Links
CAP UK - Christian Debt Counselling
AOG - Assemblies of God
The Net - Local Christian Network
WCM - Missions we support
Watoto - Ugandan child care ministry
Eden - Christian books and music online
Samaritan’s Purse - Shoebox appeal
WMCFL - Christian Football League
CCFON - Christian Concern for our Nation
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Ada Adeghe, November 2010
Are You Bearing Fruit?
We have three fruit trees in our back garden, an apple tree, a pear tree and a plum tree. This year, we had lots for fruit from the apple tree, some fruit from the pear tree and no fruit at all from the plum tree. This has never happened before and I remember waiting with anticipation throughout the summer for the plum tree to bear fruit, as every year we have had plums from the tree. Just imagine my disappointment when nothing happened and I remember thinking, this isn’t right. A fruit tree should bear fruit, otherwise what’s the point of it? It is simply taking up valuable space in our back garden and giving us nothing in return! Once more, I understood why Jesus HAD to curse the fig tree that bore no fruit (Mathew 21, vs 18-19). This then got me thinking about my life as a Christian. Am I bearing fruit? If not, why not? What’s the point of being a follower of Christ if I am not bearing fruit? More importantly, what kinds of fruit am I bearing? After all, the word says, we will be known by our fruit, not by our regular attendance at church, prayer meetings or simply by claiming we are Christians. These things are great and the bible stresses the importance of them, but in the long run, the evidence of our lives, i.e. the kinds of fruit we bear as Christians are much more effective in witnessing to others about our love of Jesus. Do my fruits glorify God or do they embarrass or even grieve Him? Galatians 5, vs 22-25 tells us clearly what the fruits of the spirit are. I suggest that from time to time, we examine our daily lives against that passage. Then and only then can we conclude that we are bearing the right kinds of fruit. So, get pregnant today (yes, men too!) with the fruits of the spirit....
Ada Adeghe, October 2010
Can God be trusted?
Driving to work a couple of days ago, I was reflecting on why we don’t trust God more. When I go through challenging times I am tempted to think, God, can I really trust you? Do you really know what you are doing? Are you sure you are on top of this? I know... good Christians that you are, you are shocked at my lack of faith, but when the going gets tough, I have sometimes wondered if God is on top of my challenges, if he can be trusted. My thinking is, why doesn’t he make things better in an instant? He is God after all, isn’t he?
I had all these thoughts going through my head recently and I could just hear the Holy Spirit saying to me, ‘Ada, sometimes, you want a good return on very little investment. If you will invest more time and energy in getting to know me better, you will know that I CAN be trusted. ‘
There are people I would never trust because I know from experience that they are not to be trusted. Conversely, there are people I can trust implicitly because experience tells me that I can trust them. I know them. How much more my heavenly father? Paul prayed that Christ may dwell richly in our hearts through faith so that we may grasp how wide and long and high and deep his love for us is (Ephesians, 3 vs 17-18). The reward we get for diligently seeking God, I believe, is the peace that comes from knowing Him, knowing he has our best interests at heart, irrespective of what outer circumstance may look like. Make the necessary investment in time and energy to get to know him better today and watch the doubtful questions disappear....
Ada Adeghe, August 2010
What energises you?
I woke up this morning with a very sharp pain in my back. I did the back in yesterday trying to lift luggage after a short break. For two days now the pain has been excruciating. This morning though, I decided not to give in by lying in bed all day as it didn’t seem to make any difference anyway. I decided to go shopping with my daughter who needs (she says) a new wardrobe for her first real job starting at the end of the month. I thought you needed to earn a salary first before shopping for new clothes, but .... that is another story.
The shopping began and she tried on one new dress after another while I cooed my admiration. Suddenly, I had a bright idea. Why stand there simply cooing my admiration when I could be trying on new clothes as well? After all, I earn a salary and I am legally entitled to shop. So the activity began. The more I tried on those clothes, the more energised I became. I was twisting, turning, bending as I tried those clothes on and suddenly forgot all about the pain in my back! I mentioned this sudden healing to my daughter who rolled her eyes.
But you know what? My ‘healing’ was temporal. I got home and once the euphoria of shopping had settled, the pain returned, worse than it had been before I went shopping. This confirmed for me that joy gained from anything material is very temporal indeed. We need to draw strength from spiritual things. Those are eternal. Psalm 42:1 says ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you.’ In addition, if our hope is in material things, all the devil has to do is to take those things from our lives and depression, not to mention, emptiness will return. But when we draw strength from the word of God and the things of God, our hope, peace, joy, not to mention God’s promise of permanent healing are secure. So, be energised by spiritual matters. Fix your eyes on eternal things, they remain constant and never change (2.Corinthians 4:17).
Ada Adeghe, June 2010
Part of a winning team
In case you haven’t noticed, the World Cup is here and ‘Victory’ is the buzz word. I was thinking about this on Sunday as we sang ‘Hallelujah, you (meaning Christ) have won the victory.’ Even non-football fans like me have been drawn into the excitement of the World Cup. The sheer ecstasy when the favoured team scores a victorious goal is catching! But, I don’t mean to be a spoil sport but football is football. It is a game. We have a greater victory we can be excited about, every moment, every day, every year. That victory is the one we have in Christ Jesus. He won the ‘game’ of eternity for us. I Corinthians, 15 vs 54 says: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ By all means, enjoy the World Cup and all the shouts of victory, but always be thankful for being part of a greater and longer-lasting winning team.
‘But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ 1 Corinthians, 15 vs 57
Ada Adeghe, May 2010
Run for the Crown...
Watching the news this morning, I found it fascinating to see David Cameron returning from his early morning jog. For a man who is campaigning to be prime minister, I thought keeping fit would be the least of his worries. Then it suddenly dawned on me. Keeping fit and healthy must rank highly in his list of priorities. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the most dedicated person when it comes to keeping fit, and if you could see me now, you would laugh at the very idea (those who know me are probably this very moment falling over with laughter).
But there are two things worth highlighting here. First, David Cameron, it seems, has made the decision that remaining fit and healthy is important if he is to become Prime Minister. Secondly, once he made that decision, he remained committed. No excuse was going to stand in the way; not unexpected election results, and not reporters crowding his front door. NO EXCUSES. So, Mr Cameron went for his early morning jog!
In 1 Corinthians 8:24, Paul says ‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to win the prize.’ And further down in verse 27, he says: ‘I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.’
Paul is making strong links in these verses between physical exercise and the attitude of commitment we who claim to be followers of Christ should take to living for Him. We are striving for a ‘crown that will last forever’.
So, my challenge to you today is:
1. Have you made a firm decision to live for Christ?
2. Are you fully committed?
If your answers are No, then get off your backside and start exercising your spiritual heritage. If Yes, well done I say, and keep on exercising...
Are You Bearing Fruit?
We have three fruit trees in our back garden, an apple tree, a pear tree and a plum tree. This year, we had lots for fruit from the apple tree, some fruit from the pear tree and no fruit at all from the plum tree. This has never happened before and I remember waiting with anticipation throughout the summer for the plum tree to bear fruit, as every year we have had plums from the tree. Just imagine my disappointment when nothing happened and I remember thinking, this isn’t right. A fruit tree should bear fruit, otherwise what’s the point of it? It is simply taking up valuable space in our back garden and giving us nothing in return! Once more, I understood why Jesus HAD to curse the fig tree that bore no fruit (Mathew 21, vs 18-
Ada Adeghe, October 2010
Can God be trusted?
Driving to work a couple of days ago, I was reflecting on why we don’t trust God more. When I go through challenging times I am tempted to think, God, can I really trust you? Do you really know what you are doing? Are you sure you are on top of this? I know... good Christians that you are, you are shocked at my lack of faith, but when the going gets tough, I have sometimes wondered if God is on top of my challenges, if he can be trusted. My thinking is, why doesn’t he make things better in an instant? He is God after all, isn’t he?
I had all these thoughts going through my head recently and I could just hear the Holy Spirit saying to me, ‘Ada, sometimes, you want a good return on very little investment. If you will invest more time and energy in getting to know me better, you will know that I CAN be trusted. ‘
There are people I would never trust because I know from experience that they are not to be trusted. Conversely, there are people I can trust implicitly because experience tells me that I can trust them. I know them. How much more my heavenly father? Paul prayed that Christ may dwell richly in our hearts through faith so that we may grasp how wide and long and high and deep his love for us is (Ephesians, 3 vs 17-
Ada Adeghe, August 2010
What energises you?
I woke up this morning with a very sharp pain in my back. I did the back in yesterday trying to lift luggage after a short break. For two days now the pain has been excruciating. This morning though, I decided not to give in by lying in bed all day as it didn’t seem to make any difference anyway. I decided to go shopping with my daughter who needs (she says) a new wardrobe for her first real job starting at the end of the month. I thought you needed to earn a salary first before shopping for new clothes, but .... that is another story.
The shopping began and she tried on one new dress after another while I cooed my admiration. Suddenly, I had a bright idea. Why stand there simply cooing my admiration when I could be trying on new clothes as well? After all, I earn a salary and I am legally entitled to shop. So the activity began. The more I tried on those clothes, the more energised I became. I was twisting, turning, bending as I tried those clothes on and suddenly forgot all about the pain in my back! I mentioned this sudden healing to my daughter who rolled her eyes.
But you know what? My ‘healing’ was temporal. I got home and once the euphoria of shopping had settled, the pain returned, worse than it had been before I went shopping. This confirmed for me that joy gained from anything material is very temporal indeed. We need to draw strength from spiritual things. Those are eternal. Psalm 42:1 says ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you.’ In addition, if our hope is in material things, all the devil has to do is to take those things from our lives and depression, not to mention, emptiness will return. But when we draw strength from the word of God and the things of God, our hope, peace, joy, not to mention God’s promise of permanent healing are secure. So, be energised by spiritual matters. Fix your eyes on eternal things, they remain constant and never change (2.Corinthians 4:17).
Ada Adeghe, June 2010
Part of a winning team
In case you haven’t noticed, the World Cup is here and ‘Victory’ is the buzz word. I was thinking about this on Sunday as we sang ‘Hallelujah, you (meaning Christ) have won the victory.’ Even non-
‘But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ 1 Corinthians, 15 vs 57
Ada Adeghe, May 2010
Run for the Crown...
Watching the news this morning, I found it fascinating to see David Cameron returning from his early morning jog. For a man who is campaigning to be prime minister, I thought keeping fit would be the least of his worries. Then it suddenly dawned on me. Keeping fit and healthy must rank highly in his list of priorities. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the most dedicated person when it comes to keeping fit, and if you could see me now, you would laugh at the very idea (those who know me are probably this very moment falling over with laughter).
But there are two things worth highlighting here. First, David Cameron, it seems, has made the decision that remaining fit and healthy is important if he is to become Prime Minister. Secondly, once he made that decision, he remained committed. No excuse was going to stand in the way; not unexpected election results, and not reporters crowding his front door. NO EXCUSES. So, Mr Cameron went for his early morning jog!
In 1 Corinthians 8:24, Paul says ‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to win the prize.’ And further down in verse 27, he says: ‘I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.’
Paul is making strong links in these verses between physical exercise and the attitude of commitment we who claim to be followers of Christ should take to living for Him. We are striving for a ‘crown that will last forever’.
So, my challenge to you today is:
1. Have you made a firm decision to live for Christ?
2. Are you fully committed?
If your answers are No, then get off your backside and start exercising your spiritual heritage. If Yes, well done I say, and keep on exercising...
