(by Pastor Jean)

“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:48; NKJV). When we think of the word “perfect” we think of someone with no faults but the Greek word used here is teleios and actually means, whole, complete, fully mature or brought to a successful conclusion. As new Christians no one would expect us to be fully mature but if we are true disciples of Jesus then we will be growing in maturity or becoming a little more “perfect” every day of our lives. It is a lifelong process. We were created in the image of God (Gen 1:26), therefore as we mature, we should become more and more like God. God is love; He is compassionate, merciful, kind forgiving, just and unchanging (to mention just a few of His attributes). If we are following Jesus as we should then these attributes will naturally begin to develop in us in the form of the fruit of the Spirit, just like fruit forms on a tree. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22,23; NKJV). All these components of the fruit of the Spirit could really be included in the word love. We have been created to develop this love and to share it with those around us, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35; NKJV). As the Holy Spirit works in our lives, we will never reach perfection but gradually become more and more like “teleios” people.

(by pastor Norman)

Jesus prayed for those who would believe in Him, that is Christians, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (john 17-21; NKJV). Wow! Jesus said a united church would draw the whole world to Christ. In the early church believers were in one accord (Acts 2:46, 4:24, 5:12). They were, “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32a) and thousands were added to the church (Acts 2:41), with people being saved daily (Acts 2:47b). Now, neither God the Father nor Jesus ever change (Mal 3:6a, Heb 13:8), so we should be the extension of the early church with that same one accord, based on the same gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the early church leaders as found in the Bible. In the teachings of the apostle Paul, we see that in the church of Jesus Christ we are to be like minded, in agreement, walking in love, in harmony, in one accord, in unity with no divisions, but united (1 Cor 1:10, Phil 2:2, Col 3:14). We are all different, with different personalities and giftings but we are all members of the one body or church (1 Cor 12:12-13). Similarly, we are all one in Christ, no matter our background or origin (Gal 3:26-28), Col 3:11). I love Ephesians 4:2-6, we are reminded to love one another and that there is one faith and one body. We are all charged to keep the unity and it is the Holy Spirit that brings that unity. Let’s get into God’s word and learn about unity and allow the Holy Spirit to work through all of our lives to impact the world!

(by pastor Jean)

I was reading in Hebrews chapter 11 and came across this verse which I had previously underlined but felt like I had never seen it before! Talking about Moses, it says, “He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible” (Heb 11:27; NLT). If an unbeliever was reading this verse it would seem like a conundrum to them because how can you look at someone you can’t see? Of course, as Christians we know that we look with the eyes of the spirit, by faith; we can look at Jesus, knowing He is everywhere though we cannot see Him. Hebrews 11:1 tells us about faith, that it is the certainty of things that you cannot see with your physical eyes. There are more scriptures that confirm looking at the invisible; 2 Cor 5:7, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Similarly in 2 Cor 4:18, “We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (NLT). Hebrews 12:1,2 talks about running the race that God has set before us and says that we do this by, “keeping our eyes on Jesus.” Colossians 3:1 teaches us to think about heaven where Jesus is now. These verses all encourage us to focus on Jesus because He is the solution to all our problems; He is our all in all, everything we need. Of course, it is impossible to do this non-stop all day long, but we can keep bringing our minds back to Him asking God to help us redirect our focus and fix our gaze on Him.

(by pastor Norman)

God has a plan for each of our lives (Ps 139:16). He wishes to guide and direct us into that plan and for us to embrace the amazing, abundant life He has for us (John 10:10), a life of wholeness, health, fulfillment and purpose. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Ps 32:8; NKJV). God guides us primarily by the Holy Spirit, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom 8:14; KJV). As we prayerfully study our Bible, the Holy Spirit will bring the word alive, giving direction and correction for our lives (John 14:26, 16:13-15). The Holy Spirit in us (1 Cor 3:16) can enlighten and prompt our spirits (Rom 9:1, 1 John 3:20-21, John 16:8) by a verse, a thought or an idea that will come with a real sense of peace and assurance (James 3:17) guiding us into all of God’s truth and direction for our lives (John 16:13-15). We call this an inner witness or unction from God. Elijah heard from God as, “a sound of gentle stillness, a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12b); we can experience this as well. Guidance can also come as an audible voice (1 Sam 3:1-8), as dreams and visions (Acts 2:16-18) and prophecy, but we should always make sure that any guidance lines up with God’s word. If in doubt, seek the wisdom of a godly counsellor (Prov 24:6b). If we really want to hear from God we need to get into His word and seek His peace (Is 26:3), “Be still and know that I am God (Ps 46:10; KJV). This is a challenge in today’s world, but with discipline it is very possible!

(by pastor Jean)

It is interesting that when God asked Solomon what he would like, he said wisdom, and out of that wisdom he wrote the book of Proverbs, which is a treasury of wisdom. In fact, in Proverbs 1:2 we are told that, “Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise” (NLT). The meaning of wisdom in both the Old and New Testaments is the practical application of knowledge to our lives. The Bible teaches that wisdom must come from God and not ourselves, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps 111:10. Prov 9:10) and wisdom is a part of who God is (Isa 11:2, 1 Cor 1:24). In addition, we need to, “Seek her (wisdom) as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures” (Prov 2:5; NLT). (See also Prov 4:5,7.) Incidentally, Proverbs 8:17 tells us that if we seek wisdom earnestly, we will find it. How do we seek for wisdom? By reading and meditating in the word, every page is filled with wisdom. We can also ask God to give us wisdom (James 1:5, Prov 2:6). There are many benefits from wisdom; we learn in Proverbs chapter 3 that wisdom brings happiness (V 13,18), long life (V 16), peace (V 17) and life (V 18). It also increases wealth (Prov 8:18, 21, and favour (Prov 8:35). Everybody needs wisdom; husbands, wives, parents, teachers etc. God’s wisdom is what makes us successful in life.