Miracle Tabernacle Family Worship Center

Psalm 100:4-5
and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

How to Seek Jesus
Psalm 105:1-8

Yesterday we learned what it means to seek Jesus , but many of us don’t know where to begin.

Start with the Scriptures and prayer. Set aside time each day for meditating on God’s Word: Listen for His voice, slowly digest what you read, talk to the Lord, ask Him questions, and apply what you learn. Don’t just read the Bible—study it, perhaps starting with a verse or short passage. Some of you may say, “I’ve never been into that.” My advice: Get into it! The deep things of God don’t just drop into our brains; they are placed there through diligent study.

Hunger for the Lord is an acquired taste. The more we pursue Him, the greater our craving will be. However, if we ignore God, what little hunger we have will diminish even further.

Do you find this last statement describes your experience? Then ask the Lord to whet your appetite for Him, and follow through by becoming a seeker. This requires time and effort, two things we want to invest wisely.

To neglect the Lord would mean cheating yourself of the benefits He promises to those who diligently seek Him. No one wants to go after that which is fleeting. Choose instead to pursue the Eternal One—the source of all contentment, joy, and hope.

Pursuing the God

Psalm 119:1-8

We all have ambitions and desires, but as believers, we should weigh them against God’s Word. As important as our earthly pursuits, responsibilities, and relationships may be, they cannot compare to the value of a life spent seeking God.

What does it mean to seek God? The phrase describes a wholehearted effort to know the Father and follow Him more closely. Those who pursue this kind of fellowship with God are determined to spend time with Him. They also want to forsake anything that could hinder growth in their relationship with the Lord. God’s committed followers claim His promises and trust Him to fulfill His Word. Their experiences with the Lord bring amazing satisfaction yet cause them to hunger for more of Him.

The Christian life is meant to be an ongoing pursuit of God. To walk through the door of salvation and stand still, without drawing any closer to Him, is to miss the treasures that are available in Christ. Those who seek the Lord soon discover that knowing Him is the greatest reward of all.

Have you ever read a passage in the Bible or heard a timely message and thought, Wow, this is really gonna change my life, only to soon forget the impact of that moment and have your life not really change much at all?

I have. More than once.

When the Spirit opens our hearts upon our first hearing of God’s Word, it has a place to flourish and become something wonderful in us. Too often, though, as we age in our faith, we get sidetracked by other things, many of which aren’t necessarily bad but are distracting. When things distract me from what God says or takes my attention away from meditating on the most recent seeds He has given me, they become bad for me.

Mark 4:20 says, “And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown” (CSB). One key phrase there is “welcome it.”

When we welcome God’s Word, giving it time, space and priority, it’s an expression of love for Him and helps create the exact environment those seeds need to grow.

Somewhere in the midst of all the things, maybe we just need to sit and have a cup of tea with the last “change my life” seed He gave us. Welcome it, and watch it grow.

-Jasmine Williams

What are some things you can cut back on to welcome more of God’s word into your life?

We invite you to come worship with us!!!
Sunday School-10:00am
Worship Service-11:00am

When You Don’t Feel Like It

We all struggle with spiritual discouragement and lethargy. Some days our circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, and we struggle just to pray. Many times we just don’t feel like doing the things we know we should. For one reason or another, God sometimes seems far off and unreachable.

David faced times like these in his life. The Psalms are filled with verses that express his despair and feeling of abandonment.

Psalms also give us the key to living victoriously during the dark periods of life. Look at Psalm 119:89-95

“Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances…”

My circumstances or feelings have not changed God. He is the same God today as He was when He hung the stars in the sky, led the Israelites through the Red Sea , and fed the five thousand.

“For all things are Your servants…”

All things, even the things affecting me right now, are God’s servants. The circumstance, people, and events around me are all under God. They are His servants, designed to help and bless me spiritually.

“If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me. I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Your testimonies.”

Recalling God’s faithfulness and control over everything that touches us gives us strength to walk with God even when we feel like giving up in despair. After all, our feelings and circumstances have not changed God. He is perfectly capable of sustaining us if we will only let Him. We simply need to choose to delight in and diligently consider God’s precepts (His principles and character) despite how we feel. Choosing to delight in God might not be easy. It might even involve hard work. But only God can revive and save our soul from spiritual lethargy.

Next time you feel spiritually drained or inadequate, remember that you have a choice. You can wrap yourself up in excuses and self-pity, or you can choose to draw your strength from an unchanging God.

Lord of Lords

Philippians 2:5-11

What does it mean when we say that Jesus is Lord? We hear the word Lord so frequently that it sometimes loses its power and magnitude, but this is far more than a mere title Scripture gives to Jesus.

Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that God bestowed on His Son “the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow” and “every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This means the name given to Jesus is none other than Lord. You see, Lord is not something Jesus does; it’s who Jesus is: Our Savior is, and will always be, the sovereign ruler of everything in heaven and on earth.

Therefore, when we express that Jesus is Lord, our life should reflect His authority over us. Is there anything you attempt to hide from Christ? Have you refused to do something that He has called you to do? Scripture says that someday everyone will recognize Christ as Lord (Phil. 2:11). So we should invite Him into the dark areas of our life and allow Him to conform us to His image. A good place to begin is with the simple yet profound confession “Jesus is Lord.”

A Problem Man Cannot Solve

Jeremiah 17:5-8

Have you known someone who refused to accept any help whatsoever? Perhaps you were told, “I don’t need your charity” or “I can do this myself!” On some level, we respect these people’s commitment to make their own way in life. However, this perspective may in fact be a symptom of spiritual problems that could be holding them back.

The Great Divorce is an allegorical look at eternity. In it, author C. S. Lewis describes a character who wants nothing more than “his rights.” That is, he wants only what he deserves—no more, no less. On the surface, this appears to be an act of humility. However, his attitude is one of false humility and is actually motivated by pride. In a similar way, if we’re determined to solve problems on our own, then we will fail miserably, especially when it comes to the issue of sin.

Romans 3:23 makes it clear that sin is everyone’s problem, and the price to be paid for it is death (Romans 6:23). If we, like Lewis’s proud man, accept only “our rights,” then sin and death will reign in our life. We can overcome it only with true humility and accepting what we did not deserve—the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Thank Him today for providing what we could not achieve on our own: our salvation.

When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”
Ruth 3:7-9 7

Do you have the guts? To fulfill such a plan. Hide yourself. Watch Boaz take his supper and then watch him to fall asleep. That’s your cue. You have to lie down at his feet. Waiting to be discovered. Would Ruth have been asleep while waiting, or had she been lying awake all this time, expectantly? When Boaz discovers her, we do not read that Ruth is startled or stammers. She seems to be sure of what she has to do. "It is I, my lord, Ruth. Let me take refuge with you, for you can act as a redeemer for us.” Ruth is to the point, clearly stating what she wants from Boaz. I believe that we may draw near to God with the same confidence.

“It is I, Lord, (insert your name). Let me take refuge in You, for You have acted as a Redeemer for me.” And then we are already sure that He has indeed redeemed us, Ruth just had to wait and see. I want to challenge you to express your desire to God today. Just like Ruth, try to be to the point. God knows your desires even before you have spoken. What do you need from Him this day?

Written by:

Hey everyone pastor Scott here. Bible study tonight @ 7:00. Hope to see you there.

I often find myself suggesting to God all the ways He could surely fix my circumstances. But I’m learning that God loves me too much to do things my way. And His plan is always better even if I can’t understand or see it clearly as it’s unfolding.

I don’t know what unexpected twists and turns your story has taken, dear friend, but I do want to encourage you.

Don’t give up. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop hoping and believing. But also, don’t believe that your way of getting to the other side of your circumstance is the only way. God has a perfect plan for a path to a renewed joy and a redeemed future that’s probably one you can’t even fathom. Trust Him.

One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
Ruth 3:1-6

Do you know the story Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen? Mrs. Bennet is always busy finding suitable men for her daughters. For example, she lets her eldest daughter go to a rich bachelor through the rain, so that her daughter has to stay there and the love between the two blossoms. Could Jane have been inspired by Naomi for this story? "Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Get under his blanket tonight at Boaz's feet.” Note, this was not an attempt to seduce him to share the bed with Ruth. She crawled not next to him, but at his feet. In “Unlocking the Bible” from David Pawson we read that a girl was not allowed to propose to a man, but she could express her desire to him by warming his feet. Ruth clearly had faith in her mother-in-law. “I will do whatever you say.”

Let's pray: “Father, when I read this passage, a smile appears on my face. Your ways are truly inscrutable. No other writer could put this story in writing, as You have thought out Ruth's story. It makes me curious about Your plan for my life. Reveal to me Your plan and I will do as You say.” Written by:

Sometimes we need to stop and remind ourselves that worry never changes anything. But prayer does.

Lord, we don’t want to carry the worries of last week into the fresh start of this week. So, we offer them all to You on this morning. Into Your hands we place all of our attempts to figure things out and all of the anxiety of the unknown. We lay it all down. And we trust that Your peace will be a gift we have complete access to today. Amen.

Wonderful breakfast this morning 💖

Happy Easter ✝️💛

He received 39 stripes because 40 was known to kill a man. They wanted him alive.

They held handfuls of his beard, and hair and pulled it out by the roots. They wanted him alive.

They kicked, punched, and spit on him for hours. Until there wasn't a single spot on his body not covered in blood. They wanted him alive.

They shoved a crown of thorns down on his head so harshly it stuck in his skin. They wanted him alive.

After hours of being beaten, mocked, whipped, flogged, and tortured they made him walk with a cross. They made him carry it. A rough piece of wood with splinters digging into fresh wounds. They wanted him alive.

They wanted him to feel every ounce of pain they could bring.

He had to feel it in order to heal us.

Crucifixion was historically one of the cruelest most tortured deaths a human could face. Hours upon hours of torture. Torture most of us can not mentally think of because the cruelty isn't normal. It isn't something our minds can comprehend.

We celebrate Easter with pastel colors, happy children hunting eggs, and chocolate. Truth is there was absolutely nothing happy about the day Jesus died. It was cruel, bloody, and nasty.

He could have stopped all of it. He could have called every angel in heaven to demolish every person standing and shouting "Crucify Him!"

He didn't. He knew in order to have a Sunday you have to have a Friday. He knew in order to have joy you have to carry your cross. He felt everything that day. He felt how your heart broke wide open when you had to watch your baby die. He felt how heavy your life was when you were staring down the barrel of a gun wondering if the man you called husband was going to shoot you. He carried the weight of the burden you have felt since your spouse died and life just doesn't seem right since. On that cross he held the ra**st and murderers, the sinner and the saint. He leveled every playing field and said ALL of you are worth it. He knew he had to carry the cross. He never promised the cross you carry in this life would not be heavy. His wasn't. His promise is that Sunday is coming.

No matter how heavy Friday is. Financially, emotionally, mentally, or physically. Friday is heavy. That cross is weighing you down and you are about to crumble under its weight.

His promise was simply this. He won't make you carry it alone.

What kind of king would step down from his throne for this?
Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God did. For you.

He did every bit of it for you and me.

Oh yes it is heavy. So heavy sometimes you do not think you can take one more step.

But look up, because Sunday is coming.

He's ALIVE!!🙌🙌

This was copied from a friend's page. I just thought it was amazing and I had to share.

Thank you all for coming out and supporting your church family! We had an awesome crowd today for the Easter Egg hunt! From the youngest to the oldest, I believe everyone had a wonderful time! Our visitors today, if you do not have a church home, we would love and welcome you to come and worship with us! We love each and every one of you!

The Saturday following Jesus’ crucifixion might be the most unique and overlooked day in the history of the world. It is the day between Jesus’ death and His resurrection.

Less is written in the Gospels about this day than any other in the scope of this week known as Holy Week. But what makes it so unique is this: it is the only full day in history where the body of the crucified Son of God lay dead and buried in a grave.

The day before, He was crucified. The following day He would rise from the grave. But what happened on Saturday? Though we may not know much about this day, when we look at the few verses the Gospels give us accounting for it, we find it was by no means a forgotten day to the Chief Priests who had handed Jesus over to death.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus said many times that He would die in Jerusalem at the hands of the Chief Priests, but on the third day He would rise again (Matthew 12:40, Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:34). Of course, the Chief Priests scoffed at this. But they didn’t forget it. On the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Jesus’ prediction preoccupied their thoughts in such a way that they couldn’t leave it alone.

Matthew 27:62-66 tells us the strange story of how the Chief Priests simply could not dismiss the possibility that Jesus might have known something they didn’t. They went to Pilate and explained that while Jesus was clearly an imposter, His disciples might try to steal His body and fake a resurrection. Pilate’s response was laced with poetic foreshadowing when he said, “Here is a guard of soldiers. Make the tomb as secure as you can.”

Pilate’s words reminds me of C.S. Lewis who said, “Really, a young Atheist cannot guard his faith too carefully. Dangers lie in wait for him on every side” (Surprised by Joy).

The entire week leading up to the crucifixion was filled with moments in which Jesus’ power, strength, wisdom, and authority challenged many to reconsider what they presumed about Him. He was not easily forgotten. He forced many, including the religious leaders, Pontius Pilate, and His own twelve disciples, to take a close look at what they really believed about who He was.

That Saturday, as His body lay wrapped in linen in a grave, there were many around Jerusalem who sat with uneasy questions about whether or not there would be another chapter in Jesus’ story. His uncommon strength, coupled with the supernatural darkness that settled over the land during His crucifixion (Matthew 27:45), set on edge those who wanted Him dead, even after they’d succeeded. A resurrection would only cause people to believe in Him more.

Come join us

Come join us!!!

Join us this Easter Sunday @ 7:00 am for our sunrise service. Breakfast to follow.
We will still have our regular praise & worship service @ 9:00am.

Good Friday, the Friday of Holy Week, puts to us this question once again: Who do you say Jesus is?

Late Thursday night in Gethsemane, Jesus was arrested—betrayed by one of His own disciples and abandoned by His others. The Chief Priests and the Sanhedrin called for secret trials in the dead of night, and the verdict was handed down that Jesus would be crucified (Mark 14:53-65). This was an official order the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate, would have to give. And reluctantly, on Friday morning, he did (Mark 15:1-15).

After a severe beating, Jesus was nailed to a cross where He would remain for six hours until dead (Matthew 27:27-44).

He was crucified between two thieves. As He hung there, weak, bloody, and exposed, people from the crowd taunted and mocked Him—scoffing that if He really was the Son of God, then why didn’t He come down from the Cross (Matthew 27:40)? They could not begin to fathom the irony of their logic. That cross was the reason the Son of God had come, and His place as our atoning sacrifice was one only He could occupy. It was Jesus’ presence on the cross, not His ability to come down from it, that would prove His divinity. They knew not what they did.

One of the thieves started in with contemptuous words of his own, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself. Save us!” But the gravity of the scene settled on the other thief as he watched Jesus take the brutality of His captors to God in the form of a prayer for mercy. The thief also watched Jesus give His own grieving mother to His treasured friend. Seeing the grace by which Jesus received this death, the second thief broke into sobs, saying to Him, “Forgive me. I am here for the wrongs I have done, but You have done nothing. Please, remember me when You pass from this place into Your waiting kingdom” (Luke 23:39-43, my paraphrase).

At around 3:00pm, Jesus died (Luke 23:44-46).

Never before or since has more been lost and gained at the same time as at Jesus’ crucifixion. The world gained the atoning sacrifice of Christ. But for many of those present, their hearts broke because the One they believed to be the Savior of the world was dying at the hands of Rome. They couldn’t stop it, and they didn’t yet realize—He was dying for them. Many had put their hope in Jesus, and though He had told them earlier that He would suffer many things and rise three days later (Mark 8:31), how could they possibly have known this was what He meant?

The reactions of the condemned men crucified on either side of Jesus and those gathered at the foot of the cross tell the story of every man and woman when it comes to what we make of Christ’s crucifixion. The cross of Jesus confronts us all with the question of the true identity of Jesus Christ. Times of desperation can harden us or soften us, but the question of Easter never goes away: Who do you say that Jesus is?