From the Pastor
Welcome to our Website - A word from the Senior Pastor
It is our mission and pledge to be a church for all people and to bring all people, including gay and lesbian people, to know Christ’s inclusive love and to bring people to the knowledge of their destiny and purpose in Christ.
Rom 8:31-32 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? (32) God who did not spare God's own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will God not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Rev. Deborah Bell
Senior Pastor
Are you a "Road builder" or an observer? – Devotional
There are those that spend their time talking about what others should be doing, and then there are those that actually “build the road”. – The mandate of the great commission in Matt 28:19 was not be observers but to make disciples of all nations, baptising people in the Holy Spirit & teaching those that will hear, the Word of God.
Our job as Christians is to help people discover Christ on their journey of life, making him Saviour and Lord. The Scriptures teach us in many places, that Christ wants to use us, as we are grafted in the body of Christ. The local church is an essential part of making it happen, and I am a strong believer in the local church and her role to do this. – Yet there are so many that stand alongside the road instead of helping to build it together. For many, it is easier to criticize those who are doing the work in the field of life, than to actually meet the challenges that go with getting involved themselves.
I have found that when people make a decision to deal with their own woundedness, and are ready to get healing from the Holy Spirit, they are able to move from the “side of the road” to the forefront of what God is doing, helping others in a healthy way.
Then there are those, standing on the side, looking for allies that are in the same place of woundedness to stand with them. That’s just it, they stand but don’t move forward. It’s one thing having compassion and dealing with the pain of those you love and want to help; but it is another altogether, to be “sucked” into that dark realm and stay in that place of pain forever.
The bible talks about such people in the way of the Israelites. God’s word tells us how the Israelites in their woundedness of slavery for so many years, caused them to not trust God. Their constant mistrust, (which in essence was sin); caused them to look back to their flesh for help, the carnal things. The only place they wanted to go with that mind-set in their woundedness, was Egypt! Back into captivity!
You might say in hindsight; “who in their right mind would do such a thing?”
I believe that when we refuse to trust, when we refuse to get healing, we end up back in that same place of rebellion, just like the Israelites, and Egypt looks very good!
Friends, the “road builder” builds to move forward, in the promises of God no matter what the risks. The observer moves back into the “safe space” of their own control and dominion and they become preoccupied with self, and with their own measure of right and wrong. That’s Egypt friends, not freedom. Eventually that stance or “road” will take us into the same kind of blindness that it took the Israelites. We begin to see things through a distorted lens, and we don’t heal we just end up lost.
Eph 4:11-16
So Christ himself gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
In the Scriptures God has a healthy way for us to do build the road: It is God’s way, not the way of human beings!(We have never got it right on our own). We see God’s ordaining of the five fold ministry in Ephesians chap 4 and the book of Corinthians. Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers & Evangelists, all put in place to equip the saints to do the work of the Kingdom, which is the mandate in Matt 28:19; and to reach unity and maturity.- John 15 talks about us all being in the vine, so that we can receive instruction in the way of the Lord, and stay in the waterfall of God’s presence and direction, so that we are filled up with the fullness of Christ, as Ephesians describes it.
We cannot minister to a broken world if we are not being restored ourselves. We cannot help the broken, if we ourselves are not undergoing our own healing, or we will only see the brokenness of other people through the place of hurt we are still in, instead of through the eyes of compassion and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is dangerous, because it leads to being enablers, instead of those that empower people to make their own decisions.
Some characteristics of a Road builder:
- Road builders are not lone rangers – they don’t try to go it alone.
- Road builders are community orientated – They do things together, they stand in agreement as the scriptures decree: Act 4:32 “All the believers were one in heart and mind.” Unity is key for God’s Spirit not to be grieved. I love that submission is a healthy part of God’s plan for us. Everyone good road builder is called to test the Word but we are also challenged to trust others that God has put in place, throughout the Word of God.
- Road builders have a teachable spirit – they know where they are going, and do not fear releasing their rebellion. God has not given us a spirit of fear but a sound mind!
- Road builders move stumbling blocks out of their way – They don’t stop their journey because they are challenged by obstacles, they get help to move the stumbling blocks out of their path so that they can move forward.
- Road builders stay immersed in meditating on God’s Word so that they are able to do what is written in it.
- Road builders stay committed. They have a heart for God, a heart for their pastor, a heart for people and a heart for their tribe – They hold onto the right priorities in the right order, and they love their tribe.
Friends, don’t be an observer, be a road builder. Do not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but stay on course, stay not only with the road but on the road, and be part of the plan that God has for your life.
Heb 10:19-25 Therefore, brothers & sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Love and Blessings
Pastor Deborah Bell
Senior Pastor, Deo Gloria Family Church
Latest Sermon Video! (2012.02.19)
Defining Moments Pt 2
Rev Deborah Bell
19 February 2012
Are you in the "Zero Zone", where you are always striving, but never truly getting anywhere? Find out how to move forward and step into the "Hero Zone", a place of surrender and truly pursuing our God-given purpose.
Click here for other sermon videos from Rev Deborah Bell and DGFC.
Hearing the right voice
It seems to be imprinted in the carnal nature of human beings to look for answers everywhere else instead of from GOD. It’s like when we lose an item somewhere, then we think we’ve looked everywhere for it except we forget to look in the most obvious place, which ends up being the last place we look. It’s a bit like that when we are looking for answers. We search everywhere, except the most obvious place we are likely to find the right answers! David said this of the Lord in the Psalms: Psalm 86:7 ”In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.”
When we look everywhere else for answers including within ourselves, without God’s help, we will often come to the conclusion that God hasn’t spoken to us or given us direction. But my response would be for us to look around us at those God puts in our midst to help us & those whom God chooses to use to speak to us, and to help guide us. God also uses human beings to speak to us!
I think very often the question is more about people preferring to only listen to what they want to hear. For some people, it may feel that God’s way just seems too difficult and too challenging for them to follow. After all, some might say; “I can’t see how this could be possible, I just can’t see how it can happen.”(God’s plan that is). Sadly, this is saying in essence that we actually don’t believe God’s plan for our lives. If we can’t see it in front of us, or if we don’t understand how it can be possible, we easily dismiss the right voice. Jesus said: BELIEVE! Operating in faith, requires just that, FAITH! (That which we may not see but we trust, because it’s from God. Heb 11:1).We cannot operate in isolation as Christians, our hearts will become calloused and eventually through wrong decisions made in isolation we will forsake our faith.
Matthew 13:15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
“Wrong decisions lead to wrong outcomes”
When making decisions it is important to ask ourselves the question: “Is this what I want, or what God wants for my life?” People often take what appears to be the easy way out, and suffer the consequences of their wrong decisions, made out of fear or from an emotional response, or even simple rebellion, because they won’t operate in faith and believe!
When we listen to the wrong voices, or make our own decisions apart from GOD, wrong decisions lead to wrong outcomes for our lives, which can often result in unpleasant consequences and things can spiral out of control taking us in the opposite direction to God’s intended plan for our lives. We open ourselves up to the “booby traps” the enemy sets up on the unprotected path we choose that might often lead to the “broad gate” of destruction, instead of moving toward the narrow gate of life.
The spiritual person; the person with a transformed mind & spirit is one that that hears the heart of GOD, trusts GOD’s Word and then operates in obedience by faith, and follows the small still voice of their Maker. It’s about following a process, God’s order of how we make decisions. Not impulsively, or in a place when emotions are high, but pursuing the path that leads to life, God’s way. It’s written in the bible for us to follow.
John 10:24-27 The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, ”I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Heavenly Parent’s name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
“It don’t mean a thing, if you ain't got the Christmas swing!”
Of course it means something if you “aint got the Christmas swing!” – You don’t have to be someone or something you are not! Keeping a Colgate smile when things are not okay is not the answer, nor is moping. My point is, that things are not always as they seem on the surface.
Look at the birth of Christ. It did not happen the way some of the people thought it should happen. People had expectations of how the coming of the Messiah should have “played” out. And for some people, the Messiah had let them down! Yet when all was said and done, Christ died, and rose again to be the promised King of glory. Hindsight & tons of history as well as the guidance of Holy Spirit helps us understand today, what was impossible for many people to understand in the time when Jesus’ birth took place.
But looking further than hindsight for a moment, there is nothing worse than friends or even family telling you to get into the “swing of the season” when you are not in that “swinging” space or place! - I want to tell you that it is okay not to feel in that “groove” if you are not in that place. By the way, I am not necessarily referring to the alcohol groove, I am sure you can figure that one out with proper help, without downplaying the dangers of it, it is only a symptom of a deeper root cause anyway. What I am talking about is the spiritual and emotional place you might be finding yourself in at this time of year. It’s okay to feel despair, anxiety & sadness but don’t let yourself slip down into a pit of hopelessness and whatever you do, don’t stay in the depth of that empty space forever! Why? Because you don’t have to.
Is the grass really greener on the other side?
Psa 23:2 The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures, & leads me beside quiet waters.
Don’t jump onto the other side without first doing any work in the field you are in. There are challenges in every field. There are no short cuts to learning the lessons of life. Jumping fields is not the answer.
Ploughing, planting, and taking care of your current field of life, is what is important. Let God lead you, and your pasture will green up in no time!
God will repay all the years the locusts have “eaten” of your crop (the crop of life). Everything will be restored and overflowing. Even when it seems that you are walking through a valley that has no hope. Stay where God puts you, and plough! Soon enough breakthrough will come!
The Psalmist puts it like this:
Psa 23:3-6 God restores my soul & guides me in paths of righteousness… 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Blessings
Pastor Deborah
Senior Pastor - Deo Gloria Family Church
The New Apostolic Reformation – By Dr C Peter Wagner
(Taken from Charisma News)
POSTED 5:00PM EDT 8/24/2011 C. PETER WAGNER
“The New Apostolic Reformation Is Not a Cult"
NPR on Wednesday published an article called, “The New Apostolic Reformation: The Evangelicals Engaged in Spiritual Warfare.” The article names C. Peter Wagner as the movement’s architect and ties Texas Gov. Rick Perry and other politicians to NAR in a negative light. Wagner has been observing how the media is working to taint Christian political candidates with false notions about the NAR and wrote the following article to explain what the NAR is—and what the NAR is not.
Surprisingly, the New Apostolic Reformation has recently become a topic of discussion in the political media. I noticed some mention of it in connection with Sarah Palin’s run for vice president, but I considered it relatively insignificant. Then more talk of the NAR surfaced around Michelle Bachman, but it soared to a new level when Rick Perry entered the race for the Republican nomination for President in August.
The best I can discern, the NAR has become a tool in the hands of certain liberal opponents of the conservative candidates designed to discredit them on the basis of their friendship with certain Christian leaders supposedly affiliated with the NAR. To bolster this attempt, they seek to accuse the NAR of teaching false doctrine and paste on it the label of “cult.” For example, Forgotten Word Ministries posts an article by Marsha West expressing concerns about Rick Perry’s prayer assembly in Houston on August 6, that uses the title: “Texas Governor’s Upcoming Leadership Event Includes Cult Members.”
Soon after the event, nothing less than Al-Jazeera News picked up on the theme and posted an article on the NAR under the title “America’s own Taliban.” My name comes up in most of the Internet postings on NAR, but in this one I am called the “intellectual godfather” of the movement. When I read that, I felt that I had a responsibility to attempt to bring some clarification as to what the NAR is, what are its goals, and how these goals are being implemented.
One Spirit, One body, One love
by Rev Deborah Bell
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Getting rid of the bitter root
Plucking Out!
Living a life of love
A New Attitude
Practical implications
- By putting off falsehood and speaking truthfully. This involves more than not lying. It involves an open sharing of ourselves with one another, rejecting deceit.
- By rejecting the sinful actions anger drives us toward. Anger is not given a place. Before evening comes, we are to move toward reconciliation.
- By rejecting gossip and unwholesome talk. In our conversation we seek to build others up, not tear them down.
- By ridding ourselves of bitterness, rage, slander, and every form of malice. In their place, we are to express kindness and compassion, forgiving each other as God has forgiven us.
Local churches
- Sees leaders as equippers.
- Sees each member as a minister.
- Pays close attention to maturing and building believers up in Christ.
- Seeks to help individuals and groups within the church serve as Christ leads.
Purim – A reminder of God’s Providence
Purim is a reminder once again, of our God (Yahweh), the God of Providence, who freed the Jewish nation from the hand of Haman. This is the One true God, whose promises are ageless and whose promise of restoration included sending Jesus God’s only son, to be a substitute offering in our place. This broke the chains of sin, so that we could have freedom.
In this season of Lent, let us not only give up the external things, but let us reflect on the internal chains that have bound us and kept us in captivity in many other areas of our lives. Jesus came to set the captives free. Are you free?
Gal 5:1 NIRV - “Christ has set us free. He wants us to enjoy freedom. So stand firm. Don’t let the chains of slavery hold you again.“
Blessings
Rev Deborah Bell
Staying in the flow of God’s momentum
An Acceleration of the momentum
It is especially important in this season that we stay in the flow of how God is moving. There is about to be an acceleration of God’s power and presence in the earth, like we have never seen it, in these next few years and counting! We can see God’s plan unfolding, but we also need to be wise to the strategy of the enemy, who will try to stop our momentum, from advancing in God’s plan.
I want to be clear; my focus is not the devil but God, but I realize and have seen the grip of the enemy on people’s lives in 2010, and I feel that it is important for people to be reminded that to take their respective “Mountain” (sphere of influence in a particular part of society that they are called to); that they break the back of the enemy. To do this, people need to be aware of the devil’s strategies.
The Blind spot
What is the strategy of the enemy? Simply to block your path of advancement, by putting obstacles in your path, or taking advantage of the ones that are already there, so that you lose momentum and get off track. I said “simply”, but let’s not forget that people get caught by the devil’s traps all the time, because even though we think we know how he operates, he is always cunning and crafty. In his bid to destroy your life, he will attack you in your “blind spot”.
We all have one, much like the one in the side mirror of our cars. This is why people fall. Because many refuse to allow friends to walk alongside them, that can see their blind spots & this causes the spirit of Pride to rise up, where people might say: “I am fine, nothing is wrong with me. I can handle it.” This is very dangerous, as often those around us can see the enemy coming at us, a lot sooner than we can ourselves!
So what should your strategy be? Let me give you four points to keep you in the timing & momentum this season to take your mountain:
