More than just listening to us, God invited us to listen to him. What a precious invitation and an expression of true intimacy. God doesn’t just invite us to communicate at him, he invites us to communicate with him.

Yet it’s harder than ever to stop the relentless noise that’s thrown our way; to set aside our social media news feeds in order to find opportunities to listen to God’s voice. It’s much easier when we stop to pray to simply list our requests and move on.

Personally, it’s when I’ve fought to have the discipline to stop and listen to the one I am praying to that I have begun to know him. And in knowing him, I have found answers to my prayers.

However, my faith and my relationship with God are incredibly important to me and, after long consideration, and plenty of prayer, understanding the downside, I am not afraid publicly to recognise God’s role in my life.

This doesn’t mean I see myself as better than anyone else. I am not. This doesn’t mean I see myself as morally superior to anyone else. I certainly am not. What it does mean, however, is that I try very hard to be receptive to the teachings of the Bible, that I am sincerely committed to the Word of God and that I aspire to lead my life in that way.

AB de Villiers(cricketer)

He was imprisoned for four days, but he saw God work in amazing ways. He preached the gospel and prayed for an inmate who was sick. He was healed and believed in Christ instantly. His other cell mate was a person suffering from intense depression. He kept saying he wanted to kill himself. He was prayed for and the suicidal thoughts left him. He also accepted Christ. A third person had been falsely accused of raping a women. The gospel was shared with him and he also accepted Christ.

(India)

Its nearly 50yrs since the 1967 Abortion Act.

Intended to reduce the number of dangerous ‘back-street abortions’ in reality it has opened the door to legalised abortion on demand. This act has resulted in a greater loss of human life than any other piece of legislation has in the history of the UK and countless women have suffered-physically and emotionally-from the experience of ending their pregnancy.

Our hearts go out to all women who have experienced the loss of their baby from any cause.

However ,we do believe that unborn children should be afforded full protection and dignity from the time of conception.

Need help or information?

www.beresfordcentre.org.uk/

pregnancycentresnetwork.org.uk

Divisions are the result of sin! When sin entered the world, it brought 4 levels of alienation:

1. alienation from God: spiritual problems
2. alienation from self: psychological problems
3. alienation from the other: social problems
4. alienation from nature: ecological problems

A complete, full gospel will be a gospel that will continually analyse the situation of each community in terms of these 4 levels of alienation and bring a relevant message until change happens.

Like many baby boomers of my generation, growing up in the 70s and the 80s, Christianity was not very relevant to me personally.  Even though I attended church  on a regular basis – it was through meeting people who were passionate about Jesus and making him known that I made a commitment.

Andrew Berry (Director of Outreach Uk OM)

CAP

From 12 to 18 June this year, it’s Carers Week – a week celebrating those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.

To mark the occasion, events are happening all over the UK, bringing together a wide range of charities and organisations to build much-needed carer friendly communities. Carers Week celebrates carers of all ages who are putting in hard work to care for the people they love, often for little or no pay. These are the people that are there at all hours, dealing with a wide range of situations, from long term illness to old age to mental ill-health and addiction. Often they’re there because there’s no one else.

Carers do lots of different jobs depending on the situation of the person they’re looking after. They may be there to offer practical support with day-to-day activities, emotional support or advice in financial matters. They may be measuring and administering medicine or helping the person to get around. The question is: who’s caring for the carers?

Without the right support, both emotionally and financially, being a carer can become very difficult. While these people are so focused on someone else’s wellbeing, their own physical and mental health can be affected, they may struggle to sleep, maintain relationships with friends and family or hold down a job.

Sadly, this was a true story for Richard* and his wife Jodie*. Jodie was suffering with bipolar disorder and, as a result, had to leave her job. As her health deteriorated further, Richard decided to give up his job too in order to be at home to care for her. In a position where neither of them could work nor bring in a stable income, and with Richard finding he couldn’t claim Carer’s Allowance, the couple struggled to cope and sadly fell into serious debt.

‘We had no income,’ says Richard. ‘People lent us money, we used credit cards, and it all got out of control. We went without food for a week once – we just didn’t eat.’

For Jodie, the combination of her condition and the stressful situation they were in caused her to lose all hope.  ‘All I could see was blackness,’ she explains.

Thankfully, Jodie and Richard weren’t as alone as they may have felt. Jodie was volunteering at her local church hall one day when she happened to meet a CAP Centre Manager and built up the courage to explain her situation. The couple were then visited at home and an affordable plan was put in place to allow them to start paying off their debts. With the help of CAP and their church, things started to feel a lot more hopeful. ‘We owe CAP a debt of gratitude,’ says Richard. ‘They’ve saved us. There’s light at the end of tunnel.’

If you need help with debt, whatever the reason may be, call CAP free of charge on 0800 328 0006 between 8:30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. To find out more about Carers Week and how to pledge your support, visit the official website and join the conversation on social media using #CarersWeek.

*Names have been changed in the interest of confidentiality

You have a call on your life and a destiny to fulfill. But to find your purpose for living you first need to be sure you are plugged into the Source of all life. That’s the most important thing. If you don’t already have a relationship with Jesus, I(the writer) encourage you to open your heart. God is knowable and He is real. God will be faithful to reveal Himself to all who sincerely seek Him.

There is not a life that  cannot be transformed. A heart that cannot be mended. A wound that cannot be healed.

When we give ourselves to the Lord he is faithful in all things. And if you do already know the Lord, then do what he is calling you to do with all of your heart.

Melody Green (No Compromise)

I saw a picture of a person in a prison cell.

The cell represented sin.

Jesus came to the cell and opened the door with the key.

He opened the door and told the person they were now free

He invited them to leave the cell.

The person was very grateful and thanked Jesus profusely

They even knelt down and worshipped and promised to read his book.

Jesus invited the person to leave the cell.

But the person remained seated with a look of resignation.

“I’m a bad person really. I’m not good enough to be let free from this cell.

When I feel a better person perhaps then I will leave this cell.

But I’m really grateful for you opening the door”.

Jesus said “ the door is open not because of who you are or what you have done but because

I have taken the key off the jailer. The price was my death on the cross.

Please , just walk out of the door.” The person sadly bowed their head.

Another person approached the cell bars. It was the Father.

Father says “my Son has set you free. He came to earth to pay the price for sin. The door is open.

Please take your right of freedom. The person sat in silence.

Another person sat alongside the person in the gaol. He was the Holy Spirit.

He said “I have come to help you live life outside this prison of sin. I have great plans for your life, things that you have never imagined while you sat in this cell but we are limited in what can be accomplished here.

Jesus Christ has opened the door, the Father calls you and I will go with you every step of the way. Come, leave your cell and enter into life with us.”

The person looked up and as I watched I just longed for that person to grab the opportunity of free life.

The question is from which side of the bars are you reading this story.

Suggested reading John 8