Today we had a fantastic meeting with a couple of new faces joining us. We began as usual with our test and testimony time and lots of our community shared how God has been moving in their lives over the past week. It is always so encouraging to hear just how regularly Jesus is meeting with us in different ways and the ways in which he meets us all individually – he is so personal and it is amazing!

We then worshipped and every member was engaged in seeking God through singing, praying and just being in the presence. There was such a powerful sense of Jesus’ presence after our worship that we just sat for a while and waited for Jesus to do what only he can do before we started our talk. 

This week we looked at Abraham and the Three visitors, moving us slowly further through Genesis to chapter 18. We recapped everything we have covered so far when looking at Abram and filled in some gaps that were made by skipping from chapter12 to 18. We then read the whole of chapter 18 before digging into four main points: 

1.       God fulfils his promises…….. in his timing (not ours) 

Even after Sarah and Abraham wereboth unfaithful to God, He still came to comfort them and redeclare his promise. They tried to go their own way and yet God comes back to redeem them. So often we can do this – we lay down our desires and then pick them back up again when we don’t see God move in the timing that we expect. God knows what we are going to do way before we do it – and he still moves in it. Our only job is to hold on – to keep laying our things back down when we realise we have picked them back up again and re-trust them to God. To keep choosing to trust him even when it feels really hard. He loves our faithfulness to him.

2.       There is nothing too hard for God 

Sarah simply laughed at God’s redeclaration of his promise. God had made this massive covenant with Abraham about the power of his people and influence they would have for positive over the nations. They’ve lived for him, followed where he has told them to go and then this seeming little thing she just doesn’t believe. This was such a big deal to Sarah – something she so dearly wanted and she discounted herself. She believed the lie that she was not enough – she was too old and it was too hard. God responded by stating “why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord?. Wow. Is anything too hard for the Lord? No. He is the God of the impossible. His power is made perfect in our weakness – our weaknesses are good, they remind us that we are dependent on Jesus. We cannot do it ourselves and we were never meant to. What are you holding back from taking to God? Is it too hard for him?

3.       We can (and should) intercede on behalf of others 

Taking our requests to God is act of faith. We wouldn’t do it we even think of it if didn’t believe in him to an extent or believe that he has the power and the grace to act on them. When take our requests to God we are also revealing heart – what is most important to us? Part of presenting our requests to God is to surrender the outcome of them to him. We can petition him , cry out to him, let him know our hearts but ultimately we’ve got to have faith to leave it with him and trust it to him.

4.       We can confidently present our requests to God 

We ended the night by praying with each other – that we would see ourselves through God’s eyes and not our eyes and step into the fullness of his plan for us. Also there was an opportunity to pray for individuals to be filled with the gifts of the spirit – please continue to pray this over Hope Central, we would love to see God move in this way amongst our community. 

Thank you for your continued prayer and support, it is essential, powerful and affective.

A Scripture from a member of Taste & See

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Can you hear those dry bones RATTLING….