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God’s Love is a subject that we will never be able to fully comprehend with our natural minds. Someone once said that they believe the angels circling God’s throne and are crying “Holy, holy, holy!” are actually seeing a different facet of God’s love and character each time they circle around. Think about it, they have been doing this for all eternity! I like this picture of God’s holiness. I never get tired of reading, researching, and hearing about the Love of God! It’s the biggest Blessing to us that has ever taken place and will ever take place. Notice that I said the love of God is to all of us? God loves everyone the same. He doesn’t love me anymore than He does you. He doesn’t love the sweet elderly couple next door any more than He loves the worst sinner on earth! That may shock you, but it’s scriptural truth.   “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NLT God sent Jesus into this world so that EVERYONE can have eternal life. Eternal life with God is available to everyone. The sad situation is that many people don’t receive that eternal life that He provided for us. They don’t accept the Love of God that is His gift to all of us. We need to accept the gift someone gives us to benefit from it. Jesus Himself is The Gift! I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. John 17:23 NLT There it is! Jesus said that God loves us as much as He loves Jesus! What a concept. After 30 years of studying the Word of God, I still need to remind myself of this. I still need to meditate on the Love God has for me, as well as the love He has for others. We agree with the prayer of Paul over you.   This is a great prayer to pray for yourself as you grow in The Lord. When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT Once we have accepted the Love of God by asking Jesus to be Lord of our lives, we can then share this love with others. Let’s remember to share love instead of hate, condemnation and rejection. We will never be perfect, but we just keep practising the Love of God. Also, God’s love is not dependent on our performance or what we have done/not done. He loves us the same no matter what! Our actions do affect our relationship with God, but that is another teaching...

IN HIM The bible is basically laid out with progressing revelation starting with the Old Testament pointing us towards Jesus by expressing our need for Him & what He would do for us in the future.  The 4 gospels show us what He did for us during His life, ministry & most importantly what was accomplished on the cross. Then the letters (epistles) show us the benefits that we have as a result of what Jesus did. This is simply a snapshot & not the whole story. I believe that we should read the entire bible every year if possible, yet spend most of our time studying the New Testament, especially the letters to the Church (to believers). The New Testament is where we find out what Jesus provided for us in detail. We see that Jesus told His followers many times who He is & His mission during His life on earth.  Jesus left us an example of how we should follow in His steps. None of us will ever be perfect of course, but we can learn so much when we pay very close attention to the phrases "in Him, in Christ, in Whom, through Whom etc. There are approximately 140 phrases like this throughout the letters to the Church. Many of these phrases will tell us the rights & privileges we have because of what Jesus accomplished (through His obedience to the plan of God) on the cross. We can write these scriptures down, underline them or highlight them in our bible. Then when we think about this throughout the day it becomes more real to us. I have many notes all written in the pages of my bibles. It simply reminds me of a revelation that God gave me or something important that I heard. This keeps the Word alive and active in my life. I highly encourage you to start confessing (talking) about these promises that we have as believers!  Make it personal! God does want us to use the tools He provided! To enjoy what He has provided for us & the best part is that His Word tells us how to do it! Here are just a few of the examples of scripture mentioning being in Him etc.: Romans 3:21 Romans 4:24 Romans 9:33 Galatians 2:20 Ephesians 2:6 Ephesians 3:12 Philippians 3:9 Colossians 2:3

The definition of being more than a conqueror means that before we ever have a problem, we already know that whatever happens to come our way, we can overcome it through Christ and what He did for us! This does require us to continue to believe God’s promises, confess them in faith and follow what the Lord is leading us to do. (I do need to mention though, if you break the law, there will probably be repercussions to your actions.) What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33  Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own?   No one — for God himself has given us right standing with himself.  34  Who then will condemn us ? No one —for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?  Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39 NLT You can see that we are not just old sinners saved by grace as some people describe themselves! This is how many Christians identify, but as Christians we should identify as being “In Christ”, born new and into the greatest family on earth! Also, when we go through tough situations, we may feel that God doesn’t care and that He is far away. This is when we need to take His Word as final authority instead of believing our feelings or what the situation looks like. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT It is true that in Romans 3:10 Paul quotes from Psalms 14:1-3 that “No one is righteous - not even one.” Paul is quoting from the Old Testament where people lived under the Law and were not born again with Holy Spirit living inside them. Also, no one is righteous in themselves. We must be born again to have right-standing with God. Ps 14:1 Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! 2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. 3 But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! Psalms 14:1-3 NLT In Romans 8:36, Paul is quoting from the Old Testament (Psalm 44:22) before Jesus purchased our freedom on the cross. I ask you to think about what is written when we are studying and reading God’s Word (the bible). Keep in mind whether it is in the Old Testament looking towards the cross, or in the New Testament epistles looking back on the cross and what Jesus did. Also, knowing who we are as a born again Christian (In Christ) will bring revelation and understanding to give you confidence to conquer and overcome life situations! Remember you do not fight alone against the world or situations!  It is you and Jesus and that gives you the advantage in every situation! For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world , even our faith. 5 Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers ] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]? 1 John 5:4-5 AMPC For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 NLT We are on a journey, learning and discovering His Love and the victory that is ours while on earth, the full depth of the love God has for us and how He works with us and through us. There are always new aspects to learn and develop in. I encourage you to read through the bible and think about (meditate on) what you have read throughout the day. This brings the scripture alive or more real to us when we do this on a regular basis.

Are you right with God?  I believe some people wonder if they are right with God and most people hope they are right with God. Unfortunately, many people live long periods of their life not knowing where they stand with God; they may try not to think about it and hope for the best. Some may think that they are a good person so hopefully God accepts them. Let me tell you, if that is you then you are missing out on so much in life and living a life that falls short of God’s best for you.  Did you know that God does not love people differently based on if they are right with Him or not. God loves each of us equally regardless of whether we are right with Him or not. You may ask, “Are you saying God loves a person who commits murder just as much as someone who goes to church, feeds the poor and rescues puppies?” Yes! That is exactly what I am saying!   To be struck or not to be struck by lightning is not the test of being right with God.     Now that I have your attention I will explain. God loves each of us equally. In fact, the bible states He loves us as much as He loves Jesus. John 17:23 NLT I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.    Even when we do bad things (sin) like the murderer I mentioned above or the person who eats grapes at the grocery store before paying, there are consequences. They may think that since they were not caught, they got away with it. Sin is sin whether the consequences are immediate or later, but it will always cause loss in your life.    God loved me before I was born again and He loves me equally now that I am Pastor at Atlin Family Church. His love is based on who He is not who I am or what I have done in life.    Even when we are right with God, when we sin, we allow the enemy into our world and our flesh  so our health and relationship with God can be affected. The more we continue down the path of destruction the more we will begin to experience the mandate of Satan, our enemy! God still loves us, even though we have chosen a path of self destruction.    The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.  John 10:10   Are you living a “rich and satisfying life"?  When we know we are right with God a “rich and satisfying life” is available for every one of us!   No one is perfect and none of us can be made right with God by our actions, thoughts, belief system apart from His Word! Being right with God is all about Him & His love for us and again does not change based on who we are or what we have done in life!   “ For this is how God loved the world : He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NLT   How do we know if we are right with God?   We are made right with God - by God! It was a gift! You can only enjoy a gift after you receive it and experience it. It was of no value to you before you knew it existed, but it was always available to you. It is my hope after reading this blog and believing His Word you can have the confidence you are in right standing with God based on His Word.    For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24  Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight . He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.     We do have a part to play in God’s plan. It is up to us to believe His Word and accept His free gift of salvation and a “rich and satisfying life" on earth that is far beyond what we can imagine. Today if you are someone who has kept your distance from God by simply not thinking about Him or worse yet by thinking “you are a good person so therefore all is good” then today is your decision day.  Will you accept His free gift and know you are right with God  for the rest of your life and for eternity? Life is not over when we die!   Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2 NLT   If we are confident that we are right with God, then when we pray we can pray with confidence and not with a feeling of fear or timidity.    16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.  Hebrews 4:16 NLT   Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24 NLT

Our lives are bombarded with many voices, images and information. Marketers have recognized that if the information is shared in bite sized pieces (less information - more often) more people will engage compared to marketing with more content.   Add sound, voice / music plus video or eye-catching pictures even more engagement is measured. Over time, it can change or renew people's mind to start to believe “today's message” of the world.   In today’s world information from all sources puts our minds in the “overload” state, yet some information is still retained. Even if we are not aware of it - it can begin to change our world view!  This information flow can change our world view, our mindset - our belief system. Our belief system is a sum total of all the life experiences, information, influences from people we love and trust, and through all the outside sources from online media.  What we believe about our life experiences or the opinions / expressions from our friends, family and sometimes our church experiences are usually the last to go, but sometimes are eroded ever so slowly that we may not even realize when we last thought about the things that at one time were very important to us. It may have been a mindset or belief system that our lives evolved around! For example you may have grown up in a church and now you haven’t attended for a few years. Or you used to pray to God, but now you haven't even thought about him and can not remember the last time you prayed.  Has the relevance of God in your life changed?   It can be easy to go with the flow and accept “the message” rather than develop or stay true to your own belief system or values. In fact, in the world we now live there are too many people or groups that want to cancel your individualism, if you do not conform to worldly views or ideas.   What is the definition of relevance? Oxford Dictionary defiance relevance: “A close connection with the subject you are discussing or the situation you are in.” When I was young and I was in trouble I realized too often the “close connection of the situation I was in” so I would pray. Suddenly I chose to give God relevance in my life. The relevance of the situation was the focal point at the moment & God was my get out of jail card. I realize now that I had it all wrong. If I had made God more relevant in my life I would have avoided the situations and not needed to go through those stressful times.  God has not changed. He loved me back then and He still loves me now, but the relevance of His presence in my life has become my focal point now. I made a decision to renew my mind to what was real, concerning God and make it first place in my life! It has changed who I am & what I believe. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:21-24 4:23 NLT Have you felt like a squirrel running in an exercise wheel lately?  Maybe it is time to re-evaluate what you have been considering relevant in your life and seek God’s love. God loves you and He has a plan for your life! You are relevant to God! God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9-10 NLT

Did you know that we (as a human) are a three part being? Many times people refer to their inner being as a “soul”. We are more than a soul & body! We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). God is a Spirit. First and most importantly we are a spirit being. The bible talks about our spirit being our “inner man” or our “heart”. Then we have a soul (which includes our mind, our will, emotions & intellect). Lastly, we live in a physical body. First Thessalonians 5:23 is an example where it shows us that we are a three part being. 23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT    Many people think that they are just a body living here on earth until they die. Our body is the least important part of us. The body is what we (our spirits) live in while we are here on earth. I like to think that it’s our “tent” or temporary dwelling. You typically don’t live in a tent long term. We are an eternal being, just like God is. We do live forever, but our lives here on earth are just a tiny bit of time in the whole scheme of things. (James 4:14) 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. James 4:14 NLT Since we are a spirit being, we connect with our Creator through our spirits - Spirit to spirit. Often our soul is also involved. In other words our emotions most often get involved by a feeling of joy, peace, comfort, etc., but our emotions don’t necessarily need to be affected for us to connect with God. Connecting with God can be as simple as believing what it says in His Word (the bible). This is how many people have received their prayer for restoration, healing, or needed finances. They read the promise in The Word and they agreed with it in their spirit, as well as their soul, then they started to speak these promises out loud. All three parts of their being were involved in receiving their answer to what they needed. This is just an introduction into the subject of Spirit, Soul & Body. There is so much more to teach and discuss about this very important topic. We will continue to teach on this subject, but if you have any questions we encourage you to reach out by email or in person.

In today's digital age, reaching out to a wider audience and creating engaging content has become more accessible than ever. Atlin Family Church, a Non-denominational Christian Church, has taken a step by launching a website filled with inspiring content, events, and opportunities for giving into fertile ground! This website serves as a platform for individuals to not only stay updated on the upcoming events hosted by Atlin Family Church but also to engage in word based content and you may meet your neighbors. One of the key highlights of the Atlin Family Church website is the vast array of inspiring content that is shared regularly. Access the insightful articles on faith, healing prosperity and more! Resources for individuals seeking inspiration and guidance. Moreover, the website also features a blog section where Pastors share their thoughts and experiences, providing a personal touch to the overall content. This not only helps in fostering a sense of community among followers but also allows for a deeper connection with Atlin Family Church. For those looking to stay connected and informed, the website offers a newsletter sign-up option, ensuring that subscribers receive regular updates on events, content, and other organizational news directly to their inbox. This seamless communication channel further enhances the overall user experience and keeps followers engaged and connected. Atlin Family Church website is a testament to the organization's commitment to creating a digital space that is not only informative but also inspiring and engaging. With its wide range of content, events, and donation options, the website serves as a valuable resource for individuals looking to connect with the organization and be a part of its local vision.

Are you wanting to deepen your faith and connect with a community of like-minded individuals? Look no further than Atlin Family Church! At Atlin Family Church, we are dedicated to empowering individuals to strengthen their faith and spiritual journey through a variety of events, activities & local messages. Whether you join us in a small group, a virtual meeting or engage in one of our teaching blogs we look forward to meeting you where you are at in life & spiritual journey! Our events & blogs are designed to inspire, encourage, and empower individuals to grow in their faith and deepen their relationship with God. Atlin Family Church also offers opportunities for members to give back and support the community through donations. By contributing to Atlin Family Church, members can help us continue our mission of spreading the Love of God, compassion, and helping others build their faith. Furthermore, our website serves as a hub for all things Atlin Family Church. Members can easily access event information, make donations, and engage with our community through our online platform. Our goal is to create a seamless and user-friendly experience for all who visit our site. Join us at Atlin Family Church and empower your faith today to continue the ministry of Christ, as His Body - The Church! Thank you for being a part of our community!

The word “church” isn’t mentioned in the bible until the New Testament. Under the Old Covenant (in the Old Testament), people were supposed to worship God in the Tabernacle or synagogues. Today we sometimes understand church to be a place where Christians meet on Sunday to worship The Lord.  Some definitions are:  a building used for public Christian worship; a particular Christian organization, typically one with it’s own clergy, buildings, and distinctive doctrines; institutionalized religion as a political or social force. The first time that I see this word used in the bible is in Matthew 16:18 where Peter declared that Jesus was Christ. Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means rock), and upon this rock I will build my church , and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (see Verses 13 – 18 in the New Living Translation) Church , here Jesus was referring to a group of believers that believe that Jesus is the foundation or what sets apart The Church!. Later in the book of Acts we see that the disciples started meeting in each others’ homes. This is how the early church started.  Today most people equate going to church to meeting in a church building somewhere. This is sometimes the most convenient option, but do we need to meet in a church building to go to church?  I certainly believe that we can “have church” on the back tailgate of a truck somewhere. We can meet around a campfire to have or experience church, even out on a walk! All of these examples are a meeting of believers to worship -revere God & talk or learn more about Our Creator! It doesn’t have to be complicated, based on a set of rules in a formal way of having church. Church should be fun, exciting!  Let me encourage you to enjoy church gatherings wherever there is opportunity. Take the time to learn from each other. None of us have all the answers, so it’s important to refer to the bible on every subject but let’s take every opportunity to have church !