Fresh Start

Fresh starts

October 27, 2016

|

Pastor Richard Taylor

Over the years I've been so consciences of how many people experience fresh starts. A few years ago I was playing first team rugby for Blaina RFC and for a few seasons we always finished at the bottom of the table. When preseason came around we were all excited because it was a fresh start from the previous bad season. I suppose in many ways life can be like that.  We can go through a bad season but then we can start again this happens in life in so many ways a new start might be a new job, new house, a career change or a defining moment in your life but whatever it is it's a fresh start. I believe that God wants to give us fresh starts on a regular basis when we fail or things go wrong God says his mercies are new every morning. I remember planting our first church it was a 'first start' I'd never done it before it was excited, scary, adventurous, painful and joyful all of those emotions were part of a fresh start but it never stopped me stepping out and going for it! Be encouraged to do something different and make a fresh start. www.richietaylor.org

Pastor Richard Taylor at Hollybush

Ministry weekend at Hollybush

October 11, 2016

|

Richard Taylor

Ive had the privilege of speaking at Hollybush Christian Fellowship for the last 14 years. This is a church set on a farm and pastored for decades by Pastor's Jim and Cynthia Wilkinson. Its a church that has seen many revivals in the past. My wife and I were honoured to minister on the Friday night and all day Sunday. I preached on the blood of Jesus Christ from Hebrew 9,10,11 and the impact was evident by those that responded to the message.

We had plenty of free time on Saturday and visited the beautiful city of York. We enjoyed looking around this historical town before relaxing at our hotel in the beautiful surroundings of Yorkshire at Solberge Hall.

It was exciting to have Jill my wife minister in prayer alongside me and we were so blessed see God at at work in people's lives. Here are some pictures of our weekend in Yorkshire.

Timing is everything

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted… a time to break down, and a time to build up. (Eccl. 3:1-3)

Our modern world has became an instant society and the art of waiting has became a stranger to most of us. The advancement in technology means that at a touch of a button we can access so much so 

quickly. There was a time when we wrote letters to each other and would patiently wait for a response! Today someone sends you an email or text and expects a response within seconds. Instant food, instant banking, instant shopping are all part of our daily world with the promise of fast delivery without delay. This too often has become a challenge to many as the very thought of waiting on God has become alien. The bible exhorts to wait on God and renew our strength, the Lord doesn't always work on our instant time but requires to wait and trust his timing.

Timing has to do with surrender

Can we truly wait on an unanswered prayer, a door to open or for God to deliver us from our present trials? Maybe God is revealing more about the condition of hearts and testing to see if we are surrendered in trusting him when there is no instant answer, response or reply.

God's timing is perfect because he knows the end game, there are times when we are not ready or God is wanting to teach us valuable life lessons. They key is not to get frustrated but keep trusting God in the waiting room.

There's one thing we have learnt as a family in the last few years and that to wait! It's no surprise that the bible tells us that patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. If we try and force what God hasn't endorsed we bring upon ourselves unnecessary pain and problems. 

Trust Gods timing, stay patient because He's faithful and knows whats best for us.

The Peace of God

When we read the New Testament looking to find Bible verses about peace, we find a specific greeting used sixteen times: “Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This Bible verse about peace from 1 Corinthians 1:3  is found in several other locations. Yet, there is more to “Grace and Peace” than a simple greeting.

In all instances “Grace” is written first. God’s Grace always precedes peace, because true peace begins only when we accept the unmerited favor of God.  Understand Grace, and we know peace.

Grace leading to peace is amplified through Romans 5:1 (NIV):

Bible Verses about Peace: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is peace? David Jeremiah says it well in Sanctuary.

Because the Holy Spirit is resident in the life of every believer, it becomes possible for every believer to experience peace. For those who have accepted the grace of God, we must now ask, “What exactly is Peace?” A person may grow weary of constant noise, and say, “I just want a little peace and quiet.” We understand what they mean, but the absence of noise is not peace. It would be great if there were no military conflicts, but the absence of war is not peace either. We understand peace when we follow the Bible verses about Peace. 

 

Peace is a product of God design.

 

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ — 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV).

Peace, like creation is not an accident. It is not a condition invented by psychology. God designed it, understands it, and gives it to those he calls.

 

Peace comes from knowing Jesus and is not linked to external circumstances.

 

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 — Colossians 1:19-20 (NIV).

True peace comes from a saving knowledge of Jesus. Peace was designed by God, and comes through the blood of Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV).

“Believing prayer ushers in God’s peace. Not a random, nebulous, earthly peace, but his peace. Imported from heaven. The same tranquility that marks the throne room, God offers to you.” – Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment Volume II

 

Peace is a vital part of our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. —  Galatians 5:22

Peace is listed in the top three characteristics of the fruit of the spirit. Without love, joy, and peace, there is little hope of accomplishing forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control. All of those characteristics are predicated on the love, joy, and peace of God.

The Psalmist agrees: “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other” — Psalm 85:10 (NIV).

 

Peace is not ours to keep, but ours to share.

 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God—  Matthew 5:9 (NIV).

The peace of God must be evident in us. Others need to see what we have and desire to have it. Then we must be peacemakers, able to share the love of God with a troubled world. Jesus follows with this statement: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” — Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV).

 

Peace is demonstrated to the world through a healthy Church.

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. —   2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV).

Church fights hurt the cause of Christ. To that end the Bible says, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” — Romans 14:19 (NIV).

 

Peace is not determined by possessions, or circumstances.

 

The pursuit of peace is more important than the pursuit of possessions, money, or fame. Peace is not determined by where we live, or how much we own. Paul in Philippians 4 amplifies this statement, when he spoke of being wealthy, as well as being poor. He knew what it meant have it all, and to have nothing. In all of those things, he states:

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. — Philippians 4:9,12-13 (NIV).

Dr. David Jeremiah writes in Sanctuary, “All too often we lose our peace in the midst of tragedy and the circumstances of life. When we do that, we have nothing to offer a watching world. If a neighbor comes to us distraught over tragedy and finds us just as undone, what testimony have we given about the peace of Christ, which He promised? It is the Christians in a community who should be able to offer a word of encouragement and comfort during difficult times. But we can only do that if we possess the peace of Christ-that peace which He purchased for us at the price of His own blood.” 

God's Grace

To fully comprehend God’s grace we first need an understanding of covenant. Covenant in its simplest form is an agreement between two parties and usually sealed with a ritual or act of sacrifice. Biblical covenant is demonstrated throughout the scriptures when God made an agreement with man. There are many c!ovenants found within the pages of the Old Testament for example the ‘Abrahamic covenant’.

The Old testament is a covenant within itself it could be cold the Old covenant as God would give man a c!ontract of agreement and if we kept our part of the contract God promises to keep his.

The difference however is that God never breaks his agreement but we do. At Mount Sinai God give us the t!en commandments that became the basis of a contract with man attached to promises.

We broke our agreement and sinned and broke the covenant. This reveals that we could not and cannot k!eep the laws of God or the demands of scripture and fall short every time.

T!hat is why we were given a New covenant (NT). The bible says;

This Covenant of Grace is where God promises eternal salvation to Man based upon the sacrifice of Jesus

on the cross. 

This is called a Covenant of Grace because it is initiated by God, due to no part and worthiness of man, and is unmerited favour received from God.

In this covenant Jesus would become man (John 1:1, 18; Heb. 2:9), be the mediator of a better covenant (Heb. 8:6), and being under the Law (Gal. 4:4) fulfils the Law perfectly (1 Pet. 2:22). Therefore, the righteousness accomplished by Christ is given to the believer, so that he has the righteousness that is not his own but that of Christ (Phil. 3:9). 

The believer's responsibility is to have faith in the work of Christ (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9), a righteousness derived in the New Testament times by faith just as it was in the Old Testament times (Rom. 4:1-11).

The manifestation of the Covenant of Grace was progressively disclosed. It began in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned and God promised a redeemer (Gen. 3:15), to Abraham the promise to bless the nations (Gen. 12:2-3), the covenant of the Ten Commandments given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28), and believers in the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-37) which is fulfilled in Christ (1 Cor. 11:25).