Still to the plan!
God has a plan for each and every one of us. This plan is unique and designed specifically for the individual to prosper, develop and to live and reign as kingdom people. To know the plan we need to have a relationship with the planner and be cognisant of the provision his son Jesus has made for you. Today get to know the plan for your life and better still develop a great relationship with the planner.
Read John 15
Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: God's plan, Planning, The Future, Timing
This year we celebrate the fact that the Bible became available to the majority of ‘common’ people. The King James or the authorised version of the Bible was translated from the original languages by 47 scholars over 7 years, from 1604 and finally printed in 1611. It was organised and commissioned by the king although he had neither part nor lot in the translation. This authorised translation has influenced many people over time, including playwrights such as Shakespeare and countless poets and sages and orators. Its influence has spread far and wide across the colonies occupied and influenced by Britain. Today there are still many denominations who still read from the ‘kings James Bible’ and decree that any other version is not the word of God.
It was a masterpiece and the translators consulted other translation present at the time to produce a version of the Bible in English that was accurate using the language of the day. As language changes over time, so does the meanings and emphasis of certain words. So let us remember that words such as: ‘overseer’ and the emphasis of ‘slaves being obedient to their masters’ were translated in the light of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade being part and parcel of Elizabethan Britain.
Today remember that although the word from God remains forever, our words convey different meaning at different stages of our development as humanity.
Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: Meanings, The Bible, Translations, Words
Jesus if we love him we will keep his commandments and he will ask the father who will give us another advocate (John 14:14). For us to be delivered, healed and restored in this new decade, we need to be truthful to ourselves and more importantly be truthful to God. The promise from Jesus is that he will ask the father to send us the spirit of truth, who once received, will lead us into all truth. This means that as our spirit is opened up to the truth we are able to see clearly what God has called us to. Without this vision, we will wander aimlessly from year to year decade to decade without finding our purpose and fulfilling the plan of God for our lives.
Today as we cross over into new territory let us leave the past and its mistakes behind, and let us reach forward towards to mark of the high calling to which we have been called to shine like stars in this present dark world. The world is dark because evil is rampant and people in power and authority are calling wrong right and right wrong. Men are marrying men and are calling down the wrath of God on this nation. If we love the lord let us keep his commandments and love and pray for those who are acting like Achan!
The gospel of John is a good starting point for this new decade.
Posted in Love
As we enter the New Year let us reflect on the past year forgetting all the things that irked us and let us look towards the future with great expectations. Our friend and mentor John divine said this: Don’t let your heart be troubled, if you believe in God and in Jesus and you love them, Jesus will send you a comforter who will keep you through thick and thin and through the increased cost of living.
Restoration
Don’t wait for time, make it;
Don’t wait for love, feel it;
Don’t wait for money, earn it;
Don’t wait for a path, find it;
Don’t wait for an opportunity, create it;
Don’t go for less, get the best;
Don’t compare, be unique;
Don’t avoid failure, learn from it;
Don’t back down, go around it;
Don’t close your eyes, open you mind;
Don’t run form life, embrace and enjoy it;
At the start of the New Year our word from the Lord is restoration. Let this year be a time of restoring old acquaintances that went sour, old friendships that were severed and have healthy relationships will all those in and out of your contact lists.
Allow the lord to be our shepherd so that he can restore our souls and lead us into the paths of righteousness and green pastures. Prosperity, long life, health and great relationships for the days and months ahead!
Alton & Marva Bell and family
Posted in Restoration | Tags: Restoration
Jesus was doing something in Israel that had not been done for hundreds of years. People had only read about the dead being raised to life, the blind receiving their sight and the deaf hearing in accounts about the great Jewish prophets Elijah and Elisha. So when Jesus Raised Lazarus from death and the word got out to the Scribes and the Pharisees, they immediately plotted to kill him. And so they plotted to kill Jesus rather than upset the Roman rulers of Judea. Little did they know that this was all part of the God’s master plan of redemption. Jesus would lay down his life and be put to death for the sin of the Jewish nation and the whole world. It was now spring and Jesus was having lunch as Lazarus’ home. Mary took a jar of perfumed lotion costing about a year’s salary (~£30k toady) and anointed Jesus’ feet. This was Jesus being prepared for his burial after his crucifixion outside Jerusalem. God’s plan for the salvation of humanity was now being fulfilled. Today as we prepare to leave the old year behind, let us remember that God’s plan is still in operation and as the days grow darker we as Jesus’ representatives must be prepared to shine brighter and brighter as the light of the world.
In this particular New Year Jesus wants us to be like Mary, extravagant in our worship and unrelenting in our service to the king of the universe. Remember, nothing we have is too precious to give to God! Have a read of John 11:45-12:8
Posted in Restoration | Tags: Anointing, Perfect love, Restoration, Riches, Ultimate Service
Although Jesus faced the rejection of the men who held the power and authority in his region, he just kept doing amazing things. During these amazing fetes he would disappear up a mountain, in a valley or just somewhere where he was alone with his father. As more and more people followed him, this getting away became a difficult task. However, Jesus made time to get away and time to minister to those who came to him with their needs. John reports that Jesus was very friendly with a family from Bethany (John 11:1-44). It was reported to him that his friend Lazarus was ill and on the verge of death (v.3). Jesus delayed a few days where he was and told them that “his illness was unto death but rather for the glory of God to be shown.” When Jesus eventually gets to Bethany he is met by a grieving family of two sisters. Martha runs to meet him and really pours out her heart, ‘Lord if only you were here, then my bother would still be alive’. Jesus comforted her and gave us the quote that we hear at every Christian funeral “I am the resurrection and the life, those who believe in me, even though they die will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus expresses the compassion of God and calls Lazarus from his tomb, orders him to be unbound and restores him back to his former glory.
Today Jesus can call back to life everything that died prematurely in your life; a relationship, a marriage, a financial loss or a knock to your spiritual self. Jesus has all the answers, now what is your question?
Posted in Restoration | Tags: Refreshing, Renewal, Restoration, Resurrection, Revival
Jesus lived among a people who saw the blind see the lame walked and the deaf hear but still questioned his authority and his authenticity. He told them plainly the ‘he and his father are one’ 10:30 and that he called humanity god’s at the beginning of time v.34 but they tried to stone him for that. Jesus demonstrates the power of the spoken word and clearly states that those who follow him and listen to his voice will gain eternal life. Like today, however, we all want to go to heaven but we want to go there according to our own set rules and regulation. Over the past 2000 years Jesus changed the capacity of humanity to be reunited with God the father in a unique way. He ushered in a kingdom that is everlasting where people become citizens not by virtue of where they were born or how much wealth they were born into but by accepting that the fact that we all need to become spiritual to access spiritual things. The material world can be changed through spiritual insight and once we are aware of the spiritual war that is going on we can subscribe to the winning side.
Today we know that Jesus is God and that he came in innocence the first time but will return in power and glory the second time. So let us declare with our mouths that Jesus is God of gods and Lord of lords and King of kings and reigns for evermore! Let us say like the people who followed Jesus, “all John the Baptist said about this man is true”! The truth brings liberation! See John 10:22-42.
Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: Authenticity, Perspective, Reality, Spiritism, Sureality
If Jesus is the good shepherd, then it stands to reason that there are bad shepherds. The good shepherd has the interests of the sheep at heart, whereas the bad shepherd has his own interest at heart. The good shepherd has integrity, character and compassion. The bad shepherd operates in an underhand way, is sneaky and has no discernment. The good shepherd is open, transparent and accommodating. The bad shepherd is secretive, opaque and disconcerting. So Jesus said: “I will lay down my life for the sheep, I will lay it down not because of compulsion or force but because of love.” Jesus is teaching us kingdom principles here. To gain abundant life you have to lose the vices you brought to the table as a ‘bad shepherd’. The obtain authority you have to learn to serve. To gain trust you have to become trustworthy. The walk in integrity you have to be true to yourself, repentant when and not if you make a mistake and be in constant communication with the great shepherd and bishop of our souls (1Peter 2:25).
So today how do I become a good shepherd? Answer, by spending time with the great shepherd and his father! Read Psalm 23, ‘the Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, the leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul’…..
Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: Caring, Commitment, Compassion, Goodness, Leading
It is believed that Boxing Day originated during the Victorian era when tradesmen received their Christmas box for the services they had given during the year. During the exchanges Jesus had with the Pharisees and the Scribed as recorded by John, their intention was to put Jesus in a box. You can’t do miracles, healings and deliverances on our holy days? Opening the eyes of the blind and allowing the lame to walk on the Sabbath was not allowed however, selling turtle doves and pigeons was. Jesus opened the eyes of a man born blind in John 9:1-41 who ended up being ostracised from their synagogue. Three times (v. 11, v.24, v.27) they questioned him about how he received his sight and three times he told them, “Jesus put some mud on my eyes, told me to go and wash in a particular pool, I did and my eyes were opened.”
Let us make a resolution. For the coming year; either get out of the box or take Jesus out of the box. God wants to let us know that our boxing days are over!
As the New Year approaches let us receive the comments from the Pharisees, Give glory to God, v.24. This was a term originally used by Joshua to Achan (Joshua 7:19) to tell the truth. Be true to yourself and put away the box today.
Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: boxes, Forgiveness, release, spiritual blindness
he conquered death
He was born in a stable and placed in a manger, which is an animal feeding through. At his birth
died a criminals death
magi’s travelled over a thousand miles to bow down and worship him and offer him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. He did not have plush ‘rag-pile’ carpet to walk on but he is the only one to have walked on water. He did not invite all the dignitaries to dinner but fed 5000 people in one sitting with five loaves and two fishes. He never wrote a book but tomes have been written about him. Jesus is God wrapped up in flesh, he is the mighty God, the king of kings, the man who was born to die and died so that you and I can have life after death! Hallelujah what a saviour.
Have a great day as the lord Jesus is born in your life!
Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: God of Gods!, King of Kings!, Lord of Lords!
Pastor Bell's Words To Live By 