Are you Growing?

How can you tell whether you are growing?

Ask yourself these questions: are you getting taller?

Are you able to overlook some things you were unable to overlook last year? To overlook the sneering glance, the harsh word, the selfish, the unkind, or malicious deed? 

Serenely to overlook failure when you have done your best? 

Bravely to overlook misfortune when it was unavoidable? 

Cheerily to overlook dark days and darker frowns? 

Are you getting tall enough for this?

Are you getting broader? 

Are you able to see more of the other sides of things than you could see last year? 

Can you look around behind disappointment, and see strengthened faith? Does your vision reach to the other side of men’s faults, and perceive their difficulties, temptations, and struggles? 

Are you learning to look on all sides of your plans and designs proposed to you by others? 

Are you really growing broader?

Amos R. Wells

Let me, then, be always growing,

Never, never standing still;

Listening, learning, better knowing

Thee and Thy most blessed will;

Till I reach Thy holy place,

Unto Him that Hath Thou Givest

Whose are You?

Whose I am

Jesus, Master, whose I am,

Purchased Thine alone to be,

By Thy blood, O spotless Lamb,

Shed so willingly for me;

Let my heart be all Thine own,

Let me live to Thee alone.

Other lords have long held sway;

Now, Thy name alone to bear,

Thy dear voice alone obey,

Is my daily, hourly prayer.

Whom have I in heaven but Thee?

Nothing else my joy can be.

Jesus Master! I am Thine;

Keep me faithful, keep me near;

Let Thy presence in me shine

All my homeward way to cheer.

Jesus! At Thy feet I fall,

Oh, be Thou my All-in-all, 

Jesus, Master, whom I serve,

Though so feebly and so ill,

Strengthen hand and heart and nerve

All Thy bidding to fulfill;

Open Thou mine eyes to see

All the work Thou hast for me.

Lord, Thou needest not, I know,

Service such as I can bring,

Yet I long to prove and show

Full allegiance to my king.

Thou an honour art to me;

Let me be a praise to Thee.

Jesus, Master, wilt Thou use

One who owes Thee more than all?

As Thou wilt! I would not choose;

Only let me hear Thy call.

Jesus, let me always be

In Thy service, glad and free.

Frances Havergal

taken from The ministry of song 1888

Jesus Master Whose I Am

Luke Morton from the album Beggar

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why?

Because if your names not down you’re not coming in.

All these and more for our safety and security, so that we can rest easy in our beds knowing our family is safe, our information is safe, our money is safe, our country is safe, so what goes wrong? People still manage to hack into your social accounts,  bank accounts, get into your hotel room, etc. They even manage to get into places where security is tight, like Buckingham Palace!

Incredibly people will even try to get into heaven without first doing what God says to do. But unlike in the natural world, not one person will succeed in doing so. 

You cannot falsify a security pass to get into heaven, or use someone else’s credentials, you can’t buy a place in heaven, you can’t work your way into heaven. Going to church, reading your Bible, praying, being kind and compassionate, are all good things to do, but good things alone won’t get you into heaven. So what will?

Jesus told Nicodemus that you must be born again, Nicodemus was confused, he didn't realise that he was spiritually dead, and that he could only receive a spiritual birth through repenting of his sins and believing in Jesus. Being a Christian literally means, a follower of Christ. So we no longer follow our own selfish desires, we no longer follow the world and it's ideas. The only people who will go to heaven are those who are born again, and who follow Jesus. Everyone when they are born are spiritually dead, dead in sin, in darkness, and it is only Jesus who can make anyone spiritually alive and free from the bondage of sin and darkness.

The nicest, kindest person in the world is spiritually dead and will not go to heaven unless they repent and follow Jesus, the most evil, nasty wicked person in the world who repents and follows Jesus will go to heaven, their sins are forgiven because Jesus took their punishment on the cross, He died that all who repent and believe would be free, and receive eternal life. 

New Year's Resolutions

Philip asked us last week if we had made any new year resolutions, I must admit, I hadn't, I don't ever consider doing so. But Philip asked us to think about having a commitment to doing certain things this year. To resolve to do things that are set out for us in God’s Word, and he shared with us from Hebrews 10:19-25

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Be bold, be confident in seeking and coming before God. There is nothing to stop us now, we don't have to shrink back, we are told we can come before God boldly, having confidence through Jesus that we will not be turned away.

Draw near, worship God with a true heart, this is a natural thing for a born-again person to do. We have assurance of our salvation through Jesus, who took the punishment for our sins, He is our High Priest, (we need no other priest), He is our Advocate before the Father, (we need no man as a go between).

Hold fast, to our hope, He who has saved us is faithful and just, we need not waver, we need not doubt, because it is all in Him, we are not saved by our own merit, we are not saved by what we have accomplished, we are not saved because we are worthy. We are saved because of what Jesus has accomplished because He alone was worthy to be a sacrifice for our sins.

Consider one another, resolve to put others first, don't think more highly of yourself but in humility and compassion, help one another, consider one another's needs, and do all the good you can, to all the brethren you can, whenever you can.

Assemble with other believers, there is no such thing as a lone ranger Christian, you cannot live the Christian life and neglect being with other Christian for prayer, worship, and the study of God's Word. A piece of coal that falls from the fire soon goes cold, but put it back on the fire and it soon begins to glow again. Some people can't meet with other Christians, such as those who are persecuted, some are extremely sick, but we who can, should not neglect this privilege, and we should remember in prayer those who can't.

So, this year Christian brother or sister, resolve to know God more, draw near to Him, be bold in coming before Him, hold fast in your hope, consider one another, and keep in fellowship with one another. Remember we don't know when the Lord is coming, but we do know for certain that He is.

He's Coming Soon