Fresh Fire: Will you stand in Faith?
Tonight we reach the end of our Fresh Fire series. We have spent a year considering who the Holy Spirit is, what He does in us and through us.
I hope that this will be a year that will have been beneficial in your life.
I hope that this is a year when you have not just understood more about the Holy Spirit but experienced more of Him too.
In fact I’m sure that the entire Ministry team believe that this has been a year of opportunity and blessing.
We pray that you will continue to experience fresh fire in your life every day.
Tonight is the last service of 2012 and it is a Healing and Wholeness Service and there will be opportunity for prayer at the end of the service.
We believe in the power of prayer.
We believe in a God who is able and willing to work miracles.
We will pray for you, your circumstances, your situations, your needs, your healing.
We will also pray with you for others who need God to heal their lives, physically, spiritually, emotionally.
Our God is a God of love, grace and mercy.
The Bible says we can bring our prayers to Him and He listens and He acts.
God loves us, He forgives us, God is able to Heal us, He is able to rescue us.
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I want us to spend a little time thinking about God’s goodness and mercy to us during 2012.
You know, the stuff that we asked Him to do, the stuff we prayed about, the things that we noticed Him doing and the things He did without us noticing.
How many blessings have you experienced this year that you were truly thankful for?
How many blessings have you experienced this year that you took for granted?
How many times has God used other people to be a blessing to you this year?
How many times this year have you taken an opportunity to really be a blessing to another person?
God has blessed us in so many ways - He has blessed You in so many ways.
How thankful are you for what He has done in your life this year?
To focus our thoughts this evening, let me read to you some of the words of King David in Psalm 103.
Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (Psalm 103:1-5 NLT)
He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:10-12 NLT)
Do the words of King David speak to your own heart this evening?
These verses are part of a heart felt prayer.
A prayer of thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness.
An individual prayer.
A prayer that recognizes that God is the source of blessing - the source of healing - the source of salvation.
A prayer that reminds David of who God is.
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Friends as you look back over 2012:
Are there some circumstances and situations that humanly speaking you could have avoided?
Are there some things you regret doing?
Are there some things you regret saying?
If we are honest with ourselves we know we are not perfect.
Each of us has made mistakes.
Each of us have regrets.
And the amazing thing is that God still loves us and still forgives us.
Mistakes and regrets can cause us pain.
God is willing to forgive us but sometimes the hardest thing we can do is forgive ourselves.
If there is something in your life that still causes you regret - bring it to the Lord in prayer tonight.
Ask Him to help you to receive healing and wholeness in that aspect of your life.
If there is something that is causing you pain then ask God to heal you, to make you whole.
Often we can allow ourselves to accept certain things in our lives that we know do not please God.
Behaviors, habits, words, actions, in-actions.
Tonight, will you ask God to help you with those?
God wants each of us to receive the Healing and Wholeness that only He can bring to our lives.
God is willing to forgive you, to heal you, to make you whole.
Don’t go home tonight in regret, don’t finish this year in regret.
Ask God to help you.
Trust the Lord to deliver you, to bless you.
Tonight, when we ask if you want prayer, if you need prayer, for yourself or for someone else, take the opportunity for God to touch your life.
Don’t worry that others needs are greater than yours, you are important to God.
Don’t be too proud to stand in faith.
Don’t be afraid of what God will do in your life tonight.
God is willing to forgive, to heal, to pour out His love and mercy on you -
but are you willing to receive all He wants to give you?
Are you willing to step out in faith tonight?
Are you willing to really be healed?
To really be made whole?
Are you willing to step forward into 2013 trusting God to make you the person He has called you to be?
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What about those closest to you?
Those you love, those you care for - do they need God to work in their lives today?
Will you stand in faith for them?
People you know with broken lives,
broken families, broken homes,
relationships that have shattered.
Will you stand in faith for them?
People who feel that this year has had more bad than good for them.
Will you stand in faith for them?
People who face 2013 uncertain of what the future will bring, will you stand in faith for them?
People who are sick, weary, weak, will you stand in faith for them?
Don’t be too proud to stand in their place,
don’t be afraid of what God will do in their lives.
Tonight, if you have friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, that need to be healed, that need to be made whole, will you stand in faith for them?
He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:10-12)
In love, Jesus came to deal with the effect of sin in our lives.
His love is unfailing
Yes He can heal your body.
His love is unfailing
Yes He can heal your soul.
His love is unfailing
Yes He can forgive you.
His love is unfailing
Yes He can save you.
His love is unfailing
Will you stand in faith and ask Him to bring healing and wholeness?
Let me close with this - John 3:16-17 in the Message says
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.” (John 3:16-17)
Where do you need help in your life?
What needs to be put right?
Tonight will you ask Him to do it?
God knows your life better than you do.
He knows your circumstance,
He knows your situation,
He knows your regrets,
He knows your pain,
He knows where you sin,
He knows where you fall short.
HE STILL LOVES YOU!
He knows everything and HE STILL LOVES YOU!
He knows you, He sees the potential in your life.
He wants you to be who He planned you to be!
Know this, nothing is too difficult for God!
There is no circumstance that He can not change,
There is no situation that He can not work through.
Will you stand in faith and ask Him to bring healing and wholeness?
God forgives, heals, and saves.
Tonight, will you stand in faith and ask Him to bring healing and wholeness?
