Diane Penny

 Through Jesus Christ the saints of God possess the fullness of God, and are heirs to the kingdom of God. We will see through the covenants that God made with his people, that he intends for his saints to be a royal kingdom. In the Mosaic Covenant God promised the children of Israel that they would be a “kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exo. 1:6). God promised King David in the Davidic Covenant that his house, his kingdom, and his throne would be established forever (2 Sam. 7:16). God’s New Covenant promise is salvation to all who believe on Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is a direct descendent of King David and reigns in the forever kingdom that was established by God. THE MOSAIC COVENANT PROMISES The Mosaic Covenant was a conditional covenant between God and the children of Israel where they would receive blessings for obeying God, and cursing if they did not obey him (Got Questions). God promised the children of Israel, “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an ...

  The Word of God is a pivotal part of God’s image. The scripture reads, “And God said, ‘Let there be light:’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). This passage of scripture lets us know that God’s Word gave commands to which the elements had to respond. It is recorded in the gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). It is important to notice that “Word” is capitalized in this passage of scripture. John emphasized “Word” using capitalization to personify God’s Word as God. God has unlimited power. God’s Word gives commands to which all creation must respond (Gen. 1:1-3). The born-again believer possesses God’s Spirit, and the power of God’s Word. THE WORD OF GOD The Word of God is God's revelation of his will and purpose. Christians often refer to The Holy Bible as the Word of God. However, according to The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary the phrase "Word of God" used in scripture often does not refer to the wri...

God chose the people of Israel and distinguished them from, and dignified them above all the nations of the earth as a people who would have an intimate communion with him. God passed judgment on the nations that mistreated his people by requiring restitution for their suffering. For example, God commanded the people of Israel to spoil the Egyptians. “But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians” (Exod. 3:22). God promised to bless the people of Israel above all the nations of the earth (Deut. 28:28). Not only were the people of Israel to be holy unto God, but they would also be a prosperous people. After capturing the two kings of Midian, Gideon questions them about the people that they killed in Tabor. The scripture records, “Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom y...

According to several studies, the most productive age of a human life is considered to be between 60 and 70 years old. This is often attributed to the accumulated knowledge, experience, and wisdom gained throughout life at this stage. The second most productive age range is 70-80. The third most productive age range is 50-60. The average age of Nobel Prize winners is 62. There are many people who accomplished great things at a late age. Colonel Harland Sanders was 62 years old when he founded the KFC fast food franchise that we know today. Nelson Mandela was 76 years old when he became the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Ray Kroc was over 50 years old when he purchased his first McDonalds in 1961. Sam Walton started the first Wal-Mart at the age of 44. Toni Morrison, the acclaimed novelist of the black experience, at age 62 became the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. There is a sense in today’s church that the current generatio...

  Many people are familiar with the term "blood work" as it is typically ordered by a doctor during a physical examination, checkup, or screening for a specific condition. A general description of blood work, also known as blood tests, is a lab analysis of substances in the blood that can help doctors diagnose diseases, monitor conditions, and determine treatment plans. Blood tests can measure cells, chemicals, proteins and other substances in the blood to check organ function, screen for genetic conditions, and check treatment success. Other important uses for blood include DNA testing in solving crimes, paternity testing, and blood transfusions to save lives. Human blood is an important resource in the physical realm as it is essential in managing overall health, saving lives, solving crimes, and finding answers to complex genetic questions. As important as human blood is, it does not compare to the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on Ca...

  The gospel is the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The foundation of the gospel message are the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Strong’s definition of the word “gospel” is G2097, translated euangelizō, which means: to announce good news; to evangelize (Blue Letter Bible). The Bible says, “. . . How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Rom. 10:15)! There are many reasons that the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news. Just to name a few, the gospel is good news because: there is atonement for sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:12); believers are justified righteous by God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:23); there is redemption from the law of sin and death by the penalty paid by Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:13); believers are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-19); and through Jesus Christ believers have liberty from the bondage of sin (R...

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount began with the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12), which were part of the discipleship training for his chosen apostles. In the Beatitudes Jesus described the desired attributes of his disciples and the rewards of those that exemplify those attributes. Jesus prepared his disciples for the persecution that they would suffer for following him. Jesus knew that for his disciples to endure the trials that were coming their way, they would need to have hope, which comes from seeing their suffering from an eternal perspective. From a worldly view, the character traits that Jesus described in the Beatitudes have negative implications. However, Jesus called those blessed who are poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for righteousness sake. Jesus promised that those possessing these quality characteristics will receive great present and future rewards. Jesus described these rewards as: the king...