The Way, the truth and the life

It was a beautiful day, in mid-October. The autumn had been amazing. There hadn't been much rain and the days had been sunny, with a crisp chill in the air, keeping the leaves crunchy. The trees were ablaze of colours, like fire. The countryside looked amazing, the arching trees, rolling fields of green and yellow and the leaves lightly gliding down to the earth, like golden confetti.
We were on our way to Tumbridge, the sky was blue and the sun was shinning and at one point, the morning sun's rays, shown through the golden branches of the trees and shines through the mist. Then Lewis pipes up, 'When I see the sun like that it reminds me of God!'

It was Saturday morning and we were trying to get to Tumbridge in a transit van and I had stupidly said, 'We should take the back way, it was quicker last time I went.'

Well... well done Clare, because just after we had been admiring the scenery, sunlight and colours of the autumn trees, Jane said, 'I feel like we are going round in circles. I think we went the wrong way at that roundabout.'

Tip no.1: Do not trust Satnavs-they do not recognise newish (built in the last 5 years) and then you get completely lost!
But the main point of this story(which is true) is that sometimes the journey is wonderful, beautiful and comfortable. Sometimes you can be enjoying the journey and think your going the right way. When sometimes you are actually completely lost and you never realised it.

I guess sometimes is it easy to forget the way and get lost, we do it all the time, in so many different ways. Physically lost, emotionally lost, financially lost (especially at this moment in time with the economic crisis) and the most hard to realise when you have got lost, spiritually lost.

A little girl got lost in a shopping centre and her parents were frantic. They were so worried about her. They decided the best way to proceed and find her was for the mum to go one way and the dad to go the other way. So off they went.
When the dad saw his daughter from across the centre, he stood back and observed her. She was standing outside a sweet shop, looking longingly at the sweets in the shop window. His daughter did not look distraught, she did not look like how children normally look when they are lost. In fact the girl hadn't even realised that she was lost. She was perfectly contented where she was.
So she didn't realise and see that her father had come back to get her.

Sometimes when we are lost or have taken the wrong turning we don't realise we are lost and we don't realise that our Father has come to find us.
When we were all lost- our Father had to find us, so He sent Jesus to be our guide, to be our satnav, the ultimate satnav that doesn't go wrong, to be the way.

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” John 14:6-7

This is one of the most important passages in the Bible- that Jesus is the way! How can we know the way to God? Only through Jesus!
Jesus is the way because He is both God and man. By uniting our lives with His, we are uniting with God.
Jesus is the ONLY way to God the Father, some people may argue that it is too narrow for everyone one to get through, a bit like a tiny country lane that two cars cannot pass down. However it is wide- so wide, wide enough for the world to pass don and unite with God! Jesus is not a tiny country lane-instead He is a motorway, wide enough for everyone and for everyone to travel at their own pace.
Do not worry that The Way is limited, God has provided us with a way- Jesus and we should be thanking God for providing us with a way.

Together we cry!

Together we cry...
Together we cry…
Jenny was poor girl living in a rich world
Named her baby hope when he was just fourteen
She was hoping for a better world for this little girl
But the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree
Well she gets that call hope’s too far gone

Her baby’s on the way but nothing left inside

Together we cry!

What about the junk head could have gone the whole way

Lighting up the stage trying to get a deal

Now he’s lighting up the wrong way“something for the pain!”

Man you wanna see this kid he was so fuckin’ unreal

When he gets that call he’s too far gone

To get it together to sing one song hey won’t hear tonight

The words of a lullaby

Together we cry…

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Together we cry…

Together we cry…

Oh we cry we cry we cry

Together we cry.

Oh oh…Oh…

Mary’s ambitious she wanna to be a politician

She been dreaming about it since she was a girl

She thought that she’d be the one to change the world

Always trying to pave the way for a woman in a… man’s world

Life happened, house, kids, 2 cars, husband hits the jar,

Cheques that don’t go very far now

Now she in it can’t change it, she keeps her mind on her wages

The only rattling cages!

Ohhh…Together we cry

Together we cry

There’s so much sad wanna flood the ocean

We're all in tears from the world is broken

Together we cry.

There comes a time when every bird has to fly

At some point every rose has to die

It’s hard to let your children go home

Where they go?

Who knows!

Getting drunk

Getting stoned All alone

Teach a man to fish

You’ll feed him never lie

You show your kids the truth hope they never lie

Instead of reading in a letter that they’ve gone to something better

“Bet your sorry now! I won’t be coming home tonight”

I’m sick of looking for those heroes in the sky

To teach us how to fly

Together we cry

Together we cry…

Together we cry…

So much sad wanna flood the ocean

We're all in tears from the world is broken

Together we cry…

Oh…Yeah…

Together we cry, cry…

Together we cry

This world is broken and this song seems to show no hope for it ever being fixed. I decided to share this song with you,a ll of it, sware words and all, because I believe that we all know people with stories like these.

What do we do when we here these stories? What do we do when we know these people? What do we do when we watch the news or read the newspaper and hear time after time about murder, suiside, broken families, broken people, war, crime, illness, debt?
What is our reaction to evil and brokeness?

I know that it can sometimes be so easy to just sit back, especially if its the news and just let it wash over us. Sometimes it can seem as if we have become desensitised and forget that we should be weeping for this world full of brokeness.

When we come face to face to these people do we become holier than thou or do we have mercy and compassion on people that are desperate for love.

In a world that is so broken as this, it needs Jesus even more than before. Jesus can be here through us, we are His hands and feet. We are His eyes and His ears. We are His representatives on this world.

We should be on our hands and knees crying out to God to save these people, to save this broken world, because though we sow in sorrow, we will harvest in joy!

There may not be much hope left in the world,

but when hope is lost,

it can always be found again!

Do not lose hope that this world will one day be fixed

So let this be our prayer:

And now, God, do it again—

bring rains to our drought-stricken lives

So those who planted their crops in despair

will shout hurrahs at the harvest,

So those who went off with heavy hearts

will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

Psalm 126:5 (The Message)

I want, I want...

"I want, I want!", "That's mine", "I want!" Its all I hear from the begging, screaming children (and many adults) in the supermarket.

Why is it that we always want what we can't have, what we can't afford and what everyone else has got?

Why do we allow ourselves to feel jealousy and even act upon that green-eyed monster? Even when we know that the other person deserves the object, time, person or even praise. When we know we should feel happy for them and yet instead we feel the pangs of jealousy spring up within our souls.

I will be honest here, I can be and have been a very jealous person!

I was at a wedding the other week, where my best friend from school was getting married. Not the best place to be when your single, all the couples sitting together etc...

As the music starts and she walks down the isle, as well as feeling so happy for her, I felt jealousy creep up inside of me, wishing it was me getting married (not to her husband to be though). However realising and recognising this feeling allowed me to let go and have fun and just be really happy and pleased for her.

Sometimes we need to recognise the things we want and realise that it isn't ever about what we want but what we need. And that is God gives us!

He provides us with everything.... everything we need!

As all good mothers say "I want never gets!"

But "I need" does!

I asked for strength that I might achieve;

I was made weak that I might obey.

I asked for health that I might do greater things;

I was given grace that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy;

I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;

I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;

I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I had asked for,but everything that I had hoped for.

My prayer was answered, I was most blessed.

Unknown Confederate soldier

Sometimes we need to realise that all the things we feel jealous of will not bring us enjoyment of life, but only Life from God that we can enjoy all things.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (New International Version)

If only I gave my all...

"...a beggar...sees a golden carriage approaching from afar 'like a gorgeous dream'. Realising that it is the carriage of the King, the beggar prays for riches. This, he believes, is the greatest opportunity of his life.

Sure enough, the carriage stops where the beggar stands and the king climbs out with a smile. But then. the strangest thing happens: the King stretches out His empty hand and asks the beggar, 'What have you to give me?'

Confused and uncertain, the beggar reaches into his bag and takes out a grain of corn- only one, and the smallest. Is this a joke? Slowly, he places it into the King's palm.

At the end of the day, when the beggar empties his bag on the floor, he is surprised to discover a single grain of gold- but only one, and the smallest.

'I bitterly wept,' the beggar said, 'and wished that I had the heart to give my all.'"

(ANON)

Sometimes, we are asked to give something of ourselves, not knowing that if we do, God will pour out His blessings on us a thousand times more.

Mostly I begrudgingly give myself to God, maybe only giving the smallest part of me, my money, time etc... and yet when I do this God still honours His promise and gives back to me.

However sometimes I wonder if 'I had the heart to give my all', how much richer would my life be.

Whether it be myself, my money, my gifts or my time, it is hard to give away what is mine. I may rationalise it by telling myself God deserves it, He deserves everything of me. Which is true as He has brought me back, by His son's death, and I no longer belong to the world but to Him. However as I am human I am selfish and these things are mine and they belong to me. Or do they?

J. John told this story:

"There was a man at an airport and while he was waiting for his flight, the man bought himself a bag of 6 fresh donuts, a newspaper and a coffee. The man sits down at a free table and takes a sip of his coffee, as he does another man asks if he can sit at his table. The man begrudgingly agrees and takes a donut from his bag. He opens his paper and begins to read, as he does the man opposite, takes a donut from his bag and begins to eat it. This annoys the man, so he pulls the bag of donuts closer to him and takes another to eat. The other man takes another donut from his bag. Annoyed even further, the man takes another of his donuts to eat. The other man's flight is called and he leaves the table, saying goodbye and that he could have the last donut. The man is confused, off course he can have the last donut, the are his! When the man's flight is called he reaches down to pick up his suitcase, he sees a bag of donuts. That is when the man realises that the donuts he had eaten were in fact not his but the other man and that he had left his donuts on his suitcase.'

Sometimes we can get the wrong idea and think that everything belongs to us, when in fact everything does not.

It all belongs to God!

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9

Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, "The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all!"

Luke 21:1-4 (The message)

We are fools to believe that God belongs to us, When actually its that we belong to Him!

Lets give our all!

Sit Idly by while the heedless millions die!

"As I looked out of the window, I seemed to see them all... millions of people all around me given up to their drink and their pleasure, their dancing and their music, their business and their anxieties, their politics and their troubles. Ignorant- willfully ignorant in many cases- and in other instances knowing all about the truth and not caring at all."

William Booth

(founder of the Salvation Army)

As Christians, people who have accepted Jesus as the King and saviour and are forgiven from sin, we have a duty, a calling, a final commandment from Jesus Himself to tell the Good News, spread the word, love the unlovable and find the lost!

William Booth saw what was happening in the world. People may believe that the world is a better place then the time that William Booth saw this, but the world is still full of lying politicians, longing for power, still full of people oppressing one another, still full of sorrow and suffering, addictions and more. Today's world is still full of hurting, lost people. It is still full of the people William Booth looked out on and saw a vision for those lost people.

"In that ocean I thought I saw myriads of poor human beings plunging and floating, shouting and shrieking, cursing and struggling and drowning; and as they cursed and screamed they rose and shrieked again, and then some sank to rise no more."

William Booth saw this and saw how much in need of saving our world still is.

"And I saw out of this dark angry ocean, a mighty rock that rose up with it’s summit towering high above the black clouds that overhung the stormy sea. And all around the base of this great rock I saw a vast platform. Onto this platform, I saw with delight a number of the poor struggling, drowning wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean. And I saw that a few of those who were already safe on the platform were helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach the place of safety.On looking more closely I found a number of those who had been rescued, industriously working and scheming by ladders, ropes, boats and other means more effective, to deliver the poor strugglers out of the sea. Here and there were some who actually jumped into the water, regardless of the consequences in their passion to "rescue the perishing." And I hardly know which gladdened me the most- the sight of the poor drowning people climbing onto the rocks reaching a place of safety, or the devotion and self-sacrifice of those whose whole being was wrapped up in the effort for their deliverance.As I looked on, I saw that the occupants of that platform were quite a mixed company. That is, they were divided into different "sets" or classes, and they occupied themselves with different pleasures and employments. But only a very few of them seemed to make it their business to get the people out of the sea."

The thing is do we remember that we were once saved (and still saved and safe) and help with the saving of others still lost, drowning in the sea.

Are you one of those who care so much about those lost, dieing people that you would jump in and risk your life for others?

Could you care enough to sacrifice everything for the Salvation of someone else, someone you love... What about someone you don't?

A call to all Christians out there...

Do you Care? Do you sit 'Idly by while the heedless millions die?'

There's not a star in Heaven that we can't reach!!

Tonight at Kingdom Kids we put on a talent show, organised by our Junior Soldiers, Ben, Chelsea, Rebbecca and Hannah for all the parents, carers, friends and family to raise money for the Annual Appeal. Our aim was £40, but amazingly we raised £102.00!! This will go towards Ashford Salvation Army Christian Centre's aim to raise a total of £6,000 for the annual appeal.
It was an amazing night, full of laughter, fun and joy. So many people turned up in support, which was brilliant.
All the children and young people were fabulous and there talents were brilliant!!

A lot of the children and young people sang songs from High School Musical. High School musical has a really good message about being yourself no matter what others say!

Today those children and young people stood up and did a Talent, something they feel that they are good at. People watched them and they all let them be themselves no matter how bizzarre, strange, good, funny their talent was, They were accepted!

One of the songs from the film is called breaking free, the song talks about trying your best, no matter what the world sees, who they think you are.

'You know the world can see us, in a way that’s different than who we are'

But the song goes on to say that you can be yourself, you can break free from, labeling, peer pressure or prejudice.

'We’re breaking free,

We’re soaring, Flying.

There’s not a star in heaven

That we can’t reach

If we’re trying

Yeah, we’re breaking free'

I really like this song because it is a really nice happy song, but also because it's message is more than what it seems at first.

You know that God says 'I will break you free and we will soar and fly. You can reach Heaven, if you try, with my help!'

'But your faith it gives me strength,

Strength to believe'

God, The Father's faith in me, gives me strength to try and to believe that I can do all He has planned, all He has asked of me... He has the faith and believes that there's not a star in heaven that I can't reach, with Him!

The Kiss of Life

God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!

Genesis 2:7-8 (The Message)

When God created Human Kind, He breathed breath into Adam and Eve and they became alive! God was down on His knees beside His wonderful creation, beautifully made in Him image. He knelt in the dust that He made us from and gave the first kiss of life into Adam. God blew soul and life into Adam.

Every time a child is born, God gets down on His knees and gives them the kiss of life and breathes life into them.

When God the Father, created me and you, He breathed His life giving breath into us, just like the modern day kiss of life... However with the power to create life, which we do not have and we lived. We became beings with a heart that beats, a mind which thinks and a soul which soars.

Since that first kiss of life, we live and grow, sometimes with God and sometimes without Him, our Father who created us individually, to His own plan and sometimes or even most of the time we live the life He gave us without Him.

As we go through this life, in this dark world, we go through many things, some good, family, friendships and some bad, break ups, ill health, loss and hatred. We become addicted to things that harm us, we abuse our bodies, we neglect our souls, we hurt others and ourselves and so much more.

When we live without God, without the breath of God- His Holy Spirit, our guide, our strength, our teacher, companion and friend through this journey of life... when we live without Him, the darkness in this world can consume us. When all the spiritual evils around us slowly kill us (spiritually).

When we are at our lowest, we we feel as if we have nothing left, we our soul and spirit is dead and we realise we need help. God performs the kiss of life on us again and The Holy Spirit creates life in us once again.

Do you need the Kiss of Life today?

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

John 20:21-22 (New Living Translation)

24:1 (being with God 24:7)

This weekend we had a 24:1 prayer event. We held one 2 years ago and it was a success, so Flame youth group (who organised the first event) decided it was time for our church to do this again. I want to Thank Rachel and Ellie for organising this.

It was an amazing time and for me especially as I looked around at the young people and others who were there to take time out with God, I saw an Acts 2:42 community church.

42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

We prayed together, we ate together, we praised God together, we studied His word together and we slept together. (well at least some of us slept- well done Ian for praying for 24 hours and not sleeping)

I was amazed at how God made the Church to be like this and how we had managed to do this without even trying. This is how God meant His Church to be!

God meant us to not be independent of everyone, 'no man is an island unto himself'. God made humans to be in a relationship with Him first and foremost and to be relationships with others. We must become interdependent, we must be able to rely on each other and others need to be able to rely on us. We must love one and other and give up our all for one another, because that is how God planned it and God's plan are always best.

20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

John 17:20

(NIT empathises added)

Whiter than Snow

It always amazes me that when snow falls, it covers everything. It makes white, there is nothing that is left untouched. It has been snowing all day in Ashford today and my brother and I had so much fun playing in it, building a snowman and walking our dog. Bob the Snowman

Our dog is a west highland terrier, which is a little white dog, however when we were walking him, he didn't look so white. Against the snow Charlie (our dog) looked an off-white colour, because the snow is such a pure white.

I wonder if that's what we look like to God, against Jesus, we are off-white, because Jesus is so pure and so holy.

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51:7 (New Living Translation)

Are you ready to jump?

Imagine that you are on a diving board. really high up above a swimming pool.
God says, 'Jump.'
You look down and to your horror you realise that there is no water in the pool.
You say to God, 'Fill the pool with water first and then I'll jump.'
God replies, 'Jump first and then I'll fill the pool with water.'


What do you do? Do you have faith that God will provide and keep His word?
or do you feel full of fear and terror?


Do not let the ultimate terrorist get in the way of jumping for God. For the devil is the one who strikes fear into our hearts.

Should you be jumping?

Faith vs Fear- Becoming water walkers

What do you think is the most common instruction in the Bible?

It isn't to be more loving, caring and kind. Although this is God's greatest desire for us. This isn't the most common instruction.

Neither is it warnings of pride, to become more humble, to guard sexual purity or to walk with integrity. Although these are really important qualities, they are not the most common.

The most common instruction in the Bible, actually is:

'Fear not'

'Do not fear', 'Do not be afraid', 'Be strong and courageous', 'you can trust me'- is all instructing us to 'Fear not'.

Why 'Fear not'?

Why is it that God is constantly reminding us that we don't need to fear? Its not as if fear is the biggest of vices, its not in the seven deadly sins (although all sin is the same to God). Fear doesn't seem to be the worst thing in the world. So why 'Fear not'?

Fear tempts us most from not doing God's will. It tempts us most from not jumping when God says 'Jump'. Or as John Ortberg puts it, 'Fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacle to trusting and obeying God.'

In other words, Fear gets in the way of us and God. Fear becomes the biggest obstacle in our relationship with God. It causes a void between us and God, it stop us trusting in Him- the creator of both Heaven and Earth, who made you from the dust, this mighty powerful God. When we fear we stop God from being all powerful.

FEAR- It gets in the way!

So God is constantly letting us know that we don't need to fear- we don't need to fear Him, we respect God, but we do not need to fear that He will hurt us or throw lighting bolts at us; we don't need to fear that God won't provide, we don't need to fear the situations that we are in.

We don't need to fear- we need to trust, have faith and obey!

There are 366 'Fear not' verses in the Bible. That is one for everyday of the year, including an extra one for leap years. To me that isn't a coincidence. Time is a human creation, yet God still places enough 'Fear not' verses in the Bible for everyday and one left over for a leap year- only God could do that! How great is God's commitment to us, that He doesn't want us to fear, not one day does He want us to live and struggle with fear, so each day He tells us to 'Fear not'. What a promise!

One of my biggest fears, is quite a silly fear and you might all laugh at it, but it is a fear i have to battle with sometimes. I am afraid of stairs. I fine going up stairs, but coming down stairs is more of a problem. I have fallen down stairs quite a few times and I've been up the hospital a couple of times with suspected broken neck and my Dad has finally put up a banister so I don't fall down our stairs so much. The fear of falling down stairs is my bodies natural reaction to the a situation which might possibly be dangerous and might cause me harm. But if I let this stop me, if I let this fear get in the way- I would be quite stuck, i wouldn't be able to get anywhere as there are a lot of stairs about.

There is a place for fear. Fear at its most basic, is our bodies naturally reaction to a possible dangerous situation. Its our body telling us that we need to run away, or hide.

But we mustn't let fear over ride faith and trust.

The 'No' of fear must never triumph the 'yes' of faith.

In Matthew 14:22, Jesus walked on water towards the disciples and He didn't say anything. Jesus was waiting for the disciples to recognise who He was. But they were terrified and they cried out in fear, believing Jesus to be a ghost.

Now I don't know a bout you, but if I was in a boat at 3am in the middle of a storm, and someone came walking towards me on the water, I might be a little scared too.

It says that Jesus spoke to the disciples 'at once'. Jesus didn't want His disciples to be afraid, He did not want them to fear Him.

Peter responded- not in a testing way, but in response to faith and when Jesus told Him to 'come', he went. I don't know if Peter hesitated or if he went without thinking, because I wasn't there and it doesn't tell us. But I do know if I was in Peter's situation I might feel just a little afraid. It does tell us that Peter that went over the side of the boat and began to walk towards Jesus on the water. For those few minutes before Peter saw the wind and the waves, Peter walked on water! wow! Peter is probably the only person except for Jesus who has every walked on water.

Peter was the only one who had the faith to even get out of the boat. Yes he lost his focus and began to sink and needed Jesus to save him - but at least he got out of the boat. Yes, Peter failed, but he didn't fail us much as the other disciples in the boat.

Peter learnt a lot from failing- he learnt that Jesus would save him, even when he was failing, he learnt that Jesus would save him first and then he would help him to learn the lesson of faith. Although Jesus told Peter he had 'little faith' and asked why he doubted Jesus. Jesus did this is love and away from the other disciples, he was showing that there is no fear in Jesus- for 'perfect fear casts out all fear.'

With faith we must make sure that we keep our focus and our focus must be Jesus.

What is it that you should be doing to get out of your boat? What is it that God is asking for you to step out in faith?

What are you afraid of?

Lets get out of our boats and start water walking!

Lies destroy, But the Truth renews!

'And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free'

John 8:32 (NLT)

When you know Jesus, you know the truth. When you know God, you know the truth of who you really are, why you were created and what you should be.

When you knows theses things, when you know the truth, you are free! How amazing!

'he always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him.

When he lies it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies'

John 8:44 (NLT)

When you know the truth, you also know the lies. The closer you get to the truth the more lies he will spin. The more you are freed by the truth that your Holy Father speaks over you, the harder he tries to make you fall with lies.

I know the pitfalls of this. I know that sometimes it seems easier to listen to the lies, but when you do, he begins to bind you and chain you. You become no longer free.

We must shut our ears to his lies and open them to the truth! For the truth will sent you free.

I have been set free! I know the pain that lies cause! So I warn you- do not listen to the father of lies;

INSTEAD LISTEN TO THE FATHER OF TRUTH!

HE HAS SET YOU FREE!

God's bus stop

Waiting! It can be so frustrating, it can be the most annoying thing in the world. Yet we all have to do it. Sometimes we spend too long doing it. Sometimes we waste are time waiting.
While we're waiting we can become envious of others who are first in line. Like waiting at the doctors you can become annoyed that there is such a long queue in front of you. but one of the most annoying things is waiting in a queue of traffic and you look around at all the people in the other cars and you see how frustrated they get, how angry and annoyed they are because they are having to wait.

However waiting on the Lord is sometimes the same. We pray for people, we pray for answers, we pray to know His will, His plan, we wait for blessings, we wait for Him to lift us up out of the pit or a situation.
We can wait in two different ways when we are waiting on the Lord. We can choose to wait like when we stuck in traffic or waiting for a late bus. We can choose to be come frustrated at God, even angry at Him because God is making us wait. We can choose to lose our focus, even to doubt and lose faith, because what we think we want or need isn't given to us quick enough.
Or we can choose to wait patiently, with hope in God to provide, to have faith and focus on the One who knows what is best, who knows the right time for everything, who's plans are to prosper not to harm.
When we wait like this we might not what we are waiting for, for a very long time, but we must remember whom we are waiting on- the Might One who created both Heaven and Earth. That nothing that we can do will change when we get what we are waiting for. It is completely out of our control and we should allow God to have complete control and trust that He will give what we need.
We also need to be STILL when we wait. Not necessarily physically, sometimes we do need to stop and physically be still, but also emotionally and spiritually still.
Like waiting at a bus stop if we wonder here, there and everywhere, won't we stand a chance of missing the bus. So it is with God' bus stop, we must be still and wait at His bus stop, so we don't miss his bus.
You know the saying, 'you wait all day for a bus and three come along at once.' Well I guess that this is sometimes true for God as well. Sometimes we wait for years and then lots of what we are waiting for all comes along at once, when we least expect it.
But, oh , how good it is when we see that what we have waited for has been given- it has been worth it and how great God is when He blesses us for are patient waiting on Him.

31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.
New Life Version (NLV)

The postive effect week 1

Well my positive effect week went well. there were times when I forgot and thought 'Oh I should have done this... or I should of done that!'
During this week my great aunt Grace died and again it brought home to me the effect we have on people. She was a wonderful lady, who was always so nice to me and I always thought her name was very apt as she always seemed very Graceful! May she enjoy dancing with the angels.
Apart from that my week was very positive. I don't really have any interesting stories because most of what I did was things like letting a car go first, smiling at people, and just generally being nice.

However my friend and I are going to do another week, because now we will remember to be a positive effect on people we meet better than last week! I hope I have some better stories for you!

The positve effect

There is a play called 'An Inspector calls' In this play the playwright shows how we, human beings can have a negative effect on people, whether we know them or not. In this play, a young girl dies and the inspector shows how it is a whole families fault, because of things like, not being nice to her in a shop etc... and it all led to her suicide.

However we, as Christians are called ton be a positive effect on everyone we meet. This at times seems to be a really hard thing to do. The fact that sometimes just by smiling to the people we pass in the street can have a really positive effect on someone, or we could just walk past and not care how we effect the person we are walking past.

This all reminds me of a great story, told by perhaps the greatest story-teller of all time, Jesus.

The good Samaritan... a man is laying half dead on the street after being mugged and attacked. All manner of people walked past this man, one being a priest, yet the only person who help this man was a Samaritan who wasn't even liked by the person he was helping because he was a Samaritan. Yet this man helped him and looked after him and paid for all his care.

It strikes me as weird that nobody of the man's race or religion helped him, they just crossed over the road and left the poor man for dead. How is it that someone who is born an enemy of the dieing man is the only one willing to help him?

Are we like that? Do we have a negative effect on people? Do we cross the road when another human being is in need?

OR

Do we be JESUS in that situation? Do we have a POSITIVE effect on people?

I have set myself a challenge, that for this week I'm going to try really hard to have a positive effect upon everyone I meet, everyone I pass on the street or in a shop and everyone I come into contact with in some way or another. I' not doing this alone, I have God beside me prompting and guiding me and I have a friend who has decided to do this with me and on Sunday we are going to tell each other how everything went with the challenge!

When you are kind to others, you help yourself;

when you're cruel to others, you hurt yourself.

Proverbs 11:17 (The Message)

Prayer...

Lately the Children's ministry team have committed to pray before Kingdom Kids (our children's club). We decided to do this for many reasons and we have found this to be quite a challenge to make sure that we do this before every Kingdom Kids, as there is always so much to do and we have to keep the few children and young people who come with the team occupied.

Although we have found it challenging, we have still managed to pray before most of the sessions. Personally I like to do this because it reminds me why I'm there, why I give up my Friday evenings, when I'm tired, when I'm sick and when I really don't want to be there; it reminds me that I'm there firstly for God and secondly for the children and young people of our community. We do this to help build the Kingdom of Heaven here in Ashford, we do this to make a difference in children's lives, we do this to be Jesus (sometimes the only Jesus they will see) to a community which is in much need for a saviour!

Although this reminds me why I do what I do, why my team do what they do, Praying also gives the whole evening back to God. Its like say 'Okay God, I can't do this, so please do this through me, through my team.' and that what God does, even if I don't say those words, praying gives it over to God. God does the miracles, God does all the good things that happen throughout that evening, just because we took the time to ask God to be there, to bring God into the mix without just assuming that He will, whether we ask or not.

It amazing how much has happened since we decided to start praying together before Kingdom Kids starts. We have got the whole church praying for us in prayer days, we've gone out and visited Kingdom Kids at their homes, we have seen answers to our prayers. We're beginning to see miracles, we've had children and young people saved, children and young people coming to church on a Sunday when they didn't before! So much that I could list from the smallest change to the biggest.

But know that Prayer changes things and if it doesn't, Pray until something does!

11Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.

Romans 12:11-12 (Contemporary English Version)

Please bare with me

I have been having some computer problems lately.
Having no computer at times and now our Internet keeps crashing.
I can't post at work, I think I might get told of if I do.
I haven't given up, just having a few tech problems (and having a think of what to write!!)

So please bare with me, I will be back soon!!