Friday, 29 August 2014

The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith, My Uttermost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers



Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”?


John 11:38-44New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 ‘Take away the stone,’ he said.

‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.’

40 Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth round his face.


Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Anna Kendrick - Cups (Pitch Perfect's "When I'm Gone")

Bethel Music, More Love, More Power

One in three parents cutting back on food to pay for home

One in three parents cutting back on food to pay for home







A leading homeless charity says almost 900,000 parents in England are resorting to skipping meals - to afford to pay for their homes.
Shelter says around three million are generally cutting back on food to save cash.
They spoke to a women who only wanted to be identified as Katherine.
"My husband and I don't have breakfast because we can't afford it, and we miss evening meals two or three times a month to help with the mortgage," she said.
She added: "We've really had to cut back on the basics, and I even had to send our daughter to school in an old uniform that I knew was too small; it made me feel horrible.
"We are already at breaking point, so I honestly don't know what we'd do if our financial situation got worse, it really frightens me."

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

My Uttermost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers, Living your Theology



Living Your Theology

Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you . . . —John 12:35

Beware of not acting upon what you see in your moments on the mountaintop with God. If you do not obey the light, it will turn into darkness. “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23). The moment you forsake the matter of sanctification or neglect anything else on which God has given you His light, your spiritual life begins to disintegrate within you. Continually bring the truth out into your real life, working it out into every area, or else even the light that you possess will itself prove to be a curse.


John 12 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Jesus anointed at Bethany

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about half a litre of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[a]’ 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 ‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you,[b] but you will not always have me.’

9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Jesus comes to Jerusalem as king
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

‘Hosanna![c]’
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’[d]
‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written:

15 ‘Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.’[e]
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realise that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!’

Jesus predicts his death

20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’ 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

23 Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.

27 ‘Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!’

Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

30 Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up[f] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

34 The crowd spoke up, ‘We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain for ever, so how can you say, “The Son of Man must be lifted up”? Who is this “Son of Man”?’

35 Then Jesus told them, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.’ When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Belief and unbelief among the Jews

37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfil the word of Isaiah the prophet:

‘Lord, who has believed our message

    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’[g]
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

40 ‘He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn – and I would heal them.’[h]
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

44 Then Jesus cried out, ‘Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.


47 ‘If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.’

What the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge Means for Christians

What the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge Means for Christians



Ice Bucket Challenge



Craig Gross, known to many as the Porn Pastor because of his work withXXXchurch.com, is encouraging Christians to look at the viral "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" as an example of the Christian life.
Over the past several weeks, social media has been flooded with one of the most effective fund-raising campaigns of all time. The "Ice Bucket Challenge" encourages participants to dump buckets of freezing water on their heads to raise awareness for the debilitating condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. It has become a national pastime to watch friends, family and favorite celebrities get wet in support of ALS research.
Participants are encouraged to donate $10 if they complete the challenge, or $100 if they don't. In the past few weeks alone, the ALS Association has earned more than $88.5 million, a monstrous increase from their donations of about $2 million in the same period last year.

Tuesday, 26 August 2014

9 to 5: The New Window for Missions

9 to 5: The New Window for Missions







Movement Day



Jesus probably spent more time in the marketplace than anywhere else. Of His 132 public appearances recorded in the New Testament, 122 were in the marketplace. Over 85 percent of the parables Jesus told had a workplace context.
This fall, business leaders will join other Christian leaders from every sector of society when they convene at Movement Day in New York City for the fifth consecutive year. The idea is to transform cities through "Gospel Movements" by showing marketplace leaders that their influence in the workplace is a fundamental key to that transformation.
Since vast numbers of people spend the majority of their waking time at work or work-related events, it makes sense that Christians in the workplace devote a significant amount of time investing in workplace relationships with the ultimate goal being sharing to introduce others to God and His ways.

Today's post

Jesus Christ, The Same Yesterday, Today and Forever

I had the privilege to be raised in a Christian Home and had the input of my parents and grandparents into my life, they were ...