Front Page Sunday 29th October 2006

2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us to “Walk by Faith, not by Sight”. As I thought about that my mind turned to the miraculous, the unexplainable things where we see God’s hand being involved in our circumstances. Those outside of the church often refer to those things as ‘coincidences’. To me that exemplifies the difference between walking (living) by faith or by sight. By faith we can believe for the miraculous, our faith as the writer of Hebrews says is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” Walking by sight leaves God out of the equation and relies on man (ourselves) to provide what we need.
Next Sunday we are calling for all Christians to come together to pray for rain. In Victory Park (aptly named for this occasion) at 1pm next Sunday, Christians from at least four Christian Churches will be gathering to pray for God to miraculously break the drought that is gripping our country. It’s a faith step, we will probably see blue skies, with not a cloud in sight if the current weather pattern continues, but we will be going there believing in black clouds, clouds that will drench our dry land with rain. Rain that will fill our tanks, dams and reservoirs. Rain that will bring relief to our farmers. Rain that will refresh our land.
Will you join with us, do you have the faith to believe that God can change blue skies to black clouds? Come along next week, bring a lunch after church and don’t forget “bring an umbrella”
God Bless
Blair

Front Page Sunday 22nd October 2006

Jonah was an Israelite who was called by God to go and preach to the great Assyrian city of Nineveh. As we recall the story, Jonah not only refused to go but fled in the opposite direction. He boarded a ship to Tarshish hoping to hide from God. On his way a violent storm and wind nearly broke the ship up and the sailor’s fearful for their lives cast lots to see who was responsible for the calamity. The lot fell on Jonah. He admitted it was his fault and he believed in the God who made the heavens and the earth, but he was prepared to be thrown overboard for what he had done. (He would rather dies than do the will of God) Although they tried their best to save him, by rowing against the wind and rain, they had no choice in the end to throw him overboard. The storm subsided and God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah and for 3 days and 3 nights Jonah is in the depths! Finally crying out to God, in honesty and thanksgiving, the fish vomits Jonah up onto the shore and God again calls Jonah on the mission. Jonah went this time although reluctant. The city of Nineveh after hearing the word spoken through Jonah recognised their sins and repented and ultimately God saved the city from destruction.
Jonah again moves ‘out of town’, angry. God continues to challenge him about his attitude and how he feels about the salvation of ‘others’.
This story has many applications for us today….Is God calling you to do something? Is he challenging your heart about something? Are you running away from God for some reason?
Do you recognize the storm around you, may be God telling you something? Can you admit that you believe in God, yet fail to do his will? Do you recognize that God will never leave you nor forsake you?
………. and do you know that “He who has began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus ”? (Phil 1: 6)

Lets Praise God as He always wants the best for us and others!


Julie Davis

Front Page Sunday 15th October 206

Living a victorious Christian life is one of the benefits of being a Christian. So many people today fail to live that life because they either don’t know, or don’t believe the truth about themselves as revealed in the Bible.
I have been reading a book by Joel Osteen, called “Your Best Life Now” and it’s all about fulfilling your God given potential and living the victorious life. I found this book to be very inspiring as it tackled subjects like, “Enlarging your vision, Developing a healthy self image, Letting go of the past”, and many others.
It should be the goal of every Christian to be the best that they can be for God and to do that they have to believe the truth about themselves (“know the truth and the truth will set you free”. John 8:32) Its when we know that truth that we can live our best life now and our tomorrows will be better than our yesterdays as we rise above the inevitable struggles and trial that we face almost daily. We can do it because God says we can and He has empowered us with His Holy Spirit to be ‘more than overcomers” (Romans 8:37). To believe otherwise is to deny the truth of God’s Word and to believe the lies of Satan as he tries to cloud the truth with his deception.
May our prayer be today that we discover the real truth of who we are in Christ and learn to live our ‘best life now’ because by doing that we are being the effective Christians God wants us to be.
God bless
Blair

Front Page 8th October 2006

Believing in Jesus and knowing you are a child of God is the most wonderful thing a person can experience. To believe that Jesus died for your sins, to free us from guilt and to give us a new restored relationship and eternal life is too much to take in! What a wonderful God we have. He loves us so much, He came and died and rose again, conquering death itself. Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life”
The apostle Paul, previously know as Saul and a persecutor of Christians, became a changed man when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. He was once a man who imprisoned and even had men and women killed because of their faith in Jesus. But his life changed. He changed his thinking about Jesus totally and acknowledged him as Saviour and Lord. He also acknowledged the error of his ways and abandoned them and he gradually realised that life must take on a different direction as he gave service to Jesus, a priority. These three important elements were evident in his life as a Christian. For Paul these changes in conversion happened very quickly. God had a specific plan and purpose for his life and used him mightily for many years. But for others today conversion may happen more gradually and less dramatically. But these same three marks should be evident in conversion – Believing in Jesus as Saviour and Lord – repenting of sin and turning from it – living out your life to please God (as it takes on a new direction) in service to him in some way.


May we all experience Jesus more in our lives, daily.

Julie Davis