God bless. Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. The time is what is the time we are what are we 735 Roughly, here at Elim church, I see people just coming online. We'll wait a few minutes. Thank you for all those in the world of podcasting that share their stuff out that we do here. We are so blessed for all the shares and the likes and all the social media activity that goes on. We thank you so much wherever you are this evening. Let's just gather around the Scriptures. And you can find us on Buzzsprout, Spotify, I Heart Radio, and many other places Alexa, and Mixcloud and so many other platforms that are out there that were on Apple Music, and I Heart Radio, and so many other places, and Amazon music, good evening, and welcome. Let's jump straight into the Scripture. It is very warm here within the UK, I believe it's been one of the warmest days we've ever experienced. And I pray that wherever you are capturing this service tonight as we just gather around the word of God as we just be still and know that He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, he has got over your life, he is your Jehovah Jireh he Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah shalom, God will make away with there seems to be no way. But if you have a Bible in front of you, it will be great if you could just follow the scriptures through with me, I'd really appreciate that if you can, or just sit back and just relax, whether you're commuting coming out of the city, or whether you're traveling back home, whether you're an airport, just just we know there are many people taking flights out of the UK over the next few days. So we pray that you will feel the presence of God as he carries the aircraft wherever your destination may be. For those that are traveling home tonight, for those that are walking tonight. For those that are indoors tonight, for those that are just just scrolling through the social networks, we thank you so much for joining us across the earth. And for those that may capture this later on in New Zealand, this evening or tomorrow, whenever that may be, we thank you for those that are out there. But let's just go straight into the New Testament Luke chapter, Luke chapter eight, as we just see what the Word of God says is we break bread together. And this is what is so beautiful about breaking bread, you know, Christ put this in position. Christ put this into place, Christ drew this into being Christ spoke this into being and as I always say, I thank God for the church, and I talk about the church a lot. And I have a lot to say about the establishment of the church. And I thank God for the church within the UK, because I'm part of that, you know, I'm part of the wills of the industry of the church. And I just pray that God will shine down on the structure of the church and just have mercy on all of us. And God will move very powerfully and brief and brief onto the church within the UK. I'm not referring to the individuals here, I'm referring to those that are in the system and those that are pressing the wills of industry of church and God will just reveal His love and His mercy to each and every one of us. But let's turn to Luke chapter eight we are living in beautiful times the weather is beautiful today, it's very, very warm within the UK, I don't know if it reached the 40 degrees I don't know if it reached that, that type of temperature but but as as where you sit as I sit here and you do whatever you may be doing this evening, and wherever you are across this beautiful earth. And I pray that God will give you strength and God will guide you, and what is so powerful and what is so beautiful about Jehovah Jireh God, the God that created the heavens and the earth, it's not about going into the box system of church is about believing. I believe, I believe I believe in the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit. I believe in the power of God's word. I believe in His perfect will. I believe that his ways are just I believe from Genesis to Revelation. The question is, as we always talk about and as we speak about and it's it buffets backwards and forwards, do I understand the I will never be able to understand this Holy Word of God, I will never be able to grasp it in its enormity and then its vastness and it stretches the mind. It stretches the thinking it makes us think it makes us look at life. It makes us it makes us question and it and also following God and walking with God and everything that goes with that and whether we're in faith out of faith, bouncing in faith bouncing out of faith, you know, and in church, our church wherever we are. I think that there's one thing that we are in agreement tonight is that the UK is in is in a lot of trouble in many areas of its of its life, you know, whether it's through government departments, whether it's through the church, whether it's through education, I believe education is in trouble. I believe business sectors are in trouble. I believe there is a lot of industries that are really struggling and really trying to find just trying to hang on to life and and also I believe that there are many individuals tonight that just feel very swamped, that feel very overlay, just feel very pressurized with the journey of life, believers, non believers, humanity, whatever way you want to look at that I believe that there are many people that just feel that they are swamped with the wave of life just almost crushed to the point of what is the point of this existence, what is happening, what is going on. But I want to give you hope tonight. And I want to speak to whether you're a believer or non believer, you're in the church out of the church, you're off faith and of non faith, or wherever. And I just want to, I just want to lay this out across the table of humanity tonight. And I really believe I really believe that as a believer that there are a lot of churches, a lot of ministries, a lot of people actually believe in not walking with Jesus is the most easiest thing that you will ever do. Well, I want to bring us to a scripture that will clearly show us that even when Christ is with you, you will be faced with trials, natural disasters, things that happen in your life, even when you've got the closeness of the mighty God of Israel with you. The Circle of Life happens. Now we could say why does this circle of life happens. But as a believer, and many theologians are many believers, and those that study the Word of God, and those that, that go into the deep study of God, and people that ask the question, why are we in such a fallen state? The way that we answer that the way that we find our way through that, and the way that we find a way of coming to an understanding, is to trace it all the way back through history all the way through the new all the way through the old and go all the way back, making your way back all the way through. And where do we find ourselves we find ourselves in the garden, not in the Garden of Gethsemane, but in the Garden of Eden, we find ourselves in the fall of humanity. Because when you look at before the fall, when God created everything, there was no, there was no drama, let's just leave it like that. There was no drama before the fall. But when humanity fell, there was a domino effect that has just come all the way up. That's why we have salvation. That's where we have redemption. That's where we have everything that we have within the understanding of church and everything that we see. But it is a case of just trust in in the case of walking with God. And I just want to take us to a scripture tonight. And I, I believe God God is with you. I don't know who is online, I can just see a few people popping up here and there. And I thank God for your life. But I don't know anything about your life. I don't know where you sit, where you stand, where you walk, whatever is going on. But I want to let you know tonight God is with you. God is with you. You might feel that you're swamped with the with the with the pressure of life, you might feel that you're overwhelmed with decisions, you're overwhelmed with financial strain, maybe you're a business owner and you feel stretched. Maybe there is an addictions in life, maybe there are worries in life, maybe there are certain pressures in life. And I just want to read the scriptures, even as a believer, as I sit here, and as I speak to you tonight, even as a believer, there are days and there are moments in my life when I see areas of life and I see the wave of life coming in and almost crashing down on me. And I feel that I can almost be in a very dangerous position. Just because it's the circle of life. Even when your walk so close with Christ, even though you've got Christ with you, and God is with you. If you would just turn with the Scriptures to me a moment and just see what happens to a to an individual to a believer, to the to even the disciples that was called that God spoke to that Christ was at the shoreline of Galilee, and the others that he called, even when you are so close to Christ, the wave of life, the the crush, of sometimes just living, of just just being a human being can be so heavy, you can actually doubt your faith, you can doubt the existence of God. You can bring all this stuff into being. But Christ deals with the disciples that was caught in the storm of nature. And what he said to him, what he said to them was Where is your faith? And this is just a simple line of simple scripture that we're going to go to. So I would ask you to go straight over to the book of Luke chapter eight, the synoptic Gospel of Luke chapter eight from verse 22. It's very warm. I hope you're Keep yourself hydrated. Look after yourself through this weather. You know, this is beautiful. It's great to see it doesn't last long. You know, it won't be long. There'll be snow blowing up the front door. We'd be saying Merry Christmas and all that sort of stuff. And then you know, we'd be saying Oh, do you remember the summer when it hot? I wish it was all back again. Well, let's get into this getting into Word of God. I can't sidetrack we don't have much time on our site on Monday evening. So we're in the Gospel of Luke chapter out a beautiful gospel, the local book of Luke. It's just a simple and easy read. But you will find tucked in Chapter Eight Verse 22, let's have a look, let's just let me read it, maybe you've got a Bible, or maybe you've got an app on your phone on your device that you just want to turn to. So we're in Luke chapter eight, verse 22, through to the end of weary 25. And I pray, I really pray that the Holy Spirit, that the fire of God, that the presence of God, wherever you are, across this earth tonight, will open up the Word of God, and will and will just come in like a flood that the word of God will open your heart, and you will just feel the very presence of the Holy Spirit. If you're in fear, you're worrying about your life, please just hand everything over to Christ. You know, we all have moments in our lives where anxiety hits where worry hits, with fear hits. But this is a great scripture. And as much that when you look at this, even when Christ told them, to go on their journey with him, there was trouble. So even as a believer when we walk with Christ, and Christ is with you, and he says, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I will be with you to the very end of this age, you will find just the general journey in the circle of life. Just the hazard of being a believer, just from waking in the morning, to getting home at night, bringing up your children walking live in the circle of life, making decisions, and just living within the scope of the UK is very hazardous at this moment. We are spiritually thin within the UK, but God is with you. God is with you. God is guiding you, and God is strengthening you. But this is a very interesting passage. This is a very interesting text about the disciples, the fishermen, were with Christ and they was on the same vessel. So let me let me read this. And I pray that as I read this, God will just drop into your spirit and your heart at the bigger and the wider picture, and it will be in picture form. And you will find this and you'll see this very clearly. In verse 22, of Luke chapter 28. And just for those that are hopping online, that I can say this man, we break bread in a short while, and we're taking the cup he says one day, Jesus said to His disciples, let us go over to the other side of the lake. So they got into the boat and they sat out. As they sowed, he fell asleep, a score came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped. And they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him saying, Master Master, we are going to drown he got up and he rebuked the wind and the raging waters, the storm subsided, and all was calm. Where is your faith? He asked the disciples in fear and amazement, they asked one another, who is this, he commands even the wind and the waters and they obey Him. Now let's just just back up a minute to verse 22. We don't have the time to do expository sermonizing to go into the depth and the full stretch of the text. But let's just see this together. So we have verse 22. Without I believe, as as I speak this, as I read this, God will open up the envelope of your heart and your mind and all your thinking and all your processing, and your faith. And God will deposit this in your spirit for the power of the Holy Ghost. And I pray that this will sit in your heart and you will meditate on it. It says One day Jesus said to the disciples, so very simply and very easy to bring us to an understanding. Jesus just says to His disciples, let us go over to the other side of the lake. This is very important. Because there is a journey that we are on that Christ tells us and He speaks to us through His word, what the journey of our life should look like. Now not regarding church, not regarding pastors and leaders don't follow me don't follow any and don't follow all the denominations follow Jesus. But I just want to say this, following Jesus will be the hardest and the most difficult time in certain layers and understandings of life there are there are times that we find that God are you really here, because my life does not reflect what my life does not reflect a believer. My life does not reflect their god a Christian, my life does not reflect now there's nothing wrong with actually me saying this, because this is true to life. And this is real. Now we see a reflection from me to these brothers in this situation because very clearly what we have here, Jesus is telling them what is going to happen in their lives. Now Christ through His Word tells us because He is the living word what is going to happen. So this is critical for me that I understand what His will and His purpose is for me, that I I understand that I sit amongst a church, I'm in the church, I'm part of the church, we're part of the body of Christ. So this is important that I find out my identity as a son of the living God, or a daughter of the living God, that I know who I am in Christ Jesus, that what is my calling? What is my purpose? What is my destiny? What what do you have for me, God? do you have for me as an individual, the Bible says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. But in verse 22, it says, One day, Jesus said to His disciples, let us go to the other side of the lake, you are on a journey, and you are crossing the lake, and the lake is life, you have never crossed this way before, you have never done it this way before. And I would even say it like this, many have put the sat nav in their eyesight and their focus, and we have a new heaven, I have weave. And I will say me, I have lived my life according to what I want. And what I see. And and I have journeyed across the lake, and many of us have journeyed across the lake of life. But we haven't realized that even though we are journeying across the lake of life, Christ is still with us. But Christ is given instruction to these disciples, let us go to the other side. Now, we are always going to the other side. Now I'm not referring to the other side of the cross, I'm referring to the other side of the day, what is ahead, because none of us can ever get to that stage in our lives. Because we cannot do that through Transcender meditation, we cannot do that out of an out of body experience, we cannot do that. Through the realms of the spiritual realms that are out there, we have to walk as human beings together by faith, being with one another, you know, acts of kindness, love to humanity is what is needed at this time, because within the UK, the UK is sliding all over the place through government departments through business, through the Fiat finance and economic markets, for the stock to shares through the the world is very unstable. But I want to I want to remind you right now, that God is with you, and God has said, Let's go to the other side of the lake crisis, say We're on a journey, Christ, His journey with us. And this tells me very clearly, that Christ is before on Christ is aware of every trial, every situation that we face, it says, let's set sail. So he says, they got into the boat, and they set out Christ is in the boat of your life. Christ is journey with you, in the vessel of your existence. God is with you. You may feel alone, you may feel that you're the only one sailing the vessel that you're that you're sailing in at this moment, you may feel that you're trying to captain the ship of your life, you're trying to navigate through the storm. Well, I want to let you know tonight that God knows every storm, God knows everything about your life. God knows everything about my life. And this is really interesting, because what we find is that Christ fell asleep as the scripture says, and then suddenly out of nowhere, isn't doesn't this happen to many of us, out of nowhere, a storm brews up, and it comes down across the lake of life. And it rocks the boat, and as it rocks, our life, and it rocks our heart, and it rocks, our cognitive processing, and it rocks, our faith and it rocks, our vessel that we're walking in. And we start to rock you know, because of the storm is so strong, you know, do you ever put yourself in this position where you go, God, where are you? Because this is what the DIS I do. This is what the disciples were saying here. They said, Master Master, we are going to drown even these disciples that were cold at the shoreline of Galilee, and they were in the framework and we're in the plan of the Father in heaven. It says a school came down on the lake, so that the bow being swamped. Do you feel like your life is being swamped? Sometimes I feel like the waves of life and just the waves of humanity and the waves of work, the waves of family the waves of financial strain, the waves of of the pressure of being a man or a woman the pressure of living within the UK I believe that that men and women children are facing the biggest decisions in their life, just to be a man or a woman and to walk as a human being because we are being challenged on every front of our life, every corner of our life and if you are a believer online tonight, I believe that you may feel like this because this I'm not trying to say this. I'm not frightened to put this across the airwaves you can, you can shove it and poke it across the networks. I'm not not too bothered at all. And that's not because I'm arrogant. But what I'm finding is, the more open I am, the more open I am about my heart my feelings to people online. It has given people comfort to say, if Pastor Ben, Reverend Ben is feeling like that. That's okay. Because you know, the church has always putting its white teeth in and it's been smiling for too many years. Everything is all right. Don't worry, Jesus is with you. And F Jesus, and God loves you. Well, actually, when Christ was in the boat was in the vessel of their life, he fell asleep, and they was running around in fear, and worry, and it says that they were in great danger. The scripture says this very clearly. Let's pick this up. Look, let's not, let's not leave it to what I say. But what does the word of God say? Because that's what's important. So we pick it up in verse 22. Again, verse 22, One day Jesus said to His disciples, let us now the Bible says, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I will be with you to the very end of Age, spiritually, we are filled with the power of God. But just very, very clearly with the practicality of being a human being. And being a believer with the wave of the UK, the UK is going through a storm, I would be absolutely completely balmy mad if I didn't think that we didn't have issues within the UK, there are issues within the education departments, there are issues with Universal Credit, there is issues in the political arena, there is issues in life, there is issues in church, there are there are waves, there are waves, swamping the boat, that you are sailing in, in the vessel that you are in, do you feel that sometimes you can be swamped, and weigh down, and sometimes the brain becomes foggy. And I can't think and this is happening on the left, this is happening on the right to the side, I've been swiped out here. On that side, someone is trying to tear me down and get me and I'm trying to not me, you know, keep you This is coming up a lot. This scripture is coming up a lot, as you know, Hebrews 12, verse two, keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of your faith, Christ is with you. And as we look at this scripture, I've just got to lean back a bit because you know, these glasses ain't too, too good at all, really, in my eyes. It says it says he fell asleep, a school came down on the lake. So the boat was becoming swamped. The boat of life, what you are sailing in the vessel, that you walk in the general area that you spend your time that you feel like everything's just crashing down on the home. Everything's crashing down in the workplace, everything is crashing down on your life, your relationships, your your everything, but do not do not worry. The scripture says do not be afraid. It's easy to say that isn't it to one another. Don't be afraid. But I've actually got to live in the vessel of life, that that parochial stretch of my life. Even though there are people around me even though I have people around me and you have people around you. It still can be a very lonely walk sometimes with decisions and understanding whether you're a man or a woman, or whatever you've got to do and the decisions you have in life. I really believe that that many of us are in this position tonight within this posture, that we feel that our lives have been swamped. But sir, ministry, certain churches are saying everything so right, God loves you. Don't worry, don't be fearful. That is correct. And that is right and true. But what I got to make sure is that I don't get hoodwinked. And I don't get captured in that false gospel that is out there, telling me that revival is at my front door every day, that you shouldn't have any troubles. You shouldn't have any worries, you shouldn't have any fears. And if you have all that you're not right with God, well that is not biblically correct, that that is not right, because in front of me, Christ is in the vessel that they are on, they are on a lake, the disciples are together. Christ is with them. And Jesus said to them, let us go to the other side. So Christ was in charge of the journey on what journey they were on. Now. They was on this lake. This storm comes out of literally nowhere it comes across the lake, and it starts to swamp the bow of life. This gives me comfort to know that the boat that I'm traveling in the life that I want Look, sometimes can be swamped with issues that can be very complex and very difficult to unravel. There is a church out there, there are ministries out there waving the flag of everything. So Right. It's great to have you in church today. Have a wonderful week Jesus loves you. But if you would just journey with me on my boat for one hour, you will find that I have gotten many waves coming in and trying to buffer me, not because I'm living outside of the will of God. But because when you walk with Christ, this is important. This is important for me, because this will give us comfort. When Christ is with us. We still have issues to deal with. We still have waves in our lives, we still have the color, the complicated thinking, the cognitive process in the understanding of being a human being walking with Jesus, that walking with Christ will be and can be the most hardest thing that you will do. Even when Christ is with you on the vessel. As he was here, the storms and the natural elements came and crashed and rocked the vessel that they was in, and Christ was in that vessel with them. Christ is in the vessel that you are walking with. Christ is in the circle of your life. Christ is in your thinking Christ is in your home. Christ is within your innermost being. But what I got to make sure is that I don't get fed the lie anymore, that everything will be rose petals cups of tea, everything will be great, wonderful and dandy when I walk with Jesus, that is not Biblically sound. Because for starters, what is very clear as a believer persecution, Jesus said, as they persecuted me, so will they persecute you, that is not a happy thing. The great writers of the New Testament said very clear, hard pressed on every side, perplexed, but not taken out. Not down, but I'm going to rise. Paul was stoned, left for dead. But he came back. So when you study the true disciples of Christ, their lives were complicated. Their lives were woven between Christ the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. They was going they was ran out of town. They was left for dead in certain areas. They was tired and exhausted. It wasn't what a lot of the ministries that we see across the telly evangelists. It wasn't what we see in the mega churches. It wasn't all the red carpet rolled out and all that sort of stuff. It was the complete opposite. So the scriptures really should give me comfort to know that Christ was asleep in the vessel of their boat, that he said, Let's go to the other side. A storm came down a school came down onto the Lake of life. It rocked their boat, they began to panic. And it says very clearly, what does it say? Let me put these glasses on a second. Let me just get the Tech because I don't want to be saying anything that is not biblically correct, it says it says so the boat was being swamped. And it says in verse 23, and they were in great danger. It says very clearly in the NIV in Luke chapter eight, and they were in great danger. How could this be? How could these disciples be in great danger? Christ was asleep. A storm was battering the vessel. It was rocking, and it was shaken. They reacted. They did not react in faith. They reacted in fear. How do you know that? Let's read the Scripture. It says that the disciples went and woke him saying, Master Master, we are going to drown. I'm not frightened of sailing across the airways. Sometimes, Lord, I think that my life could drown me. I think, Lord, that sometimes the waves of the circle of life could wipe me out. Lord, I'm not frightened of saying Lord sometimes I get fearful of what I see ahead. Because the lake is vast and the lake farther is a continuum. The lake of life with Jesus is a lake of faith that just showed By faith, the Scripture says in Hebrews 11 verse one. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not. See, that throws me off my rocker. When I look at Hebrews 11 verse one. Now faith is being sure of. Now faith is, Lord. I've got to admit, sometimes I feel faith less. Sometimes Lord, I feel like when I'm preaching a message, I don't even know what I'm going to say next, Lord, Lord, sometimes, when I'm facing a Goliath and a storm, I'm fearful of the Goliath and the storm. Lord, sometimes when I know that you're with me, and you're telling me as you've told these disciples, let set sail across the lake of life. Father, when the darkness comes in, Lord, and when the elements come to that to the door, and the start knocking at that and beating the vessel, and it starts rocking sometimes, Lord, I find it difficult to stand upon the rock. But Lord, I'm not frightened about being open. Because Lord, I'm not putting my church teeth in any more. Lord, I'm not putting on the church gown. Lord, I'm not standing at the door, bowing my head saying, God bless you, my child, everything will be okay. Have a wonderful week, you are blessed and highly favored. All will be well. The church needs to get real, the church needs to stop waving the flag of revival. Because the Bible says in the End Times, there'll be desolation, there'll be famines, wars, rumors of wars, children, rising against parents, the separation, the great phone in a way, but that is the lake and the circle of life, the prophecies that have been foretold and for spoken, so what I've got to do is I've got to keep my eyes on Jesus. Faith is a very powerful, unseen element process of our Christian walk that is not tangible, but is within. Jesus said to His disciples, what are you worrying about? We're coming to the table in just a few moments, we're going to come, and we're going to break bread together. So let's just recap here we have disciples that have got into this vessel that Christ has said to them, let set sail across the lake of life, Christ falls, or Kip, he goes asleep. He goes asleep on them. Have you ever felt like Christ is asleep in your life? It's quiet. It's quite a fierce text that we're in tonight. But it is proving through the Scripture, that it's not that Christ has fallen asleep and forgotten us. It's that I've got to recognize that Christ is with me, in the storm of life. And as Christ put it, correct at the end of this text, he says, Where is your faith? Where is your faith? You're looking more at the Lake of life, then you're looking at me, you're looking more at the glass more than you're putting your faith in May you're looking more at the size of the Jericho, Ben, more than you're looking at me. So I've got to bring myself back. I've got to bring myself back in line with Hebrews chapter 12, verse two, keep your eyes keep your eyes, keep your eyes on Jesus, the author, the author, and the perfecter of your faith, the author from Genesis to Revelation, the author of the old, the author of the new your God, your King, He is with you, on the lake in which you are sailing, whatever culture wherever you are birthed across the earth, God is with you. Whatever scenario, whatever situation you are in Christ is in the bow of life with you. He says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be with you to the very end of this age. I'm going to read this text again. I'm going to read this complete text before we come to the table. It says one day, we're in Luke chapter eight. We're in Luke chapter eight. And we're going from verse 22. He says, One day, Jesus said to the disciples, let us go to the other side of the lake. So they got into the boat and they set out as they set out, he fell asleep. A school came down on the lake, so they got into the boat, sorry. And so the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him. Say, Master, master, we're going to drown. He got up he rebuked the wind and the raging waters, the storm subsided, and all was calm. Verse 25, of Luke chapter eight Whereas your faith the art of disciples, in fear and amazement, they asked one another. Who is this? Who is this? He commands, even the wind and the water and they obeyed him? Isn't this interesting when you look at this scripture here? They even said to each other after their calling, after their walk in with him, they even say to one another, who is this with us? It's okay to say to God, who are you God. Even the disciples said, away from me, Jesus, I am a sin Forman. There is nothing finer than being completely open, and bear and raw in feelings before the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The church has been trying to put a veneer over fear and worry and doubt, and the church has been putting on a show for far too long. And there are people in the audience of church because church is like watching a show. And they are sitting in the pews, sitting in the chairs, thinking, God, where are you in this Lord? My life has been swamped with the waves, I'm pressured, I'm almost drowning. I'm almost been gulped away by life, the journey of life is very hard. Even when we walk with Jesus, walking with Christ is not easy. Don't let anybody tell you that it is. Because when you look at the Scripture, it talks about persecution. It talks about faith, it talks about fear. But what it tells us very clearly is keep your eyes on Jesus. Because as I keep my eyes on the king, all things are possible to those who believe we might be looking at glass, we might be looking at the walls of Jericho around us and saying, God, I can't go over it, I can't go under it. I can't go around. It helped me. Obedience is the key. Obedience is the key. Now we come into the table. And I just pray tonight, that through these moments of just sharing the scripture, that you will find comfort in the boat, or in the circle of life, or on the walk across this earth as you walk as a human being. And as a believer, whether male or female, a brother or a sister, in Christ, there are challenges as a human being a believer that our schools there are stones that come out, even when Christ is with us in the vessel of life. It says we are in great danger. We are in great danger. Life in itself is dangerous. And we are we are skating the UK. We are skating on thin ice. And I pray that God will lift our eyes off of the ice. And God as we skate on the journey of life, we won't look at the thinness of the ice. But we will keep our eyes on Jesus. Because Psalm 91, he will command his angels concerning you, to lift you up in their hands so that we will not strike our foot against the stone of life. God will come on these angels. When the ice gets so thin. It is impossible to skate is going to become a sink in place rather than a place of skating. The ice on the UK is so thin at this moment. We have never been so thin and so precarious and so fragile, and so dangerously on the edge. But, but there is a redeemer and he sees the thinness that we're skating on. He sees the complexities of life. He sees the dangers and the fears of just the circle of life. The circle of life, from birth to death is a dangerous experience. There is every hazardous activity happening to humanity. The Bible tells us this but as a believer, the just shout live by faith, we hold on, we go in, and we walk by faith. Wouldn't it be great if tonight we encouraged our brothers and sisters, and just sent out a text across our networks and said, Do not fear. God is with you hold onto the Word of God. Life looks very thin on ice at the moment, the sun is out and the ice caps are melting. We are skating very thin. But we live by faith. Hold on to Jesus. Walk in the word I believe please check this text when I'm going to say please check this. I believe it's in. Come on, come on Lord. It is Psalm 119, I believe is 105 or 115. Please check. But I know Psalm 119. Your word is a lamp unto my feet a light for my path. Your word Genesis to Revelation, your word is a lamp unto my feet, to make to light up the pathway of life. Your word is a lamp unto my feet a light for my path. I will say this again, as we come to the table of remembrance as we come to the table. As we break bread together. The UK, the UK is very thin. We are skating on ice. And wherever you are across this earth tonight, governments are lying. Systems are crashing. But the kingdom of God is so strong and so powerful. God is with you wherever you are across this globe. Whatever your situation is, however you feel the thinness of life is God is with you. And just for your reference and whoever is joining and jumping online, have a read of what we've been looking at as we've been open up the envelope with a text on the fabric of these pages that we are on tonight. Luke chapter eight, verses 22 through to the end of 25. Christ was with them on the journey across the lake of life. But the disciples and the Scripture says we are in great danger, because of the circle and the elements of life. But there are so many questions that we cannot answer. And how many people come to us and go, if God is real, why is this happened? Well, Christ was with these disciples and the natural elements that he spoke into existence, the creation that he called into being the very nature that he spoke the very wind that he created the rain, the ocean that he spoke, was coming against the vessel that he was in with his sons. But Christ is in full charge. If the circle of life is looking very fierce at you. Just keep your eyes on Jesus. If there are dogs at your ankles, if the lions are trying to maul you in the lions den, if you have been thrown into the fire, if you are that Meshech shamrock and Bendigo. Remember that there is someone walking with you in the fire of life. You are cold, you are saved, you are chosen, you are anointed, you are a son, and you are a daughter, and God is with you whether you're going on holiday, whether you're traveling back from work, whether you're at home, whether you're sitting on your sofa, whether you're in your garden, whether you're traveling, whether you're working, wherever you are capturing these moments with us at this time, I'm going to be bold enough to say God is in your heart. God is in your life. God is in charge. God is moving through the ice of your life, and God will carry you when you think the ice of life has broken. He will carry you to the promised land. He will get you into and to the next destination because of unconditional love Father, we break bread together tonight, Lord, and we praise You and we exalt you. And tonight Lord, I asked you Father that you'll forgive me my sins. And I thank You that You've covered me in the blood of Jesus. I thank you Lord, that I'm a Son of the Most High and Lord as I break bread with my brothers and sister Does online tonight Lord as we come before you, Lord, I just pray tonight father wherever they are across the earth, Lord, however, the circle of life looks to them. I thank You, Lord, that you created that circle of life, that every environment that we are in tonight, Lord, it's okay because you are with us. So Father, I pray that the word of God will be deposited into our hearts, our mind and our spirit. Lord, I pray, Lord, that we would do as your Word tells us as you commanded us. Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your mind with all your soul, and we've all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Lord, thank You, Lord, for my enemies. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends, thank you for the sisters and the brothers that I journey with thank you for everyone in the vision and in my folk focus on my my eyesight. Thank you for everybody that I've come into contact with today. Everyone, I've text everyone. I've spoken to everyone I've emailed Father, thank you all for my enemies. Thank you, Lord, for those that walk with me. Thank you for everyone law, because Father, I just thank you for life, because life is powerful, and life has been given. You are the giver, and you are the taker of life. But tonight, Lord, I pause, I pause, and I hold life. Just hear a moment Jesus. And I just say thank you, Father, that your body was broken that Christ's Body sorry, Christ body was broken. And Jesus's life was given for a sinner like me, but by grace, we had been saved through faith. So tonight, Lord, this bread represents the body of my Lord and my Savior, your Lord and your Savior. So Father, bless us we pray, forgive us, and guide us. bring us closer together, Lord, the Lord as we skate on the ice together. I thank You, Lord, that when it gets really thin, Father, you will come on your angels, you will, you will come on angels and they will lift us up, Lord, so that we will not strike our foot. Thank you, Jesus, that you foresee the rocks of life that we do not know that are in front of us. I thank You, Lord, that you come on your angels concerning Us to guide us in all our ways. Thank you, Jesus, in Jesus name, amen. God is good. And without stretching, that saying God is good, because sometimes it feels like ministries and churches, exhausted that and taken out of context and used it in areas where we've got to be really careful. as we as we come to the taken of the cup together. I just thank God that I will say to him, as disciples said to Him, Lord, I felt like I'm going to drown. Lord, I fell Lord, like the swamp, Lord, the wave of swamp in me. And Lord, this boat, this circle that I'm walking in, is being rocked like it's never right before. And Lord, this journey of life, even though you've commanded even though you've spoken to me, even though you've called me on we are walking together, Lord, I still get worried and fearful. God is with us. Father, in the name of Jesus as we take this cup, as we come to the close of the service. As we break bread together tonight, Lord, as we take this cup, I pray for anyone, Lord, that is thinking to themselves at this moment in time. I feel swamped. I feel like I'm about to drown in life. I can't seem to guide this boat any more. I need help. So Lord, I asked you, for anyone on the other side of that lens. Father, if they are crying out tonight, Lord, I think I'm drowning. Lord, I think the lifestyle choices Lord, I think I'm struggling Lord, I'm struggling. Lord. I thank You, Lord, for the boldness of those that say, Lord, I think I could be drowning. But Jesus rose up when they woke him. There's a lot to be said in that. Jesus Are you asleep in my life? Wait, Lord, I'm fearful and I'm scared. Wait, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, help me. I thank you, Jesus, that I'm washed in the blood of the Messiah. Cover us from the crown of our head to the soles of our feet. Lord, if I could be the bridge for anyone tonight, Lord, if I could bridge the gap. Lord, let me be the bridge for anyone tonight, Lord, to bridge that gap. Lord, I stand in the gap for anyone that is struggling with life, struggling with their walk, Lord, let them know all as well Please, Father, wash me and cleanse me in the blood of the Messiah. Amen. I pray that wherever you are, that that simple scripture that we was in tonight is a really interesting text. Because when we look at that they were disciples. Christ was with them touching distance on this same wooden vessel. He said to them, let's go to the other side. And I believe Christ is saying that to us tonight. Let's start journeying. But when you journey with me, the elements that I created might seem that they're coming to wipe you out. But they're not coming to wipe you out. What they're coming to do is to shake your faith, so that you will call upon me in the storm of life. And you will rest in Me, Father, I pray tonight. I pray for everybody on the other side of that lens. Their God, I pray that you will carry them all the days of their lives, that they will feel the love of Jesus, they will feel the power of the Holy Spirit, Lord, that they will feel the Word of God in their inner most being Lord, I pray that they will feel the Word of God in their DNA that they will feel the love of God wrapped around them tonight, all those that are on the ice of life tonight, Lord, I thank You Lord, as they skate across the lake of life, Father, that you will command your angels concerning them, that they your angels, your heavenly hosts, will lift up your sons and your daughters. And you will father allow them angels to carry your children so that it will not strike left foot against the rock. Holy Spirit. I thank You, Lord. For everybody on the other side of these mics, everybody in the world of podcasting, everyone that listens to this stuff on Spotify, Amazon music all over the globe. I thank you for that family that I'm seeing on the other side. That's in New Zealand. God bless you, Peter, on in New Zealand at this time, bless those that are local to the church. But Lord, I pray for anyone that is fearful tonight worried. And if if you are worried about people on the outside of your life, don't look to the people on the outside of your life. Look to the Christ that is on the inside of your heart. Christ is with you. You will not fail. The scripture says I was about to fall the psalmist says I was about to slip and to fall. But the Lord saved me. Get ready because God is catching you. And when we think that we are fallen to the depth and we're about to hit the floor, you will find the hands. Kreis will catch it, capture you and capture me, when we slip when we tumble, when we lean to the left and a right because we are human beings, we are human. We have this earth suit. We have feelings, we have thoughts, we have the cognitive processing of life, we we have this, this makeup of a human being. And Christ knows us because He created the human being. So he understands feelings, he understands thoughts. He understands worry, he understands fear. He knows the character. He knows you better than you know yourself. Because he said the last scripture that I'm going to say tonight, before I disappear in a puff of smoke is this before the creation of the world I formed you in your mind This womb, I created you. Before any word that you spoke, before any physical walk on this earth, I knew how you would walk. I knew every word that you would speak and every word and every sentence that would come into being. I knew that before you even came into existence, before your parents will say this brought you through the journey and the circle of the biological process when actually, very clearly, the Bible says that God brought us in, and God will take us out. But the vehicle of humanity and the culture that Christ placed us into He is with you. So wherever you are tonight, what ever the size of the waves are crashing in and around me and you, however bad the UK looks like it's gonna get God is on your side. He is with you. Have a wonderful evening. I will catch you soon again. Where are we what is today I'll lose track of time and dates. We are Monday evening 20 almost half past eight. I will see you Wednesday morning. I will see you Wednesday morning for coffee and prayer. Round about nine quarter past nine. And then Wednesday evening, we'll be back online again. And as time goes by, we will get Bible studies back into the building you know, and it still be live streamed and all that sort of stuff that's going on but I pray that wherever you are, whatever vessel that you are sailing in. Go to that scripture that book of Luke tonight. Have a cup of coffee, have a cheeky stellar are tourists you know, a cheeky you know, whatever it may be, have a cup of coffee, have a cup of tea, sit around and look at the word of God. Study Luke chapter eight as well as in roundabout, verse 22. What it says there very clearly, and it says they was in great danger. They was in great danger. I pray that you will just continue to rest in Jesus. God bless the night. I'm out of here. Let's rock let's roll. Let's get wherever we're going. God bless you in the name of Jesus God bless you in the name of Jesus. We might have lost the mic there for a quick moment. But God bless you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. We'll see you soon. Thank you so
Close:Thank you for listening to Elim church Swankeys latest much God bless. podcast. You can find us on buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Music iHeartRadio, Google Play Alexa, mixed cloud, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube