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Do you use all of them? There are 5 main types of Prayer in the New Testament Four of them are found in 1 Timothy 2:1 and one in Ephesians 6:17-20. The 5 types are as follows. 1 Timothy 2:1 (KJV) 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1. Supplication; Simply means calling on the Lord. It is your heart felt response to what is in your heart and mind. God heard the cry of the Israelites in Egyptian bondage and sent a deliverer. Also, in New Testament [Romans 10] anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Supplication (when done with a whole heart) might contribute towards revival, when we are sick of both our own and our church deadness, we must cry out to the Lord. 2. Petitionary Prayers: This is specific prayer requests like the one by the Rev Yongi Cho. He chooses a specific bicycle, American, 10-speed, blue drooping handles. Or what about a new church bus specifically a 20-seater, <3 years old, under 60,000 miles or a new church building or whatever your own church specific needs are. 3. Intercessions; Deeper form of prayer needing stronger commitment. Type of prayer that identifies with the situation or a person`s feelings, for example pain. It takes the burden. Rees Howells had to go and live with a tramp to identify with him. Jesus is our great intercessor. Intercession can be identified when Queen Esther went before the King at the risk of her life. Daniel identified himself with the sins of the people (Israel) also did Moses. Intercessors stand in gap between man and God asking for judgement to be withheld so that some may be saved. 4. Thanksgiving: Giving thanks gives honour and glory to God in every circumstance. Thanksgiving pleases God, as he sees us focus on him and his provision rather than ourselves. Thanksgiving should be an everyday lifestyle. We can thank God for preventing us going through a trial but sometimes for the grace to go through other trials. 5. Praying /Speaking the Scriptures This can be the rhema word used in prayer warfare (see Matthew 4 below) or you could say the Living Word. The logos word is the written word but the rhema word is the spoken word. Jesus used the rhema word against Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness. The rhema words Jesus spoke against Satan’s temptations are italicized in the passage below. Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And says unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. 9 And says unto him, all these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then says Jesus unto him, get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaves him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Three times Jesus said 'it is written' meaning this is what is written in the Hebrew scriptures. As Jesus spoke the word of God, it was energised by the Holy Spirit and became the rhema or living word striking down the devil's ploy. Ephesians 6:17 KJV And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; The rhema word is also the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) and is effective against the wiles of the devil. Remember to use it when tempted! Let us seek to use all 5 types of prayer as appropriate, to the glory of God. Amen Personal Prayer

How to interpret the parables Philip the evangelist [Acts 8:30] asked the Ethiopian church as he read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Today, I would like to ask you the same question “Do you understand the scriptures that you are reading?” We cannot understand anything in the scriptures unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. However, God is not in the business of making it difficult for his church to understand his word. In fact, he has appointed some keys in the bible to make it easier for us to understand what he is saying through his word. Today, we are going to look at 3 examples of keys to unlocking the meaning of Psalms, Proverbs and Parables. We are starting with the parables. Parables: is a story comparison where something is laid against something else. It usually is something spiritual laid alongside something natural, with a view to give understanding to God`s people and hiding it from his enemies. The key to understanding the parables is found in the parable of the sower. Mark 4:3-20; Parable of Sower Verse 12; Unbelievers do not understand Verse 13; If you do not understand this parable, how will you understand others. This is the most simple of parables and shows us how to interpret all the other parables. A. Sower (believer) sows’ word (gospel) field (human heart) B. Those by Road (do not understand) birds (Satan) steals it C. Those by Rocks (understood) joyful acceptance but does not give word time to develop roots and when persecuted falls away. D. Word sown in thorns is choked by cares and worries desire for worldly things. Their eyes are off Jesus. E. Word sown on (good) heart understands it and is obedient to it. Produces fruits (good works) by *100, *50, *30 (minimum) Meanings Seed = Word of God Ground field = Human heart Birds = Satan and demons Rocky ground = Hardened heart Thorns = Hearts preoccupied with worries and worldly desires Good soil = Open hearts Fruit = Good work/character So in each parable, the things in it represent the elements of God`s truth revealed in a way to make his people understand. Try another example now Matthew 13:24-30; Parable of the Tares Sower of Good seed = Son of Man, Jesus Christ Field = World Good seed = Sons of the Kingdom of God Tares = Sons of Evil one Enemy = devil Harvest = End of Age Reapers = Angels Tares Burning = evil Check your answer against Matthew 13:36-42 Prayer: May the Lord open his word to each one of us and cause us to understand what the Spirit is saying to us in his church. Amen

We are tempted out from the Lord's safety gradually Biologists tell us that if you drop a live frog into a beaker of boiling water, its reflexes will cause it to immediately spring from the water and thus save its life. However, if you put the frog into a beaker of lukewarm water and very gently heat it up a degree at a time, you will eventually succeed in boiling the frog. This is the same tactic that Satan often uses on God’s people when tempting them away from God and into sin. He seldom comes to the thoughts of the Christian and tempts them to simply turn their back on God all at once. But rather little by little, bit by bit, degree by degree, Satan seeks to lead us away from the Lord. Like in the case of the frog the change is so subtle and almost imperceptible that we might not notice until it is too late! Satan being a serpent seeks to hypnotize God’s people into a state of deception. Once he has anaesthetised us, he then seeks to bring his theft, his destruction and death into our lives, our families, and our churches. How many drug addicts start directly on heroin? All alcoholics start with one drink. All nicotine addicted smokers start with one cigarette. It is the same with sexual perversion. Lust cannot be satisfied by definition! Amen Satan, the tempter, softly whispers to our minds just one … joint, fix, drink, or kiss. Go on you will enjoy it. It will not harm you, knowing full well that his goal to get you hooked into sin and bondage. He wants to take away your free-will choices so that he can take you captive at will. Jesus Christ came to set us free and to restore our free-will choices back to us. As you might have guessed by now our topic is about backsliding away from God and more specifically how to spot it in our own lives and the lives of our brothers and sisters. Once we can spot it, we can take remedial action to prevent it. In Genesis 4:7, the Lord tells Cain that sin is crouching at the door. This is a graphic illustration of how sin personified is always just waiting for that weak moment in our lives to spring into our hearts and minds and defile us. It was a spirit of murder that entered Cain’s heart, which led him to slay his brother Abel because of his jealousy at the Lord commending Abel’s sacrifice. What about us? It might only take one moment of uncontrolled lust or adulterous thoughts/deeds to cause us to fall spectacularly. Any single wicked idea that pops into our minds if not brought into captivity and whoosh the devil is straight in there, tempting us to convert that wicked thought into the sinful deed. However, we must not be discouraged because God has given us two marvellous promises in His word. Firstly, there is no tempting which affects only you or I but when the temptation to sin comes, God always shows us a way out of it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted beyond what ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Secondly, Jesus Christ himself is not only able to keep each one of us from failing into sin but undertakes to present us one day to the Father without fault! Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, What marvellous promises! But we must play our part and keep alert, by watching and praying. We must continue to exercise a godly control over every thought that comes into our minds. This involves us being alert and active and not allowing the devil to lull our minds into a slumber thus allowing an evil seed of an idea to implant into our hearts and minds. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and thus not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. The Christian life is a life of constant vigilance against a malignant foe. A definition of the term backsliding might be ‘turning back or away from God’. It involves disloyalty and unthankfulness by us forgetting all that God has done for us. A classic biblical picture of backsliding and from which we get the term is found in Hosea 4:16. A sheep is sliding down a slippery hillside away from the protection of the shepherd bit by bit into danger and eventually destruction. So Satan desires us to slip away from the living God by discouraging us from daily prayer and bible study and from regular fellowship with our fellow believers. His aim is to make our faith in God operationally dead or ineffective. This of course will stop us dead in our tracks from our evangelism and witnessing. This is where we can really help ourselves by reminding each other how much the Lord loves us and of all that he has done for us. Particularly by the giving of Jesus Christ for our sins. We must encourage each other to press on in our walk with God. The tell-tale signs of backsliding may not be obvious at first to us and are sometimes easier to see in others (beware of pride and pray for your brother or sister if relevant). But if we can agree that any of the following statements are true then we could well be in the process of backsliding. There has been a gradual decline in our bible reading and study. We pray less often and are less aware of the Lord’s presence when we do. Our desire to go to church and meet Christians for fellowship is waning. 1 Corinthians 10:13 2 Corinthians 10:5 Hosea 4:16 We might notice that our Christian friends are dropping hints that they are concerned about our spiritual welfare. There seems to be a general lack of enthusiasm for God, his things, and his people. The counsel we need when we are backsliding is to for someone to point out that Satan is trying to anaesthetize you and put you to sleep so that he can steal, kill, and destroy in your life. We need also to be reminded of just how much God loves us and how he will receive us in repentance with outstretched arms. Sometimes a mature believer may confront us in love. Do not be offended by this for it is an act of love. If you are not sure whether the rebuke is warranted, then take it to the Lord in prayer and examine your heart and lifestyle before him. The restoration process begins by admitting our sin and asking God to forgive us. Do you want to be boiled like frog? Do you want to be anaesthetized by Dr Satan? Do you want to be put to sleep spiritually speaking? Wake up, be alert and return to the Lord with all your heart asking that He restore your zeal for Him, His word, his fellowship, and his people. He will love you freely! Amen Personal Prayer

Jesus' manifesto In these days of the global pandemic, there are a lot of broken hearts around the world. Bereavement of a loved one, loss of employment and income, or having your livelihood taken from you, all these things could break your heart. Recently, one of the leaders from Teen Challenge let me into secret, which is that most people with addiction problems, have a broken heart. When your heart is broken by whatever means including the pandemic, you might try and mend it with many different things such as drink, drugs, sex, money etc. But as you probably know by now, none of these things can really mend your broken heart. They might make you feel better for a day or two, but the misery of a broken heart will kick back in eventually. What does the bible say about a broken heart? The Bible has many verses that can encourage and inspire the broken-hearted. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). If your heart is broken today and your spirit is crushed then you need to know this, that God is near to you and wants to save your crushed spirit. Here is some more good news for those who have a broken heart, whatever the cause. One day, Jesus stood up in the synagogue and said Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised… Luke 4:18 was then and still is Jesus’ manifesto. Part of the reason Jesus came to earth was to heal the broken hearted. Jesus can give you a new heart, or he can renew and soften a hard heart. In the New Testament (in the short book of Philemon), there is a story of one bad boy who had broken a few hearts (let us call him Onie short for Onesimus). Onie had worked for a guy named Phil short for Philemon). One day Onie jumped ship taking some of his boss’s goods. Onie went to another town and soon ended up in jail, where he met Paul the Christian. To cut a long story short, Onie became a Christian and was soon ready for release. Paul urged him to go back to his boss’s house and gave him a letter addressed to Phil, who just happened to be a friend of Paul. In the letter, Paul tells Phil that Onie is a changed man and will be useful to Phil this time round. Paul tells Phil that he will personally pay any debts (thefts) that Onie owed to his boss. Paul reminds Phil that he helped Phil himself to become a Christian, so he owes him. Paul expects Phil to give Onie a fresh start and even to go beyond this and treat him like a brother. Perhaps some of us can admit to having been a bad boy or a bad girl, and maybe some who will also admit having broken a few hearts? Did you break you mother and/or your father’s heart? Or it was a wife or partner or your children’s or other family/friends’ hearts? Or it was your heart that was broken through abuse, you were treated like a dog or worse? Maybe it is your heart that needs mended today? God is always near to the broken hearted. Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted. Today it is time to stop being a bad boy or a bad girl and come home to Jesus. Jesus offers you a full and free pardon, though your sins be as scarlet, he can make you white as snow. God can mend the hearts you broke as well, but the process begins by asking him to forgive you. Only Jesus can do this. Jesus came to heal (bind up) the broken hearted so you can accept his offer today and we the church family are here to help you. If your broken heart has been mended then please pass Jesus' offer to someone you know who needs it. Amen Personal prayer For full text for printout and access to the full library of sermons please click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/jesus-came-to-heal-the-broken-hearted

Giving your testimony God has given each one of us a powerful weapon for sharing the Gospel which is your story or by another name your testimony. Your testimony is simply the story of what Jesus has done in your personal life. People can argue about what the bible says or what the church says but they find it much more difficult to argue about what your personal experience in what you say Jesus Christ has done in your own life. Sharing your testimony is often the first direct step in leading someone to the Lord. You might have prayed You might have already built friendship bridges with the person. When you are witnessing by saying to someone ‘Jesus is in me’ they might not want to know. However many people are more polite and may respond in one of these ways. i What does that mean to you? ii How did you connect with Jesus? iii When did this happen? iv How do you know this is true? Any response that is not a conversation killer may be an opening for your testimony. We must share our story of Jesus in our lives simply and sincerely. Take their reply as a starting point even if it takes a while to answer their questions. We often don’t know how much time that they will give you to construct your testimony. There are usually 4 steps in sharing your faith story: Step 1: Identify the 3 main parts to your story: Before Christ – How you viewed your life/conduct before conversion, but no sordid details. Conversion story – What brought you to Christ and your actual conversion experience. After conversion – What differences has Christ made in your life since then. Explain why we want others to receive salvation. Every one of us usually can fit our testimonies into these 3 parts above. Emphasis: Give a balance to what your story was before and then after conversion. Jesus must be centre of story which should bring glory to God. Step 2: How to tell your story (things to remember) a. Remember you are a sinner saved by grace (so show humility) b. Do not be judgmental or dogmatic c. Listen for clues as to where they are at with any previous religious experience d. Find common ground if possible e. Be honest about your difficulties as well as joys. God is still with us f. Insert appropriate bible verses into your story g. Do not argue h. Avoid jargon i. Be short and to point j. Be sensitive to Holy Spirit speaking in you and through you k. Let them see that you have a living faith in God and you care about them Step 3: Remember only God can save them 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 KJV - I have planted, Apollos watered; but I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Our job is to plant the seed. Others might water it. But only God gives (the increase) i.e. the new life. Step 4: Do not just talk the talk. But we must walk the walk. Our lives must match our stories. Do not let your deeds cancel out your words. This is hypocrisy, we must all always be on the alert. How to prepare your Testimony Be concise, be constructive, and be convincing. We are going to write your testimony in 150 words. Practice Exercises (originally shared with a class) Break into pairs, share your story and discuss. Pray for each other’s future success. Try to think of other things that the Lord has done in your life and tell the story. Or make comments that beg a question that give you an opportunity to testify ( do you think you will go to heaven when your life is over)? Think how good works could add to the effect of your testimony e.g. by giving tracts and books, invitations to coffee, church, house group etc. Summary Every believer ought to be prepared to share their testimony. God will help you with it and in it. Ask God to anoint you with Holy Spirit as you share it. Your testimony is a unique and powerful weapon that can change the lives of other people. Be ready, be prepared, be bold, be courageous, be sensitive, and be successful for the sake of Jesus Christ. Never turn down an opportunity to share your story and give God the glory for your new life in Christ. Amen Personal Prayer For full text for printout and access to the full library of sermons/teachings click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/how-to-share-your-faith-story-1

Antidotes to fear The 20th century was called the age of anxiety Fear plays an increasing key role in the 21st century consciousness. We seem to engage in many issues today through a narrative of fear. Our language has now incorporated the language of fear into everyday language and includes expressions such as ‘the politics of fear,’ ‘fear of crime,’ and ‘fear of the future’ etc. reflect the growing cultural significance of fear. Many people today try to make sense of our experiences through a narrative of fear. Our fears are not just confined to high profile risks such as terrorist attacks, climate change, or pandemics but also the ‘quiet’ fears of everyday life. Biblical definitions of fear: there are several Hebrew words in the old testament that have a connotation of fear and the Greek equivalents of these in the New Testament are phobos and phobeo from which we derive the English words phobia and phobic. The biblical words for fear cover a wide range of meanings ranging from mild uneasiness to stark terror and are usually defined by the context. Fear and worry (anxiety etc.) are sin Faith and fear are opposites and mutually exclusive. What does our fear/worry say about God? Is he unable to help you in your life situation? Or is he unwilling to help you in your life situation? The Christian should expect to become progressively free of fear. Proof that fear and worry are sin Romans 14:23 And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. This scripture does not just apply to eating and drinking but more broadly to all our activities. If what we are doing is not done in faith, then it is sin. So fear and worry are sin. (we say this not to condemn anyone but to encourage us to confess such sins). Like father like Son Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers (imitators) of God, as dear children. Here the word followers can be more accurately translated as ‘imitators'. Since God himself is not into fear and worry then we should be like him. God is able and willing to set you free. God cares. Do not doubt. Fear and worry detract from your new identity in Christ (will say more later). The word of God is a powerful antidote to the fear we experience. Antidote means a medicine or action taken or given to counteract a particular poison. Fear is like a poison to us and can affect our health. Jesus brought peace to the frightened disciples on resurrection day by speaking to them. John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Paul’s prayer for peace. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which ‘passeth’ all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. One bible teacher [1] suggests using the word ‘bypassing’ in place of ‘passeth’ help us grasp the meaning of the scripture. God has provided in the bible many other antidote scriptures to our fear. Here are two more examples. Ex 13:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Imagine never seeing your pressing problem again! Proverbs 3:23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yes, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. A scripture that can help you sleep well. Amen Prayer In part 2 we discover that there are two main kinds of fear- good fear and bad fear. For access to this text and links to the other parts of 'Dealing with Fear' please click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/dealing-with-fear-part-1 [1] The late Roger Price of Chichester Christian Fellowship.

How to increase your staying power At some point in each of our lives we will stumble and fall. We can stumble because of direct sin in our lives or sometimes other people do something to us which trips us up. But the important thing is to get back up put things right with the Lord (1 John 1:9) and then press on with His plan for our lives. We must keep short accounts with the Lord. When we are down it is important that we do not get too comfortable there and use our present condition whether self-disgust, hurt or rejection etc. as an excuse to never to do anything again for God. You might be thinking...‘I opened up myself to people before and all I got was stabbed in the back and rejected’! Even Jesus was betrayed by a close associate (Judas). Betrayal seems in some odd way to be the way of the cross and Jesus Himself certainly was not spared it! If anyone merited not being betrayed, it was Jesus since He himself never betrayed anyone. So, if it was fit for the Master, how much more for us! Here are some scriptures that encourage your staying power when things are difficult. We need to read these, meditate on them, ask ourselves if we believe them and if we do, then let them lift and encourage your heart! James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 13: I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. All these promises are for God’s children, so we must believe them and let them lift our hearts and heads, knowing that Jesus will soon turn our mourning into dancing and our weeping into joy. Remember the example of your Master. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Amen You may wish to make your own prayer now For full text for printout and access to all our devotionals please click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/perseverance-blesses-you

Luke 7:37-38 The woman with the alabaster box What is on your personal bucket list today? A bucket list, as you know, is a list of all the main things we want to do before we die i.e. before we kick the bucket! Here are some of the most popular types of items on most peoples’ bucket list To go somewhere they have never been To do something they have never done To do something exciting/dangerous/extravagant perhaps just one time in your life. When we consider the meaning and purpose of our life, it is important to put our lives in the context of eternity. The Preacher (aka King Solomon) says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God ‘has set eternity in our hearts’, which I take to mean that, God has given we humans an awareness/consciousness that there is something beyond our natural lives. An awareness that there is someone and something that is beyond our understanding of time. Eternity represents a fork in the road, when we are trying to fathom out, just exactly what is the meaning or purpose of our life. Are you living for time, or for eternity? If we have taken the Jesus fork on the road, then perhaps today might be a fitting time to revise our bucket lists but this time in the light of eternity. This raises the question what can we take from this life into the next? Here is what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. So, what does this mean? So, what treasure we can store up in heaven? Here is what the Apostle Paul said in the key passage about the judgement of believers works. 1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise Master Builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Paul likened the Christian life to constructing a building and tells us we must build carefully. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. For every one of us 12 Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. Our works not our salvation. In your life are you building a palace or a mud hut? [1] 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. G,S and PS are fireproof but not W,H and S. We will all bring our big bag of works to the bema (platform) judgement. 14 If any man's work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. The various crowns to cast at Jesus’ feet. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Clearly this is talking about loss of reward not loss of salvation. The fire will differentiate between work we have done in the flesh (our own ideas, our own power) and work we have done by the Spirit (God’s ideas and God’s power). So, in closing here are some things to consider for our spiritual bucket lists in the light of eternity. Here are some ideas of the type of thing that might bring you gold, silver, and precious stones in heaven. At this stage I believe this could be an opportunity in which God wants to communicate with each one of us personally today, so be open to what the Lord might be saying to you personally. Some suggestions; 1] Go somewhere for God you have never been, maybe a short-term mission Personal testimonies-Brazil, and Tanzania-made many friends who still are today! 2] Do something for God you have never done before, do something creative write something, sing something, paint something, give something, pray something, bless someone Use all your God-given creative talents to full effect. 3] Do something exciting/dangerous/extravagant for God, perhaps just this one time in your life, share the Gospel message, tell a friend or neighbour about your faith, be a good Samaritan to someone in need. Or what about the wonderful woman who poured the alabaster box of costly perfume on Jesus’ feet? She did not store up her treasure on earth. Here is her story, in Luke 7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Those present had doubts and concerns about the woman, but Jesus praised her, whoever has much forgiven , loves much. What about you? Prayer Father God, we ask you in Jesus’ name, to teach us how to live and to love in the light of eternity. Show us all the tasks and opportunities of that are from you which will produce treasure in heaven. Show us what is on your list for me specifically today and help me to live out and complete your vision for my life. Amen [1] Roger Price CCF Tapes BBS 023 Full text for printout and much more please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/your-heavenly-bucket-list

Is there deadly poison in your mouth today? In Part 1 we saw that our tongues can be used to monitor your spiritual health/life. Your tongue can be used to bring life, or to bring death, to upbuild or to tear down. Today: We ask the question; Is there deadly poison in our mouths today? James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. Mature teachers need to speak a lot to convey whatever they are teaching. It does not seem to the case that everybody should be a teacher. We now have several pictures of what our tongue is like (see points #1 to #8 below). James 3:3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. James 3:4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Our tiny tongues direct us like a bit in a horse’s mouth or are like the small rudder on a big ship giving the direction of travel. The tongue may be a small body part but has a huge and disproportionate influence on the direction of our lives. James 3:5 Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 4 James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. In the same way as a tiny spark can burn a whole forest to the ground, one foolish word can start a war, or even bring a life to ruin, or end a friendship. James 3:7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. Lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and killer whales have all been tamed by men, but taming the tongue seems beyond man! So, if it is beyond us who do we look to for help? It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison (what deadly poisons can you name?). James 3:9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 3:10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 3:11 Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring? 3:12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olive, or a grapevine bear fig? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water? We must learn to use our tongues consistently for good! Lord help us! Amen Closing Prayer for full text for printout and access to other parts of 'The power of your tongue' click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/the-power-of-your-tongue-part-2

How to protect the lambs of your flock My sermon today is about an outrage in which not just one infant was brutally murdered but in fact dozens of baby boy’s aged two years and under were systematically put to death to appease the fears and insecurities of King Herod. Jeremiah had prophesied it, that there would be weeping and great mourning, Rachel (who was buried in the Bethlehem area) weeping for her children. Imagine the desolation and heartbreak for those families. All their baby boys put to the sword. Herod wanted to make sure that he had killed the Messiah child to prevent him growing up and becoming the new King of Israel. But God had another plan that Jesus’ life would not be taken but rather given out of love and obedience to the Father as a sacrifice for the sin of man. What possessed Herod or what moved him to do such a wicked and despicable act. Well, we can work it out who is it that fuels and feeds our fears and insecurities? Who was it that stood to lose the most to the Messiah the prince? Whose kingdom would be destroyed by the Christ. Whose head would be crushed by feet side. Yes, you are right, Satan and his wicked spirits. They are the ones who invite men to commit wicked deeds by playing on their fears and insecurities. But God had another Plan Jesus Christ delivered the ultimately fatal blow to Satan’s head when he died on the cross and paid in full for all your sins and all my sins. Yes, the devil only has a short time left until that blow finally carries him, his fallen angels, and the unbelievers into the eternal lake of fire. Satan is defeated and all that he can do now is to try to hurt and destroy God’s children as a last defiant gesture of a defeated rebel. Yes, it is Satan, the spirit of Herod who motivates and promotes millions of terminations every year, innocent babies in their mother’s wombs sacrificed on the altars of fear, self-interest, and convenience. These poor girls and women have been deceived by the spirit of Herod. Thank God, that the precious blood of Jesus Christ is available to take away the guilt and shame of these poor girls and women if they want it. Yes, the spirit of Herod is alive and well and has also targeted other babies to steal, kill and destroy, they are the baby Christians. He particularly likes to get them before they have known Jesus for more than two years and tries to kill off their faith before they can grow up into a maturity in Christ. For Satan knows that every Christian baby (who he cannot kill off) will grow up in faith and power and authority and will go on to destroys Satan’s kingdom and see God’s kingdom established here on earth in their own life, family, and church. For we are the Christians, the Christ like ones, the little anointed ones. Be alert you young Christians for Satan wants to kill off your faith. But God has another plan; and today we are going to expose the spirit of Herod and find out how to thwart his attempts at killing off baby Christians. Main Text Matthew 2:1-4 1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. Verse 4; Troubled by thought of a new king, someone more powerful than Herod. Satan tempted Herod, jealousy perhaps it was the same spirit who tempted Saul to kill David? These babies were helpless, but God does not leave his babies helpless. Verse 16-18; Great weeping and mourning in and around Bethlehem. What is a Baby Christian? In 1 John 2:12-13 the Word of God identifies four stages of spiritual growth. We start with the baby Christians. Little Children (Babies) Characteristics like that of Babies 1. Need protected and defended, lots of care and attention 2. Have difficulty feeding themselves; need nourish milk of word 3. Need their nappies changed 4. Cannot help others, focused on own needs 5. Unsteady feet, might be up and down Can you identify yourself or others at this stage? This is what we are like during our first couple of years as a Christian. Satan tries to kill you off then as it is much easier to get you as a baby than when you have become a fully armed, armour wearing, faith filled, Spirit led, soldier in God’s army. If you had to remove an oak tree, when would you do it, as a sapling or fully rooted tree? Satan’s tactics to kill of Baby Christians. He seeks to take out of our vital supplies. 1. Food – word of God [1 Peter 2:2] 2. Air – praying to God 3. Fellowship with the Lord by attending church But how does he deceive us into giving them up? Matthew 13:18-23 Verse 21; Affliction or persecution, falling away. Baby stunted or killed. Stops feeding on the Bible. Stops praying. Stops seeing spiritual parents. Verse 22; Worries and cares or even riches like word. Baby is stunted or killed. Keep your heart and mind on Jesus Christ not the circumstances. Another baby killing tactic is condemnation. Satan condemns us when we sin, he right in there ‘you might as well give up’, ‘It’s not for you’, ‘you’re a sinner’, ‘You’ll never make it’ (so stop praying, reading the bible and church going). Yes, you will make it, he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. Remember, little children your sins are forgiven. Remember 1 John 1:9 is there for you when you sin. Remember what Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery. Neither do I condemn you... Go and sin no more. Jesus never came to condemn but to save. Today, if we confess our sins, he forgives and no condemnation. “Little Children your sins are forgiven”. Babies What are three things you need (show of hands) recognise you are at risk. Build these three things into your life. Do not let the spirit of Herod kill off your walk with Jesus Christ before you become 2 years old. If you are a Mature or Maturing Believers Remember our spiritual babies by recognising they are highly at risk to the spirit of Herod. Pray for them. Ephesians 3:16-19 Name them before God; befriend them in sincerity, most people who leave any fellowship in the first 2 years have not made any special friends. You must close the back door of your fellowship. Disciple them Love them. Be there for them counsel them, guide them, fellowship with them, shepherd them. Do not let spirit of Herod get them! He draws them out the back door of the church then kills off their faith. We must close back door of our church. Yes, the very same spirit of Herod who slaughtered the babies in Bethlehem is alive today and seeking to devour our Christian babies. But we must not allow it, we must protect, feed, tend them until they are strong enough to defeat Satan in their own lives. (And they will, if given the chance) and go on to victorious life Christ. Amen. Prayer Lord, in Jesus name, give us pastor hearts to protect our lambs. May we guide all our lambs through to maturity in Christ. Amen. For full text for printout and access to much more please click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/the-spirit-of-herod-is-at-work

We are reading from the Gospel of John chapter 3 3:1-2 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him. This important man was probably part of the rich and powerful Gurion family. His name was Nicodemus, and he was highly influential Pharisee and religious leader you could say a top man in Israel. Nicodemus addresses Jesus with respect calling him ‘Rabbi or teacher’. Nicodemus thinks that because of the miracles Jesus had performed that God must be with him. 3:3 Jesus anticipates Nicodemus direction of conversation but cuts straight to the chase by saying ‘unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus is telling Nicodemus and in a sense all mankind that a second birth is necessary to enter all God’s ways , purposes, and blessings here on earth. The natural birth gives us the 5 senses and the second birth opens our spiritual senses of hearing, seeing, and sensing the things of God. Without the new spiritual senses how can anyone experience the joys of God’s kingdom or God’s rule in our lives? 3:4 Nicodemus replies Jesus ‘How can a man be born when he is old, can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born’? The idea here is that Nicodemus is saying to Jesus surely you are not suggesting a second physical birth! 3:5 Jesus answered Truly, truly , I tell you that ‘Unless a man be born of water [1] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’. This means each person who is born in a natural biological and physical birth must also experience a second supernatural spiritual birth as to enable them to enter all the joy and blessings of life in God’s kingdom. 3:6 Jesus now describes the rules of natural and spiritual generation, that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Jesus is saying that the sinful human nature (the flesh) transmits its fallenness to each baby born through natural childbirth. However, the new spiritual nature can only be transmitted to a person by the Holy Spirit. 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Jesus tells the puzzled Nicodemus, do not be amazed, or surprised or begin to wonder why it is that (Jesus insists) that he must be born again (born anew). As a religious leader Nicodemus was well acquainted with salvation through keeping the torah yet this person Jesus was clearly saying that it was mandatory to be born again to be able to enter God’s kingdom. Something had to happen via the Holy Spirit working on Nicodemus’ heart so that his eyes could open to the Kingdom of God. 3:8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but canst you cannot tell where it comes from, or where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Jesus now gives an illustration or metaphor to help Nicodemus understand what he means. We cannot see the wind, yet we are clearly aware of the effects of the wind. We can hear it and we can see its effects on leaves and trees and plants. In the same way when the wind of the Holy Spirit blows on your soul or mind, we cannot see it but are aware in hearts that new things are taking place. Maybe we can feel compassion or love as never before, or perhaps a new generosity of spirit. The Holy Spirit moves in and through the born-again hearts in a mysterious way as he wills. Nicodemus would be stunned to hear this as he was still focused on keeping the Law. 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, how can these things be? Yet again the stunned Nicodemus asks, ‘how can this be so’? It is clear he had not a clue about how God intended salvation to work. Perhaps his strict training in the Law immunized him to the Gospel? We break off the story at this point to consider what does this mean to you and me? If you are a follower of Jesus, then this story is a good way to introduce Jesus in a conversation that could lead to that person coming to Christ. If you are not yet a follower of Christ , you must realize that Jesus’ stark message to Nicodemus is that we must be born again to enter into God’s realm and enjoy all his wonderful benefits including forgiveness of all your sins. But you say, how can I do it, The bible is clear (Romans 10) says 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. You can find such a prayer in the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/jesus-explains-the-new-birth [1] The likely picture here to Nicodemus would be like a mikvah (bath for ritual cleansing) which although enough for physical cleanliness was not enough to cleanse in a spiritual sense. The writer of the current Intercessors for Israel prayer letter notes "In fact, the clearest description of what it means to be born-again or born from above is found here" (Ezekiel 36:25-28) "This is most likely why Yeshua expected Nicodemus to understand what He was talking about in John 3:5-10." I found that helpful. (Posted on behalf of Rob Isbister).

Part 1 Thanksgiving vs Complaining Our new three-part mini-series is called Thanksgiving as a lifestyle. Today we consider thanksgiving in the Psalms and also look at the opposite effects of being unthankful or ungrateful. Each day and each part of the day affords us opportunities to express thanks to God. We need to cultivate an attitude of gratitude in our hearts which will produce a lifestyle of thanksgiving to God. His mercies are new every morning and we can start our day by committing it to the Lord. At the end of the day, we can give thanks for that day’s blessings. However, I confess it is easy to get out of the habit of being thankful to God. The Psalms are a good example to us because they are full of thanksgiving. "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High." —Psalm 50:14 "I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify him with thanksgiving." —Psalm 69:30 "Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms."—Psalm 95:2 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise be thankful unto him and bless his name."—Psalm 100:4 Is the glass half full or half empty? Complaining: The Opposite of Thanksgiving One thing that does not show God how much we love and appreciate Him is complaining. It is a habit that is quite easy to fall into. But when we do this, we only make ourselves miserable and those around us unhappy. We also must realize that complaining lessens our ability to handle adversity when it comes against us. Psalm 77:3 says, "I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed." Complaining leads to being overwhelmed and being overwhelmed leads to passively accepting whatever life hands us. Do not wait for life to improve before you develop attitude of gratitude, it does not work that way. We must first change our attitude and learn to give thanks in the middle of our situation. Thanksgiving enables God to change adverse circumstances. We might see amazing changes in our lives when we consistently keep an attitude of gratitude to God. Closing Prayer- Lord give us thankful hearts for all your love, care, and provision… Amen Full text for printout and access to other parts of 'Thanksgiving as a lifestyle' please click https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/thanksgiving-as-a-lifestyle-1