Posted by blogadmin on July 6, 2010 under Wednesday Bible Study | 
For the majority of us we only feel that God is at work when things are going our way. But that is not so- God is at work even in the bad times. Example – Joseph
See page 54 of Experiencing God.
1. God is always at work around us.
2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with us. We must be very careful about how we manage different circumstances. Do not use your current situation to measure the love of God. God’s Love is a settled issue!
3. God invites you to become involved with His work. There is a part o f God’s agenda that will not be accomplished if we do not partner with Him. God needs us to partner with Him.
Some people will not see God until they see us. Everyday we should ask the Lord, ” Help me to be more alert to what you are doing today.”
4. God speaks by the Bible, through Holy Spirit, Prayer and His people. Start spending time with the Lord and remember there are some things God has reserved for Him to know. But the bulk of what God has for us He wants us to know about it.
Isaiah 55:8-9, Ex 3:2-8
5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. We treat God in ways we don’t treat man. We question God when He asks us to do something.
When God invites you to partner with Him expect challenges.
6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God.
7. You come to know God through obedience.
Share on Facebook
Tags: adjusting to God's agenda, Crisis of Belief, Experiencing God, God at work, God's love for us, God's pursuit of us, How God speaks to us, Life Community Church Bahamas, Obedience, Partnership with God, Pastor Cedric Beckles
Posted by blogadmin on June 18, 2010 under Wednesday Bible Study |
On Wednesday, June 15, 2010 at our Midweek Bible Study Pastor Beckles continued in his series – “Dressing For Service”. The past few Sundays’ messages have been riveting and insightful as he unfolds the affect of our improper dressing and how it blocks the flow of God’s powerful outpouring when we gather.
Yes, God expects us to be properly dressed when we gather as saints in any capacity. But for centuries we have misunderstood where the focus of our dressing should be. It’s not in the shoes we wear or the white dress or the hat on our head. Those things mean nothing to God. He is moved by how we are dressed on the inside.
Wednesday Pastor Beckles continued on the topic Dressing for Service and took us through the scriptures to see examples of how God expects us to look when we come together as the Church.
Scripture References:
Romans 16;16, Romans 15:14, Romans 14:13, Romans 113:8, Romans 12:16 and Romans 12:10 . As we read through each of these passages we were able to identify the common thread or clothing God expected us to have on.
Rom 12:10
Be Kindly Affectioned One to another : Cordial, Good – Are you friendly, pleasant, welcoming to everyone you encounter in church on Sunday. or do you avoid and deal harshly with some.
In Honour Preferring one another – Esteem, Regard highly – To honour someone means to hold them in your heart and mind in high regard and valuable. If we see every believer – our brothers and sisters in Christ in this light we will promote their cause and well being above our own.
I know some of you are thinking like I once did, “..but if I put everyone above me then I’ll end up at the bottom”. Not necessarily, let’s say we were all at the bottom of tall building and there was only one ladder and all the provisions we needed were on the roof. If I decided to prefer/promote Ruth above me on the ladder and she did the same to Lincoln and he did the same to Janet and so on and so on. Then the person above reached down and promoted or pulled me up within no time we would all be on top of the roof enjoying the provisions God has set for us. But if we sit at the bottom – “Can’t standin’ this one and not liking the next one we will all remain at the bottom in lack while everything we need spoils on the roof.
Folks go through these scriptures which is our mirror. Like Pastor Beckles said, ” These scriptures reveal our level of maturity”. When we behave as the scriptures describe we model Christ in that we love and accept each other as we are.
A Christian measures his growth not by increased church attendance, but based his adjustment to the truth he receives and this is evident in his relationships, his behavior and his obedience to God’s word.
How are you dressed today? Stay tuned for more on Dressing for Service and teachings from Pastor Cedric Beckles.
Peace to You.
Share on Facebook
Tags: brotherly love, Dressing for Service, Experiencing God, Life Community Church Bahamas, love one another, Pastor Cedric Beckles, Romans 113:8, Romans 12:10, Romans 12:16, Romans 14:13, Romans 15:14, Romans 16;16, the love of God, unity of believers
Posted by blogadmin on March 14, 2010 under Wednesday Bible Study |
A mature Christian demonstrates a level of humility. Phil 2: 3,5 “Let nothing be through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves…Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, though it not robbery to be equal with God; but made of himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Mature Christians understand that in their kingdom the quickest way to get to the to push others ahead of you. To get what you want help others get what they want; which leads us to our third evidence of maturity
C. SELFLESSNESS
Bro. Harrison said, “Sometimes the things that bless us distract us.” This is so true. But we as mature believers are to live selfless lives. When was the last time you found out or took the time to inquire as to what someone needed? Christ himself demonstrated selfless sacrifice by enduring the humiliation of the cross and dying just so he could share his father’s kingdom with a race of people who had no regard for him. Can you beat that? So what does it really cost for us to give of our time, a few dollars or a kind word when Christ gave His all?
Share on Facebook
Posted by blogadmin on March 13, 2010 under Wednesday Bible Study |
1. UNITY OF LOVE – We should have the same love one for the other. I believe we are to demonstrate love for each other according to God’s instructions in His word. The constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven clearly spells out how its citizens are to treat each other. Anything contrary to these specifications is breaking the law, illegal, A SIN! We are not to demonstrate different degrees of love based on a person’s status, colour, job and especially how they treat us. We are to LOVE WITHOUT CONDITION.
2. UNITY OF SPIRIT – This means loving another as a soul mate. Our biblical example of this was David & Jonathan. We are to be in fellowship with each other, caring for one another and most of all understanding and appreciating the value we bring to each other. Do you see the people around you in the light of God’s image, His masterpiece and His blessing to you? How would you treat a Rolex watch? (and we all know that there is nothing of value in this world that can equate to the value of a human life) yet we treat the things we acquire with more honour and care than we do the people we encounter daily, especially those in our own households. UUMMM!
3. UNITY OF PURPOSE – Having on mind. And this goes back to us understanding why we were saved. Our purpose always as believers is to ensure that every aspect of our lives promotes, endorses, advertises and brings attention to the Kingdom of God, which will cause those around us who are foreigners to want to leave the kingdom of darkness and become citizens of the kingdom of Heaven.
Tomorrow we’ll look at the evidence of spiritual maturity and the mind of Christ.
Share on Facebook
Posted by blogadmin on March 12, 2010 under Wednesday Bible Study |
Wednesday Bible study was quite exciting – here are some things to ponder: Many times we as Christians lose focus on the reason we were saved, redeemed, ransomed and delivered. HELLO!!! TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN! THE GOSPEL ! That first of all requires a renewing of the mind – from darkness/wicked thinking to LIGHT/RIGHTEOUSNESS thinking.
In Philippians 1:3-8 Paul the Apostle was in prison and being persecuted. The amazing thing was that his greatest persecution was coming from within (members of the body of Christ were causing the most harm) yet he prayed for the Phillipian church to grow into spiritual maturity. And as Bro. Harrison Roberts noted not everyone that sits in a church pew is a born again believer. Hard, sad, but true. So if you are a regularly attending church member before we go any further lets settle one thing. Can you recall a moment in your life when you consciously acknowledged Jesus Christ as the Son of God, accepted that you were a sinner and only his shed blood could reconcile you to God, repented of your sin, received God’s pardon and forgiveness by faith, accepted your citizenship into the kingdom of heaven and Christ lordship of your life; and now you know without a doubt that you are a Christian? If No or I can’t remember is your answer then now is a perfect time to set the records straight, because nothing beyond here will apply to you.
After salvation comes maturity. God’s methods are consistent through nature. First conception, then birth, then the different phases of maturity and of course the production of fruit. Harrison outlined the evidence of a believers maturity from Paul’s perspective Phillipians 1: 3-9 & 2:1-3:
Tomorrow we’ll look at the evidence of spiritual maturity and the mind of Christ.
Share on Facebook
