I'm fighting for you!

Tenth Avenue North

My friends, don't give up on Jesus-Christ!
 Even in the middle of trials and tribulations, He won't let you down.
He loves you so much that he died an unjust and cruel death for you and me.
Then he resurrected and appeared to thousands.
The apostle John reports what Jesus told them:

Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.

7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. 

Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong

 about sin and righteousness and judgment: 

9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 

10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;

11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. John 16

 As he promised, the Holy Spirit was poured out on whoever believed then. And just as the prophet Joel said ch 2 v 28

And afterword

I will pour out my spirit on all people

Your sons and daughters will prophesy

your old me will dream dreams, 

your young men will see vision.

The apostle Paul who had an encounter with Jesus while he was persecuting his followers says about him in his letter to the Colossians ch 1 verses 15-16

He is the image of the invisible God: the first born over all creation.
For by him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrownes or powers or rules or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

And we read verses 19-20

For God was pleased  to have all his fullness

dwell in him

and through him

to reconcile to himself all things

whether things on earth

or things in heaven

by making peace through his blood

shed on the cross.

Powerful! Through the death of our Saviour Jesus-Christ we are reconciled with God our Father.

Pursue righteousness

2 Timothy 2:22 

“Flee the evil desires of youth,

 and pursue righteousness, 

faith, love and peace,

 along with those who call on the Lord 

out of a pure heart”

Praying for our brothers and sisters in Nigeria.

NIGERIA: FULANI HERDSMEN KILL HUNDREDS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

03 March 2016

Hundreds were killed in northern Nigeria during violence that took place in four communities in Agatu, Benue state according to BBC News. Reports say that over 7,000 people have been internally displaced and are living in camps as a result of the violence.
Muslim Fulani herdsmen have been targeting Christians in this area and driving them out of their homes in violent attacks. It is not clear how many Christians were killed in the attacks last week; the security situation makes it difficult to confirm the details and reports are unclear.
Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into the clashes and ordered security agencies to get to the root of the problem. He said: "We will conduct an investigation to know exactly what happened; the only way to bring an end to the violence once and for all is to look beyond one incident and ascertain exactly what factors are behind the conflicts."
He continued, "There should not be any reason why Nigerians of any group or tongue cannot now reside with one another wherever they find themselves after decades of living together."

Read more, click here

Peace with God

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have Peace with God,
through our Lord Jesus-Christ,
Through whom also we have access by faith into his grace
in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
Dear friends, have a blessed Sunday.

What friends, alcohol and smoking could not do!

Umit had no peace or joy. It seemed everywhere he looked, it was missing. If at a moment he found peace, it lasted only a breath; then his life went back to the same feeling of unrest. This restlessness overshadowed any source of joy. If the peace his young heart yearned for wasn't found in his religion, his friends or in the alcohol he consumed, where could he find it?
Seeking to Fill the VoidUmit had grown up in a very religious home. Every month, he visited the local religious institution in hopes of finding blessings and peace. As time wore on, however, Umit felt all his pursuits of peace were fruitless. He stopped worshiping his god and began filling the emptiness with friends, smoking and drinking. But the happiness and momentary fulfilment he felt would inevitably sweep past him, leaving the void more prominent than before. Slowly, Umit began to cling tighter to alcohol. His parents tried to guide him and counsel him away from his bad habits, but he wouldn't listen.

Aside from the time he spent with his friends, Umit enjoyed listening to the radio, which was the latest technology in his village. He liked listening to music. As he was skimming through radio stations one day, his fingers suddenly stopped turning the dial. The words of a radio speaker speaking his language quickened Umit's ears. A message of eternal hope and peace echoed in the air. Umit listened intently as the speaker hit on the very points he felt his life lacked. The program touched his heart, and from that moment, Umit's life would never again be the same.

Umit lifted up his voice in prayer with the radio speaker. Weary of his disobedient, miserable life, he longed for the hope that Jesus promised to give. After he prayed, peace immediately filled him. The drinking and smoking Umit once indulged in then became a thing of the past.
He wanted someone to tell him everything about Jesus and answer all his questions. But no one around him shared his faith, and he had no Bible to read. The only source he knew of was the radio program. Umit called the station, and on the other end of the line he heard the familiar voice of the radio broadcaster. Pagat, a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary, listened closely to Umit as he poured out his heart and told his story of pursuing peace
Read on this beautiful true story, click here!

Saturday bike ride

 I was wondering why I haven't gone on my bike more often this month, the answer being simple, the weather hasn't been that good! At lunch time, I went out but the wind was very cold and bitter, it started to rain so I came back home twenty minutes later. I went on reading a beautiful book called Faith stories by John Sentamu. At about 2 the idea of biking came back so off I went again. Not far, to the next village called Great Haywood. If you cross the first bridge (for the canal) and then the second bridge (for the river Trent) you find yourself in Shugborough Estate. Well on the path that surrounds it as you have to pay to get in. There weren't many people around. The sun was in and out; it hailed for three minutes. I had a great time relaxing in a beautiful environment. Here are a few photos. Have a blessed Saturday.

From the bridge in Great Haywood, Staffs.

Two ducks by Great Haywood bridge,  too busy to pose!

Shugborough estate

Shugborough mansion

Barges on the canal in front of Shugborough house

If anyone is in Christ...

Dear friends, have a blessed day full of joy and peace!

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God

My beautiful sister-in-law Pauline bought me a book called Holyfire from RT Kendall and I started reading last night. It's informative, clear and edifying. I also  discovered this  beautiful and powerful song by Stuart Townend. Here are the lyrics.

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Bring the presence of the risen Lord
To renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see;
Give me passion for Your purity.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within;
May Your joy be seen in all I do—
Love enough to cover ev'ry sin
In each thought and deed and attitude,
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my striving into works of grace.
Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation's birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show your power once again on earth;
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise.
Lead us on the road of sacrifice
That in unity the face of Christ
Will be clear for all the world to see.

Have a blessed evening!

Live at peace with everyone!

We must pursue peace and purity to finish the Christian race: Stay on course (12:14)!

The course entails the two great commandments. Pursuing “peace with all men” is the second commandment, to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39). To pursue “the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” is the first commandment, to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). Jesus links these two themes (in reverse order) in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:8, 9).

The link between pursuing peace and sanctification shows that we must not pursue peace at any cost. As Paul puts it (Rom. 12:18), “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” His words imply the reality of living in this fallen world, that sometimes it is not possible to be at peace with everyone. Sometimes the other person clings to bitterness and hatred, and you can’t do anything more than you’ve done to be reconciled. At other times, to make peace would require compromising obedience to God, either morally or doctrinally. You can’t sacrifice personal holiness or commitment to God’s truth for the sake of peace. But, whenever you can do so without compromise, the race set before us includes pursuing both peace with others and purity before God.

More teaching here or copy and paste this link https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-47-perseverance-peace-and-purity-hebrews-1212-14