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Big Jesus wins award for the ‘Best Community Entry’ in the parade.
We had a unique perspective on Jesus, His fame and renown. If the crowds were silenced even the stones would have cried out to Him.
This must be what it was like for Jesus to enter Jerusalem, re-enacted for the benefit of his LGBT people…What does this say for us and for Him?
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“The gospel is not just the good news that you’re forgiven; it’s the better news that Christ is your life.”
“The life you’ve been trying to live is the life that only Christ can live in you.”
“God doesn’t want your self-effort. He wants you to see that Christ is your sufficiency.”
“Rest is the highest expression of faith.”
“We keep trying to die to self, not realizing we already died.” (Col 3: 3)
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Extract From Jim’s Preach ‘Help’
An Extract from Psalm 146:
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot help.
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
The Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— the LORD, who remains faithful for ever.
The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD reigns for ever… Praise the LORD.
Adam, who according Genesis was the first man, is symbolic of Jesus. Adam’s woman is symbolic of the collection of Christians known as the Church. The Church is known in scripture as the ‘Bride of Christ’.
And each of us, as individual Christians who know Jesus, are the Bride of Christ.
The Genesis story tells us that God gave Adam a partner who would complement him, had equal qualities to Him and who was exactly right for him, perfectly compatible. And these two people were able to have an intimate relationship, close in every way.
This illustrates the intimate relationship Jesus wants with his people. He wants those who know and love Him to be close to him in every way. And when we are spiritually re-born in Him we are made precisely fitting and right for Him, perfectly suited to be His companions.
Is this a reality to you? Or does it seem that such a close relationship seems miles away?
Whatever you think, this is the picture that scripture paints for us. It is how God designed our relationship with Him to be.
There are many people at Liberty who know this closeness of relationship with God to be a reality for them and… there are those here who have believed those who told them they’re not good enough. Well, the latter is not true.
I’ve got to tell you help is at hand and everyone needs help. In Ge 2:18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. He needs help.”
When I received the call to come to the LGBT community Jesus said to me ‘I want to go to those who are despised by religious people, will you take me?’ I immediately I said ‘Yes’.
God needed my help. He needed me to contribute to meet a need. He didn’t want me to fulfil it,
I couldn’t. But he wanted me alongside Him while He did it.
God needed help…and I was the help… and he had made me precisely right for this purpose with Him. He had made me his Companion who would spend time with Him and travel with Him on this venture. We were a pair who would complement each other.
The Apostle Paul said that he no longer lived but Christ lived in him. The new life Paul now lived he lived by trusting in Jesus.
All I need for this life I now live is faith and trust in Jesus. Although He needs my help I very much need His help. It’s a relationship of mutual reliance on one another. Yes I need Him much more than He needs me but yet I feel valued and needed by him.
It’s in trusting Him that I need Him to help me the most. I’m His hands but yet it took me 3 years to raise them up and praise God. I’m His voice yet it took me 2 years to pray in public or 4 years to stand up in public to speak. I was paralysed by inner fears.
I’m His feet but it took me years walk into unfamiliar territory. I’m His eyes but it took me years to look my inner giants in the eye, I’m His heart but it took me years experience His love for those seen as unlovable and have compassion on those who need His help.
I pray:
For those of us who do not know Jesus yet help Lord, make yourself known to them.
For those of us who do know You Lord: help us when our trust is weak, increase our faith, help us to walk and talk with you and see you in every situation. Help us hear your voice in the time of need. Increase our trust that you are always on hand to help.
Full Notes in Preaching
To Contact Us:
Email:nina (at) libertychurchblackpool.org.uk
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Liberty Church Blackpool,
9 Wilvere Court
Thornton Cleveleys FY5 1PG