MIDWEEK WORD: Five Reasons You Need The Holy Spirit

Five Reasons You Need The Holy Spirit

We all know the Father and the Son but do we know the Holy Spirit? Do we have a relationship with Him in our daily lives? If we don't know who the Holy Spirit, He is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Son. Remember when Jesus made a promise of another helper in John 14:16 which says "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever." Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit here in John 14:16. As Christians we need to realise that we need the Holy Spirit more than we could possibly imagine. Below are five reasons we need the Holy Spirit. 

1. The Holy Spirit helps us build our Faith. If we look at Jude 1:20 which says, "But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit" We need to pray in the Spirit on a daily basis, it helps us grow in our journey with Christ. 

2. The Holy Spirit gives us Power. In Acts 1:8 it says "But you shall receive power when the Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem. and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." This means when we receive the Holy Spirit we'll definitely have power to face trails and tribulation.

3. With the Holy Spirit we gain supernatural gifts. If we look at 1 Corinthians 4-11 which says "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit. to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."  When we ask for the Holy Spirit not only does He come live within us but He also came with His gifts. 

4. The Holy Spirit gives life and strengthens to our bodies. In Romans 8:11 it says "But if the Spirit of Him who raise Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." If we as Christians have the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead within us then we have no reason to be fearful of anyone, rather we need to tap into that same Power today! 

5. With the Holy Spirit we are able to resist temptation. Romans 8:13 says "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." And if we turn to Galatians 5:16 it says "I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."  The Holy Spirit is our Helper, if you are struggling with any form of temptation, begin to ask the Holy Spirit to help you. 

I pray for the Holy Spirit to begin to help you as you seek Him and form a relationship with Him. May God help us. Amen. 

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MIDWEEK WORD: Power of Thanksgiving!

Power of Thanksgiving

'Let everything that has breath praise the Lord'. Psalms 150:6

Let us begin by apologising for the two months break, our Ministry has been very busy with a lot of things. Please accept our apologises. 

Today we'll be looking at the Power that comes from giving thanks to the Lord. If we look at the Oxford dictionary we will see that Thanksgiving is defined as the expression of gratitude, especially to God. 

As Christians we are instructed to give thanks in everything as 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says 'in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.' Some people seem to only give thanks to God when things are going great instead of praising Him all the time, through the hardships, happiness, challenges or joy etc... 1 Thessalonians 5:18 simply demonstrates to us that when we give thanks in all things, it provides us with the opportunity to prove our faith in God. Giving thanks to God will draw us nearer to Him and helps us to be engaged with Him, it also allows us to remove the focus from ourselves and place it on God which then provides room for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. 

These are some of the powerful things that Thanksgiving does: 

1. When we give thanks to the Lord, it opens doors of opportunities to us. 

2. It strengthens our faith and our dependence on God for provision, as it is written in Philippians 4:19 which says 'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus'. Philippians 4:6 also let us know that we shouldn't 'Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.' 

3. Giving thanks helps us in keeping our lives clear of darkness, deception etc, if we look at Romans 1:21 which says 'Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened'. 

4. Brings us closer to God.

5. Thanksgiving has the power to bring great joy and break the power of the enemy. We can see this in John 11: 41 when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead by giving thanks. This brought joy and also broke the power of death (enemy) over Lazarus.

Brethren examine yourself, are you giving thanks to the Most High? Does he alone get all your praises? Is he your main focus? Do you praise Him in the good and the bad? We encourage you to reflect on your lives and to begin to make changes where changes are due. May God help you as you begin to do so. Amen. 

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Destined for Greatness: Youth and Young Adults Revival

You Are Invited

Destined for Greatness are inviting all youths and adults to our three day event! Starting with a Mini Ministration and Prayer Session on Friday (7th) at 6:30pm to 9:00pm. Followed by a Praise and Worship Marathon (with different local youth choirs ministering) on Saturday (8th) at 4pm to 6pm, finishing off with a Sunday Service Takeover (9th) at 11am to 1pm. Come join us for life changing events and to worship the Most High God! There will be free cooked world cuisine refreshments and free parking. God bless.

Location: The New Life In Christ Ministry: The Lord's Parish,

               Intake Business Centre, Kirkland Avenue, Mansfield,

                                          NG18 5QP

Looking forward to seeing you there.

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HOW TO LIVE A FULFILLED LIFE

TIPS FOR FULFILLED LIFE

You'll find below some tips on how to live a fulfilled life. These were shared by our Pastor to the Youths of the Church. We pray that as you begin to read these tips may you begin to see a difference in your life. Amen.

1. Don't complicate life. We won't be here forever. Once this day is over, it's gone forever. Your time is too valuable to waste on nonsense.

2. No matter what knocks you down in life, get up and keep going. NEVER GIVE UP. Great blessings come as a result of great perseverance.

3. Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys.

4. Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who are patient, and the best things come to those who don't give up.

6. Disappointments were not meant to destroy you. They were meant to strengthen you and give you fortitude to accomplish your God-given destiny.

7. We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but by appreciating what we do have.

8. Your child will follow your example, not your advice.

9. One day, you'll be just a memory for some people. Do your best to be a good one.

10. Associate yourself with people of good quality. For it is better to be alone than in bad company.

11.  Don't fear change. You may lose something good, but you may also gain something great.

12.  When you love what you have, you have everything you need.

13. The greatest act of faith some days is to simply get up and face another day.

14. Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have - GRATITUDE.

15. When you choose to forgive those who have hurt you, you take away their power.

16. Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while you are waiting.

17. Isn't it ironic:
- We ignore those who adore us, but adore the ones that ignore us.
- We love those who hurt us, but hurt the ones that love us.

18. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. Every story has an end, but in life every end is just a new beginning.

19. You were born to win. Although to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.

20. Every day is a NEW beginning, take a deep breath and START AGAIN.

22. Know that you are loved. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are beautiful. You have purpose. You are a masterpiece.

22. Don't compare your progress with that of others. We all need our own time to travel our own distance.

23. Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher.

24. Bad things happen everyday to everyone. The difference is in how people deal with it.

25. When you make a commitment, you build hope. When you keep it, you build trust.

26. Two things define you: Your PATIENCE when you have NOTHING, and your ATTITUDE when you have EVERYTHING.

27. Being honest may not get you a lot of FRIENDS but it will always get you the RIGHT ONES.

28. Working on yourself is the hardest part c c  life. Keep growing up, no matter where you are.

29. Be selective in your battles. Sometimes peace is better than being right.

30. Keep people in your life who truly love you, motivate you and make you happy. If you know people who do none of these things, let them go.

31. Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.

32. OPTIMISM
NO ➔ Shortcuts
NO ➔ Quick fixes
NO ➔ Blaming others
NO ➔ I'll do tomorrows
NO ➔ EXCUSES!!

33. Surround yourself with positive people who will support you when it rains, not just when it shines.

34. Being defeated is often a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent.

God bless you as you begin to enjoy God's grace on this journey we call LIFE.

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You Are Not Forgotten

God Has Not Forgotten You!

Recently I was listening to this song 'I Am Not Forgotten' by Israel Houghton and it touched me. It made be realise that although we might sometimes think God has forgotten us, that He actually hasn't and it's just God working. Here are some of the lyrics;

I am not forgotten
I am not forgotten
I am not forgotten
God knows my name
He knows my name
Light over darkness
Strength over weakness
Joy over sadness
He knows my name
Father to the fatherless
Friend to the friendless
Hope for the hopeless
He knows my name...

I don't know if there's somebody out there that feels like God has forgotten about them. Well this message is to let you know that God Has NOT Forgotten about you...If you look at Isaiah 49:14-16 But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me. Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget I will not forget you! See, I have you engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." So there you have it! You are God's child and he has you engraved onto the palms of his hands, how can he possibly forget you?

Brethren, whatsoever you are going through today, HE KNOWS IT! God is there with you through it all. Lets take a look at other scriptures that informs us that as children of God we are not Forgotten;

1. Psalm 94:14 For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

2. Hebrews 13:5b Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.

3. Matthew 28:20b And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

So you see God most definitely has not forgotten about you  and He will Never forget you. He knows you inside out, He sees everything you are going through when others don't. He hears your cry and knows your heart desires. And most importantly God has good plans for you for it says in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

What I am trying to say is that God is always there even when it might seem like he's not there, so brethren you are NOT FORGOTTEN! God sees your situation and he is working on it. Your breakthrough is coming.

I pray that from today you will begin to feel God's presence in every area of your life. Amen.

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Running The Race With God

Run With God

As believers in Christ, we run a race. It's not just any race though, it is the race of a lifetime. It dominates our mind, it occupies us, the race pretty much becomes our main focus as Christians.

Hebrews 12:1 says Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. We are to put our sins behind us and leave them there while we run the race with God, with no distractions.

As believers we have been chosen for the race, God has picked us individually for the race. Although the destination is the same for us all, the race God has prepared before us is different, the race is unique to individuals. It's important to realise that everybody's race is different, no one can have the same path as you. Never compare your race track to someone else's track.

Just like in the marathon, our race has no time outs, there are no breaks, no halftimes. We have been instructed to keep on running till we get to the finish line. Philippians 3:13-14 says Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Here Paul was telling us to press on in the race even though the race might become difficult, we are encourage to press on for the prize. While unlike the marathon there are obstacles, hurdles and barriers that cannot be avoided in our race with God. These barriers and obstacles can come in different shapes and sizes, and the only way to overcome them is staying on the track and running, making sure to not fall to our old ways just because barriers have presented themselves in our race with God. Remember its says For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope - Jeremiah 29:11. So we have no reason to be fearful about the barriers on the way, for God has plans for peace and not evil towards us.

We are to run to win the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run so you may obtain it. We should know that we are not talking about physical prize here, we are talking about the Spiritual prize. Winning this type of race requires great endurance remember it says let us run with endurance. It also requires perseverance and patience.

Let us examine ourselves of the things that might hinder us in this race with God. Let us present our sins before the Lord and ask for forgiveness so that we may run the race. I pray that the Lord God Almighty will help each and everyone of us to run the race without turning back and to help us press forward towards the end goal. Amen

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God is a God of Possibilities!

God can do the Impossible, if You believe!

Children of God it's time we know that God is a God of Possibilities! There is nothing He cannot do! He can make the impossible possible! 

Are you worried? Stressed? Is there anything bothering you right now? Work? Life? School? The uncertainties of your future?

God let's us know that if we have Faith in him all things are possible. He lets us know that he can make the impossible possible in our lives if only we have Faith and Trust in him. 

 

Let us look at the bible verses where God tells us that all things are possible with Him; 

1. But Jesus looked at them and said with man all things are impossible but with God all things are possible - Matthew 19:26 
2. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me - Philippians 4:13 
3. He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:20 
4. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. - Mark 11:24

So children of God lets stop worrying and start Believing that all things are Possible with our God. He can make any crooked road, straight again! He is the God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead on the Third Day. He made Heaven and Earth so what can't God do? Whatsoever you might be going through pray and hand it over to God and know that it is surely done!

I pray that God will begin to do the impossible in your life from Today, in Jesus Name.

Happy Saturday!

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Sharing Your Faith

Do not be Afraid to share your Faith

The first question to ask yourself when thinking about sharing your faith is are you self-centred or Christ-centred? Are you living for yourself or for Christ? It might seem like a silly question but you have to ask yourself that question and answer honestly.

A self-centred person is defined as someone who is only interested in themselves and their activities, on the other hand a Christ-centred person is someone whose main focus is only on God. Someone who is self-centred cannot be expected to share, which means a self-centred person cannot share their faith with others, this is why you must be honest with yourself when answering the question.

What does the Bible say about sharing your Faith?

In Mark 16: 15-16 He said to them "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." We were instructed to go into the world and preach the gospel as believers, God has given us the word (The Bible) to help us.

We were also instructed to proclaim the good news that God saves,  in Psalms 96: 2-4 which says Sing to the Lord, bless his name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised.

I know what some of you might be thinking; will I be accepted? Will I be mocked? Will I fit in? Will I make sense? etc. However God has instructed us not to Fear for it says in Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

In His word we are made to know that the Holy Spirit will teach us on what to say and how to go about saying it, in Luke 12:12. As a child of God it is our responsibility to go out into the world and share the word, knowing that the Holy Spirit will always guide us.

I want us to rise up and begin to proclaim the works of the Lord and share the good news with those around us, as we have been instructed to do so. Let us not be afraid in sharing the gospel with others, we have no reason to fear. One important thing to remember is we are not doing it for anyone except for God. May God be with you as you begin to share the Word of God.

Happy Thursday!

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Welcome to Destined For Greatness

We are Destined for Greatness Youths 

We are the newly established youth group of 'The New Life in Christ Ministry - The Lord's Parish'. A church of prayers and miracles. 

On our blog you'll be notified of all upcoming events i.e. social, outreach and organised church events so keep your eyes opened! We'll also be posting discussions from our youth meetings, events and our youth service takeovers. We hope to bless and encourage fellow youths through our blog.

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