Harvest City Church Leicester: Recent Episodes
Harvest City Church
Messages and Sermons from Harvest City Church in Leicester, UK. For more recent sermons, download the Harvest City Church Leicester app for iOS or Android.
Never Give Up - In this week’s Pastor’s Perspectives, we’re reminded through 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 & 16-18 that the Christian life is marked by perseverance. Though we face troubles, setbacks, and discouragement, we are not abandoned. Paul encourages us to shift our focus from temporary struggles to eternal promises. Don’t let the cloud of discouragement settle-pray, press on, and remember: God’s not done with you yet.
Paul gives nineteen negative characteristics of many professing believers during these difficult times.
You and I were created to worship - a worshipping family or indeed individual will always rest on a godly perspective, even when things are at its worst! Worship sets you up to battle with God at your side. The Story of 2 Chronicles emphasises that whatever you’re facing it worship and the Lord house keeps you on the winning side.
When you experience problems, difficulties, set backs or hurts in life, they can either make you better or bitter. You really have a choice. You can either grow up or give up. You can become who God wants you to be, or you can become hard-hearted. When you go through difficult times, what happens to you is not nearly as important as what happens in you. You’ll take your character with you into eternity—not your circumstances.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Jesus’ Resurrection means that his sacrificial death on the cross was sufficient, and therefore our sins can be forgiven.
As God’s people:
We must receive God’s word
We must be set apart
We must be cleansed
We must respect God’s boundary
We must restrain the flesh
We must know we come to a holy God
Never, never pin your whole faith on any human being: not if he is the best and wisest in the whole world. There are lots of nice things you can do with sand; but do not try building a house on it.
When we take time out to really learn and understand who Jesus is for ourselves, we prepare ourselves for an encounter that will change our lives.
For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.
You can afford to live without a personal relationship with the Lord, but you can’t afford to die without one.
“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:4-9 ESV
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”
Psalms 139:13-18 NLT
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realise what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." - Matthew 24:37-39
To surrender in the believers life means to completely give up your own will, desires and wants to God. We subject our thoughts, ideas, and deeds to the will and teachings of Christ Jesus. Surrender is a wilful acceptance and a yielding to God's Word and Commands.
Rudolph Bultmann – “Righteousness does not mean the ethical quality of a person. It does not mean any quality at all, but a relationship. That is, dikaiosýnē is not something a person has as his own; rather it is something he has in the verdict of the “forum” to which he is accountable.”
John Wesley tells us in his journal of a deliverance in 1756. The King of Britain called for a day of solemn prayer and fasting because of a threatened invasion of the French. Wesley wrote,
The fast day was a glorious day, such as London has scarce seen since the Restoration. Every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face. Surely God heareth prayer, and there will yet be a lengthening of our tranquillity.
Then in a footnote he added later, "Humility was turned into national rejoicing for the threatened invasion by the French was averted." It would not be difficult to multiply story after story from the Bible and after the Bible to show that fasting and prayer have changed the course of history.
“By evening you will realize it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7. In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?”
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel[c] forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Forgiving and pursuing justice must go hand in hand. In fact, if you don’t forgive the person, your justice seeking will likely veer into the territory of revenge. – Tim Keller
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."
The people God accepts will live because of their faith. But He isn’t pleased with anyone who turns back. Hebrews 10:38 (CEV)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 NIV
How many times has “what if” kept us awake at night? What “If” I didn’t eat that… Or What if I hadn’t said that? Or what IF I didn’t do that? The word IF appears some 4,711 times in the bible. We almost always think of what if ‘retrospectively’ God wants us to see IF as future-spectively. Before we act or speak we consider “IF” to obey God first.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[
Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”
Jesus desires to invade our lives, routines and seemingly unimportant things. He wants to meet us at our “wells” and desires to do a divine exchange!
The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.
Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.[a] 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas,[b] son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’” At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses[b] and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
The Hebrew word for “holiness” is qōdes, a word that highlights the realm of the sacred in contrast to everything common and profane. The adjective qādôš, “holy,” refers to God and what belongs to him. In various places in the Hebrew Scriptures, God is called by the title the “Holy One of Israel.”
The Hebrew word for “holiness” is qōdes, a word that highlights the realm of the sacred in contrast to everything common and profane. The adjective qādôš, “holy,” refers to God and what belongs to him. In various places in the Hebrew Scriptures, God is called by the title the “Holy One of Israel.”
The critical question for our generation and for every generation is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness and with all the friends you ever had on earth and all the food you ever liked and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there? – John Piper
The critical question for our generation and for every generation is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness and with all the friends you ever had on earth and all the food you ever liked and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there? – John Piper
Galatians 5:17 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
Galatians 5:17 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
"Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear. That's why it's such a powerful weapon. Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies." - Nelson Mandela.
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? 2 The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; 3 whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbour, and casts no slur on others; 4 who despises a vile person but honours those who fear the LORD; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; 5 who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.
Sometimes we can be so focused on our troubles and what we are going through and miss the benefits that come with being in God's presence.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
When humanity denies the existence of a creator God and breaks the link between a personal God and his creation, then they will inevitably deny any significance to the days of creation, they will inevitably deny any rhythmic cycle that is part and parcel of the structure of humanity, and they will thereby find themselves in the seasickness of a world without purpose, where every day runs into every other day ad nauseum.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
“The Great Commission falls apart if you cannot solve the question of the personal authority of Jesus in your life. His standing orders will have no impact on your behaviour patterns” Jerry Vines
Is today my day?! Jesus was the great disrupter of things! He didn’t fit in - didn’t confirm to norms of the day.
Is today my day?! Jesus was the great disrupter of things! He didn’t fit in - didn’t confirm to norms of the day.
‘The LORD will perfect that which concerns me’ Psalm 138:8 (NJKV)
‘Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.’ Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV)
‘There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.’ Proverbs 19:21 (NKJV)
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30 (NKJV)
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV
“Those who undertake great and public services, must not think it strange if they are spoken ill of, and opposed by those from whom they expect support and assistance. They must humbly go on with their work, in the face not only of enemies' threats, but of friends' slights and suspicions.” - Matthew Henry
This psalm is titled A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. A fugitive from Saul, David went to the Philistine city of Gath but found no refuge there and narrowly escaped. Those events are recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-22:1. Following that, David went to the cave at Adullam where many desperate men joined him. This joyful and wise psalm seems to have been written from that cave, and sung in the presence of those men.
David came to the God of perfect knowledge and constant presence knowing He was also a God of love, and could be trusted to search him and to know him at the deepest levels. This is also an admission that God knew David better than David knew himself, and that he needed God to search and know him.
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”
“And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”” Revelation 7:14-17 NLT
I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly. - Jeremiah 24:7
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
As long as we live, there is going to be storms, trails and sorrow. Until we get to glory
The Bible contains several words for truth, One of the most important is the Hebrew word emet, which means stability, firmness, or certainty. We get the English word “amen” from the Hebrew emet. Every time we say amen we are really saying, “It is certain” or “Yes, it is absolutely true.” Therefore, to say “God is true” is the same as saying “God is faithful.”
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT)
Jesus is simply saying that Worry demonstrates a lack of faith. When we worry we reveal our lack of trust in God to take care of our needs.
‘Come Through’– Accomplish, Answer, Deliver, Help, Intervene, Prevail, Rescue, Succeed, Triumph
"Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone." Zechariah 10:1
We all yearn for those times when we would have an encounter with God that leaves us blown away and maybe with miraculous testimony, however Abraham did not stay on the mountain. At some point he had to come down, go back home and continue to live his life. I’m here to tell you that in those moments when you are not top of a mountain, you still need faith to keep living the life God has called you to. Some people chase the mountain top experiences without fully understanding what makes those moments in the bible so special. It was not about the mountain, it was about the presence of God and the encounter with him that defines the mountain top experience. Had it not been for God’s presence, Abraham would have needlessly killed his son, in fact had he not had a relationship with his God, there might not even have been an Isaac and we would not be here speaking of the father of many nations.
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. LUKE 6:38 (NKJV)
For if the first-fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. ROMANS 11:16 (NKJV)
'If you are not seeking the kingdom of God first, you are not seeking it at all' Richard Foster - ' The celebration of discipline '
Faith is activated by people who have prepared their hearts to receive all God has set aside for them.
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24-28 (NLT)
The history of God’s initial promise realised so fully at Jesus’ first coming increases confidence that the rest of God’s promises will be fulfilled at Jesus’ second coming and after that, into eternity.
“On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”” Mark 4:35-41
““Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” Exodus 20:8, 10-11 NLT
““Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” Exodus 20:8, 10-11 NLT
When we receive encouragement early in life, it will greatly benefit us for the rest of our lives. We have to learn to be like Barnabas and be an encourager.
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:11-13
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
‘My people have forgotten how to do right’ says the Lord. ‘Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by theft and violence’.
Faith is not just about the church, but about how we behave in the work place. Regardless of like for your boss or the company. Our Christian behaviour should express itself in our places of work, which includes our schools and universities. We should bear witness by our work ethic. We 'work' unto the Lord not man. The Bible is a book for life not just something we read and indeed practise on Sunday but in our everyday work place. The real challenge for us, is to represent Christ in every aspect of daily living which includes our work place.
Parental authority is vital and helps bring stability to our society. God established mankind within the structure of family life. Children are to submit to the authority of their parents in Christ. This begins in the home and the example is fleshed out by the example of the parents.
I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
Marriage is for a life long companionship. To keep this we need to understand the reason and design for marriage. It’s not a trap or sentence.
If we are going to understand the Christian family, it needs to be in the context of the church family. We do not exist as separate entities on our own but we exist as families within God's family.
We all go through seasons when life is upside down and we experience troubles, however God is able to take us through and from those troubles into a place of blessing.
We all go through difficult seasons and we face adversity, however we can rest in the knowledge that God is on our side and He will see us through.
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. The LORD knows the way of the righteous: The righteous can have peace because a loving God in heaven knows their way, and will protect and preserve them.
If we are not careful and remain focused, we could slip away and end up adrift and further away from where God intends for us to be.
Sometimes we give up on God without realising it. It is important to know the signs of when we are headed towards this destructive path. Don’t give up on God, because He’s not given up on you!
Those who are Godly take care to always remember and rejoice in the works and the presence of their God no matter the circumstances they face.
The message of Psalm 23 - a profound commitment to the Lord as my security when no other help around . Without hesitation the sheep follow the shepherd knowing that with Him in the lead all will be well.
In any and all circumstances we should always pay careful attention to the Word of God and hold onto it for dear life.
God created us to defeat the works of the evil one! Jesus stood on his authority, He took a stand and made it clear… similarly you and I have been give all authority over the lies of the devil.
We need to know who we are in Christ. Our greatest challenge is to remain in that which Christ has laid hold for us.
The means of promoting the joy of the Lord is prayer. This prayer is to be "without ceasing," implying constancy (Colossians 4:2) and perseverance (Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Luke 18:1).
Families can be hard work, annoying, complicated, hard work all at the same time of being easy, pleasant, simple and a joy. There’s nothing quite like family! Quirky yet lovely. Crazy yet fabulous!
We are living pipelines drawing from sources in order to sustain others and others. Instead of running on our own steam we should rely on the greatest source that is Jesus.
“Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” — Abraham Lincoln The Old Testament commands us to delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4) and to serve the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2) and to rejoice before the Lord our God in all our undertakings (Deuteronomy 12:18). Jesus commands us, "Rejoice and leap for joy for your reward is great in heaven" (Luke 6:23), and he tells us, "These things I have spoken to you that my joy might be in you and your joy might be full" (John 15:11). The apostle Paul commands us, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). He tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). He says that he is a worker with us for our joy (2 Corinthians 1:24) and that he lives for the advancement and joy of our faith (Philippians 1:25), and that God loves a cheerful giver.
Life can throw us obstacles and it feels like we are getting tossed around by the waves. When we are faced with difficult situations in life, we always have a choice in how we will approach the obstacles.
We all go through the wilderness at some point in our lives however, when you forget who God is and disobey Him, you delay God’s promises and forfeit His blessing.
“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 ESV
People may walk out on you. Turn on you. But God will always take care of you. We can always rely on God.
Celebrate the mighty deeds of the Lord, who is to be feared! He is glorious, majestic, righteous, gracious, merciful, just, good and trustworthy.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Matthew 21:6-9 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”
Matthew 5:43 - 48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The essential difference between the true child of God and the mere professor is not readily to be discovered, even by spiritual minds, but the Lord sees it. It is a secret mysterious something which the Lord prizes, “for He knows them that are His.” He separates between the precious and the vile. He puts away the pretenders as dross, but He suffers no sincere heart to be destroyed.
Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.” - Luke 10:16
The test of true righteousness is not perfection but rather your response to imperfection. Righteousness is not necessarily anything to do with us but all to do with Christ living in us. The righteous are those that allow God to live through them so when difficulties come by way of the world or life or even our old nature creeping in, the righteous will choose to respond to those situations how God wants them to respond.
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”” Matthew 16:24-28
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”” Revelation 21:3-4 ESV
“When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:53-58
First fruits is an offering given to God as a prophetic arrow into the future to show God that you trust Him with your future.
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
When we experience moments of fear and feelings of helplessness and it seems as if we are losing control, how do we respond? What can we do to cope in these times? The answer lies in God!
“Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” Psalms 34:12-14
This Psalm is an acrostic. David begins each verse with a successive letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. David praises the Lord for freeing him from his fears and asserts that the Lord always watches over the righteous. David moves from the ‘student’ to the ‘teacher’.
The birth of Jesus was never an accident. Scripture reveals that the events that took place when Jesus was born and walking on the earth were a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy hundreds of years in the making.
Pleasing God should be our first desire. We please God when we love Him above everything, when we trust Him completely, when we obey Him wholeheartedly, when we praise and thank Him continually and when we use our abilities.
God's has conditional and unconditional promises over our lives that we can stand on. We've got to learn to put our trust in God rather than the things of this earth because God is both a promise-maker and more importantly a promise-keeper!
Acts 2:37-38 (NKJV) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In our moments of doubt, we have to remember what God has done for us in order to overcome doubts. When we do this, our minds are comforted, and our soul is made calm. God hears our prayer, and gives us peace.
Agape: Unconditional love – the highest kind of love. Originates from God to man, culminating in the cross. Has to be sourced from the Holy Spirit – not from ‘the flesh’ It’s unnatural. Agape in operation encompasses true faith and hope - is totally protective, trustworthy, full confidence in God’s revelation. Hope is centred on the truth of the crucifixion and bodily resurrection. It is totally glorious.
"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2
Psalm 91 is about faith and it describes the perfect security of one who trusts in the Lord. As our faith in God increase, so does our security in Him.
We all go through moments when we are uncertain about the outcome and the future. We question why things are happening and where God is in our situations!
Prayer is simply talking with God. You do not need to be a pastor or even a Christian to pray, you can talk with God and hHe hears our prayer!
As a believer, we should always ensure that we keep our rejoicing voice to the Lord. The world around us may be in turmoil but we should always sing praises to our God who brings victory in our lives.
In a world full of chaos, we could be tempted to worry and panic which can lead us to take matters into our own hands, however we only need to be still and know that our God will protect us.
As a believer, we are not immune to not liking certain aspects of ourselves, however God created us unique and He loves you so much.
There are so many things in this life that take our attention and most of those things are not bad, however not everything we pursue matters in light of eternity. As believers, our priority should always be what God wants and what He values, those are the things that bring significance and purpose to our lives.
When God enters your situation, the situation that caused you to despair will turn to the thing that brings about God's blessings into your life.
In a world full of counterfeits, it is important to know and discern what is authentic. There are many counterfeit churches but the church Jesus had in mind, has characteristics that stand out.
When the world goes through a pandemic, it affects everyone. As believers we are not to despair but rather remember God's goodness.
When Jesus encountered a woman accused of adultery, how he handled the situation freed a sinner, challenged the religious leases and ultimately brought glory to God.
Obedience seems to be almost a dirty word today in society but we clearly see the need for some form of it when we look around the world today. In so many parts of the world chaos reigns because of a dearth of absolutes, community standards or personal convictions about such things. Obedience is not about slavishly following rules, although there are times when rules are essential to keep us safe, it is about a depth of understanding of the principles by which we should live our lives and then working out our personal walk from there.
Whenever we go through difficult situations, what may be going on outside might be stressful but God is interested in what is going on inside our hearts. We need to have the right spirit inside of us.
As a believer, our identity is firstly in Christ rather than our ethnicity nor is it in our culture nor where we come from.
Nobody likes waiting. However as believers, what we do during a period of waiting determines where we go. Waiting time for a believer should not be wasted time.
When we learn to respond to the voice of God correctly, miracles will happen and we will see breakthrough in our lives. We have to respond correctly when God challenges us to raise our faith and trust in Him and move out of our comfort.
When you become a believer, you join into the family of God. We must make it a priority to nurture genuine relationships with those in our family, especially the local church family we have been planted into.
God speaks to us and as believers we need to know the voice of God. We need to also know what we need to do when receive a word from God.
As believers, wherever we are and whatever we do, we represent Jesus. We need to have peace as an attribute that marks us as believers. Wherever we go, we should have the peace of God with us and be known as ones who bring peace with them.
Sometimes in life we have the best plans but it just does not work out the way we think it would happen. God wants us to bring His thoughts and direction when we find ourselves in these situations.
As believers, we should filter everything we see & experience in this world through the word of God. Popular opinion should not affect our response to the world but rather the word of God.
It is easy to try and figure out life on your own when you are going through a financial crisis. As a believer, your trust should always be in God, not money, no matter what season your are going through.
When you experience something that brings uncertainty, how do you respond? How do you live out your faith in difficult times when things are out of your control?
The world has been dealing with the pandemic of the mind. Mental health is declining and we need to allow God to flood our thought-life in order for us to have a healthy mind. Overthinking things leads to unhappiness.
In difficult times, we need to remember that God has done a lot for us in the past, he will certainly look after us in tough times.
We go through different seasons and one thing is true of any tough season we go through, it won't last.
Bad things happen even to good people. How you choose to react when you face adversity will make all the difference in how adversity affects you and your environment.
Life can be filled with moments that make you feel fed up and worthless. We all face difficult moments; disappointments and people who make you feel worthless. Discouragement is a real fact of life. Discouragement can make you feel like not trusting anyone -anymore, cynical about life, church and even God. But we are to surround ourselves with people of faith who can inspire you to be all that God has called you to be.
As believers we should be prepared for Christ's return. We need not be alarmed by what is happening around us but rather recognise the signs of His return.
It is easy to just focus on the things that are not going well in our lives. However, we should always keep in mind what God has done for us and remaining grateful even when things are not going well.
In the midst of whatever we’re feeling today, God promises to be our refuge, our strength, and our help. He’s not pointing to a refuge – He Himself is our refuge. God is our refuge even when what seemed steady is now unsteady.
The Bible tells us “Without Faith it is impossible to please God.” Your attitude is determined by what you believe in any given situation or circumstance. The bible is a GPS to abundant life. How do you face life? Fear or faith? Believing in God or doubting? You have to choose life, or death.
The biblical definition of hope is "confident expectation." Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown
The word ‘fellowship’ really means ‘intimate relationship’. This is more than an ending to a meeting, rather a plea for the fullness of God. In Ephesians 3:19, the Apostle Paul urges the church at Ephesus to “be filled with the fullness of God”. The Spirit brings life and understanding to the Word of God. Both the Word and the Spirit are needed in order to have the right balance.
The words translated “trust” in the Bible literally mean “a bold, confident, sure security or action based on that security.” Trust is not exactly the same as faith, which is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, trusting is what we do because of the faith we have been given. Trusting is believing in the promises of God in all circumstances, even in those where the evidence seems to be to the contrary.
One thing is certain that life will have levels of troubles and hardships. Jesus speaking in John16:33 said ‘Here in earth you will have troubles…’
Jesus is our peace. His name is peace. Our peace is a person. Our peace is Jesus. Jesus made the peace, offers peace and is the peace. Through Jesus we have peace when our hearts are troubled, hurt and confused. Jesus is our mighty God and because He is our mighty God, He is in control of everything, and all our problems are under His mighty hands. The result is peace. We simply trust God. This message is for everyone. If you are living with turmoil, if you are losing your grip on life, or you are drained of hope, in a crisis of just unsettled with life – whoever you are, wherever you are, peace is available.
Have you ever noticed how worry and anxiety drain your strength? You lay awake at night burdened with concerns. Instead, when worries begin to fill your mind, place those troubles in God’s capable hands. Prayer opens doors and brings calm to our minds, a mental health healing if you will against being anxious. God’s sovereignty means our prayers can be answered far beyond even what we can ask or imagine.
As a believer we need to understand that we need to depend on God for all. Humility helps us to understand that we have needs and we are weak therefore we should be willing to give ourselves into God's care with no conditions.
What is stopping you from believing God's promises and going up to take up the land that God has for you?
A life lived for Christ allows us to avoid carrying unnecessary burdens. We can truly find rest in Christ if we choose to accept Him and choose His yoke over others.
When we come together we need to remember, we need to recall the wonderful works of our God. We are not just supposed to remember God's wondrous deeds. In the midst of the storm, looking at the past also directs to the future to reassure us that better is coming!
If you could bottle rest, you’d be a millionaire. So many lack that ability, even believers to find rest, yet Jesus came that we may have rest from this life. He embodied the message of peace and rest.
The psalmist reminds us that human care and toil in any area of life are of no value without Gods Blessing and Him being at the centre of everything. Success without God leads to a lack of fulfilment.
Giving our finances – sowing and reaping – should be a normal part of Christian life. Jesus, in the Gospels, commissioned his followers to ‘give and it will come back to you’. We can go as far as to say the mark of a true convert is one who lives the exchanged life: a life that reflects Christianity as Jesus intended it to be; a life of love under-pinned by giving and receiving; a life of generosity and obedience.
Even the righteous are not immune from the world’s suffering and problems. The difference is not in the storms that fall but the foundation upon which men build. If your life is built around Christ, it will inevitably go better for you in the long run. If you build on the shifting sands of the devil’s promises, ultimately you will be swept away
How easy it is for us to lose sight of this reality! How quickly we can forget that our money is not ours, but the Lord’s! How easily we forget that our houses, cars, and other material things are not ours, but the Lord’s! There is nothing that is ours, yet we can slip into thinking (selfishly) things we have that we are the owners. Even our lives are not ours, but are the Lord’s!
We need a correct view of God and an honest and correct view of ourselves in order to experience all that God has for us.
Favour is closely connected to grace in the Bible. If you who have received Jesus as their Saviour, you are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). They know the favour of God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), but those who have saving faith in God’s Son are declared righteous (Romans 4:5; Philippians 3:9) and live in God’s favour
When we live without peace but in discord we live in what the bible calls “Strife”. As peace is a spirit, so is strife. When strife is in our lives we live with anxiety, fear and worry, it is not God's design for us.
We live in a divisive world and so much of that has caused us to lose our joy. Jesus came that you and I may experience “Joy” in him.
No matter what we go through we must keep the fire of God burning in our lives. We cannot face life's situations without God's presence in our lives!
When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
The weaker we are the stronger grace gets. We cannot go through life without the grace of God. It is vital for the survival of a believer.
The journey of faith is not a "walk in the park". Most of us will stumble at some point in the journey but the important thing is not to stay down but to learn to get back up when we fall.
We can politely sit with church folks but not eat with them, or we can say we are part of the same ‘family’ but treat them as outsiders, or carry an offense or be upset with others when Christ has forgiven us.
James discusses the topics of the selfish rich, suffering, making an oath, supplication, and wining souls. James closes out his letter by encouraging believers to demonstrate their faith in God by praying in response to every circumstance.
At the heart of all relational conflict is a failure to please God. This truth can redirect us to focus on what really matters; namely, pleasing God.
We all mess up. However, we serve a God who is gracious enough to welcome us back with open arms if we admit our errors and confess our sins.
There are many things that can cause us to experience discouragement. The devil loves to use discouragement against us. He would tell you that you cannot do that, you are not good enough, you will never get out of that situation, you can never break that habit, you can never go far so stop trying. You might not understand it but struggles led to victories and victories to testimonies that show the goodness and glory of our God. We need to remember that our difficulties are testimonies in preparation. You can’t have a testimony without the difficulty. You can’t have the victory without the battle. Never let a temporary discouragement lead you to make a permanent decision to walk away from God.
The best marriage advice you can follow is to bring God into your relationship daily! Doing so will help you keep his instruction regarding the treatment of your marriage mate. Like any other marriage, communication is key to maintaining happiness and building respect. Following this marriage advice can help you and your spouse have a happy, healthy marriage for the rest of your lives!
In view of the stricter judgment that awaits teachers, one should be sure they possess the maturity and self-control necessary to control the tongue. James then provides a series of illustrations to demonstrate the power and danger of the tongue, and how we can easily be inconsistent in our use of it.
Expectation makes you close your eyes to what is happening in your situation and open up to what is coming from God. Expectation is an attitude of those who have hope!
When you are struggling in your journey of faith we need to believe even when we don't see it, that is faith.
Being a believer in God does not make us immune to difficulties. We have to keep our faith despite trails, troubles and tribulations.
One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him."
We all face trouble and in those times we experience pain and discomfort. However, thee is a person who is there to comfort us and take us through those times.
The centurion's servant was healed and the widow of Nain's son was raised from the dead – this is a picture of salvation from death by grace through faith. Only Jesus can save us!
There are many examples in the bible of people who missed out on what God had for them. These are written down to serve as a lesson for us so that we would not fall into the same traps.
God has a plan for His church to be glorious! We are being build to be that church and we are to love the church as much as Christ loved the church but we are not there yet!
We all go through storms and difficult seasons. However, we need to know that even in those storms, we have been chosen by God and there is a purpose to our life.
When we put our faith in God, we have to expect that He will move on our behalf. However, we have to remove any limitations that hinder us from believing that God will do what He said He will do!
It will take courage and faith to stand to the end. We need to examine our faith level, because if our faith is weak we won’t be able to carry out God's plan which is winning souls. We are God's instruments on this earth but we can only carry out his purpose if we know what we believe, if we are part of his plan (the church) and if we have faith in him no matter what.
Abraham received a promise from God and was utterly and totally helpless to make it happen and as time went on could not see how God was going to make it happen. King David found himself totally helpless when faced with his own sin. We are also totally helpless when we come to have a relationship with God – we are all under the power of sin.
Jesus Christ is meant to be the centre of our lives. It’s all about Him. In the Church He’s going to use us to extend His Kingdom and the glory of God is going to be seen by the Church.
Without influence, you cannot be effective in all that God has called you to be and do! We are the church, and the church that Jesus had in mind is one that is not overcome by the world but rather it influences the world for Jesus.
In life we go through seasons of testing. We should not let tests affect us to the point of giving up on life or church but rather realise that it's only a test and when we go through the test, it proves that our faith is genuine.
We are in a race whether we like it or not. Each day, we need to ask ourselves, how is my race going?
It is human for us to have doubts. We have to understand that we are in a spiritual battle and that the problem of doubt is not purely an intellectual one. We have to know if our faith is real by determining the proper relationship between faith and reason.
There is a difference between a believer and a disciple. There is no such thing as an instant disciple; like the word, it takes discipline. In Luke 14, Jesus was getting closer and closer to the cross. People who wanted to see a miracle or get a free meal from Him were mobbing Him. The crowd was about to become much smaller because He started setting forth the cost of discipleship, and it was not a popular message. It requires total commitment.
The Life Jesus has been central to civilisation for hundreds of years. It’s evident in our songs, architecture, arts, movies, TV, books, inventions, sciences and even in education. He never travelled more than 200 miles from his hometown, yet no other individual has had such an impact on the world as Jesus has. So, who was this Jesus?Well, He was a Saviour, a friend and also the King!
If you were to be asked that question today by Jesus how would you answer? Serving others does not mean pretending that you don’t have issues in your life, serving others simply means trusting that God will make a way for you and whilst He’s doing that you are going to allow Him to use you to bring about a solution in someone else’s life.
The Book of Hosea shows us so very clear how much God loves His people. To understand this book will give you a much clearer perception of the entire Old Testament, especially knowing God’s heart and His ways with the people.
God's power is accessible to all of us, we must read God's word in order for us to know who he is and who we are in God.
It is easy to lose heart when we are going through tough seasons and get discouraged when things do not seem to be working out. As non-believers, taking matters into your own hands becomes natural and when that does not work out, all sorts of problems follow, e.g. depression, anxiety, bitterness, and hopelessness. As believers you would think it is better for us when things are not working out, we have this confident hope that it’s all going to work out. We have a head knowledge of faith but exercising faith is another thing altogether.
When we face tough situations and we are at our lowest points, it seems as if God is against us or he has left us. However, we must. understand that God is on our side and he is with us every step of the way.
A broken heart crushes the spirit (Proverbs 15:13). When life is tough and you feel like crumbling, it is in those moments we need to cling to hope.
There is no perfect church! We are all sinners saved by Grace, imperfect people serving a gracious and loving God called to do His work despite our imperfections!
Numbers 16 and 17 are connected. Numbers 16 presents disagreement (the Christian word for gossip is "concern") as to who was truly the chosen leader. Numbers 17 presents God's decision: Aaron was the chosen leader. Numbers 17 establishes several important principles concerning God's authority and ways concerning ministry.
When doubt creeps in, we need to focus on the person of Christ rather than that which causes us to doubt our faith in God.
There are times in the life of every Christian, when even though you are walking by faith and there is no known sin in your life, God seems far away. You pray, but God doesn’t answer. You read the Bible, but it does not speak to you. You seek God, but it seems as if He is hiding.
The Hebrew word for ‘glory’ used is kabowd ‘the weight of something, but only figuratively in a good sense.’ It’s definition speaks of splendour, abundance and honour. When we understand God's glory, we worship God for who He is and we are ready to be obedient.
First Fruits is an offering given in faith believing that God will bless and prosper you over the next 12 months
• Jesus wants us to produce a huge harvest • Jesus sows the seed, which is God’s word • The seed produces a harvest of God’s blessing
Fasting is simply defined as going without food for a period of time, either entirely or partially. It is a spiritual discipline that has many benefits. *Base line is to eliminate distractions.