Christian Life Church Blog

Unending Love

paulbenger — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:46:52 +0000

Great New Song that we are doing in Church at the moment!

Hillsong Unending Love, posted with vodpod

Thursday Thinking

paulbenger — Thu, 05 May 2011 09:01:50 +0000

Romans 8:37 “no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him (Jesus) who loved us.”

This week I sat with a young man who is wanting to make decisions about his future and wanting to know Gods will. I asked him this question. “What one thing would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”

Paul talks about knowing Jesus and living for him. He is real about the fact that we do fail and that we face hardship and opposition at times. However, he has this incredible perspective in this chapter that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. In fact he says that through Jesus we end up as victors, more than conquerors.

Take a look at your life right now and look through the eyes of a victor. You are more than a conqueror! What hardship, trial, difficulty do you face? Look at it through the eyes of a winner, you will overcome because he has overcome.

Look at these lyrics from take heart a song from the new Hillsong United Album…

Take Heart lyrics

[Verse 1:]
There is a light
It burns brighter than the sun
He steals the night
And casts no shadow
There is hope
Should oceans rise and mountains fall
He never fails

[Chorus:]
So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again

[Verse 1:]
In death by love
The fallen world was overcome
He wears the scars of our freedom
In His Name
All our fears are swept away
He never fails

[Bridge:]
All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome

All our failure
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome
All our heartache
And all our pain
God our healer
He has overcome

All our burdens
And all our shame
God our freedom
He has overcome

All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome

All our failures
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome

God our justice
God our grace
God our freedom
He has overcome

God our refuge
God our strength
God is with us
He has overcome

HE HAS OVERCOME WHICH MEANS YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!

Love ya

PS: hope to sing this song soon at CLC.

Thursday Thinking – Encourage Somebody

paulbenger — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:58:53 +0000

Ephesians 6:18 MSG
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out!

Don’t you just love the last phrase. Keep each others spirit’s up so that no one falls behind or drops out! This weeks Thursday Thinking is slightly different, it’s think right about someone else. Is there someone you can encourage today? Someone who has been going through a sticky patch, someone who has just had some bad news, someone who you haven’t seen around for a while, someone you missed, someone you forgot to thank? Today is the day to think right about that person, to send a text, an email, a card, facebook them, twitter them, whatever…encourage somebody, it’s the right thing to do.

The writer to Hebrews tells us to encourage one another daily, even more as we see he day approaching. Heb 10:25. Don’t think about someone in difficulty, “tough”, don’t say, “too bad, let them learn the hard way.” Encourage them, tell them God is able, tell them you’ve been where they are and you know that God is faithful. Someone once told that to me and I can’t tell you how it strengthened and helped me and stayed with me.

Think this is a day to love and support somebody, this is a day to invest in them to invite them into my world. This is Thursday Thinking at its best. You can make a difference in someone’s world today.

Pick up the phone…go on you can do it!

Love ya

Thursday Thinking – JOY

paulbenger — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:01:12 +0000

Recently I’ve been playing with some words. You may have heard me say, ‘Get your Swagger on!’ or ‘Get your Jimmer on!’ I guess they both mean adopt a position of confidence, not arrogance but confidence. It’s not just about confidence though, dogged determination or persistence. It’s also about Joy:

Nehemiah said, “The Joy of the Lord is your strength.” Neh 8:10

No doubt about it the enemy would love to sap your strength, therefore he’s after your Joy…BUT! He’s not going to have it. Joy is not dependent upon circumstance, its dependent on revelation and right now, this very second, you know God loves you, you have that revelation. You know God is for you, you know he is your hope, your life, your strength, your comfort. YOU know he will never leave you, you know HIS grace is sufficient for you. You know that he will not let you be tempted beyond that which you are able to bear, You know that you can do all things…good times/bad times through Christ who strengthens you. You know his plans are for good, they’re filled with hope and future. YOU HAVE THAT REVELATION THEREFORE YOU HAVE JOY!

David said, “You have put more Joy in my heart than when their grain and wine abound.” Psalm 4:7 What a statement I’ve got more joy than when a bumper harvest comes in and the beer is flowing freely! That’s because Joy is based on revelation, the things you know. “More Joy,” David said, I’m just going to get more joyous, I’ve decided. I’m going to revel in the greatness and goodness of God and get really, really happy!

You know that Jesus died for sins, you have that revelation! You know you are forgiven, you know that you have eternal life, you know that you have peace with God, you know that death holds no sting for you and the grave has no victory over you the power of both is completely annulled in Christ. You know that God redeems, restores and revives, you know God turns things around and you know he will do it for you!

So get your JIMMER on, be joyful, thankful, praiseful today for you know that God is good and God is great! More Joy, Joy unspeakable.

Love ya

Paul

Thursday Thinking – You’ve already got it!

paulbenger — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:51:21 +0000

“His Divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

If you’re like me I’m so often asking for more, for help, for resources, for whatever. This, I believe is a good thing. It shows a desire for growth, expansion, progress. I often though, very often, feel like I just don’t have enough, I don’t have what I need, if only is my cry. But right here, right now reading this verse I have to realise,I’ve got it, I’ve got everything I need.

Did you realise that as you read the verse? You’ve got it, you’ve got everything you need!

‘His Divine power,’ God has put at our disposal the stuff we need. the faith, hope, love, courage, strength, anointing, wisdom, ability. It’s all there, provided by God. You’re not a whimp, coward, loser, you are a champion with all the resources of heaven on your side! He has done it, it was his divine power that gave it to us.

“Through the knowledge of him.”

You might be saying, “OK I read the verse, I hear what you’re saying but where is it? You say I’ve got this stuff, all I need to live a godly life, but I can’t see it, I’m frustrated and frazzled, where the heck is my stuff?” It’s right there. You have it. It’s in the knowledge of him, it’s in Jesus.

What I need more of when I’m feeling short, shaken, bemused and sinking is more of him! It’s not more stuff, he can give that, get that to me easy, what I need is more of him, more of Jesus! That’s where the everything is, located in him!

Prayer: “Lord Jesus, I am so grateful that you have provided everything I need and it is all in you. I chase stuff and means so much, but right now I’m chasing you, more of you Lord.”

Simples :^)

Love ya!

Thursday Thinking – this I know

paulbenger — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:16:05 +0000

Psalm 56:9 says, “This I know, that God is for me.” A friend of mine twittered this text earlier in the week and it so spoke to me. There are times when what we know can get ferociously challenged. We know that God is good but our lives can be surrounded by bad, even evil and the temptation can be to forget or at least question the goodness of God.

That’s why I love this verse. The background is David fleeing from King Saul and being taken by the Philistines in Gath where he stayed for a year (1Samuel 21:10-15 & 29:1-5). He’s not where he wants to be, things have not turned out the way he thought they would, he’s been praying and believing for different circumstances to the circumstances he now faces. Still he says, “This I know, that God is for me.”

Being a person of faith means our convictions about God remain true to his word despite our circumstances. I want to encourage you today to know! Speak to yourself and say,”This I know! That God is for me!” Strengthen yourself in the Lord, declare his goodness over your life, no doubt about it, God loves you and he is for you!

PS: So am I

Thursday Thinking

paulbenger — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:34:09 +0000

Last week I posted a blog called thursday thinking because I woke wanting to encourage every person from CLC regardless of what they were facing that day. So many people commented how it had helped and encouraged them I decided that I would try to do a Thursday Thinking blog each week. Church I want you to know that God is for you, you are the apple of his eye, his affection for you doesn’t dull over time he is still totally besotted and committed to you.

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14, NIV)

In the Bible, when the people of Israel came out of slavery and were headed toward the Promise Land, they were so happy to be finally free! But then Pharaoh changed his mind about letting them go and came chasing after them. They came to a dead end at the Red Sea and things looked impossible. Instead of staying in faith and focusing on the fact that God had delivered them before, the Israelites got upset, fearful and started complaining, “Moses, why did you bring us out here to die?” Moses replied, “Stand still and you will see the deliverance of the Lord.” He went on to say, “The Lord will fight for you if you hold your peace and remain at rest.” The Lord was faithful to His Word and delivered them again.

Moses knew he had to get the people out of that negative mentality or they would be defeated, and the same is true for you. You may be in a storm of life, but don’t let that storm get in you. God is going to fight for you, he is your shield and great reward, remember he is your glory and the lifter of your head, you are a child of the King. God is faithful!

Remember this, you are chosen, loved, forgiven, blessed by God, accepted, righteous and holy.

So that’s it. Stand firm knowing who you are in Christ believing today that God will fight for you.

Love

Paul

Thursday Thinking

paulbenger — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:06:41 +0000

Hey Church

Woke this morning with you on my mind. Whatever kind of week you are having I wanted to remind you that you are “more than a conqueror, in him.” You might not feel it, your circumstances may tell you something different but the fact is, this is who you are. As I woke I thought I’d love to be able to spend 5 minutes with everyone from church this morning before they head off into their world to face whatever is ahead and just bombard them with encouragement, the truth of God’s word, the way God thinks of them today. I guess I’m thinking of 5 minutes of personal coaching for the spirit.

Remind yourself today that God loves you, that no weapon formed against you will prosper. Remember that you are redeemed, chosen, forgiven and called, that God fashioned you in your mother’s womb. Remind yourself today that God is for you and that, he can work it out, he’s your glory and the lifter of your head. Let the peace of God rule your life today, God will lead and guide you, he will order your steps. Be still……..and know that he is God! When we are weak he is strong. Remember you are blessed, you are a child of the king a recipient of grace. This is a day for faith, hope and love. Don’t forget you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

So that’s it shoulder’s back, swag on, today, you are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loves you!

Love ya loads

Paul

Communion Thoughts

paulbenger — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 07:33:23 +0000

There’s a sticky little passage of scripture in 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul writes to the church at Corinth and seeks to correct some of their communion practices. He says to them that when they have communion their ‘meetings do more harm than good.’

He challenges community, he says, “There are divisions among you.” this causes exclusion.

Communion is about community. We live in such a self/me focussed world but in Christ we live in a we focussed world. We love, we worship, we forgive, we hope, we bear one anothers burdens, we rejoice, we laugh, we cry!

Through his death on the Cross Jesus has brought us into communion with him and with his people…This is community!

Time for a Party

paulbenger — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:20:03 +0000

This weeks message covering the later part of mark chapter 2 will focus on the 3 stories Mark tells that highlight the confrontational relationship that Jesus had with the Pharisees.

The first story concerns the calling of Matthew (Levi) who is sat at his tax collectors booth and Jesus asks him to follow him. Never underestimate the power if God to save a person or to turn a persons life around. Just that simple call from Jesus transformed this immoral mans life. Matthew, who would later write the gospel that opens the new testament, would have been quite a rogue. His occupation was one of the most hated, particularly because of it’s association with the evil Edomite King Herod. Tax collectors are still hated today!

Jesus, though, loves a challenge and calls Matthew, transforming him into an apostle in 3 short years. Immediately following the call Matthew knows something is happening to him, that this man Jesus and his word are changing his life, so he holds a party to introduce all his friends, many from the underworld created by Herod, and his former colleagues to Jesus.

I think that there may be some Matthew parties needed by Christians and in churches so that friends, neighbours, colleagues can get close to this man Jesus.

Time for a party!