“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
1 Timothy 6: 11-12 Ephesians 5: 15-21 On Monday we considered the wonderful plans God has for us in His Grace; His desire to prosper and bless us. As we live in the tumult of this world and with our desires that are often contrary to God’s will it is easy to miss these plans and misunderstand what they might be. We grow as His children as we grow into Him becoming like Christ. There is however a daily battle against our old nature, the world (as in all things opposed to God) and Satan (Ephesians 6: 11-12), to prevent ourselves from being taken away God and His blessings. How do we guard against this so that we live in His presence and blessing? We quoted the prophet Jeremiah on Monday and his guidance stands; we must seek God with all our heart. Jesus echoes this truth when He calls us to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6: 33). Our Scriptures today help us see how we do this:
If all this sounds too hard and demanding then we need to recognise the truth; it is! We need now to remember all of our focus on God and how He enables us in His power, through His Son and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; the truth of Grace. It is why we are focusing on the Holy Spirit for this year – we need His abiding presence for the work of sanctification in us (in effect being made like Christ). We are in a battle of faith in this life (1 Tim 6: 12). We also need each other, the Church. It is why we are encouraged to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5: 21). So may we know the Grace filled plans God has for us and in His strength and His way make every effort to live within them; in doing so we will take hold of the eternal life we have been called to (1 Tim. 6: 12). To Ponder: In prayer, dwell on the goals of our faith pursuit: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. What do each mean, how do we live them out in our lives; what do we need to flee and disregard in order to possess these qualities? Pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy Kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen Praise: Seek ye first Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7spyhVBrA4 How can it be Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt5X91ciE6Y&list=PLU-3tkJcoSn2ufw8rccl-62axQuxpxUX2 On resurrection day, Jesus met two of his disciples on their way to Emmaus. They were feeling lost, disillusioned, and hopeless because of the very public death of Jesus Christ they had witnessed just days before. They were so downcast they didn’t even recognize Jesus as He walked along with them. Have you ever felt that way?
These disciples had built their identity, who they believed they were, on their own story. It was based on being an Israelite and looking forward to the establishment the kingdom of Israel (Lk 24:19-21). This was their Jewish identity, it was who they believed they were. But in a matter of hours, like a house of cards, their identity fell apart with Jesus’ crucifixion. I did not grow up in a Christian home or attend church as a child. I was on my own early in life, but I worked hard to create a life for me and my family. Things were difficult but, overall I thought I had done most things right. However, one day, my life fell apart, and I was deeply hurt and disillusioned. Like the disciples, I didn’t see it coming. That’s often the way our lives change – unexpectedly. Through various circumstances, God allowed me to realize how much I needed Him, slowly drew me to Himself and in middle-life, I became a Christian. I learned that for most of my life, I had based my identity on something other than Him. Like the disciples, we sometimes build our identity on our traditions, education, cultural values, careers, money, family, or happiness. However, when our identity is built on the things of this world, we are focusing on the “here and now”, and there is nothing more unstable than the “here and now,” as we have all seen over the last many weeks. The risen Jesus knew the disciples’ hearts and came to their rescue. Jesus “himself drew near and went with them” (Luke 24:15). Jesus didn’t wait for them to come to Him. Jesus met the disciples where they were, in their distress as they were seeking to make sense of it all, looking for a solid foundation to anchor their identity, while they were caught up in their own small, pitiful story of hopelessness. Here, Jesus told them another story: God’s story. God’s resurrection story which brings hope to our story, wherever we are in it. And just as He did with the disciples, Jesus meets us where we are. Because He is alive, in Him, we have a new identity, a resurrection identity. In Jesus, the puzzle pieces of our lives fit together coherently because He gives us the whole picture of what life truly is about. Because of His resurrection, we are now adopted as Children of God and are a part of His magnificent story. In Jesus, the disciples found joy in the midst of pain, and hope in the midst of loss and hopelessness. And so can we. Scripture Reading: Luke 24:13-35 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich..”
2 Corinthians 8: 9 Jeremiah 29: 10-14 Sometimes our lives, situations and outlook seem incredibly bleak. We may feel trapped, guilty, alone, lacking in hope and feel we have no real prospects. In the Old Testament God’s people were often in positions like this; quite frequently because of their own actions but on occasions because of other factors. Our reading today has the prophet Jeremiah telling the people that despite their situation God had amazing plans for them. Their captivity would not be forever, it had a purpose and He would reconcile their lives and situation. Last week we encouraged people to look at God’s Story and Our Story because, as I often say, they are meant to be together, forever entwined. You heard from some of our musicians and how God speaks to them through music and lyrics (incredibly gifted people). On Friday you will have heard from John who shared his story. John found himself in a terrible situation where he condemned himself for his actions and their outcomes – he was in dire straits. He had hurt people he knew and loved. The outcome was not what he expected. He was shown, much to his surprise and wonder, love and forgiveness. It helped transform his life and drew him deeper into God. I won’t repeat the details here but would encourage you to listen to our musicians and John’s stories via our website. What John spoke about and the musicians referred to is known as Grace; God’s gifts of love and life to us through forgiveness in Jesus. It is called Grace because this incredible act of compassion on behalf of God is unmerited and undeserved by us. In our verse above we see that in this Grace, Jesus became poor so that we might become rich. Therefor if we stand in Jesus through faith there is now no condemnation for us – final! Nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8: 31-39). How do we receive this Grace, how do we enter into His hope, plans and spiritual life? Jeremiah tells us that we need to seek God with all our heart and we will find Him (vs. 13). The apostle Paul tells us that through our faith in Him we will be saved by His Grace (Ephesians 2: 8). May we all realise the depth of God’s love for us, His joy over us, His plans for us – in short His Grace. May this Grace transform our lives and those around us and in so doing bless the world. To Ponder: Meditate on God’s Grace and unpack what it means to you. Look back over the last two weeks of my blogs or listen to John’s Story if you need help. Do you recognise the need for God’s Grace; do you feel His loving embrace? Pray: Lord Jesus we thank you that for our sake you became poor so that we may become rich….in you. Open our hearts and minds to grasp this Grace-filled gift of love. Help us to seek you with all our hearts that we may find you and in so doing find life. Show us the amazing plans you have for us. Amen Praise: Members of St Aidan’s Church praise God for His plans for us Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwh7lfGQCWE&feature=youtu.be Gracefully broken Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR0lxbIP4 Grace wins every time Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JXl1czvh7g “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1: 7 1 John 4: 7-21 There is a lot that challenges real love and works to prevent its course. Lack of knowledge (of people and/or circumstances), prejudice, hurt, dislike of self and fear to name some of the more common barriers. As we looked at on Monday God has commanded us to love Him, our neighbour and ourselves; these the greatest commandments (Luke 10: 27). The greatest because love drives out fear, overcomes failure, hatred and covers a multidate of failings (1 Peter 4: 8). We, however, struggle to love God, our neighbour and often ourselves. For example an article on social media highlighted how almost two thirds of users lie to ‘airbrush reality;’ to make themselves fit their desired image.* To help overcome these barriers we’ve looked at who God is, last week, and this week how we can love in Jesus in such a way that He transforms our lives. The first step, as we have focused upon, is to know God, this helps us to know and have love (1 John 4: 8). We know God through Jesus who walks the way of love (as we looked at on Wednesday) and who provides us the perfect example (1 John 4: 9-10). God therefore calls us to walk as Christ and to love as He does (1 John 4: 11); how? This is where the Holy Spirit enables and empowers. God has not given us a Spirit of timidity or fear but of love (see above) and He has given us His Spirit to live in us to enable us to love His way (1 John 4: 12-13). We will often find our love and will to love insufficient. If we believe in God through Jesus, we have His Spirit to empower our love so that we can know and rely on God’s love (1 John 4: 16). I have found this to be true in practice in my relationships when I have put my faith in His promises. I am married to a most incredible lady. When we married, we made our vows to each other in the name and strength of God. When my love has proved fallible, I have consciously asked God for help and He has renewed and revitalised my love. This has been true when people have disliked or hated me because of my different vocations; God gives us love even for such situations (Matthew 5: 43-48). If ever there was a time where the world needed this deep, true and empowered love it is now. Put your trust in Jesus and step out in love. To Ponder: Who do you struggle to love most: God; other people/certain people; or yourself? Read the Scripture passage today, believe in Jesus and ask His Holy Spirit to empower your love. Look at others and yourself as people made in the image of God, at others as at least your equals and ask God to fulfil His promise of life changing love. Pray: Father we love because you first loved us. We can only know real love if we know you so help us to know you – deeply. Empower us by your Spirit within us to love others and indeed ourselves. Help us to love as you love. Amen Praise: Love divine all loves excelling Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGGcqhKShQ8 Love has a name Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igdy0-cetuw&list=RDMMHcnfT4arZtI&index=19 Love Moved First Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8fWD_JpIFg&list=RDMMHcnfT4arZtI&index=17 *Mail on Sunday 27th/29th Dec 2014 by Barney Calman In the book of Ezekiel, we see that Jerusalem had fallen and most of God’s people were in exile in Babylon. But then Ezekiel brought a message of hope and restoration from the Lord to his people who might have thought their God had abandoned them in this tough time. I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be shamed. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another. And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken! (Ezekiel 34:22-24) A “shepherd” in the ancient Near East was not only a term for one who tended sheep, it was also a common metaphor for a king. Good kings who led their people with strength and wisdom resembled good shepherds who endured the elements, protected their flocks against wild beasts, and tenderly led their sheep to good pastures. So, when Ezekiel announced God’s plan to send his royal Shepherd to tend his flock, it meant that God would put in place a Shepherd who would bring everyone back out of captivity and into his fold where he would rule with tenderness, not with brute power. One flock, one Shepherd. No doubt it was this prophecy that was in Jesus’ mind and in the minds of those who knew the scriptures when he said: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep………I have other sheep, too, that are not in the sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. (John 10: 11,16) Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Shepherd. But obviously not all of Ezekiel’s prophecy was fulfilled in Christ’s first coming. Ezekiel said that God’s people will “no longer be prey for other nations,” will “live in safety” (34:28), and will “never again suffer from famines” (34:29). That day is still to come, and will surely come when the Good Shepherd returns. Finally, all of God’s children will be able to lie down in green pastures in safety with the good Shepherd, God’s Son, Jesus. Even in the toughest of times, may we make the choice to listen and follow the Good Shepherd’s voice. Prayer – My strong and trustworthy Shepherd, I have heard your voice and I am yours. How I long for that day when you return and I can finally live in perfect safety. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sv3e2cFcj4 “Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for His friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”
John 15: 13-14 Matthew 16: 21-28 Last week we focused on who God is to enable us to love Him and walk in His peace. I committed to looking this week at how we love the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in practice. As I meet that commitment I confess to finding it hard to turn my focus away from the unrest in the States which is spreading to other countries. The pain, anguish and division is clear and incredibly distressful to witness. The situation is hugely complex and its occurrence now amidst the pandemic, lockdown and economic crisis amounts to a ‘perfect storm.’ I wrote at the weekend encouraging us to pray; I renew that plea. What I did not say at the weekend is that in my life and experience the only thing that I have seen which really changes situations is a change in people’s hearts. The only real change I have seen and see in people’s hearts is that which the Lord Jesus brings. So our focus on Him and how to love Him today is actually of primary importance. In our key verse above Jesus tells us of the greatest love that anyone can have; a love where a life is laid down for another. In our Matthew reading Jesus predicts His death where He laid down His life for us that we might know God and have life; life eternal. We may be able to grasp how someone would give their life for another whom they know and love but to do so for a person who they do not know, who perhaps rejects them or even hates them is something much bigger. This is exactly what Jesus did for us and does for us today (Romans 5: 6-8). He tells us in our key verse that we are His friends if we do what He commands; and what does He command? In Matthew He continues and tells us that we need to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him (vs. 24). We may seek many things in our lives but the only way to save our lives is to give them fully to God (vs. 25-27). Jesus demonstrated self-sacrificial love, this the means of salvation and eternal life. As He gave His life for us He is calling us to give our lives to Him and to walk the way of self-denial and self-sacrifice; this is the true path of love. This is the love that changes people’s hearts and the love that changes situations. It is the way of undeserved forgiveness and seemingly impossible reconciliation. It is the love that marks the route of the ‘peacemaker;’ that which Jesus has called us to be (Matthew 5: 9). It is the love that the world needs now to bring healing to impossible situations; it is the way of the Cross. May we so walk and may this real love bring healing, forgiveness and reconciliation to the troubled world. To Ponder: How is the Lord calling you to walk the way of the cross today; what areas of your life do you need to give to Him (do you need to give Him your life)? How might these truths guide your prayers for our world situation today, how might they transform the difficulties we see, and what is the Lord asking of you and of the Church? Pray: Lord, while we did not know you, even hated you, you gave your life for us that we might live. You have provided for us the means of forgiveness and reconciliation in yourself. Enable us to give our lives to you and live in this way becoming your peacemakers in a world that so desperately needs you. Amen Praise: At the Cross; Love Ran Red Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zev5tHjCB_s Have you noticed how many people are looking for ways to keep themselves encouraged during these past several weeks? How many athletes, celebrities and other “social influencers” have taken to the airwaves or social media with ways to make yourself or your family feel better, or at least distracted? There are shows about good news stories from around the world. There are new cooking shows to teach people how to cook bacon, how to BBQ like a pro, or how to whip up new salads to help you keep fit. There are vlogs about how to apply the latest styles in make-up. Millionaire pop stars are instagramming their new swimming pools, or manicured backyards to show how they are suffering right along with the rest of us. But, it all just feels so artificial, like a façade the world wants to hide behind so they can feel “normal”.
There are often seasons in our lives when we feel overwhelmed or ineffective. When we look in the mirror we feel discouraged or blasé, and even when others try to cheer us up, often we don’t really hear them. Even professed Christians can sometimes act like the rest of the world who can’t see themselves for who they really are, for who they were created to be. When we look at ourselves in the mirror we wonder where it all went wrong or why we feel useless, discouraged, and depressed. We forget where we draw our identity and strength from. The problem isn’t the circumstances in which we find ourselves. It’s because we don’t see ourselves as our loving God sees us. In 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul teaches us how God sees us. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” If you put your faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation, the Bible says you are a new creation, right here, right now. Because at the very moment of our belief, we became a new creation. “The new has come.” We are already righteous, made right by God when we first believed in the hope set before us in Jesus Christ, even if at times we might struggle and fall, or feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face daily. When we put our trust and hope in God through the sacrifice of Jesus and acting in the power of the Holy Spirit, we no longer see ourselves as the world sees us, we no longer feel the need to measure up to what other people are doing. We can see ourselves for we are truly are, children of the Lord Most High, worthy of love, respect and joy. This is not a persona you make up to impress God or the world. It is the work of God’s grace in your life to shed the old you who was self-consumed and world-driven, and create a new you who is being molded to become like Jesus. The truth is, God sees you as a new creation. This truth is reality from God’s perspective. When you look in the mirror, who do you see? Do you see someone who is a new creation? Because that’s you seen through God’s eyes. Claim it. Believe it. Live it. Love the Lord your God by Pastor Dave
“…. ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;’ …..” Luke 10: 27 Psalm 84 Do you remember a time when you realised that you loved someone? I don’t just mean a romantic love, it may be love for a friend or a family member. What was it like, what was it that drew you to them that caused you to love them? I think that it is reasonable to say that we need to know a person to some degree to have genuine love for them; the greater we know them oftentimes the more we love them. It is the same with God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is why we looked at who He is last week. This week we will look at how we might love God in a very real relationship. Jesus highlighted the above as the ‘greatest commandment,’ (Matthew 22: 36-38). How do we obey such a commandment? Well the Lord teaches that we show our love for the Lord by obeying Him (John 14: 23 & 15: 9-10); BUT there is far more to this than simple obedience. We love God because He first loved us (1 John 4: 19) and it is this love that helps us to obey Him and remain in Him. This results in real joy for us (John 15: 11); a cycle of blessing. This love we have is rooted in understanding His love for us and in knowing Him. So as we begin our relationship with God through the Lord Jesus it is so important to spend time with Him in His presence, studying His Word, praying, being in His Creation and in His body, the Church. Absence does eventually make the heart grow cold and while He is never absent from us we need to make every effort not to be absent from Him but to give ourselves to Him. Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. This means that we work at our relationship with God, that we give Him our hearts (our will), our soul (our lives so that our spirit joins with His Spirit) and mind (so that we think like Jesus Christ – as we have looked at in earlier blogs). As in all relationships we can make the mistake of being in it for what we can get out of it. With God we can make the main purpose of our relationship to be one where we simply want God to make everything the way we want it to be for ourselves. God shows us that self-sacrificial love is true love. When we truly give ourselves wholly to God, wanting only His will and glory, that is when we really begin to know Him, His love and find true joy and freedom. This happens over time as our relationship deepens; it is why we are to love with all our strength in obedience. Remember God is love (1 John 4: 8). To Ponder: Pray through Psalm 84 (saying and adapting each verse as a personal prayer); what does this reveal to you about your love for and knowledge of God? How might you deepen this love and relationship? Pray: Lord in your mercy reveal yourself to us so that we may know your love. As we receive your love enable us to love you in return and to give you our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Fill us with joy and freedom as we dwell in your love, we humbly ask through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen Praise: Love the Lord Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAbeFfsqLdc Goodness of God Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f4MUUMWMV4 What to Pray in difficult times by Pastor Dave
‘Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven (if you retain the sins of any they are retained).”’ John 20: 21-23 I do not normally write a blog at the weekend but with many I am troubled, saddened and distressed at the public unrest we see in the States. I have been motivated (and encouraged by others) to write. What is the Church’s role; how do we pray? I believe informed, specific, persistent and unified prayer touches God’s heart (Matthew 7: 7-11), and where we have uncertainty the Holy Spirit prays for us in line with God’s will (Romans 8: 26-27). With this in mind I humbly submit the below for your contemplation and prayer. We all come from different perspectives and backgrounds so in offering matters for prayer let me explain mine: In 1981, the year I joined the Police Service, the UK experienced riots and pubic unrest across the country (often called Race Riots). It was a very difficult time. As dust settled and inquiries were completed causal factors were identified. Unsurprisingly poverty, unemployment, housing, health, institutional racism, policing methods, crime, organized crime, Government failings (local and national), education and communication were among some of the main factors; a complex situation. It showed that matters weren’t always as they seemed and the need to understand the full picture was tantamount to ensure solutions. After much work and consultation the Government introduced the Crime and Disorder Act. This directed the main Public Sector organisations to work together in partnership to reduce crime and disorder. These parties (Local Government, Health, Social Service, Police, Education and Criminal Justice Agencies) also and crucially worked together with the voluntary sector, organisations such as community groups, Victim Support and Churches. I was appointed the Force Partnerships Officer and set up this partnership for our region. It transformed our work and more importantly the outcomes. We set up at three levels, neighbourhood, community and regional, we shared budgets and agreed goals WITH the communities. It transformed policing to a problem solving, local approach. Communication was enhanced and ‘community intelligence’ and ‘neighbourhood tension indicators’ were developed. The outcomes weren’t perfect and never will be, but there was a vast improvement. I share the above to validate my offerings for informed prayer below. I also share that at another time I was appointed Race Relations Coordinator and worked with the region’s communities to identify ways to encourage recruitment, retention and career progression within the Criminal Justice Agencies. I briefed the relevant Parliamentary body on the outcomes and recommendations. Most findings were as you would expect but some were surprising; commonly held views on institutional racism and poor relations were not always held within the communities themselves. For example housing was a key issue not policing, understanding street population not just actual population was important, previous treatment of past generations shaped opinion not current attitudes and some communities simply did not want to work within the Agencies because their culture deemed the roles inappropriate. Previous experience and history helps us to understand ways to respond today and how to pray. I would therefore encourage the following for prayer:
Jesus teaches, and history shows us, that an essential element of any resolution needs to be forgiveness. This prevents bitterness, brings about healing and enables a new beginning. Unforgiveness begets unforgiveness which damages hope. The Lord offers peace and calls us to be ‘peacemakers’ whereby people’s hearts can be changed. May we be active in prayer as a Church and as we pray through the above may we always pray for forgiveness and peace N.B Please note that in the above I summarise very complex matters; there is much not written. The prayer suggestions are ‘big picture’ prayers; we need to pray very much for the individual – the hurt, isolated, distressed, those in poverty, ill health, those in key roles and so on. Please also note that I speak from an ex-policeman’s and Priest’s perspective – I have been in these situations and processes and have worked with agencies and communities, perpetrators and victims; it is always good to get another person’s view and opinion. I would encourage you to think for yourself and pray in line with God’s Word. We sometimes hear confident or loud (even aggressive) viewpoints expressed and can tend to accept them as factual; sometimes they are not, so let us listen deeply, carefully and lovingly so as to discern God’s truth through the wisdom of His Holy Spirit. “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him; the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.”
Isaiah 11: 2 John 15: 26 to 16: 15 Following on from Monday and Wednesday looking at God the Father and God the Son today we look at God the Holy Spirit. All of this with the aim of getting to know God and enabling us to walk in a relationship with Him, in His peace. Our verse in Isaiah details the character of the Holy Spirit that we also see present in God’s throne room (Revelation 4: 5). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and so knows the mind and truth of God and is God (1 Corinthians 2: 6-16). He is the Spirit of Jesus Christ as a member of the Triune God (Philippians 1: 19 & Galatians 4: 6). The Holy Spirit is called the ‘Comforter,’ ‘Advocate’ and the ‘Spirit of Truth.’ The physical, earthly Jesus left this world to return to His rightful place of majesty and to allow us to receive the Holy Spirit enabling the Church to become His body and agent of reconciliation. This incredible truth means that as we place our trust in God through Jesus the Holy Spirit comes and lives within us, joining with our spirits; we become His temple (John 14: 15-17; 1 Corinthians 3: 16). The Holy Spirit will always point us towards the truth, to Jesus Christ. He takes from the Father and makes this knowledge known to us (John 15: 12-15) so that we have the mind of Christ, He enables us to think like Jesus (1 Corinthians 2: 16). This is God’s work of sanctification that changes us, bit by bit, into the likeness of Jesus; becoming who we were always meant to be. The Holy Spirit completes this work in us through a threefold ministry: He convicts us of our sin (our rebellion against God and living for ourselves); He convicts us of righteousness (the need to be right with God through Jesus); and He tells us of judgement (the truth that without Jesus we stand under judgement before God), (John 15: 8-11). We can know God through Jesus, we can know Jesus through the Holy Spirit; even knowing the mind of God! The Holy Spirit is the person of God who empowers us to live in the way of Jesus the way of peace. We are unable to live in our own strength; we are unable to make ourselves righteous before God. The Holy Spirit empowers the former and Jesus ensures the latter – how extraordinarily wonderful is this reality! To Ponder: What areas in your life with the Lord do you feel the need for God’s help? Consider the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12: 4-11), His character and ministry of guidance and empowering and with His help pray (Romans 8: 26). Prayer: O King enthroned on High, Comforter and Spirit of Truth, you that are in all places and fill all things, the treasury of blessings and giver of life, come and dwell with us, cleanse us from every stain and save our souls, O Gracious One. Amen (Common Worship) Praise: Holy Spirit Living Breath of God Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nbMfLQd2P4 Spirit of the Living God Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06h3J5FYn-I Shine Jesus Shine Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OIwSQmyCg4 |
Preachers BlogIn 2024, each week's blog is a follow-up reflection written by the preceding Sunday’s preacher to dig deeper into the sermon topic and explore engaging discussion questions. Archives
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