Chatsworth Baptist Church

3 John 1 : 11

” Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are Gods children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.. “

How do we pursue a life of righteousness and one in line with God, when all we see is more sin and treachery surrounding our lives.
We live in a society where we are only concerned about our own needs and given the opportunity we will jump to drag the next person down. We may find ourselves at the helm of sin, slander, unfair treatment and if we are not careful this can dictate our future and who we are in Christ..
The enemy in all of His manipulation can use just one unfair decision or report to throw your faith out the door, leaving you feeling frustrated, sad and alone. Have you really asked yourself the question about who controls your life – what does it mean when we ask God to order our steps ( Proverbs 3 : 6 ). You may have been treated unfairly at work or that business opportunity you longed for was taken away just as you blinked and right now you are probably wondering how do I recover from this, how do I express faith in God again.

You see when we live by faith in Jesus Christ we live with the expectation of great things to come ( Hebrews 11 : 1 ) so when something which seems so lucrative in the natural is taken away, we can actually watch with a smile on our face and joy in our heart for that was not your manager’s choice or the business associate – it was our God Almighty’s will.
God knows our future and He uses every situation / opportunity for our good ( 2 Corinthians 4 : 12 – 16 ). If we are tempted to doubt todays revelation, then we encourage you to read about how Judas betrayed Jesus Christ and even through the betrayal and crucifixion, all was used to fulfil Gods glory. Nothing happens by chance, all takes place in Gods time and for His purpose.

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father we thank you for your love and grace which consumes our all and moves us away from the tragedies of life. Father we long to be in your presence all the days of our lives – may we guard our faith above all else, that we may identify the tricks of the enemy and move away from the things which so easily drag us down. We thank you that your will for us surpasses all that may come against us, we rest in the power of your Spirit for nothing happens out of your will for us. Be with us now Father, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

(2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV) “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This is the key to unlock the freedom in our country. This is the key to get God back into the places where He has been abandoned or shut out…Prayer is where it’s at. Prayer is powerful and we don’t need to be anywhere in particularly to pray and get with God. We don’t need to be a Pastor or have any title for God to hear us; all we need is to be His people and open our mouths and our hearts to Him. As a child cries out for their Papa when they have fallen down and are hurt, their Papa will not let them stay down hurt and suffering. No… he will coming running to rescue them, just as our Daddy wants to help us to get back UP and heal our wounds!

Today we need to pray for our country. Each one of us, not just a few here and there, not just a handful of us. We all need to join together for our country, whether it is in Chatsworth or in another country, we are brothers and sisters in Christ (Matthew 18:20 NKJV) “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”). Let us come together today, take some time today and pray. God is with us in this. He tells us in His word to repent and Pray and He will heal our land. Is your land aching for Him today? Is it crying out for His presence once again?

We are equipped to do this. He has given us all we need for this battle and it lies in our hearts, protected and safe. It lies on our tongues. No one can take it away from us. Let us pray today for our country and let God Heal what man has tried to destroy.

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