Whether hardship or joy we are confident that God is continually in control if we humbly submit to His Will in all circumstances
Source: Flickr
2018 has passed by so quickly and it is only on reflection that we can see the wonderful way that God is using His Church in such a diverse and dynamic way. The Fellowship at MCF Life Church has not really grown in numbers in 2018 however and significantly there is clear spiritual growth within the MCF family. The variety of ministries that God has given us the privilege to do in the Fellowship is quite remarkable for such a small Fellowship, however, only made possible by the obedience of those commissioned and with the Power of the Holy Spirit. For some in the Fellowship 2018 has a particularly tough year where a number of our congregation have suffered significant health issues and others have had to deal with those difficult challenges that life seems to continually throw at us. There have also been many moments of joy where God continues to answer prayer and pour out His Spirit in abundance. We have also been blessed with a new life into the Fellowship with the arrival of baby Elijah in early 2018. Whether hardship or joy we are confident that God is continually in control if we humbly submit to His Will in all circumstances; Proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight’. As 2018 draws to a close we thought it would be a real blessing to share some popular blog articles that members of our congregation have posted throughout the year. We have been publishing a new article each Sunday for just under three and a half years and God has blessed the blog to receive over 330,000 views (nearly 100,000 in 2018) from all over the World. Mark 16:15 ‘He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation’. The blog articles below are not listed in any order of popularity. If you click on the article title you will be directed to the relevant article. Why not also take the time to listen to some of the fantastic worship songs which you will find at the end of each article. You will also find other Words of God, Teachings and Testimonies in our blog archive at the right-hand side of the main blog page and if you would prefer to listen to our 2018 Online Sermons and Bible Studies then take a look at our MCF Website (link) and go to the message online. Be blessed. What would Jesus think? It’s time to stand up for Christ The Author and Finisher of our lives God will never let you down Only God knows who I really am! Praying from the heart is the key to answering prayer Why, why, why? A Transformed Heart Can Change the World You’re a Good Good Father The Wrong Question? Be Still and Know that I am God Life What is the price for revival? Fight the good fight As a fellowship, we pray that God's Word speaks into the hearts and minds of those who read and receive it and that lives are changed forever as a result. We give all Glory to God and pray that people Make Christ First in their lives. Amen. Wishing everyone a happy and blessed New Year from everyone at MCF Life Church. Matthew 6:33 ‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well’.
Author: MCF Blog Editor May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
Our focus is on the prize of Heaven. When we focus on that prize, we will be able by the Power of the Holy Spirit to not only to finish the race but finish it strongly.
Source: Alex Becker
I recently read a passage in a Max Lucado daily devotion book and it really spoke to me and blessed me, so I would like to share the blessing with you all. The passage is entitled ‘Run the race’. Hebrews 12:1 ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us’. Agon (Classical Greek) is an ancient Greek term for a struggle or contest. This could be a contest in athletics, in chariot or horse racing, or in music or literature at a public festival in ancient Greece. Agon is the word-forming element in 'agony', explaining the concept of agon(y). ‘The Christian race is not a jog but rather a demanding and gruelling, sometime agonising race and it takes a massive effort to finish strongly. You may have noticed that many don’t finish strongly and surely you would also have noticed there are many who are on the side of the race track. These represent people who used to be in the race, running and keeping pace however something happened which resulted in weariness setting in. They did not think the race would be as tough, they experienced the agony of the race. By contrast Jesus’s best work was His final work and His strongest step was His last step. Jesus is our Master who is the classic example of one who endured…… He could have quit the race, but he didn’t’ (Taken from Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado). The above passage reminded me of my PE lessons many years ago. In the lesson, we would take part in long distant running in freezing cold weather conditions and it was painful. For some strange reason, I never managed to learn the art of ‘pacing myself’. I would always start the race by sprinting and by the end of the first lap I was out of breath, but there would still be seven laps to go!!! By the final lap, I was exhausted. The final lap was always so painful, my legs would be hurting, I would have a stitch in my side and my lungs would be burning with the inhalation of the freezing cold air. However, giving up was never an option. The brutal PE teachers standing on the side-lines would demand I finish and so I did.
Source: By Shine Design
Like the passage says, the Christian Journey can be like those agonising long distant runs and the PE teachers (God’s angels) are stationed on the side-lines by God’s instruction to encourage us to keep going. The absolute crucial thing is to keep in the race no matter what the cost. Finishing the race is a matter of life ‘in all eternity’ (John 3:16) or death ‘in the furnace of fire’ (Matthew 13:42). Our focus is on the prize of Heaven. When we focus on that prize, we will be able by the Power of the Holy Spirit to not only to finish the race but finish it strongly. Then how wonderful it will be when we lay our victor’s crown before the thrown saying; Revelation 4:10 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power’. God makes it very clear in the Bible, the living Word of God, that to follow Jesus will require a sacrifice of self. We must die to the carnal self so that Christ can live in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us repeatedly that we will be hated and persecuted for Jesus’ namesake; (Mark 13:13, Matthew 10:22, Luke 21:17, Hebrews 11:25, 1 Peter 2:20, Matthew 5:11). Let's finish this blog where we started with the words from the above passage; ‘The Christian race is not a jog but rather a demanding and gruelling, sometime agonising race. It takes massive effort to finish strongly’. God help us in the name of Jesus and by the Power of the Holy Spirit to understand the brutal race we are running in. Holy Spirit please help us to prepare daily so we can stay in the race and finish it strongly; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 ‘Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize’. All for God’s Glory. Amen.
Author: Anonymous May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
MCF Life Church - Christmas Message 2018 Jesus invites anyone and everyone to come and receive the gift of eternal life that He is offering, and the forgiveness of sins that He purchased for each one of us through His shed blood on the cross
Source: PInterest
Every year brings with it new challenges, some good, some not so good and for MCF Life Church 2018 has been no exception. We started the year having begun our new ‘Shekinah’ meeting in conjunction with fellow believers in Coleshill, held at Coleshill Town Hall, which is for Christians of any denomination who wish to experience God in the freedom of the Holy Spirit. Shekinah means ‘God’s dwelling’ which is something we aim to achieve at each meeting, to let God dwell with us and see where it takes us. We’re still learning. I am the Pastor of MCF Life Church and in the summer my wife and I met with about 15,000 other Christians in the 02 Arena, London at the Hillsong UK Conference and we were mightily blessed. We brought back a Word which we believed God was challenging us with, that within the next five years we were to plant another church and that MCF Life Church would not look the same as it does now. Another first for MCF Life Church in 2018 was to support a member of the fellowship on the mission field. The Bass player of the worship team, Jo O’Neill, went over to India for three months with her friend on a missionary trip to work with disadvantaged children in an orphanage, which I think initially was a bit of a shock to her system as the living conditions weren’t quite what she was used to. Never-the-less she tells us that it was an amazing experience. During her trip Jo she sent back many photos of the people and work they were involved with over there, which you can view on our MCF Church Website by clicking on (this link).
Source: Bisconti Ministries
On September 29th in Coventry’s old Cathedral and later in the day in Meriden Park people from all over our nation and beyond came together in response to a Word God had given to Peter Hill, an Englishman living in Canada to ‘Call the Nation to Prayer’, which he knew was referring to the UK. He and another man from Chelmsford, David Gilby got together having met at a prayer meeting in Birmingham and heard from the Lord that they should call the nation to prayer in the Centre of England to pray for the nation. They gathered a team of people around them and spent several months planning and bringing the event together, believing that this would be the start of the fulfilment of the prophesy given particularly by Smith Wigglesworth in 1947; ‘when those of ‘the Word and those of ‘the Spirit’ would come together there will be the biggest move of the Holy Spirit the nations, and indeed, the world have ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores…’. These were amazing meetings and the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt at both gatherings. There is now great anticipation as people take back to their part of the nation what God has imparted. ‘Call the Nation to Prayer’ is what was spoken by the prophet Joel and referred to in Acts 2:17-21 ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’.
In the latter part of the year MCF Life Church had to ‘step up’ as a Fellowship and run the church without me as Pastor and my wife Lyn. Lyn had to have a major operation which took us both out of the picture for several weeks, but God is good and the whole fellowship pulled together and kept going, for which the we were sincerely grateful. We were always confident this would happen as Jesus is in the centre of it all and is ultimately the Senior Pastor. God is so amazing and to serve Him is the most incredible privilege anyone could ever possibly experience. I for one know that full well. But it’s not just for the privileged few, it’s for anyone who wishes to have it. Jesus invites anyone and everyone to come and receive the gift of eternal life that He is offering, and the forgiveness of sins that He purchased for each one of us through His shed blood on the cross. The bible tells us in John 3:16 ’For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’. Notice the scripture says ‘Whoever’ which includes YOU. We are in the last of the last days according to God’s Word, so time is running out. None of us know when our last day is, so today is the day to ask God for His forgiveness. If you want to know more or have someone help you make that decision, then find a church where the gospel is preached and go along and ask someone to help you. Start the New Year as a New Creation with a new freedom and a new life; 2 Corinthians 5:15-20 ‘And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God’. May God bless you and be with you this Christmas and New Year, from all at MCF Life Church.
Author: Pastor Kevin Hunt May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
Remember that whether you win or lose, God can be glorified through your hard work
Source: Knowing Jesus
Sports are not the traditional way of sharing the Gospel, but we all have natural gifts and we are all called to use them. The roads to Rome carried the Gospel in the first century, but sports and other natural giftings could arguably be a means of carrying the Gospel today. Some might question why sports evangelism is even a consideration? However, sport is important for several reasons;
The World has become more resistant to traditional forms of ministry.
Sports attempts to go where traditional evangelism has not been effective in reaching the lost.
People are familiar with sports personalities, media events and competitions they are already following. (When these persons get saved, they tend to be very passionate! and they already have a captive audience).
Sports connect with people and move towards active discipleship. Sports evangelism is necessary because it attracts the secularized and the ‘unchurched’; it primarily reaches two missing groups in the Church (men and youth) and it fulfills church growth principles.
People are mostly influenced while having fun and athletic facilities attract people.
The bible often speaks of analogies and stories as encouragement for persevering and achieving our goals. There are therefore many verses that can offer athletes motivation and inspiration for training and competition. Remember that whether you win or lose, God can be glorified through your hard work: Philippians 4:13 ‘I can do all this through him who gives me strength’ Hebrews 12:1 ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us’ Isaiah 40:31 ‘but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint’ 1 Corinthians 9:24 ‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize’
Source: Berean Baskets
Christians in Football (CIF) is an example of the power of sport in bringing the Gospel to places and people that may not have been initially open to receive it. CIF was founded in order to serve the UK network of teams, Churches, and Christian players involved in non-league football. CIF is both a Network and Mission Agency which seeks effective and creative ways to help empower Church-based football groups and also aims to reach people for Christ and then bring them to maturity in both their Faith and their sport. My son was privileged to be part of a CIF team and in doing so he traveled with the team to France, Croatia, Repton in Derbyshire and other parts of Britain. They spend time in fellowship after the games where some of the players would give personal testimonies. The team would also get involved in outreach in the communities they visited, arranging football matches with schools and colleges and other teams, where they were able to bring a witness when the opportunity arose; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 ‘There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work’ and 1 Peter 4:10 ‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms’. Heather Dorniden is a committed Christian, born 1987 and was a middle-distance runner and four times United States National Champion in the one-mile race. Heather was an ordinary person who did an extraordinary thing that went viral on social media. In an important track event in Minnesota in 2008 Heather gave an inspiring example of how we can do all thing through Christ who strengthens us, by taking a fall during the race, getting to her feet and incredibly winning. The short video at the end of this article shows you what happened. This is what she said in an interview about the race; ‘What’ s probably most powerful is the sheer quantity and variety of people with different backgrounds who all have felt compelled to reach out to tell how the race effected them’. She continued; ‘this race is so easily relatable to everybody's lives. I've heard of cancer survivors, people battling addiction, struggling artists, parents, athletes and runners of every age and ability, (taking part) the list could go on. I always tell people this race isn't just about never giving up, it's about discovering what you're capable of when you are given the opportunity to rise above adversity’. She also went on to say that she is constantly striving to represent God who has blessed her life abundantly; Colossians 3:23-24 ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving’. May the Lord truly bless you.
Author: Anonymous May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
I am so grateful that I can keep coming back to God for help, for forgiveness and for His understanding.
Source: Vidcha.com
Earlier this year a member of our Fellowship brought a Word from Luke 1:26-45: ‘In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you’. ‘Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end’. ‘How will this be’, Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin’? The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail’. 'I am the Lord’s servant’, Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled’. Then the angel left her’. ‘At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!’
Source: europosters.pt
I remember being excited as the same passage had been on my heart for several weeks, although how God spoke to the person who brought the word was different to how God spoke to me. What struck me from the passage was Mary's courage. She knew how the news of her pregnancy could be received and how Joseph could reject her. Although her reputation could also be ruined, and she could have been stoned to death, she said ‘let it be to me as You have said’. Joseph sought God’s understanding and God spoke to him in a dream and he listened. Mary hurried from her community to spend time with Elizabeth who was filled with Holy Spirit and the understanding that God alone can give. The child in Elizabeth's womb leaped for Joy at the sound of Mary's greeting as she entered Elizabeth's home. How beautiful. We too need to seek God’s understanding in all our ways and relationships; Proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight’. It's too easy to misunderstand one another. I found it interesting that Mary did not stay in her own community. I wonder why? But there were those who sought God and He gave Mary His understanding. They rejoiced with Heaven and encouraged Mary. 1 Corinthians 13 is very well known, and the last verse sums up this message very well; ‘And now these three remain faith, hope and love’. The great test of these is love. I know me, I know the battles and I have to understand and to love people. I am so grateful that I can keep coming back to God for help, for forgiveness and for His understanding. Relationships are far from easy and I suppose that's why so many are broken. We have access to our Heavenly Father 24/7 and He has promised to give us wisdom, insight and understanding if we ask Him. It's our choice to walk a certain way and to be obedient, just like Mary decided to be obedient despite knowing the possible consequences. Let us lean not on our own understanding but submit to the understanding of the one who holds us in the palm of His hand. God bless.
Author: Anonymous May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
Our primary task is not to engage directly with the enemy but to connect with the Lord who has already won the victory.
Source: Cherry Blossom Kitchen
Throughout the history of mankind there have been many wars, but none so fierce, so long lasting, so devastating as the havoc caused by the war in the heavenly realms. As Christians, ready or not, willing or not, we are embroiled in the cosmic conflict between good and evil, between God and the devil, who opposes everything good. So therefore, how do we fight the good fight? Here are a few pointers: Our primary task is not to engage directly with the enemy but to connect with the Lord who has already won the victory. James 4:7 tells us; ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’. The word ‘submit’ is a military term, to get in rank under His command. In 1 Timothy 6:12 Paul tells Timothy to ‘fight the good fight of the faith’. So, there is a right and wrong way to struggle, and the right way is to believe and trust in Jesus. Armed with this faith we are now ready to understand the strategy of the enemy of our souls, and there are two stages in his schemes: 1 - The Foothold - Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 2:11 that we need not be ignorant of Satan’s schemes; ‘in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes’ and in Ephesians 4:26-27 we are instructed not to let our anger give the devil a foothold ‘In your anger do not sin; Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold’ – the original word is ‘topos’, simply meaning place or space, just like a beachhead gained by an attacking army from which they can begin to invade.
Source: PInterest
2 – The Stronghold – In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Paul uses the word ‘stronghold’(‘ochuromi’), for though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ‘The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’. Having given just a small space for a foothold in our lives the enemy quickly builds a fortress around it. This can be any area where human confidence has been placed, and whereas the foothold simply requires a ‘no’, the stronghold requires divine help to be removed. But, Praise God, He has given us the weapons that have the power to pull down these fortresses. Given this Divine Power we are able to demolish every human reasoning, however logical it may seem, and to bring down the ‘puffed up’ pride that the enemy breathes into godless humanity. Now we can take captive all of our thoughts, motives, and feelings, bringing them into obedience to Christ who won for us that costly victory on the cross. Be blessed.
Author: John Plumb May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
If our Words are hollow because our actions are not reflecting what we say, then they are just empty and meaningless
Source: PInterest
When I read the Gospels, I am always taken aback by the way in which Jesus speaks. I always imagine Jesus talking with calmness and love so that His voice alone makes you feel at ease and at peace. I also love the way in which Jesus responds to questions. A fantastic example can be found in Matthew 11:2-5 ‘When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor’. When Jesus is asked; ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ Notice that Jesus does not say ‘yes, it's me, there is no need to wait for anyone else, I’m here’. Instead He asks the disciples to go back and report on the examples they have seen, rather than rely on words alone. We should always learn from Jesus as He is the ultimate example. In the scripture above Jesus is demonstrating the importance and the significance of living by our faith and how words are empty unless backed up by action; James 1:22‘Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says’. We know that no amount of good works or deeds are required for entrance into heaven, it is by grace alone that we are saved and through grace alone we are allowed the opportunity to enter heaven; Ephesians 2:8-9 ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast'. We can however demonstrate the Presence of Jesus in our lives if our actions back up our words.
Source: www.pktfuel.com
In 1 Corinthians 11:1 we are instructed to follow the example of Jesus; ‘Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ’, so a good question to ask is ‘am I living my life as a positive example to others in accordance with the Word of God and the example of Jesus’? Attending church, raising our hands, worshiping God and quoting scriptures are hypocrisy if the way we are living our lives is not reflecting Jesus’s example. There is some quite strong language used in the Bible on the subject of hypocrisy: Titus 1:16 ‘They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good’ and Matthew 15:7-9 ‘You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules’. If we are being deliberately disobedient to God’s Word, then what example are we giving to those who do not know Christ yet? If, by our mouth we are claiming to know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour but our actions are saying the opposite then it is hardly surprising that people who do not know Jesus will consider us as hypocrites because that is exactly what we are showing them. Actions really do speak louder than words and this is exactly what Jesus was demonstrating to John’s disciples in Matthew 11:2-5. We continually pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and to see more and more people come to know Christ. If, however, we as the body of Christ do not display the Presence of Christ by the example we demonstrate in our own lives then what chance have we got? If our Words are hollow because our actions are not reflecting what we say, then they are just empty and meaningless. Jesus did not need to tell John’s disciples by His Words because He knew His example would speak much louder. Let us follow the example of Jesus and allow our actions to speak for us. Let us humble ourselves and turn our face to Him, so that people who do not know Him can see His reflection looking back at them. Let us listen attentively to what God has to say to us; 2 Chronicles 7:14 ‘if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land’. May words not be necessary because our actions speak for us. God bless.
Author: Anonymous May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
Because of God’s very nature, which is love, He seeks to have a relationship with us for His Glory. We cannot earn God’s favour and love, He comes, He pursues us, and He offers it to us.
Source: PInterest
When I first became a Christian, I looked back over my former life from when I was a young child and realized that God had always been pursuing me. I recalled all the people that God had put in my path who had filled my heart and mind with stories from the bible and especially the love of Jesus and His creation. I reflected on encounters I had with the Holy Spirit and God’s supernatural protection from potentially dangerous situations I sometimes found myself in during my lifetime. The realization that God was always drawing me to Him and pursuing me just blew me away; Psalm 139:7-10 ‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast’. This made me think about whether God would also pursue ‘bad’ people; ‘why would God want to hang out with bad people and would He still pursue them as well’? The answer I got was a definite yes, He certainly will pursue them because God longs to extend His Mercy to all. No one is perfect, not even Christians, and if they tell you that they are perfect they are deceiving themselves because the bible tells us; Romans 3:23 ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ and 1 John 1:8 ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us’. The bible is full of imperfect people. Moses and King David for example, were considered pillars of faith and although both sinned, they both had a close relationship with God. Perfection has never been a prior condition to hang out with God, only a desire to meet and to know him. No man is capable of being perfect, only Jesus Christ can claim this, however we can try with all our heart to follow Jesus’s example and be His hands and feet in a dying World; John 8:12 ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’. The light has come into the world and people who do evil things will be judged guilty if they love the dark more than the light. People who do evil hate the light and won’t come to the light because it clearly shows what they have done! However, everyone who lives by truth will come to the light because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do. God wants to pursue us and to rescue us from the darkness. Isaiah 9:2 ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned’.
Source: Quotes
As well as God pursuing us, He also desires our company and wants us to actively pursue Him. We often read about how ‘someone found God’, usually after a life event that caused them to reflect on things, but what they may not realise is that it was God who was pursuing them all along. Because of God’s very nature, which is love, He seeks to have a relationship with us for His Glory. We cannot earn God’s favour and love, He comes, He pursues us, and He offers it to us. God offers peace for those who have faith in Jesus Christ, His pursuit is not hectic as in the heat of battle, but it is gentle and peaceful. He speaks to us through His Word, the Holy Bible and when we accept His peaceful offer of a relationship, we will hear His still small voice; 1 Kings 19:11-13 ‘The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by’. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ Some final thoughts; there may be times when we feel very alone in this world, however these are the very times we should rest in the assurance that God is constantly pursuing us. In fact, He loves us so much that He gave us the most precious gift of all. He sacrificed His only begotten son to pay our sin debt. Jesus grew into a man and never sinned, not even once. It was because He was completely free from sin that He willingly gave His life for our own. Once we understand and believe what Jesus did for us it becomes personal and no matter how far away, we fall from Him, God still loves us and pursues us!! I pray that if you are looking for answers in your life right now that you consider that perhaps our wonderful Heavenly Father is pursuing you and drawing you to Him. Amen May God bless you all.
Author: Anonymous May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
Whatever God has to say to me through His Word, whether instruction or discipline is always given in love. This is why the Bible is alive, because God’s Word relates to everyday things that are happening in our lives right now.....
Source: Facebook
To anyone who does not read the Bible regularly or maybe have never picked it up, it is very difficult to explain exactly what you are missing. At face value you could argue that the Bible is a book like any other, it has a front and a back cover, pages, chapters and written words, but this is where the similarity ends. The Bible is far more than a book of words, it is the written Word of God. Every single word, full stop and punctuation mark is God breathed and with the help of the Holy Spirit the Bible comes alive like no other book can or ever will. Hebrews 4:12 ‘For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart’. The answer to every single circumstance, problem, situation, call it what you will, can be found within the pages of the Bible from 'In the beginning' in the book of Genesis right through to the final ‘Amen’ in the book of Revelation. To access this treasure trove all you need to do is pick it up, open it and crucially, start to read it, however, very few seem to realise the priceless gift often hidden on a dusty bookshelf or in a crowded attic; ‘A 2005 poll for Newsweek magazine found that despite average sales of more than $1 billion annually, only about 20 percent of Americans read their Bible daily, making the Bible the most owned but least read book in history’(Source: www.ledger-enquirer.com). I would suggest that the 20 percent of Americans reading their Bibles on a daily basis is wildly optimistic, however, regardless of statistics it is really tragic that so many people own a Bible but very few decide to open it up and read it. It is tragic because without realising it people own the key to their eternal salvation but instead choose to keep it locked away and in doing so are blindly choosing the wide path to eternal destruction; Matthew 7:13-14 ‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it’.
Source: GNT – Uplifting Scriptures
God, through the Holy Spirit will use the Bible to communicate with us. What is wonderful is that no matter how many times I read the Bible, each time is like reading it for the very first time. Yes, I can remember certain scriptures and stories and often know ‘what is coming next’, however what is new every time is the way that God uses the scriptures to show me something different. Sometimes I’m provided with advice, sometimes with comfort, sometimes I will be given a Word of wisdom and sometimes I get a good telling off. There are lots of ‘sometimes’ used as examples however one thing I always receive from reading God’s Word is unconditional love. Whatever God has to say to me through His Word, whether instruction or discipline is always given in love. This is why the Bible is alive, because God’s Word relates to everyday things that are happening in our lives right now, not just thousands of years ago, as well as showing us what will happen in the future. The Bible is so powerful and alive because the love of God which shines through His Word is real and beyond comprehension: 1 John 4:16 ‘And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them’. It really is a sad state of affairs when people need to be convinced and encouraged to read their Bible, and especially sad when those people are Christian brothers and sisters. The Bible is the Living Word of God and it contains everything we could ever want or need. Nobody should read the Bible out of routine or duty as God deserves much better than that. I feel a heartfelt desire to wake up each morning, to get into God’s Word and to see what He has for me before I embark on the day ahead. I need the Living Word to develop and deepen my relationship with Him and to guide me through the choppy waters of life. I need the Word of God to protect me from the attacks that will inevitably come my way from the devil throughout my day, I need the Word God to continually remind me of the suffering and sacrifice that Jesus endured for my sin and shame and I need the Word of God because without it I am lost. If you are reading this article and wondering what all the fuss is about or you are in a situation where you are looking for answers and feel that there is nowhere else to go then find a Bible, say a short prayer to ask God to guide you and then open the Bible up, start reading and let God guide you. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain! So why not give it a try? 2 Timothy 3:16 ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness’. May God bless you.
Author: Anonymous May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
True revival is always accompanied by deep repentance and crying out to God for mercy and it is shown by transformed lives
Source: PInterest
The Hebridean Revival and the Welsh Revival had a common factor; people travailed (to engage in painful or laborious effort) in prayer. In the Welsh Revival (1904-1905), Evan Roberts who was key to it, prayed for 13 years and said that prayer for him was a greater sustenance than food. In the Hebridean Revival a group of men travailed in prayer in a barn and through the long hours of the night, three nights a week until four or five in the morning for many months. They did this despite having jobs and the demands of home. They took 2 Chronicles 7:14 to heart. ‘If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land’. Also, two elderly women, Peggy and Christine Smith prayed through the night several times a week. One was blind, the other nearly doubled over with arthritis. God gave them Isaiah 44:3 - ‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants’. He also told them to ask Duncan Campbell, a preacher to come and speak in the churches. What was the key factor here? The answer was an earnest desire to see people saved and for the spiritual climate to change. In addition, in all of the cases mentioned above, those involved were prepared to make the sacrifice of time prayer for many hours. In the case of the men they had to go to work the next day and be fully involved in home life. On the night before revival broke out, the men praying in the barn entered a time of personal repentance challenged by Psalm 24:3-4 ‘Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart’; at 5am that morning revival started.
Source: Nancy Kay Grace
At the first meeting that Duncan Campbell held, nothing happened, however a deacon said, ‘Don't be discouraged, it's coming, I already hear the rumbling of heaven's chariot wheels. We will have another night of prayer and then we will see what God is going to do!’ So, a group of people went to a nearby cottage and began to travail in prayer. At three in the morning, God swept in and about a dozen of them were laid prostrate on the floor. As they left the cottage that morning, they found men and women desperate to find God. No one was sleeping! Three men were lying in the road, utterly convicted of their sinfulness and crying out to God for mercy. This was the start of a mighty revival where people weren't just converted in churches but where God struck them down in the fields, on the roads, on their boats: all repenting and all crying out to God to have mercy on them. True revival is always accompanied by deep repentance and crying out to God for mercy and it is shown by transformed lives. In the Welsh Revival, the pit ponies in the mines did not respond to the miner's instructions as there was no more swearing! The jails emptied, the pubs emptied. People's lives were utterly changed, and this was also the case in the Hebridean Revival. Revival comes through people getting together and labouring in prayer and not stopping and it is accompanied by personal repentance. Another factor in revival is when people repent on behalf of the nation and because of the state of the church. When the Holy Spirit comes into this, there is much weeping. It is about people coming together, whatever churches they are in. It is about people setting to pray and spending much time labouring in prayer. Father, give me the burning desire to pray for the nation and the ability to persevere in prayer until it comes. Work in me so that I have clean hands and a pure heart. Enable me to offer up the sacrifice of time. Amen.
Author: Muriel Allen May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
If we are not prepared to get on the battleground, if we shy away from the difficulties and trials in our lives then all the world will see is the world looking back at them, they will see nothing different
Source: TeeShirtPalace
We have recently received three messages in a row at our Fellowship from three different speakers, all of who had not planned or discussed the message that God had given them with each other beforehand. The first message discussed how the battle belongs to the Lord, the second followed by considered where the battle is being fought, focusing on the World, the Flesh, the Mind and the Demonic. This article will however focus on the third message which started with the scripture in 2 Timothy 2:3 and emphasized how important it is for those who know Jesus to play their part in the army of the Lord; 'Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus’. You can listen to all three sermons on our MCF Church Website by going to the Message on-line and then 2018 message (Link) In 2 Timothy 2:3 when referring to suffering the Apostle Paul was talking about it as a reflection of the hardship that he had endured throughout his life for the sake of the Gospel. Many commentaries tell us that Timothy was naturally timid and easily discouraged and Paul wrote this letter of encouragement to tell Timothy to 'stay strong'. How many of us regularly need to hear that message? Paul was trying to say that if we truly live for Christ then suffering is a normal part of the Christian life and he later goes on to emphasize the rewards. Anyone who knows Jesus is automatically drafted into the army the moment they give their heart to the Lord and whether we choose to fight or not, we are in the army. God wants the soldiers in His army to be active soldiers, He wants all of us to contribute, so when we read the words from 2 Timothy 2:3 'Join me in suffering', we are also being challenged to ‘join in sacrifice’ and no matter what the consequences to stand by Jesus’s side even if it means suffering, ridicule or persecution. It's fair to say, we aren't going to suffer if we stay in the background, but what impact is Christ's army going to have if we all do that? Even though we know we will win the ultimate battle; Proverbs 21:32 ‘The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD’, we are still likely to be defeated in our earthly battles if we are not alert and ready to play our part in the army. So, let us not be lazy soldiers, let us not be missing in action, let us not be complacent, let us not be deserters (back sliders), instead, let us take our place in the ranks of the army and stand on God's Word, with God's Authority and with God's Protection because we need to acknowledge that we always are on the battleground.
Source: PInterest
Know this; an enemy has declared war on the Lord's army and is looking for anyway to disrupt and destroy; 1 Peter 5:8 ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’. We need to be vigilant and alert and diligent in the army of the Lord. The battle cannot be won on our own because to be victorious we must accept that the battle belongs to the Lord. We must hand it over to Him; 2 Chronicles 20:15 '….... This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's'. The greatest warriors fight on their knees before they try to stand on their feet. Consequently, the greatest weapons needed for our battles can be found on our knees. We need to pray and seek the Lord and hand it all over to Him rather than running blindly into battle with our own earthly weapons. We need to spend more time on our knees waging war with the spiritual weapons that God has made available for us. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 'For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds’. Therefore, the weapons of a Christian Solider are not guns, artillery etc, they are not harsh words or slander, they are not raised voices or tit for tat, these are worldly weapons. Our weapons are spiritual. Our weapons are the manifestation of Christ in us, because without the blood of the lamb and the Word of our testimony, there is no Victory. Isaiah 54:17 tells us 'no weapon forged against you will prevail' - this is because the Lord is fighting our battles and the spiritual weapons that He gives us are far more powerful than anything that the world could throw at us. We can stand on the rock and say (as in the worship song below); ‘I will not be moved, and we can say of the Lord, you are my Shield, my Strength, my Portion, Deliverer, my Shelter, Strong Tower, my very present help in times of need’. As Christians we are not immune to the struggles and troubles of this World, however if we go through these trials and battles using our spiritual weapons rather than deal with them in a worldly manner then non-believers will have the opportunity to see the presence of God in our lives. They will see the one who walks with us in our trial and the one who keeps us where nobody else could, the one who preserves us when we should be perishing because of the circumstances around us. Do you think that maybe the only way people will see Jesus in this world is to see us going through what they know they could not go through themselves? They see a difference in us than those of the world. If we are not prepared to get on the battleground, if we shy away from the difficulties and trials in our lives then all the world will see is the world looking back at them, they will see nothing different. But we are Soldiers in the Heavenly army! We are royal warriors, we are in the army of the God!!!!!! We have an inner power of God that they do not have. Let Christ within us become visible if we will trust and obey Him. We live in a generation where many do not inquire of the Lord and do not read their bible and will not listen to what we have to say but they will see a strength in us as we go through our trials, a strength that they will not have for themselves and that will draw their attention, seeing that we have something different, something that they will start to want for themselves. Therefore, it is so important for us to win those battles/trials that we are in now, to win those victories. We must stand firm. We must not let our battles defeat us, we are Soldiers in the Army of God! God does not give any assurances that the life of a Christian soldier will be easy but let us focus on the victory that has already been won rather than the battle. Take comfort in the fact that the battle is temporary, but the victory is eternal. Praise God. To conclude; below is a poem by an unknown author which captures the essence of being a Solider in the Army of God. Be blessed.
I am a Solider (Unknown Author)
I am a soldier in the army of my God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Scripture is my code of conduct.
Faith, prayer and the Word are my weapons of warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity and tested by fire.
I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.
I will not get out, sell out, be talked out or pushed out.
I am faithful, reliable, capable and dependable.
If my God needs me, I am there. I am a soldier.
I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted,
primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up. I am a soldier.
No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me,
entice me or lure me.
I am a soldier. I am not a wimp. I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name and building His kingdom!
No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards or candy, or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for or catered to.
I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.
When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will still come out ahead. I will win. My God has and will continue to supply all of my needs.
I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ. The devil cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me. Governments cannot silence me, and hell cannot handle me. I am a soldier.
Even death cannot destroy me. For when my Commander calls me from His battlefield, He will promote me to captain and then allow me to rule with Him.
I am a soldier in the army, and I’m marching claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. I am a soldier, marching heaven-bound.
Here I Stand! Will you stand with me?
Author: Anonymous May God bless and enrich your life Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and others
