SAY YES!

Phil 2:13

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

God gives us windows of opportunity and asks us to do things for Him and we get to say Yes or No.  Those windows don't stay open forever and if we put it off or find excuses we may find the moment has passed and we might have to wait quite a while before it happens again. 

God is always willing to give us another chance but why wait?  He won't force us to do anything but the 'Yes' is about our future.

         Y - You have to make a quality decision to say Yes. You have to choose it.

         E - Enter in. Choose to enter in to what God has for you. You can't enter in till you say yes.

         S - See. When you say Yes and you've Entered in, then He'll let you See the way forward, 

               but notice the 'S' is windy and bendy and you can't see round bends!

               He'll let you see the first part and gradually let you 'see' more.

Mary, Jesus' mum, said Yes to the angel who came to her. What would have happened if she said No! Was it an easy road she had to walk? By no means but scripture tells us she became most blessed among women.

Gideon didn't want to say Yes and hid himself away, but in the end he said yes and had a great miraculous victory over his enemies with only 300 men!

Paul said yes to the Lord when he was stopped on the road to Damascus and he went on to write a large part of the New Testament. But he had to choose to change course.

Is God asking something of you? Can I encourage you to not put it off but to say Yes.

YES leads us upward and onward. Be willing to say 'Yes' , even when you can't see it all.

Be blessed in your YES today.

THAT'S HAIRY!

Matthew 10:30. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows (NLT)

There are 7.8 billion people on earth just now and the truly amazing thing is that God not only knows us but He even knows how many hairs are on our heads! That's hairy!

God know us so intimately and He's so interested in us that He even counts how many hairs we have.  Not many people  are that interested!  And then He tells us we are valuable to Him. 
If we're honest there are some days when we feel pretty rubbish but we shouldn't allow ourselves to feel like that because God says we're valuable!

He says in Psalm 139 He knows when we get up or sit down, when we get up in the morning and when we go to bed. 

V10 says His hand will lead us and HIS RIGHT HAND WILL HOLD US.

Are we really getting a hold of that, because if we are then we won't be worried or anxious about anything that's going on in our own lives or in the world. GOD HIMSELF IS HOLDING US, and leading us. Why? Because we are valuable to Him.

Imagine for a minute a little toddler doing his best to walk along a rocky path with his little arm stretched upwards as his dad or mum holds very tightly on to him so he's kept steady and doesn't fall. So long as he's being held he's safe, he'll be ok.

Notice God says HE is holding US.  The emphasis is on Him, not on our holding on to Him. I don't know about you but I'm so thankful for that. 

We need never feel God doesn't care about us or that He doesn't love us. When someone even bothers to know how many hairs you've got on your head that's above and beyond! And what a sense of security we can have knowing each and every day He is holding on to us. We're going to be O.K. because we are valuable to Him.

Thankyou Lord so much for caring for us so much.

BUBBLING OVER!

Romans 15:13

May the God of Your hope so fill you with joy and peace in believing (through the experience of your faith) that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. (Amplified Bible)

Have you ever poured vinegar over bicarbonate of soda? If so, you will have seen the most amazing chemical reaction as the vinegar explodes the soda into thousands of bubbles and it swells up and pours all over. Great fun!

So what has that to do with our lives? Sometimes the daily walk of life can become very humdrum, bound with routines, pressed down by depressing news, wearied by obligations. Sound familiar? 

But the good news is that we have a God of Hope and He doesn't want us to walk through life like that. He wants us to lift our eyes of faith up to Him and believe He's willing and more than able to fill us with Joy and Peace to such an extent that we start to bubble over with hope for the good things He has stored up for us in the days to come.   After all, He's given us His Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead so all things are possible with Him in our lives. 

Maybe there are some things right now in your life that need some resurrecting. Well can I tell you, God is the God who wants to get your hopes up, and to start believing afresh that with the help of the Holy Spirit those things can be brought to life again and more besides!

Will you say this with me?

 "Thank you Lord You are my God of Hope and You want me to start hoping again for the good things You have stored up for me and for us all. I believe You are filling me right now with Your Joy and Your Peace as I trust in You, and as I keep believing, I shall bubble up and bubble over, and over and over. For Your glory. Amen."

TURNED AROUND IN A DAY!

No weapon turned against you shall succeed. Isaiah 54:17 (NLT).

In the book of Esther our attention is obviously on Esther herself but I realised again what a key role Mordecai played in the whole rescue of the Jews who were due to be annihilated.

All the Jews including Queen Esther and Mordecai were threatened with death but in the space of one day God had turned the whole terrifying situation around.

Mordecai was due to be impaled on a pole but by the end of that day he was wearing a gold crown and royal robes with the king's own signet ring of authority to make any decree he wanted and it would be carried out.  (Esther 8:2/15) He was also promoted to be prime minister next in authority to the king himself!

Isn't that what God has done for us? Instead of us being punished, He impaled His own Son on a cross so we could go free. He's crowned us with loving kindness and tender mercy, He's given us His royal robes of righteousness and made us kings and priests unto our God. On top of all of that He has given us the name of Jesus as our authority to decree how things will be in our lives. (Mark 11:22-25)

One of the wonderful things we learn from this great little book of Esther is that no matter what plans the enemy is trying to implement against us, when we pray, our God can turn any seemingly hopeless or terrible situation on its head in less than a day.  It's very similar to the story of Sarah we looked at earlier this month when God made her laugh.

So we can all be encouraged knowing that God is on our case, He will turn things round for our ultimate good.  We can walk into today, and this coming week, with great confidence knowing we can declare:

 "No weapon formed against you shall prosper..." (Isaiah 54:17) 

"I give you authority...over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."  (Luke 10:19)

"My God is for me." (Romans 8)

That turns the threat of any virus or any other situation on it's head! Hallelujah!

Praise the wonderful name of Jesus, our Deliverer.

PLANS TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST

Psalm 4:5
"O Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal."

Isn't that an amazing thought. God has so many plans for us that they can't be listed! That doesn't sound boring or 'same old' does it?

Psalm 139:17 How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
V18  I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!...

Isaiah 55:8  "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."

Whatever we may have planned for our lives God has something better than we've ever imagined.

So how do we find out God's plans? Romans 12:1-2 tells us to allow Him to change the way we think and He'll show us His good, pleasing and perfect will.  As we read His Word more and more He will change the way we think to come in line with His thoughts without our even realising it. 

When we think "Oh such and such is  impossible or I could never do such and such, or that will never happen" God turns that thinking on its head when we read in Mark 10:27 "With God all things are possible." And in Jeremiah 32:17 "Nothing is too hard for God."

So all these plans and thoughts God has for us we may think are impossible. We think we don't have the resources, the right background, the right contacts or the education, but Jesus says none of that really matters because God Himself is all we'll need. He'll provide and what He provides is always more than enough with leftovers!

So can I encourage anyone reading this to let the Holy Spirit direct our thoughts and imaginations and change our thinking. He will counsel us and as we believe Him for divine inspiration and instruction and wisdom He will give them to us.

John16:13. " ...whatever He (the Holy Spirit) hears He will speak and show you things to come."

How exciting is that! 

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

I came across a Chinese proverb which said,
"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.

It made me stop and think. We all have so many unanswered questions. Why does God allow this and not allow that? Why did this happen to me? We could go on for ever and I realised that as soon as I get an answer to one question I'll only want an answer to another, and on and on. 

 I came to the profound conclusion it would bring me no satisfaction or peace even if I knew the answer to a thousand questions as there will always be another one!

So where does that leave me or you?  The conclusion, of course, is that God wants us to trust Him whether we get the answers we seek or not.  Trust Him to look after us and provide for us regardless of what has happened and to know that no matter what, He has a good plan, which we thought about yesterday.

God wants us to sing, to have a song in our hearts, not because we have the answer to our questions but just because He's given us something to sing about.
 Because we're loved and cared for by God, because He's given us a Spirit of praise and a reason to praise, because we are in covenant with Almighty God for all of eternity. 
We can sing because He's given us His Son, His Blood, His Name, His unbreakable Word, His very Holy Spirit indwells us. He's given us His grace and favour, His forgiveness. He's given us His own faith to get things done. What's not to be singing about!?

Questions? If you straighten out a question mark you have an exclamation mark. Maybe today we could turn our questions into exclamations of praise instead and trust God with all the rest.🙂

"Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee. How great Thou art".

GOD HAS A PLAN

When everything looks impossible - GOD HAS A PLAN

When our plans seem to go pear shaped - GOD HAS A PLAN

When we've done all and hit the wall - GOD HAS A PLAN

When we feel we can't take any more - GOD HAS A PLAN

When there's no money in the bank- GOD HAS A PLAN

When you feel hopeless - GOD HAS A PLAN

When you're in pain and can't move -GOD HAS A PLAN

When all your confidence has gone -GOD HAS A PLAN

When you've received a bad medical report - GOD HAS A PLAN

When you just don't know what to do - GOD HAS A PLAN

The list could go on and you can add anything you like depending on your circumstances but I can testify to all of the above over the course of my life and have proved that God is bigger than them all and He always has a plan to deliver us and He always has.  Praise His wonderful name.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
V12 "In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me....."

Maybe a doctor has told you you'll never get better. God says "By Jesus wounds you are healed." 
Maybe you've been betrayed, or you're in a mess you've caused yourself and feel you don't deserve any help.  Listen, God is bigger than that and whatever your situation, know this, God has a plan to rescue and deliver you but you have to start believing He means even you. You have to decide who or what you're going to believe.

God loves you more than you will ever imagine.
Reach out to Him today,  ask Him for His perfect plan for your life, obey what He tells you to do knowing that whatever that is, it is for your good and He'll enable you to do it.

Be blessed today.

ONE SIZE FITS ALL

Colossians 3: 12-15
Since God chose you to be holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender hearted mercy,kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all , clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.


As I was reading that passage I realised that this 'suit of clothes' is one size that fits us all. Isn't that amazing.  If we put on just the jacket and forget the trousers then we're not dressed decently. Or if we put the clothes on but there are no zips or buttons to hold it together then they all fall down or off. 

So if I put on compassion but take offence at someone, or if I put on humility but choose to not put on forgiveness then my suit won't fit anymore or look right.

Love is a bit like the buttons that hold it all together. When we don't do our buttons up we are exposed!

I know I need help every morning putting on my spiritual clothes. Sometimes I forget to put them on at all! So here they are - a list of what we need to 'put on'.

Compassion (tenderhearted mercy)
Kindness
Humility 
Gentleness 
Patience 
Forgiveness
LOVE above all

Lord please help us as we start this new week to put on all our spiritual clothes today and especially to be a channel of Your love wherever we go, to just let Jesus' Holy Spirit live through us. Amen.

GOD HAS MADE ME LAUGH

Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me."

Genesis 21:2 "For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him."

After possibly 70 years of disappointment God gave Sarah something to laugh about, but it happened according to His timetable, not hers.

Are there things you've been believing God for, maybe for a long time but you've given up hope, given up the dream? Well can I encourage you to keep believing because if you keep believing, God will fulfil His promise to you. 
Even if you're 90 years old, He says you can still conceive and bear fruit.  Scripture says we will bear much fruit even when we are grey haired! Has He conceived in you a thought or idea to minister to others? Then He'll give you the ability to do it.

When Sarah woke that morning she didn't think she had much to laugh about but by the end of the day, she did! God can change our circumstances, our lives, in the space of a day. Nothing is too hard for Him.
The secret is to trust Him even when we have unanswered questions and to keep believing that His timing is perfect.

I know this Blog can go worldwide and you may be someone who has  been believing God for a baby but it didn't happen when you thought it would so you gave up.  Listen, the promise God gave you last week or twenty five years ago still stands.  If God promised it, then He will do it.

Can I ask you, what promise has God given you that you have let slide or given up on? You've let the enemy come in and say "It's not going to happen, not now, not this time". Can I remind you the enemy is a liar and a deceiver.

WHATEVER GOD HAS PROMISED YOU, WHETHER IT IS FOR HEALING, FINANCES, RELATIONSHIPS, WHATEVER IT IS - KEEP BELIEVING AND HE WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH - HE WILL DO IT. 

THAT WAS EASY

Matthew 11:29-30
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me... For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

I don't know if you're like me but sometimes I start a job, like looking for car insurance, and I have that spirit of dread come knocking at the door. I'll say to myself, "Oh this will be difficult" and you know what - it is! It's all a question of attitude, what you're expecting, what you're believing for!

But Jesus says His yoke is easy but we have to 'take' it on ourselves. It doesn't come automatically and He doesn't say to ask for it! He just commands us to take it, believe He's given it to us, expect it and walk in it.

So I've been practicing! Everything gets easier the more we practice right?  So I've got something big to do in the coming days and I'm taking Jesus 'easy yoke' and I'm believing it's going to be easy- not difficult as in previous attempts.
It's called an 'anointing of ease'.  When God wants us and tells us to do something He'll give us HIS ANOINTING OF EASE. That anointing is not there when we are just doing something because it seemed like a good idea, or someone asked us to do it because they think you should!  Ever been there?
When we struggle, get exhausted, feel heavy, maybe it's time to check all the things we're doing are what God asked us to do or did we decide to do them?

Can I encourage you today to start taking Jesus 'easy' yoke on you and start expecting things to be easier for you to do, for things to fall into place because God's favour is upon you?

Then when we look back we'll be able to say "That was easy" and Jesus will get the glory for it because it was His anointing of ease that made it easy.

EXPECT GOOD THINGS

Isaiah 43:18-19
Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?

Sometimes our circumstances change unexpectedly or suddenly and we're faced with a daunting new challenge. Immediately the enemy comes in with fear and doubt, giving us thoughts of our past failures and mistakes and how it didn't work out the way we thought last time.

But can I encourage us all today because God says this is a new day and 'behold I do a new thing.'

Listen, if God be for us and He is, then who can be against us?  Let's get our faith out there and expect favour this week, expect wonderful and glorious things from God; not because we deserve it but because we are His children, we are His family, and He loves us so much He wants to bless us far more than we can imagine. He is supernatural, He is super powerful and He has commissioned the armies of heaven to defend us and make all things work together for our good.
Let's shake off the doubts, fears and worries. Let's believe for the best as we go into a new week.

God loves you and He is for you.

WHAT ARE YOU STANDING IN?

Roman 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this place in which we now stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
     
Sometimes it's good to check what we're standing in, because what we should be standing in today, as believers, is the grace of God. The NLT calls it the 'undeserved privilege where we now stand'.

We are standing in the favour of God. Now if you had the favour of Bill Gates or the Queen of  England you might feel privileged but their favour pales into insignificance compared to the favour of God which we have. Can I ask you to check what you're standing in today. Maybe you feel like you've just blown it again and you feel so discouraged. There is no need!

No matter what you've done or said or thought, if your faith is in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ you have been made innocent, not guilty in God's eyes. You are not standing in condemnation any more, you are standing in His grace, in His forgiveness, and your record of sin has been wiped away and cleared away forever. Even what you said or did 5 minutes ago or 60 years ago.

Look what the  Apostle Paul quoting King David says in Romans 4: 7-8
Oh what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.

Are you standing in God's wonderful grace today?

If you've never made Jesus the Lord of your life can I invite you today to say this prayer.

Lord Jesus, Thank You for loving me and dying for me on the cross.  I have lived my life my way and now repent of all my sin. Your precious blood washes me clean of every sin.  I make you my Lord and my Saviour, now and forever. I believe that You rose from the dead and that You are alive today. Because of Your finished work, I am now a beloved child of God and heaven is my home. Thank You for giving me eternal life, and filling my heart with Your peace and joy.  Help me to live for You by the power of Your Holy Spirit. These things I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

If you did just pray that prayer from your heart, welcome to the family of God.
If you would like further encouragement please go to a bible believing church or email me for further help.

STEPS

Psalm 37:23-24
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. 
Though they stumble they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

God can only direct us but when we step out in faith and take the first step because then He will guide us to the next.  

It's a bit like this blog. I've taken a step in faith to restart it and trust the Lord to accomplish whatever He has in mind each time I write. It may go on forever and it may be He stops it tomorrow but my instruction was to take the first step.

Even if we only tiptoe forward that's great, but I believe God wants us to have such confidence in Him and His leading that we will begin to take stronger steps of faith.  He doesn't seem to give us the whole picture just the next step. This verse says He delights in every detail. How cool is that?

What has He been nudging you to do? Are you going to trust Him and take that first step? Can I encourage you today to take a step into the unknown, knowing that even if you stumble He won't let you fall because He's holding your hand.  

I believe He has a destination He wants us to reach but He won't force us and all it will take is to go one step at a time. Whatever it is He will give us the ability and equip us to do it.

What's your dream? Why not ask God to give you the first step today and then believe Him for the next step?

JUST DO IT🙂

JESUS WILL BE THERE

We all have friends going on holiday in the next few weeks and maybe are looking forward to a break ourselves and I trust you have a lovely time.

One of my friends mentioned they were maybe going to the beach on Saturday and I just had this picture of Jesus being there with her.  Jesus was very familiar with the seaside and walking along the beach, watching the fishermen etc. There probably wasn't an ice cream van but there may have been people selling take away fish and chips!

Jesus walked where we walked and He still does today.
Wherever we go, He goes too. He's promised to never leave us alone  and so He even comes on holiday with us. He knew when his disciples needed to draw aside and take a break and He encouraged them to do so.

So whether we're 'at home' or out and about we can be sure of one thing - wherever we find ourselves in the coming days Jesus will be there too. How wonderful is that!

Maybe we could stop for a couple of minutes throughout the day, whether we're commuting in the car or on public transport, or doing the shopping, visiting friends, working at our job, on holiday -wherever,  and just say "Hi Jesus, so glad you're here with me right now. So glad you're keeping me company. I just think you're great and I'm so grateful You're in my life."

I think I'll do that right now. Have a blessed day.

A PLACE BY ME

Exodus33:21 And the Lord said, " Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.

 Moses has asked to see God's glory and God says I will show you My goodness. Part of God's wonderful glory is His goodness. Maybe God showed Moses a picture of time from the Garden of Eden right up to the Cross and beyond into our time. Can you imagine being Moses standing there being literally shown the goodness of God, widescreen as it were?

Now come forward to where we are today. Who has a place by God the Father today? Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father isn't He? and we know that we,as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are now in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6 "and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
V7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus."

The Lord is reminding us. We are already in 'the ages to come'.  He is saying to us today, "Here is a place by Me. I want to show you all my goodness, the hugeness of My grace, My kindness. I've placed you on the rock.  Let me show you my goodness!"

I don't know about you but that grabs me. God Almighty, the El Shaddai, the All Knowing One, the All Powerful One, has given you and me 'a place' beside Him and He has stuff He wants to tell us and show us. He has given us the mind of Christ to receive His ongoing revelation of Himself and His glory.

How do we access that? Well I do know that everything we receive from God is by faith so will you join with me and ask Him by faith for Him to show us His goodness, His glory, and anything He wants us to be part of?

Open the eyes of our hearts Lord.

We have a place!

THERE IS A POWER FAR GREATER ON OUR SIDE

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

Some days are more demanding than others and on those days we need to know we have backup. King Hezekiah was someone who knew where to go when he was under severe attack from the most powerful king in the area and he knew the power of his words.

As their leader he told them
"Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side!  He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles for us!"

If you want to read the story it is in 2 Chronicles 32:1-23 where we discover just how powerfully their prayers were answered.

That same God is living on the inside of us and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. 

So be encouraged, whatever we have to face, or do, today Our God is more than enough.
He is for us, so who can be against us?
We are on the victory side, praise God. Thankyou Lord.

WE ARE DEAR TO HIS HEART

WE ARE GOD'S TEMPLE

Have you ever wondered if God is listening to your prayers? Well I trust the following will help you know He does.

2 Chronicles 7:15

My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.

V16. For I have chosen this temple and set it apart to be holy - a place where my name will be honoured forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.

Now go to

1 Corinthians 6:19

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own.

1 Corinthians 3:16

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

We are the temple of God and just as God said that Solomon's Temple was dear to His heart - how much more are we?!  He tells us we are now His temple.

He has set us apart to be holy, a place where His name is honoured forever. He is watching over us. He is listening carefully to every one of our prayers. Why? Because we are dear to His heart.

Know today that you are dear to God's heart.  Be encouraged. He hears your every sigh and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with even our sighs.

Thankyou Lord.