MY NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE by Gene McGuire January 1, 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

     I send you my best wishes for a wonderfully blessed New Year. I was trying to think of a subject that would be most appropriate to write for our first message in 2013 and I came to the conclusion that we might profit from some new thinking this year. I really shouldn’t say what we’ll discuss today is new because it has always been in God’s Word, but many Christians are not really aware of it. I’m talking about getting the full benefit of salvation.

     There are two different words used for salvation in the Old and New Testaments (ye shuw’ ah and soteria). but they both have the same meaning: deliverance, safety, healing and soundness. This may come as a surprise to some who believed their salvation only guaranteed them a place in Heaven. Let me quickly say that if it were the only provision that salvation offered, it certainly would be enough; but when God saved you, He had more in store for you. Many scriptures bear witness to this fact. Galatians 3:14, which tell us the blessings of Abraham are ours, is only one example. You can receive all the other promises of God the same way you received your deliverance from the kingdom of darkness.

     Romans 10:9&10 states: “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” That is the procedure for receiving all the other promises of God . . . . believing and confessing. When the confession of your lips harmonizes with the confession of your heart, you will then have the thing sought after. A search of the letters to the Churches in the New Testament will give you a vivid description of who you are in Christ if you are a believer. It may not be manifest in your life at this moment, but that is still part of your inheritance as a child of God. Let’s use an example. Philippians 4:19 proclaims “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” You might say this is definitely not true in your life because you have nothing but lack. Well I want to tell you there is a difference between “facts” and the Truth. God’s word is true regardless of what may be manifest at any particular moment in your life.

     We should take God’s Word, personalize it, and begin to confess it. Our example from Philippians would then read, “My God supplies all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. Repeat it aloud and often because faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). As you hear God’s Word, the belief in your heart will grow and, as we said before, when the confession of your heart harmonizes with the confession of your mouth, you will receive. We just used that Philippians scripture as an example. There are a multitude of other promises you should personalize and use. When you start this process you might encounter some difficulty. Your mind might balk at confessing things which haven’t been actualized as yet. You need to override those objections and boldly declare what God has said about you. In addition to that you must persist! Your confession is planting seeds of faith in your heart. They won’t bear fruit overnight. Just as the farmer must be patient, you must be patient. It may take weeks of months, but if you continue and don’t faint, your harvest will be bountiful!!!

May the NEW YEAR bring you many blessings,

GENE

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Happy Thanksgiving From Gene McGuire November 22, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

 

     Have you noticed that there are certain Scriptures which are very palatable? They go down smooth as ice cream. Conversely, some of God’s Words seems to be like a dose of Cod Liver Oil . . . . hard to swallow!!! I’m sure you’ve also discovered that we can’t pick and choose which Scriptures we want to apply to our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man (or woman) of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  With this in mind, please explore with me a Scripture that has been a personal challenge to me for a long time. . . . in other words, hard to swallow.

 

     I Thess. 5:18 instructs us thusly: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Now let’s play “honest Indian”. (No slur intended.) Isn’t it easy to give God thanks for that job promotion, the birth of that healthy child or some miraculous physical healing? Do prayers of thanksgiving flow glibly out of your mouth when you’re flat on your back in the hospital, you’re facing a lay-off or a loved one leaves you? Perhaps we’re having a problem with this particular Scripture because we don’t fully understand it and its ramifications.

 

    Firstly, it says in everything give thanks, not for everything. We can confidently apply this Word to areas of our lives because we know that Our Heavenly Father is the Miraculous and Mighty Provider in our lives. We know that He is all-powerful and that NOTHING is impossible for Him. (Luke 1:37) There is another reason we can be comfortable with the Scripture. I believe that the everything in 1 Thess. 5:18 is interchangeable with the all things found in Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” This tells me that God can take All the happenings in our lives, both good and bad, and fashion the outcome to be a blessing to us. Joseph is an excellent Biblical example. As you know, he was cast into a pit by his brothers, sold into slavery, wrongfully accused of rape and put into prison. God took all these circumstances and wove them together. The finished tapestry featured Joseph as the second most powerful man in Egypt with the ability to save his family from starvation. (Genesis Chapters 37-42)

 

     Well Folks, don’t get me wrong. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to look adversity in the eye and immediately praise God and give Him thanks. This is because our finite minds can’t figure out how God can take the mess we are in and make something beautiful. Well, don’t trouble yourself trying to figure it out; just remember that “We walk by FAITH and not by sight”. (2Cor. 5:7)) When we demonstrate our faith by acting on His Word, God can then get into action on our behalf.

 

                                             Have a blessing and be a blessing,

              Gene

 

 

LESSONS FROM THE CROSS! BY GENE McGUIRE JUNE 22. 2012

THE WORD OF   FORGIVENESS

When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him, along   with the criminals–one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said,   “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke   23:33-34

Prayer

Father, what a lesson   our Lord taught us in His first cry from the cross! We see the great loving   heart of Christ as He prayed for those who were putting Him to death. In   a sense, He is practicing what He preached when He told us to “love your   enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Our Lord‘s enemies had just   driven nails into his body, and He asked You to forgive them. We’ve come   to Calvary‘s cross to be shown the way to forgive. Help us, Lord! We too   are frequently sinned against, but may we also seek to be   forgiving, and, in so doing, set an example for others. We ask this   in Jesus’ name.

Amen

Sincerely Yours, Gene McGuire

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