Pastor Deborah's Blog

It seems to be imprinted in the carnal nature of human beings to look for answers everywhere else instead of from GOD. It’s like when we lose an item somewhere, then we think we’ve looked everywhere for it except we forget to look in the most obvious place, which ends up being the last place we look. It’s a bit like that when we are looking for answers. We search everywhere, except the most obvious place we are likely to find the right answers!  David said this of the Lord in the Psalms: Psalm 86:7  ”In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.” 

When we look everywhere else for answers including within ourselves, without God’s help, we will often come to the conclusion that God hasn’t spoken to us or given us direction.   Continue reading →

I remember, hearing an old song by Duke Ellington called “It don’t mean a thing…if you aint got that swing”. I love this old tune. It’s a very jazzy fun song but as I sung out the first line of it in my mind, I was also reminded of how people are often pressurized to “conform” to the “norm” of the Christmas season. Whether it be “over indulging” or being expected to smile on cue, or do anything else in the midst of the festivities to please other people; either way it’s pressure!

Of course it means something if you “aint got the Christmas swing!” – You don’t have to be someone or something you are not! Keeping a Colgate smile when things are not okay is not the answer, nor is moping. My point is, that things are not always as they seem on the surface.

Look at the birth of Christ. It did not happen the way some of the people thought it should happen. People had expectations of how the coming of the Messiah should have “played” out. And for some people, the Messiah had let them down! Yet when all was said and done, Christ died, and rose again to be the promised King of glory. Hindsight & tons of history as well as the guidance of Holy Spirit helps us understand today, what was impossible for many people to understand in the time when Jesus’ birth took place.

Dear friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful 2011!

I am so excited about what is to come. Even though many of us might still feel physically weary from last year, we are tying up the “strongman” to dispossess the old and move into the new.

This is the year, of making things happen!

God has shown us how easily God can do things for us. Now it is up to us to make things happen for God & God’s Kingdom purpose in earth, and in our spheres of influence! You didn’t go through all those trials in 2010 for nothing! You were busy “slaying” the enemy in the old structure, to move into your new territory & the new level God has for you this year.

Here are 6 keys to hold onto in 2011 as you move forward in the grace and power of the King of kings:

1. Focus on what God has promised, declare that it will come to pass for your life

If you focus on what God has for you and your ministry (which ultimately involves loving people as part & parcel of what you do); you will get stronger spiritually and you will feel more and more motivated to get out there and make it happen. Don’t let your mind slip into old thinking.

2. Bind up and cast out anything that could influence your life negatively or, that could have a stronghold over your body, soul or mind.

If you don’t bind up the strongman, you will carry things over to 2011 that will  decay the vision God has for you, and will hinder you. If you leave some poison in the body it will still affect the body, though you may not die. Don’t let the enemy have any kind of foothold over your life this year. Otherwise he occupies certain territory and space in your life & mind, and robs you of that God given vision. – Your God given vision, (the images ideas, dreams), form part of your purpose and destiny. Treasure those things, and guard yourselves vigilantly.

3. Keep your passion alive!

If you keep your eyes on the vision & goal; you will have desire, passion and drive to move forward like a battering ram, in the spirit!

Decide today, that you are not going to let anything stop you from accomplishing all that God has in store for you this year. The devil is a specialist at making us short sighted spiritually. If you don’t have the vision in front of you, if he manages to steal it away from you; you lose hope in the promises & purpose for and of your life. Hold onto the good, leave the bad behind, and move forward in Christ. You are living and breathing for a purpose and that’s not just to take up space! God wants to use you!

4. Make Jesus your first love

God wants you to feel motivated to move forward. So, stay disciplined, don’t lose your passion no matter what obstacles come in your way. It is the overcomer that is the  inheritor of the blessings and promises, in the book of Revelation, where Jesus spoke to the churches. There is no secret to being an overcomer. It is simply hearing what Jesus said to the church at Ephesus, in the book of Revelation, where he told them that they had forgotten their first love. The key to being an overcomer, is to make sure you start the year embracing Jesus as your first love.

Let me digress for a moment to cite this example: Sometimes people in committed relationships don’t understand this principle of Jesus being our first love and often jealousy can emerge in the relationship. The principle is that our relationships become more secure when they are first touched by the love of Jesus in our innermost being, and then outwardly to our loved ones. As Jesus is the head of the Church so he must be at the head of each relationship in order to set a healthy foundation of love in that relationship. It is a “combo” offer!

The love of Jesus combined with our human understanding of transferring that love, makes for a healthy relationship. Without His love, we rely on a very shaky version of what we call love! Our human love without the combination of the love of Jesus, is judgemental, jealous, possessive, insecure, critical & selfish. (I know many people feel they love wonderfully and beautifully, even without the love of Jesus!) But that is only because our human love is a “glimpse” of the love of Jesus, because Jesus is the author of love, ultimately; and as human beings we bear the characteristics of Christ’s love as we are made in his image, but in a distorted way, when that love is not activated by a living close relationship with Jesus Christ in each of our lives.

5. Put on the full armour of God wherever you go

Take up your shields of faith and get ready, the enemy has been defeated, don’t let him play “online mind games” with you, and make you think that YOU are the one defeated! Then you are letting him spam your mind with rubbish!

Put on the full armour of God, nothing will stop what God wants to do with you, in you and through you this year! –We must decrease, but God’s power must increase.

6. Claim your new identity for the season, remember to be authentic, and to keep it real!

YOU ARE GOD’S DELIGHT! (Hephzibah – Isaiah 62:4) )You have favour and influence. Your “staying power” is not mind focus, but the fire & power of the Holy Spirit, ignited in you, to change the atmosphere, wherever you go.

Keep it real- People respond much better when they know you are authentic and being who you really are!

When Jesus walked the earth, we may not have seen him but we can see where he has been! He kept it real, he was himself, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, He broke the chains of injustice & hopelessness, & brought people to freedom and into liberty.

Let your life be like Jesus, make an impact wherever you go. Don’t waste space, use it for God’s glory!

It’s your year, take it with both hands, bowed in prayer & moving in power.

I look forward to 2011 with you, together we can do all things, in Him (Christ), and through Him! Nothing is impossible with God!

2Pe 1:3-8 NIV His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  4  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  6  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  7  and to godliness,  kindness; and to kindness, love.  8  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your servant in Christ

Rev Deborah Bell

Senior Pastor – Deo Gloria Family Church

www.deogloriakzn.co.za

A church for all people

By Rev Deborah Bell - Ephesians 4:29-31 (NIV)
²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

In Ephesians 4, Paul speaks about the church’s life as the body of Christ, that the God given leaders are called to prepare God’s people for works of service to build the body up.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Bible tells us that the church is a living organism, Christ calls us as the whole church to “every member” ministry. No one person (as is sometimes expected, namely the Pastor), can carry out the function on their own. The role of leaders within the church has always been to help the members of the body grow in their capacity to minister to others.

Getting rid of the bitter root

That capacity of ministering, is first to other believers so that we are growing in our maturity a people who the Scriptures say, show love, not bitterness, a people who speak out of pure hearts, a people who have “plucked out” their rage, slander and every form of malice, so that they can represent Christ to those around them, and benefit all those whom they are ministering to.

Getting rid of bitterness can require people to go as far back as their childhood. Dealing with past hurts and moving in the true forgiveness that Christ taught, removes the deep roots of hurt, pain, neglect (rejection) & unhealthy punitive discipline (which often causes people to distort & reject the wonderful freeing truths found in the Scripture). Leaving these old roots inside of us, causes us to continue to grow them into our adulthood and nature, and they become like a poison to our faith.

Plucking Out!

“Plucking out” what shouldn’t be in our lives any longer, is part and parcel of how we grow into healthy Christians, and then into the maturity, of being healthy Christians. So it is vital that we “grow up in Christ” if we are to be a valid expression of Jesus in this world. The whole body “grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph 4:16).

The focus on building one another up is not “selfish.” It is essential. Only as we grow toward maturity together can we respond fully to Jesus as He directs us to serve in the world. Only a strong and healthy body can carry out the tasks assigned to it. Our effectiveness in communicating the Gospel and the love of God to the world around us depends on our growth toward maturity.

We know we cannot do this without Christ’s love deeply set in our spirit. Let’s make room today, for more of God and less of ourselves.

Living a life of love

Paul then exhorted us to “live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us” (Eph. 5:12). Let me share a bit further with you on this,  from Richards:

“As members of the body, we must no longer live as the Gentiles do (Eph. 4:17-19), but become a loving family in which growth can take place. How do the Gentiles live? Without sensitivity, indulging themselves in sensuality. This is a picture of men and women who see others as something to use. Love never degrades others or places things above human values. “I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles” (Eph. 4:17).

A New Attitude

How are we taught to live together in Christ? By putting off the former way of life (Eph. 4:20-32), we are to live with a totally new attitude: a new self that is like God in true righteousness and holiness. How does righteousness find expression in human relationships?

Practical implications

• By putting off falsehood and speaking truthfully. This involves more than not lying. It involves an open sharing of ourselves with one another, rejecting deceit.
• By rejecting the sinful actions anger drives us toward. Anger is not given a place. Before evening comes, we are to move toward reconciliation.
• By rejecting gossip and unwholesome talk. In our conversation we seek to build others up, not tear them down.
• By ridding ourselves of bitterness, rage, slander, and every form of malice. In their place, we are to express kindness and compassion, forgiving each other as God has forgiven us.

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love” (Eph. 4:1-2). In every New Testament passage that teaches that the church is a body, we also find an emphasis on the loving relationships that are to develop between believers. It is through living with one another in love that ministry opportunities are created, and ministry takes place.

This is the simplicity we sometimes miss. The love that grows between family members and draws us closer to each other, moves us to care. As we care, we reach out to bear one another’s burdens, to encourage and support—we minister. It is in loving that our spiritual gifts come into play.

Local churches                         

In Ephesians, the description of a life of love helps us define the characteristics of a healthy local church today. We have already seen that a local congregation must have a biblical understanding of ministry. The church that has a biblical understanding:

• Sees leaders as equippers.
• Sees each member as a minister.
• Pays close attention to maturing and building believers up in Christ.
• Seeks to help individuals and groups within the church serve as Christ leads.

Through such ministry, the maturing congregation has the greatest impact on the world around.”

The above Quotations in italics taken from: The Teacher’s Commentary: (Richards, Lawrence O.) One body one family Page 92. Author info:wordsearchbible.com (Graphics inserted by me).

Thought to share this with you: A log of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. His finished work on the cross was the beginning of new life for us.

Before Pilate Mk 15:1

Sent to Herod Lk 23:6-10

Returned to Pilate Lk 23:11

Sentenced Lk 23:23-24

Led to Calvary Lk 23:26

Crucified Lk 23:33

The soldiers divided up his clothes and cast lots to see what each would get Mk 15:24

“Jesus said, ‘Heavenly Parent, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Lk 23:34

“It was the third hour when they crucified him” Mk 15:25

“Those who passed by hurled insults at him,… saying,… ‘Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’” Mt 27:39-40

The chief priests mockingly said, “He saved others,… but he can’t save himself!” Mk 15:31

“The soldiers also came up and mocked him… ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’” Lk 23:36-37

“One of the there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ’? Save yourself and us!’” Lk 23:39

“But the other criminal rebuked him… Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember into your kingdom.’” Lk 23:40, 42

“Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’” Lk 23:43

“Jesus… said to his mother. ‘Dear woman, here is your the disciple, Here is your mother.’” Jn 19:26-27

“At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.” Mk 15:33

“Jesus cried…, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?’” Mt 27:46

“I am thirsty.” Jn 19:28

“It is finished.” Jn 19:30

“Heavenly Parent God, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Lk 23:46

Taken from: the Thompson Chain Reference Bible.

We know the ending to this wonderful story; Jesus said on the third day I will rise again! And as he arose the demons trembled.

No, the grass is not greener on the other side! The greenest pasture is the one in which Christ is found. God’s word says that God leads us to the places of peace, the green   pastures.

Psa 23:2 The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures, & leads me beside quiet waters.

Don’t jump onto the other side without first doing any work in the field you are in. There are challenges in every field. There are no short cuts to learning the lessons of life. Jumping fields is not the answer. Continue reading →

There are those that spend their time talking about what others should be doing, and then there are those that actually “build the road”. – The mandate of the great commission in Matt 28:19 was not be observers but to make disciples of all nations, baptising people in the Holy Spirit & teaching those that will hear, the Word of God.

Our job as Christians is to help people discover Christ on their journey of life, making him Saviour and Lord. The Scriptures teach us in many places, that Christ wants to use us, as we are grafted in the body of Christ. The local church is an essential part of making it happen, and I am a strong believer in the local church and her role to do this.  – Yet there are so many that stand alongside the road instead of helping to build it together. For many, it is easier to criticize those who are doing the work in the field of life, than to actually meet the challenges that go with getting involved themselves. Continue reading →