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Posts Tagged ‘Belief’

TIME TO COME HOME

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE OF THE FATHER   #1 AMLove of the Father Individual

Today is Father’s day and this month is the theme LOVE OF THE FATHER. I want you to know that this month we are not talking about bad fathers, we are going to celebrate the great fathers in the house. Today we celebrate all the fathers. Each Sunday we will be speaking about the Love of our Heavenly Father; how strong it is, how unending it is, how much we need it. When any person receives a revelation of the Love of the Father, they will find healing, they will find wholeness, they will find acceptance, and they will find their rightful place in life. But first we need to talk about separation.

STORY

I have four sons and as pastor I have had the privilege of marrying them to their sweethearts. One of the most emotional times I have ever experienced was conducting my first son’s wedding. I think I cried more than the mother of the bride! One of the biggest hits that I wasn’t prepared for was the moment when, after the reception was over, the first son drove away with his new bride to begin their new life together. I broke down. It was a real sense of loss, a sense of – this boy is now out of my life forever. Twenty-one years of raising him and now he’s gone.

I remember way back to the time when Chris was pregnant with our first child. I began to think about what we were in for being a parent. I asked myself the question, “Will I be a good parent? Will I be able to provide for my family? Will I be able to raise my children with wisdom?” The responsibility seemed daunting.

It is a big change when you move from manhood to Fatherhood. Fatherhood now means you’re responsible for more than just yourself and your wife; you are now bringing a new life into this world, and you are responsible for their welfare and success and there seems to be a lot of things that can go wrong. The child you’re raising can make choices too. That child can choose to do wrong, they can choose to walk away; and although you want the very best for them, as a father you cannot always control the outcome.

When your son or daughter walks away, that’s a pain that no father can bear. Let’s look at the pain of one father in the bible. Luke 15:11-24.

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]’

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. (NLT)

Sometimes sons or daughters walk away. The pain of that experience for a Father is intense. It’s a nightmare for the Mother too, and she worries overtime about what will happen to them. The Father will question himself, was I a good parent? Was I firm enough? Did I give them enough wisdom and instruction? Did I train them up to face life?

Let’s look at the Father in this story. He is gracious, he lets the son go, even though he knows full well that it’s a foolish move; but there’s some things you’ve got to learn the hard way. There’s two really powerful thoughts in this story.  The father saw the son coming home “a long way off” – that proves he was waiting and watching for him to come, there was hope. Secondly the father ran to meet him. This speaks of passion, acceptance and joy.

No matter what you have done in your life, no matter what mess you got yourself into, no matter how stupid you were, no matter how many people hate you and reject you; there’s a heavenly Father who is waiting for you to come home. There’s someone who loves you unconditionally. Look and see and feel the Father’s heart today as you watch this Father stand at the farm gate waiting for the lost son to come home. There’s hope in that father’s heart for restoration and moving right back to full sonship. Did he deserve it? – No! But here’s the power of the Father’s love: He made a way for you to come back and find forgiveness.

When you have “come to your senses” like this prodigal son; God’s love for you is total acceptance! His generosity is complete with restoration to full sonship, inclusion in the family and bountiful provision. This great story illustrates the LOVE OF THE FATHER. All that is required to receive that love is the attitude the Prodigal Son had – he came to his senses, or as it says in another translation, “he came to himself” it’s that realisation that I cannot make it on my own, I need the Father. Consider the restoration from the father which we will unpack in coming weeks. He gave the Son the robe which speaks of righteousness – being in right standing or right relationship with God. He gave him the ring which speaks of sonship and authority. Not a hired hand but a full son of the father. He gave him sandals which speak of provision because servants have bare feet but sons have sandals provided. He gave the son a fatted calf which speaks of the sacrifice that is pleasing to God and the highest form of celebration. Not only that but it shows the preparation of the calf over time as though the father was expecting the son to one day return. As we unpack these ideas later I am praying that you will experience from God a revelation of His righteousness, His gift of sonship, His provision and His joy of celebration over your salvation and acceptance by the Father.

This story is dear to God’s heart because he lived through it in times past.

Listen to this passage, Gen 3:22-24

22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings[e] have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.(NLT)

Imagine the pain of God the Father as He forced Adam and Eve to leave the Garden of Eden on that tragic day when Adam chose to disobey God and brought upon himself the result of sin – separation from God. However a plan was in place from before the foundations of the earth that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, would choose to come and die on the cross and receive the judgement due to us all. By standing in our place He suffered and died for us that we may be pardoned and be forgiven if we too would come to ourselves and realise our great need of God.

The LOVE OF THE FATHER is life changing and healing. He has made a way for you and me to come home to Him, to be forgiven and completely restored to full sonship. Of course we don’t deserve it, but so great is His love to save and forgive and heal that if we will only turn to Him we can receive everything.

Will you begin the journey today?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why did the son leave and take his inheritance money?

2. What was it that made him come to his senses?

3. Do you think many people come to their senses like that?

4. What did the Father restore to him when he arrived home?

5. How much of those things do you feel you have received from God yourself?

 

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YOU HAVE ENORMOUS POWER

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Prayer, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE PRAYS #2PMLove Prays Combined

YOU HAVE ENORMOUS POWER

STORY – Read Josh 10: 6-15

Joshua 10:6-15 Amplified Bible (AMP)

6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, Do not relax your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.

7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the warriors with him and all the mighty men of valor.

8 And the Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hand; there shall not a man of them stand before you.

9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having gone up from Gilgal all night.

10 And the Lord caused [the enemies] to panic before Israel, who slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon and chased them along the way that goes up to Beth-horon and smote them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

11 As they fled before Israel, while they were descending [the pass] to Beth-horon, the Lord cast great stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah, killing them. More died because of the hailstones than the Israelites slew with the sword.

12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord on the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, be silent and stand still at Gibeon, and you, moon, in the Valley of Ajalon!

13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance upon their enemies. Is not this written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.

14 There was no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man. For the Lord fought for Israel.

15 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

 

Joshua represents the new generation. He is a man who has been prepared for leading under the leadership of Moses. Now his turn to walk the stage of life has come. Joshua is about 80, yet he has the stamina of any young man.

After the children of Israel cross the Jordan and conquer Jericho, they falter briefly at Ai then keep going. One city decides to surrender to Israel instead of being killed. Gibeon and its King make peace with Israel and say we will become your servants. They would rather be living servants than dead heroes!

But the surrounding kings are outraged that Gibeon would surrender and five kings and their armies decide to go up and wipe out Gibeon, just to teach them a lesson. So the Gibeonites call out to Joshua and say, help us!

Joshua immediately gathers his army and leaves where they are. Straight away Joshua hears from God.

 Lesson 1. Be about God’s business and you’re going to hear from Him in prayer. God is wanting to encourage you that He is with you. Over and over again in the bible God is committing to us that He is with us, and this is because we are about his business.

The Gibeonites go up to Joshua on day one to tell him they are about to be attacked and Joshua travels all night from that time to arrive early the next morning to attack the five kings with their armies.

He fights all day against them, and God is with him to overcome so much that God sends hailstones down to kill the enemy and the hailstones wipe out more than the sword. The miracle here is that the hailstones don’t fall on the Israelite army!

Lesson 2 What God is doing for you behind the scenes will ensure your victory, so don’t sweat the dark clouds with hail because God’s got something powerful in mind.

Joshua realises that he is not going to have enough time to overcome all the enemies in the day before the sun goes down, so he prays the boldest prayer ever prayed on earth. Sun stand still! And God answers him with a massive miracle.

Lesson 3 Never underestimate the power you have in prayer.

You may easily say – Yes but that’s Joshua. I’m me and that’s different! However God is looking for great men and women of God to rise up and have faith. God is no respecter of persons; that means He has no favourites. We let ourselves off the hook too easily, by saying; I can’t do that and self-disqualify. But God’s word clearly says to all believers. Mark 11:23  Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

Joshua has been awake all of day one, then travels through the night to attack the kings at dawn. Then he fights that day; so that’s 30 hours so far that Joshua and his men have been awake until about midday (Sun was stayed in the midst of the heavens). So now he asks for another day (12 hours) of sunshine so at the end of the battle Joshua and his men have been sustained approximately 42 hours.

Lesson 4 when God is moving don’t slack off in prayer. Keep going until the victory is complete.

At the close of the story we see Joshua bring all his top leaders together and place their foot on the necks of these defeated kings. What was that all about? The power of visualisation. The next 100 battles for these leaders was going to be fought out with the image firmly planted in their minds – this is how it turns out for me when God is on my side.

Lesson 5 Use your imagination to see the outcome you want in prayer. Prayer and walking with the Holy Spirit uses the language of dreams and visions.

Prayer changes things and you need to know that you have massive power in prayer when you believe. Learn to wage war in the spiritual realm by understanding your authority over all the power of the enemy.

Ephes 6:12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

Luke 10:19 Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.

Prayer is not a function of time but it is a function of authority. The factor of time comes into play when we need to spend time with God and His word so that we receive faith building revelation about who we are and what he has promised. We have a big job on our hands to reach the lost people of our city. It’s vital that we have faith and stand in our authority and pray so that the enemy’s power is broken and the Grace of God is released to touch the multitudes in this city.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How often do we think that our prayers won’t really change things?

2. If that is the case who benefits from that kind of thinking?

3. Do we often search for physical and emotional proofs of the prayers being answered?

4. What things would encourage you to continue in prayer until an answer comes?

5. Would it encourage you to hear of prayers being answered for those in your circle of friends?

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EVERY WORD IS A SEED

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Soul Winning, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE REACHES OUT #2PM Love Reaches Out 3 Screen

EVERY WORD A SEED

In 1996 Two members of this church and I travelled to China to preach the gospel. It was my second trip to China. That was a tough job as we didn’t speak Chinese. But we had thousands and thousands of gospel tracts. So as we went from city to city doing what was illegal in that country, we placed tracts in letterboxes, on car windshields, on top of walls, in bicycle carry baskets etc. until we got rid of about 5000 every night. Then one night we got caught, the police interrogated us and detained us under house arrest in our shabby motel for two days. Finally they deported us with stern warnings.

Still in spite of being caught we distributed multi thousands of gospel messages in the language of the readers. I wonder how many people read a tract and heard the gospel and found Jesus Christ? In China today, this is what is happening: The Nation has 1.3 billion people living there, The Christian population of this strongly communist nation is approximately 12% or 163 million. There are now more Christians in China than in the United States, and the growth rate is 5% per annum.

EVERY WORD IS A SEED

VIDEO TESTIMONY – JULIE MELLOR

When you leave a bible, a tract, a testimony, a conversation with someone who is not saved; it is a seed and that seed has power to grow.

EVERY WORD, EVERY ACT OF KINDNESS IS A SEED.

Mark 4:26-29

26 Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. 28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

One night in Brisbane we were witnessing on the street and we approached an aboriginal man who unleashed a tirade of swear words at us. Just then two plain clothes police came along and arrested him for indecent language and took him away. We could have thought that that was strange and the event was over, nothing was accomplished. However one of our team, Brian, was of aboriginal decent and he happened to come across this man some weeks later and asked, “What was all that about?” The first man explained that his four year old son had just died and he felt anger and pain and blamed God. Brian explained what we were trying to say that Jesus is the answer to this kind of pain and this man received Christ as his Lord and saviour.  Sometimes your attempts to share your faith may seem fruitless, but every word is a seed and it may bear fruit later.

Drop seeds into conversations, if people react negatively don’t feel you have to argue the point. Spend time with hungry open people. If people are belligerent and offensive just keep the conversations brief and do acts of kindness.

My neighbour across the street was resistant to the gospel, I began sharing with him 12 years ago. He followed a religion practiced by Native American Indians. I would take him meals my wife had cooked. Sometimes I went over and mowed his lawn. He would get mad and say stop mowing my lawn and try and pay me back with a box of chocolates. So when I knew he was away I would mow his lawn anyway. If he never came to Christ I would still love and serve him – it would not matter if he thought I was just a sucker doing his work for him; to me it was a seed of love. However recently when he became very sick we visited him in hospital and shared the gospel with him. We prayed for his healing and he also prayed to receive Jesus as his saviour. His response was amazing!

EVERY WORD, EVERY ACT OF KINDNESS IS A SEED.

In my very first outreach I organised as a new Christian, I ran a coffee night at uni where I was studying. It was a Friday night and I had about half a dozen Christian friends from church come along and we served free coffee to students and shared our faith with them. At the end of the night I was a bit disappointed as no one seemed to get saved. Being a new Christian I was really into instant results!! Later as I was chatting to one of the friends from Church, Vincent Bonici, He said he had prayed with a guy called Rob and led him to Christ. Get an address? No! How can I find him to help him grow in God? I don’t know God will look after him I guess. I was a bit annoyed. All I knew was Rob was a mechanical Engineering student and he was Malaysian born. I waited outside the Mechanical Engineering building every lunchtime for weeks to try and catch someone who looked like Rob. Guess what? I found him! Later he came to church. Now he’s an INC pastor in Adelaide Hills. But the story doesn’t end there!

Rob led a friend to Christ who is Mark Hands, later Mark became part of our youth ministry in Brisbane (as did Rob) and later again Mark became the principal of one of the INC Christian schools and now has a Christian business and coaching ministry at the Gold Coast. Mark led Andrew to Christ who became a big part of our youth ministry in Brisbane also. These are just the ones we know about….. I wonder who has been saved and touched by God’s love through all these people who have experienced major life change because of the coffee night that I thought wasn’t very successful.

EVERY WORD, EVERY ACT OF KINDNESS IS A SEED.

What are you going to do this week to reach out to people who need Jesus?

Sometimes we have all given up trying to share about Jesus because we got a negative response or we just thought it’s all too hard. One time I when I was new Christian I drove past a man who I knew was a father of my school mate loading up a trailer with furniture at his office. I heard he was going bankrupt. It was midnight and I was tired and I sped off home. God prompted me to go back and tell him Jesus loved him, but I was too tired and it was late. The next day he committed suicide! It took me a long time and many tears to get over that one.

Listen to the Holy Spirit and try real hard to obey Him.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Have you ever felt like giving up when it comes to sharing your faith?
  2. Have you ever thought your sharing about Jesus was a complete waste of time?
  3. After hearing some of these stories and learning about seeds from God’s word do you think any differently now?
  4. Will this change the way you approach sharing your faith?
  5. Did you ever think how many lost opportunities you have missed?

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ARE YOU GOIN’ WHERE I’M GOIN’?

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Soul Winning, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE REACHES OUT #1AMreaches out

In this life, how do you see yourself? As a pilgrim? As a foreigner journeying through to a better and eternal future? a Or does this world so fill your vista that you hardly think of eternity? Listen to this amazing verse: Eccles 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Ultimately what matters is people. Everything else is temporary. 2 Cor 4:18 Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. All your stuff that you worked so hard for, all the possessions, the house, the cars, the clothes etc. will all vanish in a puff of smoke one day; and all you have left is you and your loved ones.

What will you be doing in a million years from now? Seriously! If you say, “I’ll be in heaven.”, then how glad are you about that? You could be in the other place. Eternity is such a long time!! It’s all a bit hard for the human mind to comprehend; right?

What we have been learning in the messages preached all year is that God loves you so much and His magnificent loving kindness has come and rescued you, redeemed you and set you free. It’s a natural step to see that God loves each and every person on the planet and some know that and some don’t know that yet. John 3:16  For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.(AMP)

All around us are precious people who are perishing. In Australia, we are an especially heathen bunch. Although 61% write on the census that their religion is Christian, only 13% attend any kind of church monthly or more often and of those we can only guess the percentage that is born again. Some estimates of the Born Again population are as low as 5%. Perhaps attending church is a poor measure of whether a person is born again. We should rather choose the measure that one of the greatest preachers in history used: “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you’re not saved yourself, be sure of that!” ― Charles H. Spurgeon. What’s our percentage now?

As you look around at your loved ones, work mates, neighbours, do you consider their eternal destiny? Does it drive you to prayer and cause you to consider how to share the answer to life with them? If not, then let’s look at the scriptures and see the convincing reality of what lies before us in heaven and hell.

Hell is real

Luke 6:19-31

19 There was a certain rich man who [habitually] clothed himself in purple and fine linen and [m]revelled and feasted and made merry in splendour every day.

20 And at his gate there [n]was [carelessly] dropped down and left a certain [o]utterly destitute man named Lazarus, [reduced to begging alms and] covered with [[p]ulcerated] sores.

21 He [eagerly] desired to be satisfied with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover, the dogs even came and licked his sores.

22 And it occurred that the man [reduced to] begging died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

23 And in Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have pity and mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime fully received [what is due you in] comforts and delights, and Lazarus in like manner the discomforts and distresses; but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.

26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who want to pass from this [place] to you may not be able, and no one may pass from there to us.

27 And [the man] said, Then, father, I beseech you to send him to my father’s house—

28 For I have five brothers—so that he may give [solemn] testimony and warn them, lest they too come into this place of torment.

29 But Abraham said, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear and listen to them.

30 But he answered, No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent ([q]change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins).

31 He said to him, If they do not hear and listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded and convinced and believe [even] if someone should rise from the dead.

Rev 21:8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.(NIV)

Matt 13:49-50 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (NIV)

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no respite (no pause, no intermission, no rest, no peace) day or night—these who pay homage to the beast and to his image and whoever receives the stamp of his name upon him.

All these verses clearly show that eternity without salvation is horrifying and inconceivably worse due to the fact that it goes on for ever and ever without respite.

General William Booth founder of the Salvation Army church movement was quoted as saying as he trained his preachers and Christian workers. “If I could, I would dangle you over hell for 5 minutes to see the cries of the damned.”   People without a Knowledge of God and even some Christians find this truth so shocking that they fall into wrong believing saying that God could not be as cruel as to send people there forever, or that God will give people a second chance. Some have believed in a purgatory, where people work off their sins and eventually make it to heaven; but all these ideas are false.

Listen again to William Booth – “Not called!” did you say? “Not heard the call,” I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.”

When you hear these pleading words, do you think that’s how they spoke in an era long ago, or do you think that’s outdated language and form that doesn’t work today; or is it just that we have fallen so far from biblical truth in our generation that we fall for soft wishy washy beliefs about God that are not supported by scripture?

Heaven

Heaven on the other hand is awesomely wonderful. Imagine infinite joy! Life with a capital L.

Rev 21:4-5 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

Rev 22:3-4 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

John 14: 2-3 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Matt  25:20-21 And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more.

21 His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the [c]blessedness) which your master enjoys.

Convinced that people without Christ are going there?

One error I find many Christians fall into is that somehow good people will get into heaven. They believe that most people around them are going to make it somehow because God is loving and merciful. This view is dangerous especially to those around them who are not born again yet. Let me ask you a very simple question. If there was any way at all that a person could make it to heaven on their own, did Jesus need to come and die on the cross?

Jesus Himself stated very clearly: John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.(AMP)

Jesus was moved by the plight of broken people. His heart for lost people will become our heart too if we walk with Him. Look at His reaction in the gospels Matt 9:35-38 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity. 36 When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.

What should be our reaction? Perhaps some may be so deeply concerned that they become a certified bible carrying, tract giving, bible bashing preacher to everyone around them, and it isn’t very fruitful. That’s overboard and that’s not love in action. The sad thing is that many Christians are the opposite, there’s almost no evidence of witness in their lives, it’s like they want to enjoy the benefits of salvation and not care that all manner of people around them are perishing.

So how are we to live?

  • Recognise the truth that faith in Christ alone saves a person from eternity in hell.
  • Decide to pray for those people in your world who do not know Jesus yet, that God will have mercy on them and show them the truth.
  • Love people, serve them and share your heart with them at every opportunity.
  • Trust that the Holy Spirit will lead you to people and will give you the words to say.
  • Share your testimony and the God stories that give evidence of God at work among us.
  • Invite as many people as you can to join you church or UC group or a family picnic or a night at the movies or the church trivia night etc. etc.

This month we are focusing on the “How To” of sharing your faith. We will be equipping you with practical help to know how to share your faith, what to say to people who are far from God and how to begin a great conversation about your testimony and how God loves the person you’re speaking to. In all our Urban Connect groups we will be helping you to learn skills about sharing your testimony, and what the gospel message is that we need to share with people.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Do you think Spurgeon’s measure of whether a person is born again or not is a fair one? (Whether you care that others are lost)

2. How do you see non Christians?

3. What about people of other faiths, are they lost too? (Acts 4:12)

4. If Jesus really is the only way to heaven, why do so many other faiths exist?

5. If Jesus really is the only way to heaven how should we live?

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HE LOVES ME; HE LOVES ME NOT.

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on May 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE UNCONDITIONAL #1AMUnconditional-Love

FEELING LOVED?

How big is God’s love for you? So high, so wide, so great, so deep is God’s love for you. Ephes 2:4-6 But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,

5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favour and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved ([a]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).

6 And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us [b]joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

So often we judge God’s love by our own human viewpoint. We feel that God doesn’t love us when we suffer loss or go through tough times. When we take this view that God doesn’t care or doesn’t love us then we lose faith, we cannot believe that God will answer our prayer. We feel lost, alone, separated from hope and we doubt ourselves, sometimes we even go to the place of self-hatred thinking that if God doesn’t care for me, then I must be worthless. Why do you need this message about God’s love for you? Let me tell you it is the biggest key for a full and overcoming life as a Christian.

We need a revelation of God’s unending, unyielding, unconditional, unqualified, unlimited, unbeatable LOVE for you and me. When we get this revelation, we smash unbelief and doubt. We soar in confidence that God works all things together for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purpose.  We say goodbye to a low self-esteem and walk around knowing He watches over us. His eye is on the sparrow, so much more is His every thought about you and for your good.

Key verse for the month – Isaiah 49:15-16 Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. 16 Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands.(AMP)

Ps 103:14 For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust. He gets how hard it is for us in this sin soaked and selfish world, He was in all points tempted like as we are, so He is an high priest who can be touched by the feelings of our weaknesses.(Heb 4:15)

HE CARES – always and at all times. Receive it! Meditate on it!

But, you say, why did I suffer? Why did I go through so much trouble?

Romans 8:31-37

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[o]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.(NLT)

STORY

The death of Stephen

54 Now upon hearing these things, they [the Jews] were cut to the heart and infuriated, and they ground their teeth against [Stephen].

55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory (the splendor and majesty) of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand;

56 And he said, Look! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at God’s right hand!

57 But they raised a great shout and put their hands over their ears and rushed together upon him.

58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 And while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!

60 And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! And when he had said this, he fell asleep [g][in death].

This story contrasts the cruelty of religion with the love of God. Who would choose to be Stephen? Perhaps the first Christian Martyr. Was there a wife left grieving? Or children left without a father? We will never know, but what we now and what God wants us to see about this tragic event is what Stephen experienced at this time.

Those who stoned Stephen basically committed murder because they did not like what he believed! Religion is cruel and hate filled. Religion says, “You must do this and this to be accepted” Religion says, “You have no right to challenge the status quo.”  But in the midst of this hatred and violence the love of God shone through.  Stephen experienced all the following:

  1. An opportunity to share the gospel with a large number of people
  2. An overwhelming sense of God’s presence and protection –  55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory (the splendour and majesty) of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand; 56 And he said, Look! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at God’s right hand!
  3. The act of forgiveness for his assailants
  4. The initiation of Saul’s conversion.

Do you think Stephen felt abandoned by God? No, in no way. When he reached heaven and began his experience of eternity he could see the eternal significance of what took place that day. Saul’s later conversion, millions experiencing the power of the word of God through Paul’s writings. The church scattered by the mounting persecution so that it invaded all the known world. Spreading out far and wide.

When you think back over your life do you look at the tough times and ask God where were you? Perhaps we will never know the whole picture in this life about why things happen, but we know this, All things work tether for Good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose.

How can I convince you about His unending love for you? Do you want life on your terms or God’s terms? Can you say you are smarter than God and know what is best for you and for His plans and purposes? Humility allows us to fully trust God knowing His ways are perfect and all His ways are just. His love for you is unending and fully complete. He that spared not his only son, will he not with Him freely give us all things?

What Now you say?

How can I receive a revelation of this amazing love?

  • Meditate on these scriptures. (Also read 1 John 3 & 4)
  • Imagine the cross and see His love poured out for you as He died for you.
  • Watch the face of the heavenly Father as He turns away from Jesus when He became Sin for us. Jesus complete rejection and judgment that was meant for us.
  • Thank Him for this love.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Is it necessary to feel God’s love?

2. Can you feel your mother’s love right now? What about if you think about all that she has done for you? Is it getting a bit easier now?

3. If God wants the best for you, how can you cooperate with that?

4. What was the main point in this message concerning the story of Stephen’s death?

5. Can you trust God when things seem to be going the wrong way for your perspective?

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LOVE ONLINE

Posted in Church, Culture Watch, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE ANOTHER  5PMonline dating

LOVE ONLINE

FINDING LOVE

Proverbs 18:22 The Message (MSG) – Find a good spouse, you find a good life —
and even more: the favour of God!

Dating websites abound. Figures released last week from Fairfax-owned RSVP’s annual Date of the Nation report show Australians have reached a tipping point – 51 per cent of us have tried finding love online or would consider it a viable match-making option. While not a direct comparison, the same report in 2010 showed that just 25 per cent of Australians had used online dating. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/online-dating-the-marriage-maker-20130709-2pmv0.html#ixzz2xPlp7MAu

What is the reason? People find it hard to find a friend because they don’t know who’s looking and they hate rejection. Perhaps the stigma attached to it has largely gone, with the surge due to our increasingly time-poor, technology-driven lives and the fact online dating is now an accepted part of popular culture. Now we are over the 50 per cent mark, it’s really suggesting it’s becoming commonplace.

The upside. Quality websites that have a good reputation do personality matching. You have a much higher chance of meeting someone that firstly wants a relationship and secondly is more suited to you. American survey released last month of 19,000 people, which showed those who met their partners online were happier and less likely to divorce.

The downside. It’s only works if the person has been honest. You can meet someone who takes you down. If you’re easily influenced then it’s dangerous for you. When you go online with your personal details, there is only a 1 in 6 chance a man will respond to a woman’s message regardless of her age. [44]; however the average man has only a 1 in 25 chance a woman will respond to his message on a dating site. [44]; and 54% of dating site users have found someone who has misrepresented themselves in their dating profile. [49]

Long distance relationships. What if Mr. Right lives in Bolivia? If Miss Right lives in California?

It can be very expensive.

The stats are on your side if you use a reputable website and you are prepared to stick at it and meet a few people.

DANGEROUS LOVE

Love is dangerous on the net when:

  1. You are looking for relationship and you meet a predator.  Recently a world-wide porn ring was busted and some victims were Australia teens. http://www.echo.net.au/2014/03/aust-victims-massive-us-child-porn-ring/
  2. Pornography gets a grip on you. The stats for porn use among teens and adults in Australia is high and rising. Strangely the porn use addiction is much worse among Christians than among non Christians. The Christian psychologist and internationally known speaker Robi Sonderegger reports that studies on the human brain show that addictions are harder to break when the victim suffers shame and guilt. The non- Christian may actually believe there’s nothing wrong with watching porn as long they keep it under control. However very authentic Christian believer knows the word of God has string warnings against un cleanses and sexual immorality. This means that once the Christian crosses the line in temptation,the guilt and shame that kicks in almost guarantees that the victim will go back to those prohibited images. http://phot-o-live.livejournal.com/83819.html
  3. Bullying takes away love. When your communications on line are not building you up – take decisive action. The bully hides behind a made up identity or they may be a real person but they hide behind a remote screen where they think what they says is funny or makes them feel bigger. When you get bullied, do this…
    1. Tell someone, show someone the comment. Never walk through this alone.
    2. Record the comment.
    3. Warn the bully, it’s not appropriate, if it continues you will take action.
    4. If it continues, unfriend, block, and remove the link in what ever way you can.
    5. If they continue someway, call the local police and report the bullying and show the recordings you have (screenshots etc)

 

SHARING LOVE

When sharing love the best way to get a read on someone is face to face, then phone call, then written. What you see written online has potential to be misread. A text or Facebook comment does not contain facial expression, body language, or tone of voice. That means that when you share your love and friendship online it needs to be very clear.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:9, 10 NLT)

If you’re going to vent, never make it personal. You can say you’re ticked with the MYKI system but not with an individual.   Why are people sometimes so rude online? The Wall Street Journal shows some research about it here: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10000872396390444592404578030351784405148

We’re less inhibited online because we don’t have to see the reaction of the person we’re addressing, says Sherry Turkle, psychologist and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor of the social studies of science and technology. Because it’s harder to see and focus on what we have in common, we tend to dehumanize each other, she says.

Astoundingly, Dr. Turkle says, many people still forget that they’re speaking out loud when they communicate online.

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DO YOU LOVE ME?

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

LOVE ROMANCES # 4 PM pay_the_price

Do you love me?

When your significant other asks you the question, “Do you really love me?” We cringe and think – “Yes, well of course I do, but where is this leading?”  “What do you want?” “Well…” They answer sheepishly, “You know that diamond ring I’ve been looking at in the Michael Hill jewellers store lately? Well, it’s on sale at half price!”

Now we pit the depth of love for the little lady against the depth of love we have for the three thousand dollars we have saved up; and all the different things that money could do instead of buying a diamond ring. Life is full of choices like that.

“Do you love me?” Your mother says to you. “Then you’ll be home by 11 o’clock tonight.”

“Do you love me?” Your husband says to you. “Then you’ll let me go on this fishing trip with the boys to wolf creek.”

“Do you love me?” Your work colleague says to you in the corridor at work? “Then cover for me doing this extra shift, so I can go to a wedding interstate.”

“Do you love me?” Your old school friend says to you. “Then you’ll let me stash this stolen property in your garage for a couple of days while I find a place to stay then I’ll move it back.”

There’s the love commitment; and there’s always the cost.

Jesus said to Peter the disciple, “Do you love me?”

What a question! Loaded with so many expectations. When Jesus asks do you love Him, that’s totally different to anyone else in this world asking, do you love me? What’s more difficult is that Peter had just let Jesus down big time. Like, really let him down! Like betrayal at the big moment in Jesus’ life when He really needed support.

No pressure Peter, but “do you love me?”

There’s a cost, there’s always a cost. Peter was waiting for the cost. What would it be?

  • Confess my sin to all the disciples?
  • Give away all my money and possessions like Jesus asked of the rich young ruler?
  • Go back and tell the Roman guards that, Yes. I was the one who was with Jesus.

No; the cost was just this, Feed my sheep. – is that it? Is that all? Is that your best shot?

That is a statement of purpose. Jesus is always on purpose. Not a “make-you-feel-good” purpose, a kingdom purpose.

So I’ll ask you this same question tonight. Do you love Jesus?

Yes there is a cost. Will you baulk at it? Will you say yes now, and walk away later? Will you genuinely and sincerely mean yes now, but just never pay the price and have endless excuses as to why it was too hard for you?

Do you love me Peter, was followed by the next two times Jesus asked the same question. Peter was wondering why that was necessary. Didn’t Jesus believe him the first time? As usual Jesus had a reason for asking the same thing three times, and whether it was because Peter denied Him three times or not; it worked! Peter was restored and not just one of the boys but the lead preacher and top disciple in Jesus band of unlikely world changers.

You see Jesus prepared Peter for the kind of cost that he would later be asked to when He goes on to say, John 21:18 “I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, when you were young you girded yourself [put on your own belt or girdle] and you walked about wherever you pleased to go. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will put a girdle around you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” There was going to be a cost for Peter to pay, and it was more than any of us will ever pay.

Are you ready for the question? Do you love Jesus? Sure there’s a price to pay when you answer that Question. So, will you answer it?

Paul talks about the price of that question when he says, Phil 3:7-8 7 But whatever former things I had, that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [[a]one combined] loss for Christ’s sake.

8 Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),

This is why we read the bible…. This kind of statement is loaded with so much truth and value as to what it means to follow Jesus. Do you love Him? It will cost you everything.

Teeny price I have paid, left well paid career, abused for following Christ, punched twice, endured hardship. What price will you pay to follow Jesus?

Jesus is asking you, “Do you love me?” The answer is in your heart. And if you want to know whether you do already love Him here’s the test….

John 14:15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. (AMP)

The story of Brother Yun in China shows pretty much the ultimate price a man could pay to follow Jesus. (Read the book) If you love Jesus in Australia today there may come some ridicule or maybe even some workplace bullying or persecution, but we get it pretty easy. Still there is a price to pay and that’s “Not my will but yours be done” – It’s all the things you want to do in your life but it isn’t what Jesus wants for you.

Sometimes obeying Jesus commands is dead easy, other times it takes every bit of courage and strength you’ve got. So what’ll it be? Do you love Him or not?

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YOU ARE A LOVE CREATURE

Posted in Church, Culture Watch, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 18, 2014| 1 Comment »

LOVE SEEKS # 3PM – THE LOVE STORY timthumb

You were made to love and be loved. You are a love creature. Just as a fish needs water to live in you need love to survive and flourish.

Perhaps the most famous love story ever told is Romeo and Juliet. A complicated tale of two feuding families which ends when Romeo thinks Juliet is dead and drinks poison. Later Juliet awakes and seeing Romeo dead stabs herself and dies. Only a love story could include so much pain. Shakespeare wrote a tragedy and the reason it is so powerful is that love is a very powerful motivating force.

Hollywood has made billions from movies about love. Some of the most famous movies about love are: Love Story, The Notebook, Titanic, When Harry Met Sally, Love actually, Pretty Woman, P.S. I love You, Sleepless in Seattle.

As a human being you are made by God to have the ability to love and be loved. It’s part of your make up, you can’t change it. You are a love creature. When babies are born if they are deprived of love they will die even though they have food and warmth.

Touch deprivation: http://goo.gl/uibLp3  and: http://goo.gl/YSuXoj

God reveals Himself as father – a term that speaks of relationship. God is Love. (1 John 4:8) We are made in His image, after His likeness. (Gen 1:26) Therefore we are like Him – a love creature.

To love is to value, to do good to another. It’s more than just feelings and emotions though these are very important, it is about the worth of the person being loved in the eyes of the one loving.

The bible uses the word love to translate five different Greek words.

  1. Mania – Manic love is almost not a love at all.  The word “lust” is probably not strong enough – “obsession” is closer to the word.
  2. Eros – Eros is obviously the root word for “erotic,” but it does not describe sexual love only, it actually describes all emotional love; the feeling of love.
  3. Philos – Philos love, or brotherly/friendship love.  Philos describes the love between two people who have common interests and experiences, or a fondness for.
  4. Storgy – Storgy is the love one has for a dependent.  It is commonly called “motherly love.”
  5. Agapeo –  Agape love is entirely about the lover, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the one loved.  Agape love, in its purest form, requires no response.  The most common word for God’s love for us is Agape (I John, John 3:16) and the love we are commanded to have for one another (Matt. 5:44, I Cor. 13 (http://goo.gl/2SJlEJ )

 

Ever wondered why your heart is referred to as the part that is broken when you experience loss of love or emotional upheavals? Like – it’s only a pump right?

World renowned Neuro-Scientist and author Caroline Leaf says:

“YOU ARE ‘WIRED FOR LOVE!’ – http://goo.gl/bb7tcz

And from her book “Who Switched Off My Brain”

by Caroline Leaf. http://goo.gl/RJxfP3

Toxic stress is particularly powerful because your heart is not just a pump. It is actually like another brain (and you thought you only had one brain!). Science demonstrates that your heart has its own independent nervous system, which is a complex system referred to as the “brain in the heart.”     There are at least 40,000 neurons (nerve cells) in the heart – as many as are found in various parts of the brain. In effect, the brain in your heart acts like a checking station for all the emotions generated by the flow of chemicals created by thoughts. It is proving to be a real intelligent force behind the intuitive thoughts and feelings you experience. The heart also produces an important biochemical substance called an atrial peptide (specifically ANF). It is the balance hormone that regulates many of your brain’s functions and stimulates behaviour.

New scientific evidence on the heart’s neurological sensitivity indicates there are lines of communication between the brain and the heart that check the accuracy and integrity of your thought life. The reality is, your heart is in constant communication with your brain and the rest of your body. The signals your heart sends to your brain influence not just perception and emotional processing, but higher cognitive functions as well.

When God reveals Himself as Father, this means His love is plural, because a Father can love more than one child and it is a pure and acceptable love. You are made to love and be loved. Love is the greatest of all human experiences and many movies have been made about finding love or losing love and finding it again.

The problem with love is that sin entered the world and messed things up. Messed with God’s plans of love. Love was hijacked and became self-centred.

2 Tim 3:2 For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane. (AMP)

Love became a weapon of pain instead of a life giving force. Love was corrupted by sin. Love became love of things, lust, immoral sexual desire, love given and love taken away, broken hearts though love removed.

Love is not the problem, sin is the problem. Love is the answer. When Jesus went to the cross that was love in action! Romans 5: 8 But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.(AMP)

When sin wrecked humanity, God’s answer was love. God so loved the world – that He gave. The God who is love reached out to the creatures that he created with love as the answer to brokenness and to broken hearts.

Love conquers all, love overcomes all. Human love is magnificent but God’s love is all powerful. God Loves you, and He loved you enough to send His son to die for you because you are valuable to God.

But you must receive to be healed. – Let love in.

1. Have you ever suffered from a broken heart?

2. If God pours His love into your heart – how can you receive it?

3. First love is the love we have for God at the first – what’s it like/

4. Can you meditate on the love of God to you through the cross, how would you do it?

5. When you are full of God’s love how will you act?

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LOVE SEEKS 1

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2014| 1 Comment »

LOVE SEEKS #1AMMain Love Image 2014

INTRODUCING THE THEME FOR THE YEAR

This year we have a theme running through the entire year. The theme is Love.

I believe God has spoken to me over the last six months and given me the inspiration to lead our church on a love revolution. I am inviting you to join me in being changed by a deeper revelation of the love of God.

Here is our Key Verse for the year.

1 John 3:1

Amplified Bible (AMP)

 See what [[a]an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.

God is love and to say that love is the answer seems trite and over simplified, yet I believe that for us as Christians the extent to which we understand that we are loved by God is the measure to which we have real life and can become whole and further, we can be an answer for other people.

Listen to this very important quote from a preacher called Graham Cooke –

“Our goal in this life is primarily to be radically loved by God and everything comes out of that place of love. So your goal is to let yourself be loved radically. Just as the Father has loved the Son, so He has every intention of loving you exactly like He loves Jesus. No more, no less. Jesus said, “Just as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you, abide in my love. Stay, dwell, remain. Don’t leave that place of being radically loved.” So whatever the Father is to Jesus, He is to you also. That’s favour.”

This will be a signature message to introduce the theme of Love for this year. I intend to give an overview and a panorama of the subject of Love so that it can be the basis of all our messages and our direction for this year.

When we say the word love, we are using a word with so many different meanings. We can use it in contexts like:

  • I love icecream.
  • A teenage girl says I love Harry from One Direction!
  • A Hollywood movie called “Love Actually” deals with all kinds of human love relationships.
  • The Beatles sang: Love, Love, Love, All ya need is love.
  • The bible says: Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church.
  • A mother loves her baby or her children.
  • The love of a dad for his kids is very important.
  • At the end of a phone call to my family I will say, “Love ya.”
  • For Christians we are called to love one another.
  • A slogan on a bill board when I was a teenager said “Make love not war”
  • A couple engaging in sex are said to be making love.
  • The love of the Father God is the subject of the whole bible.

All these different uses of the word love are legitimate, so what are we talking about this year? The love we are going to focus on this year is God’s love toward us and our love for one another and for the lost. Primarily the revelation of God’s love toward us is the revelation that can most radically change us and set us free to walk into the complete victory and place of sonship that God has ordained for us to walk in.

THE NEED

In my 36 years as a born again Christian and now 33 years full time ministry, I have seen the big picture of humanity and how messed up we are as human beings. Over the years we have counselled, loved and ministered to thousands of people who have needed real help to cope with life. You will not find a person who is completely 100% whole in their life, their soul, their inner world. You will not find a person who never fears, who never feels the tinge of failure, or is completely free from selfishness. Even those fortunate enough to be raised by Godly parents can have struggles with depression, or low self-esteem. So many struggle with illness, allergies, learning difficulties.

To say that life is all doom and gloom is far from the truth and most of us live out of a great sense of optimism and hope for the future and recognise that the world is not perfect and we make the best of every day. However, my point is that we are a people who have needs. We have a need to be saved, healed, set free and made whole. None of us can honestly say we have no needs, or that we don’t need God, that we are living in a victorious life always.

Now, our ability to receive the answers we need from God is so often blocked by our wrong believing about God’s love for us. Too often we see troubles as being punishment from God. At other times we think God doesn’t care about us and maybe He’s too busy to worry about little ol’ me.

If you could see the love God has for you and have a complete revelation of that love; you would receive answers from God, hear His voice, walk in trust and faith and rise to a wholeness that defines what a true believer is.

Let’s look at this key verse together:

1 John 3:1 – See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.(NIV)

1 John 1:3 – What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.(MESS)

Imagine being in an orphanage and waiting to be chosen by new prospective parents!

WIIFM – If you open your heart to receive revelation from God and seek Him for an understanding of His real love for you, then you will be radically transformed. You will enter into wholeness and sonship as a Christian believer.

THIS MONTH WE ARE SHARING THE SUB-THEME, LOVE SEEKS

God is seeking out lost people who He can save, heal and set free. He loves you unconditionally and He is seeking you out to find you. Look at this very important verse with me…

Luke 19:10 Amplified Bible (AMP)

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

STORY

In 1989, an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened Armenia, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. Surprisingly, such tragedies often bring out the best in people. Let me show you the loving heart of a father.

In the midst of chaos and destruction, he rushed to his son’s school. But instead of a school, he found a shapeless heap of rubble. Imagine what went through his mind. In the case of this father, the sight of rubble and ruin made him spring into action. He ran to the back corner of the building where his son’s class used to be and began to dig. Why? What real hope did he have? What were the chances that his son could have survived such destruction? All he knew was that he had made a promise to always be there for his boy. It was this promise that animated his hands and motivated his heart.

As he began to dig, well-meaning parents tried to pull him out of the rubble saying: “It’s too late!” “They’re dead!” “You can’t help!” “Go home!” “There’s nothing you can do!” Then the fire chief tried to pull him off the rubble by saying, “Fires and explosions are happening everywhere. You’re in danger. Go home!” Finally, the police came and said, “It’s over. You’re endangering others. Go home. We’ll handle it!”

But this father continued to dig for eight … 12 … 24 … 36 hours. Then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son’s voice. Immediately, he screamed, “ARMAND!” Back came the words, “Dad!? I told them! I told the other kids that if you were still alive, you’d save me! You promised me, you’d always be here for me! You did it, Dad!” (Taken from Max Lucado’s book, “He Still Moves Stones”)

Obviously God sees all and knows all right? So for Jesus to be seeking the lost is not that He doesn’t know where they are. The truth is He knows where you’re at and He just wants to attract your attention. To seek to break into your hard shell of unbelief, or hurt or disappointment and make Himself known to you. To seek out the person’s attention and willingness to let God in. Love Seeks. Love is going out of its way to find the one who is truly valuable. Love will never give up, love will never quit. Love will continue until the end to seek and save the one that is of great value. God so loved and dearly prized the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

Love seeks.

In this month of January, we will be holding a prayer and fasting time. It’s a time to seek God for His blessing and favour to be upon our lives and our church this year.

If we give him the best part of our year, the first fruits, then we are honouring Him, putting Him first. This prayer and fasting time is a season to seek God for His blessing and favour upon your life and your family and your church. It is also a time to pray for the lost broken hurting and lonely people in our community who need to meet Jesus. I am seeking God for a revelation about His love and also for the blessing and favour of God to be upon my life and upon this church.

Next week I will give you resources to assist you in seeking God. Also there will be special times of prayer and seeking God at the church building. Make sure you set some time aside to seek God in prayer and try some fasting.

The result of God’s people seeking Him in prayer and fasting will be the revelation we receive. Our lives will be changed and the changed lives of others who hear the good news from us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

WHAT NOW

Decide to engage in the process. Decide to come next week and receive resources for the fasting time. Stay linked into the facebook page and emails from the church to receive special resources. Please respond and share what God is showing you as you seek Him through that three week period. Prepare your heart to seek God and determine that this year you will find the love of God in a powerful way.

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JESUS – WHAT IS HE DOING NOW?

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

INTRODUCING JESUS – RISEN AND LIVING – DEC 22, 2013 AM Introducing Jesus

Have you met Jesus? Yes? – Do you really know Him? Is there a desire in your heart to meet Him if you haven’t yet, or to get to know Him more if you have? Why wouldn’t you want to meet the most influential person in all of Human history, (http://tinyurl.com/n6bn3xz) especially when you consider His public life spanned a mere three and a half years!

Can I introduce Him to you? If you have met Him, can I show you more of Him than you know at present? To know Jesus is to have a complete life change. Actually there’s no way to meet Jesus and not have a life impacting experience!

This month we have spoken about Jesus to introduce Him to you and deepen your understanding of who He really is.

Week 1 – Born for pain – Jesus’ plan from the beginning was to suffer and die for the whole of mankind. He was born to die.

Week 2 – A life lived for others – The incredible passion of Jesus to love, serve and give to others.

Week 3 – The other side of Jesus – His dedication to purpose, a steely eyed determination to go to the cross.

Week 4 – Risen and Living – This week we see what is Jesus doing now. What has been His activity since He ascended up into heaven? Do you know what Jesus is doing right now?

The resurrection of Jesus is one of the most well established events in history (see here http://tinyurl.com/n5kbad) having risen from the dead, of course Jesus is still alive and He is interacting with people’s lives all over the world. If you have religion – you have a dead founder such as Mohammed or Buddha and a set of rules to follow or learn. When you meet Jesus you begin a relationship with a living person. You begin a conversation with a person who is both fully God and fully man.

Think of the wonder of this reality. Before the moment of Jesus being conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, He pre-existed in heaven from eternity. (By the way, humans do not pre-exist before birth, Humans begin their eternal life at conception and pass on into eternity at the death of our physical bodies.) He was in spirit form, infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. Then in one moment of time He was contracted to a span as the hymn writer says (http://tinyurl.com/krdwz6w ) and He became in the form of a human being.

Phil  2:6-7  Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [[b]possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not [c]think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped [d]or retained,

7 But stripped Himself [of all privileges and [e]rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. (AMP)

Jesus had a body exactly like yours and mine. He had a body that felt pain, needed food, was subject to tiredness, every human emotion and function. That body of Jesus ascended into heaven after the resurrection. He is now seated on the right hand of the Father in heaven for eternity. Think about this – humanity has entered the Godhead! When we see Jesus at His second coming or if we pass before then, we will see, and meet and behold that same Jesus who ascended. He will still, and for eternity, have the nail scars in His hands and feet and the deep wound in His side.

Imagine the wonder and the gratitude of seeing those hands and feet. No wonder the angels fall before him and those who have gathered at His throne cast their crowns before Him.

Rev 4:9-10  And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (ESV)

So what is Jesus doing now that He has risen from the dead? Has He been in the Bahamas since then taking it easy, having accomplished all He purposed to do? Is there a holiday home in heaven where He relaxes until the time of His second coming? Let me fill you in on what He is doing now and every day until His coming again.  (You realise He’s coming back again, right?)

Sending the Holy Spirit

His very first task when He ascended was to send the Holy Spirit into the earth: John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. (NKJV) The work of the Holy Spirit is to help the church complete the call to take the gospel to the whole world and make disciples in every nation.  The work is not complete yet. Of the approximately 210 nations on earth only a few yet remain to be impacted by the gospel. Still there are many ethnic groups on earth who need to be reached with the gospel. Speaking of His second coming Jesus says, Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Build the church.

Jesus main focus through the Holy Spirit is to build the church. He said Matt 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock[a] I will build my church, and the gates of hell[b]shall not prevail against it. Jesus is overseeing the building of a church that will reach the whole earth. He is at work through the work of the Holy Spirit to raise up leaders who will preach the gospel, plant churches and pray for the will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Make intercession for us.

Heb 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them. (AMP) Jesus who is seated in heaven Ephes 1:20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], ever lives to make intercession for us, pleading our case before the Father. As our advocate or Lawyer He makes a case for our redemption and deliverance, declaring that the faith with which we appropriate our salvation is sufficient to obtain the promises and enter into His family. Our prayer come up to heaven Rev 5:8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God’s people (the saints).

So when you need an answer or some help from above, and you call on Jesus, He is ready to make intercession for you at the throne of the Father. You are never alone. He is with you always even until the end of the world. (Matt  28:20)

We serve a loving Saviour and one who is always active to be with you and strengthen you every day you live in Him. So don’t do life alone. Invite Jesus into your life. Pray this prayer right now…

“Dear Lord Jesus, please come into my life, I turn away from my sinful lifestyle and I turn to you. Forgive all my sins and set me free. I chose to follow you for the rest of my life. I believe that you died on the cross for me and I believe that you rose again from the dead. Thank you Jesus. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer for the first time and you want to walk with Jesus please contact me via the comment box below.

Blessings,

Ps Craig Anderson.

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