lifewords

The Spiritual War Zone.

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:08:02 +0200

A Cornell 20th September 2009
1 Jesus had a lot to say about Satan. – He tempted Jesus but Jesus overcame in the authority of THE WORD OF GOD
2 Jesus healed people by rebuking and binding unclean spirits – BUT he healed many more by commanding -using his authority - HIS WORD
3 Satan has power in the earth BUT we are delivered.
Galatians 1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 5:18-20
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself and the wicked one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

God gave man authority: Adam gave it to Satan: when he disobeyed God. Jesus took Satan’s power (authority) and gave it to us. If we receive it and keep it, it is ours.
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Satan’s power is limited to the ability to; confuse, deceive, tempt, infiltrate with doubts and fears – twisting even the word of God - to lead us into disobedience – self- seeking and sin

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,
‘Stand fast’ sounds like a term from war. e.g., a shield wall to repel attacks. Or.
Not be entangled. Keep free from bondage – the context here seems to be legalism but the passage follows on to talk about sin – the bondage of our natural man – the flesh.
In Romans there’s much about a war between the flesh and the spirit.
And in 1 Corinthians 3:3
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
But we were recreated to be free.
Ephesians 2:1-4 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

See v 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Satan still has power over the sons of disobedience

2 Corinthians 10:4 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
We are not fighting people. Or even Spiritual forces BUT strongholds. These are internal things. – The spirit of disobedience is in US which means we follow the flesh not God.

The problem is the world, the flesh and the devil all three.

The devil authors confusion. He has two extremes for us to follow.
Either he is all powerful, in everything on one extreme or he doesn’t exist.

We know better, we are aware of his lack of power and also his wiles.
Ephesians 6:10-15
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour 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;

We are able to STAND. Using what is given to us: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the word of God
Confusion, guilt, condemnation are the weapons against us, we add our reactive flesh to the things of the world – What people say and do , circumstances, accidents, disasters. We react with anger, wrath, unforgiveness or revenge. Or so we would if we were natural, unredeemed carnal people instead of blood bought new creations, forgiven and citizens of the kingdom of God

We know that - God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38
We know that the same Holy Spirit lives in us! So we have the same power.
• We stand firm in that knowledge.
• We know that the devil as a roaring lion seeks whom he may devour – and it is not us!
• We know that the thief comes to kill steal and destroy BUT Jesus came --- and is in us to give us abundant life.

We Decide.
To walk in what God has given.
To shut the door on the thief.
To stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free

Margaret and I decided in 1978 to never let the sun go down on our wrath.
We will always forgive and be forgiven for anything that rises up between us.
That way we stand firm.
The door is closed to the thief who could come in and steal.

This is the battle zone.
It’s in us and in our relationships with others.
We decide and we stand firm in His forgiveness, his grace and his mercy.
Our freedom from sin, our righteousness in Him is the place where we decide to stand fast

Created by A Cornell

Comments

Dealing with Critism - By Margaret

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:26:07 +0200

Dealing with Criticism...or Accusation...being spoken against
Famous quotes
Noel Coward said
I love criticism as long as its unqualified priase
Henreich Heine
He only profits from praise who values criticism
To escape criticism??? Impossible???
Elbert Hubbard said
Do nothing.. say nothing ..be nothing
So we may as well make up our minds how we will react when it happens
Constructive criticism can be great...Dad paintings
Destructive Criticism is deadly
Jesus spoke of what come out of our mouth is a true source of defilement
How hard it is when people misjudge our motives
Example...Hannah and David
1 Samuel 17:28New King James Version (NKJV)
28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”
David comes to the camp.Matthew Henry...Actually David’s father had sent him
Jesse little thought of sending his son to the army at that critical juncture; but the wise God orders actions and affairs, so as to serve his designs. In times of general formality and lukewarmness, every degree of zeal which implies readiness to go further, or to venture more in the cause of God than others, will be blamed as pride and ambition, and by none more than by near relations, like Eliab, or negligent superiors. It was a trial of David's meekness, patience, and constancy.
He had right and reason on his side, and did not render railing for railing; with a soft answer he turned away his brother's wrath. This conquest of his own passion was more honourable than that of Goliath. Those who undertake great and public services, must not think it strange if they are spoken ill of, and opposed by those from whom they expect support and assistance. They must humbly go on with their work, in the face not only of enemies' threats, but of friends' slights and suspicions.
How hard it must have been for the grieving Hannah to be so wrongly accused
14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”
15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman,[a] for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace,
As believers ...We are to keep our behaviour so honourable that it’s hard to criticise us
1 Peter 2:12
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
BUT ...What shall I do if I am criticised? It can hurt although sometimes it’s so laughable that you cannot take it seriously
How should I react?
If we seek first the kingdom of God ...really that means that we seek first God’s way of doing and being...so we need to find out what Jesus would have done as well as what he told people to do
a..Naturally speaking you could turn a deaf ear....and ...you could ignore it completely..
but if you do ...you could ignore an instrument of God’s grace
People who criticise you can do you an enormous favour
b..If you were hurt by their criticism you could stuff it ..but its best not to ignore it and stuff it pretending it did not make you feel anything...then you will live a lie ...you will maybe avoid the person ...this is not Godly
Sticks and stones can break my bones but word can never hurt me..What rot!! Broken bones mend well ...hearts mend less easily
With people close to us its easy to be defensive and retaliate with a counter criticism ... well you’re this and that...this is not godly either
When a criticism comes whether it meant to hurt or not
Let your fleshes reaction die...TURN TO GOD
1. First of all .....Ask God if it was true or not ....any basis at all?
Don’t ask people....they never know your secret heart!
Don’t judge the person who said it
When David was cursed by Shimei...
5-8 when the king got to Bahurim, a man appeared who had connections with Saul's family. His name was Shimei son of Gera. As he followed along he shouted insults and threw rocks right and left at David and his company, servants and soldiers alike. To the accompaniment of curses he shouted, "Get lost, get lost, you butcher, you hellhound! GOD has paid you back for all your dirty work in the family of Saul and for stealing his kingdom. GOD has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Look at you now—ruined! And good riddance, you pathetic old man!"
9 Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "This mangy dog can't insult my master the king this way—let me go over and cut off his head!"
10 But the king said, "Why are you sons of Zeruiah always interfering and getting in the way? If he's cursing, it's because GOD told him, 'Curse David.' So who dares raise questions?"
11-12 "Besides," continued David to Abishai and the rest of his servants, "my own son, my flesh and bone, is right now trying to kill me; compared to that this Benjaminite is small potatoes. Don't bother with him; let him curse; he's preaching GOD's word to me. And who knows, maybe GOD will see the trouble I'm in today and exchange the curses for something good."
13 David and his men went on down the road, while Shimei followed along on the ridge of the hill alongside, cursing, throwing stones down on them, and kicking up dirt.
ALWAYS Take it to a higher authority
Talk to God tells him about it confess our need...
Roll the care onto him...put those words into the right hands
Let criticism make you better not bitter
The more your heart is secure in God and full of his love...the more easily criticism will bounce off you
If it is true.... then you may end need to repent and end up thanking the one who said it
In the early days of the church...In the middle of a Bible study meeting a man said to me ...Margaret you are so controlling ...I said nothing but actually I was totally outraged...
How dare he????? ....when I had got over my fury I asked God about it ... He said it was true!
So at another time after I had repented and prayed about the matter and thoroughly dealt with it...THAT IS>>>>the truth of what he said as well as the hurt ...what do you think I did?
I thanked the man for helping me...because I was really grateful ...Many churches have been ruined by controlling pastors
they just do not grow as they should
As pastors we have experienced criticism that was true and some that was outrageously untrue...sometimes it was peoples reactions to something that we did that we knew was right , we knew God had said to do it
For instance in the few occasions...only one...really when we have asked people to leave...people take offense and criticise
People never know the whole truth because we can never share the ‘reasons why’ in their entirety
People frequently criticise a church when it does not suit them or when they feel badly treated by us or they do not like how we preach or what we do...Often it comes because of hurt that they have received through disappointment, unmet expectations
We just have to be sure that we are following God and not our oen whims and them we can pass it all by
2. If it’s a lie then have faith that the truth will always triumph over a lie
Think of the lies that were told about Jesus
• INSTANCES OF » Of Jesus, by the Jews falsely charging that he was a winebibber (wino) (Matthew 11:19)
Mathew 11 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ c

• INSTANCES OF » That he blasphemed (Mark 14:64; John 5:18)
• INSTANCES OF » That he had a demon ( John 8:48, 52; 10:20)
Luke 11:17

Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, "Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces. If Satan cancels Satan, is there any Satan left? You accuse me of ganging up with the Devil, the prince of demons, to cast out demons, but if you're slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil that kicks out devils, doesn't the same mud stick to your own exorcists? But if it's God's finger I'm pointing that sends the demons on their way, then God's kingdom is here for sure.

• INSTANCES OF » That he was seditious... That he was a king
Luke 231Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, [a] a king."
3So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
4Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."
5But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judge by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."
Keep your cool...because God can give you the right words to say
EG>> Luke 12:11
"When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves—what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes."
Jesus did answer them ....but it was factual and WISE...an answer for the Holy Spirit
Luke 11:17
Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, "Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces. If Satan cancels Satan, is there any Satan left? You accuse me of ganging up with the Devil, the prince of demons, to cast out demons, but if you're slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil that kicks out devils, doesn't the same mud stick to your own exorcists? But if it's God's finger I'm pointing that sends the demons on their way, then God's kingdom is here for sure.

BUT >>>>If the criticism was not true...you can afford wait to be exonerated ...the truth will out!!!
At end of this verse...Mathew 11 19
But wisdom is justified by her children.”
The truth will out !!! You will be proved right
Jesus just loved and giving ...EVEN when he was crushed by crucifixion and death... he did not retaliate...
The spirit of God in him made it impossible for him to stay crushed
The spirit of God in you will do just the same
It is said that ....He trusted in him who judges justly
1 Peter 2:22-24 (Amplified Bible)
22He was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit (guile) ever found on His lips.
23When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; when He was abused and suffered, He made no threats of vengeance; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly.
24He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree as on an altar and offered Himself on it, that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
The lowest form of defense is retaliation
.Jesus said turn the other cheek....
The highest form of retaliation is faith and acting in an opposite spirit
1 Corinthians 4:13
13When we are slandered and defamed, we [try to] answer softly and bring comfort. We have been made and are now the rubbish and filth of the world [the offscouring of all things, the scum of the earth].
Return love not hate,
Blessing not cursing....
Kindness not criticism
If people mean to hurt you with criticism then they need your love and understanding ...They are obviously very hurt people
TRUST HIM >>>God will judge between the two of you
Those who know their God will do mighty exploits ...it’s a mighty exploit when you an overlook an offense or a criticism
It’s a sign of maturity
The only person that you can strike back at is the devil because sometime we are not simply fighting flesh and blood
Job...friends criticised him but really Satan was trying to desroy God and Job’s reputation
In the garden of Gethsemene...Jesus said “Peter put up your sword”
Fear and hurt urge us to strike back ...faith is the only force strong enough to keep us steady
Believe that God will raise up a champion on your behalf
If we act in an opposite spirit we give God the opportunity to defend us and raise someone up who will defend us.
I have had great delight in clearing other people’s names
3. Practice forgiveness “father forgive them”
It was sin and the devil ...not just people that killed Jesus
Sometimes there are higher powers at work that want to destroy us and when we strike back we sow a seed that empowers Satan...’they that live by the sword will die by the sword’
Forgiveness will take the sting out of the hurt
Let the spirit of God in you absorb the hurt...Greater is He who is in you....
Do not be drawn into a web of hate...spider and fly end up paralysed like the spiders does
Henry Ford said
‘I will never let anyone drag me down by making me hate him.’
4. pray for the one who hurt you...they need it
These things often bounce back onto people
Jesus said whatsoever a man sows that shall he reap
John 7:24
24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
John 8:15
15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
.......Talking of things coming back into people
If you have....criticised and spoken against people
...in view of the sowing and reaping scripture you best pray for a crop failure
If your eye is pure then your whole body will be full of light
Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth

Do Not Judge
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrites! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
We need to remember how much mercy we need ourselves and repent of a critical spirit ..(.and remember the pointing finger one at them three at us )
We notice most the faults in others that we have ourselves
When I am tempetd to think someone has let me down humility says
Remember how many times you have done the same
(Look Joyce I am sorry I neglected you when you were sick)
Make a decision
Psalm 15 1-3
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

PS 39 1
1 I said, "I will watch my ways
and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
as long as the wicked are in my presence."
Ps 37 20
30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

Comments

OUR AUTHORITY IN CHRIST-From Margaret

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:26:38 +0200

OUR AUTHORITY IN CHRIST
Giles ...told us last week ... WE ARE ...Born to rule
Scripture clearly tells us that just a Jesus was given authority on the earth ...
so we have had that authority delegated to us
Jesus always exercised this authority in line with his father’s will ...We know that He only did what the father told him to do..in the same way
That is why in James 4,7 It says ...
we are to be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.
Seven sons of Sceva
...We know that He only did what the father told him to do..in the same way
Jesus told his disciples that they also had to power to forbid or allow
Mathew 18,19
18I promise you that God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but he will not allow anything you don't allow.

What is on the earth that is not in heaven?
Pain, sickness, trouble, weakness, poverty, lack, fear.
When you look at our lives or our world it seems obvious that the body of Christ failed to exercise the authority that we have been given
All authority has been given unto ...Me therefore ...GO YE
We need to take our authority and put up a no trespassing sign, around ...our own body...our family.... our city ....country
God has defeated the enemy on the cross and given ruler ship and authority it in our hand to ...Occupy till he comes.
We are the army of God set-to enforce the will of God on the earth
God told Joshua...
Josh 1/3 3Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses.
Other translations
‘Wherever you go in active service’
‘Wherever you load your weapon and take aim’
Ps 110 v. 2 and 3
The LORD will let your power reach out from Zion, and you will rule over your enemies. 3Your glorious power will be seen
on the day you begin to rule.
You will wear the sacred robes and shine like the morning sun in all of your strength. [a]
Wear the robes of righteousness with purpose ...and RULE in the midst of your enemies
Jesus said ...We are in the midst of the enemies of life ... of sickness and sin. But his plan was that we would be able to do something about it
We are not promised it will be trouble free
John 16 33 In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
He has conquered it but we must pit our feet on the necks of our enemies
Paul prayed that we would know the immeasurable unlimited and surpassing power within us for a reason!
Eph 6 10.. Draw your strength from his mighty power within 0In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
It is given So that we can exercise it
It says in 2 Thess. 2.7 we are called to be the restrainers
7For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until ]he who restrains is taken out of the way.
SO.....When something goes wrong do we....cave in or do we stand up and say...
No I will not allow that ?
DO we act like an unbeliever ...we get all upset and start acting in the flesh ,saying all manner of unbelieving stuff
Phil 1 28 Do not be frightened or intimidated by your adversaries
28And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God.
We know that we are ...not fighting flesh and blood
Behind every bit of battle on the earth is a spiritual reality
We are to stand our ground and enforce the victory IN THE SPIRIT like David’s three mighty men did in earthly battle
Shammah 2 Sam 23.12
12But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it and slew the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great victory.
WE TOO ARE GOD’S MIGHTY MEN!
John 16 33 33I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have[perfect] peace and confidence.
I have told you this so that you can be at peace,
We need to have the peace of God ...so that we can think clearly... and speak the victory
We are filled with the power of God
We have to learn to release the river of power that is within
How? Sometimes we feel like we can do nothing
Maybe we are running on empty ?
Incident ..When my car broke down it stopped ...I cannot drive on empty
How many of us are trying to drive on empty and wondering why nothing moves?
Love has gone...Faith has gone... The Word has gone
If that is so its time to stir up the gift
Timothy was discouraged and afraid.
2 Tim 1.6Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Stir up the gift...Jesus ...pray in tongues worship in the spirit ...keep going until you feel the victory is secure
Go back to basics
2 Cor 10.5
and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ
We must capture our thoughts of unbelief ..By filling our hearts with HIS word
Prov 4.20-21
20My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.
21Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the centre of your heart.
Soak yourself in the word that gives you ground for faith
Healing ...What I did ........look up every single scripture until our heart is fixed
Ps 112./7
7He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord.
Fix your heart...declare....then
Act like its so
Giles knocked off bike.....phone call
No ...’my children obey their parents and it is well with them .They will live long on the earth’ MY HEART WAS ESTABLISHED
You cannot go on weeping moaning complaining
‘It is well with my soul ‘...Robert’s mother
1. Get your eyes off yourself and onto Jesus and his word and do not let them stray....
2. GUARD WHAT YOU SAY OUR authority is established by WORDS
Death and Life ...Proverbs 18 .21
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].
Wartime saying Careless talk costs lives..
.not talking about just an occasional thing you say that negative but a lifestyle of negative talk
Mark 11 23 say
3 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.
Math 12.37
37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
OUR authority is established by WORDS
Need Healing ????look up every scripture
Whatever the need ..look up scriptures that promise needs met
Sunbury House ..Scriptures on the wall...large pieces of paper...read and declare
Amazed to hear a great man of God say recently that he was discouraged
until he heard a sermon about stirring himself up ...so immediately he turned to his wife and said
I’m stirred up...he wasn’t but he soon was !
Discouraged ... Oral Roberts .../David Hathaway...take me home Jesus!
Our Feelings follow faith...or unbelief
Sometimes we have to stir ourselves up
Paul to Timothy. when he was discouraged ..stir up the gift
What is the gift within?
Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift
Who is that? ...JESUS
Stir up THE GIFT.... of the presence of God in you ...we can do this by praying in tongues
Ephesians ...says...Be empowered through your union with him
Don’t ask yourself what your body feels
Do not ask yourself what the circumstance looks like
Begin to declare and tell your body and the circumstances to come into line with the will of God
Job 22.28... 28You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favour] shall shine upon your ways.
Ezekiel was told .... speak to the bones
Ecc. 12.11... 1The words of the wise are like prodding goads, and firmly fixed [in the mind] like nails are the collected sayings which are given [as proceeding] from one Shepherd)
Mark 11 ..Speak to the mountain
2And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly].
Some versions in the margin say....Have the faith of God
What do we know about the faith of God ...its was released by words that created the earth
23Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.
Use God’s word to speak to the mountain in your life ..debt /lack/ sickness/
Julie’s Prayer court ...bang the hammer onto the gavel and declare the word over the thing you care about
Seven years of prayer for the soviet union
Dick Eastman Berlin wall ....spoke to he wall
‘In the name of Jesus come down’...
I can hear you say how far fetched..loads of people must have prayed for the Berlin a wall to come down
BUT which blow of the axe cuts down the tree ...The first or the last?
The answer is ....All of them
Shop in town selling witchcraft , magic spells ...
We blessed the people involved BUT ... commanded the business to leave
Did they shut because of natural causes ...no.!!!!!..
I say that....there will never be a successful place for crime drugs violence witchcraft or any other evil thing in this city..(read book )
Start declaring over your children even in the womb,
your children’s marriage when they too young to be married
your families health Your nation ...Your government ...
Whatsoever we allow!!!
Lords prayer ....declarations .....Your kingdom must come
your will must be done

Comments

What about the tithe?

Sun, 24 May 2009 23:58:54 +0200

For 24th May TC @ 6

Mal 3 8 “ Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘ In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 “ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the LORD of hosts;
12 And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the LORD of hosts.

Looking at the context we find that

· this is a warning that judgement is coming to the Jews. V 5.

· and also a call to “return to Me” v7

· and a promise that “and I will return to you.”

They ask a question of God:-

Wherein have shall we return?

These verses 8-12 are the answer and the promise.

The tithe was a requirement of the law. 1/10 of all their increase was to be “tithed” - to those who ministered.

OR ELSE – they were under the curse because they were robbing God of the tithes AND OFFERINGS which belonged to Him.

No tithe -> then the curse

Some preachers or teachers have used this to promote giving using fear or obligation as the motivation to give.

I think that many people react against such as manipulation and make excuses.

“The tithe is Old Testament – it doesn’t apply today.”

We could see it like a protection racket.

“There has been a lot of property violence lately. Peoples shop windows get broken, there are break-ins and there are cases of arson. However, if you pay me a fee each week, I will see that it doesn’t happen to you”

Like a pagan religion where the angry gods who are so easily offended need gifts and sacrifices to keep them from doing harm.

This is not even Old Testament!

Mal 3 is Old Testament but that doesn’t negate tithes and offerings.

We are Children of the Kingdom – saved, made righteous by his grace, free from sin, the law and the curse of the law.

We need to read the Old Testament (Jesus, the writers of the gospels and Paul too had only the Old Testament). Jesus taught us to read the law with his understanding and gave us the wisdom that comes from above by his Holy Spirit.

We are under grace not law.

Giving however remains good and right, with the attitude that is New Testament.

II Cor 9

6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

V6 Sow sparingly -> reap sparingly

A natural law

Sow bountifully -> reap bountifully

A natural law of sowing and reaping or of giving and receiving

Let us give as we purpose in our hearts. – New Testament

Let’s not give grudgingly. Or of necessity.

Another version says –

II Cor 9. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure

Let’s give cheerfully.

It does give you a good feeling!

We had a car bought for us many years ago. The day we were to collect it some one in the fellowship needed a car to get their wife to hospital to have a baby and then to be able to visit her and bring her home a few days later. So we didn’t get to drive the car for a week after it was given to us! That felt very good, to have something to bless others with. Like Abraham we were blessed to be a blessing.

God loves a cheerful giver

· Question.

Does he love the giver more than another?

Does he love the tither more than the non-tither?

God is not a respecter of persons!

His love is not dependant on our works!

He doesn’t give His love grudgingly!

So does God say, “I love you all. I even love …. ….. But there is something about him that really ticks me off!”

His love is given to and received by those who are in Christ Jesus

I think that he loves to see us receive! Being a cheerful giver places us in the place to receive from him. He loves to bless us.

So, purpose in your hearts to give tithes and offerings. It is a joy.

· Question.

Do I HAVE to give tithes and offerings?

Answer.

No. It is not about “have to.”

To give to God is a privilege. It’s a natural result of loving God who saved you by grace, who blesses you so that you could be a blessing. “I love you God and I want to serve you in all ways possible.”

You don’t have to tithe – you get to tithe.

If you know him you can give to him – you want to. If you don’t know him, then who are you giving to?

1 Cor 13 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

So Giving without that love relationship doesn’t profit.

It is not a tax. It is not a Debt. Giving is sowing seed.

It is a privilege for those who receive his love and want to love him back.

Galatians 3: 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”

There is a curse in Mal 3 but we are free from the curse.

But if we do not bring our tithes and offerings we are still robbing God! Not of a debt owed but of a respect. That is the respect of trusting him and his word. He is not a man that he should lie!

Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Would you rob God of your respect, your love, your heart or your trust?

Mal 3 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

God says, “Test Me” or “try me and see, trust me! The natural law of sowing and reaping works with me!”

The blessings are poured out but they are not dependant on our WORKS!

They are by grace. The blessings of Abraham are ours. We are blessed. The blessings are ours.

It is about receiving. It is about faith. It is about trust. Mal 3:10 is challenge of trust.

· Question.

Do you trust?

Do we trust?

Some say, “I would love to tithe but I only just get by on what comes in, and many months I spend more than I earn. To tithe would be financial suicide.”

But God says, “try me, trust me. Give in faith” “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

God’s blessings are real.

He is pouring them out. It is just that we are not in the right place to receive them. We can only receive by faith.

We position ourselves by obedience.

We have a heart that longs for more of him and desires to please him.

We need to find the place where the blessing pours out from the windows of heaven and stand in that place to receive.

BUT we are doing our own thing. We are too busy for God as we are trying to make ends meet by our own efforts in our own way. Or we are busy spending more than we have or every little thing (and some big things too) that our beady little eyes light upon. Our favourite reading is a catalogue. “Wow – Argos has a new catalogue out today – I must get one!” There is better reading available that will bring you to the place where the blessings are poured out.

If your hands, hearts, lives are full cares, problems, self effort, schemes, ambitions, plans or wishes then how can you catch the blessings? The blessings are poured out but you cannot carry them home, your hands are full.

Financial prosperity is about trusting God. How do you learn to trust, develop faith? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Live the word.

Follow the word.

The word says:

· Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,

· Give and it shall be given unto you

* And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
* And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
* Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

3 John 3

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Does your soul prosper? 'Soul prosperity' is a condition of receiving.

It is the place where we need to stand in to receive. I pray that you stand there.

You do, if your attitude and motivation is like that of the Lord.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

So, can you say

· “I so love God, that is why I give”

* II love those who Jesus died for so I give to ensure that there is food in this storehouse. Then this church can reach out in the love of God to the world”

24/05/2009

Comments

BORN IN THE 1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's ?

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:59:07 +0200

CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE
BORN IN THE
1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's !

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds, KFC, Subway or Nandos.

Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death! We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us on a mobile all day.
And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

We did not have Play stations, Nintendo, Way, X-boxes, no
video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY, no video/DVD films, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms.......WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no Lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

At school FOOTBALL, RUGBY and CRICKET had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT.

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, those of you in the lucky position to do so, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

Comments

Walking in “The Blessing”

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:17:51 +0100

0910e AGC
8th March 2009

1. There are three things that I have been meditation on lately.
• The things that God has done for us.
• The things that God is doing now.
• What we need to do ourselves to walk in the benefits of the above.

Add to this the fact that many of us for much of the time we are not experiencing the benefits of what God has done and is wanting to do.

Title: “Walking in “The Blessing”

2. 1st we know that without faith we can’t receive from God.
Faith pleases God.

Hebrews 11:6 (New King James Version)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

We need to believe. that He is
Meaning - That he is who he says he is
i. Believe his nature is love
ii. His intentions are to bless us
iii. That he is a rewarder
iv. The blessing belongs to us

We need faith in God- and more; we need faith towards God
• We are looking towards him
• We have an expectation of good – hope
• We see him as
o our source
o the one who loves us
o the one who sent his son to save us
o the one who sent his son to give us the blessing
• Our part is to diligently seek Him

3. We need to do something: diligently seek Him

Jer 29:10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
His promise is that if we seek we will find. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD
Note that we need to diligently seek Him and search for Him with all your heart

He also promises a future and a hope and confirms that he is positive in his attitude towards us with thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you.
Finally he promises to listen when we call.
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you

Again we are to do something. Seek!

4. And then not worry.

Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Can you see that worry is the enemy of faith towards God? If we worry then we are not seeking, we are not in faith, we are not going to inherit the promises.

Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Patience says, “Don’t worry, God will do it. I am trusting God”

5. There is another factor. Obedience. Because obedience says “I am trusting God”
Blessings on Obedience
Deuteronomy 28
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
We are not saying “I will do it MY Way” what we are saying is. “I will do it his way.
I will do it right. I will find out his will and I will follow his instructions and directions.” Then his promise is that these all these blessings shall come upon -- and overtake us. Why are some of us not walking the blessing? Why are not the rest of us walking in the blessing all of the time?
If we are going our own way or doing our own thing we are probably being disobedient. So we cannot expect, our hope is in vain, the promises are passing us bye.
WE can find instruction in the Word just as we can find promises. They go together. The instructions are wisdom on how to live, think and react.

6. Some times we see the instructions are to do nothing and let God do what he is planning to do
There is a place for wisdom and insight. What God has done already doesn’t need to be asked for. What God is doing now may need us to sit still and not get in the way by striving to do it ourselves nor to panic, worry, get anxious and get out of faith.
There is an example when the Israelites were trapped between the red sea and the pursuing Egyptian army.
Exodus 14:13-14 (New King James Version)
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
• Do nothing, stand firm in faith and see what God is doing or is about to do.
• Sometimes we don’t see what God is about to do.
• It is only in hindsight that we see his plans and purposes.
It takes faith to do nothing, standing in hope – the confident expectation of good. Just Wait on the LORD.
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
This is the wait of faith towards God. It comes when we know that God has done it according to his promises. We stay established; knowing that the blessing is on us. We decide to stay in God’s will and plan and see his purposes fulfilled.
Why not say the whole of Psalm 27. Make it a prayer of confession. Read it every day for a month. Make it your confession

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

4 One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the LORD will take care of me.

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.

14 Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Comments

Walking in “The Blessing”

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:31:10 +0100

0910e AGC
8th March 2009

Add to this the fact that many of us for much of the time we are not experiencing the benefits of what God has done and is wanting to do.

Title: “Walking in “The Blessing”

2. 1st we know that without faith we can’t receive from God.
Faith pleases God.

Hebrews 11:6 (New King James Version)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

We need to believe. that He is
Meaning - That he is who he says he is
i. Believe his nature is love
ii. His intentions are to bless us
iii. That he is a rewarder
iv. The blessing belongs to us

3. We need to do something: diligently seek Him

Again we are to do something. Seek!

4. And then not worry.

Can you see that worry is the enemy of faith towards God? If we worry then we are not seeking, we are not in faith, we are not going to inherit the promises.

Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Patience says, “Don’t worry, God will do it. I am trusting God”

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

14 Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!

Comments

To walk in the Blessing

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:53:29 +0100

16 November 2008 To walk in the Blessing
Intro & recap
1. Blessing is the empowerment to prosper
2. Abraham was blessed by God – to be a blessing
Genesis 12:2 (New King James Version) 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3. Galatians 3:9 (New King James Version)9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
4. Are you of faith – are you a believer? If you are you, are blessed too.
5. As a believer you believe that Jesus died for you, that he took your sin and gave you his righteousness. He also took your curse by becoming a curse for you so that you might receive his blessing.
Gal 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
6. This is part of the great exchange. We are blessed- It is a done deal!
7. Proverbs 10:22 (New King James Version) 22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
In the Message – it says :v 22 God's blessing makes life rich;
Let’s confess, "I'm rich. I have a rich life.

8. The first step in walking in the blessing is to have knowledge of what is ours.
This comes from hearing the word of God
9. Secondly we need faith This comes from hearing and believing the word of God. Faith is trusting God – who he is, what he has done
10. and personalising it -> What he did he did for me. we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith
Today
There are blockages in on our path of Walking in the Blessing (which belongs to us).
1. unbelief – doubts, Natural because our experience is filled with negative circumstances which we suggest that we are quite the opposite to BLESSED
2. We receive or perceive negative things through our “gates to the natural world
a. Ears,
b. Eyes
c. and mouth.
Proverbs 4 20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.

We see here these three gates here dedicated to the word of God. This way your heart is fed by the word of God. The result is LIFE, and HEALTH.
The alternative is that ears, eyes and mouth are feeding your soul with things of the world, flesh and the devil.
We are told to v23 “Guard your heart.” Your inner man
Seek to have the God’s will in your life. That way you walk in the BLESSING. – The blessed life, health to your flesh , All the issues of life are blessed

These gates are gates to our mind will and emotions; the soul. What comes in and stays affects how we think, how we decide and how we feel. These affect our physical body too; the health of our flesh. v22

For the born again forgiven, righteous child of God, the soul is not supposed to be the driving force of our life. We should live out of the spirit not the soul. Otherwise we are “soulish” led by the natural man, (i.e., the carnal man, the flesh). We are living just like the unredeemed unsaved worldly man.
For the born-again believer our spirit has become alive by the power of the Holy Spirit that we may have a heart which longs after God’s desires, God’s will, and is a gateway to the wisdom of God. Our heart should know as a fact that we are BLESSED. [= enabled to prosper.]
Our spirit is supposed to rule – not our soul. With the born-again believer, who is spirit led, then what is in the soul will be changed, cleansed and ruled by his spirit.

However, if the soul is in charge and not our spirit man then we will not walk in the fullness of the blessing that belongs to us. So let’s feed our heart – the inner man with the word of God. Then the inner man, the heart of the believer agrees with God and can rule over our natural man.

There are other blockages.

Where is our love centred? What are the desires of our hearts, what is their source?
Gen 3: 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
This was sin coming from what she saw with her eyes and desired.

1Jn2: 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The things of the world – worldly attitudes, desires, are the things that choke the word in the parable of the sower. These affect the harvest of the seed sown, [the word of God.]

Mark 4: 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful

What occupies our thinking and feelings?
• The worries of life?
• Cares?
• Our money, jobs, relationships, where we live, what we shall eat or drink?
• What is our value base?
• Is it our desire to have things; our view of riches?
Look at the kinds of programmes on the telly:
o game shows, auction shows – money;
o buying and selling and makeovers of property – what we have and where we live;
o Food programmes - what we eat. Do we feed our belly from the telly?

Keep watch and protect your inner man; your heart, by discerning what is in the things you hear, things you see and things you say.

Avoid the blockages along the way as you try to walk in the blessing?
Better still build a bypass to the blockages, by applying Proverbs 4: 20-25 to your way of life.
We aim to be good soil, ready for the seed of the word of God.
The word is the seed.
The seed produces after its kind.
There can be good seed or bad seed. What are you planting?
The harvest depends on the seed you choose. Do you have a vision of what you want in your life.
Like a packet of seeds - there is a picture of the harvest on the packet. So let’s examine the seed we plant in our lives.

WE can fall for the bad seed by not having a look at the packet. Just following the crowd, or following our own desires.
Pro4: 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Both being good soil and sowing the good seed.

Have a vision. See your self as blessed – living the rich life. This is how God sees you.
Choose what you see, hear and how you speak. So that what you plant in your life fulfils that vision.
• Hear the word which says that you are blessed.
• See yourself as blessed of God.
• Make sure that the words of your mouth agree with what God has said about you.
• Your own words will plant your vision for your life

Proverbs 4 20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.

These are the principles of walking in the blessing and avoiding the blockages
• of doubt [ faith is from the Word] ------- ears
• of worldly thinking and desires [set your love on things of God that won’t pass away] -------- eyes
• of negative words from your own lips [speak the vision of a blessed life] ---------- mouth

Comments

The Blessing is on me

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:30:00 +0200

12 October 2008 The Blessing is on me

Blessing is the empowerment to prosper

Abraham was blessed by God – to be a blessing

Genesis 12:2 (New King James Version)

2 I will make you a great nation;
      I will bless you
      And make your name great;
      And you shall be a blessing.

Galatians 3:9 (New King James Version)

9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Are you of faith – are you a believer?

If you are you are blessed too. As a believer you believe that Jesus died for you. That he took your sin and gave you his righteousness. He also took your curse by becoming a curse for you so that you might receive his blessing.

Gal 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

This is part of the great exchange.

We are blessed- It is a done deal!

We are left with a choice – to believe it and receive the blessing – to live in it or not. Live it or miss it.

We will miss it if we try to be blessed i.e., strive for blessings. Or try to do God’s work by our own efforts. Even Abraham tried to do it another way. He went into Hagar to father a son – Ishmael. It took another 13 years before he fully trusted God when he was an old man and Sarah was humanly past childbearing too.

The first step in walking in the blessing is to have knowledge of what is ours.

This comes from hearing believing the word of God

Psalm 3:8 (New King James Version)

8 Salvation belongs to the LORD.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

So if we are his “People” then the blessing of God is upon us.

We can confess that “the blessing of God is upon me.”“I am a blessed one”.

Note the "Selah" – we should pause and think on this – let it down into our knowing – meditate on it until it becomes revealed – revelation knowledge.

The revelation needs to be stronger than the doubts and negative expectations.

The fear of bad news and the expectation of failure – like the things we newscasts on the economy , these are very invasive and breed lack of confidence and they sap your faith.

Words that described the results of the Blessing are: prosper, increase, excel, succeed, rise above. When we have these – what a testimony of the grace of God – what a witness we become!

Secondly we need faith – not just a knowledge. We can know things but live out of the fullness of what we know.

I am talking about a strong conviction and a strong confidence based on the word of God. Faith comes by HEARING. We will need to establish the truth that the blessing is upon us. We know that God cannot lie. Can we believe that what he has said is so and that because it is so then that is the end of the matter? This inner conviction should be greater than how we think naturally. Your feeling, your view of things, your expectations are to follow the truth of God’s word. Can hold up your Bible and say? “This is my Bible. This is God’s word to me. I can do what it says I can do, I can have what it says I can have, II can be what it says I can be."

Lets be like Joshua and Caleb who didn’t bring a gloomy report of what they had seen because they saw with the eyes of faith – saying “Our God is able.”

Let's confess this. "God has put his blessing on me, I’m a winner, I cannot fail, I cannot loose, I prosper, increase, excel, succeed, rise above."

You know we often find that our faith is stronger in some areas and weak in others. Abraham chased after the kings who captured Lot with only 300 men in his 'army'. These were just servants not trained warriors and they defeated the kings. On the way back home they visited Jerusalem where the priest/king Melchizedek recognised that Abraham was blessed of God.

However, this same man, Abraham did not have faith for a son through Sarah but fathered a son by himself through Hagar. He became the father of faith much later when he fully trusted God.

He, the father of faith, taught that son Isaac to trust so that Isaac sowed in famine and reaped 100 fold: a great witness to the people arround him that the blessing of God upon him.

We can see today that there is a financial famine – but it’s not our problem as we are blessed. We don’t preach about it, we don’t talk about it we stay in faith in the knowledge of the blessing upon us which causes us to prosper.

Proverbs 10:22 (New King James Version)

22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.

In the Message – it says :v 22 God's blessing makes life rich;

Let’s confess, "I'm rich. I have a rich life.2

the secular definition of Rich includes: abundance, well off, comfortable, affluent, opulent, prosperous.

Our definition of the blessing of God upon us includes the RICH LIFE - not limited to the material riches.

If we are believers, we have exchanged our sad unprofitable life for the rich life of Jesus, We know it. We put our faith in what we know by the revelation to us personally from God.

I can confess that God’s blessing is upon me. I can’t and won't loose sight of God’s power working in my life.

Can you confess that? If you know that it's God's word and his will for you is revealled in his word then take it in faith and live the blessed life - Its yours because Jesus has given it to you.

Comments

Being an intercessor

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:00:00 +0200

Margaret Cornell
Sunday@6 Lighthouse-Ely 24th August
In the book of Job we see Job cry out if only there were someone who could intercede on my behalf!!!!
32For [God] is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in court. There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand upon us both, would that there were!
God was not pleased either that there was nobody to stand in the gap so....
GOD SOUGHT AN INTERCESSOR
Is 59
15Yes, truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.16And He (GOD ) saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right];
So what did he do ????
therefore His own arm( JESUS) brought Him victory, and His own righteousness [having the Spirit without measure] sustained Him 17For [the Lord] put on righteousness as a breastplate or coat of mail, and salvation as a helmet upon His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal [and furious divine jealousy] as a cloak 18According as their deeds deserve, so will He repay wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; on the foreign islands and coastlands He will make compensation.19So [as the result of the Messiah's intervention] they shall [reverently] fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight [for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives].20He shall come as a Redeemer to Zion and to those in Jacob (Israel) who turn from transgression, says the Lord.
NT talks of JESUS

Hebrews 12:22-2422But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering, 23And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,24And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance
Hebrews 7:25 (Amplified Bible)
25Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Romans 8.26
26So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.
27And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will
However
Jesus is the greatest and truest and most visible pattern of an intercessor
First of all..
• He must have said not my will but thy will to the father
• Secondly he did all he could to identify with man
• He walked with us shared human life and was the perfect connection between man and God on the earth because it says
1. he only did what the father told him to do and
2. what he saw the father do
• His identification went as far as to take on man’s sin in his own body and bear the punishment instead of man on the cross and triumph over it

because we could not do it ourselves.
• Then in our place he rose from the dead and took his place in heaven

• where he is now interceding for us and waiting for us and working through us to put all the rest of his enemies under his feet

JESUS>>>>John 15:13-15 (Amplified Bible)
13No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.
God seeks those who identify with Jesus.
• Dying with him
• rise with him
• sitting with him in the heavenlies.
We are to have entered into rest as he has
Being an intercessor is not the same as praying the prayer of intercession...
We are called to pray for others , intercede for them standing in the gap for them before God and being the go between because they are unable to do it themselves,
but we always need to remember that God can call us to be the answer to our prayers ...which would be being an intercessor
EG send labourers into the harvest ....Here am I send me!!!
(And in the prayer of intercession we perhaps need to know the victory in our own heart before we can gain it in another’s )
back to Is 59.16!!!!
16And He GOD saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought Him victory,
The true life of an intercessor is one which is dedicated, yielded...a life laid down , a life of service , obedience and not counting the cost
Only the Holy Spirit can lead us in this life to be the arm of HIS victory
The prophets knew how to be true intercessors
At God’s command they revealed truth..BY WHAT THEY DID
Ezekiel...
Had to lie on one side for 390 day to show the number of days God would bring judgement on the land
He was not allowed to cry for his wife when she died to show that when the temple was destroyed they were not to mourn either
Hosea...God told him to marry a harlot to demonstrate his unconditional love for His people
Isaiah...was an aristocrat but had to walk naked and barefoot for three years
Jeremiah God did not allow him to marry at all
Moses left the palace of Egypt to identify with his people the Jews. Purified by God by 40 years in the wilderness he was used to lead his people out of Egypt and through the desert
Such was his intercession that he told the Lord ...Blot me out or forgive them!!!!
More modern men
Wesley saved England from revolution
John Wesleystarted a movement of practical piety-- a movement that continues today.
He wanted men to
• deepen their Christian walk in word and deed.
• Develop disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and fasting.
• Discoverthe roots of mission, spirituality, and justice.
• Act with him on issues of poverty, slavery, substance abuse, education of children, women's leadership.

Hudson Taylor ..China Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) was an English missionary to China. Founded the China Inland Mission which at his death included 205 mission stations with over 800 missionaries, and 125,000 Chinese Christians.
He identified closely with the Chinese and was one of the first missionaioes to ear Chinese clothes
CT STUDD 1860-1931) was an English missionary who faithfully served His Saviour in China, India, and Africa. His motto was:
With the true heart of an intercessor he said
"If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
He and his wife spent the last 16 years of their marriage apart
William Booth ... the poor ... The Christian Mission
In 1865, Booth and his wife Catherine opened The Christian Revival Society in the East End of London, where they held meetings every evening and on Sundays, to offer repentance, salvation and Christian ethics to the poorest and most needy, including alcoholics,criminals and prostitutes. The Christian Revival Society was later renamed The Christian mission.
Booth and his followers practiced what they preached and performed self-sacrificing Christian and social work, such as opening “Food for the Million” shops (soup kitchens), not caring if they were scoffed at or derided for their Christian ministry work.
George Muller ..orphans
At the age of seventy, Mr. Muller began to make great evangelistic tours. He traveled 200,000 miles, going around the world and preaching in many lands and in several different languages. He frequently spoke to as many as 4,500 or 5,000 persons. Three times he preached throughout the length and breadth of the United States. He continued his missionary or evangelistic tours until he was ninety years of age. He estimated that during these seventeen years of evangelistic work he addressed three million people. All his expenses were sent in answer to the prayer of faith.
Greatest of all Muller's undertakings was the erection and maintenance of the great orphanages at Bristol. He began the undertaking with only two shillings (50 cents) in his pocket; but in answer to prayer and without making his needs known to human beings, he received the means necessary to erect the great buildings and to feed the 2000 orphans day by day for sixty years. In all that time the children did not have to go without a meal, and Mr. Muller said that if they ever had to go without a meal he would take it as evidence that the Lord did not will the work to continue. Sometimes the meal time was almost at hand and they did not know where the food would come from, but the Lord always sent it in due time, during the twenty thousand or more days that Mr. Muller had charge of the homes.
Mother Theresa...lives among the poor ...as the poor
was an Albanian catholic nun with Indian citizenship who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcuta, Indiain 1950. For over forty five years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries.
By the 1970s she had become internationally famed as a humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless, due in part to a documentary and book, Something Beautiful for God by Malcome Muggerage. She won the Nobel peace prizein 1979 and India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Rata. in 1980 for her humanitarian work. Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity continued to expand, and at the time of her death it was operating 610 missions in 123 countries, including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programs, orphanages, and schools.
Following her death she was beatified by Pope John {aulIIand given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
Rees Howells
Called to a life of faith READ page ...45 Of book Rees Howells intercessor
These men and women show the pattern of life of he intercessor
They heard God speak to them and put what they heard into action making a full identification with those they heard God call them to
This meant USUALLY Living alongside those they were called to ...sharing their lives
What about you and me? Can we do this?
Mostly we want to live our own life and do a bit for God on the side ....
EG send labourers into the harvest ....Here am I send me!!!
EG send labourers into the harvest ....Here am I send me!!!
Maybe we will never know what God can do with a truly consecrated and dedicated believer ...sold out to him unless we do it !!!
There is our calling as a true intercessor
• to hear the will of God and
• whatever it cost to do it
If we consider this idea....JUST Praying is easy!
This life of a living sacrifice...mediating between God and the world seeking by any means to bring the two parties together ...
we sometimes call it evangelism!!!!
We share our life with someone, offer them friendship, enter into their sorrow ,walk beside them in difficulties, seek to show the unconditional love of God to them

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We are blessed by the God of surprises

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:17:13 +0200

24^th August 2008 Lighthouse Celebration

I heared a story that may amuse you.

Two young brothers were always in trouble. At last their mother sent them to see the pastor to see if he could sort them out.

The first went in sat down and the pastor asked him “Where is God?” No answer, so he asked again. “Where is God?” Again, no answer. He asked again, “Where is God?”

At this the boy ran out and found his brother. “We are in big trouble now,” he said, “they’ve lost God and they are blaming us.”

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

God is a big God. When he blesses he blesses us with every spiritual blessing.

We don’t need to limit Him with “small god” thinking – which says, “My problems are bigger”

Ephesians 2:7 (Amplified Bible) He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favour) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

His promises are for total fulfilment, limitless, grace, that can’t be measured.

He is far more able to bless us than we can even dream.

the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace.

It is

Superabundantly, far over and above all we can ask imagine

Ephesians 3: 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us

This is a “now” promise. When we are in heaven - we won’t be asking – we won’t need his power working in us there. His promise is for the full measure of blessing now.

Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified Bible) Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—

What he can do is beyond or dreams.

He is able to perfect, complete – bring to fullness what he desires in us.

Our part is not to give up believing. We are to hope; that is the have a confident expectation in Him. Trust in Him.

The time is now when he will act on our behalf.

We might be ready to give up – we are tempted, but that is the time when the breakthrough is near. The devil knows it. We need to know that the devil comes to steal kill and destroy our dreams because then we give up on believing God.

I preached on expectation. That is the positive hope that is required for faith, which is the substance of things hoped for.

Today I want to go further – To say that he can do more than we can hope for – more than we expect. He is the God of surprises.

We can have faith in his promises; Promises in the written word, the logos. We can have faith in what he has said to us, the rhema word, the revelation, what we hear him sayinge is the God of surpises

to us.

There is more. We can have faith in Him.

Have faith in God

In trusting him we can stand in the place were we know that God will supply all our needs. He will surprise us. We don’t know how he will bless us, we don’t know when he will bless us. We don’t know when the answer to prayer will come or how it will come. He can do more than we can ask or imagine, think or dream.

But, you say:

“He doesn’t do it for me. I have been praying but -----“

But he is the God that can do whatever. He can do it for you. He can do more than you can think possible. He is the God of the impossible so the improbable is easy for God.

David was about to be stoned by his followers when they had lost everything to a raiding band. He strengthened himself in the Lord his God – a week later he was crowned king. The impossible situation was turned around by God.

On the other hand there are situations that you are responsible for – things you do that cause problems – attitudes, actions, habits, and ways of thinking that are not helpful. God can show you that these need to change and he can help you change. Some of these things are the ones you say, “That’s the way I am, I could never change.” BUT God is the God who can do the impossible. Can you allow him to?

Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

‘Overtake’ here has the meaning of something coming upon you that you did not expect – a surprise.

So we can expect more than an expectation – (positive hope for something) – that is when our expectation is expecting God.

The condition here is to obey.

Jesus taught us in words and example to obey. These are his commandments: to love God, love each other and to love those he died to save – the whole world!

Let’s stand in the place of surprises, let’s stand in the place of blessing. Let God’s love in so that we can love with the gift of his love in us.

The place of blessing belongs to us. When we were born again we accepted that Jesus died for us and took upon himself all the curses that there are in this world for us to be free from them – he gave us the blessing in exchange. So we have the blessing. We are expected to live in the blessing – to know and experience the blessed life. The thing is we don’t all know it or accept it so we don’t get the blessings that our the bye-product of THE BLESSING. We need to know it, to have faith that it is so, to live in it. If you don’t know it you don’t expect it, you don’t trust in the fact.

Let’s expect the unexpected from the God of surprises.

When there are problems in life – there always are and always will be until we get to heaven. There is also the temptation to doubt. We confess the impossibility of anything different. We don’t believe God can make a difference. That is a bigger problem than the problem because the answer is for those who believe and we miss the blessing. It is not out there were we can see it. It is sneaking up ready to overtake us.

Here is a story I heard.

This man was due to have an operation to remove a life threatening tumour. At the last minute on the day of the operation he was ent home because the surgeon was not available for some special reason. Two weeks later he is back in hospital having tests for the operation to take place later that day. He is ready but the time for the operation comes and goes. Three hours later the surgeon comes to tell him that they will not operate. Another delay? The surgeon explains that they have been studying his test and scan results; they had called in other doctors for consultation too. He explains that although the tumour was there in the scans from two weeks ago, today they can’t see any evidence of it and as far as they can tell he is perfectly well. Wasn’t he glad that the operation was delayed? God is a God of surprises.

Some of you are waiting for relatives to be saved. Others will say “that’s impossible” It isn’t

When I got saved some said “I never thought Tony would get religion” I am glad that there were others who prayed believing in the impossible. Well I didn’t get religion, I got Jesus.

If you are sick and there are those who doubt that you can ever be well. Don’t get into agreement with them. Trust God and get into agreement with him.

Let’s get into the place where we know that we are blessed!

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

We have the blessing of god almighty through Christ Jesus. Let’s trust God – expecting him to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Let’s trust him when things go wrong – he can do the impossible –like he did for the man who had the tumour.

I heard of a girl who had a flat tyre on the way home from church – a dark and wet night. Some problem! But God is a God of surprises. Some one stopped to help her. They got married within the year. He can turn problems into stepping stones.

Stand in faith trusting God.

We stand in the blessing.

He has not left us helpless as he has sent his holy spirit to be our helper.

He lives inside us to bring us to remberance of being blessed by God.

Our sin has been taken away.

We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

We are the healed and whole ones.

We are delivered and set free.

We are called to prosper in all things and to be in health even as our souls prosper.

This is the word of God for you. Do you receive it today? Be blessed in the receiving and in living out of it.

Antony Cornell Page 5 25/08/2008

Comments

Save on your fuel bills

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:14:51 +0200

Try this
www.telecomplus.org.uk/agcornell

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Expectation of Blessings

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:46:47 +0200

0830eAGC “7^th July 2008 Created by A Cornell

Blessings 4 ~

Faith

Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hope = Confident expectation of good. Not= vague wish.

EXPECTATION: father of hope, father of faith, father of receiving

Can have positive or negative expectation.

Comes from
- Experience
- Positive or negative
- Promises
- If you trust the promiser
- Threats
  - What about the parent who says to the naughty child, “this is not a threat – it’s a promise”.
- Hearing words that you believe
- Trust ing the speaker
- Trusting the source
- Faith comes by hearing the WORD

· The RHEMA word

· Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

· Word here is word, thing, spoken communication.

All the promises of God are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus.

I am in Christ Jesus - are you?

Your expectation rules/limits your receiving
- Negative exectation i.e. Hurts, disappointments, rejection etc.

§ The “what ifs” of life

§ “If it can go wrong it will”.

§ “Bad luck comes in threes”

§ “It always rains on The parade, The show, Sundays, etc.

§ “ I didn’t think that my luck would last”

On the other hand --- Positive expectation

Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

Even so if you expect little you might get little whereas God wants to give you more but you limit your receiving.

Joash, the king of Israel came down to Elisha

2Kings 13:8 Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”

Your experience can limit your expectation or lead you into negative expectation: negating your hope, negating or limiting your blessing.

When Jesus was about to feed the 5,000: Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
And they said to Him, “It’s not possible we don’t have enough for all this crowd. We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

But God was bigger than their expectation based on experience, worldly thinking and calculation.

The woman in Matt 9 had a full expectation that she would get all she needed from Jesus. She said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”

What can we learn and put into practice?

1.Build a positive experience base.

2.Remind your self of the blessings that he has given you.

3. Give him thanks.

4.See examples in The OT e.g., The passages about the Exodus and conquests are repeated so often.

5.See the promises of God in the OT and the New.

6.Declare that the promises are for you. They are “Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus”

7.Look at the conditions for the promises and make sure that you are standing in the right place to receive.

8.E.g., “To those who believe ...”, “To whosever will say ….”, “To the righteous ….”

Examples

Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Condition; no anxiety – trust, Give thanks, ask AND receive peace.……

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Follows for those who gave to Paul - “having received the things sent from you”

3 Jn: 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Ps 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want. – Because I am trusting in the Lord to be my Lord and to shepherd me.

Mal 3: 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts,

      “ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
      And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it.
       11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
      So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
      nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
      Says the LORD of hosts;
       12 And all nations will call you blessed,
      For you will be a delightful land,”
      Says the LORD of hosts.

What are the conditions? Get in the flow of blessings, confessing that the blessings are for you personally because you fulfil the conditions. God said, " Put me in remeberance"

Raise your expectation to be in line with God's word, God's promises. Remind yourself of what you have received with thanks to God who is more than enough.

Thank you Father!

Comments

Giving and serving

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:37:40 +0200

Principles and patterns

Some say that the giving passages in the Old Testament do not apply today because we are not under the Law – the Old Testament but under grace. Jesus seemed to bend “the Law” according to the strict interpretation of the Pharisees. However he also said that not one jot or title was removed.

Romans 6:13-15 (King James Version)
13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

- As born again – new creation we have died to the law, to sin and live by grace

Matthew 5:18 (King James Version)
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 5:18(The Message) Completing God's Law

17-18"Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures— either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.

How do we reconcile these views? Does the mosaic law of the tithe apply today?

Paul says that it is about grace. The way to interpret the Law and more – all the teachings of the scriptures - are to be interpreted by grace.
We need to understand more about God. Jesus came to help us understand God and continues today through His Holy Sprit.

Firstly that He is the God of Grace. Grace is a principle that means that we are given even when we don’t deserve. (Mercy is when we are not given what we do deserve)

We add to this that he works according to principles.
These principles are seen through the patterns of his working in scripture.
He works in patterns based on principles.

Lets look at the patterns – Old Testament – about giving and tithing.

The pattern of giving is clear in the Old Testament.
Abraham gave titles to Melchizedek.
Jacob promised tithes to God.

Gen 28: 20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

So Tithing was before the Law of Moses – it was a principle. We learn this by the patterns that we find in the scriptures on giving.

In the New Testament times Jesus observed that the Pharisees gave tithes of their herbs but neglected the more important things like justice. (*1) This was against a principle. We learn that giving is not by law which says “you must” or even “you should” or “you ought”, is a principle. That principle is predicated on of how we owe everything to God. When we tithe we give a memorial portion to him to remind us of this fact that God is our source of all our increase.

After Moses this was understood as a tenth of all – crops, profit, live stock, produce etc. In the New Covenant we don’t have an obligation to follow the Jewish Law. The dietary laws, circumcision, Jewish feasts and festivals were not seen as a necessary part of being a disciple of Jesus. Being converted did not mean becoming a Jew who believed that the Messiah (Jesus) had come. Never the less the principle behind giving remains unchanged.

*1 Mat 23:23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

So let’s look at some scripture and observe the patterns and principles.

Malachi 3:6-12 (New King James Version)

      6 “ For I am the LORD, I do not change;¹
      Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
       7 Yet from the days of your fathers
      You have gone away from My ordinances   And have not kept them.²
      Return to Me, and I will return to you,”   Says the LORD of hosts. ³
      “ But you said,   ‘ In what way shall we return?’ ⁴

Do Not Rob God

      8 “ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me!
      But you say, ‘ In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. ⁵
       9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
       10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,   That there may be food in My house,
       And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, ⁶
      “ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it.
       11 “ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your        round,
      Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts;
       12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts.⁷

Patterns.

God doesn’t change. v6
People miss it!
God wants his people to return to him v7
People don’t understand the principles.
Neglecting Tithes AND offerings is robbing God of what belongs to him. vv9,10
There is forgiveness and restoration. v10
God’s promises and released to the obedient. vv10,12

Principles

So – do we tithe because of Law or because of Grace?

When we tithe and bring our gifts we respond to his grace. The first commandment – Old Testament and New Testament – is love God. If we love him the last thing we would want to do is rob him! The principle of the Tithe is set out as a pattern in the Law. We - under Grace can follow the principle. Our covenant is a better covenant. Under his grace we have the grace of giving, so if follows that our grace of giving is at least at the same level as under the Old Covenant. By grace, giving10 percent is a minimum. We see that all we have belongs to God and “of his own do we give him” (prayer book)

Serving.

Serving is part of stewardship. Jesus taught a pattern in the parable of the talents. What we have is given to us to use and develop - in his service.

The Parable of the Talents Mat 25

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Serving is linked with Faithfulness

Luke 19:17
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Again principles. What God has given to us is for use. When we use what he has given we receive more.

There is a testing for faithfulness. Those who pass are possible leaders who can teach others.

2 Timothy 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Practicalities.

Giving of finances, time and talents is all part of the ministry of the church. It enables God’s work to proceed. It establishes the local church as an effective centre for discipling, encouraging, equipping and reaching out to others. We are called into the body of Christ to fulfil his commission. Each part of the body has a function – all have gifts and abilities. These are released into the kingdom when we know we belong (connected) and are motivated to do our bit. Those who feel that their financial contribution is small may well have time to do things. Remember that the menial tasks are just as important – or even more so- than special-skill based jobs.

The man who prayed with me when I accepted Jesus was the chaplain at a Cambridge College. He had been to a charismatic community in Houston to serve there – right at the heart of the charismatic revival in the late 60’s and early 70’s. With all his learning, (he was a scholar who went to Patmos to read John’s Epistles in Greek because God told him to) he was surprised when they said that thy really needed him to clean the building and gave him a broom and a loo brush. This he did in humility and was blessed in his place in the grace of serving.

Look at the patterns and find the principles in this passage.

1 Cor 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink intoone Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honourable, on these we bestow greater honour; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honour to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

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Being in his presence.

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:08:00 +0200

15^th June 2008. Being in his presence.

Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

I WANT REFRESHING TIMES – Do You? Now not all of us can say that we have the refreshing promised. There are times when we are weary, feel harassed, put upon, rejected and so on. Each of us needs a time to unwind, to get our breath so to speak to rest or sleep. Some times we find that we can’t rest, can’t unwind, and can’t sleep. Let me propose the spiritual answer.

Last week we heard preaching about two worlds: the spiritual and the worldly. When we neglect the spiritual and live only in the worldly world we are subject to lots of pressure, stresses and strains. When we take time out and enter the spiritual we get a different outlook, changed priorities, a new world view. The picture before us is the view from the heavenlies. We see things from God’s perspective. We need to come into the presence of the Lord. Here we find refreshing.

Peter was preaching for conversions. So this is a promise for those who are saved.

Acts 3:19 is a promise for salvation: repent – turn around, be forgiven, be refreshed, be made fresh again – find a new life in him - in his presence.

Peter said that there was refreshing for those who repent and as a result know that their sins are blotted out – this means that they are at last able to come into the presence of the LORD. They are righteous. They are right with God – there is no sin barrier preventing them coming into his presence. They are accepted (in the beloved). Repent means change direction. I decide to go in his direction – do it his way not follow my way. It means changing ownership of your life, saying, “I declare that I will no longer be in charge of my own life – I can see the mess I have made of it. I choose to give my heart to Jesus and to let him direct my life. I will let him show me the way to live. I need him as my saviour so that I am right with God and accepted by God and I choose to make Jesus my Lord. He is in charge now, not me.”

The same is true in our ongoing situation – not just at the time of salvation

We can struggle in a worldly way, in our own strength, and then we realise it. So we repent - turn round - trying his direction not ours. He forgives us and we find refreshing for our lives in his presence when we welcome him into the situation. This is truth; this is a promise from the Lord. Our part is to ACT in agreement with him not just agree that it is a good idea.

We can receive the same promise if we have been Christian for just a little time or many years. We can say “I need refreshing. I need to come into the presence of the Lord I need to experience the promise.” There are examples through the Bible of those who found that in his presence they were refreshed and made ready for what he had for them.

Moses, and Joshua

Exodus 33:7-11 (NIV) 7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting."

9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses.

11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

We read that Jesus would spend the night in prayer, perhaps up a mountain, and he came down to minister to the sick and teach with the strength and direction that he had received from being in the presence of God.

Some expect to enter the presence of the Lord when they go to a special, set apart, sanctified building. That is good and true but we don’t need to limit God. The presence of the Lord can be experienced any place and any time.

Our quiet time. A time alone, free from distraction in which we may pray, read the word, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, journal what God is saying to us – a time of communion with him – experiencing his presence. Jessie Duplantice talks about this as “Throne time”. He says “Church time is not the same as throne time.” Throne time is just him and me. We can also have throne – just ‘him and me time’ in the middle of church time but the prime aim of church time is to meet together in his presence – us and God.

We can experience his presence in a meeting; at home, in the church building. It doesn’t have to be time physically alone. I have found that I can be “alone with him” in a noisy situation too. We can be; lost in worship, inspired with the word, receiving prayer and be refreshed in the congregation and it can feel just like we were the only one there.

We can sing:, I'm lost in wonder, lost in love. I’m lost in praise for ever more. Because of Jesus’ unfailing love I am forgiven I am restored.

Can this be real? As we sing can you be lost in an experience of wonder, praise and love?

I remember the day after I was saved. – a Sunday, 2^nd March. I went to the local church alone, because I wanted to go to Church. In this church it was not a quiet reverential service. People chatted on the way up to communion and no one minded. Even so I experienced the presence of God in a way that I had never had before. I knew that he had answered the prayer of the night before. I knew that I was accepted, saved. Last night wasn’t just some emotional response. It was real. I belonged to him. My life was changed. Acts 3:19 was real to me.

Our attitude could be one of longing for more of him; of longing for the reality of his presence and the refreshing.

His presence is a place: A place of safety, a place to run to for help and security, a place of comfort and reassurance where worries disappear, a place where healing power soaks into our hearts, heads, emotions and our physical body – joints and organs digestive tract, nerves, blood and tissues. It’s a good place to be.

You can visit his presence – I did on 2^nd March so many years ago. But if I had never visited again I would have missed something (and someone) precious and vital. Jesus said “Abide in me.” That’s “make your abode, dwelling place, habitual habitation in ME.”

We teach our children to pray – meal times and bed time at least. Additionally, if we have a leadership position, we need to teach and model being in his presence. We are all ministers. We are all disciples. Our personal development and our ministry and our witness to others has to come from what we receive in his presence.

Finally, I have been in pain due to a strain for some days. I felt a bit better on Thursday and I did a lot more than I should have done so I was very weary and I ached all over. At the Healing Rooms that night they prayed for me in our team time. We continued to pray for each other and to worship until it was time to open the doors and minister. We had been in the presence of the Lord for nearly an hour. For that evening, about 3 hours, I was free from pain and had all the energy I needed. It was Acts 3:19 for me. I was refreshed in the presence of the Lord.

I know the delight, strength and refreshing that I find when I am ministering.

Others of you know the same delight. Reaching out to others is invigorating. Intercession, prayer times, praying for the sick, witnessing, all refresh you. If you haven’t experienced this truth then you have a treat waiting for you. It is a precious part of our Christian life. Let me urge you. Desire more of Him. Seek to enter into his presence and minister to others from that place of strength. Let him bless you so that you may be a blessing.

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord.

Will you seek him? His promise is that you will find him.

If you can say “I’m right with God, I love God. I love his presence, I belong to him.” Then say “amen”.

Perhaps there are others reading this who would have would say “I am not right with God, I’m not living right. I’m not doing right. I need prayer. I need to repent and be forgiven.”

If that is you I want to tell you that Acts 3:19 if for you.

If you need prayer; if you need to get right with God then I know that he wants to meet with you right now and take away you sin, forgive you and give you his refreshing. He wants to refresh your life. If is the first time for you then it is called being born again. What ever you situation I you are saying “I need to get right with God, pray for me, so that I may come into his presence”. If that is what you need pray this :

“I declare that I will no longer be in charge of my own life – I can see the mess I have made of it. I choose to give my heart to Jesus and to let him direct my life. I will let him show me the way to live. I need him as my saviour so that I am right with God and accepted by God and I choose to make Jesus my Lord. He is in charge now, not me.”

If you prayed that prayer and believe that Jesus died for you then right now you are saved. The creator of the universe God Almighty is you loving father right now. Your sins are forgiven. Jesus died for you and took your sins. You are right with God.

If you prayed that prayer get in touch.

In God's love; Antony

Created by A Cornell ref: 0825aAGC 13/06/2008 23:31:00

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Blessing #3 – Doing what it takes.

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:32:17 +0200

Blessing – Doing what it takes.0824AGCeBlessings#3

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

How to make your way prosperous?

We need to operate in a correct balance between what we need to do and what God will do. If it is based on my doing things, it is works. If it is just assuming that God will do it all – I just sit back and let Him, then its presumption. The answer is in our attitude – one of faith which acts in faith.

We do know what God will do – fulfil his promises. His promises are in His word. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. ( Ro 4:21)

He will perform according to the promises in His word and He will act according to the principles and patterns that we can find in His word.

Ref: Blessings #1 and #2: (Last two sermons)

#1. We need to know that we are blessed – it’s for us. The blessings of Abraham are ours.

#2. We need to stand on the promises. We have a choice to make:

On God’s side? In the blessings of the Covenant?

Or on our own side – doing our own thing, going the world’s way.

3. Next: We need to do what it takes. Faith is sure when actions follow.

James 2:21-23 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God. I like to replace the word works with “action” to get the meaning clearer. So, read it again with the word "action".

So:- What must WE DO to allow God to work or what attitude – or ways of thinking do we need to cultivate to be able to walk in the blessings which our ours – given to us by God?

He said to Joshua: meditate on the BOOK of the Law day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Our book is now the full revelation of God’s blessing - the New Testament. It explains more fully God’s intention to bless the whole world and the Gospel – meaning good news, tells us that if we believe in Jesus we receive the fullness of blessings – The empowerment to prosper in all things.

The word we should meditate on says that we are blessed with salvation, faith, redemption, righteousness, health, prosperity, good relationships, sound mind, wisdom, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit ( and all that He brings) and most of all entering into and staying in a loving relationship with God our Father.

Back to Joshua.

Filling your mind with what God says is better than what the world, the flesh and the devil have to say because what God is saying has got to be the best. We have to work at this. The normal thoughts that occupy our minds can be very strong. The sources are inside us. Physical pain, emotions, images, hurts, expectations, learned responses, dreams and visions, fears; rational and irrational. What a lot of work it takes to think differently! So meditate on what God has to say about every situation. Let His peace in.

We Can Meditate on Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

This means saying it to yourself. Mutter it again and again.

Say it out loud. Let your ears hear it. Because So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Ro 10:17)

Let your insides know how to enter in to God’s peace.

Confessing the word of God is not a magic formula. It is putting God’s word into your heart. So what you say and believe inside and how you will act or react comes from this treasure inside not what you learnt from worldly thinking and attitudes = the flesh nature. This is a weapon with divine power

2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

He wants us to prosper and have good success. Deut 28 says “everything we set our hands to ….” is to succeed.

The word also talks to about increase. That was God’s first command to Adam.

Gen 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply.” Multiplication is increase. It’s basic to God’s plan for us. It’s a blessing.

So; the command is be careful to do all that the word says.

Action proves faith. Action follows real faith But also we see that when WE decide to act then the faith comes up from inside. It’s God supply from the Holy Spirit within that comes into action. An example is when we lay hands on the sick – that action calls faith from both of the people.

There is something here with confession as a faith action. I say it. I am standing on this word from God. For example; I expect God to be there to confirm His word when I speak it. He tells us to open our mouth, speak, and he will fill it. Psalm 81:10

Positive confession. Confession even works in the world. E.g., assertiveness, pumping up one’s self or the coach encouraging his team with self talk. In the same way negative confession brings faith for disaster, calamity and insurmountable problems and difficulties. When we worry, we are confessing problems which we confidently expect to come to pass and we say “I knew it would all go wrong” when it does.

Joshua 1 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua’s need was strength and courage as the general of the invading army.

The promises to him were both specific for his role as well as general. So too are the promises to us. What does God want of you? There are specifics available to you, blessings so that you can be God’s general in what ever area he requires. He also says “prosper and have success” again generally and in what ever area. As members of His church there is a commission to make disciples and preach the gospel. I hear that there are signs of revival all around and I believe that God wants things to happen here as well. For example when the multitudes are saved we will need to disciple them. That will take money. No wonder he wants us to prosper financially. We need to be able to give, support reach out to others.

The blessings are equipping us for His work – blessed to be a blessing: salvation healing, health, righteousness, good relationships, favour, and finances.

We need to get our thinking lined up with God’s view of us. I was brought up to be very careful with money – we didn’t have much. What we did have was saved for. – It’s called Poverty thinking! –

My need is to meditate on the promises in scripture Phil 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I can then move out of poverty thinking into a place where I believe that God is my supply, that as I am a thither and a giver my God will supply. My thinking needs to stay in the place where I agree with God’s promise – He name is Jehovah Jireh – He is my supplier. So I have to look at the needs and say that I can not only afford these but the bills are paid. – no worries I have faith in His supply. I am blessed. Will you say this with me?.

I am blessed. All the promises of God are Yes and so be it to me in Christ Jesus.

Read this out loud

I have the blessing of salvation, health, wealth, success and prosperity. I can always give tithes and offerings.

I can give of my time and talents.

God is my supply.

Every thing I set my hand to prospers.

Increase belongs to me.

My family is blessed. My church and my pastors are blessed.

I rejoice and declare the goodness of my father God.

I love the word of God.

I love to read your word and allow it to speak to me deep inside.

I love you Jesus and I rejoice in my fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

So be it.

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Blessings #2 Standing - take your position in the blessings

Tue, 20 May 2008 22:34:50 +0200

Blessings #2 – of covenant
Last Time – Knowing the truth that you are blessed based on Genesis and Galatians 3
Now - How to walk in What God has promised. – the covenant.
Deuteronomy 7:
12 “Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. 13 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. 15 And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.

Deuteronomy 8:
18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
re to establish a really deep and meaningful relationship, covenant, with every one on this world and his plan is to do it through His Son and those in whom His Son lives now – that’s you – so he has blessed you.

Blessing and curses

Deuteronomy 11:
26 “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. 29 Now it shall be, when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. If you don't stand in the place of blessing you must be in the place of curse. Your choice!

Deuteronomy 28 Blessings on Obedience –
God has done his bit – what will we do? Obey!!!

1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8 “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
9 “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

58 “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the LORD will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues—great and prolonged plagues—and serious and prolonged sicknesses. 60 Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the LORD bring upon you until you are destroyed.

Deuteronomy 30
Prosperity After Turning to the LORD
1 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart
When you turn to the Lord then the blessings are confirmed
6 The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 7 The LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. 8 You will again obey the LORD and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, 10 if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

ALL YOUR HEART - >The law needs to be written in your heart. The constraint that keeps you in obedience is not LAW alone – oughts and shoulds. But LOVE. Your heart needs to be settled, fixed, decide, established. This is a heart decision an inner heart knowing a rule of life which you cannot disobey – it’s unthinkable! A covenant decision like my marriage vows but even stronger. There are many such heart decisions in our lives – some are good some are not ( I could never forgive **** etc.) The decisions like this rule your words. Your words are evidence of heart decisions. They come out naturally.
Romans 10 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ..... 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”[e](that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Deut 30 NIV
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

When they were in the promised land then the blessings and curses were read out to them all as they stood on the mountains Gerizim and Ebal.

We have a choice where we will stand – blessings and curses? Once you know you have a choice – where will you stand ? –– the blessings are then received by faith. Faith and trust leads us to stand with obedient Abraham. Let’s decide to position ourselves. The obedience is not about works or trying harder to earn or deserve favour and blessing. It’s because we trust God doing what He says is in our nature.
That's the place to stand in life - choose a life of LIFE not DEATH

Lets choose. Let’s choose life.
I will stand on Mount Gerizim
I decide to stand in the place of blessing. This is a heart decision. I love God and I am His covenant child. I believe that Jesus died for me and took my sin and now I live for Him
I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in my heart that God has raised Him from the dead. So I believe and confess that I am saved.
I confess that my heart is fixed in my love for God.
My heart is fixed in my obedience to God’s word so I know that I God is for me and not against me, I am blessed.
18/05/2008

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Download!!!!

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:10:33 +0200

Go to www.lighthouse-ely.org to find the sermon and download it to your computor

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Blessing – let's know the truth

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:52:44 +0200

0816AGCe
Pastor David Cho preaches Blessings. Above the door to the church he has it written – “Beloved, I pray that you prosper in all things and that you are in health even as your soul prospers.” God, Cho, John, Me; all of us want you to receive the blessings that belong to us.
3John:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.
4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

We need to KNOW it. That is the first step to receiving because all that we receive from God is received by faith.

Health and prosperity belong to us. We need to KNOW as the first step to receiving what God has already given us.

I.e., Blessings from God belong to us.
3Jn 2-4.
v2 as your soul prospers. [Mind, will and emotions] Mind is the place where we know things. All your soul should bear the mark of that knowledge –
so: lets really live out of it, let's receive it.
&; then in v3 so “testify of the truth”, “walk in the truth”
v4 rejoice – that we have it ; this is revelation knowledge. Jesus says he will build his church on revelation knowledge

Those of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. Look at Abraham.
Obedience because of faith. Trust - because of faith.
And BECAUSE of his believing - Righteousness.

God says,” I can trust him – he will do right – I will bless him – equip him, empower him, supply, increase, guard, strengthen –
through one like this my plans will be accomplished.”

His plans?

Genesis12:
1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God promises Abram and Abram believes Him.

Genesis 15
1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Covenant

Genesis 17 The Sign of the Covenant
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

Covenant is a VERY strong agreement.
It is about love, deep love – Relationship of the deepest kind. It is sealed in blood, about life joined to another. Blood relationship Love relationship covers sin and the guilt that follows that has the potential to break any less strong relationship.

Is 41: 10 Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

We, like Abraham are blessed.
Galatians 3: 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[c] 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”[d] 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”[h]), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
We are in Christ Jesus and have the promise of the Holy Spirit and by the Holy Spirit we are blessed when we receive Him by faith He is the guarantee of blessing.

Deuteronomy 7:
12 “Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. 13 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock. 15 And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.

Deuteronomy 8 :
18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

His purposes are to establish a really deep and meaningful relationship, covenant, with every one on this world and his plan is to do it through His Son and those in whom His Son lives now – that’s you – so he has blessed you.

Blessing and curses

When they were in the promised land then the blessings and curses were read out to them all as they stood on the mountains Gerizim and Ebal. We have a choice where we will stand – blessings and curses? Once you know you have a choice – where will you stand –– the blessings are then received by faith. Faith and trust leads us to stand with obedient Abraham. Let’s decide to position ourselves. The obedience is not about works or trying harder to earn or deserve favour and blessing. It’s because we trust God doing what He says is in our nature.
Lets choose. Let's say this and commit to walk in the truth of what is ours through Christ Jesus.
"I will stand - position myself in the place that God has given me as a believer - I stand on Mount Gerizim. I decide to stand in the place of blessing. I am blessed by God. I believe and confess that the blessing of Abraham is mine."
Thanks be to you Lord - the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ.

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Updates and News

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:37:34 +0100

The news and updates are now all available on the website.
go to
www.lighthouse-ely.org

This gives the diary, forums, downloads etc

Enjoy!

Antony

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New website!!

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:36:54 +0200

by antony @ 24/07/2007 - 05:34:16 pm

Look for news, updates, notes, Pod casts etc. on

www.lighthouse-ely.org

Also http://www.live2max.blog.co.uk/

For stuff relating to young peps (teens to 30's)

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There's no choice really.

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:44:24 +0200

Ten reasons for giving your life to Jesus.

10 Reasons
1. Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to connect you to the one true God as His child so we can know the God who heals you. That is one of His names. He said – “I am the Lord who heals you” When we try to do it all ourselves, independent of Him, we commit sin. You can balance your body, mind and spirit by spending time each day with Him.

2. If you are feeling that there is something missing in your life that you can’t quite pin point, chances are that it’s your spiritual life or lack of it. By learning about God and seeking to know Him you will find the zoe – the real life that he created for you.

3. Stress is recognised as a major contributor to so many illnesses in modern society. Faith in God has an extremely calming effect, filling you with a sense of inner peace and serenity that will ensure that stress won’t rule your life. You will gain a sense of real self-purpose and inner clarity that may have eluded you previously. The scripture says “ cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you”

4. Our lifestyles are incredibly busy and this takes a toll on our bodies as well as other areas of our life. Through prayer we keep your relationship with God – trusting Him in all things. You can not only help to prevent illnesses occurring but you can pray for healing of physical injuries and problems from mild back pain to cancer. You can pray for others too in the name of Jesus and see them healed. Jesus will help with any illness. It is God's will that we are in health and prosper in all things even as our souls prosper.

5. If you feel that your life lacks direction follow Jesus, The word of God will teach you as it connects you with your true purpose in life and will leave you feeling far more focused about where you need to be heading and directing all your precious resources. Many people spend years feeling they are in the wrong job or wrong situation. Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to open your mind up to the things that you really need, perhaps not want but need. There is nothing quite so liberating. He (The Holy Spirit) is the liberator.

6. Many people often feel that they are taking so much from life and yet giving so little back and are completely unsure of how to rectify this situation. If read the Bible it will show you that you are the body of Christ here on earth so you are able to heal others as well as find His healing for yourself. There is nothing quite like laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover – just as Jesus promised and commanded - to make you appreciate your own situation and bring comfort to your life. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to share His gift of healing, helping someone else who so desperately needs it and bringing happiness to someone else’s life.

7. Jesus will turn your whole life around for the better if you read God’s word and pray to God the Father in the Name of Jesus every day and listen to The Holy Spirit within you. Your whole life becomes clearer and you really do realise what is important in life and what you can do without. Everything is put into perspective and you learn to appreciate so many things and really learn who are your friends and who are just using you. Spend you time with Christian brothers and sisters - renew your mind with the word of God. The teachings of men, religions and worldly philosophies do not compare.

8. Most people have emotional traumas and guilt in their life and what many do not realise is that these have negative effect on you, possibly stalling your growth and development as a full person. Our sin and guilt as well as the effects of circumstances and what others have done to us hold us back. By knowing Jesus as saviour and friend and experiencing his healing power for yourself will remove the effects of sin (committed by us and against us) so you will no longer be a victim these circumstances and the guilt of what you have done to others. In Jesus you died to sin once and for all so you are free - a knew creature finally free to be yourself.

9. It is easy to get trapped in the cycle of old lifestyle patterns and issues, for example: following the same faddy diets that don’t work, making new years resolutions you know you will break every year, getting trapped by financial issues, working too hard, struggling in relationships. This can continue for your whole life. Jesus will change the way you deal with life, the way you deal with situations and relationships in a way that is much healthier for you and those around you, those you love and strangers too. It might not happen in a conscious way but you will find that for instance someone who takes advantage of you normally will get a shock when you show them love rather than censure. They will show you greater respect. You learn to love yourself more and also to love others. This is what Jesus taught.
It is only the Jesus kind of love that can love those who hate you and spitefully use you.

10. The founder of our faith is Jesus the Son of God who died that we could die to sin and and rose again from the dead so we can live a new life in Him knowing that the creator God is our own loving Father. This is the truth. This is the Good News.
If you ask anyone if they are honestly really happy I doubt you will get a resounding yes from the majority. People often misconceive what real happiness is and associate it with wealth, material possessions or a successful career. The Joy of the Lord is so much more than happiness. Joy comes from a profound understanding of God's love for us all and us knowing our place in His universe. If you choose Jesus you will be set on the path to abundant life – the life that we were created to enjoy. For everyone this starts with a short step on the path. If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord you will be saved. This means giving up living for your self (sin)and instead living for Him. That doesn’t mean freedom from problems but is does mean that with him there is a way through all the problems.
There is only one way to receive all of this from God. It is freely available to anyone who will ask in faith - they will receive.

The way is simple and end is assured for those who will accept God’s way of living God’s new life.
Will you choose God's way of a new life: rebirth. It's called being born again
Pray this prayer.
Oh God, I turn from doing my own thing and I turn to you. Forgive my sin and make me your child.
I believe that my sins are forgiven in Jesus who died for me. I receive today the new life that is mine in Him.

Jesus or any other technique, "way" or philosophy? There’s no choice!
In reply to Dr. Motaleb Barazandeh; Ph.D on Clinical Psychology, International Grand Master of Metaphysics & International Grand Master of Reiki

Antony

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A Time of Change

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:33:50 +0100

SERMON by Margaret -25th March 2007 A time of change

This is an exciting time Next week we hand over the church pastorate to Giles and Roz who will be working together in the centre.
We have a tremendous celebration coming up next week with a record response from people wanting come and share the time with us.
I want to draw some lessons today from three times in scripture when there was a handover of leadership and show you for what we need to be setting our faith, at this time.
Elijah –Elisha
Moses-Joshua
David -Solomon

All of them handed over to a young man who was their natural or spiritual son

Joshua was Moses right hand man for years and the one who always accompanied him to the tent of meeting, he was called Moses’ minister

Elisha was a young prophet who had been trained in the school of prophets and whom Elijah in 1 Kings 19.16 had been told to anoint as his successor
Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.
Solomon was King David’s son whom he had promised the throne to even though he was not his eldest son

Giles. We knew definitely, about four years ago, that he should take over the church from us, although God had hinted at it back in 1985

We are handing over a solid thriving church something solid and growing church to two people whom we know are called and who know that they are called.
In these three bible instances of taking over the result was increase.
Our picture is of building a second storey.

All of the ones handing over had been pioneers.

Moses had led Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness where they wandered for 40 years in a state of dependency on God, experiencing hardship but also experiencing the miracles and provision of God. ECF were nomadic too until 1994
And when we moved into his building we were bigger than we are today but immediately began to lose people which threw us into a state of constantly needing Gods provision
Tony would say "we need £5000 or £2000 by Friday" and prayer produced results and has continued to do so
We’ve known the fiery serpents for our disobedience!!!The droughts the struggles and the trials
They had become a great nation at a cost

Under Joshua they had reached the Jordan and were in sight of the land He had a disciplined army and they were able to take the land Joshua got his inheritance and led everyone else into theirs
He had battles but when they obeyed God’s instructions they succeeded
God told him be strong and very courageous
Joshua 1.8
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' "

INCREASE and fulfilment of the promises

Elijah had a fight too …he had all the struggles with King Ahab and Jezebel and his great show down with the prophets of Baal. Along the way he got sick and depressed, angry and discouraged but God restored him and he continued the race
God showed him this young man Elisha
When Elisha know Elisha was going he asked for a double portion which Elijah said was a hard thing to ask
A bit like when the disciples said to Jesus ‘can I sit on your right hand or left hand when you come into your glory ’
Only God can raise 1 Kings 19:19-20 (The Message)
Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha deserted the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please! Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye—then I'll follow you." "Go ahead," said Elijah, "but, mind you, don't forget what I've just done to you."
2 Kings 2
Just before GOD took Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on a walk out of Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. GOD has sent me on an errand to Bethel." Elisha said, "Not on your life! I'm not letting you out of my sight!"
So they both went to Bethel. The guild of prophets at Bethel met Elisha and said, "Did you know that GOD is going to take your master away from you today?" "Yes," he said, "I know it. But keep it quiet."
Twice more he tells him to go away
2 Kings 2:7-15 (Amplified Bible)
7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood [to watch] afar off; and the two of them stood by the Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they divided this way and that, so that the two of them went over on dry ground. And when they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. He said, you have asked a hard thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you--but if not, it shall not be so. As they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire parted the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. And he took the mantle that fell from Elijah and struck the waters and said, where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? And when he had struck the waters, they parted this way and that, and Elisha went over. When the sons of the prophets who were [watching] at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
Only God raises people up and only God gives the anointing
So he told him yes is you see me taken up in other words of you have the spiritual eyes to see what God reveals
(INCREASE)
God gave it to him and he did 28 miracles to Elisha’s 14

David was a great King . God called him a man after His own heart
He longed to build a house for the Lord much as we have longed to re-build this whole building, but God said he could not do it because he had been a man of war.
(Too much unrest in his reign)
Now David had established the kingdom and there was insufficient rest in the land to be able to do it.
Solomon was young and inexperienced but he was anointed.
Dream….I Kings 1 .47
47Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name and make his throne greater than your throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed
I Kings 3.4-14
4The king went to Gibeon near Jerusalem, where stood the tabernacle and the bronze altar to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. One thousand burnt offerings Solomon offered on that altar. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, “Ask what I shall give you?” Solomon said, “You have shown to Your servant David my father great mercy and loving-kindness, according as he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart with You; and You have kept for him this great kindness and steadfast love, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a lad in wisdom and experience; I know not how to go out (begin) or come in (finish).Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who cannot be counted for multitude. So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for long life or for riches, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize what is just and right, Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise, discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise after you equal to you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings equal to you all your days. And if you will go My way, keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days.”
David charged Solomon
1 Chronicles 28 1-12
DAVID ASSEMBLED at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel and of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king in courses, and those over thousands and hundreds, and the stewards over all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, with the palace officers, the mighty men, and all the mighty warriors. Then David the king rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people. I myself intended to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as a footstool for our God, and I prepared materials for the building. But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My Name and Presence, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’
However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me before all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah he chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father He was pleased to make me king over all Israel; And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And He said to me, ‘Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he loyally and continuously obeys My commandments and My ordinances, as he does today.’ Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek to be familiar with all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.”
“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] you will find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever! Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it!”
Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner rooms, and of the place for the [ark and its] mercy seat; And the plan of all that he had in mind [by the Spirit] for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for the dedicated gifts;
V 20
1 Chronicles 28:20 (Amplified Bible)
Also David told Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Fear not, be not dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail or forsake you until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.”
INCREASE and fulfillment of the promises
All of these men were great men of God whatever part they played in the plan of God
Fulfilled Gods purpose in their generation
IN 1995 when we were losing people I reminded God about the prophecy that we were going to have the multitudes given by c several visiting speakers and also receive by our own people right at the start of the fellowship in 1982
When I asked God he said “They will not come in your day but in your son’s day”
We all have our part to play in God’s plan we as foundation builders, they as leaders of the multitudes.
Gods word talks of the foolishness of preferring one above the other
1 Corinthians 3
HOWEVER, BRETHREN, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to non-spiritual men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates, as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it], For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? For when one says, I belong to Paul, and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not [proving yourselves] ordinary (unchanged) men? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Ministering servants [not heads of parties] through whom you believed, even as the Lord appointed to each his task: I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was making it grow and [He] gave the increase. So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God Who makes it grow and become greater. He who plants and he who waters are equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive his own reward (wages), according to his own labour For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God's building. According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed on me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation, and now another [man] is building upon it. But let each [man] be careful how he builds upon it, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).But if anyone builds upon the Foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God's temple (His sanctuary), and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]? If anyone does hurt to God's temple or corrupts it [with false doctrines] or destroys it, God will do hurt to him and bring him to the corruption of death and destroy him. For the temple of God is holy (sacred to Him) and that [temple] you the believing church and its individual believers] are.
Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [let him discard his worldly discernment and recognize himself as dull, stupid, and foolish, without true learning and scholarship], that he may become [really] wise. For this world's wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own] craftiness; And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the [humanly] wise and recognizes how futile they are. So let no one exult proudly concerning men [boasting of having this or that man as a leader], for all things are yours, Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter), or the universe or life or death, or the immediate and threatening present or the [subsequent and uncertain] future--all are yours, And you are Christ's, and Christ is God’s. Paul reminds us though that whosoever we does things for God is has to be anointed and it will only be accomplished through wisdom and he ability of God. TAB
It is God who gives the increase and the fulfilment
Lets se our faith for the increase it’s God’s pattern

Comments

The Vision of ECF

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:44:20 +0100

For March 4th 2007 0705 AGC Antony ----- The Vision of ECF

25 years ago with 14 people we started ECF, including our young sons Ben and Giles.

In 1981 a group of us who had all experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit starting meeting on Sunday evenings in the Upper Room at the Maltings. This group were from a number of different Churches. The feeling was that there was not room to explore the things of the Spirit in those Churches to the depth that we felt we wanted.

So Greg’s brother Bernie and his wife Sue hired the Upper Room and invited all and any to meet together after Church on a Sunday evening. What we wanted was freedom to pray, praise, prophesy etc as the Spirit led us. We soon found that we needed some structure, including a little preach. That was my part, as on many Sundays I had already preached as the lay reader at the Anglican Church we attended, so I agreed to bring a word based on what I had already prepared.

One of the important events that was a preliminary to transforming this group into a Church was when the Lord spoke to me about being baptised as a believer. Like many folks I had been baptised by sprinkling as an infant. I hadn’t seen the need for more until I was rebuked by Him. He told me that when I was obedient in this then He would show me the next step I was to take.

So in the January 1982 I was baptised by immersion at a service at High Street Baptist in Isleham.

In the February there was talk of the group becoming a Church. We prayed about this individually and together and many were moved to suggest that this was what the Lord was saying. Then there was the suggestion that I should be the pastor of this new Church. We found guidance and after prayer a number of us agreed that we were to start anew Church Ely Christian Fellowship. The guidance that we had was quite specific and we agreed that we should each share that guidance with our pastors or ministers as to why we were leaving and joining a new Church. I felt that this was a special grace to start right and not leave with any bad feeling abut rather ask for and leave with a blessing . So had a few weeks in our old Churches to say goodbye and we arranged to start on Palm Sunday 4th April 1982.

This was a founding scripture:
Jer 30:18 “Thus says the LORD:
‘ Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents,
And have mercy on his dwelling places;
The city shall be built upon its own mound,
And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.
19 Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving
And the voice of those who make merry;
I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish;
I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
20 Their children also shall be as before,
And their congregation shall be established before Me;
And I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their nobles shall be from among them,
And their governor shall come from their midst;
Then I will cause him to draw near,
And he shall approach Me;
For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the LORD.
22 ‘ You shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’”

We have always tried to write down the vision of ECF.
I have always said that any Church should have a clear vision. The members should know what the Church is about and why it is there. There had to be a specific reason why there should be another Church in a city that had 8 Churches already. The Cathedral was over 1300 years old before we started.

I was led by Habakkuk 2:2
Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.

We wrote a paper – which outlined our intention that we all signed on April 4th.

We wrote our Mission Statement. We wrote our BELIEFS, OBJECTS, VISION, and CORE VALUES.
This has developed over the years and we have refined the wording and but it essentially and expression of what we started out to be. For example, when we acquired a building we added the community centre with projects – “Loving Ely with no strings attached.”

OUR VISION
Ely Christian Fellowship is a loving, growing, praying, family Church where needs are met according to the promises of god in Christ Jesus

Jesus is our lord and we love and serve him by reaching out to the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

WE BELIEVE that God's PURPOSE is that Christ should be formed in us and that God's calling is that others should see Him in us.
OUR OBJECTS ARE; to preach, teach and model.
• The uncompromised Word of God, the full gospel which includes the message of the grace and the love of God and of faith in God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
• Genuine liberty in praise, worship and prayer.
• Living a life of love towards God and faith in Him with the fruit of the Holy Spirit evident in. our lives.
• Loving one another and the world as Jesus loved us.
These objects can only he accomplished IF JESUS IS AT THE CENTRE of our individual and co-operate lives so that HIS NATURE AND HIS LOVE IS SEEN IN US.

OUR VISION is to reach our Jerusalem (Ely), Judea (the district), Samaria (the whole region of East Anglia) and the ends of the Earth by equipping God's people.
• We see every Christian as a disciple
• We see every disciple becoming like Jesus.
• We see each one showing Jesus to the world.
• We see every person made whole.
• We see every disciple a minister.
• We see our neighbourhood reached for Christ by all forms of evangelism.

OUR VISION FOR A `CHURCH CENTRE' includes outreach projects for the community as well as providing quality encouragement, training, teaching, and counseling. We aim to promote and supply materials, courses, conferences to inspire, encourage and help Christians in the region and to develop as a base for national and international outreach.

We embrace these CORE VALUES
All our people (adults and children)
• are ministers
• are called to serve
• are called to win others to Christ (loving them into the kingdom)
• are called to relationship with other Christians
• are empowered for service
• participate fully in the life groups
• are receivers and givers
• are hearers and doers
• Are both discipling others and being discipled.
When we grew in size it was because we kept our vision clear. When we faltered and numbers dropped we can see in hindsight that we strayed from our founding purpose. We tried other things and though these were not wrong in themselves they distracted us from our founding principles. We lost our way when we became ‘single purpose’ - dropping the essentials and the ways that God had showed us and confirmed to us over the years.
We knew that we had to get back on track. So we repented and a few years ago we wrote our vision in a new format: –

I SEE A CHURCH

where Jesus is the centre of all we do:
where the Holy Spirit leads and we follow
where it is fun to be serving God with excellence
where we love God's word and love to study it
where deep and lasting relationships are formed
where worship is exuberant, inspiring and genuine
where family and family values are promoted and supported
where leaders lead boldly and people serve willingly
where love is a tangible part of the atmosphere
where faith filled prayers are answered in the name of Jesus
where healings and miracles are normal
where all generations are brought to Jesus and are on fire for Him
where everyone's gifts and callings grow and develop
where we give generously because we love Jesus
where God's presence and power are evident and affect the community and the nations

OUR VISION IN A NUTSHELL

ELY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP is
A loving, growing, praying, family Church where needs are met
According to the promises of God in Christ Jesus
Jesus is our Lord and we love and serve him
by reaching out to the world with
the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I want to give thanks to God for what he has done here in this Church, through us and often in spite of us.
I want to thank him for the 1,500 and more people who have been or are still active members of ECF.
I want to thank Him for the testimony of the teaching, preaching and modeling of the full gospel that has effected so many and continues to do so.
I want to thank him that it is by his Holy Sprit active in our midst.

I want to thank him that we have built something here which is a foundation for something more in the years to come.
I want to thank Him that he has given us Giles and Roz to continue to build and develop here as he directs and enables.
I want to thank him for all the people that will be part if the work based here in the years to come.

I have a picture to share with you.
I saw this building in Ghana.

In this picture I see a ground floor in operation but they are building higher. The foundations are capable of the extension and the pillars are in place as continuation of those in the as yet unfinished first floor. To build higher they must have prepared for this in the foundations laid years earlier, ensuring that they were deep enough and strong enough to build on – higher, bigger and better.

Our Church has 25 year old foundations. We were advised to do things as a large Church while we were a small Church in such a way that we would be ready to become a large Church. We have tried not to think of ourselves as small but rather as a “growing Church”

So, we have a fully operational Church and we have a vision for increase. Our vision is an increasing vision –which says, “more, better and higher.”

We have Giles and Roz ready to take over the helm. A new pair of hands on the wheel won’t do things exactly the same as we have done. So they won’t make the same mistakes. New ways of working will come but the vision and the direction will remain. Some things will seem different. That is to be expected. But I am sure that what God has set in motion will continue. However, Margaret and I will still be active. In giving over the prime responsibility we are free to do other things. We are the FOUNDING PASTORS and form the SPIRITUAL OVERSIGHT with Giles and Roz.
Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Note that in the picture there are steel and concrete pillars extending from the existing ground floor and first floor structure. I am sure that they are part and parcel of the ground floor pillars, based firmly on the hidden foundations and reaching upward for the next stage of building. You, all of this Church, are these pillars, you are the steel rods. I thank God for you all.
Please pray.

Comments

Look Who’s Watching!

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:15:33 +0100

Look Who’s Watching! Sermon for 18th February 2007 By Margaret 0707MAC

Heb 12
NIV “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”
Amplified
Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
For me…This scripture clearly evokes a picture of a stadium where athletes are running a race.
The point of running a race is …? to win!

So the verse gives advice about how to be a winner in Christ
• Strip off any weight that hinders you
• Get rid of any sin that will stop you or trip you up
• Then… run determinedly without giving up

This particular audience...the cloud of witnesses… have all been ‘athletes’ them selves...they have been there before us ….experienced everything for themselves….so they know just what stopped them winning and what hindered them from doing better!

Who are the witnesses or watchers? Yes Those mentioned in Hebrews eleven
Why are they watching?
Sometimes being watched can make you nervous and clumsy!

But the blessing is
That because all of these watchers or witnesses have experience of running the race of faith themselves
We know that they don’t just understand the difficulties they also know the answers
Therefore, my bet is that they are not watching to criticise but to cheer us all on

All heaven is watching us “Leaning over the banisters of heaven” as you might say …cheering you and I on in the race of our life lived for God encouraging us not to allow ourselves to be distracted, willing us to win

What happened when I went to watch our football team play? I don’t really like football, but when I saw them playing to start with I felt fairly disinterested and calm. After a while I got caught up in it… I began to really take notice of what was happening and in the end I was running up and down shouting encouragement and really wanting them to win ….COME ON!!!!!!
That’s what the cloud of witness are doing ….especially Jesus

We are urged to get rid of everything that hinders us in the race
• throw it off
• cast it aside

Everything that slows us down hinders or stops us being winners…

The things that slow us down are called ‘weights’

A weight is something that if you carry it slows you down
A burden so cumbersome that it stops you running
Athletes train and literally shed excess body weight
Also athletes in Paul’s day stripped naked to run

What slows you down? What distracts you?
(Horses are given blinkers in races to stop them being distracted)
• What attitude?
• What bad habit?
• What negative thought pattern?
• What activity?

Fear…self pity…anger…lying….unbelief….inferiority…self hatred….
What is the first thing you think of when I say that word weight?

The Greek word ‘apitithimi’, translated ‘lay aside ‘means literally
• To lay something down
• And firmly push away from yourself …beyond reach

That sounds pretty deliberate to me
Your life will not change unless you do something pretty deliberate
Take definite steps…a decision to change (that’s repentance)

Throw them off!!!!!!

I am not talking about concentrating on your sins and faults and being mesmerised by them …That will certainly hinder you …
but to do what it takes to reject the things that are stopping you reaching God’s best for your life

It usually means
1. Doing such simple things that even a child can do
2. Deciding what you are not going to allow in your life any more
3. Persisting against the hindering attitudes until victory comes

Let the word correct you, let the Holy Spirit lead you

Let’s look at Hebrews 11. 1- 40 at these witnesses

They were people who ‘knew their God and did mighty exploits’
Not perfect people…. but those who really wanted to please God and serve him
Are there any of those people here today? Ready for the walk of faith

V3. Abel …offered a better sacrifice…he was killed because his bother was jealous …because he offered the covenant sacrifice and refused to trust in his own righteousness
What’s Abel saying to us … ‘
‘Do you really still believe you can do it by yourself, that your own righteousness is enough?
Come on! only faith in the blood of Jesus will get you through ’

v5. Enoch….never saw death because he walked with God
Enoch urges us … walk with the Lord…be as close to him as it is possible to be

V7. Noah …took him a hundred years to build an ark .He saved his family from destruction…because he feared God
In turn did something much bigger… he saved the future of the human race
It says he was ‘divinely warned’. He heard and heeded Gods warning
100 years of being mocked ostracised
Noah would say.. .
’Look I did not realise the huge consequences of this thing when I started I just did what I knew I had heard God say to do
I believe Noah would encourage us to see the bigger picture …the ultimate consequences of our obedience which are bigger than we think

V8.Abraham…faithfully believed what God said even though he did not understand it
He passed a test or two.!! God only tested him so that he could eventually offer the Messiah through his blood line…a reciprocal sacrifice
He had to know Abraham was pure …utterly committed

Abraham says …can God trust you with his plans?
Come on you can do it!!!!

v18. Sarah Received strength to conceive seed because she judged God faithful
Are we judging God faithful in our own impossibilities?

v20. The Patriarchs …Isaac blessed Jacob…Jacob blessed his sons
Honour your father and mother …
We have a head start if we have the blessing of the previous generations

v23.Moses’ story starts actually with the faith of his parents …then he grew up and it says that ‘he chose to suffer rejection with the people of God rather than be involved with the passing pleasures of sin’

Moses is saying …’what sinful pleasure are you are willing to give up for the sake of God’s plan for the world?’

By faith Moses led the people of God through the wilderness and saw the miraculous provision of God but Moses patience was so tried by the people that he lost his temper with them and God didn’t let him enter the land

To whom much is given much is expected …

Moses is saying …

V 32 Then there’s a list of people who were persecuted for their faith in God and suffered greatly and still did not give up
‘Lesser’ heroes, the prophets, the persecuted church the martyrs

‘Of whom the world was not worthy’
If you are in trouble they understand

And finally looking unto Jesus ….

The Hebrews eleven witnesses were all pre cross. They did not have the spirit we do they were far less equipped and privileged than us

We also have …The apostles, the early church, and the great fathers of the church
More recent men and women…
William Booth, John G Lake, C.T. Studd.. Charles Wesley,Gorrge Whitfield Gladys Aylwood, Maria Woodworth Etter ., Amy Semple
Mc Pherson Kathryn Kullman

Radical men and women of God

Not to mention all the other millions of men and women down the ages who have gone before us

They are all saying come on ‘if I could do it so can you’!!!
YOU HAVE
The same Holy Spirit… the same Bible as I had …
But you also have …
Tapes, CD’s, DVD’s, Videos, books galore and Christian TV …are we richly equipped or not?

This is how the message bible expresses Heb 12 1-3

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on?
It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit!
No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in.
Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—
He could put up with anything along the way:
Cross, shame, whatever.
And now He's there, in the place of honour, right alongside God.
When you find yourselves flagging in your faith,
go over that story again, item by item,
that long litany of hostility he ploughed through.
That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

Comments

That you may know what is the hope of His calling.

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 10:29:49 +0100

That you may know what is the hope of His calling.
0705 AGC 4th February 2007
Colossians 1:27-29 (New King James Version)
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Eph 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[c] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
How may we know this hope? This means - Confident expectation of good.
How? We need to hide the word of God in your heart.
But Christ is in your heart. Christ is in you, the hope of glory
Jesus – He is God’s living word and He is in you
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God
John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Deuteronomy 6:6
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
Deuteronomy 11:18
“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eye
Now hide the word means treat is as treasure. Put it in your heart – in the innermost secret place where it cant be lost or stolen.
Confess the word that you put there. This mean speaking out of your heart and living out of your heart where the word is hidden,
Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Romans 10:8
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

When we confess the word it is not just speaking it out. It is living from it – living out of what is in your heart – the core of your being.
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Let him meet your needs. Confess the word. Say the same thing about yourself as God says. . Say the same thing about yourself as God says. You can do this when you know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe,
So – do not worry
Phil 4
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Don’t allow feelings of inadequacy to rule you.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
All your needs are catered for.
19And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Not depend on others to meet your needs.
Why? Christ in you.
Confess - All things possible
Mark 9:23
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Where is your strength from?
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Christ is in you for another purpose. That is to minister through you.

What is his attitude to others? What is our attitude to others?
Do we see Christ, the living word, in others?
Do we have the servant attitude that he has?
When we serve others we are serving Him.
That Christlike servant heart is our and the expression of it must start at home. If it does not our serving elsewhere is hypocritical.
Husbands love your wives. Serve Him by serving your wife.
If you are the servant, then she what is she? - the boss?
Wives serve the Lord by being a servant at home and reaching out from that place of security provided by that loving, empowering husband to reach others. Serving your husband is not the be-all and end-all of your existence. If it is that then you are not serving the Lord, you are just serving him.
What about problem people?
We serve them too. Serving God by serving others
See Christ in them. Help them see and know what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
We are not trying to change others but release them to meet the one who changes from the inside.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus
You minister to them to release them into the hope that is the expectation that they know they are waiting for.
Try to change others? No; release God to work by your open attitude. Loose on earth, by our our attitude.
Matthew 7:1-3 (New King James Version) Do Not Judge
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
We can also bind on earth by our attitude of judging!

Christ in you – God’s love in you.
Love convicts but doesn’t condemn.
Do you get Irritated by others? If so it’s in you. Instead of that irritability why not have Christ in you, the living word of God hidden in your heart. You can deal with yourself and your reaction.
EXAMPLE: I know that this country is run by bunch of petulant adolescents who can’t think ahead and then blame shift.
BUT that’s not helpful. I need to deal with my reactions or I am in danger of being seen as a petulant adolescent too.
We get more like Jesus, that’s God’s intention, as we know more about Christ in me.
There are many trials, problems, people in this world.
Rom 5:3-5 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Trials patience, trophy
We gain lots of trophies as we live in this world. They declare that I won through. You don’t get a trophy without a trial.

There is God’s love in you because Christ is in you. He is the Word of God. He brings alive the Scripture hidden in your heart
Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Last thought.
Teach your children. Teach them what the word of God says. Help them hide the word in their hearts – see them develop, release them into this hope -. make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

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The Blessing ( Margaret)

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 10:56:40 +0100

The Blessing - Margaret's Notes for 28th January 2007

God made covenant with man
All Covenants contains blessings and curses.
God’s promise is that of we walk in the covenant we remain in him and we remain in the blessing
Jesus was adamant that his disciples needed to abide in him remain in communion with him. And so being in the blessing all boils down to us walking in love, walking like Jesus did releasing mercy and compassion. , and the blessing is upon us to do it
Blessing means imparting goodness to someone usually by speaking encouraging and up- building words
The power is in the blessing
Have faith in the blessing
The Holy Spirit is the agent of blessing. …he is our empowerment

The word blessing occurs on almost every page of the bible it is a book of blessing
God blessed everything that he made….
After He made it …He imparted a supernaturally empowered command that gave it purpose and direction
.. Blessing or cursing always involves speaking words over someone or something …Jesus did not say to the fig tree ‘I curse you’ he said ‘May you never bear fruit again
God did not say ‘ Adam I bless you’…he gave life giving commands
For example ….Gen 1. 28 God blessed them and said to them,
1. "Be fruitful and increase in number;
2. fill the earth and subdue it.
3. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
He gave them authority over His creation
Implicit in blessing and the results of it is
Doing well… increase…success… prosperity, greatness… favour….multiplication…
Adam was sent to create Eden all over the world
As believers… The command stands for us in the spiritual realm
Jesus gave us authority over the evil one and all his works
Mark 16 v 5And he said unto them, Go ye into the entire world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. We are to be a people of intimacy with God, who take dominion blessing and undo the works of the evil one
Through the blessing and the command We are called to a spiritual multiplication of the kingdom and our selves
We are given the keys of the kingdom…to trample over the powers of hell
Deliver us from evil means deliver us from the curse of sin upon man which has brought sickness and evil
Everything we say or do should be a blessing. ‘Let your speech be seasoned with salt.’ There is power in our words and actions to make everything prosper around us
Proverbs…Death and Life are in the power of the tongue, Prov. 18.21
We need to let God speak blessings through us to others constantly…
Wives… husbands …children …bosses.. Friends… You can choose if you build or destroy. if you live in a blessed environment or a cursed one …if you have blessed children or cursed children
Every day I spoke over my children Like Jesus they grow in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man…it’s true!!!They have
We are called to be a people of blessing
Genesis 9:1
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth•

God means blessing to cover every area of our life
The most far reaching blessing is given in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 28: 1-15 Every area of life BLESSED

In the bible …People blessed others at key moments of life

Genesis 24:60
and they (Rebecca’s family) blessed Rebekah before she left them and said to her, "Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies." •

A .Men are to bless their sons The blessing is an inheritance for our children
The patriarch Jacob Blesses His Sons with prophetic words
All these were the twelve tribes of Israel, and when he blessed them, he gave each the blessing appropriate to him.
Remember the story of Esau and Jacob…Jacob stole Esau’s birthright which was his fathers blessing
Proverbs 20:7
The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.

C> People will be blessed just because of our presence and the input we make into their lives and homes…’when you enter a house ‘WE ARE the blessing Look at Joseph !
Genesis 39:5
From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. •

D> We can bless anyone… the heathen/unbeliever
Genesis 47:7
Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh,

E> Our own actions bring blessing… the blessing is a reward. It isn’t like it’s a star chart for good behaviors its just that all these things have an inherent blessing in them because they are the actions of God himself
Psalm 41:1 regard for the weak
James 1:12…we are blessed when we persevere
James 1 we are blessed when we pay attention to God’s word
Psalm 106:3maintain justice,

F> when we get into trouble because we do right we are blessed. This means happy!
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

The story of Joseph tells us that the blessed life is not a trouble free life
But the blessing makes us like the bobbing cork in water cannot be kept down
We are happy whatever the circumstances because every command of Christ comes… with the full ability to perform it
Being blessed doesn’t mean everything always goes just as we want it
God’s friend Abraham found life uphill…he was so blessed but failed to have child when he wanted it he had to wait until his old age
God promised him
2. I will bless you. …he was blessed… Materially and spiritually …God consulted him before he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and answered his prayer to heal others
3. I will make your name great. His name is still great
4. You shall be a blessing. Good men are the blessings of their country.
5. I will bless those that bless you, and curse him that curses you. God will take care that none are losers, by any service done for his people.
6. In you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
All the true blessedness the world has, is owing to Abraham and his posterity.
The Jews… Through them we have a Bible, a Saviour, and a gospel. They are the stock on which the Christian church is grafted
This has passed to us now too
.(look at the Jewish contribution and the Christian contribution to science etc)
How do I know ….
Galatians 3 13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree; That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith
H> Abraham had spiritual clout with God but in the New Testament there is more spiritual power and spiritual dominion added to our blessing.
The gifts of the spirit, the power and anointing to heal, the ability to rule in the spirit realm
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
He has chosen us
Predestined us
Redeemed us
Made known his will to us, gave us the mind of Christ
Given us an inheritance
Sealed us with his spirit
Given us eternal life
WHAT PRICELESS BLESSINGS
It’s Eden in our hearts
Matthew Henry: Spiritual and heavenly blessings are the best blessings; with which we cannot be miserable, and without which we cannot but be so.
God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer
So they are NOT Temporal? (earthly) Surely temporal and spiritual
God gives us all things richly to enjoy 1 Tim 6. 17
He has given us all things that pertain to LIFE AND godliness 2 Peter 1.3
We are spiritual billionaires
E> those that are blessed cannot be cursed, and if they are then we can neutralize the curse
Numbers 22:12
But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed." •

Bless those who curse you pray for those who despitefully use you
Neutralize the curses and Turn every curse into a blessing
Giles was talking about over coming in a trial… everything can be turned into a blessing if we will bless and trust in the Lord
What does it mean for us? It means that …today we can bless others
Blessed to be a blessing
Blessing others maybe involves
Meaningful touch,
Positive affirmation
Speaking words that invoke the blessing and power of God..
We are going to take communion and give our offering in a minute I want you to remember in relation to our offering that

1. We are to give back to God according to the level of the blessing he has given us
2. Deuteronomy 16:17

Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.)
The communion cup is called the cup of blessing ..1Cor 10 16

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"Christ in you the hope of glory."

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:11:38 +0100

0701AGC Christ in you the hope of glory. 7th January 2007

Col 1:26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ (a) in you, the hope (b) of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 129 To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily

(a)Christ in you
Colossians 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and[a] of Christ,

When you believe in Christ then his promise is his indwelling presence by His Holy Spirit. Many scriptures talk about us being in him.
• John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
John 15:6-8 (in Context) John 15 (Whole Chapter)
• John 15:4
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
John 15:3-5 (in Context) John 15 (Whole Chapter)
• John 12:46
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
John 12:45-47 (in Context) John 12 (Whole Chapter)
• John 15:9
[ Love and Joy Perfected ] “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
• John 15:6
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Then this is a new insight a revealed mystery
It’s a reciprocal; Christ in you and you in him!

Galatians 3:27
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

This a is a mystery – something that has been revealed
Colossians 1:27
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

He wants us to know the riches of his glory. He wants to reveal to all people – gentiles – all he calls his saints – those who believe. He wants to use believers to show and tell all peoples these riches.

So the expectation that he has for us that we live, behave, think, talk and show that he has blessed and continues to bless us.
I define ’blessing’ as the ability, or power to prosper. That’s the riches given to us. These are there for us to live in and experience – However we have to take it. All we receive from God is received by faith. Faith comes from HOPE.

Heb 1:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(b) Hope
This is the message – keep hoping, expect God to bless you. Expect the riches of his glory.
Then the faith that he gives will bring us to the place of possessing those things we hope for.

So how do we get faith?

Well the faith is faith in God.

We need to Contend for the Faith
Jude 1:3Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. [But] I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort [you] to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith which is that sum of Christian belief which was delivered verbally to the holy people of God]. TAB

That sum total contains this mystery. Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Contend for it.
First possess it then show that it is true – no longer a hidden thing but a mystery made known.
How do we contend?
By living the life he intends for us to live.
We find this out step by step. Standing firm in faith and living according to the word. Christ – the living word is living in you.

There is a purpose.
He has an expected result from this revelation. It says in verse 28 Preach, warn, teach

28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 129 To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

With the knowledge of his place, his presence in us we will act in right ways. AND we will show others the truth and see them develop too.
The riches of his glory are ever and ever expanding as we tell and show others. His glory is ever growing as we equip and see the saints working in this ministry. That is his expectation.growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Ep 4: 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Lessons from the Nativity

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 14:39:52 +0100

Lessons from the Nativity [Margaret] Christmas Eve am

Isaiah 9. 6-7
Lesson: Before God does anything He always tells his servants prophets

There are 300+ prophecies that predict the coming of and the details of the life of Jesus the Messiah

Verse ….says “This will happen because the Lord of Heavens armies has dedicated himself to it”
God made his plan quite clear from the time of the fall
Satan was always nervous when a man arose who looked like the one who “would bruise his head”
Hence the edict from Pharaoh that all the baby boys should be killed
The command of Herod to kill all the babies under 2 years if age
Satan believes the word of God!

Luke 2 37 “with God nothing will be impossible
Is 55 11 His word will not return to him void but will accomplish that which he has spoken
When God speaks a matter then it will happen

ECF
“The city will be built out to its boundaries”
“you will have the multitudes”
“A church for the nations”
Giles “You will be a pastor”

Luke 1 26-38
Lesson:: faith in God’s word essential to receiving the blessing of God

The birth is announced to Mary

Mary was told that she was a highly favoured lady, and she heard the news that all the Jewish mothers since the Messiah was expected all had longed for

The favour of God was upon her
She was a young woman… probably 13 or 14
Who had simple faith
‘Be it unto me according to you word’
This should be our attitude too

Contrast her attitude with Zachariah, who was struck dumb for unbelief…a learned priest steeped in OT study… And. they had been praying for a child! (v 13)

he knew better

For with God nothing shall be impossible…the work of the Holy Spirit

V 45 blessed is she who believed for there will be a fulfilment of those things which were told her from the Lord

Matthew 1. 18-25

Lesson: God will always speak to both parties in a relationship He preserves unity

Man and wife example: wanting a baby
Our example: of house buying
Joseph was shown to be a man of principle a truly fit choice

Luke 2 1-7 Census time …
Lesson: God’s will is always accomplished through natural circumstances too

Bethlehem literally means ‘the house of bread’

Luke 2 8-20
Lesson: Don’t forget the excitement of the event!

The Announcement of the angels was that the war between man and God was over, and that God’s favour would be freely available to all men
IT WAS>>>BIG BIG NEWS
Bigger than we can ever realise

When the second world war was over people were crying shouting partying and kissing complete strangers strangers in the street etc

Heaven burst out into earth in the same way
But the ordinariness of what the shepherds would see could easily be missed

Luke 2. 22-40…Temple 8 days
Lesson: There is no such thing as a coincidence God orchestrates everything

They met Anna and Simeon who had been in faith for this event all along and ‘just happened to be there!’

Lets be in faith for God to organise things for us too

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Why not witness. 17 April 2005

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:31:23 +0100

0515 AGC Why not witness. 17 April 2005

Why not do it? or why ---- do you not witness?
1. There is a battle with inner forces.
Either focus on Jesus His will and commands
or
focus on self, my comfort or lack of ability or will.
There is a Spiritual War on inside you
2 Cor:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

There is a Spiritual War on inside you. Against the --- imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
These high things are in our own flesh and keep our focus on self and off Jesus – off His will and the “ I can’t help it” from last week. And the
“sharing of your faith” Philemon 6 And - the acknowledging of every good thing in you.

This war would use what is in you as a natural man to restrict you so you live in the flesh and focus on “I can’t, because …
FEAR of man, of what people think, possible rejection, …
LACK - lack of confidence - I’m not able. Not equipped, not knowledgeable not intellectually able. I might be found out as stupid or foolish - back to fear again.
(The opposite is of over confident that you know so much but in fact you haven’t got things right – misconceptions.)
You need a picture inside you of what you really have become -
2. Why do we find it hard to witness?
There is a spiritual war that uses your own fears and inadequacy against your recreated spirit man. Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Disciples said “let’s go fishing”. They followed what they knew in themselves not having the power to represent Jesus and take His Gospel to the world. BUT. He appeared to them and inspired them by the sea and they gathered in the upper room and were filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, they had the promised power to witness. They went out and preached in Jerusalem. They asked for boldness and received it. There was a spiritual strength that was greater than the spirit that is in the world. The devil will use our flesh against us. We can’t over come that with flesh and keep the battle won. When we are in the flesh then the spirit of the world is there ruling us.
But Jesus said, “ …be of Good Cheer, I have over come the world.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world----our faith.
It’s the battle of faith. Our will alone is not enough.
3. The Holy Spirit. The barrier breaker. The Love bringer
He brings power. bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
He brings Teaching. He is our guide
And HE spreads LOVE abroad in our hearts.

We need a new picture inside us of who we are.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We need his Holy Spirit to defeat the enemy, which uses our selves against us.
We need the love of God.
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

How do we receive anything from God?
By Faith - and - Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Also - Galatians 5:6 …faith working through love. It’s the battle of faith. The motivation is love
Love comes from the presence of the Lord. He is love. And His presence is with us if the Holy Spirit is in us.
1 John 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
In Conclusion: We can witness. We have the motivation. We have the ability. We have the power.
We have a picture inside us of serving him by sharing our faith with others. If you have not seen it yet, that doesn’t mean it is not there. It does mean that there are other pictures that crowd it out. Ask the Lord. Keep asking for a clear view of that picture. And refuse, in the name of Jesus, every negative picture of fear or lack that comes to mind. Ask him for that agape love. Open your heart to Him and let Him drop love of people into your heart. Then you will say “ I love them I can’t help witnessing to them.”

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