Restoration Faith Centre

I am come that they might have life, and that they might

have it more abundantly. John 10:10 KVJ

 

 

Sunday 2nd December 2007, Volume 5, Issue 38

 

Well another challenging week but Glory to God, He is changing us into the person He created us to be. We must never forget that before we can follow Jesus we all must first deny ourselves. This time each year is difficult for some of God's people with work    pressure, party time and the forth coming holidays, but God has given every one of us the Anointing to receive and stay in His GRACE and POWER which then enables us all to remain YIELDED to His word, call and destiny for each and every one of us. 

 

During 2007 God has been demanding change in our mind sets, way of acting and how we live out our Christian walk. If God asked you to sacrifice something that you hold as precious for His Name sake..........COULD YOU DO IT???  The Bible tells us all there are a   number of issues which we should never yield ourselves to:  [1] We must never yield to the devil but must resist the devil, and he will flee.  [2] We must never yield to rebellion, sin and lawlessness. Romans chapter 6 tells us we are not to yield our members to SIN.  The Christian mark of maturity is this: knowing how to yield our SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY to GOD. As we approach the end of this year I believe we have all achieved all that we can do for God, and its time to be totally yielded and sold out to God, so He can now achieve everything that He created you and I to be and do for His Glorious Church. In short it is coming to a place that: WE ARE NOTHING and GOD IS EVERYTHING. It is then that "We are strong and ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not please ourselves". [Romans 15:1]. This is the biblical mark of a Believer's strength and maturity. In short it is not how much we can do but rather how much you and I can bear the weaknesses of others.

 

We are blessed and satisfied when we are strong in our own ability, calling and skill and experiences but it always requires SPIRITUAL STRENGTH to bear the weaknesses of other people. The Bible makes it clear that SPIRITUAL STRENGTH is always measured by God when we are able to support, help and bear the weaknesses of others. I have not found that easy as the spirit of our generation is: GET WHAT YOU CAN AND DO WHAT YOU WANT and let the WEAK TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. This year we have witnessed some of our brothers and sisters who believe that what suits their situation and future is the measure of what they perceive as right............sadly they are on a slippery path that goes downhill until they end up in a horrible mess. It’s not OUR WILL but GOD"S WILL daily in our life. Jesus daily confessed: Father not my will, but yours be done. Jesus said MY SHEEP know my voice and the voice of the stranger they do not obey.  The outstanding mark of Christians in the first century was that they: CARED FOR ALL THE WEAK. The elderly, the sick, the homeless, no man or woman was ever written off because of their situation. That was what really impressed the ancient Pagan people. They could not understand why Christians were concerned about; [1] People who were only        liabilities. [2] People who had little or nothing to offer society. Today if the church writes off the weak because of their liabilities it shows that we are not strong in Jesus but are still weak.

 

As a member of God's GLORIOUS CHURCH that Jesus is building, our first goal must be to obey and please the Lord Jesus Christ in all we do and say. We have all been commanded to live by the Laws of God's Word and walk daily in the Anointed power of HIS LOVE, even when other people and even Christian brothers and sisters fail to do so. It’s our life-style that must manifest JESUS and not so much our doctrine or theology as this will cause people to seek after God, and His will and purpose for their life. There is a PRICE that we all have to pay if we are going to obey and follow Jesus and it is this: DAILY WE MUST DENY OURSELVES - if we do not it is    impossible to follow Jesus and be a doer of His Word and Commandments. Never forget that when we please ourselves and do our will our life adds nothing to the value of Christianity.  Man's EGO always tries to assert itself by saying: [1] I want. [2] I wish. [3] I feel. [4] I think. [5] Well that's what I like...so I am going to have or do it. In order to mature and go on in our walk with Jesus all this has got to be denied. We must in Jesus name say NO to all these thoughts and old life-styles. We all must get into the habit of saying NO to our EGO and PRIDE. It is impossible to be a God pleaser and a self pleaser at the same time.

 

Jesus commanded us and instructed us in [Luke 9:23]  "He said unto them ALL, If ANY man will come after me let him DENY himself and take up His Cross DAILY and follow me."  What then is the first thing every day that you and I must do? DENY OURSELVES. We cannot even begin to follow Jesus and live the daily Christian life until we all make and obey that decision. It says DAILY, not once a week or when you feel like it or on a Sunday. Every day we are all presented with the opportunity to take up our CROSS and follow Jesus. Daily we all have the opportunity to have a VICTORIOUS DAY or another DAY of DEFEAT. 

 

Your CROSS is where your will and God's will cross. We have to voluntarily lay down our will and life and make the decision not to please ourselves. It’s then that the Holy Spirit releases a Super-natural blessing and ability in us to perform the Father's will. We do not have the Super-natural Power of God available to us or on us when we are pleasing and doing our own thing. We must never forget that our old ego, pride and lust has nothing of value to give to another man or woman. It’s a DAILY commitment not just when we    desire or need it. It’s never the way our natural mind thing or desire to act.

 

In [Romans 8:9] we read "But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you, now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is none of his." A few thoughts on what is the "Spirit of Christ"; [1] having a meek, loving and humble spirit. [2] manifesting a gentle nature full of compassion. [3] One is never arrogant, self-assertive, or self-pleasing but always        considering God, his or her brothers and sisters first. [4] God's Glory and Fire enables us all to live daily an orderly, disciplined Christ honouring walk. [5] A life-style that will manifest and always promote: humility, brotherly love and kindness and each Christian esteeming others more highly than themselves.  In closing we must always remember that all God has given us is not just for us, its to be given away to others to assist and help them on life's journey. "It is more blessed to give then it is to receive". The Holy Spirit will give us all the ability to let go. Our flesh may scream out: That's unfair, its unreasonable, that's unjust etc - SO WHAT - its God's will and law, He put it into place, He is in control never us. Trust God [which is faith] as your way and ideas will never be better than God's way or will. Lets make a decision NOW; No more ISHMAEL'S. Our only desire must be that we at all times want to bless God, Fear Him and never get in the way of His will and purpose for our life. His timing and way is always PERFECT.

 

Monday, Wednesday and Saturday out-reach as usual, departing from 5.Lerwick Terrace, Lyall Bay.

CHRISTMAS BREAK - our last SUNDAY MEETING WILL BE ON SUNDAY 23RD DECEMBER, 2007 and our FIRST SUNDAY MEETING of the new year will be on SUNDAY 6TH JANUARY, 2008.

 

Open your Spirit and Heart today and receive another Super-natural touch of the Fire of God and receive a fresh infilling of His    ability and Power to be the person He has called you to be and to reach our City, nation and the World for JESUS.