Category Archives: Christianity

PRAY THE FATHER

28 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Christian Writing, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Prayer, Purpose, Religion, Seeking God, Spiritual Training

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PRAY THE FATHER E-BOOK RELEASE

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Learn to pray like Jesus!

Pray The Father will help you to connect to the one Person that matters, and the one Person who can answer your prayers; God. All things are possible through Him.

Prayer is one of the most essential elements of life, yet so many struggle to understand it. Whether you know Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour or not; Pray the Father will teach you how to have a real relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Pray into the Holy of Holies, which is the presence of God.

  • Do you want to pray like Jesus Christ?
  • Do you want to get to know God for yourself?
  • Are you struggling to understand what prayer is, how to pray or how often to pray?
  • Do you feel confused, misguided and guilty because you are not praying?
  • Have you converted from a religion to the Christian Faith and want to learn more about praying in the name of Jesus?
  • Are you confused by religious rules on prayer?

Get answers to these questions, and more! Learn how to nurture your relationship with God, speak to Him and hear when He speaks to you. Spend time in His presence by praying into the Holy of Holies.

Pray the Father’s beautiful collection of prayers and words of encouragement will inspire and empower you to a greater understanding of Prayer!

Pray the Father – Excerpt

Chapter 1

Who am I?

You are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God, your Father. There can be no better compliment in this world than to be made in the image of our Father in heaven. Being like Him should be a natural way of life for us, but we make life so much more difficult than it needs to be. If God knew we couldn’t be like Him, He would not have asked us to live a holy and righteous life as He does.

Mankind’s first state was that of holiness, love and obedience to God. Our current state however, is shockingly far from what it was or should be; but not impossible to regain. God does not ask us for the impossible. There is no impossibility in Him. The all-knowing, all-powerful, ever present Creator of the universe, doesn’t do average.

“Our world was average until He stepped into it.”

You are strong, because He is strong
You can love, because He is love
You are beautiful because He is beautiful
You will endure, because He endures
You have power, because He is Power
You are misunderstood, because He is misunderstood.

“Get to know Jesus Christ, then you will begin to know yourself.” You can only do this when you communicate with Him and we do this through Prayer.

What is Prayer

And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in
prayer, believing, you shall receive.
Matthew 21:22

Prayer put simply is the way in which we communicate with God by speaking to Him, listening to Him when He speaks to us and praising Him; as songs are prayers too. Christians must pray! Every Christian has direct access to God which means we do not need a high priest as a mediator to pray to God on our behalf. Praying is a two-way communication between you and God, as He will answer you. God does speak to us and we learn how to hear His voice through prayer and spending time with Him.

When you start praying to God your world will change overnight, literally.  You will find strength you didn’t know you had, you will have clarity of mind, you will have joy even when you are sad, because that joy is in Christ. You will hear Him clearly in your Spirit and start making the right decisions in your life. In short you will be victorious in Christ and this will frustrate the enemy; Satan.

The changes in your life will be apparent to you and to others.  The pieces of the puzzle that is called life will begin to fit together perfectly.  This does not mean you won’t have challenges, because you will. But it does mean that you will be able to deal with whatever life throws at you.

Who should I pray to?

Many are not sure who to pray to and believe they can pray to anyone out there in the hope that someone will hear and answer them. If you have little or no concept of prayer, are confused and seeking answers from God, He will answer you. As a Christian, we need to know who to pray to. The Christian should only ever pray to God the Father; Jehovah. Jesus is our example and we learn from Him, who to pray to and how to pray. He always and only ever prayed to His Father, who is also our Father…

Sign up and get your copy now to start praying into the holy of holies!

 

PL Bennett Ministries

I’m struggling to understand my Faith

15 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Religion, The Gospel

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I dont get itHow often do you hear someone say, “I just don’t GET IT, what’s the fuss all about?” When it comes to anything remotely connected to Faiths or Religions, heated discussions will ensue and more often than not, all parties leave more annoyed or angry than before they started. Then everyone agrees to stay away from such discussions in future, resulting in misconceptions and misunderstandings. This may be acceptable for the world at large, but not so for the Christian believer. For us, the opposite is true. Ignorance and compromise will not help us to understand our Faith; and to be able to fulfil our purpose in Christ, we must reach a point where we truly ‘get it.’ We must understand who Christ is and who we are in Him.

So, you’ve been a Christian for a while now and you still don’t get it! Well, you are not alone. All those moving parts leave you feeling like a deer in the headlights? There are varying levels and degrees of understanding when you first come to Christ, and this is normal. But, the extent to which the confusion is taking hold is far from normal. The enemy doesn’t know when he is beaten and he never gives up. He throws, chaos, confusion and hate into the huge melting pot that is the world, and just keeps on stirring. Picking your way through it whilst staying on the right path can only be compared to a tightrope walker balancing precariously above the heads of the audience at circus. The audience waiting to see if the artist is skilled enough to get from A to B without falling off. In much the same way the Devil and his demons watch and wait to see if we will fall away from the right path. But in the case of the circus performer, they often have a safety net beneath them in-case they fall or for when they are dismounting.

The Christian might think they don’t have a safety net, but we do; we have the Almighty God, who’s hands are big enough to catch us. Sometimes you will wobble, and other times you will fall off; but know that He is always there to catch you and put you back on to continue your journey.

The enemy’s only purpose now; bearing in mind he was unable to fulfil his purpose that he was created for, (which was to walk around looking beautiful, praising and worshipping God and to be a leader (archangel) over the angels put in his care) is to steal your Salvation, kill your Spirit and destroy your Soul. In a nutshell, he wants to prevent you from getting to heaven, so he throws obstacles in your way. If nothing else he is consistent.

John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

Up to this point it may seem like all doom and gloom and you are wondering if you can win. Can I really make it? Well the short, firm, undeniable answer is YES! You can. This battle we think we have to fight is not ours, Jesus has already fought this battle and He has won it. All you have to do is to:

Stand firm and endure to the end, regardless of what is thrown at you. 

God knows our future but we don’t. So, we are free to chose and make the right decisions without the weight of knowing what the outcome will be. We can grow and develop; become stagnant with little or no evidence of growth or we can slip backwards and return to the life we once had. And, if it was that great in the first place you wouldn’t have left it! Your path is not set. It changes according to the choices you make, so Choose well. 

But how do we achieve the above?

You really, really need to have a live relationship with God. He is your Father who lives, breathes, speaks and loves you with an everlasting love that is unparalleled. He is not a golden image, or a stone figurine on your mantel piece, He is not a character in a fantasy tale. He is real!

It is not enough to get baptised go to church every Sunday and hope for the best. There is so much more to your Christian walk than that. Be curious, have zeal, ask questions regardless of how silly they may seem. If they are important to you; they are important! Challenge the popular belief if it doesn’t rest easy in your Spirit. So many false doctrines and wrong thinking has crept stealthily into the Christian Faith that some are very difficult to separate from the truth. This is a tough one and only God Himself can guide you.

You must start talking to Him. Keep it simple. don’t look at how others are doing it, we are all wonderfully unique. Find your special ‘Me Time’ to connect with God. Don’t wait until 11pm when you have ran around all day for the world and are now tired and can barely think straight. Don’t worry about the kneeling or the closing of eyes or the clasping of hands. Throw yourself on your bed and cry to Him. It doesn’t have to be posh, or refined. He knows who you are and the struggles you are faced with. If you are confused, tell Him; if you are scared, tell Him; if you don’t get it, TELL HIM!

He guides you so gently that often it is only when you get to a place in your life and look back that you realise how far you’ve come, and don’t forget to thank Him. You cannot grow spiritually as a Christian, if you are not connect to the Spirit of God.

Start getting curious and ask questions!

Blood and Fire

03 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Persecution, Religion, The Gospel

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Newsletter Cover 051117_4Translating the Bible into English and the Bloody Battle that ensued!

Sacrilegious, contraband, illegal, were just some of the terms used to describe one of the rarest books in the world.  With only 3 copies left; each worth millions of pounds; one of which was on display in October at St. Paul’s Cathedral, England; it is the very first English translation of the Bible (the New Testament). Translated by William Tyndale in 1534, its’ distribution network consisted of dedicated followers of Christ who would hide the Bibles in bales of wool and smuggle them to avoid detection by Customs. It was regarded as contraband and was against the law to translate it into English. To distribute it as well was going against the power and might of Europe. Copies of the Bible was rounded up and burnt; all but 3 copies are in existence today.

The English church was governed from Rome so church services had to be conducted in Latin by law. Translating the Bible into English to enable the common folk to get to know God for themselves was literally a crime, punishable by death. At that time the church acted as mediator between man and God, and only permitted the educated clergy to read the Bible which was translated in Latin.

Two years after Tyndale translated the Bible, he was executed and burnt as a heretic. But against all the odds, he was able to fulfil his purpose to make the Bible accessible to everyone and not just the elite by man’s standard. Today over 80% of the King James Bible (KJV) comes from Tyndale’s original translation. The KJV remains the most accurate translation of the Bible from the original Greek scrolls.

During this time of reformation, anyone who preached the true Gospel and attempted to open the eyes of people to the truth of Jesus Christ were killed and labelled as a heretic. The term simply means someone who challenged the doctrine of the established church; the Roman Catholic Church at that time. The irony here is that ‘Heresy’ had been declared by Pope Innocent III in 1199 as treason against God; and was regarded as the worst of all crimes. Yet it was these very leaders themselves who were actually committing crimes against God and all that Jesus stood for! They abused their position of power, making the laws of the land to control the masses. Many followers of Christ who stayed true to the Gospel died horrific deaths. From the Apostles some two thousand years ago, through generation after generation; and people are still being killed for their belief in Christ.

Every generation of true Christians experience persecution and suffering. Same thing, different package! Yet Christianity remains the largest faith in the world. The Bible continues to be the bestselling book of all time and tops the best seller list every year; having sold billions through the centuries.

Many, many men and women of God died to make the Bible and its’ teachings available to us. And the more God’s people are persecuted, the more they are victorious over the plans of the devil. Regardless of the war raged against Tyndale and the true followers of Christ, we have complete access to the Word of God today; Victory! But how did we get the Bible? Over the following months we will follow the journey of the Bible; a book forged in blood and persecutions, claiming the lives of some of the greatest, determined, driven and above all; righteous individuals of our time. Wycliffe, the first of the Bible-men, during a time of brutal persecutions said:

“They mined it (the Bible) for individual texts to use in debates and sermons, and they wrote copious notes and glosses on passages within it. But their approach was logical and scholastic; they did not think of it as a work that was alive and breathing, like the God who had created it. It was a priestly text, dusty, locked up in Latin, safely beyond the reach of the English at large. Religion had come to mean the Church itself, and its traditions.”

Many in this age would happily take us back to these dark ages, but the sooner we realise that the Bible is the Living Word of God, the sooner it will be life to us!

What does being unequally yoked mean?

04 Wednesday Oct 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Love

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Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

The subject of being ‘unequally yoked’ for a Christian continues to be a bone of contention. It really shouldn’t; but often we want the Bible to fit in with our lives and seem only able to accept Christ on our terms. The Bible however will not change, we cannot add or take anything away from it, and if we don’t agree with it there is precious little we can do. So, as usual I like to keep things simple.

Firstly, God always gives us a choice. There are some requirements for holy living where God says we categorically must not do something and must live a certain way, or we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. And there are other requirements where God says, we should not do something because if we do it we will have problems which will make it difficult for us to maintain a righteous life in Him. As a result we will struggle unnecessarily and could fall away from Him. The subject of being unequally yoked falls in the latter category.

To be ‘yoked’ is to be joined together in a close relationship, any relationship; not just marriage. As Christians we usually think of this term in regards to a Christian marrying a non-Christian, but it is far more than that. The Apostle Paul addresses the Corinthians, who at the time were not living a righteous life, they were making all sorts of mistakes. They had close relationships with idol worshippers and false prophets, the lines were blurred with believers and unbelievers fellowshipping together. As a result of this, they did not recognise Paul as the true follower of Christ and was rejecting him.

The world today is a difficult, complicated, melting pot of evil, hate and pain; masking itself with the sole intent to deceive and destroy the innocent. God has opened the eyes of His believers so they will see it for what it is and live accordingly, avoiding the unholiness of the world. Living a righteous and holy life in this world, is difficult enough even when you are equally ‘yoked,’ believing in the same doctrine of Christ and living according to the same principles.

Paul challenges this situation, be it friendships or relationships; of which marriage is the closest. For when we are married to someone who is an unbeliever; we know Christ; while they do not. We worship while they do not. They still enjoy the worldly living while we do not or should not. Our lifestyle and choices will be different which will inevitably cause problems and divisions in the relationship.

Paul is not saying here that this is a ‘deal breaker’ or that you will lose your Salvation, although as a Christian, worldly influences could pull you away from Christ which could result in you losing your salvation if not recognised and acted upon. He is saying that the two are not equally matched. To be yoked with others who preach completely different doctrines that goes against the Bible, to be yoked with idol worshippers; those who live a riotous life which you are trying to live a righteous life is counter productive to the Christian walk.

God gives us the freedom to make our own choices, but tells us very clearly in the Bible that certain choices will make our lives difficult.

Whilst there are many marriages and close relationships joining believers to non-believers; how many can say they can sit down and pray together, discuss God together, read and understand the Bible together or both look forward to the day when they meet our Saviour in heaven? For such a relationship to work, there has to be a lot of compromise so one will not offend the other, boundaries which cannot be crossed, a dividing line to allow each to ‘do their thing’ whilst coming together to fellowship. It is difficult at best!

When believers are yoked with unbelievers; we will not be able to share or exchange intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level; but the Lord still allows us to chose the people in our lives.

It should also be noted here that Christians can be unequally yoked to other Christians. How is this possible you ask? Well, Paul actually speaks of believers and unbelievers, which we often refer to as Christians and non-Christians. With over 2 billion Christians in the world today, it is safe to say that there are varying degrees of belief in the true Gospel of Christ. There are some Christians who do not believe in Jesus Christ and His teachings. Many have taken what pleases them and mixed it with a little of this and a little of that and created their own hybrid ‘religion’ still referring to it as Christianity. To be yoked to someone claiming to be a Christian but not truly believing in Jesus Christ and His teachings… the fullness of the Word of God; is to be unequally yoked.

God is merciful and loves us so much that as long as there is a Christian in the household that household will be blessed. On the topic of marriage the Lord is not saying that if your partner is a non-believer you should be parted from them; on the contrary. God loves marriage, it was ordained by Him. So an unbelieving husband or wife is sanctified through the husband or wife who believes in Christ and is living a righteous life. That union is blessed, it is not any less of a marriage than the marriage of two believers. But we need to know that there will be struggles because fundamentally both parties still have different beliefs.

Babes in Christ

11 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Giving, Jesus, Love, Religion

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Christians fix up

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

The fragile state of a new born babe cannot be denied. They are completely reliant on the parents or guardians. They don’t understand our language; we need some time to understand their signs; they can’t care for themselves; they need to learn all about their new world that they have been born into. They need to be nurtured! Some are more challenging than others, so we don’t abandon those, on the contrary, we put more effort into caring for them. And all this takes time as they grow and develop into strong adults!

You are probably thinking at this stage that we all know this, mankind has been around for a while now so what point am I making here?! Well, the point is that this is the same for a ‘new born babe’ in Christ. The new Christian, the new Convert, the newly Saved… they are babes in Christ! and in much the way as a new born babe, they need care, guidance, nurturing as they make their way through their spiritual life to becoming spiritual adults. They too have to learn a new language, train their mind to think in a different way; their bodies to react in a different way and their tongues to speak in a different way… all new to them. As they grow and develop spiritually they will become stronger and not so dependent on others, though we must always love and support each other throughout out lives.

Having said all this why then do we as Christians get it wrong so often? New converts who are able to adjust well and quickly seem to be embraced while the ones who are finding it more challenging and are struggling in many ways; often finding it difficult to shake of the residue of the world; are ignored, avoided, side-stepped. Sometimes they are blatantly dismissed or subtly ignored! Not only have I seen this happen, but many have shared their experiences with me over the years; and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

First and foremost, many seem to lack understanding and knowledge; then progress on to a lack of patience and empathy when it comes to helping others. If someone is deemed to be too challenging; few are prepared to go the extra mile with them. Yet, Christ went further than the extra mile with us and continues to do so today! If we are spiritual adults who follow Christ and love each other as Christ has loved us; we should never be overcome with the task of nurturing the new babes to the point where we give up with them ultimately leading to them giving up on themselves.

Our Christian walk is “not about us! It is about others.” It’s always been about loving and helping others.

We need to help them to nurture their relationship with God, through studying the Word of God (the Bible) which will teach them how to communicate effectively with God through prayer; to enable them to grow into strong spiritual adults:

1 Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

All too often and more so in these latter days Christianity seems to be so exclusive, with a real ‘them’ and ‘us’ attitude. If we don’t ‘fix up’ and sort ourselves out we do the name of Christ an injustice.

Reach out today and help someone who is struggling in their Faith!

Recommended Reading:
My Alabaster Box: A Simple Guide Through The Christian Journey

I am a Christian… but!

22 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Religion

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Jesus Christ is Lord_2

Many people in the world claim to be Christians; and the 2001 census recorded 41 million Christians living in Great Britain; making up almost three quarters of the population. (Information taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32722155). At a glance this is impressive and encouraging for the Faith in this country. But start scratching the surface and a very different story emerges.

It seems that many who claim to be Christians are really not sure what Christianity is or what it really means to be a Christian. Is it possible to be a Christian but not believe in Jesus Christ? No absolutely not; but apparently many say they are Christians but not only do they not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and don’t know Him; but they don’t believe in the teachings of the Bible. They are happy with some bits and discard the rest.

Christianity Is:
In light of these revelations, let’s take a few moments to provide a simple definition of the meaning of Christianity. To be a Christian is to be Christ like, to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, is the Son of the one true living God, Jehovah. It is a belief that Jesus came to die for the sins of the world and He will one day return to reward His followers and judge the rest of the world. Christianity is to live a righteous life according to the teachings of the Holy Bible and to have a real relationship with God.

Christianity is Not:
A fad, popular culture, or a new lifestyle choice. It is not just a spiritual experience that you can’t quite understand so you have decided to give it a label. It is not a belief in all the religions of the world; you cannot say you are a Christian, but you also believe in other gods and religions; as Christianity is a complete and total belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Professing to be a Christian on your own terms is damaging to the Faith and adds to the confusion causing a decline in the Faith with many turning to other religions or choosing to believe in nothing at all.

The term ‘Christians’ was first used in Antioch as told to us in the following scriptures:

Acts 11:25-26
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

So we know this was the start of Christianity and the first church and this has continued through the ages to today.  Christianity has taken many turns and directions, many ups and downs.  Hundreds of denominations, inconsistent teachings and practices have caused much confusion in the Faith and decades later the world is more confused now than ever.  Many have misunderstood the prophecies and revelations of the Bible, attempting to interpret parts by taking them out of context, embracing some teachings while rejecting others.  They have mixed it with some man-made laws, traditions practices and cultures; not to mention the cults and newly emerging religious groups.  Who can be blamed for being confused?  A good rule of thumb here is to get to know the Bible for yourself, have a real relationship with the Holy Spirit so He can guide you and you will know in your spirit when a teaching is wrong and does not line up with the Word of God. (My Alabaster Box: A Simple Guide Through the Christian Journey).

You cannot say you are a Christian… but! There are no grey areas in God. We are either Christians or not. We are either like Christ or not! Believing that there is a god or something greater out there or you are spiritual does not make you a Christian.

If we say we are Christians, there are no buts; we need to know who we worship and who we are in Christ!

Be Blessed!

The Ultimate in Service to God

08 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Jesus, Love, Spiritual Training

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“Not my will Lord; Let your will be done in my life.”

We often think we know what’s best for ourselves and what we should do to please God. Usually without a thought as to what God’s perfect will is for our lives, or what is actually pleasing to Him. In spending some time with the Holy Spirit to understand this, I was lead to John 13, when Jesus washed the feet of His Disciples after He finished the Last Supper.

It is easy to think that the ultimate service we can perform for God is to be great in our calling… to be a great Prophet, a great Preacher or worker of Miracles; but no, this is not the case. Jesus is the Son of God, a Prophet, a teacher and preacher of the Gospel, a worker of miracles; and so much more. Yet, in John 13, after He had the Last Supper He washed the feet of His disciples. So what is  Jesus saying to us here?

John 13:3-5
Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He rose from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded…

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper with twelve men who had been journeying with Him throughout His ministry, and … WASHED THEIR FEET!

It was the custom at that time for slaves to be assigned the task of washing the feet of the masters’ guests. That task was NEVER done by anyone of high status in society…EVER…So why did Jesus do this? He removed His outer garments took a towel and girded Himself in preparation for the task just as the slaves would have done at that time.

But this was not just a physical or practical exercise. In this one act there are many spiritually symbolic meanings. In verse 10; Christ says; ‘he who is bathed needs only to wash His feet, but is completely clean.’ When we come to Christ we are washed in His blood so we are COMPLETELY clean, we have been justified by our Faith in Him. Our FEET however continues to get dirty and unclean as they represent our WALK in Christ. We are at the start of our journey so we have a long way to go! They will get dirty on this daily journey as we make mistakes. Sometimes we will get ourselves all messed up, we will sin whether consciously or unconsciously; physically or in our minds!! So therefore, our feet need washing again and again. We do this through confessing our sins to God and to each other… (JAMES 5:16 confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.)

WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE WHERE WE ARE GOING WRONG! 

Only Jesus can cleanse us from the sins committed on our walk, only He can wash away sins… so Peter or any of the disciples could NOT wash the feet of Jesus. Jesus also knew that shortly one would betray Him; one would deny Him and the others would run away from Him… so He was already cleansing them and forgiving them for what they were about to do. This was the fullness of God’s Love and Mercy, that all the Disciples had to do was to confess their sins to Him acknowledge what they had because He had already cleansed them and forgiven them… He washed Judas’ feet’ so Judas was already cleansed and forgiven for his part but we know that he never went back to the Lord with it… he later took his life when he realised what he had done!!

We follow Christ’s example by washing each other’s feet not to cleanse anyone from their sins but to show LOVE, COMPASSION AND FORGIVENESS TO EACH OTHER and to commit to serving each other…

It is a practical act with a deep spiritual meaning, just like the Holy Communion. When we eat the bread which represents Christ’s body and drink the wine which represents Christ’s blood we remember His crucifixion; a practical act with a very deep spiritual meaning.

The washing of each others’ feet represents the ultimate in service to God and His people. Jesus did not ask us to wash our own feet as this would be self-serving, we MUST serve each other. When we make our lives about others and NOT about ourselves… only then can God work with us! The ultimate service to God is to love and serve Him obediently as Christ did and to love and serve each other as Christ did. It’s not about ‘us,’ it’s about Him. God needs to be able to call on us at anytime to do whatever He asks us to do.

When God calls on you, do you hear Him, or do you continue doing what pleases you?

Fishers of Men

04 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Inspiration, Spiritual Training, The Gospel

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Fishers of men

I am proud to say that I have a new profession… I am a Fisher; forget the gender specifics! I fish for the humankind.

When we are called into the kingdom of God there is a lot of attention and emphasis on us, the new convert. And while we continue to be grounded in our Faith by staying closely connected to God and growing spiritually, we have been called into a greater purpose; a new profession. No, don’t give up your day job just yet, unless God has called you into full time ministry. The training for this role is on the job training.

Matthew 4:
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
And He said unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.
And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

Becoming a Fisher for God is simple. Qualifications: accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, confess and repent of your sins, turn away from your old life and live a righteous life in Christ. Too simple? Not at all! There are no catches, hidden agendas for fine print. Don’t think you are not good enough or that you don’t deserve the ultimate promotion? Yes you are and yes you do.

So what does it mean to be a ‘Fisher of Men?’ Our greatest example was and always will be Jesus Christ. At no point did He live a pomp, privileged life unconcerned with the world or the fate of others. He was focused at all times on His purpose… to educate the world about Him and the Kingdom of Heaven. He therefore travelled far and wide preaching and teaching the Gospel; daily. He remained in constant contact with God the Father and never diverted to follow His own path. The four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us of Jesus Christ, His life and works.

Jesus did not sit in the temples and synagogues daily or on a particular chosen day, Sunday or Saturday suited and booted and waiting! Waiting for the sick and needy to find Him. No, He went out of the four walls of the synagogues or His house and He travelled on the transported afforded to Him at that time… oh and He walked; a lot. As Christians we cannot get so comfortable and complacent in the four walls of our church. Our lives cannot revolve solely around our Sunday worship or whichever day of the week is designated for worship. Remember worship should be every day.

A Fisherman of the natural kind, cannot wait at home for the fish to jump out of the sea and travel to find them. They have to commit to their profession, invest in the necessary equipment, tools, resources and time. They need expert knowledge of the weather and the best locations to fish; and most importantly of all they have to get up out of the four walls of their homes and go fishing. I imagine in this age of technology they would need to staying abreast of innovative technology, with continued training and reskilling throughout their lives to be an effective fisherman.

So how does the Christian measure up to this new profession. Well first of all; secular societies are often insulted at the mention of Jesus’ name, making it difficult to spread the Word of God. There seems to be a lot of respect for other religions and faiths, but little for the Christian Faith. But that’s ok, the fisherman too has to ride the storms and cannot give up because the weather is threatening and perilous. Jesus continued with His ministry against oppositions such as the might of the Roman Empire, the King, the Jewish Leaders. Know that it is not nor ever will be easy! Don’t let fear prevent you from spreading the message of Christ far and wide. Don’t wait for someone to find you, to discover you are a Christian in the hope that they will find Christ through their own efforts! Help them by telling them about Christ and the kingdom of heaven.

Leave the four walls of your church and your home and tell people about your Faith. Let yourself be guided by God the Holy Spirit and use wisdom and discernment; but do tell them. Work situations can be easier than you think. During many discussions on a Monday morning when work colleagues would ask each other how their weekend went and what they did! Everyone openly shared their exciting weekend adventures, ‘I went to a party and got drunk off my face and don’t remember how I got home,’ or ‘I went away for the weekend and stayed in a beautiful hotel,’ or ‘I caught up with household chores and did some gardening.’ Naturally, I did something as well so I wasn’t going to stay silent. I shared my wonderful weekend too, don’t stay silent because you think someone might not want to hear it. “I had an amazing time at church, I was moderating, or ushering… there was a baptism.” I too have a voice and the many weekend escapades of the world do not interest me; but I had to listen to them every week; so I shared my experiences and my joys just like anyone else.

You have a voice so use it! Don’t stay silent and hope for the best, Jesus didn’t! Use your spiritual gifts, cast your net wide, spread the Gospel of Christ and become real Fishers of Men!

Don’t neglect your bodies

20 Tuesday Jun 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Inspiration

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Look after your bodies2

Man, a tri-partite being exists in three parts that make up a whole; the spirit, soul and body. We have confirmation of this in many scriptures of the Bible.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

To function effectively in this life, all three parts must work as one in purpose and will. The moment one part of our being is out of balance, things start going wrong in our lives. Because many people are dismissive of the spirit or the soul, they are not always able to identify where the problem lies, so they are not able to fix it.

It is not now, nor has it ever been God’s will for us to be sick and suffer illnesses; but with the entry of sin into the world things started going wrong in our lives. The ability to connect with God in our spirit came under attack, mental and psychological problems presented themselves and physical decay leading to death became our new reality. Therefore, I think it only fair to write about some of the physical struggles we are faced with in life as our bodies have to deal with all sorts of disorders, conditions, natural cycles that cause us pain and discomfort. We know that it will deteriorate over time and eventually die, and a body deteriorating over time will sometimes be in pain and generally not respond to life as well as it did when it was young and healthy. Eyesight dims, hearing impaired, joint movements slow or motionless, the aging process and its’ own set of unique attributes.

When we come to the Lord, we must begin to live in the Spirit and the emphasis is no longer on the physical man, but is now on the spirit man. However, the Lord does not expect for a moment that we should lose interest in looking after our physical body or allow it to fall into a state of disrepair. On the contrary, without this body we will not be alive, without it there would be no place for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to come in and dwell within us. We are need to look after our bodies. Now approaching the age of 53, I am dealing with things that I was definitely not prepared for.

I don’t remember any lessons or guidance on your body feeling like it is overheating to the point of combustion, followed by uncontrollable sweating, and the need to desperately seek for something; anything, to cool yourself down! Call me naïve, but through the years I have often seen women cooling themselves down with fans, sheets of paper, electric fans directed in their faces at work; and never thought to question it. All I knew was that I was nearly always cold and need fairly hot temperatures to truly enjoy the weather. I have often thought ‘it’s not that hot, why are they fanning sporadically?’ Obviously sometimes it’s the heat or a lack of air circulating in the room, but in these last 18 months I seem to have joined in this strange behaviour. Now a little older and wiser, I have come to realise that these ‘heat attacks’ as I call it, is none other than the onset of the menopause, a very natural cycle in our lives yet so full of varying degrees of discomfort pain!

Obviously with all the things happening in our lives, we take them first to the Lord, pray about them ask for healing, endurance and strength to cope with whatever is being thrown at us. But we must also acknowledge that we will not be healed of all ailments in this life because the promise of a perfect life without sickness and death is not here and now, it is the spiritual and everlasting life in Christ. We still need to be wise in looking after this body until it is time to go. We know in Genesis 1 that God gave us all the green herbs and fruits bearing seeds to feed our bodies and keep us healthy. And although we have moved so far from the life God had planned for us, we should continue where possible to use these natural remedies that grow on God’s green earth to help to keep our bodies going.

There are many things as Christians we seem reluctant to discuss or deal with, but for me I think it is good to talk and share our experiences to help each other. Sometimes we have family, friends, acquaintances, church brethren or strangers who are suffering in silence and dare not bring up certain life subjects for fear of reprisal; so it is very important that we talk about these very real issues to help someone who may be struggling with them.

Having always maintained a healthy lifestyle, and healthy diet where possible, I find that as we are getting older and our bodies are not functioning as well as they used to, it is wise to make healthy eating a priority and use healthy products on our skin. More recently I have re-acquainted myself with some healthy remedies my grandmother used to give me. One of them being root ginger, she would pop a small chunk into my mouth as a child to combat travel sickness… and it worked. I have recently become more involved in making my own juices using healthy organic products and avoiding those with unnatural sweeteners, artificial colours and preservatives. It is very exciting and therapeutic, and so much healthier for us as we get older. I have also been given a recipe of: apple cider vinegar, garlic and unpasteurised honey mixed together and taken daily in the morning to help with the effects of the menopause. I have only been using it for a few days so no updates on its’ effectiveness as yet!

However I am more than happy to trial healthy remedies with no side effects than the artificial alternatives with side effects. Don’t be afraid to use the natural remedies that come from the earth and balance it with the medical alternatives that God has blessed us with also. And please, introduce some exercise into your daily lives. Keep that heart healthy. Let us do the little things to help ourselves and leave God to do the big things. Remember Faith without Works is dead; so let’s not abuse our bodies and then expect God to work a miracle to fix it.

Don’t neglect your bodies, it is the house of the soul and the spirit; and the dwelling place of God, so it is important that we take care of it. We have a responsibility to look after ourselves as no one can do it for us. If you have any healthy remedies you are using, don’t be afraid to share them.

Be Blessed!

 

The most persecuted Faith on earth!

30 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by in Christianity, Faith, Jesus, Persecution, Religion

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Cross on the Rock2

CHRISTIANITY; to be Christ like. To spread the Gospel of Christ and tell the world of the Kingdom of God. Not to force our beliefs onto anyone but to let them freely chose. To share God’s love and to do it peacefully. That is who we are…

So how did we become the most persecuted Faith (religion) on the earth? Well we know that everything God does is challenged by the opposing force; the enemy, Satan! And we know that all strife in the world has a spiritual foundation. Every single one, without exception. Whether the world believes that or not is a different matter altogether!

Ephesians 6:12-13
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Regardless of what the physical world professes; it is driven by spiritual forces which we cannot see and often do not understand!

Persecution of Christians is not new and it will not stop! This is not to say it should be accepted, because it should not; but we know that it will not stop. The Faith itself came into being through persecution of our Lord and Saviour Jesus; our God who gave us life allowed His to be taken, to free us from ourselves.

Whilst not the most accurate timeline, let us take a look at just some of the major periods of persecution that Christians have endured since the inception of the Faith. Jesus was killed, though not against His will. He allowed it to happen to bring us back into a relationship with God. But although He chose to go through it; that death was brutal and evil. And through that single selfless act of Love, Christianity was birthed. Then the Apostles took up the mantel and travelled far and wide preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus. They too were beaten mercilessly again and again and later killed. The various deaths included, being crucified upside down, being tied to a cross to prolong death, being killed by a sword, beheaded and so it continued. John being the only Apostle to live to an old age, but he was stilled imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos.

Christians were being hunted and killed by Saul who later became Paul; one of the greatest Apostles to walk the earth, literally. He preached and taught the Gospel across continents, and he too was beaten to within an inch of his life on several occasions, then later imprisoned and continued to write the majority of the books of the New Testament. Later, Christians were murdered and fed to animals for entertainment in the Roman Amphitheatres. Christianity went through many dark times across the globe. Many were martyred, burnt and brutalised for worshipping the one true God, Jehovah. Killed for proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord and often forced to denounce their beliefs.

Today, in our civilised world, you could be forgiven for thinking that this situation has gotten better and this is no longer the case. But no; it has gotten worse. These few lines could not begin to accentuate the peril that many millions of Christians face today.

Open Doors has been serving persecuted Christians worldwide for the past 60 years and have profiled 50 countries; where Christians are being brutalised, and killed on a daily basis. Christianity is now identified as the most persecuted religious group in the world! That is indeed some title and not one that anyone would compete to have! Yet how often do we hear in the news bulletins about the atrocities that Christians all over the world are being faced with on a daily basis? This has been iterated by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who claimed that ‘Christianity is in peril, like no other religion.’ The extreme persecution of Christians is a global problem which some world leaders are now beginning to address. Basic human rights and the freedom to choose are not on the radar of the governments of the countries that persecute Christians.

We, more than any other body of believers are being targeted for our Faith!

These persecutions are not always undertaken by extremists; but by governments who have decided that the people should not have a choice to worship freely; but instead should worship who they are told to worship. But we know that as Jesus went through unjust persecution; so too must we. And He confirmed this to us in the following scripture.

John 15:20-21
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

We know we must go through major persecutions; many have and many will. So; for our part; as a member of the Christian family, let us join in PRAYER for ALL our brothers and sisters, wherever they are in the world who cannot worship freely and are facing daily persecutions and even death.

Join me in prayer for the 50 countries where our brothers and sisters are suffering on a daily basis. We know prayer works, so let’s mobilise our Faith now. Follow me on Facebook for a list of which countries to pray for.

What we are praying for
We pray for strength, endurance, courage and for governments to pass laws to protect them and allow them to worship freely. And we pray that they will have peace in the midst of all the turmoil:

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Bless you!