Nottingham Aspley Salvation Army Church & Community Centre

Thought for today
13th September 2015
For all parents frustrated by your kids’ sloppy rooms - here’s some ammunition from a commander of Navy Seals and Special Operations Forces.
... http://bit.ly/PYMakeBed
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Thought for today
11th Sept 2015
Genesis 1:27N (NKJV)
... 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
If you are wondering what you might want to do something a little different this weekend you may be inspired by this clip. (But check your insurance!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWf8CXwPo qI
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Thought for today
10th September 2015
Ephesians 5:1-2 New American Standard Bible
... Be Imitators of God
'Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved childre and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma'
Darron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwcgcovSY s0
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Thought for today
"In the begining God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
... On December 24, 1968, in what was the most watched television broadcast at the time, the crew of Apollo 8 read in turn from the Book of Genesis as they orbited the moon. Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, and Frank Borman recited verses 1 through 10, using the King James Version text.
Transcript
Bill Anders "We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you."
"'In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ‘And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. ‘And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. ‘And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.''
Jim Lovell "'And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. ‘And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. ‘And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. ‘And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.’"
Frank Borman "'And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. ‘And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.'" "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."
Enjoy another day on planet earth, our beautiful and terribly fragile planet.
Darron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_hRRiXKd qc
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Thought for today
8th September 2015
God’s Plans
... What do you want your servant to do? (NLT) Joshua 5:14
An army officer may have an overall plan, but before each battle he has to receive and give out new instructions. Joshua, a leader of the Israelites, had to learn this lesson. After God’s people spent 40 years in the wilderness, God chose Joshua to lead them into the land He had promised to them.
The first stronghold they faced was the city of Jericho. Before the battle, Joshua saw the “commander of the Lord’s army” (probably the Lord Himself) standing opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. Joshua fell on his face and worshiped. In other words, he recognized God’s greatness and his own smallness. Then he asked, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” (Josh. 5:14). Joshua experienced victory at Jericho because he followed the Lord’s instructions.
Recognizing God's greatness & our own smallness makes us more dependent on Him. On another occasion, however, Joshua and his people “did not inquire of the Lord” (9:14). As a result, they were deceived into making a peace treaty with the people of Gibeon, enemies in the land of Canaan. This displeased the Lord (vv. 3-26).
We too are dependent on the Lord as we face life’s struggles. He longs for us to come near to Him today in humility. And He’ll be there again for us tomorrow.By Keila Ochoa
In what area do you need God’s guidance today? Ask God to lead the way.
A Prayer for Our World
Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect. Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly. So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness. So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty. And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. Amen.
~ written by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
Darron
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Thought for today
7th September 2015
Ripples of Hope
... 'In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ'. 1 Peter 1:3
In 1966, U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy made an influential visit to South Africa. There he offered words of hope to opponents of apartheid in his famous “Ripple of Hope” speech at the University of Cape Town. In his speech, he declared, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
At times in this world, hope seems scarce. Yet there is an ultimate hope readily available for the follower of Christ. Peter wrote, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
Jesus can infuse hope into the most hopeless of situations. Through the certainty of Christ’s resurrection, the child of God has a hope that is more than a ripple. It is an overwhelming current of confidence in the faithfulness of the One who conquered death for us. Jesus, in His victory over death—our greatest enemy—can infuse hope into the most hopeless of situations.
In Christ the hopeless find hope. By Bill Crowder
Lets make the most of our free gift of today
Darron
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Thought for today
6th September 2015
To Be Continued . . .
... Death has been swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:54
Growing up in the 1950s, I often attended the Saturday matinee at a local movie theater. Along with cartoons and a feature film, there was an adventure serial that always ended with the hero or heroine facing an impossible situation. There seemed to be no way out, but each episode concluded with the words “To Be Continued . . . ”
The apostle Paul was no stranger to life-threatening situations. He was imprisoned, beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked as he sought to take the good news of Jesus Christ to people. He knew that someday he would die, but he never considered that to be the end of the story. Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Corinth, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’ ” (1 Cor. 15:54). The passion of Paul’s life was telling others that Jesus our Savior gave His life on the cross so that through faith in Him we can receive forgiveness for all our sins and have eternal life.
We are not like the movie hero who always escapes certain death. The day will come when our earthly lives will end either by death or Christ’s return. But by God’s grace and mercy, the story of your life and mine is “to be continued.”By David McCasland
Father, we praise You for Your gift of eternal life and say with Paul, “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).
In life and death, Christ is our hope.
Enjoy the gift of our today
Darron
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Thought for today
4th September 2015
People Power
... The whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16
A man was boarding a train in Perth, Australia, when he slipped and his leg got caught in the gap between the train carriage and the station platform. Dozens of passengers quickly came to his rescue. They used their sheer might to tilt the train away from the platform, and the trapped man was freed! The train service’s spokesman, David Hynes, said in an interview, “Everyone sort of pitched in. It was people power that saved someone from possibly quite serious injury.”
In Ephesians 4, we read that people power is God’s plan for building up His family. He has given each of us a special gift of His grace (v. 7) for the specific purpose that “the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (v. 16).
Every person has a job to do in God’s family; there are no spectators. In God’s family we weep and laugh together. We bear each other’s burdens. We pray for and encourage one another. We challenge and help each other to turn from sin. Show us, Father, our part in helping Your family today. By Poh Fang Chia
Make the most of the gift of today
Darron
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Back-to-School Bible Verses
Today we pray for all our young people who are going back to school after the long summer holidays. The following Bible verses are good food for thought before the beginning of the school year and are helpful when facing each new school day.
John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
... Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””
Psalm 68:19 “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens.”
Psalms 34:19 ” The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Psalm 56:11 “In God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah 30:21 “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Isaiah 48:17 “This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”
Matthew 19:14 “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
Psalm 56:3-4 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
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Thought for today
3rd September 2015
Courageous People Resolve Conflict
... God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)
Why does God want us to live at peace with everyone? Because unresolved conflict has three devastating effects in your life.
First, it blocks your fellowship with God. When you’re out of whack with others, you can’t be in harmony with God. When you’re distracted, when you’re in conflict with other people, you cannot have a clear connection with God. 1 John 4:20 says, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar” (NLT).
Second, unresolved conflict hinders your prayers. Over and over again the Bible says that where there is conflict and sin and disharmony in your life, your prayers are blocked.
Third, unsolved conflict hinders your happiness. You cannot be happy and in conflict at the same time. When conflict comes in the front door, happiness goes out the back.
So, don’t you want to get rid of the conflict in your life? The starting point of resolving any conflict is to take the initiative. Don’t wait for others to come to you; go to them. You be the peacemaker.
Don’t ignore the conflict. Don’t deny the conflict. Don’t push the conflict under the carpet.
Have you heard the expression, “Time heals everything?” That’s a bunch of rubbish. Time heals nothing! If time heals everything, you wouldn’t ever need to see the doctor.
Actually, time makes things worse. When you’ve got an open wound and you don’t deal with it, it festers. Anger turns to resentment, and resentment turns to bitterness.
The conflict is not going to resolve itself. You’ve got to intentionally deal with it.
Only courageous people resolve conflict. Maybe the most courageous thing you can do is face an issue that you’ve been ignoring for a long time in your marriage, or with your kids, or with your employees, or your boss, or whoever.
Where do you find the courage to face it? You get it from God.
The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self discipline.” That means if you let God’s Spirit fill your life, you're going to be filled with power, love, and self-discipline. And God’s love overcomes fear.
When your love is greater than your fear, you’ll do things you’re afraid to do. That’s called courage. When you’re filled with God’s love, you’ll also be filled with love for that person who is irritating you or that person you’re in conflict with. by Rick Warren
Enjoy the gift of today
Darron
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Thought for today
2nd September 2015
The God of now
... (1 Peter 1:13 NASB) Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Many people in church are living in the past. They look to the cross and only see a suffering Saviour. They keep him on the cross because they can manage him there. He forgives them their sins when they need Him to and he doesn’t get in the way of their lives. The verse above is a comfortable verse to many because, in their minds, it sets the grace in which we hope in some future "revelation" of Jesus. But I don’t think the revelation is future. God will not be nailed up to some cross and forgotten by His people. He is the God of now. By Evan Wiggs
Enjoy the gift of now :-)
Darron
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Thought for today
1st September 2015
Have a conversation with Your Creator
... Yesterday my wife and I celebrated our 24th year of marriage, I read this article by Rick Warren with great interest:-
“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:1-2 NLT, second edition)
It took me a while, but I finally figured out that this marriage thing is about communication. I discovered that on the days that I had deep, soul-communication with my wife Kay — not “Hi. How are you? I love you. See you later” — that’s when our relationship would grow. And on those days when we have little or no communication, our relationship decays. A relationship is never standing still. It’s either growing or decaying.
The same is true with God. On the days when you have deep, significant talks with God, your relationship grows. On the days when you have little or no conversation with God, your relationship decays. It’s that simple.
When you really love somebody, you don’t just want to spend time with them. You want to talk with them. Remember when you first fell in love as a teenager and your parents got upset because you were always on the phone? You talked and talked and talked because you were getting to know that person. Communication is how you get to know others.
What do you talk about if you want to express love to God? Anything that you’d talk to your best friend about: your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your anxieties, the things you’re embarrassed about, the things you’re proud of, the things you’re ashamed of, your goals, your ambitions, your hurts, your cares — every part of your life.
The Bible says in Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (NLT, second edition)
If you don’t feel close to God because your Christian life has become routine, dull, joyless, and lifeless, there’s a simple remedy: Start talking to God again.
Prayer is not some duty that you have to do. It’s a privilege that you get to do. You get to talk to the Creator of the universe! He’s waiting on you to have a conversation with him so that your relationship can grow.
Enjoy the gift of today
Darron
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Thought for today
Grace-dispensers
31st Jan 2015
... In Philip Yancey's new book Vanishing Grace, he describe's people as grace-dispensers. You don’t have to be a professional, or educated, or specially skilled to be a good grace-dispenser. A new book by John Ortberg the pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California tells of an ordinary woman in San Francisco who makes an extraordinary dispenser of grace, here is the story.
There was a front-page article in the San Francisco Chronicle about a metro-transit operator named Linda Wilson-Allen. She loves the people who ride her bus. She knows the regulars. She learns their names. She will wait for them if they’re late and then make up the time later on her route.
A woman in her eighties named Ivy had some heavy grocery bags and was struggling with them. So Linda got out of her bus driver’s seat to carry Ivy’s grocery bags onto the bus. Now Ivy lets other buses pass her stop so she can ride on Linda’s bus.
Linda saw a woman named Tanya in a bus shelter. She could tell Tanya was new to the area. She could tell she was lost. It was almost Thanksgiving, so Linda said to Tanya, “You’re out here all by yourself. You don’t know anybody. Come on over for Thanksgiving and kick it with me and the kids.” Now they’re friends.
The reporter who wrote the article rides Linda’s bus every day. He said Linda has built such a little community of blessing on that bus that passengers offer Linda the use of their vacation homes. They bring her potted plants and floral bouquets. When people found out she likes to wear scarves to accessorize her uniforms, they started giving them as presents to Linda. …
Think about what a thankless task driving a bus can look like in our world: cranky passengers, engine breakdowns, traffic jams, gum on the seats. You ask yourself, How does she have this attitude? “Her mood is set at 2:30 a.m. when she gets down on her knees to pray for 30 minutes,” the Chronicle states. “‘There is a lot to talk about with the Lord,’ says Wilson-Allen, a member of Glad Tidings Church in Hayward.”
When she gets to the end of her line, she always says, “That’s all. I love you. Take care.” Have you ever had a bus driver tell you, “I love you”? People wonder, Where can I find the Kingdom of God? I will tell you where. You can find it on the #45 bus riding through San Francisco. People wonder, Where can I find the church? I will tell you. Behind the wheel of a metro transit vehicle.
We invited Linda to speak at our church. People with all kinds of Silicon Valley dreams were inspired to standing ovations by a woman who drives a bus. They stood in line by the dozens afterward to talk with her. For the door on the #45 bus opens into the Kingdom of God.
By John Ortberg, All the Places to Go (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2015), pp. 70-72.
Be inspired and enjoy the gift of today.
Darron
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Thought for today
30th Aug 2015
Can You Worship God More Than Just at Church?
... “Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God.” (Psalm 147:7 TLB)
You’ve probably noticed that music and love go together, because music comes from the heart. It’s not something you do intellectually. It’s something that comes out of your soul, your emotions.
There are many love songs in the world. In fact there are radio stations that are dedicated entirely to the love song format. But did you know that more songs have been written about Jesus Christ than any other topic in the world? Christianity is a singing faith. Why? Because it’s not about religion. It’s about a love affair. It’s about a relationship with God, who loves you so much that he sent his Son to die for you and who wants you to love him back.
Psalm 147:7 says, “Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God” (TLB). Nothing will make you more aware of God’s love and presence in your life than singing and praise.
You may be thinking, “But you don’t understand. I can’t sing.” The Bible says to make a joyful noise. I know you can do that because probably when you go to a sports game or when somebody’s getting married, you make a joyful noise. So just let it out! You don’t have to hit the right note. You just have to make a joyful noise.
Can you worship God more than just at church? Yes, because worship is simply expressing your love to God. That means you can worship in the shower. You can worship in your backyard mowing the lawn. You can worship washing dishes. You can worship driving to work and making a deal or on the golf course. You can express your love to God anywhere and everywhere. And that means you can sing everywhere. BY RICK WARREN
Enjoy the gift of today and lets make a joyful noise!
Darron
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This song was well recieved in our worship service this last sunday enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zfv1LZlU 9U

Thought for today
12th Aug 2015
Debits and Credits
... In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. —John 16:33 NIV
When my husband was teaching an accounting class at a local college, I took one of the tests just for fun to see how well I could do. The results were not good. I answered every question wrong. The reason for my failure was that I started with a faulty understanding of a basic banking concept. I reversed debits and credits.
We sometimes get our debits and credits confused in the spiritual realm as well. When we blame Satan for everything that goes wrong—whether it’s bad weather, a jammed printer, or financial trouble—we’re actually giving him credit that he doesn’t deserve. We are ascribing to him the power to determine the quality of our lives, which he does not have. Satan is limited in time and space. He has to ask God’s permission before he can touch us (Job 1:12; Luke 22:31).
However, as the father of lies and prince of this world (John 8:44; 16:11), Satan can cause confusion. Jesus warned of a time when people would be so confused that they wouldn’t know right from wrong (16:2). But He added this assurance: “The prince of this world now stands condemned” (v. 11 niv).
Problems will disrupt our lives, but they cannot defeat us. Jesus has already overcome the world. To Him goes all the credit. By Julie Ackerman
enjoy the gift of our today
darron:-)
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Thought for today
11th August 2015
Anyone
... "Who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved". —Romans 10:13
People have many different reasons for rejecting the gospel. A common one is to blame Christians for something they did or did not do. These critics say, “I know a Christian who treated me poorly.” Or, “I went to church, and no one talked to me.”
Indeed, Christians aren’t perfect, and many can be bad examples. But blaming others doesn’t remove one’s accountability to God.
The truth of the gospel does not depend on the way others live out their faith. Salvation is about Jesus alone. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Some people may use Christians as an excuse to reject the gospel. But they certainly can’t point a finger of blame at Jesus. He is sinless and perfect in every way. Pilate said of Him, “I have found no fault in this Man” (Luke 23:14). And Jesus did what no one else could do—He suffered death on a cross to provide salvation for all who believe in Him. That makes it tough for someone to say, “I’m not going to become a Christian because I don’t like what Jesus did.”
Don’t get sidetracked by looking at the faults of others. Look to Jesus. He alone is the way to heaven.By Dave Branon
He is the Way, the Truth, the Life— That One whose name is Jesus; There is no other name on earth That has the power to save us. —Sper
Enjoy the gift of our today
Darron
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