Judges 1:1-2
'After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” 2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.” '
Israel got it right!
They're great, esteemed leader, Joshua, had died. The one who'd led them into battle to claim the promise land had died. He had clearly led them well because they maintained their faith after his death. Moses and Joshua had worked hard to invest faith into the people, many times the people had gone off and done their own thing because following God is hard, but here, they carried on in faith.
It's at a point where Israel were unsure what to do, so they enquired of God.
Now, that's no mean feat as a whole nation! They got together to ask God, 'what next?'. Then they listened to and obeyed the answer. Not just one or two or ten people, but the whole nation! Can you imagine even 10 people getting together and agreeing something? It'd take a lot of time to get to a decision and there'd probably be someone who wasn't in agreement with it. Israel manage to do this with the whole nation - that can only mean that God was with them, how else could that happen?
Judah was chosen to go up first, and Judah asked Simeon to join them in battle. Brothers working together, supporting in the fight. Not grudgingly, but lovingly did they comply. They fought alongside each other. Worked together in unity. They fought against their common enemy together as a united force following God's plan. They had the same heart, motive and desire - to see the enemy destroyed. What a great example to the rest of the nation! Working together in love defeats the enemy and gains victory!
They worked together purposefully, in obedience to God and won. These two tribes, just a fraction of Israel, brought their enemies down! They gained the land, so then Imagine what the WHOLE tribe of Israel can do if they go out in faith!
Now, imagine what the church can do if they work together! Imagine what YOU can do if you work in faith together with others to make a difference in this world. Joshua and Caleb are renowned in the Old Testament as men of faith. They spied out the land and knew that with God in their side they could be victorious when no-one else did. They had confidence in their God, they knew his righteousness, power and love was with them, just as these two tribes have demonstrated, and they also were victorious. If you have faith in God, and He calls you to do something, trust him. It may seem hard, impossible or strange, but as, 'the Lord was with Judah', he shall also be with you.
Thursday 29 December 2016
Tuesday 20 December 2016
Influence of the church
It's amazing how people who are not even part of the church can be influenced by it.
In our locality alone there are many that have; visited, been helped, been part of an event, friends who are a part of it. The church is known amongst the people, hopefully for more positive reasons than negative ones.
This is good and right, how it should be. The church should be an integrated part of society. It should be known so that Jesus can be known through it. The church should be known for the positive impact it has on society.
This is what happened throughout the book of Acts. The church had, 'favour with all the people'. It was known for following Jesus teaching, praising God, meeting together, eating together, sharing and caring for each other, providing for those in need, praying, miracles and being glad and generous.
Now, that list doesn't have a lot of religious duties tied up in it. Interesting huh?
The church is known and has favour because of how the people within it relate to one another. The church is not a place or a building, but it's a bunch of people. These people are out and about living and working in a town near you! They are a group of people who aim to put God first in what they do.
This is how the church influences. By genuine relationship with God demonstrated through relationships within the church and overflowing to those in society.
People's experience of what the church stands for is by looking at those who are a part of it.
So:
> if you are part of a church - what are you demonstrating of your faith, and of the church to the community?
> if you're not part of a church - what does the church in your vicinity demonstrate to you?
In our locality alone there are many that have; visited, been helped, been part of an event, friends who are a part of it. The church is known amongst the people, hopefully for more positive reasons than negative ones.
This is good and right, how it should be. The church should be an integrated part of society. It should be known so that Jesus can be known through it. The church should be known for the positive impact it has on society.
This is what happened throughout the book of Acts. The church had, 'favour with all the people'. It was known for following Jesus teaching, praising God, meeting together, eating together, sharing and caring for each other, providing for those in need, praying, miracles and being glad and generous.
Now, that list doesn't have a lot of religious duties tied up in it. Interesting huh?
The church is known and has favour because of how the people within it relate to one another. The church is not a place or a building, but it's a bunch of people. These people are out and about living and working in a town near you! They are a group of people who aim to put God first in what they do.
This is how the church influences. By genuine relationship with God demonstrated through relationships within the church and overflowing to those in society.
People's experience of what the church stands for is by looking at those who are a part of it.
So:
> if you are part of a church - what are you demonstrating of your faith, and of the church to the community?
> if you're not part of a church - what does the church in your vicinity demonstrate to you?
Tuesday 13 December 2016
Glory, strength and power
Ephesians 3:17
'according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being'
God is rich. Rich in; money, power, wisdom, and so it says here, in glory.
So, what is glory? The dictionary defines it as; a source of honour, admiration, the bliss of heaven, of resplendent beauty and magnificence. This means God is rich in splendour, magnificence and honour!
This verse then goes onto say that because of this glory, because God is magnificent, impressive and excellent we will be strengthened in power. God's own excellence, his own honour is our strength!
We have great power at our fingertips, we have the excellence of God within us by his Holy Spirit. That is pretty incredible don't you think?
God's power is actually IN us, but how many of us actually use it? Do we have it lying dormant within us? like an untapped resource?
It IS within us by the Holy Spirit, but do we access God's magnificence within us or leave it lying there?
God's power and strength, it is there, we have access to it. Are you prepared to take it? We have been given permission to access God's strength and power because of His glory.
We have this immense power and strength, but how many of us are scared or unaware of the great power inside of us that we just leave it there?
We HAVE great power through Jesus, we already have it we don't have to earn it. Then, we have a responsibility to use it to let heaven be seen on Earth through our lives.
Ask God to show you what his power in you is for. We can be world changers because God is in us, no, more than that, we ARE world changers.
We have been delegated the responsibility on Earth to live with the riches of heaven within us. So what are you going to do about it?
'according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being'
God is rich. Rich in; money, power, wisdom, and so it says here, in glory.
So, what is glory? The dictionary defines it as; a source of honour, admiration, the bliss of heaven, of resplendent beauty and magnificence. This means God is rich in splendour, magnificence and honour!
This verse then goes onto say that because of this glory, because God is magnificent, impressive and excellent we will be strengthened in power. God's own excellence, his own honour is our strength!
We have great power at our fingertips, we have the excellence of God within us by his Holy Spirit. That is pretty incredible don't you think?
God's power is actually IN us, but how many of us actually use it? Do we have it lying dormant within us? like an untapped resource?
It IS within us by the Holy Spirit, but do we access God's magnificence within us or leave it lying there?
God's power and strength, it is there, we have access to it. Are you prepared to take it? We have been given permission to access God's strength and power because of His glory.
We have this immense power and strength, but how many of us are scared or unaware of the great power inside of us that we just leave it there?
We HAVE great power through Jesus, we already have it we don't have to earn it. Then, we have a responsibility to use it to let heaven be seen on Earth through our lives.
Ask God to show you what his power in you is for. We can be world changers because God is in us, no, more than that, we ARE world changers.
We have been delegated the responsibility on Earth to live with the riches of heaven within us. So what are you going to do about it?
Tuesday 6 December 2016
Sharing the house
All of us, all around the world, from every background, religion and language can become members of God's house. We can be part of his family because of Jesus. Jesus broke down the segregation that had previously existed between God's people, the Jews, and the rest of the world, the Gentiles. We can belong to God's kingdom.
Ephesians 2:19
'you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God'
Before Jesus came, those of us who weren't Jews were, 'strangers and aliens' to God. We were not a part of Israel, so we couldn't join in their festivities, couldn't go to their temple and didn't know about their God.
We were outsiders, strangers and aliens'. The Jews were God's chosen people, they were selected to stand out, set apart from the rest of the world.
It must of been kind of weird when all that changed.
The Jews had to suddenly accept everyone else, and the rest of the world could join with them to worship their God. That's really different and really weird, and to top it off the rest of the world that had been invited in didn't have to comply with all the religious rituals the Jews had been keeping all those years. That must of been quite difficult to accept.
Why was there this sudden change? Because of Jesus!
Jesus connected all people with God. He came to the, 'strangers and aliens'. He called them to become part of God's people, and invited them to be, 'fellow citizens'.
What a difference! From being separate, isolated and misunderstood we can belong.
That's the truth of what Jesus has done. He has made what is not fit for God's kingdom cleaned up and purposeful. He has allowed the outsiders to become, 'fellow citizens'. Those that; belong, have purpose, and have an investment in the kingdom of God.
Then, we are not JUST citizens but we are, 'members of the household of God'. That's pretty special!
We are in the same house as God! We get to share all that he has in his house. Wow!
We have the privilege to hang out with God, to eat with him, relax with Him, and we have access to all that is His!
What can possibly stop us now?!
I think we sometimes forget who we are, we can get lost in all that the world says we are or are not. In the hustle and bustle of life we can get swept along.
Instead, today, look at what you really are. You are NOT a, 'stranger and alien', you are not hidden in the crowds, a mismatch in the world. You, in fact are, 'fellow citizens' and, 'members of the household of God'!
Ephesians 2:19
'you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God'
Before Jesus came, those of us who weren't Jews were, 'strangers and aliens' to God. We were not a part of Israel, so we couldn't join in their festivities, couldn't go to their temple and didn't know about their God.
We were outsiders, strangers and aliens'. The Jews were God's chosen people, they were selected to stand out, set apart from the rest of the world.
It must of been kind of weird when all that changed.
The Jews had to suddenly accept everyone else, and the rest of the world could join with them to worship their God. That's really different and really weird, and to top it off the rest of the world that had been invited in didn't have to comply with all the religious rituals the Jews had been keeping all those years. That must of been quite difficult to accept.
Why was there this sudden change? Because of Jesus!
Jesus connected all people with God. He came to the, 'strangers and aliens'. He called them to become part of God's people, and invited them to be, 'fellow citizens'.
What a difference! From being separate, isolated and misunderstood we can belong.
That's the truth of what Jesus has done. He has made what is not fit for God's kingdom cleaned up and purposeful. He has allowed the outsiders to become, 'fellow citizens'. Those that; belong, have purpose, and have an investment in the kingdom of God.
Then, we are not JUST citizens but we are, 'members of the household of God'. That's pretty special!
We are in the same house as God! We get to share all that he has in his house. Wow!
We have the privilege to hang out with God, to eat with him, relax with Him, and we have access to all that is His!
What can possibly stop us now?!
I think we sometimes forget who we are, we can get lost in all that the world says we are or are not. In the hustle and bustle of life we can get swept along.
Instead, today, look at what you really are. You are NOT a, 'stranger and alien', you are not hidden in the crowds, a mismatch in the world. You, in fact are, 'fellow citizens' and, 'members of the household of God'!
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