“The Kingdom of God is Near”
Luke 9
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Luke 10
1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
John 3
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
1 John 1
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Psalms 32
3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
2 Corinthians 5
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Proverbs 9
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Rev Joe Newlands took the opening service from Luke 9:1, 2 and Luke 10:1,9. In the beginning God created man in His image to have fellowship with them and that they might always be connected to Him. However, they chose to rebel against Him and disobey Him and so were separated from Him and the fellowship was broken. They were afraid and hid themselves from God, even as people do to this day when they do wrong and their conscience reprove them. People do evil in darkness and hide it so it will remain in the darkness (John 3:19-21). But we were made to have fellowship with God and be connected to Him day and night, day by day! This can now only happen when we are born again, as Jesus had said, “you must be born again” (John 3:3). When you come to Jesus, confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all your sin (1John 1:9). Sin in your life makes you old (Ps 32:3). But if you come to Christ Jesus, confess and forsake it, you will be made new (2Cor 5:17). As God speaks to you, come to Him. Do not fear your friends, but fear God, for “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 9:10).