Harvest City Church Leicester

Never Give Up - In this week's Pastor's Perspectives, we're reminded through 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 & 16-18 that the Christian life is marked by perseverance. Though we face troubles, setbacks, and discouragement, we are not abandoned. Paul encourages us to shift our focus from temporary struggles to eternal promises. Don't let the cloud of discouragement settle-pray, press on, and remember: God's not done with you yet.

Paul gives nineteen negative characteristics of many professing believers during these difficult times.

You and I were created to worship - a worshipping family or indeed individual will always rest on a godly perspective, even when things are at its worst! Worship sets you up to battle with God at your side. The Story of 2 Chronicles emphasises that whatever you're facing it worship and the Lord house keeps you on the winning side.

When you experience problems, difficulties, set backs or hurts in life, they can either make you better or bitter. You really have a choice. You can either grow up or give up. You can become who God wants you to be, or you can become hard-hearted. When you go through difficult times, what happens to you is not nearly as important as what happens in you. You'll take your character with you into eternity—not your circumstances.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Jesus' Resurrection means that his sacrificial death on the cross was sufficient, and therefore our sins can be forgiven.

As God's people:We must receive God's wordWe must be set apartWe must be cleansedWe must respect God's boundaryWe must restrain the fleshWe must know we come to a holy God

Never, never pin your whole faith on any human being: not if he is the best and wisest in the whole world. There are lots of nice things you can do with sand; but do not try building a house on it.

When we take time out to really learn and understand who Jesus is for ourselves, we prepare ourselves for an encounter that will change our lives.

For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 

You can afford to live without a personal relationship with the Lord, but you can't afford to die without one.

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”Philippians 4:4-9 ESV

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”Psalms 139:13-18 NLT

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realise what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." - Matthew 24:37-39

To surrender in the believers life means to completely give up your own will, desires and wants to God. We subject our thoughts, ideas, and deeds to the will and teachings of Christ Jesus. Surrender is a wilful acceptance and a yielding to God's Word and Commands.

Rudolph Bultmann – “Righteousness does not mean the ethical quality of a person. It does not mean any quality at all, but a relationship. That is, dikaiosýnē is not something a person has as his own; rather it is something he has in the verdict of the “forum” to which he is accountable.”

John Wesley tells us in his journal of a deliverance in 1756. The King of Britain called for a day of solemn prayer and fasting because of a threatened invasion of the French. Wesley wrote,The fast day was a glorious day, such as London has scarce seen since the Restoration. Every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face. Surely God heareth prayer, and there will yet be a lengthening of our tranquillity.Then in a footnote he added later, "Humility was turned into national rejoicing for the threatened invasion by the French was averted." It would not be difficult to multiply story after story from the Bible and after the Bible to show that fasting and prayer have changed the course of history.

God sees His church as the answer to the world's problems - in the midst of chaos 

“By evening you will realize it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7. In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don't be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel[c] forever; his Kingdom will never end!”