Giving God the Glory

In my home group we're looking at 1 Corinthians 12-14 all about Spiritual gifts and our first session we looked at 12 v 1-11. 

The thing that struck me the most about this passage was how the Holy Spirit determines exactly what gifts each church needs and how they should use them. The most striking thing about that to me was how people thought that some gifts are better than others. 

This is a total misunderstanding of verse 11, the Holy Spirit is the one who determines the gifts we are given, he shows us how to use them and gives us the discernment, and most of all every gift no matter how large or small is a gift from God and is a blessing on His children!

Let's use our gifts to build each other up and grow His kingdom for His glory!

God meant it for good!

A while ago I put this verse on my Instagram page from Genesis 50 v 20: 

"You meant it for evil but God meant it for the saving of many!" 

So often I feel we can look around this world and ask How can God allow this to happen? But this verse reminded me that God looks after his children, he is shaping us and growing us to be more like him. We as humans have a heart problem, we are unable to be perfect, we are sinful people who need rescuing.
But who can rescue humanity? Clearly not a human because we are all messed up right?

Well, God came down from heaven as a man, fully God and fully man and lived a perfect life, he defeated death and was raised to the Father's right hand. Who better then to take the punishment for our wrongdoings?

If God wanted that much to save us that he would be able to send his only son to die to save us, then how can you think that he would want to hurt us? God surely just wants to shape us to show us what it looks like to be one of his people.

Hebrews 2v11 is one of my favourite verses in the bible and I'm going to leave it with you to ponder and reflect on but I hope you find it as encouraging as I do!

"Both the one who makes people holy and those who are holy are holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters."

Reflect, Receive, Respond

Reflect: It's the end of a term and a great chance to reflect on some on the great things that have happened this term! I have had the brilliant opportunity of going into local schools and getting them to look at the evidence and see for themselves. The kids have all engaged with this so well, interviewing the eyewitnesses (who tell the story from the eyewitness accounts in the gospels) and deciding who rolled the stone. 

Then to finish we read the passage where it says, the Angel rolled the stone and sat on it! What an amazing image, this super heavy stone that probably took 10 men and kit to move it and this angel just pushes out the way effortlessly and sits on it! It was such a great chance to really get my head round the events of the Resurrection because you have to know the accounts inside out!

Receive: In thinking through the Easter story so many times to present in so many different ways this term I've come to this point totally in love with the Lord Jesus and in awe and wonder of how painful yet miraculous this time would have been for him. 

The biggest act of love ever shown, and it's for me and for you! It's such a personal thing and I am so incredibly thankful I don't think words exist to describe it.

Respond: My prayer this week as we run up to Easter is to be: Thank you Lord Jesus for your wonderful sacrifice demonstrating your complete and holy power. Lord help me to submit to your power and kneel at the foot of the cross leaving all my cares and worries with you. Jesus help me follow your example of humility as I serve you and work for the growth of your kingdom!

Singing and Serving

Have you ever looked at your worship leader and thought, wow they seem so together and good, or, they're such a good performer. Or maybe you're that worship leader or band member.
Is this the question that should arise from our worship? Or should we not notice this and be thinking of praise instead?

Well I've been trying to think over this, as someone who sings in the church band, and work out just what our role is.

The first thing to remember is that as a member of a band we're there to serve the congregation, not as a performer. There is a time and a place for performing and I think it's a wonderful thing. But if you're in the band and you feel like you're performing, maybe you need to pray about your motives for being there.

Secondly, this is your opportunity to praise God! So remember who you're singing to, remember why you're doing it. This is an opportunity to spend time in prayerful reflection on your Heavenly Father.

Thirdly, read Colossians 3v1-17, especially verse 16 "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." We are to sing praises to one another teaching and charing wisdom, even in singing! So sing with your brothers and sisters, sing to them! 

Praise the Lord with all your heart, loving and serving your congregation. 
You have a gift. Use it for God's glory.
Raise your voice and praise the Lord.

Our Father

At the start of this month I had a wonderful opportunity to go to the 9:38 conference with a whole group of Ministry Apprentices just like me, and spend three days looking at our prayer life and what the bible teaches us about prayer.

One of the highlights, for me, was hearing Richard Coekin speaking on the Lord's prayer, showing us how the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us can structure our devotional prayer time.

Now before I continue this post, I want to make sure you know my prayer life is a constant battle that I am trying to turn into a joy! And this is all stuff I'm trying to work on and want to share with you! But it's hard and I have by no means got an answer to making it easier, remember it's literally a spiritual battle, Satan will do literally anything to distract you while you pray. Did I put the Dog out? Did I turn the oven off? That was a lovely program I watched today. He tries anything, to stop you talking to your Heavenly Father.

So, why have I entitled this blog post, Our Father, well, the Lord's prayer begins with this and I was shown that it is the most wonderful reminder of the privilege of prayer and the power of the one we pray to. Just stop and think for a moment, how amazing is it that you get to call the creator of the universe Father. The King over everything, the most powerful one ever known, Dad. We get to come to Him in times of Joy, sorrow, weakness, strength, love, heartbreak, anger and compassion. He doesn't change at all, His love-o-meter is fixed at maximum love. 

Our phone-line to Him is never engaged, faulty, out of service, or in a queue. It's instant and always open.

So, next time you make an excuse to pray, just remember, your Heavenly Father is always listening. He delights to hear you pray to Him. He longs for us to find treasures in His word and ask Him for them. 

He longs for us to speak to Him as our Heavenly Father, to embrace the privilege of prayer. 

Women who made me the woman I am today

The Fruits of the Spirit are the true things we should be striving for, to grow in and pray through. Praying that we would grow in this is not an easy prayer because to become more patient we must stretch our levels of patience, to become more kind, we have to see how far our kindness will go, but with prayer for help from God, we can do it!

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"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." 

Galatians ch 5v22-23

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There have been many Christian women who have influence many aspects of my personal growth in my faith and my approach to the bible and prayer life and showed me how to live out the fruits of the spirit. God has truly provided for me with all these wonderful women who have spent time with me teaching me, showing me and serving God wholeheartedly and I am incredibly thankful to them all.
I can't list everyone and I know that I have much more growing to do because really, I'm only just at the very beginning of my spiritual journey and I'm sure many many more people who will shape me and grow me to serve God and his Kingdom!

My Mother: She probably has the biggest influence. She has taught me everything from the day I was born, she has always encouraged me to challenge myself and always be kind. Even if being kind it's the hardest thing you ever have to do, try to make it top priority. When I was struggling with being bullied at school, she taught me to pray because my Heavenly Father is bigger than all of that and will give me the strength to carry on. When I feel lost she points me to my bible and shows me look to God for guidance. But most of all, she has shown me how to love, when I am cross with her, she still loves me, when I do things wrong, she still loves me. Even when things are totally imperfect, love conquers all. It is a God given thing, it has to!

Tinkerbell: This lovely curates wife spent a lot of time in my earliest years as a Christian discipling me and showing me how to be strong in my faith when it wasn't cool to be a Christian at school. Tink still to this day is only ever a phone-call away and has shown me ways of being a good Christian mum, friend and encourage me in single service of the Lord.

Climber girl: This lovely lady regularly trusts me with her children and has been a mentor to me throughout my apprenticeship! Her biggest influence has been showing me how to be Gracious and loving when having difficult conversations and teaching me to keep a clear focus in the growth of the Church in what I do.

Belle: When struggling with my body image, the lovely B took me straight to Psalm 139 and showed me God's grace and true love in creating me exactly how He intended me to be! She showed me that my heavenly Father truly cares for me and would never let one of His children go.

C'Cee: She has shown me how your what work God has for you to do is so much more important than your own preferences and being where you're comfortable. In one of my lowest moments at university she stood by me and showed me that God can give you the strength and courage to stand firm in your faith. She has always stood firm in every situation and gets straight back up when things knock her back, C'Cee has always shown me that Go will always hold your hand and pull you up if you ask him.

Mrs B: When I got to my uni church it was Mrs B who took the students under her wing like a wonderful mother hen. That was the first time at uni I felt safe and protected, as if she was my own mother! This lovely lady is married to a lovely man who (as far as I know) is not a Christian but supports her faith wonderfully, and I was really show by this lady to make sure that God was always top priority, He always took priority if it was home group, church, students coming over, prayer time, quiet time, anything! And rightly so, Mrs B showed me a true discipline of faith and a real hunger to serve God in everything she does.

Auntie J: Auntie, Grandmother to all, totally loving and a homemaker. If you were to pop round to auntie J's she'd truly make you feel like you belong, her home is like a safe space, a place to laugh, cry, be honest, be silly and talk about penguins with no knees! Auntie J has truly shown me that loving everyone with your whole self is so important, and that a Godly love can be to rebuke as well! But if you live by God's love, you're onto a good start!

Snow White: Snow is one of the most wonderful women I've met, she is kind, gentle, loving, patient and has a real heart to disciple women carefully studying the Word of God. She has truly shown me that challenging yourself with God'sword is so important, and whenever you're questioning what to do, pray. If you're doing well, pray. If you're struggling, pray. Snow has really shown me that a dependence on God, through prayer and disciplined study of His word is the way to get to know God and to grown in his knowledge. And that friends, couples, churches, families that pray together, stay together.

Ultimately though, I have been taught all these wonderful things by the grace of my Heavenly Father and without Him not only would I have none of this, but I wouldn't be here! So my aim is each morning to wake up thankful that He has given me another day to serve Him and to continue to study His word and grow in all these things.

Shaking up my Faith

Myself and a friend have just begun reading through Jen Wilkin's new book together None Like Him which is an exciting and challenging read so far.
I'd not heard of the wonderful Jen Wilkin until my friend showed me her blog, so I started to read through some of the posts. I have never felt more challenged and inspired to get stuck into being more proactive with my faith! Jen has a wonderful practical way of challenging your thinking and your faith.

Now I wouldn't say I was passive with my faith, but I had realised quite much how I'd got into a monotonous routine and that I'd forgotten to be joyful in my quiet times and prayer life and serving for the LORD.
Because honestly, God is AWESOME and He deserves to have 100% of everything! My joy, my love, my time, my energy, my all. The hymn that says Demands my soul, my life, my all. Has never been more true and such a kick up the backside! I would urge you to spend 10 minutes of your day to go over to Jen's blog http://jenwilkin.blogspot.co.uk/ and read through some of her posts. I would think she would graciously challenge you too!

If you have more time, invest in her book, |None Like Him or Women of the Word. Both of which I am greatly enjoying and are so well written for refreshing your quiet times and approach to God!

So I urge you to read to read one of the above, or even just have a think and pray into what you can do to spice up your quiet time or prayer time, because we must rejoice! Rejoice the LORD has come!