Archives for July 2014

July 11, 2014 By Clint Scott Leave a Comment

Restoration

Today’s Reading: 1 Sam 18:1–19:24, James 5:13–20, Ps 120:1–7

Today’s Theme: Restoration

Fear, the enemy of restoration

Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. 1 Samuel 18:12, ESV

Saul allowed himself to be tormented by fear rather than learning from David’s life, humbling himself and seeking restoration.

One of the reasons Saul was driven by fear was the fact that he was self absorbed and his motivation and vision only went as far as “what do the people think of me” and “I want to be the most loved by the people”. With this in mind it is no wonder the favour David was shown by the people helped turn Saul against him.

We can learn from this not to be like Saul, we must not be driven by the fear and the superficial things of this world. If we are not walking as we should, we must not allow our fear and pride to drive us even further away from God and his purpose. Instead we should humble ourselves before God.

God, who is sovereign even over demons, will even hand you over to Satan to discipline you, wake you up and save your soul. Your response should be to realise you need mercy and help, you need restoration. See 1 Corinthians 5:5 and 1 Timothy 1:20

Confession, the doorway to restoration

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16, ESV

Confession of our faults is the doorway to restoration between each other and between ourselves and God.

We need to humble ourselves in confession and then the prayer said in faith is not hindered and we will see both physical and spiritual restoration.

See restoration for others

let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:20, ESV

We should seek the restoration of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should not only be concerned about our own souls, but the soul of others too

Cry out to God

In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. Psalm 120:1–2, ESV

When we are in distress we should cry out to God for help. God is able to deliver us from the scheme of men and devils.

July 10, 2014 By WWMF MEDIA 1 Comment

Youth Conference 2014

Do you want to hear GOD TALK to you? Are you 11-18yrs old and want to more about God, join us for our first ever youth conference.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”

The conference will directly tackle some of the big questions young people want to ask: Did the creation story really happen? What does the Bible really have to teach me in today’s world, isn’t it outdated? What does having a relationship/walk with God really mean? Why is it so hard to be consistent in the Christian life as a teenager?

Join us to get connected with your creator!

July 10, 2014 By Dennis Greenidge 1 Comment

Pray For God’s Glory To Be Revealed In The Earth

1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17:8 Jesus, the enemy is strong and terrifying beyond description. We would still be slaves to our flesh and death if You had not fought the battle for us. Words can never thank You enough for Your gift of life; I give You my heart.

1 Samuel 17:26 How I love David’s young heart, Lord. He is appalled that the Israelite soldiers have allowed Goliath to defy God. Give me a bold and courageous heart, Lord, when people in my world defy and deny You.

1 Samuel 17:28 Jealousy can cause you to stand in God’s way, especially when you know the person well, like David’s brothers knew him. Pray God’s blessings on someone that He is using powerfully. Also, ask the Lord to show you ways you can support him or her.

1 Samuel 17:37 David bases his faith for the future on God’s faithfulness in the past. Take a few moments to reflect on all the ways God has worked in your life. Ask Him to increase your faith through them today.

1 Samuel 17:45 Bless the Lord who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in Him. (Psalm 144:1-2)

God’s Glory

Exodus 33:18-23 Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Psalms 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Psalms 138:5 And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.

Psalms 104:31 Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works;

Ephesians 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

Psalms 113:4 The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.

Acts 7:55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Deuteronomy 5:24 “You said, `Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives.

Psalms 102:16 For the LORD has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory.

Isaiah 60:1-2 “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.

Psalms 63:2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

Psalms 90:16 Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children.

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.

Isaiah 59:19 So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives.

Psalms 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.

1 Chronicles 16:24 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

Psalms 57:5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Isaiah 6:3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.

July 10, 2014 By Clint Scott Leave a Comment

Facing Giants

Today’s Reading: 1 Sam 17:1–58, James 5:1–12, Ps 119:153–176

Today’s Theme: Facing Giants

Beginning with David’s slaying of goliath we will use the lens of giants to be defeated to bring together all three text we have read today.

The Giant of Intimidation and Fear

When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 1 Samuel 17:11 (ESV)

The Philistine army was well trained and equipped with modern tools of war and their champion Goliath was literally a giant compared to the size of an average man.

Goliath stood and shouted both a challenge and insults at the children of Israel with the intention of crippling them through fear and intimidation, and it worked.

Jesus was constantly telling us to not fear in places like Matthew 28:10 and Acts 18:9. A brother at church a few years ago made a calendar with the 365 times do not fear is mentioned in the bible.

We do not need to suffer intimidation and fear because Jesus said in Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Also John reminds us in 1 John 4:4 “… he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Stand in faith today, don’t let the strong words and opposing force of the enemy intimidate you or make you afraid, remember who you are in Christ.

God is bigger than all the giants

And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” 1 Samuel 17:37 (ESV)

David (in his late teens at this point) has the right perspective on the situation, he has been anointed with the Holy Spirit already and has a relationship and past experiences with God. David knows God.

Because David knows God and has experienced what God has done in his life before, he is filled with faith to face this giant.

David’s perspective is right, God is bigger and greater than any opposing force including a giant, well trained and well equipped warrior.

We should learn from David’s example, lets take our eyes of our seemingly impossible “giant” problems and situations and instead look beyond them to God, God who is great and able, God who has proved faithful in scripture and our lives, look to our sovereign God and lets put all our faith and trust in him.

See Jude 24-25 and Ephesians 3:20 for encouragement regarding God’s ability to come through for you.

Fight for God’s fame and glory

This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 1 Samuel 17:46 (ESV)

Two great things we can learn from David here, one is that back in 1 Samuel 17:39 he explains that he can not use what he has not yet tried and tested and now in this verse we see his purpose in going up to fight the giant is to bring God glory and spread Gods fame.

We too must use what we have tested ourselves in the battle. This is why it is so important that we become well acquainted with God and his word in the bible, this way the weapons of our warfare in prayer will not feel strange in our hands.

We also should have the same overarching purpose in all we do and in all our spiritual warfare, it must be for the glory of God and the spread of Gods fame to all nations.

Face the Giants

When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:48 (ESV)

David did not run away from the battle, he ran toward the battle line to slay the giant.

We must have stout, bold, courageous hearts in the Lord just like David. Run to the battle line today knowing that the battle is the Lord’s, he will give you the victory.

We do not bury our heads in the sand as though the giants are no there, we face them, in faith.

The Giant of Injustice

Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. James 5:4 (ESV)

As Christians we should not shut our eyes to the gross injustice which abounds in the world. We need to be very conscious of the things we buy and invest in, many consumer products are produced by companies exploiting poorer countries and people. Where possible we need to live and shop with an awareness of this.

Together and in the name of Jesus we must rise against economic injustice. The Church of Jesus Christ must stand up against injustice wherever it is found and we must be careful that we do not become indifferent consumers with a little religion.

Worship and justice go hand in hand, just read the book of psalms. One way we fight injustice as a church is through Child Sponsorship with Compassion. Ask God today if there is any other way you can be used to fight the giants of economic and social injustice.

The word in a nutshell

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Psalm 119:160 (ESV)

To put God’s word in a nutshell, it is truth, that is what it all sums up to. Just like Jesus used the truth of the word to combat the enemy, we too used the word of God to slay the giants around us and in us.

The Greatest treasure

I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil. Psalm 119:162 (ESV)

Gods word is the greatest treasure that anyone could ever have, the word of God should fill us with rejoicing. Every morning as I read, think about and write these notes I am filled with joy.

See God’s word for what it is, the greatest treasure you could ever hope to have and rejoice!!

The Giant of offence

Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. Psalm 119:165 (ESV)

If we love God’s word, it will stand as a defence for us from the giant of offence. Jesus warns us that offences will come but if our perspective is taken from Go’s word we will not let offence take root we will keep our eyes on God and the promises of his word.

Sing the word

My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. Psalm 119:172 (ESV)

One of our greatest spiritual weapons is praise, praise from the word of God is the best type of praise so praise God today for and accordance with his word.

July 9, 2014 By Dennis Greenidge Leave a Comment

Pray for Israel

Pray for Israel today Wednesday 9th July 2014

Received this news of what happened last night from in Israel

Just a quick update. Hamas fired 40 rockets at once about 1 hr. ago and three or four fell around us, one opposite us in the cemetery area. They have fired on Tel Aviv and also tried Haifa but it fell near Caesarea. We are now in a major confrontation which will take time and we will have to stay close to home.

Pray Zechariah 2:5; Psalm 55:9; Ephesians 6:12; Psalm 122:6-8;

Pray against Terrorist Psalm 56:9; Psalm 91:5; Isaiah 54:14; Psalm 50:23

This has been another hard week for Israel. With barely time to mourn the loss of our 3 murdered teenagers, war drums are pounding again – both within and beyond our tiny borders.

How should we pray for Jerusalem in this terrible hour? One of Judaism’s oldest prayers, recited more than any other blessing, gives us guidance to face the unique challenges of these difficult times.
The Aaronic Blessing is packed with beauty and meaning for such a time as this.

Numbers 6:24-27New King James Version (NKJV)

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;25 The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’ 27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Prayer direction from a Messianic Pastor: How to Pray for Israel in This Dark Hour

The first section – “May the Lord bless you and Keep you” asks God to prosper us with material and physical well-being. Here we are commanded to recall that He is our ultimate protection, and not only our own efforts.

May we turn our faces to the Lord in this difficult hour to the “Keeper of Israel and the Shield of Abraham.”

Let us not allow the stones thrown at us become a stumbling block, but may they become footsteps drawing us closer to Him.

The second section – “The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you” asks the Almighty to grant us wisdom (“Ya’er” is related to the word “Or” – light, a metaphor for wisdom). We cannot live by gut reactions alone. When in trouble, it is time to fall on our faces before God and allow His face to shine on us. It is in the midst of uncertainty and danger that we must pray, “Your will be done, and not mine…”

This is also a plea that we should find favour (gracious in the Hebrew) with God so that others should be built up with our teachings. His wisdom does not make us so arrogant that people resent us. This is especially true when we are angry and hurt and want to lash out at others, and our nation is seething right now. Let us ask the Lord to be gracious to Israel so that we might find favour with Him especially as we face of such turmoil.

The third section – “The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” calls us to look at our Lord right in the eye. When a person does not conduct himself properly and knows that he is wrong, even in the face of danger, he cannot face his Lord, nor can he face others with integrity. But when we do the right thing, we can lift up our heads in the sight of God, and this, in turn, evokes a similar response from the Lord.

When our gaze meets our Maker, we are at Peace, and there is no greater strength than to walk in the light and be in fellowship with the will of God.
These are the blessings we should have in mind as we pray for Israel. Security, wisdom, humility, favor with God and the peace that comes from knowing that we are doing the right thing. When we live like this “in the image of God,” we will bring Shalom not only to ourselves, but to the entire world.