Sermons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

More Messages- Scroll below.

Seeing God in Your Situation after Easter- April '09 4th Week

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened". Ephesians 1:18

When you are in a crisis it's easy to lose perspective. It happened to Jesus' disciples on the Emmaus Road. Discouraged about His death, they were 'going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their...questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognise who he was' (Luke
24:15-16 TM). When you take your eyes off Jesus, you begin to feel helpless about things.

Dr Michael Youssef says, 'Facing a major crisis...I tend to be the kind of person whose vision becomes blurred...my perceptions are shot...my contemplations one-sided...and I often shut out the very people who can deliver me...just like these two disciples...Their vision was blurred about the very person who was walking with
them and talking to them. The One whose death they were mourning was alive...but they didn't realise it because their focus was on the wrong thing.' But everything changed the minute they recognised Him. 'Within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There...the two...told...how Jesus had appeared to them as they were
walking along the road, and how they had recognised him as he was breaking the bread (Luke 24:33-35 NLT).

Notice the words 'within the hour'. In an instant they went from fear to courage, from pain to joy, and from despair to hope. And that's the story of Easter. No matter how bad things may appear to be, when you set your eyes on Jesus He will fill you with hope.

So Paul writes: 'I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened...that you may know the hope to which he has called you.'
I pray that we learn to trust Him and call on Him in every situation.

Pastor Charity
March 2009

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Cutting Off Ears - March '09 4th Week

'Keep your tongue from evil...' Psalm 34:13

At this time that Jesus is about to be crucified for our sins,
let's ponder on some events that took place before His arrest.
When Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He just stood there, even
though He could have called twelve legions of angels to His
defense. Then the mob came, laid hands on Him and arrested
Him. Peter, ready to defend Jesus, drew his sword and cut off
the High Priest's servant's ear. Impulsive, quick-on-the-draw
Peter was thinking, 'We don't have to take this!' But Jesus
said, "No, that's not how you handle things!" Then, '...he
touched the man's ear and healed him' (Luke 22:51 NIV). Peter
was talking when he needed to be listening, and doing things
when he didn't need to be doing them. He needed to learn how
to wait on God, to exercise humility and discernment. God had
great plans for Peter, but if he wanted to reach people for
Christ he couldn't do it by taking out his sword and chopping
off ears when he felt angry. There's a lesson here.
Our abrasive words can cut off people's ability to hear.
We can't just fly off the handle whenever we feel like it. We must be
sensitive to God: If He tells us, 'Say nothing,' we must stand
there quietly, even if it means letting someone think they're
right even when we know they're not. We must say, 'Yes, Lord,'
and accept that He doesn't owe us an explanation. How many
times do we prevent somebody's spiritual growth, or God's
blessings from coming into our own lives, because we don't
control what we say? Perhaps you think that compared to
adultery or stealing this is no big deal? Think again: 'He who
guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will
come to ruin' (Proverbs 13:3 NIV).
Blessings,

Pastor Charity
March 2009

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The privileges and responsibilities of membership- March '09 1st week

'...you are...fellow citizens...members of God's household...
a holy temple...' Ephesians 2:19-21

If your children stood outside your house pleading to get in,
what would you think? Wouldn't you say, 'Come in, you're my
flesh and blood, I love you, you don't need to beg?' Well, we
can come into God's presence at any time. We are '...no longer
strangers...but fellow citizens...of the household of God...a
holy temple...' (NKJV). What privileges:

1) as 'fellow citizens' we represent God's kingdom on the
earth. We are His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). 'What does
an ambassador do?' you ask. He stays in communication with his
king, understands his will and makes sure it's carried out. He
also knows he doesn't belong there permanently, so he lives,
ready for recall at a moment's notice. Getting the idea?

2) because we belong to the 'household of God' we can come
confidently before God at any time, with any need, and know
that we'll be received with love. God is the father you always
hoped for and you are the child He always wanted. If you have
any doubts, look at the cross; that's how much God values you.
But remember, every family member is supposed to contribute,
be loyal, and make sure the family's good name is protected.

3) we are 'a holy temple.' In the Old Testament God had a
temple for His people, but now God has a people for His
temple. The Bible says, 'Do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a
price. Therefore honor God...' (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV).

Pastor Charity
March 2009

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