KNOCK AND IT WILL BE OPENED

Luke 11:9 ......knock, and it will be opened to you."

We've looked at Asking and Seeking this week. Today we're looking at Knocking with the right attitude on the right doors for our lives.   Very often we knock with the wrong attitude and so we get the wrong answers and the wrong things happen. Been there and done that!

We have to know how to knock on the doors of opportunity, of healing, of prosperity or whatever is needed when we're given them so that they open if we want to go forward into what God wants for us.

Let me give you an example.  Our attitude determines a lot of our outcomes. When we knock on a door with a negative, 'This thing will never change, I'll never be able to get this job, do this thing, ' we'll be unlikely to go through that door. But when we knock on the same door of opportunity with the faith attitude of  'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, God gives me the victory so I can do whatever He asks me to do, all things are possible with Him, I can be all He's called me to be, I can be healed' then the door will open and you can enter in to what God has planned.  

The enemy loves a negative mind set because he can work on it to his advantage so he can delay God's plan or bring defeat. But when we have a God focused, Word based, faith attitude the enemy is defeated before he begins.  Which would you rather have? 

Suppose you're praying for a wayward family member to come to the Lord. You can either catalogue all the reasons why they wont respond, go over their past mistakes and give the enemy an open door, or you can declare by faith 'Father nothing is impossible with You, You can turn any negative situation around, You have hosts of angels available to send to minister to those who are being saved, You've said my household will be saved so I believe You're sending out your angels and my loved one is coming home to You. Thank You Lord.

That's knocking on a door with a positive, faith filled attitude. 

Faith knocks on a door with great expectation of good. 

Faith 'sees' the end result of good before it ever gets as far as knocking! I love faith don't you?

There will be many doors of opportunity that God gives us every day how will we respond? Will we respond with Murphy's law of  'nothing good ever happens to me, if something can go wrong it will.'  Or will we respond with the Faith law of God, 'God's favour surrounds me like a shield, something good is going to happen to me because God is for me and not against me. No weapon formed against me can prosper. God is turning things around for my good.'

Let's knock on some doors with Faith today and let God's goodness gush through the door.

SEEKING GOD

Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Yesterday we looked at ''Asking', today we're looking at 'Seeking'. 

When we seek something there is an earnestness about our search, we have an awareness that we really need to find whatever it is we're looking for. It's not a casual 'oh I'll look for that sometime' attitude. The Lord tells us to seek Him for several reasons and they're always good ones! In this verse He wants to remind us that He never forsakes or abandons those who seek Him.  There is our safety, confidence and security right there. When God is with us, all will turn out well.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Wow. What a verse! Guidance, Fullness of Joy, Pleasures for Evermore!! What more could you want?  If you're feeling you've lost your joy lately, why not go back to the throne room and seek God again? He'll fill you with His joy and bring a smile back to your face.

Sometimes we get caught up with seeking the wrong things but God encourages us to seek Him because He says when we do He wants to reward us. We've just looked at some of the rewards.

Hebrews 11:6 ...He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  Some Christians have a false humility that says they don't want or deserve a reward which sounds very 'good' but is not in agreement with God's Word. He says He wants to reward diligent seekers.  So what else does He reward us with?  A lot!

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.  When we seek God's Kingdom we are obviously seeking Him too and when we seek His righteousness we are reminding ourselves constantly that He has given us the gift of His righteousness at the cross through Jesus. When we have an awareness of our righteousness in Him, rather than our sinfulness, we bring joy to His heart because we're seeing ourselves as the new creatures He has made us. We are seeing ourselves as He sees us. That's a joy filler right there. Then follows Jesus' promise to us. 'All these things shall be added to you.' What things? The things that make up our daily existence which we might get 'worried' about!  

And if you're worried you're seeking Him just for what He can give you, don't worry because soon you'll be so overwhelmed with His goodness it will lead you to love and worship Him all the more and seek Him just for who He is and not for any rewards. You'll just love to go see Him.

So why not make God's heart glad today and go seek Him for a while? Put everything else down, all the cares and worries, all the jobs you had planned and just go and sit at the Master's feet for a little while and let Him fill you with all that He has for you.  I guarantee it will bring a smile to your face.😊 

ASKING BIG

Luke 11:9 So I say to you, ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

When we know that God loves us and that He wants to be good to us it will give us a confidence to approach His throne boldly as He wants us to do and to ask big 'asks'.

So often other people's negative experiences, or our own, have coloured our 'asking', to the point that we have elevated those 'experiences' above the Word of God and there is no faith in our asking. They are just 'hope so' prayers with no confidence attached. Ever done that? Past experience has put you off,  but God doesn't want us to be put off by past experiences or lack of faith in any particular area.

Jesus said again and again to ask His Father and He, Jesus, would do it for us. Let's really believe Him.

John 14:14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it....

John 16:23 "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father, in My name, He will give you.

Matthew 21:22 "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

What are you asking God for just now? What have you got your faith out there for at the moment? As someone said if we aim for nothing, we shall receive nothing. If we don't ask then we wont receive.

Apostle James says we don't receive sometimes because we have a wrong motive. If God shows you that, repent, and ask Him to help you have the 'right' motive, then ask Him what to ask for. 

Find the promises of God relating to your request, know it's in God's provision and promise, based on His Word, and ask big! Believe you've received it by faith and thank Him for it before you even see it. That's faith.

Then don't give up asking for new requests!  God is not phased by big 'asks'! Joshua asked for the sun and moon to stand still while he fought a battle. And God did it! Requests don't come much bigger than that do they?

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

He is the God of exceedingly and abundantly above.  If you're praying for loved ones to be saved then find the scriptures to base your request on and bring them to the throne of grace. If you're praying for children to come back to the Lord, find the scriptures and bring them to the Father because then you have a rock solid foundation for your faith and you can ask with confidence.

Some promises have conditions attached. For instance if you're asking for finance for yourself, your church, whoever, find the scripture to base your request on and stand on it. Scripture says to give and it will be given to you. Have you given first? If so then believe God for the increase. 

What about healing? The same principles apply.  Find the scriptures, pray the scriptures, believe you receive your healing when you ask and don't back off from the Word you're standing on.

God honours His Word and He says it will not return to Him empty but will accomplish everything He sends it to do. 

Let's make God's Word final authority in our lives. If it says it, we can do it, and we can have it. God wants us to have that kind of confidence when we approach His throne. 

I hope I've encouraged someone, somewhere today to start asking again and asking BIG, then we'll have a testimony and God will get the glory. Hallelujah!

BE STILL AND KNOW

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God ....

God wants you to draw aside for a while and let Him speak to your spirit. Take some time and let Him minister who He is to your heart whenever you need Him to. Can I encourage you to read each one prayerfully and receive it from the Father's heart to yours?

My child, know that I am God who made you and you are precious to me.

I am God who is more than enough for you.

I am God who upholds you and goes before you. 

I am God who speaks things into existence and I have already spoken health, wholeness and prosperity over you through My Son Jesus. 

I am God who gives you purpose and My power to fulfil that purpose. 

I am God who cleanses you by the washing of My word, who has set you apart for My glory.

I am God who loves you, forgives you and who seats you at My right hand of power and majesty in My Son Jesus.

I am God who makes the world beautiful for you and who sets the rainbows in the sky to remind you of who I Am and My promises.

I am God who blesses you and leads and guides you in paths of righteousness for My Name's sake.

I am God who lifts you out of the miry clay of depression and oppression, who makes you soar like an eagle if you'll let Me.

I am God who fills your life with good things, precious moments, wisdom beyond yourself.

I am God who understands you and loves you with an everlasting love.

I am God who draws you to Me with cords of love and mercy.

I am God who surrounds you with My favour so that wherever you go, whoever you are with, I'm pouring out My favour on you bringing you abundance and overflow.

I am God who pours My joy and My Spirit into you so your face shines.

I am God who wants to be good to you, to bless you in all your ways, to amaze you with My goodness.

I am God who heals you and renews your youth like the eagle's.

I am whatever, and all you will ever need Me to be, now and forever.

I want you to be still and KNOW that I am your God.

With love from your loving Heavenly Father.

HOW TO BE THE LIGHT

John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Matthew 5:2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying....v.14 You are the light of the world.

We all know Jesus is the Light of the world and we say 'Oh yes Amen!' But when He says we are also the light of the world we tend to back off a bit and maybe think 'I'm not very good at that. I don't even know how to do it or be it. I'll just leave it to the Pastor, or someone else. NO! You and I are the light of the world.'

I used to think it meant I had to go round telling everyone about Jesus, getting them saved, being a good example. Those things play a part, but I believe it's something even simpler than that.

Because we've been studying about faith and the huge importance of our words I'm realising more and more that we can 'speak' the light of God into our own lives and others' lives, and situations.

We know faith comes by the words of God's mouth (scripture) and then it's released in us by the words of our mouths, so, are we being 'doers' of the word? Are we speaking out words of faith? 

1 John 3:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.  OK, now we know that's what God wants (remember it was inspired by the Holy Spirit), so now we speak that over our own lives. We know that by Jesus wounds we are and were healed. (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53, Psalm 103). We know He provides all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, (Phil.4:19).

 So what do we do with those 'words' of God? We receive them by faith, in other words we 'take' them for ourselves', and declare them over our lives and those we're called to pray for. We release His light, His words, because He is in us, and if He were physically here He would speak them wouldn't He?

"I speak the healing of Jesus into my body (or someone else's). I call it forth to manifest in my body. The life of God is flowing through my veins bringing healing, repair and restoration to every cell of my body.  My finances are prospering , debt I command you to be removed from my bank balance, I call my bank balance healthy and in the black."

I had a good friend once who did exactly that. He got his bank statement out which was in the red and he spoke to it. 'Bank balance listen to me. Jesus is providing everything I need. I need my bank to be in the black so I call you into the black in Jesus Name.'  God did what he believed for and his bank balance came back into the black. He spoke God's word into his situation in faith.

We don't have to settle for how things are! We can speak life and light into them. "I'm strong in the Lord. I'm getting better every day. God is restoring health back into my body. Allergies be removed and cast into the sea. Healing and wholeness spring forth in Jesus' Name."

I hope this is helping somebody today. Be uplifted, God is moving in you and through you. You are a Light and Life giver just like, and because, your Heavenly Father is in you.

Have a very God blessed, light shining, weekend.😊

LET'S SHINE SOME LIGHT TODAY

Genesis 1:3 Then God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light. (Nkjv)

If we'd looked out over the void earth that God saw, we'd probably have said 'It's so dark out there!' But God saw what was, and spoke something different over it. He released His faith - He spoke what He wanted. He released a command. The original says He said "Light be!". He didn't qualify it or limit it and that light is still shining today. 

God is Light. Jesus is the Light of the World and where He is, there will be light - enlightenment. And the good news is, He - the Light - is in us! We are Light shiners!

Just as God released His faith by speaking, we are commanded to be imitators of God so we can release our faith in the same way.

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. 1 Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (Nkjv)

So, have you any dark places in your life that you need to be speaking 'light' to? 'Oh I can't do that', do I hear you say?  God says you can! He wants you to!

In Genesis 1:28 He told mankind to be fruitful, subdue the earth and to have dominion over every living thing. That was God's original blessing and command to mankind!

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said He'd been given all authority and delegated it to His disciples, (and us) telling them to teach people everything He'd commanded them. Didn't He teach them to speak to mountains to be removed?  Didn't Jesus also speak to trees, to the waves and the wind. He spoke to dead men, told demons to get out, diseases and sicknesses to go and for healing to come. He spoke peace into seas, peace into people's hearts. Jesus' words brought light and life, abundance and joy. 

God wants us to be just like Jesus. How about your words? What have you and I been speaking lately?   Let's speak some Light into any darkness we see today. Speak God's Words over them, call forth what God has said, dispel some darkness today. As Jesus once said....

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD Matthew 5:14  Let's release our faith, let's go and speak some light!

HOW TO PRODUCE LOVELY FRUIT

We started this week wanting to lift up the name of Jesus. We've looked at His goodness and His faithfulness so far and have you noticed how when we lift up Jesus and make much of Him, we're then lifted up with Him? It lifts our spirits.  It's because our eyes are on Him and not on ourselves. 

The Lord reminded me this morning that the Holy Spirit is reproducing His lovely attributes in us because He wants us to be like Him. That's good news don't you think?

Gal 5:22 tells us But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, v.23 gentleness, and self-control.... .

Notice it's the Holy Spirit who produces these things in us.  As we stay connected to the Lord Jesus, the Vine, we will automatically produce these things. He will cause us to be good to others, He will cause us to be faithful, to be loving and produce His joy and peace and all the other fruit.

Have you ever fallen into the trap of thinking you have to do it all? That you have to make yourself be these things? As long as a grape is still attached to the vine it just can't help growing plump and juicy. The moment you cut it off it withers and dies.  

No amount of self effort on our part can produce God's fruit, only as we stay connected to Him will we do it and we wont even have to try. It will just happen. I hope that takes the pressure off us. It's not all about us, it's all about Him, His finished work on the cross and what He is doing in us. 

It comes back to faith again! It's not about our works! When we trust and 'rest' in what Jesus has done and the Holy Spirit is doing in us then we will be all that God wants us to be.

However, we do have our part to play and our part is to stay connected, and the way we do that is to read the Word daily, listen for His voice and do as He says. God gave the children of Israel their manna 'daily', it was fresh each day and we need the same thing. If we'll do that I believe we'll find juicy fruit popping out all over us. 😊

OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL TO US

Psalm 36:5 Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

I had that song 'Great is Thy Faithfulness' running through my head this morning so I thought I'd look at God's faithfulness to us.

What exactly is faithfulness because you don't hear so much about it these days? 

The dictionary and concordance define faithful as being loyal, trustworthy, constant, steady and stable.  What lovely attributes and scripture tells us that our God's faithfulness is so above and beyond that it reaches beyond the clouds.  It's like God's faithfulness just stretches out there beyond anything we've ever known. It is part of Who He is, just like we looked at His goodness yesterday. Read those attributes again slowly and let them sink in. 

God is faithful to us. He faithfully brings the sun up every morning, faithfully feeds us and provides for us, faithfully watches over us; those things are good but far more than that He does this...

1 Corinthians 1:8-9 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day that our Lord Jesus returns.  God will do this for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul goes on to say in 2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

God is trustworthy, constant towards us, always the same, steady and stable. Doesn't all that make you feel so safe and secure and just want to love Him? 

He's promised to keep you strong to the end and He is faithful (loyal, trustworthy, constant, steady and stable) to do what He says!

Now, let's apply this wonderful knowledge to every day. What other things has He 'said' to you in His word?  Because whatever it is, whatever the promise, He has declared He will be faithful to do it, you can take it to the bank. 

OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL TO US! Glory to His Name.

THIS IS OUR GOD

Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. 

This is such a 'strong' verse, don't you think?  Why do we trust God? Because He is good! 

We trust the good God so we can trust Him with confidence, knowing He is intrinsically good and we feel safe in that.

Then it reminds us that no matter what trouble we may have to face, we have somewhere and Someone to go to who is strong and who has a strong hold on us.  He is our Stronghold, our Fortress. It's good to stop and think on that. 

There is no one stronger than our God, no one who can defeat Him, no one who can outwit or out think Him. He is all powerful, all knowing, all present. He is never stressed, never confused, always has the answer and always knows what to do, and He loves us unconditionally - and this God is in us! How wonderful is that!!

Psalm 145:9 The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation...

v.13...The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. 

v..14 The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. 

v.17...He is filled with kindness. 

v.18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes to all who call  on him in truth.

King David who wrote this psalm, really knew his God and he wanted us to know Him like that too.  We have such a wonderful Saviour, wonderful God and in our first verse in Nahum he reminds us that God knows us who trust Him too. 

Isn't that lovely. God is so good, He knows you and me and He has a strong hold on us. Thank You Lord.

LET'S LIFT JESUS' NAME UP HIGH THIS WEEK

Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about these things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

This is a new week and we get to start it and live it with the King of Kings and Lord of Heaven's Armies.  Jesus is our Champion, our glorious Saviour, the One who goes before us, who has prepared paths of favour, paths of health and wholeness and prosperity to walk in, hand in hand with Him.  He has already borne all our griefs and sorrows so we can partake of His joy.

What a wonderful Saviour. There is no doom and gloom in His lovely presence. There is hope and expectation of good. He surrounds us with His favour. (Psalm 5:12 Nkjv). Jesus said I am come that they may have life, to the full, till it overflows. (John 10:10) That is the Good News of the gospel. Living in right relationship with our Father God, with our sins forgiven, clothed in His righteousness and our eyes are on Him looking to Him all the time with hope and anticipation of good for everything we need.

There are so many wonderful testimonies of God's people all round the world being blessed, healed, restored and prospered. All glory to His Name. Let's remind each other of those.

The scripture commands us to think on all the good things, the things that have virtue, uplifting things not to dwell on the negative and depressing reports.  Yes they are real, but God commands us not to rehearse them, not to rehearse what the devil has done, but to rehearse the good things our God has done and is doing for us every day. 

I want to lift Jesus Name up high today for all His immense goodness to us all, His kindness that is beyond our understanding and His wonderful grace and mercy if and when we forget just how powerful He is. He rescues us, He heals us, He provides for us, He keeps us safe.

All glory to our God this morning. We give You all our praise today Father and we rejoice in You, in Your salvation and we draw joy out of the well of our salvation today.

Have a good week, God blessed, Holy Spirit filled and led, with our eyes on Him.

GOD WANTS TO TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY!

Hebrews 12:2   looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God;

Outside it's minus 3 degrees, the heating hasn't come on yet so I'm huddled up as I'm reading my bible. I happened to look up and out the window and the sky is the most beautiful shades of pink, orange and pale blue, absolutely breathtaking. God has painted the sky again today and wanted me to look up and enjoy it for a few moments. I'm sure you've experienced the same thing time and again. God takes our breath away but we do have to look up or we miss it.

No matter what your focus is on today God wants us to turn our eyes away from it, look up and focus on Him, to 'refocus' on what is more important than anything else that might be going on right now. And what is that? The fact that God is in control of our lives, that He goes before us to make crooked paths straight, He goes behind us as our rearguard, His arms are underneath us holding us up and His banner over us is His love that never fails.

Earlier in the week I was reminded that what we focus on grows bigger. If you shut one eye and hold a one pence piece close to your other eye and look up towards the sun the penny piece will actually appear bigger than the sun. I don't recommend trying it but you get what I mean!

In the same way when we focus on the stuff close to us it can seem bigger than the promises of God we're standing on in faith. The doctor's report looms up in front trying to fill our attention but if we'll turn aside and look up to Jesus and what His report is we find His report is positive. 'With long life I will satisfy him, by Jesus stripes I am healed, I will take sickness and disease away from the midst of you, the Lord is strengthening my bones, etc.'

So can I encourage you today to take a minute and 'look up' and refocus your spiritual eyes on Jesus and what He won for you on the cross. He despised the shame of it, and looked at the joy to come of seeing His children being delivered and set free from all the works of the devil by what  He was enduring for our sakes.  

Let Him take your breath away today as He shows you all He has for you.😊 Thank You Jesus.

BRING GLORY TO JESUS

1 John 5:4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith.

Yesterday we looked at the wonderful story of Jesus being so impressed with faith that's reaching out and believing His Word.

So today we're looking at why faith so important. It's because it is the victory over the world and whatever comes against us. So logically the more we develop our faith the more victory in life we shall walk in. More faith - more victory.

It's Jesus victory that has overcome the world and it's our faith in His finished work at the cross that brings us daily, moment by moment victory.

We don't have faith in our faith. We have faith in all that Jesus has already done for us. He is the Victor over satan and all his works and we get to partake of Jesus' victory when we believe in Him and His Word. We get to enter into Jesus' victory by our faith. No wonder our faith pleases God. It's giving all the credit to His most precious Son Jesus, all the glory to Him. 

Every time we stand in faith we defeat the enemy and his face is pushed to the ground beneath our feet, and Jesus gets the glory.  We're enforcing what Jesus has bought and paid for on our behalf with His life blood. Glory to God, doesn't that make you want to jump up and down? 

We get the victory - He gets the glory! I like that don't you?

If ever you're tempted to think it's too much effort to stand in faith for something, just remember how much effort it took for Jesus to go to the cross so you could!  He did it all for us so we can put our best foot forward and declare we're going to bring some glory to Jesus today and stand in faith for something.

We can declare "I am a victor, not a victim in any situation. Jesus has bought and paid for my victory already so I take the Victory and give all the glory to Jesus." Amen.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE 'GET IT'.

Matthew 8:8 ...But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

We've been looking at the importance of faith. How we get saved by it, we can't please God without it, we walk by it, the church grows by it, how we stand in it, how we all have a measure of it, how we can exercise it and release it. There's still so much more but I do trust this is helping somebody as I know it's helping my faith. How many of us know what you focus on will grow bigger in you?

Today we're looking at Great Faith which Jesus said the centurion had. It says Jesus marvelled at his faith. Marvel in the Greek means to be stirred, excited and impressed by it. In other words Jesus was so chuffed because somebody was finally 'getting it' and oddly it wasn't even one of His disciples who were all standing around watching! This man wasn't even under the Law and it made no difference.

Here was a man that grasped that all he needed was the Word of Jesus, the Word of God and it was enough to work the miracle of healing he needed for his servant. He didn't even need Jesus to physically be there. Just give me the word, and I'll go with it.  This centurion was the vanguard, the forerunner for every one of us who doesn't physically have Jesus in front of us but we do have His Word and if we'll 'get it' and go with it we'll receive what our faith has reached out for.

Every believer has the authority of the Word of God backing him and when we use that word, when we 'speak it', it has to obey us because we are under the authority of God Himself to use our faith. God wants us to.

The centurion explained that when he told his servant to do something he did it, when he called him he came, when he told him to go we went. We have been given that same authority by Jesus in using our faith and when we do it stirs Him and impresses Him. 

I hope that encourages someone today to start using their authority to tell some mountains to 'go in Jesus name' and to call for some things to come in His name, whether it's healing for yourself or another person, or finances or whatever is needed. Start calling those things which are not as though they were. This centurion used his faith on behalf of his servant which means we can too, as well as for ourselves. 

Remember yesterday?  'whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

That is what happens when we begin to 'get it'!  We can be doers of the Word.

Lord help me, help us 'get' what You're saying to us through Your word more and more. Amen.

JESUS TEACHES US HOW TO

Mark 1:23-24 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea', and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. v.24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (NKJV)

Jesus is teaching us His 'how to' of faith in this amazing passage.  In verse 23 if you count how many times the word believe comes you find it only once. But if you count how many times He tells us  to 'say' you'll find it three times. Interesting the emphasis Jesus puts on our 'saying' or 'speaking' the things we want to be done. He says we will have whatever we say when we believe what we're saying from our hearts....but believes what he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Think about that for a minute. It's not what someone else says, or even what God says, no, we get the casting vote - it is what we say that will happen if we really believe it. Now that should make us more careful as to what we say and more adventurous too! 

Do you want to see some things happen in your life, your church life, you family, nation, etc.? Then it's up to us to start believing for some things, really believing them, and then 'say' them. Speak to our mountains and tell them to be removed. Then start calling 'things' into existence that we can't see yet. 

Verse 24 says Whatever 'things' you ask for when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them. To receive them in the original language means 'to take them'. You pray, then you 'take it' by faith, it's yours. It belongs to you whatever 'thing' you've believed for, now you stand in faith for it and draw it in daily by faith until you see it manifest. 

Don't let the enemy talk you out of it, but watch your 'saying' is in line with your praying in the coming days if it takes a while! 

So here's the thought for today.  What are you going to pray and believe to be done by your 'saying so'?  

 

HOW TO STAND FIRM IN FAITH

2 Chronicles 20:20-21 Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm..... the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor....

We all want to stand firm in our faith because we know when we start to waver and doubt we're miserable and downhearted.

Isaiah 7:9 ..unless your faith is firm I cannot make you stand firm.  Here God is saying when we keep firmly believing in Him and His Word He will make us stand firm. I think that is so encouraging but we have our part to play - we have to keep believing what He has said.

In the Chronicles verse the people knew a secret to standing in faith and moving forward to conquer their enemies. They used praise and thanksgiving. 

When we praise we take the focus off ourselves and on to our mighty God and all He's done for us and given us in Jesus. When we are thankful to God and rehearse all His goodness to us it encourages us to stand firm and say "God came through for me in the past and I know He will again."  

Abraham had learned the same thing.  Romans 4:20 He (Abraham) did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.

He gave glory to God. He thanked Him in advance even before Isaac was conceived. He just believed what God said, mixed faith with it, received it and rejoiced in it before he saw a thing. He waited 25 years before the promise was fulfilled but it says he did not waver!! 

Have you ever heard someone preach or read something and it has struck a chord in your heart and you know it's for you? Yet if we don't mix faith with it we'll lose it's benefit and it wont come to pass. It says the same thing in Hebrews 4:2  "...but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

So can I encourage anyone reading this today to have firm faith in the promises God has made you, and if you've let any of them slide through unbelief, then mix faith with them again, and God will make you stand firm and bring them to pass.  For His glory. Amen.

YOUR HOME IS A FAITH HOME

2 Timothy 1: when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 

Timothy came from a Faith Home. But wherever your home is, if you believe and have faith in Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, then your home is a Faith Home too.  I like the sound of that don't you?  I like living in a Faith Home because that means anything is possible!  A Faith Home is where God lives and it's where other people can come in and know there is something different about this home. They will feel the presence of God there.

I remember when we had our second baby the district nurse came in regularly to check on him and she'd say "Your home is so peaceful. I like coming here, it's not like other homes."  I was so touched by that because we had just received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and He was obviously making a difference in our home. She could feel His presence.  All glory to Him for that.

When we walk round our homes giving praise to God and speaking faith filled words as we go from room to room, we're creating an atmosphere of faith where anything can happen, where visions are birthed, where we can pray bold faith filled prayers and believe for mighty things to happen! 

It's God's presence that makes the difference and wherever you are and wherever you go you take His presence with you.  God has made His Faith Home in you! Isn't that wonderful?

Where the presence of the Lord is there is freedom. Freedom from fear, freedom from anxiety, freedom to be joyful, freedom to love people, freedom from condemnation. You can add so much more to that list as you walk round your home praising Him.

Enjoy being God's Faith home and living in your Faith Home every day.

HOW TO INCREASE AND RELEASE YOUR FAITH

Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." v.6. So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say.....

Jesus was teaching His disciples here that one way to increase their faith was to release their faith and the way He showed them to do it was to 'say' something!  There's no point in having faith in God if we're not releasing it and Jesus made it so straight forward and simple to do.

We need to 'say' something which agrees with God and His word.

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so."  It doesn't say 'think so' but we have to declare it by faith, we have to 'say so'.  Let the weak say 'I am strong', let the poor say 'I am rich'.  Can I hear you say 'But I can't do that because I don't feel like it or it's not true in my life so I would be lying.' ?

If God says you are all those things (and so much more) about you, how can you be lying? Has God made a mistake? No! 'God calls things which are not, as though they were' (Romans 4:19) because He sees it already done, already accomplished in your life. Faith calls for things which exist in the spiritual realm to come and manifest in the physical realm.  They do exist but not where we see them with our natural eyes. Jesus has already bought and paid for all our blessings, now our part is to declare those blessings over our own lives and get in agreement with God.

God says the righteous are blessed, that goodness and mercy are following them all the days of their lives, that the favour of God surrounds them like a shield , that nothing shall by any means harm them. Sometimes our own words don't line up with those truths and we're not releasing our faith for them and so they don't show up!

Jesus said we can have what we believe for but we have to start speaking His words of Life over our lives.

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

What words have we been speaking over our lives? Have they been God's words of life? Let's release our faith and declare aloud what God has already said about us and get in agreement wholeheartedly with Him and call those things into our lives that we can't 'see' just yet. It's called faith.

'I am blessed going out and coming in. The healing Jesus bought for me is coursing through my veins bringing life, wholeness and restoration to every part of me. I shall not lack because my God is providing all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I have a spirit of power and love and I have a sound mind. Everything I set my hand to prospers.'

Friends, all of those statements are what God says about us so we can speak and release them by faith every day over our own lives, with confidence, and see things change for the better, for His glory. 😊 

BE STRENGTHENED IN FAITH

Acts 16:5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith, and grew larger every day.

This is one of those verses I tend to gloss over without realising, but it jumped out of the page so I took a closer look.

Would you agree that most churches would say they would like their church to grow in number  because it would mean more people were being saved? I asked myself then, is there a connection between the church being strengthened in their faith and their number increasing daily because that seems to be the implication. And if that is the case then we each have a responsibility to be encouraging each other to be growing in faith in our wonderful God so that others are attracted to Him. 

True bible believing faith attracts people because it is such a positive, uplifting, hope raising thing. It's not weak and puny or negative or 'religious'.  It grabs a hold on a promise of God, takes it with both hands and wont let go until it manifests no matter how long it takes. Faith is tenacious and it pleases God so that has to be a top priority for all of us!  (Hebrews 11:6)

Hebrews 11:1 tells us we can't have faith without hope so we need to build people's hopes up too. When people have something to hope for then there is something to attach their faith to, and believe God for. Faith is the substance of things hoped for!  It's not a wishful thinking, 'I hope to win a million pounds by tomorrow night', no it's a hope based on scripture, backed by Almighty God and received by faith.

So whatever church you go to, wherever that is in the world, let's build each other up to be strengthened in our faith and then believe God to increase us daily.  And that, church, is something to grab a hold of BY FAITH and get our hopes up!😊

Can I ask, what are you believing God for just now? Start hoping again, reapply your faith to it again, strengthen your faith again. God is backing it.

Let's get some faith pumping through our veins! Why? Because He's going to do it through you and me.....

Ephesians 3:20 Our God is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to His Name!

BUT WITH GOD

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible."

When we look at circumstances and situations we can be tempted to look at them from the human point of view and we think it's impossible for them to change; people wont change, these circumstances have been this way too long, it seems hopeless.

BUT WITH GOD everything is possible.  I love some of the 'buts' in the bible and I think this has to be one my favourites. What 'impossible' situations do you have in your life right now?  Can I encourage you to get your faith out, shake the dust off it, and start to exercise it by saying,

"With God all things are possible. With God my situation is being turned around, whether it happens in a day or many days. With God my health is being restored. With God my finances are being made to be more than enough. With God my relationships are being restored and made whole. With God the promises He has made me will come to pass as I seek Him for the next step. With God I can do exploits for Him. With God I shall become all He wants me to be. With God I shall be a blessing to others. With God I shall walk in His peace, joy and victory. 

Are you with God in your thinking? Or are you looking at everything 'humanly speaking'? Can I encourage each one of us to get with God today and stay with Him no matter what it looks like or feels like. 

God's thoughts are higher than ours so let's start climbing the ladder of faith in an All Powerful God  and go up higher with Him and find out what 'impossible' things He wants to do for us, in us and through us.  I think He wants to amaze us if we'll start believing and expecting the 'impossible'. 

Enjoy being 'with God' today. 😊

YOU ARE BEING HELD TOGETHER!

 Acts 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being (we exist).

Have you seen that invisible thread some manufacturers use for certain clothing? When the cloth is pulled in any direction you can just about see the thread holding it together. It's incredibly strong because it's made of nylon instead of polyester or cotton which break more easily.

In the same way the Holy Spirit is the 'invisible' thread which holds us together as we live in God.  We live our lives, we move around and have our very existence in God through the amazing Person of the Holy Spirit. I've heard Him referred to as the Muscle of God.  

The reason we don't break is because Jesus was broken for us. His shed blood paid the price to redeem us from the curse. He took all the pressure of Hell itself, all the destruction, all the disease, all the sorrow and griefs which want to rend us apart through our lives but when we're in Him bound by that invisible thread of the Holy Spirit we are held strong and steady. 

So when we feel like we're being pulled in every direction, when the enemy puts strains and stresses and pressures of any kind on us to try to break us, we can know we will overcome because Jesus has already taken all the pressure, every terrible thing in His own body on the tree and defeated it so we can be delivered from all the work of the enemy.

When our eyes are focused on Jesus and His finished work we can enter that 'rest', in Him, and know the Holy Spirit is holding us together with great strength, with His supreme power that raised Jesus from the dead. What an awesome God we serve. 

So don't ever say I'm falling apart at the seams. No, be encouraged today, you are being held together by the Holy Spirit of God Himself because you belong to Him, you live and move and have your very being in Him. When your eyes are on Jesus you already are an overcomer.  Hallelujah. 

LIFE HAPPENS STORY!

Nehemiah 8:10 Do not sorrow for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Life happens!  I'd just made our coffees and absentmindedly added milk to Chris's cup which I never do as he likes to add his own. That was my first mistake.  He then carried it into the lounge and spilt some of it on the floor as I'd filled it too high! I ran to fetch a kitchen towel to absorb the coffee out of the carpet  and in my rush, accidentally bumped my jigsaw board on which I'd put my cup of coffee which made it spill all over the jigsaw. I now had coffee on the floor and poured all over the jigsaw! Get the picture?  But wait it goes on.  The corner section pieces are now soaked and swelling up and the paper picture on each piece is now peeling and floating off the pieces!  By the way, this jigsaw is not mine. I borrowed it!

As I say life happens and although all of that is totally of no importance in the big scheme of things it reflects how easy it is for things to upset us and we get the domino effect. One absentminded decision leads to a whole course of events. All I did was put milk in his coffee!!

I can laugh about it now but at the time it was very disgruntling.  Little things can upset us and they try to steal our joy. Someone cuts us up in traffic, the last toilet roll has just been taken, someone is rude or just plain thoughtless, whatever it is that bugs you it seems to happen, and we're faced with the choice. Do I let this steal my joy or shall I take the high road? and say 'I'm not going to give away my joy because of this, I'm just going to let it go.'

The temptation is to moan and groan and mutter but we do have a choice. We don't have to give our joy away.  We have to remember the joy of the Lord is our strength and when we let our joy go we'll lose some of our strength and none of us can afford to do that. Well I can't anyway!

So if life 'happens' to you today, just take a moment, call on the Holy Spirit's help, and say 'It's ok, this is just not worth giving my joy away over, I'm going to let it go. I'm going to keep my joy.'

Have a joy filled day.😊