Power Nugget 2

Jesus knows what it's like....

Jesus the Great High Priest

Hebrews 4: 14 - 16

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

The breakthrough we are looking for

It was wonderful having Pastor Mkhululi Ncube, his lovely wife and part of their team visit Crossroads this morning. Mkhululi leads the United Pentecostal Church in Silozwe, a few kilometers from Mablauwuni.

Mkhululi and his lovely wife

 Mkhululi, better known as Cooper, shared from Luke 7:11 – 15. He started by encouraging the folk at Crossroads to get deeper in their relationship with God to have that breakthrough. He encouraged people not to speak negatively and not to measure their success by their environment.

 

He shared on how Jesus had compassion on the widow when her son died. Jesus spoke to her saying, “weep not”. He then spoke to the young man saying, “Arise. He sat up and began to speak.”Jesus first spoke to the widow before addressing her situation. Mkhululi said there are times when we need to call on Jesus and get our lives right before he can address our situations. At times we get disconnected from God and we need to reconnect with Him. This can happen by changing a few things in our lives.

 

Breakthrough can occur if we allow Jesus to speak to us. Sometimes breakthrough comes through deliverance. He said there is a need for people to come out of the “Mablauwuni mentality or system” and speak heavenly things. We need to pursue righteousness, speak positively about our churches and to wait on Jesus.

Summarised by Molly Manhanga

How we think.......

Romans 12:2b says “Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The mind plays a vital part of who we are, how we think and what we believe. When the Bible speaks about renewing our mind, I don’t believe it’s speaking about someone else trying to ‘control’ how you think, behave or what you say. We are not created to be experiments like Pavlov’s theory but we were created to worship the living God…… and worship Him in spirit and truth. God has given each of us gifts – some more than others. 

We need to learn how to celebrate our own gifts as well as the gifts given to others for example, some preachers lead churches of tens of thousands while others lead churches with less than 50 people. Whatever the case, there is no need to panic or feel insecure. Let us rejoice and be glad because Christ is coming back for His bride. 

Too often, we try and hinder people or try and stop them from operating in their God-given gifts. Gods’ ways are much higher than ours and His thoughts are far greater and purer than ours. Renewed thinking comes from saturating ourselves in the word of God. So many of life’s experiences can be found in the Bible and what better Father, guide, counselor, vindicator do we have than God Himself.

When all is said and done, all Christians want to be with our eternal Lord and Saviour forever.

Philippians 2:5 - 11

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

By Molly Manhanga

It's never too late

You occasionally hear people saying, “If I had another chance in life…..” or “If I could live my life over again….” There are things they ‘wish’ they could have said or done differently or things they wish they could change.

It’s never too late. Yes, when words are verbalized they cannot be taken back or some things may never be undone/changed but it’s still not too late. Look for the things that can be changed or done differently and words that can be spoken more positively, gently, lovingly and so on.

We live in a fallen world where people are constantly doing or saying things that have a negative impact on others. The obvious words of “I’m sorry. Please forgive me” go a long way. There are those whose concern is not about the ‘how’ or the ‘process’ but purely the outcome. Young people and older people need to understand that the ‘how’ and especially the ‘process’ matter in achieving or getting to the outcome.

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:1 – 2 “I urge you brothers, by the mercy of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- that is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

A Year of Breakthrough

We are almost at the end of January 2018 and our theme for this year is
 “A Year of Breakthrough”

We are expectant that we will see breakthrough in the areas of our marriages, finance, businesses, education, sport, prayer life, evangelism, Youth work, Kidz Alive, praise and worship, singles, agriculture, transport, project development, buildings, single parents, divorcees and so on.

So how do we achieve these breakthroughs?

We must be prepared to do things we’ve never done before. Let God restore ALL that the locust and canker-worm has eaten.

Habakuk 3:17 - 19

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

A different perspective

Following on from how BIG God is……..

Sometimes we say things like ‘It’s complicated’, ‘It’s so challenging’, ‘It’s so difficult’ or ‘I’m battling’ and so on but the moment we hear of someone elses struggles and battles, ours don’t seem so large anymore. We can somehow cope until we receive a breakthrough.

In comparison to what Jesus Christ went through in the garden of Gethsemane, leading up to his death on the cross, most of us may have a different perspective on the issues of life. Knowing in part how BIG he is, the scriptures take on a new meaning:

Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.."

Isaiah 41:10 – 13 "I am victorious..."

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "I’m a new creation"

Glory be to God!!