2nd August 2012

When Life Gets Difficult, He Is Always there...

Sometimes life gets very difficult and you can’t see how God could possibly love you and you don’t want to read your bible let alone pray. You would be surprised at the range of things that can produce this feeling. Your helpful Christian friends might tell you, that you shouldn’t feel like that and point you to passages of scripture that show this. But nothing changes the way you feel.

My advice is to wait for it to pass, it will do – although it may well be horrible whilst it’s happening. You feel like you’ve had your right hand cut off, you feel Abandoned and desolate. But God is still there and He does love you, despite any evidence to the contrary.

At times like these, I phone up a trusted friend and try and quote psalm 139 over and over.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

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Think Spot 30th July 2012

Torchbearers for Jesus

Recently, with a number of others I had the opportunity recently to hold the Olympic torch for a short while which received the flame from the previous runner. She was one of 8000 who carried the flame from Greece to London. That was a privilege I was not expecting. Can you imagine there were 8ooo circular holes in the frame of that torch representing all who had carried the flame. After its use each torch bearer was permitted to purchase the torch they carried as a memento of this great event of the Olympics 2012 London.

Each torch has a connecting point where a key is inserted to turn the gas on to receive the flame. That flame never goes out the entire journey of many thousands of miles.

You and I, if we are Christians are torchbearers for Jesus Christ. We are not the Light of the world as John writes in the first chapter of his gospel but we are but light bearers. Each of us is ignited by Jesus Christ in the first place when we became Christians. Having been lit we are now lights to the world of The Light Jesus Christ, What a responsibility! What a privilege!

When the Olympic torch finally entered the stadium in London a triumphant shout went up from the extremely large crowd of probably nearer 100 000 people which shattered the air. The moment had arrived for the main cauldron to be ignited to set that large flame going for about 3 weeks. When the Games are over that flame is put out.

Just think, when we arrive at heavens door we still carry the light of Christ with us to be joined up with a crowd no one can number and that flame will never go out as we are promised eternal life with The Light of the World Jesus Christ at the very centre of our eternal worship and adoration.

Meanwhile what a thrill it is here on earth where we are seeking to ignite others to become God's torch bearers. As we make contact with people the key we turn is called faith and where the power is released by God a person comes alive and is lit up, repents and believes. Another torch bearer is born and in turn carries The Light of the world to others.

The important part is the flame. We proclaim Him Jesus Christ because we love Him and adore Him and long for everyone to know Him and join the great crowd spoken of in the book of Revelation such a number that is not countable by any human being.

Where God has placed you, look to God in prayer to guide you to those whose names are already written in the Lambs book of life. This world will continue until that final day comes when that number is completed. We cannot hasten that day as it is already recorded in heaven a day already known to God. We are assured that special day will come when Jesus shall come and those in heaven and those on earth who know Jesus are joined as one. What a brilliant light that will be and such a wonderful privilege to be joined to.

May The Spirit of God give us such wonderful opportunities meanwhile to be engaged in this amazing valuable work which will change our world as multitudes upon multitudes glorify God. As the famous creed puts it “Mans chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever.”

Joys Prayer

Gracious God and loving heavenly Father,

as we come to you today may we realise the wonder of our salvation and the privilege of being brought to the Light of the world Jesus Christ and of now being made light bearers to the world around us.

Forgive us for our lack of desire to share our faith with others. Strengthen us in our resolve now to make up for that lost time and to become like the early church gossipers of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are shy and regularly reserved persons we need added grace and if we are too loud help us to become balanced in the manner in which we share the most precious gift we have to give to others.

Make us perceptive and alert to these matters where You would have us to serve

Being Thankful

Come spend a couple of minutes seeing why some people were thankful to God!

Then be thankful yourself and share with us, by writing in the comments box below!

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26th July 2012

He will provide...

Matthew 6:25-27; 31-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ... So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

It is a particularly helpful in the light of todays economic climate. If you lose your job, do not worry. Your father in heaven will take care of your needs. Please note , it is not our wants but our needs He promises to provide. So don’t think you can buy what you want and of course if possible you need to save when you are in work. Be wise, don’t use credit card and overdrafts as a normal way of living. And if you are, see if you can budget to pay them off as quickly as possible. We have to honour God in how we spend our money then He will honour us in Matthew 6.

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23rd July 2012

Who is in first place?

Last weekend I had a treat I wasn't expecting. My wife Joy took me out to celebrate 9 months of marriage. After a meal out she started to give small clues as to where I was being taken in her car. It was all mystery until we arrived at a cinema in Southampton and my suspicions were confirmed when we went into a Cinema studio to see Chariots of Fire .I first saw this film in 1984 and was thrilled to see it again because in my youth running was at the centre of my life until convicted that I was controlled by my sport which was allowed to take first place in my life and God came a low down second. So I was interested to see how Eric Liddell a Christian whose amazing athletic career had taken him to the top flight among athletes in Great Britain was able to be a christian and keep running in its rightful place.. I was interested to know how he was able to remain strong in his convictions as a Christian and yet run for his country at a very high level in the 1924 Olympics on a Sunday.

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Eric Liddell was shocked to learn that the heats for his event the 100 metres were to be run on a Sunday and straight away he knew both his conscience and God's Word would not allow him to break the Sabbath. He began to train for another even although chosen for the 100 metres thus upsetting the United Kingdom Olympic Committee which including the Prince of Wales heir to the throne.. When interviewed and asked for a reason Eric was very firm in his convictions nothing would drag him away from his Sabbath worship to participate in sport on that same day.

The actor portraying this role played his role well and it certainly came across to the people in the cinema that here was a man who was a wonderful example of what we all should do when it comes to standing up for our faith. We may not be selected to compete for GB at the Olympic Games but what if our faith was challenged perhaps at work or school, college or play or in retirement. Would we put Jesus first at all times?

Eric was handed a note from the American team just before his new event the 400 metres , It was a text to be found in 1 Samuel. “He who honours me I will honour.” When it came to the race Eric won handsomely and broke the world record. God had surely honoured his decision to put God first.

Only a year later Eric was on a ship to China to once again put God first as he went with his wife to serve God there. His athletic career was firmly in second place to his first desire to put God first at all times. Recently I saw a dvd and his three daughters, one not even born when Eric sent them off to relatives ion Canada when the Japanese invaded China and Eric was interned with many others. On the DVD, she was so proud of her dad. Remember he never saw her and she never saw him. He died of a tumour in an internment camp in China. The Chinese people still remember him today for his love and deep concern for the Chinese people.

This man loved God with all his heart and was strong in his faith and as a result many lives in china were changed through his ministry. He never wavered. I know he was not turning down wealth as athletes did not get the money they receive today for winning or even competing in International events but fame and fortune would not have distracted this true man of faith. My life and your life need to speak for Jesus Christ and we need to stand up for Jesus and shine like powerful beacons in this world of sinful darkness.

We are in enemy territory every day and are here to win others to Jesus Christ, If we hold firm to our convictions God will use us as we give ourselves 100 per cent for Jesus as Eric did. I wept during that film. I will not forget the film or the text . 'He that honour Me I will honour Him. “You shall have no other gods before Me” says the Lord in Exodus 19 and 20 Music art or sport can so rob us of eternal life and God H

20th July 2012

1. Opening prayer

Father,

as we commence,

let our hearts and minds be right before you.

May your everlasting mercy, grace and love

be shown in hearing these petitions!

Praise to God the Father sing,

praise to God the Son, our king,

praise to God the Spirit be

now and through eternity.

Amen!

2.Time for you to give Praise and thanks to God

3.  Time for your own prayers and intercessions.

4. Closing Prayer

O Father!

May it be that your love would take over our lives!

That we would follow you faithfully and

giving you alone, praise in all circumstances

that we face together!

Amen!

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19th July 2012

He will carry you...

My mum was extremely poor when she was older and could not afford to eat properly. Because of that for a long time I had a fear that I would be poor when I was old and not be able to afford to eat.

Then one day I came across Isaiah 46:4 - “Even to your old age and grey hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and rescue you.” The verse went straight to my heart and gave me comfort and every time I start to get worried, I simply quote the verse and my peace comes back.

What a wonderful promise, from whatever age you are now until you are old and grey God the Father, the most powerful being in the universe will look out for you. He will sustain you! He will nourish you, keep you going, support you, help and aid you. What more could we possibly need!

When we’re too tired to continue, He will carry us! When we run out of our own strength He will give us His strength! Isaiah 40:31 - “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

This is just another way of saying He will carry us.

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Alphy the WOWChurch Cat

goes for a drive and teaches us all a lesson!

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Justification

G’day and welcome to WISE!  The word for today is justification.

I wonder if you have come across this word in your reading of the Bible and wondered what it was all about!!  Justification means, that God looks as you as if you have never sinned against Him.  That means you are declared free from the penalty of sin. Justification is only a reality to you, if you have taken up the offer and are a follower of Jesus Christ. The basis of this justification is that God the Son, Jesus Christ, is both the Just and the Justifier of sinners (Romans 3:21-26).  God is holy; therefore, sin must be dealt with. He cannot arbitrarily forgive sin.  The judgment and penalty of sin, which is death, was poured out on Jesus Christ who is the substitute.  Therefore justice has been done, because God is just.  By faith in Jesus Christ we are declared righteous as a free gift, and Christian Disciples are therefore justified.  Nothing we can do could make us justified before Almighty God.  It is only through His free grace.

Substitution

Jesus died for your sin, the just for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). That is how God is both just and the Justifier of sinners.  That is why Jesus needed to be both fully God and fully human, so as to be the full substitutionary sacrifice that was required to deal permanently with sin! For while you were yet a sinner, Jesus Christ died for you, (Romans 5:6-8), willingly giving His life as a ransom for you (Mark 10:45) and when He died in your place on the cross, He bore the consequences of all your sin – past, present and future.

Sacrifice

This substitution was the sacrifice required in order that Jesus Christ could take away the sins of the world, which includes yours (John 1:29)! He therefore became sin for you (2 Corinthians 5:21) and it was His blood as the sacrificial lamb without spot or blemish (1Peter 1:18-19) that fulfils God’s requirements permanently. We are justified before God, because Jesus is our substitute!

Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, justification means

Your sins were nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14)

You are clothed in a robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10)

You have the righteousness of Christ (Ephesians 1:7; Acts 13:38-39)

You have received the gift of righteousness. (Romans 5:17)

You have been declared righteousness by God through faith in Christ (Philippians 3:9)

So I challenge you with this: if He who was without sin, became sin, for you, you are to live a life worthy of Him and your status of freedom from sin in Jesus Christ.

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16th July 2012

G'day! Welcome to Partakers Think Spot at the start of new week on Monday the 16th of July 2012.

"Run hard to obtain the prize"

The Olympics are not very far away now, about three weeks, and there is a special air of excitement in Great Britain and especially where the Games are mostly to be held in London. Plans have been in place for years and it has taken years to build the varied venues and have everything in place before the Games start.

Competitors have been practising hard for years with this one event especially on their minds. One well known champion said “To be a world champion is great but the Olympics are very special.”

Other special meetings pale into insignificance, the Olympic Crown tops the lot as far as achievement is concerned. To be on that rostrum with the gold medal around the neck is the highest pinnacle of success for the athlete , swimmer cyclist, boxer and competitors in all other events, so many of them and each one will draw thousands of spectators to witness this amazing spectacle.

Paul, in the Bible, writes about such games in Greece where they started centuries ago and he has quite a knowledge of what goes on in the training schedules of the athlete and the diets each one needs and the strictness in keeping on practising even when the weather is icy, wet, hot, cold and windy. “All run in a race, but only one wins so run that you may obtain” 1 Corinthians 9:24ff;.

He goes on to say they all go into strict training. (Probably no cream cakes or doughnuts!) if they were in being at the time. But he concludes by saying “but what do they obtain?... a perishable wreath”. But believers in Christ are running for a prize which is not transient not perishable but eternal. (I Corinthians 9:24;)

So we as believers are all in a race but praise God Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians 1 that Jesus has already gone over the finishing line and won the prize for us. He has qualified for us Hallelujah!!.

In his letter to the Galatians he warns us about those who would try to cut in on us and try to divert us on our christian path

He encourages us on the other hand speaking of the crowds of spectators who are watching us and urging us on in our christian life.(Hebrews)

Whether you are an athlete or armchair spectator at this years Olympics in the Christian race we are all competitors and it is not a sprint it is more like a marathon with all kinds of obstacles and we are daily in need of resources flowing to us from Heaven to strengthen and equip us for the conflict.

Satan is on the prowl but as John Bunyon put it so beautifully in Pilgrims Progress if we keep to the centre pathway where God is directing us we will not be in the path of lions or other beasts Satan may have lined up against us. We are in a spiritual battle but If God be for us who can be against us. If God is our strength and shield we will arrive safely in Heaven. Its a dangerous journey at times but we were not promised an easy passage only a safe landing as Bishop J C Ryle told us in one of his helpful books.

The training manuals of the athletes are very helpful to help competitors to be successful if they keep to the right schedules and do not miss a days training. We Christians need to daily look at our training Manuel The Bible and study to not only show ourselves approved by God but for daily necessary food and direction . There is a race to be run and dangers to face on the way (the hymn writer reminds us)

Be steadfast Paul reminds us elsewhere and treat your life seriously and wonderful blessings ensure us of a marvellous welcome home when we arrive at the end of our journey. “Well done thou good and faithful servant” That is what we are looking forward to hearing as we pass over the finishing line.

As Paul said I have finished the race that is all that matters. Dont drop out ,dont lag behind , Keep in step with the Spirit , keep looking u