“Untie the Colt” (Mark 11:1-10)
There was one essential thing in order for the colt to be used. That was to untie the colt. The colt was tied there. Jesus couldn’t ride on it to enter Jerusalem, if it was still tied. The colt had to be untied. It had to be set free.
God is calling each one of us for his glory. He will use us so that His Will be done on this earth. In order to follow the Word of God, live out the Word of God, we need to be set free.
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For LifeNet groups and personal reflection:
1) Have you ever experienced the barrier of spiritual growth? What was it? If you have already break through that barrier, how did you do that?
2) Read Mark 11:2-3. If you were told this, what thought would come to your mind? What might hinder you from following this?
3) When disciples found the colt, they told the people as Jesus told them to and they let them go with the colt. Imagine how the disciples felt at that time.
4) Read Mark 11:12-14; 20-21. How did you feel about Jesus? Where is the feeling come from? What inside of you is causing this feeling?

NLIF is an international church in Yangon. Come and join our English Sunday worship service.

“Experiencing the Life, Changing Lives” (Col. 1:28)

We can describe NLIF in this one phrase, "Experiencing the Life, Changing Lives."
In this community, NLIF, we will experience Jesus, who is the true life. In these experiences, our way of life will be changed, we ourselves will be transformed and keep growing. And through us, many more people will experience Jesus, the true life, and their way of life and they themselves will be changed.
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For LifeNet groups and personal reflection:
1) What was your experience(s) of Jesus (last 12 months)? How did it affect you? Share it with someone in this week.
2) Three practices are shared: (1) To know Him and to make Him known, (2) To grow in Christ and to live purposefully, and (3) To send out and to be sent out. Which one are you interested in? What will you do to practice it (Make it specific)? What help do you need? Whom will you have the help from?
3) Read John 15:4-5, and imagine the picture. What does the Spirit speak to you? What is your response?
4) Pray about which area(s) you would serve in NLIF, this believers community and submit “Opportunities to serve.” 

NLIF is an international church in Yangon. Come and join our English Sunday worship service!

Isa 55:1-3
What stands out is “Come”.
There is this generous, repeated invitation to come.
It is the opposite of our friend “Scrooge” whom we met at Christmas. The miser.
The call from in Is. 55 is “Come”. Here is someone who is generous, who is welcoming, who is to shower you with blessing.

Come, all who were lost and return to God in humility (Luke 15:21-24).
To the children: Matt 19:14
To the insignificant whom even others want to keep away: Matt 20:29-32  
 
1. Who are invited?
a) The Thirsty
“I can’t get no satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones (1965).
So many go through life, delve into so many things from materialism, religions and whatever satisfies the senses and in the end cry out “I can’t get no satisfaction”. I am thirsty! Those are invited!
b) “you who have no money”.
those who can afford to buy and who have strength to work; or those who realize they cannot obtain or buy what is offered, the poor in spirit. (Matthew 5:3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God. What matters is that we come before God acknowledging that we are poor and needy.  ‘I am thirsty, I find no satisfaction and MMK, Euro’s or USD’s will not buy me what I desire. I thirst!
But if know that you have no money, if you know that you have nothing to offer and if you are thirsty, then you can buy!
Where are you in this?
May God give grace to esp. all the kids in our church to get a thirst for the things of God without having the taste the emptiness of a life without God and without having to take the scars that come from a life not surrendered to Him.
Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters, you who have no money.
I hope you are in! We have answered our first question, who is invited.


2. What are they offered?
Come to the waters
Water is our most basic need after oxygen. It sustains life. It also refreshes.
Read Psalm 23; John 4:13-14; 7:37-38.
Come to Jesus to drink and you won’t be thirsty again!

-Eat
We need food for energy. Look for what satisfies. Psalm 13 gives us the imagery of an invitation to God’s banqueting table. In John 6 Jesus presents Himself as the Bread from heaven (vv. 33-35).
Not only is Jesus the water of Life, He also is the Bread of Life. In Jesus there is a fulfillment of the promise in Isaiah 55!

-buy Wine
Wine speaks of joy, festivity and abundance.
Whereas water and food is what we need to survive, wine links to pleasure, joy and celebration (John 2).


-milk
The promised land was described as a land flowing of “Milk and Honey”. It is like food and water in one, containing both fats and protein and useful for yoghurts, curds etc. Similar to wine, it speaks of abundance.

Get the picture? Come, there is refreshments, water, wine and food on offer of the kind that truly satisfies. About 700 years later we see Jesus fulfilling not only the Messianic prophesies of Is 53, but also give a deeper meaning to the invitation in Is 55 and fulfilling it.
 
3. What are they told to do in order to get it?
Verse 2 “Listen”. Vs 3 “Give ear” and “hear me”
God may be speaking but if we don’t listen it won’t help us.

5X “Come”
After listening; action; move to God, seek Him, come in His presence and in the presence of His children.

“buy”
John 6:27-29 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 

“eat”
Actually take what is there! The blessings of fellowship with God are there, but we need to take the time to actually eat and drink, to feast on Jesus and let the Holy Spirit work in our hearts.

Welcome to our English Service of an International Church in Yangon!

“Loving Fellowship in Christ”
(Eph 6:21-24)

Paul encouraged the people in church in Ephesus to pray at all times in the Spirit (Eph 6:18). And he also asked them to pray for him (6:19-20). And he sent Tychicus to the church so that he can let them know how Paul was and what he was doing (6:21). While in prison, Paul still had the loving fellowship in Christ. That was Tychicus. And he sent Tychicus to Ephesus. He hoped that the loving fellowship in Christ will spread through Tychicus’ fellowship with brothers and sisters in Ephesus to all the saints in Christ.
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For Lifenet groups and personal reflection:
1) Have you ever experienced encouragement in the fellowship at NLIF? Have you ever experienced that God used you to encourage someone? How was it?
2) Read 1 Cor 6:19-20. Is there anything surprising for you? Is there anything that doesn’t agree with your idea, or anything you find difficult to accept? What kind of help do you need? What is the significance of this scripture for fellowship in church?
3) Read Eph 6:23-24. Let’s think of someone. Let’s declare blessing for the person this one week using this scripture. When you pray, imagine God is now actually working for the person’s situation.

NLIF is an international church in Yangon. Come and join our English Sunday worship service.