Jesus Defied Satan.

1 Corinthians 2:7-8, This proves that Satan does not know everything.
He could have prevented salvation by stopping the crucifixion.
Jesus defeated Satan by entering hell using our sin, which is the passport to hell. Your sin allowed Jesus to be admitted to hell....
Satan could not understand how the death of One could bring life to millions.

Jesus took our sin.

Jesus took our sin.
Jesus became our substitute here by taking upon Himself, our sins. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
The most righteous person who never committed one sin.
Took every sin for everyone who lives for all time....
He didn't just carry our sin, He was made to be sin.
When Jesus died, sin died.
If Jesus took your sin, you can’t have it anymore.
You are no longer a sinner.
We all sin from time to time, but we are no more sinners by nature.
Now we have to get in the flesh to sin.

Jesus laid down His life and takes it up again.

Jesus laid down His life and takes it up again.
Jesus speaks here about the resurrection too.
Lay down and take up. (John 10:17-18)
No-one takes His life from Him, He voluntarily lays it down....
He has the power, the authority to lay it down and take it up.
The Jews did not kill Him, the Romans did not kill Him.
He laid down His own life, so that we can live with Him.

Jesus laid down His life.

Jesus laid down His life.

Jesus first establishes His relationship with Father God. (John 10:15-16)

Jesus laid His life down for sheep of that fold in Israel.

Jesus also laid His life down for the other sheep not of that fold - us.

They WILL hear His voice and WILL become one flock.

Jesus gets His prayers answered.

Fold is about geography and flock is about ownership.

There is just one church in many different locations, all with Jesus as Lord.

Jesus Endured The Cross - So We Can Focus On Joy.

Jesus Endured The Cross - So We Can Focus On Joy.

Joy is a strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

Joy empowers you. Joy helps you overcome. 

Joy makes you a winner. Joy is contagious.

Look forward to joy and not back to the problem.

Focus on the problem and the joy gets blurred and fades away.

Focus on joy and the problem gets blurred and fades away.

HE IS RISEN.

Need Help Tithing?

Need Help Tithing?

You might find it hard especially when Pastors keep on about it.

Well we will only keep on about what The Bible says.

So speak to Jesus and ask a friend you know who tithes, for help.

You know you need to do more of it.

If I asked in church for the tithers to put up their hands, they would be happy to do it because it is what God wants.

If I asked who doesn't tithe, no-one would put their hand up.

It's not something to be proud of because you know you should be tithing.

So call upon that friend and ask for help.

And friend - help them when they ask.

Need Help Praying?

Need Help Praying?

You might find it hard especially when Pastors keep on about it.

Well we will only keep on about what The Bible says.

So speak to Jesus and ask a friend you know who prays, for help.

You know you need to do more of it.

If I asked in church for those who pray, to put up their hands, they would be happy to do it because it is what God wants.

If I asked who doesn't pray, no-one would put their hand up.

It's not something to be proud of because you know you should be praying.

So call upon that friend and ask for help.

And friend - help them when they ask.

Consider Jesus

Consider Jesus.

We all have things in our life that Jesus wants to change.

Yes change is hard sometimes, but it is worth it for the joy set before us.

When it comes to change in our own life, we remember what Jesus went though for us, whenever we find it hard. (Hebrews 12:3)

Don't get discouraged, you can make it with Him.

Or like most, you might need a little help from your friends.

The Joy Set Before Us.

The Joy Set Before Us.

When we are born again, we become a Christian in progress who now has a calling. 

God wants each of us to carry out our calling in His Church.

When we start out as a Christian, we do not know just how much joy is set before us. (Hebrews 12:2)

So we endure the betrayals and the trials to get to where He needs us to be. And we endure all the cleaning up.

None of us are qualified to do what we are called for, but He calls us anyway.

Sometimes we need the help of other people.

Always we need His help to endure, so we can receive the joy.

The Week Before The Cross.

The Week Before The Cross.

In the week before Jesus went to The Cross for us.

He entered Jerusalem in triumph on a donkey.

He cleaned The Temple of those buying and selling.

He had His last supper with the disciples.

He went to Gethsemane to pray.

He was betrayed by Judas.

He was arrested and tried.

He went to The Cross.

Many Christians can identify with these events.

When Jesus entered my life there was celebration.

Then Jesus spent time cleaning this temple, getting rid of old ways and old beliefs (He is still working on that).

I realised the importance of communion and fellowship.

I learned to pray - Jesus said, could you not pray for one hour?

I was betrayed and went though many trials.

But at each step I went to The Cross and reminded myself of what Jesus has done for me.

The Empty Cross

The Empty Cross.

Here is a picture of an empty cross.

Did you know there are always two empty crosses?

There was an empty cross before Jesus died on it, and an empty one afterwards. They have completely different meanings.

The first one is the one that you know is coming soon, when you are preparing for some stuff that is going to be uncomfortable.

The second cross represents joy. (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus Is Coming For His Church.

Jesus Is Coming For His Church.

If we really are approaching the end of the time before Jesus comes back for His Church, and I believe we are. 

(Matthew 13:12-13)

There is a lot to do, we don't have time to waste doing nothing.

Believers should be reaching out to people for Jesus.

You can reach people face to face.

You can reach people by telephone.

You can reach people by writing.

You can reach people online.

Go for it.

Redeeming Time for The World.

Redeeming Time for The World.
God wants us to redeem our time concerning unsaved people. (Colossians 4:5-6)
How much time to you spend encouraging people to come to church or to come to Jesus?
Speaking with grace, remember we share the Good News....
How can you know how to answer each one? You pray.
The Holy Spirit will lead you into what to say to them.

What are your favourite ways of spending time?

What are your favourite ways of spending time?
Mobile Phone, Eating, Reading the Bible, Sleeping, Exercising, Studying or Homework, Watching TV, Being with Friends, At Church.
Do you know that you can keep time or lose it?...
Even watching TV can be good if you watch the right stuff.
Sometimes we have to prepare in advance to spend time.
We book holidays in advance. We book tables at restaurants.
We need to prepare for church too.

Does anyone need to do some redeeming of the time there?

Time is like money - we spend it.

Time is like money - we spend it.
Whenever you redeem time, especially for God, you feel good.
You say - that was a good time. Time well spent.
We say - money well spent, when we get something worth it....
Can you always say that at the end of a day?
Have you spend quality time with someone?
Have you done something that blesses someone else?
Have you improved your life in any way?

Time Is Slipping Away

Time is slipping away and Jesus will be back soon.
Our time is in His hands. Especially in these evil days.

Redeeming the time = To make wise and Godly use of every opportunity for doing good, so that our passion and well doing are the purchase price, by which we make the time our own.
We spend time like we spend money - wisely or foolishly.
Ephesians 5:14-16

Celebrating Time

  Celebrating Time 

Time is a precious thing that we will only ever see once.

No-one can have another chance to spend their time.

We all want to make the best use of it and not waste it.

God wants us to redeem the time, because the days are evil. 

Ephesians 5:14-16

Mothers Teach and Encourage You.

Mothers Teach and Encourage You.

Mothers teach you the things of life and how to saty safe.

The Holy Spirit is our teacher, and He teaches the teachers. John 14:25-26

Mothers encourage you that you can make it, you can achieve.

The Holy Spirit brings the encouraging words of Jesus to mind.

You can do it, God says you are more than a conqueror. 2 Chronicles 35:2

Mothers Love You.

Mothers Love You.

The very love from God to you has been placed in your heart by the Holy Spirit Himself.

So if you ever feel God doesn't love you, look in to your heart.

That is where a mother places her love, so does The Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5.

Mothers Clothe You.

Mothers Clothe You.

Like a mother, He clothes you with robes of righteousness and a garment of praise.

Like a mother, He always wants you to look your best because you represent Him. See Luke 12:28.

Mothers Feed Us And Wean Us.

Mothers Feed Us And Wean Us.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.
God can only feed us with the milk of the word until we are mature enough to take solid food....
Just like mothers do.

Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Pastors are the sheep-feeders. Giving you the tools for life.
Feeding you with the meat of The Word once you are weaned.

Mothers Comfort You

Mothers Comfort You.

John 14:16-17  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but ye know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.

Whenever we need comfort, the Holy Spirit is there for us.

In our time of need, He is there.

He never leaves us, He is always available to comfort us.

He supports us like a mother would,  making us feel safe when He is around.

Mothers Give Birth.

Mothers Give Birth.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
You are born again by the power of God through the revelation you received at your spiritual conception.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
We are born again of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is in effect both the maternal and the midwife aspect of our new birth.

What Do Mothers Do?

What Do Mothers Do?
They conceive. Give birth. Comfort you. Feed you. Wean you. Clothe you. Love you. Teach you. Encourage you.
I want to show you that God does all of these things.
I am not saying that God is a woman, but He fulfils all these maternal roles for our benefit.

Mothers Conceive.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
It is God that causes conception to happen, He formed you in the womb, it is His special miracle.

Are you sick? Then come to Church

Are you sick? Then come to Church.

Tell us if you need prayer. 

 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (James 5:14-15)

The Church is God's hospital, where He wants to heal you.

It is best to come to Church when you feel unwell to get healed, rather than stay at home sick.

Come and get one of the elders to pray and anoint you so you can be healed.

It is where you can receive forgiveness too.

Marriage and The Church.

Marriage and The Church.
Mainly for the men.
What do you think ladies?
For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. (Ephesians 5:23-25)

God likens marriage to The Church.
Husbands are the head like Jesus is the head, as a saviour, a protector, a provider..
Husbands are to take the responsibility, not to be in control.
Wives are to be subject to their husband like we are to Jesus.
He may lead and guide and command, but we choose to follow, He has given us free will.
There are times when we don’t get it right and we say no to Jesus.
There are times when wives can say no to their husbands too.
So husbands love your wife like Jesus loves the Church.
He laid His life down, so should husbands.

Gifts in The Church.

Gifts in The Church.
Which gifts has He given you?
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28)
...

These gifts from God are found nowhere else but in The Church.
We can be out in the world acting as the Church and take our gifts with us. The Church is where these gifts operate in their fullness.
Which gifts has He given you?

Jesus will build His Church.

Jesus will build His Church.
Tell us what this means to you.
Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:16-18)
...

The Church is built upon the rock of God revealing things of The Kingdom to people, as revelation knowledge.
You are a part of His church because of what Father revealed to you about The Gospel and about His love and Jesus' sacrifice.
Whatever anyone may have told you about Jesus, Father God revealed it to you as the truth.
That is the foundation that Jesus is building His Church upon.
In no way is Jesus referring to building His Church on Peter.

Jesus will build His Church.

Jesus will build His Church.
Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:16-18)

The Church is built upon the rock of God revealing things of The Kingdom to people, as revelation knowledge.
You are a part of His church because of what Father revealed to you about The Gospel and about His love and Jesus' sacrifice.
Whatever anyone may have told you about Jesus, Father God revealed it to you as the truth.
That is the foundation that Jesus is building His Church upon.
In no way is Jesus referring to building His Church on Peter.

Ambassadors for Jesus.

Ambassadors for Jesus.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)
We are God's ambassadors in earth, His representatives here....
We beg you, get yourself in line with God's will for your life.
Be reconciled to Him as your King, and as your God.
He is The King for whom you are an ambassador.
Remember that ambassadors live in an embassy, the Church is our Embassy.
We live in a foreign country, the world.
We have safety and security as long as we remain in The Church.
As soon as we go back out into the world acting like sinners, we lose our protection and our power. But we can also be out in the world acting like believers, sharing The Gospel and retain our immunity.