Good afternoon, friends!

This past Sunday, Pastor Chip preached an outstanding message titled Burn the Ships. (If you haven’t heard the message yet, you can watch it through the app, YouTube, Facebook, or right here on our website.) In a nut-shell, the message had to do with letting go of things that keep you from going all in with God and not allowing the enemy to stop you with things from your past, your present, and in your future. Below is an excellent scripture on “Burning the Ships” in our lives and pressing on in God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

The whole chapter of Hebrews 11 has to do with great examples of faith and endurance found in the people of the Bible. Chapter 11:39 states “all these people earned a good reputation because of their faith.” Then, Chapter 12 begins by talking about these people, great people of faith, that have now become witnesses to our faith. Our faith is being watched daily. Not our mistakes, but our life of faith is being watched by this great crowd of witnesses. Not only do those in heaven watch our life of faith, but people on the earth are also watching our life of faith. Chapter 11 is a “ticker-tape parade” of the life of faith - from Abel to Sarah. Every day of our lives, we are creating a “ticker-tape parade” of our life of faith in God. What does yours say? 

But! Look what is stated next! After we realize that we are being watched, we are told to strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. Let’s look at this phrase backwards. What trips us up in life? SIN. Immediately when that word is spoken, people begin to tune you out, or stop reading, or even think, “I have no sin in my life”. But any lack of faith is sin. The Word also tells us that if we say we have no sin, we lie. Identifying sin and burning that ship is not a bad thing. It is a pretty easy thing to do.  

1st step: Identify

2nd step: Repent

3rd step: Daily strip off the weights.

Now, let’s look at the phrase, “strip off every weight.” BURN THE SHIPS. We all have things in our lives that have become a weight. God never meant for us to run a race in Him with all these weights attached to us. But, because of our flesh, we deal with weights that need to be stripped off and burned. We can strip off a weight one day, and pick it up the next day. But! If we BURN THE WEIGHTS, we cannot pick them up again; and we can move forward with endurance in God.

-Pastor Candace

Dear Family and Friends, 

I felt led to send forth this blog after last Sunday’s message entitled All In. Pastor Chip preached a message that was so led by the Holy Spirit, and I am enclosing some quotes and information from his notes to begin this blog. (I would highly suggest you watch it online or through the app if you missed the service.)

The two words that were highlighted and brought forth were all in. What does that mean? It means to be fully consecrated to God. No self - no enthroning yourself. Not self-centric, but Christ-centric. It’s not about your desires and plans; it’s about God desires and plans coming forth and being sought by us daily. We are not asking God to follow us and our plans but for us to follow God and His plans.

Chip shared a “holy dare” that was set forth by a British revivalist over 120 years ago:.

 “The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.”

God is asking us today, “Will you be the one to be fully and wholly consecrated to Me?” You are one decision away from a different life in Him. It’s not a life of ease. God never promised us that serving Him would be easy. We live in a world that does not want to serve God and His ways; but He did promise peace, joy, health and prosperity even in the midst of the storm. God is asking us to consecrate ourselves in Him, and in return, He will provide a life in Him like we have never experienced before. Amazing things of God await you! Step in and let God be your ALL! Step in and be ALL IN! (Scripture: Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.)

You cannot do amazing things without being, ALL IN! When you look back on your life, your greatest moments always begin with consecration and always end with AMAZING. But! We do not seek the amazing: WE SEEK GOD, and the amazing comes.

Let us not be a church body that is in a place where we follow the rules but never follow Christ. Let us not be a church that buys in but never sells out for God. We must stay hungry for God. If you’re not hungry for God, then you become full of yourself. Anything less than the complete surrender of our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is robbing God of the glory He demands and deserves. So, we choose to live our lives all in, thus bringing glory and honor to God.

Now, with this information in hand, let’s look at the Jewish calendar. This week begins Rosh Hashanah. What does Rosh Hashanah mean? It means “the head of the year.”  Our western calendar begins January 1st; but for the Jews, Monday, September 6th, began the new year. It is the time that the Jewish nation begins to “consecrate themselves to God, for the upcoming year. It is a day of prayer - a time to ask Almighty God to grant you a year of peace, prosperity, and blessings all the while consecrating yourself in Him. 

It is of no surprise that God brought forth the message All In during this time! God is a God of timing and purpose, and He has a purpose for this message being brought forth during a time (Rosh Hashanah) that God asks His family to consecrate themselves to Him. So, Family, let us determine to keep the message of All In alive in our hearts daily as we begin each new day consecrated to Him.

Love and Blessings,

P. Candace

“You’ve asked, now believe, receive.

You have eyes to see, see your plan, see your desire.

Call them to rise, call them to be.

Pour into their foundations by the words of the King.

They will obey for the Father went before and prepared the way

With gratitude and a full heart, that the Lord.

Speak from the heart.

Let it pour, let it flow.

You’re speaking the plans of God, pulling down the new.

Open your mouth by the Spirit and give voice and Word.

Give voice to what’s heard.

Manifest now! Come forth! Rise! Come to pass!

Command them to Rise and, like Lazarus, they will rise!

So, speak! Declare and decree, “desires and plans come to me!”

Take your place, be what I’ve called you to be.

No lack, Shalom, complete and whole.

Rise! No more ways of the enemy!

This day, June 29th, 2021.

Rise! Come up! Step up! Be who you were called and formed to be!

Rise! Take your place! You will rise by grace. Now rise, it’s time!

Run your race with style and grace.

Run for you have much to do in this, the last age. So, run with fire.

Run with every gift given you by the King.

Run with fervent fire and fury! Run!

Be who you were designed to be!

Now call My plans and your desires to Me.

Now is the time. So begin. Praise wins.

Gratitude of Heart and mind wins every time!”

Good Morning, Family!

I am using today’s blog to post some study notes from Sunday’s service. The notes are there for you to study in greater depth because we did not have the time to go over all the below scriptures. So, please take time to look over them. I believe they will be a blessing to you!

Jesus’s Ministry was brought forth by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1. Conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20)

2. Baptized by the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River (Matthew 3:16)

3. Led by the Holy Spirit before and after the wilderness (Luke 4:14)

4. Empowered to minister by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18-19)

5. Cast our demons by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28)

6. Healed by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 5:17)

7. Raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:11)

8. Taught about the Holy Spirit (John 14, 15, 16)

9. Once at the Father’s right hand, He poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:33)

10. Before returning to Heaven, He promised the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)

Acts: The operation of the Holy Spirit in the disciples lives (how we are to operate personally and as a church).

1. Jesus’ last words were a promise of the Holy Spirit’s power to all believers. (Acts 1:8)

2.  On the Day of Pentecost, believers were filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues. (Acts 2:4)

3. The Holy Spirit’s miraculous powers were in the Early Church. (Acts 2:43)

4. The Holy Spirit’s healing power was at work through Peter and John. (Acts 3:1-7)

5. A supernatural prayer meeting occurred where the gifts of the Spirit were present. (Acts 4:31)

6. The miraculous powers of the Holy Spirit were at work. (Acts 5:12)

7. Signs and wonders were in demonstration. (Acts 6:8)

8. The Holy Spirit confirmed the Word with signs following. (Acts 8:7)

9. The first Gentile believers were filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues. (Acts 10:46)

10. The gift of prophecy, a gift of the Holy Spirit, was in operation. (Acts 11:28/13:2)

11. The gift of healing was in demonstration. (Acts 14:8-10)

12. In the disciples, the gift of prophecy was at work. (Acts 16:6-7)

13. New Believers were being supernaturally filled with the Holy Spirit and were speaking in tongues. (Acts 19:11)

Prayer:

Father, I lift up every member of AGC, and I believe that Your Word is ministering to them. Your abundant life surrounds each one of them and Your grace is upon them. As they endeavor daily to be led by Your Spirit, they will see greater realms of You in operation in their life, in their family, and the people they come in contact with daily. We love and trust You, Lord! We are led by Your Spirit!

-Pastor Candace