PRESS THE JOYFUL BUTTON!

Matthew 15:10-11 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "Listen," he said, "and try to understand. It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth." 

The other day I mentioned having a grumpy button, but we also have what I call a 'joyful' button, an 'I choose to feel good today' button!

I met a lady this week struggling to unlock her trolley at the supermarket, so I helped her, then she crashed it and all the while she was grumbling saying "It's not my day, typical, everything goes wrong!" etc. She was like a cat with its fur rubbed up the wrong way!😊 Someone had pressed her grumpy button! So how do we make sure we have our right buttons working? Good question!😊

Part of the answer lies just below our noses because it has a lot to do with what is coming out of our mouths. What we say, is what is going through our thoughts. Logically then, if we choose to think the right thoughts, God thoughts, we'll have good things coming out of our mouths and our emotions will follow. Have you noticed our mood follows our thoughts and words?!😊

In James 3:4-6 James says the tongue is like the rudder of a ship, that our words will help guide our ship of life into grumpy, bad mood waters, or into contented, joyful waters. We have control of the rudder!

Jesus said we're defiled, or messed up, by what comes out of our mouths not what goes in. He was reminding us that what is in our hearts will come out in what we say.

Deuteronomy 30:19 Moses told the Israelites they were being given a choice to choose the right way or the wrong way and we have exactly the same choice every day. You know those days when we wake up and feel a bit grumpy and sort of heavy, we can choose to go with that flow or we can choose God's way.

We can guide our rudder and say "I'm a child of God and He loves me. He's given me His joy and peace and I choose to let them show. I choose to think His uplifting thoughts. It’s going to be a good day because He's with me and He's promised His favour will surround me wherever I go. I'm blessed going out and in and I'm going to be a blessing. Thank You Lord for making me happy on the inside even when it's not happy on the outside."

We choose which button is pressed, so let's choose to press the joyful one, and have a good day.😊

AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

How often we read of the Israelites coming to God asking Him to restore them again! And how often we read how God did forgive and restore them wonderfully no matter how awful they had been. He was and is always merciful.

We can come to God again and again no matter what our problem is even if it’s every five minutes when we're having a tough time.The good news is God really wants us to know we can come over and over again no matter how often we need to, or how far or how little we've wandered off.

He wants to forgive us however many times we come to ask for forgiveness again! 

He wants to pour out His mercy on us again!

He wants to pour out His love on us again!

Things happen and He wants to restore the joy of our salvation to us again!

God wants us to know His supply of whatever we need is endless and limitless. His mercy endures forever and He wants us to come to Him again and again.

So whether we're coming to the Lord for rebuilding our relationship with Him, restoring our peace or our joy, whether it's healing for our mental or physical health or rescuing our finances, God not only wants us to ask Him to put those things right but believe He wants and is able to do it for us.

He is our again and again God, our again and again Saviour, Deliverer, Provider and Protector. So when you wake up again each morning remember you’re going through your day again with Jesus inside you, and you’re inside Him and His resurrection life is flowing in your veins.😊

Hallelujah to our merciful Again and Again God. Thank You Lord Jesus for making it all possible.

Hebrews 10:19-23 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him…… Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promises.

COME AS YOU ARE

Isaiah 54:10 "For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the Lord who has mercy on you.

One of the wonderful things about being one of God's children is that we don't need to pretend or to feel we have to perform before we come to Him. No, our loving Father tells us to come to Him any time, just as we are. Whether we're weak or strong, whether we feel a failure or full of joy, whether we're fearful or faithful, sick or well, God wants us to come to Him whatever state we're in and know we'll be received with love and mercy and His arms are wide open. I don't know about you but I find that so reassuring. 

God knows everything about us and He knew it before we were saved. He made it possible for us to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus and He now sees us in the perfection of the Lord Jesus, clothed in His righteousness and He says we can ask for His forgiveness any time knowing it's already done.

Another reason God gives us to come to Him is because in His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures evermore! Maybe we've forgotten that bit, or don't quite believe it, but it's true. (Psalm 26:11)

It's easy to get wound up when something goes wrong, or someone presses our 'grumpy' button and we feel huffy but it's at those times especially God wants us to go and spend some time with Him. He wants to unruffle our feathers, to pour His peace in and let us know how much we're loved by Him. So when others are unkind or unhelpful or treat us badly we can know God's love for us has never changed and never will.

Scripture tells us that the blood of Jesus cleanses us and the Word cleanses us too. (1 John 1:7, Ephesians 5:26-27) So if you feel like you've picked up some bad attitudes, or you just don't 'feel right', then come to the throne of grace and find His cleansing, His washing of the Word and know He says you are still the righteousness of God in Christ and He still wants to lavish His love on you. 

Or maybe you're just overflowing with a grateful, thankful heart for all His goodness, but however it is, just come as you are.😊 

Hebrews 4:16 So 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.

HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND

Ephesians 6:13 (Nkjv)Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. v.14 Stand therefore,..…

Although we have an enemy who’s always trying to mess us up, the good news is we have a Saviour who’s already messed him up! He’s been disarmed at the cross and we need to remind him of it.

I've been praying for someone and it looked like the solution was on the doorstep only for it not to happen the way we thought. At first I was so disappointed for them but have realised I should actually be praising the Lord for rescuing them from maybe a worse problem because He can see what lies up ahead and always wants to protect us. We just need to keep praying and believing!😊

In the natural it can be hard to see the way out of the things we're going through but we’re not in the natural, we’re in Christ and with our God there’s always a way out.😊 We do well when we keep that at the front of our minds and praise God for His deliverance from our troubles. We have a supernatural God who’s outside of time with all its limitations. 

The secret is not to allow our past or its negative experiences to dictate our futures but to remember God is not limited in His power and ability, all He asks of us is to stand in faith and have a great expectation of good from His hand. As long as we keep believing Him for what may seem impossible He can still bring it to pass for us.

We all need some encouragement when it comes to laying down our doubts or disappointments, and God is encouraging us today to take up His promises once again and let His Word bring about our futures and when we do I know we'll be blessed.

WISDOM BEYOND OUR OWN

Psalm 5:12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

I think God loves it when we believe how much He loves us and wants to be a blessing to us. He enjoys seeing His joy bubbling up inside us because we know and believe His favour surrounds us like a shield. 

Whether we go into a known or a new environment He wants us to remember we are a child of the Most High God and He's backing us all the way so we can go in with confidence because we're hidden in Christ, we're surrounded by angels, and we have His wisdom to tap into. 

1 Corinthians 1:30 (Nlt) God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself.... Imagine that, the wisdom of God is in Christ Jesus available to us and it's for our benefit and He is in you and me! We don't need to feel daunted in any way because His wisdom actually gives us the edge.

Whatever you're called on to do today and the coming week don't forget just who you are in God, above the situation and not beneath, well able because you've been equipped by Almighty God, you carry His anointing wherever you go because the Holy Spirit is within you.

God has qualified you to do whatever He calls you to do and He's already gone ahead so you don't need to feel vulnerable. You're carrying resurrection life within you whether you feel like it or not and you have Jesus' authority to shine wherever you go. People will recognise you have something special about you, they may not know what, but will be drawn to it. 

So let's go out in the confidence God our Father has given us to not just get through another day but to enjoy doing it with Him and in His strength and ability.

I pray your week will be uplifting and positive, full of grace and remember you're not average, you're not mediocre or inadequate. You have God Himself empowering you, equipping, anointing and giving you great wisdom beyond your own because you are a child of God. Thank You Lord.

SLEEPING PEACEFULLY

 Psalm 3:5 
I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, 
for the Lord was watching over me.

For those of us who struggle with our sleeping it's good to have some of what I call my 'sleeping scriptures' to hand and the above verse is one of them.

It reminds me of the true story of an elderly lady in the last world war who lived in London during the Blitz. Every night the sirens would go off but instead of going down to the air raid shelter as she was supposed to, she read her sleep scriptures and stayed in her own bed at home. One she quoted was Psalm 121:3-4 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. Apparently she said to herself, "If God is awake anyway why should I stay awake as well and worry, there is no need!" So she just rested on God's promises, slept like a baby and woke up having been kept safe by the Lord throughout the bombing as that Psalm said she would be.😊

I expect you have your sleep verse favourites as well and another one of mine is Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

One of the reasons we struggle with sleeping is a lack of peace in our minds because we're going over the events of the day, over something we're going to be doing, or worrying about others. Each night God wants us to give Him our cares, remembering that Jesus is our peace, that He's already given us His gift of peace and it covers every situation we'll ever have to deal with.  We need to learn to rest in it and do like the old lady! 

Psalm 127:2 (Amp) even tells us God gives us blessings while we sleep. Isn't that a lovely thought! So if we have trouble sleeping let's do it by faith and thank God for the peace Jesus has already given us and all those lovely blessings that are coming our way, knowing He has us safe in the palm of His hand and is going before us into tomorrow.😊

KEEP KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Acts 12:16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him they were astonished.

Peter had been locked up in prison behind three sets of prison doors with 16 soldiers assigned to guard him and chained by his hands to two of them throughout the night. And then we read he was so deeply asleep that the angel had to strike him to wake him up! Peter knew Herod was going to kill him the next day and yet he was so in faith that he could sleep like a baby.

He just trusted his God, pure and simple, to do whatever needed to be done. He knew it was out of His hands. Meanwhile God had rescue on His mind and the angel was so powerful it made no difference what chains were on Peter, or who was holding him back or what doors were closed to him,  he was coming out!

I wonder if we feel like we have some chains binding us, chains of sad thoughts, bad memories, chains of worry or wrong habits or they may be chains no one else even knows about? Perhaps we feel like we have so many doors closed around us that we're feeling discouraged.

We forget that at the Cross Jesus broke every chain off us, delivered us from every curse and as we stay in faith Jesus is at this moment delivering us and has assigned angels to do whatever is necessary.

Peter continued knocking! It's interesting the prison doors couldn't keep him in, but the church door could keep him out! Our prison doors have been thrown open but with some doors we have to do our part and keep knocking on them to open, so we can go in.

Peter continued knocking! Jesus Himself told us in Matt. 7:7-8 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. It’s continuous tense - keep on knocking.

What are we asking, seeking, and knocking on the door for? Whatever it is God says to keep doing it. Don't give up!

I believe this is a strong word from God today: 

Keep knocking on that door, it will be opened! 

Have a blessed weekend everyone.x

WALKING BY FAITH EACH DAY

2 Corinthians 5:7  For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Things don't always go the way we thought they would so it's good to keep in mind that God knows what He's doing and He has His own reasons for putting us where we are, at this point in time.

We have to ask ourselves are we going to trust God to do things His way or are we going to fuss about it? I was thinking about some people who don't seem to be in the best of situations when I was reminded of Caleb. Although he went through the wilderness for a long time, through no fault of his own, the Lord honoured his right attitude of heart and allowed him to enter into his inheritance and take his mountain many years after he was promised it. That was one faithful man putting his trust in his faithful God and I'd like to meet him in heaven one day.😊 He never gave up believing that what God had promised He would fulfil. 

Maybe you need a word of encouragement today to stick with it. If so, allow the Lord to come alongside you today and remind you, you are loved beyond measure even though you might be going through stuff at the minute. He's an expert at bringing His people through and out of the wilderness at the right time if we'll keep trusting Him to do what He's promised.

He doesn't ask us to run ahead of Him but to walk each day by faith. So with His help that's what we'll do together, one step at a time, knowing He's going ahead of us preparing the way remembering that as we walk we are actually getting somewhere!

If you use the step counter on your watch or phone, every time you look to see how many steps you've done today, remind yourself that you're also walking them by faith and every one of those steps God is walking by your side, strengthening and upholding you bringing you to where He wants you to be. We have a faithful God.😊 Thank You Lord.

EACH INDIVIDUAL MATTERS

John 4:4 He (Jesus) needed to go through Samaria.

Yesterday we looked at making a difference in this world but our contribution seems so small sometimes doesn't it? We want to be able to affect lots of people with good but God reminds us that it's the individuals who matter to Him. When we help the one person it's because that one person is important to Him because He loves them. He knows where they're at and what they need.

Our verse says Jesus needed to visit the Samaritan lady at the well who had had five husbands. His disciples couldn't understand why He bothered, she was only a woman, and a disreputable one at that, in their eyes, so why bother? They'd had to walk several miles extra and for what - one woman?  It made no sense to them but God's understanding and perspective of people is so much higher than ours. Each one is important to Him, made in His image and He has placed greatness on the inside of each one waiting to be unlocked by His Spirit.

Let's not lose the God perspective that if we've helped one, we're doing it as unto the Lord Himself and it's up to Him what happens next. God still wants us to be faithful in ministering to the one here or there, to know we are making a difference that maybe only He knows about. 

Whether we're called to the many or the ones and twos, all we need is to know we've done what God has asked us to do, to the best of our ability, no matter how small or how big, and as long as we do it with love, we've done well. 😊

MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Luke 6:31 Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

"Every life you touch, every difference you make, every prayer you pray makes the world a better place."  - Linda E. Shepherd 

I thought that was a good quote.  It's amazing to think we can make any difference at all in this world but to make a difference for the good has to be worthwhile. Whether it's making a cake for neighbours who are upset, or sending cheer you up cards to friends and family, or praying for those we know are in distress, all of those things are making a difference in some way. We're helping make other peoples' worlds a better place.

We don't have to be wealthy philanthropists to make a difference, wonderful as they are, but we can all be people who uplift those who are worn down, or be kind enough to take the time to listen. Jesus said it best when He told us to think what we'd like done to us and then go and do it for someone else. 

We were in a supermarket the other day and were only buying a couple of things. The lady in front invited us to go before her big trolley load and she did the same to the next in line as well. It was a thoughtful thing to do and though a small thing she made a difference to total strangers that day and we were grateful.

When we feel a bit down, thinking of ways to bring a smile to someone else would probably cheer us up as well.😊 Maybe we could encourage our children/grandchildren to do the same by finding fun ways to bless others.

We all know our world could do with a little help, so just imagine, if we all did at least one kind thing each day, by the end of the day it would have reached multiple people and made our world a better place. I feel inspired, How about you?😊

GOING ROUND THE MOUNTAIN

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

I'm sure as we go through life we've all discovered certain areas where we're more vulnerable than others and the trouble is the enemy knows those vulnerable areas as well and plays on them.

Have you ever gone round a mountain several times and not managed to get the better of it, only to discover God is taking you round that same mountain yet again to give you another go at defeating it!😊 That happened to me the other day and when the trouble presented itself again, instead of dealing with it in the flesh, I remembered to stand back for a minute and ask the Lord to help me react the way He wanted me to and know what to do about it. Finally, I was getting somewhere and I believe the Lord helped me gain a victory.

I'd no sooner dealt with that when the enemy caught me off guard in another area and said "What are you going to do with that then?" I realise now God was showing me another area where I need His help in overcoming. It was a totally different mountain He wants me to gain victory over!

So what is the secret to dealing with all these attacks of the enemy when we're just going along minding our own business? You're probably well ahead of me in this, but we need to recognise when certain things 'happen' they are not random but deliberate attacks to try to undermine our faith and our peace of mind. They're designed to make us feel sorry for ourselves and if that is how we feel we know it's the enemy having a go! 

I'm sure the Lord is saying to guard our hearts so outside situations can't get inside us, recognise when the enemy is having a go, and when we do, to continually resist him and use the spiritual weapons God has given us to gain the victory.

If you've felt under attack recently may I encourage you by reminding you we are not helpless by any means, we have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, we can use praise, the power of the Blood of Jesus, the Name of Jesus, and the Word of God as our testimony, for starters. 

God has promised us the victory, but we have to choose to take it, so let's grab it by faith as we allow Him to enable us to overcome, especially those areas where we seem more vulnerable.😊

Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

OUR LIFE BOOK

Psalm 139:16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

There are days when our lives read like a good book where you can’t wait to turn the page it’s so interesting. Then there are days when it seems the most boring book in the library, it feels so predictable or ordinary. God says all our days are written in His book and the good news is we know our book has a great ending because of what Jesus did for us at the cross.

So don’t be discouraged because God still has interesting pages to read, where we discover gifts He’s placed within us that have been hidden for a long time. He still has interesting people for us to meet that may change the course of our lives. He still has places for us to be to be in the right place at the right time so maybe we can be the link in someone else’s chain which will lead them to Jesus.

It’s like the butterfly effect. Something seemingly small and insignificant can cause a chain of events which will end in God doing something amazing.

It was like when many years ago my dad wanted to go on holiday for a much needed break and asked my brother to keep him company. He didn’t want to go alone since my mum had gone to be with Jesus a few months before. My brother told me how he felt he wasn’t much use to my dad on that holiday and how difficult it was but I reminded him that it was on that short holiday my dad witnessed to a man about Jesus and led him to the Lord. That same man went on to become the pastor in a large church and affected the lives of many people for good. If my brother hadn’t accompanied my dad he would never have gone and that man’s life wouldn’t have been changed at that point.

Be encouraged my friend, whether you’re going through boring or exciting pages of your life book at the minute, every page does count and we’ll never know this side of eternity how even one of your smiles had an effect on someone else’s life. 

As we begin another week remember nothing is wasted in God’s kingdom, nothing is for nothing and your life story is very important in this world, both to God and to those around you, because your story matters.

WONDERFUL THINGS OF GOD

Psalm 107:11-12

 Let them praise the Lord for his great love 

and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation. 

If we're still breathing we can praise the Lord and the Psalmist encourages us to because of all the wonderful things God has done for each one of us.😊 

Psalm 103:1-5 tells us to not forget all God's benefits, those wonderful things, so here are some.

God loved us so much He sent His Son to die in our place. He took the punishment we should have had and if He hadn't done that we would all still be going to Hell. What a wonderful thing He did for us at the cross!

He loved us so much He wanted us to be part of His family and He chose us before the world was even made. He's forgiven and cleansed all our sins and He doesn't even remember them anymore. He's made us totally righteous in His eyes so He sees us blameless and without fault in Jesus. What a wonderful thing Jesus did for us.

He's born all our griefs and sorrows, healed all our diseases, He crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies each and every day. We woke up this morning to new supplies of His divine favour and compassion. He's making sure goodness and mercy are travelling with us wherever we go. Scripture says He's filling our mouths with good and renewing our youth. Wonderful!

In our personal lives God has always been there for us and each one of us could testify to His rescuing, providing, protecting and just blessing us in so many wonderful ways. 

There is so much to thank God for, so much to praise Him for, so we can enjoy doing that today with grateful hearts. Let's exalt Him together for all the wonderful things He has done and continues to do every day and may we never take them for granted. His name shall be called Wonderful.😊

GOD IS IN THE VALLEY

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and staff  protect and comfort me.

There are times, when we go through dark valley experiences and they're lasting longer than we'd like,  we wonder where God is in it all. The wonderful thing is He's right there with us, He hasn't gone anywhere, He is still beside us, holding us up, protecting and strengthening us till we come out the other side. That truth is like a solid rock keeping us steady as we go through.

Being in a valley means that coming out is always a looking upward experience and going through means that God is shepherding and leading us on the route out. Valleys aren't always bad experiences as David proved when he brought down his giant in the Valley of Elah. God turned it into David's place of great victory!

Maybe you're facing a giant of some kind and it looks intimidating as though it's there to stay. Goliath thought he was invincible but God knew otherwise. David, even as a youth, knew with God's help he could bring down any giant, and he told his giant to his face that he was bringing him down!

Whatever giant there is looming over our lives we have a champion and His name is Jesus. Scripture reminds us that Jesus disarmed every giant, every foe at the cross for us. (Colossians 2:15) Satan is a totally defeated foe and Jesus has placed us on the victory side with Him. Praise God!

So next time a giant tries to rise up and whisper something negative or fearful in your ear just remember those thoughts are not your own and they are not God's thoughts either, so you're free to disown them, resist them and bring them down in the name of Jesus because you are a Victor and not a victim. 

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

GOD'S RESTORATION WORKSHOP

Life has a habit of ‘happening’ and it could be you’re feeling a bit bashed and battered about by it. If so I have some good news because God is in the Restoration business. Why not join me as we visit God’s Restoration Workshop together?😊

The most important restoration we all need is found in Romans 5:10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.  It's past tense, all done. We can relax knowing we've already been restored to God and all our other restoration comes out of that. Thank You Lord.

But maybe life has been hard on you in some way so we turn to God’s promise in 1 Peter 5:10 …So after you have suffered for a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation…. That's a promise along with all the others that we take by faith. He will restore, not maybe or hope so! Restoration is already on it's way.

If our finances have taken a turn for the worse let’s go to Jeremiah 30:3 For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people… When Job lost everything the Lord restored double to him in the end. Thank You Lord.

What about our health, could it do with restoring? Sometimes healing is an ongoing process so don't be discouraged when you don't see an improvement immediately. Jeremiah 30:17 But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord. I've learned the worse thing I can do is say it's not working! We take it by faith, thank You Lord my health is being restored even if I can't see it yet.

I expect we could all do with more strength to deal with life so let’s go to Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. I have that on my mirror and claim it all the time.😊

What about our souls which includes our mind, will and emotions?  Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul. Life can be upsetting but I'm so glad we can go to the Lord and ask for our emotions to be restored, aren't you?

Whatever it is we find we need restoring God has it covered. Our part is to grab hold of His promises by faith and believe He will do as He has said. Yes it may take some time but scripture reminds us that not one of God’s good promises has failed. 

Thank You Lord we can come to Your Restoration Workshop, Your throne of grace, any time and ask You to restore us. Amen.

GOD'S POINT OF VIEW

Mark 8:33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. "Get away from me Satan!" he said. "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's."

What a stern word this was from Jesus. I think Peter must have felt like wishing the ground would swallow him up at that moment! But it's a word we need to remember because we probably all tend to see things from our human point of view and forget God may have a totally different view altogether.

The trouble is we can only see things in the now, we don't know what's coming round the corner so we have a very limited view of life. God sees things all in one and knows what's coming, and the good plans He has for us if we'll do and go where He says. Jesus was telling us this life is not all about us and maybe God wants us somewhere where we can be used in a greater way by Him.

He knows if we need to go in a different direction or do something in a different way. Just because we've always done something one way doesn't mean it should always be like that!🙂 Peter didn't want anything to change, he didn't want what Jesus was saying and the Lord had to put him straight. 

As we know God has His own plans and purposes for each one of us, and if we're wise we'll seek Him out so He can show us what's next and then agree to it. Sometimes we have to let go of something in order to reach for the new blessing God has prepared. Jesus said "If you try to hang on to your life you will  lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it." (Mark 8:35)

Let's ask for a heart that's willing to stop hanging on to our lives and be willing to do what God wants of us, even if it isn't what we thought we wanted, like Peter!😊

DO YOU NOT REMEMBER?

Mark 8:18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?

Jesus had refused to give the Pharisees a sign from heaven and been so disturbed in His spirit by their hardness of heart that He'd bundled all the disciples into the boat and sailed off onto the lake. He was still upset with them and warned His disciples to not be like the Pharisees in their hardheartedness and unbelief.

Meanwhile the disciples had only one thing on their minds and that was food! They were so caught up in the practicalities of what they'd do for lunch whereas Jesus was caught up with their spiritual welfare.

When they admitted they'd forgotten to bring lunch and only had one loaf Jesus was disappointed in their attitude. He says "Don't you remember?"  He'd fed 5000 only the other day and had only just come away from feeding 4000 with a loaf of bread and a few fish. He's wondering why they don't just come to Him and ask Him to multiply what they have got! Why get bothered about it when they have the answer sitting in the boat with them?

I think we're a bit like that too. We're all caught up with the practicalities, the seeming impossibilities, and forget we have the supernatural spiritual side of things available to us. Are we so focused on the nitty gritty problems that we forget we have Jesus to go to? 

Jesus is saying to us "Don't you remember how I've always provided for you in the past when you've asked Me to?"  Psalm 103:2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

Today if we're tempted to get in a tiz-woz about anything or everything, (even down to what we eat), remember all the times Jesus has come to our rescue and been there for us in every situation in the past and know He's always there to help us again no matter what the situation.😊

TAKE TIME OUT

Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul...

We've just returned from a weekend away at a family gathering which was lovely. It's amazing how just two nights away can make you feel like you've had a long holiday!

We never hear of Jesus having a holiday but we do read of Him withdrawing from all the people who were continually making demands on Him. At one point it says He and His disciples didn't even have time to eat they were under so much pressure so they needed a rest!

You may be feeling like that now with people constantly wanting you to do something for them. Perhaps it's time to follow Jesus' example and take some time out, to draw on one side and spend it with God Himself. Scripture says Jesus withdrew or arose early in the morning to pray. Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. 

If anyone needed His spiritual batteries recharging it was Jesus because we're told they were constantly expecting Him to meet their needs and heal the people of all their diseases. He couldn't seem to go anywhere without crowds of people hounding Him for something and although He was filled with compassion and ministered to them He still needed to rest physically and be refreshed spiritually.

So this is just a little reminder to take the time to let God refill your empty batteries, let Him refresh and restore your soul. It may not be possible for you to take time away but take some time to turn off your mobile phone, turn off everything for a little while and just rest in the presence of God and allow His peace and strength to flow back in, allow His word to revive you once again.😊

WHEN THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM

Matthew 4:4 But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

I booked a hairdresser who I'd never met to come to our house for a hair cut. As I looked out the window I saw an elderly lady park outside, she had a hold-all and looked very old fashioned. I thought “Oh no, this doesn’t look good!”  I tried to look on the bright side and said "Well Lord, at least she must have had years of experience in cutting hair!" I was trying to find the good!!😊

A couple of minutes later Chris put his head round the door to say my hairdresser had arrived and a lovely young lady came walking to the door! I'd got it wrong, the elderly lady went off up the road and it was a coincidence she'd parked outside at that moment! The 'real' hairdresser proceeded to do a lovely job. Feel free to laugh!😊 

Have you ever thought something and found out you got it all wrong? We have an enemy and he's very clever at trying to deceive us any way he can, to upset us or throw us off balance. He makes things look bad, as though they're hopeless and if we're not careful we'll fall for his lies.

If we'll look up at those times we'll find Jesus is putting His head round our door to tell us the truth about our situation, how He can supernaturally change things in our favour, how He's ready to do something wonderful in our lives if we'll believe Him and His Word to do it.

No matter what the enemy has told us or how convincing his lies have been we can know that God's Word is the final authority, the last Word. We really need God’s Word every day on everything so we’re not deceived.

As we begin this week I believe there is a shift coming and it will bring God on the scene in a powerful way if we'll open our door in faith to His Word to receive all He has for us.😊Amen.

GOD’S FEATHERS OF PROTECTION

Psalm97:10-12 

You who love the Lord, hate evil! 

He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.

 Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. 

May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord, and praise his holy name.

The Holy Spirit is always reminding us that God protects His people because we belong to Him. We’re His family, His very own sons and daughters and He knows how to look after His own. He goes on to say how He rescues us from the wicked.

I was reminded of a true account of a young lady who had been to a meeting where the preacher had been preaching on Psalm 91 and how God covers us with His feathers. He’d repeated it several times. As she was walking home she was attacked and dragged into an alleyway and the only thing that came to her mind in her panic was the word ‘Feathers’. As she struggled she shouted out the word ’Feathers!, Feathers!’ the man suddenly released her and he ran off. 

(Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you under his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection.)

Even if we can only remember a word of a verse God hears our cries for help. She was calling out to God because she’d just heard He would deliver her, and His angel was there standing by waiting for the word of God coming out her mouth to put him into action and she was delivered.

God does so much for us and we can forget on our dark days that His promises of protection, of His light shining into our darkness, of joy, are very real. We have to receive all of it by faith and we can, because we know He is a faithful God and He cannot lie.

So as the Psalmist says 'Let’s praise God with all our hearts' and allow His joy to shine out of us today knowing He’s covering us with His feathers.😊

THANKFULNESS BRINGS BLESSINGS

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Yesterday we had a load of snow fall and the temperatures have been below freezing so we're all shivering and in thick jumpers. I sent a photo to family in Australia and they're having temperatures of 30+ degrees! Although I don't normally enjoy it that hot, just at this minute I think I'd love it! Whatever we have we seem to think we'd like what someone else has!

It's a bit like the grass is always greener on the other side, isn't it?  But God says to be thankful for whatever we have and find contentment in it. Philippians 4:11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. Now that is a challenge sometimes and I'm still working on it! If we can keep a right attitude about things and keep them in perspective God is pleased. No one likes to hear lots of moans and complaints and God doesn't either. 

If we allow the enemy to keep whispering discontentment in our ears we begin to get grumpy, but if we'll keep praise and thanksgiving coming out our mouths and in our ears we'll be much happier.😊 I know it's not always easy and requires a decision on our part but we know it's God’s will for us who belong to Jesus.

We also know moans and complaints draw the negatives to us but the good news is our faith draws God's blessings to us so let's choose to be thankful today and let the blessings flow.

Have a blessed and thankful weekend.x

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

WHEN GOD SAYS CALM DOWN

Isaiah 7:4 (The Message) Then God told Isaiah. "Go and meet Ahaz....Tell him, Listen, calm  down. Don't be afraid. And don't panic over these two burnt out cases.....

King Ahaz had two enemy kings coming to fight against him and he and his people shook like trees they were so frightened. But God gave him very specific instructions on how to deal with it.

This story relates to us because we all have things happen that make us fearful and threaten to steal our peace. It only takes a tax bill we didn't know about, a doctor's report we don't like, something that shakes us up.

But God says "Listen, Calm Down." In other words, take a deep breath, remind yourself God is right there with you and no weapon formed against you shall succeed. Remember God is for you so who or what can be against you? (Romans 8:31-32)

Fear and panic are spirits that constantly try to gain influence in our minds but our minds and bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, they belong to God, not to the enemy, and we need to remind him and ourselves of that truth.😊 It's good to remember God has made us Victors, we are not Victims. Romans 8:37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

God tells us we don't need to fear because He's watching over us, protecting and guarding us, He tells us His love surrounds us like a shield. It may help us to see that shield of love surrounding us every time fear and panic come knocking and remember we have angelic beings defending and helping us. 

The other day I had something I was afraid to do so I shut myself in the bedroom and did some resisting and taking authority over that fear. I declared that God has made me more than a conqueror, that by faith I am an over-comer of this fear through Jesus Christ, that I am above it and not beneath it. Then I went out and with His help I did it. I overcame it. Was it easy? No, I had to keep reminding myself God was helping me overcome all the time.😊

Be encouraged, friends, God doesn't intend us to deal with fear alone. He's equipped us to overcome our fears by the power of His Word and the Holy Spirit inside us in Jesus Name. 

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

WHATEVER IS LOVELY

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.

My friend sent this photo of magnolia flowers at the castle she visited on holiday this week and I thought how lovely they are.

This verse in Philippians came to mind as I remembered Paul exhorting us all to fix our thoughts on things that he lists above, including lovely things.

It's so easy to become fixated on the negative things that go on in the world and it requires a bit of effort sometimes to think about the admirable, pure and honourable things! And how do we know what is true these days? The Word of God is true and we can confidently think about it at any time.😊

I typed in 'good news' on the internet and came across so many uplifting stories it was amazing.  In the kingdom of God there are countless testimonies of healings of all kinds today, of Jesus delivering people from addictions and demonic spirits, of people being set free from oppression and depression, all to the glory of God.

 

Only last month we heard about the Holy Spirit pouring out the love of God at Asbury University in America which is now spreading world wide changing lives. There are wonderful things happening.

For me it was a photo of beautiful flowers that started me off fixing my thoughts on the right things. We have to choose what we think about so may I encourage us all to fix your thoughts on anything which is uplifting, that causes us to be thankful and to praise God for all His goodness to us today.😊

WHEN WINDS OF TROUBLE BLOW

Mark 4:37-38 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat....

Jesus had given the instruction they were going to the other side of the lake and all was well for the first few minutes, long enough for Him to drop off to sleep in the back of the boat. But while He was sleeping this fierce storm blew up. Ever had that happen? A storm blows up from nowhere!?

The disciples obviously thought they could cope on their own and they didn't want to bother Jesus - not until it got desperate! Then they had to shout over the howling wind as they woke Him up and said "Don't you care we're going under?!" Stressful situations can make us feel like shouting sometimes!😊

I had a friend who told me of her troubles and I asked if she'd prayed about it. She said "Oh I couldn't bother God with this, He has much bigger problems to solve!" She didn't realise we can't overload God! We all have storms come up and sometimes we think we can handle them on our own, discover that actually we can't, and then we run to the Lord in desperation. Have you ever shouted out and said "Lord don't you care?" 

Psalm 121 tells us our God never sleeps so we don't need to feel bad we might be waking Him up! No, God is fully awake to all our problems but He doesn't barge in and take over. He waits till we acknowledge that we do need His help and He wants us to do that straight away before it get's desperate. He wants us to know nothing is a bother to Him or too hard for Him to deal with! Like we said the other day about the big and small things - God is there for us.

Jesus had wanted them to use their faith but unfortunately they used their fear and things grew worse. It implies that Jesus expected them to rebuke the wind and tell the storm to cease! Today let's use our faith by going straight to God when winds of trouble begin to blow and He'll tell us what to do. Don't let's wait till we're desperate and feel like shouting at somebody! 

Jesus is our Resurrected Saviour, our Redeemer, full of divine power, available to us all, any time of day or night. 

BLAMELESS IN HIS SIGHT

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

It happens to all of us, those times we feel guilty about something we've done or not done, or a bad attitude. Only yesterday it happened to me. The next time the enemy comes and accuses you of something, wanting to make you feel bad, point him and yourself to the cross and Jesus' shed blood. It's not our good performance that makes us righteous or keeps us in God's good books, it's only the blood of Jesus and all He did for us. How we thank You Lord!😊

Let's remember when we were born again we were translated out from the kingdom of darkness with all its guilt and shame and hopelessness.(Colossians 1:13-14) 

Instead, God placed us in the Kingdom of His Son, the kingdom of light, of love and hope. His Kingdom is where joy and peace overflow, where we can know His protection and provision. It's where Jesus sets us free from all the darkness that makes us fearful or heavyhearted. He came to lift off the oppression, the sicknesses and diseases. (Acts 10:38, Matthew 4:24)) That is the Kingdom God has placed us in now and it's good news.😊

God has forgiven us and He wants us to bring whatever is weighing us down, any guilt we've been carrying, all our fears, to Him today, to see them rolled over on to Jesus at the cross.

Don't listen to the accuser of the brethren, he has no right to say anything to you at all. When we accepted Jesus, His blood washed us clean forever and God sees us as blameless in His sight and the enemy can do nothing about it! By God's grace we are free to live the godly life God wants us to!😊 Thank You Lord for the blood of Jesus. 

Colossians 1:22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

THE BIG AND THE LITTLE THINGS

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.

We've just received a gift of a car tyre pump to replace our old bicycle pump. The difference is like night and day as you can imagine. The bike pump is a foot pump which requires a lot of huffing and puffing. The motorised pump requires no effort at all, you plug it in and the little motor does it all!😊

I was thinking about that and how our lives are similar. When we do things in our own strength, with our own wisdom, it requires a lot of effort, a lot of huffing and puffing! But when we ask the Holy Spirit for His help in everything it's like we're receiving His power, energy and wisdom pumped into our Spirit. 

The secret is to acknowledge God in all our ways, to include Him in every little or big thing. I once heard a man say he only asked God about the big stuff and he thought it silly to ask God about the small things. I thought how sad and how he was missing out!

God is living on the inside of us and He wants to be involved in all areas of our lives. I had the lens fall out of my spectacles the other day because the screw had come loose and when it's happened before it's been really hard to fix it as the screw wont stay in!  I've learned though to ask the Lord for His help even with the small things, which I did, and He helped me mend it so I can see!😊

Is God interested in those things? Absolutely, because He says if it concerns us then it concerns Him too because He loves us. Psalm 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.....

So as we begin another week can I encourage you to let the Holy Spirit be the power pump in your life. No matter what you have to do, whatever it is that concerns you or you're involved in, turn to the Lord all the time and under your breath just acknowledge and thank Him He's there with you and ask Him to help you. It doesn't matter how small or how big - God is interested and He wants in on it. Will you let Him?

Have a blessed week, acknowledging and including God in all you do.😊

BLESSINGS OF PROTECTION

Psalm 5:11-12 

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

 let them sing joyful praises forever. 

Spread your protection over them, 

that all who love your name may be filled with joy. 

For you bless the godly, O Lord, you surround them with your shield of love.

The weeks go by so fast and Sunday is here again but we have a place of refuge and it should make us want to rejoice.😊 We're not exposed or vulnerable when we  believe and declare we have the Most High God as our refuge. Sometimes it's good to remind not only ourselves of that but the enemy too when we feel threatened in any way.

Every day, no matter what day it is, the Lord is spreading His protective wings over each one of us. Psalm 91 says He will cover us with His feathers, He will shelter us with His wings and He's ordering His angels to protect us wherever we go. I wonder why we feel anxious when we know all that is true! I think we just need to keep reminding ourselves throughout the day.😊

Not only do we have angelic protection but our verse says God blesses us by surrounding us with His own shield of love, or as another translation puts it His shield of favour. When we stop and think about it all we definitely have a lot to rejoice about today and be filled with joy! 

Can you imagine what life would be like if all those blessings were not there? But we can give a shout of joy, because they are! Hallelujah!😊 

Thank You Lord for spreading Your powerful protection over us every day. Amen.

Have a blessed day.x

GOD IS OUR BURDEN BEARER

1 Peter 5:7 (Amp) casting all your cares (all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares about you (with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully).

Have you noticed people seem to be carrying so many burdens and look as though they have the weight of the world on their shoulders? We were never designed to carry all these burdens and the good news is we have a 'Burden Bearer'.

Now I know as Christians we are told to bear one another’s burdens but God doesn't want them weighing us down! We can listen and help in whatever way the Lord tells us to but we need to remember we are not the burden bearer, God is. He tells us to cast all our cares on Him, and when we feel overwhelmed by all the burdens of our life and other peoples’ that is what we’re supposed to do with them and then leave them there! 

I wonder if we’re forgetting to do that and that’s why we feel so worn down sometimes. Why not do a little check and see if you’re needing to do some ‘care casting’. The secret is to leave them with our loving Heavenly Father knowing He’s well able to deal with them. 

Perhaps you’ve thought “well if I don’t worry about it all then who will?” or “I don’t feel as though I’m acting responsibly if I don’t worry!”  It’s interesting that God doesn’t say those things. He says the opposite! Jesus said don't worry about tomorrow! He very clearly instructs us not to worry because He knows it’s bad for our health mentally and physically. It actually affects our daily lives.

I think worrying is a bit like an addiction, we find it hard to give it up!😊 It may not be easy to change the habit of a lifetime but with God’s help we can do it, one worry at a time. So imagine you're standing with a fishing rod by a big expanse of water and attach all your cares to the end of the line, cast it right out on to God, and then leave it all with Him. No reeling it back in!”😊

Psalm 58:19 (Amp) Blessed be the Lord, who bears our burden day by day, the God who is our salvation! Selah.

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OUR MUCH MORE GOD

John 10:10...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Jesus didn't die to give us a 'get by' kind of life but He said Himself He came to give us an abundant, cup overflowing life which included all of  Psalm 103:1-5.

God wants us to experience much more of who He is, to know what Jesus has really done for us. Romans 5:17 says ....much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Jesus talks about His Father giving us 'much more' six times in the gospels. He says how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13) In Luke 12:7 He tells us we're of much more value than the sparrows and how God cares for them and us. So far we've seen the much more involves our receiving His abundance of grace, reigning in life, God's care of us and most importantly receiving the Holy Spirit. Jesus wants us to have a sense of His Father being a 'much more' God. 

When Jesus fed the 5,000 He provided much more than was needed and there were 12 large baskets left over. Another time the miraculous catch of fish involved a net breaking catch there were so many! If you've been feeling that you have needed more, then why not go to God and ask Him to be the God of much more to you right now.

 Jesus said ...how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:11). We have Jesus' permission and encouragement to do so!😊 Maybe we need much more health, much more wisdom, much more finances for projects, to help others or to meet our own needs. Whatever it is, we can't overstretch our God. He is the God of much more, of more than enough.😊

How do we see God? How do we see our lives stretching out in front of us? God wants us to catch what He's saying "I am the God of much more in your life". Whatever our lives have been up to this point He's calling us to the 'much more', which is good news don't you think?😊

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

OPEN YOUR MOUTH WIDE

Genesis 8:22 As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.

Winter seems to be going on a long time here in the Midlands, but 200 miles away in Devon my friend's photo of her garden says spring is on the doorstep and the blossom is in full petal! So beautiful to see and it gives us a little taster of what's to come here too.

I think we're probably all delighted when winter is left behind and life is like that as well. We all go through 'winter' seasons but the good news is God has guaranteed winter will come to a close even in our spiritual lives. 

Spring always follows winter so get ready for some 'Spring' in your life, a new season is coming no matter how old you are because our spirits never grow old! It speaks of new growth, freshness and bright colour where everything has seemed so grey. The Holy Spirit loves to bring all those things into our spiritual lives too, fresh anointings, greater insights, new buds of increase in all areas, seeing His plans unfold in technicolour. Let's believe for all of that and ask for a double helping! 

As we know God loves it when we ask big and believe Him for big things and Psalm 103 tells us He's pouring His benefits out on us and filling our mouths with good every day.

Look what God said to the Israelites in Psalm 81:10 .....open your mouth wide and I will fill it with good things. 

Just in case your mouth has been shut a bit tight lately, this is a little reminder to open it wide again and let God bless you as you go into this new season. His heart is to fill you with His goodness and mercy, His joy and peace, His favour and to satisfy your soul. Open your mouth wide and let God fill it!  Let's have great expectations from our great God.😊 Thank You Lord.

THE BEST YOU

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Do you ever look at other people and think "I wish I was more like them!"? I have a friend who is gifted with hospitality, the more people she has in her home the happier she seems to be and she produces a lovely meal from scratch while she's chatting to you and it all looks so effortless!

Whereas I can get flustered just trying to get everything on the plate at the same time!😊  Hospitality doesn't come naturally to me. I can do it but it's not my gift. Can anyone identify?

Then the other day the Lord dropped this thought in my head "Be the best you, you can be." If God wanted me to be brilliant at hospitality He would have gifted me that way but as it is He gifted me in other things and God doesn't make mistakes! It doesn't mean we're less than the other person, it's just who they are and who God made them and us to be.

I wonder if you're struggling at the minute thinking life would be great if you could be or do what someone else can do, be all relaxed like them when you feel stressed, always have the right thing to say when you can't think of anything to say? 

If so, God wants to encourage us all today to just be who He made us to be and relax in that. He's not comparing us to anyone else and neither should we. He already knows the treasure He’s put in us and sees who we can become. I have to keep reminding myself I’m still a work in progress, how about you?

All God is asking of us is to be the best we can be and let Him bring out His treasure inside us, things we never knew were there or thought we would ever be capable of, with His help. For instance I never imagined I would be writing a Blog at seventy but God did! It's never too late to be used by God.😊

God chose you before the foundation of the world. He made you a masterpiece, one of a kind, there will never be another one like you and He's delighted with you so smile, and enjoy being the 'best you', the 'glorious you' today as you do the good things He has planned for you.