First Church Charlotte

February 9, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms There is a great difference between CHURCHIANITY and CHRISTIANITY. Many are GOING TO CHURCH but few are GOING DOWN THE ROAD WHICH LEADS TO LIFE (Matthew 7:13-14). The tragedy of Christianity is that it has been turned into a religion. It is not! All religions say “do”…Christianity says “done”. All religions set up rules whereby one makes himself “worthy”. Christianity says we are “made” worthy by Christ’s sacrifice for us. There is nothing we have to do, indeed there is nothing we “can” do but accept God’s amazing grace. Christianity is literally a possession. A possession of The Holy Spirit, like Paul said “We’ll “find” ourselves doing the things that please God.” God is not interested in spiritual imitation which is what religion is…he is interested in spiritual fruition… There are other invitations from the Lord, with gracious promises to those who come, but note especially the final invitation of the Bible, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him

February 05, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?

February 2, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms Dominion is an awkward subject because we humans like power… control… dominance… nearly every story of history is about status-seeking, wealth seeking, power-seeking… Carnal humans turn everything, even church, into a dominance-hierarchy... And all religions offer a theology where they end up in charge... I believe that spiritual dominion is so different than our experience of earthly power, that we struggle to envision what it looks like. In fact, in all of human history there is only one story that reveals what divine dominion looks like – that is Jesus Christ. How do we exercise spiritual dominion? We lost dominion through Adam; we regained it through Jesus Christ. Jesus used His authority to disarm the enemy and all his demonic forces and powers. "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Col. 2:15). "Disarmed" also means "stripped." Christ stripped Satan and all his minions of any po

January 26, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms Jesus invites us to walk a different road, live by different values. *CHRISTIANS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO GIVE UP “JOY” TO BE CHRISTIAN* If the manner in which you have been serving the Lord has not produced joy, then you’ve been doing to wrong. The fullness of Jesus’ love was never designed to make anyone sad. He only wishes to remove those things which would hinder our highest enjoyment here, and our eternal happiness beyond. He hasn’t come that you might have sadness, He has come that you might have LIFE, and have it more abundantly! (John 10:10) HEBREW FAITH -VS- OTHER EASTERN RELIGIONS The Jewish Encyclopedia states that no language has as many words for joy and rejoicing as Hebrew. In the Old Testament there are twenty-seven different words used for some aspect of joy. Hebrew worship sees God as the source of joy. In contrast, the historic rituals of other Eastern faiths were filled with sadness and even human sacrifice. WHERE DOES JOY COME FROM? NOT FROM TEMPORAL TH

January 22, 2020, | Bishop David Elms • We are in a daily spiritual fight. • We fight in our mind, our soul and our spirit. • Even if we haven't done everything perfectly, we can ask forgiveness for our mistakes. • If you have drawn yourself to God, He will hear us every time! • Always pray! • Control our own anger. • Speak the Word of God; which is your sword of the Spirit. • Plead the blood of Jesus over our lives and those we love. • Singing unto the Lord and in the Spirit. • Dancing unto the Lord. • It is what God wants for us to control our own spiritual atmosphere. • Clapping our hands in praise. • Prayer and Fasting • Prayer in the Spirit (in tongues by the utterance of the Spirit of Christ, also known as the Holy Spirit)

Jan 22, 2020, | Bishop David Elms • We are in a daily spiritual fight. • We fight in our mind, our soul and our spirit. • Even if we haven't done everything perfectly, we can ask forgiveness for our mistakes. • If you have drawn yourself to God, He will hear us every time! • Always pray! • Control our own anger. • Speak the Word of God; which is your sword of the Spirit. • Plead the blood of Jesus over our lives and those we love. • Singing unto the Lord and in the Spirit. • Dancing unto the Lord. • It is what God wants for us to control our own spiritual atmosphere. • Clapping our hands in praise. • Prayer and Fasting • Prayer in the Spirit (in tongues by the utterance of the Spirit of Christ, also known as the Holy Spirit)

January 19, 2020, | Rev. Jonathan Moran • The way to keep God from moving in our lives is to make it familiar to us & surround ourselves with unbelief. • Even though Jesus tried to get away from the crowd with His disciples to rest, the crowd found out where they going; ran ahead, and waited for them. • After being moved with compassion and carring for the crowd, Jesus fed over 5 thousand people who had urgently dropped everything to follow Jesus and came expecting something from Him. Their excitement, as they ran ahead to where Jesus and the disciples were going, obviously drew others from the villages; which grew into a multitude of hungry people. • Our excitement for the things of God will entice others to also come check it out. • The Lord's disciples obeyed what the Lord asked them to do & a great miracle followed.

January 15, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms The Lord and the city: somehow, the two go together. I used always to think of the Lord as being out there on the mountainside by Himself, and that’s right [Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:46; John 6:15]; and on the waters alone at night in Galilee, that’s right [Mark 6:47-48]; and in the little city of Nazareth, that’s right [Matthew 2:23; Luke 4:16-24]. But as you look at the Lord more closely, you will find in His heart the compassion for the big city. Embracing a mission; instead of fleeing it, brings life. The city is where the people are. By being impressed by our Savior instead of the enemies, there will be success in ministry. The work in the city is hard and laborious and discouraging and difficult. The reason the Lord appeared to Paul in the night in Corinth was because of the immeasurable, illimitable, indescribable discouragement of the missionary as he sought to build the work of Jesus in the city. In Athens [Acts 17:16-33], he left discouraged, and in Corinth [Acts

January 12, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms There is power in our words… Luke 6:45 (New Century Version) Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts. But evil people bring evil things out of the evil they stored in their hearts. People speak the things that are in their hearts.

January 8, 2020 | Pastor Nathan Elms The Church was formed and founded on Pentecost in Jerusalem. Followers of Jesus as the Messiah (Ha Maschiach), trace the origin of becoming known to the world as 'Christians' to the community founded in Antioch: "Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: and when he found him he brought him to Antioch." For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples, whose origins began in the dispersion resulting from persecution in Jerusalem, were "first called Christians at Antioch." Known by a variety of names, including "Followers of the Way." Later recognized by the Apostles in Jerusalem, one of its leading members was Barnabas, who was sent to organize the new church (see Acts 11:19-26) (see Early centers of Christianity). According to Acts 11:19-26, the Christian community at Antioch began when Christians who were scattered from Jerusalem because of persecution fled to Antioch. They were joined by Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene who

January 5, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms We must cleanse our hands because they are dirty with sin. We must purify our hearts because they are divided, and we are distracted. This means we stop making excuses for bad attitudes, for casual unkindness, for clever put-downs, for dabbling in pornography, for bragging about our accomplishments, for envy of others, for bitterness, for a critical spirit, for our prayerlessness, for our need to be in control, for giving in to despair, for hating our enemies instead of loving them, and for our failure to do what we ought to do. James 4:6-10 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+4%3A6-10&version=NKJV   James has a unique situation as pastor of the church in Jerusalem…   Pay attention to this passage because it will help you jumpstart your spiritual life.   # 1: Spiritual submission. Humility doesn’t come naturally to most of us. It’s the virtue which, if you think you have it, you probably don’t.    # 2: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (v. 7b)

Dec 29 2019 | Pastor Nathan Elms 1st Church CLT Prophets were known for wearing mantles as a sign of their calling from God (1 Kings 19:13). The prophet Samuel wore a mantle (1 Samuel 15:27). The prophet Elijah “threw his cloak around [Elisha]” as a symbol of Elijah’s ministry being passed on to Elisha. The prophet’s mantle was an indication of his authority and responsibility as God’s chosen spokesman (2 Kings 2:8). Elisha was not confused as to what Elijah was doing; the putting on of his mantle made his election clear. There is a spiritual depth to this story… 1) GILGAL: From a root which means “the beginning point of commitment” 2 Kings 2:1-7 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+2%3A1-7&version=NKJV We all must have a spiritual genesis…  2) BETHEL: In the Hebrew, it means “the house of God” This is where Jacob had his vision of the angelic ladder... Gen 28:10-15 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen+28%3A10-15&version=NKJV We all of us must become aware of the dwelling of G

Dec 22, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms Like Mary, we believe the great promises of God's Word. We believe that God is going to do great things… but through me? Luke’s gospel brings the conversation Mary has with Gabriel to a close. What seems like an impossible reality in Mary’s eyes is not impossible when God is working. After Mary understands what is to be done, and her role in this divine plan, she humbly identifies herself as a bondservant of the Lord. She commits her life to fulfill his plan exactly as the Lord has called her to fulfill. As Mary comes to this conclusion and obeys the command of God, Gabriel departs from her. Nine months from this moment Mary will give birth to her Messiah and Savior. How often do we sit around waiting for God to show up? As believers, we need to consider the times God did show up, but we either failed to see because it was not a dramatic revelation, or we failed to obey because it appeared to us as an impossibility. God’s will is not always discovered in the dramatic invi

Dec 18, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms Although salvation is a gift of God and we cannot earn it or do anything to overcome our fallen state, becoming whole is usually a journey or even a mountain to climb and overcome instead of a gift that we have no input with. All good and perfect gifts come from God, including the mountains that we must overcome to become whole and the difficulties which produce in us the character that glorifies the Lord with our testimonies.

Dec 11, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms A story will engage people. No one can tell your story the way that you can. Glory God and what He has done for you, and tell your story Go out of your way to identify with other people's story Go out of your way to share your story Go out of your way to reveal God’s story

Dec 8, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms We all know that God’s ways are above our ways... How man digs a ditch. Shovel to excavator… How God digs a ditch. Trickle to the Grand Canyon… It is 277 miles long, it’s widest point is 18 miles, while its narrowest point is 4 miles. Even though the Grand Canyon is 6,093 feet deep, the deepest canyon in the world is the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon in Tibet, which is 17,567 feet deep.  I want you to be deeply convinced that God is working in your life… God will use the good and the bad… God will use the pain and the joy…

Dec 4, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms Matthew could have not included some of the lineages of Jesus Christ, who wasn't complimentary to the Lord, but by including the "stains," in His lineage, showed the true heart of a Savior

Dec 1, 2019, | Bishop David Elms The Lord Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price so that we could have the best gift we could ever receive. The Gift of the Holy Spirit, which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. The power to overcome.

Nov 24, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms https://firstchurchclt.com/notes

Nov 20, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms 1st Church CLT Nov. 20, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms John 15:11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A11&version=NKJV The final testimony is the life we live. Not simply our religious strictness, nor theological stances, but our lives. The people who know you see more than you will admit. They know about how miserable we are. About how fearful we are. About how content we are. Seriously, they know. We can’t be miserable people and then say to the world, “Oh, by the way, Jesus loves you.” I did a google search and this is the searches most often asked: “Why are Christians so...” ...angry? ...hypocritical? ...judgmental? ...un-Christian? …negative? “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” ― Mahatma Gandhi How To Live a Miserable Life 1. Try to earn salvation 2. Neglect spiritual disciplines 4. Live selfishly 5. Go it alone. 6. Compare yourself to others. 7. Believe that happiness is a destination in yo