andy-brown.org/2021/02/08/eternity-in-the-balance/
Over the next few days, I will be sharing some of the most read posts of this year.
This post, from way back in February, discuss is the idea of eternal punishment and how we can avoid it! I know that may not seem like the most uplifting of themes… But there is nothing more important!
What are your thoughts on this subject? Do leave me a comment or question.
Thanks for reading!
For some reason, this post from harvest time has attracted a lot of views during Advent…!
No idea why, praise the Lord anyway! If you fancy a Harvey’s message during this Christmas season, then I hope you enjoy it!
It was my pleasure to speak at our church is online service this morning on the first Sunday in Advent.
Unfortunately, a few technical hitches meant we lost the last few minutes of the message and if it appears that I lost my way in the middle… that’s because somebody walked into the room during the recording!
I hope you enjoy it anyway!
This is an excellent series of posts which are released every single Sunday. This one goes right alongside the post I shared yesterday about prayer.
Do have a read, and join us in praying for persecuted Christians across the globe.
For this Sunday here’s what you can do: Pray for the 340 Million Global Christians in Harm’s Way. According to an article it says: But a quick scan …
This Sunday at Church: Pray for the 340 Million Global Christians in Harm’s Way
Did you ever notice that the older we get, the more we come to realize, how little we actually know? Did you ever notice how our condescending …
Did You Ever Notice?
I happened to stumble across one of my old posts on prayer earlier today. I continue to be amazed at how faithful the Lord is at answering our prayers.
As I mention in this post, I consider it an enormous privilege to pray for my readers.
How can I pray for you this day?
Do feel free to submit any prayer requests in the comments below, or via the contact form.Do feel free to submit any prayer requests in the comments below, or via the contact form.
Praise our loving God for listening to and responding to our prayers! Hallelujah!
During the height of the lockdown in the UK, where we were only allowed out for short periods of exercise, I began to fairly regularly record prayer …
A Stirring to Pray
This is the third and final post on Psalm 92. If you missed them, you can read the first one here – Praise in the morning, praise in the evening- and the second one here – You Thrill Me. We left off last time discussing that although evil may flourish for a time, it will…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2020/04/28/he-is-our-rock-psalm-92-3/
Part of my Bible reading this morning was in Psalm 92. It is a wonderful psalm of praise and thanksgiving, and I think we need a good dose of that right now. In fact, we always do, but times of struggle seem to require an extra boost of worship. The psalm is one for the…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2020/04/24/praise-in-the-morning-praise-in-the-evening/
I love the resources that this faithful family produce… In this one about marriage is no different! I highly encourage you to give it a watch!
And while you are there, do you subscribe to their blog and newsletter.
Andy and Jo kick off this brand-new series of Marriage Matters, looking at how we keep going and they go there – they talk openly about the D word – …
Marriage Matters – Longevity & the D Word, S1, E1
Our church regularly visits our local church school to give assemblies and teach classes. it is a wonderful ministry, and great to be able to share the good news with young people.
This week, the team were not able to visit in person so instead recorded a video. I wanted to share this with you.
And as well as giving the children something to think about, it also talks of the shoebox appeal. we support Operation: Christmas Child which provides gifts two children living in poverty across the world at Christmas time. If you have not heard of it before, then do check it out.
I have been thinking a lot about giving lately. i’ve said it before, and will no doubt say it again… A Christian who does not give, is like a Christian who does not pray. God has blessed me a great deal, and expects me to use that for the purpose of His kingdom.
How about you?
You may not feel like you have very much, but what has God put in your hand to use?You may not feel like you have very much, but what has God put in your hand to use?
I hope you enjoy the video!
Do you want to sin against God? The obvious answer is no! No one who calls themselves a follower of Jesus Christ does. Yet, what steps do we take to …
Might Not Sin
I have to be honest with you – I was so proud of myself when I came up with that title! Now I just need a blog post to go along with it…
In all seriousness, I do have an important point to make today, and I’m not just bending a message to fit the title.
A few days ago, I sat praying in my usual spot. It has been a fairly tough time for the family over the last few months, and I was reflecting on this and bringing it before the Lord. I started to pray for each individual involved, “God, please help me to support this person…” “Lord, please help me show your love to that person…” Lord, please help me do this, that or the other…” I began to feel overwhelmed and could not imagine how I could minister to all the people in my life who needed it at that moment.
Then, with a simple word, I felt God speak to me.
Don’t try to do my job for Me, Andy…
Now to be clear, this was not an audible voice I heard with my physical ears. I’m always conscious of pointing that out whenever I say that God “spoke” to me. This was an inner witness, and what I mean by that is simply that this was the sense I got from the Father inside.
With that one phrase, it lifted the pressure right off of me. I am responsible to love and care for the people in my life, and where led to, I should minister and support all that I can with the love of the Father. However, I am not God (clearly!). I cannot do what He can do, and I cannot take His place in the lives of those around me.
I have a part to play, but God is the one in charge. He knows far better than I what people need and how best to help them.
The truth is I have a problem with pride. In my time with God in the mornings at the moment, I’m doing a brief study on this subject, and it dawns on me how strong my prideful spirit is at times.
Pride and selfishness are close cousins. Humility and submission are likewise related.
When I become impatient in a situation, it is because my pride is kicking in and telling me I shouldn’t have to wait. When I get angry, it is frequently because I am not getting what I want. When I feel anxious, I am not trusting God but rather trusting in myself to fix the problems – which are often out of my control.
Can you relate?
Too frequently, I do things my way. Instead, let’s try to do things Yahweh…
Let God be God, and humbly submit to Him. Instead of impatience and anger, put the other person first and give them the space and time they need (even if it takes you a little longer to do what you need to).
Christ is our ultimate example of humility.
Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 (WEB)
Wow! These verses are just wow! What an example of humility! Jesus, equal to God, stepped down from heaven and became a human being… and just that, but became obedient to death – even death of a hideous cross.
He did things Yahweh…
How about you today? Will you try to do it all your way and in your own strength? O will you try, like me, to submit to God and do things His way? It is not a onetime choice, but something we will have to do time and time again. That is what it means to crucify the flesh and to carry the cross daily.
O Lord help me surrender to You this day! Let me do it all Your way and not mine! Help me let go of my pride and se3lfishness, and clothe myself in humility – putting others ahead of myself! In the great Name of Jesus! Amen
Andy Brown 