Blog

You Hold Me Now

  • Post comments:0 Comments

by Luke Kincaid When was the last time you thought about what heaven is going to be like? While thinking through last weeks blog on living for eternity I realized that I don't think about heaven enough. When we truly start to grasp where our future lies this can then motivate us to live fearless lives in the present. One of my favorite songs is called "You Hold me Now" by Hillsong United. Today I would like to share this song with you. You can simply read through the lyrics or listen along with the provided link: https://youtu.be/4ldX-5y8ulMOn that day when I see All that You have for me When I see You face to face There surrounded by Your grace All my fears swept away In the light of your embrace When Your love is all I need And forever I am free Where the streets are made of gold In Your presence healed and whole Let these songs of heaven rise to you alone No weeping, no hurt or pain No suffering, You hold me now You hold me now No darkness, no sick or lame No hiding You hold me now, You hold me now In this life I will stand Through my joy and my pain Knowing there's a greater day There's a hope that never fails When You're name is lifted high And forever praises rise For the glory of Your Name I'm believing for the dayWhen the wars and violence ceaseAll creation lives in peace Let these songs of heaven rise to you alone No weeping, no hurt or pain No suffering, You hold me now You hold me now No darkness, no sick or lame No hiding, You hold me now, You hold me now For eternity All my heart will give All the glory to Your nameFor eternity All my heart will give All the glory to Your nameFor eternity All my heart will give All the glory to Your nameFor eternity All my heart will give All the glory to Your name No weeping, no hurt or pain No suffering, You hold me now You hold me now No darkness, no sick or lame No hiding, You hold me now, You hold me now Your Kingdom comes Your will be done In the earth as is it in heavenYour Kingdom comes Your will be done In the earth as is it in heavenYour Kingdom comes Your will be done In the earth as is it in heavenYour Kingdom comes Your will be done In the earth as is it in heaven  Much love, Luke

Continue ReadingYou Hold Me Now

Way Maker

  • Post comments:0 Comments

by Calven Celliers Last Sunday in Church I was really blessed by Mia and the Worship Team’s beautiful rendition of Leeland’s song, Way Maker. I’ve had the lyrics swirling through my mind all week – “You are way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who You are.” https://youtu.be/iJCV_2H9xD0 As I contemplated this awesome song, I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me, almost urging me to read Isaiah 43: 18 & 19 “18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” As I read those verses, I saw something I’d never really taken note of before. It was written at a time when Judah was suffering under Babylonian exile. The prophet Isaiah was reminding them of what God had done in the past, alluding to the great Exodus of Israel from Egypt. At the same time, Isaiah discouraged them from being stuck in the past and admonished God’s chosen people to look forward with expectation of the new thing He would do. This was a wilderness promise! God told them, “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” This promise was tailor-made for their dry, barren, wilderness season. The word for wilderness in the original Hebrew text is “Yeshimon” (pronounced yesh-ee-mone'), which literally means a place that is utterly barren; it denotes a total wasteland, where there is nothing but dryness and fruitlessness. It was totally desolate. There was no hint of prosperity, abundance or provision. And it’s right there, in a place of hopelessness, that God chose to make this amazing promise. One of the greatest lies ever told is that "It's too late!" At some point in our lives, we may all feel like we've missed our chance because we’ve messed up. We can even be tempted to believe that we've disqualified ourselves from having a great future, that our best days are behind us. If this is you, then I want you to hear something loud and clear: With God on your side, it's never too late. Isn’t it wonderful to know that some of the best days of your life still lie ahead of you? While God Himself never changes, He is a God of change. He is always doing a new thing and working behind the scenes in our lives to bring about new beginnings. Where we see failure, God sees potential for something new. He is without a doubt the WAY MAKER. God wants you to know that it's never too late to begin again and have a great life. He is on your side and, if need be, He can even "put a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." In order to cooperate with God's plan for our lives we need to stay focused and determined. I've learned that when you…

Continue ReadingWay Maker
Read more about the article Dave: Real to Me

Dave: Real to Me

  • Post comments:0 Comments

Guest Post by Dave Griffiths Real to Me 1/ I believe the BIBLE is the Word of God, and that the written instructions are the key to happiness. 2/ Contentment, is the ultimate goal in my life. 3/ I believe in myself, and in doing so, cherish Trust, Dignity, Respect, and Discipline. 4/ I am an ordinary Peculiar human being that needs to be Listened to, Understood, Forgiven, Appreciated, and Loved. 5/ I choose to Laugh, and have fun and enjoy my environment whenever possible. 6/ I am a Male by birth, but a Man by choice. As such, I have a duty to be the head of my home and family. 7/ I will strive towards Excellence in my chosen profession. 8/ I will exercise Integrity both in the workplace with my employer, and at home with my family and friends. 9/ My body is Fearfully and Wonderfully made, therefore it is vital that I should not abuse it, and that I should ensure that it is kept in good condition. 10/ It is an acceptable command for me to Love my neighbour, and to Care and Help in a practical way whenever possible.

Continue ReadingDave: Real to Me

Ash Wednesday

  • Post comments:1 Comment

by Graham Mol Today marks the beginning of Lent, a period of 40 days (plus Sundays) leading up to Easter Sunday which is characterised as a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The first day is known as Ash Wednesday coming from the tradition of the observing churches placing ashes on the foreheads of their congregations. One can recall the Jewish practice of going about in sackcloth and ashes, to represent mourning, repentance and humility. While Ash Wednesday and Lent are most closely associated with Catholicism, there are also Churches in the Anglican, Lutheran and Protestant denominations that observe the tradition. Many believers find the traditional practices helpful in drawing their focus to the solemn significance of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross. From its start on Ash Wednesday until its conclusion on Easter Sunday, Lent has been a traditional time for fasting or giving something up or abstinence. Just as we carefully prepare for events in our personal lives, as a wedding, or birthday; a commencement Lent invites us to make our minds and hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ life, death and body resurrection. (From 40acts.org.uk) The discipline of fasting was always one of those I never quite "got". I understood the idea and intention behind it theoretically, there are many examples of fasting to be found in the Bible, yet despite this, I had never really made it a practice in my own life. Then one day, as I was reading through Your God Is Too Safe by Mark Buchanan, the way he wrote on the topic of fasting really challenged me. Here is just one of the passages that stood out to me from the chapter as Buchanan considers Jesus' response to the devil's testing after his time of fasting 40 days in the desert: So now the quiz: Who understands - really understands - that we don't live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God? Who not only understands, but withstands because of it, overcomes on the basis of it? The man with his belly full? Or the man with his belly empty? Let me be blunt: If you never fast, then the whole concept of being wholly nourished and sustained by God's word alone will likely be only a nice, sweet, and totally irrelevant idea to you. You may pay the idea lip service, but you'll be too busy licking sauce off your lips to do any more. And worse: If you never fast, when the day of testing and temptation comes, you may not stand. Consumption is killing us. Go fast and live. Fasting, that is denying oneself in order to become hungry, helps us in three areas - it humbles us, tests us and teaches us. We are humbled because we soon see our frailty. Just one day without food and we find out energy levels are depleted. We realise how dependent we are on the "daily bread" that the…

Continue ReadingAsh Wednesday