Posted by: pastorapbell | August 8, 2011

as we access the blessings of Abraham

When God makes a promise to an individual he intends to keep it. And we are reminded by the apostle Peter that ‘God is not slack concerning his promises but he is patient with us not wanting any of us to perish (2Peter 3:9).’ It was always God’s intention to bless his people, however when we go away from his proposed plans for us we bring curses on our lives. Abraham started out life as a believer in the stars. He believed that they would bring him fame and fortune. His encounter with the living God changed everything in his life. To do this however, he had to leave all his previous practices behind. He left his idols, his divining sticks, his charms and all his amulets behind to follow God.  Because of his obedience, his name was changed from Abram [meaning exalted father] to Abraham [meaning father of many nations]. How can a 75 year old man listen to the words from an invisible God who tells him that he will be a father of nations? God called Abram answered. God promised and Abraham believed his promise and 25 years after he left all his horoscopes, amulets and charms, God fulfilled the first part of the promises. If we count one generation as 30 years, it took God one generation to give Abraham a son and heir, however by that time Abraham was unrecognisable from the Abram that left Ur in Chaldea [Modern day Iran]. And two generation later, about 60 years, Abraham’s grandsons; Esau and Jacob were populating and possessing the land.

So the word to live by today is this, if God calls you and gives you a promise, wait for it for as Habakkuk says, it will surely come to pass. God keeps his promises and is waiting for us his children to be ready to receive them. Read Genesis 12:1-9; 18:1-15 for starters.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 6, 2011

as we retreat to advance

The way we think will determine what we become. And the way we think is determined by the environment you are reared in and the people you associate with.  As a young man growing up in London in the late sixties/early seventies we never informed about going to college/university after leaving school. The most we were told to aspire to was getting a trade. So, many of my colleagues became plumbers, electricians, carpenters and so on without going on to university.   Like today they were more of our children and particularly our young men in institutions at her majesty pleasure than in higher education. It took a teacher from Grenada, Bernard Coard, who was pursuing further studies in England to alert the community to the fact that when our children were been sent to ‘special schools’ they were in fact being categorised as children with Special Educational Needs. And we were being categorised as SEN purely on the basis of the colour of our skin and nothing else. Sadly today there are many of our young people who fall foul of the system. However there are still many who are going on to university, obtaining degrees and taking up productive roles in society. The vast majority of those who are now prospering are those who have a faith or are from a faith background.  In his seminal book, “How The West Indian Child is being made Educationally Sub-Normal in the British Education System” Bernard Coard alerted the community of the failings of the education system. And although many of our people are aware of the failings, there are still a disproportionate number of our young men still being incarcerated at her majesty’s pleasure. How can our generation make things better? Perhaps we need to build schools, like our Jewish counterparts or ramp up the extra-curricular lessons to teach our young people how to navigate the current education system. Today let us ask the God of heaven for wisdom to be able to leave a legacy for those coming behind us so that the next generation can become the leaders of industry and the academics that they were destined to be. Read this one verse from Luke ch1:37.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 4, 2011

as we develop an attitude of gratitude

The easiest thing to do is to criticize and particularly criticizing those things we do not understand.  We will never understand or fathom the ways of God, however we will always have an opinion to give. The generation past had very little when compared to us today. However were we to analyse what they achieved in the light of what they had and the adversity they faced we would have to conclude that God was on their side. For example, my parents arrived in England in the early 60s will no recognised qualification. And although my father was a tailor in Jamaica no one would employ him as such over here. They lived in one room and shared  the facilities in the house with several other families. They were fortunate to get somewhere to live as in the vast majority of areas they tried to get rental accommodation in, had disparaging signs on their doors, reading ‘No Dogs, No Irish and No Blacks.’ This did not put them of and after four years working faithfully in a factory making tablets they were able to raise the deposit to buy  heir own home, where they lived until they returned to Jamaica 30 years later. Their ability to endure hardship like good soldiers and to overcome the trials by praising their way through it, is a testimony to their faith in a God who always comes through for those who dare to trust him. Today all of their children have or has had the opportunity to live in their own house. During the period I was growing up in my parent’s home I never heard them complain about their situation. I heard them thanking God for what he did. For as Isaiah puts it, not one of his words will return to him void, but it will accomplish whatever he sent it to do. Read Isaiah 55.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 3, 2011

as we give thanks!

Today I want to give thanks to God for all that he has done in the past, all that he is doing now and all the he will do in the future. Furthermore I must remind myself that with God there is no past, present or future. God is outside of my time zone and that is why he is described by the psalmist as ‘from everlasting to everlasting’. Not only is God omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, that is he is all powerful, he is everywhere and is all knowing, he acts when his people praise him. So how do we praise him and are there different levels of praise? This leads me to a common misconception that I hear repeated all the time. There are those who perpetuate the myth that ‘Hallelujah’ is the highest praise. I say myth because as we shall see Hallelujah is a word which tries to encapsulate the gratitude of those whom God has redeemed from the clutches of the enemy. It is a Hebrew word comprising  Hellel’ which means praise and Yah which is short for Yahweh. It is defined as ‘an exclamation to God of joy, praise and gratitude.’  It was developed by the ancient Hebrews who were instructed to keep the Passover on their exit from Egypt and the oppressive system of Pharaoh. When the Passover is being celebrated even today, four cups of wine are used to celebrate and praise God for what he has done, namely;

1. The Cup of Sanctification – based on God’s statement, “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians”

2.The Cup of Judgment or Deliverance- based on God’s statement, “I will deliver you
from slavery to them”

3.The Cup of Redemption – based on God’s statement, “I will redeem you with an
outstretched arm”

4.The Cup of Praise or Restoration – based on God’s statement, “I will take you to
be my people, and I will be your God”

The last cup was the Hallel cup which was overflowing with wine. From where we get our term, my cup is full and overflowing. And so this represents the  gratitude of the people for what God continues to do. Hallelujah is an exclamation of praise to God, similar to ‘thank you’ in English or Gratis in Latin which when translated in English means free of charge.  We can praise God in many ways some with words and many without words.  The Psalmist encourages this when he says, praise him with the tambourines, the harp all sorts of musical instruments, dance and so on. We praise him in our actions by helping an old lady across the street. In essence we praise God by being like Jesus i.e. doing what pleases him. There is no gradation in praise. There is no high or low praise, praise is praise. Just like God is God. So today you can praise God silently, quietly or with a loud noise, it is all the same to him, Hallelujah! Read Psalm 150

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 2, 2011

as we ask ourselves, why not?

The journey through the physical and the spiritual wilderness is fraught with dangers. The generation that left Egypt saw the power of God, they experienced the mercies of God, they walk and lived by faith, so much so that when they defeated the establish kings Sihon (Deut. 2:26) and Og Deut. 3:1) they had to pinch themselves. Similarly the journey from legalism to freedom in Christ was also fraught with dangers. Those who taught that you had to be circumcised to receive the blessings of the Lord were fighting against the Pauline stance that freedom in Christ meant freedom from the legal restriction of the old covenant and the ability to access the grace of God, see the book of Galatians.  For us today that struggle between legalism and grace still continues. Our forefathers came to the UK with little or nothing, they were promised that they would be able to collect gold from the streets and return after five years to build their big houses, however all they found on the streets was dog muck and broken pavements. After awhile they started to be offered mortgages to purchase houses, motor vehicle and places to worship and then they had to pinch themselves to believe what the Lord had done. Today we need to reflect on the past but not be bound to it. We must understand and recognise that, what God did then he can still do now. And as he blesses us with more and more let us not become like the Israelite of old and start to fight one another like little children, for as the apostle Paul reminds the Galatians, While we remain as minors in our thinking, we will never inherit the things that God has for us (Gal. 4:1-2), but when we grow up we are able to  distinguish between what is beneficial and what is not. So we thank God for the foundation that is laid by those gone before, but now we who remain must answer questions such as why can’t this or that be done? With answers such as; why not? Read Deuteronomy 2 & Galatians 1.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | August 1, 2011

as we reap where we did not plant and harvest where we did not sow

Yesterday afternoon, Sunday 31st July 2011 I attended a fiftieth birthday party. It was poignant in that the celebrant was not an individual but an organisation, AFB (Assemblies of the First born). One into which I was immersed when I arrived in England in 1968 to join my parents. The festivities occurred in the local town hall which was a far cry from the rented pub rooms and church halls that were the habitats of our 1960s parents. My mother and father were part of this journey and were they still alive today they would have revelled in the festivities. The service reminded me that in spite of our inadequacies we are to be people who not only talk about their faith but people who are prepared to live out their faith in the society and culture they are surrounded by and live in. The celebration was quite a lengthy one, however there was no porter standing outside the door shaking his bunch of keys telling us it was time to leave. As I reflect on the service it was as if God is saying to us, it is time for the next phase of the journey. And for many of us who have heard about the experiences of our parents, it is time to move from the Exodus to Deuteronomy. Let me explain, those who were the pioneers are now on their last laps and we who remain are the ones who are reaping the rewards of their labours. Not only are we en-cultured, we know the systems and we should understand the times. However, like the Israelites let us not become complacent and allow the material blessing from the Lord to blur our vision. So when Moses told the Israelite crowd (Deut 1:10) that the Lord had multiplied you from your original numbers. [For us as descendant of West Indians, the original numbers who first arrives on SS Empire Windrush in 1948 was 492]; and may he increase you a thousand times. [Up and down England alone there are now much more than 492,000 of our people around]. We now as the ones who are reaping where we did not plant and are harvesting where we did sow must always remember this; never allow the material blessing to blur your vision of the Lord and as we strive and prosper let us serve him continually in our home away from home. Read Deuteronomy 1.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | July 29, 2011

as we guard our mouths, for life and death issues from it!

We can avert our blessings by the words that we speak. When the Lord opens a door we ask how can this be and why should I walk through it? This happened at the time of Jesus’ birth. Prior to Mary finding out the she was chosen to bring forth the Messiah, the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and informed him that he would have a child in his old age and that the child would carry the anointing that Elijah carried. After hearing the message, Zechariah asked the angel, How will I know this, I am old, my wife is old and we are both pass our sell by date! The angel replied to him, I am Gabriel, that is, I am sent from God with a specific message. This message is in answer to your years of praying. Your prayers have been heard and your service is being rewarded.  However, since you failed to believe me, no more negativity will come from your mouth. So until the time of the fulfilment of the prophetic word you will be dumb.

After serving God for many years and waiting for his blessing, Zechariah nearly messed it up by not believing God. The angel sits around the throne of God and when he turns up he is coming with a message direct from God. Although it may seem impossible from our perspective, be like Mary when she received the word from the angel of the Lord. The angel told her that ‘Nothing is impossible with God’ Luke 1v.37, she responded OK Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be according to your word. V.38

Today when God speaks to you, don’t avert it by unbelief. Get into angelic mode and start to praise God even thought you have not received it as yet!  Read Luke 1:1-38. And sing like Mary, “my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit praise his name, his mercy is for those who fear him, from generation to generation” amen.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | July 28, 2011

as we take a stand against the wiles of the devil to protect our blessing!

Whenever God is about to bless you materially and spiritually several things tend to occur. Firstly the enemy ups the ante; that is he raises the stakes. In betting terms he increases the wager against you succeeding. The bigger your breakthrough will be the greater the stakes! For many who have been waiting on God the enemy uses family members and his influence in them is manifested as: greed, envy, rage, jealousy, anger, slander and abusive language, the very vices that the apostle Paul warns against in Colossians 3:8. For King David, it was his own son Absalom who plotted against him and conspired to take the throne with David’s own advisors (2Sam. 16ff).

Secondly Fear and doubt are the next things that arise in your spirit. Did God say that? Or how can this be? Or is it really God or is it a figment of my imagination? For Gideon God had to prove that it was he who would give him victory so he laid a fleece on the ground and one night he asked God to make it wet and it was and the other night he asked him to make the surrounds wet and the fleece dry and he did (Judges 6:36-40).

Thirdly your faith level drops and you start to rely on your own strength and abilities rather than on what God has instructed you to do. Samson played with the enemy and took one of their women as his bride. Although he knew God was with him he eventually told the secret of the Lord to the enemy. That cost him dearly, he lost his freedom and his sight.

Sadly just when we are to receive our blessing we can lose it by getting too close to the enemy. So the word for today this is this: trust in the lord and lean not on your own understanding, and when the enemy comes in like a flood, remember that the Lord will lift up his standard against him. Also, blessed be the Lord who has given his people rest according to all that he promised; not one word has failed of his good promise which he spoke through his servant Moses! (1Kings 8:56). Please be on your guard and learn the tricks of the devil! Read Ephesians 6:10-18.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | July 27, 2011

as we aspire to become rich in spirit to be a blessing!

There has been a long period in Christendom where Jesus was portrayed as a poor Galilean who had exceptional wisdom and healing powers. This myth was perpetrated by Roman Catholic Church as a means of getting people to renounce their wealthy status an embrace that of a pauper who would become spiritually rich. Although the culture during the Middle Ages was one where the landed gentry and the aristocracy controlled the economic, political and religious systems, there were those who were inspired to challenge their presentation of the gospel of Jesus and the notions that Jesus was materially poor and economically challenged. From the reading of the accounts of Jesus’ life we must take note that he is presented firstly as a carpenter. In modern terms this would be a builder. Not only would he have made things he would have built houses, boats, furniture and so on. As a shrewd businessman he would not have been poor. His friends who left their businesses to follow him weren’t exactly poor either. Peter had two boats and employed several men to help run his business (John 21). Matthew was a civil servant for the Roman political system. So when Jesus went up on a mountain and taught his followers about the blessing of the Lord he was not decrying riches, in fact he was preaching against poverty. You see when materialism has a tight hold on you it tends to drain out your spirituality.  This means that you rely on your wealth rather than on God and it is in your interest to keep a poor underclass to service your needs.  If you are rich in spirit and rich materially, you can/will then use your wealth for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Today there are many great Christian men and women who are using their wealth to bring transformation and healing to many who are less fortunate than themselves. May God help you to be one of them! Stay blessed! Read Matthew 5 with a different set of lenses.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | July 26, 2011

as we fight the pervasiveness of materialism

The culture that we grow up in has a massive impact on the way we behave and operate. When I was a child growing up in the Caribbean everyone who lived in the locality or moved into the locality was acquainted with someone who already lived there. Every morning people would greet one another with pleasantries and when you passed someone on the roadside you would acknowledge them with a nod or a raising of the hand when saying ‘good morning’. Now we may live on a street for twenty years and don’t know the person living next door but one. We drive to work or to school and when we return we lock our gates and doors and are not seen again until the morning. In many countries we place bars on our windows and around our houses to keep unwanted guests out but more importantly it keeps us trapped in as prisoners in our own homes. This is the danger or materialism. Everybody wants the nice things in life and many will kill for it. As stated yesterday, things have won the day. It has many people and there are those who want what others have and will go to extraordinary lengths to get it. This was not the model of blessings that God envisaged. I believe our primary aim must be for wholesome relationships, where we can rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Live life to the full and enjoy the opportunities that God brings your way. However, we must avoid the spirit of jealousy and envy because they come to destroy our relationships and will leave you isolated, alone and trapped in your own castle.  Today be aware, materialism is beneficial but has great danger. Read Ecclesiastes 2

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