Posted by: pastorapbell | January 9, 2011

as lay on the foundation stones of the plan

At the foundation of the plan for our lives there must be a realisation that we are not here forever. We have things that are assigned to us to complete before we pass. And these things must be done so that we can leave our mark in the sands of time. Moses reminds us that we should ask the Lord to teach us to count or number our days so that we may gain wisdom in how we operate (Psalm 90:12). There are approximately 8760 hours in a year and we have to account to God for every minute of every hour that we waste.  As we build our lives on the word, that is Jesus, and as we listen to His Spirit, we will be guided to people who have been sent by God to be a part of our continual development into what we were designed to be. Failure to do this can result in the curtailing of our assignment by the enemy of our souls.

So today let us be like the disciples who John writes about in John 16:29-30; “Yes, now you are speaking to us plainly, not is figure of speech! Now we know that you know all things!”

Jesus knows everything and for us to know his plan for our lives, we just need to ask him. When we forget, ask again and again until the penny drops.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 8, 2011

as we unravel and personalise the plan

The gospels are the places where we can learn about and develop the personal plan that God has mapped out for us. We are told by the prophet Jeremiah that God knows the plan he has for us, they are plans for our welfare and not for our harm and are designed to give us a real hope for the future  (Jeremiah 29:11 paraphrased). The personal plan dictates that we are led by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:25), we are baptised in the Spirit by Jesus (Matt 3:11) which is evidenced by the speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:4), and we are taught and comforted by the Spirit who acts as our advocate in all our wrangling with the enemy. Let us be very clear here, the enemy is determined to derail the plan God has for us and to cause us to do our own thing and sort out life our selves. We then lean only on our own understanding and trust ourselves in all our ways. For us to fulfil the plan that is specifically and individually designed for each one of us, we need to listen to the word from the Lord situated at the centre of the Bible: it is better to trust in the Lord than to put your confidence in humans (Psalm 118:8).

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 7, 2011

as we continue to stick to the plan

The plan is expansive

Jesus told his disciples that there are several things that they must be aware of. Part of the plan of God is to bring restoration to the relationship that was severed when Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened and they thought they knew how to direct their lives better that God. The opening of the eyes suggests that they were able to choose who they listened to, and unfortunately for us they chose wrong. And so the plan for complete restoration was set out in Genesis 3:15: ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head and you will strike his heel.’ So according to the plan, he the devil would strike the heel of the redeemer Jesus, by having him crucified on the cross; whose headship Jesus would remove from pole position on the earth by ushering the kingdom of God.

Therefore, when John reminds us that the world would hate us who are citizens of this new kingdom (John 15:18), he is repeating the plan. They hated Jesus without a cause (Psalm 69:4) so they will hate you once you decide to stick to the plan. Sin blinds us to the virtues of the plan but the blood of Jesus removed the scale from our eyes so that we can walk by faith! Meditate on John 15: 23-27.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 6, 2011

as we stick to the plan

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

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 4, 2011

as we celebrate 400 years of the King James Bible being available to us

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.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 3, 2011

as we re-focus on the love that passes all understanding

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.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Love

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 1, 2011

Happy are those who make the Lord their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods (Psalm 40:4).

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

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags:

Posted by: pastorapbell | December 31, 2010

as we cross over with a spirit of extravagance!

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

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | December 30, 2010

as we edge out the old and prepare for the new

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?

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | December 29, 2010

as we listen to the king of the universe

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.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , , ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories