Work of the Holy Spirit

Hey,

Well, it's another day so another evening service. Today's evening talk was about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit, and the speaker was Ruth.


Matthew 28:5-7



"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him' Now I have told you."

How does God empowers us?





2 Timothy 1:3-5

"I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors 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 am 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."

Following Jesus is a struggling with what may seem like impossible challenges but when you trust in Jesus you are not alone and nothing is impossible.



2 Timothy 1:6-7 --> Living on fire with the gospel

"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 the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

We need God's fire, Spirit to empower us and God never wanted you to do it alone, he is always with us. Giving you the gift to help which empowers you.





Acts 1:4


"On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them his command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about."

The gift of the Spirit





2 Timothy 1:8

"So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God."

Do not be ashamed of following God, but join me in suffering as Paul said and Jesus did for all of us. Focus on living for Jesus.






2 Timothy 1:9-12


"He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."


We have been saved because of God which was planned before time, therefore there is a wonderful future withing for us as death is not the end. We should trust the man who gave his life for us so join me in giving your life to Jesus because he is worth suffering for.





2 Timothy 1:13-14

"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."

We forget the gospel so easily within our day to day lives and therefore the desires of our hearts, and we should remind ourselves of the gospel each and every day. Guard the gospel with the help of the Holy Spirit as we cannot do it alone, but we were never meant to be alone.




Do not let the fire go out



2 Timothy 2:1


"You then. my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Continue to to remind yourself of the gospel and ask for more, don't settle.






Footprints by Mary Stevenson

One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

Now for some questions to think about:

* What challenges do you face to live as a christian in your day to day life?

* What would it mean for you to suffer for the gospel?

* What would it mean for you to safeguard the gospel?

* How would you like the Holy Spirit to help you?




Amy x

What am I like?

Hey,

So now for day 2 of the Keswick Convention. I didn't really enjoy the morning service as to me it felt like there wasn't a flow and therefore I couldn't follow it. However, this is just me as my mum could and enjoy the service. Due to this I will just be talking about the evening services only for each post which will be a different day each post.

The talker this evening was Tom James who talked about the transformation by the Holy Spirit and the question 'What am I like?' He talked about 3 point:

1. Unkillable problem in every human heart

2. Achievable goal to reach on your know

3. Can we get from one to the other


Galatians 5:13-26


Unkillable problem in every human heart


Galatians 5:13-15

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command 'Love your neighbour as yourself'. If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

There is a misunderstanding of freedom and the effect it has between people. Freedom is not for the flesh but for the Spirit. Our desires pull you away from God, you can't do whatever you want which is part of the conflict between flesh and Spirit.





Galatians 5:19

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery"

Desires feel good but they are selfish, don't just do want you want but look to Jesus.



Achievable goal to reach on your know



Galatians 5:13

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love."

We serve each other and are called to be free, as freedom is 'to love one another' and therefore put others first.









Galatians 5:16-17

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."

We are continually in conflict between Spirit and flesh and the path we should choose is to walk with Spirit.






Galatians 5:21-22

"and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

This talks about human character at it's best; faithful, kind and loving therefore becoming more Christlike.








Galatians 5:25

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Have the knowledge that Jesus is mighty and can kill our desires so our hearts and fix your eyes upon Jesus. All the power of God will be by your side, helping you fight the desires of your heart. Submit to Jesus and trust him as by doing this we cannot loose, he replaces our desires. We need to remember that Jesus commands are NEVER to do it along.


Here are some questions to think about;

* Do you find yourself living for 'what you want to do' or 'what the Spirit wants to do?'

* How often do you actively pray for help from the Holy Spirit, submitting to his authority?

* How often do you remind yourself of the gospel - that Jesus has won the fight you couldn't fight?




Amy x

Who am I? Part 2

Hey,

So I went to the adult evening service as I was going to the Stuart Townend concert afterwards and they were reading and preaching about the same verses as we looked at in my young adult group on the first night, but there were some more messages I took from this talk.


Romans 8:3

"For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh."






To overcome the pull of sin, we first need to understand our sin. We are weak to God's Law and God give his son in the likeness of us so that he could condemn the flesh and sacrifice for our sin, therefore what happened to Christ happened to us all as he carried ALL our sins.



Romans 8:9

"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ."

The Spirit is a gift given from God. You cannot save yourself, you need to trust in Jesus to save you.

Proverbs 7:6-27



Romans 8:10

"But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness."

The pull of the sin is a battle as our freedom is not yet complete.





Amy x

Who am I?

Hey,

I have arrived in Keswick for the Convention so again it's time to write about the talks I go to. I apologise for it being a while but if you read my travel page you would know that I have been on holiday so I haven't managed to make it to church.

So .... Who am I


Ephesians 1:17-20



"Ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know him. I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people, and how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which he used when he raised Christ from death and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world."


God gives us wisdom through knowledge and he gives us the power to know him better and therefore to love him more.


Romans 8:1-17. --> Life in the Spirit

Before we discuss these verses lets first talk about the title 'Who am I' Through discussing this question other may appear such as 'what am I like' and 'what is your identity in Christ'. Who am I? Be who you want to be and therefore be true to yourself.

How would YOU answer the question 'who am I?' Maybe by saying Christian, Student, Artist or even cupcake maker, or whatever. We should identify ourselves by the fact that we belong to God as we were created in his image.


Romans 8:5-8

"Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. This who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants. To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace. And so people become enemies of God when they are controlled by their human nature; for they do not obey God's law, and in fact they cannot obey it. Those who obey their human nature cannot please God."

This is all about our minds and therefore how we think, for God knows all. The Spirit can change our minds so to be controlled by the Spirit is to think How? How do you change it, maybe the answer is just to listen to the Spirit.

Hebrew 11:25

"He preferred to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy sin for a little while"

Jesus suffered with us and for us so we should trust in him and therefore in God's Spirit.





Romans 8:9-13 --> Renews our lives 

"But you do not live as your human nature tells you to; instead, you live as the Spirit tells you to - if, in fact, God's Spirit lives in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ lives in you, the Spirit is life for you because you have been put right with God, even though your bodies are going to die because of sin. If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of his Spirit in you. So then, my brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it is not to live as our human nature wants us to. For if you are going to die; but if by the spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live."

This is about our place of belonging. Jesus is in charge of our lives so we should trust in him as God know us and all. We are not going to death each day but becoming alive and head towards life everlasting. Through resurrection we will encounter life in new physical bodies.

Are we listening to Jesus? To the Spirit?

It depends on Jesus and the holy Spirit as well as our choice to trust in him.


Romans 8:14-17 --> Confirmation

"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry 'Abba,' father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

This is confirmation that we are God's children. We are not slaves but his adopted children. We are being welcomed home as his adopted children through Jesus who shared suffering with is the us, his brothers and sister, and a shared promise of glory.

Turn to God to know who you are.



Amy x

Gardens

Hey,

Today was a Sunday which meant flying to Australia tomorrow so we went to the Gardens by the bay as we hadn't done that yet and it is one of the things you just must do if you are even in Singapore.


They were amazing especially since I love flowers and taking photos of them, you can create great photography.


There were 2 conservatories;




Flower dome which is basically a dome full of flowers,







Cloud forest dome which had a waterfall which you could walk to the top of.







In the flower dome there were a whole section filled with different coloured Lilies which was great as it was my dog, Lily's birthday.







It's confusing, if you were going to gardens in England the domes would be warm, but here it's the opposite, air conditioned inside to make it cool.

We also went up the OCBC skyway which was amazing. This is basically what the title suggests a walkway high up in the sky. The views from there were amazing and even though you were only allowed about 15 minutes up there that was more than enough time to properly enjoy the views before it gets too hot.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed reading about what I had got up to in Singapore. Comment below if you have any questions.


Australia coming soon


Amy x

Marina Sands

Hey,


So if you have read my travel page then you will know that I had dinner on the top of Marina Sands which is a building with a boat on top (not a real one)





I was amazing, I mean the view, the food, the drinks, just everything, AMAZING!







So the food were appetisers which were quite filling as it was a buffet so you could have as many as you would like to.








They also did mini desserts which were part of the buffet so again as much as you wanted.

We got a free drink with all of this which we did obviously paid for, but for what it was, it was very reasonable.








Fill free to share your experiences on appetisers or mini desserts in the comments below.

Thanks




Amy x

Lazy

Hey,


So this post is going to be quite short as in the morning we went swimming and sun bathing by the pool which lead to a lazy day.

We went back to the room to cool off because as you know it's hot in Singapore, and we didn't leave again until 5 for some food and the night Safari. We had dinner at Marina Sands, head to food page to find out more.



Now for the Night Safari, this was disappointing as we had to queue to get in and then queue for the tram and then finally queue while on it, but they had some different wonderful animals, such as a wild brown bear. However, you can't use flash which basically meant I couldn't use my camera as it uses a light even when i'm not using the flash.


I'm not sure whether I would recommend it as I didn't really get the whole experience, but if you do go to Singapore and want to go to the night safari, DON'T go on a weekend or holiday.


Ok so longer then I thought, sorry.



Thanks for reading.



Amy x

Maria's Architecture Tour

Hey,

Maria has planned today so let's go explore the architecture of Singapore.


We started later than planned as at the moment we were ready to leave the room it got dark. Why? Turns out there was a thunderstorm and it was said to last until 1pm but lucky finished at 12 because I don't know how much longer we could have stayed in the hotel room.


To begin the architecture tour, well we went to many different wonderful buildings but I don't think I can say much about them as I love patterns on different buildings and how they are put together but I am not the architect in this family so head over to my cousins blog.

However, this tour did include the Merlion which shows traditional Singapore as it is their symbol, so here's the history behind it; The country of Singapore was originally know as 'umi no machi' which is Japanese for sea town, but it was renamed to Singapore when a prince saw a lion on the shores of the country. This created the Merlion as it imbodies both the sea and the lion.

Thanks for reading



Amy x

ChinaTown

Hey,

Today we didn't do much as I don't function well with little sleep so me and Maria decided to spend the day at the pool which was lovely and relaxing.


In the evening, after I had got an hour sleep after swimming, not my intention, we ventured out to ChinaTown which was an experience that I enjoyed and Maria took some great photos as didn't feel up to carrying my camera around which was a good thing because my camera case ins't the safest from pick pocket's. There was a sign that said 'beware pick pockets'.


This whole place was full of markets which created a great atmosphere. This had a lot of great deals such as a set of 6 for only $2 which was the same as a bag (didn't get).



The food we had here was probably the worst I have had in Singapore so far but it was still lovely. We loved the spring rolls and the rice with chicken. We also liked the duck even though there wasn't much due to finding it from around the bone, but it only cost $1. This was because we had spent $28 and the 1 thing we didn't like was the chicken wings with garlic, there really don't go together!





Thanks for reading, please share your food experiences by commenting below.




Amy x