Andrew brought plenty of encouragement today to the church as he spoke prophetically to the church as a body and individual people.
He then continued this encouragement during his message, with the theme that “everybody counts”.

Everybody counts, to be loved, cared for and counted. We’re not to judge, avoid, or ignore people, but to help and understand others.

1 Cor 12:12-17
We are all one body and we need to strengthen the weaker parts through prayer. The weaker needs more attention, but often it is the head that is weaker. The enemy goes for the head and often the body then starts to attack the head as well.
He has given us power in the church to fight for the church. When two or more agree in prayer, it will be done. This needs to be an agreement from the heart though, not just a verbal agreement. When you say something, make sure it comes from the heart.

Rom 15:1-7. v3 says Christ did not please Himself. We don’t get to please ourselves either. We are to please our neighbour, to build them up and encourage them.

God is looking for endurance, encouragement and praise (v5). Encourage one another, love one another, look out for one another. Find ways to build them up. Unity is hard work, but when everybody participates, everybody will benefit and there will be unity.

God has given us grace to help us endure, encourage and praise.

Have a great week this week and find somebody to encourage!

We had a great time in worship and communion today as the presence of God began to move and impact the congregation.

This atmosphere continued as Tony came to preach. He continued the new creation theme from last time he was preaching in Bendigo.
If we are born again, we need to grow in the things of God. Our natural man says “do this, don’t do that”. That is law.
The law is not to make you holy, it is to show you that you need to be cleaned.
You can’t keep the law. Old Testament is about do’s and don’ts. In the New Testament, the time period that we’re living in, the laws are written on our hearts because we are a new creation. We keep God’s commands because we want to, not because we have to.

In Col 1:27-28, we proclaim Christ in us. When we are born again, it is the spirit that is born again. It is the inside that changes. Your spirit is an inward man. It is born again. Your Spirit man has ears to hear, feet to bring the gospel of peace. When we die, the natural man dies, not the spiritual man.
When we are joined in the Spirit, we have become one with God. We can’t be separated from God. On the mount of transfiguration, the disciples saw the inner man, the glory of God manifesting itself.

We have Christ in us. All the strength of God is in us. All the Spiritual blessings are already in us.
We are tempted in things but we have Jesus in us who has already faced the temptations that we are facing.

When we get tempted, rely on Christ in us. He can do it, He can overcome it.
Speak in tongues more and build up your Spirit.
Chew on the word of God, meditate on it, turn it over, speak it our and you’ll get a revelation.

Faith - confidence based on knowledge (of the Word of God). The people perish for lack of knowledge.
Rely on the word of God and rely on Christ in us. Be stron gin the Lord and the power of His might. Let God hold on to you. Walk in the Spirit. The Spirit automatically does the right thing - it is the natural man that wants to do wrong.

Let Christ express Himself through you.

Have a great week and be a blessing to somebody!

We had another good day of worship today as we came together to praise God. It was great to see people who don’t normally operate in the gifts of the Spirit stepping out and bringing us a message to encourage us all. Mike challenged everyone who hadn’t brought a message to step out and bring one for the benefit of the church. As we step out and practice more, we’ll gain more experience. If we look at Peter as an example, he walked on the water. Yes he fell, but he got back up. We should do the same as we step out in the gifts.

Mike then continued on with his sermon where he spoke from Deut 8:2-3 and Deut 8:16. God led us in the wilderness to humble us, to know what was in our heart, to know whether we would keep His commands. God leads us, we don’t lead Him. We follow Him.
Moses urges the Israelites to remember what God has done so that they don’t go through the same stuff again.

God leads, God Feeds
God feeds us something unique, something special. He has something special for us today.
God Ceeds
God cuts us off from things. He separates us from the old way of doing things. Live by the bread of heaven.
God has something for us, we need to take it. Stay in what God has for you. You have to follow Him. He will do mighty things in our life if we let Him.
God Seeds
He seeds new life. He took the Israelites into the promised land.

Stay, or stand with God in the pressured times and the pain will stop and the blessing will come.
Have a great week!