OPEN DOORS

John 6:20-21 NKJV But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

Have you ever been on a journey and someone in the car says, “Are we nearly there yet?”  They’re growing tired of the journey and they want to arrive at where they’re going!😊

Life is a bit like that when we have thoughts and plans of where we want to go but the journey is taking longer than we thought to get there. But this passage reassures our hearts because as long as we have invited Jesus into our boat, as long as we know it’s a journey He’s planned and not just something we’ve decided we want to do, then He will get us there as quickly as is necessary.

God says He will direct our paths, that He will make crooked paths straight, that all things work together for the good of those who love Him. We may not realise it at the time but closed doors we may have had can be just as important and helpful as open doors, and we can thank God for them. 

We all know that God’s timing is never wrong and He has moments of favour all lined up for us to walk into, when everything starts to fall into place, and the grace of God is on it which gives us His confidence to know we’re on the right path.😊

Isaiah 30:21 NLT Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.

The Holy Spirit wants you to know this, at the right time God will open the door that’s right for you and He will take you through it quicker than you thought possible, just like the disciples ‘immediately’ arrived at their destination! Be encouraged God is directing your path and it will be blessed. Amen.😊

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FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS

2 Peter 1:5-7 CEV Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love.

There are instructions with everything and if we do as they say, whether it’s putting a piece of furniture together or cooking a new recipe, we will have the desired result. In the same way the Bible is God’s instruction manual for life and if we’ll follow the Maker’s instructions we will have the good result God wants us to have.😊

For instance, when we follow His instructions for peace which we find in Philippians 4:4-8 then peace will follow but if we’re not prepared to do as He says we sabotage ourselves without realising it.

God never tells us to do something for the fun of it but for our own benefit, and when He says to cast down imaginations (2 Corinthians 10:5), He means for us to stop imagining bad scenarios that steal our peace, that disagree with what God says. When demons come to torment us with the ‘what ifs’ we need to obey God’s instruction and cast them down!

The secret is in putting something different in our minds, to deliberately think of something that lifts our spirit. Maybe you’re upset about a family member and how they’re behaving, so start seeing that person the way you would like them to be. Speak the promises of God over them by faith and ask Him to turn them around and thank Him for a good outcome because the Lord is able to do the impossible.

If your work place is difficult, bring it to the Lord and ask Him to bless it and the people in it so much that the whole atmosphere of the place changes for the better. Speak joy, peace and prosperity into it.😊

And if we’re struggling with depressing, fearful thoughts, bring them to the Prince of Peace and ask Him to make you strong in your spirit to resist those demons and dismiss them. Declare what God says, that you are more than a conqueror, a victor not a victim, that you have the mind of Christ and He is not depressed or afraid!

Let’s follow the Maker’s instructions this week and commit it to Him, believing His promise to surround us with His favour, and rest in His steadfast love for us because it’s all about you and Jesus doing it together.😊 Amen.

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BLESS THE LORD

Psalm 34:1-3 CEB 

I will bless the Lord at all times; 

his praise will always be in my mouth. 

I praise the Lord—let the suffering listen and rejoice. 

Magnify the Lord with me! 

Together let us lift his name up high!

I don’t know if you’ve read Psalm 34 recently but try reading it in different versions like The Message or CEV and others, it’s so encouraging.😊 It’s written by David who we know had experienced every kind of stress and distress imaginable but had remained steadfast in his faith in his God. 

When we find ourselves under pressure, or things seem to be all wrong, we may have a tendency to complain or mutter and even ask God where He is in it all! But God hasn’t gone anywhere, He’s right in the thick of it with us!😊

David discovered the secret of praising God when life was hard, even when his life was threatened, because he knew his God would not just hear his prayers, but would come to his rescue. He had proved it time and time again and he constantly reminded himself of what God had already done for Him and how mighty He is to deliver. We can do the same and remind ourselves of when God has come through for us before, when He forgave us, delivered us and never gave up on us.

David chose to bless God, to thank and praise Him because of who He is and because he knew his God would not let him down. His praise came out of a trusting, thankful heart, regardless of what was happening around him.

He wanted us to know praise defeats the enemy. Satan can’t stand being around people who are praising God for His goodness, faithfulness and loving kindness especially when we know we don’t deserve it, or things are going pear shaped!

So let’s be encouraged today to release our praise and bless the Lord, our wonderful Saviour, for all His goodness, for always hearing our prayers, and coming to our rescue.😊

Psalm 103:1 NKJV Bless the Lord O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Amen.

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DON’T OVERTHINK IT!

Matthew 6:34 NIV Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I wonder if you're like me because I can overthink a bus ticket! My daughter will sometimes say to me “You’re overthinking it mum!” and I’m glad she does because it helps me realise what I’m doing.😊

The trouble with overthinking is it takes us places we really didn’t need to go, where we weren’t supposed to go! For some reason we think we know what other people are thinking about us, when they’re probably not even thinking about us in the first place!😊

God reminds us to cast all our cares on Him, not to lean on our own understanding, not try to work everything out in advance. At the end of the day we can’t do anything about other people’s reactions or actions and they are God’s responsibility not ours.

Then there are the times when we overthink and try to do what only God can do and it’s so freeing to know God actually wants us to take our hands off and let Him do things His way without our so called ‘help’!😊

God has promised us grace for each day, for every situation. Maybe right now you ‘think’ you need to be involved or ‘think’ you should be helping in some way, but God will let us know if He wants us to do something and if He doesn’t then we can mind our own business because we probably all have enough things in our own lives to handle anyway!😊

So next time you catch yourself overthinking what you said and did, or what they said and did or what might or might not happen, or what you should be doing, or not doing, just take a breath and stop for a minute to remember we’re in God’s loving hands. Our God is merciful and if we’ll give it all to Him, He can sort everything out if we’ll only let Him!

So, maybe this is a good moment to commit our thoughts to the Lord and ask Him to help us stop overthinking everything, don’t you think!?😊 Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

Photo by Alazar Ferrazzini on Unsplash

NOTHING IS LOST

John 6:12 NKJV So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”

We all lose things from time to time and it’s usually my phone I can’t find! For others though it can feel like we’ve lost so much. It might be our health, our life companion, our job, even our hair, or maybe you lost your temper!😊

But Jesus is showing us something here in the feeding of the 5,000 which is worth another look. He didn’t want anything to be lost, nothing to be wasted, nothing left behind. He is saying to us today that every fragment of our lives is important to Him, every memory, every experience whether good or bad, every detail is not lost in His panorama of our lives because He sees the end from the beginning. Nothing has taken Him by surprise and if it matters to us then it’s important in God’s eyes too.

Maybe your life feels fragmented or like you’ve been left behind but know this, God has every bit of your life in the palm of His hand and when the time is right He will bring it all together in a way that will bless you and others.

There are countless testimonies of people who have seemingly lost so much but God gave them new purpose and He used their experiences to help others.😊 

Notice Jesus told His disciples to gather up the fragments that remained, and so He’s saying bring all the fragments, all the pieces of your life, no matter how they may appear to you, and ask Him to make sense out of them and use them for His glory, to bring something worthwhile out of them. 

Be encouraged today because He’s the God who restores our soul and who makes us whole. All the fragments of our lives matter, so don’t feel like any of it has been wasted because God doesn’t waste anything. Instead, gather them up and give them to Jesus and know He still has a purpose for them all, so that ‘nothing is lost’. In Jesus name. Amen.😊

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JESUS BRINGS LIFE AND TRUTH

John 10:10 AMPC The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

We all enjoy it when someone brings us a lovely surprise and it makes us feel good. Sometimes though we receive things from people we didn’t want - like bad news, or discouragement or unkind words.

Our verse tells us the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, he brings deceit, fear and lies, but Jesus brings life to the full, till it overflows. He brings integrity, love and truth.😊 The enemy brings confusion. Jesus brings clarity. Satan wants to distract us from our goal. Jesus guides us to it. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Satan is the wrong way, the con, the liar and deceiver.

It’s good to check we’re listening to the right voice and when we hear that things are getting worse, do we tend to despair or do we counteract it? 

We can say “The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter, if God be for me then no one can be against me, no weapon formed against me will succeed, goodness and mercy are overtaking me.”

We can learn to react to situations or given facts, with faith not fear. The important thing is that any facts we are given can all be changed!😊 Listen to what God says in His word:

Jeremiah 32:17 Nothing is too hard for God. Luke 1:37 With God all things are possible. 

Genesis 18:14 Is anything too hard for the Lord?  Job 42:2 I know that You can do all things. 

His Word says God forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases (Psalm 103), He heals the brokenhearted, He restores our souls, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, that God has promised to uphold, strengthen and help us. 

Those are only a few of the truths, the rock on which we stand! If the enemy has told you, you are helpless or hopeless, remember Jesus says we are more than conquerors. Let’s listen to Jesus who tells the truth!😊

Heavenly Father, No prayer is too big for You, no problem is beyond Your power, and You are working things out for the good. Thank You Jesus is bringing His truth and life, His integrity and His love into our lives. Amen.

 

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IF YOU ONLY KNEW

John 4:10: Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

I expect we’ve all looked back on life and said to ourselves at some point, “If I only knew then, what I know now!” They say experience teaches us all, but it can be unpleasant sometimes. Thank God there is another way because 2 Timothy 3:16 says God’s word will teach us what to do if we’ll obey it.😊

God has given us the Holy Spirit who has all wisdom and, as we saw yesterday, if we’d only ask Him first about everything, we’d save ourselves some heartache! Do we ever find ourselves having knee jerk reactions to situations especially when we’re tired? Or worse, we don’t even want to ask and then suffer the consequences, or maybe we do ask but don’t like God’s answer and think we know better!

Jesus is saying to each one of us every day. “If you only knew the great love I have for you, how much My heart is to bless you, if you only knew how much I have already placed inside you for you to call on, if you only knew and believed My great love casts out all fear, if you only knew the good plans, the mercy and compassion, the favour your Father has for you.”

Jesus didn’t tell the lady she would never know, so tough luck! He said “If you only knew what I have for you, you would ask and I would give you ….” God is still saying the same thing to us.

So let’s do whatever scripture is instructing us to do. Do the asking, seeking and knocking, and do it in faith, not in doubt or desperation, and even if it’s not the answer we thought we wanted, it will be right! May our expectation be one of good because it says to taste and see that the Lord is good, not mean or stingy or hard hearted!😊

Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe…

God wants us to know and believe what He has stored up for us, so be encouraged and ask so we can receive all the good He has prepared for each one of us, and thank Him for it.😊 In Jesus’ name. Amen.

WHO ARE WE CONSULTING?

Joshua 9:14 NLT So the Israelites examined their food but they did not consult the Lord.

Some people consult their horoscopes, others consult a friend, many are waiting to consult their doctors, while others consult AI or Google! But if we’re wise, the person to consult first about anything and everything is God Himself!😊

When Joshua had won mighty victories over two kings in the land, the Gibeonites pretended to have travelled many miles in order to deceive Joshua and his people into thinking they were not a threat, so they wouldn’t kill them all! 

Unfortunately Joshua and the Israelites consulted the evidence before their eyes, of stale bread and worn out sandals, but didn’t consult the Lord, and they signed a covenant to protect the Gibeonites which was a big mistake because they actually lived near by! They were conned!

When we read that story we realise how important it is to consult the Lord first in our lives about our decisions, about what we’re ‘allowing’ to infiltrate our territory. So often it’s tempting to look at what we can see physically rather than what God says in His word!

For instance, when God tells us to do something, we’ll often look at our bank balance first to see if we can afford it! When an infection or sickness hits us, do we look at the evidence of the doctor’s report or how we feel, and just accept it, or do we ask the Lord to help us fight it off and resist the thing, standing on His promises?

Our culture teaches us to accept a lot of things, when in reality God has equipped us for every battle, whether it’s financial, emotional, physical or relational and promises us the victory.

God tells us we’re strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, so let’s always consult Him first about everything, so we’re not deceived by the enemy and not give him even an inch in our lives. As God keeps reminding us, we are more than conquerors, let’s believe it! Amen.😊

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JUST SUPPOSING

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Do you ever find yourself thinking the worst instead of the best? When the enemy gives you the thought, “Just supposing I lose my job” or “Supposing prices keep increasing and I can’t pay the bills”, or “Supposing I lose my health or I don’t get better”, or some other negative scenario, what do we do with those thoughts? 

We can remind ourselves God has good plans for us, to prosper us and not to harm us, and believe it!  Know that even when storms do come He has promised us His grace will be sufficient for each day. We can declare God is on our side, no weapon formed against us will prosper, and He has promised to restore health back to us, and give us a satisfying long life, that He will meet our needs as we trust Him. 

We can turn the negatives round, “Just supposing I walk in extra energy and strength today. Supposing I have so much I can go and be a blessing to someone who’s struggling. Just supposing my family have a change of heart and come to know Jesus this year. Supposing I get a job that is way beyond anything I thought possible or have a home that’s better than I even imagined” You see it can work both ways! It’s our choice and it’s called faith based on God’s word. Believing for good not bad!😊

The enemy will tempt us to give in to his negative thoughts through worry, which tends to draw negative things towards us, but when we walk by faith we’ll have the right thinking, the right ‘Just Supposings’. 

Proverbs 23:7 NKJV reminds us that what is in our hearts will come out of our mouths unless we ask God to renew our hearts and our thinking. Are we asking?

As we begin another week let’s choose to believe and declare what God says and have the right ‘Just Supposings’’. Believe for the best day, the best week, that whatever we put our hand to will prosper, that He is restoring our strength and health, and that we‘re going to see God’s favour all over our lives.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo: Brett Jordan on Unsplash

FAITHFUL ONE

Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT 

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! 

His mercies never cease. 

Great is his faithfulness; 

his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I had the song running through my head "Faithful One, So Unchanging", written in 1989, but it’s still relevant today.

Our God is unchanging, so faithful to us all, and His love and mercy never fail, which is so reassuring in a changing world where nothing seems to stay the same for very long at all! He’s the same to you and me as He was with the disciples, with Moses and King David!😊

He is the only One who we know will never leave us or forsake us, who will never let us down. He’s the One who hears our every heart cry, who understands us when we don’t understand ourselves, and the song says, ‘He is our Rock of Peace, the Anchor who holds us steady in the storms.’

2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. I wonder if we’ve thanked Him today for being so faithful to each one of us, for not giving up on us when we maybe wander off, when we doubt His promises are for us, and forget we owe everything to Him.

God tells us to depend wholly on Him for everything, not to lean on our own understanding or performance. It’s all about what Jesus has done and I was reminded recently that when we feel discouraged with ourselves, we have been trusting in ourselves instead of trusting in God! That really struck home!  

1 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Just in case we’ve been ‘trying to do’ anything relying on our performance, let’s go back to the Faithful One and put all our dependance back on Jesus and know He is our Rock of Peace and we can call out to Him again and again, knowing He is our Faithful God. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Here’s the link to ‘Faithful One’ if you’d like to listen😊:

https://youtu.be/8lhLiLXS5qQ?si=kM3LoIn1YKsVeOk9

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A GOOD DAY TO HAVE A GOOD DAY

Psalm 118:24 NCV This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!

I saw this plate in a gift shop and it says, “Today is a good day to have a good day”. I like that thought, don’t you?😊 Maybe you woke up this morning and thought about all you have to do and wanted to crawl back under the duvet! But the psalmist reminds us to rejoice in the Lord because He made today and we can choose to be glad in it, not sad in it!

Two of the many reasons why we can do that is because God loves us, and we are surrounded by His favour when we belong to Him.😊 Jeremiah 31:3 says God has loved us with an everlasting love and He draws us to Himself, David says we are surrounded by God’s favour like a shield (Psalm 5:12 NKJV). So what difference does knowing that make to our day?

Let me put it like this, when you woke up this morning God was waiting for you to open your eyes because He has favour all lined up to pour out on whatever you need to do today so that you’re at the right place at the right time to receive His blessings, to help you with your tasks.

When the enemy comes to accuse us of our short comings, he’s trying to make us think God is not pleased with us, but nothing could be further from the truth! It’s a lie! God calls us precious in His eyes (Isaiah 43:4 ESV) and there is now no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1). He’s not mad at us about anything because He sees us in Jesus. Remember His love is everlasting and His favour is now all over us, but we need to believe it and receive it.😊 

When we go for interviews have the mindset which says “Thank You Father I have your favour on me for this job.” When we go to the shops, “Thank You Lord I will be at the right place at the right time for bargains today because I have Your favour.” When you go about your routines at home or in the workplace, “Thank You Lord Your favour is helping me do things well today.”

If we keep confessing we have God’s favour (because He says we do), we shall be able to rejoice and be glad and know ‘today is a good day to have a good day’, whatever day it is, because God is in it with us, and His favour and love are all over us because of Jesus. 😊Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

WAKE UP TO JOY

Psalm 16:11 NLT You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

I woke up really early this morning and I kept hearing ‘Psalm 16:11’ going through my head. I couldn’t remember what it was so I looked it up and read the above. I thought what a lovely way to wake up and how blessed we are to be able to come into the joy of the presence of God Himself. You did the same whether you realised it or not. We just need reminding, don’t we?😊

Whatever our day may bring, whether it has frustrations or lovely memories to be made, places to go, things to do, we know we have a God who loves us so much He wants to be involved in it all and show us the best way to go.

It says we have the joy of His presence and it doesn’t come any better than to know our God is present with us whatever the time of day or night. Psalm 139 reminds us that wherever we go, even if you feel like you’re in the pits, even there, it says God will be certain to be there with us, sustaining, helping, and holding us up. What a blessing!

Why is it a joy? It’s because God loves us and is rooting for us. You could say He has your photo in His wallet.😊 You’re so precious to Him He even has your name written on the palm of His hand, and He’s thinking about you all the time. Isn’t it lovely to be with someone who loves you like that?

Just think, we have the joy of living with God forever, in the presence of the King of Kings, the One who never withholds anything good from us. The One who upholds all things by the word of His power which includes you and me and all that concerns us. 

Do you have concerns today? Then know that you can turn to your loving Heavenly Father to show you what to do because He’s right there with you. 

Enjoy being in His presence and the pleasure of living with Him every moment of your day and let Him put a smile on your face every morning you wake up.😊 Amen.

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DON’T BE INTIMIDATED

Mark 11:28 NLT They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

We can sometimes feel intimidated by situations or people and that is what was happening at that moment with the Pharisees and Jesus.

Jesus had overturned the money tables in the temple, and the Pharisees demanded to know who gave Him the authority to do it! But Jesus knew exactly who He was and what He was doing, so instead of excusing His actions, He turned it around on them and asked them a question instead!

Jesus knew God had given Him His authority to do what He’d told Him to do, so no one could intimidate Him. In the same way, God wants us to know we belong to Him, we are a blood bought child of God, filled with His Holy Spirit, anointed and approved by God Himself because of Jesus, so we can be strong and have courage when we’re faced with intimidating situations.

God wants us to remember He has given us His authority to be above and not under the circumstances, to be the head over the devil and not the tail, to remember he is beneath our feet and that God Himself is backing us up.

That’s why God tells us to resist the devil, because God is standing right beside us, but He is waiting for us to speak, to use the authority He delegated to us, and when we do He backs it up with all of heaven’s armies!

Psalm 128:6 NLT The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

Romans 8:31 NLT … If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

So, whatever situation springs up, whoever tries to intimidate us, let’s remember who we are, that it’s principalities and powers we’re dealing with, not flesh and blood. We are not helpless because God Almighty is right there and He has already given us the victory, He has declared we are more than conquerors in Jesus! We are victors not victims! Glory to God!😊Amen.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

AT HOME

John 1:14 NLT So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

I wonder if you’ve done any spring cleaning yet? Washed down those cupboards, Washed any windows? Wherever our home is, whether it’s one room or a mansion, it reflects us and is a gift from God.😊

Now we may live in a home full of people or we may live on our own, but when someone we love comes to stay we want them to be at home in our home. In this verse we read about Jesus, who is The Word, leaving the splendours of His heavenly home and all its glory, to come and make His home among us!

That is an astounding thought! Why would the Maker of all things, the One who reigns in majesty come and humble Himself to become like one of those He had created, to rub shoulders with the least, the lost, the downtrodden, as well as the so called high ups?

Scripture reminds us that God is love, He breathes, walks and talks love and He has directed it towards us, His creation. Everything He does comes from His heart of love and He has come to make His home among us! 

The thing is, have we made Him welcome in our home, does He feel at home in every room or do we keep Him out of some areas? 

When the Holy Spirit moves in to take up residence in our hearts He’s going to do some spring cleaning, maybe clean off some dusty attitudes and sweep out some prejudices. But what a privilege to have the King of Kings, the One who is full of unfailing love and faithfulness, come and make our home His home.😊 

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit feels at home in our homes, that His presence permeates every space so when people come to visit us they feel His presence, His peace and His love, that there’s something different about our home, and if He needs to do some spring cleaning and clear out some stuff, we allow Him to do it.😊 Amen.

DON’T GO THERE!

Philippians 4:8 NLT 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 things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

So… what’s on your mind? What have you been thinking about? Sunny days and ice creams? Or sad days and worried dreams? So often we think about things, without even realising it!😊 Thoughts just come and run riot - unless we take control of them. We do have a choice and depending on our choice, depends the result - peace or turmoil!

Now we know we all want peace and nobody enjoys turmoil, so what do we do about it? When worry thoughts, disturbing, negative, hurtful, ‘what if’ thoughts try to sneak in, we have to make a stand and DON’T GO THERE!

It’s a bit like a terrier dog seeing a rabbit hole, it can’t resist it and it goes down the hole! But we’re a child of God, filled with His Spirit, and we have His help and authority to take control of our thoughts. We see the rabbit hole and hear God’s Spirit saying, “Don’t go there!” We either obey or we don’t! 

There’s fear down that hole, upset and sleepless nights, there’s stress and tension there, so why on earth do we want to go down the rabbit hole when we don’t have to? 

I put my hand up, I’ve gone down that rabbit hole so often so don’t get me wrong, this is not to condemn us in any shape or form, it’s to encourage us to recognise the rabbit hole when it first appears in our minds and slam the door shut on it and Don’t Go There! 

Ask the Holy Spirit for His help, read scripture, bind the spirit of fear, plead the blood of Jesus, remember we have the Lion of the Tribe of Judah on the inside and ROAR back at the enemy, resist him and tell him to go! Instead, fill it in with the uplifting thoughts Paul talks about in our verse; pure, lovely, honourable, God’s Word thoughts. 

God says we have been given a spirit of love, power and a ‘sound mind’ which also means a disciplined mind so we can use it, and remember when negative thoughts start we have a choice and just say out loud, ‘I am NOT going there!” over and over again if need be! Amen.😊

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BIGGER ON THE INSIDE

Ephesians 1:19 NLT I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

If you ever watched Dr. Who and his time machine you will know the ‘Tardis’ blue police box, which was small on the outside but much bigger when you went inside, and it travelled through time and space!😊

If we’ve asked Jesus into our lives then He has recreated our spirits and made us new creations, and as I thought about it I realised we’re a bit like the Tardis! We may look as though we’re ordinary human beings on the outside but inside we have the Spirit of God Himself and our capacity is now much bigger!😊

Just think, Ephesians 1:8 NLT He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. We have access to the wisdom of God! Jesus has also delegated His authority to us and told us that what we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, what we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven; that all things are possible to the one who believes!

God has also given us the spiritual gifts like prophecy, knowledge, and discernment. He’s given us the gift of faith to see things change when we believe, the gift of healings and miracles which transform lives. But even more, He has given us the gospel to share which will change time and eternity forever for the people who accept it.😊

Jesus’ death and resurrection changed everything so we can use the wisdom, the resources and authority God has placed inside us, and share the good news that this life is not all there is, but there is hope for the future, forgiveness and peace with God through Jesus and it’s all available right now. 

Lord open our eyes to know You and what You have already placed within us, that we’re much bigger on the inside than we are on the outside. In Jesus name. Amen.

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THE TRIUMPH OF THE EMPTY TOMB!

Luke 24:5-6 NLT 

The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. 

Then the men asked, 

“Why are you looking among the dead 

for someone who is alive? 

He isn’t here! 

He is risen from the dead! …

For the disciples and Jesus the week leading up to the Resurrection was a story of temptation, trial and trauma but finally of absolute triumph. 

The Crisis of the Cross became the Triumph of the Empty Tomb!

Sometimes our lives reflect that week. Those times of trials and being tempted to make a wrong choice; when trauma may suddenly hit the family and we’re confused and can’t understand it all. A bit like the disciples probably felt when they woke up early on Sunday morning and pulled the sheets up over their heads, not wanting to face the day alone without The Master, not knowing God had already done the impossible!

They had no idea of the joy still to come, no idea of the victory that was already unfolding because they were only part way through, and they didn’t know the end from the beginning. But God did!

We can take such hope from it all because we’re this side of the Cross and the Resurrection and we have a certain hope beyond all hopes.😊 We are on the victory side and when we’re tempted to look at our story when it’s only part way through, God keeps reminding us we can look at the Resurrection and know Jesus has given us His victory, that joy is on it’s way and give God all the thanks and praise for all He is doing, and all He has done.

Romans 12:2 NKJV looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. That’s a picture of victory! 

When we see the upsets in the world let’s not forget to keep looking to Jesus because there is always hope in Him. It’s all about Jesus and He is now sat down at God’s right hand, in victory! 

We can join together and celebrate and shout for joy today because we have a Saviour, a Redeemer and He has given us hope beyond all expectation. He has made a way back to His Father. 

Christ is Risen indeed! Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Be blessed this Easter Day.x😊

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HALF THE STORY

Luke 23:48 NLT And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.

Friday had come and gone and the hopes and dreams of the disciples seemed to have gone with it. They were broken hearted. The future they had expected and trained for, for the past three years, appeared to have come to nothing. They had ridden high on miracles, crested the waves of storms and seen Jesus walk on water, and now the One they loved had gone.

Even the dead were raised and nothing had seemed impossible, the world was their oyster, but then so-called reality hit hard. It looked as though it had all been for nothing, as though it had been false hopes and dreams and they were disillusioned, disappointed, disheartened and depressed! Things looked bad!

Ever been there? Ever had everything fall apart? If so, you will know how they felt but when we feel like that we’re only seeing half the story, looking at it from man’s point of view, when all the while God was, and is, working mightily behind the scenes.

That Saturday morning Jesus was no longer on earth but He was busy conquering every demon in hell and taking the keys of death and hell off the devil himself once and for all.

In the same way, when we see things in our lives that look hopeless, and we’re maybe feeling brokenhearted or depressed, we need to know this, Jesus is working mightily behind the scenes in our lives too!😊

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and He has promised to turn things around for good, to those who love the Lord.(Romans 8:28) Now that’s a promise and it’s waiting for us to stop focusing on the problem, and only seeing half the story, and instead starting to declare the promises of God in faith.

Sunday is on the way. Resurrection is on the way. Turn around is on the way, so the Holy Spirit is encouraging us to reach out in faith to believe it, receive it and take it. And let’s not forget to thank Him for it in advance.😊 In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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SO THANKFUL FOR THE CROSS

Psalm 79:13 NLT Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation.

If it wasn’t for the Cross we wouldn’t be able to be one of the sheep of His pasture, but praise God we are.😊

Today is a special day to be thankful and remind ourselves Jesus gave His life on the Cross for our sakes, to bring us into close relationship with His Father, to be part of His family, to rescue us from judgement and an eternity in Hell separated from God forever. 

What a Saviour we have, and how thankful we are for Jesus being willing to shed His life blood so we can be forgiven, we can be called righteous and holy and seen as blameless in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. It boggles the mind, especially when we know we don’t deserve any of it, but it’s true!

There was a raid by the soldiers, on the Garden of Gethsemane that night, and it led to the road that led to the Cross and Jesus walked every step for you and for me. Maybe we need to walk that road to the Cross again today and remind ourselves of all Jesus has done not only for us, but for every person on the planet who will receive it.

He paid the debt we owe in full, and His grace is now overflowing into our lives. What a Saviour!

How wonderful it is to know we can come to the throne room today and find mercy, His forgiveness, the abundant overflowing of His grace, and receive the gift of His righteousness.😊

God is encouraging us to come and receive all that He offers us, to enter into all that is now ours, and be so thankful for the Cross, thankful for the shed blood, thankful for all Jesus is to us and praise His greatness, today and forever, from generation to generation. Glory to Your name Lord. 

And if you have never invited Jesus into your life, or if you have wandered away, know God loves you and offers you His forgiveness. This is a lovely opportunity to open your heart, repent of your sin, and let Him rescue you and give you His gift of right standing with Him and His new life today. Just come. Amen.

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PRESENCE, PASSION AND PURPOSE

Psalm 16:11 NKJV You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

‘Oh, to be in England, now that April’s there’. That famous line is from a poem by Robert Browning in 1845 when he longed to be in England. We may all long to be somewhere at different times in life, especially if we’re far from home, but the Psalmist had a different longing. 

He longed to be in God’s presence because he knew that’s where he would find fulness of joy. Since we have the Holy Spirit living in us, we’re always in God’s presence now, but we may forget, or don’t always recognise He’s with us. Sometimes it’s good to stop and just be aware of His presence, especially when life is challenging, and let Him give us His supernatural joy!😊

God has such a zeal and a passion for the lost that it caused Jesus to go to the Cross in our place to reconcile us to His Father. God wants to release that passion in us so we’ll go and bring back to Him those who are lost and need a Saviour, so He can give them His forgiveness and love.

That is our purpose in life, to find joy in His presence, that releases His passion in our souls and motivates us to do what God calls us to do and be all He calls us to be. 

It may be to witness to someone in the shopping queue, or to tell a neighbour God loves them, or to text someone who needs encouraging, or to write a blog.😊 

God’s heart, His passion is to find the lost, to heal the brokenhearted and the sick, to bring peace to troubled hearts, to set captives free, but most of all to bring them into His presence, His family, and save them from the judgement to come. 

Lord, may we live in the joy of Your presence, fill us with Your passion, and help us to fulfil the purpose You have for each of our lives. In Jesus name. Amen.

WHO ARE WE FOLLOWING?

John 10:3-4 NLT The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. V.27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Everybody is following something! Some people follow TV soaps or programmes, or celebrities, others follow the news, and others tell us to follow our own hearts, but Jesus said something different. 

He told us that if we are His sheep we will follow Him.😊 Who or what are we following?

Psalm 23 tells us the Lord is our Shepherd and He wants us to remember we are His sheep!😊 Sheep are totally dependent on their shepherd and when they hear His voice they follow Him. Sometimes they wander off and get a bit lost, but if that happens to us we don’t have to struggle to find our way back, we call out to our shepherd knowing He will leave the 99 to find us. 

When that happens, all a sheep has to do is allow the Shepherd to pick it up and put it on His shoulders to take it back to safety and that’s what Jesus wants to do for us. 

When sheep have flies plaguing them the shepherd anoints their head with oil, and when we’re plagued by troubles He wants us to come to the good Shepherd for Him to anoint our head with the oil of His peace and protection. He provides our every need.

In Psalm 23 God gives us this amazing picture of the total dependence of sheep on the shepherd and all He wants to do for us, so why not let Him show you as you read it again?😊

Be encouraged, God loves us and is giving us a gentle reminder to know Jesus is calling each one of us by name, we’re not just a number in a flock! He knows your name, and He’s calling you today to follow Him, and allow Him to pick you up if you’ve fallen over, and let Him carry you on His shoulders if you’re feeling lost. In Jesus name. Amen.

1 Peter 2:25 NLT He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.

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