Freed by His loving words

Pastor Luke Martin shared with us at Empower Christian Church today, Sunday 27 February.

The secret of success is a topic that was covered recently by Pastor Nicholas Tsakis. He preached from Joshua 1:6-7, where we are encouraged to be strong and courageous. God actually emphasised further to be 'very' courageous. In the land he faced, there were giants and kingdoms who would fight for the territory. People could die to reach and occupy the Promised Land.

He emphasised being 'very courageous' when it comes to God's Word and obedience.

It takes courage to step out in faith. In reading God's Word, we're dealing with an internal battle. That's where the main game is, the most strategic battlefront. For example, Joshua could have imagined himself defeated before moving into the Promised Land. Such a thought would have held him back and guaranteed defeat. For us, we need to do the same thing - trust in, and be obedient to, His Word.

The key battle is internal, in our thoughts and minds. Use the Word, therefore, and realise that everywhere we step, we have His victory.

This is serious. This is your life. You need a relationship with God, and it is within His Word that you find Him.

Are you looking for direction? Find it in His Word.

Are you looking for a relationship with your maker? Find Him in His Word.

So don't take God's Word for granted. The Bible is not just a piece of literature. In fact, people have died so that the Bible can sit on your shelf. It deserves a better place than we sometimes give it.

Charles Spurgeon reminded us that the Bible is a blood-stained book, bearing the stains of sacrifice by translators and martyrs.

Psalm 119: 41-48 reads like a roadmap of learning to love the Word of God.

• LOVE: Loving His Word begins with the revelation that God loves you. It always put you in the right attitude for the words to seemingly jump off the page.

• TRUST and HOPE: A relationship that forms from love develops hope and trust. We can truly trust God, because He has already come through.

• FREEDOM: As in verse 45, we gain freedom right in our situation. Love flows from us in that sense of freedom.

You can have it today.

The Bible is a book of freedom. So be freed by the loving words it contains.


- Posted using an Apple iPad on behalf of Empower Christian Church, Australia

Location:Molan St,Ringwood,Australia

Expect new possibilities

Pastor Nicholas Tsakis shared with us on Sunday 20 February about new possibilities that are ahead of us.

There is a shift going on in churches and the Kingdom of God. There are many churches that are experiencing a freshness, others struggling. At a global and spiritual level, this is the season and decade of the Lord's favour.

Who would like to step into a new season? If that is you, He wants to reveal that name of His that brings about His favour.

Let's first look at what God says in His Word. For example, in Isaiah 43:18-19, God talks about making a new way. See also Isaiah 54:2, that talks about enlarging the place of your tent, not holding back.

With those words in our mind and heart, we can be encouraged that this is a good season in 2011.

It is time to get the basket ready, preparing for new possibilities. The bread is in the oven, as explained in a recent prophecy emailed to us. The Holy Spirit is getting our new possibilities ready - salvation, restoration, increase, provision.

It's a time for new possibilities and a time to prepare. Looking back for a moment, we've had the pruning. That has preceded the preparation now underway.

Let's say, 'God, I am willing and ready!'.

Christ is the builder of His house, who just needs us to say we are willing and ready.

In essence, we are in a time of position - prepared for God's new possibilities (see Joshua 3). We are learning which way to go, since we have never been this way before.

Be encouraged that He has placed dreams and prayers in your hearts right now. Those new things ahead of us are not limited by our age, nor by our circumstances. We are not in captivity or the wilderness, but in the promised land - faithfully, prophetically.


- Posted using an Apple iPad on behalf of Empower Christian Church, Australia

Location:Molan St,Ringwood,Australia

The secrets of success

Pastor Nicholas Tsakis shared with us on Sunday 13 February 2011 from Joshua 1:6. The Scripture there encourages us to be strong and very courageous. We're urged to obey God and meditate in His Word day and night, to be careful to do everything written in it.

We were born for success, inherent with a desire to be better than what we are. True success and prosperity comes from the knowledge of knowing God is with us.

• WITH YOU: You can be strong and courageous because I am with you, God told Joshua. In fact, true courage comes out when your back is against the wall.

• OBEDIENCE: Notice, also, how we are called to be obedient in Joshua. That didn't mean picking and choosing what Joshua wanted, but being obedient to God. Neither could Joshua just rely on his moods to set his course and actions.

• WORD: The wisdom you need is in the Word of God. Meditate on it, absorb it and be obedient to it,

Success was not guaranteed unconditionally. It comes with personal responsibility, to be the very reflection of Jesus Christ.

So be encouraged that obedience and saturating yourself with the Word of God leads to true and lasting success, with confidence in Him.


- Posted using an Apple iPad on behalf of Empower Christian Church, Australia

Confidence and hope

Pastor Nick Resce shared with us at Empower Christian Church on Sunday 6 February 2011.

We all struggle with confidence, whether it be personal, in work, in business. Surely, the Queenslanders could be forgiven for losing confidence in the face of their recent disaster. And yet, you can see someone interviewed by a news reporter who says, 'I'll build again!'.

We've all face situations and crises that can affect and hinder our confidence.

The film, 'The King's Speech', is about a man who came to the throne without being a natural leader. George VI would freeze in front of people when speaking publicly. Standing in front of crowds, he would begin to stutter and slur his words. His wife would feel his pain, as would the audiences.

An Aussie is found, who helps him get through his incredible fear of public speaking.

Confidence is about having faith, having trust, having belief.

You can have great talent and tufting. But confidence is the vehicle to release the talent. Have you noticed a sports star in a slump? He/she might have all the ability but unable to perform on the sporting field.

In Hebrews, we read how we must hold on to our confidence. In fact, we often throw our confidence away rather than just lose it.

Many times, we throw away our confidence. Worse... we throw away hope.

• Don't give up your hope, your confidence. Hold on to your marriage; hold on and don't give up.
• Don't give up on your kids.
• Don't give up on your self.

Many things can take your confidence away:
• Negative words
• Actions that happen to us, with the potential to scar us

God sees value in your life, way more than earthly materials can measure. He sees purpose and direction, people you will touch and reach.

In a world of so much change, when people are losing confidence and hope... don't mistake self-confidence for arrogance. We all have times when we want to give up. And you do need self-confidence. David, facing Goliath, stood up and declared himself able. He had practised, used his experience.

Self-confidence has its limitations. Things will happen that your self cannot control.

In the face of a giant, David declared his confidence in God. He said God would deliver the enemy to him.

Godly confidence is different to self-confidence.

Let us put our confidence in Jesus Christ and see our lives change.

Yes, you have limitations, but confidence to get through life will be based on who Jesus Christ is.

Why can you out your confidence in Jesus Christ?

• IMMOVABLE: Isaiah 26:4 tells us we can trust in Him as a rock.

• UNCHANGEABLE: So many things will change in your life, but the Bible tells us He is the same yesterday, today and forever. In the middle of the storm (Mark 4), Jesus showed how there is a peace that passes all understanding.

We all find that we need a Saviour, our Father in Heaven who is a rock, unshakeable.


- Posted using an Apple iPad on behalf of Empower Christian Church, Australia

Location:Molan St,Ringwood,Australia