Christian Community Fellowship Northside Daily Word

4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. -  Ephesians 4:1-5  New International Version Believers demonstrate the truth of the Gospel by being unified in their actions. It's all about being unified. Why is unity so important? The bible says that we should love one another. We were all given the same command. How could God bring unity to a group of people that came from so many religious backgrounds? We all have had struggles of different kinds and in different ways. Our experience with struggle should create relationships where we help strengthen one another an...

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 1 John 2:3 New International Version Identity theft is such a common problem in this day and age. It is not hard for someone to retrieve your information from the internet or from your credit cards and then pose as you. However, if this were to happen, it would not change who you are. The thief cannot steal your true identity. The thief will only have superficial information about you. Our identity runs much deeper than just our ID numbers. In reality, we are who God says we are. And that alone dictates our eternal destiny; that alone indicates whether we can live life to the fullest. You will find in, 1st John Chapter 2, that there are three truths that indicate to others that we are God's children. The first thing is that we obey His commands (v.3). Second, we should live as Jesus lived (v.6). And third, we avoid hating others (v.9). So, do you know who you are? What is your true identity? Do you know Jesus? Are you o...

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;     I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor,     and this was the reward for all my toil.  Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done     and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;     nothing was gained under the sun.  Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV I'm always looking forward to summertime. The warm days, football games, beaches, and cookouts are pleasures that I enjoy after a long, cold winter. Pleasure seeking shouldn't be just seasonal. I believe we all enjoy good food, engaging conversation, and hanging out with our friends and family on a cool summer evening. There's nothing wrong with our desires for pleasure. The Lord has made us for it. Paul tells us that God "gives us richly all things to enjoy"(1Timothy 6:17 KJV). We are welcome through other scriptures to the healthy pleasures of food, friends, and the intimacy of...

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17 NIV Money is a very powerful force. We work hard for it, save it, spend it and use it to satisfy our wants. We are continually looking for more and more money. Being aware of its danger, Jesus taught about money and, as far as we know, He did not take up a offering for Himself. Obviously, He didn't teach about giving in order to fill His own pockets. However he did warn us about trusting in wealth and using it to gain power. Trusting in money clogs our spiritual arteries more readily than most other impediments to our spiritual development. So, what does it really mean to be rich toward God? Paul tells us that those who are rich should not be conceited about their wealth, "nor put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain." Rather, we are to ...

3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,  my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalm 3:3  New International Version In this passage, David felt like he was being chased and overtaken by his enemies. I know a lot of us may feel that way right now. It may feel like difficult situations in life are overtaking us and overwhelming us. Some people may even feel like they don't have the strength to carry on. This is the time to go to God and ask Him to be our shield all around us. God is not going to leave His child or children to fight alone. David knew God was right there with him. Just like today, God is right here with us at this very moment. God's glory is what's keeping us going and strengthening us every day. God is standing with us in the midst of the shame, the rejection, the guilt, the downfalls and the mess ups. Regardless of the situation, God is right there saying, "I AM here with you. Lift your head up. Stick your chest out and walk tall. I AM with you. Don...

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 NIV Jesus is Our Savior and Mediator. Why should confess our faults to others? What "healing" comes from this? Being transparent with Christian brothers and sisters is an important aspect of Kingdom Life. Jesus frees us from the effect of sin (death) and offers complete forgiveness when we repent (turn from sin and towards Him). However, when we sin, we often knowingly or unknowingly harm a brother or sister within the body of Christ. Our confession towards them is needed so the body of Christ can be healed. Understand that we do not live our Kingdom lives apart from others. Christ's body on earth is not to be disjointed or severed because of sin and lack of forgiveness. When our hearts and minds have been bonded together by love and forgiveness, we are free to pray with a godly attitude that promotes truly pow...

Today's Daily Devotional by Sister Takiela Harris 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. - John 14:27 NLT I'm imagining Jesus here with me where I am right now at this moment. I see Him looking at me with love and I hear Him saying, "I am giving you my peace." How do I feel? I sit with Jesus for a while and allow these words to sink into my heart. Where in my life do I need the peace of Jesus? At this moment, perhaps I need Jesus in a relationship or in my work or just in my own heart and peace within myself. To tell the truth, I believe that if you haven't been at the bottom, broken, homeless, jobless, carless, starving, betrayed and disregarded, you wouldn't understand me. God is a way maker. Some people look at me, think I’m crazy and talk negatively about me, saying, “Kiela acting funny!” My response to them is, “Yes! Yes, I am acting funny. I'm dif...

Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 1 Kings 18:37 KJV The first words of this verse sounds like Elijah was pleading with the Lord to hear him. However, things are not always as they seem. Elijah had challenged the prophets of the false god, Baal, to prepare bulls for sacrifice and place them upon their altars. Then they were to pray for their god to send fire to consume the sacrifice. The false prophets shouted out many cries for their god to hear and the answer was futile. Then Elijah called all the people near, he placed his sacrifice on the altar, then he began to drench the altar with water, and then he prayed to the one true God. Elijah prayed with an expecting faith, acknowledging God's sovereignty and fully believing that He could and would answer the prayers of His covenant people. Elijah wanted "all the people"(v.39) to know, God and honor Him with humility. We need an E...

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. John 20:28 kJV Can Christians who have had occasional doubts about faith become effective in serving the Lord? Some of us seem to think that mature and growing Christians never ever question their faith. But, there are those who do experience things that causes them to have temporary doubt. The disciple Thomas also had his initial doubts about the rumors of Jesus resurrection. He said, "unless I see the nail marks in his hands...I will not believe" (John 20:25). So Jesus Christ showed him the evidence that he had been asking for. Shocked and amazed at seeing that the Savior has risen, Thomas exclaimed: "My Lord and my God!". After this took place, very little is mentioned about Thomas in the new testament. However some early churches suggested that Thomas went on as a missionary to India and preached the gospel. In fact, many churches in India still have active congregations that trace their foundation back ...

For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100:5 KJV It may be surprising to us when children don't follow their parents' example of faith in God. Same as a person with a deep commitment to Christ who emerges from a family where faith was not present. With every generation, everyone has a choice. Samuel was a great man of God who appointed his two sons, Joel's and Abijah, as Leaders over Israel (1 Samuel 8:1-2). Unlike their father, however, they were corrupt and "turned aside after dishonest gain"(v. 3). And yet, some years later, we find Heman, who is Joel's son, became appointed as a musician in the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 6:31-33). Heman, who's the grandson of Samuel along with Asaph, which was his right-hand man and the author of many of the psalms- served the Lord by singing joyful songs (1 Chronicles 15:16-17). Even when a person seems indifferent toward the faith that's so important...