Views, Visions and Values

Ordinary Christians in the Hands of the Extra –Ordinary God. Part 2:

2012-03-28T15:50:00.000+01:00

Ordinary Christians in the Hands of the Extra –Ordinary God.

Part 2:

Ephesians 3:10 -12 and 16 – 21 NIVUK

So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him…………… ¹⁶that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,¹⁸may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen

I grew up in the South Wales Valleys, were the common themes for many were Chapel, Rugby and the Colliery, the threads that would often hold those communities together would be those mentioned above, the hymns of the Chapel such as Guide me, O Though Great Jehovah would be sung with at least equal gusto on a Saturday Afternoon watching the Rugby.

In many ways, our lives would have been influenced and affected by the strong religious traditions of something best described as chapel culture, when we spoke of the church, we would often have of thought of the Anglican Church with their vicars etc, to many people from a chapel background the church was a strange place that could be described it’s church, but not as we know it!.

The traditions of Chapel Culture would be at least influenced by protecting and promoting Welsh Language and Culture, and to distinguish it against the English Language and Culture. I would say that in the Village where the Church I was raised in, half the Chapels would speak Welsh in all their services. I love

Wales

, its Language, Culture and its People but there aren’t The Lord who died for my sins and the sins of the entire World, and rose again in Victory and is coming back for us when He comes to reign and rule and establish His Kingdom in its full splendour and glory.

We have made idols of so many things in the Church, whether that be our traditions, heritage and our national or cultural identities, our churches have become monuments to past moves of God, or to the men who God raised up to move his Church forward. The Church has become known to what we’re against rather than what we for, we fight battles and wars with society rather than supporting and encouraging society, yes there are anti-Christian influences and challenges facing us today, with the prospect of Gay Marriage and the attempts of our politicians to force change in the legal definition of marriage.

When people think of Church they think of a dying religion and something that is part of the establishment. We should stand against the enemy, the devil but our weapons aren’t the weapons or the strategies of the world, see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 .We try to convict the people we meet whose lives aren’t in accordance with scripture of their sin but we aren’t the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin and shows them God’s righteousness see John 16:-8-11 instead we’ve alienated those He sent us to show His Love and Compassion to.

When Jesus walked the streets of the lands of Bible Times, he wasn’t part of the establishment, whether than was the political or the religious establishment, Jesus is God’s ultimate revolutionary, he isn’t some kind of Jewish Che Guevara, he was and is the Son of God, who came as baby, lived a normal life, then for the last 3 years of his life, bought God’s message of transformation, hope, redemption, salvation, deliverance and peace to those he meet regardless of their sexuality, disability, cultural or ethic background, he raised up normal men and women, that were often the lowest and sometimes the most despised people in society, like his ancestor King David, who’s mighty men came from those in debt, distress or the discontented, see 2 Samuel 22:3, he died an agonising death on the cross, of all the tens of thousands than were crucified by the Roman and other empires, only one death made a difference, Jesus took the entire sin of the entire world from that day until he day He returns, and died as the sacrifice for not only the sins of the church, but the sins of those yet to know Him. He arose Victorious from the tomb, and entered Heaven after preparing His early disciples and sending the Holy Spirit see John 20 so that His Church may go forward and see people saved, lives transformed, hope restored and renewed and salvation bought to the ends of the earth.

Today, we the Church like David’s Mighty Men and the early Disciples are God’s Mighty Men and Women of Faith, who have been tasked by our Saviour and Lord to advance His Kingdom and His Church into our streets, neighbourhoods, communities, regions, nations and the nations of the world.

When God commissioned the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8 see here for context. Isaiah 6:8-9 ⁸And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” ⁹And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

Throughout the History of the Church, God has called and commissioned Ordinary People just like You and Me, he’s not called the seemingly best equipped or seemingly the most talented or indeed the best gifted, when God sent the Prophet Samuel to anoint Israel’s next King he sent him to the home of Jesse in Bethlehem, and when he looked at Jesse’s Sons he saw some great and talented warriors but they weren’t God’s choice see 1 Samuel 16:5-13, God is calling the Ordinary People to rise up for Him see 1 Corinthians 26-29 but let us not be like the Prophet Jonah, who when God called him to Niveveh went in the opposite direction!

Today God is calling again Whom shall I send, and who will go for us, will we say Here am I send Me, and will we ready to Go to those who sends us and where He sends us ?

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside

Ordinary Christians in the Hands of the Extra-Ordinary God. Part 1:

2012-03-23T15:11:00.001Z

Ordinary Christians in the Hands of the Extra-Ordinary God.

Part 1:

Ephesians 3:10-12 &; 20 &; 21 ESVUK

10 so that through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places 11. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord 12,in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him…………………20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us 21, to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

I love the Church, I think it’s amazing, I love Jesus more and more each day and love looking at, reading and studying His written Word the Bible. and I love being a part of His amazing Church, When you think about it That the Church belongs to Jesus and His written Word the Bible explains to us how to live our lives as Christians who are the people who make up the Church, it can revolutionise your love for the Church and our Saviour.

I was raised in a Christian Home and both my dad and my late mum, with my late grandparents give me a love for Scripture, the Church and our Lord and Saviour Jesus, I was * saved or * born again or * accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour (*depends on your theological viewpoint!) when I was 11 in a Children’s Meeting, Easter Monday 1981.

I was raised in a little church in Resolven, which is near Neath, South Wales called The Apostolic church, which is part of a larger grouping also called the Apostolic church which are part of the Pentecostal Movement here in the UK the others are The Assemblies of God and Elim, both of which are a real blessing to know. I spent the first 13 years of the Christian Life with The Apostolic’s. I thank the Lord for the privilege of being raised in that denomination and the grounding and foundation I had there, and the friends I have there today.

Those who know me know I love reading and one of the things I love reading about is the Church. I devour books at the best of times, but I’m always drawn to books about the Church. I’ve been inspired by many godly writers such as Alan Roxburgh, Neil Cole, Floyd McClung, Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton amongst others and have been challenged by what God has said through them. I’ve also been inspired by some great Church Leaders like Keri Jones, Arnallt Morgan, Mark Davies, Roger Aubrey, Mick Walford, Mike & John Sutton-Smith, Geoff Grice and Steve Smith who have through the last 18 years have inspired and challenged me to go on with the things of God, and go deeper with God. I would like this opportunity to say thank you and to Arnallt diolch yn fawr.

When you think about it, there are various models of Church and different perspectives on what the Church is, and what it should or could be. My Spiritual grounding and heritage has been and still is the Pentecostal/Charismatic/ Restoration stream/s which are part of the broader Evangelical Spectrum although I admire and respect those who’s Christian path has been or is different from mine.

My background is of someone growing up in the Welsh Valleys, although I now live in the North West of England, when I think of my younger days that Church more or often or not was somewhere we went, rather than something we are part of. I thought of a Physical Building rather than a Spiritual Building, Yes Physical Buildings are important but they serve the Spiritual Building, by the way that’s you and me.

There are countless ways or models of doing and being the Church such as Missional church, Simple church etc ,etc there are large churches, small churches, medium churches, full churches, half full churches, empty churches, traditional churches, free churches, Baptist churches, Anglican churches, Pentecostal churches the list can go on and on If you look in your Telephone Directory or search online, how many churches are listed in your City, Town or Village ?, * Note I use the word Church to describe the Church in general and the word church to describe churches, that is in the local church or the church grouping You or I are part of, and isn’t meant to diminish any one church or group of churches *

I don’t believe that there should only be model or type of church, I believe that each model or type of church is equally valid and has an important and relevant part to play in our role to Evangelise those who yet don’t know the Lord, The Lord has called us to work alongside in a sense of co-operation not to compete against each other in attracting unbelievers those who yet don’t know the Lord or have a relationship with Him.

I believe that different models or ways of doing and being the church can reach different types of people. For one person may feel comfortable in for example a more traditional type of church and for another person may feel more comfortable in a more lively church, then some one else may like a more simple way of doing church for example in a smaller setting, then someone may feel more comfortable being amongst a crowd.

Our Lord, Saviour & Redeemer Jesus Christ says in Matthew 16:18b ESVUK.

“I will build my church, and the gates of hell^[b] shall not prevail against it.”

The Apostle Paul, says in Ephesians 4:1-7 ESVUK

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift

Our Lord, Saviour and Redeemer give his life for One Church and He’s coming back for One Church, regardless of what part of the Church You or I belong to we are One Church.

In part 2 onwards I will look in more depth into the Book of Ephesians mostly and other books of the Bible to see what it means to be the Church and how we go about being The Church, I’m hoping to expand in more depth at a later point Ordinary Christians in the Hands of the Extra –Ordinary God.

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside,

England

Are we living in the Past, the Presence or the Future? Part 3: Living in the Future.

2012-03-20T15:56:00.003Z

Are we living in the Past, the Presence or the Future?

Part 3: Living in the Future.

Today in 2012, we are living in an uncertain world and where the certainties of the past are no longer certain. Throughout the world we see that we are affected in various ways because we live in a time of uncertainty.

Throughout the history of humanity there have been times of social, economic and political uncertainty, we have seen the decline of old nations, old methods of economic structure and old political systems and their replacement by new nations, new methods of economic structure and new political systems. Many have tried and failed to hold on to the old in the face of the challenges of the new, then again many have embraced the new and dismissed and destroyed the old. Old enemies have become friends, and old friends have become enemies!

We are seeing the decline of Europe and the continuing rise of the so called BRIC nations, Brazil, Russia, India and China, if anything the replacement of the currencies of some countries in Europe by the single currency or Euro has hastened this decline, instead of making Europe a economic and political superpower, the Europe of 2012 onwards is becoming an ever declining shadow of it’s former glory.

In at attempt to halt this decline we’ve invented new economic structures and new political systems which are really modified old economic structures and political systems, or we have embraced the old ways of doing things because they give us some form of structure in a time when we’re no longer aware of what structure should be!

When we walk down our high streets we see boarded up shops with the for sale or to let signs, we’ve all chosen in the past to forsake our high streets in favour of the out of town shopping centres or shopping online with companies like Amazon, because of the word convenience, the religion/s of our fore fathers have been replaced with the new religion/s such as consumerism, our theology and our ethics are no longer guided by religious texts such as the Bible but by the mantras of human rights and equality.

We have turned our backs on the old way of doing things because we have been told there is a better way and a simpler way, and when we’ve travelled this new road. We have found to our cost, that we have been misled. There are those who would wish to throw the Church and the Christian Faith into the dustbin of history, and see the Christian Faith and Religion in general as an anathema to their new religion of tolerance and equality.

It seems that all hope is gone, and the Church of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God are on their last legs, but as Jesus, our Lord, our Saviour, our Redeemer has said in Matthew 16:18b ESV, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

The Old Testament Prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 54:17 NIVUK. ^“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

There is hope, there is certainty, we the Church are God’s Messengers of Hope, Deliverance, Salvation , we are God’s Messengers of Transformation, yes we face challenges and difficulties but he is within us is by far greater than he is within the world see 1 John 4:4-6 read here.

I know that despite all the difficulties, the opposition that we face as The Church, we like our brothers and sisters from past generations will stand, God has raised the heroes of faith, both men and women, in the past the people like John Wesley, William & Catherine Booth, Smith Wigglesworth and others some unknown and others known, that despite what politicians, scientists etc say about us and tell us, that The Lord is coming back for a victorious army not a defeated army, that are waiting on the beaches for a Heavenly Rescue Mission. God will raise us up to take our place as the Church Militant alongside the Church Triumphant

We the Church need to take our stand, hold our ground and advance, one famous military tactician once said, that the best form of defence is attack, so let us take back the territory that we and others in the past have lost to the enemy, let us as we win the lost for the Lord, and are lead and equipped by those God has placed in the forefront,( see Ephesians 4:11-13 read here) advance to recapture lost terriority

Rise up o Church; let us advance for the sake of our Lord, Saviour & Redeemer Jesus Christ and His past, present and future Kingdom.

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport.Merseyside.England

read part 2 of this series here

Are we living in the Past, the Presence or the Future? Part 2: Living in the Present.

2012-03-19T14:21:00.001Z

Are we living in the Past, the Presence or the Future?

Part 2: Living in the Present.

Has I sit here writing this post, My mind is thinking about last weekend, and a very important Rugby Match that that was played at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday 17^th March 2012. For those who are wondering what he is on about !, it was the

Wales

v France Rugby Match in the RBS 6 Nations Championship that happens every year and is played by

England

France

Italy

Ireland

Scotland

and of course Wales!

The match between Wales and France was the decider to see if Wales would win, the Grand Slam which goes to the Rugby Team who have won all their matches. This would have been the 3^rd Grand Slam Trophy Wales would have won in the last 7 years, Wales having won in 2005 and in 2008. There was a great deal of pressure on the Welsh Rugby Team to repeat their previous successes and win the Grand Slam. Having already beaten

Ireland

Scotland

England

away, and beaten

Italy

at home. they faced the challenge of beating

France

at home in Cardiff. I watched the Game on TV, and I could feel the electricity of the Welsh Supporters in the Stadium, and I knew in my heart of hearts, that

Wales

could and would win the Game. Just a few days before the game, the tragic news of the death of Mervyn “Merv the Swerve “Davies who had Captained the Welsh Rugby Team in the Glory Days of the 1970’s, was announced. Not only did the current Welsh Rugby Team have to face the pressure to repeat the success of 2005 and 2008, but to win for the memory of Merv the Swerve.

There was great deal of hype, for Wales to win the Grand Slam again, and to go on to bigger and better success in the future by playing and hopefully beating teams like Australia and New Zealand in the coming months. I noticed that both the coaching staff lead by Warren Gatland and the players lead by Sam Warburton focused on the present and not on the past, (the wonderful Welsh Team of the 1970’s or the previous Grand Slam wins of 2005 and 2008), nor did they focus on the future by thinking ahead to playing and hopefully beating Australia and New Zealand, they focused on the present and committed themselves to win both the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam.

This lead me to think, that sometimes we focus our minds and past success and sometimes failure, disappointment, hurt etc, and try to live our lives in the past, Maybe it’s sense of regret, a sense of safety, and sense that our best days are behind us, so we set our minds (because we think things can’t, wouldn’t or shouldn’t get better today) on yesterday, then again, because of the disappointments etc of today, we day dream or dream about tomorrow, hoping and praying that our tomorrow will be better than today, isn’t it better to live in the present , than to live in the past or the future ?, because God is in control of our lives, and despite the pain and heart ache of today, God is blessing and will bless more as we live for Him today.

In 1904, God moved in Wales and tens of thousands were born again, for years since them Welsh Christians including myself have prayed that God would move in Wales like he did in 1904, we make monuments of past success and make our current models of mission copies of the past, But God has a new and better thing and we miss out what God wants to do today because we’re focused on what God did in the past!

I love reading, and for many years I read and re-read books of what God has done so wonderfully in the past, and would dream or day dream that I was in those times and in those places, but I’m not, I’m reading a book at the moment on the great Evangelist Smith Wigglesworth, who died in 1947, it’s great and challenging read but this is 2012 and not 1947. I’m not knocking what God has done in the past, but we’re called to live in today’s world not yesterday’s world. When I was in my mid to late teens, we sang a song, (don’t worry, I’m not going to sing it out aloud!)I want to serve the purpose of God in my generation, See here for the full words.

The Apostle Paul said in Acts 13:36 ESV, “David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption”

God has called us to love, serve, obey and follow Him by living in the Present, we can praise God for what He has done in the Past, and we can Pray for what God will do in the Future, but we can Praise Him for what He has done in our lives so far, and Pray that He is doing a better work in our lives today than yesterday.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3: 20-21, ESV,”²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us then, stop trying to serve God’s Purpose’s for past generations, or try to imagine what are God’s Purpose’s for future generations, or try to serve God’s purposes for other places or people, Let us instead serve with whole hearted commitment God’s Purpose’s for our lives, the places He has planted us alongside the people He has called us to walk alongside and share live and faith with. Let us therefore, “Live in the Present”

“I want to serve the purpose of God, in my generation
I want to serve the purpose of God, while I am alive
I want to give my life, for something that will last forever
Oh, l delight, I delight to do your will.”

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside,

England

See Part 1 of this series "Living in the Past"

One of my favourite Songs, You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham

2012-03-16T15:12:00.000Z

Are we living in the Past, the Present or the Future? Part 1: Living in the Past.

2012-03-16T13:30:00.001Z

Are we living in the Past, the Present or the Future?

Part 1: Living in the Past.

I often wonder what is the attraction of TV Programmes like ITV’s Downton Abbey and the BBC’s Upstairs, Downstairs. ? Is it Nostalgia for an earlier, seemingly more innocent age ?, perhaps with all the upheaval that we both see around us and read about that directly or indirectly affects our day to day lives, is living in or thinking about the past some sort of safety net?

I live in Southport, Merseyside, and our local radio station Dune FM on Friday night from 7pm to 10pm plays 1980’s Music and I enjoy listening to some great and not so great songs from my younger days ! but I wouldn’t choose to travel back in time, like some Welsh version of Dr Who and try to live in those days. I grew up in a small village in the South Wales Valleys called Melin Court, and spend time not only there but in other villages like Resolven and Clyne. Overall when I wear my rose tinted glasses I enjoyed my time growing up there, but if I could ask my teenage self the same question what would the answer be?

I enjoy music, and did Cse Music in School, (I also played on one of the School Chess Teams) I had the opportunity to visit the world famous Cavern Club in Liverpool with a friend several weeks ago, it’s one of the places the Beatles played, it was packed and overall I enjoyed my time there, there was a live band playing cover versions of songs by The Beatles and The Who. The atmosphere was electric, but one thing struck me, here’s a young band not playing their own songs but playing the songs of a previous generation!

My time at The Cavern Club lead me to think about why we sometimes try to live in the past, we let the circumstances of our past, the influence of others, past hurts, past disappointments, feelings of hurt and sometimes bitterness govern our lives. We let the things that happened 5, 10, 15 or even 20 plus years influence how we live today, perhaps the hurt of a breakdown of a relationship that has happened in the past we don’t allow ourselves due to the fear of rejection or the fear of a failure to move on to a better relationship. Sometimes we try to eat the fruit of past blessings, happiness, success which like all fruit that was picked and not eaten, has become rotten, instead of picking and eating the new fruit for today.

The Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 43:18-19b, NivUk

“¹⁸ Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. ¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

It’s easy to try to live in the past, but God calls us to move on and move forward to both bigger and better things.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13-14NivUk

“ ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.”

So let us turn away from our past, because it’s a new beginning, a new start and a new season for us all.

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

*”I have no regrets about what happened in my younger days”

Times, they're a Changing

2012-03-15T12:10:00.001Z

Times, they’re a Changing:

The Poet & Philosopher, Bob Dylan wrote one of the most memorable and often quoted protest songs of the 1960’s, “Times they’re a changing”.

When we examine our lifestyles today in the early 21^st Century we are governed by time, the writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:17b. “For there is a time for every matter and for every work” please read Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 for the context. Yet today we never seem to have enough time. We often feel like Lewis Carroll’s Character; “The White Rabbit” running ahead of ourselves to make up or catch up on time.

One of the growth areas in the Business World is the concept of Time Management; there is even a Dummies Guide on Time Management. My late Grandfather was brilliant in many, many ways, one of which was his time keeping, Has a boy I would walk to and from Church with Him, (which was an honour, privilege and a blessing, because it was our time together), people would often say to Him, because they knew that at 9.30am on a Sunday Morning, he would walk past, that they could set their clocks by him, because he would walk past at that exact time on a Sunday.

Time is one of our precious resources and indeed one of our most precious gifts, we all have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks to a month, and 12 months to a year, the question is how do we use or spend our time, we all have access to watches and clocks and even our mobile phones have a way to tell us the time, In the New Testament, there are two Greek Words that are translated into the English Word Time, these are Chronos and Kairos, quite simply Chronos means normal time and Kairos means an appointed time for the purpose of God.

We all have friends and family, people who we love, care for, support, bless and encourage, perhaps, today we can all think of those people around us that we can give one of our greatest gifts, the gift of time, which can be emailing, texting. Phoning, sending a message on Facebook or even going to see or meeting up for a Coffee.

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

To boldly go, where no-one has gone before !

2012-03-13T13:35:00.001Z

To boldly go, where no-one has gone before !

When I was growing up, my parents and grandparents would take me and my two sisters on holidays to Ifracombe on the North Devon Coast, and more often or not we would go by the MV Balmoral, which would sail between Swansea and Ifracombe in the Summer months, and while there go for boat trips which would sail from Ifracombe harbour, I have more many happy memories of going there as child and early teenager, because of these memories I enjoy spending time by the Coast, although I have not been on a boat trip for a while, I'm fascinated both by boats and the Sea.
I remember a few years ago, while on holidays in Porthleven, Cornwall, spending time in the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth and had an interesting and enjoyable time there, although one thing I noticed more than others that the boats on display, none of them were in their original context , it was fascinating looking at these boats and reading all about them, but all them weren't doing the job they were designed and build for, yes, being on the water. Porthleven is a lovely, fishing village situated near Helston, and has a very picturesque harbour and I noticed that all the boats were doing the purpose they were designed and build for. Like other seaside holiday destinations, Porthleven has several shops selling goods to tourists, some of these shops sell model ships, they look exactly like the originals, but they could never do, the same job as the original ! they were just for display
For centuries Great Britain has been a maritime nation, and many of our national heroes have been sailors, from the historic figures like Sir Francis Drake, Horatio Nelson, Captain James Cook, to the fictional heroes such as Horatio Hornblower, many of our wars and the battles that we fought have involved fighting on Sea, from fighting the Spanish Armada, The Battle from Trafalgar, The Battle Of Jutland, The Battle of the River Plate. Most of our imports and exports travel by sea, the sea has important part to play into our history, present and future as Great Britain. The sea routes used today both for business and pleasure had to be discovered, and the ships that travel those routes use sea-charts to show them where they are going and how to get there, from the smallest cabin cruiser to the mighty container ship. Yet someone had to go out and navigate the sea in order for these sea-charts to be produced. Many of these men, such as Sir Francis Drake and Captain James Cook, stand tall throughout our history.
We see in our Bibles, countless references to sailing and to sea, from Noah's Voyage, to Jonah and we know that the Lord's Disciples Peter, Andrew, James and John were fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, and many of the early missionaries such as Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Mark, Timothy and Luke often travelled by sea to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation to the people of the known world. In Ephesians 4:12, one of the meanings of the Greek Word we translate as equip is prepare a ship for voyage (one of the other meanings, is to set a broken bone).
In the 19^th and 20^th centuries many people left these shores and other shores to travel the world, to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation, following the example of men like William Carey, John Wesley and George Whitfield, I remember growing up in small Pentecostal Church in the South Wales Valley's, and hearing about many men and women who went forth as missionaries, and being inspired by the reports that came back from our missionaries in places like Nigeria and India, I had the privilege not only of having a retired missionary as one of the Sunday School Teachers, and having two former missionary couples as my Pastor and his wife , but also being related to one of the earliest Pentecostal Pioneers from the United Kingdom to Nigeria, who in his later years inspired me to seek and serve God. While a student in Bible School, several of my lecturers had been missionaries, and I know how much they inspired me and my fellow students.
In the early part of the 21^st Century, many of us may not have the same opportunities to travel to other lands following in the footsteps of our brothers and sisters who went before us, there are still opportunities we can take, perhaps in short-term mission trips, we have advancements in technology they didn't have like the Internet, I remember being in School in the 1980's and never thought then I could not talk to people in places like America and Australia via a computer and a phone-line but to count them as friends as well. On the other hand we don't have to travel to other lands to be a missionary, we can be missionaries in our villages, towns, suburbs, cities but most importantly in our communities. I know that in the coming days, the Lord will inspire many of us to become missionaries on other towns, cities and regions throughout our own lands but other lands as well.
In the last 12-18 months, I have been greatly inspired by the writings of people like Alan J Roxburgh, Alan Hirsch, Neil Cole, Martin Robinson and Floyd McClung, especially when it comes to being Missional and being challenged by the concept of mission dei or God's Mission. I may not have the opportunities to travel to other lands to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation, but it doesn't mean that there are no opportunities here in the United Kingdom. I've just read something that David Cameron, the Leader of the Conservative Party here in the UK, said about Broken Britain and Social Recession. (If you would like to read more about Missional, I strongly recommend (Introducing the Missional Church by Alan J Roxburgh). Both my prayer and desire is to see God raise up His People here in the UK and other lands to see the spiritual needs in our own lands, and be willing to follow His direction either to pray, support or go, hopefully to do all, some of us He will send to our neighbours, some of us He will send to our streets, some to our towns and cities, but all He asks are we willing to go to those He will send us ?
Some of us in coming days, He will ask to be Pioneers, and to go where no-one has gone before or for some time, to break into new territory or to go and re-claim territory. I'm now going to share some Scriptures with you, and my Prayer is that God will use these Scriptures to challenge you for the first time or to challenge for you for the thousandth time, and follow his direction, which will not only impact your own live, but impact the lives of others, those who is sending you to.
If you're wondering if my title sounds familiar, it's from Star Trek, the days ahead will be days of challenge, courage and grace but most importantly of opportunity, and I pray that we take the courage and the grace, to take the opportunities those challenges will present to us.
Isa 6:8-9a TNIv

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" ⁹ He said, "Go and tell this people

Matt 28:19-20 TNIv

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in ^[^a]the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Romans 10:14015a NCV

¹⁴ But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them;¹⁵ and before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent.

Yours by His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Equal Marriage : Just Plain Wrong A Christian Perspective on the Gay Marriage Debate in the UK

2012-03-13T11:31:00.000Z

Equal Marriage; Just Plain Wrong.

Today, both in the United Kingdom and other Countries, we face the challenge in the name of Equality and Tolerance to allow same sex marriage (the marriage of a man to another man or the marriage of a woman to another woman) the equal standing in society that marriage between a man and a woman or a woman and a man has in the 21^st Century.

Yet those calling for Equality and Tolerance, only believe that their view and understanding of Equality and Tolerance is the only valid view and supersedes the understanding of both Equality and Tolerance of those Groups such as Christians that disagree with their view and understanding, rather than an open and honest debate and discussion, they have decided to demonize those who’s views and understanding of Equality and Tolerance differ from theirs, and criticize and condemn them for not showing or agreeing to both Equality and Tolerance, this is indeed a lack of Equality and Tolerance, for by calling those groups who differ from them In-tolerant etc, they themselves have done exactly what they accuse other groups of!

In recent days, I have followed the on-going debate in today’s media both in favour and against same sex marriage and have examined the evidence and have researched the different perspectives and I believe that our standard and indeed our bench mark for all practices that we the Church hold, is God’s Word The Bible. It is quite easy to be influenced by the opinions and perspectives of others.

Romans 12:1-2 the Message

^1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—you’re sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

I’m on Facebook, which I think is one of the best sources of both news and information available on-line and I subscribe to various news feeds . I read with interest and a high level of disappointment and article on Lib Dem Voice by Steve Gilbert is Liberal Democrat MP for St Austell and Newquay. “Church Opposition to Gay Marriage is intolerant, out of touch and wrong.”

Mr. Gilbert has quoted that societies in the past such as Ancient China and Ancient Rome allowed Gay Marriage; if we followed the example of these societies today we would still have Slavery and The Death Penalty for various Crimes. So if we follow the Example of Ancient Rome and all that is involved in that in allowing Gay Marriage shouldn’t we also allow Slavery and turn Wembley Arena into a 21^st Century version of the Coliseum at Rome! I think not!
-
To understand why Mr. Gilbert mentioned that practices of Ancient Rome and Ancient China, I decided to examine the evidence and have discovered the following on Wikipedia. (Although Wikipedia is not infallible)

“Various types of same-sex marriages have existed, ^[52] ranging from informal, unsanctioned relationships to highly ritualized unions.^[53]

In the southern Chinese province of Fijian, through the Ming dynasty period, females would bind themselves in contracts to younger females in elaborate ceremonies.^[54] Males also entered similar arrangements. This type of arrangement was also similar in ancient European history.^[55]

An example of egalitarian male domestic partnership from the early Zhou Dynasty period of

China

is recorded in the story of Pan Zhang & Wang Zhongxian. While the relationship was clearly approved by the wider community, and was compared to heterosexual marriage, it did not involve a religious ceremony binding the couple.^[56]

The first historical mention of the performance of same-sex marriages occurred during the early Roman Empire.^[57] For instance, Emperor is reported to have engaged in a marriage ceremony with one of his male slaves. Emperor Elagabalus "married" a Carian slave named Hierocles.^[58] It should be noted, however, that conubium existed only between a civis Romanus and a civis Romana (that is, between a male Roman citizen and a female Roman citizen), so that a so-called marriage between two Roman males (or with a slave) would have no legal standing in Roman law (apart, presumably, from the arbitrary will of the emperor in the two aforementioned cases).^[59] Furthermore, "matrimonium is an institution involving a mother, mater. The idea implicit in the word is that a man takes a woman in marriage, in matrimonium ducere, so that he may have children by her."^[60] Still, the lack of legal validity notwithstanding, there is a consensus among modern historians that same-sex relationships existed in ancient Rome, but the exact frequency and nature of "same-sex unions" during that period is obscure.^[61] In 342 AD Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans issued a law in the Theodosian Code (C. Th. 9.7.3) prohibiting same-sex marriage in Rome and ordering execution for those so married.^[62]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_marriage

So using the example that same sex marriage was common both in Ancient China and Ancient Rome and had the same legal standing that marriage between a Man and a Woman is not valid and indeed erroneous.

I said earlier that our understanding of issues and our bench mark for all practices should God’s Word the Bible, for example if The Bible supported the idea that the Marriage Union between a Man and a Man and a Woman and Woman was equal to the Marriage Union between a Man and a Woman it would say so, in the Bible there is only one definition of Marriage and that is between a Man and a Woman or a Woman and a Man. So if we believe that the Bible is God’s Inspired Word we Christians shouldn’t support or agree to a Marriage Ceremony or Union that doesn’t involve a Man marrying a Woman or a Vice a Versa, lets us examine some scriptures on Marriage.

All Scripture Verses are from the English Stand Version unless otherwise stated.

Genesis 2:20b-24

But for Adam^[g] there was not found a helper fit for him.²¹so the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²²And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made^[h] into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”^[i]

²⁴Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Jeremiah 29:6

⁶Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.

1 Corinthians 7:2B

, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

Ephesians 5:31-33

³¹“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³²This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

There are of course many scriptures referring to the marriage between a Man and a Woman, which space wouldn’t allow me to add, I’m sure that the above scriptures will serve as a start to your own personal study.

Blogging leads to Libel Investigation (from BBC Website, dot.rory blog by Rory Cellan Jones)

2010-01-26T12:42:00.001Z

Seismic Shock: When blogging meets policing

Rory Cellan-Jones
08:22 UK time, Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Anyone who writes - or reads - blogs will know that they are not necessarily the place for reasoned and good-natured debate. All too often, they descend into vulgar abuse and name-calling - and on occasion, these disputes end up in the libel courts. But would you expect a blogger involved in one of these so-called "flame wars" to get a visit from the police?

That is what happened to the author of Seismic Shock, a blog which, in its own words, is "a voice for those dedicated to exposing and opposing modern anti-Jewish religious attitudes". The blog launched repeated attacks on an Anglican vicar, Stephen Sizer, accusing him of anti-Semitism.

The priest has campaigned against Zionism, has accused the Israeli government of war crimes and has called for the Church of England to sell its investments in companies associated with the occupation of Palesetinian territories. Mr Sizer has strenuously denied accusations on the Seismic Shock blog that he is anti-Semitic or that his pronouncements have given comfort to Holocaust deniers.

So far, so typical in the rough-and-tumble world of the blogosphere. But then, on 29 November, Seismic Shock's author received a visit from two West Yorkshire police officers. The blogger has been anonymous until now, but when I spoke to him, he agreed to reveal his name. He is Joseph Wiseman, a Leeds University graduate student, and it appears the university was unhappy with his blogging activities.

He told me that the police officers who came to his home told him they had received a complaint from Stephen Sizer and from another person - and both had objected to being associated with terrorists and Holocaust deniers. So how had they found him?

"Someone had traced my IP address to Leeds University and the police had spoken to the university and retrieved some files of mine, none of which contained anything which I hadn't made public. The police then relayed a message from the head of ICT department that I shouldn't be using university property in such ways."

The officers asked him to take down his blog, which was at that time being written partly on a university computer, and he agreed to do so. "Why?" I asked him. "I did it because I felt intimidated," he said. "I felt had to co-operate with the police."

So why did the police or Leeds University get involved in this argument? The university offered no comment, except to say that the person who knew about this issue was away on holiday. But West Yorkshire police sent me this statement:

"As a result of a report of harassment, which was referred to us by Surrey Police, two officers from West Yorkshire Police visited the author of the blog concerned. The feelings of the complainant were relayed to the author who voluntarily removed the blog. No formal action was taken."

I was unable to speak to Stephen Sizer, who is out of the country at the moment, but a parish worker told me the vicar had felt threatened by the contents of the blog.

But the whole incident raises interesting questions about the limits of free expression on the web, and the role of the police in pursuing complaints about the contents of a website.

To boldly go, where no-one has gone before !

2010-01-22T20:15:00.004Z

When I was growing up, my parents and grandparents would take me and my two sisters on holidays to Ifracombe on the North Devon Coast, and more often or not we would go by the MV Balmoral, which would sail between Swansea and Ifracombe in the Summer months, and while there go for boat trips which would sail from Ifracombe harbour, I have more many happy memories of going there as child and early teenager, because of these memories I enjoy spending time by the Coast, although I have not been on a boat trip for a while, I'm fascinated both by boats and the Sea.

I remember a few years ago, while on holidays in Porthleven, Cornwall, spending time in the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth and had an interesting and enjoyable time there, although one thing I noticed more than others that the boats on display, none of them were in their original context , it was fascinating looking at these boats and reading all about them, but all them weren't doing the job they were designed and build for, yes, being on the water. Porthleven is a lovely, fishing village situated near Helston, and has a very picturesque harbour and I noticed that all the boats were doing the purpose they were designed and build for. Like other seaside holiday destinations, Porthleven has several shops selling goods to tourists, some of these shops sell model ships, they look exactly like the originals, but they could never do, the same job as the original ! they were just for display

For centuries Great Britain has been a maritime nation, and many of our national heroes have been sailors, from the historic figures like Sir Francis Drake, Horatio Nelson, Captain James Cook, to the fictional heroes such as Horatio Hornblower, many of our wars and the battles that we fought have involved fighting on Sea, from fighting the Spanish Armada, The Battle from Trafalgar, The Battle Of Jutland, The Battle of the River Plate. Most of our imports and exports travel by sea, the sea has important part to play into our history, present and future as Great Britain. The sea routes used today both for business and pleasure had to be discovered, and the ships that travel those routes use sea-charts to show them where they are going and how to get there, from the smallest cabin cruiser to the mighty container ship. Yet someone had to go out and navigate the sea in order for these sea-charts to be produced. Many of these men, such as Sir Francis Drake and Captain James Cook, stand tall throughout our history.

We see in our Bibles, countless references to sailing and to sea, from Noah's Voyage, to Jonah and we know that the Lord's Disciples Peter, Andrew, James and John were fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, and many of the early missionaries such as Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Mark, Timothy and Luke often travelled by sea to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation to the people of the known world. In Ephesians 4:12, one of the meanings of the Greek Word we translate as equip is prepare a ship for voyage (one of the other meanings, is to set a broken bone).

In the 19^th and 20^th centuries many people left these shores and other shores to travel the world, to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation, following the example of men like William Carey, John Wesley and George Whitfield, I remember growing up in small Pentecostal Church in the South Wales Valley's, and hearing about many men and women who went forth as missionaries, and being inspired by the reports that came back from our missionaries in places like Nigeria and India, I had the privilege not only of having a retired missionary as one of the Sunday School Teachers, and having two former missionary couples as my Pastor and his wife , but also being related to one of the earliest Pentecostal Pioneers from the United Kingdom to Nigeria, who in his later years inspired me to seek and serve God. While a student in Bible School, several of my lecturers had been missionaries, and I know how much they inspired me and my fellow students.

In the early part of the 21^st Century, many of us may not have the same opportunities to travel to other lands following in the footsteps of our brothers and sisters who went before us, there are still opportunities we can take, perhaps in short-term mission trips, we have advancements in technology they didn't have like the Internet, I remember being in School in the 1980's and never thought then I could not talk to people in places like America and Australia via a computer and a phone-line but to count them as friends as well. On the other hand we don't have to travel to other lands to be a missionary, we can be missionaries in our villages, towns, suburbs, cities but most importantly in our communities. I know that in the coming days, the Lord will inspire many of us to become missionaries on other towns, cities and regions throughout our own lands but other lands as well.

In the last 12-18 months, I have been greatly inspired by the writings of people like Alan J Roxburgh, Alan Hirsch, Neil Cole, Martin Robinson and Floyd McClung, especially when it comes to being Missional and being challenged by the concept of mission dei or God's Mission. I may not have the opportunities to travel to other lands to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation, but it doesn't mean that there are no opportunities here in the United Kingdom. I've just read something that David Cameron, the Leader of the Conservative Party here in the UK, said about Broken Britain and Social Recession. (If you would like to read more about Missional, I strongly recommend (Introducing the Missional Church by Alan J Roxburgh). Both my prayer and desire is to see God raise up His People here in the UK and other lands to see the spiritual needs in our own lands, and be willing to follow His direction either to pray, support or go, hopefully to do all, some of us He will send to our neighbours, some of us He will send to our streets, some to our towns and cities, but all He asks are we willing to go to those He will send us ?

Some of us in coming days, He will ask to be Pioneers, and to go where no-one has gone before or for some time, to break into new territory or to go and re-claim territory. I'm now going to share some Scriptures with you, and my Prayer is that God will use these Scriptures to challenge you for the first time or to challenge for you for the thousandth time, and follow his direction, which will not only impact your own live, but impact the lives of others, those who is sending you to.

If you're wondering if my title sounds familiar, it's from Star Trek, the days ahead will be days of challenge, courage and grace but most importantly of opportunity, and I pray that we take the courage and the grace, to take the opportunities those challenges will present to us.

Isa 6:8-9a TNIv

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" ⁹ He said, "Go and tell this people

Matt 28:19-20 TNIv

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in ^[^a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Romans 10:14015a NCV

Yours by His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Defining Missional | LeadershipJournal.net

2010-01-21T11:52:00.000Z

Defining Missional LeadershipJournal.net

Waiting

2010-01-18T22:37:00.001Z

Waiting.

I wonder how many of us enjoy waiting ? I know that I rather do something else, well I’m a man, and most men, and if not a lot of women will hopefully agree with me that men aren’t particularly good at waiting!

We seem to spend so much time in the day, waiting, perhaps it’s waiting for the Bus or Train, which always seem to be running late, if you’re anything like me, you keep checking your watch and the timetable, or if you’re desperate, sending a text message to the local Bus company timetable service, who then sent you a text message for the time of the next bus!

One of the leading Supermarkets, here in the UK, Tesco some time ago launched a self checkout service rather than a check out operator scan your goods, customers can now self-scan, it’s suppose to make things easier for customers but if you like me, you spend at least twice as long self-scanning than you would do at a more conventional check-out ! Maybe it’s a man thing !.

In the so-called Western or developed world, we seem constantly rushing or hurrying, trying to get places quicker or faster, we have Instant Coffee, Express Checkouts, Online Banking, Online Shopping, which is really cool, because you don’t have to queue and it’s delivered, sometimes even the next day.

,I’ve had many moments where God has either spoken into or touched my life, I remember when God moved in my life as a somewhat angry, self centred and annoying teenager, a few of you will remember me like that! Of all the years, I’ve prayed and sought God’s face, wept, read my Bible, keep going, nearly give up dozens of times, been disappointed, hurt, felt rejection.

Throughout the years despite all that has happened, I’m still here, still have questions that I can’t answer, lost friends and family, been confused over so many things, and at least several times lost for words, failed, Yet Jesus still loves me, still cares for me, and is still by my side.

Some months ago, I went through a time of hurt and rejection, and although I didn't give up on my relationship with the Lord. I had stopped going to Church. I was angry and confused both with myself, others and the Lord. During this time, I had two significant dreams, in one dream one of the elders from a church I used to attend, and had left some years was praying with me in his office, and the second dream was coming here to Southport,(there will be a post on my time here in Southport, coming soon)

It has and will involve change on my part, but the only true option I have is to move forward, it means moving on and standing strong, It means giving my full attention to all the things God has spoken into my life and done in my life, it involves letting go of some things so that I can lay hold of other things, it’s means pain and sorrow, but also means joy and fulfilment. It means moving on from where I am to where God wants me to be.

Change is coming.

It’s taking longer than I expected, and although there seems to be a delay, these things come in God’s Timing and not ours. Yes I’m moving forward and staying focused, I don’t know the actual date I’m moving on and when God will fulfil His promise, I’ve nearly given up a few times, even in the last week, I don’t know how and when, or how long the journey will be, but I’m taking it one day, and one step at a time, and know in God’s timing I will arrive.

There are two scriptures that God has spoken into my life this last week. These are Habakkuk 2:3 and Hebrews 10:35-36

Habakkuk 2:3 Niv

3 For the revelation waits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end

and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

it [c] will certainly come and will not delay.

Hebrews 10:35-36 TNiv

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Yours in Him

Blair Humphreys

Todays Word, Eph 3 NKJV

2008-02-09T09:33:00.000Z

Ephesians 3 (New King James Version)

New King James Version (NKJV)

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Ephesians 3

The Mystery Revealed

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Purpose of the Mystery

8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship[a] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;[b] 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Appreciation of the Mystery

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Footnotes:
Ephesians 3:9 NU-Text and M-Text read stewardship (dispensation).
Ephesians 3:9 NU-Text omits through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 3:14 NU-Text omits of our Lord Jesus Christ

Todays Word, Eph 2

2008-02-05T10:43:00.000Z

Ephesians 2 (New King James Version)

New King James Version (NKJV)

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Ephesians 2

By Grace Through Faith

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Brought Near by His Blood

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Todays Word, Eph 1

2008-02-04T11:13:00.000Z

Ephesians 1 (New King James Version)
Ephesians 1
Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Redemption in Christ

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both[a] which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who[b] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding[c] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Today's Scripture

2007-11-15T17:24:00.000Z

Colossians 1:3-14 Niv.

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[c] behalf, 8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[d] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption,[e] the forgiveness of sins.

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Today's Word from Joel Osteen " A Vital Neccessity."

2007-09-21T09:22:00.000+01:00

A Vital Necessity

Today's Scripture

"Set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God.” (I Chronicles 22:19 AMP).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

What things do you consider a vital necessity in your life? What can’t you live without? Most people would immediately think of food, water, and shelter, but in reality, we can’t really live unless our minds and hearts are set on seeking the Lord. Sure, you can exist without seeking Him, but you are called to more than just mere existence. You are called to live…to thrive…to enjoy your life abundantly! The good news is that you have complete control over what you set your mind and heart on. You decide what you think about. I encourage you today; set your mind and heart on seeking the Lord! Write down your favorite scriptures and commit them to memory. Whenever you can, think about those verses. Meditate on God and His infinite love. Make a habit of seeking Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. When you require the Lord as a vital necessity, you will truly enjoy living the abundant life He has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, today I choose to set my mind on You. I seek You with my whole heart. Show me your love and character today. Show me Your ways that I may walk and live closely with you. I love you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.

Today's Word from Joel Osteen " Embrace Your Season."

2007-09-20T18:13:00.000+01:00

Embrace Your Season

Today's Scripture

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

God has ordained seasons in your life. It’s easy to get frustrated when our dreams aren’t coming to pass on our timetable. When that happens, we have to submit our plans to Him and trust that He has a better plan. Understand that in God’s Kingdom, every season is not harvest. There are plowing seasons. There are planting seasons. There are watering seasons. And sure, we would love for every season to be a time of increase, but without the other seasons, we wouldn’t be prepared. It’s during the plowing seasons when God’s bringing issues to light that we need to deal with. He’s getting us prepared for promotion. If you’re not making as much progress as you would like, the key is to not lose any ground. Don’t go backwards. Hold your position by keeping an attitude of faith and expectancy, even when it’s hard. Keep plowing by speaking the Word daily. As you do, you’ll pass the test, and God promises your due season is coming!

A Prayer for Today

Father in Heaven, thank You for Your faithfulness in all seasons of my life. I trust that my time is coming, and I choose to remain faithful. I submit my ways to You today and trust that You have the best plan for my life. I love You and praise Your name today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.

Copyright © 2007 by Joel Osteen Ministries

21 or Over. 72 Man refused alcohol because he wouldn't confirm he's over 21

2007-09-20T09:54:00.000+01:00

Man, 72, refused alcohol over age

Staff say all customers are asked for proof of ageSupermarket staff refused to sell alcohol to a white-haired 72-year-old man - because he would not confirm he was over 21. Check-out staff at Morrisons in West Kirby, Wirral, demanded Tony Ralls prove he was old enough to buy his two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Mr Ralls asked to see the manager who put the wine back on the shelf.
The grandfather-of-three said he had refused to confirm he was over 21 as it was a "stupid question." Mr Ralls, a retired insurance firm regional manager, said he expected the store manager to resolve the situation but he was disappointed.

"I felt like saying 'What do I look like? Are you a fool?' It's bureaucracy gone mad
"He picks up the wine and, in the manner of a child taking home his ball, says 'Well, we won't serve you'."
The pensioner abandoned his shopping on the conveyor belt and left the store - but not before demanding a complaints form and phone number for Morrisons' headquarters.

Mr Ralls said: "It is bureaucracy gone mad. If the check-out lady, who was about 40, had asked me with a twinkle in her eye perhaps I would not have been so tetchy. "But she asked me the question with a perfectly straight face and I said I wouldn't dignify the question with an answer.
"And if the manager had explained that all the staff had to ask everyone because they had previously been fined, but said I was clearly over 21, it would have been fine - but he showed no sense of humour."

Mr Ralls added that he felt embarrassed to return to the supermarket and wanted an apology for "the stupid and unnecessary confrontation." He added: "I applaud any efforts to stop kids being served and standing on street corners getting drunk. But this was just totally stupid."

A Morrisons spokesman said: "We take our responsibility with regard to selling alcohol very seriously and all our stores operate the Task 21 scheme, which addresses the difficulties our staff face in being able to determine if a customer is legally old enough to buy alcohol.
"To further limit any element of doubt staff at the West Kirby store are required to ask anyone buying alcohol to confirm that they are over 21."

Today's Word from Joel Osteen." God-Ordained Moments"

2007-09-19T09:03:00.000+01:00

God-Ordained Moments

Today's Scripture

"For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the Lord”, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

God created every one of us to be successful. Before the foundation of the world, He laid out an exact plan for our life. And in this plan, He has marked moments that are going to come across our paths. These moments are not ordinary. They are destiny-altering moments. They are designed to thrust you years ahead. It says in Ecclesiastes that “time and chance come together for every person.” That means you’ll have opportunities to meet the right people, opportunities to advance in your career, opportunities to fulfill your dreams. God has already pre-arranged times of increase and blessing. You may not be seeing a lot of good breaks right now, but let me encourage you; there are seasons of favor and seasons of increase marked for your future. There are God-ordained moments planned out for you. Don’t miss these moments! Don’t stop believing, and don’t get distracted by what’s going on in the world around you. Focus on removing the clutter from your life so that you can hear the still, small voice. Approach today with an attitude of faith and expectancy. As you do, you’ll embrace the God-ordained moments that are ordered for you!

A Prayer for Today

Father God, thank You for ordering my steps. Thank You for making a way when there seems to be no way. I choose to step out today with faith and expectancy so that You can move in my life. I trust You with my destiny and thank You for fulfilling every desire of my heart today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.

Today's Word from Joel Osteen. "Seasons of Sowing."

2007-09-18T09:14:00.000+01:00

Seasons of Sowing

Today's Scripture

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:5).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

The Scripture talks about seasons of sowing and reaping in your life. In Psalms, it talks about sowing in tears and reaping in joy. That verse is saying that the sowing seasons are usually the most difficult. It’s hard to keep a good attitude when all your friends are being blessed, but you’re not. You may feel like they don’t work as hard as you do. You may feel like they don’t give like you do or don’t deserve the blessing. That’s a time of testing. It’s hard to go through disappointments and stay positive and hopeful. These are seasons of sowing. If you’ll do the right thing even when it’s hard—when you sow in tears—you will always reap in joy! I’m asking you to have a new attitude toward what God has placed in your heart. It may be taking a long time, but God still has a plan to bring it to pass. Don’t give up. Your time is coming. It’s never too late! God is saying, “This is your season. Keep your faith stirred up.” Keep sowing because in due season, you will reap the bountiful harvest with a song of joy in your heart!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You and sow into the lives of those around me. I ask for Your strength today to do Your will and keep a good attitude. Help me recognize my season of sowing so that I can be ready in the time of harvest. I love You and bless Your holy name today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.

At last, an English Sporting Success

2007-09-17T15:34:00.000+01:00

England Women 6-1 Argentina Women

Jill Scott (r) scored England's second goal. England reached the Women's World Cup quarter-finals after comfortably beating Argentina in Chengdu.

England led 2-0 after 10 minutes thanks to Eva Gonzalez's headed own goal and Jill Scott's speculative shot. Catalina Perez was sent off early in the second half, giving away a penalty that was converted by Fara Williams.

Argentina pulled a goal back through Gonzalez's free-kick, but Kelly Smith struck twice more and Vicky Exley made it 6-1 with a confident penalty. The win meant England finished second in Group A behind Germany and they will discover their quarter-final opponents on Tuesday when the Group B matches are completed. The United States are favourites to progress along with either Sweden or North Korea.

Comment: After the Sporting disasters of both the England Rugby & Cricket Teams, losing to the South African Rugby & Cricket Teams, it's fantastic to see an England Team actually win a match.

Today's Word from Joel Osteen. " Trust the Father."

2007-09-17T15:09:00.000+01:00

Trust the Father

Today's Scripture

“My times are in Your hands...” (Psalm 31:15).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

Throughout the Psalms, David acknowledges that he chose to put his life in the hands of the Lord. In this verse, He was, in essence, saying, “I trust You, God, because I know You are good—my times are in Your hands.” Are you willing to release every area of your life to the Father? Are you willing to trust Him with the times and seasons of your life? You may be in a situation right now that you don’t fully understand, but take heart—God is a good God, and you can trust Him. He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. If you’ll keep your heart surrendered to Him, you’ll begin to see things change in your favor. As you continue to trust Him, He’ll open doors for you. He’ll take what the enemy meant for evil in your life, and He’ll turn it around for your good. Keep standing, keep believing, and trust Him. Your times are in His hands!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, today I choose to trust You. I trust that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I trust You with my whole life—my times are in Your hands. Help me to stay close to You today so that I can hear Your voice. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Joel Osteen Ministries, 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77027.

Personal Reflections

2007-09-15T18:11:00.000+01:00

Well, it's Saturday, and it's time to relax, although I have had a busy morning, shopping and catching up with friends and family, and this week, it's the annual September Fair in Neath, and there's the usual crowds and bargains to be had !

Wales only lost to Australia by 12 points, 32 -20, which is a lot better than England V South Africa, although I ended up watching Rio Bravo, starring John Wayne and Dean Martin, it's a Western, and it's at least the 1ooth time I've sent it, but hey it's enjoyable. Although I want to see 3:10 to Yuma with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, which looks brilliant, unfortunately it's a remake of film starring Glenn Ford. I've been reading the Daily Mail, and listening to Welsh Bands (Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonic) on Youtube and playing Scrabble with my friend Matthew Ling on Facebook.

Tomorrow, is Sunday and it's off to Church, this time in Merthyr Tydfil, my Church New Covenant Church, Swansea are meeting with our related Churches, All Nations Church, Cardiff, and Nation Changers, Merthyr Tydfil for a day of fellowship, fun, and a family time, as well as excellent worship and ministry, then it's Monday, it's all change, as it's the first day of my BSc Computing (Information Systems Engineering) course, and now going to be 3 Years of being a (Mature) student