Christian Dominion Centre UK

  We end our Lessons in Advent with this simple message.. He is not here, He has risen. Jesus left his place on the throne, so that we could have a place with him. He took on the form of man and bore all the pain that was meant for us. At this time of the year, there is so much emphasis on the 'Baby Jesus', and within a few days the story is forgotten and people go on with their lives. Always remember that this period marks the beginning of a great sacrifice that will see us take our place in God's kingdom as co heirs to the throne.

  There were women who were weeping because of how Jesus was being treated, but he told them not to weep for him. He knew that what he was experiencing was necessary, and it was also his choice. At anytime he could have asked God to save him, but he choose to go through with it so that we could be saved. He told them to instead weep for those who had not accepted him. They were the ones who were really going to suffer. Their suffering would be so bad that people will be happy not to have children, who would want to bare children in such horrendous conditions. Even today, people look back at what Jesus went thorough and feel sorrow, the thought of having nails hammered through your hands, being left to hang in the air until you died. As frightening as this sounds, a day is coming that will be unbearable for all those who have decided that they can do life without Christ. So if you haven't made the decision to do so, I urge you now to give your life to him completely and you won'...

  This is a very powerful statement to make. Jesus knew what he was about to endure, yet he told God that ultimately he wanted his will to prevail. It's inevitable that we will experience challenges in our walk with Christ, and in our efforts to minister to others about the things of God. Jesus' first statement tells us that he understands how difficult it can be, because he experienced it himself. The second half of his statement is what we should focus on, God's will is paramount. He won't call us and then leave us to handle everything on our own. He is with us every step of the way, we only need to make the decision to take that first step.

  When it comes to giving, there is, at times, pressure to give in abundance. Sometimes we feel guilty for not placing a wad of cash in the offering bowl or writing out a large cheque. That guilt can sometimes come from others, making us feel that we have to give more in order to receive God's blessing or prove that we love and have faith in him. This passage teaches us that the amount we give is not what God looks at, regardless of whether you give £1, £100, or £1000. God looks at our hearts and at our motives. The widow gave little, but in comparison to all that she had, what she gave was greater than what the rich gave. Dropping £1000 in the offering bowl each week may sound impressive, but if the person giving it is a multi millionaire, earning more than 10 times that amount each week, then £1000 is a drop in the ocean. Don't ever think that what you give to God is not good enough. 2 Corinthians 9:7, tells us that God loves a cheerful giver, so when you give to God, do it w...

  It is our responsibility to know who we give our ear to. In this passage the people were told to beware of the teachers of the law who enjoyed the recognition that there status provided. These people had a sense of self importance, always wanting to stand out and be honoured. They thought of themselves as being holier than everyone else, with their long winded prayers and thought they were deserving of special treatment regardless of the effect it had on others. There are many people like this today, who love being called Pastor, Reverend, Bishop, Daddy, Apostle. They love all the benefits that these titles bring them, but what they, and the teachers of the law lack is the responsibility that comes with these titles. Being a leader is not a right, it is a privilege. The apostle Paul spoke about his right to ask of certain things for the people, but he never took advantage and paid his way when necessary in order not to be a burden on the people. Titles and status bring with them ...

  God is God, because he is God. He has been God from before the world came into being. Leaders in the world, whether kings, presidents, or lords can only have their title if it is willed by others. A worldly leader can be voted out, overthrown, or even killed. Who can overthrow God, who can vote him out or even get close enough to attempt an assassination. Man doesn't make God, we don't give him power. Without him we are nothing, without us he is still everything. So don't think God owes you anything, don't think he needs us to worship him, he can call upon anything he created at it will shout out in joy to glorify his name.

  In this parable, the tax collector starts with a statement that most believers have probably thought at one point in their life, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men..." (v:11) How many times have you seen someone acting in an ungodly manner and shook your head and thanked God that you know better than to behave in this manner. Whilst it's right to thank God for setting us apart from those in the world, because of the sacrifice of the cross, we shouldn't think of ourselves as being better than them. The only thing that makes us different to people in the world is knowledge. We have knowledge of who God is and what his word says, this puts us in a position of privilege. Those in the world don't have the same knowledge we have, so they are going to behave in the manner that comes natural to them. Even with our knowledge of the things of God, we still make mistakes and stumble. This in many cases is worse than an unbeliever who sins because we do so from ...

A big part of being a child of God is giving your life over to him completely. This is not limited to the spiritual. We must be willing to give of ourselves physically, making sacrifices for the greater good of God's kingdom. Sacrifices may include our own lives, we must be prepared to lose our lives for the sake of the kingdom. This doesn't mean we put ourselves in dangerous situations to try and prove our love for God. But it means that if and when the time comes, we will be willing to make a confession for Christ even if it means we lose our lives. Choosing to save our own lives will reveal that we love the world more than God, we effectively reject God and will have no place in his kingdom. However, a willingness to lose our life will result in an eternal life, that it far greater than the one we have now. This life will be spent in the presence of God. This isn't an easy decision to make and no one knows how they will respond in a situation such as this. The best thing...

  Many people asked Jesus for a sign, to prove that he was who he said he was. It's no different today, people want to be shown that God is real, based on their own terms saying, "If god is real, let him do this." Or, "If God is real he should do that." The rich man wanted Lazarus to go and speak to his family and warn them not to end up where he did. But, Abraham informed him that his brothers had Moses and the prophets, meaning that they already had all the information they needed to make the right choices in life. Most people who ask for a sign don't really want to believe, and even if a sign is given all it will take is for someone else to do something more magnificent for them to turn away. This kind of belief is superficial, they'll believe so long as their expectations are met. But blessed are those who believe without seeing.

  The parable of the prodigal son is well known. But, today we're going to step away from the usual lesson of redemption and look at how the son got into trouble in the first place. This son asked for his inheritance before his father had died. As well as being an insult, it displayed the son's lack of patience. Half of his father's possessions would one day be his, he just had to wait for it. However, he wanted it immediately, and because he had no real plan, the money was gone as quickly as he had received it. He returned to his fathers house empty handed, with nothing to his name, as now everything his father had left, belonged to his brother. Whenever we rush to attain things that we feel we are entitled to, we end up in a worse position than when we started. There is always a process, things we need to learn and experience before we are able to take hold of the blessings and breakthroughs that we are waiting upon. This time of preparation helps us get ready for what Go...

  The Pharisees were so zealous in their adherence to the law and questioned even the good things that Jesus did for people. Before healing the man on the sabbath, he asked those around him whether it was lawful to do so. No one answered, they also failed to respond when he questioned what they would do if one of their animals fell into a well on the sabbath. They did not answer because they knew that if they said they would not save the animal, it would make them look heartless. If they said yes, they would be going against the law. In addition, if they could break the law to save an animal how much more a fellow human. These Pharisees put so much emphasis on the law that they forgot its purpose. The sabbath was made for us, so that we can make time to rest. This shouldn't prevent us from helping someone in need, especially if that helps display the Lord's power and goodness. Obedience is important, but we should also use wisdom to ensure our zeal doesn't cause us to miss ...

  Life lived in Gods word is not easy, we have to work at it. This is not work in the sense that we are trying to gain salvation through works. Rather, it is a lack of complacency, we work at our relationship with God through fellowship. We build upon our knowledge and understanding of his word, by taking time to meditate upon it.  As the way is narrow, it means we will have to let go of many things. Anything that causes distraction or causes us to remain in our old ways, will only make it difficult to enter into God's kingdom. The time to do his is now, because a time will come when the door will be locked and no one will be able to gain access. God's mercy is available to all, but it won't be available forever. Many will be surprised to hear God say that he does not know them. These are the people who think it's enough to simply know that God exists, to be a good person, or who only want to do the bare minimum. Going through the narrow door requires effort. A relation...

  In the grand scheme of things, we can feel quite insignificant. God created the whole universe; sun, moon, stars, and everything on the earth. There are an array of animals, big and small, many of which we don't know and will never get to see. As we gaze upon the beauty of all that God has made, we realise that we are a tiny spec. However, this verse from Luke, reminds us that we are still valuable in God's eyes. He knows each and everyone one of his creations, inside and out. No matter the value we or others place on ourselves, to God we priceless. You are worth every drop of blood that Christ shed for us.

  The religious leaders had bombarded the people with so many rules and regulations about what they needed to do in order to be right with God.  This meant that the people no longer had an understanding of God's word. In their self righteous attempts to bring in their own sense of order, they had prevented the people from growing in knowledge. It's one thing to lack knowledge yourself, but preventing others from experiencing the revelation that comes from a relationship with God, is dangerous. We (especially church leaders) have a responsibility to towards others, to ensure that our actions do not hinder them from growing in the walk with Christ and increasing in knowledge.

  Achieving something great in service to the Lord can give us a sense of accomplishment. Praying for someone to be healed and then seeing it actually happen would cause anyone to be proud about what had taken place. The disciples, were displaying their excitement at the fact that demons had obeyed them, however, no matter what we do in the Lord's name, it can never compare to what he has done for us. His sacrifice meant that we can rejoice in the fact that we have a place in his kingdom. What we do in his name spans from what he has already done for us. So whilst it's amazing to be able to lay hands on people see them healed and for demons to be cast out, our acts of service should never overshadow the Lords greater act of love.

  Like many jobs, ploughing a field takes focus in order to get it done right. If you look back at what you're missing out on, you end up making a mess of the task at hand. Following Christ is the same, we can't say that we are following Jesus whilst constantly looking back at the life we're leaving behind. Our focus must be on what the Lord has placed before us to do. Lot's wife made this mistake when they were leaving Sodom. She looked back at the city they had called home, the people they were leaving, the life that they had lived. For that, she became a pillar of salt. She should have been looking in the direction to which they were being led, into God's blessing. A decision to follow Christ doesn't come with a plan B, it's not one foot in and one foot out. It's all or nothing. We either give all our attention, all our focus or we might as well given nothing at all.

  I shake my head in disbelief whenever I hear someone say, "We're all children of God." This incorrect way of thinking gives people the impression that they can still make it into God's kingdom, because God won't really allow anyone to go to hell. We don't get to call ourselves God's children just because he made us. That privilege ended at the fall of man. Now we become his children by accepting the sacrifice of the cross and living in obedience to his word. Jesus called those who heard him, and put his words into practice, his mother and brothers  (and sisters). When we live by his word we are his family, we are one family, in one Spirit. We have the right to call God our father from the moment we accept Jesus Christ as our saviour (see  John 1:12-13 ). What a blessing to be part of such a family.

  In chapter 7 we see the well known encounter of Jesus, with an unnamed woman, who washes his feet using her tears, her hair, and expensive oil. After those around him question whether Jesus should allow such a woman to be near him, he reveals that those who are forgiven little will loves little and by contrast those who are forgiven a lot will love a lot. Jesus then loving tells the woman that her faith has saved her and to go in peace. How many of us actually do that? It's true that when you have been forgiven a huge debt, the joy you feel is greater than if the debt had been small. However, it is also true that the greater the perception of the sin, the harder it can be to accept forgiveness.  Some will find it difficult to believe that they can be so easily forgiven, they expect to have to jump through hoops and earn their redemption. Or they may have someone in their life who persistently points out all the terrible things they did in the past. Jesus' last three word in ...

  Judge not, lest ye be judged, a very common phrase that even those who have never picked up a bible are able to quote. This verse in Luke 6, points out how ridiculous it is to  judge others (self righteously), not just because we will be judged ourselves, but because we are in no fit state to do so. In the example, we see one person with a log in their eye, trying to help someone with a speck in their eye. Self righteous judgement leads us to ignore the obvious flaws in ourselves, we instead look to other people's problems, no matter how small, and ignore (often times consciously) our own issues.  In verse 39, Jesus says, "Can a blind man lead a blind man?", another example could be an illiterate person trying to teach someone how to read. We can't expect to assist and lead others when we ourselves are in need of greater help. It's only when we have worked through our own problems that we will be equipped to then provide help to those around us. So before we go ...

  Have you ever heard someone say they can't come to church because they aren't a Christian or that God wouldn't be interested in them because they have committed some great sin. Luke 5:31 is referring to such people. Some have the perception that in order to come into God's presence, they have to be spotless, perfect, holy and righteous. This verse teaches that this is not the case, God didn't come for those who were already his, he came for the lost and the broken. Someone in good health has no need for a doctor, it is the sick who need the doctor to heal them. In the same way, someone who has allowed the Lord into their lives, is already where they need to be. Jesus came to redeem the lost, if you think you're not good enough, then that means he came for you too.

  Food is good, it gives us strength, can provide us with nourishment, and brings people together in celebration. But there is something that gives us more of what we need, and that is, the word of God. It is through his word that God speaks to us. His word tells us who he is, who we are in him, what he desires from us, what he plans for us. His word reveals so much, with it we can accomplish amazing things. Knowing his word also protects us from false teachings, when we know what he really says, no one can tell us otherwise.  So be encouraged to feed on his word as often as possible, feed on the wisdom he has laid our before you, it is a meal like no other.

  John made it very clear that he was only there to baptise people with water, but the one who was to come, Jesus Christ, would give them what they needed most, the Holy Spirit. Baptism of water, is only the beginning, it's a sign of the washing away of our old lives and rising up into a new life, lived according to God's word. The baptism of the Holy Spirit takes things to another level. It's the Holy Spirit that speaks to us, the Holy Spirit that gives us understanding. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we experience God's presence in a whole new way. When you take that first step of giving yourself to the Lord, don't stop there. Seek the Holy Spirit, desire is presence, his indwelling in your life, and you'll see how much more of God is revealed to you.

  The message of the gospel is not just the good news that Christ came to bring us salvation, it is joy, and joy for all. In biblical times, Israel was thought to be God's people, they had the privilege of an expectant redemption at the hands of  a king who would be greater than all kings. The message of the gospel teaches us that Christ didn't only come to redeem the children of Israel, he came to redeem us all. This message of hope and joy is for everyone. No matter what you have done, what you are experiencing, your social status, the family you come from, this message is for you. He came for YOU, don't ever think you are not good enough for him.

Mary, in faith, accepted God's plan. It wasn't going to be easy, who would believe that she had been touched by the holy spirit and was now carrying the saviour of the world. From this we learn that the God's plans for our life won't make sense to everyone. But that doesn't matter. What's important is the fact that he has said he will do it. Hold on to that, come before him as a servant and step forward in obedience.