1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him…

So, you see, our God the Father gives us petitions [requests], which is favor and mercy in our prayers. But only according to His will though, and not of our own will…

And what exactly is God’s will in prayer with faith and Grace in the newness of life with Christ???

God’s will for us is that His will and His hearts desires start to become our will and our desires. So, the more you grow with the Spirit, God’s Holy Spirit, by putting on Christ, this very change starts to take it’s place inside of you, and naturally, the old man starts to die with Christ, and because He was also raised up in newness of life, we also walk in newness of life putting on the new man through Grace that Christ has given us through His precious Blood. And not only through Grace, but also faith that comes by Grace, and so the very things we ask for in prayer, start to become the very things that God puts in our heart to pray for, and these desires become our own becoming God’s will we pray and not our worldly selfish prayers any longer. Because you begin to truly fellowship with God. And walk in the spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit which only can proceed through Christ from the Father…

But we also must come to the Father in mercy knowing that we are not worthy of God’s Grace, and because of this, we have hope with confidence through faith in the very things we ask for through our Lord Jesus Christ…

And now my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ: What is this newness of life with the new man in Christ???

First and foremost, we must believe our whole being with every beat of our heart that Jesus Christ is a Son of God, and did die so that we could live, and through His resurrection we also will have our resurrection, being raised to life through the same power that did raise our Lord Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit that lives within us, sealing us unto the day of our salvation at Christ Second Coming as first Fruits, which is a very precious gift… The very elect with the saints…

And brothers and sisters in Christ… we are the body of Christ and have been bought with a beautiful price through Grace with the Blood of Jesus Christ, and believing with all our hearts we should no longer live according to our old man with the lust of our flesh and the lust of the world.

But putting aside all our former conduct that does not lead to godliness, but putting on the whole armor of God through the very love of Christ, so that we can withstand the evil one…

[The whole armor of God]

Ephesians 6: 12-18  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [a]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Ephesians 4: 22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Peter 1: 3-4  as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new…

Andrew Williams…

The following is a short (5 minute) Park Prison Ministry activity report video

Thank you for coming to the dinner, either in person or in spirit… we appreciate all you have done for the Prison Ministry, and in fact for all the ministries of the Park Church of Christ…

Please Watch the included video… it’s only about 2 minutes long

You can watch the video here

The Love Letter

A great witness to the value of The Prison Ministries

Inmate at Dick Conner’s Correctional Center, The Park Church of Christ has helped him find his way.

“Opinion on the Trinity Doctrine & Reexamining The Great Commission”

By: Andrew D. Williams.

I want to start this opinion with Scripture so that all will see what Gods Word has revealed to those who truly seek Him.

In Genesis 1:11:  It is written,

“In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” The name God is “Elohim”; it is a plural name; however, when used in reference to the one true God, it is constantly joined with verbs and adjectives in the singular (Deut 6:4; 32:39).

In many Old Testament passages Elohim is used with a plural verb or pronoun (Gen 1:26; 3:22; 11 : 7). I want to let Scripture speak for itself. Since it is God’s Word, He is very capable of defending Himself.

In John l : 1-3 it is written,

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” When we speak of the attributes of God, we are referring to those qualities of God which constitute what He is.

They are the very characteristics of His nature. I am not referring here to the acts which He performs, such as creating, guiding, and preserving, nor to the corresponding roles He plays- Creator, Guide, Preserver. The attributes are qualities of the entire Godhead. They should not be confused with the properties, which, technically speaking, are the distinctive characteristics of the various persons of the Trinity.

Properties are functions (general), activities (more specific), or acts (most specific) of the individual members of the Godhead. Keep in mind the attributes are permanent qualities. They cannot be gained or lost. They are intrinsic.

While our understandings attributes are not our conceptions projected upon Him. They are objective characteristics of His nature.

I want to look at a few noncommunicable attributes.

• God is Spirit: He is the ultimate pure and perfect being, incorporeal, without material substance or physical parts, not having size or dimensions.
• God is One: He is the only and ultimate unified being, with each divine attribute perfectly united with all other attributes, yet each maintaining its own uniqueness, identity and function.
• God is a tri-unity: There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and co-equal persons- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit-the same in substance (who each person is), but distinct in subsistence (what each person does).

Now I want to point out two communicable attributes.

l) God is a person: He exists and is aware of His existence, having the power of self-determination and possessing all the attributes of personality.
2) God is True: This means His being and knowledge eternally conform to each other. Thus God, is true for He alone represents things as they actually are, for truth is reality revealed.

I believe that now since Scripture has spoken for itself we can have a better understanding of the “un” Baptismal formula that is recorded in Matthew 28:19. Jesus, Himself told Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to go and tell His disciples that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. (Matt 28:16-20),

We read this. . . “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.” It may sound a little weird that Jesus would give a baptismal formula on a mountain high up, that has no water. However, when you read Scripture it is not only a baptism formula, it is a Great Commission that Jesus was giving to His disciples and what better spot than a mountain that is above “see level.”

We as believers need not to get caught up on where it was given, but Who was giving it (Jesus). He commanded His disciples to go make disciples of all nations.

What does a disciple do after he has been taught the things of God? He then gets baptized. Jesus then says, “baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I [Jesus] am with you always, to the very end of this age.” I want to point out that God watches over His Word.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

If we say that what is recorded in Acts 2:38 is more important than what Jesus says in Matthew 28: 19 than we choose Peter’s words over the words of Jesus, if that is so with Jesus being God, we basically chose mans words over God.

Luke was describing the effect of Christian baptism the person baptized comes under the authority of Jesus. Keep in mind that this authority came from the Father. Luke was not giving standardized formula to be pronounced at baptism. In the name of meant “under the authority or influence of.” More important than the formula pronounced over the person being baptized is that person’s confession of faith in Jesus (Acts 22:16; Rom 10:10; Acts 2:38; 8:14-16; 10:48).

I also want to point out that at Jesus’ Baptism by John the Holy Spirit descended from heaven like a dove and remained upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus tells us to obey His commandments and that is exactly what I aim to do.

I am also very familiar that Acts 4:12 says “Nor is there salvation in any other name under heaven given among men which we must be saved.” When dealing with the Godhead you cannot take one without the other.

The Word of God tells us that each teacher will be held accountable for who they lead astray, so Jesus will be held accountable if His Words in Matt 28: 19 are not correct. However, I want to say thank you for your time you took to read this.

Sincerely,

Andrew Williams

By Michael Harley

Ezekiel 37:11-14New King James Version (NKJV)

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’”

This is a plain example of the people of Israel’s salvation. The nation of Israel, as a whole, is just as saved as any Christian is saved today. As a matter of fact, there is no salvation apart from the Jews. Salvation is of the Jews. Contrary to some beliefs, the whole Bible is written by Jews:

Psalm 147:19-20[a]  New King James Version (NKJV)

19 He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. 20[a] He has not dealt thus with any nation;

And apart from His word there is no salvation. And apart from Jesus Christ, a Jew, there is no salvation.

In the verses above, God is speaking to Ezekiel, a Jew, and commanding him To speak to the nation of Israel, and declare that God is going to raise them, “the whole house of Israel,” from the dead.

Not only is God going to raise the whole house of Israel from the dead, but He is going to raise David their King from the dead and they shall serve the Lord their God and David their King. God is going to heal them and their land – the land of Israel. He is going to put His Spirit in them and cause them to walk in His statutes, and empower them to keep His judgments and do them. He is going to sprinkle clean water on them, and they shall be clean. He will cleanse them from all their filthiness and from all their idols. He will make a covenant of peace with the nation of Israel, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. God will make them and the places all around the land of Israel a blessing.

In that Day God is going to gather the whole house of Israel from among all the nations where He has scattered them because of their continued disobedience. In that Day when God has allowed the Antichrist to destroy the rebuilt temple and the city of Jerusalem and scatter the Jews into all the nations, Jesus Christ will return, when the Jews have no other place to turn but to the God of their fathers. And when the Son of Man returns, He will send out His angels and gather His elect from the four corners of the earth and from the farthest parts of heaven and bring them into their land again.

He will set them high above all nations of the earth. Then He will set up His standard for the peoples; the nations shall bring the sons of Israel in their arms, and daughters of Israel shall be carried on their shoulders. Kings shall be the Jews foster fathers, and their queens their nursing mothers. They shall bow down to the people of Israel with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of their feet. Then all people will know that Jesus is Lord.

Anyone that thinks that Jews were not saved in the days when Jesus Christ was speaking to them in our Holy Scripture needs to check their Scriptures again. To the contrary the Bible declares over and over again that “salvation is of the Jews.”