The Cry for Help:
On one side of a crevasse stands the church. On the other side the lost, those not knowing God, those not even realising they need God, but crying out for help. The church in some way oblivious to the cries, caught up in themselves and how they see things and how they choose to help, not seeing the real need and not meeting the real need.
Be Real:
People run away not so much from God but our perspective of God, our failings, our unreality. Let us take off our masks and become real to God, real to each other and real to those outside in need and crying out for help.
(The word below I believe anointed of God comes from the book written by Terry Virgo, Weak Men, Mighty God. How true the words are.)
Tender Mercy Towards the Lost:
‘I Love them and I gave my Son to save them. I am not far from any one of them. They could hear the gospel message and respond, and their lives could be changed. I want you to share my compassion and reachout to them –
On one side of a crevasse stands the church. On the other side the lost, those not knowing God, those not even realising they need God, but crying out for help. The church in some way oblivious to the cries, caught up in themselves and how they see things and how they choose to help, not seeing the real need and not meeting the real need.
Be Real:
People run away not so much from God but our perspective of God, our failings, our unreality. Let us take off our masks and become real to God, real to each other and real to those outside in need and crying out for help.
(The word below I believe anointed of God comes from the book written by Terry Virgo, Weak Men, Mighty God. How true the words are.)
Tender Mercy Towards the Lost:
‘I Love them and I gave my Son to save them. I am not far from any one of them. They could hear the gospel message and respond, and their lives could be changed. I want you to share my compassion and reachout to them –
Not with cold professionalism, but with tender mercy.’
Our Response, What Should It Be?
God has a plan, a future for us all that only He can bring about, in the moving and the power of the Holy Spirit, in a relationship with Him that He planned from the beginning and that is the only way to go in a productive and effective way. The all important thing is relationship. A relationship with God the Father, through God the Son, the Lord Jesus and with God the Holy Spirit, which in that our relationship with each and every one else becomes the church that God purposed us to be. Maybe a better way to put it, the PEOPLE that God purposed us to be, His people, a chosen people.
Many may be saying, if you’re still reading that is, “But our church is helping and moving in God.”
God has a plan, a future for us all that only He can bring about, in the moving and the power of the Holy Spirit, in a relationship with Him that He planned from the beginning and that is the only way to go in a productive and effective way. The all important thing is relationship. A relationship with God the Father, through God the Son, the Lord Jesus and with God the Holy Spirit, which in that our relationship with each and every one else becomes the church that God purposed us to be. Maybe a better way to put it, the PEOPLE that God purposed us to be, His people, a chosen people.
Many may be saying, if you’re still reading that is, “But our church is helping and moving in God.”
Praise God!
I don’t deny that, there are pockets. God doesn’t stop even if we do. But please look at this country of ours, then realise how small your church is. This country needs more, and most of the so called church today have become ineffective and unproductive for Christ.
Individual Response
Salvation:
Salvation is for the individual. No one can make that step of faith for another. God looks for our personal response to Him and the great redemptive message given through Grace by Jesus Christ on the cross.
Healing Lives:
Healing in our lives begins with the individual. No one can deal with your problems for you. It is your response to God that changes your situations. No one can make that response for you. It’s the submitting of your life to Him and allowing His Holy Spirit to move in your heart. So easily we blame others. We look at their faults when we should look at our own. Routed in that blame there is bitterness and unforgiveness, barriers to the Holy Spirit.
Heal Our Nation:
The Healing of our nation begins with the individual. It is each and everyone’s response to the call of God. It begins with the individual and as they share it grows and God is able to move collectively.
Relationship with God:
Building a relationship with God should be our personal aim. No one can build for us.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30
So often we put others first. Relationship like marriage, you have to work at it.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Individual Response
Salvation:
Salvation is for the individual. No one can make that step of faith for another. God looks for our personal response to Him and the great redemptive message given through Grace by Jesus Christ on the cross.
Healing Lives:
Healing in our lives begins with the individual. No one can deal with your problems for you. It is your response to God that changes your situations. No one can make that response for you. It’s the submitting of your life to Him and allowing His Holy Spirit to move in your heart. So easily we blame others. We look at their faults when we should look at our own. Routed in that blame there is bitterness and unforgiveness, barriers to the Holy Spirit.
Heal Our Nation:
The Healing of our nation begins with the individual. It is each and everyone’s response to the call of God. It begins with the individual and as they share it grows and God is able to move collectively.
Relationship with God:
Building a relationship with God should be our personal aim. No one can build for us.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30
So often we put others first. Relationship like marriage, you have to work at it.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty
Zechariah 4:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
John 14:6
Shared Responsibility:
God causes us not to be independent but dependant upon Him but also upon Christ’s body, His Church. We have a responsibility to each other and that we use our calling, our gifts all for the benefit of others. As we all walk the path set before us, we have a responsibility to support each other in what ever way God asks. We are to be encouragers, in that we help release people into ministry, in the use of their gifts and the fulfilment of their calling, we can become an obstacle to others if as such we do not take up that responsibility. We have an individual responsibility and we have a shared responsibility in encouragement and support. We greatly weaken the effectiveness of the Body of Christ by with holding what God asks of us in our support and encouragement for each other.
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty
Zechariah 4:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
John 14:6
Shared Responsibility:
God causes us not to be independent but dependant upon Him but also upon Christ’s body, His Church. We have a responsibility to each other and that we use our calling, our gifts all for the benefit of others. As we all walk the path set before us, we have a responsibility to support each other in what ever way God asks. We are to be encouragers, in that we help release people into ministry, in the use of their gifts and the fulfilment of their calling, we can become an obstacle to others if as such we do not take up that responsibility. We have an individual responsibility and we have a shared responsibility in encouragement and support. We greatly weaken the effectiveness of the Body of Christ by with holding what God asks of us in our support and encouragement for each other.
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.
Psalm 127:1
Psalm 127:1
Ownership:
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18 KJ
There’s a need to own a vision. When we say, “Yes,” to something doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in that place of owning it. You can say yes but not be involved, but God needs us to own it and be involved in it as with something you own, you take care of it, you nurture it and you abide in it.
As the Church we need to own a vision, nurture that vision and abide in it. Remembering it is God’s Church, God’s Vision, so He needs to lead it, and we need to be prepared for it and to prepare.
Some maybe thinking that it’s Jesus we should abide in, not a vision, and how true that is. But don’t you see the vision is the abiding in the Father, abiding in the Lord Jesus and the abiding in the Holy Spirit. All other things come from that in Love, Power and Truth. The practicalities and the working out of it here on earth come from the in working upon us by the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It’s from that the outpouring can take place upon the land around us. The most important part of a vision is our relationship with and in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
I’ve been taught about Prophecy, that in it God wants to raise us to His standard. God gives a prophecy for the future but then He looks at what is in front of us, generally character. Every Word brings character application. He wants to establish the Word in us. But is this not what God wants in all we do? Too often we expect God to come down to our level, to fit in with what we want, to give us what we want instead of looking to what He wants, raising our standards to His.
God would ask of us to deal with internal things and the external things take care of itself. He tells us not to lean on our own understanding. Not to let the soul rule the spirit. To put aside preconceived ideas and be led by the Holy Spirit. We are not to let the circumstances challenge the Word but the Word challenge the circumstances. God works in changing us in the circumstances.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 2:9-10
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Proverbs 29:18 KJ
There’s a need to own a vision. When we say, “Yes,” to something doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in that place of owning it. You can say yes but not be involved, but God needs us to own it and be involved in it as with something you own, you take care of it, you nurture it and you abide in it.
As the Church we need to own a vision, nurture that vision and abide in it. Remembering it is God’s Church, God’s Vision, so He needs to lead it, and we need to be prepared for it and to prepare.
Some maybe thinking that it’s Jesus we should abide in, not a vision, and how true that is. But don’t you see the vision is the abiding in the Father, abiding in the Lord Jesus and the abiding in the Holy Spirit. All other things come from that in Love, Power and Truth. The practicalities and the working out of it here on earth come from the in working upon us by the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It’s from that the outpouring can take place upon the land around us. The most important part of a vision is our relationship with and in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
I’ve been taught about Prophecy, that in it God wants to raise us to His standard. God gives a prophecy for the future but then He looks at what is in front of us, generally character. Every Word brings character application. He wants to establish the Word in us. But is this not what God wants in all we do? Too often we expect God to come down to our level, to fit in with what we want, to give us what we want instead of looking to what He wants, raising our standards to His.
God would ask of us to deal with internal things and the external things take care of itself. He tells us not to lean on our own understanding. Not to let the soul rule the spirit. To put aside preconceived ideas and be led by the Holy Spirit. We are not to let the circumstances challenge the Word but the Word challenge the circumstances. God works in changing us in the circumstances.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 2:9-10
God’s Love is UNCONDITIONAL, where as God’s Blessings are CONDITIONAL.
Are We Shaken But Not Stirred?
Are We Shaken But Not Stirred?
Triumphal Entry – John 12:12-19
Wrong motives, losing sight of who Jesus really is:
God in heaven looks on, He is happy to see the people honouring Jesus on arrival into Jerusalem and yet He was sad because He knew beyond that moment many of those people would also call for His death.
They recognised Him as King of Israel (John 12:13), they even saw a great Healer, a man of miracles (John 12:17-18) especially after raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44) but could not accept Him as the Messiah, the one who would save the world from sin. His ministry shook and yet the people were not stirred.
Jesus taught Holiness through Salvation in Him. Too often we can play at church and forget the reality of Him and His Kingship and Headship of His Church.
The enemy can distract our minds onto anything even those things that seem right so as to prevent us from entering into fullness in Christ and obedience to Him. The enemy would fill our time with anything, for when we come into obedience in Christ the enemy knows that everything we do will be even more powerful and successful. We hear the call to Holiness but are not stirred; we remain complacent in our busyness. We are shaken but not stirred.
God told Hosea to go to his adulteress wife, Gomer and show her love, forgiveness, as God has compassion for Israel, despite their worship of other gods.
Hosea 3:1
Restoration:
Restoring us is not taking us out of one body and putting us in another. When we were born we were born to one body, that body sinned and God has not said, “I’m going to restore you and take you from this body of sin and put you in another.” We still have the same body but His restoration work within us helps us to continue in the body of sin.
Restoration isn’t taking you out of one Church because someone upset you or you upset someone. Restoration is working with what you have and making that new, it’s even as far as possible restoring that broken relationship where many people would prefer to give up because it’s easier.
You can’t restore something that has not been born yet, you restore only what already is.
The prodigal son was restored through him returning to his family, not through going somewhere else and starting another family, or going back but not having anything to do with his family but making a new one.
If you build something new from something that is through pain, pride, unforgiveness, insecurity and falseness you build on a very unstable foundation. Something born of God would be born out of forgiveness, grace, mercy and love, the foundation on Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Spirit, Soul and Body
Whenever the three parts that make up a human being today are spoken about it tends to be put in the order of – Body, Soul and Spirit. Even – Mind, Body and Soul. Leaving out the Spirit.
But in the Bible the order has changed – Spirit, Soul and Body
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Is not God, Spirit. Has God not said in his Word:
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.
John 4:23-24
Has he not also said:
Seek first his kingdom (Spirit) and his righteousness (Soul) and all these things will be given to you as well (Body).
Matthew 6:33
Wrong motives, losing sight of who Jesus really is:
God in heaven looks on, He is happy to see the people honouring Jesus on arrival into Jerusalem and yet He was sad because He knew beyond that moment many of those people would also call for His death.
They recognised Him as King of Israel (John 12:13), they even saw a great Healer, a man of miracles (John 12:17-18) especially after raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44) but could not accept Him as the Messiah, the one who would save the world from sin. His ministry shook and yet the people were not stirred.
Jesus taught Holiness through Salvation in Him. Too often we can play at church and forget the reality of Him and His Kingship and Headship of His Church.
The enemy can distract our minds onto anything even those things that seem right so as to prevent us from entering into fullness in Christ and obedience to Him. The enemy would fill our time with anything, for when we come into obedience in Christ the enemy knows that everything we do will be even more powerful and successful. We hear the call to Holiness but are not stirred; we remain complacent in our busyness. We are shaken but not stirred.
God told Hosea to go to his adulteress wife, Gomer and show her love, forgiveness, as God has compassion for Israel, despite their worship of other gods.
Hosea 3:1
Restoration:
Restoring us is not taking us out of one body and putting us in another. When we were born we were born to one body, that body sinned and God has not said, “I’m going to restore you and take you from this body of sin and put you in another.” We still have the same body but His restoration work within us helps us to continue in the body of sin.
Restoration isn’t taking you out of one Church because someone upset you or you upset someone. Restoration is working with what you have and making that new, it’s even as far as possible restoring that broken relationship where many people would prefer to give up because it’s easier.
You can’t restore something that has not been born yet, you restore only what already is.
The prodigal son was restored through him returning to his family, not through going somewhere else and starting another family, or going back but not having anything to do with his family but making a new one.
If you build something new from something that is through pain, pride, unforgiveness, insecurity and falseness you build on a very unstable foundation. Something born of God would be born out of forgiveness, grace, mercy and love, the foundation on Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Spirit, Soul and Body
Whenever the three parts that make up a human being today are spoken about it tends to be put in the order of – Body, Soul and Spirit. Even – Mind, Body and Soul. Leaving out the Spirit.
But in the Bible the order has changed – Spirit, Soul and Body
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Is not God, Spirit. Has God not said in his Word:
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.
John 4:23-24
Has he not also said:
Seek first his kingdom (Spirit) and his righteousness (Soul) and all these things will be given to you as well (Body).
Matthew 6:33
Be Honest!
We need to be honest with ourselves and God where we are.
What Motivates Us?
Is Your Life Spirit Lead?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
We need to be honest with ourselves and God where we are.
What Motivates Us?
Is Your Life Spirit Lead?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
God Desires…
Obedience Rather Than Sacrifice
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.”
1 Samuel 15:22
God Desires…
A Surrendered Life Rather Than a Committed Life
You can be committed to something but a surrendered heart means that within that commitment you recognise that you can do nothing without God. We can be committed but leave God out of what we are committed to.
But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
God Desires…
A Pliable Heart Rather Than a Perfect Heart
God recognises, more so, knows, that in this life we will never have a perfect heart, but he asks that we have one that is pliable.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Ezekiel 36:26-27
Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and Perfecter of your faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
Draw near to me and I shall draw near to you.
James 4:8
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Obedience Rather Than Sacrifice
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.”
1 Samuel 15:22
God Desires…
A Surrendered Life Rather Than a Committed Life
You can be committed to something but a surrendered heart means that within that commitment you recognise that you can do nothing without God. We can be committed but leave God out of what we are committed to.
But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
God Desires…
A Pliable Heart Rather Than a Perfect Heart
God recognises, more so, knows, that in this life we will never have a perfect heart, but he asks that we have one that is pliable.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Ezekiel 36:26-27
Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and Perfecter of your faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
Draw near to me and I shall draw near to you.
James 4:8
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
We Have a Choice
OLD nature or NEW nature?
OLD nature or NEW nature?
It is said that something is not biblical and yet that is the way we are, it could be wrong and yet that is what we do. Why on acknowledging something wrong do we still expect it? Should we not rather say, it is wrong so let’s not do it but trust instead in the Lord and what He says?
There are laws that can not be broken, that even God expects us to follow, for we are in the world. (Matthew 17:24-27, 22:15-21). But also there are ways, not law but brought about by people’s mistrust or people’s endeavour to control, when we should say, “No, God does not do things that way.” Should we say, “No,” to God’s Way?
We fill our lives with doing, we push God into a corner, too busy to hear what He has or wants. Like Martha (Luke 10:38-42) we to can question people who want to follow God’s way rather than be dictated to by what is expected in the world, making them to be super spiritual people, instead of seeing that there is a choice made, a closeness with God, a call to His side that out weighs everything else.
The Struggle Within
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it , but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.
Romans 7:14 -19
There are laws that can not be broken, that even God expects us to follow, for we are in the world. (Matthew 17:24-27, 22:15-21). But also there are ways, not law but brought about by people’s mistrust or people’s endeavour to control, when we should say, “No, God does not do things that way.” Should we say, “No,” to God’s Way?
We fill our lives with doing, we push God into a corner, too busy to hear what He has or wants. Like Martha (Luke 10:38-42) we to can question people who want to follow God’s way rather than be dictated to by what is expected in the world, making them to be super spiritual people, instead of seeing that there is a choice made, a closeness with God, a call to His side that out weighs everything else.
The Struggle Within
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it , but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.
Romans 7:14 -19
Sound Familiar?
Jacob and Esau
Jacob and Esau
Rebekah enquires of the Lord:
The babies jostled each other within her and she said, “Why is this happening to me? So she went to enquire of the Lord.
The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
Genesis 25:22-23
Even though God has redeemed you and made you His child, you still have two natures within you wrestling for control. What is the answer? The oldest (your flesh) must submit to the youngest (your new nature).
The babies jostled each other within her and she said, “Why is this happening to me? So she went to enquire of the Lord.
The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
Genesis 25:22-23
Even though God has redeemed you and made you His child, you still have two natures within you wrestling for control. What is the answer? The oldest (your flesh) must submit to the youngest (your new nature).
Who will win?
The one you feed, protect, and develop most!
The one you feed, protect, and develop most!
For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law; but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7:22-25
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law; but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7:22-25
You Have a Potential so Great!
Reach out to God, and Outreach to Others
In the Will of God
The Attitude of Christ Jesus
And
The Leading and Power of the Holy Spirit
Be Ambassadors of His Love
To Those
In Need and Crying Out for Help
Reach out to God, and Outreach to Others
In the Will of God
The Attitude of Christ Jesus
And
The Leading and Power of the Holy Spirit
Be Ambassadors of His Love
To Those
In Need and Crying Out for Help
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