Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took the small boy to a concert featuring a renowned pianist. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.
Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing.
The curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive grand piano on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
Then, leaning over, the great pianist reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.
That's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are playing the concerto of your life.
Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things. Keep the faith, and keep playing. Together, you and the Master will make beautiful music.                                        r

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, equally unremarkable. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. Then for three years, He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to a college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did any of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him, another betrayed Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth - His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is the centrepiece of the human race, and leader of the column of progress.

All the armies that have marched, all the navies that have sailed; all the parliaments that have sat and all the kings that have reigned, when put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

Pray without ceasing... 

(1 Thess 5:17)

Praise God for...

Christian voices in parliament. Help Pastor Chris be God's man as he represents this electorate.

Answers to prayer for health and provision for many in our church family this past week.

The ministry of music to our hearts.

Pray for...

Those who are not with us today, that God would keep them safe and give blessings to them.

Everyone of us to be renewed spiritually and start searching God's word for our special purpose He has planned for us.

 

If my people who are called by my name......

will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.     (2 Chron. 7:14)

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1 Timothy 1:15-16

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.

16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Psalm 150

Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with the tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with the resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD.

MY WILL

From the moment we learn the word "NO" we human beings demonstrate our displeasure at being controlled. The struggle of parents is getting the child to do what you want it to do, even for the child's own benefit. A parent with a disobedient and wilful child is an exasperated parent. When your child is wayward and disobedient you feel like giving up and letting him suffer the consequences of his actions. That principle of the 'parent - child' relationship is played out in the spiritual realm between God and us. God gave us a free will, but God's aim is to see us submit our free wills, in obedience, to see His will done on the earth. What that means is the human being must give up control of himself to God. God requires nothing less than total obedience to His will from His followers. For many people that sounds terrifying. And the reason we don't submit our wills to God is we don't trust God, or recognize His rule in our lives; or, we don't know Him. God requires us to submit to His authority; It seems an incredible paradox: God wants us to use our free will, to choose to submit our wills to His authority, for Him to rule and control us, so that we can be set free. The heart that God wants is not the heart that is afraid of the consequences of obeying Him. God wants the heart that trusts and knows that God's plan is to give a fulfilling life and to equip His people to achieve their potential in their service to Him. Jesus told a story about how a disobedient son was re-united with his loving father to demonstrate how God feels about the separation between Him and us. He wants real people to respond to Him out of a genuine heart, out of love.

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