Tuesday, January 22, 2008

I DON'T ONLY BELIEVE IN MIRACLES I DEPEND ON THEM

Do you believe in miracles ???? I constantly depend and pray for them !Listen to what the Word says : '' NOW TO HIM WHO,BY THE ACTION OF HIS POWER , THAT IS AT WORK WITHIN US, IS ABLE TO DO SUPERABUNDANTLY FAR OVER AND ABOVE ALL THAT WE DARE TO ASK OR THINK INFINITELY BEYOND OUR HIGHEST PRAYERS , DESIRES , THOUGHTS , HOPES OR DREAMS. TO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH AND IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS FOR EVER AND EVER AND EVER." Ephesians 3 :20-21
Today if you need a miracle Jesus is able to hear the cry of your heart and bless you abundantly, pray believing!!!!!
Nelson Mandela once said : Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger people.
Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks.
Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but YOU (with God) shall be the miracle.
Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.

SHALOM & BE FAITHFUL TO JESUS!

Monday, January 21, 2008

JESUS IS CALLING YOU TODAY!

Discerning the voice of Jesus is really much simpler that we create it to be! LISTEN... LISTEN....LISTEN....LISTEN!
Jesus says in Mark 8:34-35"...Whoever desires to come after Me, let them deny themselves take up their cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."
The Aussie response : I'm very sorry Lord , I'd love to follow you , but I don't think "religion" is the AUSSIE thing to do ! Football on the other hand is where it's really at and that I'm prepared to tithe to every week at that.
God weeps and looks at us with love, think about my Son then really,honestly tell me if you have the heart to disregard what He has done. Have you the heart enough to see the need , have you heart enough to go, have you heart enough to care for those whom no-one wants to know ,and have you heart enough to say the things that people hate to hear , and battle through Gethsemane in loneliness & fear?
Have you the heart enough to look into Jesus' face and be able to say at the end of your life :"Thank you Jesus I have finished the race."
"Behold to OBEY is better than sacrifice ."
Iam praying for all who are called to run into His open arms , grateful that they are counted worthy to be a servant of the Lord!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

BREAKING FREE FROM PAST CARNAL CHOICES

Romans 12 :1-2 says everything we really need to know about being obedient to the will of God knowing His heart & mind for our lives . Let me highlight to you Romans 12 :2 "Do not be conformed to this world ,this age ,fashioned after and adapted to its external , superficial customs. But be transformed changed by the entire renewal of your mind , by its new ideals & its new attitudes, so that you may prove for yourselves what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even that which is good , acceptable and perfect in His sight. " (Amplified) Some more points on how to break free and be released to hear & obey the voice of God's Holy Spirit.
1. Break free from the bondage of self-pity, self -loathing, low self esteem and pessimistic thought patterns. All of these emotions create blockages to hearing the voice of Jesus.
2. Cut though these thoughts with the blood of Jesus , be willing to cut out the root of these demotivating , paralysing mind sets. Bring every thought captive & make it obedient to Christ.
3.Pray Psalm 51 every day , I pray this prayer numerous times a day "Create in me a Clean heart o God......v.11 "CAST ME NOT AWAY FROM YOUR PRESENCE, TAKE NOT YOUR HOLY SPIRIT FROM ME. V12 RESTORE TO ME THE JOY OF YOUR SALVATION , AND UPHOLD ME WITH A WILLING SPIRIT."
4. Simply I say this in love , we all need to just get over ourselves and see Jesus and love Him more than life itself.
5. He is speaking ,we are called to listen and then obey.
Today I conclude with John 10 :3 "...my sheep know my voice they listen to it and heed it, He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. v5 They will never on any account follow a stranger they do not recognise a strangers call ."
Grace & peace multiplied to you all as you live for Jesus and Him alone !!!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

DISCERNING THE WILL OF GOD

PROVERBS 3:6 says :"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths".
How do you know when God is speaking to you ? Over the next few days I hope to maybe light a few candles in the grey areas of discerning the voice of Jesus , over and above every other voice including our own.Here are some staring points:
1. The Lord will often use His word to speak His will for us ,2 Timothy 3:16 teaches , ''All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." God guides us as we receive , believe and trust in His word.
2.Godly counsel is a great encouragement when you are seeking the will of Jesus in your life.Psalm 1:1 says:''Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.'' Before you make any major decision in your life , open yourself up to feedback from experienced, wise , Godly people whom you respect. They are not a substitute for God's voice, but they may help you discover or confirm His leadings. Proverbs 11:14 says : ''Where there is no counsel, the people fall;but in the multitude of counselors there is safety."
3.The Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus will lead us into God's truth, read John 14:15-24 and John 16: 5-15, these are very powerful promises from Jesus heart in regard to how The Holy Spirit will lead us all.
In my own journey I have often found that common sense has been a hindrance to the voice of Jesus, before you zoom out think about that line.And more importantly meditate on 1 Corinthians 3 : 19 " For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He catches the wise in their own craftiness, v.20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
Keep close to Jesus friends and hoping to receive some feedback as we journey on this week.
IN JESUS'GRACIOUS GRIP !!

Friday, January 11, 2008

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMITTED , COURAGEOUS PEOPLE Part 2

We continue on with the next five characteristics of people who are committed to the convictions of their hearts and are courageously keeping those values.
6. Committed ,courageous people choose to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God , and they aren't arrogant in their estimation of self importance.JAMES 4:6-10
7. Committed , courageous people consciously and deliberately choose to submit to God, resist the devil by constantly denying self , picking up their cross and following Jesus daily.
JAMES 4 : 7
8.Committed, courageous people renounce ruthlessly every unrighteous use of their bodies , they commit themselves to be no longer conformed to this world but rather to be transformed by the renewing of their minds , choosing to believe in the truth and preferring to walk in God's truth regardless of their current feelings or circumstances. ROMANS 12 : 1-2
9. Committed , courageous people take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ , choosing to dwell, meditate & think upon that which is true , that which is honorable , right, pure, and lovely.PHILIPPIANS 4:8Amplified
10. Committed, courageous people have a countenance that suggests pure JOY in being where
JESUS has called them to be , not resentful, reluctant or remorseful , rather committed, courageous, passionate and happy . PHILIPPIANS 4:4-5
Jesus bless each one of you who are beginning to read regularly and also a big thank-you to those who are sending encouragements via 'comments', please continue to pursue nothing short of EXCELLENCE for JESUS. And don't settle for a 'country club Christianity ' , that is not what the Word calls us to .
Praying for you all and beseeching you to become radically obedient to Jesus'Perfect Will . (see previous posts for that definition.
SHALOM!!!!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMITED COURAGEOUS PEOPLE

Blessings to you today , how goes the journey with Jesus? Today I want to commence the first part of ten common characteristics of committed, courageous people, buckle up and here goes:
1. Courageous people know they have limitations but they also know that they can rejoice in the promise of Jesus' redemption.
2. Despite their fears, committed, courageous people constantly stretch their inner selves to take RISKS, in order to meet the challenges of authentic DISCIPLESHIP.
3.Committed , courageous people continually put their values & priorities into Kingdom order , they recognise that people are always more important than material things, and that it is only the immaterial values such as LOVE, FAITHFULNESS, HOPE , TRUST etc , etc, that will carry them & others through to ETERNITY.
4. Commited to JESUS people and Courageous Warriors of the Lord , refuse to lay down their CROSS , to pick up a GRUDGE. They know that Jesus cannot use them if they live in the cancerous atmosphere of bitterness , hatred & unforgiveness.
5.Committed, courageous people are passionate about keeping a Holy Spirit inspired vision of Jesus claims on their lives, this Vision keeps them focussed on what really is worth being spent for.
As I read these points I believe God will be speaking to readers of this blog and I am asking each one of us Christian , merely curious people , how did you measure up as you contemplated these five charactistics?
Please read LUKE 4:16-19, then ask yourself what is that kind of anointing worth to me ?
Secondly am I willing to be that Committed , Courageous person in order that I might be a fit vessel for the use of the Master, the LORD JESUS CHRIST , the one and only SAVIOUR of the WORLD?
Read on for the next five characteristics in the next few days, SHALOM!!!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

ANOTHER DAY IN THE ARENA OF THE GREAT COMMISSION

Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus commands us all :"Go then and make Disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;
Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you;and lo , I am with you all the days, perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion to the very end and consumation of the age."
I leave with you today Theodore Roosevelt's words: It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred y dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming, who actually does try to do the deed , who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
Far better is to choose to dare mighty things , to win glorious triumphs even though chequered by failure , than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Jesus command is clear "GO", JESUS SAYS GO , WE SAY SHOW , JESUS STILL SAYS GO AND THEN WE WILL EXPERIENCE HIS LO!!!
Please get into His arena today.

Monday, January 7, 2008

ARM CHAIR EXPERT CHRISTIANITY IS NOT WHAT JESUS CALLS US TO

Today is a wonderful day to serve Jesus with no excess baggage or dwarfed Kingdom goals.
I share with you today a meditation and can only pray this reflects the desire of your heart as you live for God's glory in this coming year.

I BELONG TO THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED

I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast , I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made. I am a Disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
My past is redeemed , my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colourless dreams, tamed small vision, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right or first or on top or recognised or praised or regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His promises, walk with patience, lifted up by prayer and labour with power.
My face is set, my gait is steady, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised,detoured,lured away,turned back, deluded or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, warm myself by the fires of the world, ponder at the pool of popularity , or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, hush up or let up, until I have stayed up,prayed up , preached up and reached out for the cause of Christ. I am a Disciple of JESUS. I must go till He comes, give till all I have is gone, preach till all I know has been told, and pray till He tells me to stop.
And when He comes for His own, I want Him to have no problem recognising me.
My life will be clearly visible . It will be evident ,"I am a servant of the Lord"

Dear friends here Jesus' call to you!!!!!!!
MATTHEW 6:33
"But seek first of all His Kingdom, and His righteouness and then all these things will be given unto you"

Saturday, January 5, 2008

GET INTO THE ARENA OF GOD'S PERFECT WILL

As I contemplate yet another birthday celebration , I am taking time to reflect upon my life up until this point.
I have to say that I am so glad I chose to follow Jesus with all my heart, soul and mind when I did (at age 21). What a rich tapestry my life has been and how grateful I am to Jesus for His gracious forgiveness , love , power and provision in the years I have been allowed to live. I might add a thought here : there is a difference between how old we are and how long have we lived!
There are two thoughts for you today: 1. How long have you allowed Jesus will in your life to take pre-eminence?
2. Depending on the answer to the above will then help you answer this question ,how long have you lived???
Read Ephesians 5:15-16...........''LOOK CAREFULLY THEN HOW YOU WALK. LIVE PURPOSEFULLY AND WORTHILY AND ACCURATELY, NOT AS UNWISE AND FOOLISHLY, BUT AS (GOD) WISE PEOPLE.
MAKING THE VERY MOST OF THE TIME BUYING UP EACH OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL."
I challenge you to read on in this chapter , great encouragements for us all.
Finally I leave this quote with you today :''I WISH I HAD A THOUSAND LIVES TO DEDICATE TO THE NOBLE APOSTOLATE OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION TO BE ABLE TO BRING THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL TO EVERY PERSON" Thecla Merlo.
Blessings to you and if anyone else is celebrating a birthday , Jesus bless you !!!!!!

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

WHAT WILL YOU WRITE?

In January 2006, a mine explosion in West Virginia took 12 of the 13 miners lives that were threatened by the crisis underground.
Tragically all but one miner died , there was alot of anger , "blame -game" reactions to this cruel twist of circumstance .
At one of the funerals the Reverend asked the hurting to look at this situation differently, from another perspective that was hidden in the mourners' grief. That being , some of the miners had written notes to their families in what would be the last hours of their lives. Some of these notes spoke unashamedly of love , eternal life & hope of the men who wrote them. The minister asked the congregation what would they write in a farewell message if they realised that they had only hours to live.
Good question .....don't you think ! How would my notes read ? What might you consider to be non-negotiable content in your last words?
James 4 :14 says :''You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away".
Life is so SHORT , ETERNITY is so LONG !
Please at the start of a new year , do not waste God's gift to you (your life), use your life exclusively for the Glory Of God .
Do as Romans 12 : 1-2 calls us to : "I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God , that you present your bodies as living sacrifices , holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable act of spiritual worship."
Blessings to you all !!!!

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

WHAT ARE YOU PRODUCING IN YOUR LIFE??

On this second day in 2008 I am reflecting upon fruitfulness in our lives. How spiritually fruitful have you and I been in 2007 and what will appear as a result of our faithfulness in 2008??
The truth is we teach what we may know, but we produce what we are, please selah on this for a moment...........
You & I can't teach what we don't know , and we can't lead where we won't go , so .. If we choose not to be obedient to Jesus' perfect will in our lives then we will consciously or unconsciously be setting this benchmark in our lives and the lives around us who are influenced by ourselves.
Looking from a positive persective , if we choose to be recklessly abandoned to the will of Jesus ,then consequently the impression upon other's lives will be to go and do likewise. So what are you producing? Mature Christianity will produce mature sheep, immature sheep will produce the same.
David the shepherd boy grew up to be a leader and trained others to be "giant slayers", read 1 Chronicles 20:4-8. Here we have a replay of 1 Samuel 17 ,the giant killer as a chid trains others to do the same.
Jesus said in Matthew 7: 18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. v.20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
Consider: IT TAKES ONE TO SHOW ONE : We cannot model what we have not done!
IT TAKES ONE TO GROW ONE: We cannot train someone until we've achieved that desired level ourselves.
BLESSINGS!