Drawing Closer to God

We no longer have to go through the rituals of the Old Testament to get right with God. We just have to realise that Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins so that we can be forgiven and not be condemned for our sins.

Source: on-call-devos.net

This is something that really jumped out at me the other day: I’ve recently been reading through the book of Numbers in the Old Testament and, being a bit OCD, I started at the beginning and I am reading right through to the end. To put it bluntly – it’s hard going! 'Sacrifice two of these, one of those and five of them, bring a drink offering for this and a grain offering for that'. The more I read, the busier the Israelites seemed to be. They were a grumbling people who God was trying to put right before He led them into the Promised Land. They seem to have spent an amazing amount of time trying to get right with God and to keep themselves spiritually clean. Not only that, God also instructed his people to make a sanctuary for him so He could dwell among them and His directions were very detailed, precise and exact. Many of the skilled people were working hard to make the things that God asked of them. God was leading them on a very real journey and it was hard work!

Source: www.pinterest.com

Things are very different now. We hit the New Testament and Jesus showed up. He came to take on our sins and be the ultimate sacrifice so that we are forgiven. We no longer have to go through the rituals of the Old Testament to get ourselves right with God. We just have to realise that Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins so that we can be forgiven and not be condemned for our sins. I suppose in a sense that makes things quite a bit more simple! 

Nowadays we are busy with other things in our lives such as work, kids/grandkids, hobbies, house work, commuting, the list goes on! When we finally have a moment free we want some ‘me time’. All these things we put first before trying to find time to spare for the Lord, our Saviour, the one who endured an agonising death on the cross for our sake! I am just as guilty of not spending enough time in fellowship with my saviour as anyone else, but how do we find time for God in our busy lives? We need to prioritise and take Jesus with us! What’s more important; spending time in prayer thanking God for all our provisions or doing the washing up? If the washing up is turning into a pile because we have been spending time with God then we should sing praises to God while we wash up! Read your bible, worship or pray on your commute to work (careful if you’re driving!) Be mindful of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) Would He appreciate where your conversation is going? Do you have an opportunity to ask someone if you could pray for them. Take Jesus everywhere with you and let him be a part of what you are doing. Now you are spending time with God. 

Why not take a few moments to stop what you are doing and listen to the wonderful worship song below.  Try and find a quiet space free from distractions and clear your mind to just focus on God. Play the video below and wait for God to speak into your life. You will experience an incredible peace by doing this. Praise His wonderful name. James 4:8 ‘Come near to God and he will come near to you’. 

Author: Samantha Tarplin 

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Are you satisfied with your life?

The fact is we have all been created by God to do His will and glorify His Name, whether you realise it or not that is actually why and what you were born for

Source: www.pinterest.com

Well! what a summer...or should that be 'what summer?' the weather hasn't been exactly what we would expect for this time of year (in the UK) or at least what we would hope for. But then that's the Great British weather for you. It's a bit like life really, in that it's not always what we expect or would hope for. As youngsters we often dream of what we will be when we grow up, and for the lucky few they may achieve in some measure their dreams, but for the majority it just doesn't turn out the way they would have hoped, and for those people either they make the best of their lot or they just give up and lose all hope. The problem is very few people realise why and what they were created for and try their very best to get on with life doing it their way, believing that they don't need anyone to help and certainly don't want anyone telling them how they should live their lives. After all, they say ‘it's my life and no-one is going to tell me how to live it, I'll do what I want.’ They certainly don't think that they need God, especially if they don't believe in Him. These are generally the people who when something goes wrong in their lives the first thing they do is blame God, which when you think about it is contradictory and pretty daft, but it enables them to blame anyone but themselves. 

Source: www.dunbarelectric.com

The Bible is quite clear about the state of mankind, it says in Romans 3:23 ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’, this excludes nobody. In other words we all get it wrong. The fact is we have all been created by God to do His will and glorify His Name, whether you realise it or not that is actually why and what you were born for.  This is why for many people no matter how successful they are, there is still an emptiness inside them that can't be filled with money, no matter how much they have or material things. God is the only one who can truly satisfy and make us feel whole. So how can we get this satisfaction and wholeness? Well the bible tells us how, in the following scriptures:

God's Love - Romans 5:8 ‘But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us’.

God's Remedy - Romans 6:23 ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’.

God's Promise - Romans 10:9 ‘If you confess with your mouth. ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved’.

Our response - 1 John 1:9 ‘If we confess our sins, (all the things we've done wrong), He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’.

The Outcome - John 1:12 ‘Yet to all who receive Him, (Jesus) to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God’.

Why not give God a chance? What do you have to lose? Actually nothing, but you have everything to gain because God's promise is that He will provide all your needs whether spiritual or physical. Philippians 4:19 says ‘And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus’.

Author: Kevin Hunt

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The Reason for Truth

Under the old covenant, man, in general, could not look upon God or even be in the presence of God. God chose only a few to intercede on man’s behalf and even then only at specified times. Jesus came to bring the new covenant whereby all men at any time can go directly to God through Him.

Source: www.pinterest.com

The truth of God’s creation is not a concern under my control. I am simply subject to that truth. What matters to me is the pursuit of that truth.  In the text of theology, what is true is always true and what is false is always false.  Truth cannot change.  Prior to the coming of Jesus, the truth of all creation was given by God to certain men who were responsible for disseminating that truth.  They were most commonly referred to as prophets.  The Scriptures tell us in Hebrews that Jesus came to fulfill the law and to begin a new dispensation and reveal the last and complete truth to be given to man.  When He came, we were released from all the Leviticus laws, rituals, sacrifices, and services of the previous dispensation. We were given a new covenant (agreement between God and His people). Under the old covenant, man, in general, could not look upon God or even be in the presence of God. God chose only a few to intercede on man’s behalf and even then only at specified times.  Jesus came to bring the new covenant whereby all men at any time can go directly to God through Him.

Source: www.outreachmedia.org.au

The Bible says there is only one mediator now between God and man - Jesus (I Timothy 2:5).  The priesthood is no longer needed or wanted (Hebrews 9:18-19). Another person such as a priest or pastor acting as a mediator is not only not needed any longer, but is actually not wanted in light of the dispensation to come.  The Scripture says at the death of Jesus, the veil between man and the presence of God in the Holy of Holies (which only a priest could enter and only once a year) was ripped from top to bottom.  This is all very important because now Jesus is the ONLY mediator between God and man. NOW JESUS AND HIS TRUTH (the Scriptures) will be the source of all truth.

In the last dispensation, (the next dispensation to come), man and/or an organization will be part of the great deception.  The great deception will ultimately try to reenact the previous dispensation that, among other things, separated man from God through the priesthood or prophets. That is what Jesus came and died to release us from. Basically, the great deception will try to once again elevate man or an entity such as a church as God.  If that can be done, then man can choose to live by the standard he devises. Time and again we are rebuked by Scripture to test all things to the new covenant.  We are to test all human teachers, and yes, even the clergy.  Any lion can wear the cloak of a sheep and for a while appear to be a sheep. Therefore, truth and the basis of truth is very important. Jesus spoke in John 8:32 that the truth will set you free. This quote is misused by much of the Christian community as well as the secular community.  Study the text of this verse and you will see its correct meaning. The truth that the secular world has to offer does not set you free, but rather makes you captive to it and you are enslaved by it.  On the other hand, the truth of the Holy Father through Jesus Christ, who brought the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, does not enslave you, but rather, really sets you free.  Why do I seek truth? Because it sets me free and I want to be free.

My final resolve is this:  If Jesus is not who He said He was, then I do not have time for Him.  If He is who He said He was, I cannot live apart from Him. One of my favourite verses in the Old Testament is Proverbs 2: 1-6. ‘My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my command within you. So that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding’


Author: David Leatherman


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Why faith is infinitely more valuable than gold

God is just amazing and He always answers prayer. The answers may not always come in the way we want but we just have to trust that God is always working things out for the good of everyone. Amen

Source: 2014year5.stjosephsblogs.net

Psalm 107:28 Then they cried to the lord in their distress and he delivered them 

I would like to share a few short but very powerful testimonies about the power of prayer.

About 10 years ago I visited by brother's house to drop something off.  My sister in law opened the door and we chatted for about 10 minutes. When I left I pulled my car over and I prayed to God because I felt something was wrong. The Lord said to me to go back and ask her if she was ok. I said to God that I felt a little uncomfortable knocking the door after I had only just left there, but God insisted and said 'go back’. I went back and when my sister in law opened the door I felt a little embarrassed and just said ‘have you been praying about something?’ My sister in law burst into tears and took from her pockets evidence of desperate prayers. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that in 30 minutes bailiff’s were coming to her house and she had to have a certain amount of money ready for them and her husband (my brother) did not know about the debt they were in.  My daughter and myself went to the bank and by God’s wonderful Grace and provision we raised enough funds to cover what the bailiff’s were asking for, praise God. When we took it back to her she cried harder than the first visit and she worshiped God right there and then. On the evening she told her husband all about it because of God’s goodness she did not want to be dishonest and her husband was really understanding and a few months later they got themselves back on track financially.  To God be all the Glory Amen.

Source: www.patheos.com

The second testimony about the power of prayer also took place about 10 years ago when my daughter was 19 years old. My daughter had just purchased a £900 car, which was a HUGE sum of money to her at that time. She loved her car and gave God all the Praise and Glory for His wonderful provision.  After only having the car for just a few days she went to pick her cousin up from a local pub to give her a lift home. To my daughter’s horror, when they came out of the pub her car had been set on fire and was ablaze. My daughter immediately phoned me really upset and she said as soon as she put the phone down she prayed and while she was still in prayer about 20 young lads came out of the pub and risked their lives to put the fire out. 

The car was cosmetically damaged but could still be driven with the windows down as they where completely blacked out from the fire. That night my daughter prayed and she asked God, ‘what am I to learn from this?’ She never once asked God ‘why’ she just accepted the situation and even though she was upset she still had peace, Praise God. The next morning her uncle came down and went to the scrap yard with her father to try to repair the damage, they managed to get rear seats that were a different colour and seat belts and all the other things that were needed. The bill by God’s amazing grace was only £80. By 12pm the car was ready to drive even though it did still smell of fire damage. Then, shortly after 12pm my daughter got a phone call from her cousin, the one she had picked up the night before, informing her that someone in the pub knew the gang of youths that set the car on fire and one of them was a relative to my daughter’s cousin’s boyfriend. By 2pm (less than 24 hours since the incident) my daughter’s CD player and all her CD’s (that had been stolen) where returned to her and she was offered whatever sum of money to rectify the damage that had been caused. My daughter said that the bill was £80 just the amount she had paid.

My daughter believes the lesson was not for her but for the gang that had set the car on fire. By God’s Grace and mercy they were given a fair chance because my daughter loves God and so showed them amazing compassion and mercy even though they had set fire to her beloved car for no other reason than just pure vandalism. Only God knows what seed He has sown by the power of the Holy Spirit living in my daughter by God’s Grace. Amen.

God is just amazing and He always answers prayer. It may not always come in the way we want but we just have to trust that God is always working things out for the good of everyone. I have been praying every single day for the last 21 years for reconciliation for my brother and his 3 children but as yet that has not happened but I know with all my heart God has it all in hand. 

1 Peter:6-7 ‘At present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials. This is no accident. It happens to prove your faith which is infinitely more valuable than gold’


Author: Christina O’Neill 

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