Share Truth Change Lives
July 2020
Very Best
The
of
Service
lTEMPLE KEEPERS OF THE SANCTUARY lEXCELLENCE THE FRUIT OF WORSHIP
lTHE PERSON BEHIND THE POSITION lMEASURE UP! lTHE SERVANT KING lLIFE OF SERVICE A Select Arrow Publication www.thesharemagazine.com
lTESTIMONY lREFLECTIONS
MyDevotion.today Sacrificial Service For the believer, it means literally denying our selfish desires and taking up our cross. “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.“ Mark 8:34 What does Jesus really mean when He says this? Jesus is telling us that to be His disciples we must perfect mastery over self. The person who can deny themself is master over their own emotions and desires. The person who cannot is out of control. Such a person is easy pickings for the devil and cannot be an effective disciple of Christ. According to Paul’s outline in Galatians 5, self-control is one of the virtues of anyone who possesses the Holy Spirit. A person who cannot lead himself cannot lead others. Again Paul begs us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service” Romans 12:1 Our most basic Christian service is that of self-sacrifice which is the same as self-denial. We cannot do what we would naturally want to do, say what we would naturally want to say or even think what we would naturally want to think. We must, on our cross, crucify our desires to embrace and fulfil the desires of Christ. Mastery over self is the lifestyle of the servant of Christ. Have you attained to this in any measure yet? Wisdom: The believer has removed self from the centre of their life and replaced it with Christ. Prayer: Lord, give me the grace /strength to discipline/ to overpower those carnal desires within myself that distract me from you and lead me into sin. Amen Devotion For July 1st 2020 By Homer Slack
inside EDITORIAL
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TESTIMONY Not A Fishy Tale
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FEATURE ARTICLES
Excellence the Fruit of Worship 6 True worship encounters God and transforms.. The Person Behind the Position 8 Integrity and Authenticity in the Ministry Measure up! Aiming for the fullness of the measure of Christ
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REFLECTIONS Did you Know? 16 The 3 elements in the Sanctuary & What they symbolise #YouthSHARE 24 What does the Selfie phenomenon say about us millennials? World in View Response and Responsibility
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The Servant King 12 A call that sanctifies us from the world
Storyteller 30 Extraordinary Gentlemen
Life of Service Jesus’ Life: The Epitome of Service
Poem: Blood, Sweat & Tears 32 By Paul Vivian
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Temple Keepers of the Sanctuary 18 The Keys to Spiritual Life Maintenance. Forgiveness 24 Burning to Forgive as He Forgave
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Note to Self Answered Prayers
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In Praise Of Hymn 32 Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
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SHARE|MAGAZINE Volume 8 - Issue 3
About Us
EDITORIAL
GIVING YOUR VERY BEST
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This issue we are focusing on the Sanctuary/Holy Place of the Tabernacle. We have moved from salvation and sanctification at the Laver and we are now dressed in priestly garments (the righteousness of Christ). We will discuss how this correlates to our discipleship as believers as we spend a lifetime of service to the Lord; growing up in Him and maturing as His children. The opportunity to serve the Lord is a privilege, the King of Kings deserves our very best service!
What service are we called to and what qualifies us? We will see how the 3 elements represented by the furniture in the Sanctuary are what God uses to prepare and qualify us for His service - The Living Word -The Light of the Word and Worship are His instruments of transformation. The theme of service and submission is so relevant this quarter given that we are seeing the globe in upheaval about Black Civil Rights and racism is dividing even the church. We are called to serve each other in practical ways. Service today has the negative connotation of servitude in the context of the current racial tensions and the context of African American Slavery in particular. Paul, the Apostle’s letter to Colossians, saw service not as servitude but as an honour to God. Slavery wasn’t God’s idea it was a manmade construct but God works within the limitations that humans 4
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create for themselves, in their rebellion against God’s perfect will. Respecting the law of the land Paul instructed, “Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.” Colossians 3:22-25 MSG It was this Christian ethos that emboldened the African American slaves to endure until freedom came. We have the catalogue of African American Spirituals and its progeny American Gospel music to attest to this work ethic, of doing the best we can as unto the Lord even if the circumstance isn’t ideal. Equally, consistent with this scripture, free White Christians gave their lives fighting for the emancipation of slaves and the abolition of slavery as a politico-economic system and sociological model. Today our service to God may be in different ways but we must not be indifferent to the needs, hurts and brokenness we see among our fellow citizens of earth. So we ask God to use us practically in service to our family, the wider Church family, our local community and our nation.
What Do We Do in the Meantime? While we have time we must reap the
July - September 2020
SHARE MAGAZINE is a FREE Christian quarterly that deals with challenging Christian topics that have been mostly ignored or left unanswered. The magazine includes written articles, poems and thoughts etc. Read our online version at www. TheShareMagazine.com where you can go to our blog to discuss articles or order a printed version. If you would like to submit articles, join our writers group, or to get involved in any other way kindly email us. SHARE MAGAZINE is produced by Select Arrow, the publishing arm of United In Christ charity number 1140448.
Disclaimer
Throughout this magazine the editor & contributors seek to present a balanced and accurate view of Scripture’s teaching. We are all on a journey of studying and understanding God’s Word. Because of this, all we can offer is as balanced an understanding as the Holy Spirit has offered us at this time. The views or opinions represented in this publication are personal to each of our contributors and may not fully represent those of any other contributor or editor. Some writers may use UK spelling while others may use US spelling as our writers are from different regions.
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ripened harvest or else we are failing God who put us here to serve. SHARE writer Suyin Sutherland reminds us that: “Prophetically the period we are in is between the 4th Feast (Pentecost) and the 5th Feast (Trumpets). Trumpets will usher in the Second Coming of the Messiah when the Rapture gathers the believers into Heaven as the Lord is about to judge the wicked on earth. We should be in this symbolic ‘gap’ actively
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Now that you are ‘born again,’ the next step is becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. The most basic requirements for being a disciple of Christ is that we deny ourselves. If you listen to the popular Christian culture today you would believe it’s the very opposite. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 How Jesus and His disciples lived and died confirms the truth of this statement. They did not live for themselves but for our heavenly Father and others. How then could so many today get it all twisted? Do we not understand the difference between self-denial and self-indulgence? If a child has had too many sweets and is asking for more we would tell them ‘no’, and deny them their request. If it’s their bedtime and they are asking to watch television for another hour we would again deny them their request. Self-denial works the same way the only difference being that it is ourselves we are denying. Due to its fallen state, our human
harvesting and waiting for the sound of the trumpet.” Jesus said: “For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not laboured; others have laboured, and you have entered into their labours.” Jesus the Servant King came to serve, He set the pattern and the bar is set high and we should meet it. He willingly died for people who had nothing to do with
Him, who hated Him and tortured Him mercilessly, even His very own disciples abandoned Him in His time of greatest need. Yet, He served the Father faithfully to the end. May you, “work the works of Him who sent you while its day for the night comes when no man can work.” May your legacy be faithful, excellence!
Angela Slack
Editor and Co-founder
You have questions we’ve got answers
NOW THAT I AM ‘BORN AGAIN’ WHAT’S NEXT? nature desires things that are harmful to us. We want to have and do things that will destroy us. The degenerate, unsaved person does not have the power or the authority to deny their sinful nature its requests but the believer does. “A person’s selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one’s selfish desires. They are opposed to each other, so you shouldn’t do whatever you want to do.” Galatians 5:17 (CEB) The things our sinful nature desires are the very things that will bring us under the judgement of God. “...I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:21 So what are the things we need to start denying ourselves? Here is a very basic list. • Sleep - Too many believers today sleep too much and do not pray or read the scriptures enough. • Food - Too many believers eat too much, ARE OBESE AND UNHEALTHY and do not pray and fast enough. • Pleasure
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We
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much money and time on our own comfort, entertainment and ambitions while people in genuine need like other believers, honest preachers and missionaries suffer. • Verbal expression - If we should say everything we really want to say we would get ourselves into big trouble. (see James 1:26) Personal gratification Be careful therefore to not indulge yourself, do not do all the things you want to do but instead do the things God wants you to do. “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24 “Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God.” Romans 12:1 (CEV) A most important skill we must develop as believers is the ability to distinguish between the desires of the flesh versus those of the Spirit. People who cannot deny themselves will not do the will of God and will not please God.
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Excellence the Fruit of
WORSHIP
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“For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus [whose great love fills me]. And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more [displaying itself in greater depth] in real knowledge and in practical insight, so that you may learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent [identifying the best, and distinguishing moral differences], and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ [actually living lives that lead others away from sin]; filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes
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July - September 2020
through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God [so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized].” Philippians 1:8 – 11 [AMP] Defining Excellence Excellence is from the root word excel - meaning to raise, to raise oneself, surpass expectations. One Greek word used is huperecho which means to be better than others. The word diaphero is used in the above text which means things that are better. The believer should pursue excellence as that IS God’s standard. God is superior in all and our frail human minds cannot even understand this aspect of His character and nature. We get a glimpse of Him all around us in the creation and in the heavens which declare His glory. We, who are in Christ should definitely want to mirror this excellent God but not with the intention of making ourselves superior but with an intention of glorifying this ineffable awesome, magnificent God. Ineffable, that word! I once tried to find a word to describe God and heard His voice say INEFFABLE! I looked up the meaning of the word and was in absolute awe, for it is a word that was fitting. Here is what it means – too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words. What an awesome God? Imagine this though, that this awesome, magnificent, ineffable God, should choose to draw us close and clothe us with HIS righteousness, shower us with HIS love, grace, mercy and blessings this should be enough to prompt us into worshipping Him not just daily but minutely. The statement above continues into the ‘backbone’ of this message that worship is not just a few songs we sing
– Worship is a lifestyle. Let me expound a bit. Thanksgiving is where we enter His gates, praise is where we enter His courts but worship was proclaimed for God’s people before Christ only after the high priest made atonement in the ‘Holy of Holies’. The Tabernacle in the Old Testament: The Gates, Courts and Holy of Holies are patterns set out by God Himself for how to come into His House of Worship. Only the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies.
not afterwards reflect His nature and character. The old things and old places will no longer be comfortable and the old ways of the self - the I am and then I will, will be changed to a cry unto God. “Lord let your will be done and your kingdom come, not my will Lord, but yours be done, I die to those fleshly desires and embrace your will and your way. I AM YOURS GOD. DO WHAT YOU WILL;” breathing, basking in and living out of His love is a wonderful place to be.
God brought us into a new covenant for He so relished relationship and true worship from His people. He has made a simplified way for us to access the Holy of Holies – the mercy seatby repentance through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of our lives. We no longer have to remain in the outer courts we can Worship God in the beauty of His holiness.
After that place – THAT IS WHERE EXCELLENCE IS BIRTHED IN OUR CHARACTER. We begin to live, move and breathe in God manifesting His power, His love and His excellence. The heart now breathes in sync with God’s will, which will then leads to excellent choices, actions, thinking and emotional responses. One is now living from the place of a ‘made-up mind’ to give God glory in all that we do flowing out of a heart of worship.
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; Tremble [in submissive wonder] before Him, all the earth.” Psalm 96:8-9 [AMP] Worship is deep calling unto deep, the place where our whole being is involved and enraptured in the presence of God. Worship centres on WHO GOD IS not just WHAT HE CAN DO FOR US. Worship is never about a ‘feel-good’ experience like some would believe. We need to guard against believing it is a feel-good experience, as we may then operate out of the soulish realm. How Do We Know the Difference? A true worship experience will bring us into an encounter with God where we are CHANGED. It is impossible to lie prostrate before God in the Holy of Holies in true worship and
I challenge you, readers, to move into deeper worship “Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in his wonderful face And the things on earth will grow strangely dim In the light of his glory and grace” We don’t have to strive to change, to be excellent or to live a fulfilled life. It’s truly simply accomplished in worshipping and abiding and that dear reader is the simple formula for living excellently. Just because we live connected to God’s heart, we mirror this excellent God in our lifestyle. p By Jacqueline Chin-Depass Founder of Walk Good in Christ Ministries, broadcaster UKCC radio
July - September 2020
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The Person
the
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As pastor of a Pentecostal church for the past sixteen and a half years, one of the highlights of ministry is engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds. I’m always amused to see the look on parishioners’ faces when I turn up midweek for a visit in a sweat top, Jean’s and a baseball cap. I’m greeted with “Oh pastor you look different” and I smile to myself thinking, “do you mean normal?” Thankfully, my difference in clothing doesn’t mean a difference in character. I would like to think that I’m pretty much the same person preaching on a Sunday that I am in the ‘check out’ at my local supermarket on a Monday afternoon. Being in ministry means that you’re constantly being scrutinised or worse criticized, held to a higher standard than
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most. So how does a pastor remain a person of integrity while being authentic? C.S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.” I’d like to tell you that my temperament while driving in my collar is exactly as when I’m wearing my hoodie but that wouldn’t be quite accurate. C.S. Lewis is basically saying that we should hold ourselves to an even higher standard than what people have of us. But maybe we could go even a step further by saying that integrity is also revealing the wrong that was done when no one was looking; simply put, we call ourselves out when we’ve fallen short or acted hypocritically. We’ve become so used to recording
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ourselves doing amazing things on social media; the things we get right; our successes and our achievements. What if we recorded ourselves acting out of character, losing our tempers? As a youngster growing up I recall maths teachers who were less interested in my correct answers and more in my rough workings. They were the evidence of my trials, errors and subsequently my solutions. Our willingness to be transparent about how we got where we got to reveals the process of becoming the person in the position. 1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (ESV).
Position A key part of our integrity and authenticity in ministry is to acknowledge our sin and confess them. Denial of the existence of our shortcomings is to deny the provision made through Christ for those failings. As some modern scholars are quick to remind us, we all make mistakes but more importantly we learn lessons from them. What if Paul the Apostle spoke only of his third heaven experience (2 Cor. 12) and not of his struggle with the mysterious thorn in his flesh? It’s always amusing to watch the outtakes and bloopers at the end of some of our favourite films. Scenes that we thought were flawless were the result of several takes, expletives and tantrums.
Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God’s grace is not only sufficient in our failures but that His strength is made fully available to us when we totally depend on him in our moments of weakness. People may be impressed by our amazing performances in ministry but they become inspired by our dependence on God through trials. Finally, I’d say integrity is having the grace to do the right things when no one is looking and never feel the need to speak about it or draw attention to ourselves in the process. Jesus in Matt 6:1-4 warns against virtue signalling and the crippling effects of this type of hypocrisy on our ministry. We spend an entire lifetime trying to build a reputation, a name for ourselves while Paul is saying in Philippians 2:7-8,
Jesus made himself of no reputation to become a slave, be treated as a criminal and be killed on a cross. For Jesus, the sacrifice was more important than being centre stage, humbling Himself far weightier than honouring Himself. The Holy Spirit is calling each of us to come from behind our positions and our titles, to divest our lives of what we do well and humbly present ourselves as servants of Christ, flawed but full of His grace, frustrated but refreshed by His Spirit. p
By Bishop Claion Grandison CHRISMA Christian Centre, NTGC, Woolwich.
July - September 2020
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MEASURE UP!!
Measure UP!!
Living in
The Overflow
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Life in the overflow of the Holy Spirit - [we have become] We have been justified by faith unto good works prepared for us by God (Gal 2:16). We have objectives to fulfil for the Kingdom of God. God’s Spirit is available to us in unlimited measure God will pour into us as long as we are willing and available to be filled by Him. He wants to fully inhabit the temple of our lives. Let us say we are like a well; then we are 10
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meant to be filled with good, clean Since the water is churning with life During this time of isolation and water fit for purpose. My deepest there is no possibility of it becoming lockdown, I have triedout a totally new desire is to see ALL the saints/the stagnant; it spurts and over like skill that I have never done before; Ecclesia come into this reality in the a fountain onto everything that is gardening. am having to learn so Kingdom of God. close by.I This is a picture of God’s muchdesire aboutforgardening, which plants you and me. The question to plant where, in what what is how deeply havesoil weordug our God explained it to me in a picture pot, how much to water them etc. etc. of a well being so deeply dug that wells and are they flowing freely? If mywhat basics wrong I will not wells? have not, is blocking up our it is filled to overflowing fromIfaI get the best success. The only way to wellspring that bubbles up from learn is to study and practise and lay a underground. It keeps the well pure firm foundation for success. and the water free of contaminants.
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It was exactly what had happened in Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews 5:12-14 was berating the Jewish Christians, for the third time; that they were still spiritually immature. They had obviously become Christians previously but were still reliant on someone to show them the way and were not making much progress. At some point after our new birth, we have to see that there is a bigger task. We are called to the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20 “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” Although this was directed to the apostles, it is also for us as we are disciples too. Let’s go back to my gardening. If I did not read the seed packets or labels on the flowers, or read gardening books or whatever I needed to do to learn about gardening, would I be a good person to seek knowledge about gardening from? Or would it be more productive to learn from an experienced person who has studied and practised gardening for years? That is discipleship! The apostles learned from their master Jesus, they did what He did and went where He went. They did not always get it right but they were determined to keep learning. When we first give our lives to the Lord, we know very little but after a while, praying, studying, reading His word as well as learning through more experienced Christians, meeting together etc we begin to
see that we are part of a large body who need to work together (1 Cor 12) . In Ephesians 4:11-13 it tells us that God has ordained various roles within the body of Christ for the benefit of the entire church. All members of the ‘Body of Christ’ have been given ministries for the ‘equipping of saints’. We are set aside for works of service, not just the ministers, pastors, elders or leaders of a church but all of us who love Christ and wish to serve Him. Just like a child, when we come to Christ, we need to be nurtured and fed on milk but after a short while, a baby starts to practise and perfect many skills that are needed for growing up. Some practising can be more painful than others but I have never seen a 6-monthold with the skillsets of a newborn unless something is drastically wrong. Get rid of wrong attitudes or practices that hinder your walk. Model your life after Jesus. Pray, repent and overcome sin in your life, embrace His discipline, He is training you to be His child and sometimes correction hurts. How are you going to know if something is or is not of God if you don’t know God’s word? The Old Testament is a key to unlocking the New Testament, so both are important. Don’t just be a fan but be an ardent follower of Christ too. There are so many portraits of Christ in the Old Testament that help us to understand who He is and what our past, present and glorious future is. Such a rich tapestry that you will never get bored if you study it full of the Holy Spirit.
In this magazine, this year is about the Tabernacle. Have you grasped any of its’ rich significance so far and the picture of Jesus and things to come? Only when we enter through those first gates can we see how elaborate and beautiful the setup is. Can you see the cross in the design? All the world can see outside is an uninteresting fenced off area and possibly the top of the Holy of Holies. They cannot have a clue until they have to come into the inner courts, just as we did when we came to Christ, we can see the sacrificial altar where Christ was to be the sacrificial lamb. The beautiful bronze laver where we can now wash our sins away. On entering the Holy place we can see the magnificent light of the world in the massive candelabra. The table of the showbread, the nourishment of God for His people and the beautiful altar of incense which was to be burnt continuously, the beautiful smell of our perpetual prayers to God. Then when we finally go through the curtain to the Holy of Holies to the Mercy seat on Ark of the Covenant where God resides with His people and grace and mercy meet, we can only come into His tabernacle because of Jesus. When we start to mature into our particular areas of service, we will all become united, building each other up, from the weakest to the strongest, from the youngest to the oldest into a beautiful unity and maturity that comes from fully following Christ, until we are ready to be with Him. p By Teresa L. Randle Married, elder at Alsager Community Church, preacher and Bible teacher.
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KING
No earthly king or queen has ever come near to showing that kind of love for their subjects 12
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When Jesus The Messiah walked on this earth He taught us and showed us how to live for now and eternity. One of the most beautiful stories is when Jesus washed His disciple’s feet in love and humility showing us how to serve one another. He loved the prostitute, He loved the Leper, He fed 1000,s because He saw their hunger, He even loved the tax collectors. And Oh! how He loved and had compassion for women who were often treated badly and still are. The woman who had lost her son, He returned to her. The
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woman with demons He set free. The woman who had bled for over 12 years He healed and He gave sight to the blind and made the crippled walk again. He taught us to put others before ourselves and to give to the utmost and even to pray for and bless our enemies and those who curse us; preferring one another in love. He showed love to all who were in need but His greatest act of Love was when He laid down His life on a cruel cross for you and for me so we could have eternal life.
king put forth his sceptre could she arise and speak with him. If we were to be invited to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the Queen of England – How do you think we would feel or respond? Firstly, I think with a little fear of what to expect and what is expected, what to wear and of course, we should investigate the protocol of how to behave in her presence. Whether to speak first? Curtsy or bow? Things to talk about and things not to talk about. I suppose I would Google the Palace to find out about the event and do some homework so I didn’t feel out of place, such a list to do. We are after all her subjects which means we are subject to her. I probably wouldn’t sleep for days with excitement of this ‘once in a lifetime experience’.
Does This Describe a King to You? When we look in the book of Esther we read an amazing story of a young queen who prepared herself, for almost two years, for her king. She asked his likes and dislikes, she wanted to know what colour he preferred what perfume he would like so she could please him. Just because she was married to him did not give her the right to enter the throne room anytime she wanted to be with him; she had to ask permission and only when the
So what about our King Jesus, how do we approach Him? After all, Jesus holds the ultimate office in the universe and yet He came to reveal His Kingdom to you and me. So where is this Kingdom? It is within us. He left His home of glory with His Father to teach us the wonders of His Kingdom; what we can expect here on earth and what awaits us in heaven. ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard of things stored up for those who love him.’ 1 Corinthians 2 So what is expected of us?
that obeys Him even when it hurts: a servant’s heart. Matthew 5, 6 & 7 teaches us right attitudes. He was crucified, dead and buried and on the third day, He rose again...HE IS ALIVE so that through a repentant heart and acknowledgement that Jesus is the Son of God; we could follow Him and have eternal life with Him in heaven. The difference between our King Jesus and earthly royalty is we have access 24/7, we do not need a special invitation to a one-time event. No earthly king or queen has ever come near to showing that kind of love for their subjects. Don’t let us take this position lightly but with reverent fear and above all a love for God let us learn the humility He came to teach us. Let us show Him the willingness to obey Him and follow Him. After all, heaven awaits all His subjects who learn this protocol of humility, love and joy which brings peace in our hearts the world cannot understand. He is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS and He is coming back soon. Today you have an invitation to become one of His subjects with 24/7 access to Him in all situations, that shows how much He loves you. Give Him your heart today, then you will have no need to be fearful in His presence but you will have a wonderful excitement in your heart when you do. Are you getting ready and prepared to meet Him?
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Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind and to love one another as He loved us. He expects a humility July - September 2020
By Barbara Payne intercessor, evangelist, minister, holds Women Unite events in the UK
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There are times that we as Christians are encouraged to be servants; we are encouraged to serve the Lord and other people. What is the intent of that encouragement? Is it to have us feel good about ourselves or have our consciences eased? The Bible tells us in 1 Cor. 13:3 (NASB) “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” It is possible to do the right things with the wrong motives; those motives may not be evil but they may still be wrong. We are going to examine the motive that God wants us to have when we do acts of service and/or mercy. We read in Matt. 6:33 (NKJV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” We are to seek first the kingdom of God, i.e. “seek firstly in order of importance” (Greek) the kingdom of God. We are not to seek only the kingdom but our seeking should affect every single action that we perform. It should be the motive behind our activities and decisions. I will try to explain by using a few examples: When you need a haircut, your nails done, your car fixed etc. how do you choose the person to employ for that task. Most persons choose based on their needs. I want to suggest that you choose based on the increasing of the 14
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Life of
influence of the kingdom. It says in Gal. 6:10 (NIV), “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” I would encourage you to, by default, choose a believer. The assumption is that other believers would be building up the kingdom of God with their resources and if they are not doing so, we should be able to influence them to do so. If we choose an unbeliever, however,
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it should be with the deliberate intent of influencing them for the kingdom of God. I have noticed that the early believers and apostles in the book of Acts had the attitude of seeking to build the kingdom of God no matter what they were going through.
In Acts 8 after the death of Stephen, the persecution started against the
While they were in Iconium, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the people against the believers, but, Paul and Barnabas stayed there a long while preaching the gospel. A violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone Paul and Barnabas. When they became aware of it, they fled to Lystra and Derbe (cities of Lycaonia) and to the surrounding region. When they arrived there, they preached the gospel there. The Jews from Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra and persuaded the multitudes who stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. When the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. The next day he and Barnabas departed to Derbe where they preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples.
Service
No matter how difficult it got, how much they were persecuted/ imprisoned/stoned they continued preaching the gospel and made disciples.
church and many of the believers number believed and turned to the scattered. Phillip, fleeing from the Lord. persecution, goes to Samaria and preaches the gospel and many From the end of Acts chapter 13 Samaritans get converted. to the end of chapter 14 we see: In Acts 11 we also see those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. Even though they were fleeing from the persecution they preached the word and a great
You cannot allow adverse situations, disappointments or failures to affect your tenacity. Be encouraged, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will The Jews stirred up the prominent reap a harvest if we do not give up� women and chief men of the city (Gal. 6:9 - NIV). p (Antioch in Pisidia) and expelled Paul and Barnabas from that region. by David Ferguson They then went to Iconium and Bible teacher, Pastor of preached in the Jewish synagogues Restoration Family Church Int. that resulted in crowds of Jews and Greeks received Jesus as Lord. July - September 2020
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The Inner Court of the Tabernacle
The Inner Court of the Tabernacle: is a place of service and reveals Messiah Jesus in the 3 furnishings 1. Jesus, Light of the world 2. Jesus, Bread of Heaven 3. Jesus, High Priest who continually makes intercession for us.
The Altar of Incense to offer Prayers to God
Table of Showbread
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The Menorah
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1. The Menorah- is the Hebrew word for lamp and is full of pure oil, giving light to the Holy Place as they were in the desert and had no windows in the tent. It was pure gold hammered into shape with 3 branches either side and the centre being the main one that delivers the oil to each branch.
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Exodus 25:31. ”When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ” John 8: 12. We need the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit in our lives to become...
The Altar of Incense
”And the Lord said to Moses, Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense; there shall be equal amounts of each. Make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.” Exodus 30:34-38
Did you know? That when Jesus was born, the Magi brought Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, that are found all
The
“And you shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be on the bread for a memorial, an offering made by fire to the LORD. Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the
Did you know?
Tabernacle;
how
Frankincense and myrrh would have been considered practical gifts with many uses and are still used today. They’re common ingredients in modern perfumes and cosmetics, continuing a tradition that has lasted thousands of years. Scientists have found in recent studies that frankincense may be beneficial to sufferers of asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, osteoarthritis and collagenous colitis. Researchers
have also discovered possible benefits of myrrh in the treatment of gastric ulcers, tumours and parasites. The expensive resins were symbolic as well. Frankincense, which was often burned, symbolized prayer rising to the heavens like smoke, while myrrh, which was often used for burials, symbolized death. Accordingly, a mixture of wine and myrrh was offered to Jesus during His crucifixion. THE NEW IS IN THE OLD CONCEALED THE OLD IS IN THE NEW REVEALED.
Table of Showbread
The purpose of the golden table was to hold 12 cakes of bread made of fine flour. They were placed there in two rows of six, each loaf representing one of the tribes of Israel.
...light.
through the amazing?
children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place;” Lev 24:5-9
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”John 6:51
Did you know? Although the bread was on a table, no priest could sit at that table or anywhere else in the tabernacle. God looked after their health too; Frankincense and Myrrh have health-giving properties and in some cases helped with Arthritis, Asthma and digestive problems. God knows how to look after the priests. After the 7 days, the priests had to eat the bread and it was as fresh as when it was first made.
The Menorah
Some 2100 years ago Israel came under the rule of the SyrianGreek emperor Antiochus, who issued many decrees designed to force his Hellenistic ideology and rituals upon the Jewish people. He outlawed the study of the Torah and its commands and defiled the Holy Temple in Jerusalem with Greek idols.
A small, greatly outnumbered band of Jews, Judea Macobeans battled against the mighty Greek armies and drove them out of the land. When they reclaimed the Holy Temple, on the 25th of Kislev, they wanted to light the Temple’s Menorah, only to find that the Greeks had contaminated virtually all the oil. All that remained was one cruse of pure oil, enough to last one night—and it would take eight days to procure new, pure oil.
Miraculously, the one-day supply of oil lasted eight days and nights and the holiday of Chanukah was established. To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the Chanukah menorah is lit on each of the eight nights of Chanukah. p
July - September 2020
By Barbara Payne intercessor, evangelist, minister, holds Women Unite events in the UK
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TEMPLE KEEPERS OF THE
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The Kohathites, a clan of Levites, were priests and temple keepers for the tabernacle, charged with taking care of the Ark, the Table, the Altar, keeping the Lampstand lit at all times, trimming the wicks, and also in the music service day and night before God (1 Chronicles 9:19-21). As priests and temple keepers of the dwelling place of God in our hearts, we are to give God our best service which requires commitment, discipline, integrity, holiness and honouring God’s name. Excellence is not about knowledge or skills but our attitude. It means loving the Lord our God with ALL of our hearts, ALL of our soul, and ALL of our mind (Deuteronomy reference). What Are Our Duties? Feed on the Altar of Showbread where Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger...” Jesus is the source of our nourishment. Are we eating enough from the Word to feed our souls, or do we feed it with food like social media, worldly entertainment that feeds the desires of the flesh? Do we eat the whole bread, or do we spit out the crusts? Do we only take what sounds nice and comfortable from the Word like His love, mercy and promises, but discard the discipline and conditions that precede it. We want all the protection that God provides in Psalm 91 but fail to realise that that provision is contingent on verse 1,2 where we
need to dwell all the time, leaning and trusting in the secret place of the Most High God. Do we give time to study and seek out the Truth of His Word? Do we replace stubbornness and indifference to His principles, with a transformation in our soul that is aligned with His Word? What we fill our lives with reveals our priorities and value. Is pleasing God our first priority? Keep the Lampstand Burning. The Lampstand is the “Light of the World” John 9:5. What kept the Lampstand lit continually was the oil which represents the Holy Spirit. As disciples of Jesus, we must be anointed with the Holy Spirit. Only the purest of oil was extracted to be used to light the Lampstand. We have to be as that pure oil. We are to be similarly pressed and refined through trials and tribulations, depending not on our might or our power but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6), so that we can be the light in the world to dispel darkness. We have to be attentive and not let the light of His Spirit go out because our human nature insists on doing our way whilst God’s gentle prompting can be so easily ignored. Do we mispresent God by letting our light go out, or can we be like the five wise virgins keeping our lamps filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit and being ever ready? (Matthew 25:1-13). Do I keep my light shining every day so that I walk and live each
day in conformity with the precepts of God? Do I quench the Holy Spirit through simple neglect or conforming to the world’s values? Offer Prayer and Worship at the Altar of Incense The priests of the tabernacle offered incense to God twice a day but today, our prayers and worship are our incense offering. This is our duty as temple keepers. We are born to worship God. Worship of adoration and thanksgiving should be the central affirmation of our lives; Worship is a lifestyle. True worship to God is a privilege available only to those who are obedient to the will of God. Do we live in ignorance of God’s presence or do we linger by choice in His presence? Is self-absorption an obstacle to experiencing His presence? How else can we be of service to God except that we come to a point of total humble surrender, devotion and allow the understanding of who He is to impact our lives? “The Lovers of God walk on the Highway of Light, and their way shines brighter and brighter until they bring forth the perfect day” Proverbs 4:18 (TPT) and, we declare ‘the reason I live (and serve) is to worship You.’ p
By Suyin Sutherland Business owner, a lover of God’s presence, loves to introduce others into God’s secret place.
July - September 2020
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TESTIMONY
NOT A FISHY TALE 20
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By Lynda and Michael Smith
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I cannot remember the year only that it was a very hot day in June. My husband Mick had a job in a fish factory skinning fish. He came home that afiemoon absolutely stinking of fish. Now taking a step back to a few weeks before (not being born again very long myself) the Lord had me talking to Mick about salvation through Jesus Christ. I would in my wisdom leave little notes and messages all around the house especially in the kitchen where he would see them at 3-30 a.m. when he got up early for work. But it was on this very hot June morning that our son Zak had sent a Christian newsletter in the post. There was a very powerful message in it about salvation. Now when Mick came home that afiemoon wafiing his very powerful aroma of ‘stinky fish’ everywhere I immediately suggested he should take a bath and put all his clothes in the washer and so he went off to read his book in the bath. In the meantime, I sat down and read again the message sent on salvation. I distinctly heard a voice in my head say, “Go take the book out of his hand and tell him to read this.” So l leapt up walked straight into the bathroom, the ‘pong’ of fish in that hot steamy bathroom along with the heat of the weather was overpowering. He hadn’t even opened the window and having no smell he was oblivious to it. I literally grabbed the book out of his hands and said, “The Lord says you have to read this;” and made a hasty retreat. Afler awhile he called me into the bathroom and said to put the newsletter at the side of his bed and he would read it later. He had folded it to the piece about salvation and
being ‘born again.’ So, I asked there and then did he want to give his life to the Lord and he said,” yes.” Praise the Lord! I ran and got my Bible as I had written on the inside, the prayer of faith. Going back into the bathroom I put the loo (toilet) seat lid down and sitting down opened my Bible and gave thanks to God and through the power of the Holy Spirit led Mick to Jesus. Then Mick asked, why I didn’t baptize him there and then in the bath. I explained that I did not know how to do that. We decided that we would ask our pastor about us both being baptized which we were sometime later. Now, as I came out of the bathroom I had this wonderful feeling of joy and that above my head there was a great party going on. Wanting to share the good news I phoned Denise, my dear sister, in the Lord saying, “you will never guess what has happened.” She said, “I bet I can.” “No,” I said, “you will not guess.” To which she said, “I know what has happened, Mick has given his life to Jesus.” I was aghast. How did she know? She explained that the Lord had her praying for Mick that morning at 5-30 a.m.; and regarding the party, I felt one was surely going on in heaven - Luke 15:10 “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Pray with all your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit for your loved ones and folks’ salvation and never give up. Remember someone somewhere prayed for us. Thanks be to God. p
July - September 2020
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# youth
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Selfie Culture
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If you don’t’ take and post a picture of yourself, looking as perfect as you think you can, how does this make you feel?
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Renee takes just about 10 selfies a day. If she has a special occasion, that number is usually doubled. There is an internal conflict when she goes out and is well dressed and has no selfie to show for it. She then meticulously goes through, weighing the pros and cons for each pic. Renee then decides which filter will compliment her skin tone, make her teeth look whiter and remove all the visible blemishes on her face. Do you think this behaviour in any way implies anything about her self esteem? If yes, what does it imply to you? What do you think would happen if Renee posted a picture on social media with all her blemishes in full view? Do you find yourself taking a little too many selfies per day?
Selfie taking is a more recent phenomenon and has grown in popularity with youth as the emergence of social media takes over our landscape. There seems to be an obsession with presenting a picture-perfect view of ourselves to the world, with filters plastered all over the picture to hide our very human blemishes. As youth can we honestly assess the root of this obsession? Is it low self-esteem disguised as self-confidence? Are we truly content with ourselves even without the affirmation of our peers? Can we probe deeper into this superficiality and see if there are any implications on our relationship with God. Does the plastering of the disingenuousness find its way into our relations with our Creator? I believe there is a strong chance it does. In the book of Psalm David is comforted by the fact that God knows all about him and is familiar with all his ways. There is a beauty that comes with being transparent before our maker. This transparency provides us with the opportunity to be broken and contrite before Him so He can mend the areas of our lives that need mending.
It is easy to fall into trends we frequently see around us. It’s however important that we contend for God’s truth about us over popular opinion. Popular opinion is fleeting and It changes so often. God’s truth about us is unchanging and it is not affected by how perfect we think we look. When we begin to find our identity in God and begin to trust the very declarations, He has made over our lives about being “fearfully and wonderfully made,” we will begin to have a perspective shift. If God’s words don’t hold any weight to us, we will find ourselves stumbling into every trend and in the process losing who we really are. This was never God’s intention for our lives, He desires that we bear His image with both honour and humility. To honour our image-bearing privileges is to respect that our physical “imperfections” are an expression of God’s creativity. To be humble in our image-bearing privileges is to appreciate that “it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves.” We are without the capability to create ourselves, that is reserved for God Almighty. Our image-bearing privileges can get easily skewed when all we consume is worldly standards of beauty and success. Instead as young believers, we must fortify our minds with the truth of God’s Word. p
July - September 2020
By Jhonelle Grant Youth Leader and Freelance Writer
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F e v i g r o ss e n
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Burning to Forgive as He Forgave
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Fuel, oxygen, and heat are the elements needed to generate a fire. If not rapidly extinguished, a fire can quickly burn out of control and consume everything within its path. Anger is quite like a fire, however, the components needed to give it strength are the mind (fuel), the heart (oxygen) and the tongue (heat). Anger is triggered by the simplest of misunderstandings and can blossom into the most premeditated act of cruelty. Here are a few examples which can result in anger; losing one’s patience, feeling under-appreciated, being ridiculed or bullied, having a traumatic experience such as the death of a loved one, divorce, heartbreak or when we feel we have been wronged, whether consciously or unconsciously. Our natural response to anger usually results in a desire to retaliate in the form of revenge. And, once we allow anger to fester, the deadly seed of unforgiveness takes root, and the vines of humiliation, hostility and injustice grow. At this juncture, there is no glimpse of hope of reconciliation much less hope for a burning desire to forgive. The book of Genesis, Chapters 37 through 47 portrays the story of Joseph, one of twelve sons born to Jacob (son of Isaac). Unfortunately,
Joseph had two strikes against him, which caused hatred among his brothers. First, Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons and second, Joseph had the ability to interpret dreams. Joseph dreamt he would reign over his family and in telling these dreams to his brothers, caused them to despise him even more. So, they plotted to kill him but instead resorted to throwing him into an empty well, while they pondered their next move; and suddenly, they seized the opportunity to sell him into slavery for 20 pieces of silver. Imagine the anger Joseph must have felt? How could his own brothers do this to him? Joseph’s life story continues in the subsequent chapters and tells of his rise from slave to leader over the land and people of Egypt. During that period, God was with him. We can grasp from Joseph’s story that he never allowed the deadly seed of unforgiveness towards his brothers to take root in his heart. He chose to reunite with them and welcome them into his home in Egypt. His dreams did come to pass and he reigned over them! As a believer in Christ, it is imperative for us to nurture an intimate relationship with our Father
and draw on His strength in times of weakness. We cannot come to Him to receive forgiveness of our sins when we hold our brother or sister captive in our hearts; regardless of the pressure, we incur from feelings of humiliation, hostility and injustice. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:3132, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. 32 Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you. (AMP). When we are faced with the temptation to open our hearts to the seed of unforgiveness, think of Jesus and what He endured on our behalf. He was betrayed, mocked, whipped, struck, spat on, pierced, and nailed to the cross, yet, as He suffered, He promptly forgave. Jesus’ example of brotherly love laid the foundation for us to choose love over anger, and therefore, we too should promptly forgive as He forgave! p By Karen Daley, mother, cake artist, event planner and amateur to inspirational penning as led by the Holy Spirit.
July - September 2020
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World
Response and Responsibility
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Whether it be the information we received from the media about CoronaVirus or what the government told us that they are doing about it, we don’t know who to believe. Conspiracy theories abound and we are left more befuddled than ever. The only certainty is that people are dying and there doesn’t seem to be a cure.
#BlackLivesMatter protests lead by the African American community has galvanised the support of the African Diaspora, continental Africans and even Whites in solidarity, against the systemic racism that its organisers believe, has lead to murders like George Floyd’s and many others over the last decade and beyond. This is an overflow of a long-left brew which has been steeping in racial disharmony, mistrust and rancour.
How do we respond? The first port of call is prayer. We need to check-in with God to get our hearts right, get clarity, compassion, wisdom, sensitivity and discernment from Him who sees and knows all. If we react we will very likely do so from a soulish place of hurt, fear, anger, unforgiveness and outrage. We will achieve nothing that resembles God’s will.
A Righteous Response to Wrong In response to what we are told by the governing authorities, we must behave responsibly. Our ancestors have trail blazed a clear path for us to find a footing and push forward against all odds. They passed on the Gospel to us through blood, sweat and tears and yes; even martyrdom. They lived by the principles of the Gospel over personality or populism. Noah’s fortitude in the face of opposition, faithfulness and righteous response was exemplary. He built an Ark that literally saved humanity. The current Protests of #BLackLivesMatter forces us to test our foundation to see if it is secure and whether we can, having done all (i.e. fulfilled righteousness through our obedience) 26
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stand firmly, grounded in the word of God. We must reset and realign our lives with God’s word. “The outrage of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20) So we do not get swallowed up and carried away in mass movements. We stand still, hold our peace for we know we are not fighting fleshly warfare but against principalities and strongholds rulers of wickedness in heavenly realms. We know that our position before God is one of intercession for our God rules and reigns in the hearts of men and He will dispose of spiritual wickedness. (Ephesians 6) Therefore, propagating racism in order to solve a racist based problem won’t sustain as scripture teaches us, “You can’t overcome evil with evil you must overcome evil with good.” Modern history has shown that extreme movements simply run aground and achieve nothing but self-destruction. We recall Stalin’s Marxism, Maos’ Communism, Hitlers’ Nazism, Mugabe’s Utopia, ISIS’ Caliphate and so on. Going back to the first century, Gamaliel’s response to the Sanhedrin’s’ frustration with Jesus ‘growing support was, “if it’s not of God it will come to nothing but if it is of God it will endure and it cannot be stopped” The zealots of Jesus’ time wanted to overthrow Roman oppression. Why didn’t Jesus allow Himself to be pulled into their mass movement and riots? It was simply not God’s plan or purpose and so Jesus stuck to the Fathers’ plan. We need to know God’s heart and mind in each situation so we know when it is our fight.
Principle over Populism The problem with #BLM is, its a populist movement of loosely connected groups. It isn’t an organised body like the NAACP so
In View there is nobody controlling it, having accountability for it or able to fully speak for it. It is a secular body having no godly guiding principles; it in no way resembles the pacifist protests of Dr. King’s Civil rights movement, per se. What partnership has darkness with light? Critics blame BLM for worsening race relations in America. [46] Even family members of Jamar Clark, who was shot by police in 2015, have urged BLM to settle the protests because “there’s a fine line between protesting a cause and hurting the community.”[47] What we need is either a new body or ‘think tank’ that sits down goes through policy and legislation that has the full respect and backing of the majority of the black community so that the black community can fully leverage their voting power for the changes they want to see. In the meantime, the voice of God needs to be heard in this time - the prophetic, the apostolic, the pastoral, the evangelical and the teachers in us all must be filling the vacuum in people’s lives with revealed truth, that RHEMA God has given to us as an answer to the persons around us. The misguided and angry youth the ageing and bitter elders need persons in their community who are listening to them and offering them biblical guidance. Our interpersonal relationships are being challenged to be real and not superficial, so as to create the kind of congruence that will build honest and trusting discourse and replace the bewailing narrative of blame vs guilt and subsequent rebellion. We can’t afford to let our love grow cold even if we do not personally identify with Slavery or the Civil Rights experiences of the Americans. We identify with the common human experience of the stronger exerting oppression and control over the weaker. All civilizations have had their own brand
of slavery and oppression. So, it is not a skin thing it is a sin thing. Do not let the frost of indifference begin to freeze over our hearts. Let’s keep our hearts burning with a passion for the Lord and compassion for the Ecclesia, our co-labourers in Christ and for the lost. We look to the Truth and Reconciliation process of South Africa in pioneering what would have otherwise been considered by many to be an inevitable blood bath. Bishop Desmond Tutu stood up and served His God and community at the crucial time. Now the process is still not complete and the situation not perfect but we need more of this type of managed processes rather than a mere populist outcry. We need to take these guiding principles of God’s word to the board rooms, courtrooms and legislatures not the streets. We are the balancing factors that God will use in this time to make the difference and bring households, communities and nations back on track with Gods’ purposes.
Leveraging Our Interconnectivity If we fail to see our interconnectivity we will fall into the folly of the old Aesop’s Fable where all the animals on the farm were slaughtered because none cared about the plight of the little mouse. Communities have successfully avoided the pitfalls of Agcrimony, the best example being the Jewish community; their presence can always be felt by politicians, business and government. Japan and South Korea and other Asian Tigers have pulled themselves forward from the ashes of World War Two and created leverage for themselves in the world. The emerging African states have also shown this as possible. We need to think more productively about ways of creating our manifest destiny through the guiding principles of the Word of God instead of looking back in rancour. We are here to do God’s will not our own. Article by Dorian Slack & Angela Slack
[46-47] https://www.influencewatch.org/movement/black-lives-matter
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They That WAIT E “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31
Scripture is filled with such amazingly profound truths. The whole concept of waiting on God is one such truth that can deliver us from stress and save us from
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a multitude of mistakes. Jesus is our best example, though God, He waited on the leading of His Father. He said, “...the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”John 8:26-28 He waits to see what His Father is doing then follows Him. This order of things filters through to us. The Holy Spirit leads us as if saying to us, “Watch me, and whatever I do, you follow.”
by improved transportation systems just to name a few. This same cultured impatience has crept into the church. A person who is called and gifted to be an evangelist, a teacher or a healer, for example, cannot wait on the processes of God to be completed in them but quickly rushes ahead of God. Yet, Jesus, the very son of God, waited until He was 30 years old before starting His ministry. He waited until He came of age, was baptised and overcame the wilderness temptations. To be impatient and rush ahead of God is a grave error. “Anyone who runs on ahead and does not remain in the doctrine of Christ [that is, one who is not content with what He taught], does not have God...” 2 John 1:9 (AMP) Remember that king Saul’s impatience was an early sign that God would reject him as king. Note also, that Jesus didn’t just wait, He patiently waited. Patience is an integral part of the fruit of the Spirit. Patience is waiting with the right attitude. If we grumble or are tormented by anxiety while waiting then we are not patient. Patience is calm and peaceful.
Why Is Learning to Wait on God So Important? It is important because we exist in a time of great impatience helped by our many gadgets and technologies. Our emails can travel across the world in milliseconds, we have instant microwavable food, travel times continue to be slashed
For years I wondered whether I was to wait on God or if God was waiting on me. I didn’t know what to do. Should I get up and go get things done or should I wait on a certain sign before I move? After many years I learnt when to move and when to wait. There are specific things we must never venture to do unless God has gone ahead of us. For example, we should never go
ahead and command someone to be healed unless God did something first, like deposit an assurance in our hearts that He is going to heal that person. Who and when God is going to heal is not clearly stated in scripture so we must wait on Him for the details. On the contrary, if we are angry with a brother scripture says we must not let the sun go down on our wrath (Ephesians 4:26). We do not need the Spirit of God to move upon us before we attend to that situation. We must forgive and restore relationships as soon as possible. We must wait on God for our work. We do not just work for God, we work with Him. 1 Corinthians 3:9 (CSB) “For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” We work alongside God as He instructs us, telling us and showing us what to do. The Spirit leads and we follow. He tells us what to say, then we say it. He shows us what to do, then we do it. As the waiter waits to take the customers’ order so we wait on God to speak. The word of God, the same word that created the universe, will empower us like nothing else you could imagine. The zeal of youth will fail and the vigour of young men will soon fade but the person who waited on God’s word cannot be stopped. God’s word is the engine that drives their heart and feet, they are fuelled for the distance and more. p By Homer Slack author, preacher, Bible teacher, IT tutor, programmer & graphic designer
July - September 2020
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The
STORY TELLER To book the story teller email: editor@thesharemagazine.com
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While in high school there were some young men I looked up to. In this, all-boys school were some outstanding young men that I greatly admired. A few for their academic prowess and a few others for their outstanding achievements in sports. This particular young man was in my year (year three) but far younger than the average age for year three. He was so outstanding that they took him straight out of primary and into year two, but that year group wasn’t enough of a challenge for him so within weeks
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they placed him in our year three group. He skipped year one and two and just a few months was already halfway through high school. I also greatly admired our schools’ top basketball player who also happened to be one of the top table tennis players in the entire school. I couldn’t get my head around it. How could they do so well? I was trying very hard yet not getting anywhere with either sports or academics yet these lads, with the same hours in
Extraordinary GENTLEMEN a day, were excelling far beyond anything I could even dream of. Now, as I look back and begin to put the pieces together, I realise it was more than just talent. They had strict after school activities. When we observed their achievement we were seeing the result of hours of training/studies and hard work that took place away from the prying eyes of the public. The Lord saved me the very next year after I graduated high school and with newfound purpose and vision, I too began to excel in areas of my life. I was now passing my exams and becoming a leader among my pairs. The ordinary, underachieving, aimless young man was being totally transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was now a part of the Ecclesia, God’s own special people, anointed with the oil intended only for those who are members of the royal priesthood. In the days of the Tabernacle a natural oil mixture was used but today we are anointed by someone much more precious, the Holy Spirit. “Say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is to be used in my service for all time to come. It must not be poured on ordinary men…’” Exodus 30:31-32 (GNT)
What a great honour for one to be numbered among the extraordinary, the special people? What worries me, however, is that our enemy seems set on defiling these holy people. Many who want to escape the corruption that has become standard in the world such as its cowardice, malice, deception, hypocrisy, envy, greed and sexual immorality etc. turn to the Church expecting something different but what do they find? More of the same. Their thirsty souls beg for change but the popular Christianity of today offers nothing different. We think like the world, sound like the world, look like the world and behave like the word. The one candle in a dark world seems to be going out. Even nature is disgusted, “...the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God.” says Romans 8:19 (NET) All creation longs for the unveiling of the extraordinary. Where are those who were able to keep themselves from slipping and falling into the pit of ordinariness? Peter tries to remind us as to who we are, “...you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people…” 1 Peter 2:9 So then, what makes us special or extraordinary? The fact that we were called, chosen and set apart
by God for God. The oil is to be used only on those called and appointed by God as priests. The irony is, however, that many of the fortunate few whom God has endowed with this most unique, special and extraordinary gift do not appreciate it. The majority eventually reject it. In great sadness, Peter declares, “The pig returns to its wallow and the dog to its vomit.” (see 2 Peter 2:22) How human nature is bent on spoiling a good thing. Where are they that will fight the temptation to succumb to the ordinary and common? Those who will hold in high esteem their priestly call and are determined not to defile it as noted members of the early priestly order did? Where are those who in a filthy godless world will hold to standards which clearly define us as extraordinary, different and the people of God? Those who are called now have a duty to walk worthy of this high calling (Ephesians 4:1). To remain undefiled we must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, take stock of the things which trip us up like those habits which debilitate us and the idols that distract us. To avoid defilement we must apply strict discipline to achieve mastery over self (see 1 Corinthians 9:24-27). p
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Blood, Sweat, and Tears God did not magically save me. It didn’t just happen at the drop of a hat, Or behind closed doors, Like some conjurer’s trick. It took blood, sweat and tears – Blood, sweat and tears And they weren’t mine. But Christ’s own. So great is my salvation! And so great is your salvation, too! It was no cheap trick of grace. That pulled me, or you, Out of the pit of hell. It took planning; Thousands of years of planning. It took agony, buckets and buckets of agony. It took whips and spits, Mocks and nails, A crown of thorns and a Roman spear, Thrust under the ribs, And into the heart, Of God! Made flesh, To die my death. Christ dying for me; Him made sin My sin, His death. My treason, His execution. His death So, I can go free. Free! Free from all condemnation and fear; Free from the bondages that had me bound, tied to sin and death, 32
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Forever Free from God’s own wrath Free to be God’s Own loved Eternally Free, Free, Free! To walk in the sun Free To face death with certainty Free, oh how free. Now that I am Christ’s very own. You see, this was no cheap salvation This was no easy ride This didn’t happen in secret God didn’t try and hide You see, God displayed His Son, Jesus on the gibbet, publicly. His Blood was the price for my soul For my soul’s liberty His Blood was the price For your soul This was no cheap salvation No tap of the hat magic trick The truth took nearly two thousand years to reach me And I’ll be damned if I don’t give Him my all, My all; My all, to Him Who gave me His all. So, don’t turn my devotion To the Father, His Son and the Spirit Into some kind of rule and regulation religion, Like the church is seen as a building, Static, and as dead as a brick. This is love that I’m feeling, This is true love in my soul, man So, how can I neglect so great a salvation How can I not mention Jesus? My Saviour My Jesus, Who is entirely responsible? For making me whole? © Paul Vivian
Note To Self
God will never guarantee to hear and answer my prayers until: • I am not living in sin. (Isaiah 59:1-3) • I have repented and turned from my wicked ways. (2 Chron. 7:14) • My position before Him is IN CHRIST. (John 15:7 & 16) • My desires and will are surrendered to Christ. (1 John 5:14) • I am filled with reverent fear and awe of Him. (Hebrews 5:7) • I live from His Spirit and not my soul. (James 4:3) • My life is authentic and not a lie. I am pleasing God. (1 John 3:22)
I have no excuses… I must admit my stubbornness & rebellion; as Grace was given to bring me into the above and even MORE. I must humbly ASK, receive it by FAITH and intentionally LIVE IT. by Angela Slack July - September 2020
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In Praise of Hymn
Dear Lord and Father of mankind Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways; reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise. 2 In simple trust like theirs who heard beside the Syrian sea the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word rise up and follow thee. 3 O Sabbath rest by Galilee, O calm of hills above, where Jesus knelt to share with thee the silence of eternity, interpreted by love! 4 Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace. 5 Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm; let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, O still, small voice of calm!
Reviewing Great Christian Hymns John Greenleaf Whittier(1872) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. He is remembered particularly for his anti-slavery writings as well as his book Snow-Bound. Whittier chides the religious attempts of other religions and some Christians to reach God through soulish indulgence, describing the true method for contact with the divine, as practised by Quakers: Sober lives dedicated to doing God’s will, seeking silence and selflessness in order to hear the “still, small voice”, described in I Kings 19:11-13 as the authentic voice of God, rather than earthquake, wind or fire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Lord_and_Father_of_Mankind 34
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This book brings to you the life story, along with a collection of sermons of the late, Jim Sweet, a dedicated servant of the Lord, with a sense of humour that makes you smile through its pages. It is easy to read and yet some of it is hard to swallow as Jim, does not spare the truth and challenges us to take it to heart. However, his life’s story is testament to the fact that if one embraces the truth it really does set you free!
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