May the Word of God Bless You
Bishop Brady Jackson
Apostle Paul says in the book of Second Timothy 4:6-8, “for I am ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
You see, I was up in small town in N. C. to finish out a three day meeting that the church there had started. We had driven about five hours to get there and got checked into our rooms. God began to deal with me to get some time alone, so I took my Bible and walked into the great dinning hall and sat down to talk to God about the order of the service. He began to share thoughts with me about our race through life.
Then I began to think about Moses and the life that he lived. At the time of the birth of Moses, all the baby boys were being killed; but God in his ultimate wisdom made a way where there seemed to be no way for Moses to live and not only live, but have life In Abundance. However, in Hebrews
Then he wandered in the desert for years with a stiff necked, rebellious people, and Moses got to see the promise land but did not get to enter in.
I just want to say thank you Lord that you have allowed me to travel, and for the promises that you have shown me and allowed me to walk into and partake of.
When I think about the journey that God allowed John the Baptist to take, I realize that the journey brought him to live in the wilderness, that the journey brought him to Herod’s birthday party and that the journey brought him to the place where he was to lose his head for the Gospel’s sake.
God, I just want to say thanks for the journey you have called me to and placed me on.
Then I think about the path or road that the disciples had to travel. Because they made a choice to be the true believers of Jesus, they where hated, beaten, stoned, and left for dead. Some were put in to the prison and some were even put to death. But, they never stopped giving God the glory that they were found worthy to suffer for his name sake.
However, today I thank God that my path has not yet been as difficult as theirs. I know that on the path that he has allowed me to walk down, he has already made a way where there seems to be no way out for me.
I think about the great people that God himself has allowed Pastor Teresa and me to undersheperd.
I think about how God is letting us have a harvest of the seed that we have sown in the years of this walk.
Last but not least, I think about a king that would leave his home, his family and his glory, and take on a flesh body. I think about how he walled down the road and saw people deny him, spit on him, beat him, and even put him to death on a cross. For the joy that was set before, he endured the cross and made a way for my salvation.
God, I just want to thank you for the race that you have allowed me and us to run.
From the Bishop’s heart.
I am thankful that God relates his church (or body) to the human body.
I’m glad that God’s plan is that as the natural body takes care of all its members, so does the spiritual body of Christ take care of its hurt and wounded.
1Corinthians: 12-12 For as the body is one; and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body; so also is Christ.
1Corinthians: 12- (18- 21) But now hath God set the members. Every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him, 19- And if they were all one members where were the body? 20- But now are they many members, yet one body. 21- And the eyes cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Verse 19 says if we were all one member then where (were) the body?
If we were all the same then there would be no body. When one member got down we would all be down. There would be no one to help us up again.
Thank God that we are not all down at the same time; but there is always someone that is up in God to help others in need.
The song says I was sinking in despair, my brother and my sister held me up in prayer, somebody touched God for me.
He picked me up, turned me around, placed my feet on holy ground somebody touched God for me
We need to understand that there will be times in our lives that the heavens will be like brass. We will not know which way to turn. Thank God that in those times there will be another part of the body of God that will have an open heaven and will pick us up.
St. John 5 (1-7) Paraphrasing - 1 Jesus went to Jerusalem. 2 By the sheep market was a pool. 3 There lay a great multitude of impotent folk, blind, halt, withered waiting for the angel to trouble the water. 4 When troubled the first one was healed. 5 There was a man that had been there thirty eight years. 6 Jesus saw him and knowing that he had been there a long time asked him would he be made whole. 7 The man answered, sir there is no man to put me in the water.
I thank God for the Body of Christ for that time.
But I am so glad the Bible says in Romans the Jesus was the first born among many brethren, and that the body of Christ today is a many membered body that reaches around the world so we don’t have to wait for just one man or woman to come by our way.
Thank God that there will never be a time in the Body of Christ when every member will be down. There will always be someone up to help.
From the Bishop’s heart,
May God bless his word.
What are we doing with the measure of faith that God has given us.
In II Timothy 4, Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
The word ‘kept’ in the Greek means to watch, to guard or maintain and to hold fast.
This is what being faithful is all about. The minute you receive Jesus into your heart and take on faith the world starts watching you. They are not watching you to see if you fall, they are watching to see if you get back up; thus keeping the faith.
Sometimes it is hard to keep the faith when everything looks and feels lost, but if you could see what was going to happen next it wouldn’t be faith.
Because I have done these things, II Timothy 4:8 starts a new beginning in my life. “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (English Standard Version).
Revelation 3:11 states “I am coming. Hold fast what you have, so no one may seize your crown.”
The Bible says in Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written the just shall live by faith.”
1Corinthians 26:13 says, “be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men.”
It takes a growth to stand firm in the faith. The only way we can stand firm is if we do what Ephesians 6:10-18 states. You would benefit from reading this passage of scripture.
The devil wants to do three things to us. In St. John 10:10 it says that, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
Steal your crown, kill your faith, and destroy your life.
From the Bishop’s Heart
When I think of worship, I think of the Father looking down and listening from heaven. What He is looking and listening for is the worship of His blood bought born again children. The true worshipers are these that are as David in Psalms 34. “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall always be on my lips.” This is the kind of life a true worshipper will live. They are the people that God has picked up out of the gutter of sin and the waste holes of this world. He has turned there lives around and put their feet on solid ground. He has given them a new song to sing and they are not ashamed to sing it everyday. You see, if God has never really brought you out of a hell hole, out of the place that people said you would never escape then maybe, just maybe, you don’t see a real reason to be a radical worshipper. However, if He has, then maybe it’s time to give Him some crazy praise. I know every born again Christian wants be able to respond to this call to worship, but if you want to be a true worshipper and do not have a place to do so, let me invite you to Royal Praise Ministries for all Blood Bought People. If you just want Church, don’t waste your time, my time, or God’s time. Jesus and I are looking for people that want to worship God in spirit and truth.
From the Bishop’s Heart
We are living in a world in which people are not keeping their faith in anything. People have lost their faith in Jesus and they have lost their faith in the church. There are many new movements that are raising up in the land today. These movements teach us that this present life is all that there is, and that we should live it to the fullest. They also teach that there is not a place that we will spend eternity and that when this life is over it will be the end. However, let me assure you that there will be a hereafter that we will spend it in the arms of a loving God, or in a devil’s hell. We must make up our minds and keep the faith of God in our lives. Someone asked me, “How do you keep the faith fresh in your life?” My reply was that, to me, faith means Fantastic Adventures In Trusting Him.
Here are some keys to help you keep your faith.
Keeping the faith is taking time daily in His presence.
Keeping the faith is always having a repentive heart, but not always having to repent. (living right).
Keeping the faith is praying without ceasing. (daily prayer time).
Keeping the faith is having a daily Bible study.
Keeping the faith is giving your tithes, offerings and alms cheerfully.
Keeping the faith is desiring His presence and word above everything else.
Keeping the faith is making Jesus the center of your focus, your life and your world.
In conclusion, if keeping the faith is like keeping a job, you must show up everyday and do what is required of you.
Or, if keeping the faith is like making a good grade in school, you must be there everyday and do the work that the teacher requires of you.
If we are to keep the faith, then we must keep showing up in Jesus’ presence and obeying what He says.
From the Bishop’s Heart.
May God Bless You.
As I was before the Lord today He began to speak to me about His Kingdom. He asked, “What is the Kingdom of God to you?” My reply was that the Bible states, in Romans chapter fourteen verse seventeen, “For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
Then the Lord asked me, “Where do men think the Kingdom of God dwells, and what does My word say about the Kingdom dwelling place?” My response to God was that many look at your word in St. Luke chapter fourteen verses one and two where it states, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Based on this scripture, many people want to put the Kingdom of God off in the future. However, in St. Luke chapter seventeen versus twenty and twenty-one, the Bible states “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the Kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”
“Well Bishop, where does that leave the Kingdom of God?” I believe that God has given me an insight into this question. Paul said that he was caught up in to the third heaven. We know that there is only one Heaven and that’s where Jesus is. So as I ponder this, I believe that when Jesus says He has gone and prepared a place for us that it is our final resting place forever to be with the Lord. When God says that the Kingdom of God is within you, He is referring to a realm in heavenly places that we have to walk in everyday. The Bible best illustrates this in Ephesians chapter two verse six, “And (He) hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Just some food for thought
From the Bishop’s Heart