Jesus' First Sermon

"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near'"(Gospel of Matthew 4:17).

I am so excited about the challenge to read the New Testament in a weeks time as a church. If you have not kept up with it, it is not too late to start--Do it TODAY! Spend every available minute reading the Word. You can do it on the train, listen to bible CD's or tapes in the car, you can do it on your break and lunch. You will be surprised how much you can read and absorb.

The reason for the the challenge of the reading of the Word is to get us in the habit of reading the Word. How can I know the promises of God, if I do not read the Word of the Lord? So get into the WORD!

After Jesus' baptism and His period of testing, he began to preach. Notice in the text that it was a message of repentance. Now, before we center on just repentance of sins as we so often do and never go beyond the meaning; repentance is metanoia which is a change mind and heart; literally it is to think again. Jesus preached the importance of us looking at our lives and changing our mind and heart in regards to things that do not line up with him.

So often we talk about the behaviors of sin. The behaviors of sin are driven by a mind that is not centered on the God and has not been renewed. The message is get your mind and heart straight and the rest will follow. However, true metanoia (repentance) means that I must take an inventory of my life. I am convinced that the sinner has no problem taking an inventory of their lives; the problem is with the born-again believer who has allowed, "the traditions of man to make the word of God of non effect."

If we are ever going to walk in the fullness of God we are going to have to do an inventory of our lives and repent!

Have I been faithful in my service to God? Have I truly been committed? Is God and the things of God first in my life? Do I honor God in the totality of my life? Is Jesus truly the Lord of your life? These are the things we must do inventory on!

Living with Faith and Power and Creating a Phenomenal Life!

Bishop Keith Russell Lee
Hoffman Estates, IL and Los Angeles, CA

Spiritual Prayer Treatment

Father, I repent from the weights and the sins
that so easily beset me. I focus on you, the
author and finisher of my faith.

In the Name of Jesus and Through His Power!
Amen! And So It Is!