Hi, my name is Valerie Blissett I’m a member of Huntly Baptist Church. I’m considering moving down to Rangiora to be near family.
Just as an off chance I’m wondering if anyone has a house/ flat/ unit for rent. I’m a single, retired person and I’m looking for a 2/3 bedroom place.
My pastors here are willing to give me references. Please contact me via email: valblissett95@gmail.com
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I would like to offer my house for a Retreat in Geraldine if anyone genuinely needs time out and a weekend away. Free for those that may need a break as long as they come in anticipation of hearing from God. Furthermore, if anyone was happy to look after my two spoodles I would PAY them.. $40 inclusive for Friday night to Sunday.
44 McKenzie St, Geraldine, Five minutes walk to Town. Two double bedrooms, queen bed in each. Couch in lounge is comfortable as extra bed if need be.
Contact: Michelle, michelle@4property.co.nz
Hello all,
The past four weeks we have been located on base at YWAM Samoa where we finished off the 50th year celebration which was such a blessing to be a part of. To hear so many testimonies from those who have been involved and served with YWAM Samoa has really grown my heart for those who haven’t yet heard about Jesus or the Gospel. To share the Gospel with nations who haven’t heard it yet or are heavily influenced by other beliefs has become something that pulls on my heart and could definitely be something in the near future if the calling from God is there!!!
Since the ending of the celebration, we have been heading into the centre of Apia and hitting the streets finding people who need encouragement, prayer and to hear the Good news. It’s been such a faith building and encouraging time of hearing Gods voice and seeing the fruit come from God using us to be his hands and feet is so life-giving and fulfilling. The first day we went into Apia, we combined with the other two teams staying on base (Honolulu and Queenstown) and mixed up into groups of three and started at McDonalds and dispersed from there. The group that I was part of found this young man who had just left his family to get a bit of air and time to think. As we walked past Him I gave him a wave and he waved back with a smile on his face so we went and spoke to him what ended up being two hours. We had such an amazing conversation about his family, upbringing and Jesus who he knew a lot about coming from a Catholic family. He was able to ask questions and we were able to answer with what felt like such spirit lead answers and then were able to encourage and pray for him. It was a blessing to see God meet him in that time. He was so grateful for the conversation we were able to have and wanted to repay us in someway. Before we left I gave him a hug and reminded him how much God loves him and that was one of the longest and tightest hugs I’ve had in a long time.
This week we have been given the opportunity to go into schools and bring more items/dances, testimonies and encourage the students which is so life giving as well and continue to look forward to more opportunities where we get to encourage the youth of Samoa. With four weeks remaining of outreach, I look forward to seeing what else God has in store for our team and myself to step into and serve in Samoa!
I would like to once again say a huge thank you for all your support whether it be prayer or financial!! It has been such a blessing to know so many of you have been praying and have felt very covered by you’re prayers and to those who have generously given financial support since being here in Samoa, THANK YOU!!!
Many Blessings,
Will
Hi Everyone,
Will has limited wifi and reception so has sent me this message via messenger and asked that I forward on to you all. Thanks so much for your ongoing support. Sounds like he and the YWAM teams are needing it and so appreciating it as they are now out on their outreaches. Sarah Rattray
Wednesday 9th April
Talofa from Samoa family and friends,
Our team and I are two weeks into our outreach, and we have already seen God move in so many different ways that we haven’t seen before. The culture of serving in the Samoans has blown us away and we have definitely been well looked after.
We left for American Samoa two weeks ago today after a big send off from everyone on base and said some tough goodbyes, but it came with an excitement of what was waiting for us as well. It’s incredible the strength of connection you can create with people in such a short time when you spend every second of every day with them!!
Arriving in American Samoa (A.S), we were met by big boss Randall who was our main contact from YWAM Samoa and He is also one of the men in charge for the 50th year anniversary of YWAM in A.S and Samoa. Our week in Leone, the village we stayed in in A.S, looked like attending church every day and hosting youth rallies alongside a team from YWAM Samoa, YWAM Honolulu and Island Breeze Ministries which is a team whose ministry is focused around bringing the different cultures from different islands, mainly in the pacific, through the likes of dance and songs. On one of our last days, we split in half with everyone and half of us went and did wave ministry which is where we would line a busy road right beside McDonalds and take a bunch of signs that we had made all with encouragement and a bit of fun but sharing the message of Jesus Christ. Was a blast!!!
After this week, we headed to Savai’i which is the bigger of the two islands of Samoa. First part of the journey began with an eight-hour ferry from American Samoa to Apia. We then spent the night at the YWAM Samoa base and left the next day for another ferry to get to Savai’i. Since being in Savai’i we have been to three different High Schools so far this week (one each day), where I’ve never seen so much engagement from youth that age. Every day we have been going into classrooms and sharing testimonies and encouraging students who may not have an idea about what they would want to do after school. We have also been sharing with them the opportunities that YWAM, specifically University of the Nations, offers. After we share in the classes we get the whole school together and run through a program lead by Island Breeze which contains dances and songs (some which our team have learnt), testimonies, worship and a message. At the end of every message there has been an opportunity to respond and every day, we have seen around 30 students respond to wanting to know Jesus on a personal level.
Have been having such an incredible time but prayer for covering of protection over our team would be much appreciated. Sickness has hit almost everyone but myself and one of our leaders so to extend those prayers for our team like I said would be much appreciated!! Once again, thank you so much for the ongoing prayer and support. God Bless you all!!!
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Luke 3
When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
Luke 4
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,’and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Developing sensitivity to the HS is crucial to moving in the authority of Jesus. That is a given. However on the flip side it is also important to recognize when HS is not the origin of what we are hearing. This is discernment, and the HS will develop this in us. The highest use of discernment is to connect with what HS is doing in a situation, or speaking to us. Discerning the genuine also shows up the counterfeit for what it is and empowers us to discern and resist the voice of Satan.
Jesus hears God the Father speak, then HS leads Jesus into the wilderness. Through the HS we encounter, and overcome all voices that claim authority in our lives. Only the voice of the Father can be our authority.
As Jesus encounters Satan I don't think he announced who he was or what his intentions were. He would be in his best outfit, making his most skilled attempt to seduce and deceive Jesus. Notice that Satan even quotes scripture. He has done his home work.
Satan was cunning and cleaver, but in playing his hand he gives away some of his strategies. There is a method to what was happening here…
If you think about it - it was an amazing spiritual experience. Visions, out of body experiences, visitations from angelic beings, but at the centre was compromise and self-promotion. Jesus recognized that this experience didn't reflect the nature or will of the Father. It just show how careful we must be to discern the origin of what we are experiencing or hearing.
Jesus knew his position of athority with the Father (You are my Son - the named heir), and His working relationship with the Holy Spirit (The Spirit of the Lord is upon me - the Power of creation).
What Satan attempted was to set the agenda and call the shots in Jesus life. He attempted to assume a position of authority over Jesus. Jesus responses did two things - He answered Satan' s temptation, and also held Satan himself accountable to the word of God. Jesus exercised His spiritual authority without gtiving it away or allowing it to be manipulated.
Strategies - It is really important to understand Satan’s strategies.
Ezekiel 12:4-8
By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity. Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it. In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.
So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.
And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying...
Sometimes the call of God is clear, but at the sometime can be a bit vague....
Ezekiel was commanded to dig through the wall, which he did - that much was clear - then what? There was a night of waiting, wondering, looking foolish. A demolished wall behind him but no fanfare of obedience awaiting outside, no reward just an awkward silence. He became a public spectacle without understanding why. God didn't explain until the next day.
"Did I really hear correctly...I have obeyed you Lord and now you go quiet?"
No, there is no hesitation. Ezekiel is confident because he knows a key to walking with the HS. Sometimes God say "go", other times he says "no", and Ezekiel understands "slow". When God calls us to walk with Him and match His pace.
God gave enough for Ezekiel to be obedient, but not enough for him to be independent. That's Slow. One step at a time, at His speed.
Abraham learned this too...
Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
Did you catch that?
God didn't give directions to Abram, arriving at the destination isn't what this is about, it was an invitation from God to go on a journey with Him.
This is the slow.
It is too easy to do God's work for Him at our pace and in our own way. We get a sniff "go", of His call, and roar off with all our energy doing God's work for Him. Then what happens? He has to pull us back in. And we start to hear "No". And we bounce between these realities. We need to hear and understand when God tells us "slow".
You see God doesn't need our strength, wisdom or assistance. We kid ourselves. The destination of His call is always in His capable hands. He asks us along for the journey.
Many years ago, a wealthy man went duck hunting with a hired hand named Sam. They took a horse and carriage, and along the way a rim came off one of the wheels. As Sam hammered it back on, he accidentally hit his finger. Instantly he let go with some bad words. He quickly fell to his knees, asking God's forgiveness. "Lord, it's difficult at times to live the Christian life", he prayed.
"Sam" said the man, "I know you're a Christian, but tell me why you struggle so, I'm an atheist, and I don't have problems like that."
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Sam didn't know what to say. Just then two ducks flew overhead. The man raised his gun and two shots rang out. "Leave the dead one and go after that wounded bird!" he shouted. Sam pointed at the duck that was fluttering desperately to escape and said, "I've got an answer for you now, Boss. You said my Christianity isn't any good because I have to struggle so. Well, I'm the wounded duck and struggle to get away from the devil. But you Boss, you're the dead duck!"
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That insight fits Paul's description of his Christian experience in Romans 7: 14-25.
Struggle is one evidence of God's work in our lives Forgiveness of sin is available, so don't despair. Remember, dead ducks don't flutter.
Struggle, yes, it's part of living
Nothing's gained on beds of ease;
But when our heart is set on Jesus,
Struggle drives us to our knees.
–Dennis De Hann
