Sunday, 15 March 2015
Prayer Gathering for Persecuted Christians
Please see below an invitation to join us in prayer this coming Thursday as we pray for those around the world being persecuted, especially by IS.
Thursday, 12 March 2015
Relational Christianity
As we study God's word, the bible, we soon realise there is one common thread that passes through every book and indeed word written. That is the desire for God, The Creator of All things in heaven and under heaven desperately wants to be in relationship with His creation.
We naturally all know the verse from John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only Son...". Without sounding too cliché it is so easy as Christian to miss the mark of what being a Christ follower is all about. Being in Relationship with the Creator.
This has to take pre-eminence over everything else we do as Christians, yet as a person who has known the Lord now for just over thirty years, it seems we in the church are exchanging relationship for program. Let me explain! Almost everywhere I visit, that is churches and church gatherings, there is a lack of God's manifest presence in the meetings. Immediately, I know many will have alarm bells ringing and say "He is just looking for the obvious miracles in the meetings". But this is not true, whilst I understand the Lord is able to speak and touch people in ways that we cannot see or demonstrate at times, I believe also that when the Lord is present and move upon people there has to be a response or reaction. Perhaps it is the response that is lacking rather than the presence? But I don't think so.
When we try to fit God into our box, that is our timeframe for worship or study or prayer etc, then we are not in relationship but in a program. And whilst we must have structure in our gatherings it is also true to say that the structure should serve the objective of giving people an expression of service unto the Lord and the Lord an opportunity to speak and transform us.
Many churches have exchanged the presence of God for a program, often a program that they have seen work successfully elsewhere or they know can produce results. Once again this model of imitating someone else's success is a result of the pastor or leader not willing to spend the time in building relationship with Holy Spirit to gain God's own vision and desires for their life. All over the world today we see church programs being copied because of their success elsewhere but where is the relationship part of "copy and paste" of this kind?
As Christian believers today, we must take the time and put the effort into our relationship with the Lord, so that He can develop and build the man and woman of God that He wants to rule and reign with Him. Let's take time for God's Spirit to transform us and mould us, let's stopping simply doing and take the time to BE His creation, His children, His heirs that He so longs us to be.
God Bless
We naturally all know the verse from John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only Son...". Without sounding too cliché it is so easy as Christian to miss the mark of what being a Christ follower is all about. Being in Relationship with the Creator.
This has to take pre-eminence over everything else we do as Christians, yet as a person who has known the Lord now for just over thirty years, it seems we in the church are exchanging relationship for program. Let me explain! Almost everywhere I visit, that is churches and church gatherings, there is a lack of God's manifest presence in the meetings. Immediately, I know many will have alarm bells ringing and say "He is just looking for the obvious miracles in the meetings". But this is not true, whilst I understand the Lord is able to speak and touch people in ways that we cannot see or demonstrate at times, I believe also that when the Lord is present and move upon people there has to be a response or reaction. Perhaps it is the response that is lacking rather than the presence? But I don't think so.
When we try to fit God into our box, that is our timeframe for worship or study or prayer etc, then we are not in relationship but in a program. And whilst we must have structure in our gatherings it is also true to say that the structure should serve the objective of giving people an expression of service unto the Lord and the Lord an opportunity to speak and transform us.
Many churches have exchanged the presence of God for a program, often a program that they have seen work successfully elsewhere or they know can produce results. Once again this model of imitating someone else's success is a result of the pastor or leader not willing to spend the time in building relationship with Holy Spirit to gain God's own vision and desires for their life. All over the world today we see church programs being copied because of their success elsewhere but where is the relationship part of "copy and paste" of this kind?
As Christian believers today, we must take the time and put the effort into our relationship with the Lord, so that He can develop and build the man and woman of God that He wants to rule and reign with Him. Let's take time for God's Spirit to transform us and mould us, let's stopping simply doing and take the time to BE His creation, His children, His heirs that He so longs us to be.
God Bless
Monday, 9 March 2015
Blood Covenants in Marriage
It has been some time now since I first heard teaching on what we call Blood Covenants. Put simply these covenants in question are based on Jewish tradition but have really been in affect from the beginning of time.
Without trying to explain the depth and importance of these covenants, can I recommend you do your own research, but I will give a simplified explanation.
Blood covenants as they imply involve the shedding of blood in confirming a covenant or agreement between two people. Traditionally the two parties involved would slaughter an animal, which is decided by the importance of the agreement, and both parties would walk through the animal which had been cut through the middle and separated to allow the parties to walk between it.
Genesis 15:9-11 give us a reference to the covenant that God made with Abram when God promised the Land now known as Israel to him. But this type of covenant, many experts say, was really first established in the garden of Eden when the Lord God slaughtered animals to provide coverings or skins for Adam & Eve.
Blood covenants are actuated when two people enter into Holy Matrimony or marriage. Whilst those who have been married and therefore had intercourse with their spouse will fully understand, most people will understand that in intercourse blood is shed and a division or separation is established by the male to his female spouse.
Whilst sexual relations between two people is not taken seriously by most standards in our day and age, the implications of those actions and covenants still remain.
Blood covenants, whether they are made between a husband or wife or any two people, have a binding effect upon both parties. This therefore brings into question the severity of immoral behaviour which is rampart in society today and even those who claim to be Christian. Over and over again in the word of God we have a resounding call to all those who proclaim to be followers of Christ that is "be holy for I am holy" (1Pet1:176). This needs to be the prayer cry of the church today, to understand that Christ has called each of us into covenant relationship with Him.
What does this mean to be in covenant relationship with Christ? It means to live as "Living sacrifice, holy and pleasing"(Rom12:1) for our bridegroom. BE HOLY!
Without trying to explain the depth and importance of these covenants, can I recommend you do your own research, but I will give a simplified explanation.
Blood covenants as they imply involve the shedding of blood in confirming a covenant or agreement between two people. Traditionally the two parties involved would slaughter an animal, which is decided by the importance of the agreement, and both parties would walk through the animal which had been cut through the middle and separated to allow the parties to walk between it.
Genesis 15:9-11 give us a reference to the covenant that God made with Abram when God promised the Land now known as Israel to him. But this type of covenant, many experts say, was really first established in the garden of Eden when the Lord God slaughtered animals to provide coverings or skins for Adam & Eve.
Blood covenants are actuated when two people enter into Holy Matrimony or marriage. Whilst those who have been married and therefore had intercourse with their spouse will fully understand, most people will understand that in intercourse blood is shed and a division or separation is established by the male to his female spouse.
Whilst sexual relations between two people is not taken seriously by most standards in our day and age, the implications of those actions and covenants still remain.
Blood covenants, whether they are made between a husband or wife or any two people, have a binding effect upon both parties. This therefore brings into question the severity of immoral behaviour which is rampart in society today and even those who claim to be Christian. Over and over again in the word of God we have a resounding call to all those who proclaim to be followers of Christ that is "be holy for I am holy" (1Pet1:176). This needs to be the prayer cry of the church today, to understand that Christ has called each of us into covenant relationship with Him.
What does this mean to be in covenant relationship with Christ? It means to live as "Living sacrifice, holy and pleasing"(Rom12:1) for our bridegroom. BE HOLY!
Saturday, 7 March 2015
3DM Workshop Coming to Sydney
Please see below, the workshop that a friend of mine is organising. I highly recommend this to all, God Bless - James
Sunday, 1 March 2015
The Wind of the Spirit
As I sat and worshipped and prayed in the Spirit yesterday at a regular prayer meeting we attend in Warrimoo, I saw a single flower which appeared to be a daisy with yellow petals and a green stem. As I watched this flower, I watched and saw how it began to sway back and forth by the wind which was blower over it.
As I continued to watch this small single flower I saw how it began to vibrate under the power of the wind. At this point I felt the Holy Spirit begin speaking to me about you and I and how we are effected by the wind of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit said to me, you are just like that little flower as the wind of my Spirit washes and blows over you. You will sway and move according to my presence over you. At this point the Holy Spirit reminded me of John 3:8 when Jesus explains to Nicodemus that "the wind blows where it wishes".
When we are being touched by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit moves us according to the power of God that is at work in us. And though we might have the ability to resist his presence and these movements, if we allow it, then the Spirit will move us as He wills.
Scientists now tells us that every living being and even that any object of matter has a vibration. I thought of this as I watch this small single flower sway and vibrate with the movement of the wind. If this is true as the scientist tell us, then the vibration we give off are simply a result of God washing over us by His Spirit.
I therefore pray that I and you may continue to vibrate and sway according to the power of God and His Holy Spirit at work in us.
God Bless
As I continued to watch this small single flower I saw how it began to vibrate under the power of the wind. At this point I felt the Holy Spirit begin speaking to me about you and I and how we are effected by the wind of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit said to me, you are just like that little flower as the wind of my Spirit washes and blows over you. You will sway and move according to my presence over you. At this point the Holy Spirit reminded me of John 3:8 when Jesus explains to Nicodemus that "the wind blows where it wishes".
When we are being touched by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit moves us according to the power of God that is at work in us. And though we might have the ability to resist his presence and these movements, if we allow it, then the Spirit will move us as He wills.
Scientists now tells us that every living being and even that any object of matter has a vibration. I thought of this as I watch this small single flower sway and vibrate with the movement of the wind. If this is true as the scientist tell us, then the vibration we give off are simply a result of God washing over us by His Spirit.
I therefore pray that I and you may continue to vibrate and sway according to the power of God and His Holy Spirit at work in us.
God Bless
Thursday, 26 February 2015
Transformation
Recently, I have going through a transformation both when it comes to my physical and my spiritual man. Almost a year ago the Lord Jesus spoke to me about completing the work that he had begun 30 years earlier when I first gave my life over to Him.
It all started with an article I read in a health magazine whilst in Sweden. This article spoke of a young 30 plus girl who had decided to lose some extra kilos. After losing 30kg, simply by counting her calories and watching the types of foods she ate. As I read this article, I felt the Lord Jesus challenge me, if she can then you most certainly can.
But to simply lose the weight for the sake of losing weight was never a great gain in my eyes. In fact, despite being over weight for most of my life and for many of them had tried various diets, I had come to terms with my weight. I also know that our physical appearance is far less important to the Lord then the inner.
It was a greater and deeper need to face all areas of my life and to do away with those things that hinder, as Paul the apostle once said. Paul also told us though "all thing are permissible, not all things are beneficial". It was this desire the Lord had placed within my heart, not just to lose weight but to submit every area of my life to his Lordship.
Well, when I read the article of this young girl in Sweden, after 6 months she had lost 25kg and was hoping to continue until she had lost another 10kg. Here I am a year later and happy to say I have lost 25 kg and am also hoping to lose another 10kg.
Before
After together with my daughter
And whilst I am pleased with the weight loss, it is the complete submission and passion to serve him in every area of my life, including my weight, that is of the upmost importance to me. Above all, I want to give Jesus all the Glory and honour for all He has done in and through my life.
God Bless
It all started with an article I read in a health magazine whilst in Sweden. This article spoke of a young 30 plus girl who had decided to lose some extra kilos. After losing 30kg, simply by counting her calories and watching the types of foods she ate. As I read this article, I felt the Lord Jesus challenge me, if she can then you most certainly can.
But to simply lose the weight for the sake of losing weight was never a great gain in my eyes. In fact, despite being over weight for most of my life and for many of them had tried various diets, I had come to terms with my weight. I also know that our physical appearance is far less important to the Lord then the inner.
It was a greater and deeper need to face all areas of my life and to do away with those things that hinder, as Paul the apostle once said. Paul also told us though "all thing are permissible, not all things are beneficial". It was this desire the Lord had placed within my heart, not just to lose weight but to submit every area of my life to his Lordship.
Well, when I read the article of this young girl in Sweden, after 6 months she had lost 25kg and was hoping to continue until she had lost another 10kg. Here I am a year later and happy to say I have lost 25 kg and am also hoping to lose another 10kg.
And whilst I am pleased with the weight loss, it is the complete submission and passion to serve him in every area of my life, including my weight, that is of the upmost importance to me. Above all, I want to give Jesus all the Glory and honour for all He has done in and through my life.
God Bless
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
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