On Sun October 21st:
The risen Jesus Christ - where is He today in relation to me? He is WITH me, FOR me and IN me. He walks alongside and is there to hear my heartcry and to speak to ME.
One way He speaks is through His creation. Although creation is in bondage after the Fall, and although man has done so much to spoil it, THE GLORY of God still shines through! Look at the wonder of creation around you, THANK God for His goodness and faithfulness. God wants to enrich our understanding and revelation of Himself. He wants to reveal Himself for Who He is to each of us PERSONALLY, to open our ears to hear HIM. Jesus comes alongside and wants us to be aware of His presence, wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. Let's be a people who turn to Jesus, and we will find He is THE answer.
Read the Word in a devotional way. Let the Word speak to your heart, rather than just give information. Invite the Lord to speak to you. The Word will become personal and alive - in fact, it often jumps off the page specifically to you! God's Word speaks - ministers LIFE, brings STRENGTH, brings PEACE and JOY in His presence!
As the wavelength on a radio can be so easily meddled with and the outcome is a mixed, confused message, so many little things will interfere in our daily closeness with Jesus. Develop that intimate close relationship, which keeps on being tuned in to Him. Live our lives increasingly aware of His presence, so that we walk in that victory, joy and peace that He has promised us.
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid." John 14:27
The living Christ empowers us to LIVE. We cannot do it without Him.
Sun October 14th:
God is with us ALL the time!
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for THOU ART WITH ME." Psalm 23:4
Think of a child trusting his father, putting his hand in dad's big hand - he has no fear. We have the biggest, greatest Dad ever! Mighty, awesome Father.
Any issue, challenge, problem or attack - Dad, our Abba, Daddy, can deal with it. Remember His arms are open for you and me. The finger of God never points at us, condemning - oh no, His finger already pointed at Jesus on the Cross.
Luke 24:13-35 The story of the 2 disciples walking the road to Emmaus, disappointed, depressed because Jesus had died. "Jesus HIMSELF drew near!" He asks them what they are talking about, and they unload their hearts to Him, not knowing it is Jesus! One thing they say is that those who went to the empty grave did not see HIM. They were disconnected from the Jesus they knew and loved. How often we can feel alone, disconnected from God's presence - our situation more real than He appears to be.
Become connected! Find what works for you to know God's presence with you - become more aware of Him, make yourself a hotline to Heaven. Heaven is in your heart. Receive grace, strength, wisdom, patience as you learn to focus on Him and know He is with you. The mountains and battles in our lives cannot be worked out by US - but with HIM all things are possible!
Notice, in this story, Jesus 1) listened to the disciples. He asked them questions and let them pour out their hearts; 2) He opened up the scriptures - revealing Himself and the plan of salvation, and 3) He opened their eyes and gave them a revelation of the risen Christ! Then they knew why their hearts were burning and rushed back to tell the others at Jerusalem. Jesus Himself wants to feed our hearts, to fuel our faith and empower us to live with Him and for Him.
Come and pour out your heart to Him - your disappointments and sadness, and then LISTEN to His words and His revelation of hope, joy, comfort, strength - all given freely in His grace to us!
Sun May 27th
When trouble comes ...... let us ask 'What is God saying?' 'What is God doing in my life through this?' John 16:33 (Mssge) "I've told you all this so that trusting Me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I have conquered the world." James 1:2,3 (NKJV) "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."
God wants us to be overcomers. It is not what happens to us in life that determines our future, but how we respond to what happens. Trials and difficulties will either leave us bitter or better! God is in the business of growing us in the character of Christ and in the faith of God, maturing us as we are connecting with Him. The call is to be raised up as champions - each one of us to be someone who is pressing through, connected with GOD!
Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love."
On Sun 20th May Neil, our Youth Pastor, shared:
Our Father wants us to be totally free of fear! 2 Tim 1:17"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." God wants us to understand His perfect love, which casts out fear. 1 John 4:18. God loves us perfectly. This full grown love turns fear out of the door! God moves on our behalf when we trust in Him and focus on Him. Fear is the work of the enemy. God will empower us to do anything in His Name. We may feel afraid, but God delivers us from the power of fear, so we can "do it afraid". This was demonstrated by the number of people who had recently done the abseil challenge to raise money for the youth to go to Soul Survivor Camp, some of whom were really scared but did it anyway! God has so many blessings for us, and opportunities.Luke 5:2-9: The fishermen were washing their nets - exhausted after a night of fruitless fishing - and Jesus tells them to put their boats out into the lake and let down their nets. Simon starts to object, but says, "At Your word I will ......". We may be tired, afraid of failure, ready to give up, but, at the word of Jesus, take courage! He has a plan for our deliverance. His mighty power is available for US. Focus on Jesus! Listen to HIM!
Prov 3:5,6 (Amp) "Lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognise, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths."
Sun 6th May: Your future potential does not depend on your past performance! When you meet Jesus, your future and your destiny is changed forever. Jesus gives you LIFE, free from guilt, and access to the Father and His future for you!Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved, by faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." We do not have to pay for our past history - we are not going to receive a bill in the post from God. He has wiped the slate clean through the precious blood of Jesus. STOP carrying your load of guilt!Look at these scriptures: 2 Cor 5:19 God is not counting your sins, not keeping a list. 1 Cor 13:5 God is not keeping a record of wrongs. Heb 8:12 He does not remember our sins.Col 2:14 The slate is wiped clean - the old arrest warrant nailed to the Cross of Jesus Christ! Heb 10:22 Our hearts are sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience. Come afresh to God through the blood of Jesus and know that washing and cleansing and renewal.
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