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Building a Godly Heritage

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by John Doyle“But as the days of Noah were so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood they were eating & drinking and marrying, up to the day Noah entered the ark," (Matthew 24:37-38)In the days leading up to the Flood Gods people choose to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. They showed indifference to God’s call to live the righteous life - Math. 24: 38 Wickedness and intent to do evil prevailed in heart and mind. The earth was corrupt and violent.But Noah (v8) had a key responsibility. “By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household (home) by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Hebrews 11: 7 - 8)But Noah v8 “found grace”, was warned, moved himself, prepared an ark and became the heir of righteousness!Noah (& family) MOVED & PREPARED. When Noah faithfully did his part: GOD – God our Master Builder Provided and did His part.“Except the Lord build our home we will labour in vain...” (Psalm 127:1)The Floods came – the trials followed, but Noah and family remained faithful. They got to the other side. They came out of the ark together. They landed on dry ground.God established a covenant with this family. God blessed this family and all generations that followed (Genesis 8:18, 9:1-13) "This is my covenant which I make with you and every living creature for perpetual generations; I do set my rainbow in the cloud and this shall be my covenant with all mankind...” v.13Days leading to the coming of Jesus Christ will include Violence – evil intent – corruption – demise of covenant relationship of marriage – war. The “But Noah’s” v8 need to ariseMove, take responsibility & PREPARE to BUILDSacrifice whatever to bring the whole family on boardYou have faithful “But Noah's” around you in the Church support them - join them and Build a Godly Heritage.The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ: “We were at one time disobedient people when the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being built in which few, that is eight souls were saved from the floods” (1 Peter 3:20).Christ in you is the ARK. We have a guarantee that if we MOVE and PREPARE and become ‘BUT NOAH’s & BUT Noah’s wives and children’ we will arrive in glory on dry ground, no more floods, no more tribulations, no more sorrow (1 Peter 3:21 -22).In the meantime what is Jesus doing? He is “Interceding on our behalf” “He is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by HIM, as He ever lives to intercede for us”  (Hebrews 7:25)With God All things are POSSIBLEPREPARE FOR THE IMPOSSIBLEOBEY GOD’s COMMANDSSAFEGUARD YOUR COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS - With God & FamilySACRIFICE TO GET YOUR FAMILY ON BOARDINVEST IN THE LIVES OF OTHERSBUILD ON THE ETERNAL…

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The Heart of Worship

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by Graham MolThe Heart of Worship by Matt Redman is one of those timeless classic worship songs that many of us love and sing today. The combination of sincere heartfelt words and the simple melody has spoken to so many believers, reminding them of what is actually important when it comes to worshipping the Lord. It is no wonder that such a song has a meaningful story behind it. Back in the 1990s, Matt Redman's home church, Soul Survivor, in Watford, England was experience a period of apathy. A musical worship revival was happening in the country and they were struggling to find meaning in their own music at the time.“There was a dynamic missing, so the pastor did a pretty brave thing,” [Redman] recalls. “He decided to get rid of the sound system and band for a season, and we gathered together with just our voices. His point was that we’d lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart would be to strip everything away.”Reminding his church family to be producers in worship, not just consumers, the pastor, Mike Pilavachi, asked, “When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?”(D. Schrader, Song Story: Matt Redman's "The Heart of Worship")In grappling with an answer to this challenging question people broke into a cappella songs and prayers. They experienced the Lord in new way. This began a new journey of worship as they added back the other elements, not losing sight of the fact that worship is all about Jesus. Worship is our response to Him, who He is and His incredible love for us.Matt Redman went to write a song about his experience of what had happened to their congregation. This song would become what we know today: The Heart of Worship.Although it was never the intention, the song went on to be sung in thousands of churches as people connected with the simple truth of the words. It voiced what we all long for - to bring something that is of worth, more than a song itself but true heartfelt worship.I have often found it helpful to sing The Heart of Worship reminding me of what is truly important when we come to worship the Lord. When all the extra stuff is stripped away, and we simply come before Jesus. It's all about Him, that is the heart of worship.God BlessGrahamThe Heart of WorshipWhen the music fadesAll is stripped awayAnd I simply comeLonging just to bringSomething that's of worthThat will bless Your heartI'll bring You more than a songFor a song in itselfIs not what You have requiredYou search much deeper withinThrough the way things appearYou're looking into my heartI'm coming back to the heart of worshipAnd it's all about You, it's all about You, JesusI'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made itWhen it's all about You, it's all about You, JesusKing of endless worthNo one could expressHow much you deserveThough I'm weak and…

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God’s Affirming Voice

https://youtu.be/AlnOViBJAiw?t=987 Audio Recording One of the most important things we need to know when engaging in the difficulties of this life is that we, as God’s children, have power and authority from God the Father. It’s important to build our faith in the knowledge about God’s power in us. When we are confident in the power that is available to us and in us, we can then start to boldly walk in our authority as sons and daughters of the Living God. Sermon by Calven Celliers Download the Summary

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Live Where You Live

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by Calven CelliersThere is apparently an old proverb that says, “The goat must browse where she is tied.” Can’t say I have ever heard it before, but it was quoted in an article that I recently read, and my blog today is based primarily on that article by Scott Hubbard because it really challenged me about how distant I can be to those around me, even when I’m present and in their midst. “Once upon a time, people had no choice but to live where they lived. Humans in the past, finding themselves bound to a local place and local people, lived and laughed and loved there. They spent their seventy or eighty years within limits that would feel to us remarkably narrow. The world was a much smaller place than it is today. This is not meant to make us nostalgic of a bygone time, it’s meant to challenge us about how we get to the point where we know our neighbours on social media better than our neighbours next door? Why are we often more aware of the happenings in far off places than the happenings in our church or community? And what are the consequences of browsing where we’re not tied — of living where we aren’t?Many of us strain our eyes toward the ends of the earth — and miss this little patch of earth called here. Like a man who mistakes binoculars for eyeglasses, we often know more about distant matters than about the needs, struggles, joys, and griefs of the ordinary people nearby; we become strangers at home. Trying to live both here and there causes us to end up living nowhere well. We all know the frustration of being with someone whose phone seems strapped to their hand. Every minute or so, their eyes dart down, their thumb scrolls, their laughter and grunts of acknowledgment to what we’re saying go on autopilot. Their body is here, but their mind is there.We walk with heads down trotting the globe on our devices while trampling flowers at home. Living where we are makes the world big again. It awakens us to the everyday wonders in our homes, neighbourhoods, and churches. It reminds us that the most exciting and urgent matters happen not on screens, but in the successes and struggles of the ordinary brothers and sisters in our small group. It frees us to finally explore the galaxy of glories found here, in this small frame of God’s creation, where the heavens declare his glory, creation chants his praise, and immortal souls live and walk and laugh and weep."So live where you are: not because home is the most remarkable place on earth, but because God placed you there.” (Scott Hubbard – Live where you live)The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. What really challenged me about this article is that it revealed something about me: I am no longer accustomed to an unplugged life. While I stay entertained, informed, and socially connected, I miss the people right in…

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