Hitting Closer to Home - Bill Hybels

Fueling the Fire - Bill Hybels

Under His wings you will find refuge!

 Psalm 91:4
He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge!
- We must find our refuge in God Himself.

- We must find our security under His protective wings.

- Knowing His protection and refuge will give us peace.

- He is ready to cover you with His feathers.

PRAYER: Lord, as a young chick finds its security under the wings of the mother hen, I find my protection and refuge under Your wings oh God. 
Amen.

He is slow to anger

Exodus 34:6
The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness!
- Your God is the strong and mighty God.
- He is also the compassionate and gracious God.
- He is not easily angered.
- He is full of love and faithfulness.

PRAYER: Lord, You are MY Lord! You are MY compassionate and gracious God. I receive Your love and mercy on my life. Amen.

He will not abandon you

Deuteronomy 4:31
For the Lord your God is merciful - He will not abandon you nor destroy you nor forget the promises He has made.
- Man may abandon us but God will not.
God has kept in touch with all of us since the day we were born.
It is us that often loose touch with God as we get caught up in our daily busy lives.

- In God's mercy, He remembers.
God knows every hair on our head, he knows our every move we make.
God is the one who now has to remember for me after the stroke a while ago.
I have learnt to lean on God harder than ever before and He has never ever forgotten me.


- He remembers the promises He has made to us.
God not only remebers but He keeps those promises that if we trust and accept Him, He will be our Saviour in this dark world. God is with us every where we go, he is right besdie you now as you read these words, He is trying to tell you just how much he loves you.

- God wants to be good to you!
So why dont you stop and let Him... Trust God in all things... Start small you will end big...

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the things You have promised. 
Thank You that I am not forgotten by You! 
Amen.

Going Outside for God (Part No 2)

Going Outside for God (Part No 2)

Good Morning

Lets Pray…

In the last session we discussed

Going outside for God

Step Forward – receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour

Step Up – Meet and Hear from God.

Step Outside - of you comfort zone with the Holy Spirit.

Today I want us to look at what comes as we God Outside for God. Yes fill the great commission take Christ to the nations.

1.God goes before us

Deu 31:3  The LORD your God himself will go before you and destroy the nations living there, so that you can occupy their land; and Joshua will be your leader, as the LORD has said.

So God will go before us His word comforts us. Jesus goes before us so that when we arrive on the scene then His word will be accepted easily. We must remember that we can change the world only if we let God go before us.

We should not be afraid to step out and take Christ word to the nations because God has already gone on ahead to prepare the road. This should just make it easier to share the gospel but then why is every one that hears the word not converted?

Why some times is the word hard to sink in we will cover that in the next session.

Today I want us to focus on what God does as we lead one to Christ. He goes before to prepare the path just like a grader to prepare the road. They tell me a lot of preparation goes into making a road. I’m sure you have all experienced the road works and how long it can take to complete a project on our roads today. But if the prepration is not done right then it has to be done again and this can be a vast loss of money.

So as we go God goes before He meets with people we will come into contact with and He makes them receptive to His message. We just have to step up and share the message.

2.God makes the way

“GOD WILL MAKE A WAY!”

Isaiah 43:16This is what the LORD says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,17who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:18“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.19See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

20The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

Often we have a problem ocurr in life and isn’t it strange when we get it all together then we often hear our selves say that we have made a way. Well Id like to ask lets look at leading someone to Christ can we take credit for that. What did we do we cant save them from sin only God can. We can tell them about God we can love the person, we show the kindness but only God can make them meet with Him.

Some people are harder to lead than others. Some people just accept Christ easily. We nned to pray for God to make a way in their lives. We need to spend time praying for salvation for a person sometimes this can take a long time.

Dutch Sheets a pastor wrote a story of how he prayer for a young girl to be healed for along time. He even prayed when others had given up. Eventually God came through and the young girl was healed. Dutch Sheets got God’s attention.

So prephas we are asking why doesn’t God heal others well maybe we need to pray more for others and that will attract His attention.

3.God opens the door

(2 Cor 2:

12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? 17Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.

. Paul clearly perceived that God had opened this door for him in Troas, yet he also concluded God didn’t want him going through it! 

I have open and closed many a door in my life Im sure that you have too. But the awesome part is when God opens a door.

Yes Paul knew about this He could understand that when God opens the door we must be prepared to see the wonders of His word come true.

We need to Step Outside for Him

Colossians 4 Paul Open Doors

Paul writes from Prison

About opening doors

Open other peoples doors.

God goes before us to open doors if we pray for them.

Paul believed that life would be better if God was at the center of it.

Paul plans to open peoples doors of there lives from prison

Its builders labour in vain

Psalm 127:1
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
- God makes all the difference.
Only God can make a difference when nothing else can.


- With God in our lives, we make real progress.
With out God we are nothing but a failure.


- Without God, we achieve little.
With God we can do marvelous things says His word.


- Let the Lord be the builder of your house.
God will you please build my house today.
Build it strong on the rock of strength for you and you alone.

PRAYER: Lord, You are the one that makes all the difference. When You build something it stands. Please Be the builder of my life I pray.Thank you Lord. Amen. 

The Shema

Deut 6 v 4
Here O Israel the Lord your God is one Lord. And thou shalt love  the Lord thy God
with all thine heart,
with all thy soul,
and with thy might.

Love God
Only love God
God give us the strenght to Love you alone.

Don't repay evil for evil

1 Peter 3:9

Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will bless you for it.


- Every day has its challenges.
We just have to remember that we do not face them alone.
God is with us all the time that is His promise not to forsake us in our times of trials.

- In the same way, every day has its opportunities.
We must not miss the opportunity to tell someone about Christ we might never know what is going to happen next in their lives, but we can give them Jesus, so let us do so...

- Each day you have the opportunity to be a blessing to others.
so lets bless others.
I heard a story of a Child (6Yrs old) wrote into the radio station about his friends family in need.
the letter read


Dear Father Christmas
Please can you give my gifts to my friends family this year.
Yes I have a lot of request a long list but please can you give my gifts 
in food to my friends family who has none.
thank you( Lord)
Moletto
The radio station have chosen to feed the family and also to give bicycle to Moletto..


Awesome bless others over this time. and not our selves.
Pass on the love of Christ to All,,,,....!!!!!!!!!

- Be a dispenser of blessing to others, even those who don't deserve it!


PRAYER: Lord, help me today to be a blessing to those around me. 
Help me to be able to see what others are facing and enable me to lift their load in some way, I pray. 
Amen.


MAY I ALWAYS DO GOOD...


May we pass on the LOVE of CHRIST to all !!!!!!!  Do it today I challenge you

He increases strength.

 Isaiah 40:29
He (God) gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength.
- God wants to give strength and power to His people.
- God helps us by causing our strength to multiply.
- The weak, faint and weary are eligible for His strength.
- He gives power to the tired and the worn out and strength to the weak!

OUR PRAYER FOR YOU: We pray right now for all those reading this prayer. Lord, we pray that You will come and strengthen and aid them, because they need Your empowering strength, especially as they approach the end of the year. Amen.

He poured God's goodness into us!

2 Corinthians 5:21 (LB)
God took the sinless Christ and poured into Him our sins. Then, in exchange, He poured God's goodness into us!
- God desires that you and I would be in right-standing with Him.
God has always wanted this His creation is about people and His love for people.

- So He came up with a plan to remove the burden of sin.
Jesus died to remove the burden of carrying out a burnt offering of a pure lamb.
Jesus was the pure lamb for us, He brings us Goodness one of the fruits of the Spirit.

- In the process He made us the righteousness of God in Him.
God gave us righteousness when we were saved.

- Now nothing stands in the way.
So I must ask what have you got standing in the way of God's Goodness in your ?


PRAYER: Lord, I receive what You have done and prepared for me. I realize that You do not condemn me, but You have made it possible for me to be connected to You. Amen.

Going Outside for God (Part No 1)

Going Outside for God (Part No 1)

Greet Every One

Have you noticed how seasons are changing?

Dumb statement but the seasons change every year, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, seasons change all the time don’t they.

Have you noticed that during some season’s people choose to hibernate? Oh yes people stay indoors in some countries when it gets winter because they really just can’t survive out side. We had quite a cold winter this year and as Spring came I noticed people going outside. Why were they going out side it was because the season had changed and now it was time to Go Outside to work in their gardens?

It was the time to communicate with their neighbours in the street. It was spring and every thing around smelled fresh. Then the first rains fell and the fresh go even better. Have you notice how things just look clean and smell clean after some rain has fallen. It is as if rain brings a new freshness which only it can bring. Yes I always feel rain bring newness to every thing after all only God can make it rain. Yes we can make lots of things happen on this earth but only god can bring rain. Yes only God can bring change in our lives, only God can make it rain.

Luke 5 v The Man With Leprosy

12While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.^cWhen he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

13Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

14Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

15Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

17One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

1.    Step Forward to receive Christ

When you start a race you have to step forward to the starting blocks or the starting line. Otherwise you will never ever run the race they say.

So where are you stepping I might ask, and have you even taken a step.

I remember standing in a church in the phew with my wife next to me. Every one was praising and sing and worshipping God. Tears were following and the message had been spoken. The preacher had made an alter call and some people had move forward to the front of the church. I was like fixed in what was happening. I was I gess you could says I was caught up in the happening. Don’t know if you have ever felt that way. In a church people praising and you caught up in the middle of it. So focussed on the happening,  not realizing what your body or spirit is kind of doing, just praising and enjoying the moment.

Been there?

Yes that morning I was right in that feeling the next thing I found my self also standing in the front of the church. I only realized that I was there in the front when the preacher ask if he could pray for us. Then I realized where I was but it didn’t matter. So I said yes please pray.

Stepping Forward, it was the first step. The first step to receiving Christ, yes Jesus as my Lord and Saviour of my life.

If we want to Go Outside for GOD and share the Good news with others we have to make this first step. I hope you have done that. I pray that you have stepped forward to receive Jesus as you Lord and Saviour. If you haven’t then maybe today is the day and after this we will be giving you an opportunity to step forward for God.

2.    Step up to meet and hear from God

Once you step forward then your next foot just needs to follow. Have you noticed as you put your right foot forward so your left foot will automatically step up so you can walk forward. Yes we must take the second step after we have been saved, received Christ. We must meet and hear from God.

Yes I feel it is necessary to hear from God who do we share Christ with. We have been saved and now we are commissioned to do God’s work in this world. This is to take Christ, to the nations.

Don’t know about you but I often have asked my self who do I share Christ with. Not that horrible neighbour, not that foul mouth at work, not that bum in the road, not the taxi driver, not my family. Well they don’t deserve Christ or do they.

Isnt that were Jesus would be sharing Christ, yes Jesus would be sharing with the lost not the found. That’s what Jesus did. But Jesus did something we tend to forget He consulated with the Father, He heard from the Father of who to take Christ to. Yes Jesus new it was important to meet and hear from God.

All the prophets in the Bible had to hear from God they all had to step forward and then they just like Samuel had to be told to ask God to speak to them.

See because we become Christians we are excited we have meet with God and so we want John at work to also meet with God. But we mess it up because we try to do it in our own strength. We try to get them to commit to Christ with out his consultation. We don’t stop and meet with God and hear his voice. His guidance. Once Samuel took the time to say Lord hear I am then God spoke to him.

I call it smelling the rose’s , yes as Spring comes and the rose’s blossom that’s when things smell new and lots of us spend time outside.

I know that is when Dennis spends lots of time outside because that is what he has told me. Dennis says in spring he meets with God in the garden and he just takes time to smell the roses and that is when God speaks to him. Yes if we stop and be still

Psalm 46 v10.

Stop and know that God is God He will tell us who we should be sharing Christ with. God doesn’t just show us who but he shows us how. All the prophets of the bible show this right through their writings. A God who calls and a God who tells them who and a God who shows them how…

3.    Step Outside with the Holy Spirit by our side

We have now reached the point to share I believe the word. So where do I take Christ to?

I say we need to share the word of God right where we are. Oh yes right in the place where we work that is the place to share God’s love. To share God’s love with our neighbours and those around us after all that is where God put us.

So we step Forward for receiving God

Then we step up to meeting and hearing God

No we need to step right out of our comfort zone and share God right where we are.

That is share God with that person we don’t like at work that not so good looking one.

(Tell a story of sharing Christ with someone you know)

Yes we need to share Christ were we are right were God has put us that where I believe we need to show God’s love to the lepper like Jesus did to the Paralitic Man. Yes be Jesus to the Teller at the shop and be Jesus to the man next door who’s wife is getting ten injections a week for cancer. Yes Jack next door to me told me this just the other day so we prayed for healing and it seemed to raise his spirits.

To step Out side is not easy when you have been tied up inside for a long time. But we must know that as we step to take Christ to those who He shows us to, we don’t go alone we go with His Spirit right beside us. Yes Jesus said I will send you a helper to assist us as we Step Outside.

So I challenge you today…

Step Forward receive Christ

Step Up and Meet and Hear from GOD.

Step Outside of you comfort zone with the Holy Spirit.

Is there any one listening who needs to step Forward prephas as we pray you would like to come and kneel at the alter today. Lets pray…

Nothing can separate us!!!

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced (persuaded beyond doubt - I am sure!) that nothing can separate us (me) from the love of God.
- There are many things in life that are uncertain.
But as the days go I have become more sure that God will come through no matter what we face. We must trust Him in all things.

- On the other hand God offers us certainties.
God offers us love when every one hates us. He is God and His love never fails us.

- One thing that we can be certain of is His love for us.
This love is wider than the ocean, it is stronger than the strongest, it is higher than the mountains, it is God's love for you and for me.

- No matter what you are feeling today, God loves you!
Yes GOD LOVES you so so so much enjoy His LOVE today....


PRAYER: Lord, I receive Your love right now. It is great to know that Your love is the one certainty I can have in life. Thank you Lord for loving me. Amen.

To make us His very own people!

Titus 2:14
He (Christ) gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people!
God has done so much for us and He wants you to know 3 things:

1. He wants you to be free from every kind of sin.

2. He wants to forgive you and make you clean.

3. He wants YOU to be His very own.

PRAYER: Lord, I receive Your great love for me. Forgive me and help me to walk in the freedom You have prepared for me and thank You that I can know that I belong to You! Amen.

I PRESS ON toward the goal

Philippians 3:14
I PRESS ON toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ.- This scripture speaks of determination.

- Pressing on may mean facing challenge.
Paul's words to keep on going just like a runner wanting to finish the race.

- However, pressing on is also a winning attitude.
Focus on what is to come and what God has in store for us will keep us going to achieve the impossible.

- You don't win a race by giving up.
To give up for God is not an option as far as I am concerned. I have learnt that to succeed is to focus on the finish line and not to allow one to be distracted from it at all.
Focus like a telescope and continue to focus all the time.

CHALLENGE: Go for it! Keep on pressing on!


God may you keep me focused on You always.
Amen

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied

Joel 2:26
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, YOUR GOD, Who has dealt wondrously with you.
- God has good things in store for you!
Oh yes it may not seem so at times but God has good things in store for you.

- This verse speaks of God's provision and of fulfillment.
God always provides for us, a home, a family, a work, a car, some clothes, different food to eat.
Every day God does provide, after all who made the lambs that give us such tasty meat to eat.
Who made the vegetables grow that give us vitamins we need to live life to the full.
God did He provides.

- As a result we will have reason to praise God.
So we praise and exalt the name of the Lord the most high the Holy one for all He provides.

- You too will be able to say that God has dealt wondrously with you!
When you stop and look back Im sure you will see the finger prints of God as He has worked in your life.


PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your promise and the way in which You work in our lives. Thank You that Your plans are for our good and not for our evil so that we will be able to declare that You are good and Your goodness has restored our souls. Amen.

How your SIN can effect others.

How your SIN can effect others.

Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity… —Psalm 28:5

No mine, my sin is not bad sin. It is only sin. It isn’t big sin it isn’t small sin, it is just normal sin so it shouldn’t effect other peoples lives. My sin will only effect my life.

That how we recon on our sin isn’t it small, medium or big it is our sin and therefore it should only effect us.

Well it doesn’t, our sin, yes your sin and my sin has effects on other peoples lives. Yes our sin might even assist and encourage them to sin and say that sin is not so bad.

God call sin, SIN, small, medium or big sin is sin in His eyes.

So think about the next time you sin, think about others and how it will effect their lives, prephas this will help to stop you from committing the sin.

A couple gets a divorce. The children of the marriage suffer and are damaged because of the act of the divorce (sin). 

A son or daughter get involved in drugs (sin) and his or her parents suffer the damage from their actions.  A church member sins and when God corrects that church there will be others in the church who will bear some of the collective suffering who were not at fault.

Think twice of how your sin will result in damage to someone else.

Yes your and my sin will and can bring suffering to innocent people around us.

So lets think of them, before we sin.

Stay clean Stay pure be God’s Child try not to sin as much as possible.

Why Don’t we hear God speak

Why Don’t we hear God speak

Speak God I am Listening Samuel was told to this.

Then He heard Gods voice, tell Him what to do.

1 Samuel 3:10

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

We have Ears on both sides of our head and I hope that they are both in working condition.

Do you use them is the question?

"God gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear

twice as much as we can speak."

Perhaps we need to listen to what our parents always tell us wise people parents are.

When I was a child my mother always told me that we have two ears but only one tongue so that we should hear more and speak less!!!.

Ever ask why do, we speak so much, some of us never even seem to shut up at stages, our tongues we could say are over worked.

So why don’t we Listen

I think that this is pressured on by this world we live in.

Lets look at hunters in the beginning of time it is said that people had a better sense of hearing than they have now.

Some had trained there ears to hear certain animal sounds which not every one could hear. This ear training was you could say an art which had to be practised as they would spend lots of time just sitting and listening to the sounds which animals made in the wild.

Yes I like to imagine that good hunters could even heat an ant move, I have spent time months with bushmen of Africa. They make this clicking sound when they talk. The different clicks at different pitches form a language which they use to communicate to one another. This clicking language is not an easy language to learn at all it takes years of practice and lots of listening they told me.

The trouble with us is we have made a choice not to listen to things and yes sometimes even people in this world we have stopped training our ears I feel.

I often hear my wife say Andrew did you hear what I said.

We choose not to listen, we I know I do, I have selective hearing, So I can choose, so can you choose to hear or not to hear that is the question.

Do you want to hear and it depends on who is talking, is it important, and so on we need to make a choice which will make it easier to listen.

Some of us do listen but we might say we hear to many voices speaking like there are many people talking to us and we are not sure which one is Gods voice. Maybe because we are not sure who is who that is why we choose to listen less.

We are over worked and just to busy to stop and listen carefully as this takes lots of precious time which we don’t have so much of.

Stop making excuses we are all good at that God wants us to Just listen for a change.

I think that often we just don’t recognize God’s voice as God’s voice because we don’t know God’s voice what it sounds like.

Does God speak loud or soft, does He speak at a certain pitch or tone, does God address us in a certain manner. Does He call our name. Maybe now we are getting closer I like to believe that God calls us by name as his word says so.

If you don’t know God well then you wont know what His voice sounds like you could say.

Think of some one you know and how well you know there voice.

I know my wife’s voice on the phone, I’m sure you know your spouses voice when they call you.

I’m sure if you said hello Mary instead of Sharleen then you might just be in a bit of trouble.

We need to know God’s voice just like we know other peoples voices on this earth.

So how do we get to know God’s voice?

1. Firstly we need to Get to know God better.

So how do we get to know God better?

(Deuteronomy 4:29-31 NKJV) "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

We will get to know God better when we seek Him with our whole heart, when we seek God with all our body, mind, and soul then we will be more open to God.

Change the ways of your body from controlling your mind.

Encourage your mind to think of God more often.

Refresh your soul with God as often as possible.

(2 Chronicles 7:14-15 NKJV) "If My people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Ask for forgiveness and God will supply and we will come to know him better. So that’s cool I now know God. What else?

2. Secondly we need to spend time with God more often.

Where is your chair Bill Hybels tell the story…

Ask where is your Chair when last did you make time for God?

3. Thirdly we need to Be Still and Listen and Record.

Psalm 46 v 10

Be Still and know that I am God.

When was the last time you were really still. I know when I come to God I am not often still. This is a pratice which I have had to force my self to learn and obey.

You see we are not encouraged to be still in this world, we are encouraged to be busy most the time.

But God says Be Still so why not? God rested on the seventh day when he created this earth. So why cant we rest when God asked us to. Be Still is something we can do if only we try a bit it is possible.

Have you ever tried to hear one voice at a time when ten people are talking at once.

It is like you are at a soccer match and ever one is the commentator. Im sure God feels like we are always having say as and when we pray, but God needs to talk to us also. If we don’t be still then we wont hear God speak. If we want to hear God then we must be still. So I challenge you to be still the next time you pray you might hear something from God.

If you do write it down the people in the bible did this that is how we got to get a bible to read. Yes record the message as it is always good to have it to remind us later in life.

4. Fourthly we need to put into Action what God asks of us.

Put it in to action. What good is it if your boss tells you to do something in a meeting and you choose not to action the request. Do you think that your employer will be happy with you if he/ she finds the job ask to do not done.

Prephas you wont have a job no more. Prephas you will face a lot of concerns with your family at home later.

So how must God feel when we ignore Him, after all He is God.

So Action must happen we are the hands and Feet of God.

We need to start learning how to listen...

GOD is longing to be gracious to you!

 Isaiah 30:18
And therefore the Lord earnestly waits, expecting, looking, and longing to be gracious to you!
- God wants to be gracious and kind to you!
Remember that first love that first infatuation with someone you were crazy about, that is how God loves you...

- God is ready to meet you with His mercy and kindness.
God wants to show you that same kindness you showed to your first love and more so much more.

- God is waiting to show you His kindness and grace.
He wants us to have His grace after all that is why Christ died for our sins on the cross.

- He wants to be good to you!
God loves you so much that He is crazy about you...

PRAYER: Lord, I am looking forward to what You want to do in my life. I am expectant and anticipating Your kindness towards me! Amen.

praise the name of the Lord, YOUR GOD

Joel 2:26
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, YOUR GOD, Who has dealt wondrously with you.
- God has good things in store for you!

- This verse speaks of God's provision and of fulfillment.

- As a result we will have reason to praise God.

- You too will be able to say that God has dealt wondrously with you!


PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your promise and the way in which You work in our lives. Thank You that Your plans are for our good and not for our evil so that we will be able to declare that You are good and Your goodness has restored our souls. 
Amen.

Prayer ( Are you to Busy ??? )

Prayer

I want to ask you today how busy are you. Today we are busy in life which stands for to be under satans yoke, yes we are so busy in life that every thing we do must be done at a very very fast pace. We sort of talk quickly, we dress in a hurry sometimes. Ive dressed in a hurry sometimes, I did this a while ago, as I drove to work I said to my self my feet feel strange on the cars pedals today. As I look down when I arrived at work I saw that I still had my slippers on…have you ever done something like that. I remember taking my wife Sharleen a red shoe one day because she went to work with different shoes, one red one brown. Has that happen to you, I’m sure it has.

Its like some of us eat fast , we think fast, do every thing in life kind of fast, it is as if sometimes we can’t slow down, step out of it even take the time to relax…

I don’t know about you but when I went to school we were taught to recite things, poems, stories and Passages of Scripture, it became an easy thing to do to stand on a stage and say….the poem to just repeat it or utter it aloud , especially before an audience.

I really enjoyed doing this and did speech and drama for quite a while as I found it rather satisfying.

Who learnt the Lord’s prayer?

Did you also learn Psalm 23?

( Read the Lord Prayer fast )

Matthew 6:9-13

( 9"This, then, is how you should pray: )
   " 'Our Father in heaven,
   hallowed be your name,
 10your kingdom come,
   your will be done
      on earth as it is in heaven.
 11Give us today our daily bread.
 12Forgive us our debts,
      as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 13And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.

( Read Pslam 23 fast )

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
       he leads me beside quiet waters,

 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness
       for his name's sake.  4 Even though I walk
       through the valley of the shadow of death,
       I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
       your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Its not very humble is to say it so fast, but we do.

I want to ask as we learn something off by heart do we sill savour the words?

Do the words still have the same meaning they were meant have when they were first spoken? Just like the first time a song is sang it is kind of special the second time it is less special and the third less and the fourth less till eventually it means nothing it is just sung. It is done out of habit.

I don’t know about you but this seems like a bad habit to have.

To not be humble to do things in a hurry.

Yes we can  learn scripture and recite it and it becomes habitual. Oh don’t get me wrong it is very important to know scripture. As a Jewish boy in the days of JESUS scripture was very important. You had to be able to recite the first 5 books of the bible, can you imagine been able to do that. I would say fortunately that teaching has fallen by the wayside today.

We must never forget how the words were first written and how it sounded the first time it was read or spoken. The meaning, the emphasis, that was there then, at the time, is it still there now? How it was said in a humble manner.

(Talk about brying meat how you add spices to flavour it and how as you smell it when it cooks and how it tastes as you savour it as you eat it.)

Point  1

Pray with meaning and (HUMBLE)… (2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.)

(Answered Prayer Story)

Awhile ago a Pastor decided to set about some time to prayer for his family. He prayed everyday from 11 to 12 for all the members of his family. As the Pastors children grew up and matured they all meet with Christ. His Young adults married into Christian homes and they also had grandchildren. The Pastor decided to add the Grandchildren to his list. As Two sons from one of the families of his grand children entered adulthood both of the sons regersted at the same Bible College. When the sons completed the Bible College, the one son choose to enter the ministry. The other son decided to write stories and books which pass on the education he had gained, that sons name was Dr James Dobson from Focus on the family.

A famous son today all threw many hours of prayer every day.

Never Ceasing always at the feet of GOD the Father.

Is pray the last resort often it is in our lives I don’t know about you but I normally try everything else to solve a problem before I take it to GOD, are you also guilty of that ?

Point 2

Payer is not the last resort it should be the ( First)…and we must never (Stop)… (1 Th. 5.17). Pray without ceasing)

(Prayer Walking Story Mathew)

The Lords prayer is recorded again in Luke

Luke 11:2-13

2He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3Give us each day our daily bread. 4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. "

So Jesus tells us how we should pray, He kind of knows He needs to leave us with guide lines. Guide lines that will help us one the window to Eternity, the window to God’s world.

Yes Jesus prayed regularly, his first disciples recalled. He prayed before decisive moments, beginning with his baptism and as he faced his passion all through His ministry and even as He faced death. He prayed in times of human weakness, sickness and death, as he did at the grave of Lazarus. He frequently prayed to give thanks. His prayer was steady, thankful, and confident that God's will was for his good. His prayer was heartfelt. Nowhere is that more evidence than when Christ when He prayed on the cross to the Father during those hard times.

Andrew Murray says that

"Prayer is reaching out and after the unseen; fasting, letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepens, confirms the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God."

John Smith

"Perhaps you will have to spend hours on your knees or upon your face before the throne. Never mind. Wait. God will do great things for you if you will wait for Him. Yield to Him. Cooperate with Him."

3.How did JESUS say we should pray, are you getting back to basics?

Point 3

Prayer is important it must not be (Missed)…JESUS instructs us how we should prayer to God the father (Matthew 6:9-13

  9"This, then, is how you should pray:    " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, …10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread.  12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation,  but deliver us from the evil one. (for thine is the kingdom the power and the Glory forever and ever Amen.)

What do they say if you want to fight like a man you have to get on you knees!!!

Closing ask people to prayer for one another

Prayer to pray

Dear Jesus,
Thank you so much

for your unconditional,

never-ending love

for all your blessings.

Forgive me for ignoring

you so many times.

I want you in my life,

please forgive all of my sins

and give me your gift of eternal life.

In Jesus’ Name.

Amen.”

FOCUS ON ME

don hershman April 2003; Rev 2: 1-7

I work hard, and I’m busy most the time

I’ve got no time for myself

My life is booked up, I just can’t relax

In truth, I run, way too fast

I’ve got my dreams I must focus on

I’ve got high standards to maintain

My family’s so busy, so many places to be

Lord, demand on our lives is extreme

CHORUS

And the Lord says..... “It’s time to rethink

You must keep the Main Thing the main thing

It’s time to re-tool; where do your priorities lie?

You are pilgrims in this world and must focus on high

Child, focus on Me, and not the world and it’s lies

Child, focus on me, not the world