Archive for the ‘By Pastor Timothy’ Category
“Our Primary God-Given Response to Suffering!”
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Revelation 4 Revelation 14: 14-20
Summary:
This sermon by Pastor Timothy Brassell confronts one of the most pressing questions of the Christian life: How are we meant to respond to suffering as people united to Jesus Christ? Rather than beginning with explanations, predictions, or strategies for escape, Scripture directs us first to worship. Revelation does not open by explaining suffering away, but by unveiling who reigns in the midst of it.
In Revelation 4, John, exiled and suffering, is invited to “come up” and see reality as it truly is. What he sees is not chaos, but a throne. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are revealed as sovereign, radiant, and unshaken. Before the seals are opened, before judgment unfolds, and before suffering intensifies, heaven is already filled with worship. This vision reorients the Church: our suffering is real, but it is not ultimate. God reigns, and His rule is exercised in covenant faithfulness, holiness, and love.
Central to this vision is Jesus Christ Himself. The risen and ascended Lord is not distant from human pain. As the Father’s suffering Servant, Jesus entered fully into our broken world, bore our suffering in His own body, and overcame it through His death, resurrection, and ascension. Now, by the Holy Spirit, He meets His Church personally and presently in suffering, not merely as comforter, but as the victorious God-Man who strengthens us to endure and to hope.
As Pope St. John Paul II writes with profound clarity: “In the Cross of Christ not only is the Redemption accomplished through suffering, but also human suffering itself has been redeemed.” — Pope St. John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris
Suffering, then, is not meaningless nor abandoned by God. In Christ, it has been taken up, transformed, and caught up into God’s redemptive purpose. This is why Revelation consistently calls the Church not to speculation or fear, but to faithful endurance rooted in worship. Worship is not denial, it is alignment with reality as God defines it.
Revelation 4 also shows the Church represented around the throne, crowned, clothed in white, and secure. Even while the Church on earth suffers, the Church in heaven worships. Together they testify that God holds creation, history, and redemption firmly in His hands. The chaos of the world does not negate God’s reign; it reveals our need to see beyond appearances and to trust the One who “was, and is, and is to come.”
Jürgen Moltmann captures this deeply Christ-centered hope when he writes: “God allows himself to be humiliated and crucified in the Son, in order to free the oppressors and the oppressed from oppression and to open up to them the situation of free, sympathetic humanity.”— Jürgen Moltmann, The Crucified God
This powerful sermon ultimately calls the Church back to the center: worship as participation in the life of God. Worship is where suffering is held honestly before God without despair. It is where fear loosens its grip, where hope is renewed, and where the Church learns again to trust the throne that stands unshaken.
In suffering, we are not abandoned. We are invited to look, to worship, and to endure with confidence. The Lamb who was slain reigns. The throne is occupied. And the God who meets us now will bring all things to their perfected end.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
- Worship as Our First Response 🙌👑
- Theme: Scripture reveals that worship, not fear or control, is the primary God-given response to suffering. Before history unfolds, heaven is already anchored in praise.
- Discipleship Question: When suffering arises, what does it look like for you to turn first toward worship rather than anxiety or self-reliance?
- #WorshipInSuffering
- Christ Meets Us in Our Suffering 🤍✝️
- Theme: Jesus Christ has fully entered human suffering, overcome it, and now meets His Church by the Holy Spirit in every trial.
- Discipleship Question: How does knowing that Jesus has suffered with you and for you, reshape the way you face hardship today?
- #ChristWithUs
- The Throne Still Stands 🪑🌈
- Theme: Revelation 4 reminds us that even when the world feels unstable, God remains seated on the throne, ruling in faithfulness and love.
- Discipleship Question: What fear or uncertainty are you being invited to surrender in light of God’s unshaken reign?
- #GodOnTheThrone
- Hope Between the Now and the Not Yet ⏳✨
- Theme: Christ strengthens us now by His Spirit while drawing us toward the fullness of His final appearing, where suffering will be fully undone.
- Discipleship Question: How does holding both Christ’s present help and future victory shape your endurance today?
- #LivingInHope
- Joining Heaven’s Worship 🌍🔥
- Theme: The Church on earth is invited to participate in the worship already taking place in heaven, finding renewal, courage, and peace in God’s presence.
- Discipleship Question: What practice of worship could help you more intentionally align your daily life with heaven’s reality?
- #HeavenlyWorship
Reflection Moment:
Take a quiet moment to imagine the scene of Revelation 4. An occupied throne. Unceasing worship. Light, holiness, and peace surrounding the One who reigns.
Now, hold your own suffering before God, without rushing to fix it, explain it, or escape it. Allow yourself to hear heaven’s song echo into your present moment. Let worship re-center your heart. Trust that the God who reigns above all things is also near to you, holding your life securely in His redeeming hands.
“God With Us: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love!”
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Leave a comment Christmas Reveals The God Who Is Always Near
As Christmas approaches, many of us are not longing for more celebration, we are longing for relief. December often arrives with exhaustion. Schedules fill up, spending piles on, emotions run close to the surface, and even the gatherings we hope will bring connection can carry tension and unspoken strain. We rush toward one day of joy, only to feel strangely empty, tired, or deflated when it passes.
For many, this season doesn’t feel light or magical. It feels heavy. We carry grief, disappointment, unresolved relationships, financial pressure, and the sense that nothing quite goes the way we planned. Beneath the lights and songs, there can be a quiet cloud of weariness, sadness, and confusion.
Scripture does not ignore this reality. It names it honestly:
Romans 8:22–23 (CSB) “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
And yet, this is exactly the kind of season into which Advent speaks.
As Advent comes to its close, we have been formed week by week by hope, peace, joy, and love. These are not passing emotions or seasonal themes. They are names for what happens when God comes near. Christmas is not the story of God stepping in only when things go wrong. It is the declaration that God has always intended to be with us, in joy and in sorrow, in clarity and in confusion. In Jesus Christ, God does not merely respond to human need; He reveals who He has always been.
Scripture tells us plainly how this love is made known:
1 John 4:9 (CSB) “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.”
Hope is born not because the world suddenly improves, but because God has arrived. Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of Christ. Joy is not the denial of suffering, but the deep assurance that life is held by God. Love is not something we create, but something we receive because God loved us first.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit God define love for us. We do not define it ourselves.
As the apostle John declares: 1 John 4:8 (CSB) “God is love.”
1 John 4:16 (CSB) “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.”
These are not sentimental statements. They are theological declarations. They tell us that love is not merely what God does when circumstances demand it. Love is who God is. And Christmas represents the moment when that love takes flesh and dwells among us.
Theologian T. F. Torrance captures this truth beautifully: “God loves you so utterly and completely that he has given himself for you in Jesus Christ his beloved Son, and has thereby pledged his very being as God for your salvation.”— T. F. Torrance, The Mediation of Christ, p. 94.
This is the heart of Christmas: God does not give us something other than Himself. He gives Himself. His love is self-giving, faithful, and permanent.
In a world filled with uncertainty and noise, Christmas reminds us that the most serious reality in our lives is not the chaos around us, but the God who has come to dwell with us. God is not distant. God is not neutral. God is near and He is love.
Writing in the midst of a broken and violent world, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminded the Church: “God loves human beings. God loves the world. Not an ideal human, but human beings as they are; not an ideal world, but the real world. What we find repulsive in their opposition to God, what we shrink back from with pain and hostility, namely real human beings, the real world, this is for God the ground of unfathomable love.”
A Reflection Moment:
Pause for a moment and consider this: God did not wait for the world to become peaceful and perfect before coming near. God did not wait for us to become joyful or loving before acting. Love arrived first.
Where do you need to stop striving and simply receive this love again?
What fear might be loosened if you trusted that God has already moved toward you?
This Christmas, rest in and enjoy the good news that the One who is our hope, peace, joy, and love has come near and He is here to stay.
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
“Advent in a World of Suffering: Hope in the Final Coming of Christ!”
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Advent does not ask us to pretend the world isn’t aching. It does not demand that grief be hidden beneath Christmas lights, or that broken relationships suddenly feel whole because the calendar has turned to December. In fact, doesn’t December often feel harder, more hectic, more strained, more overwhelming than we expected?
Advent is given to turn our tired eyes back to Jesus Christ, to anchor our hope not in circumstances but in the certainty of His glorious coming again.
For all who sit in the tension of already but not yet, Advent whispers that Christ has come, Christ comes to us now, and Christ will come again in splendor.
It is the Father-Son-Holy Spirit-God’s word to the tired church, the grieving widow, the waiting intercessor, the one watching a loved one slip toward death, the member sitting in the sanctuary with silent pain behind the smile.
Advent is not the denial of sorrow; it is the defiant declaration that sorrow does not get the final word. It is the season where the Church lifts her eyes through tears and whispers Come, Lord Jesus. It is where we remember that Christ has already come, Christ comes to us now by His Spirit, and Christ will come again in glory. Advent reminds us that the manger was only the beginning, and the Cross was the victory; but the second Advent is the trumpet of victory, the unveiling of glory. This needs to be our focus.
Salvation is already accomplished, yet not fully consummated. We are redeemed, yet still being sanctified. Christ reigns, yet the world still groans beneath death and decay. And so we wait, not with wishful thinking, but with Christ’s promise.
John Calvin directs our longing upwards: “We must hunger after Christ until the dawning of that great day when our Lord will fully manifest the glory of His kingdom.” Institutes III.25.1
Hunger grows strongest in seasons of ache, when our solutions fail, when prayers seem unanswered, when reconciliation never arrives, when hope feels thin. Yet, Advent proclaims that what we long for is coming. Not possibly. Not faintly. SURELY. Because Christ is not merely the child wrapped in straw anymore. He is The King who will return in glory.
John Calvin also comforts the suffering believer: “The Lord himself, by adversity, trains us to patience and obedience.” Institutes III.8.1
We can still hope, knowing that suffering with Christ is never meaningless. It sanctifies. It loosens our grip on this passing age we live in and anchors us to the world to come. The world where God Himself will wipe every tear from our eyes and death will be no more. (Revelation 21:4). And even now, Scripture reminds us that “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them” (Revelation 14:13 NIV). In Christ, pain is never wasted; it becomes seed for glory.
John Calvin continues: “Our present life is indeed a fleeting pilgrimage, but we are sustained by the hope of eternal life.” Institutes III.9.5
Hope is not fragile. It is rooted in Christ.
Martin Luther, writing in the shadow of plague and death, declared: “Even in the midst of death, we Christians have a sure and certain hope.” Sermon on Preparing to Die (1519)
This is Advent. Not sentiment, but substance.
Not shallow cheer, but the hope that defies the grave.
Not escape, but expectation.
Not rushing past pain, but waiting for the One who will end it.
Scripture tells us: “We wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13 (CSB) Blessed hope. Not a feeling but a promise. Not a mood but a return.
So, as we light the candles of Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, we are not just decorating tradition.
We are training our eyes for dawn while it is still dark.
We are forming hearts that know how to wait well.
We are teaching our souls to look to Christ Himself, not merely to relief.
Advent is for those who limp, not those who float. For disciples who fail and rise again. For churches who bury saints on Saturday and worship again on Sunday. For the weak, the wounded, the worn out. For us.
Christ has come. Christ comes to us now. Christ will come again. And when He comes, every tear will dry, every grave will surrender, every sorrow will be healed, every saint will stand in glory. Until then, we wait, hands lifted rather than empty. Not with fading hope, but with blessed hope. Not with denial of pain, but with faith in the One who will end it.
Come, Lord Jesus, COME. Our hope is in YOU ALONE. We are waiting, and with YOU we will not give up.
“Know The God Who Is Here And Is Coming!”
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Revelation 4
Summary:
This first Sunday of Advent invites us to awaken from spiritual sleep and lift our eyes to the God who is both here and is coming. In This powerful sermon, Pastor Tim reminded us that time is not a dull, repetitive cycle but a purposeful, forward-moving story shaped by God’s self-revealing love. As Karl Barth writes, “God’s revelation is His self-unveiling, in which He speaks for Himself and acts for Himself; in which He makes Himself known.” Advent is this unveiling. God showing Himself, not staying hidden, not remaining distant, but revealing His heart through Jesus Christ.
Using the imagery of a spiral staircase, the sermon teaches that we are all moving either upward toward Christ, or downward away from Him. There is no neutral place in discipleship. To face Jesus in trust is to ascend by grace; to turn away is to drift downward. This sober picture is intensified by the reality of human fragility, the certainty of death, and the nearness of Christ’s return. We are closer to His final appearing today than we were last year, last month, or even yesterday.
Advent also calls us to understand the one coming of Christ expressed in a three-fold way:
- Christ came in the Incarnation.
- Christ comes now in the Holy Spirit.
- Christ will come again in His final, glorious Advent.
This is not confusion or contradiction, it is God’s relational, dynamic way of revealing Himself. As T.F. Torrance beautifully puts it, “God does not remain at a distance but draws near to us in His incarnate Son, making Himself known within the fabric of our human existence.” This nearness is not metaphorical; it is the very heartbeat of Advent.
Pastor Tim also helped us understand biblical “separation from God” not as God’s absence but as our relational refusal. God is present everywhere, sustaining all existence, even in the depths. Hell itself is not the absence of God. Hell has to do with rejecting a relationship with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit God…And we know that separation from God is not something God chooses for people…Hell is the natural consequence of rejecting the relationship God continually offers.”
Advent calls us to reject our double-mindedness, embrace the God who is making Himself known, and respond with trust, repentance, and love.
As Advent begins, the message is clear:
Wake up. Lift your eyes. Receive the God who is here and coming. And invite others into this urgent, beautiful relationship while there is still time. Christ is coming soon and HIS PROMISE is our hope.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
- Wake Up to God’s Presence 👁️🔥
- Theme: Advent shakes us from spiritual sleep, reminding us that God is already near, closer than our breath, and calling us to renewed awareness.
- Discipleship Question: Where have you grown spiritually sleepy, and how is Jesus inviting you to wake up to His presence?
- #WakeUpToChrist
- Time Is Moving Toward Christ’s Return ⏳👑
- Theme: Time is not a repeating cycle but a God-directed story moving toward the glorious return of Jesus.
- Discipleship Question: How does remembering Christ’s soon return shape your priorities this week?
- #ChristIsComing
- The Spiral Staircase of Discipleship 🌀✝️
- Theme: We are always moving, either upward toward Jesus by grace or downward by neglect; there is no neutral ground.
- Discipleship Question: Are you facing Christ in trust, or drifting downward in self-reliance?
- #StepTowardJesus
- The One Coming of Christ in Threefold Advent 🌟🕊️✨
- Theme: Christ came in the Incarnation, comes now through the Spirit, and will come again in glory. One God revealing Himself in three relational ways.
- Discipleship Question: Which aspect of Christ’s Advent: past, present, or future, do you need to reflect on more deeply this season?
- #GodWhoComes
- Relationship, Not Distance, Defines Salvation ❤️🔥🤲
- Theme: Separation from God is never His absence but our refusal of relationship and Advent calls us back into His embrace.
- Discipleship Question: Who in your life needs the hope that God is always present and always pursuing?
- #ChooseRelationship
Reflective Moment:
Take a quiet moment and allow the truth of Advent to settle into your heart: the God who created you is nearer than your own breath, and yet He is also the One who comes, revealing Himself, drawing near, and inviting you into relationship. Let this season lift your eyes above routine and awaken your spirit to His presence. Hear His whisper: “I am here. I am coming. Stay awake to Me.” Trust His nearness, embrace His coming, and let hope rise in you again.
“Participate In The Passionate Spirituality Of King Jesus!”
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 42 (CSB)
Summary:
Christ the King Sunday calls us to remember that Jesus does not rule over a small, distant kingdom, He reigns over all creation, every place, every circumstance, and every moment of our lives. Even when the world feels chaotic, confusing, or out of control, Scripture declares that Christ is still the One who reigns, restores, and works all things together for good for those who love Him.
This powerful sermon by Pastor Timothy Brassell reminds us that salvation is not merely receiving something from Jesus, it is receiving His very life. In Acts 2:42, we see the pattern of Jesus’ own passionate spirituality now shared with His people: devotion to Scripture, fellowship, communion, and prayer. These are not religious tasks to check off but tangible ways we participate in the life He lives with the Father through the Spirit. As Athanasius so beautifully expressed: “He became what we are that He might make us what He is.”
Jesus does not force this life upon us; He invites us into it. He calls us into a relationship that grows, transforms, and reshapes us over time. And because He will one day return in glory, we live with a holy urgency, choosing participation over passivity, devotion over distraction, and love over indifference.
As ambassadors of reconciliation, we join Jesus in His ongoing work of calling others into this relational life with the Father. The gospel is not merely information; it is invitation. An invitation to share in the very life, love, and mission of King Jesus.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
1. Christ’s Reign as Our Present Reality 👑🌍
- Theme: Because Jesus reigns over all creation, we can live with confidence that nothing in our world or our personal lives falls outside His loving authority.
- Discipleship Question: Where do you need to trust Christ’s present reign instead of being shaped by fear or uncertainty?
- #ChristReigns
2. Sharing in Jesus’ Life Through the Spirit 🤝🔥
- Theme: Participation in Jesus means opening ourselves to His ongoing life, His mindset, His rhythms, and His relationship with the Father made available to us by the Holy Spirit.
- Discipleship Question: How might you intentionally create space this week to participate in Jesus’ life, rather than merely observe it?
- #ParticipateWithJesus
3. Devotion That Forms Us Into Christlike People 📖🤲
- Theme: The early church’s devotion to Scripture, fellowship, communion, and prayer wasn’t routine, it was transformative. These practices shape us into people who mirror Christ’s character.
- Discipleship Question: Which of these four devotions is most needed right now to shape you more deeply into the likeness of Jesus?
- #DevotedChurch
4. Living Awake to Christ’s Coming ⏳🌅
- Theme: Because Christ will return, we live with a posture of wakefulness, choosing faithfulness, compassion, and mission rather than spiritual sleepiness or distraction.
- Discipleship Question: What one step could you take this week to live with greater spiritual attentiveness?
- #LiveReady
5. Joining Jesus in the Ministry of Reconciliation 🌿🕊️
- Theme: Reconciled by Christ, we now become His ambassadors, showing His grace, embodying His compassion, and extending His invitation to others.
- Discipleship Question: Who might God be placing on your heart to encourage, reconcile with, or gently point back to Him?
- #AmbassadorsForChrist
Reflective Moment:
As you sit with these themes, consider where Jesus is inviting you to say yes to His life this week. The passionate spirituality He lived before the Father is the life He now shares with you through the Spirit. Where can you open your heart a little more to His reign, His presence, or His invitation?
May your “yes” draw you deeper into the life of King Jesus; the life that makes us fully alive in Him.
“The Priority of Jesus for His Present Church!”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Lent, Liturgy, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Extraordinary Ordinary, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Grace In Everyday, Having The Peace Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Jesus First, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, Love That Surrenders, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Relationships, Repent and Renew, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?, Word and Spirit
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 36-42
Summary:
In this powerful and deeply reflective message, Pastor Timothy Brassell reminds us that Jesus is the living priority of His Church, not just in heaven, but here and now. Preaching from Acts 2:36–42, he invites us to rediscover the extraordinary presence of Christ in what we often call “ordinary time.” Though daily life may seem routine or wearisome, the Holy Spirit meets us in the ordinary, turning our everyday moments into sacred opportunities for transformation.
Pastor Tim explains that God Himself must teach us how to meet Him in Scripture. True preaching and faithful reading of the Bible begin not with what we should do, but with Who God is in Jesus Christ. The Father’s revelation in the Son, made alive to us by the Holy Spirit, draws us into participation with His divine life. Christ is both the message and the messenger, the Living Word through whom God reveals Himself and through whom we are transformed.
As theologian T. F. Torrance writes: “It is through Jesus Christ that we come to know God, for in Him the Word of God and the response of man meet together in one person.”— The Mediation of Christ
In this light, Pastor Tim reminds us that Jesus’ priorities for His Church, devotion to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, are not four separate activities, but one shared life in Him. Through this shared life, the Church participates in Christ’s own faithfulness before the Father. God’s love, revealed unconditionally in Jesus, calls us not to passive belief but to unconditional surrender, a living response that takes shape through repentance, forgiveness, and the daily renewal of our hearts and communities.
This transforming love compels us to live and share the same grace we have received. Because the Father loves us unconditionally through the Son and Spirit, we are sent into the world to embody that same love. To be living witnesses of Christ’s ongoing life and mission.
As C. S. Lewis beautifully reminds us, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”— The Weight of Glory
Even the most ordinary days become extraordinary when Christ is at the center. Every word of Scripture, every act of fellowship, every prayer, and every moment of kindness is an encounter with the Living Word who still walks among His people.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions
- The Extraordinary in the Ordinary ✨🙌
- Theme: What seems “ordinary” in our daily lives is actually extraordinary because Jesus is present in every moment. His Spirit turns even the mundane into a sacred space for transformation.
- Discipleship Question: How can you become more aware of Jesus’ presence in your everyday routines this week?
- #ExtraordinaryOrdinary
- The Priority of Jesus for His Church ⛪🔥
- Theme: Jesus Himself remains the center and priority of His Church, His people, both on earth and in heaven, calling us to live in constant participation with Him.
- Discipleship Question: In what ways can you make Jesus, not activity or achievement, the true center of your faith community?
- #JesusFirst
- Hearing the Living Word through Scripture 📖🕊️
- Theme: God meets us personally in Scripture through the Spirit of Jesus; true preaching and reading begin with Who God is, not what we can do.
- Discipleship Question: When you open the Bible, are you seeking information or an encounter with the Living Word Himself?
- #WordAndSpirit
- Repentance and Renewal 💧❤️🔥
- Theme: Repentance isn’t about guilt but transformation. Turning from self-centered readings of Scripture to Christ-centered participation in His life and love.
- Discipleship Question: What areas of your spiritual life might need to be re-centered on Jesus’ way rather than your own?
- #RepentAndRenew
- Unconditional Love and Costly Forgiveness 💞✝️
- Theme: God’s unconditional love revealed in Jesus calls us not to passive acceptance but to unconditional surrender and costly forgiveness that mirrors His own.
- Discipleship Question: How can you practice forgiving others in the same costly, grace-filled way Jesus forgave you?
- #LoveThatSurrenders
Reflective Moment:
In the quiet rhythm of ordinary days, we are reminded that God still speaks, not only in the spectacular, but in the steady, everyday moments where His presence often goes unnoticed.
When we slow down and allow Scripture to reveal Who He is before asking what we must do, we discover that Jesus Himself is our pattern of life, the Living Word who interprets both Scripture and our hearts.
Let His unconditional love draw you into unconditional surrender.
Let His forgiveness teach you the costly joy of forgiving others.
And let His Spirit renew your ordinary moments into holy encounters with the extraordinary Christ.
“The Healing Joy of God: Discovering Health in the Life of the Trinity!”
Filed under: Bible, By Karan Barthelmy-Harris, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Liturgy, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, Faith And Health, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Healing Joy, Healing Joy Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Heals, Joy Of The Lord, Knowing The Father's Love, Life In Christ, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, Medicine for the soul, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Proverbs 17: 22, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, Spirit Of Life, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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When my husband and I returned home after visiting our son and his family, my heart was overflowing. We had just witnessed the blessing of our grandson. A sacred moment of new life, laughter, and grace.
His hugs and kisses, his bright eyes and wide smiles, even the way he giggled at the smallest things, all of it felt like sunlight to my soul. Watching him play, hearing cooing, and babbling, I felt renewed. His laughter was contagious. It filled the room with something deeper than happiness; it was life.
In those moments, I realized that the God who made us for relationship heals us through relationship. His life and joy reach us not only through Scripture and prayer but also through the touch of a child, the laughter shared across generations, and the warmth of belonging.
As someone living with diabetes, I’ve known the challenge of managing sugar levels, the careful balance of food, medication and exercise. But while I was there with my family, something remarkable happened. My blood sugar stayed in the normal range the entire time. No stress spikes, no imbalance, just peace. My dad always said that the grandkids gave him five more years, and I see that now.
I’m discovering that health is not only about what I eat, it’s also about what I carry in my heart. The stress, the worry, the hidden tensions of life can weigh the body down.
God reminded me through my grandson’s laughter that true health begins not in the body alone but in the heart. In union and communion with Him.
Health in the Light of the Trinity
The Christian understanding of health is never purely physical. It is spiritual and relational. We are made in the image of a God who is not solitary but Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A living communion of love, joy, and mutual giving.
Theologian T. F. Torrance tells us: “In Jesus Christ, the healing of our human nature has already taken place in the incarnate constitution of His Person.”— T. F. Torrance, The Mediation of Christ
This means that healing is not something we chase inside ourselves. It’s something we receive by grace through faith and participation in Christ’s own restored humanity. As we receive Him, our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives are being made whole.
Our stress, anxiety, and even our diseases have not been ignored by God. They have been taken up into Christ’s life, embraced by His compassion, and transformed by His resurrection power. Through the Spirit, He comes again and again to conform us to the victory over these things He has pulled off for us!
Joy as Medicine for the Soul
Scripture tells us, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, CSB)
When I laughed with my grandson, I wasn’t just enjoying a sweet moment, I was sharing in the joy of God Himself, Him sharing His Self with me through His Son and Spirit. Through union with Jesus, joy is not a fleeting emotion; it is the echo of divine life.
Karl Barth said: “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”— Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/3 §67
Gratitude opens our hearts to the Spirit’s renewing presence. Joy is the sound of the Trinity’s life reverberating within us; Father, Son, and Spirit delighting in love. When we live from that place, our bodies and minds align with divine rhythm. The stress that drains us gives way to Jesus’ peace that heals us.
Living from the Inside Out
Modern medicine increasingly recognizes the connection between emotional and physical health. But long before science could prove it, Scripture revealed that peace, love, and joy are not luxuries, they are the oxygen of our being.
When Jesus said, “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27), He wasn’t offering a mere feeling. He was sharing His own life with the Father in the Spirit, a peace that flows from the very heart of God. To live in that peace is to live in divine health.
“In the joy of the eternal love, God’s Spirit makes the world rejoice and gives it a share in the divine joy.”— Jürgen Moltmann, The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation
This means that laughter around a family table, a grandchild’s giggle, or a quiet morning of rest, all these can become sacred spaces where divine life breathes healing into our humanity.
Reflection
Perhaps the greatest medicine we can receive is not found in a bottle or a diet plan, but in the joy of participation. The joy of knowing that the Father’s love, the Son’s healing, and the Spirit’s peace are already working in us. Even in illness, we are not alone. We are surrounded, upheld, and can be renewed by the healing joy of the Triune God.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for who YOU ARE. Thank you for reminding me that my health is not separate from You. Teach me to rest in Your joy and release every stress into Your hands. Let Your laughter echo in my soul, and may Your peace shape my body, my mind, and my heart until all of me reflects the wholeness of Your Triune love. Amen.
“How to Hear and Receive Father’s Word – Jesus! Pt2”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Acts 2: 36-47, Acts 2: 42, Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Devoted To The Word, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Herar The Father's Word, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Listen To Jesus, Love, Meet Jesus In The Word, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Pastor Jesus, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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Part 2A:
Part 2B:
Full Message:
Key Scripture: Acts 2:36–47 (focus on v. 42)
Summary:
In this heartfelt and thought-provoking message, Pastor Timothy Brassell calls believers back to the true source of divine communication, Jesus Christ, the Living Word of the Father. Preaching from Acts 2:36–47, he challenges the Church to listen beyond mere words, and to hear the voice of the Father speaking through His Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This sermon reminds us that faith begins not in human performance but in divine participation. To truly “hear and receive the Father’s Word,” we must center our hearts on Jesus, the content, context, and communicator of God’s truth.
1. Jesus, The True Pastor of His Church 🕊️👑
Pastor Tim began by turning attention away from earthly recognition and toward Pastor Jesus, the one true Shepherd. Every leader and pastor serves only in participation with His ministry.
“Whenever we honor one person or group, we’re really honoring the grace of God given to all in Christ.”
Key Insight: When we celebrate ministry, we celebrate the life of Jesus being lived through His people.
2. Hearing the Father’s Word Through the Son 📖🔥
The Father always speaks through His Son, never apart from Him. Many claim to hear “God,” but Pastor Tim urged believers to ask: Which God are you hearing, the God revealed in Jesus, or a god of your own making?
The true Word of the Father is Jesus Himself. To receive Him is to listen to the Father’s heart.
“You can’t tell God who He is. Only He can tell you who He is through His Son.”
3. Devotion to the Apostolic Teaching 🙏📜
Acts 2:42 reveals that the early church’s first act was not fellowship or prayer, but devotion to the apostles’ teaching. The teaching that proclaimed Christ as Lord.
“You can’t participate in prayer, fellowship, or communion until God first teaches you how through His Word.”
The message reminds us that our life of faith always begins with divine instruction. We don’t make the Word come alive, the Word makes us alive.
4. Meeting the Living Word Through the Written Word ✝️💬
Pastor Tim powerfully reframed how we approach Scripture. Reading the Bible is not about gathering information; it’s about meeting Jesus through it.
“Jesus loves me, this I know, for through the Bible, Jesus tells me so.”
Scripture is the chosen medium where Christ personally meets us by His Spirit. Without the Living Word, even the Bible remains just ink and paper.
5. Testing Every Word Against Christ ⚖️🔥
From Deuteronomy 18, Pastor Tim issued a sobering call to discernment: not every “word from God” is truly from Him. Any message that lacks Christ at its center is a dead message.
“If a message doesn’t point to Jesus as source and content, question whether it’s really the gospel.”
The Church must not tolerate substitutes that sound spiritual but do not reveal the Father through the Son.
6. Our Relationship Is Mediated Through Christ 🤲❤️
In one of the most profound statements of the sermon, Pastor Tim declared:
“You do not have your own personal relationship with the Father. Jesus has a relationship with the Father and He shares His relationship with you.”
True Christian life is always mediated. We know the Father only through the Son, in the Spirit. This keeps our relationship grounded in grace, not performance.
7. Practicing How to Hear the Word 👂📖
To help believers truly engage with Scripture, Pastor Tim offered a three-step guide practiced weekly in FaithTalk Jesus Bible Study:
- Ask first: What does this passage tell me about who God is — Father, Son, and Spirit?
- Then ask: What does this reveal about God’s heart and purpose as seen in Jesus?
- Finally ask: How am I invited to participate in this revelation?
This approach transforms Bible reading from self-centered reflection to Christ-centered communion.
8. The Takeaway: Jesus Is Still Speaking ✨
The sermon concluded with a timeless truth: “Jesus is the answer. So what’s your question?”
Whether we’re facing joy or hardship, the Father continues to speak His Word, Jesus Christ, through Scripture, preaching, and the Holy Spirit. The invitation is simple: listen, rest, and respond to His living voice.
Reflect & Respond:
- Are you reading the Bible to learn about God or to meet God through Jesus?
- When you listen to sermons, do you listen for Christ’s voice, not just human words?
- How can you practice hearing the Living Word through the Written Word this week?
Main Idea: The Father’s Word comes to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Spirit. We hear, receive, and respond by centering every part of life on the Living Word.
Closing Line: “Jesus still speaks. The Father’s Word alive and present through Scripture, the Spirit, and His Church.”
“How to Hear and Receive Father God’s Word! Pt 1”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Liturgy, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Acts 2, Acts 2: 42, Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christ Our Foundation, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Devoted To The Word, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Hearing Through Christ, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life In Participation, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, One True Gospel, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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Part 1A:
Part 1B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 42
Summary:
This week’s message from Pastor Timothy Brassell offers a deeply clarifying and convicting call to return to the foundation of all true Christian life and preaching — Jesus Christ Himself. The sermon, drawn from Acts 2:42, explores what it really means to hear and receive God’s Word as Jesus intends, not as a set of “how-to” instructions, but as a living participation in His ongoing relationship with the Father through the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Tim reminded listeners that worship is never something we perform or generate: “When we gather, we are not just getting our praise on; we are participating in Jesus’ own worship of the Father.” True discipleship, then, begins not with our doing, but with our being. Being joined to Christ, who is the living Word of God.
As Karl Barth declared in The Barmen Theological Declaration (1934):
“Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear, and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death.”
This powerful truth framed the entire message: the Church’s greatest need is not more information, activity, or innovation. It is devotion to the one Word of God: Jesus Christ.
Pastor Tim emphasized that every sermon, every act of worship, and every reading of Scripture must be centered on Christ, interpreted through Christ, and lived out in participation with Christ. Without Him as the content and foundation, even the most well-intended message becomes hollow.
From Acts 2:42, he identified the early Church’s threefold devotion, a model for the Church today:
- Devotion to Jesus Himself
- Devotion to the Proclamation of Jesus
- Devotion to the Apostolic Teaching of Scripture
Through these, believers move from hearing about God to hearing from God.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
- Jesus Is the Foundation
- Theme: Every true word of God flows from the person of Jesus Christ. Without Him as the foundation, the Christian message collapses into moralism or self-help. Discipleship Question: Is Jesus the foundation of your daily thoughts, choices, and actions, or have you built on something else?
- Hearing the Word in Christ
- Theme: Hearing God’s Word means joining in Christ’s own conversation with the Father. Scripture becomes alive when we listen through Him. Discipleship Question: How are you intentionally listening for Christ’s voice through Scripture this week?
- Devotion to Apostolic Teaching
- Theme: The early Church grew because it was devoted to the apostles’ teaching. Scripture that proclaimed Jesus as the Living Word. Discipleship Question: How can you grow in devotion to the apostles’ teaching, so your faith remains rooted in Christ and not in culture?
- Guarding the Gospel
- Theme: There is only one Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Any message that sidelines Him for other topics loses the life-giving power of grace. Discipleship Question: Are you discerning what you hear and read through the lens of Jesus as the true Gospel?
- Participation, Not Performance
- Theme: The Christian life is not about doing things for God, but joining Christ in what He is already doing through you. Discipleship Question: In what ways can you shift from performing for God to participating with Him this week?
Reflective Moment:
“Lord Jesus, quiet my heart, open my ears, to hear You. Let every word I read, every song I sing, and every prayer I pray draw me deeper into Your life and love. Tune my heart to listen, not for information, but for transformation. May my worship, reading, and serving be rooted in You, the one Word of God whom I must hear, trust, and obey in life and in death. Draw me into Your divine conversation with the Father, and help me to live as a true participant in Your ongoing life and mission. Amen.”
“God Is for Us; The Satan Against Us!”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Sermons, Spiritual Warfare, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: #Victory In Christ, Acts 2, Acts 2: 36-41, Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Daily Repentance, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God is a consuming fire, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, James 4, James 4: 7-10, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Living Salvation, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Relationships, Resist The Enemy, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 36-41 James 4: 7-10
Summary:
This powerful message, based on Acts 2:36–41 and James 4:7–10, highlighted God’s holiness, the reality of spiritual opposition, and the gift of repentance. Pastor Timothy Brassell reminded us that our God is a consuming fire. A God who says “yes” to His Son Jesus and “no” to anything that stands apart from Him. Repentance is not simply about turning away from sin; it is about turning toward Christ in trust and obedience, a continual relational act empowered by the Spirit.
As Karl Barth reminds us: “The preaching of the Gospel is the power of God because it brings about repentance, the radical turning of man away from himself and to God, away from sin and to grace.” (Church Dogmatics II/2, p. 744)
The sermon emphasized that salvation is dynamic, not static. It is not just a past event but an ongoing journey of becoming, walking with Christ daily, saying “yes” to God and “no” to all that opposes Him. In this battle, we are reminded that the adversary is real. Satan seeks to divide, deceive, and discourage, but he is not God’s equal. In Christ, we resist him by submitting to God, drawing near to Him, and relying on the Spirit’s power.
Repentance, Pastor Tim explained, is one of God’s greatest relational powers. It may feel painful, like going against yourself, cutting off something familiar, but it is the way God- Father-Son and Holy Spirit, turns our lives right side up. Just as 3,000 people responded to Peter’s message at Pentecost, we are urged today to respond with faith, repentance, and baptism, receiving the promise of the Spirit.
And as Augustine declared: “The devil is conquered, not by our power, but by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.”(Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 84, §2)
In Christ, we share in His victory over sin, death, and the devil. Salvation, therefore, is not simply about avoiding evil, but about entering deeply into the life of God who is for us, even as the adversary is against us.
Key Points and Highlights
- God Is a Consuming Fire 🔥👑
- Theme: God’s holiness includes both a “yes” to His Son Jesus and a “no” to everything opposed to Him. He accepts us in Christ while rejecting sin and rebellion.
- Discipleship Question: Where in your life do you need to say “no” so that your “yes” to Christ is clear?
- #GodIsAConsumingFire
- Repentance: God’s Relational Power 🔄❤️
- Theme: Repentance is not simply turning from sin but turning toward Christ in trust and obedience. It is one of God’s greatest relational powers, a continual act that often feels painful but turns our lives right side up.
- Discipleship Question: How will you practice repentance as a daily response to God’s love this week?
- #DailyRepentance
- Salvation as a Living Journey 🚶♂️⛰️
- Theme: Salvation is dynamic, not static. It is not just a past event but an ongoing walk of faith and obedience. In Christ, we say “yes” daily to God’s transforming work, trusting Him to complete what He has begun.
- Discipleship Question: What step of obedience is God calling you to take right now in your journey?
- #LivingSalvation
- The Adversary and Our Resistance ⚔️🐍
- Theme: Satan is real and seeks to divide, deceive, and discourage, but he is not God’s equal. We resist him by submitting to God, drawing near to Christ, and relying on the Spirit’s power. The devil is conquered not by our strength but by Christ’s blood and our faithful testimony.
- Discipleship Question: How can you actively resist the enemy this week by submitting to God?
- #ResistTheEnemy
- Hope in the Victory of Christ ✝️🏆
- Theme: Christ has already defeated sin, death, and the devil. Repentance, baptism, and life in the Spirit anchor us in His triumph. Our calling is to share in His victory and bear witness to His saving power.
- Discipleship Question: How can remembering Christ’s victory give you courage in the struggles you face?
- #VictoryInChrist
Reflection Moment
Take a pause and ask yourself:
Where is God calling me to turn from self-reliance and cling to Christ more fully?
Remember: Repentance is not condemnation. It may feel costly, but it is God’s gift of love and power to turn you right side up in Christ. Your victory is not found in your strength, but in the blood of the Lamb and in the Spirit who empowers your testimony. It is God’s-Father, Son and Holy Spirit invitation into deeper life with Him. Resist the adversary not by fear, but by fixing your eyes on Jesus, who has already overcome.