There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus - Romans 8:1

The difference between condemnation and conviction is that condemnation is the voice that will look at your sin and say, "look at what you have done!" - conviction is the voice that will look at your sin and say. "look at what Jesus has done!"  

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." ~Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Be there!

So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body. ~Heb. 10:20

What is keeping YOU from enjoying this reality TODAY?

It's been one year TODAY since Eileen passed away.  Wow, how time flies...  It's funny how sometimes it feels like ten years ago and other times it feels like just yesterday that we were having a coffee somewhere, planning an outing, and negotiating her many oxygen tanks and related contraptions.  Our lives are all the richer for having had her with us.

 

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. ~ Ephesians 5:8,9

WOW!   Be there!

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.  Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.  The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. ~Isaiah 52:7-10

The above passage if the Bible is normally read as an evangelistic passage, or at the very least as a call to evangelism.  It may very well be that, but lately I have been struck by the thought that this passage is more of an eschatological, or “end times”, statement than an evangelistic one.  This difference may not seem to be that marked, but the ramifications of it are indeed.

God is putting every wrong thing right.
The prophet is heralding that God has finally done what He promised to do.  The message for us is that God has, in Jesus, finally defeated all evil, and in his resurrection we see a prototype of the final resurrection where God’s Kingdom, and justice will be restored on the Earth and every wrong thing will be put right.  For the Christian this restoration has begun in the resurrection of Jesus, an event that we actually share in and partake of.  

The messengers are publishing Good News.
The messenger is announcing good news of peace.  This word PEACE, is the Hebrew word SHALOM which among other things conveys a sense of wholesomeness - “nothing missing, nothing broken”.  The sentinels, who are professional “bad-news seekers” now spring up in rapturous songs of joy because of the Lord’s victory!  These guys are in the midst of Jerusalem’s ruins, Israel is in a state of exile, and they are rejoicing for the victory!  Before they actually SEE the victory they are rejoicing.  

Celebrating your victories in advance.
In the Kingdom we celebrate the victory before we see it with our eyes - when we pray we believe that we have already received, and we shall have it!

Sing, O barren one who did not bear; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord. ~Isaiah 54:1

When we celebrate victory and give thanks in advance it releases the breakthrough that we need for victory.  If you are in the middle of a struggle right now, I would encourage you to start rejoicing and celebrating your victory - Get ready, prepare yourself, for your success will surpase your expectations by far!

Our monthly fellowship meal together........... Here's a glimpse of some of the survivors of the current rounds of viruses, bugs and gremlins.  Those who could not make it were missed tremendously!

"From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." ~Psalm 61:2

Be there!

Here's a sneak preview of my latest talk:

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:18

Brought to you by - The Bible:  Helping you find your groove since 1400BC

One fun thing that we are picking-up again at Living Waters Church is that of having a monthly “Fellowship Sunday” celebration.  Once a month (Usually on the first Sunday of the month) we dial-down the tone of our Sunday service, we share testimonies, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and then after the meeting we all eat together potluck-style, as we spend time together, and celebrate our church family as a family.  The better part of the afternoon is then spent just enjoying each other’s company.

We are realizing that “fellowship” is more than just tea and biscuits.  True and meaningful connections, do not happen by worshipping together.  They do not happen by spending a couple of hours together on a Sunday morning.  We need to spend time with each other, investing in each other, and developing relationships with each other.

Connections start to happen around food and drink.  There is something mystical and cosmic about eating together, but maybe that is a topic to explore further in another blog post.  The power of conversations around a shared meal has been by-and-large lost in our individualistic society - the lure of eating in-front of my laptop or TV by myself is all the rage here in the West.  Suckers.

We have yet to see what develops out of these shared times together, but it is exciting.  For now we eat, we drink, we laugh, we talk, we argue - and God infuses all of this with Himself.  I am already looking forward to our next Fellowship Sunday.