Christian Youth

19/12/2022

26/01/2022

He reminded them that he had been called personally by God, and delivered a specific message, regarding the importance and seriousness of the Lord Supper – which they were currently disregarding.

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, Paul reminded then, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and gave thanks, and broke it and said, “This is My body, which is given for you – do this in remembrance of Me.”

May we never forget the enormous price that was paid for our redemption, at the cross. May we reverently eat and drink of the bread and cup, in humble submission and grateful thanks – and give witness of the Lord’s death, until His coming again.

25/01/2022

25/01/2022

The need to share the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ is as urgent today as it was on that first day of Pentecost, when Peter delivered his inspired discourse to those men of Israel. Let us similarly tell all we in our sphere of life: This same Jesus Who died on the cross to pay the price for our sins was raised up again by God - to which we too are witnesses, for we who were once dead in our sins have been made alive in Jesus Christ our Lord. And the day is fast approaching when this mortal will put on immortal and this corruption will put in incorruption - for we are ONE with Christ and accepted in HIM - and through Him we have life eternal.

24/01/2022

God is no man's debtor, and despite spiritually gifting all who are called to shepherd the flock of God, Peter reveals a wonderful truth that should rejoice the heart of those who are called to be pastors or elders, or those who Shepherd the Body of Christ, for His name's sake. When JESUS, the Supreme Shepherd returns in the clouds to take us to be with Himself, they will receive a glorious crown, rewarding them for their faithful efforts, that will never fade away. God is a generous Giver of all that is good and perfect in this life - and in the world to come, His gifts of grace are eternal and His generosity is never-ending and beyond our comprehension.

Unlike the runners in an earthy race who receive a fading wreath of leaves that quickly shrivels and dies, faithful men are to shepherd the flock of God under the authoritative guardianship of Christ. He is the Chief and Preeminent Shepherd of all God' people, Who will award each of His faithful under-shepherd, a glorious crown, a never-withering garland of glory, an eternal coronet of praise.

Whether this is only given to those who are under-shepherds in a Church fellowship, or whether it is a crown that may be awarded to all who have faithfully served the body of Christ, and cared for the people of God in the graciousness of their heart, under the guidance of the Spirit is not clear, but may we all in humility of heart carry out Christ's will faithfully and fervently, by caring for the Church of Christ, as we look for that glorious day when we will be with our Good and Faithful Shepherd, Who died and rose again so that we might live eternally.

23/01/2022

Just before His ascension the Lord gave the Church their great commission, to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. But discipleship is not synonymous with becoming a Christian. True discipleship can only happen after salvation – for a disciple is one that learns of Christ and keeps on learning of Him

The commission Christ gave was to make disciples of all nations. A disciple of Christ is a learner of Christ and we are all called to be disciples of Christ - to learn of Him and to mature in our faith. The commission Christ gave His own disciples at His ascension was not simply a call to evangelize the lost (who certainly need to learn about God’s free gift of Salvation through Christ, so that they can trust Him as Saviour) - but it is equally a call for all believers to learn of Christ and to keep on learning of Him throughout their whole life, and even to become teachers of Christ as we grow in our Christian life.

Too often Christ's commission is only seen as a evangelistic call to lost sinners – but it has far wider implications for it is equally a call to teach those that are saved – for all believers need to learn of Christ and to be grounded in the word of God – for God wants all people to be saved and also to come to a knowledge of the truth. It is a fact that all disciples of Christ are believers in Him but not all believers in Christ become His disciples.

Only a believer who is learning of Christ and growing in grace can truly be called a disciple of Christ – but not all believers are disciples for not all believers are learners of Christ. Let us all become true disciples of Christ as we learn more and more of Him.

22/01/2022

The day of the Lord will first come as a thief in the night when for seven years, the wrath of God will be poured out in fullest measure on a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, sinful world - with its prime objective to open the eyes of a blinded Israel to the identity of their promised Messiah.. and to save a multitude of gentiles without number - so that the nations will KNOW that I AM THE LORD and there is NO other.

And as foretold by many prophets.. in that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people. But before the Lord returns to earth in the splendour of His majesty and in power and great glory; the little remnant of Israel will first acknowledge the Lord Jesus as their Messiah-King and God of the universe - shouting in ecstatic harmony : Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord - Hosanna in the highest.

21/01/2022

Just as we who are saved by grace through faith were crucified with Christ and identified with His death, so we who are saved by grace through faith are risen with Christ and identified with His resurrected life - for in Him we are born into newness of life. Because He died we are saved by grace through faith. Because He lives we too will live and receive His resurrected life as a free gift of grace through faith. When Jesus rose from the dead He broke the power of sin and death in the life of all who would one day place their trust in Him - for just as He took OUR death sentence upon Himself on our account.. He also gave HIS “eternal, life privilege' to all who would believe on His name.

There was so much that the disciples did not understand as Christ urgently started to tell them about the forthcoming Church age. And though there were to be further disclosures to be revelaed after Christ's resurrection and ascension.. it was not until the full counsel of God was revealed through Paul and recorded in the Word of God.. that they fully understood that; that because I live you will live also.

20/01/2022

Paul’s Gospel
For I would have you know, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ – for Jesus said I will build My Church.

19/01/2022

The Church is an organism, not an organization. ehold, I show you a mystery, we are members of His flesh and of His bones.Build that, if you can! Launch that; organize that; unthat! It cannot be done. It is the spontaneous outworking of spiritual forces released, in the acceptance by faith of tremendous facts concerning Christ; which facts are proclaimed out of experience in the power of the Holy Ghost. Not the theological Christ; not the doctrinal Christ; not the Christ of the letter, much less the Jesus of history; but the Christ of eternity in all the meaning of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into the Throne of God revealed in the heart by the Holy Spirit. This alone is authority to preach, to serve, to occupy position, to uildin relation to the house of God. It is folly to spend time and strength otherwise. It is wisdom to labor on this foundation.

18/01/2022

Few see and stand upon the fact that our history in Adam ended on the Cross. Our past will plague us until we acknowledge that we are now clear of Adam and safely hidden in the risen Lord Jesus - newly-born creations in Him. One of the penalties of self-occupation is self-pity and corroding remorse.

"Regret for a sinful past will remain until we truly believe that for us in the Lord Jesus that sinful past no longer exists. The man in Christ has only His past and that is perfect and acceptable to the Father. In the Lord Jesus he died, and in Him he rose, and he is now seated in Him within the circle of the Father's favored ones. He is no longer angry with himself because he is no longer self-regarding, but Christ-regarding: hence there is no place for regret."