GOD HAS A 'ONCE AGAIN' ON THE WAY

Job 8:21 "He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy."

When things go wrong we can get very upset, but no matter how down we feel, or how bad our circumstances might be at any given moment, we can know it's only temporary. My mum used to say "This too will pass" and in hindsight she was right but it's hard to see it at the time! 

If you've ever laughed in the past then know for sure God is going to fill you with laughter once again. Not just a giggle or a chuckle but full on side splitting laughter and your shouts of joy will be 'Woohoo' and 'Hurray' and 'Praise the Lord' with a deep inner joy!

So don't despair, don't look back at what was or what might have been because God is going to be giving you a "once again".

Take His promise by faith and thank Him for it. God's plans for you are far more than you can imagine and they will fill you with joy.  Remember we read in an earlier blog that the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter? That tells me that our tomorrows will be far better and brighter than our yesterdays, no matter how good or bad they were, God has even better days ahead. Lets lay hold of that by faith.

Apostle Paul tells us to 'Rejoice in the Lord'. So even if you can't rejoice in other things right now, know that you can rejoice in our wonderful Saviour, in our God who is overflowing with lovingkindness to us. 

Rejoice in His love, His goodness and His faithfulness to us and know His best for us is still definitely waiting for us to step in to (we're going from one degree of glory to another). Hallelujah!

Keep expecting God to 'once again' fill your mouth with laughter. Thank You Jesus.

WRAPPED IN JESUS AND HIS ANOINTING

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 

Jesus came from heaven to earth to make it possible for every blessing that's in heaven, to be made available to us in the here and now on earth because we are united with Him.

Christ means the Anointed One and His Anointing. So may I encourage you to see yourself united to the Anointed One and His anointing because this verse tells us to praise God because we actually are, and that we've been blessed with every spiritual blessing! 

If we read on it says v.11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, ....This verse reminds us that because we're united with Christ, because we are 'in' Christ, 'in' His anointing, that we've also been given an inheritance from God. 

Part of that inheritance is not just to have our sins forgiven but to believe we're totally accepted in the Beloved Lord Jesus(v.6). God accepts us with great joy and is so delighted with us because we have been made like Jesus Himself, we have been clothed in His righteousness. You could say we've been wrapped in Jesus Himself. Not only that but we are now joint heirs with Him. Whatever Jesus has been given, we have been given! We are 'IN HIM'.

There really is a promised land of inheritance for us to enter into. The Israelites wandered around in the wilderness for years before they realised what was theirs for the taking. May we search and find out just what God has given us, so it's not wasted. Jesus paid such a high price for us to enter into our inheritance. 

Just supposing you were told someone had left you an inheritance, would you not go 'Wow, what is it?' and find out how to access it?  How much more should we be rejoicing and asking God how to enter in to what He has so freely given us because He is the One who wants us to have it just like when He told the Israelites to go in and take the Promised Land.

We really are united with Christ - We are IN HIM. I know it will bless you to look at all the 'In Him', In whom', 'In Christ', 'With Christ', etc. verses in all Paul's letters to the churches especially the books of Ephesians and Colossians, underline them, and see what we are united to, 'in Him' and what we now have.

GOD FREELY GIVES

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Wow! God wants to give us all things freely!  Freely means He's already paid for it. Yesterday we were reminded we can't earn God's grace and I thank God for that or we'd all fall short like the Israelites who were under Law!

God reminded us He doesn't heal us based on our performance or self-righteousness but only based on Jesus and His righteousness. He says to us "Come to the throne afresh and just freely receive from Me." We think 'Oh I can't do that. I've messed up, or I haven't read my bible enough, or prayed enough. I don't deserve it!'.....and that's really what I'm trying to explain.  None of us deserve it which is why God calls it His grace, His undeserved kindness which He extends to us 24/7. It is amazing.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

When do we need it most? When we need forgiveness, when we're sick or broken hearted, when we have lack in any area or we're needing wisdom, when we've messed up or when we are just worn out, in other words whenever we need anything! 

We don't come to God with what we've done for Him. We come to God with what He's done for us in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He said to me, "My grace (undeserved kindness) is sufficient for you, for My strength (dunamis: mighty powerful work) is made perfect in weakness." 

When we're weak in any area God says if we'll come to Him to receive His undeserved grace then His miracle working power and strength will go to work and will be available to us, and it'll 'lift off' whatever is trying to overwhelm us. 

One of the lovely things about God's grace is that when we know we maybe haven't been doing too well in our Christian walk, when everything seems to have got on top of us or we feel like the rug has been pulled out from under us, that's when God's grace is our lifeline, our 'saving grace', that's when we can rejoice we don't have to have earned it to get it. Don't you think that's wonderful?   

Be encouraged His grace covers every circumstance in our lives and we never have to beg and plead or feel like we have to twist God's arm to get anything because He has already provided it through what Jesus did for us and He freely gives it to us.  He really couldn't have been any kinder or made it any simpler for us. 

We can just come to His throne today with a thankful heart and receive what He freely gives. It really is Good News.  Thank You Lord. Amen.                  

GOD'S UNDESERVED KINDNESS TO US

Romans 3:24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins. (Nlt). The New Kings James version calls it "being justified freely by His grace ..."

God's undeserved kindness = God's grace.

We all know we didn't deserve to be forgiven for our sins, it was God's great undeserved kindness that made it possible. When we remember the penalty for our sin is death we appreciate it even more!   Even if we think we're not a bad person or as bad as so and so, no amount of self justification can free us from that penalty. It's only by God's great grace, His undeserved kindness we can be set free because God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin and then declared us to now be righteous. (v.25)

So God's grace deals with our sin but what about sickness? Have you ever thought "they're such good people, good Christians, why did they get sick, why did they die and yet this awful person received their healing. That doesn't seem fair?"  

What we've sometimes misunderstood is that all of us can receive all of God's grace and kindness for all of our problems but it's not based on whether we've been a good person or if we've done lots of good works, or worked in the church forever.

Whatever we receive from God we receive through what Jesus did for us at the cross. We none of us deserve anything. If we come with the "You owe it to us God" attitude "because I'm this or that", then we've  misunderstood His grace - His undeserved kindness.  If we think we deserve it, then it's no longer by grace, we're trying to earn it. 

Whatever we receive from God it's by His undeserved kindness. We can't earn Browny points or say "Right God you should heal this person because they've done so much for You." No! that's the Old Covenant under the Law. (Do please read Galations 3:1-5)

Instead we come to the throne of grace - God's undeserved kindness - and say Lord I thank You Jesus bore all my sin, sickness and diseases for me at the cross. (Isaiah 53:4-5) I didn't deserve it, but I believe it, and receive my healing now, just like I received my undeserved forgiveness for my sins. 

I think we get confused and think well I got saved by God's grace now I have to get from God by how well I perform and by 'doing' the right thing. No, we get saved by His grace and we continue to live by the grace of God through faith.  By all means keep doing the right thing but do it out of a love and gratitude to God for His mercy and kindness, not to earn His blessings. He gives us those freely.

 Hope you can tune in again tomorrow as we dig a bit more into God's kindness.😊

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER

Ephesians 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Some people we meet are so kind aren't they?  We warm to them straight away and want to be around them. They tend to be thoughtful which makes them think of kind things to say or do for others and their kindness just makes your heart glad doesn't it? 

Maybe we're tempted to think we can't all be like that, we use the excuse that we're not wired that way, but the lovely thing is that as God's children we all have the Holy Spirit and He's the one who produces it in us. So if you've ever wanted to be kinder, then lean into the Holy Spirit and thank Him by faith He's helping you to be kind to the people you know. We can ask Him to make us tenderhearted so that we're compassionate to people instead of judgemental. We can deliberately remember how much God has forgiven us so we can forgive whatever horrible thing someone said or did to us. 

Galations 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

It's good to see it's not us doing it, but the Holy Spirit within us, but we do have to surrender to His promptings. If we're hard hearted it's difficult to respond to His leading. 

When we read of the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in us we'll be the easiest people in the world to be around and the sort of people who others love to spend time with. I have to admit I don't think I'm  always giving off those vibes, so just in case, like me, you don't feel like you're bearing as much fruit as you should, please don't feel condemned just admit to God you could do with some help in co-operating with Him. 

Thank You Lord You're helping us to be producers of your lovely fruit so that we're a blessing to the people we meet, so they can see You in us. Amen.

DO IT FOR JESUS

Ephesians 6:7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. v.8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

We've all probably worked for someone at some point and felt unappreciated, underpaid, overlooked or just generally disgruntled? It can happen to anybody and it's a challenge, isn't it?

It may not even be in the workplace it can be in voluntary work and or within church that we can feel like the invisible person!  What about within the family sphere, mums can feel put upon feeling like they have too much to do and dad's do too.

When we know God is telling us to remain in that situation, what do we do then when we feel that way? Go and have a grump in the corner? The Apostle Paul tells us a better way. 

Bear in mind some of the people he was writing to were slaves so they were definitely feeling like going into the grumpy corner! He says keep on working at what you're doing but do it with enthusiasm because you're really doing it for the Lord Himself, not for anyone else at all.  If you do it out of love for Jesus, as though He was the person you're working for and answerable to, then you'll find you'll be able to do it with a glad heart, not a grumpy one. I can just imagine Jesus walking into the room where we are and Him saying "Would you do this ....for me please?" And we'd say "Of course I can, no problem I'd love to do it for you Jesus." 

We need to know He sees all our efforts. He knows when we've gone the extra mile,  He's seen the extra hours of going above and beyond,  or of doing the pack lunches when everyone else is watching TV, or when you're cleaning the house when all you want to do is go and read your book or watch your favourite programme.  God knows about it all and we're not invisible at all!

Paul goes on to say that the Lord will reward each one of us for working as though it's for Him personally, with the right attitude, for being grateful we can do all these things even, when there are multiple thousands bedridden or sick or unemployed who'd love to be able to do what we can do. It's sometimes a matter of perspective isn't it?

So as we begin this new week, do be encouraged to know whatever you have to do, the Lord appreciates you enormously and He'll reward you for it. Don't be disheartened but be thrilled to bits knowing you're not invisible at all but God sees all the good you're doing or have done and there's a reward stored up for you.

Cheer up and do it for Jesus.😊 Have a blessed week everyone.

EAGERLY WAITING FOR JESUS

Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own......(Nlt).

God wants us to eagerly wait for Jesus. As believers in Jesus it reminds us we're not actually citizens of this world any more, only temporary residents. Our 'home' is Heaven where Jesus lives but sometimes we're so 'earth bound' and so caught up in the here and now that we forget the hereafter, and it will help us to keep in perspective whatever goes on in the world around us. This is only temporary! Eternity is on the horizon!

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an arch-angel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. v.17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. v.18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

There is coming a glorious day, and it could be any time, when Jesus will be coming back for you and me, who are trusting in Him and in His shed blood for us, and we're also going to have glorious new bodies like His resurrection body! I hope that stirs our hearts!

There is more good news! Even though each one of us is getting older, our future is getting brighter. How can I say that? Because every day we are getting closer to Heaven, closer to living with Jesus in glory with our Father God. Do you really believe you're going to Heaven when you die, do you really believe Heaven is a wonderful place? Then why would we be upset at moving closer to it each day?  In one sense, the older we get, the closer we're getting to heaven! One day we shall see the face of our Wonderful Saviour for real and we can fall at His feet and say thank you. It's a huge thought!

If I told you I'd bought you a round the world luxury trip ticket, all expenses paid, with a strong healthy body to enjoy it, would you be excited and eagerly waiting for it with your suitcase packed and ready? That's how God wants you to feel!

So are you excited? There is eternity to look forward to with no tears, no fears, no disease, no sin. On top of that we have all the blessings and grace of God for us in the here and now. How can we be downhearted in view of all that? Can I encourage us all to lift our eyes upwards to get God's perspective and be so thankful.  

John 14:2 'In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.'  Woohoo! 

Jesus is preparing everything for our arrival and He's so looking forward to welcoming us home whenever that may be. Let's eagerly look forward to it together, and continue to be a blessing to others while we wait, praying for our loved ones to know Jesus too.

HELP TO OVERCOME

Mark 9:23 "What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes." v.24 The father instantly cried out, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!"

That really is quite a statement Jesus made!  Yesterday we looked at the fact that nothing is impossible with God and then today Jesus gives us greater insight and says 'anything is possible if a person believes'. The father in this story cries out and says "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief."

I should think everyone of us identifies with the cry of that father. "I do believe Lord but help me overcome my 'what if's, my fears and doubts, help me overcome my past experiences that say it never happened before, why will it happen now? Help me overcome!

There is good news and hope for us if you've ever felt like that. You see that father didn't have the Spirit of God living on the inside of him, he was struggling with unbelief in his own strength but he did have the wisdom to ask Jesus to help him!

l John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

We have the Spirit of overcoming stuff inside us and His name is Holy Spirit and He is far more powerful than any doubt and unbelief that's bombarding us. Call on Him for His help to overcome the doubts, don't try and battle them on your own like that father was trying to do.

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

Remember, God has given each of us the gift of His faith to overcome whatever comes against us in this world. Romans 12:3 For......God has dealt to each one the measure of faith.  ' God not only gave us faith to get saved but also faith to live out our lives in victory. Thank You Jesus.

Be encouraged God has given us all we need to believe for whatever we need to believe for! 

He's given us His faith, His Holy Spirit, His grace and favour, His wisdom, now all He asks of us is to get into agreement with what He's said and to say "I believe I receive all that because You can't lie and You say I've got it so I have. I am able to believe that all things are possible to those who believe and that's me, I'm a Believer!  Thank You Lord. Amen."

Are you born of God? Then you are a Believing Overcomer. Just agree with God!😊

IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE!

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible.  Luke 18:27  But He said "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

As you've read the blog the past few days have you been tempted to think, "How can God give me an abundant life when all this stuff is happening right now?"  If so, you're not unusual, we've all probably thought like that at different times in our lives.  They are actually some of those negative thoughts we were talking about earlier this week that we have to recognise don't come from God and He wants us to change them for His thoughts.

How do we do that?  I've found the only way to change my thoughts is to put God's words in my head instead! God wants us to read the above promises over and over and over again until we believe and know they really are true, because they are. Nothing is impossible with God. Our trouble, speaking for myself anyway, is that we probably don't have a big enough picture of God, we don't realise how enormously powerful He really is. Maybe these verses will help us.  

Isaiah 40:12-13 "Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?...."  

Isaiah 40:26 Look up into the heavens. Who created the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.

When we realise how immensely powerful God is, our faith in Him will grow and we'll start declaring with conviction "Nothing is impossible with God. He really can change my life. He really can work all things together for my good. He really is all powerful"

Something else which might help us is this verse. Hebrews 6:18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.

When we put those two verses together - 'Nothing is impossible with God' and 'It is impossible for God to lie' we have a rock solid foundation for our faith. I trust you see it.

God has given us His word so we have total confidence and trust in Him so that when the enemy comes and tries to twist up our thinking we know, that we know, that we know,  God cannot lie to us.

So what does your 'impossible' look like?  Just as a matter of interest, who told you it was impossible?  Wherever that thought came from you can replace it with the truth "Nothing is impossible with God because God says so."

I do hope that helps someone today.

SOME THINGS GOD WANTS US TO REMEMBER

John 10:10 ....I am come that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). (Amp. Bible)

God gave me some things to remember so I'm passing them on to strengthen us.

'You were designed by God, planned, called and chosen before the earth was formed and you were designed to be unforgettable because your name is engraved on the palm of God's hand forever; there will never be another person like you. You are unique and you now carry the DNA of God Himself if you're born again by the Spirit of God.  He is actually living in you, and He has made His home inside you. Old things have passed away and God is doing a new thing.'  

When the Lord reminded me of those things I thought wow, we might need to read that a few times for it to sink in!

So. are you looking out for the new thing or are you expecting more of the same? If so, can I encourage you to have a greater sense of anticipation and expectation of God to move in your life. Let Him stir up your spirit as you read His Word to believe Him for the enjoyable, full life He has promised in this verse.

I heard someone say recently "Jesus is the Way so you can't get lost. Jesus is the Truth so you can't be deceived. Jesus is the Life, so the devil can't kill you." In other words everything revolves around Jesus. Maybe it would be helpful to just check our day to day lives for a minute as our lives have a tendency to revolve around family or work or just ourselves. But scripture reminds us 'In Him we live and move and have our being,....' (Acts 17:28) That verse seems to cover every area of our lives doesn't it and God wants us to remember it because then we will live like it.

In view of those wonderful statements about Jesus, which are true, we can relax a bit more and know something good is on it's way. Jesus is the Way forward and He'll lead us into what He has planned if we're listening and have an expectant attitude.  Because Jesus is the Truth we'll know if it's the right thing or not because He'll give us His peace if it's right. Because Jesus is the Life, that means God is breathing His life into every cell of our bodies bringing His resurrection life, healing and restoration, breathing His life into our future but also into our now.

I know there are days when it's hard to imagine life could be different but that's where faith in a mighty God comes in. I pray you'll be encouraged to keep having a 'tuned in' spirit which is expecting good things from God as we keep remembering what He's said. 

It's not me who said it, but Jesus said it Himself "I came to give you a fulfilled, overflowing, abundant life."  Whether our lives look like that or not at the minute, it gives us great hope for the future, because Jesus declared it! Thank You Jesus. Amen.

GOD WILL DO THESE THINGS

Isaiah 42:16  I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.

The Lord seems to be on a theme the past couple of days and it's all about His leading and guiding. 

Yesterday was an instruction, today is a promise to lay hold of to help us obey His instruction, so to make it easier to remember I just wrote out the things He said He would do like a list.

1.  He will lead us down a new path.

2.  He will guide us along an unfamiliar way.

3. He will brighten our darkness.

4. He will smooth out the road ahead of us.

5. He will not abandon us.

God obviously has a planned route He wants us to follow but goes on to say it might be on  roads we don't know too well, they'll probably be unfamiliar to us which is ok as long as we keep our Sat Nav tuned in to Him and don't turn off down any road we feel like! It's like He's saying don't get stressed out if I take you somewhere you never thought of before, or didn't know about!

I used to travel to work on the back lanes of  Devon which twist and turn, get really narrow, and are very tricky to negotiate sometimes. But God is saying here that He's making sure the path is smoothed out for us and whatever plans the enemy had for it to be all messed up and twisted God has said "No, no, you're not doing that to My people. I'm getting rid of the crooked bends you've made and I'm making their way straight forward to negotiate." 

God is always way ahead of us and never taken by surprise when circumstances suddenly change, and whatever the situation, He promises to brighten the darkness. So be encouraged, whatever the darkness you might be in the middle of, you can know God is already working on removing it and He's shedding light on the way ahead.

Proverbs 4:18 The way of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the full light of day. 

If you're born again, God says He has made you righteous through Jesus so this verse is for you and me. So even though you've only got a the first rays of light shining at the minute, God has promised full on light is following, like the noonday sun! Things are going to get brighter and brighter for the righteous. Even if things don't look brilliant at the minute keep trusting God and let's believe His promise to us and keep our expectations up.

God is encouraging us again today, to keep moving forward, knowing He's way ahead of us sorting it all out already, and He's also promised not to forsake us when we're only half way there!😊 Thank You Lord.

GO FORWARD

Exodus 14:15 And the Lord said to Moses,"Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.

The children of Israel had fled from Egypt and their slave drivers, but they were being pursued and now they're trapped, or so they think. "What are we going to do!" they cry.

 

We've probably all been there at some point. We've launched out in faith, stepped out into the unknown and followed the Lord's direction, then the enemy has come after us and we're feeling trapped by circumstances. We want to know where we go from here. What do we do now and we even cry out to God. Interestingly, we don't read of God patting them gently on the back and saying "There, there, don't worry, just you sit and have a good moan about it all!" 

No we read "Tell them to go forward!" In other words, whatever the original instruction was, whatever the original vision was that He gave you, keep believing for that, keep moving towards that in faith regardless of the obstacles. Don't stand still and don't go backwards! Keep moving towards the vision. Maybe it was for a new direction, or for spiritual growth or for greater health or finances. Whatever it is, God is telling you to not sit down and give up, but get up and carry on towards your goal. He'll do His bit if we'll do our bit. You can only direct a moving vehicle, it can't be directed if it's sat in the garage with the engine off. Turn your engine back on, get your bible out, spend time listening to God, get under the anointed Word of God.

Jeremiah 7:24 But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backwards instead of forward. 

We don't want to be like those Israelites!  So what do we do? It's a known fact that if you don't move forward, especially spiritually, you tend to lose ground just through inactivity.  The Apostle Paul encourages us in Philippians 3:13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.

God says there is something ahead that is worth looking and going forward to, but we wont reach it if we go backwards or keep doing the same thing if we want a different result!  If we stay where we are we're not moving forward!

"Forget the past" is a strong word! The past is a finished work and it's what's coming that God is excited about for each of us.

'Go forward' is a faith instruction, and it's a faith reaction God is looking for in us. God has promised to lead and direct us and as long as we don't sit down and have a pity party He'll get us to where He wants us to be. Keep believing, keep moving forward!  Amen.

WHAT DOES GOD THINK ABOUT IT?

Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 

We all have our own thoughts and opinions on all sorts of subjects and we all have a tendency to think we're right!  We may have studied and obtained great qualifications, or had certain experiences throughout life that have led us to those opinions and perhaps they're deeply embedded in our physique. We're all getting our thoughts from somewhere and somebody! 

Have you ever said to yourself "Oh so and so will never change, you'll never change the way they think!"?  Just supposing our thoughts or theirs are not God's thoughts or opinions? What then? Are we willing to even find out what God's thoughts on certain matters are and if they are different to ours are we going to be willing to 'forsake our thoughts'? 

God said to me once to allow Him to give me His thoughts, to forsake my opinions, and ask Him first what my opinion should be!  

So I pass that challenge on to you today, will you allow Him to give you His thoughts about everything in your life? Are you willing to forsake long held opinions which have maybe been handed down to you from your culture, education,  parents, grandparents or even your denomination, if they're not His thoughts and ways? And will you just stop for a minute and ask Him first what your opinion should be. Therein lies humility doesn't it?

Probably the best way to do that is to search scripture because we find God's thoughts and His way of doing things on everything in there! For instance you may think God is holding and remembering your sins against you going back to when you were a child.  But Hebrews 10:17 says " .... "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." God has already forgiven all of our sins, past, present and future.

We may hear of certain bad situations and we want to give people a piece of our minds, but God says "Love never fails." and He calls us to love them and show compassion.

I know I need some serious thought changing to be done on quite a few subjects! How about you? This week let's ask God for His help to ask Him what He thinks about things first before we say or do anything.

Here is one thing though I have found in scripture, so I am sure about it, and that is God wants to bless you this week, so be blessed.😊

GOD'S FRONT DOOR

John 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. v.9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."

I expect where you live has a front door where people come and knock to be allowed inside. You decide who comes in and if they try coming in through the window you say, "Sorry, there's only one way in, it's through my front door." They might say "But I want to come in my way, I don't want to use your front door!" You say, "No you come this way or not at all. It's my house!"

God loves each one of us so much He has made the way for every person on the planet to go to live with Him in Heaven but God tells us in scripture, and as Christians, we believe there is only one way in, one front door. It's no good trying to climb in the window by good works because they wont get you in, good intentions wont work, belonging to a church isn't the way in, just because Grandma believed wont work either.

The only way in is through Jesus, believing He sacrificed His life, and shed His blood so our sins could be forgiven for each one of us and that He rose again from the dead. When we believe that, and confess Him as our Lord and Saviour then God opens His front door and guarantees our home in Heaven. He comes and lives inside us by His Holy Spirit. How wonderful is that! We have to open the front door of our heart and let Him in so He can open His front door and let us in. God so loves you and wants you.

We plan our holidays, plan our careers, plan events, but have you planned where you spend eternity? It's the most important plan and decision you will ever make and can I encourage you to not put it off?

Where do you plan spending eternity? Are you not sure? Have you opened the door of your heart to Jesus? If you want to be sure you're going to heaven please let me invite you to pray the prayer of salvation written on this blog and ask Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour today.

And for those of us who have already asked Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, then let's thank and praise Him afresh today for His great mercy and kindness to each one of us, for giving us Jesus and His righteousness, for opening Heaven's door to us and making it possible for us to belong to Him forever.

STILL DARE TO HOPE

Lamentations 3: 21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 

When you woke up this morning what were you thinking? Did you find yesterday's cares and worries were still hovering? Was your mind full of questions and wonderings, the what if's and what about's? 

Just in case you were troubled like that, like I was, I thought we'd all benefit from reading this verse again today, because no matter what  is uncertain God is not, He hasn't changed one bit in all the ages. 

He still holds out His faithful love to you and me and all mankind.  He still gives us His great mercies every morning. His wonderful faithfulness to us has never moved off centre, not once, no matter what our failings have been or how we may have let Him down. So regardless of what may change in our circumstances we know God remains steadfast.

Jeremiah who wrote Lamentations, reminds himself that he's still daring to hope in his God even though he was so distressed by their situation. His focus is on God, not on his circumstances or his problems because he knows the answers he needs wont come from looking at the difficulties but only from God.

So Lord we get up again this morning with our eyes on You, our wonderful saviour, so thankful for Your mercies:

Your love in our hearts.

Your healing in our bodies.

Your wisdom in our minds.

Your righteousness covering us.

Your power by the Holy Spirit inside us.

Your blessing and provision on our lives.

Your protection over our every step.

Our eyes are on You Lord because we used up all yesterday's mercies and we thank you for this new day and for your new mercies that are brand spanking new this morning. No leftovers, no staleness, but all as fresh as the dew on the ground. So we shake off whatever is trying to hold us down, and we start afresh with hope in our hearts because You are still on the throne, You are for us and not against us and You have good plans for us all which You will lead and direct us in to. Thank You Lord. Amen.

NEVER GIVE UP

Nehemiah 6:9 They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.

Nehemiah was in the middle of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, which were in ruins, and it was proving very challenging. There were powerful people who wanted the work to stop and they were finding all sorts of reasons why. They'd even threatened Nehemiah to such an extent that every workman had to hold his sword in one hand and his trowel to lay bricks in the other. Behind each workman Nehemiah had to put another person on guard. 

I think we all get the picture and can identify with it. We've reached out in faith to do something for God, we've had the vision, we've started the work and then opposition from the enemy sets in. Satan will try anything and every deceit he knows to stop us from doing what God wants. It may be personal, believing for healing or finance, it may be corporately in our churches, but whichever it is we need to recognise the hand of the enemy at work and be on our guard.

It's interesting Nehemiah had guards placed behind each worker and they all carried their swords.  How many of us are carrying our 'swords', the Word of God? I don't mean literally in our pocket, but in our hearts and in our minds so that we're ready to counteract the attacks of satan.  And how many of us have someone behind us, praying for us, on guard on our behalf?  We could all be guardsmen or women praying behind the scenes for family and friends, for each person in the church, especially those in any kind of leadership, using the Word of God against the enemy to pull down his long held strongholds and plans.  

The important thing is Nehemiah who had been sent in especially to rebuild the walls never gave up, even though he must have been under huge pressure. It says 'he continued the work with even greater determination.'

Has God given you a job to do, given you something to believe for, a vision for something? Then let me encourage you to not allow the enemy to intimidate you or discourage you. Get your sword in your hand, take your place on the wall, keep believing in faith, and do the work, resist the enemy, and do all in your power to encourage the others around you who may be flagging! 

Oh by the way -  the end result? v.15 So on October 2 the wall was finished...v.16 When our enemies....heard about it they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.

Hallelujah!

GOD OF OUR UPS AND DOWNS

1 Kings 20:28 Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, "This is what the Lord says: The Arameans have said, 'The Lord is a god of hills and not of the plains.' So I will defeat this vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

The Israelites had defeated their enemies soundly on the hills which made their enemies think Israel's God could only help them if they were fighting on the hills or mountain tops. So the following spring  their enemies thought 'we'll fight those Israelites again, but in the valley, on the plains where their God can't help them.' Big mistake!  It says Israel's army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside! (v.27) but Israel's God proved He could fight their battles for them no matter where they were or how big their enemy appeared! Israel's enemies were totally defeated.

The good news is, Israel's God is our God too, and He says the same thing to us. Whether you're on the mountain top or down in a valley, whether your enemy is weak or strong, our God is mightier to save and deliver. We have the Conquering God on our side. Jesus is our Conquering King!

So, are you having an up or a down, an 'on the mountain top' or a 'valley' experience at the minute?  A valley is a depression in the earth's surface between hills or mountains. Has there been a 'depression' in your circumstances, or in your health where you're looking up the valley and it seems to stretch on forever? Well if so can I encourage you to remember our God is the God of the valleys as well as the mountain top and He's not only promised to take us through the valley but out on to higher ground, back on to the mountains.  See Him leading you out, praise Him and thank Him for it. 'See' your enemies defeated and on the run!

Psalm 23:4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me; One of the things to do when you're going through a valley experience, whatever it is, is to remember it's only temporary, and we're 'going through' which means we're coming out the other side! We're not setting up camp! We all go through valleys in life and it's very often where we grow the most, so it's not all doom and gloom even if it feels like it!

Psalm 107:14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.  

So just in case you're in darkness or gloom, when you call out to God, you know He is about to snap your chains and take you out the other side, so hang in there, victory is on it's way! 

Glory to His Name.

MERCY, RESTORATION AND NEW COURAGE

Micah 6:8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

We all love to receive mercy when we've made a mistake, when we've done something we know we shouldn't have done and Hebrews 4:16 reminds us to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Thank God He has given us permission to come with confidence into the throne room to get the mercy we so need and then goes further by giving us His favour for whatever we need on top of that. It's like the icing on the cake if I can say that without seeming irreverent! We have a wonderful Saviour! 

What about giving mercy to others? Do we 'love' mercy when we're required to give it to someone else? That's a bit more difficult sometimes and it's good to remember that God has given us mercy so often, that really we can't point the finger at anyone else, and I really need to remember that myself. I was recounting a situation we're dealing with, to my daughter, and she said "maybe the lady is very unhappy inside and that's why she is behaving the way she is." God really challenged me through that comment and I know I have to show that person more mercy and pray for her instead of complaining!  So let's encourage each other to be merciful.

Micah goes on to say to walk humbly with your God. Isaiah explains why...

Isaiah 57:2 he restores the crushed spirit of the humble and revives the courage of those with repentant hearts. 

Have you been feeling crushed in spirit lately? Well can I encourage you with this last verse because as you come with confidence to God, when you come acknowledging your great need of Him, He has not only promised to give you mercy but He's promised to restore you and to give you new courage to face the future. I hope you received that.... He revives your courage!

 

Don't you just love God's Word and His promises? At some point we've all been crushed in spirit, we've all needed His mercy and we all need new courage everyday to deal with life, and our God has made provision for all of it. 

Mercy, restoration and new courage -Wow! Who wouldn't want that, but don't forget you have to come to the throne room to receive it.

So I hope that encourages you today and makes you want to go and visit with God and get some mercy, some grace, some restoration and some courage. Just thank Him and give Him all the praise and glory He deserves.  Amen.

BEFORE TIME BEGAN!

2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 

You and I were given a gift by God before time began, before the world was made, and it was God's purpose and grace (His favour). God has a purpose for each one of us which means that whatever He wants us to do He has equipped us to do it.

There are days we're tempted to wish we were someone else or had their gifts or talents and bemoan our seeming lack in those areas but we weren't called to run their race, they were. We're not anointed to be them, we're anointed to be us.😊 If we needed what they've got then God would have given those things to us as well. If we don't have them then He knows we don't need them. It's as simple as that. 

We can walk with confidence knowing that the anointing God has given us was designed especially for us and He has made us for the world He has put us in. Scripture tells us even in our old age we'll bear fruit so there's purpose for everyone. Our job is to use what God has given us so don't dismiss your talents or play them down. 

Whatever it is God has given you has the Creator's thumbprint on it, His seal of approval. He has handpicked you to be in this day and time and you're perfect for the job. God doesn't make mistakes and He designed you for such a time as this.

So be encouraged and the next time you look in the mirror, smile and remind yourself :

1. I've been given God's grace before time ever began to carry out His purpose. 

2. I'm anointed to be me and I'm God's masterpiece with all the ability I need He put in me.

3. I'm going to fulfil God's calling and I'm going to do it by His Spirit, in His strength and with His wisdom. grace and power, for His glory.  

😊Amen.

WE BOW TO THE NAME OF JESUS

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, v.10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, v.11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the  glory of God the Father.

We're told to bow to the Name of Jesus and we want to if we belong to God. We honour that Name above all names.

So what does the Name of Jesus represent? It represents Who He is - all of who He is.

The name of Jesus represents God's Goodness, His Love, Joy, Peace, Holiness, His Wholeness, Health and Soundness of Mind and Body. His Name represents God's Prosperity and Provision, His wonderful Protection and Great Grace and Mercy and so much more besides - everything that is God!  So when we bow to the Name of Jesus we are bowing and submitting to all of the above 'in Jesus' to be 'in us'.

1 Peter 5:6 says to humble ourselves under the might hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. So when we're bowing to the Name of Jesus we're submitting to all it represents, we're humbling ourselves before God and saying we gladly receive what Jesus has for us, we take it and we resist anything which opposes it.

So have you maybe heard or read a report that is bad or depressing? Then in light of what our verse says we're not to submit to that, instead we're to submit and bow to the Name of Jesus and His report, His Word and declare by faith....

"I'm not going to bow to that bad report but I am going to bow to the Mighty Name of Jesus and Him only, and I receive His report of what I am and have in Jesus - His Health and Healing, His Wholeness, His Prosperity, Grace, Joy and Peace, His Deliverance and Salvation. I refuse to bow to depression or lack, I refuse to bow to arthritis or any other disease. No! I tell them to bow the knee to the Name of Jesus and get out. I am not a victim of anything. No! I am a Victor in Jesus. I am more than a Conqueror through Christ who loved me. As He is, so am I in this world!" (John 4:17 Nkjv)

Glory to His Name! We have something to shout about, so today and this coming week let's only bow to the Name of Jesus and what it represents and tell everything else to bow to it too. 

Have a great week in the Mighty Name of Jesus! 😊

GOD GIVES YOU THE KINGDOM

Luke 12:32 So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the kingdom.

So what is the kingdom? Well part of the answer is found in Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

This is just a little reminder that it makes our Heavenly Father, our Heavenly Dad, really happy to give us His righteousness so we can come with great confidence to talk with Him any time without feeling bad about anything.

He's delighted to give us His Peace so that life's traumas and dramas won't shake our world, because our total confidence is in Him. His Shalom Peace includes health, and prosperity in all areas of our lives and He's happy to give us that.

And He is chuffed to bits to not only give us those two but also His Joy! That's a deep inner 'bubbling up' of knowing all is well because God is reconciled to us, and us to Him, through Jesus, and is looking out for us, making everything work out for our good.

You know what would make our Father even happier? It's when we lift our hands in faith and thank Him for it all, and receive His kingdom righteousness, peace and joy afresh today. 

THREE THINGS GOD IS SAYING TO US

2 Chronicles 32:7 "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! v.8 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!" Hezekiah's words greatly encouraged the people.

Got any battles going on at the minute? Well please be encouraged because God is speaking directly to us through this verse. It's a now Word and it's alive and active in our lives if we'll receive it.

1) God says to us 'Be strong and courageous'. In other words we have a choice, God is telling us  to make the decision with His help, to not bow to the temptation of feeling sorry for ourselves  because when we do have a pity party we seem to get weaker and weaker and none of us want that! I've heard Joyce Meyer say we can be pitiful or powerful but we can't be both! We have to decide to not be afraid or discouraged because we can call on God's strength and courage to face whatever it is, because....

2) God says  'there is a power far greater on our side!'  The Spirit of God Himself is in us and it's the hosts of Heaven's armies that are standing with us and for us. We are not alone battling away. Far from it! It's so good to be reminded that the power on our side is FAR GREATER! I find it can help to declare out loud "THE POWER ON MY SIDE IS FAR GREATER THAN MY ENEMY!!" Our part is to resist the enemy!

3) Lastly,God says  'We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!' Now, who is helping us? Is it some puny, helpless, powerless person? No! It's the King of Heaven, The Lord of Hosts and His angels, The Conqueror, The Overcomer who defeated and disarmed satan at the cross. Our God is the One Who can part the sea, the One Who holds the universe in place by His Word, the One Who raised Jesus out of Hell and from the dead! That is Who is helping us!

In view of all that, see the Lord, Strong and Mighty, standing with His sword drawn at your side, fighting this battle for you. Can you 'see' that with your faith eyes? I pray so because it's the truth. You have God's Word on it!

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS

2 Chronicles 31:21...Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful.

There is something about seeking God wholeheartedly that really gets His attention and it always brings success.

Hebrews 11:6 reminds us He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  It doesn't say to seek the rewards but to seek Him, to seek His company, to not only obey what He says, but to just enjoy His company.

Psalm 16:11 ..... In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever! Who wouldn't want to spend time with someone like that? So often we've been given a wrong impression of God and it's made us think we should be feeling guilty about something and need to get ourselves sorted out before we can come to Him!

The reverse is true. It's not about what we've done or not done but about what Jesus has done. God sees us as blameless because Jesus took all our shame and guilt, all our failings, shortcomings, weaknesses, and diseases. He sees us as holy and blameless when our trust is in Jesus sacrificing His life and His shed blood for us personally. So Jesus, Who is The Way, has made the way open now for us to enter God's lovely heartwarming presence any time with boldness.

God is a generous God with an overwhelming heart to bless us and He invites us daily to come and spend time with Him. I think we've all dashed in, put our list of needs on God's table, then dashed out again, thinking "Catch You later God", but He wants us to sit down with Him. His heart is for us to know how much He loves us and spend time soaking it up, letting Him reaffirm us and give us His confidence and assurance and remind us that all will be well. 

Remember He wants to know we love Him too, because that's how a good relationship works!

Would you like success in life? Well may I make a suggestion?  Schedule yourself some extra time in your busy day regularly, take a cuppa, a biscuit and your Bible, and spend some time seeking the Lord wholeheartedly with a sense of anticipation, and He'll show you His heart, His will and His way forward, and success will follow because He has promised to reward you and that is a 'Yes' promise in Jesus! Amen.

GOD IS NUDGING US

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  

'Jesus is the Word.  God and Jesus are inseparable. God and His Word are inseparable.  If we love God then we'll love His word, they are one and the same.'  Now, read that again and let it speak to you.

When we get a revelation that God and His Word are one and the same it will give us a much stronger desire to read it.  At some point we all have to ask ourselves if we're giving God first place and final authority in our lives because if we are, then we'll give God's Word first place and final authority in our lives over every other voice we hear. I hope we're seeing the connection. 

Then the more we hear God's Word, read it and understand it, the more our faith will grow.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7), but so often we're living by what we can see or feel. God, however, wants us to 'see' some invisible stuff in the spirit realm and the more we read His word and 'hear' it the more the Holy Spirit can help us to walk by faith.

When Hebrews says 'but without faith it's impossible to please Him' Heb.11:6,  it's because God knows we can't access all the blessings He has for us until we believe for them by faith. While we're stuck in the so called 'reality' zone, we'll not believe for Him to do the miraculous because it's only released by faith in His Word. 

I think God is challenging us all to stop and think "Am I giving God's Word first place and really believing it, and what am I believing for? Am I 'faithing' for anything, and if so, what?" 

Although God's challenges can be uncomfortable they're necessary or we can just drift along airy fairy! Well I know I can anyway! 

How about you, is He giving you a nudge today to get more into His Word? Then praise the Lord, and as you obey His nudging, don't forget to put your faith hat on at the same time so He can give you something to 'faith' for. 😊

God bless you as you do.

BUT WHAT ABOUT...?

2 Chronicles 25:9 Amaziah asked the man of God, "But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?" The man of God replied, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this!" 

Have you ever been cheated out of anything, ever invested in something and it failed, ever had anything stolen from you, something destroyed or ever paid for something and it was no good? You may have felt like you'd wasted your money, time or resources, or been cheated and you were left with a disgruntled, bad feeling.

Amaziah, King of Judah, was feeling like that. He'd paid 7,500 pounds of silver, up front, to hire troops to help him fight Israel only to be told by God's man to not use them or he'd be defeated! So Amaziah said, "But what about...."

Ever had any "But what about's"? God has an answer to our "What about's". He says "The Lord is able to give you much more than this." In other words He's saying, "Don't get distressed about it. Let it go. I can give you way more than you've lost anyway. All will be well. In fact, it will be better than you could have done on your own!"

May I give you an example? Nearly three years ago we were burgled one night and among other things, they stole our only car. To cut a long story short after two weeks it was reported found and when we went to identify it, the thieves had deliberately set it on fire and burnt it to a shell, totally destroyed. I felt physically unwell when I went to the scene of the crime and saw what they'd done and was really upset. But God turned it around for us and we ended up being given more for it by the insurance company than if we had sold it, and we ended up with a much better car in the end. God was so merciful and kind to us.

So if you feel like you've lost out on something, or been cheated, please don't despair but hear God's heart for you today "I can give you much more than this. Trust Me and start believing Me for the "much more". 

You see, God has the most wonderful way of turning things around for us. Glory to His Name. 

I pray you can receive that today. Amen.

GOD DAILY LOADS US WITH BENEFITS

Psalm 68:19  Blessed be the Lord who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation. Selah. (New King James Version)

We know God knows how many hairs are on our heads, and we know we're worth more than the sparrows, but did you know He's even bothered about the silly things that bother us, even our toilets!?  Do I hear you say "No way!"?

If something bothers you and concerns you then it is of concern to our loving God because He cares about us.

For instance (please bear with me on this) I've been trying to remove limescale stains on our toilets forever. When we moved into the house they were stained and I just have tried everything and had finally decided to get in a plumber and replace them which would be pretty expensive.  I happened to notice an advert for a limescale cleaner last week and so went on line to investigate and found something totally different but with great reviews. I thought this is my last try! Well we bought the product, prayed over the jolly toilets, and Wow, it actually did the job and is so successful we no longer need new toilets or a plumber with his big bill! Now that may not mean much to you but it was a major event for me!!

Scripture tells us part of our purpose on earth is to give glory to God so I just wanted to share that testimony of how wonderful our God is because I truly had a 'benefits of God' day. Probably for you it will be something much more interesting but for me it meant a lot!!

So I just wanted to say  "Thank You Lord for all your goodness to us" and to encourage us all to keep looking to the Lord to 'save us' from our burdens, even from big plumber's bills and to bless us with unexpected benefits and blessings over and above.😊 That same day God blessed us with a lovely cabinet we'd been needing and a free blanket! He really did 'load us with benefits' which is the favour of God we all walk in.

Now here is our same verse in two other translations and they all say 'daily' or 'day by day' which is wonderful:

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah (pause, and calmly think of that.) (Amplified Bible)

Psalm 68:19 What a glorious God! He gives us salvation over and over, then daily He carries our burdens! (The Passion Translation)

Don't you just love that - it says What a glorious God!  And we have a 'daily' God.

So have a blessed, burdens carried by God, loaded with benefits day, every day and throughout the week.

(And when you have a 'loaded with benefits' day, please share it with someone so God gets the glory.)😊

A SENSE OF EXPECTANCY

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, .....

I heard Barry Bennett say this past week that the word of God is as alive right now as when it left the mouth of God. 

God's word is always a 'now' word just like salvation is always 'today' as well. God is very much in the present and if we need a 'now' word and a 'now' salvation then He is here to give them to us, right now.

God wants us to have a sense of expectancy because that's the environment for His word to take root and go to work in us and for us, and for healing to begin, as well as everything else He has for us. 

There has to be a sense of expectancy of good because God is a good, good God! Are you expecting good things from God or have you been feeling like only bad things are on the horizon? If so can I encourage us all today whether we are hearing the anointed word preached, or reading our bibles on our own, to have just such a sense of expectancy for God's word to come alive in us and powerfully impact us in some way. 

If you've had some negative experiences lately start declaring that you are expecting God's goodness and mercy to chase you down all the days of your life, that God has good plans to bless you and not harm you in your future. Remember that He has promised to turn all things round for your good because you love the Lord and are one of the called for His purpose. Those are all truths from the 'alive' Word of God.

Remind yourself that you are a child of God, made in His image, that His Spirit is leading you and helping you and that Jesus Himself is interceding for you 24/7 before our Father God. 

Having a sense of expectancy of good actually draws it towards you because you're exercising faith in God's promises and word and God says He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Last year during co-vid I made a sign which I pinned to the inside of the front door which said something like this, 'I'm expecting good things to happen to me today. I'm blessed going out and I'm blessed coming in. Thank You Jesus.'

That may make you smile, but you'll be surprised how it lifts your spirits, so why not try it too for this coming week?😊

A PROMISE IS LIKE A SEED PACKET

2 Corinthians 1:19-20 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us ... was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. v.20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

Sometimes we have to read that a few times in order for it to really get down in our Spirit. It says ALL the promises of God in Him (Jesus) are Yes and Amen. 

Some people say that God sometimes says No, but that is contradicting God's Word if you have the promise of God on something! If you do have the promise of God then the answer is Yes! If you've asked for something which is not a promise of God then He is at liberty to say no, so we have to know if what we're asking for is based on a promise or not. I hope that makes sense! If you have the promise, you have the 'Yes'!

Imagine a packet of seeds with me and on the front is a picture of juicy red tomatoes and you know if you plant those seeds in the right compost and water them properly they will in time produce the same red juicy tomatoes for you to enjoy. 

A promise of God is a 'picture' that God wants us to have of our possibilities of what we can have and do in Jesus. We have to 'see' the picture first. He wants us to 'see' ourselves healthy and well, or whatever the promise might be. How do you 'see' yourself today? If it doesn't tie in with the promise ask God to help you 'see' yourself like the promise says first. In other words, get a vision for it, get the 'picture' you're believing for.

Jesus has bought and paid for every promise of God with His own life blood - He has shown you the seed packet - the promises in His Word - now our part is to take the packets which are the promises, plant them in the good soil of our hearts, and water them constantly with the water of God's word.  In due season we will reap the harvest of the promises manifesting in our lives. 

Very often we take a promise, start to believe it. then if our symptoms persist, we dig it up every five minutes and think it's not happening and we all know seeds will die if you do that to them. 

For instance, we take the promise 'by His stripes you are healed' (1 Peter 2:24). We say 'Yes, Amen thank you Jesus'. Then we look to our bodies (we dig up the seed) to see if we feel any better. If we don't see it manifest we think it's not working so we throw the packet of seeds away! We forgot the picture we 'saw' and forgot to water the promise with the Word of God, thanksgiving, and praise every day. When it's instantaneous that's great, but sometimes we have to wait and water!

Can I encourage each one of us to go back to the promise of God you were standing on and get it out again, look at the picture it portrays of you and for you, and start believing it again, 'see'  yourself that way, plant it in your heart again in faith and water it every day with the Word and thanksgiving, don't let go of it but believe God for the harvest. Amen.

ANGEL OUTRIDERS!

Acts 23:23 And he called for two centurions, saying, 'Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night. v.24 and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

In verses 12 and 13 we read how 40 men had banded together and bound themselves with an oath vowing to not eat or drink until they killed Paul!

Then we see God intervening by sending over 10 times that number of men to protect Paul on his journey so he wouldn't be harmed (470 men!) and He even provided Paul with fresh changes of horses for his comfort.

I hope that encourages you to know that whatever the enemy tries to plan for your hurt, God has it so well covered that it's almost laughable that the enemy thinks he'll win. God sent 10 times as many men to protect Paul and He'll send in as much or as many angels or whatever we need to protect and help us reach our goals and our destination. 

Jesus could call on legions of angels and because we are now one Spirit with Him we too have legions of angels we can call on. Put it this way, if you need angel outriders on your life journey you'll have angel outriders and they'll keep you safe.  

Psalm 91:11 For He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.  

That includes when we go for interviews, start a new job, when we see the lawyers who may be against us, when we may face persecution or just when we go shopping or going about daily life at home or going on a journey.  Because we trust in God and have made Him our refuge and our fortress we should have a great sense and expectation of His protection. 

Whatever the situation we're in or facing God has already prepared for us to be helped and protected, more than 10 times anything the enemy tries to throw at us. I hope that helps us all relax a little bit! 😊

Thank You Lord.

PRAISING HIM

Psalm 66:17 For I cried out to him for help, praising Him as I spoke.

The Psalmist had learned a secret it would help us all to know. When he cried out, which implies he was getting desperate, he remembered to praise God even as he cried out.

He realised that if we focus on God and His greatness, and His great mercy and love for us, that our fears will decrease in proportion to our awareness of God. 

It gives me a picture of the old fashioned set of scales where weights were put on one side to weigh it down and then balanced with the flour or whatever you were weighing. I think praise is a bit like that. The more we praise God the more the scales are weighed in our favour, and the more the fears subside and lose their grip on us because our perspective has changed.

Praise releases the armies of heaven to help us and protect us. Praise will lift our spirits because it shifts our focus from ourselves and our worries, over on to God. Praise reminds us we're not alone and we have a Deliverer whose name is Jesus, our Champion.

Next time we're in a place of crying out to God for help, and no doubt there will be a constant need for that in our lifetimes, let's remember to do it with praise in our mouths, with God's love and mercy in our mouths and Jesus' victory over the devil in our mouths knowing we're releasing supernatural forces to work on our behalf when we do. 

The wonderful thing is it's not hard to do when we remember everything we are and have has come from God in the first place and it's His goodness and kindness that supports us, goes before us and follows us all the days of our lives. Thank You Lord.