North Rand Methodist Church

Two wolves

2012-01-31T17:24:00.000+02:00

How true is this!!!!

TWO WOLVES

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Prayer

2012-01-24T11:46:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king!

Nehemiah 2:4-5

- Before you do anything, don't forget to pray.
- In every situation you can call on God in prayer.
- You have the liberty to call on God at any and all times.
- Even in stressful situations, He hears your quick and urgent prayers.

Have a blessed week

Hope

2012-01-16T09:41:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:1-5

Eish! All roads at NR lead to dealing with faith at the moment! Must be on God’s hear t for us.

Faith is living out hope, knowing that everything small thing we do for Him matters, because God does not want the world to be hurting, lost and confused. He certainly wants to free it from sin!

The work that NR is doing through each one of us is bringing that hope to a concrete manifestation in the lives of those that we are able to reach.
The awesome thing is that as we grow spiritually, and in numbers, we will be able to be greater agents of hope.

Worship

2011-11-29T10:06:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

John 4:19-26

Liezel read from passage this morning in the NR Staff devotions.
I have read this passage many times but something just clicked for me today.
God is spirit and we need to worship Him in spirit and truth.

What does this mean?

For me:

‘In Spirit’ means God is to be worshipped, not only in church, but in every place His Spirit dwells:

- In us
- In our homes
- In our workplaces
- In our cars
- Everywhere!

‘In Truth’ means:

- Him only
- When we confront our own weakness and sin
- When we recognise we are in the middle of the struggle between God and Satan
- That the world needs a Saviour more than anything else
- The Truth is found in Jesus, His teachings, His life, death and Resurrection
- When we are able to sing, pray and move in the Spirit

May you worship God in Spirit and Truth.

Blessings

God's Promise

2011-11-07T09:20:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading :

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4

This word of encouragement comes with a promise.
1. Work to be Christ-like
2. Then we will share in His glory

This promise is related to our taking our responsibility seriously.

My prayer is that we will continually work to be Christ like in all that we do.

Learning

2011-10-17T10:39:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

It’s awesome to think that in God’s world, we never stop learning.
I believe we have grown significantly this year at NR. This has been largely due to our obedience to the Word.
I believe that we must also take our learning into our homes and workplaces.

- Our children need to learn about God from us.Children’s church and church will introduce them to Jesus but they will know Him through us.

- The same goes for our friends and wider family

- The same goes for our work colleagues

Learning is discovering.
Discovering is finding.
Finding is knowing.
Knowing is living.

Have a blessed week.

2011-10-11T12:10:00.002+02:00

This week’s reading:

Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13

Isn’t the faithfulness of God amazing?
He will remain faithful despite our failures and weaknesses.
All He asks is that we remain faithful to Him.

May you grow in your faithfulness this week.

Blessings

2011-10-03T10:42:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.
The poor will see and be glad-- you who seek God, may your hearts live!
The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.

Psalm 69:30-33

Isn’t it amazing that all we have to do to please God is to sing His praises.
We do so in song, in word and in behaviour.

This is important to understand : as we live more and more for Him, our lives become our praises to Him.

Have a blessed week.

Serving Him

2011-09-26T11:17:00.002+02:00

This week’s reading:

Praise the LORD.
Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD,
you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.
I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

Psalm 135:1-7

Isn’t it an awesome privilege to serve Him!

Making A Difference

2011-09-19T08:54:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

If you are anything like me, you might wonder from time to time whether the small things we do everyday really matters?
Like showing kindness, resisting criticising someone, controlling our temper and seeing the good in everyone.
Who sees these things? And it doesn’t seem to change the world in any big way?

Today’s passage says different.

Paul says everything we do to live the way that God wants us to, strengthens us and brings hope to a broken world.
He further prays that we will be encouraged to good deeds and works.

May all you do this week, bring a smile to God.

Pleasing God

2011-09-12T09:02:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.
We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

Isn’t it strange sometimes that when we talk to others about God, they are suspicious of our motives?

Maybe it’s the way we say things? Or the tone in our voice? Our body language? Or their resistance to the Gospel?

However, Paul encourages us to please God. Sharing the Gospel is tough but imagine the joy it brings to His heart!

May your courage to share the Gospel bring a sweet smile to God this week.

Blessings

Planting Our Churches

2011-09-05T10:55:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:2-6

Prayer is the foundation of ministry.
If we are going to plant our ‘churches’ in our homes and workplaces, (our calling), then our ministry needs to be:
- Birthed in prayer
- Sustained by prayer
- Grown by prayer

May your church reach the world this week.

Blessings

Praise Him

2011-08-29T12:11:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading

I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.
The poor will see and be glad-- you who seek God, may your hearts live!
The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.
Psalm 69:30-33

The Lord desires our praise. It pleases Him more than anything else we can offer Him.

So, simply, plainly, openly, gladly, thankfully praise Him in all that you do this week.

Have a great week!

Just Because He Loves

2011-08-22T16:22:00.000+02:00

Pauls says:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-11

Isn’t this one of the most uplifting passages in Scripture!

I trust that ALL that Pauls says you can claim in your life.

Christian CPR

2011-08-15T16:58:00.000+02:00

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Philippians 2:12-18

We are called to shine like stars.
We do so by being faithful to His calling – to hold out the Word of life to others.

Isn’t it an awesome thought – to speak about Jesus is like giving a drowning person CPR!

Have a great week.

Stand Firm

2011-08-08T09:04:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved and that by God.

Philippians 1:20-28

Paul is writing to the church in Philippi. He is encouraging them to remain faithful. He uses himself as an example of how, even when under pressure, (he was in jail for his faith), Christians must stand firm in the Word.

In today's challenging world, many things compete for our attention, we, as Christians, need to find places of determination within us.

My prayer is that you will stand firm in times of trial.

2011-08-01T10:39:00.002+02:00

Hi Everyone

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

This is just one of those readings to meditate over.

My prayer is that you will know God’s love.

Remember

2011-07-25T10:42:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

Here is a trustworthy saying:
if we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13

This morning, I’m reminded how easy it is for us to forget the principles of our faith.
God invites us to die to our sin, stand firm in the midst of trial, never give up on Him and take comfort in His faithfulness.

My prayer is that you are reminded as you read this passage of God’s goodness in your life.

Healing

2011-07-18T15:57:00.000+02:00

This weeks’ reading :

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.
One will say, `I belong to the LORD'; another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will write on his hand, `The LORD's,' and will take the name Israel.
"This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.

` Isaiah 44:3-6

For those who were in church at 9h00 on Sunday, the service, I believe, marked a new direction that God is taking us.
New in the sense of Gods’ signs and wonders, healing, maturity and encouragement.
This is, of course, not to say that He wasn’t working in the life of the church before, rather, He is manifesting in a new ways for us.

Scripture is clear about the reasons for such manifestation, to:

Mature, Encourage, Heal, Uplift and Challenge us to take God into our areas of influence i.e. work, home and other.

All we need to do, is be open to His work in our lives.

May you grow in the way God wants to grow you.

Growing in Love

2011-07-11T09:26:00.000+02:00

Here’s this week’s reading:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,
I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

I think we sometimes too easily confuse ‘love’ as spoken in the Bible with love as seen on TV and in romance novels.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with romantic love but there is a difference in the context that Paul uses it in our reading.

Love here is from the Greek word – agapaō.
This word means, love, not arising from feelings but from the desire to care for people and the opportunity to do good.

So, I believe, the challenge is for us to develop the desire to care for others and pray for the opportunity to good things for them.
In our homes, work places and areas of influence, we have the chance to exercise agapaō.

My prayer is that this love will grow true in our lives.

Have a great week.

Tough but True

2011-06-27T09:53:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12

When I left the mine I was working on, I flippantly used to say that the hardest thing I’ve ever done was changing a final drive on a 120 ton rear dumping production machine. This job entailed working physically for 48 hours non-stop which pushed you to the limits of human endurance. Grown, tough men would get physically sick from exhaustion. But it was also the kind of job that gained you the respect of the entire mine once you had done it.

Then I became a Christian!

Over time, I have learned that God often asks us to do the most challenging things in His name in His time.He always wants us to move from where we are. And moving is not easy – it was never meant to be.

One of the things He asks of us is to put ourselves out there!
Are you offering Jesus in your home, to your friends, in your workplace or business in His time?

The hardest, but most rewarding things we will ever do, is God’s will at the times He asks, not the times we think we might.

Blessings

A Word of Warning

2011-06-20T09:42:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Revelation 3:14-22

This reading comes as part of John’s revelation to the seven churches.
I believe these letters serve as a ‘thermometer’ for a churches pulse.
For me this reading confirms that at NR, we should not be lukewarm. We need to be fully committed to the work of Christ.
This starts with you and me. How we are away from NR will determine what we bring to NR when we serve.

My prayer is that you keep growing in your faith journey. Keep a teachable spirit and study the Word daily.

Have a blessed week.

A Word of Encouragement

2011-06-14T15:51:00.000+02:00

This week’s reading:

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.
You will eat the fruit of your labour; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.
Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem and may you live to see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel.

Psalm 128:1-6 - a word as encouragement for us.

Have a blessed week.

Correcting in Love

2011-06-06T10:51:00.000+02:00

Hi Everyone

This weeks reading is from 2 Corinthians and has two parts:

Since we have these promises, dear friends,let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
(2 Corinthians 7:1)

This, I believe, is a great challenge for us – to practice holiness.
To challenge ourselves and each other to live a life worthy of Christ’s sacrifice.
A life according to God’s laws and decrees.

I believe there are many levels to this challenge:
- To open ourselves to God’s spirit
- To listen with discernment to our brothers and sisters who
correct us in love
- To correct ourselves and one another in love
- To practice what we believe

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it.
Though I did regret it - I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while- yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance.
For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.
( 2 Corinthians 7:8-11)

Paul was expressing his distress at having to correct the church at Corinth.But at the same time, he was glad because his correction caused them to come in line with God.

We too should rely on this joy to strengthen our resolve when talking about God’s will for ourselves and others.

May you be given all you need this week to live according to God’s will.

Blessings

Cleaning the Temple

2011-05-30T11:01:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Matthew 21:12-17 - Jesus cleaning the temple.

Traditionally, this passage speaks about righteous anger, the need for religion at the time to transform and the temple to become a house of prayer.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Paul says that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to hounour God with our bodies.

In the same way, we are to allow Jesus to cleanse our temples and become vessels of transfomation, healing and hope.

We can do this by daily allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us of the areas in our lives that need healing, change and transfomation.

My prayer is that we will become a house of prayer for the Lord.

The Work of the Spirit

2011-05-16T15:20:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Jesus' teaching on the work of the Spirit.

A couple of things emerged:

- Jesus had to be glorified in order that we would recieve the Spirirt as Counsellor.

- We are shaped and transformed by the Spirit when we allow Him to convict us of changes in our lives.

This for many Christians is not a new understanding but what may be new is to make the concious effort to be transformed to a righteous life.

My prayer is that you will allow the Spirit to work in you this week.

Palm Sunday

2011-04-18T09:05:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from John 12:12-15 - Palm Sunday:

No doubt that this reading speaks to the Kingship of Jesus.

However, we, for the most part, see His kingship as peaceful,loving and individual.

A careful examination of this reading can change our first perception:

- Jesus did not focus on the external - He focused on the internal!

In other words, changing the world relies on the transformation of the individual.

On entering Jerusalem, Jesus chooses to turn left and His choice takes Him to the Cross.

The Cross is divisive:

- It divides believer from non-believer
- It divides life from death
- It divides the passive person from the active person

We also have a choice:

To accept Him or not.

If we accept Him, we become believers who have Life and commit to becoming active in changing the world.

The Vine

2011-04-11T11:28:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from John 15:1-4.

Jesus encourages His disciples to stay in Him (the vine).

Every Christian, at some point in their journey, will be confronted with the temptation to resist the church, praying or allowing the Holy Spirit to work in their lives.

Jesus recognises this weakness in us.

How can we avoid this temptation?

Three ways:

1. Attend church regularly. Make it part of our daily routine.

2. Read and pray every morning. Make it part of our routine.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to prune us daily. Make it part of our daily routine.

Awesome!

John 17:20-26

2011-04-04T10:08:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around Jesus prayer for future believers (you and I):

It is interesting to note Jesus' expectation:

- We would need to be reminded to keep our unity - (because we can and do disagree)
- We would need protection -( satan wants us to fail and will tempt us)
- We would need to be sanctified -(made Holy in His image by the power of the Holy Spirit)

So heres the thing:

His prayer speaks to our lives two thousand years later.

Awesome!

Prayer

2011-03-28T09:53:00.000+02:00

On Sunday, I spent the morning with our men at their camp at a retreat centre outside Parys.

In our regular Sunday service, we continued with our theme of prayer during which time couples had the opportunity to come forward for prayer - awesome!

It is always amazing to me how God uses His church to minister to people wherever they may be.

In fact, I am becoming more convinced that without a church family, we will always have to face life on our own and this is not God's intention for us.

My prayer for you is that your church family is offering God's ministry to your life.

Blessings

Prayer

2011-03-07T09:27:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we began our four week series on Prayer, one of our core values.

We shared from Deuteronomy 4:5-8.

This passage tells us that God is near us when we pray to Him.

It may sound simple and obvious but the reality is that we often don't know, appreciate or feel His close presence.

So, bottom line:

- God is present in all our situations.
- He knows our every need.
- We can open ourselves to Him in pray.
- It is His hearts desire that we do so.

I trust you will open yourself to Him because He is every present in your life!

Salt and Light Part 2

2011-02-28T09:57:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Matthew 5:13-16 - being the salt and light.

Interestingly, that the traditional way of understanding this passage is that sin makes us lose our saltiness and we hide our good works under our beds!

However:

- Salt is used for flavouring, curing and preserving food.

- The Greek words for losing saltiness, in this passage, MARINO, actually means: to be foolish, (sin, silly mistakes, repeated bad choices etc).

- The Greek word for light, in this passage, is PHOS. When phosphorous hits water it glows brightly therefore we are to burn brightly for Jesus.

Conclusion:

When we avoid being foolish, we can shine for Jesus in being the flavour of the universe!

Robbing God

2011-02-21T08:24:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around our responsibility to faithfully manage all that God has given us - i.e. family, work and church:
(Malachi 3: 6-12).

By withholding out Tithes we compromise the churches ability to fulfil Christ's commission:

- To learn to love God
- To learn to love our neighbours

At North Rand, we commit ourselves to fulfilling God's call on us a church for 2011 as we read our convenental vow!

Managing Our Responsibilities

2011-02-14T09:24:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared, as part of our annual stewardship series, around God's guidance for managing of our responsibilities.

Now, when most of us hear the word, 'stewardship,' we might immediately think of a sermon or teaching on GIVING!!!

But stewardship is some much more.

It involves our managing ALL things we are to be responsible for:

- FAMILY
- WORK
- CHURCH
- ENVIRONMENT
- UNIVERSE

So, we are given this responsibilty but also the MEANS.

We can chose to follow God's guidelines, as laid out in Scripture, or we try to do it ourselves.

Amazed!!!

2011-01-24T10:39:00.000+02:00

We concluded our Worship series on Sunday.

I am always amazed at the POWER of the Word!

We simply shared from the Word in between worshiping and allowed the Word to challenge us.

The altar call at the end was amazing as many folk came forward to receive Jesus' forgiveness.

GOD IS GOOD!!!

Worship

2011-01-17T11:22:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we simply allowed Scripture to speak to us a we worshipped in song.

Folks came forward for prayer and we trust that many lives were changed and transformed as they received Jesus(Acts 3:1-10)

I trust that God will transform you as you:

- devote yourself to him
- show Him your devotion
- saturate Him with your all

In Spirit & Truth

2011-01-10T08:23:00.000+02:00

On Sunday as part of our series on our core value - Worship, we shared from John 4:19-24.

The foundation of worship is to:
- Show our devotion to God
- Tell Jesus that we Adore Him
- Saturate God with our respect

Jesus encounters a women at the well and she highlights that Jews & Samaritans differ in their understand of where/how God should be worshipped.

He takes the opportunity to point out that:
- True worshippers do not need a 'place'
- Salvation is from the Jews - Himself

So what does this mean?

True worshipers:
- Worship in the assembly (congregation) - Proskuneo
- Are committed to service to others (Romans 12:1) - Latreia

I trust you will worship in Spirit and Truth in 2011!

Worship

2011-01-04T10:48:00.000+02:00

At North Rand we have decided to spend some time this year on each of our core values.

On Sunday we shared around Worship.

Worship means:
- Adoring God
- Showing our Devotion to God
- Saturating God with our respect

The foundations for us doing this are:

- By Giving thanks & Calling on His name
- Singing His praises & Glorying Him
- Looking & Remembering His goodness and faithfulness

Awesome!!!!

'Chilling'

2010-12-06T09:10:00.000+02:00

Sunday was a 'chilling' day for us as a church community.

We shared a nativity play with our Children's Church in the morning and our annual Carol's by Candlelight in the evening.

It was an awesome time and gave me the sense, as families came together, of:

A. The importance of family time

B. The extent of Jesus' grace - without gathering in His name, we wouldn't have had families together in this way.

God is good!

Christain Values

2010-11-29T08:49:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Jesus' parable on good fruit in Matthew 7:15-20.

There are many things which determine our behaviour and thus the outcomes in our lives.

One of the most important is VALUES.

Values are gained from personal conviction, upbringing and life experience.

Values need to have positive outcomes for us and the people around us.

Scripture determines Christian values.

Bottom line:

1. If we allow Scripture to determine our values we will experience positive
outcomes for our lives.

2. When our lives are changed, the world changes around us.

THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE IN CHRIST WE BEAR GOOD FRUIT.

Falling Away

2010-11-22T08:16:00.001+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Hebrews 5:11-14 & 6:1-12.

The writer warns us about falling away (apostasy) - once believing then denying the existence of God.

It's a scary thought because there is no salvation for those who fall away (6:4-6).

Let's be clear now: falling away is not the same as failing to attend church.

So, how can we ensure we do not fall away:

We need to:
- Grow toward Christan maturity - to learn to discern between good and evil (5:14).
- Be diligent in our lives and doctrine (1 Timothy 4:16).
- To imitate God in love (Ephesians 5:1-2)

My prayer is that we will continue to do so.

The Word

2010-11-15T09:30:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Hebrews 4:12-13.

The writer says that the Word of God:

- Is living and active
- Penetrates between soul and spirit
- Judges our thoughts and attitudes

In short this means:

- The Word is about our relationship with God
- Always allows us to become the people God wants us to be
- Aligns our thoughts with God's will

Awesome

You Are The Kingdom Of God

2010-11-08T08:40:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Luke 17:20-24 - Jesus telling His disciples that the kingdom in is them.

Two weeks ago I sat facing the wake of a motor boat I was travelling in - it made me think of our passage through life.

We have two choices:

- We can be like the boat that leaves behind a beautiful wake near the boat
- Or we can be like the wake that disappears fairly quickly as if it was never there

Jesus encourages us to make a difference in the world.

When we do the Kingdom is advanced.

So what does this mean?

Simple - Live according to God's will in very area of your life!

Dedication Sunday

2010-11-01T10:16:00.000+02:00

On Sunday, 31st October 2010, we dedicated our new church building to God's work.

It was awesome!

It was simply a fulfilment of God's promise.

Choose Life & Prosperity

2010-10-11T08:37:00.000+02:00

On Sunday there was no sermon - we simply allowed Scripture to speak to us:

Deuteronomy 30:11-20:

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.

It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"

No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.

For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

He is Coming Again

2010-10-04T09:06:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Luke 12:49-53.

Like the wind that sometimes promises rain but waits and then finally delivers, so the return of Jesus is signed and we wait for His return.

So:
- Jesus promises to return
- We rationalise His return in our thinking
- Should we not accept Him or His return, we will have to account for our choice

And:
The best we can do is to make sure our choices allow us to stand before God one day in the best possible way.

My prayer is that we will be able to do so.

Storing

2010-09-27T08:36:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around storing in Matthew 6:19-24:

Storing is a natural human endeavour
- Traditionally those who didn't, would die.

However, we have come to understand storing differently.

We store more than we need.
In other words, we sometimes store for the sake of storing.

So some important lessons from the passage:

- Store only what you need
- Store important things like relationships
- Focus on Jesus to provide all our needs

Awesome!

Yes or No!

2010-09-13T08:55:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Matthew 5:33-37.

In this passage, Jesus encourages His disciples to stay away from good intentions and to simply say Yes to fulfilling God's will and work in their lives.

For us, this means not saying: "I promise to do this or that.." or "I meant do do this or that.."

Rather, it means simply committing wholeheartedly to Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us to change to:

- Become the people God wants us to be
- To do what He calls us to do

My prayer is that you will say Yes to Him!

Facing Temptation

2010-09-06T08:53:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about facing temptation in Luke 4:1-13:

We all face many temptations.

Bottom line: Jesus expects us not only to face but to have victory over temptation on our lives.

How can we do this:

- Believe in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit(John14:15-17)
- Turn to Scripture when confronted by temptation (Isaiah55:10-12)
- Know you will be tempted again (Ephesians4:25-28)

The Penny Drops

2010-08-30T09:01:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Mark 6:45-52 - Jesus walking out on the water to His disciples.

A couple of things emerged:

- He walked to them because they misunderstood His feeding of the 5000 (Mark 6:30-44)
- He wanted them to know He will never stop performing miracles
- He wanted them to understand that God feeds His people

So, for us this means:
- God is our provider
- Jesus will never stop working in our lives
- The Holy Spirit will help us to discover/remember all of this

Awesome!

Talents

2010-08-23T09:04:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared about using our talents from Matthew 25:14-30

A couple of things emerged:
- We all have talents - abilities and opportunities
- We need to use them to God's glory
- When we do, the Kingdom of God is advanced in us and in our world

So, bottom line:
- Christians need to work hard, ethically and with integrity

It is a huge challenge for us but one which Christ lays down.

Love, Honour, Blessing

2010-08-10T08:36:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about renewing our minds from Romans 12:1-2

The world has a pattern.

- Hatred (we are full of violence toward each other & nature)

- Selfishness (we think of ourselves more than others)

- Cursing (we often want the worst for others)

Paul encourages us to renew our thinking:

- To love
- To think of others
- To bless others for their achievements

To do this, is to be more like Christ!

If we all live this way, would the world not be a different place?,

The Word Made Flesh

2010-08-02T08:44:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from John 1:1-5

Here, Jesus is referred to as the Word.

Two concepts come together here:
- Divine
- Human

In other words:
- the Word in Hebrew thinking - the Law and the prophets
- the principle of reasoning - the Greek way of understanding existence

So in Jesus we find both our reason for existence and the way to live out our existence.

Awesome!

Becoming The Best Person We Can

2010-07-26T08:31:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from the story of the rich young man in Mark 10:17-23:

Most of us, like the rich young man, want to grow and become the best that we can.

For Christians we understand that God, when He knitted us together in mother's wombs (Psalm 139), has dreams for our lives.

Therefore three things are important for us to become the best that we can:

- Desire - we need to have the desire to change (the rich young man did.)
- Motivation - our motivation is to be more like Christ (not our worldly heroes.)
- Follow through - to allow the Holy Spirit to change us

My prayer is that you will open yourself to become the best person you can.

The Bread Of Life

2010-07-19T09:08:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from John 6:25-35.

Jesus refers to himself as the 'bread of life.'

Bread is:
- a staple food
- needed everyday
- something we can live on

Jesus is:
- the way to life
- available everyday
- someone we can trust

How cool is that?

Acts of Righteousness

2010-07-12T09:19:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Jesus' teaching His disciples in Matthew 6:1-4 about 'acts of righteousness.'

In the chapter, three are identified:
- Prayer - talking to God
- Fasting - acts that allow us to dedicate ourselves to Him
- Giving - giving of our resources

The common theme to His teaching centres on:
- He expects us to do these 'acts.'
- We are to do them with our hearts not our heads i.e. in the silence of faithfulness
- Our reward will come from the Father

Not sure about you, but my desire is to be faithful!

Can You Help?

2010-06-17T15:04:00.000+02:00

If we know anything about human beings and our history, it’s how often we repeat our mistakes and forget the things which allow us to live in harmony with God, one another and our planet.

Equally, every generation has its so called movers and shakers, people with the desire to change the status quo.

Some have made significant positive contributions and others have not.

So too, when it comes to exercising our authority as interpreters and teachers of the Bible, we find in every generation those who work to change the status quo.

Some have made positive contributions; names like Luther, Wesley, Mbete, and Gutierrez are some that come to mind.

So, in terms of Methodism in Southern Africa (MCSA), the current move by a small minority of theologians to sanction same-sex relationships should not surprise us at all.

That being said, do same-sex relationships deserve to be considered as moral and acceptable within the MCSA, and by implication, broader Christianity?

Because we have been given authority by Christ to bind & loose, (interpret and teach), they do if we chose to say they are.

So, as a person who gets to say what is morally acceptable, I need to understand some things, which have not been raised by DEWCOM, I think mainly because they simply see two sides: for and against.

- Are all the laws in the Old Testament to be considered redundant or just some of them?

If it’s some of them, how do I know which ones are in and which ones are out?

You see, if same-sex relationships are in because men today don’t need to worry about growing their beards or clipping the sides of their hair and a whole lot of other laws which we no longer adhere to, then I have some friends and know of some people who will be overjoyed by this news because we now have permission to decide what constitutes a moral life.

We no longer have any need to conform to those parts of the Bible which we struggle with or, better still, we just take out those parts which suit us and ditch the rest.

Whilst this is not new, we have done this many times in our history. But it’s amazing that cutting hair, eating food and ploughing fields, things previously considered ceremonial, are now used to motivate a change in moral laws.

In other words, does a same-sex relationship violate a ceremonial or a moral law?

- On the issue of same-sex relationships being loving and nurturing:

If these unions primary subscription is to be loving and nurturing, (l & n), then I have met some people who will thank me for making it morally acceptable to marry their mothers (as long as it’s l & n)

Others still will happily marry their sisters (as long as it’s l & n) and some will now be able to marry a dog, sheep or goat, (as long as it’s l & n.)

I personally know a farmer who would readily invite me to officiate in his union!

- On the question of Biblical interpretation:

I recently discovered that the words ceremonial, (related to the way we do church), and moral, (related to standards of conduct), can easily be replaced or confused with my own personal convictions about which laws to leave in and which to leave out.

I am really grateful for this because I really would like to just take the Sunday collection instead allowing it to be banked. This really shouldn’t be a moral problem for me because the Lord knows I need the money.

Also I have a very attractive daughter who I know will help me pay for a new motorbike.

All I have to do is to sell her into prostitution.

This also wouldn’t be much of a moral dilemma for me, because like same-sex relationships, now made legal by the government, there is also a lobby to legalise prostitution.

Hopefully it will happen soon because I have my eye on a BMW 1200!

- On the question of the practice of the MCSA regarding homosexuals.

I was completely astounded at Synod, (Central District), because a ‘father’ of the church, informed us as he spoke on the floor, that it has been our practice to allow homosexual people into membership, leadership and ministry.

I rarely speak at Synod but I felt it necessary to say to the floor that I have been in the MCSA twelve years, ten as a minister, and up until this point, understood us to welcome homosexuals as members. They can be leaders and ministers if they abstain from the practice of same-sex relationships.

Somehow, I had it wrong.

What I believe, I don’t have wrong, is to love them as fellow creations!

I know all of this sounds silly of me, but I need help with these questions because I feel I can’t trust the Bible anymore.

And neither can I trust nearly two thousand years of theological development and Christian doctrine.

They clearly had it wrong on these issues.

Some would argue that it is a very long time to be wrong.

So, anyway, what I really need is the ability to decide for myself which parts of the Bible I can throw out and which I can leave in.

After all, I desperately want to be a visionary.

Is there anyone who can help me?

Rev Dr John Bailie
June 2010

A Fork In The Road

2010-06-14T09:03:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around the cost of following Jesus ( Luke 9:57-62).

Every Christian will at some stage face a fork-in-the-road choice.

Do I follow Jesus with all my heart?

The thing that makes it such a tough choice is that the Kingdom is demanding.

It demands that we put God first, ahead of:

- home

- custom & culture

- family

Hard yes, but His promise is that He will take care of everything when we follow Him.

I don't know of any people who have followed and come to grief.

My prayer is that you will make the choice!

The Law

2010-06-10T09:40:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around the Law in Matthew 5:17-20.

Two kinds of Law emerged:

- Ceremonial Law

They have to do with spiritual practices

- Moral Law

They have to do with codes of conduct

So, our spiritual practices have changed over the years but our standards of conduct have not.

And neither should they!

Awesome!

A Struggle

2010-05-31T09:56:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about the need for us to take seriously our faith journey (Acts 12:1-11).

A couple of things emerged:

- Despite our insecurities, God has a plan.

- Peter was released from prison as part of His plan.

- God desires to release us from our prisons in order to fulfil His plan.

Awesome!

How much more...

2010-05-17T09:58:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared from Matthew 5:1-12: Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.

These beatitudes are given for the purpose of allowing us live as blessed life:

- Be poor in spirit

We need God

- Mourn for your soul:

We need forgiveness

- Practice Meekness

It's a sign of submission to God

- Hunger for faithfulness

It's a sign of passion for God

- Be Merciful

It's a sign of looking at the world through Jesus' eyes

- Be Pure in heart

Only way is to repent and receive forgiveness

- Be a Peacemaker

It's a sign that we are in line with God and ourselves

- Know you will be Persecuted

A visible sign that we are doing what God requires of us

Awesome!

Miracles

2010-05-10T09:07:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday, the 2nd May was a watershed day for us as far as the new church building is concerned.

The leadership approached the congregation at 10h15 for 2,5 mil rand to finish the building and at 10h45 to we had it!

God is good so imagine if He does that for bricks and mortar, how much more will He do for flesh and blood?

Yep, that means yo and me!

So now, I'm convinced that buildings are visible signs of God's miracle in our lives.

Awesome!

End Times

2010-05-03T08:34:00.000+02:00

As part of our Fastrack, we shared around End Times from Matthew 24:3-14.

A couple of things emerged as signs of the end times:
- Deception is only possible when we are ignorant.
- Falling away - there is a vast amount of information available today which can make us to fall away from our faith.
- Wars are prevalent today as they have been throughout history but they are different. People kill by pushing a button.
The violence and deception in our world is escalating so perhaps these are the signs of birth that Jesus speaks about.
We need to stand firm, learn the Word and preach the Gospel so none are deceived.

Awesome!

Why does evil exist?

2010-04-26T08:59:00.000+02:00

As part of our Fast Track at the North Rand, we shared around Genesis 2:8-9:

Although the subject is quite big to deal with on one Sunday, we focused on how Scripture relates three things:

- The fall of the angel, Satan

- The fall of human beings

- The goodness of God

So, evil came into the world via Satan & human beings but God is good.

We need to examine our own hearts to recognise the potential we have for being evil.

Double Standards

2010-04-19T10:34:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.

Two things emerged:

- We are not to misuse the opportunities our wealth affords us
We can spend it all on ourselves or use it top help others

- We are to connect with real issues of our faith

Religious piety will not help us to solve the problems of the world

So, bottom line: don't live a double standard!!!

2010-04-12T10:31:00.000+02:00

Forwards or Backwards

by Rev Dr John Bailie

A few simple thoughts on South Africa 12th April 2010:

Nations, at some or other stage all throughout their history, have faced the choice to either move forward or backward. In fact, this choice is symptomatic of the development of humankind.

No society stays exactly the same. Partly, because they collectively face new challenges. Partly, because they come into contact with other societies and are influenced by them. And partly, because human beings are constantly evaluating themselves and making adjustments.

What determines the choice is not, as we are sometimes lead to believe, historical settings, individuals or the influence of leadership. The choice is affected when ordinary people are moved by their own understanding of the need for change.

Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk did not liberate South Africa. And while they received the Nobel Peace Prize because of their leadership positions at the time, they merely represented our South African collective need for change. It was the everyday interaction of millions ordinary South Africans which lead to the change. Without this choice, we may still have found ourselves gripped by a destructive political and social system.

Within this collective choice, there is always going to be those who either sit on the left or the right. In all of history, in all of societal changes, neither of these have the ability to effect change. Yet ironically, they often have the loudest voice. And while they seem to have nothing to lose, the truth is that they really desire to gain power at any cost. This cost is to destroy the collective choice. They do however, enable the collective whole to examine and re-examine their position. And this examination is vital to the health of the collective whole.

A question, at this juncture, in terms of the South African collective whole, may be whether the recent events represent the left, right or the collective whole? If in fact they do represent the collective whole, then one would want to assert that the country has chosen to step backward. It is the path to more violence, destabilisation and ultimately collapse.

For ordinary people like myself as part of the collective whole, (I am not a member of a political party nor have I been to prison nor do I aspire to be anything other than an everyday person), I refuse to believe that these events represent me. I refuse to be swept up by the left or right.
Rather, I recognise that I am fulfilling my commitment to making the collective change of 1994 a reality. As a training Christian minister, I spent a year in a township, washed the feet of my fellow South Africans at Easter and continue to believe in the future for South Africa.

Despite this, the current events have shaken my, and I believe many others, belief in South Africa. I believe that we all have much work to do. This work must not be determined by political parties, the left or right but our collective examination of who we are. If we allow individuals the space to hijack our collective choice we will only have ourselves to blame when South Africa does not live up to her potential.

The new South Africa is almost twenty years old and I feel no guilt about the past, it only takes me backward. Rather, I believe, that we as a collective whole can, right now, choose to move forward and choose leaders who represent us.

I am not a decision maker so the best I can offer is to challenge my common sense and all my ordinary fellow South Africans, to continue to work at our collective whole. Fancy programmes, extreme leaders and quick fixes will do nothing for us. Rather, I chose to live as part of a collective whole facing the everyday challenges of daily living together. My faith determines that I should and it is really the only way for us to attain long-term potential as a nation. After all, any collective whole that can topple a destructive political system without violence must unquestionably be able to resist being hijacked by extremism.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-06T08:38:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around the Resurrected Christ - Matthew 28:1-10

In the frenzy of the events leading to Christ's death, the disciples may have not have chance to reflect on these events. An angel draws their attention to the fact that even when things seem out of control, God has a plan and we need to trust Him.

So despite the frenzy of events which took place over the week end, (the murder of a right wing leader by two youths), we need to focus on the hope that God has a plan and will use us to bring peace to our places of influence.

The new church building for us is a visible sign that we at NR are committed to God's plan to shape and change the world, in other words, live a Resurrection life.

Defining Moments

2010-03-29T08:34:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around the defining moment when Jesus enters Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11)

It was a defining moment because in the time preceding, His ministry was resisted by the religious establishment; doubted by His disciples and ignored by the political authorities.

Rob Bell puts it this way: when He entered the gates, He could have gone right, with His army and overthrown Pilate but He chose to go left to the Cross. And the world has never been the same.

Right: we can also choose to go right - try and fix things ourselves or we can go left - to allow God control of our lives and we will never be the same!

Awesome!

Attitude

2010-03-23T10:12:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about having a Christan attitude (Luke 6:27-36).

A definition for attitude in this sense is: a visible sign of where we are placed with God!

In this page Jesus challenges us to:
- Love our enemies
- Pray for those who hate us
- Give without expecting anything in return

Possible?

Yes, if we are the place that God wants us to be in

Stewardship 2010

2010-03-08T08:44:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about giving to God - Luke 21:1-4.

Prior to Sunday, I'd spoken to three people at various times during the week. They related how their churches were struggling to meet their financial commitments. This really placed a huge burden in my spirit. Mainly because I believe churches should not be struggling financially.

So, for us three things emerged:
- If we understand God's plan for the salvation of the world, we will readily give (John 3:16-18).

- Giving fulfils the Law (Malachi 3:10).

- Giving allows the church to fulfil it's purpose (Matthew 16:15-20).

Possible, definitely, the widows two coins are proof!

Sometimes

2010-03-01T09:03:00.000+02:00

Sometimes it's good to PAUSE!

For most of us, PAUSING is not an option.

We need to be forced ...

- like work says I must go on leave

- or I have to go to a family function away from home

- or my body says it's time

The awesome thing is that God already has that taken care of:

Exodus 20:8

"Remember the Sabbath.."

God knows we need to PAUSE!

Word and action

2010-02-22T09:00:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about Jesus in the synagogue teaching and healing in Luke 4:31-37.

A couple of things emerged:

- Jesus has great insight into the Word

- He immediately turns the Word into action

- The people were amazed at this

The world will not change by us studying the Word only, the Word must become action.

For example: if we only talk about Jesus to each other, the lost, broken and needy will not be helped, saved or transformed.

Makes you think?

Jesus

2010-02-15T09:30:00.000+02:00

We had the pleasure and privilege to have Peter Pollock with us on Saturday & Sunday.

Some know him from cricket and others as an evangelist. It's amazing how God uses people!

Peter's message was simple and clear:

Do you know Jesus as Lord and Saviour?

It's a profound question. Think about it.

Some know about Him.
Some think they know Him.

The acid test is this: Is He the most important thing in your life right now?

As Peter says: God simply wants our all.

My prayer is that you give God your all by accepting Jesus into your life - right now!

Love

2010-02-08T09:26:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we shared around Paul's letter - Romans 12:9-21

He is teaching on love.

No, not the Daniele Steele kind of love, rather a deep commitment to see those we love have the very best that life can offer, sometimes at great cost to ourselves.

If we love in this way:

- We need to be sincere

False love and ulterior motives destroys people's hope

- We need to be zealous:

As Christians we must never have the been-there/done-that attitude

- We need to be hospitable:

By really caring for others, we put then first

Quite a challenge!

Testimony

2010-01-25T08:44:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about Jesus testimony about Himself in John 8:12-18.

Testimony in any setting is very powerful.

Jesus here is testifying about His status as the Son of God. His testimony highlights three important things:

- Know where you come from

For us that means remembering where we were when Jesus found us

- Know who Jesus is

For us that means remembering that Jesus in the Light of the world and that He leads us from darkness to light

- Know that you are not alone

For us that means that our testimony about Jesus work in our lives in valid because the Spirit testifies with our spirit that Jesus died for our sins and to bring us a fullness of life

Awesome!

Zacchaeus

2010-01-18T09:08:00.001+02:00

On Sunday we shared around the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector - Luke 19:1-10
It's an amazing story of the layers of salvation.

1st layer:
- Something prompted Zacchaeus to search for Jesus
2nd layer:
Jesus invited him down from the tree
3rd layer:
Zacchaeus shows visible signs of his new life

Two questions emerge:

Is Jesus inviting you down from the tree?

Are there visible signs of your new life?

Watchfullness

2010-01-11T09:15:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke around Jesus' words to His disciples in Luke 12:35-40.

In this passage Jesus is encouraging His disciples to watchful for His return.

So as His disciples, what does it mean to be watchful?

- Be aware of the thief who comes to take what is valuable - salvation

No thief will want to break into a house that has nothing of value

- Reading, praying, Tithing, reflecting on God's word are ways in which we remain watchful

Bless you as you remain watchful in 2010!

A Radical Decision:

2009-11-23T08:52:00.001+02:00

On Sunday we shared around Jesus words in Luke 12:49-23

A few things emerged:

- Everyone wants peace

- True peace is not the absence of what's wrong, but the presence of what's right

- The presence of Jesus in our lives brings true peace

Awesome!

Do you want true peace that passes all understanding?

Then receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.

Pray with me:

Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for me on the Cross. I am sorry for going my own way, please come into my life and be my Lord and Saviour. Please help to understand this more and I now promise to work towards being the best Christian I can. Amen.

Asking God for the Obvious

2009-11-16T10:36:00.000+02:00

On Sunday, we shared from Luke 18:35-42, the story of Jesus healing the blind man.

Three things emerged:

- Blindness, especially spiritual blindness, is a serious aliment

- Jesus looks beyond the obvious to heal us

- Earnestly seeking God is one way of receiving healing

Do you have things you need Jesus to heal?

Pray earnestly that Jesus will look behind the obvious and heal you.

The Church - The Great Commission

2009-11-02T07:54:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we concluded our sermon series on the church.

We shared from Matthew 28:16-20, a passage in which Jesus, before His Ascension, commissions the disciples, (and you and me). In this sense, He gives them a warrant (rank) to perform certain things.

Three things emerged;

- Go (a verb) You've seen what I have done now GO do it yourselves

- Make (a verb) Come alongside those who have committed to Jesus

- Teach (a verb) Teach others to love God and their neighbours

And those churches who do this will have His blessing and anointing and the visible sign will be growth!

Awesome!

A Different World

2009-10-26T08:12:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we continued with our sermon series - the church.

Jesus in Matthew 16:13-19 gives the church (all who confess Him as Lord and Saviour) the authority to do things in His name.

Authority in this sense is "specialised knowledge."

Now imagine the church full of people who have knowledge of God touching the world!

The world would surely be a different place!

We Are the Body!

2009-10-19T10:02:00.000+02:00

On Sunday, as part of our sermon series on the church, we spoke about THE BODY- 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.

Three things emerged:

- We, Christan's who confess Jesus Lord and Saviour, are the body (Ephesians 4:15)

- The body has many members with different gifts, ministries and activities (Romans 12;4-5)

- Each member must do their part (Ephesians 4:16)

So when all three come together, the church fulfils it's divine purpose to be God's hand and feet in the world.

Awesome!

The Church - Our Head

2009-10-12T08:07:00.000+02:00

In the lead up to the commencement of our new church building, Sunday's sharing was very much around God's purpose for bringing the church into being. This will be a four week sermon series.

So on Sunday we dealt with the Head of the church - Christ.

Three things emerged:

- God appointed Jesus as the head of the church - Ephesians 1:22-23

- As such the church comes under His control and will - Mark 14:35-36

- As members of His body we need to receive Him as both Saviour: - John 3:16 & Lord - John 13:6-9

Next week we'll deal with The Church - The Body.

Animal Blessing

2009-10-05T14:27:00.000+02:00

At North Rand we take the environment seriously.

This is evident in the way in which we have designed our new church building, we run an environmental course and once a year, have an animal blessings service where our children from Children's Church bring photo's of their pets and we bless them.

At the same time,we spend some time on understanding God's plan for His creation.

This Sunday we spoke from Genesis 6 and 9.

Take some time and read these passages, you may be delightfully surprised.

Embracing God's Call

2009-09-28T09:33:00.000+02:00

On Sunday morning we spoke about the hidden treasure (see blog below).

This was a change from the readings published in the notices etc.

Mainly because God spoke clearly to me that it was something we needed to talk about.

So, this has lead me to reflect on the 'dynamics' of God's call.

Firstly, When He calls, it's time for us to listen.

Secondly, in Mark 1:17, Jesus makes it very clear that He calls sinners, who despite their doubts and fears are called to be part of His work in the world (Matthew 16:15-20).

And Paul in Romans 11:29 makes it clear that God's call and gifting is irrevocable.

Two things emerge:

1. Every Christian is called to be part of God's work in the world

2. God calls and never takes His calling back!

Amazing!

Bless you in your calling.

Hidden Treasure

2009-09-21T09:25:00.000+02:00

On Sunday evening we spoke about Jesus' parable of Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44-46).

Having a personal relationship with Jesus is indeed a mighty valuable thing!

So two questions arise:

1. Why do some people recognise the value of the Kingdom and some don't?

Not sure but God wants all to be part of His kingdom ( 1 Timothy 2:3-4)

2. What happens to other treasure in the light of the Kingdom?

Having a personal relationship with Jesus and working for His kingdom should be far more valuable than any material gain (Philippians 3:7-9).

Amen!

Confessing Christ

2009-09-14T08:52:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about Peter's confession of Christ (Matt 16:13-20).

Despite Peter being the most unlikely leader, Jesus makes him the rock of His church.

Three things:

- To be a leader in Jesus' mission, we need to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour

- We are then called to be His hands and feet

- He gives us keys of the kingdom

The real question is: what are you doing with your key?

Arbour Day

2009-09-07T11:43:00.000+02:00

Sunday was arbour day.

Although I was away at Emmaus, NR celebrated arbour day/week by committing to plant 10 trees out at Hlalanathi.

This has got me to thinking how is it that we struggle to make caring for the environment part of our lives as Christians?

- God created everything including us

- We are co workers with Him in creation

- Jesus died for the redemption of creation

So as Christ followers we need to work to bring about the salvation of the created order!Awesome!

My prayer is that you will do your part in this.

The Kingdom of God

2009-08-31T10:29:00.000+02:00

On Sunday about the Kingdom of God (Luke 17:20-37.)

Jesus in this passage says a few things:

- The Kingdom of God is in You

It's personal and corporate

- The Kingdom requires Faithfulness

Beware of false teachings

- The Kingdom requires Sacrifice

God's work often requires sacrifice

My prayer is that you will receive and work in the Kingdom so that the world will be changed and transformed!

The Widow's Offering

2009-08-24T08:54:00.000+02:00

On Sunday morning we spoke about the Widow's Offering (Luke 21: 1-44).

Her background:

- No insurance policies

- No financial independence

So is this light her giving shows:

- Her commitment to her relationship with God

- A deep faith

- A clear sense of God's vision for her life

So her gift speaks to us today: when we give, we give to God!

A House Of Prayer

2009-08-19T09:34:00.000+02:00

On Sunday night we spoke about Jesus clearing the temple (Luke 19:41-48).

The issue for us at North Rand is this:

Can we present our church to Jesus as a house of prayer?

A house of prayer has three parts:

- To develop relationships - between us and God and each other

- To be a place of equipping for the Lord's service

- To help us to ask God that we might be part of the solution to the things we pray for

Awesome

I do believe that North Rand, whilst not perfect, is indeed a house of prayer!

An Amazing Question

2009-08-11T11:41:00.000+02:00

Eugene Ionesco once said:

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question."

How true is that?

On Sunday we spoke about Jesus question to two blind men ( Matthew 9:27-34).

Think about this: He asks them if they believe that He can do three things:

- Heal them physically
- Save them spiritually
- Restore them mentally

We might to be asked by Jesus the same question:

DO YOU BELIEVE I CAN DO THIS FOR YOU?

My prayer is that your answer will be YES!

Helping The Needy

2009-08-03T09:22:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about Jesus instructions for us to help the needy in Matthew 6:1-4.

A couple of things emerged:

- Giving is always a relationship thing - between the giver, the receiver and God

- When we give we enter a relationship thus it's a very personal and private

Awesome!

May the Lord truly bless you in all relationships.

Born Again

2009-07-21T10:27:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we had one of our largest services in the history of North Rand.

We also looked at Jesus conversation with Nicodemus about being born spiritually in John 3:1-8.

Part of the journey for us to be reborn spiritually is to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior and then to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

When we are filled with Holy Spirit we are moved to love God and others:

"Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

(Matthew 22:37-40)

So, no longer do we just focus on God but we also need to focus on others.

Awesome!

Warnings and Encouragements

2009-07-13T10:28:00.000+02:00

On Sunday, we spoke about Jesus's warnings and encouragements in Luke 12:1-7.

Two warnings emerged:

- Be sincere in your faith
- Fear God

Two encouragements also emerged:

- All things will be revealed (only bad things grow in the dark)
- You are valuable to God

Awesome!

Bottom line:

God is love and He loves us. We need to bring everything about our lives to Him.

HOME

2009-07-08T15:48:00.000+02:00

HOME

The Greatest Gift

2009-07-06T10:13:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about the giving of gifts and how Jesus is the greatest gift we can be given and offer others - Acts 3:1-10.

Three things we spoke about:

1. Don't be short sighted - Jesus has the power and authority to transform (verse 2)

2. Engage with others: let them look into our lives and us into theirs - gifts from those we know generally have greater meaning (verse 4)

3. Allow Jesus to be the centre of our lives (verse 6)

My prayer is that you have received God's gift in Jesus and that you will offer Him to others.

Amazing Faith

2009-06-29T09:18:00.000+02:00

On Sunday we spoke about developing amazing faith.

Some of the most inspiring people I know are those who in different situations show a strength of faith. It's easy to say we have faith when things go well. Not so easy when things change.

So how do we develop our faith?

Three steps:

- Believe that God exists:
Hebrews 11:3 (By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command so that what is seen was not made out that what was visible.)

- Believe that Jesus is the Saviour of the world
John 3:16 ( For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life)

- Believe that God has great plans for your life
Jeremiah 29:11:(For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future)

Awesome!!!!

The Sign of Jonah

2009-06-22T09:47:00.000+02:00

On Sunday evening, we spoke about Jesus teaching on the human need for signs in Matthew 12:38-41. This demand for a sign speaks of faith: both the need for it and the lack of it.

Jesus teaching relates to a sign that He is the Messiah as spoken about by the Prophets. Here Jesus holds one of the most remarkable stories in the Old Testament namely Jonah being thrown overboard, swallowed by a big fish, saved and going on to proclaim God's message, against His own death, burial and Resurrection.

One major difference between the two stories:

Jonah's journey is widely accepted as a story whereas Jesus journey was and is very real. He actually lived, died and rose again! And by faith we come to recognise Jesus as the Messiah sent to save us from our sins.

Are you looking for signs or do you recognise Jesus as the Messiah?

Shouldn't His death and Resurrection should be sign enough?

God Provides

2009-06-10T09:15:00.000+02:00

It was wonderful to sit in on the Sunday service as a worshipper.

Grant spoke about putting Jesus first in our lives.

It is amazing how, when things go wrong in our relationships, jobs and family and we pause to check our relationship with God, we find that that is where the problem lies.

Setting that right means spending time with God each day in quiet time. Then we may find other things fall into place.

God is our great provider and He knows our needs...so "Seek first His kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" Matthew 6:32

Awesome!!!