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Faithrocks exists to glorify God and make disciples.
Glorify God
To glorify God is to recognize that He alone is above everything and worthy of all honour. We live so that our thoughts, speech, and actions show the world that God is in the highest place in our lives.
Make Disciples
A disciple is one who is devoted to continually learning about and living for Jesus. Discipleship is not a program; it is a way of life. Because we are saved from our sin and to a life of serving Jesus, every believer is called by Jesus to continually develop new disciples.
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What do we believe?Faithrocks Core Beliefs
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Sunday mornings at Faithrocks are a time of celebration! It's a place where anyone can come and worship God freely.
We are a family that welcomes all types of people, no matter what your story is. Jesus loves you, so we love you.
We have a creche for the little ones up to 4 years old. We are currently looking for someone with a heart for children to run our Faithrocks Kids ministry.
Music
Our music is contemporary and lively. All of the songs we sing are designed to glorify God.
Teaching
The word of God is our foundation. You can be sure that you will hear quality teaching from the Bible every week.
Communion
We offer the Lord's Supper every week; it is an important part of our worship as we recognize Jesus' sacrifice, examine ourselves, and join together in unity.
Giving
We give an opportunity every week for Faithrocks' family to give tithe and offering. If you are visiting, please do not feel obligated to give.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is living and active in our lives today just as He was in the early church, therefore, we will pray for the sick to be healed, the bound to be freed, and the lost to be found.
Community
Sunday morning is just a start! We are a community that loves and cares for each other throughout the week, we're happy to have you and want to connect you with people you can relate to. Don't just go to church...be the church.
Graham and Denise Beed lived in the UK for 10 years when the Lord called them home to Australia. In June 2008, the Lord woke Graham at 2 am; the glory of the Lord filled the room as He called him back into the ministry. This happened for three consecutive nights. During this time the Lord spoke clearly that He wanted Graham to start a church on the Sunshine Coast, between the Bruce Highway and Maroochydore.
The Lord impressed on Graham that he had 'no option' reminding him of a prophetic word given to him approximately 10 years earlier by Pastor Sharon Stone (European ministry) at Crown House, Sunderland UK, 16 May 1997.
'The Lord says son I'm going to show you you're a man that I have called to begin again. The Spirit of the Lord says son, if the horse threw you, son you don't have to stay down. I'm bringing the horse where you can get up and ride again. You are going to know days of new beginnings and you're not going to despise them. You're going to know days of pioneering and there's going to be joy in the fields. You are going to know days of labour, of peace in the night from the activities. You are not going to be one who toils in the desert and reaps nothing, but you're going to toil in My fields – and great is the harvest, says the Lord. You're going to find out you're not trying to wear Saul's armour. You're wearing the armour that I have made for you and it fits and suits you; and lift up the sword, the battle is ready and the harvest is white'.
The Lord also impressed on Graham that it was 'urgent' and he had to start this work immediately. With prayer and the Lord's direction the church began in November 2008 in a home environment; in the Lord's timing the Harbour Lights Church building became available in February 2009 and the first Faithrocks service began in Kuluin on 26 April 2009.
Meet the team.
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Graham and Denise BeedFrom 1997 until 2007 Graham and Denise were living in the UK as Australian citizens when God called them back to Australia to plant a church on the Sunshine Coast. In 2009 Faithrocks Christian Centre was born! Graham has walked closely with God for more than 32 years, his desire is to see people come to know Jesus in a real way and to disciple people who are hungry for more of God. Graham is filled with the Spirit and operates with many of the gifts evidenced in Acts and beyond, including prophecy and healing. Through his years in ministry he has seen many people come to Christ and healed through God's awesome power. Denise has known and walked with God for more than 20 years; she loves God passionately and has served Him throughout this time. She has a heart to see women grow in leadership and ministry. Her focus is that women will fulfil their destiny in God and that they will be empowered with what God has purposed for them. Denise has the gift of insight and has a heart for people who are in need of support. |
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Chris and Merle PackChris and Merle have been involved in pastoral ministry for over 40 years. They were officers (Pastors) of The Salvation Army in several locations around Australia and New Zealand throughout the 60's,70's,and 80's. In 1997, God began a new chapter in their lives and moved them into other ministry opportunities. They have travelled extensively in Australia teaching, preaching, and encouraging the Body of Christ. Most recently God has placed them at Faithrocks to be Pastors, helping to expand the Kingdom of God on the Sunshine Coast. Chris has a heart to be continually drawing closer to God and to help others do the same. He is an excellent teacher with a Masters in Theology as well as a Spirit filled leader. Merle is an experienced Pastor in her own right having been Commanding Officer (Pastor) of several Salvation Army Corps (Churches) prior to marriage. She has had significant involvement as a leader of Women's Ministries, and is a qualified personal, family, and marriage counsellor with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Christian Counselling. |
What Are Community Groups?
A community group is a gathering of people from the church that get together weekly to share life and support one another. Life was never meant to be lived in isolation. Community is a gift of God intended to help us see and experience the good news of Jesus in profound and tangible ways. If you are new to the church this is the perfect place for you to belong, ask questions, and wrestle with your faith within a community of people who care for you, not because your life is together, but because you are created in the image of God.
What Should I Expect?
Each group is unique as they are based around different interests, there is sure to be a group that fits what you're in to! You can expect a weekly gathering that involves food, conversation, fellowship, prayer, and discussion. Community groups are not a Bible study or a cell group in the traditional sense, they are community, a place where our church comes together to become unified in our mission to bring the good news to the lost. Community groups are an excellent way for us to show the love of Jesus to our friends and neighbours.
Ready To Get Involved?
If you are ready to try out a Community Group, contact us and we will find a group that is meeting near you!
We are always looking for more people who are willing to start up new groups, if you are interested, please contact us.
DiscipleshipEveryone who is striving to know Jesus more is a disciple. It is a lifestyle that starts when we give our lives to Jesus and continues until the day we go to be with Him for eternity. Discipleship is not a program, but a way of life. As believers it is our responsibility to be sure that we know what the Bible says and how it applies to our lives. We need to be sure that we are solid in what we believe so we are able to explain the basics of our faith to new believers. Faithrocks Discipleship Class The class will be every Wednesday evening from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at Faithrocks Christian Centre. It's not too late to come along - if you are interested you can contact us for more information, or you can just come along! |
PrayerPrayer is an essential part of everything that we do at Faithrocks. We encourage everyone to get involved in our prayer ministries as well as individual prayer regularly. The Engine Room Personal Prayer Pre-Service Prayer |
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As members of the body of Christ we are all meant to be actively glorifying God and making disciples. We want everyone to be involved, using whatever gifts God has given you to glorify Him.
Let us know you're ready to get started...talk to us at church, call, email, or facebook. We look forward to serving God alongside you!
You can give your tithe and offering through direct debit if you would like. Our account details are as follows:
| Bank Name | : | Westpac |
| Account Name | : | Faithrocks Christian Centre |
| BSB | : | 034-198 |
| Account no | : | 36-2001 |
| Deposit Reference | : | 'Giving' |
Here you can find an archive of our more recent sermons. If you are looking for a sermon that was preached before 26 February 2012, you can find those at Sermon.net.
Blogs 2012
Blogs 2011
Check out all of our announcement videos...the announcements are old...but the jokes are still funny.
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Contact Us We would love to hear from you if you have any questions or comments. Phone, email, in person, or even post...whatever way is most convenient for you. |
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Can You See the Pattern?
Peace is an unexplainable inner quietness that leaves the soul and mind at perfect rest even in the midst of an intense storm. The ability to find and maintain this sense of inner peace is a lost art in a fast paced world. This peace is also defined as "the harmonised relationships between God and man, accomplished through the gospel" (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W. E. Vine).
The opposite of peace is anxiety, worry, fear, unrest, insecurity; lack of confidence and for some the fear of being trapped in a situation. As believers we are not meant to have fear, fear is the opposite of faith and if we live in the customs or habits of God, His love casts out fear (turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror!) and prevents fear from taking over.
The real and lasting peace will only come when we are in the will of God and walking with Him; even through the midst of a storm, God's peace will prevail.
Philippians 4:4-7 says "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".
Peace does not always appear instantaneously without some pre-requisites:
Can you see the pattern above? Peace is the result of progressive actions before the Lord, searching out a matter before Him.
I am reminded of the confidence of Christians in the past who realised the threat of death in their lives and the courage with which they faced. It must certainly be due to that peace which they had, that passes all understanding.
In effect what the apostle Paul said to Timothy, 2 Tim. 4:6-8 "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
Blessings, Graham
Lives Given Wholly to the Lord!
There are times in life, and times in the life of the church, that you feel like your very life is being sucked right out of you. Imagine though, how Jesus felt as he hung on the cross. We are perfectly knowledgeable concerning the physical atrocities perpetrated against His person. But do we really comprehend the extent to which His heart was broken, how He must have felt, how he must have perceived His life being sucked right out of Him?
I don't believe Jesus was killed on the cross! Whoaaa... hold your horses there brother... you are flying in the face of 2000+ years of Christian tradition. Hang on. I believe Jesus died on the cross and rose again after three days. But I don't see anywhere that compels me to believe either the Romans, or the Jews, or any of the physical punishment dished out to Christ were actually responsible for His death.
Mark 10:45 clearly informs us that the Son of Man came to "give His life a ransom for many" and 1 Timothy 2:5-6 sums up Jesus' life purpose in that "the Man Christ Jesus...gave Himself a ransom for all". When Jesus was on the cross, He had just felt the ultimate betrayal by Judas Iscariot (one of the twelve disciples); had just been denied by Simon Peter (one of His three best mates); and it seems like even His Father in heaven had turned His back on Him. Jesus cried out, ""Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"" (Matt 27:46). And when His life's work was done, Jesus cried out with a loud voice for all the world to hear, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My Spirit'", and "having said this, He breathed His last" (Luke 23:46).
Jesus gave His life up willingly, obediently and unashamedly. Nobody could take His life from Him because He had already wholly given it to the Father.
Easter Sunday just past was the first time Faithrocks were without Ps. David and Britta since they felt the call to go back to America and attend to family business. They return to their hometown with the full support, and respect, of our congregation. However, the fellowship at Faithrocks were to say the least disappointed. This was nothing like what Jesus endured. This was not a betrayal; this was not a denial, or a turning of their back on us. But the hole they leave is more of a gaping chasm! Our disappointment is not in them, but the setback to the hopes and vision of Faithrocks. Indeed, it felt like our life was being sucked right out of us!
During the worship service I was searching for some spiritual comfort from the Father. I didn't care too much that the worship service was not "professional"... the world doesn't need another Hillsong! I don't care that the preaching is not like that of Billy Graham... we can all download the best off the net these days anyhow! I was starting to wonder though, why I was really there. Then I felt the Holy Spirit impress this word of wisdom upon my heart... "If you truly give your life to Me, no-one can take it from you". It dawned on me... yes, when we come together we enjoy fellowship, but the extra dynamic of hearing the prophetic voice of God when we come together is heaven on earth. Listening to the latest Hillsong CD won't give me that; or downloading the latest and greatest teaching from T.D. Jakes won't either. Nothing else will give such personal revelation, the type that only comes when you are in a community of believers, who have given their life wholly to the Lord. That is why I am here!
Indeed, nothing can take the life of Faithrocks away... because our lives are already given to the Father. Jesus experienced a moment when the weight of the world's sin was on his shoulders. And it felt like even the Father had turned His back on Him. But Jesus knew that He had totally abandoned His life to the Father's will... so no matter what the enemy did, no power on earth had any sway over the outcome. It will do us good to recognise that it is only once we wholly abandon our lives to the Father's will, and experience a true death of self, then and only then, can we start living according to Resurrection Power!!!
Faithrocks... we have just begun!
By Peter J CHARLWOOD
Five Smooth Stones
A secular song from a few years back 'when the going gets tough the tough get going' was a catchy tune. For a believer however, we can be tough in our going and hang in there but the reality is that our strength comes from the Lord 'when the going gets tough we ought to be standing in the strength of Jesus'.
Many Christians say 'my strength is in the Lord' but can we honestly say I trust God in absolute certainty; enough to stand with Him and the power of His might? When things in our life present adversity, do we run or do we stay strong in the Lord?
The impending days ahead will test even the most faithful believer who has the ultimate strength at their disposal; the strength of the Holy Spirit has been given to us by the Father as our comforter and friend. God at His word has stood the test of time in tough conditions.
We know the story of David and Goliath very well, how a young lad like David went out to tackle the might of Goliath with five smooth stones in his hand (1Samuel 17:40). David over the years preceding the Goliath event was trained by the Lord, therefore when Goliath happened to come up against Israel; it was like a 'walk in the park' for David, he fought Goliath with God's authority and might.
In 1 Samuel 17:47 "Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands." The remarkable point here is that David went into battle dressed in his own attire; all he had was what God had given him; five smooth stones together with total trust in the Lord. He put on the 'armour' the Lord had provided for him.
When adversity faces us and we want to run, the Lord says 'face the battle in the attire I have given you and have provided for you.'
Many people fail to realise that God always has a reward at the end of a battle. It is after we've been through the fire of a battle that we are refined like pure gold, ready to face the next challenge. It's the overcomer God uses for His good purpose.
"Know, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37) The words that David speaks on the battlefield are very powerful. He emphasizes that the true strength of Israel comes from God, resonating the famous words of the Prophet Zechariah "Not by strength, not by might, but with My Spirit," says the Lord of Hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)
God wants us to know that though we may face many afflictions, He will deliver us from them all (Psalms 34:19). He will never leave us nor forsake us. His plans for us are always good and pure. It is essential to lay hold of these promises because they will sustain us through our trials. Voice God's Word continually in the midst of trials, remembering that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.
Glorify God
It is one of the two main reasons for Faithrocks existence, and in reality, the second (Make Disciples) really falls under that same heading. Everything that we as believers do should be done with the intent of giving glory to God.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. -1 Peter 4:10-11
Here, Peter speaks of how we are to use the gifts that God has given us to serve one another. He says that we are to be stewards of God's varied grace. He says varied because God doesn't give every person the same gift. Some of us are gifted to serve, some to teach, some to encourage, some to prophecy, etc. Our gifts are different, but we all have them and they are all meant to be used to serve and build up the Body of Christ.
Peter is illustrating how when we use our gifts to honor and love one another, God is glorified. Sometimes we get the idea that we can only worship God by singing passionately and raising our hands during a Sunday morning service (or something similar). Sunday morning worship is a beautiful expression of praise and honor, but it is only one way among thousands. We glorify God in everything that we do if we are living according to His word.
Peter gives us some examples of how God is glorified in the way we live.
We need to check ourselves and our motives daily. Does every aspect of our lives show God's glory to the world? Is our definition of what it means to glorify God too narrow? Are we serving and loving our church and community?
As members of the Body of Christ, let's glorify God with every breath, thought, action, and motive.
- David Menzel
Much More Precious
This Blog is about two men who demonstrated two different personalities where one of them could have avoided his life's conclusion; taking an unswerving plunge into eternity.
Their story is found in Matthew 26 and 27 where the two men involved were Judas Iscariot and the Apostle Peter. Both events occurred around the time of Jesus crucifixion on the cross. Peter, as we know denied Christ and Judas betrayed Christ with 30 pieces of silver being given to him by the Chief Priest.
What is intriguing about the story surrounding Peter and Judas is the outcome that took place with both men. Was the sin in both men too difficult for God to forgive? The answer is a definite no. Why then did Judas hang himself while Peter goes on to live a fairly long life?
The answer lies in the hearts of both men … they both travelled with Jesus, they both saw the miracles, they both witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit through Jesus, they had the same exposure to Jesus as the rest of the disciples; in essence there was no advantage that one had over the other in their time spent with Jesus.
Both Peter and Judas had the same opportunities to seek God and ask for God's forgiveness. Judas was so full of remorse that he hung himself on a tree; in hindsight he would have had to prepare his own death by finding a rope or similar substance and then walk that long distance to where he eventually hung himself. His guilt was so strong that his time spent with the Lord had very little significance over what he was about to do; he had no strength or faith to seek forgiveness.
Peter on the other hand sought God's forgiveness and repented, then went on to serve God.
Repentance is a powerful tool in the Christian's arsenal; this is what held the key, not only for Peter but also Judas; my belief is that Judas had the option to repent before he headed off to that tree.
In Matthew 27:4 Judas said 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood' here we see remorse coming in, remorse is a good characteristic but most times it doesn't help the circumstance and often is associated with condemnation. What really needed to happen to Judas was to ask for forgiveness 'end of story'.
At the time of repentance Judas would have been forgiven and would have known the love of the Father, he would have continued in the fullness of the Holy Spirit following the day of Pentecost. If only Judas had waited and sought the Lord, his circumstances would have changed forever, but he removed himself and did the unthinkable?
In 1 Peter 1:6 &7 Peter was able to say 'In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ'.
The Lord is such a loving God that the words of redemption ring in our ears through Hebrews 8:12 which says 'For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more'
Blessings Graham (Pastor)
Nehemiah is a short book in the Bible detailing how God used Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem as the Jews returned from exile. I believe that there is a huge amount in this book that is very relevant to the time and place that we are in today; both as individuals and as the Body of Christ.
First…Nehemiah's prayer; it can be found in the first chapter of Nehemiah starting with verse 4, I highly recommend you take a moment and read it…I'll wait.
Nehemiah had just received news that the Jews returning from exile were broken and shamed, this is how he responded.
· Nehemiah's first response to the news was that he wept and mourned for days. (v.4a) He had genuine heartbreak over the state of God's people. Our hearts should be broken as we see God's people divided, sinful, and settling for so much less than what He has promised.
· He then fasted and prayed. (v.4b) His first response was to seek God; our first response in any situation should be to turn to God. It is far too easy to just go to a church or find a program that looks like it might solve our problem. Church is good. Programs can be good. They are not replacements for seeking God through prayer and fasting.
· He then recognized and proclaimed the greatness and faithfulness of God. (v.5) This is important because even though the situation was ugly, he knew that God was in control. He reminded God of His promises to His people, not because God forgets, but because it helps us to recall the promises that He made to us. God wants us to stand on His promises and He honors our requests when we do.
· He confessed the sins of the nation as well as personal sin. (vv.6-7) If we are going to turn to Him we must forsake our sin and other gods…whatever they may be. Repentance is often put on the backburner in Christianity because it is uncomfortable. It may be uncomfortable, but it is necessary if we want God to work in our lives and churches.
· He reminded God of His promises again. (vv.8-9) By reminding God of His promise to restore His people once they had repented, Nehemiah was proclaiming that there would be a change; that he would press in and lead the people to repentance.
· He set his focus on God and His glory. (vv.9-10) Nehemiah wasn't looking for his own glory or fame; He only wanted God to be lifted up. The whole reason that he longed for Israel to be a people again was so that God would be glorified.
· He then asked for Gods favor and help in the mission that He had sent him on. (v.11)
Nehemiah sought God in prayer and fasting when he saw a big problem that needed to be fixed. But he didn't stop there; this prayer was preparation for action…
-David
"…David inquired of God…" (1 Chronicles 14:10)
This is a common theme when reading about David (as well as other men and women of God); he sought the Lord before he went to battle. I wrote previously about this but I think it is deserving of a deeper look. Do we really seek God before making decisions?
Of course there are plenty of decisions that are either obvious (Should I cheat on my spouse tonight?), or inconsequential (Do I take the chicken or the fish?). We are talking about those decisions that require godly wisdom, discernment, and direction.
It is common these days to just jump into something that sounds like a good idea without first seeking the will of God and then calling it faith. These are usually good things like starting a new ministry, moving to a new town, or going on a missions trip, but even good things don't pan out if it isn't what God wants from us at the time. The Biblical precedent is people of God seeking direction from the Lord before making a move. David would inquire of the Lord before going into battle, if God said 'Go', he went. If God said 'Don't go', he didn't...it is pretty straight forward.
Hebrews 11 shows several other examples of those who are considered the "heroes" of faith, they heard from God and then obeyed…"By faith Noah, being warned by God…built an ark…; By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called…and he went out…"(Hebrews 11:7,8)
Faith doesn't mean that we do whatever we want and expect God to jump on board and bless what we started. Faith means that we believe God is true and when He tells us to do something; we do it, trusting that He will accomplish what He promised.
We need to get the order correct…seek God's will, and then move…faith in action comes after instruction.
This is not an excuse to be idle. There are things that we know we should be doing, such as: serving in our local churches, sharing the gospel with those around us, spending time in prayer and the Word, and providing for and loving our families. We aren't meant to sit around and do nothing and say we are just waiting for God to tell us what to do; that is just lazy.
The important thing here is that we learn to seek God diligently, as we spend more time with Him we will hear His voice more clearly and know His will more easily…then it is just a matter of springing into action. We need to change ourselves to match up with His Word and will, not try and make Him match up with our will.
- David
We are all called to serve the Lord in one way or another subsequently this message of hope will speak to all believers.
The calling of God on our life can challenge many of us where we question our walk with the Lord and how deep we are prepared to go with Him. I believe this is a constant question we need to ask ourselves.
None of us can really say we don't have a calling on our life because as soon as we give our lives to Christ we are called to serve Him and be an ambassador for Him.
Luke 6:46-49; Jesus says in part b of verse 47 'I will show you whom he is like'. Jesus then goes on to speak about the deepness of our foundations comparing it to a house. Foundations can sometimes be very shallow with minimal depth, therefore when adversity comes; the building can often tumble or collapse. In verse 49 Jesus explains that when a foundation lacks 'the ruin of the house was great'
When we lived in the UK we had a house that was built in 1935 in which the foundations were no deeper that 200mm, yet it was 2 stories high; cracks would appear both inside and outside the house and as hard as we tried to repair them the same cracks kept appearing.
These cracks are comparable to our life but it's only the Grace of God who can fill the human cracks. God is forever digging deep foundations in our life so that we can support a strong structure. Isn't it wonderful to know that the Holy Spirit knows where and how to support us in our journey through this life; He fills the cracks.
If you feel you have missed the mark and not been successful in what you have set out to achieve in God, ask the Lord if that was really what He called you to do in the first instance. Maybe you felt to serve in a particular area of ministry and it failed. As long as your foundation is strong the Lord will build you and equip you for His good purpose, He enables you to stay the course.
Do we trust Him enough to bring our faith to a higher level? Do we seek Him for an answer, or do we give up? Whatever is in our heart will come to pass, all He asks is that we persevere and rest in Him! What we see through the deposit of God in our life will come to the fore in the passing of time and in God's will.
When we are led by the Holy Spirit circumstances and in some cases God, can hold us back as we set out to accomplish what the Lord has called us to do. In reality however God is directing us to follow Him with faith in 'His calling'. Stay focused on 'His leading' and the results in your life and fruit of your ministry will be evident to the world and to the Body of Christ.
The cracks will be steadily and permanently filled.
The Lord is faithful and as we stay faithful to the calling of God on our life His purpose will outwork to the Glory of the Father.
Blessings
Graham Beed (Pastor)
The Lord loves you with a mighty shout that rings through the Heavens, His love is known by every person who lives on the face of the earth; they may not know it but God's love permeates throughout the whole world.
1 John 3:1 says in part 'Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!' A truly amazing entity about our loving Father in Heaven; when you consider that God, as awesome as He is … is willing to communicate with us. The Holy Spirit tells us that as Christians we truly are a privileged people.
The simple message about being a believer in Christ is that no one forces us to become a Christian, it is not compulsory to be a follower and a disciple of Christ, there is no individual, compelling us to read God's Word or pray. There is no financial joining fee to belong to this body; there are no on-going fees. In truth there is love coming from a source that is beyond comprehension. This source of love never wavers and is 'on tap' 24 hours a day 365 days a year for eternity. This membership allows us to join the biggest family in the world with brothers and sisters who we don't know personally, yet identify in love when we meet.
We know it's our free will and the Holy Spirit that's inside of us that encourages us to pursue the upward call of God and be a disciple. The rewards are endless, free medical insurance, poverty free life, free retirement plan, our needs are met with love, joy and peace available continually, full pension on retirement … the list goes on. I trust you get the picture, it's a good 'system of government' to belong to.
Here's a question: why did God create people? The answer: God created us to be part of His family so we can fellowship and enjoy being in His company. God isn't lonely for fellowship or even for love but He wants a people who love Him through the good and bad times; people who are committed to Him.
We become part of God's family through personally knowing and living for Jesus. 1 John 1:7 (The Message) "But if we walk in the light, God Himself being the light, we also experience the shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin."
By our own human nature people want to belong, but at the same time are reluctant to be involved. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned and hid themselves from God people inherited a tendency to hide from God and from one another.
We share in Christian love by being open and honest in our relationships where we experience love and understanding. To have a relationship means you have interaction, an individual can't enjoy talking to a tree or a stone; authentic relationships involve taking off the veneer and being open. The bond of Christian fellowship surpasses all other human bonds. God speaks of this relationship as being components of one body — His Church. Nothing can be in closer harmony than components of the body. They work together with minute precision; they co-operate with each other, they "sympathise" with each other. In brief, we operate in synchronisation as a result of interconnection. Christians belong to this 'body' as long as they are in Christ.
Blessings Graham (Pastor)
I really like my name.
I happen to be named after one of my favorite people in the Bible: David (way to go Mom and Dad, you did well). David was a passionate man, he worshipped more zealously, fought harder, prayed more intently, messed up worse, and repented more earnestly than just about anyone else in history. God called David "a man after his own heart" (1 Sam. 13:13-16, Acts 13:22), that is a pretty ringing endorsement coming from our creator.
In 1 Samuel 23 David is not yet the king of Israel, rather, he is being pursued by the reigning king (Saul), who was intent on killing him. While he was running, hiding, and waiting for the time when God would fulfill his promise of making him king, many men gathered to him and he ended up with a small army. This passage starts with David being told that the Philistines (the bad guys) were attacking a town called Keilah…
"Therefore David inquired of the Lord…" (v. 2) This is important. David didn't just rush into action without consulting God first, he knew that any strength he had was firmly rooted in Him. David asked God if he should go and fight, He said yes…but then David's men said, "Hey, we're scared enough here where we are fairly safe…why would we go down where are even more vulnerable?"(v. 3). So David asked God again (just to double check I suppose), and God said, "I already told you. Go, I've got your back!"(v.4)
David went to Keilah, fought, and rescued the people there. God gave him the victory that He promised. Saul heard that David had trapped himself in a town where he was a sitting duck and could be easily killed and headed out to get him. David heard that Saul was coming so he went to inquire of God again. He asked if the people of the town were going to give him up to Saul, God said yes and David knew to get out of there.
Here is what we need to take away from this.
1. Ask. I know that I (and probably you) have a tendency to make decisions and jump into action without seeking God first. Stop it.
2. Obey. When God tells us what he wants of us, we should do it without hesitation, trusting that He will go with us. (Rom. 8:31)
3. Repeat. Once you have obeyed and won the battle that the Lord called you to, it is easy think that is where God wants you to stay. Just because something good happened, doesn't mean that God is going to keep you there forever (this is where prayer is essential). This was only a small victory for David on a very impressive resume, he went on to do much greater things and become the greatest king Israel would ever know. What if he had stayed in Keilah?
We need to be in prayer, seeking the will of our Lord constantly. (1 Thes. 5:17) God does amazing things when His people seek and obey Him.
I am ready to see some amazing things.
- David
I've been trying to figure out over the last several weeks and months what I need to do to take the next step in God. As believers we should always be striving to draw closer to our Savior; to know and love him more and to be more like him. But sometimes it can seem a bit hard to know what to do to make that happen.
While thinking about this I have realized that the only thing to do is to completely let go and let God do what he wants to. Unfortunately, for us stubborn humans, that is often harder than it should be. We are easily distracted and convinced that certain things, people, or situations have more importance than they really do. It is far too easy for little idols to sneak into our lives and take our focus off of Jesus.
"…You shall 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." – Matthew 22:37-38
Most of us have heard that verse many times over, but how often do we sit and meditate on what that really entails? Do you really love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind? Or are other things or people actually more important.
I sometimes feel like I am holding onto the railing in a pool that is God's good plan and I am too scared to let go and dive in. God is infinite and we can always be so much closer to him and so much deeper into his will and plan, we just have to let go and let him pull us in.
What if even just a few of us would completely let go and let God do what he wants. What if we could drop our own personal agendas and strive for everything that is Jesus. I know that we would see a massive transformation in our own lives as well as in the Body of Christ as a whole.
Let's dive in and leave everything else behind.
- David
The Lord always wants to speak to the church and say something that will stimulate and bring the Body of Christ closer to Him; in reality we must see the word of the Lord as life changing 'food'.
In 2 Chronicles 15:17 it says that 'Asa was loyal all his days' in essence he did some marvellous things to restore the statutes of the Lord in Judah; in addition they began to seek the Lord with their whole heart and soul.
Although Asa, who was one of the Kings of Judah, was 'loyal to the Lord' amid all the change he brought about in Judah, he eventually operated in his flesh by forming a pact with the King of Syria to defeat the King of Israel. The Lord was angered and sent a Prophet to speak to Asa.
At times our best intentions to complete a work in God 'being loyal to the Lord' can, in due course, be thwarted; we may fail to reach the outcome that God intended for us by being caught up by the flesh.
Why does an individual like Asa, who had passion to serve the Lord sway from the calling that God had on his life? I believe the answer lies in 2 Chronicles 16:9-10 "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars." Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time".
What made Asa angry and lose his passion to serve the Lord? The prophet of the Lord spoke truth into Asa's life showing the unfaithfulness of his heart to God and therefore relying on his own intellect to challenge the King of Israel. We see in these scriptures that 'the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him'.
The truth in these scriptures is that the Lord will be a strength to those who are loyal to Him; so what can we learn from these words? Well…if our heart is loyal to the Lord He will produce strength in our lives to achieve His will on the earth; in other words, to gather the lost into His Kingdom, to see the power of the Holy Spirit heal the sick, to move in His power with authority and to know that our lives are in full unison with the King of Glory.
Acts 5:32 "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him".
God Bless,
Graham
I am really glad that I don't have to have God completely figured out right now (or ever for that matter). Sometimes I think it would be nice if everything would just make perfect sense...but that would make God way too small. There is one thing that I know for sure and that is the only thing that I really need to know. Jesus lived, died, and rose again; because of that simple truth, I get to live eternally with him. What else matters?
Even Paul said 'I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.' – 1 Corinthians 2:2
It is very easy to get caught up in things that we think are important (and they may be), but if those things take too much energy or thought or cause stress or anxiety...then we are focusing on the wrong thing. Jesus saved us! If the world falls apart, if every earthly thing we know and love is ripped away from us, or if things just don't seem to go the way that we think they should...we have that one blessed truth.
But it doesn't stop there. What about when things are good or even great? Then we feel invincible and possibly like we did something to deserve it all. Then we get wrapped up in trying to advance ourselves or our cause, often without seeking God and his will. It is so easy to get sucked into the traps of focusing on ourselves instead of our Saviour.
I think we need to regularly stop and take note of where our priorities, affections, desires, passions, and thoughts are set. If they aren't set on Jesus, then we're looking in the wrong place.
When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 20:1
Sometimes God has to remind us of the past so we can move forward.
We humans seem to have a very short memory. The Israelites that God set free from their slavery in Egypt saw some of the most amazing things that any human has ever seen; plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, God's visual presence in cloud and fire, yet they still forgot. When it came time for them to go to war and take the land that God had promised…they chickened out.
This verse comes at the end of Moses' leadership of Israel; it had been 40 years since they had seen the promised land and backed out because they didn't believe that God could come through. As Joshua was about to take over for Moses and lead the people in to take the land, Moses gave this reminder. He told the people to look back at what God had done in order that they would trust that He was able to win any battle that they faced.
God likes it when the odds are stacked against His people. If every challenge or battle that we face is easy for us to overcome on our own then we get the glory, not Him. When there is no possible way that we can see how we are going to make it through a situation…that is when God can make Himself known. We need to be sure that we don't get disheartened by situations that seem impossible or think that God can't come through on promises that He has made to us.
As believers we have all had times when we have seen God move in our lives. We need to look back on that and remember that we have only come so far through the grace and love of God.
Let's move forward, ready to take on any enemy because our God has promised to go before us!
-David Menzel
We live in a constant state of fear.
We fear that we won't make enough money to cover our bills, that we won't be liked by certain people, or that our carefully laid plans won't work the way we envision. We fear our boss because he can fire us, we fear politicians because they lie to us, and we fear other countries because they want to destroy us. We fear floods and earthquakes; burglars, and identity thieves; spiders and snakes. If it exists (even if only in our minds), it is a good bet that someone fears it. But we mock God.
The world mocks God in obvious ways. Comedians make jokes at His expense. Scientists try to explain Him away. Authors write books aiming to tear down the church. The world media works to point out the 'contrary' nature of the church and the God we believe in. We see these things and are thankful that we are not like that because we believe in and love God.
But we mock God.
The church mocks God when we fear anything other than Him. When we allow fear into our lives (often going by the names of worry or stress) we are saying to God, "This thing that I am facing is bigger than you, I don't think you can handle it so I really need to figure it out on my own." How arrogant! Must we be reminded of who God is? He is the creator of this earth and everything in it, the One who once destroyed all of humanity due to their wickedness (save a small remnant.) (Genesis 6-8) Yet we fear the created thing more than the creator. Why do we not fear a God who could wipe out the earth at any moment?
Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us fear the LORD our God…'(Jeremiah 5:21-24a)
Many Christians try to explain the multitude of verses in the Bible that speak of the fear of God by saying that it simply means 'a healthy respect,' but I believe that it means 'fear.'
Here is where things get good.
Scripture says it best…'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.'(2 Corinthians 5:17) '…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.'(2 Timothy 1:7) 'What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?'(Romans 8:31) We must fear God! But also realize that once we come into His kingdom through Jesus; because He loves us more deeply than we can know, we have nothing else to fear!
-David
In the first chapter of Deuteronomy (which I highly recommend that you read), Moses recaps what the Israelites had been through since being dramatically rescued from slavery in Egypt. He first talks about how God set up a system to govern his people, he then recalls God carrying them through the wilderness and supernaturally providing for all of their needs. He speaks of the time shortly after the Israelites were freed that he brought them to the edge of the Promised Land (the land that God had promised Abraham many generations ago). Spies were sent in and they saw that the land that God had promised was good…but they were too scared to take it.
They sat around grumbling against God because he had brought them out of Egypt only to be killed by giants. These are the same people who saw God bring plagues on their captors and part the Red Sea to allow them to escape the Egyptians. This was stuff that could make an excellent epic movie (good idea…maybe I'll look into that), and yet a short time later they don't even have the faith to believe that God can take care of a few big burly giants.
There is an important lesson to be learned here (more than one, but let's keep this brief). When God makes a promise, he will require us to take a step of faith to receive it. The bigger the promise, the more faith it is going to require. As humans our tendency is to cling to what we can see; we like proof that things are going to work out before we go ahead with something. The more that we build our physical security, whether it is in money, people, our home, or our church…the smaller our faith gets.
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? – Numbers 23:19
God won't make a promise to us and then leave us stranded, so why do we so often act like he will?
If God has made a promise, we can bank on the fact that he will follow through, but we have to trust him and start moving forward. We must take a step even when we can't see where the next one is going to land. God is faithful, beyond what we as humans could ever be or understand.
The rest of the chapter in Deuteronomy explains that because the Israelites wouldn't go take the land that God had given to them, they were forced to wander until they died. God still fulfilled His promise to Abraham and the children of the disobedient Israelites took the land after they died, but those who refused to step out missed out on the wonderful things that God had planned for them.
Don't miss out.
- David
Lately I've been reading and meditating on 2 Chronicles (chapters 29-32), it's worth reflecting upon and is centred around one of the Kings of Judah; a king called Hezekiah. When we read Chronicles 'God had His hands full' just keeping up with the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judah. They all had areas of failings, deep within them however God 'overlooked' some of their failings or had at least forgiven them.
It was a different Covenant in those days where men and women were judged according to the law. God judged the hearts of the Kings of Israel and Judah according to the law but He also used an interesting comparison; God compared them with King David who followed the Lord with all his heart.
2 Chronicles 29:2 says 'And he (Hezekiah) did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.' In comparison, we as a society today, continually sin; as did the Kings of Israel and if we don't know the saving grace of Jesus, then we are judged according to the law, just as the Kings of Israel were.
Today under the grace of God, Jesus is the person whom God uses as the benchmark to look into the hearts of men. For the past 2000 years God has judged the hearts of men and women through the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary.
In all situations, people who respond to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and seek His forgiveness won't be judged according to the law because God looks down from heaven and views those who have sought forgiveness through Jesus with compassion and grace.
Throughout the stories of the Kings in Chronicles, God had to challenge their thinking and believing; it's the same today, God challenges our thinking and believing according to what we know and understand from His Word. God's New Covenant (New Testament) conveys forgiveness and grace; God totally views the actions and thoughts of men and women, through the cross.
In our life we need to restore Jesus to His rightful place as the King of Kings. We can achieve this by asking Him into our lives; staying close to Him; upholding Jesus in conversation; praying and reading the Word and oh yes, fellowshipping in His house, the local church.
We love the Presence of God! We love to see His Power manifest in our meetings! But the manifest Presence of God and the manifest Power of God, even though gifts to His Church, come at a Price!
In Exodus 13:21-22 we read; "By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." (NIV)
The Children of Israel experienced the manifest Presence of God as He led them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land of Canaan. It was His gift to them, the daily visible reminder of His sure and certain Presence. Even at times of their greatest rebellion against Him and disobedience towards Him this visible assurance of His guidance and provision was not taken from them.
But as surely as His Presence was manifest a Price was being paid – the blood of lambs sacrificed on the altar!
Time and again they were also reminded of God's awesome Power! One widely known and celebrated example of God's Power being revealed was at The Red Sea the Children of Israel watched in utter amazement as the waters parted and they were able to pass through on dry ground leaving Pharaoh and his pursuing army to perish as the awesome Power of God closed over them to reverse the parting of the waters and restore the Sea to its natural course. (Exodus 14:19-31)
But just seeing God's manifest Presence or witnessing a display of his awesome Power does not necessarily mean that we enjoy intimacy with God. The Psalmist makes a deeply challenging biographical observation about Moses when he writes; "He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel." (Psalm 103:7, NIV) To see God's deeds is one thing, but to know and understand His ways is something very different indeed. Only through intimacy with God can we begin to know Him and know His ways. And intimacy with God always comes at a very real Price! Consider Moses!
In Exodus 24 we read of Moses being invited to "Come up to the Lord … Moses alone is to approach the Lord." (24:1-2 NIV) In verse 10 of that same chapter we read that Moses, Joshua, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, together with 70 elders of Israel saw God at a distance, observing His Presence manifest in a cloud, but only Moses, assisted by Joshua, were permitted to enter the cloud and enjoy God's manifest Presence intimately and personally saw the Glory of God. (Verse 18)
That Glory reveals God's manifest Power together with His Presence. It was the same Glory and Power which settled on the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. In that cloud of His Presence was the full weight, the heaviness, of His Power.
The privilege given to Moses to know and understand God's ways and not just see His acts, to experience the full weight of God's Glory, can also be ours – if we are as willing as Moses to pay the price to enjoy such intimacy with God!
Every blessing!
Pastor Chris Pack
Have you ever tried to soften the Word of God? I have.
I have sometimes assumed that there is a certain idea that people get in their minds when I tell them that I am a Christian. They are probably thinking about some terrible experience they had with a Christian who judged them, or acted hypocritical…something that causes an unsavory opinion of me and every other believer. Granted, my mind reading powers leave something to be desired…but it hasn't stopped me from trying. Because of this, when the subject of God comes up, sometimes I have kind of… skirted the issue, or just chuckled at some untold joke to avoid having to say anything that might offend someone.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… Romans 1:16
I (and probably most Christians) have heard this verse many, many times and thought, "I'm not ashamed of the gospel", but then we do something like I described above. I would probably justify it by saying that I'm not ashamed, I just don't want to offend anyone. Apparently, political correctness just overrode my love for Jesus. The truth is that my actions proved that I was ashamed of Jesus, I would hide him away to avoid making someone else, or more likely myself, uncomfortable.
Paul (the one who wrote that verse) was not only truly unashamed of the gospel…he was proud of it. It was everything to him. Paul knew that without the good news of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, he was nothing… a lost, hopeless, sinner. Paul suffered prison, torture, beatings, and ultimately death, because of his refusal to keep silent about Christ. That makes the thought of someone thinking something about me that I don't like seem incredibly small.
This is not a call to Christians to be unashamed of Jesus…that isn't good enough. We should be boldly proclaiming Him! We should be waiting with anticipation for someone to say something, anything, which opens up a door for us to talk about Jesus, to tell how great He is, what He has done in our lives! Just saying, "yeah, I'm a Christian" isn't the point. The point is that once we truly know what Jesus has done for us, how could we keep it to ourselves?
- David Menzel
As so often has been the case, many great Bible narratives end up being retold as lyrics in a song. Such is the case for the New Testament story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' robe absolutely convinced that if she could do so she would find healing from an embarrassing physical condition that had troubled her for 12 years. As the song-writer has penned;
She only touched the hem of His garment As to His side she stole, Amid the crowd that gathered around Him, And straightway she was whole.
Her story is told as an interlude, almost an intrusion, into another narrative concerning the healing of the daughter of Jairus. Both Mark (5:22 ff) and Luke (8:41 ff) tell the stories;
Jairus, an official of the local synagogue, arrived, and when he saw Jesus, he threw himself down at his feet and begged him earnestly, "My little daughter is very sick. Please come and place your hands on her, so that she will get well and live!" (Mark 5:22,23)
Both Gospel writers also indicate that the chronically ill woman interrupted Jesus as he made his way to the home of Jairus.
As Jesus went along, the people were crowding him from every side. Among them was a woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years; she had spent all she had on doctors, but no one had been able to cure her. She came up in the crowd behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once. (Luke 8:41-43)
It is interesting to note that the woman had been ill for as long as Jairus' daughter had been alive.
However, of far greater importance is the fact that both Jairus and the woman were confident that Christ could heal, specific about seeking His involvement in their lives, and implicitly focussed their faith on him. The woman was commended for her faith;
"My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace." (Luke 8:48)
Jairus and his wife were both delighted and astounded (Luke 8:56) that their daughter was healed – just as they had hoped and believed.
The song-writer uses the woman's story to encourage us:
Oh, touch the hem of His garment! And you, too, shall be free! His saving power this very hour Shall give new life to thee!
But such a confident approach to Christ is about much more that just receiving His saving power. Whatever it is that we legitimately seek from God in prayer we can just as confidently expect to receive from Him if we ask Him as specifically, and with similarly implicit faith that God can do what we ask.
"But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon." (John 15:7 - The Message)
Every blessing,
Pastor Chris Pack
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. - Hebrews 5:14
This verse in context is speaking of how we, as mature Christians, should be feeding ourselves with solid food, no longer needing to be fed milk by others. We should no longer rely only on preachers, teachers, and writers to tell us what to believe or how to interpret the Word of God.
There are quite a few places in scripture that tell us to study and to spend time with God on our own so that we can know him, but this verse in particular mentions discernment; "…discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." I think that many Christians are too comfortable in our knowledge of good and evil. We think that we have everything pretty well under control as far as what is on or off limits. We know not to kill and steal, that's obvious. We also know that we shouldn't lie or lust…those we know but we do them anyway. But I don't think that is what this verse is talking about.
Why do we need to practice telling the difference between good and evil when it is so cut and dry? Because the devil is much more crafty and sneaky than we give him credit for. He will do everything he can to infiltrate our churches and wreak havoc… and he is a master of disguise. He will find what we want to hear and find some way to put teaching, preaching, or prophecy in front of us that sounds good on the surface, but will lure us into complacency at the least and lead us away from Jesus at the worst.
There are huge numbers of preachers, teachers, and books out there right now. Most of them are good, some of them are great, some of them are dangerous, some of them are flat out damning if followed. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, "…test everything, hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil."
We are able to test every spirit and every teaching through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Not only are we able, we must.
Let us be on our guard to protect our churches, our families, and ourselves from false prophets and dangerous teachings. Let us not be led into complacency or into false teaching.
Study, pray, practice discernment.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. – John 4:1-3
It ALL comes back to Jesus.
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