23/07/2008 by Noodge.

I want you to imagine a conversation between Jesus and Gabriel after Jesus ascended to heaven.

Gabriel says, ” You have succeed at triumphed over sin and provided a way to enable the salvation of mankind. Now how are you going to let them know the way?”

Jesus answered, ” Thats easy I have leave it to Andrew, Peter, John and Paul to spread the word”

Gabriel said, ” And whats plan B”

Jesus replied, “There is no plan B”

The apostles have done an amazing job of spreading God word and reaching millions. However the baton has now been passed to us!

Gabriel and Jesus could still be having the same converstion but in response to Gabriels question about how Jesus is going to get his message out, Jesus response is this

“Thats easy I have left it to Phillip, Mark, Tim, Peter, Matt, Victoria, Lauren, Noel, Simon, Luke and Andrew”

Remember there is no plan B.

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23/06/2008 by Noodge.

Effective witnessing saves people from God’s judgment. We witness to some through our compassion and kindness; to others we witness as if we were snatching them from the eternal fire. To hate “even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” means that we are to hate the sin, but we must witness to and love the sinner. Unbelievers, no matter how successful they seem by worldly standards, are lost and in need of salvation. We should not take witnessing lightly—it is a matter of life and death.

JESUS MADE A DIFFERENCE

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

{They have tried to stop what Jesus did and taught, but they could not}

In trying to find common ground with those to whom we witness, we must be careful not to fall into the quicksand. When reaching out to others, we must be sure that our own footing is safe and secure. Be careful not to become like non-Christians that no one can tell who you are or what you believe. Influence them for Christ—don’t allow them to influence you to sin!

{STORY: The little boy who saved the star fish.}

A little boy lived by the sea shore, and every day he would go to the shore to pick up star fish and put them back in the Ocean. Then one day they had a Hurricane which washed up thousands of star fish. So the little boy went out there and started picking them up one at a time and putting them back in the Ocean. There was a man who was watching him. Finally the man said to the boy, “why do you pick the star fish up? There are so many of them you can’t make a difference”. Then the little boy picked up one star fish and looked at the man and said, “to this one I can make a difference, then he picked up another one and said to this one I can make a difference”.

YE ARE CHOSEN

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

DAVID MADE A DIFFERENCE

1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

{PUTTING ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD}

Ephesians 6:13-17 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [14] Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; [15] And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; [16] Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. [17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

JONAH MADE A DIFFERENCE

Jonah 3:1-4 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, [2] Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. [3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. [4] And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

PHILLIP MADE A DIFFERENCE [Eunuch]

Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

Subject: 57 cents

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had
been turned away because it ’was too crowded.’ “I can’t go to Sunday
School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her
shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking
her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the
Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that
night thinking of the children who have no place to worship
Jesus. Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor
tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor,
who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school.” For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents. Church members made large subscriptions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00, a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so
sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a
portrait of her kind pastor.
Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, “Acres of Diamonds,” a
true story.
Goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 cents. So what can God do with you!

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19/06/2008 by Noodge.

Two phrases this week really kicked me into touch.

“Am I a possessor of God or just a merely professor” ie do i just talk a good game! Courtesy of Stanley Mawhinney

“I should strive to make my CHristian walk better than yesterdays. And tomorrows better than today” courtesy of Aaron Andrews (someone I work with)

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19/06/2008 by Noodge.

The Valley of Dry Bones

¹ The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³ He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “O Sovereign LORD , you alone know.”
⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD ! ⁵ This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath ^F88 enter you, and you will come to life. ⁶ I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD .’ ”
⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet-a vast army.

I have a simple thought about this. There are times we can feel so dry about the things of God personally, and perhaps if we look around the church all we see is dry bones. But read the passage above, again. God can breath live into dry bones. He can make flesh appear, he can breath into them life and most importantly he can raise up an army.

But for that we need to allow God to breath into our lives.

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22/05/2008 by Noodge.

Tonight something happened that one year ago could not have happened. Youth leaders from the Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Pentecostal and Church of Ireland sat down and “Engaged” with each other about organising a regular Youth Event that the young people from the various churches could come to.

To put it plainly , its about the true body of Christ coming together to worship and unite.

Im very excited! 

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04/05/2008 by Noodge.

I am re-reading (yes that means I have read the book before and this is the 2nd time) a book called God’s Fingerprint by Paul Scanlon. Im sure you can figure out why I was drawn to the title. But Im going to leave you with an extract from the book.

(Plese dont sue me!!!! , I encourage those who read this to buy the book)

God is a God of excellent. he is the source of it, for it is in his very nture. the palmist recognised this when he cried out “O Lord, our Lord, hoew excellent is thy name in all the earth” Psalm 8:1 (This btw was also the Sunday school memory verse!). Jesus’ life was embodied excellence, not only in what he did but in who he was. Daniel, a man who followed Gods ways, “so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. It was not his charisma or zeal or technical abilities which commended him to the king, but the excellence within him.

“Excellence is not an event or instance, but  a way of life, an attitude of heart, an internal value that we must commit to in our personal, family and church life”

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01/05/2008 by Noodge.

Today I watched High school musical for the umpteen time, you know how the song goes, What Team, Wildcats, What Team Wildcats. My boys just seem to love that movie. But it got me thinking today, as Christians we often underestimate the power in our team! A lot of the young people will begin to break out in buckets of sweat and stress as it comes closer to their exams, and as I contemplated this I thought if the words of an old worship piece, all about what God can do.

God is able

To accomplish what concerns me today
He is able more than able
To handle anything that comes my way
He is able more than able
To do much more than I could ever dream
He is able more than able
To make me what He wants me to be

With that assurance I hope that encourages you 2day.

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30/04/2008 by Noodge.

1. “Eh, it’s good enough.”
This is not an appropriate attitude to have toward your ministry! You should never look at a Bible lesson, worship set, communication or the ministry in general and think that it’s up to par. Rather, strive for excellence in all you do and “work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Col. 3:23-24).

2. “It’s not about numbers.”
Numbers are important because it shows that you’re not an inward-focused little Christian bubble. You should be intentionally reaching out in your community, seeking the lost for Christ because every number out there represents a lost soul.

3. “I need to pretend like I’m perfect so the youth look up to me.”
Yeah, whatever! Young people need to see that you’re a real human being who make mistakes, has failures and sometimes struggles in your walk with Christ. It doesn’t make you a bad role model — it makes you someone they can actually relate to.

4. “We can’t do effective youth ministry without a budget, a cool youth room and a paid youth pastor.”
There’s nothing that suppresses imagination, creativity and excitement more than focusing on what you don’t have. Instead, focus on the tools and resources God’s provided and run with that! The best ministry takes place outside the church, doing something free with a volunteer adult who just loves kids.

5. “It’s wrong and hurtful, but I’ll let it go.”
Avoiding issues that need to be addressed (gossip, disrespect, etc.) will erode unity faster than anything else. Confront it head-on for the sake of the ministry even if it makes you feel uncomfortable. Seriously.

6. “I’m not funny or outgoing. I don’t play a guitar, have no facial hair, and I’m over 40. There’s no way can work with teens.”
In fact, the best youth workers I’ve ever encountered are retired, white to no hair, know nothing about the latest bands or movies, but deeply love teenagers and have lives that are jam-packed with spiritual maturity and wisdom that no young adult could ever impart.

7. “We need to play lots of games and have lots of fun at youth group.”
Yes, you do need to have lots of fun at youth group, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be through lots of hype and games. In-depth Bible study is what young people crave — that’s fun!

8. “This is pointless. I don’t see any life-change taking place.”
And you may never see it. Sometimes the investment you make now doesn’t pay off until years down the road when you may no longer be in touch with the students. Speak God’s truth into their lives and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

9. “We need to have lots of programs and activities for kids.”
Having a full calendar may actually be a symptom of insecurity more than a sign of strength. Besides, just because students participate in a lot of church events does not mean they’re actually growing.

10. “They’re just teenagers. I can’t expect too much from them.”
Teenagers have more potential than any other age group! They’re leaders, innovators, creative, passionate, and have more energy than 100 youth pastors on Jolt. They’re incredibly responsible about whatever is important to them. Maybe your expectations are just way too low. Challenge them to a higher standard.

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29/04/2008 by Noodge.

1. Be passionate about your own personal relationship with Christ.
2. Develop and train volunteers who are also passionate about their relationship with Christ.
3. Hang out with kids and pray like crazy that your passion become contagious.
4. Expect the Holy Spirit do some awesome things to spiritually grow your kids through your influence.(What, did you think this was about numerical growth? Are you a little disappointed that it’s not?)

The first point is this: it starts with us, the youth leaders. To take our kids to new levels of spiritual maturity means we have to be at that level first. I’m convinced that most Christianity is caught, not taught. We can stand up in front of a group and say a lot of good things about God and, although that’s significant, none of that will leave the impact that the presence of a passionate sold-out-for-God youth worker will who gives students a chance to see a relationship with God lived out in daily life.

The second point is that spiritual growth is ultimately a work of the Holy Spirit. There’s nothing we can do to force a kid to grow. The best we can do is pray like their lives depend on it (because they do) and seek the Lord’s wisdom in creating environments that facilitate spiritual growth. Beyond that, the best we can do is remain open for the Lord to use us however possible in communicating His Truth and let Him be the one that makes the Truth penetrate their hearts and souls.

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28/04/2008 by Noodge.

Howard Hendricks says that everyone needs a Paul, a Barnabas and a Timothy in their life. A “Paul” is someone who is spiritually mature and experienced to give wisdom and guidance. A “Barnabas” is an encourager and a peer and to share common experiences with as we journey through life together. A “Timothy” is someone younger in the faith to invest into. We need all 3 in our lives. The hardest relationship to develop, by far, is the “Paul” mentoring relationship. Finding someone with the time, experience and heart to build into your life isn’t always easy. I always had trouble finding men to fill this role in my life when I was younger. Now I look for “Timothy’s” God sends my way so I can pass on some of what I have learned. It’s one of the most rewarding aspects of ministry.

We all need a Paul to hold us accountable, to ask the tough questions, to go through with us whatever are going through, to give encouragement and direction. The lone sheep gets picked off by the lion, so we need to connect closely those who have experience fighting the lion (I Peter 5:8). Busyness, pride, fear of disclosure, moving around a lot and other issues make it hard to find and keep a “Paul” relationship going in life, but it is well worth the trouble. It takes a bit of sacrifice and vulnerability. It requires time and honesty. But its essential for you to be all God created you to me as a person and servant. Remember, even Paul needed a “Paul” in his life.

Scripture
2 Timothy 1:3-6, “I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Exodus 18:13-14, “The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, ‘What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?’”

Reflect

• Who is your “Timothy?” Who are you taking the time to really disciple in the faith?
• Who is your “Barnabas?” Who is your closest ministry friend (not spouse) with whom you can share your victories as well as your defeats?
• Who is your “Paul?” What mature believer have you developed a mentoring relationship with so you can regularly connect with them to glean from their wisdom and experience?
• If you lack any of these make that a regular prayer request.
• What can you do to deepen your “Paul” relationship and get the most out of it?

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