Verses for Vessels

JESUS-The Son Of God

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross". COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

Verses for Vessels

Risen...

"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." Romans 8:11 NIV

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GOOD FRIDAY- FOR ME HE DIED

"It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man." - Luke 23:44-47 NIV

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Hosanna! Hosanna! Here Comes your King.

"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."-Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)

"I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.

Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
 

From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you." - Psalm 118:21-28

HAPPY PALM SUNDAY EVERYONE. JESUS CHRIST THE KING, OUR KING, IS HERE.

NEW SITE- Spreading Out

Welcome to our brand new website which went live on this day, the 1st of April 2017!

Glory to God! And many thanks to our friends and partners for all your support and prayers, particularly the creative and gracious team at Vorentoo. Thank you for a fantastic job, and may God bless you all real good.

This year we are running with a Theme: "Into the Promise", based on two scriptural texts of promise and counsel. The first is Isaiah 54:1-4, and the other 2Peter1:3-8. The first we believe, is a prophecy of what He will do with and among us this year, both individually and as a Church. Whereas the second is more or a less a call to faith and understanding of our rights and privileges in Christ so we can be best positioned for what He has in store for our lives in 2017. 

Based on these texts, we are being challenged to go beyond our comfort zones... to evolve and to transform. We feel strongly persuaded of the urgent need to renew our faith, our walk, our outlook, and our perception of this call and service. This new website is a reflection of our response and commitment to God's best for us this year.

If this is your first time here, do feel free to have a tour of the entire website. It has been designed to be compatible with various platforms including mobile phones, and as user friendly as possible. For everyone of our existing members and visitors, we trust you would find this change most befitting for our time and phase in this work of grace.

Thanks for stopping by, and do let us know what you think.

Team Vinespring

Verses For Vessels

If there was EVER a Time to BeLIEVE GOD, it is NOW!

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Hebrews 11:1-2 (NIV)

Jesus said, ““Everything is possible for one who believes.”Mark 9:23b (NIV)

If only you believe it… If you can believe it,.. NOW. Then be REST ASSURED, it is DONE.

Will you believe God TODAY?

Verses for Vessels

KNOW HIM BETTER !

 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:15 (NIV)

Start with the facts of scripture; but do find the grace to move beyond the letters and the facts, toward a deeper experience of Christ. This week, determine to know Him better…

God bless, always.

No Longer Slaves

Freedom.

O what it feels like. Generations, years, months, or perhaps weeks of servitude, pain, frustration and dishonour. To be declared free. To become free. Free to walk away. Free to decide own future. Free to forgive, and be forgiven. Free to be and to become, all that only dreams dare whisper. Free to dare and defy the naysayers, the judges, the presumed authors of every history.

But what to do with freedom… where to go with liberty. Before the word came, dreams were scarce and the lamp was dim. Now the chains are off, and the sky is vast. O where to go with freedom. It was then I heard that voice, firm, yet gentle; clear as thunder, forcing my steps to stop and ponder. Indeed, I stopped. And I listened. And he said:

“I have made you free. I have unshackled your feet and your life from the bondage of fear; from the despair of the dungeon. But you must know ALSO, that I, …I have adopted you as MY offspring. And I sealed that decision, that transaction, with my Spirit. Yes you are no longer a slave to fear. But I am even more excited that you have now become my Son. This is why I made you free, that you may become MINE and of ME; of Love, of Faith, with Victory.“

So, rest my soul, from fear and worry. The sky is vast but grace goes further. I’m free at last; O free, so free. But more so glad that I am His.

Abba… Father…

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (NIV)

This Christmas At Vinespring Church

It is that time of the year again. Christmas trees, carol nights, special treats and that wonderful story that has changed, and is still changing the world.

But before we tell you just what to expect at Vinespring Church this Christmas, permit me to reflect on what we have been up to over the summer.

In August about 200 individuals in Westhill received our free invitation and offer of a free coffee at Costa Coffee. Our team handed out the invitations at the Westhill Shopping Centre, Denman Park, and around ALDI car park. Nearly forty persons took advantage of the offer, which lasted from the 8th – 12th August. We are grateful for the kind assistance of the staff at Costa Coffee, without whose partnership the outreach would not have been possible. This was also our way of giving back to the community while giving everyone an opportunity to know more about who we are and what we are about.

On 27th August, we had another outreach; this time an environmental clean up exercise within Denman Park. We had identified a shaded area outside the immediate visibility of the local cleaners, but was often used by our young ones for play. This place had been littered with broken bottles, empty cans etc. We decided to come together and clean up this small area, to make it safe for our young ones and all who may want to rest in those shaded areas from time to time. All those who participated attested to the great feeling of being able to do something worthwhile for the benefit of all in Westhill that use Denman Park.

In a nutshell, that’s what we have been up to at Vinespring Church over the summer. We would like to invite anyone to join us for another clean-up event on 3rd December from 10.30 am. We will be meeting up at Costa Coffee.

This Christmas, we will be heading back to the Holiday Inn, Westhill for another experience of our annual Christmas event themed ‘Watered’. This promises to be an evening of love, friendship and joy for all who will come. We will be having carols, talks, laughs, recollections of our best Christmas memories, and light refreshments. Children under 12 years will have their own, duly supervised, special Christmas entertainment for the duration of the event. The programme is available on Eventbrite for bookings to help us prepare adequately for the numbers coming.

Date: 10/12/16, Time: 5:30 -7.30pm, Venue: Holiday Inn Westhill.

We hope you can add us to your to-do list for this Christmas but whatever you choose to do this Christmas, let Christ’s joy and peace be your guide. We wish you a fantastic Christmas celebration and a Happy New Year, when it comes.

Chika Edeh,
Pastor at Vinespring Church

This piece was also published on page 80 in the Westhill Bulletin. 

Verses for Vessels

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”.

Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)

Verses For Vessels

“When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Psalm 126

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Gentleness
 

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

Verses For Vessels

Faithfulness

God is faithful!

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9

So should everyone of His servants be:

“This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” 1Corinthians 4:1-2

Receive the grace to walk faithfully before Him.

Verses For Vessels

He Hears.

“Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.”

Palsm 143:7-8 (NIV)

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Still Strong

“Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.  And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.”

Joshua 14:7-12 (KJV)

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Watch Out

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,  and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Colossians 2:8-15 (NIV)

Dead No More

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered his words,..” Luke 24:1-8 (NIV).

Hmmm… ‘ they remembered his words’.

A very happy Easter to all our friends, family, and everyone of you that honour us with your visit to our web page. We do hope and trust that you had a good and peaceful celebration. In the coming weeks we will be exploring the meanings and persuasions that come from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the words He spoke in that regard. For all those that live in Aberdeen area and Westhill in particular, please join us on Sundays at 11 am or Fridays at 6pm for a time of in-depth study and fellowship with the word of God and with each other.

God bless.

less hYSTERia...

Less Hysteria Please...

If most of what you know and believe about life and this world comes from the media, including social media, then you are at the mercy of wanton adventurers. More and more money is being made from manipulating individuals, communities, populations and even nations, by fanning the embers of hysteria. Businesses and cooperations have since figured out that people are more likely to spend what they don't have, buy what they don't need, volunteer for a cause they don't really believe in, or push for policies that have no true moral or rational basis, if they can be made to feel that THEIR ACTION NOW will save the day for themselves, their families, or someone else. This escapist emotional outrage is often delivered with determined devoutness; an often compensatory effort at self righteousness. Perhaps if I did this one thing that makes me feel good about me, it could assuage the guilt I feel over other areas of my life. But how helpful is this really? If I deliver my body to be burned but have not love, I gain nothing1. Paul declared, 'God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and of sound mind'2. And we are not also permitted to spread the fiery darts of fear to the world, doing the devil's work for him! 
Rather we are urged to 'Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.(RSV)' 3. Whether the problem is personal, neighbourly, family, communal, city wide, national or international - please find some solid time and PRAY. Pray for yourself. Pray for your friends and family. Pray for your neighbours. Pray for your community, your town, and your city. Pray for your pastors, your councillors and community leaders, your school teachers, lecturers and administrators. Pray for your mayors, MPs and senators, prime ministers, presidents or monarchs. In EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication... In natural disasters-pray; in man made disasters-pray. In times of undesirable policies-pray. In poverty or straitness-pray. IN ALL THINGS. The peace and wisdom for the next step won't come from the next news report or social media frenzy. That would most likely only fan the flames of hysteria.
On the contrary, one of the most powerful things about prayer is its undeniable and irresistible effect on THE ONE who prays. So are you willing to pray more, or are you satisfied with feeding off the media networks. There's whole lot they won't let you see. And there's a lot they cannot see. But there is ONE who sees and knows ALL things, who also knows how to fix things or fix you. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid'' 4. You would find that the very first person to be changed by prayer is you! More peace. More clarity. More sound judgement. Perhaps even, more inspiration! And less hysteria... when we PRAY. Shall we pray... 

Scriptures: 1)1Cor 13:3; 2) 2Tim 1:7; 3) Phil 4:6 (RSV); 4)John 14:27

The Way- Reflections on Proverbs 30:18-19

“There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that I do not understand:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a young woman. Proverbs 30:18-19

A friend has asked on face book, for my thoughts on the above verses and I thought my response would be a blessing to me and anyone else who may be somewhere in their journey in the Way.

My thots are many, but Im drawn to the focus of the writers amazement the Way . Im interested in the fact that the author is not puzzled by the eagles splendour or the precision of its faculties. Nor is he captivated by the serpents slithering frame and form, Nor is he even drawn to the wonder of the ships engineering, and the captains experience. No. Im fascinated by the object of his wonder- the Way. The way the characters interact with each other. There is something about the Way that allows the ship to sail the boisterous seas. Something about the Way, that allows the eagle to soar with grace, through high winds or gentle breeze; there is something about the Way, that allows the serpent to slither through or over rocks unscathed. In the same way, there is something about the Way a man must interact with a woman (and vice versa) to be successful at it, and to leave all else in wonder.

But I draw from that the lesson that there must be the Way that makes for grace and victory and joy on all sides, regardless of the difficulties that may surround us. Often times we may get off to things with notions of how. But there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it destroys. We could destroy cherished things if we seek not the Way. Sometimes its important to engage the journey intimately, without the constant distraction of the destination; yet not without an understanding of the destination. And there is a Way  to do so. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. I believe that for a way to be filled with grace and wonder, it must first flow from the knowledge and wisdom of Christ. After that, it must not stray from the knowledge and wisdom of Christ. Paul said let all things be done decently and in order. With such a sensitive, but focused understanding, I think we could frequently experience the beauty and the grace and the wisdom that the author was, in that scripture, contemplating. And im still thinking. God help us.

Scriptures -(Prov 14 :12; John14:6; 1Corinthian 14:40)

239- Each Number A Life 2

Made Rich by One

There is great joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over 99 righteous ones. God delights in reconnecting with his creation. He desires that they turn to him. He commands that they repent, make a turn around, and return to him in truth, in humility and in obedience. He will pardon and restore. He will give eternal life, and that quite freely, to all who would come. Every time one more person turns back to God in faith and repentance, it appears that this truly gladdens the Fathers heart. For in that soul there is an opportunity to re-create a world, to re-order a destiny and to lead a generation again. With that one soul arrives new hopes, dreams, and futures which no eye had ever seen or known before, but God. It must truly enrich Him.

239 and counting

Tragedies happen unfortunately, and lives are lost thereby. This is perhaps more frequent in some parts of the world than others. Its almost as though creation is groaning, creaking at its joints, unable to endure for much longer and ready to give way to greater levels of chaos everyday*. And very often, the consequence of these travails of nature is the loss of human liveseveryday. Whatever our response or reaction to these events, in Christ Jesus, there is an anchor that holds. In fact, by Him all things are held together, according to the scriptures*. Our hopes and dreams, our world and our peace. He is an ark of refuge to those who hope and trust in Him. For these ones, neither death, nor life, nor things past, nor things to come, nor disasters, nor diseases; nothing whatsoever can separate them from His love*. Their names can be found in His book of life*. And when it appears that nature overtakes them with events like those of MH370, their peace is this: more than a number, their life does count, not just with families, friends and loved ones, but most importantly, with God.

Get there

The next time your train or flight makes a touch down, and you safely taxi through the runway, clear through customs, take a ride and get home from a journey, you may want to take out sometime and sincerely thank God for his grace and mercy. Whatever our journeys, long, short, or trivial, everyone wants to get to their destination in the end. I want to get to where I believe I was meant to be going with my life. A life time is too short to simply ambulate from A to B or C without quite getting to a desired and required destination by Gods expectation. And as Jesus once asked, what will it profit a person if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?*

Where we need to go with God is not a distant land, or a lofty adventure. Not necessarily. Where we need to go, I believe, is somewhere in our hearts. Its a place most have never been, and most never go till death, sadly. Its a place called home. A heart repentant, broken and submitted. A soul surrendered without wavering. A mind captivated and engaged with the truth of God in Christ. This must be home. This is where the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit will come in and abide. Every other journey or quest will never bring the fulfilment, rest and assurance that home presents.  Will you be going home today? Dont wait on a travel agent. Just get down on your knees right now and cry out to the Father. He will show you how. You cant teach a baby to cry; you cant teach the flowers to bloom in spring. Once a hearts is directed towards God in earnest search, he will guide you home. Come homeJesus has made a way. And the Father waits. Then your life would be more than a number. It will add to Gods treasures, and you would have found the greatest treasure that there is. Get there.

*Scriptures- Luke 15:7; Romans 8:22; Colossians 1:17; Romans 8:38-39; Luke 10:20; Rev 20:15; Mark 8:36.