I find that it is in my darkest times that God really reveals himself to me, through his amazing compassion, forgiveness and unfailing love, Amen.
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I have always thought of myself as a work in progress in my walk with Jesus but if I am honest I believed I had a strong, intimate, relationship with Him and by that I mean I prayed every day, I read my bible, I went to bible study groups and I even fasted. That is until I met this awesome guy, we started dating and shortly after became a couple. I wholeheartedly know that God put him in my life as a blessing but in my human form I started to put him and our relationship before my relationship with God. I wanted to be with him all the time and without even realizing it, I was letting my prayer life slip, my bible readings became less and less and I stopped attending my mid-week meetings. Before I knew it I had fallen in love with him however in all of this and with hindsight I had to ask myself, where was Jesus? Before meeting this man Jesus was my first love before anyone else. I loved no one more than Jesus but I realised sadly that this was no longer evident in my actions or my behaviour. The scripture that comes to mind as I write this is Revelation 2:4‘Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first’.
God had blessed me with this great guy so surely one would expect me to be praying and praising even more. Sadly, through my ignorance, I gave the devil a foothold and became disobedient to God. I very sadly admit that I put God on the back burner and put my love for this man ahead of my love for God. Through my sin the relationship was short lived and came to a very abrupt end.
I find that it is in my darkest times that God really reveals himself to me, through his amazing compassion, forgiveness and unfailing love, Amen. I now understand that all relationships must overcome obstacles and the only way for the relationships to be successful and blessed is to have God at the centre ALWAYS. This will help to ensure that the relationship will be covered and protected under God’s anointing when the two people have their hearts sold out for God, first and foremost.
God is SO amazing that as I surrendered myself to him and poured out my heart He CLEARLY spoke to me not once, not twice but FOUR times about the same thing and even sent a Godly counsel with a word confirming everything I had read, prayed and asked about. Then to top it off the next day at service four people gave words all confirming everything. What a blessing, how amazing is the Lord! One of those blessings was the following prophetic Word given in service; ‘I want a people who are surrendered to me. My heart jumps for joy when I see my children obeying me in spirit and in truth. There is nothing I will withhold from you when you breakthrough in the areas that bind you and make you captives’ AMEN.
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The amazing thing is that through my loss I have gained so much. Jesus loves me and He forgives me of all of my sins even after I pushed him aside and put other priorities and people in front of him. Thanks to the mercy and grace of God’s love and teaching I know that any relationship with Jesus at the centre with two people equalled, yoked and focused on the most important thing (Jesus) will be wholly blessed. I am not saying that there will be no hard times but with two people having one focus there is nothing they can’t overcome.
Once I repented and surrendered to Jesus there was a huge transformation in my life and I experienced a peace that I never knew was possible. Jesus NEVER lets me down. In fact through surrendering and changing my focus I can have all the things I had and wanted but instead they will now be blessed. I must remain vigilant at all times and keep focused on Jesus;2 Corinthians 2:11‘in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes’. In all things I hold onto the truth and no matter what I do God always loves me and He will never leave me even when I leave him. One of my favourite Scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, remember the Lord in all you do and he will make your paths straight’ Amen.
A life without Jesus at the centre is a life not worth living and not a life I chose to live. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for your AMAZING love, forgiveness and understanding. I love you ALWAYS.
The beautiful words of the song I have chosen are ‘From my heart to the heavens Jesus be the centre, it's all about you’ Amen.
Author: Anonymous
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The good news is no matter how dark things look on the outside, today God can give you a fresh vision and a new future
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Genesis 12:1-3: 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. I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you all families of the earth shall be blessed."
When God gives us a promise and vision He also adds blessing to them.
Hebrews 11:8Abraham did not know where he was going it simply was enough for him to know he went with God. He did not lean as much on the promises as he did on the promiser, and he did not look at the difficulties of his circumstances but looked to his king - the eternal, limitless, invisible, wise and only God who had reached down from His throne to direct his path and who would certainly prove himself.
Genesis 15:1-6 God given vision is the ability to see the invisible, without it people stumble all over themselves (Proverbs 29:18 where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint...) When God told Abram he would be the father of many nations he and Sarai were old and childless. Naturally speaking it looked impossible so God took Abram outside and said to him, look up into the sky and count the stars if you can, that's how many descendants you will have. It wasn't enough to hear what God said, Abram needed to see it in his mind's eye, and that goes for us as well. Although the promise wasn't fulfilled for twenty plus years, every night when Abram looked up at the heavens the stars were a constant reminder of God's faithfulness. American president Woodrow Wilson once said "No man that does not see visions will ever realise to accomplish any high hope or undertake any high enterprise". To give birth to something, you must first conceive it by seeing it through the eye of faith and burning the image on the canvas of your mind. Jesus said "If your eye is good your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad your whole body will be full of darkness". Matthew 6:22-23.
Legend has it when Michelangelo looked at a chunk of marble the owner told him it was worthless, but Michelangelo, said, it's priceless to me. There is an angel locked inside and I must set it free. What you see will change the direction of your life. Like a thermostat it dictates how high you rise or how low you fall. The good news is no matter how dark things look on the outside, today God can give you a fresh vision and a new future.
In Isaiah 43:19 (NKJ) Behold I will do a new thing now it shall spring forth shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
1 Corinthians 2:16 Our life will manifest what we continually keep in front of us. Paul says we have the mind of Christ and creativity and vison are part of the package.
Let the image of victory take hold and remind us of these scriptures truth.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquers through Christ who loved us.
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
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Matthew 9:17 In bible times wine was stored in leather wine skins, but as they aged, they lost their flexibility. New wine always required new wineskins and just like you can't pour new wine into old wineskins God won't give us a new vision until we change the old images and attitudes we are carrying in our head/heart. God says I am doing a new thing now it springs up, do you not perceive it? He is ready to do something new/special in your life today if you are willing. Are you ready to change and seek His will, and His vision for your life?
Hebrews 6:15 Abraham was tested for a very long time, but he was richly rewarded the Lord tested him by delaying the fulfilment of His promise. Satan tested him through temptation, people tested him through their jealousy, distrust and opposition to him. Sarah tested him through worrisome, yet he patiently endured not questioning God's truthfulness and power or doubting God's faithfulness and love. Instead Abraham submitted to God's divine sovereignty and infinite wisdom.
Romans 4:20-24: He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was able to perform and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but also for us it shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Author: Herbie Jean
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“The way to become wise is to honour the Lord; He gives sound judgment to all who obey his commands. He is to be praised forever”
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In 2 Chronicles chapter 1 we have the story of Solomon newly and firmly established as King, going to Gibeon with all of the leaders of the people to inquire of the Lord. King David had gone and here was this young and relatively inexperienced King sharing that they must go and inquire of the Lord together to ask Him for guidance. Maybe the question in the minds of Solomon and the leaders was “what do we do now”? The bible records:
“That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘Ask for whatever you want me to give you.’ Solomon answered God, … 10 ‘Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?’”
Whatever was in the individual minds of the leaders, the Lord answered Solomon directly: “Ask! what shall I give you”? The question was not only about the substance of the gift that God would supply, but also a test of the heart – a test to see what was driving Solomon and give him an opportunity to know and manifest what was really in his heart.
I wonder how many of us find that God comes to us and turns our ideas, mindsets and questions around? When we were in the process of moving churches at one time our minds were occupied with where we would settle – where would our new spiritual home be? I discovered though that in fact all that the Lord seemed to be saying to me was: “Thank goodness you have stopped being part of all of that – if you put it all down and stop trying to work it out, I can actually speak to you about what is on my heart for you”. It turned out that the Lord wanted to show me some very simple things, and get me to soften my heart, repent some and refocus on Him, rather than engaging the ins and out of church life. After that, other stuff fell into place without a struggle.
We can try and imagine what Solomon and the leaders may have been thinking, and maybe wanting to ask for? Their thoughts may have been clouded with a lot of “stuff” - politics and what might be possible in the time of change, what might be better than in the past, and what might be worse. I wonder how many of them were ready to answer the real questions: “What do you want”? Why are you here?
Solomon realised that he didn’t want God to give him a roadmap to success – God had done this before with others – some who had been seeking the way and even a number who hadn’t. The instructions had been situational and varied, for example to Moses at the Red Sea: “Raise your staff over the water” and on another occasion “speak to the rock…” To Joshua at Jericho “walk around the city once for 6 days and 7 on the seventh day…” To Gideon “you have too many people bring them down to the water and I will sort them out…” To Naaman “dip in the river Jordan 7 times…” To Jehoash “take the arrows and strike the ground…” and many, many more. Solomon knew that this kind of help was good and amazing but also limited. However, if the wisdom of the Lord was available to him 24/7 this would be much better – it would fill the hole that he felt in his heart and mind and enable him to fulfil the awesome responsibility that had become his – to lead God’s people.
I think that this story also anticipates the place that we are in as believers living after the events that we commemorate at Easter, and at a time when the Holy Spirit has been given to all who are “true followers of Jesus”. Jesus said to the disciples that the Holy Spirit was “with them” but would be “in them”. As such the Holy Spirit makes available to those who follow Jesus a host of attributes that represent the character of our heavenly Father (e.g. “fruits of the Spirit”), and “gifts of the Spirit” to attest to the truth of the preached word, minister to believers and non-believers, and bring deliverance and destroy the works of the evil one.
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We therefore don’t need to continually be asking “what do I do now Lord”? If we walk with Him, we will walk in His paths – although all of us will have asked and received specific guidance from the Lord or experienced His intervention in our lives from time to time, it is not so much the norm because children of God are led by the Spirit of God - brought into intimate relationship with our heavenly Father on a daily basis. Here are some scriptures to ponder about this daily ongoing relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit:
Romans 8:14-15
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
2 Peter 1;3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him
Both David and Solomon had grasped that: “The way to become wise is to honour the Lord; He gives sound judgment to all who obey his commands. He is to be praised forever”. It was this understanding that led them to honour the Lord and seek His face. Although we live in the light of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus, and the outpouring of the gift of the Father – the Holy Spirit, and are recipients of grace and participants in the divine nature by faith in the God’s promises; are we missing the fulness of all that He has for us individually and collectively? Individually and collectively how do we capture the Father’s attention so that He comes and asks us “What do you want”? Individually and collectively – what would our answer be? Will we ask for a “road map to success” or something that reflects the desires that the Lord has put within us to see fruit for the Kingdom and His name honoured and glorified?
Author: Chris Pearson
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Knowledge will fade into insignificance as we come face to face with our Lord Jesus
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Over recent years we, the public, have heard the mantra ‘Follow the science..’ uttered from the mouths of public leaders, especially politicians. The prime example was during the Covid pandemic, as the government enlisted the country’s top scientific advisers to help navigate through these unchartered waters. In our widespread interconnected, commuter society, the scientists and policy advisers had to grapple with complex issues while many of the public offered their diverse opinions and doctrines on social media and news outlets. It was evident that many experts did not agree, and that science for one group was pseudoscience for another group. Then of course the internet gives opportunity for many of us to gather together some of the facts and draw our own conclusions; conspiracy theories abound!
I was interested to read an account, by Sarah Irving-Stonebraker, about some of the early scientists of the 17th century; especially Robert Boyle and Robert Hooke who with colleagues, developed the experimental method. They recognised human fallibility and the resulting error that came from relying upon our natural senses. They fully accepted that in the original state of creation, Adam and Eve possessed perfect senses and a perfect knowledge of nature. Adam was able to give names to all the creatures through this perfect knowledge and authority over creation. However, after their rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), their perfect senses were damaged by sin and they lost dominion over the natural world. This is a quote from the historian, Peter Harrison: “the experimental method…arose out of a renewed awareness that the attainment of knowledge was not a natural, easy process, but rather one that called for the imposition of external constraints: rigorous testing of knowledge claims, repeated experiments, communal witnessing, the gradual accumulation of histories, the use of artificial instruments to amplify the dim powers of the senses and the corporate rather than the individual production of knowledge”. That quote is worth rereading.
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Scientific knowledge has been gradually accumulating over the past 400 years, with those solid foundations still holding fast. However, there are individuals and organisations who have had an agenda to destroy the biblical foundations of science. They are well educated and have laboured in their fields of science. They have communicated their ideas in the name of science and through gradual popularisation, their theories and hypotheses have been declared as facts. It is a good discipline to test what is claimed to be science against the foundations laid hundreds of years ago. To simplify it: scientific facts should be observations that are measurable and repeatable.
Solomon, who was renowned for his wisdom and accumulation of knowledge, shares some secrets at the beginning of the book of Proverbs: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline…. Let the wise listen and add to their learning.
The apostle Paul reminds us all, when instructing the Corinthian church about the pre-eminence of love, that knowledge will fade into insignificance as we come face to face with our Lord Jesus:
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Author: Richard Windridge
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He is just waiting to embrace you with his loving and comforting arms
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On Easter Sunday, 1st April, my dear friend Roy Westwood preached this message to his fellowship in Waddington Lincolnshire. I reproduce it here as he said it, with his permission, after a couple of minor tweaks:
“I just love the cryptic promises about the salvation through the cross in the Old Testament;
Exodus 15:22-26 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore, it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
For 430 years the Israelites had been in captivity, slaves of the Egyptians, brutalised and continually abused. They had lost their dignity and their self - esteem.
They consistently cried out to their God for help and their prayer would possibly have been ; ”Please forgive me. If you deliver us and set us free we will never ever doubt you again“ The exodus from Egypt was enormous, probably close to a million however not everyone reached the promised land many turned away from God and lost their promise.
Fast forward to the wilderness and the pool at Marah, centuries before Jesus was even born. It was probably pure and clean at one time. However, over the years it had become contaminated with various foreign things that had got into it. It is of course quite possible that God made it bitter in order to bring the Israelites back to their senses and reminding them of the miraculous deliverance they had experienced when he made them free from their dreadful lives.
Tired hungry and thirsty, back to their old ways moaning, grumbling, blaming Moses and everyone including God,
“Why couldn’t we have stayed in Egypt at least we were never hungry and thirsty. We endured the punishment and brutality for over 400 years. We were far better off there. Instead, you, Moses let God bring us here into the wilderness on a stupid promise of some non-existent promised land just so he could see us die “Why can’t we ever find peace, why does God continually bring us grief, why must we go around in circles. Why doesn’t He show us what the future holds? If he would show us that our future was great and peaceful we would be o.k. we would never ever complain again, but there is just no hope“
I truly believe that the pool at Marah represents the human heart, because it has had all manner of problems and difficulties; illness, physical and mental problems, some of which are self - inflicted. The heart has become bitter and in many ways the individual needs to place the blame and eventually that usually is God. The wood represents the Cross on which Jesus died for each one of us. Look what happened when the cross went into the water (Heart); it became pure. Look what happened to the Israelites;
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
They found rest and shelters, a much better life.
If you accept the cross and ALL it represents into your heart things WILL change. He is just waiting to embrace you with his loving and comforting arms. The key word here is WAITING.
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Revelation 3:20 in the message says: “Look at me. I stand WAITING at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you.
Jesus is standing here outside the door (your heart) He says; ‘Invite me in. I want to have an intimate relationship with you, love and comfort you, but I will not barge my way in and bully you it MUST be at your request“
If you feel that this could be you because of situations, relationships and most importantly decisions that you have made that have gone wrong. That, over the years, you feel lost and abandoned, let down by family and friends that you have trusted and confided in, and you feel betrayed and maybe your heart has become sad and even bitter. Then I can personally guarantee that, if you put your trust in Jesus and his amazing sacrifice on that wooden cross on Calvary, He will NEVER let you down.
I ask you to make that decision today and someone will come and pray with you.
In 2 Corinthians 6 it states:“In the time of my favour I have heard you and in the day of salvation I have helped you I tell you this this is the day of my favour This is the day of your salvation.”
Perhaps you did pray this prayer a long time ago but because of various situations, maybe the pressures of work, health, money worries, the loss of a loved one, you have, like the Israelites, lost your way a little.
If so and if God seems far away from you, I ask you simply, If God seems far away; Guess Who’s Moved?
Remember, if you pray this prayer and accept Jesus into your life as your personal saviour, your life will slowly change for the better, but it’s a lifetime commitment. Don’t be like the Israelites who lost it on the last stretch.
You will enter into Gods worldwide family who will be just waiting and willing to talk, listen and pray with you when you become hungry or thirsty for friendship, fellowship and encouragement.
Jesus said in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty again“
Amazingly, you will see people in your former situation, and you will be able to help them as you have been helped. I don’t want to embarrass anyone by asking them to come out to the front to be prayed for. If I had been asked to do that, personally I would have done a runner.
You may want someone to pray for a specific situation for healing, or a friend.
Remember we are here today to celebrate a saviour who has been taken down from the cross and raised from the dead to eternal life and NOTHING is impossible for the one true God. Now and again I get pictures of people or situations I would like to share this picture I have. It maybe for someone here today:
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS
Revelations 1:7: “Look He is coming on the clouds and every eye shall see Him…….. “
Sadly, the world we live in, is a world that’s lost its sight of the cross and the sacrifice that Jesus made for them and in many ways has become dark and uncaring, just focusing on their lives, totally unaware of what is to come.
We need to be like Jesus a Light in a Dark World. Its time to accept the invitation, the days of hesitation and reluctance are over.”
For the purposes of this blog, Roy offers this explanation of the picture:
Some years ago, as a young Christian, and having my doubts about salvation, the Holy Spirit gave me this picture:
“Like the films War of the Worlds and Gone with the Wind, there is a scene after a great battle. The earth and sky are black, charred and smouldering, people are crying out for help. Suddenly Jesus comes, a huge figure striding across the scene, in his hand He holds a HUGE glass jar. As he goes he keeps picking up small lights, ( a little bit like glow worms). These are those who shine with the light of Christ. People are shouting “ Here I am help me“
However, in Revelation 1:7 it says ALL eyes will see him NOT he will see everyone .
If we don’t shine with the light of Christ in this world then we are heading for a lost eternity.
“As we close our eyes and prepare to pray if you would like to respond to Gods invitation today just quietly raise your hand, someone will come and quietly pray with you."
Let’s Pray;
Heavenly Father I ask your forgiveness for the way I have lived my life. I, like the Israelites feel lost and alone in the wilderness and as you brought them to safety and a better life please touch my heart as you touched the pool at Marah with the cross and make it pure and worthy enough to follow you. In your precious name I pray, AMEN”
I make no apologies for publishing this in full, because not only is the message it contains vital in these days, but its very delivery is also a testimony to the power of Jesus in the life of this godly man.
Roy preached this message only three weeks after the funeral of his beloved wife, Sue, who went to be with the Lord after a tragic accident at home.
Be blessed as you read it and have a blessed week.
Author: Alan Cameron (with gratitude to Roy Westwood)
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