Partakers

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Challenge, Character, Trust

                                     … of His divine nature!

 
      as His divine power has given to us all things
      that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge
      of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have
      been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,
      2 Peter 1 3

Why did God not just fix everything that is wrong in our lives,
… when we made Jesus Lord of our lives?
Because for anything to be real in our lives,
… we have to choose to, and actively live it!
Like Jesus said …

      I have come that they may have life…
      John 10:10

Jesus did not say He was coming to live our life for us,
… but to make it possible for us to live in His fullness!
That is why Paul wrote …

      work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
      Philippians 2 12

God’s plan is not that He empty us of all evil,
… because our will is involved,
but His secret is that we fill ourselves up with Him,
… so when the evil comes we are not empty,
but filled with God, filled with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit.
So that every attribute of God is in us, because He dwells in us,

      by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises
      that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature,
      having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
      2 Peter 1 4

As we take hold of, and live what God has prepared for us,
… partaking of His divine nature,
we will live that abundant life Jesus came that we may have.

      Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ,
      2 Corinthians 2:14
 

Love comes

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Character, Love, Value

                                                         … at a price!

 
      Love comes at a price!

God loved us so much, He gave His best, His all.
      For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
      that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
      John 3:16

so that we can again enter and live in His presence,
in the fullness of life that Jesus came for us to have!
      I have come that they may have life,
      and that they may have it more abundantly.
      John 10:10

God will always love us,
He will always be willing to give us whatever we need.
      Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
      James 1:17

Love comes at a price,
… a price that God is forever willing to pay,
by giving us what is necessary to live in His fullness,
the fullness of His love, of His salvation
      And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
      God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
      1 John 4:16

God even did what was necessary for us to again be like Him!
      Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness
      in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
      1 John 4:17

How much are you willing to give?
Are you willing pay the price of love,
and live in the abundance He has prepared for you,
      Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
      1 John 4:11
 

Do you really

Posted on jan2 CommentsPosted in Expectations, Faith, Trust

                                                             … believe?

 
We are all quick to say … I believe,
… I believe God,
… I believe His promises,
… I believe I receive what I need.

      But do we really believe?
      What does it mean to believe?

Believing is not about what you want or need,
neither what you have prayed for nor what you have confessed.

      for he who comes to God must believe that He is,
      Hebrews 11:6

Believing therefore is not just hoping that you will receive,
but …

      Believing is knowing God’s will
      … and knowing that He will do His will according to His word.
      Believing is about receiving what God has for you,
      … because you are sure that what He said to you,
      He will do!

Therefore, when you don’t know
… or you’re not sure what God’s will is,
PRAY and find out what His will truly is.
… Then speak or proclaim His will, His rhema word to you
That is believing!

      And that is when you take that step of faith,
      … in accordance with what you believe!

      Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe,
      all things are possible to him who believes.’
      Mark 9:23
 

Walking on water

Posted on jan1 CommentPosted in Challenge, Faith, Trust

                                                           Why not?

 
Is walking on water really as impossible as it seems?
Peter did – but HOW?
Quite simply, the way Jesus did!

As a man, even Jesus could not walk on water,
… but He did and He told us how.

      Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself,
      but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does,
      the Son also does in like manner.
      John 5:19

Jesus relied on the Father for everything that He did,
… and the day He walked on water was no different.

      He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray …
      Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them,
      walking on the sea …
      Matthew 14:23-25

Not only did Jesus spend time with the Father,
but He walked with the Father to wherever the Father directed,
… and on reaching the lake, they simply carried on walking.
When Jesus said to Peter ‘come’
Peter also walked on the water,
… but when Peter looked at the circumstances, and started to doubt,
he became one with the circumstances,
… and no longer one with the Lord!

      Jesus stayed with the Father,
      … and therefore above the circumstances.
      The question is ‘where are you?’

It is the same as ‘moving that mountain’ that Jesus spoke about.
It is NOT about the circumstances or challenges we face,
… but it is all about what we do with God,
and about our trust in God and what He can do with us!

      Jesus said to him, “If you can believe,
      all things are possible to him who believes.”
      Mark 9:23
 

Righteous

Posted on jan2 CommentsPosted in Faith, Grace, Promises

                                                        … or not?

 
Much too often the reality of righteousness,
… and what it means to be righteous,
is linked with sin and made subject to being sinless,
… when in fact, righteousness has nothing to do with sin.

      The reality of becoming righteous
      … lies not in what you do or do not do,
      but in the reality of what Jesus did!

Jesus did not become sin by sinning
… but as a sinless offering took our sin on Himself,
In the same way therefore,
… we do not become righteous by trying to do righteous deeds,
BUT…
because of Jesus’ righteous act on the cross,
… we become righteous by receiving His righteousness.

Sure …
      we need to do something about sin,
      … but it is not trying to stop sinning,
      for that is not possible for man!
So also …
      we need to do something about righteousness,
      … and that is not by trying to stop sinning,
      neither is it about trying to live right,
      … but simply by receiving what Jesus has already done for us.

      For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
      that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
      2 Corinthians 5:21
 

Calling things that be not

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Faith, Life, Potential

                                            … as though they are!

 
      God, who gives life to the dead and
      calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
      Rom 4:17

Calling things that be not as though they are,
.. is what God did,
and those things became what He called them!

We also should be practising the same,
… but how does that work?
How did it work when God did it?

      Everything that God believes and speaks happens,
      … because God speaks what He has decided should be,
      not according to any need or want,
      … but according to His will and His purposes.

In our lives many things need to change,
… but how can we get those things to change?
By finding God’s will for that situation, in His Word,
… then getting to that place where God and His Word,
become His will for that situation.
As Jesus said …

      If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
      you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
      John 15:7

Remember, God’s Word is not going to manifest
… because you have a need, or
… because you have a want,
but because you believe Him,
… and His will, for you, for now!

      Then what you call, according to His Rhema word to you,
      … WILL BE what He willed for it to be!
 

Not in my strength

Posted on jan1 CommentPosted in Commitment, Relationship, Trust

                                                                … but in His!

 
God is serious about blessing us and being the strength in our lives,
… but He is also as serious about how He will do it.

      Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man
      who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,’
      Jeremiah 17:5

That God wants to be our strength,
… is not a suggestion, it’s a command,
and He is expecting us to not rely on our own strength or abilities,
… but to fully rely on Him.

      But without faith it is impossible to please Him,
      for he who comes to God must believe that He is
      and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
      Hebrews 11:6

Jesus is our example and He told us how He lived that life on earth.

      Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
      the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do;
      for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
      John 5:19

Jesus fully relied on the Father, on that personal relationship with the Father,
… and therefore could do those mighty works (that we also should do),
and Jesus even taught us to pray the same kind of prayer He prayed,

      Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
      Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
      …
      for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
      Matthew 6:9-13

Not telling God what you want Him to do for you,
… but making Him your source, your strength,
and He WILL be your rewarder, as you diligently seek Him.
 

That I may…

Posted on jan2 CommentsPosted in Character, Love, Value

                                               inherit eternal life!

 
A rich young ruler came to Jesus asking,

      Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
      Mark 10:17

When Jesus told him what the Law required,
… the young ruler told Him that he had kept the law since his youth,
… which however could not procure eternal life for him,
because as we know, there is nothing we can do to inherit eternal life,
… and is why Jesus came to do it for us!
Yet Jesus said to him …

      Go your way, sell whatever you have …
      Mark 10:21

Was Jesus telling the young ruler that he had to go do something?
Although it may sound that way, He wasn’t!
But what Jesus was telling him was
… to get rid of what represented his own efforts,
… efforts that were hindering him from inheriting eternal life!
Then Jesus continued and said to him,

      and give to the poor,
      Mark 10:21

Why?
Because it is about your heart, to love, to give,
… that allows the kingdom of God to become real to you!

      It was not about the young ruler’s money or riches,
      … it was about his heart.
      You can’t change your position
      … by what you do for yourself to obtain things.
      Your position only changes through what you do for others,
      LOVE … that is the kingdom of God!

      For God so loved the world that He gave …
      John 3:16
 

Believing faith

Posted on jan1 CommentPosted in Expectations, Faith, Potential

                                           … moves mountains!

 
      So Jesus answered and said to them,
      Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you,
      whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed
      and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart,
      but believes that those things he says will be done,
      he will have whatever he says.
      Mark 11:22-24

Jesus was teaching us
… not just what faith can do,
… and not just what we need to say,
but also what we need to do for faith to work.

      Faith is not the confession of God’s promises,
      … is not the confession of what you believe God can do,
      … nor the confession of what you want God to do for you.
      But…
      Faith is the confession of what you believe,
      … of what you know God has prepared for you,
      … of what you know God has already done,
      and is doing for you.

Jesus very specifically said …

      If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes
      Mark 9:23

But what is believing?

Simply this, that
… what God said is what you expect!

      … without faith it is impossible to please Him,
      for he who comes to God must believe that He is,
      and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
      Hebrews 11:6
 

For …

Posted on jan3 CommentsPosted in Faith, Promises, Relationship

                                                           God was with Him

 
What was the secret to Jesus’ ministry on earth?

      God was not doing things for Jesus or in His ministry,
      … just because of who He was,
      but because Jesus was walking with Him,
      …God could do things in Jesus’ life.

What God did in Jesus’ life,
… was not because God promised to do it,
but because Jesus was where God sent Him,
… Jesus was doing what God told Him to do.
And, because Jesus was abiding in the Father,
… what the Father did was evident in Jesus’ life.

      Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
      the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do;
      for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
      John 5:19

The same applies in our lives.
If things are not happening as they should,
… it is probably because God is not there,
… to do what He promised to do.

But how then does this work in our lives?
Simply by doing what Jesus said to do …

      If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
      you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
      John 15:7

And what happened in Jesus’ life will happen in our lives …

      how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
      and with power, who went about doing good and healing all
      who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
      Acts 10:38