Hope it’s not too late to wish you Happy New Year!

The above text is our motto text for this year. It could prove to be an exciting year, especially if we seek to live out Col 2:6

Paul has had reports about the believers in Colossae and he’s troubled. I’m sure what he’s heard only confirms that the church is getting totally distracted and as a consequence are not focusing their lives on Jesus.

The church was being taken over by Greek  speculations and ideas, Jewish legalism, and the mysticism from the East.   What they were hearing  at Colossae – Jesus isn’t enough!

Now Live Him!

Now walk Him!   How do you walk with Christ? Thousands of books have been written on the subject. Countless conferences and messages have been produced. All of them come with various ideas, experiences, and steps which the Christian attempts to follow. Yet so often we are left confused, bewildered and sometimes frustrated in our walk with Christ.

I hope you agree with me that the Christian life is meant to be lived! We are not reconciled by Christ, justified through  the cross, and forgiven of our sins so that we might remain in neutral.

We are to continue to live in Him. The past event of receiving Christ should be a present reality in our lives. If now we “LIVE HIM,” we shall certainly

1)      Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Eph 5:2.

2)      Walk in light  ” now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,” Eph 5:8

3)      Walk worthy “ life worthy of the calling you have received,” Eph 4:1

4)      Walk in truth -  “walking in truth,” 3 John 4

5)      Walk in the Spirit –  ”walk in the Spirit,” Galatians 5:16.

Our conduct as we go into 2012 must be consistent with His Lordship.

Now Live Him!

In Christ Alone.    http://youtu.be/8welVgKX8Qo

All this waiting and talk of a new baby does take us back to Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

You may not be aware but the bible doesn’t give us any instruction on remembering Jesus’ birthday, this started in the early church several centuries later.  But, the amazing message of the Christian faith is found in  John 1 –  the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, that Jesus was God Incarnate, fully man yet also fully God. He lived died & rose again, this is the centre of our faith;

How many times have you heard the Christmas story? Maybe you’ve heard it so much it’s lost its meaning and power, you no longer sit and wonder that this baby was born for you!.

C.S. Lewis said, “we don’t need to be told new ideas so much as we need to be reminded of old truths.”  May be you see the whole picture clearly, but I wonder! 

Little girl was asked to paint the Christmas story. She was so thrilled  with it at the end, she took it home to show mum.  “My teacher says I drew the most unusual Christmas picture she has ever seen!”  Mum looked she studied it for a moment and agreed it was the strangest picture of Christmas she had seen.
“This is wonderfully drawn, but why do you have all of the people riding in the back of an airplane?” The mother gently asked.  “It’s the flight toEgypt,” the little girl said, very disappointed because the picture’s meaning was not immediately obvious.

“Oh” the mother said curiously “Well, who, is the mean-looking man at the front?” “That’s Pontius the Pilot,” the girl said now getting really upset. “I see” said mum.
“And here you have Mary and Joseph and the baby” the mother volunteered. Yes that’s right said the little girl. And studying the picture one more time, she plucked up the courage to ask, “But who is the fat man sitting behind Mary?”  with a deep sigh. “Can’t you tell? That’s Round John Virgin!”

Sometimes we are like that little girl… We think we see things so clearly, we think we know all that there is to know about the Christmas story, gleaned all there is to glean, but perhaps we don’t see it as clearly as we think. We often go about as if he hadn’t come. In fact Jesus said, (John 15:22). “If I had not come.”

McPherson said  If Christ had not come, the promises of God would be unfulfilled. The world would still be in darkness. There would be no bridge across the gulf of sin, we would not know that God is love. If Christ had not come, there would be no gospel to believe, there would be no Christmas and no Easter, there would be no hope, we would still be lost for there would be no Saviour for sin, there would be no Good News to preach to the nations.

But he did come. And all of history has been changed forever. 

May you know something of the wonder of Christmas as you celebrate this Advent, and as you realise He came for you, may you find your life change because of Jesus

Listen to this and be blessed  http://youtu.be/Td4VTbNqRt0

Happy Christmas

 The word “renew” means to “change or substitute” and suggests not only does God exchange our weakness for His strength but also a person also makes a new start.  Living the Christian life is a series of new beginnings!

 This promise of strength is illustrated in three ways.

We can “soar on wings like eagles” (Isa. 40:31). The imagery of an eagle soaring into the sky gives a graphic picture of how we can soar above life’s trials and difficulties instead of being overcome by them. God wants us to soar in life! Are you living above or below your struggles? God actually says to you today “ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9) Do we really believe this promise?

Running through our troubles      “they will run, and not grow weary.” God’s strengthening grace enables us to run, when the challenges are many, so we can stay in the Christian race. Yes, we are in a race!

 Heb 12:1 says since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” 

 Walking through our troubles

 The Bible goes on to say in Isaiah 40:31 that God’s children “will walk, and not be faint.” God enables us to walk through our troubles. Of course, this does not mean that our troubles disapper.

 Walking is plodding along in life. The journey of a hundred miles begins with one step. God is saying that He will strengthen us with each step that we take. What a promise to claim!

Note the progression-or what actually appears to be a regression-in  v 31.

In the Lord, we will soar like eagles, run and not get weary, and walk and not faint. We go from flying, to running to walking. It seems as if it should be the other way around: We start out walking and eventually fly. But walking in the strength given by the Lord is seen as the most advanced spiritual exercise.

There will be moments in the spiritual life when we feel as if we’re soaring, as if we’ve risen above it all. There will also be moments, probably more frequent, when we feel as if we’re running, as if we’ve hit some kind of stride. But most of life consists of walking. It may not feel like much of an accomplishment and it doesn’t get much attention. But as we wait and hope in the Lord, he gives us the strength to put one foot in front of the other.

 This is God’s promise to those who WAIT!

Whether it’s when you are driving the car and stopped at the traffic lights, waiting in the checkout queue in Tesco’s (which always seems to be the slowest in the store) or even for the kettle to boil! We all have difficulty in waiting.

 Isaiah 40:31: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”

 This is a great verse, but the context is often forgotten. Israel was in captivity and they were complaining that God does not seem to care he had not turned up and they were fed up of waiting.

 Isaiah 40:27ff Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

 Israel thought that God had abandoned them that He had given up on them and no longer cared about them. How often have we been in this position?

 Henry Nouwen gives a lovely picture of what it is to wait. He tells of trapeze artists and the special relationship between flyer & catcher. The Flyer has to let go, they cannot accelerate the catch so they just have to keep going and wait in absolute trust that the catcher will show up. 

 Maybe you feel like this. No one seems to care, you are in free fall and you haven’t seen the catcher in ages will He show up? It is so hard to wait!

 Isaiah 40:31 “they that wait upon the LORD”

 What does it mean ‘to wait’ upon the Lord? Well, I see it as maintaining your relationship with Him no matter what! Having complete trust like the flyer / catcher relationship, that He will come. It contains that sense of waiting in expectation. Just waiting in prayer for His help, to trust in Him even in the silence and to put your hope in Him, knowing He will turn up!

 George Mueller’s Bible, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Ps. 37:23). Opposite it, in the margin, Mueller had made this note: “AND THE STOPS, TOO.”

 Keep Waiting!

Listen to  http://youtu.be/Cxw7nNuCLSk

Without a doubt we live in a world that is often called hopeless. But, as Christians we can say with the writer of Hebrews ‘we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ (Heb 6:19). What reassuring words “We have this hope.”  In the previous verse he asks (commands) us to “take hold of the hope” or “seize the hope”!

In 1 Peter 1:3 we have, “We have been born to a new and living hope through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We have just started a new series at DBC, looking at the Book of Ruth. You may want to read it; it’s only four chapters long! You will read about family life around 1100 BC. It’s a family with troubles and heartaches yet, one that can see God constantly at work.

 God’s in every part of the story. He is right there in their sorrows and in their joys, in the valley and on the mountaintops. We reckon you’ll find His fingerprints and footprints all over the story.

The same is true with your life and mine. May we learn to see the signs of hope that He’s constantly working, even when it seems he’s not! Someone said: ‘God is most powerfully present even when he seems most conspicuously absent.’

As Christian, we have a hope that is alive, real and of great value. We have something to set our hearts on especially when life becomes overwhelming with pain and difficulty. In fact in Zechariah 9:12 we read “Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope.” It’s an amazing thought,  you and I being imprisoned by the hope of God but, only if we Return to the Stronghold. Your stronghold must be in the loving God. 

 I like what Soren Kirkegaard, the Danish philosopher, said about hope. Kirkegaard’s definition of hope was “hope is the passion for the possible.”

 I thought how wonderful that God never leaves or goes away when he’s inundated with requests like Paul’s in  Eph 3 :16-17 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Paul prays that the church will experience this grace in all it’s fullness.  The Christian life begins with grace and it ends with grace. We have been saved by grace, we are been sustained by grace, and we are been satisfied by grace.

This gift from God does change lives! v16; you may be strengthened – And this power and strength is unlimited.   It means that in everything we have to do, some of which cannot be accomplished by your own strength, God will supply your need.  Promise is always backed by the provider. All the resources of heaven  Phil 4 :19 most quoted verse ‘my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus’.

We give & act according to our ability.  So to God gives & acts to his infinite riches. And  there will always be sufficient. Why?  V17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts.

He’s the one that produces Christ likeness, Christ Character, he makes Christ at home in our hearts.

 His riches become ours. ‘ That’s grace’!

 Listen to Godfrey Birtill’s Outrageous Grace  on http://youtu.be/hC2vp_Tg_E8

 As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain         2 Cor 6:1

J. Piper quotes “Grace is the pleasure of God to magnify the worth of God by giving sinners the right and power to delight in God without obscuring the glory of God.”

He wouldn’t waste that – would He?
He wouldn’t, but sometimes we do.

 As Christians we’ve been accepted by Christ. But, from that moment we can’t stay as we are. But some do stay, they have not grown in their life in Christ, they’ve exploited grace’s dilemma.  Rather than allow the relationship in Jesus to go deeper they’ve asked what can I get away with; rather than find more of God they’ve sought more of self.

 But God never wastes grace!

I accept if I want to waste grace in my life, I work on my own personal agendas, live a life based on my list, not on His love; cultivate wrong attitudes etc. I realised a long time ago self ego( EGO = Edging God Out) takes us away from God – grace will always takes us to God. Grace freed us from the requirement to serve sin and gave us all we needed to follow Christ see Rom 6 v22&23.

We have life and freedom only in Jesus. The fullness of LIFE including grace and truth are in Him. His grace is always truthful; His truth is always gracious. There is no way we can have the fullness of Grace and Truth apart from Him.

 I read recently about a nursery worker who was helping one of her children to put on his boots to go home. She pushed and pulled and finally got his boots on. Then the little boy said “These are not my boots.” She then proceeded to take the boots back off, after much effort she succeeded. She then asked “Where are your boots” ? “These are my brother’s boots but my mum made me wear them” he replied. Again she went about the task of putting the boots back on his feet. “Now, where are your gloves?” she asked. “I stuffed them in the toes of my boots” he said.

How frustrating it is to God’s kingdom work when we live our Christian life like that little boy; wearing boots that don’t fit, so many other things crammed in, any wonder we can’t walk properly !

 Not only are we saved by grace, but we also need to serve God and live the Christian life by the grace of God.

Don’t waste grace! Allow Jesus to be the centre of all that you are and seek to be.

 Listen to this and make it your prayer. www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG-l1kK-BpU

Question I’m asking myself  - Am I living in God’s world God’s way?

 Do I know this transforming work of grace?

 N.T. Wright says :-

“When the church is seen to move straight from worship of God to affecting much-needed change in the world; when it becomes clear that the people who feast at Jesus’ table are the ones at the forefront of work to eliminate hunger and famine; when people realise that those who pray for the Spirit to work in and through them are the people who seem to have extra resources of love and patience in caring for those whose lives are damaged, bruised, and shamed—then it is natural for people to recognise that something is going on that they want to be part of.  That’s why mission is the work of the whole church, the whole time.”    

 I guess all too often, we cannot be discerned from the world because there isn’t any difference in the way we live our lives. This is not the way it is supposed to be! We are to be so different from the world that it is obvious whom we love and serve.

We need to remember that we are the only Bible that many people see. Look at 2 Cor. 3:2. Our lives are open letters to the world. When people see us and the way we live our lives they are reading what we have to say about God.

 May we know and truly experience a Pentecost!

I’ve been reflecting last few days on Joseph and those words he said to his brothers in Gen 50:20 ” God meant it for good.”

 I believe that Gen 50:20 is just as true today as it was for Joseph: ” God meant it for good.”

 This brings us great comfort to know that no matter what the circumstances may be, God is in control and we can trust in him.

 God’s definition of Good is not like ours. When I ask my son “How are you?” he often replies “ I’m good, Thank you.” I reckon what he is saying is I’m ok,  happy, satisfied or words similar to this.

But God’s definition is different. God defines good as that which leads us to trust him more, to Christ likeness, or that which advances His Kingdom.

 One of the most quoted verses from the Bible is Romans 8:28, ” And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose..”

Just a reminder that:-

1)       God cares about every detail of your life. Nothing goes unnoticed. Ps 139 clearly states He knows our every move!  We can declare He’s got the whole world in His hands, he’s controlling the universe yet, He knows when a sparrow falls  or even, the number of hairs on our head.

2)      He uses everything. There are no accidents with God, only incidents. This includes the experiences that we are currently  sharing as a church family.

3)       God’s purpose or  the bigger picture ? ‘to be conformed to the likeness of his Son’  (Romans 8:29). He has and will continue to use the difficult moments in our lives.

 I confess, there have been times when I really don’t understand what God is doing but, these words are so reassuring that it must lead us to trust Him more.

 ” God meant it for good.” Yes, because ‘All Things’  flow through His hands!

As a church, we have been looking at what it means to be forgiven. It’s amazing feeling to know that God has forgiven you. It’s also important to note the condition that He places on such forgiveness.  ‘Forgive, and you will be forgiven’.

As I read this – if we can’t forgive if we remain unloving, critical, judgemental then God will not forgive us. When you think of all the things you hear in a day – shouting, swearing, screaming – the demanding of my rights. How different the call of Christ to us – Forgive – you’ll be forgiven – give and it will be given to you. In other words be radically opposed to the world’s way – live out God’s way

Corrie ten Boom and her family were sent to Auchwitz for hiding Jews in their home during the Second World War.   Corrie, a Christian, had been invited to speak at a conference in Portland Oregon. This is what she said,

“My name is Corrie ten Boom and I am a murderer.”  You can imagine the surprise and shock of her audience. She went onto to say “You see, when I was in prison camp I saw the same guard day in and day out. He was the one who mocked and sneered at us when we were stripped naked and taken into the showers. He spat on us in contempt, and I hated him. I hated him with every fibre of my being. And Jesus says when you hate someone you are guilty of murder.”

Corrie ten Boom after the war left Germany and vowed never to go back – this is what she said “But I was invited back there to speak. I didn’t want to go but I felt the Lord nudging me to. Very reluctantly I went. My first talk was on forgiveness. Suddenly, as I was speaking, I saw to my horror that same prison guard sitting in the audience. There was no way that he would have recognised me. But I could never forget his face, never. It was clear to me from the radiant look on his face while I spoke, that he had been converted since I saw him last. After I finished speaking he came up and said with a beaming smile, ‘Ah, dear sister Corrie, isn’t it wonderful how God forgives?” And he extended his hand for me to shake.

“All I felt as I looked at him was hate. I said to the Lord silently, “There is nothing in me that could ever love that man. I hate him for what he did to me and to my family. But you tell us that we are to love our enemies. That’s impossible for me, but nothing is impossible for you. So if you expect me to love this man it’s going to have to come from you, because all I feel is hate.”

She went on to say that at that moment she felt  God say: “Put out your hand, Corrie,” then she said, “It took all of the years that I had quietly obeyed God in obscurity to do the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I put out my hand.”

Then, she said, something remarkable happened. “It was only after my simple act of obedience that I felt something almost like warm oil was being poured over me. And with it came the unmistakable message: ‘Well done, Corrie. That’s how my children behave.’ And the hate in my heart was absorbed and gone. And so one murderer embraced another murderer, but in the love of Christ.”

 Lewis Smedes writes,’ The first and often the only person to be healed by forgiveness is the person who does the forgiving. When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us.’

 A forgiven sinner embraces another – what about it?