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Does Jesus Care?

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by John DoyleIsaiah 41: 10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." On Jesus’ instructions, the Disciples had sent the crowd away and had set out to go over to the other side of the lake into the country of the Gadarenes - Mark 5:1.At some point in the journey, Jesus, being tired after ministering, fell asleep, placed His head on a pillow, in the back of the boat. Everything seemed fine as they left, but then the story tells us that after a while “there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was now full” Mark 4:37.The word translated Storm could also have been translated "squall" which is defined as “a sudden violent wind often with rain or snow.” Despite some of the Disciples being seasoned fishermen, they were overwhelmed by what had overtaken them. So much so that “they awake him (Jesus), and say unto him, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?” v38.The Disciples’ words reflect the feelings of some of us at times of distress especially in these days of Lockdown, when many are overtaken by the storms of life. Times when it seems that the phrase “God doesn’t give us more than we can bear” seems hard to understand when dealing with all that we have to endure in these days.“Master, carest thou not that we perish?” rings true from the depths of the souls of many that have faced these challenges of Lockdown and the Pandemic, and for those who have lost loved ones and special friends.So, Does Jesus Care? Hymn writer Frank Graeff put words together in 1901 that reflected his thoughts on this very matter that so many are facing today. Using the same question for his title, he asked a series of questions that some of us can identify with. The first verse:“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained, Too deeply for mirth or song, As the burdens press, and the cares distress, And the way grows weary and long?” Many have travelled these paths in this period of COVID - 19.It is important to note that Jesus did not sleep through the Disciples’ despair, but “He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still.’ "And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” v.39. Did Jesus Care? Of course He did! Those of us who profess Jesus as Lord should be encouraged that He responds to the cries of the sincere, and not only does He respond, but He has all power and authority to rebuke every adverse wind in our lives and speak peace into our troubled hearts and minds. The circumstances that provoked fear in the Disciples were immediately stilled by the words from the Lord Jesus.Though they woke Jesus in a moment of despair,…

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Advancing the Gospel

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by Graham Mol"Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel,"(Philippians 1:12)These are Paul's words written from prison to the believers in Philippi. From what Paul is saying to them one gets the impression that the congregation there were concerned for Paul's well being, that he may be discouraged by his current circumstances. Prior to his imprisonment Paul had travelled as a missionary all over the Mediterranean area, to the various cities and nations, preaching the Gospel and even founding churches. In light of this it would be easy to assume that his imprisonment was a great loss for Christendom. Instead of travelling and preaching, Paul was now confined to one place. No longer could he visit the churches and encourage the believers there, no longer could he bring Christ's teachings to the Gentiles in all the different cities. No longer could Paul continue with his life's work. At least that was how it seemed.And yet here we have Paul saying that what has happened to him, his imprisonment, has ACTUALLY advanced the Gospel. He goes on to give several examples of how that is so:Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ. Most of the brothers have gained confidence in the Lord from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the word fearlessly. To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good will. These preach out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment. What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice because I know this will lead to my salvation through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honoured in my body, whether by life or by death.(Philippians 1:12-20)Paul is not discouraged, rather he is rejoicing!Have you experienced a set back when you've tried to serve the Lord? When you've stepped out in faith and obedience to His leading only to find that things don't quite go as planned? Do not be discouraged. Just as Paul's life and ministry was still in God's hands, so too is your life and the ministry that He has called you to. You may find that what you are going through, the set back that you have experienced, has ACTUALLY advanced the Gospel.Your faithfulness to the Lord in the midst of trials and set…

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Freedom in Christ

https://youtu.be/Dh7GLdhpLgo?t=958 Audio Recording This is the beauty of Christianity. We are not bound to worship in exactly the same way, following the exact same methods and rules. Because of the Freedom we have in Christ our faith can express itself in many different ways. What this means is that worship in each of lives will look a bit different. While at the same time the core of our worship remains the same. Sermon by Graham Mol Download the Summary  

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Behind the Scenes

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by Calven Celliers As the Chairman of a local school council, I was called in to mediate a difficult and potentially explosive meeting, earlier this week. It was a very frustrating situation and I couldn’t help but feel that the issue at hand had the potential of spiralling out of control. I came home feeling totally exasperated. Have you ever been faced with a situation that you could not control? You feel like it may be difficult, or even impossible, to find a solution to the problem. When we face challenges in our lives, God wants us to know that we are not alone. Life is filled with ups and downs. But we have an Almighty Father, who will not give us more than we can bear. In all situations, God is always in control. “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered His authority.” (A.W.Tozer) When we’re in the middle of a trial, it’s hard to resist crying out, “God, why is this happening?” Sometimes we get an answer and sometimes we don’t. But we can be absolutely sure that nothing happens by accident. We have the promise of Romans 8:28 that “28 …in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Our limited human perspective often doesn’t allow us to grasp His greater plan. Seeing in advance how God will work all things for our benefit can be very difficult, if not impossible. However, our heavenly Father’s handiwork is in everything — even our pain, hardships, and losses. He turns mourning into gladness and provides bountiful blessings and benefits from our darkest hours. Even King David testified to this glorious promise – “11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, 12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” (Psalm 30:11 & 12NLT) As believers, we must accept that things won’t always make sense to us – “8 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,  so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8 & 9NLT) God sees the beautifully completed big picture. We can rely on the fact that He is in control, no matter how wildly off-kilter our world seems to be. When things around you seem dark, and maybe even a little scary, hold onto the promises of God. Remember all the mighty deeds that He has performed in the past – both in your life and throughout the ages – and continue in confidence and with certain knowledge that He is wholly in control at all times.  God bless you, Calven

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