Living by the Spirit in today's world
KOINONIA
|March 2 0 1 1 MAGAZINE
The Call Of The Heart
Northbrook New Community Church
There is Power in The Word
Northbrook New Community Church Meet every Sunday 11 am- 3.30 pm Welcome to Northbrook New Community Church Part of reality-Christianity registered charity: 1120219 …a fresh-expression church meeting people where they are. No set attendance times — we are open Sundays 11—3:30… come when you like, stay as long as you like. No pews or rows of chairs — just around coffee—tables. Food all day … time to share, get to know one another. No long “sermons” — only short informative “real-life” talks. We sing, contemporary songs — and you can just listen We’re set in the community of Northbrook & West Durrington to serve that community, through sharing God’s love for all. For our church love is an action, not just words. Our passionate vision for our community includes: helping those in need; befriending the lonely; strengthening families; supporting people of all ages. Our church is not a building, or a club … it is a family. We aim to envision, empower, and encourage our members in their own faith-journey and in serving their community: being set “free-in-Christ”; being a loving family; growing and sharing their faith; finding and using their gifts; leading fulfilled and fruitful lives. In all of this we are equal! In "servant leadership" the leadership team serve you. Whoever you are, whatever you’ve done — you are welcome. You are equally loved, your opinions respected and valued. Our Vision at reality-Christianity seeks to help real people in the real world: to reach out with God's love to our community: to love and support one another as God's family: and to know and follow Christ better. We believe a great commitment to the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37-39) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) grows a great church!
DAYTIME ALPHA COURSE 2 RYE CLOSE WEDNESDAYS 11.45 - 2 pm
2 million people in the UK and across the world have now attended an Alpha course, which is an opportunity to explore the meaning of life. Its also running in thousands of churches across all denominations. Alpha is open to anyone who wishes to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thought-provoking weekly sessions, with a day or weekend away included. Its low-key, friendly and fun!
“IS THERE MORE TO LIFE?”
“WHAT AM I DOING HERE?” Office: 2 Rye Close Worthing West Sussex BN11 5EG
“IS THIS IT?”
Telephone: 01903-50020
Want to know what happens on our Alpha
It’s Not Always
This Chapter talks about this in detail. We will see by studying this passage that there are lots of things that come out of a life that is following God and as we approach with a heart set on finding this true meaning of a relationship with God. Verse 1 sets in mind that we have an assurance that when this earthly temple comes to an end that we have a much more permanent temple and that is one not made by hands. It is not put under the authority of the fleshly body but under the creator Himself. There is nothing like the Godly temple that we go on to as believer in Christ. The Earthly body is subject to many trials and burdens in which there is a heaviness of slavery. Which after time becomes tiresome if not put into perspective with the future place that we as believers have with God for all eternity. This makes us feel like the verse says in Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am”. We are here for a time in which we have a journey as well as every one else, to be a witness. But when we go from this earth we will leave it the same as we entered it naked and with nothing. When we enter into the new life of the heavenly body we will be clothed with garments of praise and with garments of righteousness and glory. We will be delivered out of all earthly troubles and we shall be washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. Made to be clean in front of our God. This is the believers assurance not insurance, but something that is so absolutely assured that it becomes something (Faith) in this journey here on earth. The journey here on earth is one that will shape the building stones of the heavenly body. Whilst we’re here on earth it is our life's purpose to use all that God has given us to proclaim the wonderful heart of the creator Himself. We are placed here with all our circumstances and with fellow journeymen for a reason and that reason is to minister to the environment the Gospel (the good news) of a saviour that will not only minister to the the heart of the community but also to the whole world. The most important thing of all is that this will be worked through each one of us as we surrender to Him, with all that we have. God loves a willing heart and that heart has the potential to be the catalyst to changing the world to the message of the good news. Then by the receiving of that message there will be a newness that will see the world operating in a KINGDOM mind set, full of absolute truths that will bless the people, community and the nations in which we live in. As in all things,. its about what we put our faith in and as we put our faith in the Kingdom promises we will see that it is not all about what we see in the physical but that it is also about what we put our trust in. Make that your goal as we look at the work of the Holy Spirit in our life’s.
About What You See
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ARTICLE BY Kevin Hussey
Pressing In on the Spirit of God "And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:9-13).
The way in which we get closer to God is by prayer and previously in this passage He shows us a way in which our prayers can be effective and have power in them. Then once we understand the power of prayer comes an understanding of the relationship that He wants with us. Its all about the Kingdom and how by living the Kingdom lifestyle we become participants of His purposes. God is in the business of relationship and He intends to bless each person. The only thing that we have to do is to come into relationship with Him by accepting His son Jesus. Once we come into that relationship, we then become citizens of the Kingdom and then we fall into the promises of the King. When Jesus left us He said that He would send another who would encourage us and guide us in the way we should go. Sometimes we get this and when that happens we know that He has been present. But how much more exciting would it be to in a continuing state of relationship that in all we do there is a constant relationship with the Holy Spirit. Too many times I hear Christians say come Holy Spirit or Holy Spirit be here today. But the truth of the matter is that the Holy Spirit is always present as soon as we accepted Jesus and became a new creation. Its only then that we experience a change and that change seems very evident when we first come to the Lord. But after a little while we let the flesh take over again and then we settle into a life that starts to resemble the life before we were saved. How much more would it be if we grew in our new creation mind set and then allow God to work through us to fulfil His plan for us and the rest of the world. I believe that when we look at this we will see where other things have got in the way and that it has ruined the progress in our spiritual life. What can we do to resolve this? Well I think its about taking what Jesus said about what will happen after He left us and went to heaven and then to accept again that He sent the person of the Holy Spirit to be in relationship with us. Ask again to be reminded of this and to start again being the new creation that you were designed to be. How you ask? Well how about just pressing in by prayer and asking Him. For He said in His word that we should ask (Praying means asking in other words bringing it to God) so start to re-energise your prayer life. The greatest of witness for God have always been those who spent time in prayer. It is amazing how The Holy Spirit loves to act on the promises of God and as He hears the promise He totally acts upon it and expects it to manifest. The only barrier that hinders this is us as we get in the way. Once we surrender to the Holy Spirit and begin to respond to His prompting we will see things begin to happen. So why not decide to seek His ways by asking or should I say talking to God and waiting on the Holy Spirit to reveal His purposes so that we can declare it to the world.
At Durrington Barn Every Tuesday And Thursdays
Tuesday 12.30 - 3pm Thursday 1 pm- 3pm The Reality Cafe The cafe serving this community Northbrook Barn Community Centre Squadron Drive West Durrington Worthing, BN13 3SL
Come along and meet Friends and have a chat
Sunday Fellowship & Worship Sundays at reality Let’s face it, modern life is full and complicated …. So we want to provide a time and a space and a feel that is flexible… Come when you like, as you are, stay as long as you like Above all you will be made welcome and at home… regardless of what you do or don’t believe about faith.
Children’s Clubs For much of the day we are able just to sit, talk and eat together … it’s about getting to know, then care about, each other. We aim to grow … and to have fun! There are some structured sessions: a few songs, a short talk …. addressing practical “real—life” issues. There are also interactive self—development “seminars” … on subjects such as self—esteem, anger, debt … And you get to help decide future programmes!
We Meet At Oak Grove College In the grounds of Durrington High School The Boulevard
11 am - 3.30 pm
Dates for Your Diary
Whole Church Celebration Fast Forward Club Meeting at Farmouse Pub At 10 am If you or someone you know is looking for work Please come along to the first session. The club is Designed to help people back to work in whatever Way they need.
10th at Oak Grove College 7pm
Sat 12th March 12 noon @ Caz’s 1 Moore Close
Prayer Engine 5th & 19th
Women’s group Activity
Everyone welcome to this special time of prayer For the church and our local community
25th
Women’s Group
Possibly ten pin bowling Details to be advised
Alpha Holy Spirit Day Saturday 19th At 2 Rye close
Coming Soon In April Karaoke Evening
—---------------------------3 Day Residential trip To Micklepage 31 May - 2 June
Youth Groups Starts Sunday 13th
Creative Worship is about using what God has given
Living
IN THE
The fruit of the Spirit as stated in scripture says there are nine fruits of the Spirit. What God is doing is giving us a target so that we have something to aim at so that we know how we are doing. You need to be honest as to your position because if you are not it will not help the end result. We need to do some investigation into where we are. In Galatians 5:16 it says that we should live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. When your flesh is fighting the things of God there is a battle going on. Living In the Spirit means that when we were saved we took on a new nature a Christ nature. It wants to be Godly but the flesh fights against that at times. God works through us when we look to Him we also see it through the signs in nature. We all know what the flesh wants because it let's us know through our feelings. And that some times causes us to do what is not always good for you. When we become a new creation in Christ we then have a conflict arise, the flesh says to us what you or others want to happen and we get guided by that. But, the Christ Spirit guides us through the fruit of the Spirit which is the very character of Christ. It is our guide to being more like Him in everything we do. The flesh nature is in conflict with spiritual nature. The acts of the flesh are many as it says in Galatians it states just some of the effects of the flesh being manifested through the lives of those who follow after the flesh. But when we live by the Spirit and then start to walk in the Spirit we have a different list that sets out ways of doing something. The whole list is Gods way of saying that against such things in the list we do not need the law because it becomes not necessary because it becomes powerless. It also becomes a fantastic way to make decisions by using the list we can make wise decision that will have an effect on our generation. So take a look at the list and use it as a guide in your daily walk.
| ARTICLE BY Kevin Hussey
Spirit love Joy Peace Long suffering Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Meekness Self control
Against such things there is no law So when we come to our God in worship it is true to say that we need to express ourselves in a true heart. That way we reflect the true essence of worship and that in turn shows in our expression.
HIDDEN RAIN
VERSE OF THE DAY www.ktcoth.com
Touched by the Holy Spirit Once the promise was released into being by Jesus there was no doubt that the effect on all of history was going to be changed. That was the effect that the release of the Holy Spirit was going to have not only on the disciples but also on every believer that was to follow. The only thing that was going to stop this was if false teaching was going to grieve the Holy Spirit. That as we know throughout the following years was to have a major effect on the church, that ultimately saw the effectiveness of the good news be restricted to just a few. But I believe that throughout history the truth of the Spirit has seen wave after wave of refreshing. That as each wave has hit the nations there has been a change that has had a dramatic influence on society. We only have to look at the Welsh revival and many others to see the way in which lives have been effected. For me I believe that there is a hidden rain that has been gently laying down it's refreshing water on a land that is dry and has been totally barren of the promises that Jesus has for it. That rain is starting to produce hidden streams that are beginning to be visible to the believers of 2011/2012. The touch of the Holy Spirit is starting to change the face of the church, where individuals are being set apart and empowered to enrich the body like never before. The result of this outpouring is different to waves in the past. Because the church is unaware of it. The church is waiting for something to happen, they built up over the years a dam of expectation on the promises of God. In some cases it's been years of waiting and waiting which has resulted in the a build up of the reservoir. Which in turn has stopped the water from refreshing the uninhabited land and that in turn has left the nations in need of a fresh look at how God is going to move. It's about the hidden rain’s effect on the reservoir that is of interest today, because as it stands today the dam wall is struggling to hold back the water it has got to a point that it is a breaking point and all it needs is just a drop here and there to burst the dam wall. That is for me a time of prayer as we see the effect of a hidden stream entering the reservoir. What does that mean for you and I, well it's time to be open to Holy Spirit to be ready for the touch that will empower you with the creative power to believe that what God has promised He is about to release on the nations. Never before in history has this watering been needed as it is today. One by one each individual as they surrender to the will of the
father will in turn build and refresh the body. It's time to see the barren land completely submerged under the promises of God. That's when we will see a newness to the church of the like that we have never seen before. It will be a haven for the lost and it will minister to the generation that has lost the power to see absolute truth. That time is coming and the thing to remember is that the hidden rain which no one has seen fall is touching individuals in such a way that no one knows from where it comes. In turn that is giving the glory to God and not man. The dam has 7 water ducts and these are the ways in which God has poured out his Spirit in the past. But this time it is going to be a release that will see all 7 opened up because without the 7 being opened there is danger that the dam will breach it's Walls. In the past we have seen healing, the word and many signs and evidence of the Holy Spirit flowing throughout the land and changing the environment. But I believe that we are about to see something totally different. A people who accept each other because of the way in which God has touched the individual heart. He has empowered them with the gifts of the Spirit and as we see the effect that has on them we will see a change in families and communities in all nations. Let's be ready for the Touch of the Holy Spirit in this time of refreshing.
Hidden Rain A Verse To Start the Day
Are You Ready For The Hidden Rain
Whole Church Celebration At Oak Grove College Thursday 10th March 7pm
Will include Buffet Together
March’s
PRAYER ENGINE 9.30 - 10.30 5th and 19th Ed’s & Di’s 12 Melvile Way
Praying In the Spirit John 4:24 “God is Spirit and His worshippers MUST worship in Spirit and Truth
Praying in the Spirit is a biblical principal and is encouraged to be practised. Not only in times prayer, but on all occasions. JUDE 1: 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit So how are we to to pray in the Spirit? And what is praying in the Spirit? JOHN 14: And I will make prayer to the Father and he will give you another Helper to be with you for ever, Even the Spirit of true knowledge. That Spirit the world is not able to take to its heart because it sees him not and has no knowledge of him: but you have knowledge of him, because he is ever with you and will be in you. I will not let you be without a friend: I am coming to you. Well one way is by speaking in tongues. There is a difference to praying with the mind and praying in tongues. I recently watched a science programme where they scanned the brain to see what the effect of praying with the mind against praying in tongues. There was a surprising result when they scanned the person. Praying with the mind there was a lot of activity in the front lobes of the brain. But when the same scan was done when the same person began to pray in tongues, there was very little activity in the same place. In other words praying with the mind means you pray not only to God, but also for other people around you to understand you, while praying in tongues is directed directly to God only. This is why the apostle Paul encouraged Christians to pray with the mind at church. This goes with scripture and shows us how true the word of God is. 1COR 14: 14-19 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else if thou bless with the spirit, how shall he that filleth the place of the unlearned say the Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all: howbeit in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. As you can see by this verse it is to be used with wisdom because it is not to be confusing to others. So when praying in tongues is to be used regularly and to be a powerful witness to the world. But if we are with others who don’t understand this then it is better to pray with the heart the very things that God has placed on you. So as you can see by this, that it is the heart of God that speaks through us to the environment and that His purposes are to be fulfilled through us His body here on earth. EPH 6:18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,
Praying In The Spirit So does that mean that praying in the Spirit is only when we use tongues? Not at all 1COR 12: 29-31 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all [workers of] miracles? have all gifts of healing's? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you. Tongues is only one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it is not the only gift of the Holy Spirit. If not every christian recieves the gift of speaking in tongues, how could the apostle Paul encourage all christians to pray in the spirit, if praying in the spirit means to pray in tongues? This would not make any sense at all. If we taught tongues and expect people to use it when they have not recieved it from God then it would be of no use as it would be like talking on a telephone that the other person speaks a completely different language. The communication cords have been cut off. . That what causes ineffective prayers. Because the Spirit intercedes for us according to Gods will. ROM 8:26-27 And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for [us] with groaning's which cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God. But God can and does guide you through your own language for God speaks through the heart of the person and the Spirit prompts a person to express His heart through the relationship the prayer has with Himself. The main thing is that we should as it says in Ps 37:7 Take your rest in the Lord, waiting quietly for him; And Hosea 12:6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep kindness and justice, and wait for thy God continually.
This article is just a appetizer for the only way to experience a life that is full of the Spirit in Prayer is by surrendering to God and allow Him to work through you.
Fit For Life Every Tuesday 7 pm - 9pm Northbrook Barn Squadron Drive
Fit 4 Life Course 7-9 pm Get Fit with Amanda 8-9 pm