After the praise and worship, Pastor Jonathan Fiddy shared about two people who were miraculously healed by God some years ago. They are now in their 90s and are still in good health today! The woman was crippled with arthritis, but was completely healed at a healing meeting for 'incurable' people; her husband had three heart attacks and couldn't walk far but he was healed too. It's good to hear of instances where God has miraculously touched people's lives and healed their bodies. 

Jonathan preached from 1 Thess 5v23: 'May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together - spirit, soul, and body - and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.' (Message version).

We are made up of body, soul and spirit. Our spirits are the life which God put into us, the part which is meant to be in close relationship with God. Because we have all done wrong at some point in our lives, our spirits are cut off from God, but Jesus has made a way back to God for us through His death on the cross. God made us to be his friends, and He longs for us to come to Him.

Our soul is our mind, will and emotions; the way we think, act and feel. Education and knowledge are good, as they can help to improve our standard of living. It's good to set our thinking in line with God's thinking though - He's our Creator and is much wiser than us!

Our will is usually strong - we know what we want! We need to use our wills in the right way, as there are consequences of doing what's wrong - we can really mess things up by going our own way. It's best to submit our wills to God and let Him guide us - He knows the best choices in life for us more than we do!

Our emotions can be powerful, and are often shaped by our circumstances. In the storms of life, our character is shaped and we can come out better at the end. God can heal broken hearts - no matter what we have been through, He is there for us and can help us through. He knows us better than we know ourselves and can gently put us back on our feet again.

Gal 5v19-23 lists various activities which are the result of living against God's ways. These are things like sexual immorality, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfishness, drunkenness, and it says that 'those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.'

Then it lists things which come to us when we live God's way - things like 'affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity, a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.' (Message version). This is the fruit which God causes to grow in our lives when we choose to live His way. God wants us completely whole and healed, in body, soul and spirit.

The video projections on creation topics continue on Sunday at 6.30 pm. Visitors are welcome to this and to the Sunday morning service at 10.15 am. Pastor Jonathan Fiddy is available on 871975, and the website is http://www.emmanuelgospelministries.org">www.emmanuelgospelministries.org.