(by Pastor Jean)

The above scripture is found in Phil 2:14 (NIV). I’m sure we are all guilty of grumbling or arguing to some degree or another, and we also know that no none likes someone who is always complaining about things. We are to guard against it because God hates grumbling. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they did a lot of complaining and God called it rebellion (Ex 16:2-7). When Moses sent spies to spy out the land of Canaan 10 came back with a bad report which again caused the Israelites to complain (Num 14:26-29). Paul refers to this in 1 Cor 10:10 when he tells the Corinthians not to complain “as some of them also complained and were destroyed by the destroyer.” Grumbling and complaining shows a negative attitude and lack of trust in God. I like how the Amplified Bible translates Phil 2:14, “Do everything without murmuring or questioning (the providence of God).” So how can we counteract the temptation to complain and argue? Every day we are faced with choices when things don’t go the way we want, we can choose to be sad (complain) or we can choose to be glad, despite the challenges (Phil 4:4, Ps 118:24). We need to cultivate a grateful spirit, focusing more on the good things in our lives than the bad; we must pray about the negative circumstances we are facing and use our faith to believe that God will turn things around as He promised in Rom 8:28.

(By Pastor Jean)

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen” (Heb 11:1; NLT). Hope and faith are closely tied together. Biblical hope is the expectation that God will do what He promises to do compared to worldly hope which is just wishful thinking. God spoke through the prophet Hosea saying that He would, “transform the valley of trouble into a gateway of hope” (Hos 2:15; NLT). Have you ever been in a “valley of trouble”? It is important to have hope in your heart in those times, a confident expectation that God will come through “Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him” (Ps 42:11; AMP). Heb 6:19 tells us that this kind of hope is an anchor for the soul, in other words it keeps us secure despite what is going on around us. The verse goes on to say that it keeps us anchored, “within the veil” meaning in God’s presence and there is no safer place to be. How can we be sure of this? Because Heb 6:18 reveals that it is, “impossible for God to lie.” It is interesting that 1 Cor 13:7 tells us that “love hopes all things (remaining steadfast during difficult times)” (AMP). In Rom 4:18 we read about Abraham who is a good example of Bible hope, “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping – believing that he would become the father of many nations” (NLT). People in the world tell us not to get our hopes up but the Bible says the exact opposite! So, if you are believing God for something put your hope and trust in God and be expectant!

(by pastor Jean)

“For I am the Lord your God who holds your right hand, who says to you, “do not fear I will help you “(Isa 41:13; CSB). See also Isaiah 41:10. There are times in life when we need God’s help, comfort and strength. God knows what we are going through and promises to help us. In the beloved Psalm 23, verse 4 we are also assured of God’s comfort, “Your rod and your staff they comfort me” (CSB). Other verses that speak of God’s comfort are Psalm 119:76, Matthew 5:4, Psalm 34:18 and Romans 8:26-28, to name just a few. Also, in Ps 23:4 God promises to be with us as we go through difficult things, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (NKJV). Remember that one of the names of God is Emanuel which means God is with us (Matt 1:22-23). See also Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:20. We may not always feel God’s presence, but we must believe and act on it by faith. Not only did God promise to be with us but that he would never leave us or abandon us (Heb 13:5). It is often difficult to pray when we are facing trials but Romans 8:26 promises us that the Spirit, “intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words” (AMP). Praise God that He is always there for us with His love and comfort no matter what we are going through.

(by pastor Norman)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7; NJKV). What a wonderful promise! To pray is to bring our requests earnestly to God, prayer was a central commitment for the early church (Acts 2:42). We are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:16; NKJV), constantly (Rom 12:12), remembering also to give thanks to God for answering our prayers (Col 4:2). Our personal prayer needs to be in private, just us and God (Matt 6:6). In the gospel of Matthew Jesus gave us a basic, framework for prayer it includes praise and worship, requesting that God the Father’s will be done on earth, that He would meet our personal needs, protect us from evil, forgive us and enable us to forgive (Matt 6:9-13). We can base our prayers on the Lord’s prayer but Matthew urged us to avoid long repetitious prayers (Matt 6:7). We pray to our Father in Jesus’ name (John 14:13). Our prayers must line up with God’s will (1 John 5:14) which we can find in His word (John 17:17; 8:31,32) then we can be assured that he hears us and will answer our requests (1 John 5:14-15). Finally, we must pray in faith! (Mark 11:24). James, the brother of Jesus, warns us that doubts will negate our prayers (James 1:6-8). Remember we can build up our faith by time in the word! (Rom 10:17). Let’s pray!