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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2021 8:58:33 GMT
Suggested praise link
We have a choice - who or what will we centre our lives around?
This choice takes each of us down a path of decisions that shape who we are, what we feel, who or what we value, and what we will have accomplished at the end of our days.
To centre our lives around ourselves or the things of this world leads only to destruction.
But, to centre our lives around meeting with God fills each moment with the glorious abundance of God’s love, provision, and peace.
We all choose to centre our lives around something or someone.
Every decision is made through the filter of what we value most.
For some, we centre our lives around ourselves.
For others, we centre our lives around the opinions of others.
Still others choose to centre life around a notion or concept, believing it to be of greatest importance.
My prayer is that we as his church, the body of Christ, would begin to centre our lives here on earth around meeting with our Creator because he is absolutely the worthiest recipient of our highest value.
Psalm 84:10-12 “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”
When I place my trust and value in God, I position myself to live in relationship with the Father who loves me..
Our God longs to meet with us.
He longs for us to taste and see his goodness.
That’s how we experience the incredible, abundant life God longs to give us.
For most of my life I believed God was my centre, that Jesus was my highest value.
But in reality my actions, time, thoughts, and emotions didn’t always reflect those statements.
You see, we spend time with those we most love.
We centre our emotions, actions, and thoughts around whatever person or thing we most value.
Unless our lives truly reflect a posture of being centred around Jesus, we must take an honest assessment of ourselves and ask God to help us make changes.
We must bring our lives before God and ask for his help in transforming us into children marked by his presence.
Centring our lives around anything but Jesus will only lead us to disappointment and dissatisfaction.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus!
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Post by james on Feb 10, 2021 12:23:40 GMT
Amen Mike amen.
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Post by Dave on Feb 10, 2021 18:58:36 GMT
Loved that old Stoneleigh worship song.
And as the Bro'(brother) said Mike, 'a good word' if I'm honest, my christian walk has resonated with 'good words' but one or this one does tend to wonder how effectual they have been, and which ground did they all fell into in the out working of them.
I think every Sunday one decided that one needed to be 'more like Jesus' and then it was the next Sunday, Old Test'(------) David said, 'one thing have I desired that-----' and one ponders, was that what dictated all his life's decisions, or was it in the certain knowledge of the Lord as the Shepherd of the HIS sheep and David could rest in that certainty for his end?
Can decisions for today be made by looking back (Lot's wife) or in giving thanks for THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE.
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Post by ivor on Feb 14, 2021 9:37:06 GMT
Mike wrote .. Unless our lives truly reflect a posture of being centred around Jesus, we must take an honest assessment of ourselves and ask God to help us make changes.
We must bring our lives before God and ask for his help in transforming us into children marked by his presence.
To me that's "church" - proving to oneself by wearing a perceived image of what is expected of a Christian. "Church" is a much broader brush than any of us imagine. The man on death row could be a Christian and the preacher on the public stage may not be. The African warrior may be a Christian while the man who devoted himself to feeding the poor in the soup kitchen may not be. Our relationship with God starts by talking to him (often out loud and about anything then waiting to see what happens)
That's about it "talking to God" thereafter the Holy Spirit does the changing inside
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2021 13:26:55 GMT
Mike wrote .. Unless our lives truly reflect a posture of being centred around Jesus, we must take an honest assessment of ourselves and ask God to help us make changes.
We must bring our lives before God and ask for his help in transforming us into children marked by his presence.To me that's " church" - proving to oneself by wearing a perceived image of what is expected of a Christian. " Church" is a much broader brush than any of us imagine. The man on death row could be a Christian and the preacher on the public stage may not be. The African warrior may be a Christian while the man who devoted himself to feeding the poor in the soup kitchen may not be. Our relationship with God starts by talking to him (often out loud and about anything then waiting to see what happens) That's about it "talking to God" thereafter the Holy Spirit does the changing inside |
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Post by ivor on Feb 14, 2021 15:29:51 GMT
No... I and millions of others have no part in the small (c) church building and structure of doing denominational churchy things and all of their demands but I do have a connection with those people who also know Jesus in the big (C) Church people around the whole world who talk to Jesus whoever they may be.. and wherever they choose to be either in the church building or outside of it. The Holy Spirit has me declare amen to what they say
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Post by Dave on Feb 16, 2021 5:12:47 GMT
It's funny today I was having a look at the South Chard fellowship when it was started by Uncle Syd and his wife, and some of the ministries that evolved from their ministry, in those early days of no pulpit and body ministry, of the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to move through the members, when a testimony evolved into a line upon line word and one song could set the anointing free, giving, was a pot at the back on your way out unless there was a particular need for someone to put "bread" on their table. What I see as 'church' today bears no resemblance to the early 'Chard' days. Has the 'church' moved on to bigger and better things, at the cost of the anointing? As the old song said, 'Those were the days my friend --------' but they came and they went  . Hopefully in the restoration they will be part of the 'all things' |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2021 9:55:03 GMT
It's funny today I was having a look at the South Chard fellowship when it was started by Uncle Syd and his wife, and some of the ministries that evolved from their ministry, in those early days of no pulpit and body ministry, of the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to move through the members, when a testimony evolved into a line upon line word and one song could set the anointing free, giving, was a pot at the back on your way out unless there was a particular need for someone to put "bread" on their table. What I see as 'church' today bears no resemblance to the early 'Chard' days. Has the 'church' moved on to bigger and better things, at the cost of the anointing? As the old song said, 'Those were the days my friend --------' but they came and they went . Hopefully in the restoration they will be part of the 'all things'
I think we can disregard 'church as a building' even though, unless my eyes deceive me, church buildings do 'exist'.
Otherwise the 'church' as per Matthew 16:18 surely takes on both a universal and a local expression (unless you are one of those who are so 'frightened of the word 'church' that you use another word such as 'ecclesia' as your preferred translation of Matthew 16:18).
As for the local expression of church/ecclesia I see that as Christians who "do not forget the assembling of themselves together".
Christians who do not "assemble themselves together" in any prearranged manner presumably simply remain part of the 'universal church'.
My preferred form of 'South Chard' church/ecclesia meets in 'house groups', and my preference is for a house group without any form of expected agenda (apart from something to drink and nibble) with conversation involving whatever trivial/serious or secular/spiritual topic just happen to emerge.
If a hymn or a prayer gets thrown in then no probs, and if not then again 'no probs'. |
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Post by Dave on Feb 16, 2021 19:37:35 GMT
My old father in law was a lover of old churches and the interned residents, it was that every village could muster in Sussex a church other than a R,C.
I used to have many brass rubbings from ye olde churches.
Peter was a stone not the 'rock' but the revelation of Christ was what precipitated the nations church through Paul, and the pattern from 1Cor 11,12, 13, 14 for the 'church' where 'servant'ship overshadows 'ruler'ship and many house fellowships, shipwrecked, on a leader wanting to rule.
My last foray into H,Church ended when they asked me what I believed, you would have loved it Mike, coffee and fellowship with nibbles, usually a chorus and prayer, then someone shared, or would read an excerpt from say, John Wesley(put that in for Ivor) and more refreshments and then any thoughts would prevail.
It's funny how the saints have Gods love just about them!!!!!
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Post by ivor on Feb 17, 2021 13:46:11 GMT
It's funny today I was having a look at the South Chard fellowship when it was started by Uncle Syd and his wife, and some of the ministries that evolved from their ministry, in those early days of no pulpit and body ministry, of the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to move through the members, when a testimony evolved into a line upon line word and one song could set the anointing free, giving, was a pot at the back on your way out unless there was a particular need for someone to put "bread" on their table. What I see as 'church' today bears no resemblance to the early 'Chard' days. Has the 'church' moved on to bigger and better things, at the cost of the anointing? As the old song said, 'Those were the days my friend --------' but they came and they went . Hopefully in the restoration they will be part of the 'all things'
I think we can disregard 'church as a building' even though, unless my eyes deceive me, church buildings do 'exist'.
Otherwise the 'church' as per Matthew 16:18 surely takes on both a universal and a local expression (unless you are one of those who are so 'frightened of the word 'church' that you use another word such as 'ecclesia' as your preferred translation of Matthew 16:18).
As for the local expression of church/ecclesia I see that as Christians who "do not forget the assembling of themselves together".
Christians who do not "assemble themselves together" in any prearranged manner presumably simply remain part of the 'universal church'.
My preferred form of 'South Chard' church/ecclesia meets in 'house groups', and my preference is for a house group without any form of expected agenda (apart from something to drink and nibble) with conversation involving whatever trivial/serious or secular/spiritual topic just happen to emerge.
If a hymn or a prayer gets thrown in then no probs, and if not then again 'no probs'. |
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Post by Dave on Feb 17, 2021 15:01:54 GMT
A BOLD STATEMENT Ivor, but which of Mikes bits did 'YOU ARE RIGHT' apply to?
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