Grace

What is the meaning of Grace?  Psalm84:11 says:  For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows (present) grace and favor and (future) glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)!  No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

God is Love and in Ps84:11, He shows us His forgiving nature and His immeasurable Grace over us, but that does not mean that we can simply sin and God's Grace must cover it.  No, His Grace is there when we repent (and we no longer do this wrong thing/s).  God does not remove His Grace from us, we remove ourselves from His  Grace when we sin and think that we can say sorry and carry on doing those same things that are sin.

Satan wants us to feel wrong, worthless, and like hopeless messes.  He knows that without confidence we will never step out in faith to fulfill our God-ordained destinies.  He knows if he can keep us in the prison of self-hatred, self-rejection, or just plain not liking ourselves that he will prevent us from making progress or ever being a threat to him and to the kingdom of darkness.

We must believe we have been made righteous in God's sight before we will behave rightly.

I know that God's Grace is over me and my family, because over the past 10 months we have lived through really tough times daily.  Some days we had only bread to eat other days we had no electricity, etc., but through it all God's Grace was and still is with us.  I know this because He sent strangers to help us, be it financially or otherwise.  I remember one time sitting in church hearing how someone was helped by a stranger and thought wow how does that happen.  Well I have lived it, but it is not something that I can explain, because God's Grace is not something you can explain, you live it.

God loves us so much that He favor's us even though we have sinned against Him.  His forgiveness is so great that He immediately steps in and starts changing things and the changes might not be apparent immediately (because His timing is always right), but He is working on it.  I know this.  Just another example of His Grace is the fact that we have during all this time managed to keep our vehicles not because we wanted to, but I believe God wanted us to.  If it was not His desire for us He would allow for it to be removed.  We are still living in the same house even though satan tried to have us evicted many times, God did not allow it.  There no such thing as luck it is only God's Grace.

And if you think that you have no blessings while going through a difficult time, think again.  What about your family, your husband your wife, your children?  All the little things behind the scenes that we don't think to thank God for everyday?  He takes care of all that while we often go and have our own little pity party saying Lord why can't I have this and why can't I have that.  Instead of thanking Him for what we do have.

That is His Grace!  What if He decided one day well you have not thanked me for this or that and He takes it all away?  Think about that.  But He would not do that, because He loves us so much and He does not change, but we change.

Ephesians2:8 says:  For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through (your) faith.  And this (salvation) is not of yourselves (of your own doing, it came not through your own striving), but it is the gift of God.

God wants only good things for us, not bad - light not darkness.







 

I can only imagine

I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by Your side. 

I can only imagine what my eyes will see when Your face is before me.

I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel, will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still, will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall. Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine

I can only imagine when that day comes and I find myself standing in the sun 

I can only imagine when all I will do is forever forever worship You

I can only imagine


Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall, will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all 

I can only imagine


I can only imagine when all I will do is forever, forever worship you

I can only imagine

Singing these words of this song by Mercy Me one Sunday morning a very long time ago I felt compelled to lift my head toward heaven and suddenly Jesus's face was before me.  His forehead almost touching mine.  With my eyes closed I could see His face surrounded by this very very bright golden light.  I could not open my eyes, but I remember feeling this wonderful peace and warmth.  He smiled at me and I could feel His love all around me.

      

SS Bitterness

Are you sailing on the SS Bitterness and if you are is it fun?

If your answer is no then don't you think it's time for you to get off?

Well I have!  Bitterness is in no way good for you.  It's like drinking poison and hoping that someone else is going to die.

Bitterness comes from anger and unforgiveness.  You cannot think that today you can be angry about something and tomorrow it will just be gone, because satan will constantly remind you of it if you do not resolve it in your heart and set the other person free by forgiving them and also forgiving yourself.  We do not have to live in bondage all the time.  We can choose to be free.

Luke 15:11-31 tells us about the prodigal who asked his father for inheritance,goes out into the world and
eventually ends up with nothing.  Very ashamed he decides to go home with no hope that his father will welcome him, but his father welcomes him with open arms and gives a party in his honor.

In verse 27 the elder brother who had been working out in the field comes home only to see what the father had done and it angers him.

Verse 28 says But (the elder brother) was angry (with deep-seated wrath) and resolved not to go in.  Then his father came out and began to plead with him.

In verse 28 it talks about the brother having deep-seated wrath, which means that he was not only angry he was bitter.  He had an anger in him towards his younger brother which caused him to be bitter and the reason for that was probably because he was jealous.

Jealousy (Covetousness) is spoken of in Luke12:15 where it says - And He (Jesus) said to them.  Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man's life does consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.

Being jealous of others does not make us happy it takes our happiness away and fills us with bitterness and resentment, because we think that they have more than we do.  It might be true, but God has a plan for each of us and His plan does include for us to be happy with what we have.  If you are not happy with your car, your house, or your partner, remember you chose them or maybe that is what God gave you to see how grateful you would be?

Often times God puts us in situations in order for us to manifest our true feelings about things we feel are not right or things we see others have and we also want.  But God wants us to repent from being jealous, bitter and forgive ourselves and others in order for Him to bless us to the full.

He does say in His Word that we can go before Him and ask Him for the things we want, but He will decide whether we are mature enough to cope with it.  Ouch.

If you cannot work with money you cannot expect God to give you a lot of it, if you cannot handle a little bit of it.  He tells us that we need to be good stewards.

You could be jealous of a friend because they have a nice car or a house.  You need to repent because your house could be just as nice, but because of jealousy you don't see it.

Maybe someone did something to you or treated you in a way that was not right.  You need to forgive them and let go of the bitterness.  Just remember at some point you could have done something to them or maybe not have done something for them which made them feel the same.  Ask God to forgive you and also forgive them, because on both sides there will be bitterness.

Don't think that what the other person did was so bad that you cannot forgive.  We all experience hurt in different ways, but God tells us to forgive to heal ourselves and to free ourselves and the other person.  You might feel that your hurt is of such a nature that you cannot do it, but remember bitterness is like cancer it eats away at you bit by bit until there is only bitterness, anger and resentment left and then you die!

Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?  Do yourself a favor and forgive.  And remember the other person might be someone that you might never see again or that the Bible tells us to keep away from (wrong friends), or maybe it is someone who has passed away and you feel that you can never resolve the issue, but that is not true.  God forgives and He never says that He cannot forgive you, because someone is dead, but you still have to forgive and ask for it.

Facing your mountains

Philippians4:13 says I (you and I) have strength for ALL (not some) THINGS in Christ Who empowers me (I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency).


Is this really what we believe?  Well is it?  When I think about the question, the answer is NO we don't.

Ephesians6:11 says Put on God's whole armor (the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies), that you may be able successfully to stand up against (ALL) the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

This is the mental picture that we would all have of what the soldier should looks like, but God's Word tells us that we put on His armor.  His Word.

Ephesians6:12-13 says For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents), but against the despotisms (tyrannies), against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day (of danger), and, having done all (the crises demands), to stand (firmly in your place).  (Meaning you will not be moved).

In other words we are not fighting flesh and blood, so guns are not going to help us only God's Word which we need to know and be able to quote and stand on when the devil attacks us.  The picture of the soldier is simply an illustration of how we must guard our bodies and our minds with God's Word.  (There must be not place for satan to enter).

Let's say your mountain that you are facing is anger.  You know you have a problem with anger and need to resolve it.  If you are going let God be the Lord of your life He needs to change you.  So anger needs to go.
But He is not going to let you go to Him and say God please help me with my anger and not give you an assignment on anger?  Think about it.  So He allows your anger to be tested and if you do not succeed the first time He will continue your test until you get 100%. Oh and remember the person or situation on the other end is your test.  God uses anyone to do things in our lives whether they are good or bad.  He uses people.  Also remember just because you passed today does not mean you cannot be tested again.  Mmm

And so are all our mountains that we face.  It does not matter what it is.  If it is an issue in your life God is going to use it to make (not ask your permission) you change.  God wants us to be holy, but we cannot be holy if we have things that are hindering us.

The reason why we are brought down by our mountains is because we allow satan to come into our minds with "stupid" thoughts and we entertain them instead of telling him where to get off.  He cannot do anything to you if you do not allow it.  Remember God has given us free will so if your will is to let satan play with your mind then you are going to suffer the consequences, right?  It is so much easier to give in and say I can't do this than to be like the lion in picture above and say TRY ME!  I have got God on my side, satan you loose.

I remember standing in church one Sunday morning during praise and worship and God spoke to me about a similar picture of a lion that was hanging on the wall.  He said to me - we all have the spirit of that lion in us we just need to find it.  We need to stop being mice in the army of God.

Our mountains are our bondage and God leads us out of a situation to deliver us from any kind of bondage, but it is a process and God takes us through it one step at a time and then He gives us something better.
At times God will lead us the hard way instead of the easy way because He is doing a specific work in us.  How will we ever learn to lean on God if everything in our lives is easy for us to handle by ourselves?

God lead the Israelites the long, difficult way through the wilderness in preparation for the battles they would face in possessing the Promised Land.  God wanted to teach them Who He was and that they could depend on Him to fight their battles (and ours).

Many of us think when we enter our Promised Land we will not have anymore spiritual battles, but that is not so!  If you know God has asked you to do something, do not back down just because it gets hard.  When things get tough, spend more time with Him, lean more on Him, and receive more grace from Him.
Grace does not come at a cost to you; grace is the power of God working in and through you to do those things you cannot do.

Be aware of your thoughts - I can't do this; it's just too hard.  Do not let your mind give up!  satan knows that if he can defeat you in your mind, he can defeat you in your experience.  That is why it so important not to lose heart and not grow weary or faint.  God is able to keep you.  God will never allow more to come on you than you can bear.

1 Corinthians10:13 says For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), (no matter how it comes or where it leads) has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man (that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear).  But God is faithful (to His Word and to His compassionate nature), and He (can be trusted) not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation he will (always) also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

So are you ready to face your mountain?

Lord help me to do something DYNAMIC for You today!

Wisdom

Doesn't this question just say it all?  Where is the WISDOM we have lost in knowledge?  Just because you know a lot of things it does not make you wise.  Just because you are educated it does not make you wise.  Just because you have lived to the ripe old age of 70 it does not make you wise.


Proverbs8:11 says For skillful and Godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

When we look at the world today there is so much "knowledge" all around us and some of the things are simply to astounding to even put into words.  From the point of creation we have come a long way as far as knowledge goes.

Knowledge however is not Wisdom.  When you get your driver's license you have knowledge about how to drive a car, but Wisdom knows that you don't go racing down the road and challenge everyone you see to see who can drive the fastest?  Wisdom is what you get when you study God's Word and meditate on it.  Wisdom comes from having a very close relationship with your Heavenly Father.  Talking to Him about everything in your life on a daily basis.

Wisdom does not come from books, yes we can obtain knowledge, but it does not teach us to be wise.  Wisdom is only obtained from God. It comes from the inner "man" which is connected to God.  When faced with daily situations Wisdom is the only way that you will be able to deal with a difficulty in your life (don't let your emotions steal your Wisdom), because when you have God's Wisdom you will be able to act in a self-controlled manner no matter what you are facing.

You will be able to make "common sense" decisions based on the Wisdom which has been given to you by the reading of the Word firstly and then from praying or speaking to God and asking Him to guide your steps.

Living by common sense is not difficult; simply do what you would want others to do to you.  Pay your bills on time, communicate properly; mix encouragement with correction so a person's spirit is not broken (this is very important), etc.  We have enough common sense to know what to do to stay out of trouble.

Romans8:6 says Now the mind of the flesh (which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit) is death (death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter).  But the mind of the (Holy) Spirit is life and (soul) peace (both now and forever).

When we ask (pray) for Wisdom we will be able to think (rational), speak (softly, not whispering, but toned) and act (controlled) in Wisdom, because it will be God controlled and not uncontrolled.

Lord help me to do something DYNAMIC for You today!

DO NOT DISTURB!

Do you have a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign hanging around your neck?

1John4:8 says He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him), for God is love.

Sounds a bit harsh doesn't it, but unfortunately it is very true in the church today.  If churches today are not involved in any kind of missionary work then what are they doing to help others?  We are not there to warm the seats we are there to help others to get people into church not chase them away.  That is why it is called "outreach" and not "in-reach"!  Go out into the world and share the good news.

People will go where they are welcomed and feel welcome.  There is always a need somewhere.  If someone comes to you at church and says I have a problem, help them.  Don't say I will pray for you.  Praying is good, but it does not help that person standing there in front of you and if they are speaking to you maybe that is a sign that God wants YOU yes YOU to help them.  We have to see every opportunity as a blessing from God to sow something.  What you sow, you will reap, remember.  If they have a R50 need and you have R100 in your wallet meet that need, give them R50.  Praying does not take the problem away and God tells us all to help not only some of us.  If you are able to meet that need there and then do it.

You don't have to first go pray about it or wait for a sign.  The sign is standing in front of you.  People will say to you oh I just love you with the love of the Lord.  Well prove it!  So many of us are happy to say that, but we don't want to be disturb with other peoples problems.

Love is God's passion and if you cannot show love then you are simply an empty "vessel".  Colossians3:14 says we need put on love.  You can love on purpose, but remember love always costs you something.  To meet a need that someone else has no matter what it is.

It's amazing how many of us will say YES I want to help, sure I will help, until our number gets called out and then we fall flat, because we have to get out of our comfort zones and actually to something.  Yip God's Word says you must sow to reap and that does not always refer to money, it can be your time, anything that God feels you can do.

Matthew24:12 says And the love of the great body of people (referring to the church) will grow cold, because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity.

We have hardened our hearts toward others, because of the world.  But we need to get back to the basics as it tells us in the Word of God and do, do, do!  Every time you get a God idea somebody is going to tell you, you cannot do it.  Overcome evil with good.  Prove them wrong.

We all have good in us, we just need to go back and find it.

Lord help me to do something DYNAMIC for You today!

Are you patient or are you a patient?

1Corinthians13 speaks of the fruits of the Spirit and one of these fruits are patience.

Something I definitely am not good at is being patient!  But God has been teaching me about patience, yip.  Some days are better than others and I pass with flying colors.  Others days I fall of the horse even before I get on.



Patience seems to be more of a challenge when we are going through difficult times?  Who can say that they have a patience problem when everything in their lives are going along smoothly?  When a crisis comes into your life how patient are you?

God says in His Word that His time is not our time.  Lets say the following happens to you.  Today you have your own business all is well you have been doing very well for yourself and your family.  Your type of work is mostly for local government (municipalities) and as we all know from resent news, etc. that there are major problems as far as cash flow goes.

Suddenly your (contract) work is put on hold and you are not getting any income.  In the meantime you have to live.  You have to pay your bond, vehicles, school fees, telephone, water & elec. just to mention a few.  Now lets move this story along a bit it's now 8 months down the line and you are still struggling to get paid and new contracts are not coming in.  You have tried to get other contracts advertising and even writing letters to other municipalities, trying to get work overseas and in Africa, but nothing happens.  You even try looking for another job and your wife who has not worked for a couple of years tries to find work with no success.

In the meantime God provides for you and your family on a daily basis in the form of donations, and with your "little computer business" on the side, etc.  But you are really in dire straits.  How patient are you now?
You pray daily asking God to be gracious to you to have mercy on you, but tomorrow you wake up and nothings changed.  How patient are you?

To add to your patient's you know that God is working even though you cannot see anything happening in the real.  So your patience and self-control is tested on and on and on until you either loose your patience or God releases His favor over you.

Unfortunately there is no quick fix for trials.  Faith is very important apart from patience.  The only two things that can interrupt faith are:  the manifestation of what is believed (what we believe for); or the manifestation of doubt and unbelief (telling God I don't really trust You).  Our faith must continue even when it seems that everything and everyone is against us.  Much easier said than done.  But God says with Him all things are possible so when you are over your pity party you will be able to believe exactly that.

In Christ, we can remain standing firm on the inside, because we know that our real life is within us, not in the people or circumstances outside of us.

Lord help me to do something DYNAMIC for You today!