God is good
30 June , 2011
God is good – all the time! In all his dealings with us there is an unqualified commitment to our well being. He is for us unreservedly. He freely gives us all things. He desires our success more than we can imagine. He has truly forgotten our sins, and unleashed all the blessings of heaven upon us. There can be no more foundational truth for us to believe than this. If God is not good, then there is no gospel, no good news. Just think about it: who would want to be reconciled to a God who is malicious, devious, vengeful or wilful?! But God is good, his mercies are never ending.
In practice we struggle to live in this belief. The daily run of disappointments, opposition and hardship which we experience cause us to qualify to the goodness of God. God is good, but… We submit stoically to the batterings and bruisings as in some sense the dealings of God in our life. “God has sent the suffering to teach me things.” In so doing we slander God and believe the lies of the devil. We attribute to God a brutality of discipline that we would be appalled to apply to our own children. If what we call the goodness of God doesn’t look good then maybe it isn’t the goodness of God!? Maybe God is concerned with enjoying us as a father enjoys his children, more than panel-beating our lives for us.
It is time for the confession that God is good to become our daily warfare. It is time for us to believe to experience the goodness of God as good. It is time to entrust ourselves fully to the father who delights to bless us and who honours us with the position of sons.
To hear more on this, why not listen or download the sermon below?
Blessings
Richard
God is good, All the time! by Richard Lawton, 26 June , 2011
Prodigal father!
13 April , 2011
The prodigal father let the prodigal son go! How amazing is that? With half the family’s cash stuffed in his back pocket the young guy can’t wait to be out of the house. I’m sure the father had serious misgivings. This was not going to end well! Was he an irresponsible father? Should he not have laid down the law? But he didn’t, and yes it did end badly for the young guy. At least the story had a very bad patch for him. In the end, though, it did all come right.
Our heavenly Father has a destiny prepared for us way beyond “what eye has seen or ear heard”, and yet strangely gives us the freedom to reject it. The second tree in the garden provides a way out if man should be foolish enough to want turn his back on the heavenly relationship. (That story ended badly as well, but also came right in the end.) Love desires only good things for the beloved. But true love also guards the freedom of the beloved.
In our desiring good things for those we love, it is hugely tempting at times to want to control them (“for their own good”), yet true love is able to release. Unconditional love is really the only kind of love there is. Conditional love is manipulation. I believe in non-coercive church. I want so much for people in Hillside. But I need you to want it! I believe in non-coercive family. I believe in non-coercive marriage. I believe in non-coercive business…
And all this is possible because Jesus loved us non-coercively and bought us a peace which passes understanding. My peace does not depend on whether the people I know and love do the things I think they ought to. My peace depends only on him.
Have an awesome week honouring the freedom of others.
Richard
PROJECT:destiny
17 January , 2011
New Series!
2011 Starts with a new preaching series focusing on the centrality of the gospel. We believe that the gospel is so much more than evangelism, so much more than the entrance into the kingdom – it is discovering a whole new world on the other side of the cross.
This series captures the heart of our third practice:
We will delight in the gospel of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ as the source of our joy, the key to reading all scripture, the heart of our mission on earth, the substance of our preaching and the only enduring answer to every human need.
Please join us as we explore its implications for our life together.
Preached so far
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Jesus. He's awesome.
By Mike Bouwer on 20 February , 2011 (Sunday Evening).
Partnering With God
By Tyron Akal on 20 February , 2011 (Sunday Morning).
Living with a Gospel Purpose
By Richard Lawton on 13 February , 2011 (Sunday Evening).
The Answer To Everything
By Richard Lawton on 13 February , 2011 (Sunday Morning).
The Gospel as my life's mission Pt2
By Richard Lawton on 6 February , 2011 (Sunday Evening).
The Gospel as my life's mission Pt1
By Richard Lawton on 6 February , 2011 (Sunday Morning).
The gift of righteousness
By Richard Lawton on 30 January , 2011 (Sunday Evening).
Simplicity of sin
By Richard Lawton on 30 January , 2011 (Sunday Morning).
Destiny: Sonship
By Richard Lawton on 23 January , 2011 (Sunday Evening).
The Greatest Story Ever Told
By Richard Lawton on 23 January , 2011 (Sunday Morning).
SARS salvation
7 September , 2010
Following the Bethel School of Supernatural evangelism, I have prayed for a number of people and seen God heal them! Most of these people were already Christians and so I began asking God for salvations, as well as the healings, in my encounters with people. During a visit to the SARS office, I discovered that the elderly security guard at the entrance had pain in his ear that was so severe it kept him awake at night. I prayed for him and within a few seconds he reported that the pain was gone! This man was the first I prayed for who, subsequently, wanted to give his heart to Jesus! Some time later I met with the young night-time security guard at SARS and was able to minister to a long-standing emotional hurt in his life resulting in him wanting to meet Jesus and experience the Father's love. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to come upon him so that he could feel the presence of God. The Lord touched him and after that he gave his life to Jesus!
Later I asked Jesus to give me a Word of Knowledge when leading me to pray for someone. The next day, as I was leaving the supermarket, I felt a sharp pain in my left leg. It took me a few minutes to register that this was actually a Word of Knowledge! A young woman with a child was pushing a trolley out of the shop infront of me and I asked her if she had such a pain in her leg. When she asked me why I was asking her that, I explained that Jesus had shown me these symptoms and that He wanted to heal the person with this problem. She then confirmed that it was her. I prayed for her and she was healed! She expressed her gratitude that I had been obedient to what the Lord had shown me.
John S
Oncologist amazed
7 September , 2010
I'm a 37 year old local person and just wanted to share a testimony: During one of the School of Supernatural Evangelism sessions someone called for people with blood disorders and problems with their blood to be prayed for. I stood up and was prayed for because I have Stage 3 breast cancer. I receive chemo every Friday and have had significantly deranged blood counts for the past 4 months. (My wcc have been in the region of 0.9 to 2 or so since May and are tested weekly lately.; My hb and many other parameters have been scewed along with the low counts.) I have been having a drug (injections) called Neupogen twice a week that assists in increasing my white blood count at minimum, but the counts have still remained low.
The week after the BSSE I did not have these injections, simply because the oncologist was not around to prescribe it for that week.; The first Friday after the BSSE weekend, my oncologist asked me to please tell him what I did differently that week;because he was totally amazed that my blood counts were all in range and my white cell count was up to 6.7 – unassisted!
I praise God for his awesome healing power!
M
Accepted
7 September , 2010
The Mind, Body and Soul fair is becoming one of my favorite things, because it's best thing in the world to see people healed, set free and touched by the kindness of the Father!
This particular time the thing that stood out to me most was ministering to a lady that came to us desperate to cure her low self esteem, she chatted with us for a few minutes and eventually began to weep and pour her heart out to us.. We prayed and told her what Jesus has said about her in His Word and how she is accepted in heaven. We had the privilege of seeing her give her heart to Jesus 
She passed our stall a little later on and gave a little wave and a smile, it was as if her whole face had changed.
Kirsty H
Meeting Jesus with a marker pen
17 August , 2010
There is an article on the international 24-7 website about what is happening here at Hillside. Click on the photo to read it!
24-7 Prayer Testimonies
21 July , 2010
Here are some of the testimonies from the 24-7 Prayer Room, enjoy them!
Wow, an hour isn’t enough! I wish I could have been here longer. I realized I will always fail in things in life. But through Jesus I’m a winner, I’m victorious and can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
After a busy day at work, walking into the cellar – tears starting to just flow!! God’s presence was so incredibly real in this place! How we love you my Father, thank you for your grace, mercy and blessings! Your mercies are new every day!
What a special time and also felt that an hour was too short. Thank you Lord for you presence.
Father I am blown away by how much you have blessed me. Never did I dream I would be walking in the freedom and blessing that I am walking in today. For too long I believed the lies of the enemy. Your truth has completely obliterated those lies. There is no greater truth than YOU. Never did I dream I would be blessed with such a wonderful husband and marriage. Thank you for answering my prayers in such a way that way exceeded my expectations, even my wildest dreams. You are my awesome daddy and I am your daughter always.
I felt God’s presence in an incredible way… My heart was touched and I felt an incredible sense of God’s love towards me. A very tender time of Him enveloping me in His arms. Time is too short. We must go on praying – PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!! I had a vision of heaven… LOVE YOU DAD…
We are always so busy to hear from our Father. So great to have this time and to hear from Him! Thank you! My Father… I feel whole again.
He has shown provision supernaturally. Sales from R1 200 one day to R12 000 the next day.
I spent a while saying sorry. I have so much to be thankful for. Jesus has blessed me in so many ways. I am so deeply moved by this experience. Thank you Lord, Abba Father, for loving me.
Spontaneous combustion in His Presence
Heart aflame
Lord you have the keys
You are welcome in this place
We need more of you and less of us
Thank you Jesus!
Lord my life is so busy and rushed – always chasing the clock. How wonderful to sit quietly in such peaceful surroundings. What a privilege to relax with you my Father and just soak up Your presence. I thank You for the experience and for Your Hand on my life. Thank You Father for knowing who I am and what I need and that your arm is not too short to perform and that with you all things are possible…
Just let go, stop trying so hard and stop trying to put everything in place and make everything work. Let go my child. Rest in me and watch as I open and close doors right before your eyes. Your path will be made clear. Be still and know that I am God.
Thank you Lord for prayers answered, for your grace, comfort and faithfulness. You have not only carried our family through the storm, you have restored us completely.
With God I will fear nothing. I can live in peace knowing that the Almighty God is on my side. Who can be against me? I love you God.
Great is our king, who is most worthy of praise. Wonderful, wonderful God.
Thank you Lord for healing/restoring my eye! You are amazing. Praise the Lord my Healer & Restorer.
Thank you Lord – we had a serious meeting with a client who wanted to extract a large amount of money from our business for not fulfilling our contract on time. After the meeting we reviewed the contract and it appears the client made a calculation error, in the end it means we fulfilled our contract on time and it appears our client will withdraw their claim. Thanks Father.
Father, I thank you that you have qualified me to walk in victory, healing and prosperity.
You have set me free from the demands of man and mammon. Removing day by day the boundaries and limitations, setting me free to walk in the purposes you have for me, free to be the unique me. I am in You, You are in Me. My King, my God, my Love. Great and Holy One.
Thanks Lord for the chat! You give me such peace about my life and just reminded me that all is ok, ‘cause I’m your child and you have me and my family wrapped up in the palm of your hand. Thank you for the promise of the blessing and the warmth of your peace.
Thank you God for the people in my life. Thank you that you are with us each day and never leave our sides. My tears have flowed to a new space with you. Thank you for the blood you shed on the cross. I am so grateful for you in my life. There is now light in the darkness!
Father, thank you for bringing old friends back to my life. Forgiveness is an awesome part of our lives. I have shed tears of joy and tears of sadness. Thank you Lord for being never changing. I love you Lord Jesus.
Thank you for using me today in a couples life, Lord. You are amazing. Your Glory is truly amazing. It shines even when it seems so dark… Thank you Lord for answering one of my prayers I asked you for about 2 weeks ago… I love my God.
Prayer was answered by the prayer time to be extended to the end of year. I had asked God for it to be extended after my first time here.
Thank you that I can be myself – the very self you created me to be and that is more than enough!
