The true Church, her members, that’s you and me, are a faith people. We stand in faith for all the work that God assigns to us. Some of us have not caught that. We are still trying to work things out according to our own knowledge and strength. We are trying to be a Church on our own power. But God wants us to stand in faith, His faith. Through His faith we know we will accomplish what God has call us to do. We are not moved by feelings. We are not moved by what we see. We are moved by faith and the word of God. We no longer can be like others who just talk this life. Our call is deeper than that. The word of God means more to us than that. We will be known for the depth of the word we have in us. We will be known for the prayers we pray and get answers to. Out goal is to please God, to make Him happy by doing His will. Then we can die in peace, knowing that our lives were like His life when He walked this earth.

When we read the history of the early church what do we find?  We find a record of constant victory, a story of continuous progress. Why is there such a difference between the early Church and the Church of Jesus Christ today? What made the difference in the early Church?  The answer is found in Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayers.” The Church was a “PrayingChurch”.  It was a Church in which they prayed or continued steadfastly in prayers.  They all prayed, not a select few: “…and all prayed continuously with steadfast faithfulness.” This is the difference. When God’s

people who are called by His name humble themselves, and pray, and seek His face, turning from their wicked ways; then God will hear them and heal them and will come in to them and do exploits.

If the church is going to make a difference in the world today; if we, the Church, are going to win souls for Christ and make ready a people prepared for the Lord, we are going to have to stand in the righteousness of Christ and walk in the commandments or the Word of God. And please don’t think that I am talking about being perfect. No man, no human being can be perfect; but if we do fall short we have an advocate with the Father and He is just and faithful to forgive us of our down fallings. If we ask Him, He will clean us from all unrighteousness. But God wants a holy people. God wants a people who will stand in the righteousness of Christ by faith. The world, the sinner, is looking for someone to believe in, someone who is for real. If you say that you are the Church and are not living like the Church – living a godly life, not only will they not believe you but they will not listen to you. Be faithful!

Prayer! Prayer! The key to making ready a people prepared for the Lord. The true Church of God today, the true people of God  – those who are the true Body of Christ in the earth is a praying people, a praying church. They have dedicated their lives to prayer for the lost, to prayer for the work of the church – winning souls. God can trust them to be faithful so He breathes into them words originating or created in heaven so to fill the earth with prayers and then turn right around and answer them. And what God wants is a people who will hear His words and capture or receive them for their prayers on this earth.

The true Israel of God always were a praying people. They were devoted to prayer. Night and day they stood before God in prayer for His coming. Everybody had not gone astray. Everybody had not turned their back on God. Everybody had not turned to a life of sin and shame before God. They were the faithful, the dedicated, who would never turn away from their God. Do we have that kind of Christian today? God has been good to you. God has made too many ways for you. He has healed your body. He picked you up when you were down. You should never turn your back on Him. He saved your soul. He forgave you of all your sins. You should be faithful to Him no matter what it cost you? How many of you can say amen to that?

The Church in the earth, you and me, must be a full expression of who Christ is! Christ is righteousness. Christ walks in the word of God. He is the Word of God. We must look at everything we say and do in the light of this: “Does this represent who Christ is? Is this what I want the sinner to see of Him [of Christ], through me?” We must continually keep before our eyes that we His body reflect honestly and purely who He is! We must set our hearts on being a true expression of who Jesus Christ is.  We must see to it in our day to day life that we truly express the holiness of Christ, and then souls will see God in us and come to Him and make ready for His coming again.

The focus is putting on the righteousness of Christ by faith and walking in the Word of God. This is the strength of the Church. This is your testimony before the world, before sinners. This will let people see that you live the life you talk about. This will change lives and make people ready for God. Most importantly this is the power to see the mighty hand of God working in the midst of His Church. Thus the people of the world will want what they see in you. They will listen to you. They will want to be taught by you. They will want to follow you.

How many of you have some things that you need to forget?  How many of you have some things that you need to let go and press on with your life?  How many of you have some people you need to forgive and then move forward in your life? This one thing that I do, Paul said, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press towards the mark of the prize… People are mean.  People will hurt you. People will do you wrong and turn around and laugh at you. People will talk about you to your face.  But it is not how people treat you that will determine whether you enter the kingdom of heaven; it is how you treat people that will determine whether you enter the kingdom of heaven.  This one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind… Forget it and let it go.

Every one of us have made mistakes, big mistakes, in our lifetime. And because of these mistakes, and because we have been forgiven we ought to be willing to say for the rest of my life I am going to serve the Lord. We cannot undo what we have done in the past, but we can be sure to make the future count for Jesus. Paul said in Phil 3:13-14 “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  This is truth we need to put into practice in order to live the rest of our life for Jesus.

How will you live the rest of your life? Some of you are half way through life. Some of you are on the end of life. Some of you have just started to live. How will you…with the time you have remaining…how will you live the rest of your life?  It is important to know. Not too long ago, there was a man who cared nothing about the time he had left in life. He lived like he had all the time in the world. He tried to do all that he could do.  He enjoyed himself with women, alcohol, fun, the lust of the flesh – really just anything that came to his mind.  But one day, in the flash of a moment, it was all taken away. He was in a terrible accident and was paralyzed from the neck down. Listening to what he said, “Be careful how you live the rest of your life; make each day count; love your family and friends; try to do some good each day; do not do like me. I took life for granted. I took my wife and family for granted too. I paid God no attention. I knew that God wanted me to live for Him but I ignored God. I wanted to do what I wanted to do and look where it got me.  While you have a chance turn to God and live for Him and you will be blessed.”