God is both the master craftsman and the structural engineer; both the architect and the interior designer.  He intricately designed the subtle nuances of the human body and also is the master of creation: We can see the sun that is 93million miles away.  God made this body.  Hands which are strong enough to plough a great field, and also the same hands can be sensitive and accurate enough to operate on the heart.

Our feet hold the whole body in balance, regardless of the size and weight:  I am a standing miracle right now because of the way god made me.  I [Bob] worked out  that a building would not be able to stand on the proportion of foundation that we can stand on – we are standing miracles.

1 Corinthians 12:12 to 30.
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptised into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?  If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?  But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.  How strange a body would be if it had only one part!  Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

You are an essential part of Gods body. Are you happy with your body?  In spiritual things there is a difference – you are never too old to make your spiritual gifts stronger and fitter. God wants us to get fitter so that we are stronger than when we started.

All of the body works together to make it better and fitter at functioning effectively – you can train specific parts but we form an all in one functioning body. Without the head controlling the body, it would be impossible to work. So there is something inside my body, that we cannot see and we don’t understand, but all of the things work together. In the same way, Jesus Christ is the head of our body – the power source, the inspiration, the controller.

We need to tell people very clearly and very openly that people need the Lord as their saviour. I am so desperate to tell people. Would you, as part of this body of Christ, be willing to do it? It would require work, support, prayer and encouragement, there is no point of going into challenging things that god sets us, without a strong backbone of prayer. We will need a movement in the spirit within us.  There are no limits. The gates of hell will NEVER be able to prevail against us.

Tiny Acorn

The creativity of God is simply amazing.  He makes the grass grow for cattle. He made, actually invented seeds that grow.  Tiny acorns become mighty oaks.  There is also plenty of food to go round in this world.  The earth provides endless resources.

After God made the earth, he made us.  He made this world and everything in it and it is truly amazing.  We are the crowning glory of God’s creation; we are His masterpiece, we are His finale, His Magnum Opus!

mighty oak

Our physical attributes make us recognisable to other people but the actual elements the define who we are are unseen: Our sense of humour; our thoughts; our compassion; our tolerance.  These things are the essence of our soul – which is God breathed.  We have been made in God’s image and God has not only provided for us with the riches that the earth holds but He wants to give us life to abundance, Life – with a capital “L”.

This body that has been uniquely designed for us is great.  It is arguable that we may never fully understand how it works.  It is so complex and intricate, moulded together by a master craftsman.  And yet the body waiting for us in heaven will be even better! This body we’re in has a life span, it is getting old, parts start failing, some bits fall out or fall off, but what’s waiting for us on the other side is something eternal!

Ephesians 2 verse 10:

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is

Intricate Details

marvelous—how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.16 You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

We will remember them.

For The Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

When you reach heaven and you have a chat with the LORD he will not give you a biblical test on how many times the word “salvation” appears in the bible, He’ll ask you about your life.  If the bible doesn’t work in your life then you’re up the creek without a paddle.

Living a perfect life is unattainable.
Attempting to live a perfect life is possible, but we need help.

That moment when we prayed we were saved and forgiven instantly, even before we’d finished saying the words.  Jesus didn’t give us a trial period or a test, there wasn’t any negotiation of terms, he accepted us straight away.

Jesus knew that we would face temptation, as he faced temptation himself.  Has he left us alone to cope with it in our own way? Of course not!  We have the power of the Holy Spirit.  To put that in context, its like being in charge of a fire engine, with the most powerful water cannon and being the operator of the valve: having the power to extinguish any flames without needing to get into danger and by simply turning the valve.

When Jesus is tempted by the devil, he extinguishes the fire:

During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Our secret weapon #1 is to know what the word of God says.  Temptation isn’t a sin.  Yielding to temptation is when you turn to sin.

In 2 Chronicles 32, Hezekiah is facing threats from King Sennacherib.  Hezekiah is doing his best to keep the spirits of his people high, but Sennacherib sends taunts via his messengers to the people of Jerusalem sowing doubt, mocking the LORD and heaping insults.  They had tried to get inside their heads, the had learnt things in Hebrew.  Do we find people use our own language and terminologies to discourage us?  In verse 20 King Hezekiah cries out to the LORD.

Just like when Peter is walking out on the water: At the point where he starts sinking, he too cries out “LORD! Save me!”  He didn’t use fancy words this was desperation.

Our secret weapon #2 is to cry out! Don’t try and bear it alone.  The LORD has never turned his back on one prayer.

When the devil comes to undermine us and to make us afraid, when we cry out to God, the answer is not known to the devil.  He does not know how God will work in that situation.  He does not know how God will bring you through and strengthen you.  He does not know what answers God will send to your cries.

Isaiah 54:15-17

If any nation comes to fight you,
it is not because I sent them.
Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.  I have created the blacksmith
who fans the coals beneath the forge
and makes the weapons of destruction.
And I have created the armies that destroy.  But in that coming day
no weapon turned against you will succeed.  You will silence every voice
raised up to accuse you.  
These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD;
their vindication will come from me.
  I, the LORD, have spoken!

Our secret weapon #3 is that no weapon formed against us will prosper.

God will come through; just open the valve to the water cannon.  Jesus did and the devil left him.

Sometimes we feel like we’re in the midst of conflict but God is still in charge.  And yet He gives us freedom to make our own decisions.  We have all the freedom we could ever desire and yet we are ultimately subject to a sovereign God.

Does God do things arbitrarily? Does He get bored? Does He make decisions based on a whim?  The simple answer is No.  Is God bothered about us?  He acts out of compassion and mercy.  He is charge but he has made it simple and easy for us to get right with Him, for us to stand before Him guiltless and worthy.  He is bothered about us.

Jesus came to mark the end of the law and the start of a relationship, we are called to be different, to break generational trends, to return to the Lord.  There are two steps

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

between us and God.  Step one is to believe in our heart.  Step two is to confess with our mouth.  That’s it.  Salvation accomplished.  Eternity in heaven sealed.

Do we share our faith with people whom we meet?  Do they know how accessible God is?  Do they know that He is in control?  Psalm 118 tells us that we are better putting our confidence in God than in man.  With our confidence resting on the maker and manager of creation then we should be unstoppable.

Be someone who tells somebody about Jesus.  Encourage them with stories of your blessings.  Tell them of your confidence in the Lord.  Isaiah said: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, breaking the news that all is well, proclaiming good times!”  We can buck against the trend and spread news about JOY!

Who likes variable speed limits? Who likes average speed limits?  Does anyone relish the prospect of any “limits”? We think we know better, we think our judgement and perception is better than average so we’re entitled to drive at a faster speed, right?

But, breaking the rules can have an impact

1. Consequences for yourself
2. Consequences for other people
3. Who you’re answerable  to
4. Whether you get away with it

There are over 500 rules and regulations and guides in the bible.  Do you know them all? Do you keep them all?   God keeps a book on our life – it contains everything.  In Revelation it says the books will be opened and we will stand before His judgement and give an account of ourselves.

Are we doing as we’re told?  We have been given instructions to live by.  The consequences of breaking the law were bad, in Old Testament times most law breaking resulted in

saved

death.  Thankfully we’re not subject to the old law; we can be forgiven by the blood of Jesus.

Jesus dug me out of the pit, brushed me down and gave me some new clothes to wear then wrote my name down in his book.  He called me son and I called Him Father and He prepared an inheritance for me.

The world we’re living in now is all we know. But know in your heart that you will be in heaven with Jesus for eternity.  This period of suffering trials is only for this short time.  The day will come when there will be no more death, no more sorrow.

We have a responsibility whilst here on earth to do as we’re told in the eyes of God.

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.

Matthew 6:19
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

John 14:1
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.t If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Jesus is keen to point at our eternity.  Our time here is fleeting, our life here is temporary.  We’re working towards the bigger picture.  We have paradise waiting for us, complete with fresh linen.

But in the meantime – we have to do as we’re told.

Hebrews 12:13
Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.  Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.  Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.  Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

Hebrews 12:28
Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.  For our God is a devouring fire.

Our room is already prepared

Ultimate Cosmic Powerrrr...

The lame man, having been crippled for 38 years is cured simply by Jesus speaking words to him.  Jesus had the power of the universe at his fingertips, but also the love and compassion to heal this guy without needing to see him beg or grovel.

The man is left completely healed, and how do the Jews react? Are they astounded by this miracle? Are they thankful that there is one less beggar at the pool?  Are they rejoicing with the man? No.  The man is carrying his mat, and they don’t like that.  Not on the Sabbath.  Bad man.  Bad Jesus.  Very cross Jews.

Jesus had just healed a guy, by simply speaking words – breathing the breath of God over him and the Jews missed the point.  Sometimes we will have to face people who can only see the bad things.  We will find ourselves frantically defending Christianity to people who will happily list every reported controversy.

Don't, whatever you do, carry this on the Sabbath.

How does Jesus respond to these allegations that he (a Rabbi – so should know better) told a man to pick up his mat on the Sabbath? Does he explain his motives? Or does he justify his actions? No, he hits at the heart, he paints the bigger picture, he is on a mission from God.  Jesus spends his rant pointing to the compassion of God, but again the Jews miss this and instead take umbrage that he has equated himself with God – despite Jesus clearly stating God’s authority as the “Father”.

Although it’s easy to see the Jews’ mistake – we have the benefit of hindsight and a written account, we need to be mindful that we don’t lose sight of the bigger picture either.  We have all been equally misguided in the past, and most probably will be at some point in the future too.  Jesus was about compassion, not religion.  We need to have more Love than we do Plans.  Whatever “plans” we make need to be dispensable if necessary.

Jesus spoke with amazing power and authority, he was fearless, he spoke plainly to the Jews, he told them how it was, he made no bones about it, he was bold, he didn’t apologise.  How would our evangelism be different if we stuck to Jesus’ model?  Jesus didn’t dither and was lead by the Spirit.

• How do we share the Gospel?

 Is it with tentative trepidation?
Is it softly-softly?
Are we cautious in case we offend?

Remind yourself again how Jesus approached it – If it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for us! 

Fearless and Bold!

Paul shows us in Acts 17 a neat piece of evangelism – he addresses the men of Athens and he has done his homework.  He has already walked around their town and surroundings and has learnt about their culture.  Paul has purposefully made an effort to understand the people he wants to evangelise to.  When he gets up to speak his tool belt is already well stuffed, he grabs their attention by talking about their statues to their numerous gods.

For us to have an impact we need to understand the people we’re talking to.

Effective speakers aren’t ones whose audiences all understand them; they’re ones who understand their audience.

To preach the Gospel effectively we need to first spend time watching and listening to the people we want to reach.  But above all this, our primary thought and ultimate motivation needs to be love.

Kathryn Ayre spoke at youth bible study about the importance and urgency of being fearless, below are a selection of her musings

Most of us are now familiar with the story of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani  - he has been in prison for 2 years and still refuses to renounce his faith, even after being threatened with the death penalty.

Its highly unlikely that we’ll ever have to face that situation but in our day to day lives we are tested on our faith by friends, collegues and family. Its not as high pressure as being imprisoned or a life and death circumstance like it is with Youcef but when faced with the question “Why are you a christian?” we sometimes shy away.

When people hear about Jesus they often don’t want to listen to our message.  But we shouldn’t be discouraged by this.  Our mission is to make Jesus known. We need to die to our own pride and ideas and go out and tell people the truth.

We are always pressured to become a part of a modern culture that is self obsessive and we are often forced

Please don't conform to this!

or cajoled or persuaded into doing things we don’t really want to do because we’re scared of what will happen if we don’t conform.

Have you ever worn something to fit in or done something to try and make yourself something you’re not?

Jesus wants us to live fearlessly and tells us so in Matthew 10, he repeats his instruction to not fear three times – He is giving a clear message.  The message isn’t that we won’t come up against opposition or tough times, the message is to not fear.  This gives us an indication that Jesus knew, and expected us to face times of trial.  If you’re going through a trial, try not to be discouraged and instead be more fearless.

When we’re faced with  a fearful situation, how often are we actually fearing for our lives?  Probably hardly ever.  So what is it that we’re fearing?  We are probably guilty of placing our security in worldly things: family, home, job, money.  None of these things give you complete and permanent security – only Jesus does.

When we are faced with persecution, we must not be phased!  Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  Fear of man has strangled many testimonies.

Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and take a step of faith, be fearless, because even though you may be persecuted, you will also be richly rewarded.

Before Jesus sent out his disciples into the world to spread the word of God, he gave them a little pep talk.  Give yourself a pep talk – Give your other Christian friends a pep talk.  Play the Rocky theme tune in your head! You can do this!

Whats the worst that could happen?

Can we rely on newspapers, reporters, journalists to tell the truth and give us an accurate

Imagine if the whole world only ever told the truth....

account of the news?  More often than not we get fed sensationalised rumour and opinion over fact.  In the relatively recent case of the 45 minute WMD claim we were not told the full story.

So what can you believe?

The bible is the best history book that this world has got.  It has remained unchanged (if you’re in doubt about that read up about the Dead Sea Scrolls).  Its accounts have not been proven to be exaggerated; in fact to the contrary increasingly more historical discoveries back up biblical accounts.

If you were given the task to invent the bible, to invent a story book to deceive millions, surely you would leave out the “unbelievable” bits?

Like Moses parting the Red Sea – do you believe it? Yes, I believe it.
When God sent a large fish to catch Jonah – do you believe it? Yes, I believe it.
When Jesus walked on water – do you believe it? Yes, I believe it.

The news that we hear daily is not always fact.  Scientific theories get disproved.  The bible has never been disproved. Paul says in his letter to Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed” and Peter clarifies this point further in 2 Peter 1:20  “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.”

John was instructed in his vision in Revelation 21 by the One who was seated on the throne, the Alpha and Omega to: “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

This world full of doom and gloom, we have no answers to the current crises, we hear stories about a bleak future, just as prophesied there are wars and rumours of wars.  We have a choice: We can listen and digest the bad news and have it affect our character, or we can listen and digest the good news of Jesus and let that affect our character instead.

Make it your mission to tell someone that there is some good news, brighten up someone’s day.  Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour loves people and wants people to know Him.

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