Christian Dominion Centre UK

  The Meek ( Matthew 5:5 ) In seeing that they were spiritually poor, and then mourning for what they had done, they then become meek.    Someone once asked me how someone who is meek can inherit the earth seeing as they are we ak. I explained that being meek doesn’t mean you’re weak, it doesn’t mean that you are shy, easily pushed around and allow people to walk all over you. T he meek are those who are humble, they’re not easily pushed around. They have a controlled strength. They are not interested in self gain and can submit to proper authority. The don’t seek to manipulate or seek the downfall of others so that they can succeed.     There are many example of this in scripture: Genesis 13:7-11 – Abraham was Lots uncle, and so by rights, he should have chosen were to go. In fact he could have just sent Lot away. Instead, for the sake of peace, he allowed Lot to choose where he wanted to go, even though he was more than likely going to choose the better...

Those Who Mourne  ( Matthew 5:4 )   On the surface this may seem like mourning in the sense of having experienced a loss. However, the people mentioned here are not mourning the loss of a loved one, they are expressing a deep regret over the circumstances they find themselves in because of sin. Having realised that they are spiritually poor and, are in need of Christ, they grieve over all that they have done. David lamented after Nathan spoke to him regarding his actions towards Bathsheba and Uriah ( Psalm 51:1-4 ). The tax collector was sorrowful, at the temple ( Luke 18:9-13 ). The prodigal son was repentant over his decision to leave home ( Luke 15:17-19 ). Recognising that we have done wrong is not enough, we need to also have regret over what we have done ( 1 Corinthians 5:2 ) The Blessing The promise for those who mourne, is that they will be comforted. This comfort is in the fact that your sins have been forgiven.  Looking back at the examples above: The prodigal s...

  In the beatitudes ( Matthew 5:3-10 ) Jesus teaches about the values that will make the people blessed, or in this context, experience a Godly happiness. These are things that should be present in the life of a believer. Over time the beatitudes has become something that many people know on face value, but if we go deeper, we see that this sermon has so much to teach us about what God expects and what it means to be a true representative of the Lord. We will use the next few weeks to look at each of and we should ask ourselves whether we see any of these virtues in  our selves The Poor In Spirit   ( Matthew 5:3 ) The Original Greek word for poor was pto chos  which means to be reduced to begging. It means you are destitute and lacking in everything. The poor in spirit are those who after hearing the word, come to the realisation that they are in desperate need of God. They are lacking spiritually, nothing in their life reflects him, they have no connection or relati...

1 Peter 1:10-12 The prophets of the OT knew that something great was to happen, but not everything about Christ's victory over death (the how and when) had been revealed to them. They did, however, know that the messages they were speaking were not just for the people pf their time but also for all believers to come. These messages are now ministered to us through men and women of God, today. It is the same Spirit working in them, that worked in the prophets. Only we get to see and experience the results of Christ's suffering and glory. We are in such a privileged position, because we have the word, we have the in dwelling of the Holy Spirit, we live in the promise of a victory that has already been realised. The prophets could only imagine, but we don't have to. Don't take for granted what you have before you, we have so many resources regarding God's word and his kingdom, we have the ability to come to the Lord as we are, without having to go through any ceremonia...

  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 ...

  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.