CHOOSE WHOM YOU WILL SERVE?

Some people have said to me throughout the years that : 'you christians are all brainwashed'.My response to that statement is :'everyone is influenced ( brainwashed ) by something or someone , I have intentionally chosen who will wash my brains .....HIS name is JESUS!Read JOSHUA 24:15 "CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES THIS DAY -WHOM YOU WILL SERVE . AS FOR ME & MY HOUSE , WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."Life is all about choices ...what we think about is our choice , who we keep company with is our choice , who & what we value are all our choices. Whom we worship is up to you & I , and even in not making a choice ,we make a choice.I continue to choose daily to worship JESUS the SAVIOUR of the world, I continue day by day to live for Him & allow His words to wash me, my mind , my heart , my mouth, my motives , my actions, my desires......all for JESUS' glory & the best outcomes I could ever possibly desire for my own life .If you choose anyone or anything before JESUS understand that you choose a path that will ultimately lead to nowhere. Jesus said in JOHN 14;6 "I AM THE WAY,THE TRUTH & THE LIFE . NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME."That is it , JESUS has said it , I believe it , & actually that settles it. Yes, I have chosen who will wash my life HE is THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD ......JESUS CHRIST ...LORD GOD, KING OF KINGS & LORD OF LORDS. Please choose JESUS today , He loves you & longs to have you to be with HIM throughout all ETERNITY.
Jesus came as a baby the first time , hence we celebrate CHRISTMAS ! But the WORD says He is coming again & on that day every knee will bow & every tongue will confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. So today choose wisely !

Praying for you all .

MARNEY

YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN , YOU HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AT A PRICE

Let me give you an example today to ponder : Suppose I ask you to house -sit my home whilst I am out of town . You pledge to keep everything in great shape . However, when I return the place is an absolute mess . The carpets are torn, walls are smeared, furniture is broken, light fixtures are removed from walls. Your explanation is not all that impressive: "some bikers came by and needed somewhere 'to hang' for an hour and.......then the footy team called looking for a place to party & so I offered your house. Then all my uni friends wanted a place to have their initiation ceremonies and so they conducted them here" . As the owner of the house , I have one question"don't you know how to say no? This is not your house , and you actually didn't have the right to do whatever you wanted to .
Have you ever thought that Jesus wants to say the same to us? Let us face it some of our hearts , bodies, minds have been trashed severely. Anger shows up & we let it in. Revenge knocks on our door and it comes bounding in too. Pity wants to "party-on" and we show them the kitchen. Lust rings the bell & we change the sheets on the bed ready to use! Disobedience persists with text , emails & facebook messages that we actually end up saying an outright , defiant "NO" to Jesus' perfect will for our lives .

Friends .....friends ....friends what in Jesus' Name are we doing with our lives ?Please know that the Word of God is sure ....read 1 CORINTHIANS 6:15-20 ,any translation is good , but I will give you some verses from The Message :''DON'T YOU REALISE THAT YOUR BODY IS A SACRED PLACE , THE PLACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?DON'T YOU SEE THAT YOU CAN'T LIVE HOWEVER YOU PLEASE , SQUANDERING WHAT GOD PAID SUCH A HIGH PRICE FOR?THE PHYSICAL PART OF YOU IS NOT SOME PIECE OF PROPERTY BELONGING TO THE SPIRITUAL PART OF YOU. GOD OWNS THE WHOLE WORKS . SO LET PEOPLE SEE GOD RESIDING IN & THROUGH YOUR BODY."
You & I are not our own we have all been bought with the precious blood of JESUS ......so please understand how treasured you are & how imperitive is your choices.
Praying for you all today.

MARNEY

THE WORD IS ........."YES"! THE REST IS DETAIL!

Choices can be a fascinating challenge. My journey of faith revolves around the word: 'YES' .....every day ,"YES"! My "YES" to Jesus , my "YES" to Jesus' call upon my life , my " YES' to the experience of Holiness . I believe that an ongoing "YES" is the key to victorious living in the love of JESUS.
There are often many times when we linger in the valley of "indecision" and lose momentum or even sadder the wonderful opportunity that is open before us .The door of joy, peace, hope, life, fulfillment, excitement, ignitement, holy love, and service.
Today is another day that you & I have choices about so many things, what to eat, which clothes to wear , what we read , what we allow our eyes to see, what we listen to , or even the words we may say or not say.
General Eva Burrows (retired) made a great statement at a gathering in 2002 : ''There are three forms of relationship. We move away from people, against people or towards people." Can I inspire you to say "YES & AMEN" both towards JESUS & PEOPLE today . If you do that there will be so many blessings that you cannot contain them........it is true , I have proved this countless times ,,even today I know this has occured in my life. Really be an opportunist for the
glory of God & the Salvation of your life & others. JESUS SAVES......JUST SAY "YES" .....really leave the detail in His hands , they are big enough to hold this fragmented world.

Blessings to you today , still praying !
'
MARNEY

CALLED TO OFFICERSHIP? IF NOT YOU WHO ? IF NOT NOW......NOW.....NOW...WHEN?

Today there have been more people who have said :"YES JESUS .......I WILL DO WHATEVER...YOU ASK ...I WILL GO WHEREVER YOU WANT ME TO GO ....& I WILL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO."
Today there are many others who do not even know that JESUS IS LORD.....or that He is calling their name , thus they do not even have the opportunity to make a choice.
How about you dear readers ? Do you know that Jesus does love you , He does have a perfect plan for your life & He longs for you to say :"YES JESUS ." Right NOW, not tomorrow, not next year , not in the next decade ......rather NOW.....NOW.....NOW!You see I really have a heart for this global climate ....and I really do not understand why there is any hesitation in our lives to delay what could only be the best outcomes as we journey on in this uncertain world. For those readers who are in The Salvation Army , this is an emergency and Jesus is calling many of you to be obedient to His voice, please in JESUS' NAME respond .....NOW! Some of you are called to be Officers , God needs you , The Salvation Army needs you and the World needs you to :"get with the programme ".I recently read a historical catchcry that every officer in the early Salvation Army used to call out to the early Salvationists .
It goes like this :
OPPORTUNITY.............CONSECRATED SERVICE.........!

JESUS CALLS YOU

THE ARMY NEEDS YOU

SINNERS WAIT FOR YOU

WILL YOU GO ? WILL YOU GO ? WILL YOU GO ? WILL YOU GO?
Dear friends nothing has changed & I am asking the same question?Officership? IF NOT YOU WHO ? IF NOT NOW WHEN?
Please pray & reflect upon Romans 10: 14-21
Extremely profound living words that are meant for you & I in this time of global history.

Blessings to you all & passionately praying that some will say simply : "YES JESUS."
Marney

REPENTANCE.......OBEDIENCE .....HOLINESS ....NON-NEGOTIABLES!

Some hopefully helpful reminders for today:
1. PSALM 51 ..... If we have sinned , are continuing to sin ....we are called to true repentance .Non - negotiable.
2. Ongoing conviction and a conscience that is open to hearing the voice of The Holy Spirit , will keep us CLEAN.
3. Obedience to God's PERFECT WILL is Jesus call to you and I .......please don't ever settle for near-enough......Jesus is very specific about Discipleship. Mark8:34-38 ''DENY YOURSELF..TAKE UP YOUR CROSS & FOLLOW JESUS".
4. Having started to radically follow Jesus , don't get caught in a "ho-hum" level of spiritual committment.
5. HOLINESS : Without it none shall see the Lord(Hebrews 12 :14-15)
6. William Booth (co-founder) of The Salvation Army spoke about a ladder of Holiness , it goes something like this:
a)hate sin , be authentic about ongoing spiritual issues & open to Jesus to actually believe that His blood can cleanse you & I from all unrighteousness.
b) Deal with pride, power struggles, bad temper, unholy ambition, laziness , lust , selfishness , envy , untruthfulness, gossip & any other hindrances to your spiritual growth.
7. Remember that it is only by Jesus' Grace, mercy & love that you and I can be SAVED!
8. Come to Jesus ......today !
9. He will love, cleanse , and fill you with His Holy Spirit .......if you want to .
10. God has placed His requirements clearly in His WORD ......please read it today .

Praying for ALL readers .
MARNEY

THE CROSS IS THE ATTRACTION.....PLEASE COME TO THAT PLACE

Some thoughts today :
1. We were born out of one Eternity.....& are all seriously close to our own ETERNITY.
2.We have verbous debates & jousting on the stark realities of theological bias & yet so many are daily going into CHRISTLESS ETERNITY'S.
3.We struggle with our own personal lives in regard to relationships , choices, forgiveness factors etc.
4.The world ( of which you& I are a part) cannot keep itself out of unholy war.
5.Two thirds of the global population are starving for food, love, education , basics & we are still arguing about the immutible WORDS of JESUS.
6.Jesus is Lord ...... not a nice thought , opinion , or philosophy .......ABSOLUTE TRUTH!
7. Jesus loves you , emotionally, personally , spiritually, intellectually, physically.........just face it & accept His love.
8. Jesus rose from the dead & we at times struggle to get out of bed to read the WORD , to PRAY, to WORSHIP..........."Come on everyone ......we can do this ."
9. Intellectually read the WORD ......spiritually respond......please do it today !
10. 1 CORINTHIANS 1 : 18-21 "THE MESSAGE THAT POINTS TO CHRIST ON THE CROSS SEEMS LIKE SHEER SILLINESS TO THOSE HELLBENT ON DESTRUCTION, BUT FOR THOSE ON THE WAY OF SALVATION IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE . THIS IS THE WAY GOD WORKS , & MOST POWERFULLY AS IT TURNS OUT. IT'S WRITTEN, I'LL TURN CONVENTIAL WISDOM ON IT'S HEAD.......SO WHERE CAN YOU FIND SOMEONE TRULY WISE , TRULY EDUCATED, TRULY INTELLIGENT IN THIS DAY & AGE? HASN'T GOD EXPOSED IT ALL AS PRETENTIOUS NONSENSE?.............Read on in your own Bibles (message is good ....however, any translation will work).

YES ...JESUS' CROSS IS THE ATTRACTION!
Blessings to you today..
MARNEY

DON'T GET SOLD THE LIE THAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT "ME"

There is a serious contagious attitude spreading like wildfire , the name of this lethal attitude is :''ME...ME....ME"This spiritual, emotional virus is breaking out everywhere across the community , in the church , in the street you & I live in , on the roads , in the workplace. Today I am alerting my readers to not catch this invasive virus. The ME- ISTIC attitude is a 'I am the most important person on earth 'response to all of life's challenges. It is a difficult virus to shake because it is intertwined with our fallen nature, which is totally pre-occupied with SELF !Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that this is how we naturally lean : ''THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS,AND DESPERATELY WICKED WHO CAN KNOW IT?There are now Tee shirts that state quite boldly : IT IS...ALL ABOUT ME, and plenty of people actually believe this lie.
In a community , in a family , in a church , in a country ....this will destroy you & those around you.Power struggles , at any & every level would have to be the most carnal behaviour that God actually cannot tolerate , just read the Word to know that one: James 4:1-2''WHERE DO YOU THINK ALL THESE APPALLING WARS & QUARRELS COME FROM ?DO YOU THINK THEY JUST HAPPEN?THINK AGAIN. THEY COME ABOUT BECAUSE YOU WANT YOUR OWN WAY , & FIGHT FOR IT DEEP INSIDE YOURSELVES. YOU LUST FOR WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE & ARE WILLING TO KILL TO GET IT. YOU WANT WHAT ISN'T YOURS & WILL RISK VIOLENCE TO GET YOUR HANDS ON IT."
Well today the Good News is that JESUS is the one who sets us free from ourselves & that actually ,whilst we are all so precious to Him , life is really about living to bring all glory to Jesus .
So today when you are challenged by the temptation to feel sorry for yourself or mistakingly believe that everything is about you or in my case ( me), just call upon the name of JESUS , He will open your eyes to a much larger vision.
Read ROMANS chapter 7 & 8 today and see carnality virus & how JESUS is the great healer of such a catastrophe.

Blessings to you today !
MARNEY

JESUS CALLS US TO HAVE NO PLAN "B"

I heard a line recently which reasonated with me when it comes to our relationship with JESUS......there is no real authentic justification for the line : THIS BELONGS TO JESUS ....& THIS BELONGS TO ME! If JESUS is LORD then His Biblical command is that He is to be truely LORD of ALL or not at all.
If you read JAMES 1: 6-7(Msg) it says a very powerful theme:''Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master ..adrift at sea, (note) KEEPING ALL YOUR OPTIONS OPEN."WOW!
I meet so many people who pray for a vision , a confirmation of JESUS' perfect will & when they receive it .....there is a response like : "Lord , do you have a plan "B"?
Dear friends JESUS doesn't have a plan "B", He certainly didn't when He came to this world as a baby, He certainly did not have a plan "B" when it came to being persecuted , hated , lied about when He performed great miracles ... & He most definately did not have any other plan "B",''C'', "D", ......"Z''when it came to dying a cruel death on the CROSS, for your sin & mine. So please do not be offensive to GOD & JESUS' call on your life by blandly , seeking a mediocre committment to His plan for your life ........please don't get seduced into thinking that this is good enough.Either JESUS IS LORD or He IS NOT! But for Jesus' sake & your own , even a lost world's sake get with it and go for the real benchmark of Discipleship : MARK 8:34-38(Msg)''CALLING THE CROWD TO JOIN HIS DISCIPLES , JESUS SAID,''ANYONE WHO INTENDS TO COME WITH ME HAS TO LET ME LEAD . YOU'RE NOT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT : I AM (JESUS). DON'T RUN FROM SUFFERING;EMBRACE IT. FOLLOW ME & I'LL SHOW YOU HOW. SELF -HELP IS NO HELP AT ALL.SELF-SACRIFICE IS THE WAY ,MY WAY ,TO SAVING YOURSELF,YOUR TRUE SELF. WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO TO GET EVERYTHING YOU WANT & LOSE YOU, THE REAL YOU?WHAT COULD YOU EVER TRADE YOUR SOUL FOR?"
No plan " B" friends not now , not ever .....JESUS says it , I believe it & for me that just about settles it. ....!
Praying for you all today .
P.S.The Training College experience ....to train as an OFFICER in The SalvationArmy is actually a "GREAT EXPERIENCE"not at all an "incarceration experience " as someone has suggested in a recent " On Fire' article .

THE WORLD CHOOSES THE BEST ....JESUS CHOOSES THE REST , WHICH COVER US ALL.

Until the future of the lost world matters more to the Church , than the future of the Church , then just maybe the church will have a limited future.Before you jump out of this blogg ...please keep reading ! Some one liners that may encourage you to keep considering this ongoing issue.
1.Instead of faking it till you make it ....FAITH it till you make it .
2.The Body of Christ needs to create an atmosphere that will help others SUCCEED not FAIL.!
3. It is not that I am not a realist .....rather I AM A PRISONER OF HOPE.
4.Do we REACT or RESPOND to challenges ..there is a world of difference.
5.Age is IRRELEVANT .......OPENNESS is a choice.
6.INCLUSIVENESS .......EXCLUSIVENESS .....HOW DO WE MEASURE ?
7. LET US ALL CLOSE RACIAL,GENDER, ATTITUDINAL GAPS.
8.DARE TO DREAM SO BIG THAT JESUS MUST SHOW UP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
9.Don't only BELIEVE in miracles .......DEPEND on them.
10.Many were SLEEPING when JESUS came first ....don't be caught when JESUS comes back again.
11. Don't let your GIFTING take you where your character can't KEEP you .

Bless you today .

MARNEY

DOES ANYBODY EVEN REALLY HEAR,SEE, CARE ABOUT....THEY?

They is an interesting word & even more "definition". i.e. ''they don't care", " they are the problem", "they make me act like this'', "they rejected me ", they don't listen to me", "it is their fault"........I hope you get it .
We , ( you & I ) are often blaming "they" , "them", "him", "her", "the system","everyone else"& whilst we continue to react in this way , we are in denial about our own responsibility, our own issues, our own sin.
"They "can also be something or someone we totally disregard , not see, not even care about,which is equally a problem, because JESUS died for all the "they's" in this world which means you & I ........
Casting Crowns ( a contemporary Christian group) writes a great song, one of the verses says:"Does anybody hear her?Can anybody see?Or does anybody even know she's going down today/Under the shadow of our steeple. With all the lost & lonely people...searching for the hope that's tucked away in you & me. Does anybody hear them?
Here is a reminder we are other people's them , they , & others are our them & they! The Good News is : JESUS LOVES ALL OF US & THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND, LOVE , PRAY FOR ALL THE "theys" IN OUR LIVES.next time you start talking about, thinking about :"THEY".....try to be gracious, forgiving & above all REALLY SEE , HEAR , THEIR HEARTS.

Blessings to you today !

MARNEY

CHANGE OUR WORDS & JESUS MAY USE US TO CHANGE THE WORLD

In the MESSAGE version of the Bible there is a powerful verse in Proverbs 18:21 ''WORDS KILL, WORDS GIVE LIFE:THEY'RE EITHER POISON OR FRUIT- CHOOSE."Another translation says that :''THE TONGUE HAS THE POWER OF LIFER & DEATH,...". As I am reading , hearing the global news , it seems so urgent that our world needs the healing , life-giving presence , love, peace ,joy and Salvation of JESUS CHRIST more than ever before. The words we speak to each other , in boardrooms , in our familiy settings , in our own minds can either speak , love , life , affirmation , encouragement or not . JESUS can really change hearts , minds ,thoughts & mouths. I have noticed there is an over abundance of negative words , swearing (which really requires no vocabulary expertise), blaspheming and cynacism all around the globe. Even rhetoric which does not have action attached to it is just another addition to our society's issues.
Jesus came to set us all free from ourselves and that includes the negative, critical , damning words that we at times speak into other people's lives. Jesus said in MATTHEW 12 : 37 ''EVERY ONE OF THOSE CARELESS WORDS IS GOING TO COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU. THERE WILL BE A TIME OF RECKONING. WORDS ARE POWERFUL: TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY. WORDS CAN BE YOURSALVATION. WORDS CAN ALSO BE YOUR DAMNATION." (The Message).In fact if you want some really authentically sound words that will be liberating read all of MATTHEW chapter 12 ........JESUS really gives us all good words.!Today ask The Holy Spirit to wash you clean of any impurity in word , thought , motivation & deed . He, with Jesus is the only source of cleansing when it comes to our lives . PSALM 51 ....may be another helpful prayer to pray daily. I pray this prayer for myself many times a day!
Blessings to you and know JESUS LOVES YOU ........JESUS REALLY LOVES YOU , HE LOVED YOU SO MUCH THAT HE DIED TO SET YOU & I FREE FROM OURSELVES. CHANGE YOUR WORDS & JESUS WILL HELP YOU (&I) TO CHANGE THIS WORLD.