He does not change

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Covenant, Relationship

life
 

How do you define what is right and what is wrong?

      Is there an absolute standard of good?
      How do you reconcile Old Testament teachings
      … with the love Jesus taught?
      Does God change and are His commandments negotiable?

God’s standard is absolutely clear …

      “For I am the Lord, I do not change;
      Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
      Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away
      from My ordinances and have not kept them.
      Return to Me, and I will return to you,“
      Mal 3:6-7

Yet, when God said ‘I do NOT change’
… He was not merely referring to His commandments,
but that His plans and love towards us will never change,
… and therefore we are not consumed!
However it is up to us to return to Him, to His love for us!

      Returning to God means to get into a relationship with Him,
      … that is why God sent Jesus – to restore us to Him!
      Jesus, when asked what the greatest commandment is,
      … answered that firstly it is loving God,
      … and secondly it is loving others.

The way therefore seems clear, but how do I live that relationship,
… and how will that help me know what is right and what is wrong?

      Jesus showed us the way in John 15:7 saying …
      If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
      you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

So, how do I know what is right and what I should do?
      Study God’s Word, then go to Jesus, ask Him, He will tell you!
And, how will I get to truly love God and love others?
      Go to Jesus, ask Him, He will show you!

Let His love consume you!
 

All God – All Man

Posted on jan1 CommentPosted in Character, Covenant


 

      In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
      and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
      John 1:1-2

Jesus has always been all God,

      And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
      and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten
      of the Father, full of grace and truth.
      John 1:14

Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin,
… Jesus became a man and dwelt amongst us.
And yes,
… Jesus did live a sinless life,
… the kind of life God intended for us to live,

      I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me,
      I speak these things.
      John 8:28

Yet there came a day, as it came to Adam,
… when the decision for or against God had to be made,
when Jesus, as a man, faced the life changing decision,
… to choose God and His will to be done!

      “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me;
      nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
      Luke 22:42

Jesus became All Man, doing what Adam failed to do,
… when as a man,
Jesus made the decision to do the will of the Father!

      Thus, as All God and All Man, Jesus took our place,
      … choosing to die as our sin offering,
      that we may become ALL that the Father created us to be!
 

Righteous by Faith

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Faith, Life, Potential


 

      For the promise that he would be the heir of the world
      was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law,
      but through the righteousness of faith.
      Rom 4.13

We try to earn righteousness by our obedience, by our right doing,
… that’s obedience to the law, trying to live according to the law,
… that’s not right living.
Obedience that comes from faith, trusting and living what God says,
… that is right believing,
… that produces right living

      Obedience is not the root, obedience is a fruit.
      Under the law,
      … you are blessed because of your obedience.
      Under the new covenant,
      … God blesses you because of Jesus’ obedience!

The blessing under grace produces repentance,
… and thus produces change in your life.
And it is the blessing that empowers you to obey.

You cannot and will not change
… until there’s something in you that can produce that change.

      Repentance is the turning point.
      The blood of Jesus is the qualification.
      Grace is the power.
      Righteousness is the motor.
      Right believing is the roadmap.
      Christ is the goal!

It is through the blood of Jesus that we are qualified,
… to walk in the fullness of salvation, health, healing, abundance.

      You cannot earn it, you can only receive it!
 

Expressing Love

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Covenant, Love, Relationship


 

Why did God say …
      “It is not good that man should be alone;”
      Gen 2:18
Now there may be many reasons,
… but only one embraces them all,
Man needs someone to Hug!

Man was created in God’s image, which means that,
… man has love in himself, because God is love.

      He who does not love does not know God,
      for God is love.
      1 John 4:8

Man needs someone to Hug!

So I said to God … “isn’t that clever!”
God’s response was to ask me a question…
      “Why do you think that I am One,
      … Father, Son and Holy Spirit?”

“Because there are three of you?” I ventured.
“Yes, but why are there three of us?”
“Ok”, I replied, “I don’t know. Why?”

      “As you have rightly said”, God replied, “I am Love,
      … and for love to be real, it must be expressed,
      therefore I want to express love to someone who’ll receive it,
      … and at the same time express love to Me.
      That is what I, Jesus and the Holy Spirit do all the time!”

God has always intended for us to be like Him,
not in looks or in power, or in any other way, but in love,
… being in His image which is expressed in love,
… because love is Who He is and who we are also to be!

      God’s original intention was that man not be alone.
      However the reality of man not being alone,
      … is found in the love, the God kind of love, that we express.
 

Living by Law or Grace

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Faith, Relationship


 
Do you feel convicted, even condemned
… that you should have said something
… that you missed an opportunity to speak into someone’s life?

Sure, we often do, but should we?

      One of the last things that Jesus said,
      before He returned to the Father was,
      … Go and make disciples (Matt.28:19)

Trying to live by the Book or by the law,
… will put a pressure on you to try and do,
and if you don’t, you will feel condemned,
… thinking that you came short of what was expected of you.

However that is not at all God’s plan or expectation,
… in fact Jesus said this about sin and salvation,

      And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin,
      and of righteousness, and of judgment:
      John 16:8

God does not expect us to try and convict others of sin,
… that’s not our call, but the call of the Holy Spirit.
But God wants us to work with the Holy Spirit,
… and live lives that show others the reality of salvation.

      Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
      your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
      Matt.5:16

In all situations and challenges in life,

      The law and trying to live by the book,
      … will only pressurize you and make you feel condemned.

      Grace not only saves you,
      … but frees you to be a living witness of Grace,
      and thus touch the lives of those around you!
 

Is God Omnipresent?

Posted on jan1 CommentPosted in Faith, Life, Potential

      Scripture tells us that God is omnipresent.
      However, His presence in our lives
      … is dependent on us, and not on Him.

The air that we need to live is also everywhere,
… but it is up to us to breathe!
And, the quality of the air that we breathe,
… is also dependent on us, not the air!

      We have to make sure we get the best out of it.
      We have to make sure the air is not polluted,
      … and that the oxygen content is replenished.
      Not only is air part of our lifeline,
      … but we have the responsibility to look after it.

Our relationship with God is exactly the same,
… we are responsible for that relationship to exist.
God is not going to run after us,
… but if we go to Him, He is there waiting for us!
As we connect with Him,
… He will make sure we have what we need to live,
… and that we are blessed, healthy and prosperous!

      Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
      James 4:8

A reality that we can see throughout Jesus’ ministry …

      But when the multitudes heard it,
      they followed Him on foot from the cities.
      And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude;
      and He was moved with compassion for them,
      and healed their sick.
      Matt 14:13-14

God is not only Omnipresent …
      but as you get into His presence,
      His omnipotence will come into your presence.

      Matt.9:35-36, Matt.15:32, Matt.20:34, Mark 1:41, Mark 9:22, Luke 15:20-24, Jer.33:3
 

Living or surviving by faith?

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Faith, Life, Potential

Scripture tells us …
      Now the just shall live by faith;
      But if anyone draws back,
      My soul has no pleasure in him.
      Heb 10:38

The question however is,
Are you living by faith?
… or merely trying to survive by faith?

Scripture also says …
      Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray,
      believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
      Mark 11:24

Yet so often this just does not seem to work!
… I believe I will have what I ask,
… but I just don’t seem to receive it!
How then does one live by faith?

      Living by faith is not about what you believe,
      … neither is it about who you believe,
      but living by faith is a lifestyle,
      … a personal relationship with the O ne you believe!

For this very reason Jesus said to us …
      But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
      and all these things shall be added to you.
      Matt 6:33

Living by faith is not about what you do,
… but it is about who you are running with!

      If your life is with the Living God,
      … you will not just be living,
      your life will also be what God said it would be!

It’s not about the bullets…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Life, Potential

      No, it’s not about the bullets,
      … it’s about the shield!

There is not too much you can do
… about things that come against you,
… about people who oppose you or oppose what you do,
nor about the thoughts or pressures that come your way!

Yet the Bible tells us there are things we can do,
… and that we should do!

      Put on the whole armour of God, that
      you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
      Eph 6:11

      It’s not about the bullets,
      … it’s about the shield!

However, there is something important about this armour,
… about this shield that God has given us.
We need not only to take it up,
but most importantly, we need to …

      take the helmet of salvation,
      Eph 6:17

that makes it possible for us to …
      bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
      2 Cor 10:5

For …
      the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for
      pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every
      high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God …
      2 Cor 10:4-5

Take up that shield and get connected,
… and let God show you how to beat those bullets!

His Provision

Posted on jan1 CommentPosted in Covenant, Potential

His supply is according to His heart!

      We so often go to God,
      … telling Him what we need or lack,
      asking Him to meet that need,
      … or to supply what we lack.

However,
God’s supply is not according to our need,
… but God’s supply is always according to His provision,

      And my God shall supply all your need according
      to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
      Phil 4:19

So, don’t go to Him according to your need,
… but go to Him according to His provision,

      But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
      and all these things shall be added to you.
      Matt 6:33

God’s riches and God’s supply,
… are not about you or what you need,
but they are always about who He is,
… and what He wants to do in your life!

As Jesus said to us …
      Come to Me, all you who labour
      and are heavy laden,
      and I will give you rest.
      Matt 11:28

Even though your need is important to God,
… He can do nothing about it until you come into His rest,
… until you are there where He can minister to your need.

      So, seek His kingdom, His rest
      … and what you need will be supplied
      according to His riches in Christ Jesus!

A God of Increase

Posted on jan2 CommentsPosted in Life, Potential

    If the first is blessed … the rest is blessed

    God is a God of increase,
    He wants to increase us, and He wants us to increase,
    and the very first thing God did was to decree a blessing on us,
    … saying to us,
    Be fruitful … Increase! (Gen.1:28)

However God not only wants to increase us materially,
… but wants to bless us in all our ways, in all of life,
so that our abilities will increase,
… and our actions blessed,
and His favor rest on our entire being.

Therefore …

    God told us to bring Him our first fruit,
    … what is and what we value and consider our best.
    So that He can bless the rest of what we have,
    … with His value and with His best.

Give God 1/10th of your increase, of your best,
… and He will sanctify, bless and increase the rest … your 9/10th.
Give God 1/10th of your time, of your life,
… and He will sanctify, bless and increase the rest of your life and being.
Give God 1/10th of your ability and of your brain,
… and He will sanctify, bless and increase all you set your hand to!

     Gen. 1:28
      Gen. 4:3-7
      Gen. 14:18-20
      Deut. 28:1-8
      Matt. 6:33
      3 John 2