Women often feel that they have to go out to work for financial reasons but they find it difficult and stressful as they are also trying to manage the home and look after the children. Many say there is no alternative. Listen to this testimony of stepping out in faith to do things God’s way. http://youtu.be/F3wfcSafkNg Everything that is written in the Bible is still for today and it does work if we follow it in faith. This is good news for many women who really feel they want to devote their time and energies to their home and children. You can be set free to enjoy what God has called you to do. If you trust the Lord He will honour you and help you.
Video book
Our latest venture has been to produce a video book. It was a great pleasure to work with Janet Wilson, director of Dernier Publishing together with Denise Hayward, the author of Deepest Darkness, on her adventure story set in Canada written for 8 – 11 year olds. We spent a day filming and recording Denise reading the whole book and then a few more days editing and producing the video. You can see a short clip of it here: http://youtu.be/mTJYqPcHAPs We believe this will be a blessing to children who find reading difficult. God has such a variety of ways for us to communicate and the medium of video, using both sound and vision is particularly effective. We were also able to produce an audio book on three CDs. All the books Dernier publishes are excellent, fun relevant fiction to encourage and inspire 8-16 year olds in their faith. Take a look at their website www.dernierpublishing.com
When Was Jesus Really Born?
Most of us know that 25th December is not the real date of Jesus’ birth. “What does it matter?” some may say. Well if it were your birthday you would want to celebrate it on the right day wouldn’t you? David Hamshire has just published a book entitled “When Was Jesus Really Born?” Although it’s not vital to our salvation, this subject is fascinating nonetheless. In these days more Christians are becoming interested in their Jewish roots and we are increasingly seeing the relevance and richness of the Biblical feasts. This book presents overwhelming evidence that the Day of Atonement could be the day when Jesus was really born. After all, when you think about it, what more appropriate time for He who saves us from our sin (not just atones for it) to enter the world! A recent interview with David gives you a taste of what the book has to offer. See it on our You Tube channel or latest video portfolio update at: http://youtu.be/vMwtGoA33O8. Perhaps we shouldn’t be celebrating Christmas after all!
Overcomers
At the end of the Lord’s words to each of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 the same phrase recurs: “He who overcomes ….” followed by a promise. From this we can learn that there is some overcoming to do no matter what church we belong to. We have two choices: we can either be overcome or we can be overcomers. One thing is for sure – we cannot remain neutral.
But what are we overcoming and how do we overcome? We are overcoming the same things Jesus overcame: the world, the flesh and the devil. This includes our own selfish desires, the temptations of the world and all the distractions and deceptions that the devil will throw at us.
How do we overcome? Not by our own strength, power, wisdom or ability. There is only one way – by the power of the Holy Spirit. This power does not come to us automatically just because we call ourselves Christians. It requires wholehearted seeking after God.
The instructions to the churches are clear: repent, persevere, be faithful, hold fast, watch, and in particular the exhortation at the end of each section – “he who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”. It is vital that we are in constant communication with the Lord so that we can hear clearly what He is saying. My sheep hear my voice …
Only by immersing ourselves in the Word and the Spirit can we overcome in these last days. The good news is that “whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith”.
What’s so special about Israel?
Most of us take the nation of Israel for granted today and regard it just like any other nation but is it? The recreation of Israel in 1948 and the re-gathering of the Jewish people from across the world, now numbering over 6 million residents, are miracles that have happened right in front of our eyes. We need to understand how and why this has happened. It’s all part of the fulfilment of Bible prophecy and is a sure sign that we are living in the “last days” or the “end times”. In a recent interview we did with Messianic Jew, David Silver he says “the return of the Jewish people is a clear indicator that we are living close to the end of this age”. See the full interview on our You Tube channel or website: http://youtu.be/3L68gZLQIsE Everything God has said in His Word, He will do and nothing or no-one can stop Him! All we can do is understand and cooperate with Him. At least one third of the Bible is prophecy and approximately 80% has already been fulfilled so we can be sure that the rest will happen just as God has said. The Bible is 100% reliable! That’s good news!
God’s Divine Order
Family is the first institution God created. If the family is strong the nation will be strong and mothers in particular have tremendous power to determine our nation’s destiny. Nancy Campbell, founder Above Rubies, teaches women how to be empowered in their role as woman, wife and mother. Watch a clip from our recording of “Affirming who you are as a Woman”. When a BBC interviewer claimed that feminism had empowered women Nancy said, “Yes but it has also brought about the destruction of marriage and the fragmentation of families”. He had no reply. Nowadays most people accept without question that women are equal to men but the Bible says they are different and each has a distinct role to play. Let’s not be deceived by the “wisdom of the world”. Sadly the church has been infiltrated by women’s lib and feminist movements, humanist ideologies which have nothing to do with the Bible. The saying used to be “Behind every great man is a woman” but these days men seem to be disappearing fast and women are taking their place. So long as we follow God’s divine order, society will function smoothly but if we depart from it, chaos and family breakdown will follow.
Our Passover Lamb
By faith we have become fellow citizens and heirs of the promises originally granted only to the Jews. We have been circumcised in our hearts and are grafted into Israel. That means we can partake in the Feasts that the Lord ordained for His people. What a privilege to be able to celebrate the Passover this past week – remembering that great deliverance from slavery in Egypt, crossing of the Red Sea and entry into the Promised Land! These historical events are all a picture of what would happen 2,000 years later when Christ our Passover Lamb was sacrificed for us. Just like the lamb that was taken on the 10th Nisan into the house, Jesus entered Jerusalem and 4 days later on 14th Nisan He was crucified just as the first Passover lamb was slain. As the blood of the lamb was painted on the doorposts and lintels of the Hebrew houses to protect them from the angel of death so Jesus’ blood covered the wooden cross and saved us from the wrath of God. All who believe are cleansed from sin and have eternal life. Another item of Good News!
Jesus sets captives free!
Good News Report from Yvonne Grace in Ozamis, Philippines
God is doing amazing things in prisons!
Jesus came to set the captives free!
“Some said it thundered in that jail house. 18 men came to Jesus Christ! As the team leader called out to all the men who were in cells, they put their hands out to answer the salvation call! I was invited to speak and sing praises to the Lord, then afterward I gave sometime to the women in prison. The Warden allowed us to go and I shared the love of God in His presence. Some of the women were openly crying and I remembered some from last year. The goodness of God touched me and I was able to sing like never before. The mercy of God was the fragrance in this jail house and many of these prisoners are saved already by the weekly teams which come to share the Gospel .We laid hands on many who were bound with fear.We shared the mighty battle plan of worship and I will never forget the stillness of these folks as I sang He is Lord.
Yes, Jesus is Lord.”
Promoting Family Life
The Bible teaches that family life is the basic, fundamental building block of society. In the beginning God created mankind male and female and told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:27-28). God’s plan for man has not changed. Even the natural mind recognises that children are most happy in a loving family with mother and father. We may remember playing a card game as children called ‘Happy Families’, not realising the spiritual truth therein. The most common analogy for the church in the New Testament is the family. God’s heart is family. When we live life according to God’s pattern it works. His divine order should not be tampered with.
The good news is that there are still ministries around that promote God-given family life – in particular a ministry called ‘Above Rubies’ which encourages women in their high calling as mothers, wives and homemakers. We would like to encourage you to find out more about this ministry at www.aboverubies.org.uk and to attend their conferences coming up in March – a Family Camp at Cefn Lea, Wales and a Ladies’ Retreat at Wychwood Park, Cheshire. Hurry because registration will close soon. Instead of crying over what’s happening in the world, let’s support and promote family life!
Death where is your victory?
Last week 95 year old Kathleen Simmons passed into the presence of the Lord peacefully in her own home without any significant illness, “gathered to her people old and full of years” as the Bible says of the old patriarchs. Kathleen was a faithful believer and intercessor and leaves a legacy of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who love the Lord. We rejoice in her passing knowing that she had a good and full life and is now in a better place. This is the good news: that those who believe in Jesus have eternal life and death cannot hold them! She passed through death and into glorious eternal life. As believers we need to have a positive attitude to death – Jesus has taken away the fear of death so we can rejoice rather than mourn. We do not sorrow as those who have no hope. The death of a believer is a time of rejoicing and victory. If they were sick, they are free from pain. If they were old and frail, their youth and strength are renewed. Rather than mourning our loss we can rejoice in Christ’s victory. Precious in His sight is the death of His saints.