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Do you use all of them? There are 5 main types of Prayer in the New Testament Four of them are found in 1 Timothy 2:1 and one in Ephesians 6:17-20. The 5 types are as follows. 1 Timothy 2:1 (KJV) 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1. Supplication; Simply means calling on the Lord. It is your heart felt response to what is in your heart and mind. God heard the cry of the Israelites in Egyptian bondage and sent a deliverer. Also, in New Testament [Romans 10] anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Supplication (when done with a whole heart) might contribute towards revival, when we are sick of both our own and our church deadness, we must cry out to the Lord. 2. Petitionary Prayers: This is specific prayer requests like the one by the Rev Yongi Cho. He chooses a specific bicycle, American, 10-speed, blue drooping handles. Or what about a new church bus specifically a 20-seater, <3 years old, under 60,000 miles or a new church building or whatever your own church specific needs are. 3. Intercessions; Deeper form of prayer needing stronger commitment. Type of prayer that identifies with the situation or a person`s feelings, for example pain. It takes the burden. Rees Howells had to go and live with a tramp to identify with him. Jesus is our great intercessor. Intercession can be identified when Queen Esther went before the King at the risk of her life. Daniel identified himself with the sins of the people (Israel) also did Moses. Intercessors stand in gap between man and God asking for judgement to be withheld so that some may be saved. 4. Thanksgiving: Giving thanks gives honour and glory to God in every circumstance. Thanksgiving pleases God, as he sees us focus on him and his provision rather than ourselves. Thanksgiving should be an everyday lifestyle. We can thank God for preventing us going through a trial but sometimes for the grace to go through other trials. 5. Praying /Speaking the Scriptures This can be the rhema word used in prayer warfare (see Matthew 4 below) or you could say the Living Word. The logos word is the written word but the rhema word is the spoken word. Jesus used the rhema word against Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness. The rhema words Jesus spoke against Satan’s temptations are italicized in the passage below. Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And says unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. 9 And says unto him, all these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then says Jesus unto him, get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaves him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Three times Jesus said 'it is written' meaning this is what is written in the Hebrew scriptures. As Jesus spoke the word of God, it was energised by the Holy Spirit and became the rhema or living word striking down the devil's ploy. Ephesians 6:17 KJV And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; The rhema word is also the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) and is effective against the wiles of the devil. Remember to use it when tempted! Let us seek to use all 5 types of prayer as appropriate, to the glory of God. Amen Personal Prayer

How to interpret the parables Philip the evangelist [Acts 8:30] asked the Ethiopian church as he read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Today, I would like to ask you the same question “Do you understand the scriptures that you are reading?” We cannot understand anything in the scriptures unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. However, God is not in the business of making it difficult for his church to understand his word. In fact, he has appointed some keys in the bible to make it easier for us to understand what he is saying through his word. Today, we are going to look at 3 examples of keys to unlocking the meaning of Psalms, Proverbs and Parables. We are starting with the parables. Parables: is a story comparison where something is laid against something else. It usually is something spiritual laid alongside something natural, with a view to give understanding to God`s people and hiding it from his enemies. The key to understanding the parables is found in the parable of the sower. Mark 4:3-20; Parable of Sower Verse 12; Unbelievers do not understand Verse 13; If you do not understand this parable, how will you understand others. This is the most simple of parables and shows us how to interpret all the other parables. A. Sower (believer) sows’ word (gospel) field (human heart) B. Those by Road (do not understand) birds (Satan) steals it C. Those by Rocks (understood) joyful acceptance but does not give word time to develop roots and when persecuted falls away. D. Word sown in thorns is choked by cares and worries desire for worldly things. Their eyes are off Jesus. E. Word sown on (good) heart understands it and is obedient to it. Produces fruits (good works) by *100, *50, *30 (minimum) Meanings Seed = Word of God Ground field = Human heart Birds = Satan and demons Rocky ground = Hardened heart Thorns = Hearts preoccupied with worries and worldly desires Good soil = Open hearts Fruit = Good work/character So in each parable, the things in it represent the elements of God`s truth revealed in a way to make his people understand. Try another example now Matthew 13:24-30; Parable of the Tares Sower of Good seed = Son of Man, Jesus Christ Field = World Good seed = Sons of the Kingdom of God Tares = Sons of Evil one Enemy = devil Harvest = End of Age Reapers = Angels Tares Burning = evil Check your answer against Matthew 13:36-42 Prayer: May the Lord open his word to each one of us and cause us to understand what the Spirit is saying to us in his church. Amen

Being in two places at the same time Third angle or approach Can a person be in two places at the same time? This is the question at the heart of Stephen King’s (I prefer John Grisham) bestseller, The Outsider. King’s story begins with the public arrest of Terry Maitland, a popular small-town baseball coach, for a murder committed a few days earlier. Maitland is placed at the scene of the murder by multiple witnesses, fingerprints, and DNA evidence but has a cast-iron alibi to the extent the police must consider the possibility Terry Maitland was in two places at the same time! Curiously, bilocation – the phenomenon of one person being in two places at the same time – also featured prominently in one of the big box office movies of 2017, the Last Jedi. At the end of the film, the audience sees Luke Skywalker fighting Kylo Ren on the planet (Crait) while simultaneously meditating on another planet, (Ahch-To). As surprising as it may sound, bilocation has intrigued and exercised philosophers, scientists, and theologians for centuries. The Roman Catholic version of the Eucharist suggests that the actual body of Christ is present at all locations everywhere the mass is celebrated at the same time. Interestingly quantum physics suggests it is theoretically possible to exist in more than one place at the same time. There are some interesting parallels between quantum physics and faith! So what relevance, if any, has the idea of bilocation to each of us as Christians? What I mean is that our lives are lived and governed in two places (which are) firstly in heaven and secondly on earth. We need to walk in both places. Some believers are so earth-bound that they are not aware of the spiritual realm in heaven. They forget that they need to believe, walk in, and live out the heavenly realities as well. Let me demonstrate this by giving you an example. Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Spiritual truth may appear to contradict natural truth. Right now you are seated here in our local church (put your right hand up and keep it up), but you are all also seated in heavenly places in Jesus Christ (put your left hand up and keep it up). If you have both hands up say Praise The Lord that I am bilocated, I am in two places at once. Amen. Here is another biblical example of bilocation (seeing both the natural and the spiritual dimensions at the same time) from Elisha and his servant 2 Kings 6:14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire [1] all around Elisha. Elisha was walking in two dimensions, but the servant’s eyes could only see the natural circumstances. Elisha had been reading the Psalms, particularly Psalm 91. The servant lacked the information that Elisha had. Who are you more like in this this respect Elisha or his servant? You might not be able to see the angels guarding the people of your church right now, but they are with you right now. Lord open our eyes that we may see all your protection and provision. We get our facts about the spiritual realm from the bible. We need to realise that the things that the Lord says about the spiritual realm in the bible are just as true, if not more so than what we can learn from our five senses. We need to be real about the spiritual realm as well as the natural realm. Here is a final example involving Moses, Aaron and Hur where the battle was fought in two places, one natural but the other supernatural. Exodus 17:8 Now Amalek [2] came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Moses knew that the battle being fought in the spiritual realm (dimension) was affecting the outcome of the physical battle in the earthly dimension. Another way of understanding being in two places at the same time is the example from the clean animals of the Jewish Law which both chewed the cud and were cloven footed. So with clean Christians; chewing the cud means meditating on the Word and cloven-footed means that the hoof stands on two separate places on the ground. We need to realize that we live in two places at once and that both the heavenly truth and earthly truth are necessary to live our lives in a good balance. Which is more real do you think, our natural life on earth or our spiritual life in heaven? Well my guess is our heavenly life because it will last forever, our natural earthly life will pass away. [1] Remember Eric Liddell and Chariots of fire. [2] Many rabbis in Jerusalem still refer to God’s enemies as Amalekites e.g. a former Iranian president... . Amen Personal Prayer

Approaches in how to walk in the Spirit In this study we consider various aspects (looking at it from different angles) of walking in the spirit, so that we can develop an overview of how we ought to go about it. In this part we are going to consider 2 of 3 approaches of looking at how to walk in the Spirit (Notes: The word 'Spirit' in Galatians 5:16 =the Holy Spirit not our human spirit. The Greek grammar allows us to say walk ‘by’ the Spirit as well as walk 'in' the Spirit) The three approaches that we will consider in teaching us how to walk in the Spirit are a) Awareness of the Spirit b) Practicing the presence of God c) Being in two places at once (see Part 3) a) Awareness of the Spirit (first angle) Walking in the Spirit simply means living each day of your life and being continually aware that you are in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit indwells each believer from the new birth. A useful way to look at this is to use Jesus’ model of the Vine and the Branches from John 15 where Jesus tells us to abide in the Vine. When we are abiding (living) in the Vine, the love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). In other words the Holy Spirit is likened to the sap that brings life to the vine. If we are aware that we are abiding in the Vine, then we are also conscious of the fact that we are walking in the Spirit. We can only produce the fruit of the Spirit when we are abiding in the Vine, or you could say when we are walking in the Spirit. So walking in the spirit is having a continual God-consciousness. It is having Christ in first place in all your passions/ affections. It is pursuing God whole-heartedly, as commanded. It is to have no other idols before Him and no other gods before Him, but to serve God alone with all your heart. Amen It is important when we walk in the Spirit or abide in the Vine, we ought to continue to practice the basic Christian disciplines in our lives. We should be regularly practicing Bible study and meditation, several types of prayer, fellowshipping with believers, going to the church meetings, witnessing, and serving other people etc. These disciplines help keep us in the right mindset to help us walk in the Spirit or walk by Spirit. The late great American pastor and famous author A W Tozer said this (photo): Beloved, we either will walk in the Spirit or be walking in the flesh. These two are mutually exclusive. You get to choose! Take a moment. Choose life! Angle ii) Practicing the presence of God (modern language-drawing near to God) I once read a small book called ‘The practice of the presence of God’ written three hundred years ago by a monk called Brother Lawrence [1]. In this book it is described how Brother Lawrence was able to cultivate a continual awareness of the Lord being present in his life thus bringing immense joy. But you might say that is fine for him being a full-time monk with nothing else to do; no work to go to, no ironing or chores. But in fact, he was the cook for the monastery, and he believed it was easier to be aware of God’s presence when doing his kitchen chores than at any other time! [2][3] Summary If like Bro. Lawrence you want to live constantly in the presence of God which brings fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) then practice these three things. 1. Commit every task to Him (invite Him in). How about inviting the Lord to go for a walk with you? 2. Thank him for his supply and provision. True thanksgiving is not an event but a lifestyle and mindset. 3. Perform each task because you love Him and do it in a way that brings honour God. Brother Lawrence would pick up a flower out of love for the Lord and present it to him. Is there a gesture of love you want to make to the Lord today or later? [1] Bro Lawrence was a Carmelite layperson (1614-1691) [2] Prayer "Lord of all pots and pans and things... Make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates" [3] Quotation “Our only business is to love and delight ourselves in God.” Amen Personal Prayer Full text and quotations plus access to all parts of 'How to walk in the Spirit' at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/how-to-walk-in-the-spirit-part-2

We are tempted out from the Lord's safety gradually Biologists tell us that if you drop a live frog into a beaker of boiling water, its reflexes will cause it to immediately spring from the water and thus save its life. However, if you put the frog into a beaker of lukewarm water and very gently heat it up a degree at a time, you will eventually succeed in boiling the frog. This is the same tactic that Satan often uses on God’s people when tempting them away from God and into sin. He seldom comes to the thoughts of the Christian and tempts them to simply turn their back on God all at once. But rather little by little, bit by bit, degree by degree, Satan seeks to lead us away from the Lord. Like in the case of the frog the change is so subtle and almost imperceptible that we might not notice until it is too late! Satan being a serpent seeks to hypnotize God’s people into a state of deception. Once he has anaesthetised us, he then seeks to bring his theft, his destruction and death into our lives, our families, and our churches. How many drug addicts start directly on heroin? All alcoholics start with one drink. All nicotine addicted smokers start with one cigarette. It is the same with sexual perversion. Lust cannot be satisfied by definition! Amen Satan, the tempter, softly whispers to our minds just one … joint, fix, drink, or kiss. Go on you will enjoy it. It will not harm you, knowing full well that his goal to get you hooked into sin and bondage. He wants to take away your free-will choices so that he can take you captive at will. Jesus Christ came to set us free and to restore our free-will choices back to us. As you might have guessed by now our topic is about backsliding away from God and more specifically how to spot it in our own lives and the lives of our brothers and sisters. Once we can spot it, we can take remedial action to prevent it. In Genesis 4:7, the Lord tells Cain that sin is crouching at the door. This is a graphic illustration of how sin personified is always just waiting for that weak moment in our lives to spring into our hearts and minds and defile us. It was a spirit of murder that entered Cain’s heart, which led him to slay his brother Abel because of his jealousy at the Lord commending Abel’s sacrifice. What about us? It might only take one moment of uncontrolled lust or adulterous thoughts/deeds to cause us to fall spectacularly. Any single wicked idea that pops into our minds if not brought into captivity and whoosh the devil is straight in there, tempting us to convert that wicked thought into the sinful deed. However, we must not be discouraged because God has given us two marvellous promises in His word. Firstly, there is no tempting which affects only you or I but when the temptation to sin comes, God always shows us a way out of it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted beyond what ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Secondly, Jesus Christ himself is not only able to keep each one of us from failing into sin but undertakes to present us one day to the Father without fault! Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, What marvellous promises! But we must play our part and keep alert, by watching and praying. We must continue to exercise a godly control over every thought that comes into our minds. This involves us being alert and active and not allowing the devil to lull our minds into a slumber thus allowing an evil seed of an idea to implant into our hearts and minds. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and thus not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. The Christian life is a life of constant vigilance against a malignant foe. A definition of the term backsliding might be ‘turning back or away from God’. It involves disloyalty and unthankfulness by us forgetting all that God has done for us. A classic biblical picture of backsliding and from which we get the term is found in Hosea 4:16. A sheep is sliding down a slippery hillside away from the protection of the shepherd bit by bit into danger and eventually destruction. So Satan desires us to slip away from the living God by discouraging us from daily prayer and bible study and from regular fellowship with our fellow believers. His aim is to make our faith in God operationally dead or ineffective. This of course will stop us dead in our tracks from our evangelism and witnessing. This is where we can really help ourselves by reminding each other how much the Lord loves us and of all that he has done for us. Particularly by the giving of Jesus Christ for our sins. We must encourage each other to press on in our walk with God. The tell-tale signs of backsliding may not be obvious at first to us and are sometimes easier to see in others (beware of pride and pray for your brother or sister if relevant). But if we can agree that any of the following statements are true then we could well be in the process of backsliding. There has been a gradual decline in our bible reading and study. We pray less often and are less aware of the Lord’s presence when we do. Our desire to go to church and meet Christians for fellowship is waning. 1 Corinthians 10:13 2 Corinthians 10:5 Hosea 4:16 We might notice that our Christian friends are dropping hints that they are concerned about our spiritual welfare. There seems to be a general lack of enthusiasm for God, his things, and his people. The counsel we need when we are backsliding is to for someone to point out that Satan is trying to anaesthetize you and put you to sleep so that he can steal, kill, and destroy in your life. We need also to be reminded of just how much God loves us and how he will receive us in repentance with outstretched arms. Sometimes a mature believer may confront us in love. Do not be offended by this for it is an act of love. If you are not sure whether the rebuke is warranted, then take it to the Lord in prayer and examine your heart and lifestyle before him. The restoration process begins by admitting our sin and asking God to forgive us. Do you want to be boiled like frog? Do you want to be anaesthetized by Dr Satan? Do you want to be put to sleep spiritually speaking? Wake up, be alert and return to the Lord with all your heart asking that He restore your zeal for Him, His word, his fellowship, and his people. He will love you freely! Amen Personal Prayer

Jesus' manifesto In these days of the global pandemic, there are a lot of broken hearts around the world. Bereavement of a loved one, loss of employment and income, or having your livelihood taken from you, all these things could break your heart. Recently, one of the leaders from Teen Challenge let me into secret, which is that most people with addiction problems, have a broken heart. When your heart is broken by whatever means including the pandemic, you might try and mend it with many different things such as drink, drugs, sex, money etc. But as you probably know by now, none of these things can really mend your broken heart. They might make you feel better for a day or two, but the misery of a broken heart will kick back in eventually. What does the bible say about a broken heart? The Bible has many verses that can encourage and inspire the broken-hearted. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). If your heart is broken today and your spirit is crushed then you need to know this, that God is near to you and wants to save your crushed spirit. Here is some more good news for those who have a broken heart, whatever the cause. One day, Jesus stood up in the synagogue and said Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised… Luke 4:18 was then and still is Jesus’ manifesto. Part of the reason Jesus came to earth was to heal the broken hearted. Jesus can give you a new heart, or he can renew and soften a hard heart. In the New Testament (in the short book of Philemon), there is a story of one bad boy who had broken a few hearts (let us call him Onie short for Onesimus). Onie had worked for a guy named Phil short for Philemon). One day Onie jumped ship taking some of his boss’s goods. Onie went to another town and soon ended up in jail, where he met Paul the Christian. To cut a long story short, Onie became a Christian and was soon ready for release. Paul urged him to go back to his boss’s house and gave him a letter addressed to Phil, who just happened to be a friend of Paul. In the letter, Paul tells Phil that Onie is a changed man and will be useful to Phil this time round. Paul tells Phil that he will personally pay any debts (thefts) that Onie owed to his boss. Paul reminds Phil that he helped Phil himself to become a Christian, so he owes him. Paul expects Phil to give Onie a fresh start and even to go beyond this and treat him like a brother. Perhaps some of us can admit to having been a bad boy or a bad girl, and maybe some who will also admit having broken a few hearts? Did you break you mother and/or your father’s heart? Or it was a wife or partner or your children’s or other family/friends’ hearts? Or it was your heart that was broken through abuse, you were treated like a dog or worse? Maybe it is your heart that needs mended today? God is always near to the broken hearted. Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted. Today it is time to stop being a bad boy or a bad girl and come home to Jesus. Jesus offers you a full and free pardon, though your sins be as scarlet, he can make you white as snow. God can mend the hearts you broke as well, but the process begins by asking him to forgive you. Only Jesus can do this. Jesus came to heal (bind up) the broken hearted so you can accept his offer today and we the church family are here to help you. If your broken heart has been mended then please pass Jesus' offer to someone you know who needs it. Amen Personal prayer For full text for printout and access to the full library of sermons please click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/jesus-came-to-heal-the-broken-hearted

Giving your testimony God has given each one of us a powerful weapon for sharing the Gospel which is your story or by another name your testimony. Your testimony is simply the story of what Jesus has done in your personal life. People can argue about what the bible says or what the church says but they find it much more difficult to argue about what your personal experience in what you say Jesus Christ has done in your own life. Sharing your testimony is often the first direct step in leading someone to the Lord. You might have prayed You might have already built friendship bridges with the person. When you are witnessing by saying to someone ‘Jesus is in me’ they might not want to know. However many people are more polite and may respond in one of these ways. i What does that mean to you? ii How did you connect with Jesus? iii When did this happen? iv How do you know this is true? Any response that is not a conversation killer may be an opening for your testimony. We must share our story of Jesus in our lives simply and sincerely. Take their reply as a starting point even if it takes a while to answer their questions. We often don’t know how much time that they will give you to construct your testimony. There are usually 4 steps in sharing your faith story: Step 1: Identify the 3 main parts to your story: Before Christ – How you viewed your life/conduct before conversion, but no sordid details. Conversion story – What brought you to Christ and your actual conversion experience. After conversion – What differences has Christ made in your life since then. Explain why we want others to receive salvation. Every one of us usually can fit our testimonies into these 3 parts above. Emphasis: Give a balance to what your story was before and then after conversion. Jesus must be centre of story which should bring glory to God. Step 2: How to tell your story (things to remember) a. Remember you are a sinner saved by grace (so show humility) b. Do not be judgmental or dogmatic c. Listen for clues as to where they are at with any previous religious experience d. Find common ground if possible e. Be honest about your difficulties as well as joys. God is still with us f. Insert appropriate bible verses into your story g. Do not argue h. Avoid jargon i. Be short and to point j. Be sensitive to Holy Spirit speaking in you and through you k. Let them see that you have a living faith in God and you care about them Step 3: Remember only God can save them 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 KJV - I have planted, Apollos watered; but I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Our job is to plant the seed. Others might water it. But only God gives (the increase) i.e. the new life. Step 4: Do not just talk the talk. But we must walk the walk. Our lives must match our stories. Do not let your deeds cancel out your words. This is hypocrisy, we must all always be on the alert. How to prepare your Testimony Be concise, be constructive, and be convincing. We are going to write your testimony in 150 words. Practice Exercises (originally shared with a class) Break into pairs, share your story and discuss. Pray for each other’s future success. Try to think of other things that the Lord has done in your life and tell the story. Or make comments that beg a question that give you an opportunity to testify ( do you think you will go to heaven when your life is over)? Think how good works could add to the effect of your testimony e.g. by giving tracts and books, invitations to coffee, church, house group etc. Summary Every believer ought to be prepared to share their testimony. God will help you with it and in it. Ask God to anoint you with Holy Spirit as you share it. Your testimony is a unique and powerful weapon that can change the lives of other people. Be ready, be prepared, be bold, be courageous, be sensitive, and be successful for the sake of Jesus Christ. Never turn down an opportunity to share your story and give God the glory for your new life in Christ. Amen Personal Prayer For full text for printout and access to the full library of sermons/teachings click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/how-to-share-your-faith-story-1

Introduction I have been blessed recently to hear three of our recent speakers mention the fruit of the spirit (FOTS), notably the sister who correctly identified the FOTS in the character of the Shunamite woman. As you all know we find the FOTS in Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. As we consider the FOTS you will begin to see that what we are really looking at is the character of God. The Lord wants us to become Christ-like and therefore it is essential that we know what the character of Jesus is like, so we know what we are aiming at in our own lives. Popular Misconceptions about the Fruit of the Spirit There are a couple of popular misconceptions about the FOTS where we find in Galatians 5:22-23. The Greek word for fruit is karpos (also see John 15:1-8) is singular and therefore it is incorrect to refer to the fruits of the spirit. Rather, the idea conveyed by the expression ‘fruit’ is that of a blended whole and not nine separate items. The blended whole is love which expresses itself in various ways: Love is Joy. Love is Peace. Love is Longsuffering (if your translation says patience then it is less accurate). Patience is standing on a cold, wet night at bus stop and waiting an hour for your bus. Longsuffering is the same but with someone poking you with a stick, but you do not respond to the poking! Love is Gentleness. Love is Goodness. Love is Faith and Faithfulness Love is Meekness. Love is Temperance (self-control) Sometimes we can spot the fruit of FOTS in people just like the sister did with the Shunamite woman. Fruit spotting is a lovely hobby! So how can we understand what a blended whole means? a] If you drink a tropical fruit punch your will be able to recognise the various flavours pineapple, mango, grapefruit etc. Love is the fruit punch, but you can taste or recognise its components the joy, peace etc. b] Think of what causes a rainbow. When white light (the sunlight) shines through a raindrop (the drop acts as a prism) it is separated into red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The colours in the rainbow merge so that it has hard to tell where one ends and another begins, so with the fruit of the spirit. The love (like the white light) is shed abroad in our hearts (acting like a prism) by the Holy Spirit and as it passes through us the love is split into its component parts such as joy, peace, faithfulness etc. which can be seen in our lives. Romans 5:5 tells us that as the Holy Spirit sheds the Love of Christ into our hearts, the love then enters our souls and the FOTS is produced. The Holy Spirit is reproducing the life/the character of Christ in us. This process involves our obedience both to the written word and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit work together. In John 15:1-8 is a fruit-filled portion of scripture. Jesus is the vine; the Father is the gardener, and we are the branches. The Holy Spirit is the sap (liquid love that is pumped into hearts and through us) that causes leaves, flowers, and fruit to appear in our lives. We can hinder this process by disobeying the word of God i.e. sins such as, selfishness, unforgiveness etc. are like ligatures/blockages that stop the flow of love out to others. Abiding in the vine (which means walking close to the Lord in obedience) allows a steady flow of the liquid love that produces the FOTS. Spiritual fruit as with natural fruit takes time to develop. Fruit in the natural sense (think apples and oranges) contains the seeds for reproduction. When an unbeliever tastes or sees the FOTS in your life, a seed of love is sown in their hearts which God can bring to life. This in effect is love reproducing love. Just in closing the Greek word for love in Galatians 5:22 is agape which became the characteristic/defining word of Christianity. The Holy Spirit brought new meaning to this word. Agape love is the love of God himself and is selfless and seeks to do good to all men, but especially to God's children. So, as the Holy Spirit sheds his agape love into your heart, let this love flow unhindered from your heart, into your soul and be transformed into the FOTS that others will taste. It is all about love! Amen For full text for printout and access to our full sermon library please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/the-fruit-of-the-spirit

Antidotes to fear The 20th century was called the age of anxiety Fear plays an increasing key role in the 21st century consciousness. We seem to engage in many issues today through a narrative of fear. Our language has now incorporated the language of fear into everyday language and includes expressions such as ‘ the politics of fear, ’ ‘fear of crime ,’ and ‘ fear of the future ’ etc. reflect the growing cultural significance of fear. Many people today try to make sense of our experiences through a narrative of fear. Our fears are not just confined to high profile risks such as terrorist attacks, climate change, or pandemics but also the ‘quiet’ fears of everyday life. Biblical definitions of fear : there are several Hebrew words in the old testament that have a connotation of fear and the Greek equivalents of these in the New Testament are phobos and phobeo from which we derive the English words phobia and phobic. The biblical words for fear cover a wide range of meanings ranging from mild uneasiness to stark terror and are usually defined by the context. Fear and worry (anxiety etc.) are sin Faith and fear are opposites and mutually exclusive. What does our fear/worry say about God? Is he unable to help you in your life situation? Or is he unwilling to help you in your life situation? The Christian should expect to become progressively free of fear. Proof that fear and worry are sin Romans 14:23 And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. This scripture does not just apply to eating and drinking but more broadly to all our activities. If what we are doing is not done in faith, then it is sin. So fear and worry are sin. (we say this not to condemn anyone but to encourage us to confess such sins). Like father like Son Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers ( imitators ) of God, as dear children. Here the word followers can be more accurately translated as ‘imitators'. Since God himself is not into fear and worry then we should be like him. God is able and willing to set you free. God cares. Do not doubt. Fear and worry detract from your new identity in Christ (will say more later). The word of God is a powerful antidote to the fear we experience . Antidote means a medicine or action taken or given to counteract a particular poison. Fear is like a poison to us and can affect our health. Jesus brought peace to the frightened disciples on resurrection day by speaking to them. John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Paul’s prayer for peace. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which ‘passeth’ all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. One bible teacher [1] suggests using the word ‘bypassing’ in place of ‘passeth’ help us grasp the meaning of the scripture. God has provided in the bible many other antidote scriptures to our fear. Here are two more examples. Ex 13:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Imagine never seeing your pressing problem again! Proverbs 3:23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yes, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. A scripture that can help you sleep well. Amen Prayer In part 2 we discover that there are two main kinds of fear- good fear and bad fear. For access to this text and links to the other parts of 'Dealing with Fear' please click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/dealing-with-fear-part-1 [1] The late Roger Price of Chichester Christian Fellowship.

The prayer of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 3:14-21 This prayer contains a progressive revelation. Please note there are five main steps in this prayer. Step 1 Verse 16; To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. This strengthening with might in your inner man is an essential prerequisite before partaking of steps 2-5. For it is only through the ‘dynamite’ power of the Holy Spirit in us that we can progress spiritually. Step 2 Verse 17; Tells us that consequences of Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith is that we become rooted like a tree in love and grounded like a building, with Jesus Christ as your foundation. This means our Christian walk of obedience to Christ is based upon our responding in love to his love which Jesus gave first. Step 3 Verse 18; When we are strengthened with might in our inner man, and Christ is dwelling in our hearts by faith and we grow rooted and grounded in love then we are in the position to begin to comprehend or discern spiritually the dimensions of God`s love where it surpasses humanly discerned knowledge. Things to consider about the dimensions of God’s love. Breadth – boundless Length – endless Depth – fathomless Height – measureless Even to describe God’s love as a sea is inadequate since seas have limits. Step 4 Verse 19 We must experience the love of Christ, each one of us. That agape love that the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). When we are filled to overflowing with his divine love then we attain the fourth step of the progression, which is that we have the richest measure of the divine presence and we become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. If this is true, it is possible that we can experience the richest measure of the divine presence! Wow! The Greek rendering of ‘filled with all the fullness’ suggests a continuous process, a progressive enlarging experience like a vessel being filled to the brim. Then the vessel expands, and the process goes on and on. Thus, our hearts will grow and take in more and more of Him. Amen. Step 5 Verse 20 Paul then goes on to say after having given us such a tremendous revelation of the word, that the Lord can do infinitely more than all that we dare ask or think, infinitely above our highest hopes, prayers, desires, thoughts, or dreams. Wow! Fellow saints, the word of God tells us that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Would you dare to make such a prayer as this, a prayer for yourself and for those you lead, would you dare to pray this prayer right now? In verse 20 did Paul get carried away with himself? Or was the Holy Spirit showing the church how we also ought to pray for ourselves and others, so that we can aim for the summit of God`s fullness in us in bodily form. If we ask Him for bread will he give us stone or snake for a fish? He knows what good gifts to give to His children. Matthew 5:6 Conclusion Would you dare to ask God for his best for yourself and others, or do you think that the Lord can only just keep you saved? See Ephesians 3:10 concerning the multi-faceted wisdom of God. The Word of God says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Will you dare make such a spirit anointed prayer your fervent prayer. Dare to pray this prayer! Father God we bow our knees to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you grant us, according to your riches, that we might be strengthened with your mighty power in our inner man. We pray that Christ may be dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we are becoming rooted and grounded in your divine love. We ask that we may be able to comprehend with all your saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love, and to come to truly know your love which surpasses human knowledge, that we might be filled with the love of God as you are Lord. Lord, we know you can do much more above all we can ask or even think because your power is at work in us and we say Amen and Glory to your name. For full text for printout and access to our whole message library please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/ephesians-prayer

How to increase your staying power At some point in each of our lives we will stumble and fall. We can stumble because of direct sin in our lives or sometimes other people do something to us which trips us up. But the important thing is to get back up put things right with the Lord (1 John 1:9) and then press on with His plan for our lives. We must keep short accounts with the Lord. When we are down it is important that we do not get too comfortable there and use our present condition whether self-disgust, hurt or rejection etc. as an excuse to never to do anything again for God. You might be thinking...‘I opened up myself to people before and all I got was stabbed in the back and rejected’! Even Jesus was betrayed by a close associate (Judas). Betrayal seems in some odd way to be the way of the cross and Jesus Himself certainly was not spared it! If anyone merited not being betrayed, it was Jesus since He himself never betrayed anyone. So, if it was fit for the Master, how much more for us! Here are some scriptures that encourage your staying power when things are difficult. We need to read these, meditate on them, ask ourselves if we believe them and if we do, then let them lift and encourage your heart! James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 13: I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. All these promises are for God’s children, so we must believe them and let them lift our hearts and heads, knowing that Jesus will soon turn our mourning into dancing and our weeping into joy. Remember the example of your Master. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Amen You may wish to make your own prayer now For full text for printout and access to all our devotionals please click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/perseverance-blesses-you

Luke 7:37-38 The woman with the alabaster box What is on your personal bucket list today? A bucket list, as you know, is a list of all the main things we want to do before we die i.e. before we kick the bucket! Here are some of the most popular types of items on most peoples’ bucket list To go somewhere they have never been To do something they have never done To do something exciting/dangerous/extravagant perhaps just one time in your life. When we consider the meaning and purpose of our life, it is important to put our lives in the context of eternity. The Preacher (aka King Solomon) says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God ‘has set eternity in our hearts’, which I take to mean that, God has given we humans an awareness/consciousness that there is something beyond our natural lives. An awareness that there is someone and something that is beyond our understanding of time. Eternity represents a fork in the road, when we are trying to fathom out, just exactly what is the meaning or purpose of our life. Are you living for time, or for eternity? If we have taken the Jesus fork on the road, then perhaps today might be a fitting time to revise our bucket lists but this time in the light of eternity. This raises the question what can we take from this life into the next? Here is what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. So, what does this mean? So, what treasure we can store up in heaven? Here is what the Apostle Paul said in the key passage about the judgement of believers works. 1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise Master Builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Paul likened the Christian life to constructing a building and tells us we must build carefully. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. For every one of us 12 Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. Our works not our salvation. In your life are you building a palace or a mud hut? [1] 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. G,S and PS are fireproof but not W,H and S. We will all bring our big bag of works to the bema (platform) judgement. 14 If any man's work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. The various crowns to cast at Jesus’ feet. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Clearly this is talking about loss of reward not loss of salvation. The fire will differentiate between work we have done in the flesh (our own ideas, our own power) and work we have done by the Spirit (God’s ideas and God’s power). So, in closing here are some things to consider for our spiritual bucket lists in the light of eternity. Here are some ideas of the type of thing that might bring you gold, silver, and precious stones in heaven. At this stage I believe this could be an opportunity in which God wants to communicate with each one of us personally today, so be open to what the Lord might be saying to you personally. Some suggestions; 1] Go somewhere for God you have never been, maybe a short-term mission Personal testimonies-Brazil, and Tanzania-made many friends who still are today! 2] Do something for God you have never done before, do something creative write something, sing something, paint something, give something, pray something, bless someone Use all your God-given creative talents to full effect. 3] Do something exciting/dangerous/extravagant for God, perhaps just this one time in your life, share the Gospel message, tell a friend or neighbour about your faith, be a good Samaritan to someone in need. Or what about the wonderful woman who poured the alabaster box of costly perfume on Jesus’ feet? She did not store up her treasure on earth. Here is her story, in Luke 7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Those present had doubts and concerns about the woman, but Jesus praised her, whoever has much forgiven , loves much. What about you? Prayer Father God, we ask you in Jesus’ name, to teach us how to live and to love in the light of eternity. Show us all the tasks and opportunities of that are from you which will produce treasure in heaven. Show us what is on your list for me specifically today and help me to live out and complete your vision for my life. Amen [1] Roger Price CCF Tapes BBS 023 Full text for printout and much more please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/your-heavenly-bucket-list