February 2008

To Live Is Christ.........

Philippians 1:21 'For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.'
Message Bible : 'Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose.'

a] Living for Christ means to live as His disciple : One who adheres to the teaching of his master. To Adhere means to stick or hold fast to. Very few become disciples, many follow just what is convenient to their own thoughts and feelings.
What is a disciple? : A disciple is a follower or adherent of Christ

He is converted:
Convert means : Change in function, cause to change beliefs, opinion or political party.

Disciple means: One of Christ’s personal followers, any early believer in Christ, follower or adherent of any leader of thought, art or conduct.
The first Twelve Disciples left all they knew to follow Jesus. Peter just left his fishing boat on the shore [Matthew 4:18-22] 'Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

A disciple will not stand around debating their masters orders but will happily trust that the master will only ask them to do things that will bring benefit in every situation. A disciple is a learner, being instructed.

b] As Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing, so must we:
John 5:19 ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.’
We can therefore take comfort and learn from Jesus, doing the things that Jesus did knowing that the will of the Father is being accomplished here on earth.
Of course we have a guidebook to help us in our quest to understand the heart of the Father, No it is not the latest Christian book to hit the bookstore. It is called the Holy Bible.
Yes it is still relevant for today. And believe it or not He has not changed His mind on the things that matter like holiness, mercy and compassion.
James 4:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

c] What did we see Jesus doing?
He Healed the sick - Restoring the outcasts, Loving the unlovely.
He delivered people from oppression, Plundering Satan’s rule here on Earth.
He shared His life with ordinary people, teaching the Kingdom to all who would listen.
He taught others, how to pray how to listen and how to act, then He let them do it, sending out the twelve and the seventy two.

As we look to doing the things we have been shown we find Discipleship is not a difficult thing.
Discipleship is not about doing new things in a trendy or complex way, but rather is about doing what we have been shown by Jesus.

1] You do it.
2] You do it with them watching.
3] You do it with them taking part
4] They do it with you watching
5] They do it

The disciples were shown by Jesus, they would watch him minister and observe the way that He did things.
So the main part of discipleship is by demonstrating how to do it. This can only happen if you have confidence in doing the things yourself
John 8:31-32 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

d] Ultimately unless we are developing the Character of God seen through Jesus. We are told in James 4:6-8 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Also in Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit

Being gifted or talented in the Kingdom is all well and good, but it does not impress God, He is looking for Christ-likeness and humility in our hearts. Look at what God said in
Isaiah 66:2 'For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Gain in Death....

a] This goes against all the worlds teaching regarding life and death. To the world death is the end. To the Christian it is the beginning of a new adventure, that actually starts before physical death. It starts at new birth, a separation from this world and an entry into the Kingdom to come.
John 5:24-25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
The Christian also looks at what is to happen in the age to come. John had the vision in revelation of all what we were to receive. Look at his vision in

Revelation 21:1-7 'Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

Revelation 22 :1-6 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.

These awesome promises and visions of what we are to share in for all eternity. The sad things is is in part we can have these things now, yet we seem reluctant to grasp the truth of it. Life Now ..... Yes please Jesus

Maybe you have realised that you need to be released from the power of death and depression and enter into God's way of Life. If you have not invited Jesus into your heart this would be your first step.

Jesus says in John 14:6 'I am the way and the truth and the life, No-one comes to the Father except through Me'

Peter said of Jesus
'You have the words of eternal life' John 6:68

The Lord Jesus is ready to help you as soon as you ask to know Him as Lord. Jesus Christ has paid for your sin, my sin and every ones sin by living a life free from sin and dying in our place so that we might know forgiveness of sin, and freedom eternally from the power of death and fear.

The bible says in Romans 10:9-10 'If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.'

Remember you can only deal with your own sin. Everyone has to answer to God for what they have done, but God is merciful and will forgive them too, when they are ready to come to Him. He will always accept you, and makes you the offer now of real, genuine love and resurrection life.

You need to say sorry to God for having offended Him by your sinful actions, and choose to walk in His ways instead. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins, repent of your sins and tell God you need His help to stop living in a way that pleases you, and tell him you want to live to please Him.

Invite Jesus Christ to come and be Lord of your life. Thank Him that He has bought you back from the road of darkness and destruction by giving His life for you, and releasing you from the burdens of rejection, guilt and shame. Bringing you fully into His wonderful light. Thank Jesus for this, and acknowledge His death and resurrection and ask His Holy Spirit to come into you right now and give you the power to change and you will find real acceptance in Him and He himself will show you the way forward.

Next step is to tell someone you have received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and find a church that really loves Jesus and lives for Him.

It will not be easy but will be the greatest and most joyful decision you have ever made.

If you have made this decision today E.Mail us and we will send you a Gospel of John and some helps to get you started in your new and exciting walk with Jesus.