FOR JESUS' SAKE JUST SAY.....YES..YES!!

Most christians would say that they really do want to serve the Lord. The question in my mind & heart is ;"why is there constant indecision?" Why do many people feel unmotivated, inadequate, or fearful of what God might ask of them ? And why when people do sense a real leading from God's Holy Spirit do others around them , friends , family, even christians (including some spiritual leaders), discourage obedience to the perfect will of God. I have heard others opinions as to why there is seemingly such a rationalisation for leading potential leaders to delay their application in obedience to the will of God, but.........but...........in my heart & mind if you continually DELAY the perfect will of God in your life then there is often an increased opportunity to DISTRACT- DIVERT - & ultimately DESTROY Kingdom business in your life & the thousands of others the Lord wants you to influence for Jesus' glory. It is a downward spiral: DELAY -DISTRACT-DIVERTION will ultimately ROB-RESTRICT-RESTRAIN the ongoing blessing of God in our lives & those that Jesus wants us to be a witness to & again I repeat the ultimate result of that equation =DESTRUCTION & DEATH. ISAIAH 6:8 says :"THEN I HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD SAYING, ''WHOM SHALL I SEND? AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?"...........AND I (ISAIAH ) SAID HERE AM I SEND ME......SEND ME......SEND ME......SEND ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!''
For Jesus' sake , for a world going to hell's sake , for your own life's sake : WILL YOU PLEASE SAY:"YES...YES...YES , 'HERE AM I SEND ME'.

CHANGING FROM ''ME'' FOCUS TO ''OTHERS'' FOCUS

Jesus prayed in JOHN 17:20-26 many wonderful prayers for His people & this world.In verse 17:21''THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE AS YOU,FATHER, ARE IN ME, & I IN YOU; THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US, THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU SENT ME." There are many ATTITUDES that we can adopt as a member of the Body of Christ ,some are extremely helpful & God-honouring, others bring negative /zero glory to God, and actually quite alot of grief to OTHERS.The 'all about me' attitude flows out of a carnal /fallen nature and our culture is constantly telling us that :'the most important person is me ', friends that is actually a lie !The Father, Son & Holy Spirit always worked together for the sake of OTHERS (actually us ),you & I and and an entire world. What a great idea!!!!!!!!! Wouldn't it be amazing if we all operated out of that ethos....................There is no limit as to what we could achieve for JESUS' sake if it didn't matter who got the credit! SELAH!!!!!!!!Actually the only focus being that God the Father, God the Son & God the Holy Spirit they are to be given ALL THE GLORY for every thing that we have done or will do. The focus needs to be sharpened every day ...today is not about me , it is about JESUS!!!! I don't know about you but many times every day I tell myself : 'Just get over yourself Marney', and keep looking to JESUS & OTHERS.Then the world might see that there is a difference in our lives and just maybe look to the HOLY ONE. Jesus said in John 15;10:'' IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, YOU WILL ABIDE IN MY LOVE, JUST AS I HAVE KEPT MY FATHER'S COMMANDMENTS &ABIDE IN HIS LOVE.'' Today remember it is not exlcusively all about you or me , it is about JESUS!!!!

BLESSINGS, GRACE, MERCY, LOVE & SHALOM TO YOU EACH.

IN ACCEPTING JESUS AS LORD & SAVIOUR ,YOU WILL FIND WHO YOU REALLY ARE

I was attending a Good Friday meeting this past Easter and heard the term that I am a 'proud , passionate , paid -up pagan', this overt , articulate display of wearing godlessness as a badge of honour floored me. I responded to this self-proclaimed title with : ''why then, are you here?" To which this person replied ,''. to get my family off my case.''Every church that really chooses to reach the secular mind needs to know how to reach these (ever increasing) number of people.Politically we see constantly the lust for ''power'', and culturally we see the drive for entertainment, & I would include in that statement ( for some people sport), as attempting to fill the void of godlessness.Often in this culture there are many people who sadly are either too sophisticated or apathetic to simply admit that they are not experiencing their ultimate reason for living. Often times many will "dress up" and pursue their hunger with sophisticated, pragmatic philosophies which direct contemporary humanity to simply do/be/pursue whatever works for me. As I share with many I sense a skepticism & cynacism towards The Church & this has to be reclaimed for Jesus 'sake. There are many who place a high premium on the absence of Holy Spirit conviction and sadly support this perspective by boldly proclaming their lack of faith or even desire for exploring the God of the universe .I want to remind us all (myself included) I am constantly called to reach the whosoever , in order to introduce all to the saving power of JESUS CHRIST. Please consider Jesus & His passion & love for your life. Please read Acts 4:8-12, verse 12 :''... THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN BY WHICH MEN&WOMEN MAY BE SAVED." Only JESUS can save us , & show us who we really are,please know & reach out for His love today!!!

TITLE OR A TESTIMONY

We live in a world & society that places value on many things that are in complete contradiction to what Jesus values!
This world values a material guy or girl in a material world.......... The Lord values tithes & offerings financial Godly, sacrificial giving.

This world values illicit sex......... The Lord Jesus values sexual purity.

This world values instant here & now instant gratification ........... God, Jesus , The Holy Spirit values ETERNITY.

This world values pokies & pornography .............. Jesus values that our lives , time & entertainment centres upon Him & His Word!!

This world values fame ............ Jesus values INTEGRITY.

This world values a 'do what you want to do with your own life philosophy' ................ JESUS calls us ''To deny ourselves , take up our cross and follow HIM ."

GIVE UP YOUR SMALL VISION, SMALL THINKING, LOW LEVEL MINDEDNESS AND COME, CHANGE THE WORLD ....................NOW!!!!
Live your life with a Jesus' centred Testimony & don't settle for a corporate title, it is such a waste of the life God has given you!!!!! Of course everything is about CHOICE , & of course you can have a great testimony in the corporate world IF ...IF that is what Jesus has called you to .

Blessings to readers today!

IT IS FRIDAY , BUT SUNDAY IS COMING, DON'T MISS IT

Easter is now upon us and what does this wonderful, awesome season
mean to you?1 Peter 2:24 says :"HE HIMSELF BORE OUR SINS IN HIS BODY ON THE TREE , SO THAT WE MIGHT DIE TO SINS & LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUNESS; BY HIS WOUNDS YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED.''Think about that Friday and what was happening for Jesus in that journey of crucifixion: REJECTION,CROSSBEAM, PIERCING NAILS, CONTORTION, EXCRUCIATING PAIN,THIRST, WRITHING, BETRAYEL,SPASMS, HEAVING, NO OXYGEN, SARCASM, HATRED, TEARS, TAUNTS, DICE GAMBLING, DARKNESS, EARHQUAKE, ENTOMBED. For a life blackened with failure ,that Friday means forgiveness. For the heart scarred with futility, that Friday means purpose, and for the soul looking into this side of the tunnel of death, that Friday means DELIVERANCE. What do you do with that GOOD FRIDAY in your life ?????
But also don't forget SUNDAY is coming, and that means RESURRECTION LIFE & POWER ,RECONCILIATION, A 'HOPE FILLED ' FUTURE! Death could not hold JESUS down for HE IS RISEN , SEATED UPON GOD'S THRONE , HE IS THE LAMB OF GOD ! And if you give your life to Jesus , the Saviour of the world, you to will have the wonderful present & future of death not being able to hold you down.

Romans 5:1-2 WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THROUGH WHOM WE HAVE GAINED ACCESS BY FAITH INTO HIS GRACE IN WHICH WE NOW STAND. AND WE REJOICE IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.''
Have a blessed, holy Easter !

JESUS CHOSE THE CROSS FOR YOU

There is something about the crucifixion of Jesus that makes every one of us either step towards Jesus and His cross or back away into the shadows of shallow living. The cross of Jesus is the watershed, the great challenge, the awesome committment , the cruel death and passion of His choice demands that every one of us make a choice about JESUS & His precious CROSS. No fence sitting is permitted, we either choose to run into His loving arms stretched out on a cruel cross or we tragically walk away. It really is an inexplicable dilemma.....how two people can hear the same words , see the same loving Saviour ,and one will see, feel love and forgiveness and the other will see, hear nothing but themselves,their bitterness, their opinions.
LUKE 23:39-40''Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him saying, ''If you are the Christ save Yourself and us.'' v.40 But the other, answering , rebuked him , saying ,''Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? " If you read on the right choice is found in verse 42 ''Then the criminal said said to Jesus, ''Lord, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom."Dear friends the Cross is the Key to your life , simply because JESUS went willingly to that Cross for you, pure unadulterated love demands a response! Remember there is no neutrality in this choice that is one luxury that God, in His awesome mercy , does not permit. Which side are you ???????

THE CROSS .....A CHOICE IS DEMANDED!

PLEASE PRAY FOR VISION....VISION....VISION FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT

PROVERBS 29:18 ''WITHOUT PROPHECY PEOPLE BECOME DEMORALISED.WHERE THERE ARE NO GUIDELINES,THE PEOPLE RUN RIOT.WHERE THERE IS NO WORD FROM GOD, THE PEOPLE ARE UNCONTROLLED. WHEN THERE IS IGNORANCE OF GOD, THE PEOPLE RUN WILD. WHERE THERE IS NO VISION , THE PEOPLE PERISH.''
Please go to the Lord for His word speaking into your life , and once He has spoken be assured of two aspects 1. God really means what He has asked of you.
2. The enemy of your soul will also give you every reason not to obey , attractive reasons, financial reasons , logical reasons, every and any reason to not do the PERFECT WILL of God in your life.
And today I want to say into your body , mind and spirit please obey the Lord Jesus Christ and His will in your life. Read the above verses in any translation you prefer and see the same outcomes: uncontrolled behaviour, ignorance of God's will, no vision, casting off restraint etc.etc.etc.Please be assured of my prayers for you each and please understand that the Lord Jesus loves you and longs for you to listen to His voice, Hear His Words,and love His people .
If we don't as a community of Christians serve Jesus , listen to God , and be filled with The Holy Spirit then the Word says.........................PEOPLE PERISH! I cannot live with that thought in my life , what about you????? JOHN chapter 10 is another really helpful resource to reflect upon , a good WORD.
There was a song around a little while ago that had a line that went something like this: 'You have to know who not to listen to , cause they will hit you from all sides so you had better decide who not to listen to'. Grammatically unsound , however the essence of this is true. Today listen to Jesus , see the prophetic vision for your life.In reality our lives are all about Him ,or they are about a 'virtual spiritual reality .' (how tragic).

CALLED TO GIVE UP OUR PERCEIVED RIGHTS AS WELL AS REPENT OR CLEAR WRONGS

Ask the secular world what their "rights" are and they will give you a list so long that you will be with each individual a very long time.Actually as people who proclaim Jesus as Lord and Saviour ,we really cannot claim many ''rights'', except the one right , to become a child of God, and to do His bidding!In my own life and many others there is the constant pressure of society to believe that we have a right to so much. Yet I read Philippians 2:5-11 , which talks about Jesus , King of Kings & Lord of Lords who verse 6 says '...BEING IN THE NATURE OF GOD DID NOT CONSIDER EQUALITY WITH GOD SOMETHING TO BE GRASPED, V.7. BUT MADE HIMSELF NOTHING, TAKING THE VERY NATURE OF A SERVANT....''So today if you have fooled yourself into thinking that you can do that which you wish to do with your own ,life ,can I ask you to reflect upon JESUS and how He came to purely do the Father's will .And Father God set the standard by giving His one and only Son , that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. JOHN 3:16. So my dear friends , please give yourself to God's Kingdom purposes and just please do it now!The only real right as Christians we have is to be and do the bidding of our master JESUS!!!!!!!!!! If you really think you have a legitimate case to not be available think of the CROSS and compare your list of 'perceived' rights. SELAH!!!!!!!!

CHANNEL YOUR CALLING INTO ACTION

Today I encourage you to read JOHN 6:60-69. When you read these words of Jesus about His terms of Discipleship there is a sense in which I at least am reminded again that being 100% obedient to the call of Jesus will not occur in the lives that purely proclaim ''RELIGION''. Actually I do not use that word , because to many including myself I am not merely religious , rather I am a person who is in a holy love affair with the Saviour of the world, JESUS!!! I who had no way of saving myself have been 'saved' by the blood of Jesus, my life is 'blood -bought', Holy Spirit empowered and I am nothing more than a humble servant of the King of kings & Lord of Lords! Verse 60 of John 6 says that when many heard Jesus' call it became offensive and unbearable for them to hear. The amplified version says :"WHO CAN BE EXPECTED TO LISTEN TO SUCH TEACHING?"And dear ones today many are still offended by the calling of Jesus , in my role I see many walking away sorrowful because they choose to not have the courage of their convictions , or they just prefer to stay in the dull twilight of bland religion, which to my mind is unbearable . In fact I cannot cope with a Christianity that is limp, lame and not within a whispering distance of Jesus. Read John 6 :63 "It is the Spirit that gives life , He is the Life -giver; the flesh conveys no benefit whatsoever. There is NO profit in it........(wow)! Jesus goes onto say:'' the Words I speak to you are Spirit and Life." I read that then I read verse 66 (interesting numeric connected with this verse). Dear friends Jesus is calling you today to give up your SMALL AMBITIONS & COME, CHANGE THE WORLD!!!!!!! PLEASE DO IT FOR JESUS, HE WILL NOT ABANDON YOU , NOT NOW NOT EVER! Don't be numbered amongst those who return to their (boring) old associations and no longer kept company with Jesus. " Get out of any religious ruts you maybe loitering in and dive into the fullness of God's grace, Jesus' call and , CHANGE THE WORLD!

GOD'S WISDOM, GOD'S PLAN , GOD'S GLORY

1 CORINTHIANS 2:13 says 'THIS IS WHAT WE SPEAK, NOT IN WORDS TAUGHT BY HUMAN WISDOM BUT RATHER IN WORDS TAUGHT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, EXPRESSING SPIRITUAL TRUTHS IN SPIRITUAL WORDS." If you want to receive 'fresh revelation ' from the Lord , firstly you have to be obedient to that which He has already spoken to you about. The bible is very clear when it comes to receiving fresh vision, fresh anointing , fresh insight , fresh strategic plans for advancing the Kingdom of God. We need to be clean, available, obedient and waiting on the Lord , not using our own wisdom, for the Word says in 1 CORINTHIANS 2:19 ''FOR THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD IS FOOLISHNESS WITH GOD..."Sometimes when sharing with others about their ongoing journey in Jesus , I sense that they are trapped in their own logic , because God's plans for them are not what this world calls 'security'. So my dear friends today I beseech you to be no longer conformed to this world but rather allow yourselves to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1-2) and open your mind to God's plan, God's wisdom , and then there will be a freshness about your life because you will be displaying God's glory . If you don't wish to take my word on this matter , please read 1CORINTHIANS CHAPTERS 2 & 3. Then whatever Jesus says to you .......do it ....do it ....do it NOW!!!!! If you are called to be an Officer in this Salvation Army I would love to share with you .

Blessings and praying for you each!