Chatsworth Baptist Church

'Our Faith Prompts Action'

TO ALL “FATHER’S” this Father’s Day (2013)

By Michael Appanah June 12, 2013 Pastors Page No Comments

(Galatians 5:24-25 NKJV)

“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. {25} If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Doing God’s will, vs.our own will, can be very complicated if we are not letting ourselves be led by the Spirit.

At times our flesh will desire something and the Spirit of God is saying “No”! But because we love what the flesh is wanting or what it desires, we will ignore the Spirit and His promptings and give in to the flesh.

After the fact, we always feel terrible for not listening and wished we had made the right choice.

This is very common in the lives of all believers, having to fight off the desires of the flesh so that we can be led by the Spirit. Sometimes the fight is a little easier than others, depending on how badly we want what we can’t have.

Keep that flesh crucified and we will eventually see why God does what He does when He does it.

Happy Father’s Day
God Bless

JESUS! YOU ARE AWESOME

By Michael Appanah June 12, 2013 Teachings No Comments

(Psalm 69:34 NKJV)

“Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them.”

Take some time today to Praise Him. He is worthy!

Think about the times when you were lost and He found you. How about the time when you were in a pinch and He took care of your need?

What about when someone was hurting or abusing you and tears rolled down your cheek because you thought you were alone and there was no one there to help you, only to realize that God sent someone to help you out and give you a helping hand?

I’m sure there are all kinds of stories where God was there for each one of us at one time or another.

Let us praise Him today for the God that He is! AWESOME!!

” Redemption “

By Michael Appanah June 7, 2013 Prayer No Comments

Proverbs 31 : 8 – 9

” Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless and see that they get justice. “

We often speak about faith and our calling in Jesus Christ but are we really adhering to it or are we being over shadowed.
God’s word teaches us that we perish for our lack of knowledge ( Hosea 4 : 6 ) and if we continue lacking the correct information, our life is never going to make sense or have purpose. We have so easily become a nation caught up on our own agenda and at every opportunity we walk away from the struggle of those around us.
We listen to the pain and sadness of family members and immediately align it to our struggle but have we forgotten reality, have we forgotten that we have Jesus Christ to rescue us. The idea of us first being blessed was to be a blessing in return and many of us line this primarily to finance but what about our talents, resources and more importantly our time.

How can we ever expect a person longing for the next meal to stand up and face life unless we be their voice – people let us remember that we do all of this because of Jesus Christ. It may be one to declare our faith but the truth be told people want to see our faith in deed, our faith in the goodness of Christ. It is now the time to raise the platform and standards of life.

Let our lives, our love, grace and compassion be a refuge for those who may be dying on the inside. We serve a God of forgiveness, a God of new beginnings, so why should we hold guilt and condemnation unto others close at heart. Let us release all of that in exchange for the love and redemption of Jesus Christ our fountain of everlasting hope and strength.

Heavenly Father we honour you with our lives. We come before you with thanks and praise for the gift of salvation. You have ransomed us and have given us hope to live again – Lord thank you for our identity, for the gift of community and fellowship in your name. Despite what life may seem like in the natural, we rest upon your word that you are a faithful God who knows no end you love, mercy and favour. By faith we believe you are working on our behalf to bring about the right breakthroughs, the right people and the right blessings into our lives – we welcome you Lord Jesus, come and be the light to all. We give you all glory, praise and honour Father God, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

JESUS LOVES YOU

” Your faith, your life “

By Michael Appanah June 6, 2013 Uncategorized No Comments

James 1 : 22
” But don’t just listen to Gods word. You must do what it says. Otherwise you are only fooling yourselves “

Along our journey of faith we would have come across todays scripture at regular intervals but do we really understand its essence.
Too often we use scripture as a feel good tool, we remember cause they sound good or that we may seem intellectual but the truth is scripture is here to guide our lives forward. We are told that we should not just listen to Gods word but to also implement it in our lives as well as the lives of those around us – the interesting point is that by us not doing that we actually make ourselves a fool.

You see the enemy is actually looking at us and laughing for we are making his job so much easier – he knows the power in Gods word but he also recognises our lack of trust / ability in engaging with it. Would you ever buy a new vehicle to park it off all the time or a new home to leave it empty and rent elsewhere instead – it just does not make sense.

Similarly we are placed in the same situation when it concerns our faith and daily living. Why should we be tempted to complain and be discouraged when we have all of the answers / solutions in our Bible. The truth is we may never understand God, His word or our purpose unless we get involved – so let us make today a moment that marks the beginning of our growth in God and His word.
This is our life, it is time we made the most of all that we have been given and allow for Gods word to dwell within. Let us not forget that Gods presence comes alive in us through His word, so let the power of His Spirit reign in and through us.

Heavenly Father we thank you for this day and for the light that dawns upon us with your presence. Lord God we thank you for the encouragement you bring and we bless your Holy Name for your precious word. Even though we may face struggles and trials we rest upon your word which is a lamp unto our feet. Let your power manifest in and through us and may we give all glory, praise and honour to you through what Jesus Christ achieved on the Cross at Calvary. We bless your Holy Name Father God. Amen.
JESUS LOVES YOU

” All to see “

By Michael Appanah June 6, 2013 Uncategorized No Comments

Psalm 55 : 10
” Cast your cares upon the Lord, He will sustain you “

Are you proud of who you are in the Lord and for the progress you have made or do you turn a blind eye to everything around you.
How do you feel when life is placed at your forefront and equally what are you doing about it. The dynamics which remain is that those who attempt and pursue success, actually attain it. It is never about having the qualities or attributes but rather about the desire / determination present within.
You see with drive comes vision which leads to victory and if we just look at Jesus Christ and the Cross we see it. Many may encounter obstacles which bring us down and leave us feeling demotivated and less confident and the truth is that is how the enemy wants to see us – the actual point which weighs us down is the cares of this world and all that surrounds us.
The monthly bills, the difficult teenage kids and the list could go on but are we just allowing that to dictate our lives or are we doing something about it. Maybe we feel we are at a dead end, we could have tried everything and failed to overcome the enemy buthave we really tried Jesus Christ, in all of His fullness. Have you ever wondered why at certain intervals life seems so busy and chaotic that you may feel that you are moving in reverse – we believe that God is actually keeping us occupied to prevent us from engaging in the wrong side of life.
You see sometimes in our life things can be adjusted to give us that extra space and others are beyond our control – it is at that time that we hand the things we find difficult to God and handle the things we can well – we are achievers in the Lord, let no man / situation tell us otherwise.

Father God thank you for giving us life in all of its fullness. Lord we come before you knowing that by your spirit we are safely tucked under your wings. Let your river of blessings flow into our lives, that we may freely share with those around us. Your word says that you have a plan for our lives, that your grace is sufficient for us and in the Name of Jesus Christ we have been given everything in advance. Be with us as we go into this day, let us encounter your Spirit in a deeper way and may we give all praise back to Heaven, back to Jesus Christ our tower of strength. Amen.