Deborah, God’s Woman of Wisdom
Filed under: Bible, By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Faith, Fiction, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Love, Ministry, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Relationships, Sermons, Spiritual Warfare, The Gospel Project, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship | Tags: Deborah, Faith, Faith in God, God Father Son and Spirit, God's Faithfulness, God's good news, God's love, God's Wisdom, Hope, Judges 4-5, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Obedience, Pastor Ann Vinson of New Life Fellowship Baltimore, Spiritual Gifts, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Wisdom
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Part 1, 26min.: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/16-12-11-deborah-gods-woman-of-wisdom-part-1a-judges-4-5-tah-guest-vinson.mp3”
Part 2, 26min: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/16-12-11-deborah-gods-woman-of-wisdom-part-1b-judges-4-5-tah-guest-vinson.mp3”
Full Message: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/16-12-11-deborah-gods-woman-of-wisdom-judges-4-5-tah-guest-vinson.mp3”
Theological Theme: Faithfulness is expressed in using our gifts for God our Father’s purposes, trusting in Him for victory, and giving Him glory for whatever we accomplish.
Christ Connection: Deborah was the chosen leader of God who not only rescued her people but also ruled with wisdom. Her life points forward to Jesus Christ, the Wonderful Counselor whose kingdom is marked by justice and righteousness.
Missional Application: God the Holy Spirit (as God’s Gift of Himself to us), empowers us to participate with him through the use of various gifts in the service of edification (of those who belong to His family) and in evangelism (of those who do not know Him).
*picture courtesy of lzymtn.com
God, In Jesus, Comes and Reigns In Judging Grace
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Love, Ministry, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, Relationships, Sermons, The Gospel Project, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witness, Worship | Tags: Consequences of sin, God Father Son and Spirit, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God's good news, God's Grace, God's Kindness, God's love, God's Mercy, God's Righteousness, Idolatry, Jesus the Judge, Jesus the Savior, Judges 2, Love, Sin, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Judges Cycle
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Part 1, 26 mins: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/16-11-27-god-in-jesus-comes-and-reigns-in-judging-grace-part-1-judges-2-tah.mp3”
Part 2, 26 mins: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/16-11-27-god-in-jesus-comes-and-reigns-in-judging-grace-part-2-judges-2-tah.mp3”
Full Message: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/16-11-27-god-in-jesus-comes-and-reigns-in-judging-grace-judges-2-tah.mp3”
THEOLOGICAL THEME: God – Father, Son and Spirit cares for His people too much to let them languish in their sin and idolatry forever. He will judge and He will save.
CHRIST CONNECTION: The judges saved people from the consequences of their sin but could not change the cause of their sin. Jesus is the Savior and Judge of the world who takes upon Himself the consequences for our sin and then offers us new hearts that seek His righteousness.
MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God the Holy Spirit places us into union with Jesus, helping us identify and resist the prevailing idolatries in our society so that our distinctiveness will back up our proclamation of the gospel.
*picture courtesy of dwellingintheword.wordpress.com
In Light Of God’s Salvation
Filed under: Bible, by Tony Marra, Christian Living, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Relationships, The Gospel Project, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship | Tags: Assistant Pastor Tony Marra, Commitment to God, God's Faithfulness, God's Mercy, Idolatry, Joshua 24, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Obedience, Serving the Lord, Sin, sin of idolatry, Sincerity and Truth, Truth, Worship
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Theological Theme: Our best efforts at obedience are bound to fail unless we have first experienced God – Father, Son and Spirit’s salvation through Jesus.
Christ Connection: Joshua was God’s chosen servant to bring the Israelites into the promised land. His story points forward to Jesus Christ, God’s chosen servant who will bring God’s people to their eternal inheritance.
Missional Application: God our Father, through Jesus, and in the Spirit, calls us to put away our idols, participating with Him and displaying for the world a new way of living, made possible only through Jesus, our Salvation.
Tainted By Sin, Saved By Grace
Filed under: Bible, by Cory O'Neal, Christian Living, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Love, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Relationships, Sermons, The Gospel Project, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship | Tags: Achan, Acting with God, Cory O'Neal, Faith, God's Grace, God's Mercy, God's Warnings, good news, Grace, Hope, Joshua 7-8, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, repentance, Sin, sins consequences, The Gospel Project, wages of sin
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Full Sermon, 37 mins.: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/16-11-13-tainted-by-sin-saved-by-grace-joshua-7-8-tah-guest-oneal.mp3”
Theological Theme: All of us are tainted by sin because we have inherited a nature and an environment inclined toward sin.
Christ Connection: The Valley of Achor is a chilling reminder of sin and its consequences, but God – Father, Son and Spirit later promises to make the Valley of Achor “a gateway of hope” (Hos. 2:14-15). The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23).
Missional Application: God the Father sends us the Spirit of Christ, calling and empowering us to exalt His name in our battle against lingering sin and its consequences.
*picture courtesy of pinterest.com
Perspective On Your Present Sufferings and Future Resurrection!
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Love, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Relationships, Timothy Brassell, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Worship | Tags: Co-suffering, Easter, Easter Resurrection, Faith, George MacDonald, Glorified with Jesus, Hope, Love, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Resurrection, sharing in Jesus' humanity, Suffering With Christ, Sufferings of Christ, The Resurrection of Jesus, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
Comments (1) 
Because of God – Father, Son and Spirit’s involvement in our real human lives as revealed in Jesus, and the fact that Jesus himself did not get out of sharing in our humanity without suffering, we will suffer with Him as we participate in and from Jesus.
As I like to say by analogy, sin was us missing the mark in relationship with God and rejecting him was like forcing our heads through a knothole. In undoing the mess we made, Jesus took on our humanity and pulled it back through the dark knothole, literally!, undoing the mess we made. As you can imagine, or maybe even know by experience, being pulled back out of a situation in which you’ve been stuck HURTS TOO!
This is what we see, hear and feel in Jesus as he is facing the supreme point and pain of getting us out of our stuckness, when he says in Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” You might remember that the context of these words shows that an angel was sent to strengthen Jesus and he was in “great anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
This expectation of having to suffer with Jesus and share in his pain is important and is actually one way of relieving the suffering that is to be experienced by us in our participation with him. How is it relieving? Well, when you are told about something in advance, it is not as shocking to you when it occurs and, in some way, though not fully, you are more prepared for it, at least mentally. As a former human resources director, I remember that nothing was more fearful for people in the workplace than “fear of the unknown!”
One consideration for your suffering as a Christian is definitely the same reason Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, suffered:
John 11: “Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Ultimately, your participation is with Christ and in his sufferings as one who trusts him and is being saved! Consider this awesome union with Jesus Christ we have, from the Father and by the Spirit, and receive encouragement from these words penned by George MacDonald in this light:
“But oh, my friends, what shall I say about this wonderful message? Think of being sick for the glory of God! of being shipwrecked for the glory of God! of being drowned for the glory of God! How can the sickness, the fear, the brokenheartedness of his creatures be for the glory of God? What kind of God can that be? Why just a God so perfectly, absolutely good that the things that look least like it are only the means of clearing our eyes to let us see how good he is. For he is so good that he is not satisfied with being good. He loves his children so, that except he can make them good like himself, make them blessed by seeing how good he is, and desiring the same goodness in themselves, he is not satisfied. He is not like a fine, proud benefactor, who is content with doing that which will satisfy his sense of his own glory, but like a mother who puts her arm round her child, and whose heart is sore till she can make her child see the love which is her glory. The glorification of the Son of God is the glorification of the human race, for the glory of God is the glory of man, and that glory is love! Welcome sickness, welcome sorrow, welcome death, revealing that glory!”
2 Timothy 2: 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
Have a glorious Easter weekend (especially if you’re suffering!), Participating in Your Share of the Sufferings of Jesus Christ, and in Hope of Your Future Resurrection and Glorification in Him!
– tjbrassell
*picture courtesy of michaelkrahn.com
God – Father, Son and Spirit of Unusual Victories!
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Faith, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Humor, Love, Ministry, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Relationships, Sermons, Spiritual Warfare, The Gospel Project, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship | Tags: Faith, Faith in God, Faith in Jesus, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God Fights For Us, God's Faithfulness, God's love, God's promises, God's Unusual Victories, Hope, Josua 6, Love, Miracles, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Obedience, Pastor Timothy Brassell, Taking Action With God, The Gospel Project, victory
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Full Message, 27mins.: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/16-11-06-god-father-son-and-spirit-of-unusual-victories-joshua-6-tah.mp3”
Theological Theme: God – Father, Son and Spirit achieves victory through the faithful obedience of His people, no matter how unusual His commands may seem.
Christ Connection: God’s ultimate victory over His enemies, and ours, takes place through the faithful obedience of His Son – Jesus Christ.
Missional Application: God calls us to battle against evil in this world using the weapons of prayer, His Word, and our testimony in the Holy Spirit.
*picture courtesy of pinterest.com
BEing.
Filed under: By Bill Winn, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Faith, Inclusion, Love, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Relationships, Uncategorized | Tags: being, birdie, Faith, golf, Jesus, participate
Comments (1) I like to play golf. I’m not very good at it. I’m fairly good at it, just not very good. My best friend is very good at it. I, however, just enjoy being outside, fellowshipping with others, and the occasional score under 90.
Last summer I began to believe that I possessed the physical, mental, and emotional abilities necessary to improve my game. One of the things I have done is take golf lessons. I have a coach named Adam who is very knowledgeable and helpful.
A few Saturdays ago, in lieu of a lesson, we went out and played a few holes together. The idea was for Adam to be able to take a look at my whole game. Instead of just working on short irons, driver, chipping, or putting he was going to evaluate a variety of my shots on every hole.
When I arrived that day on the course Adam said, “Hey do you want a lesson today or do you want to go play a few?” “No contest.”, I thought. So we headed over to the first tee. When we stepped onto the tee box Adam informed me that he was going to hit all of my shots for me. I would just stand by and watch.
Ha ha! No, that last bit isn’t true at all. Adam did not hit all my shots for me. What kind of instructor would he be if he just did it all for me? I had to participate in my learning to be
Brookwoods G.C. Hole 11, Par 3, 173 yards. (yep… I made the birdie putt)
a golfer. While it is very exciting to see a good golfer hit the ball a foot from the cup from 180 yards away, it is even more exciting when, through hours of practice and thousands of range balls, you do it yourself. (See pic)
The Father, Son, and Spirit have included the human race in their life of love, fellowship, goodness, mercy, justice, laughter, dancing, and mutual other-centeredness and love us so much that we are called to believe and respond to that inclusion. Peter said, that because our sins have been forgiven we are called to respond.
The whole of humanity are the children of God and we are called to believe that we are the children of God and so grow into the fullness of what it means to be His children. We are called to participate, not in any way that creates our reconciliation or redemption, but we are called to participate as children of God so that (as Dr. C. Baxter Kruger says), “the way of our being aligns with the truth of our being.”
Every analogy concocted fails the greatness and profound mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ but in my limited capacity let me say this. Jesus is the great I AM who believes perfectly on our behalf so that in him we might have our own true personhood and distinction. This is why he sends the Spirit. We are not him and he is not us, but by the Spirit we get to participate in His humanity! We are really us! We matter and God will have us truly be his children in love, in laughter, in relationships, in giving, in sharing, in altruistic action, in faithfulness, and in every aspect of our lives!
In the very Person and Being of Jesus, your humanity is saved, adopted, included, and you are God’s beloved child. Therefor; in his grace, and by the Spirit, will you be His saved, adopted and included child, responding in relationship to Him; responding to other human beings the way he does?
~Bill Winn
The God Who Goes Before
Filed under: Bible, By David Stonesifer, Christian Living, Church, Faith, Gospel, Love, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Relationships, Sermons, The Gospel Project, Trinity, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship | Tags: Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Grace, God's Leadership, Joshua 3-4, memorials, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Obedience, Pastor David Stonesifer, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship
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Full Message: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/16-10-30-the-god-who-goes-before-joshua-3-4-tah-guest-stonesifer.mp3”
Theological Theme: God – Father, Son and Spirit’s presence and power does not negate our responsibility to obey in faith; rather, it makes possible our faith response.
Christ Connection: God told Joshua and the Israelites to set up memorial stones to remember what God had done to bring them into the promised land. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus told His disciples to remember the sacrifice He was going to make to save us from our sins. When Christians eat the Lord’s Supper, we remember God’s plan to ultimately destroy sin through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Missional Application: God calls us to recount His mighty works in Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, and in our lives so that others will know He is powerful.
*picture courtesy of pinterest.com
Wingnuts Must Be Wingnuts!
Filed under: By Bill Winn, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Faith, Gospel, Humor, Love, Ministry, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Uncategorized | Tags: anarchy, Believe, blessings, Inclusion, life, one way, wingnut house
Comments (2) Wingnuts Must Be Wingnuts!
Last year a couple of close friends of ours told us about an anarchist’s house in Richmond called the Wingnut House. As one might imagine, I was curious. I had to see it. The more we learned about the house the more I wanted to see it.
The Wingnut house was a large home in the Barton Heights area of Richmond. It was an anarchist collective. The folks there believed in a variety of things… such as mutual aid, anti-authoritarianism, and direct action. The house was generally open to the public, it was a drug-free/ alcohol-free place where food, live music, community, and, I’m sure, spirited debate were in ample supply.
At the core of anarchism is the belief that the governments of mankind are illegitimate and bring mostly oppression, poverty, and violence. There are actually a few tenets of anarchism that, I think, have a ring of truth about them. But anyway on with the story… you’re gonna love this.
So our friends got in the church van with us and began showing us the way to the Wingnut House. I was excited! So as we pulled alongside the house what struck us was that large portions of the house were covered in expertly painted murals containing various themes and messages relating to the care of humanity and anti-authoritarianism. On the front of the house there was said to be a mural dedicated to people killed by the State and I wanted to see it but there was a one-way street in front of the house and I didn’t want to drive all the way around the block so… yep you guessed it.
I thought, “What the heck, it’s an anarchy house so we’ll “stick it to the man” and drive the wrong way down the one-way street. (Since there was nothing coming in this quiet neighborhood) So picture it, we’re in the Richmond Grace church van, going the wrong way down a one-way street just to see a mural painted on an Anarchist Collective house called- The Wingnut. It is one of my favorite memories.
What happened next shocked me. (No we didn’t get pulled over by the police, that would not have shocked me) There were about a dozen or so people sitting on the front porch and steps of the house and as we passed by some began to shout at us that we were going the wrong way!
Can you believe it? The anarchists were upset that we were going against the signs put up by man-made governments. I began to laugh and then it hit me and I thought, “Be what you are.”
I must confess as we passed by the house going against the designated flow of traffic I was eager to receive accolades from the anarchists. I awaited my fist pumps and upward turned thumbs but… it didn’t happen. I’m not sure why my “anarchy” wasn’t celebrated but it got me thinking.
Do we, as believers, sometimes find ourselves unwilling to celebrate the achievements and freedoms of those who might not think and believe as we do? I catch myself sometimes grumbling to the Father, Son, and Spirit about the blessings and successes of those around me who don’t give nearly as much time, energy, and resources to the life of the Church, who perhaps don’t give God a second thought, and maybe don’t even believe there is a God.
As a Gospel preacher I know that “Jesus gives life and breath and all things to all mortals” (Acts 17:25) Notice that Paul distinguishes life from breath. The Greek word for life is zoe, meaning spiritual life. Yes Trinity and Humanity reader… Jesus gives you life with His Father in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and he gives it to your Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic, or Muslim neighbor. The difference is, that when we begin to see and believe, our minds are transformed and we begin to recognize that Jesus is truly at the center of everything we do. It’s a Gospel fact, but much of the prevailing thought in our day would have us believe otherwise. Believing the Gospel in the world might just be a little like going the wrong way on a one-way street.
So our mission, as those who believe and especially at Trinity and Humanity, is to inform and educate every person in the world that they have been included in the Triune Life of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Whether that message is popular or widely accepted is only an indication of how much work there is for us to do as “Gospel educators.” Sometimes, to get the message out, it’s okay to go against the flow of traffic or be called a nut… I’ve been called worse.
~Bill Winn
The Godly Meaning Of The Bronze Serpent
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Faith, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Love, Ministry, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, Relationships, Sermons, The Gospel Project, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Worship | Tags: Deliverance, eternal life, Forgiveness, Forgiveness of Sin, God's Grace, healing, Israelites, Jesus Christ, Jesus dying on the cross, Jesus killing sin, Jesus putting death to death, Mercy, Moses, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Numbers 21, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Pastor Timothy Brassell, Reconciliation with God, Salvation, Serpent, Sin
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Part 1, 25 mins :“https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/16-10-23-the-godly-meaning-of-the-bronze-serpent-part-1-numbers-21-tah.mp3”
Part 2, 25 mins : “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/16-10-23-the-godly-meaning-of-the-bronze-serpent-part-2-numbers-21-tah.mp3”
Full Message: “https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/16-10-23-the-godly-meaning-of-the-bronze-serpent-numbers-21-tah.mp3”
Theological Theme: God our Father sent His Son Jesus to become sin in order to conquer sin.
Christ Connection: Just as the Israelites looked upon the bronze serpent lifted high on the pole and were healed, so also we look with faith upon Jesus Christ, who was lifted high on the cross, and experience Salvation from our sin.
Missional Application: Because Christ has become sin for us, getting rid of it, God the Holy Spirit empowers us to share with others that they, too, can and should look upon Jesus, receiving his love shown deepest on the cross, and receive spiritual healing.
*picture courtesy of markglogg.eu
