Barnabas Ministries UK

This Christian Website is Just for you!

November 10, 2009 at 4:04 pm (Profile)

THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE is just for you!

Thanks for taking the time to browse through this Christian Site.

It is now almost 12 years since I retired from the leadership of a local church, little realizing what lay ahead. I did not know anything about a computer or a web site. It has been an adventure and quite a learning curve.

After being a Christian since I was a teenager 64 years ago, I have learned steadily quite a bit about the Christian Faith, life and experience. Having served as a Christian minister over 40 years and caring for a number of churches and been a resident lecturer in a Bible College one has gathered quite a lot en-route. The last three years one has been involved on this web site to present, I trust, helpful material that will benefit those who peruse it.

Do look at the on the left hand side of the page to Select Category, if you click this it will open up a vast amount of subjects with a great deal of material that could prove beneficial to you in study.

In the next few weeks I will be presenting new studies and lectures into 1 Peter and something on what is known as Focus. There will also be further good outlines on prayer and messages from other people that should prove to be a blessing and inspiration.

I do use others to help me in providing the wide range of material and am grateful for their support.

Do be free to make comments. They will prove beneficial as one seeks to continually upgrade where possible.

Your friend and helper,

Rev. E. Anderson

Something to Think About

“As an heir of Christ you have much to inherit and possess. Know what your inheritance is and possessions are and go and possess them by divine faith – they are yours!” Ernest Anderson

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A Daily Prophetic Word and Meditation

November 10, 2009 at 4:01 pm (Prophetic Word)

Rev. E. Anderson

GOD DOES SPEAK TODAY

One of the things we need to know about and be sure of is this that God does speak today. This being so, we need to hear His voice and be able to listen and understand what He has to truly say to us and into our lives.

He speaks in a number of ways to those who are tuned in to Him. He communicates through the Bible the Scriptures of truth, through the Holy Spirit bringing in a unique manner to our spirits divine understanding, through daily circumstances, through other human being and nature, also.

The two main ways, however are through the Bible and the Holy Spirit. God has caused this ancient and inspired book to be composed for all men to read in sincerity and when His help His sought, He lightens up the whole Bible and makes it understandable and meaningful. It is possible to discover and know God through these sacred books. On our site we present a daily reading and give a simple explanation that will prove helpful to those who daily read and ponder it.

By the Holy Spirit God seeks to speak prophetically and personally into our lives. He seeks to impart encouraging and helpful messages that will be relevant to our lives at given moments. Each day there will be a word of this nature given so that you can meditate on it and find apt words at the right moment into your situation.

Wednesday – November 11^th

You are not to live in a state of ignorance and darkness where you do not know your God and His plans for your life and existence. He has called you out of spiritual darkness into His marvellous light so that you can see, know and understand what is happening in your life and affairs. As you look to Him on a daily basis He will give you all the knowledge and understanding you need so that you may conduct your life in a positive and profitable manner. You are to live in the know and with divine assurance possessing your being that you are doing those things that are right and good and acceptable to God and that will yield benefits of a great kind. He will enlighten you so that you can perceive what is perfect, just and beneficial in every way.

November 11^th

DIVINE UNDERSTANDING – 1 Corinthians 2

The Christian believer is to be blessed with a spiritual mind that perceives things that cannot be simply comprehended by the natural and carnal intellect. Through the Holy Spirit, insight and intuition are given that help in understanding the all-important considerations of life. He is able to give perfect revelation with regard to God and the things of God. His task is to give true and sound sense with regard to the divine attributes, words, ways and procedures. As He is allowed to perform His task the mind is filled with spiritual revelation and illumination.

It is stated in v12 that one of the purposes of God’s Spirit is to give to the believer the certain knowledge of “what God has freely given us.” Earlier it is affirmed “No eye has seen, no ear has heard., no mind conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him- but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit” - v9. It is apparent that God the Father has destined that those who have come to faith in His Son and have entered into His choice household are to be enriched and blessed in every possible way. The mind of every Christian has to be opened up to this sure knowledge that it is God’s good and eternal pleasure to bring about the best for each of His divine offspring.

As each Christian allows the Holy Spirit to indwell and become the divine Teacher, He will instruct the mind with the knowledge of God’s will and capabilities. Life is to be both progressive and successful, possessing His grace and power so that there will be amazing accomplishments. All are to freely and fully receive from God all that will enhance faith, character and service through the mind being opened to divine revelation. The responsibility of all is to make sure the Holy Spirit is doing His work in this area. Let Him be your principal tutor and all will be well for you.

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Points to Ponder

November 10, 2009 at 3:57 pm (Points to Ponder)

HEART

In Kansas city, during the great Gipsy Smith revival years ago, an old preacher came into the room where the Gipsy was sitting after the service. Thousands were being blessed and hundreds saved. The older minister placed his hands upon the evangelist’s head and felt about it. “I am trying to find the secret of your success,” he said.

“Too high! Too high! My friend, you are too high,” Gipsy said. “The secret of whatever success God has given me is not up there but down here,” and he placed his hand upon his heart.

The other day I heard this man preach, this Gipsy born in a tent, won by his Gipsy father who never had aday’s schooling from men, my yet who preached to multitudes for sixty years. And as he preached, again and again the tears coursed down his cheeks, and my own heart was stirred and warmed and blessed.

Dr. John R. Rice

PICT0004

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Knowing the Truth

November 10, 2009 at 3:52 pm (Knowing the Truth)

Rev. A. Hocking

WHY GO TO CHURCH?

If you’re spiritually alive, you’re going to love this! If you’re spiritually dead, you won’t want to read it. If you’re spiritually curious, there is still hope!

Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember
a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor.. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

“I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this…. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

When you are DOWN to nothing… God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual
nourishment!

All right, now that you’re done reading, send it on! I think everyone should read this! “When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, “Jesus, could you get that for me?”

scar 9

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Illustrations that Light up Life

November 10, 2009 at 3:48 pm (Illustrations)

ernest-024

Rev. E. Anderson

PEACE IN THE DARK

Some years ago this true story appeared in a magazine.

A man who had a beautiful wife and lovely 3 year old daughter was enjoying life to the full. Suddenly his wife was killed in a car accident and it seemed as if all the light had gone out of his life forever. The night after the funeral as he was putting his little girl to bed, the lights fused. Laying the child on her bed, he said, “you just stay here. I’ll go and mend the fuse and be right back”. But frightened at the thought of being left alone, she begged to be allowed to go with him.

Picking her up, he felt his way down the stairs to the cellar where the fuses were. As they got to the cellar, the little girl said, “It’s awfully dark, but I’m not afraid ‘cos you’re here Daddy”. Suddenly the young man realised he had forgotten about God in his tragedy, and was encouraged by the thought that although his life was dark just then, God hadn’t deserted him.

The Bible says, “as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him”. Put your trust in God and let Him lead you through the dark patches in your life.

par hall 4

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A Daily Prophetic Word and Meditation

November 9, 2009 at 3:49 pm (Prophetic Word)

Rev. E. Anderson

GOD DOES SPEAK TODAY

Tuesday – November 10^th

Make sure within your being that you are constantly stirred in your spirit towards your God and towards the things of God. Never ever lose the passion and fire for Him for it is vital to your being, growth, usefulness and blessedness. It is your personal responsibility to give yourself to this matter of ‘stirring’. The apostle called Timothy to ‘stir up the gift’ that God had given him, making him aware that he had a duty to perform in this direction. You must not allow the divine spark and fire to die but make doubly certain that it is fed daily and continually with the divine fuel that has been given for this purpose. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God are the means by which you can be kept in this healthy and warm state. Engage in pursuit of the Spirit and Word today and you will be kept fired up!

November 10^th

CHRIST IS ALL YOU NEED – 1 Corinthians 1

The apostle points out that in Christ the Christian believer has all that is required to create and sustain His whole life. He says in v30 that “He has become wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” Wisdom is that divine understanding and knowledge that is able to provide all the answers and faith that will enable one to be and to live successfully in the way God has designed. Christ is spoken of in the context as the wisdom and power of God. He not only reveals the way to live in the way God has planned but also gives the power to carry out this life. One does not have to look in any other direction but to Christ alone.

It is a life of divine righteousness, holiness and freedom. The idea presented is not simply being forgiven and freed from sin but of living a life utterly devoted to doing what is right and good and is the best. The Gospel of Christ in its outworking is to produce a people who have an absolute love for God and doing what is approved of by Him at all times. In no way is this negative in the sense of not doing certain things but in being committed to living a life that is true, pure, wholesome and very rewarding. Christ is the life of the believer thus enabling this to be so.

Every Christian must learn not only to believe in Christ but also receive from Him on a daily basis in relationship with Him all that He desires to impart. He is a divine treasury of wisdom and power so that in all situations the believer can be enriched by His constant contribution of answers, energy and assurance. He has been the great succoring and sustaining life force of His Church since its commencement and is still able to minister to all who trust Him. As you look alone to Him you, too, will discover that He is well able and suited to provide all that you will ever need.

Rose2

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Christian Testimony

November 9, 2009 at 3:42 pm (Christian Testimony)

IAN MACDOWELL

Ian MacDowell

I went from A LIVING HELL

To a place of peace

lan McDowell was rescued from what he describes as a life of ’living hell’ by a remarkable intervention of God in his life.

“I was a bodybuilder as a young man,” he says. Unfortunately, I got involved in taking anabolic steroids. I was probably what you would call a ‘God-hater’. 1 was training in the gym seven days a week and competing up and down the country in competitions.

When I was 18 I became a night club doorman and I worked 15 years, six nights a week as a bouncers. I also got involved in illegal debt collecting and kept getting myself arrested.

“I’ve said that l nearly tasted hell, because I was going to work with a gun because there was a contract on my life. Life was just a living hell. One night while I was out on bail, I was covered in blood as I drove home after a fight in North London. I remember looking at the blood on my shirt and deciding that I’d better think about what I was doing with my life.

“I thought if there was a God, what did he think about someone like me? I had probably stopped believing in God when I stopped believing in Father Christmas, but that night I said, ‘Jesus, if you’re real, can you help me?’ I don’t know why I said ‘Jesus’ because I’d never been to church in my life, but as soon as I’d prayed that simple prayer I felt an overwhelming sense of love in my heart. I started crying my eyes out and sat there for an hour just being loved by the Father I’d never had.

“I’d never really had the Gospel presented to me but I woke up the next morning thinking, ‘There is a God!’ Over the next weeks and months my life turned round. I joined a church and started to pray regularly and all the anger and hatred and evil just seemed to disappear. All the vile things that used to come out of my lips, and the desire for the bad things I used to be involved in, left my life.

“It’s the fact of knowing how much evil I had been into and just how much grace and love God had given me that drives me to do what I do today. I’m not trying to pay God back – none of us could ever do that- but it’s just when you’ve been touched by so much love you want to give it out.

“And I thank God that my life has gone from a living hell into a place of peace and happiness, all because Jesus died on the cross and rose again for me. I used to have a terrible fear of dying – I had nightmares about it because I’ve been shot at and had knives pulled out of me. But all that fear has been taken from me.

Ian doesn’t compete in building competitions anymore, but keeping his muscles in trim is still useful in the job he now has – security work – and in his youth outreaches. He tells kids and young people about Jesus, while lifting weights with a team of other Christian strongmen called ‘Tough Talk’.

He says, “I never had a normal nine-to-five job in my life, but about twelve years ago I set up a security business. I draw an average salary from it, but the beauty is that it gives me the opportunity to go out and do as many Tough Talk meetings as I can. Tough Talk is my main love – I spend more time doing that than I do actually working, but l feel that is God’s blessing on my life!

“In addition, I’m now a married man. And God’s given me a lovely daughter, so it’s just fantastic the difference he’s made in me”.

scar 2

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Focus

November 9, 2009 at 3:36 pm (Focus)

Measuring Success Correctly

“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised ” Job 1:21

It’s often difficult to tell who is successful and who’s not, Our culture holds up a standard of success that centers on money, prestige, and power, and it’s easy for followers of Christ to get sucked into using that same standard. If someone has a good job, drives a trendy car, lives in an upscale neighborhood, and has a well- dressed wife and kids, he must be a success, right?

Not necessarily.

If success is built on anything besides a person’s relationship with Jesus Christ, it will not hold up when life goes sour and one thing after another is taken from him.

At the beginning of the Book of Job, the main character was considered hugely successful. He easily could have based his success on the fact that he was a good husband and father, an expert businessman, a pillar of the community or a wise philosopher. But then when all that was stripped away, he would have found himself wallowing in the depths of failure.

Instead, Job defined his success on his intimate relationship with God. This, and this alone, was what enabled him to utter those amazing words in Job 1:21- The gave, and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised”.

Life has a way of giving things to us and taking things away from us – things that outside observers would list as the trappings of success. But developing a huge stock portfolio doesn’t bring us joy. Working in the corner office doesn’t bring peace. Having healthy families won’t satisfy our deepest need for fulfillment.

It was Job’s unwavering belief in God that made him successful – at the beginning of the book, in the midst of his suffering, and at the end when all God’s blessings returned to him.

What is your standard of success? Perhaps it’s time to reevaluate to see whether it’s based on something temporary or Someone eternal.

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Messages by Rick Warren

November 9, 2009 at 3:32 pm (Messages by Rick Warren)

Rev. Rick Warren

GOD’S FINANCIAL PROVISION: ASK HIM FOR HELP

by Rick Warren

“You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, His generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus” – Philippians 4:19 MSG.

There is an amazing, incredible, and all-encompassing promise in Philippians 4:19 (NIV) regarding provision: “…God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Note the first two words: “God will…” It doesn’t say, “He might meet your needs,” it says, “He will meet your needs.” It’s written as a fact; God is staking His character and His reputation on it.

Then the Bible says, “God will meet all…” It doesn’t say, “I’ll meet some of your needs.” It says “all.”

Now, understand that it doesn’t say, “I’ll meet all your greeds.” There’s a big difference between needs and wants. As a parent, do you give your kids everything they want? I hope you don’t. You don’t do that because you love them. And your heavenly Father loves you. He’s not going to give you everything you want because if He did, you’d be spoiled to death.

He won’t give us everything we want, but he will give us everything we need. Then why do you have financial needs? Did God fail? Did he lie? Did he exaggerate?

No! With every promise, there is a premise—there are conditions and requirements. When God makes a promise, he says, “I’ll do my part and you do your part.” God’s financial wisdom is clearly laid out for us in His Word. Although the Bible discusses many aspects of financial health—including principles of saving, spending, giving, investing, and stewardship—over the next few days we’re going to look at five specific conditions for financial stability.

First, ask for His help. Jesus says, “Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy” (John 16:24 NLT). Here’s a good rule: Before you pay for it, pray for it. Give God a chance to provide before you go out and charge it. You probably depend more on your charge card than you do on Jesus Christ.

Why does God want me to ask? So He can give.
Why does He want to give? So I can receive.
Why does He want me to receive? So I’ll be full of joy.
Why does He want me to be full of joy? It’s a great advertisement for Jesus Christ. Joyful Christians are a positive testimony.

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