No vision Many Christian fellowships are not sure what direction that they are travelling. If we aim at nothing, we will hit it every time! I am sure you will agree that you in your own Christian fellowship will want to be involved in the fulfilment of the aims and vision of your local fellowship. To help us in our own fellowships we need to get our aims and priorities correct and be working together to bring in God's aims and vision for our local church fellowship. Aims and Vision definitions. Aims= in a natural sense these are our goals in life e.g. to get a better job, a better house, or car etc. These are often quite materialistic and even selfish, but the Lord also has godly aims for each of our lives. Vision = when we mix God’s aims for our lives with faith these aims turn into a vision. We all need a vision to live our best lives for God. God will empower your faith-filled vision and bring it into being eventually. Most people have some natural life aims but often fail to fulfil them which can lead to disappointment. Proverbs 29:18 KJV “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.” Without a long-term plan—without a vision—people are doomed to wander aimlessly. This is talking about a prophetic message from the Lord that causes us to add faith to our God given aims and produces that prophetic vision. This verse emphasizes the extraordinary value of God's Word and the revelation of God and His law as given to us. It is talking about the importance of having a vision and a revelation of God's will, which was communicated to the people through prophets before the Bible was complete. Six Godly aims of effective Christian Churches 1.To show your love for the Lord. (Our Commitment to God). 2. To produce mature & stable believers. (Our Commitment to God). 3. To incite Christians to love and good works.(Our commitment to one another). 4. To care for the poor members. Widows, orphans & poor. (Our commitment to one another). 5. Preach the Gospel. (Our Commitment to the World, Jesus Died to save). 6. To do good in the world. (Our Commitment to the World, Jesus Died to save). God has his aims for every Christian church; these aims help us form God’s vision for our local church > In time God  will make sure that it tour vision comes to pass if we stay faithful. These six aims can be neatly split into 3 pairs (numbers 1 and 2, numbers 3 and 4, and 5 and 6.  The split into three  pairs is  performed on a strict priority basis . In other words, we must be doing aims 1 and 2 , before we can progress onto 3 and 4, and then move onto 5 and 6 when the first four are working. Churches that function outside the given order (above)  by say putting evangelism as their top priority will usually fail. Achieving our aims/visions in the correct order is vital. Amen Personal Prayer In Part 2 of this study  we explore our top two aims in order of priority   Acknowledgement This study is a modified version collated from the following bible studies. Roger Price Fellowship Life Series Aims and Vision TaFLS 05. Roger Price  Special Topics Series   Christian Maturity  STS 141.

Things to remember when your faith is hanging by a thread or your faith candle is smouldering out As Christians we all appear to go through times when we seem to be getting overwhelmed by the circumstances or by the difficulties in our lives. Disappointment, rejection, apparent failure, illness, stress, family and financial problems to name but a few of the things that come against God's people. This may give us a feeling that God is somewhat distant, uninvolved or uncaring or at worst he has forgotten about you. But is this true? How does God feel about us when we are hanging by a thread? Let us turn to His word to see how God feels and how God deals with His people when they feel that they are hanging by a thread. Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul. delights: I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgement unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he has set judgement in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Jesus, your Jesus, my Jesus, our Jesus, mild and yet so strong, not seeking to draw attention to himself. Quietly going about his father’s business, not striving by his flesh for the weapons of his warfare are not carnal but mighty. through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Jesus is patient and kind. towards his own, and you are his own! When we are crushed and bruised, he sets a limit. Precious spices and ointments need to be crushed to give their aroma! He never allows us to be tempted above. our measure. Remember the story of Joseph and his brothers. When your faith flame is only smouldering, he will not put it out, he never intended to, quite the opposite. The devil means to break us and snuff out our light (this little light of mine) but Jesus wants us to be whole and to burn brightly with a pure light. Matthew 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgement to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break , and smoking flax shall he not quench , till he sends forth judgement unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Jesus shows power and grace in bearing up the weak and the suffering, to produce perseverance, but never to kill or destroy our faith in him. Sometimes, God needs to deal with the comfort in our lives to confront and destroy our pride of life, complacency, self sufficiency, wrongful dependence on others. Ultimately whatever we go through it is for our benefit as it says in Romans 8:28. Although a wonderful truth this does not make it easy for us but produces confidence that in the end it will be for our benefit and blessing. In his name the Gentiles trust, are you trusting him today in your particular situation? The reed is made up of long strands or filaments but when enough of them are. bruised or broken the reed just snaps in two and is no use for its purpose. Reeds can made into papyrus which as you know was the ancient world’s version of paper. God wants to heal your broken strands so that he can write his gospel message of love on you and in you. You are God's perfumed living love letter to your fellow. man and woman! Amen God does not kill or destroy his own wounded. He binds up the broken-hearted and restores us to wholeness. Do you remember Elton John’s song ‘candle in the wind’, In the song the woman's flame is tossed to and fro with absolutely no control. However Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world…and yet it seems that problems and difficulties in our lives seem to cut off the either the air or the flow of wax vapour. In the case of the flax, smouldering is the final stage before the flame is extinguished. When we feel we are hanging by a thread or our faith is about to smoulder out, Jesus comes to strengthen and breathe his life into us again. At school, in the chemistry class, the test for oxygen was that it relit a glowing or smouldering taper. So the awareness of the presence of Jesus Christ by his spirit relights our love and faith in God. We just need to get into his presence and allow the oxygen of his love to re-ignite our hearts . We must remember all his precious promises to us! Then we can go on to be once again Gods love letter, living and perfumed. epistles to our fellow man and bring the light of the world into the hearts of the unbelievers. Jesus does not just want to keep you hanging by a thread or smouldering but wants to bring you back into fullness, whole and burning brightly! Strong and gentle Jesus! Make us whole and burning brightly for you today. Amen Prayer

Things to remember when you are hanging by a thread. As Christians we all appear to go through times when we seem to be getting overwhelmed by the circumstances or by the difficulties in our lives. Disappointment, rejection, apparent failure, illness, stress, family and financial problems to name but a few of the things that come against God's people. This may give us a feeling that God is somewhat distant, uninvolved or uncaring or at worst he has forgotten about you. But is this true? How does God feel about us when we are hanging by a thread? Let us turn to His word to see how God feels and how God deals with His people when they feel that they are hanging by a thread. Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my elect, in whom my soul. delights: I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgement unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he has set judgement in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Jesus, your Jesus, my Jesus, our Jesus, mild and yet so strong, not seeking to draw attention to himself. Quietly going about his father’s business, not striving by his flesh for the weapons of his warfare are not carnal but mighty. through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Jesus is patient and kind. towards his own, and you are his own! When we are crushed and bruised, he sets a limit. Precious spices and ointments need to be crushed to give their aroma! He never allows us to be tempted above. our measure. Remember the story of Joseph and his brothers. When your flame is only smouldering, he will not put it out, he never intended to, quite the opposite. The devil means to break us and snuff out our light (this little light of mine) but Jesus wants us to be whole and to burn with a pure light. Matthew 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgement to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break , and smoking flax shall he not quench , till he sends forth judgement unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Jesus shows power and grace in bearing up the weak and the suffering, to produce perseverance, but never to kill or destroy our faith in him. Sometimes, God needs to deal with the comfort in our lives to confront and destroy our pride of life, complacency, self sufficiency, wrongful dependence on others. Ultimately whatever we go through it is for our benefit as it says in Romans 8 28. Although a wonderful truth this does not make it easy for us but produces confidence that in the end it will be for our benefit and blessing. In his name the Gentiles trust, are you trusting him today in your particular situation? The reed is made up of long strands or filaments but when enough of them are. bruised or broken the reed just snaps in two and is no use for its purpose. Reeds can made into papyrus which as you know was the ancient world’s version of paper. God wants to heal your broken strands so that he can write his gospel message of love on you and in you. You are God's perfumed living love letter to your fellow. man! Amen God does not kill or destroy his own wounded. He binds up the broken-hearted and restores us to wholeness. Do you remember Elton John’s song ‘candle in the wind’, In the song the flame is tossed to and fro with absolutely no control. However Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world…and yet it seems that problems and difficulties in our lives seem to cut off the either the air or the flow of wax vapour. In the case of the flax, smouldering is the final stage before the flame is extinguished. When we feel we are hanging by a thread or our faith is about to smoulder out, Jesus comes to strengthen and breathe his life into us again. At school, in the chemistry class, the test for oxygen was that it relit a glowing or smouldering taper. So the awareness of the presence of Jesus Christ by his spirit relights our love and faith in God. We just need to get into his presence and allow the oxygen of his love to re-ignite our hearts. We must remember all his precious promises to us! Then we can go on to be once again Gods love letter, living and perfumed. epistles to our fellow man and bring the light of the world into the hearts of the unbelievers. Jesus does not just want to keep you hanging by a thread or smouldering but wants to bring you back into fullness. Whole and burning brightly! Strong and gentle Jesus! Make us whole and burning brightly for you today. Amen Prayer

The Status and Responsibilities of Citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven: Ambassadors for Christ 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. In the same way that Queen Esther obtained royalty for such a time as this so that we as the church of Jesus Christ have also obtained royalty for such a time as this. Let us examine the key phrases in 1 Peter 2:9: 1. Chosen Race : Being part of a “chosen race” means that God selected His people for a special purpose. This is not about ethnicity but about belonging to God’s family. 2. Royal Priesthood : This signifies that believers have direct access to God. We are called to serve Him and represent Him to the world. 3. Holy Nation : As a “holy nation,” we are called to live according to God’s standards, setting an example for others. 4. People for His Own Possession : This indicates that we belong to God. Our lives are not our own; they are meant to glorify Him. 5. Proclaim His Praises : The ultimate purpose of our identity as described in this verse is to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. 2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ , as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. An ambassador lives in the foreign country, but he/she absolutely, in every way, represents his home country. Ambassadors must live, behave, and speak to remarkably high standards as they represent their home nation at all times whilst they are in another country. If ambassadors attend a royal event, they will wear the absolute best clothes and have the best cars e.g. a Rolls Royce. Why does everything need to be the best because they are representing their country. Now, if that is true of us in the natural, how much more is it true of us as far as the Kingdom in God/heaven is concerned? How much more should the Church today represent the Kingdom of God here on this earth? We as ambassadors of The Kingdom of God need to face up to our responsibilities and do nothing to give a bad witness to the people of this world. Perhaps suggesting the Church of Jesus Christ is anything but glorious, victorious, and powerful body of people. As ambassadors we ought to be continually thrilled by what King Jesus is saying about his kingdom and church. And only say that about the church and the gospel which Jesus says. Amen Even a sales representative today will only show you his/her best products and services. We have received the Spirit of Adoption Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Note the balance in the Kingdom of God, if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. May the Kingdom of God be seen is us and through us. Kingdom Prayer Abba Father, we come to you in the precious name of Jesus Christ and thanking you for being part of your church (your called out ones). We thank you that you have made us citizens of your Kingdom.     Lord, we thank you for making us part your glorious church and that you have made us a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.     Lord, we thank you that you have entrusted us with wonderful ministry of reconciliation of the lost and indeed you have made us ambassadors for Christ.     Abba Father help us to be faithful in all that you have called us to and to bring glory to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen Personal Prayer

The resurrection changed everything Perhaps the most puzzling thing about the resurrection of Jesus Christ is why Christians tend to only speak about it at Easter. This was not the case when the Apostle Paul was preaching; Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. 17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. 18 Then [ b ] certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. Paul mentioned the resurrection and Jesus so much that these pagans thought he was talking about two Gods, one called ‘Jesus’ and the other ‘Resurrection’! An American pastor has rightly said ‘ the resurrection changed everything’ ! After the resurrection Jesus’ ramshackle band of disciples began to ‘turn the world upside down’. There are perhaps different approaches we can take when we consider the resurrection. Today I want to focus in on a few scriptures that give insight into its meaning and purpose. Death the last enemy has been destroyed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.”[ a ] But when He says “all things are put under Him, ” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. Effects of Denying the Resurrection 1 Cor 15:29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” Paul is saying if there was no resurrection then we are simply wasting our time and we would be as well simply leading natural lives the same as the unbelievers. The Father God has declared that Jesus Christ is His Son by resurrecting Him from the dead. Romans 1:1 1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Jesus Christ naturally speaking was the son of David or the son of Man but after the resurrection the Father calls him the Son of God. God sent his son Jesus Christ into the world born of a woman with a natural family tree of the seed of David and was born under the Law. This Jesus Christ was obedient to Father God through all his short life even unto his sacrificial death on the cross but when God raised him from the dead, he was declared to be the Son of God. At the moment of resurrection God the Father and God the Holy Spirit fully endorsed him as the only begotten Son of the Father giving Jesus Christ a truly unique status and hence power. That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection Philippians 3:4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection , and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Please note that Lazarus was resuscitated i.e. he came back to a natural life and eventually died. Jesus Christ was resurrected into a new type of life which would never see death again and conferred various supernatural powers such as being able to appear in locked rooms. v10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection , Paul longed to progressively and intimately come to know Jesus Christ (the Greek word for know is ginosko and was used to describe the relationship between a husband and wife) and the power of his resurrection. This power was much more than needed to simply resuscitate someone like Lazarus i.e. simply recombining his spirit and body to form a living soul but the power to raise Jesus Christ from the dead into an indestructible and everlasting life. If the resurrection power of God is still available to God’s people then just think what this level of power might be able to achieve in other areas of our lives such as in failed relationships, healing of the body and mind, and to bring all sorts of dead situations back to life! What do you think? Amen Prayer

Citizens of the Kingdom of God have direct access to our King Jesus Our Citizenship The Church is a nation. Acts 15:13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon (Simon Peter) hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. God’s church comes from many nations. The church is not the Kingdom but rather the fruit of the Kingdom. Often the best people to evangelize any nation is usually nationals from that country. The church of Jesus Christ is multinational and together we form a new nation. God has called out his church (ekklésia) to serve his Kingdom. The value of Citizenship in the Roman/Greek Empires Acts 22:26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman." 27 Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.” 28 The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.” 29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. Paul states his Roman citizenship repeatedly in Acts of the Apostles. When he does, the reactions of those around him are very telling. When Paul and Silas are released from prison in Acts 16, Paul declares that both he and Silas are Roman citizens. Paul says that the magistrates “have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and takes us out themselves!” When Paul’s words are relayed to the magistrates “they were afraid when they heard that [Paul and Silas] were Roman citizens; so [the magistrates] came and apologized to them.” Similarly, when Paul is accused of bringing gentiles into the Temple and arrested, he tells the Roman tribune of his citizenship. Paul is about to be flogged and had been “tied…up with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, ‘Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?’” The centurion fetched the tribune who “asked Paul, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ And [Paul] said, ‘Yes.’” The tribune, still suspicious, states that “it cost [him] a large sum of money to get [his] citizenship.” Paul, however, states that he was “born a citizen.” The reaction among the Romans was instant. “Immediately, those who were about to flog [Paul] drew back from him; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.” Roman Citizens were of remarkably high status and had various privileges, the highest of which was the right to appeal to Caesar in person! You could even say the right to speak to Caesar! Paul did eventually appeal to Caesar. Citizens of the Kingdom of God NIV Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship  is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,                                           versus KJV Philippians 3:20 For our conversation  is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:              Phil 3:20 citizenship/conversation =  politeuma When we were born again, we immediately had citizenship of the Kingdom of God/Heaven conferred on us. What a privilege! Although the NIV is more accurate for this verse, it is interesting the KJV of Philippians 3:20 reflects well our ability to speak to our King- King Jesus. We can appeal to King Jesus as part of our Kingdom rights and come boldly into the holy of holies in time of trouble! Proof that the Church is a Nation Here are 3 pieces of evidence that the Church is a nation. 1.    It has a king: King Jesus 2.    It has a capital city: Revelation 21:2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed for her husband. Galatians 4:26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 3.    All born again believers have citizenship in the Kingdom as in Philippians 3:20. Amen Personal Prayer In Part 3 we explore the believer’s status in the Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of of God and the Church God always has had his witnesses throughout history First, Adam and Eve. Then, individual family members e.g. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. From Genesis 12 due to apostasy, God decides to use a whole nation i.e. Israel. In Acts 2 enters the Church of Jesus Christ. The church did not replace Israel but expanded the reach of God’s witnesses around the nations of the world. The church of Jesus Christ was God’s master plan. Not any one nation or people but God’s chosen people scattered across the nations! Having believers of every nationality helps our evangelism in each nation due to the removal of language barriers. Different views of the Church Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.   Matthew 16: 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it . 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Many unbelievers think the church is a lonely-hearts club full of losers and misfits, who can’t deal with life or the people in society. Even amongst some believers their view of the church seems to be that the church is God’s last outpost or something which is hanging by a thread from disappearing all together. Others think the church is an organisation that Satan kicks around when he pleases. However, Jesus Christ sees his church as something that is powerful, glorious, mighty, and invincible! The church is the manifestation of the Kingdom of God to the unbelieving world. The Church of Jesus Christ Strong's Greek: 1577. ἐκκλησία (ekklésia ) = Church, or assembly,            Ek = out     Klesia =called Ekklesia  means the ‘called out’ ones. In ancient Greece, the cities often had an ekklésia of citizens who could vote in important matters for the city. They were given a white stone (to vote yes) and a black stone (to vote No). In this way a democratic system of voting was introduced to make collective decisions for the city. Not everyone was allowed to vote. People not allowed to vote in Ancient City Elections 1. Non-Citizen 2. Criminal Record 3. Slave or in bondage Citizenship in the Kingdom of God is wonderful. Our citizenship is much better than the ancient Roman/Greek one because we are a) born again into the Kingdom of God-immediate citizenship b) we have no criminal or sin record because it is all forgiven. c) we are not slaves or are in any bondage because Jesus Christ has set us free. You might want to check out Revelation 2:17 where the believers in heaven are given a white stone. God voted for you and me or at least he has acquitted us! Amen Personal Prayer In Part 2 we discover that the Church is a nation with 3 proofs

Luke 24:5 “Why are you looking for the living amongst the dead” Guest blogger Jacky Wilson This portion of Scripture details how the women go to the Lord’s tomb very early in the morning taking with them the spices they had prepared. (Passover had now finished, when the Israelites remember their freedom from under the yoke of slavery to the Egyptians.) These women all have names, and they all have stories. Mary Magdalene was among them. The Lord had cast seven demons out of Mary; then there was Joanna, whom Jesus had healed, a wealthy woman in her own right who helped support Jesus’ travels and preaching from her own financial means. Her husband was a manager in King Herod’s household. Then there was Mary, the mother of Jesus. From the cross Jesus entrusted his widowed mother to John’s care, and she was to live in his home. Also, Salome (the mother of James and John). Then there was Mary the mother of James and the mother of another apostle chosen by Jesus who also walked to the tomb with the other women. What was going through their minds? Were they remembering and talking about the events of the past few days? Just three days earlier Jesus had been betrayed and sentenced to death. The betrayal had broken their hearts. First, their long-awaited Messiah was dead. Second, one of their trusted leaders, one of the Twelve, had sold Jesus for just 30 pieces of silver. Were they concerned how they would roll the very heavy stone away, or did it not enter their minds, were they just concerned with anointing Jesus' body with spices as was custom for the Jewish People as they did not embalm the dead? As the women approached the tomb, they found the stone rolled away. What was going through their minds? Panic? Fear? Has anything happened to Jesus’ body? Mary Magdalene took off running; she ran to Peter and John. The other women stayed. Then suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. The women bowed their faces to the ground. They bowed in reverence. The men said to the women “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you these things, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then the women remembered Jesus words …. Amen Prayer

Reflections for Lent by Guest Blogger Jacky Wilson Scripture reference Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” The Race of faith ! Our Scripture from Hebrews 12:1-3 says - we are in a race, but not a race in the sense of racing to work or to the shops to get that item we forgot to complete the meal, or racing home to cook that dinner. The race we are running is the race of faith that began the moment we asked Jesus into our lives, whom the author of Hebrews calls both “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith”. So the race we are running has: ✓ a starting line , where Jesus is present (coaching us for the race ahead / firing the starting gun) as the pioneer of our faith ✓and a finish line, where Jesus is waiting for us (cheering us on) as the perfecter of our faith . ✓And on top of all that there is a prize that will help us be serious in running our race in order to finish it well. So like any athlete, we will need to be disciplined , to stay focused and to make sacrifices in order to finish the race in the way Jesus intends us to. Obstacles on the way As we all know too well, life itself will provide us with plenty of obstacles along the way, distracting us with all that the world wants to offer us - things that seem more appealing and alluring. And then there’s sin - the sin in our lives holding us back, entangling us as if somebody had tied the shoelaces of our running shoes together when we weren’t looking, it's sin that comes to entice us with the promise of something more gratifying or rewarding, but in the end it’s real aim is to disqualify us completely and take us out of the race. In the meantime, perhaps some of us will not have even realised we are actually in a race, wondering why everything is so tiring and why we haven’t progressed in our faith as we would have hoped to; others will be running at a good pace, calm, focused and in for the distance. Encouragement on the way: the cloud of witnesses The writer of Hebrews in 12:1 tells us that “… since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses …" What does that mean? - Have you ever wondered who this great cloud of witnesses might be? People today assume, I think, generally speaking that in this cloud are those who have died who we all know: family, friends, and acquaintances, and they are watching us from above ... but this is not what the Bible tells us. The "great cloud of witnesses" mentioned here are actually those first introduced to us in Chapter 11 of Hebrews. The ones who have run the race before us, living lives of faith and dependence on God, until they crossed the promised finish line. Runners like Moses, Joseph, and David, Sarah, Rahab, Esther and Mary - those who triumphed in reaching their goal through their focused faith and trust in God. Their faith was shown in what they did, not only in what they said: Noah built the ark; Abraham dwelt in a tent; Rahab hid the Israelite spies; Sarah gave birth in her old age. Not one these heroes was perfect, all had their flaws and weaknesses (read their stories in the Bible) because all were just like you and me. Why were they mentioned in Scripture? Because they all put their trust in God and watched Him do amazing things - in God’s eyes they’re all champions! Yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. We are running that same race now, in whatever way God has called us to serve Him, so let us stay faithful as they stayed faithful! R un the race of faith like Jesus! The scripture says Jesus went to the cross for you and for me, despite the shame and humiliation he chose to run His race, He kept His eyes on the prize. “WHY?” the Word says “for the joy set before Him” He saw the prize! His prize - He completed His mission to save us sinners and to accomplish the will of His Father, and He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. In James 1:2-4, we as followers of Jesus in the race are encouraged to stay the course: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Look to Jesus … and win the prize! Let us make Jesus our only prize, our aim, our life. Colossians 1:18 says that He is to have first place in everything. We are to set our eyes on Jesus always - confident in the knowledge that there’s no better trainer who could have prepared us, no better coach who could be egging us on, and no better champion gone before us and waiting for us at the finish line, than Jesus himself. 1 Corinthians 10:13 exhorts us as w e go the distance : “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” ” So with the help of the Holy Spirit let us stand on this truth - God does not abandon us because we have weaknesses. He works through our weaknesses because He knows we are a work in progress. In other words, the longer the race goes, the better we get! “Wow, what a prize!” And let us pray that we will not grow weary , we know we run this race as individuals but along the way let us encourage those who are struggling, both those starting the race and those tiring midway, remembering always to fortify, comfort and build up in Christ. So this Lent, as we reflect on what Jesus endured for each and every one of us individually on the cross let us keep reminding ourselves of the priz e, and that Jesus is both the Author and Finisher of our faith. In Him we live and move and have our being and, as one more great reminder of who He is: He will not start something He will not finish. AMEN. Personal Prayer

Why is the kingdom of God important? The Kingdom of God was so central to the preaching of Jesus Christ that the “Kingdom of God” you could say is like the catch-phrase in Jesus’ preaching. Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were  until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,   15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Jesus was always talking about the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Heaven and the Gospel of the kingdom. In particular, the synoptic gospels are filled with texts about the kingdom of God. In the New Testament the phrase ‘the Kingdom of God’ occurs 66 times in 65 verses. The phrase ‘the Kingdom of heaven’ occurs in 32 times in 31 verses (Matthew only). Most bible scholars think the phrases kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven are interchangeable although there is a difference in the Greek phrases. The reason scholars think they are the same are, Only Matthew uses Kingdom of heaven and that he was trying to avoid upsetting his Jewish readers by constantly mentioning the name 'God'.      2. Matthew`s usage parallels that of the other Gospel writers i.e. it is used to say the          things for an example see below, Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,  which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Compare this to Luke 13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?   21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.  The Kingdom of Heaven is a kingdom from heaven, not heaven, not kingdom in heaven. God reigns supreme in heaven. Heaven is the locus of His authority, the point from which he rules the universe. The words “of heaven” then are referring to the origin of this Kingdom. It is the place from which the Kingdom is coming, not a destination to which we are going. Mark1:14 (above) The main thrust of the word for kingdom has the thrust of the reign of a king, or that which the king reigns over. Luke 17:20   And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:   21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.   Thus, it is a fundamental truth for each born again believer that the kingdom of God means the rule of Jesus Christ is within you.  This means his kingly rule should be in each and every part of our lives, spirit, soul and body. List of scriptures that give insight into the Kingdom of God Matthew 12:28 Mark 4:26 Matthew 19:24 Mark 4:30 Matthew 21:31 Mark 9:1, 47 Matthew 21:43 Mark 10:14-15, 23-25 Mark 1:15 Mark 12:34 Mark 4:11 Mark 14:25  Mark 15:43 Luke 4:43 Luke 6:20 Luke 7:28 Luke 8:1, 10 Luke 9:2, 11, 27, 60-62 Luke 10:9-11 Luke 11:20 Luke 13:18-20, 28-29 Luke 14:15 Luke 16:16 Luke 17:20-21 Luke 18:16-17, 24-25, 29 Luke 19: 11 Luke 21:31 Luke 22:16-18 Luke 23:51 John 3:3, 5 Acts 1:3 Acts 8:12 Acts 14:22 Acts 19:8 Acts 28:2-3-, 31 Romans 14:17 1 Corinthians 4:20 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 1 Corinthians 15:50 Galatians 5:21 Colossians 4:11 2 Thessalonians 1:5 Matthew 4:17 Matthew 5:3, 10, 19-20 Matthew 7:21 Matthew 8:11 Matthew 10:7 Matthew 11:11-12 Matthew 13:11, 24, 31-33, 44-47, 52 Matthew 16:19 Matthew 18:1-4, 23 Matthew 19:12, 14, 23 Matthew 20:1 Matthew 22:2 Matthew 23:13 Matthew 25:1 The Gospel of the Kingdom of God Introducing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, we learn that King Jesus became a man who took the sins of the whole world onto his body on the cross. King Jesus suffered and died that he might enter His Father`s Kingdom. If you are a seeker Believe on King Jesus today, turn from your sins and receive his pardon and welcome the Kingdom of God within you. Kneel at His feet, confess you are a sinner and make Him King over your life. Here is a way of how to do it. The bible is clear Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. We now need to turn this belief into a prayer spoken from your heart (below is an example of this). Dear Jesus , thank you for taking my punishment on the cross, which I deserve for all the wrong things I have done in the past. Help me turn away from the ways of this world and all its the false promises. I ask now for your forgiveness and a fresh start in my life. I invite the Holy Spirit into my heart and mind to show me how to live from this time on. Amen You now need to start praying, reading your bible and find a church where they teach and believe the bible. Bless you , the angels in heaven are rejoicing over your decision to turn to God. If you are a believer This is the Gospel of the Kingdom. Let us continue to introduce the unbelievers to King Jesus through his wonderful Gospel. Amen Personal Prayer

How to put on the armour and enter into the battle Putting on the armour How we enter into the spiritual battle Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints… When we have put on all our armour, we are then ready to enter into all types of prayer as led by the Holy Spirit. All (types of) prayer is how we enter the battle. God also has provided some weapons of attack particularly in the pulling down of strongholds. We are obliged to move on from protection to attacking the enemy strongholds. Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. We will explore the idea of moving from defensive action to offensive like in Matthew 16:18 in a separate study. But the Lord does want us to go on the offensive from time to time. Something to remember is that we are not fighting to win a victory but rather we stand to enforce the mighty victory that Jesus Christ has won at the cross. Prayer for Putting on our Armour. We are now ready to put on all 6 pieces of our armour by prayer. We will use prayer as an approach you could also do it by reading and agreeing to the relevant scriptures. Before starting to pray, check to see if there is any sin or unforgiveness in your life. If so, it should be dealt with by confession using 1 John 1:9. Prayer Father God in the name of Jesus Christ 1. I believe and declare that my mind is girded with the truth, Your word is truth Lord and contains all the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 2. I have a breastplate of righteousness which is faith and love and so I have right-standing with you Father through Jesus Christ and this protects my heart. 3. My feet, Lord, are shod in preparation of the gospel of peace. My shoes are ready to take the good news of the Gospel with me wherever I go seeking opportunities to bring your peace to all men. 4.Lord I am carrying my shield of faith which is able to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. This shield will protect against every weapon of the enemy. 5. I now put on the helmet of salvation which gives me hope of seeing all of Gods promise for my life come to fruition. My helmet protects my mind from all the lies of the enemy that is trying to cast doubt on all the God has done for me. 6.I now take the sword of the Spirit which is your word Father just like Jesus did in the wilderness. Your spoken word will defeat all the lies and deceptions of the enemy. Amen Having put on the whole armour of God we are then fully prepared to enter into the spiritual battle as led by the Holy Spirit. Let us do so now…Amen.                                                             Materials Consulted Derek Prince: Spiritual Conflict: Defensive Armor Parts 1+2 and                             : Weapons of attack Part 1  All available on YouTube. Roger Price :STS 021- 022 Can a Christian have a demon? Christian Wake-up Call: John   Whole Armour of God https://christianwakeupcall.com/

The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit Helmet and Sword 5.      The Helmet of Salvation Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The helmet protects the head representing the mind or the thought life. We must know how to protect our minds.  Satan will attack our minds with such things as mistrust. That is one of his favourite weapons.  We begin to mistrust our wife, our husband, our fellow Christians, our pastor. . . Then comes suspicion and then fear and doubt and depression. Depression is surprisingly common in Christians. Derek Prince tells how God set him personally free from years of depression which also affected his family life, using two scriptures.   Isaiah 61:3 The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered… In Isaiah 61:3 he read this phrase: “The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” And when he read that word “the spirit of heaviness,” it was.  like the Holy Spirit said to him, “That is your problem. It is not you, it is not psychological, it is not mental, it is a spirit, it is a person. He saw the real identity of his enemy was a spirit of depression and he reminds us that ‘Evil is not something, it is Someone.’ Derek then realised that he needed one more thing and that was Joel 2:32 ‘’It shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered.” And Derek was completely delivered from the spirit of heaviness (depression). He also pointed out the need for Christians to develop their own healthy thought patterns over a period of time. Ephesians 6:17: “ Take the helmet of salvation .”  This is God’s protection for our heads. This ties in with 1Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. The helmet is hope and we have got to cultivate hope. Hope, in the Bible, is a confident expectation of that which is good. Faith in our minds does not work. Faith has to be in the heart. But the protection for the mind is hope. Now somebody said everybody is born either a pessimist or an optimist.  For a Christian to be a pessimist is a denial of our faith. Why?  Because Romans 8:28 says, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:24: For we are saved by hope. Ephesians 2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Romans 8:24: For we are saved by hope . . . (KJV) No hope, no salvation.  Ephesians 2:12, speaking about those without Christ, the unsaved. Paul says: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. (KJV). From this we can see three things.  Without Christ, without God, without hope. They go together. We can see clearly, no hope, no Christ then our salvation hinges on hope. I am saved by hope. If I am without hope, I am without Christ.  And if I have Christ, I have hope.  Hebrews 6: 19 says: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…  If a ship is to be secured, it has to have an anchor which passes through the unstable medium of water and fastens into something stable and secure such as a rock. If we want security and stability, we have to have an anchor that passes through time into eternity and fastens in the Rock of Ages. And this anchor of hope takes us beyond the second veil into the Holy of Holies, into the immediate presence of Almighty God where Jesus, our High Priest and forerunner has entered for us. Now when your anchor is fastened there, we can smile at the storms of life. But the anchor is hope. 6.      The Sword of the Spirit Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. For the first time we are passing out of the purely defensive into something that could be in a sense called aggressive. Because a sword you can use aggressively and defensively against your enemy. But a sword by itself is limited because it will go no further than your arm can stretch.  Now in Greek there are two words for ‘word.’ One is  logos , which means counsel, reason, a set truth. We often use it to describe the written word. The other is  rhema , which means specifically a word that is spoken. The word that is used here is rhema. The sword of the Spirit is not the eternal logos, it is the living word of God when you speak it.  And if you do not speak it, you have no sword. I think the best example of this is Jesus confronted by the devil in the wilderness.  Each temptation He met by saying, “It is written.”  Satan knows it is true. When Jesus said, “It is written, it is written, it is written.”  Satan backed off.  And we have to do the same as Jesus. We have to know the Word of God and not just have the Bible resting on our desk at night but speak the Word like a sharp two-edged sword out of our mouth. And then at least we can keep the devil at bay. Amen Personal Prayer In Part 5 (our final part) we discover how to put on all the armour and how to enter into thje battle.