God didn't exist. Since He has always been around, He didn't need to come from anywhere. Neither did He emerge from some other dimension into our present space-time reality. After all, God was the one who created space and time and all the dimensions in the first place.

One of God;s titles is "the Eternal God" (Genesis 21:33 NIV). David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, stated "You are from all eternity" (Psalm 93:2 NIV). The concept of infinity is difficult for our finite minds to grasp. In our experience, all life has both a beginning and an ending. Even the universe itself, as ancient as it is, once had a spectacular inception. But God has neither beginning nor end. He is utterly beyond any frame of reference that we have or can even logically theorize.

We cannot begin to grasp the concept of an all-powerful Being who lives for endless ages. We can only say like Job, "How great is God---Beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out" (Job 36:26 NIV). In fact, for God to be God, He has to be beyond our understanding. If we understand Him, we'd be omnipotent (all-knowing) like Him. And of course we are not. He is, as Job said, a mystery past finding out.

Some people ask, Who made God?" The logical answer is that no one made God. If some other being had made God, then that being would be God. And we would still be left wondering where that being came from. But the Lord tells us, "I am the first and the last, I am the one and only God" (Isaiah 44:6 NIV)

Discussion questions:

1) Do you think most humans can grasp an infinite God?   Why? or Why Not?

2) What do you think God did before creating the universe?   Hmmm?

send me an email with your answers.. dale@thecupministry.org

Check out our latest Podcast "Saved By Grace' It will be live at 1:00pm CST 12/15/15. @ The CUP

Wishing you much success and God Bless!!

 

How Can I Be Sure That God Exists?

Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.  (Romans 1:20 NLT)


With all the evil, terrorist attacks, bad news, wars and rumors of wars.. many unfortunately may be asking this question. Let's talk about how you can be sure that God exists.


Many agnostics feel that there's no way to be sure God exists. They argue that one can think God exists and even be convinced that God exists, but at best skeptics argue that belief in God is a blind, illogical leap into the dark. But Christianity, as Paul explained to the Roman governor Festus, is a very reasonable faith. When Festus exclaimed, "You are out of your mind!" Paul replied, "I am not insane...What I am saying is true and reasonable" (Acts 26:25 NIV).

It is reasonable because there is evidence. God created humankind and "never left them without evidence of Himself" (Acts 14:17 NLT). What is the evidence? The amazing, complex world all around us and the universe above us. As Paul explained, the seasonal water cycles, the fertility of the earth, and the mystery of life itself are not only proof of God's existence, but also of His loving care. Modern biological sciences--particularly when one descends to the level of microbiology--confirm how breath-taking life is. The fingerprints of God are all over the plethora of earth's life forms. Their unique, complex and interdependent designs are evidence that an intelligent designer made them.

David also tells us, "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship" (Psalm 19:1 NLT) We now know the heavens to be far more awesome and astonishing than the ancients could have possibly imagined. Not only are the stars awe-inspiring and beautiful, but the universe--filled with galaxies, nebulae, red dwarfs, planets, moons, and black holes, not to mention the constant array of new discoveries astounds us. More amazing still are the unseen laws of physics that govern everything, hold the visible universe together, and make it all work. It is an unparalleled
masterpiece, and behind it is the Master Craftsmen.

Discussion Questions:

1) Do you believe that Christianity is a "reasonable" faith?

2) What to you is the greatest natural evidence of God's existence?

Contact us HERE 

Wishing you much success and God Bless!!

Grief and Prayer for Peace

As some of you know I am now pursuing my Masters in Divinity Degree. God has put it in my heart not only to become a Minister but the biblical knowledge to understand and support His people and the History and Hero's behind it. (FOZ) Friends of Zion Heritage Center Museum is amazing and a great place to learn about the History of the Jewish people and the History of Christian Zionists. By clicking on the foz logo on your left you can take a virtual tour now. 

Let us pray for peace every where around the world. We need God more than ever!!

Grief and Prayer for Peace

A Message from Michael D. Evans II in Jerusalem: Bullet holes can be seen in the window of Le Carillon Cafe, where a terrorist attack took place on November 14th in Paris, France. Photo by Laurence Geai/Flash90 Shalom from the Holy City of Jerusalem. As Dad and I talked today about the horrific terror attacks in Paris, we wept together for so many who have lost their lives. The enemy of radical Islam is a demonic-inspired power, and while they bitterly hate Israel and the Jewish people, their evil is not confined to one nation or one religious group. My friend, you and I are fighting a spirit war against a determined, powerful, and serious adversary. And we need to be just as serious in our prayers and our work as they are in theirs.  Today, I urge you to set aside a special time of prayer for this world of ours—we really need God right now! And after you have prayed, I ask that you join hands with us in doing something special for the Jewish people. God has opened a wonderful door for us to help right now. We have received an urgent request for down blankets and warm coats and hats for poor, elderly Holocaust survivors to keep them warm during the coming winter. I do not believe God brought this request to our attention without it being His plan for me to bring it to you...and for us to join hands to meet the need. There are still almost 200,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel today, and most of them are in their 80s and 90s.  The government does what it can to help, but the constant threats against the very existence of Israel require IMMENSE investments in military preparedness leaving little for other purposes—no matter how worthwhile. So these precious people live in desperate need. The stipend they receive from the government is just not enough to provide food, medicine, and heat for their tiny apartments in the cold Israeli winters. I understand the need because I've sat with many of these people in their homes. I've seen the tears in their eyes as they told of their need. We've been doing everything we can to help care for these precious men and women. Thank God for what we've been able to do so far, but it's simply not right that after going through so much, these people are often so terribly cold in their own homes. Our support and defense of Israel are so vital right now—more than ever before. Today, you and I are standing on the front lines of the spiritual battle for Israel's survival. Your support of the Jerusalem Prayer Team will help us bring comfort to the victims of these terror attacks.  It also allows us to meet the needs of poor Holocaust survivors, operate the Friends of Zion Museum, and launch the new Ambassador Institute to equip thousands of Believers around the globe to stand for and with Israel.  Please be as generous as you can when you send your gift today.