The Body of Christ The Body of Christ is a common but complex term used in Churches today. When talking about The Body of Christ, we are not referring to the physical Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is the Church made up as a whole. Every person that has made that sacrificial step and accepted Jesus as their personal saviour are part of that body.

One of my favourite parts of the bible which is very thorough when speaking about the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

As we read these verses , we see The body of Christ ,like all bodies is comprised of many parts. There are limbs, organs and various members ,when left alone are useless, but when assembled make the entire body. The body of Christ has structure and is organised as outlined in Ephesians 1:22-23And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

As Christians, we have all been chosen to partake in the body of Christ. As a part of the Church, what can you do to enhance the body of Christ? The body is a Holy entity and is to be respected and treated with care. The Bible provides several action principles for building up the Body of Christ.

We are called to promote truth and Unity- Ephesians 4:25 We are called to service - 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 We are called to share Jesus - Romans 1:16We are called to love each other - 1 John 4:11

Do we all contribute to The Body of Christ? Are we all actively serving God. Are these principles a guideline to how we can contribute to the body of Christ. Personally I stumble and fall from grace constantly, but with these guidelines I have something to aim for to enable me to be a contributing member to the Body of Christ.

All through the Bible we are told about the wrath of God and to Fear him. We can look at the way a Christian Fears God and the Fear a non-believer may experience. The Bible has many scriptural texts all throughout speaking about The Fear of God.

I have included a few different scriptures referring to The Fear of God

Deuteronomy 10:12 (ESV)

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (ESV)

13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Malachi 1:14 (ESV)

14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

This is only 3, of hundreds of references to the Fear of God.

It is important to be careful when we define Fear. The Biblical definition of fear is somewhat different to how others may define it.

The Man that begun the Protestant movement in the 16th century, Martin Luther wrestled with that definition. Martin Luther made a contrast between the two different definitions of Fear.

Servile Fear

The servile fear is a kind of fear that a prisoner in a torture chamber has for his tormentor, the jailer, or the executioner. It's that kind of dreadful anxiety in which someone is frightened by the clear and present danger that is represented by another person.

Filial Fear

The word Filial comes from the Latin for family. This is a fear a child would have for a parent. The Knowledge of feeling secure, respect shown out of reverence. The Biblical definition of fear refers to this kind of fear. This is a healthy fear. The fear of disappointing the Almighty. Not the fear of receiving a harsh punishment. This is the fear shown towards God.

A Question that is often asked often asked:

Why fear a loving God?

To answer this question, I will use the previous example. Have you been or are you careful not to disappoint your parents. They love you, look after you. God also loves you and shows that through the grace he provides. To show reverence or the fear of God is completely different of being afraid of God.

Should Christians be afraid of God?

No, we should live in comfort that God will provide for us through his grace, but remember God is Just.

"I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13, what a soul stirring, comforting and most of all encouraging verse. We must remember in which context and where this was written. Paul was in prison, probably one of the most intense times of his life. The constant fear of beatings, and death Paul chose to draw strength from God through Christ, Paul was able to lift himself up from his own trials and draw on that strength. That strength of Christ also reaches into our own turmoil and Pain. God equips us all, to deal with any situation. This does not mean it’s going to be easy. The situation may drain all your energy but it will not defeat you. If you lead a busy life while enduring struggles and taking on extra responsibilities and finding it difficult to balance everything without the emotional upheaval draw on God through Christ. Celebrate his victory. Pray, converse with God. Listen to what he has to say through his word. God not only equips us with armor where we need to stand firm but also grow during those trials. I would like to leave you with this verse When we fall on difficult times do you draw on your inner strength or do you draw on Gods strength through Jesus. Remember the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col 1:9-10).

In this passage, we get an inside look at the Apostle Paul’s prayer life. He was in continual prayer for the church as Colossi. It is helpful to note that Paul had never visited the church at Colossi, he did not start this church, he had only heard from Epaphras about what he calls their, “love in the Spirit.”

Paul took their love in the Spirit to be a sign of their authentic faith. We are told elsewhere that love for our brothers and sisters means that we have “passed from death to life” (1 John 3:14). This was enough for Paul to begin a ministry of prayer for them. This church was relatively new and Paul as an experienced church planter knew the troubles that they would have to face to become established in the faith. Paul gives as us a key thing that he is praying for:

“That they may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

In a world filled with ideas and many options, even many options to serve God, it is often hard to discern what God’s specific will for us is. There are just so many choices.

Paul’s answer to this is to be asking God to fill them with knowledge of God’s will in all “spiritual wisdom and understanding.” The reality is that many of the ideas we are presented with represent “worldly wisdom” or a “worldly understanding,” even in churches. Paul is aware of this and is asking God that they will be able to discern the difference between the wisdom that comes from God and that which does not. Paul is very clear that he wants them to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, he wants them to be “bearing fruit” and “increasing in their knowledge of God.”

What we can see from this is that it is possible to be a Christian or a church and lack a clear understanding of God’s will for our lives. We need wisdom and understanding from God so that we can discern and distill the ideas we are presented with. If we are going to wade through the options and walk in a “manner worthy of the Lord,” be “bearing fruit” and “increasing in the knowledge of God.” We need to be asking for God’s help.

Please be in prayer for the church leadership as it navigates the many options it is presented with in the coming week and months. Let us have that, “love in the Spirit” for one another and be asking God to establish us and the church in the faith for his glory.

Gods Assurance when the tough get going

We all remember that song by Billy Ocean from 1986 “When the going gets tough the tough get going”. The truth of the matter is when the going gets tough; it is those that trust the lord that get going.

I would like to high light some scriptures from Gods word to support this.

Psalm 126 Song of the Ascents (ESV)

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.

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Psalm 126 was believed to have been written for those who had returned from the captivity in Babylon. It begins with great celebration and rejoicing because they had been brought back to the land of Zion, and restored by their everlasting God. These people were praying for full restoration. It was more than a physical restoration that was needed, it was a spiritual awakening. They needed to feel Gods Presence.

These people reflect on their past and refer to captivity in Babylon as “like sowing with tears, but now they are reaping songs of Joy. God had their Back.

John 16:33 (ESV)

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

These words are being spoken to the disciples. The end of Jesus’s earthly life is coming to a close, and Jesus explains to his Disciples that they are going to suffer from trials and that they will indeed face some difficulty, but they will overcome those difficulties, through Jesus. Both these passages indicate God is always there for his people.

God assures us of 3 things

RestorationPeace and JoyVictory

We all go through difficult times, we all experience times when we have trials it maybe through a sinful act and God may be disciplining us. That discipline does not last for ever. James 1:2-4 reads

James 1:2-4 (ESV)

2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds,3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing

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We can also reflect on the Encouraging words from Paul while he waits in his prison cell.

Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me

As Christians we can all be assured , that no matter what happens in our life, when the toughs gets going God has your back.

An Accessible God The prophesy foretold in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 finally came to pass. The waiting game for the Israelite's was over. The Messiah had arrived. This Messiah was no political dictator; This Messiah was not a warrior or a leader of armies. There were no big announcements from the Governors or Kings at that time. In fact the announcement came from the highest power. An Angel of the Lord most high.It was not to be broadcast out to the masses, it was to be heard initially by Mary and then by Joseph. God initiates the impossible. How was this couple from Nazareth going to get to Bethlehem, where it was predicted the prophesy was going to happen . God created the circumstance, the need to register for the census in the city of Joseph’s linage which of course was the house of David. We all know what happens once this couple arrive in Bethlehem. The bible tells us the events leading up to the birth of Jesus and the events after his Birth. At Christmas we not only celebrate the birth of Christ, we also celebrate that precious gift of God, that God is with us. Matthew 1:23 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel. Let’s celebrate Christmas as a time God was preparing to make himself accessible to everyone. That means at anywhere and at anytime, we have a direct line to the almighty. This accessibility allows him to prepare us, for our homecoming to Heaven. May I wish everyone a joyous and safe Christmas. When we celebrate in fellowship, let’s not only remember the birth of Christ, but also let us celebrate what is to come. Merry Christmas Ben Humphry

Church Administrator

This is a very confronting question to ask any Christian. This question forces us to look deeply at ourselves and to look deeply into what we have done with our lives and also what we are currently doing.

Luke 12:35-48 (ESV)

35 “Stay dressed for action[a] and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants[b] whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he[c] would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant[d] whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Verse 35 opens with “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning”. In other words, keep on your Godly pursuits, always be ready, Christ can come at any time.

In society today we live pay check to pay check, day to day. For a lot of us it is hard to look ahead. God has taught us in Matthew 6:34 that we should not be anxious about tomorrow. This doesn’t mean that we ignore tomorrow, In fact, to the contrary, Jesus taught that our view of the future ought to be uppermost in our thinking about how we should live today. As followers of Jesus Christ, we should think often about the fact that He is coming soon and that every person must stand before Him to give an account. We should view ourselves as stewards who have been entrusted with time, money, and abilities, which we are to use for our Master’s kingdom. At some time—we don’t know when, but we do know that it is certain—our Lord will return and we must give an account to Him of how we used what He gave us. After telling His disciples to seek for His kingdom, Jesus goes on to exhort them to be ready for His return, because when He comes, He will judge everyone.

Are you prepared for our lord and saviour, are your bags packed and waiting at the door. If not how do you need to prepare?

Do you ever wake up, look at yourself in the mirror, and tell yourself “I’m fearfully and wonderfully made!” Maybe, when you think about the person you are you might class yourself in the “average” or “not bad” category. Sometimes you might see yourself as above average, but there are days when a closer look reveals certain insecurities and flaws that you can’t ignore. If you ever consider yourself unremarkable or even ordinary, you’re not seeing yourself as a result of Gods divine creation. When we discover the surety that we are Gods unique design, it is overwhelming.

“You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” Wouldn’t that be a great title to a Self Help book? This phrase is commonly heard and seen by some as very cliché.

This is a reference directly out of the Old Testament.

Psalm 139:14-16 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book was written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them (ESV)

In the original Hebrew text of the Bible, the word fearfully means: with great reverence, heart felt interest and with respect. The word wonderfully means: Unique, set apart, and marvellous.

What does that mean for us? It means you are special. You have been made in the image of God. You have been created for a specific purpose. Don’t let disappointments allow you to lessen the opinion of yourself.

I am guilty of doing this. Only on Sunday when we were singing I stand in awe of you, I struggled singing the first section of the chorus. I believe I have failed in many areas, and not only disappointed God but my family as well. But I can stand in the knowledge that I have been made in Gods image and have been fearfully and wonderful made.

Are you having one of those days when everything is not going your way? Is your self-esteem getting the better of you? Remember, God has created you with a special purpose and has blessed you with specific spiritual gift to achieve that purpose.

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “fool” as a person who lacks good judgment or prudence. Another notable characteristic of a fool is that he can sometimes be rather gullible.

Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold sceptre to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” Esther 4:10-11 NIV

We have all heard the saying, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” No doubt, most of us sometime in our lifetime have done some foolish things. From the scripture above, Esther was overcome with emotion at the news of the Kings command, but she also knew that there was a severe consequence for entering the king’s presence uninvited. Esther’s dilemma: would possibly she choose die with her people or would she possibly choose die first? King Xerxes, obviously, had no tolerance for disrespect. We can see that personality trait in him by the way he dethroned Queen Vashti.

We are not called to play it safe and we are also not called to act foolishly. Most of us tend to live in a Comfort Zone, in other words live with a controlled environment. If you live by faith you find that you are living way out of any comfort zone, purely surviving on Gods trust and grace.

Wouldn’t it be less complicate if we were prevented from making harmful choices in life? Possibly, but would we accomplish anything? We have all been hurt by our own lack of judgement and unwise decisions made by others.

God could have made us like machines. Machines do what they’re supposed to do without thinking about doing anything different or considering why they do whatever they do. Sure, they eventually break down because they’re mechanical devices. But they don’t make bad choices that damage themselves or hurt other machines they just do what they are programed to do.

What does God say about free will? Let me share with you some passages from the bible that clearly state that God intends for us to have free will.

· Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way but the lord establishes his steps

· 1 Timothy 2:4 Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

· 2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Maybe the world would be a better place if people were more like machines.

Then again, machines have no character, soul or personality. Machines can’t experience joy, anticipation or pleasure. They aren’t creative, spontaneous or inquisitive. Lacking self-awareness or consciousness, they have no relationships, no sense of priorities and can’t make plans for the future and experience the satisfaction of accomplishment. They do not have free will.

Free will allows us to have a closer relationship with God, we can choose to walk in his ways. We can choose to disciple someone. We can choose to pray or not. If we were mechanical there would be no choice, no individuality and this would ultimately mean nothing to God.

Free will is a gift from God, it allows to be an individual in God’s eyes. We should use it wisely, are the choices your making in your life honouring the Great almighty.

Eccl. 3:1-15 please read to take writings into account

What was Solomon, telling us here in Ecclesiastes? Timing is everything. Everyone one lives by time. We all have watches or access to time on our mobile phones. We try not to run late for anything. We have timers on our ovens so things don’t overcook or undercook. We have specific timetables for public transport; this list could go on forever.

I would like to discuss four different points that I believe Solomon was trying to make in Ecclesiastes 3:1-15.

· A Time to Change - As seasons change so must we. Solomon points this out in verses 1-8

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Pay close attention to the time, for we must be ready for Christ Second coming. No one knows the time or place, but there will be a time and we must be ready.

· Except what’s beyond your control- God has given everyone limitations, don’t worry about. Just move on. In verse 9, Solomon poses a question; what gain has the worker from his toil? What is Solomon trying to relay to his bystanders? Don’t rely on your own strength because you can only count on God’s grace.

· Enjoy Life- Verse 12 and 13 says it all.

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

One of the most pleasing things to do for God is live life to the full. Get the most out of life as you can. Now by this I don’t mean Party all of your life. Make the most of the spiritual blessings and use them throughout your life for Gods Purpose

·Trust God- verses 14-15

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Solomon is saying trust God. That we should all learn to trust in God. Submit to him. Offer yourself full to him. Be in fear of offending him.

What time are you at in your walk with the Almighty. Is it time to enjoy, sit back and let your spirituality with God shine. Is it time to put more trust in God?

Metaphorically speaking, in life many people prefer to ride the unicycle. A unicycle can be difficult to control and swerve quite easily. What do I mean by that? Many people do what they want, when they want to whom they want, with some showing no consideration to others and hold themselves accountable and not being accountable to anyone else.

In Colossians 2:6-9 it reads

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily

As a Christian, as we all know, it is paramount to establish and develop your relationship with God. Living your life through Gods wisdom and not our own. What we are effectively doing is putting Christ at the centre of our lives.

I will continue with metaphors. For a single person, it means you will upgrade your bike to a two wheeler. With gods help, or that second wheel, it allows you to steady yourself and it will straighten your path.

In a marriage we get to ride a tricycle. As a couple ask for Gods guidance through prayer and reading his word in you decision making.

How can we do this? Crosswalk.com writer Whitney Hopler gives us a list in order of how we can achieve this.

1. Take an honest look at your current priorities

2. Trust God’s promises

3. Make a commitment to placing God first in your life

4. Grow to become more like Jesus through community

5. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your soul, to empower you to live God’s way

6. Get to know God better through his Word and prayer

7. Enjoy the freedom that comes from trusting God

8. Serve and give as God leads you

Are you still riding that Unicycle, are you dodging your way through life with no real direction. Make that commitment to build and develop your relationship with God. Achieve stability in your life you by adding that additional wheel.

By Ben Humphry

As a follower and believer in Christ, you should be taking on that “Additional Wheel” in your relationship. Having Christ centred in your life as a Christian is a priority to be one with God.

Through Jesus you can do all things. In the scripture, John 15:5 it reads-

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

As a believer, Christ should be your “Day and Night” your Alpha and Omega” We Should all aim to have Christ as a centralised or focal figure in our life. Not all Christian can claim to be as devout as it teaches us in the scripture. How can we start to strengthen our relationship with Jesus.

1. Through Prayer- Just a casual conversation to God, talk to him like you would talk to anyone else. Put away the Suit and Podium, nothing formal here, it doesn’t matter what our appearance is like. God has seen us at our worst.

2. Read the Bible – Allow God to talk to you. One of the best ways to hear Gods word is by reading it. There is a catch, you must be will to listen.

3. Submit to God- accepting that authority only given by God, is one of the most difficult anyone willing to believe will ever do in their Christian walk. Handing over all to God. By doing that that accountability has shifted to the highest power.

4.Praise- Celebrate Gods greatness.

With Jesus at the centre of our life we can achieve great things. We put our faith and trust in him and can rely on him for everything.

Are you achieving great things through Christ? Has your spiritual focus shifted? Do you need to realign your with the almighty? THROUGH GOD GREAT THINGS ARE ACHIEVED.