#openthoughts - Obedience and Faithfulness

‘Faithful people are Obedient, they listen to instructions and carry them out knowing that it will work out for their good’

Some time ago, I was undertaking a course in SIA Door Supervision. We were told that in order for us to follow instructions properly and carry them out, we first need to trust the person giving the information to us. It hadn’t quite sunk in until we had an evacuation at work. When I told everyone to head in a certain direction, they followed that path and were out safely. I believe that if they didn’t have faith in me, they would have went in a different direction.
In order for us to follow instructions and be obedient, we must first have faith and believe.

Abraham is someone who had great faith. There are two instances which never cease to amaze the human mind.

Hebrews 11 tells us that by faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise

Genesis 12:1-2 Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].

Genesis 12 tells us that God told Abraham to leave his father’s land and to go to a place that will be shown to him and after that, God made a covenant with him. Now, if me and you were told to do just that, I would imagine you would want to find out the destination, the route to get there and the name of it. In fact, you would a hundred and one questions for God. Abraham, on the other hand, got up and left and started his journey. Where he was going, that wasn’t revealed but he went along because he had faith in God, the type of faith that will allow you to follow where God takes you.

Abraham then had a son called Isaac and later on, in Genesis 22, we see that God told Isaac to offer up his son as a sacrifice.

Genesis 22:1 [God] said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
Being told to give up your only son would be painful. I’d imagine you would question God on this and ask why. I mean looking at it from a full on perspective, it seems like God had an agenda. If someone told you to give up something you truly loved, would you do it? When you look at it through human eyes, it doesn’t add up. I’m sure you would think to yourself, how could I ever do that?
Nevertheless, Abraham took his son Isaac up and got him ready to be sacrificed and was ready to the deed when an angel stopped him.

Genesis 22: 11-12 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! He answered, Here I am.
And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son

In both these passages we can see two main themes which stick out – Faith and Obedience. Abraham trusted God and had so much faith in him that he was will to forsake his ways and Obey God in all things.

Through his obedience and faith, God made a covenant that he would bless Abraham and make him a father of many nations. Your obedience and faithfulness is linked to a lifetime of blessings not only for you but for your whole generation.

Noah was another man who had great faith and a was a very righteous man. God told him to build an ark because he was going to flood the whole earth.

Genesis 6: 13-22: And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.”
Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

Whilst the ark was built, people mocked him but Noah stood firm and carried on building. God didn’t give Noah a specific time of when the flood will happen so for Noah he only had God’s word to stand on and also the promise that God would flood the earth. Now came a point when the ark was built, the flood finally came, some time after God first told Noah that it would come.
Through faith, Noah built the ark and through his obedience, God established his covenant with Noah.

Your faith is an indication that you are ready and willing to trust God in all things with the knowledge that God will work it out for your good. 

I pray that as you read, God will place a greater desire within you to remain obedient in Jesus name. Amen

#letstalk Depend on God

Have you ever reached breaking point? The point where you feel like everything is falling down around you. If you have, then you are not alone. Nine times out of 10, everyone you speak to or come across is not far away from breaking point.

According to the dictionary, breaking point is - 'the moment of greatest strain at which someone or something gives way'.
I want to look at two sides of breaking point and then why you need to depend on God.

- Moses was given a task to confront Pharaoh and set the captives free. Pharaoh's heart was so hard and stubborn that Moses had to literally break through that stubbornness in order for the captives to be set free. Time after time, whenever Pharaoh resisted and said no, God would then send plagues.
Finally, Pharaoh broke and gave in and the captives were set free.
Whenever we as a people begin to resist God, let's understand that God will literally break us to the point where we have no choice but to rely on God.

- Peter, just after Jesus died, decided enough was enough and went back to what he is accustomed to which was fishing. On this particular night, Peter and the boys decided to go fishing. Time after time, Peter caught nothing. At that point, Peter was at breaking point, nothing he did was going right until Jesus came through. After throwing his net on the right side, he caught so much fish that his net literally broke into pieces.

In order for us to grow past pain and rejection, we must be willing to push through the breaking point. Peter's customary position was his boat but if God needs to use him, then Peter must be taken out of the comfort zone and into the unknown. Let's call it uncharted territory

Joshua 1:9 - Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Ever been told to be strong and get on with it? Ever been told to push past your fears? There comes a point where we will be dealt with a hand that doesn't look too good but we have to make the best of it. There will come a point that we will need to depend on God in all things and when you get to that breaking point, you need to rely on God.

God has promised us that wherever we go he will be with us. In all trials and tribulations, God is always with us. In 2 Corinthians, we see that God said to Paul that his Grace is sufficient for him, his power is enough for when we are weak.
Whenever you get to that breaking point, trust in God, rely on him and you get through it.

Psalm 51:16-17 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Matthew 11:28 -29 Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls

In all things, depend on God. It may be rough, it may seem like there is no end to what you are facing but rely on God and he will help you through it. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown in the fire, God was with them. When Daniel was thrown in the Lion's Den, God was with him. 

Have no reason to fear, ask God to help you push past the breaking point. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, knowledge and understanding. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight

Be blessed. As you read, I pray that God gives you more strength and more grace. 

#letstalk - The Importance of Rememberance

Each and every year in November, the whole nation stands silent in order to remember the soldiers who lost their lives in the war. For a minute or two, everybody's minds are on the wars that have recently gone by and wars in the past.

As this piece was being written, we then had this thought - Do we ever take time to just be silent and remember what God has done for us?

Some of you may be wondering why we should remember what God did for us......... Let's delve into that. One of the reasons is prayer. Prayer is a line of communication between you and God, if you want something you will ask for God it. Often, we sometimes be faint in prayer because we have forgotten what God has done for us. The time he saved you, the time he healed you etc is all forgotten and as such you are hesitant to ask.

Malachi 3:16 says  - "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name"
Just imagine, having your name in the book of remembrance. In that book are all the names who will enter heaven so in essence when you communicate with God he will remember you and all that you did.

Abraham had a relative called Lot and when Abraham parted from Lot, God made a covenant with Abraham. In Genesis 19, we see that Sodom and Gomorrah was about to be destroyed and henceforth because Lot was still in the land of Sodom, God delayed what he was going to do until Lot left.

Genesis 19:29 - "So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived".
So what exactly did Abraham ask God, Let's have a look.

Genesis 18:32 - 33 - And he said, "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again only this once. Suppose ten [righteous people] shall be found there". And [the Lord] said, "I will not destroy it for ten’s sake".
And the Lord went His way when He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

So we can see that whenever you make a covenant with someone you must always remember that covenant. A covenant is an agreement which must be honoured at all times but when that covenant is not remembered or it breaks, all hell will break loose.

Another reason why remembrance is so important is so that we can be obedient. Let's break this down - Someone gives you a job to and also accompanying the job is a set of instructions. It's your duty to not only finish the job but follow the instructions.  Now, you have completed the job but didn't follow the instructions, it is classed as disobedience. Most people would argue that they were obedient but in this case you didn't listen to the instructions which is classed as disobedience.

As you read this, I want you to ask yourself this - How good are you at remembering things and people. This will be key when you are building bonds with people.

So......how can we help ourselves to remember things?
We can make notes, put down reminders. If it helps, put up scriptures in your car, record voice notes to help you remember. In other cases, just ask the Holy Spirit

A reason why people don't remember is because it didn't mean much to them or in other words, call it pride.

It's important to remember. As we enter a week of remembrance take some time out to remember God. Just be silent, bring all those things back into remembrance.

'The Importance of Remembrance'

#thefathersword - Focus

Focus..................... we all need to focus in our life. What happens when you don't focus? You begin to look confused and distressed. Mountain climbers know that to reach to the top of the mountain, they need to focus and not look down, I'm sure that when they climb a fair distance and they look down, the thoughts going through their mind must be one of fear or courage. It's not wise to look down, it's best to look forward.

Let's look at Peter, he was with his fellow disciples in the boat. It was stormy, the tide was strong and they must have feared for their life. Jesus appeared but the disciples didn't recognise Jesus in the midst of the storm but Peter said, 'If it is you, bid me to come' to which Jesus replied 'Come'. It was within that moment Peter learnt a very powerful lesson.

He negotiated the first part which was to get out of the boat and now he had to walk towards Jesus. The bible doesn't tell us how far it was or how many steps Peter took but we do know that Peter was walking on water. Peter's focus was on Jesus, he was like Jesus, walking on water but as soon as he zoomed out, he focused on the storm and how rough it was. It was at this very moment that Peter begin to sink, he began to fall. Jesus immediately lent out his hand and rescued him and asked why he had so little faith. Once they got back in the boat, the wind stopped.

I wonder, have you ever got to a point in life where you've lost your focus and all your problems are now facing you. Why not Focus on the task at hand and see what happens.
We don't know what Jesus said to Peter or whether there was any dialogue involved but I'd imagine it would be things like 'Focus on me', 'keep your eyes', head up'. It's very obvious that when Peter took his eye off Jesus, he was quite terrified and scared.

There are moments in life where if you're focus is not 100%, you will not see correctly. In order to completely focus on something, you need to zoom in and block away all distractions.
It can be difficult but Jesus is right there with you. Focus on him and you will make it, look upwards and you will get to the top.

Focus.......................Focus.........................

#thefathersword - Love

Love – A journey of love

How do you love yourself? That was a question posed to me recently. It was a question I had to think long and hard about.

Before I answered, I had to break it down into - How can I love myself?

There’s a saying which is ‘Look after yourself before you look after others’. At first glance you would think it’s quite a selfish quote but when you read it again, it will make sense. Looking after others will require a lot from you and if you aren’t well yourself, it could end in disaster.

One of the ways is to Take a break - Yes, take a break. In life, you will get involved in so many things that you find you have no time for yourself. This results in being rundown, tired and soon or later turn into depression. From time to time, take a break, go on a spa, rest yourself and regain your energy.

Anther way is to cut off all the toxic people in your life - You will find that there are people who will drain all your energy and demand time from you. Please, it's time to cut them off, they are not helping you or your health.

Live a healthy lifestyle - This is a way to destress yourself. From time to time, it's always good to get out and stretch yourself. It also benefits your mental health and it will keep the brain ticking. Eating healthily can also contribute to us being well both physically and mentally.

Treat yourself - Now and again, it is good to treat yourself. This could mean from buying new clothes to watching the latest movie at the cinema. Go on a shopping spree, have a night out with friends. Treat yourself, make yourself feel special.

Focus - Focus on yourself for a change. We have a tendency to want to help everyone around us and take on their problems but in reality we simply can't do that. It's not wrong to want to focus on yourself for a while, get yourself back to full fitness, regain your happiness and most of all love yourself.

Listen to your body - Rushing around can eventually cause us to slow down and then stop. It's good to get things done but there's a need to slow down and take it easy. Listen to your body, know when to stop or when to put the brakes on.
Picture a car travelling at a fast speed, it fails to spot the red light ahead and then crashes. Instant write off. That can become us when we ignore warning signs, we too can crash and burn. In order to prevent that, listen to your body.

When I think of love, I think of it as an action word. Loving yourself is the most important thing you should do, because let's face it - if you can't love yourself, who else will?
There will come a time when loving yourself becomes hard but it can get easier when you begin to value yourself and see yourself how God sees you.

I pray that as you start this journey of love, you will experience the love of God even more.

#thefathersword - Idleness

Idleness is a very deadly plague. What does idleness actually mean? There are a few meanings that we have picked which can describe it best.

habitually doing nothing or avoiding work; lazy.

to pass time doing nothing.

So someone who is idle can be described as someone who is not productive. Let's see what the bible has to say about Idleness

2 Thessalonians 3:10 - For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat

If we are not willing to work, then we shouldn't be expecting to take part in the finished product.

'There once was a man who was planning dinner for some family and friends. He ordered his 4 sons to help him. The father and the son were in charge of cooking the food but for that to happen, they needed to buy the food so they sent one of the sons to buy the ingredients for the food. The 3rd son cleaned up, set the table and made sure they had everything they needed to make the meal possible. However, the 4th son refused to do anything.
When everything was complete they all sat to eat except for the 4th son. He wasn't allowed anywhere near the table. The reason is that he didn't help contribute to dinner party so as of such he was excused'.

What this tells us is that even though we are not on the frontline, there is always something to do.
Jesus gave us this pretty direct message and it is in Matthew - 'The harvest is plenty but they are few willing workers'

There is plenty to do, even if someone is occupying what you normally do, you can still do something. Idleness should not be your portion

Things have changed since the old days, in this age we are living in it is impossible for us not to do anything. There is now social media, there are phones etc. There is so much online that we can devote time to and concentrate on. Do something meaningful with your time, don't waste your time on doing nothing. Pity is the man who spends time but doesn't have nothing to show for it.

Don't be idle, it's a deadly plague that can cause deadly thoughts to enter your mind. It is also a path for the devil to play with your mind.

1 Timothy 5:13 - Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not

Proverbs 13:4 - The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied

Proverbs 6:6-11 - Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, ..

Philippians 4:8 -“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

It's only when we stop thinking of these things, that is when idleness sets in and then the mind starts to wonder. For some people, the decision to be busy with something is so that they don't become depressed.

An idle mind is the devil's playground.............................

#wordfromabove - The Well of Restoration

John 4 - So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.[b] The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

Here we have a passage that throws up many angles and perspectives. There are many questions to why Jesus went through Samaria and what made him stop at Jacob's Well. We see that Jesus, as tired as he was, stopped and sat on the well. The woman came along and came to draw water, this signifies that her soul is not satisfied, she has been going back and forth looking for something to satisfy her soul. Have you been looking for something to satisfy for you soul?

Jesus asks the woman for a drink, but the woman, oblivious to what's actually taking place says that they shouldn't be talking to each other because it's not common for Jews and Samaritans to hang around with each other. Jesus then told her that if only she knew who she was talking to and what he could give her, she would be asking him for a drink.

So, we then see that Jesus says that if she kept on drinking the water, she always be thirsty, her soul will always be unsatisfied but if she drinks of the water he gives out, she will never be thirsty again. Without second thought, she told Jesus to give her the water so that she will not be thirsty ever again.

We don't here from this woman again which may signify that because of her encounter with Jesus, her soul is now restored.During the woman's interaction with God, we see that she had 5 husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband.
Could this tell us something ourselves. Before we encountered Jesus, we were involved in many things which we thought could satisfy us but time after time, we find we are not satisfied so we go back again and again looking and searching for something that could satisfy us.

How did you feel?

Whilst pondering on this subject of Restoration, a popular passage popped up - Psalm 23:2- 3 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake

Could it possibly be that the whole time, Jesus was waiting for the woman because he wanted to restore her soul.

The Living Water is a type of water that will restore you, that will satisfy your soul. No longer will you thirst after the worldly things of today.

John 7:37-38 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. To the one who believes in Me, it is just as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”…

Are you thirsty for God? Do you need God to restore your soul? Are you looking for something to satisfy you? Come to God, he has what you need to satisfy you, he can restore your soul.

Do you want to be well? #openthoughts

Question - If you were in pain, what's the first thing that you would do? Would you stay silent or would you shout until someone came to help you?

This is a question that has been pondering in our thoughts for a while now. Initially we would try and ignore the pain but on the flip side we would actually look for a solution. It's only until we cry out for help that someone will notice us.

We want to look at two people who's actions help receive their healing.

The first one is the woman with the issue of blood. Now, she had this issue for 12 years and as accustomed in that period, she couldn't leave her house. You would like to think that she is now coping with her illness. She had gone everywhere to find a solution but yet nothing could heal her. In all her pain, she then saw a crowd of people and saw that Jesus was in area.
12 years is a long time to be coping with an illness but the woman decided to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. At that instant, he felt power leave him. Her touch was so powerful that he had to stop and find out who it was but despite the disciple telling him that it was nothing, Jesus insisted on finding out who it was. This lead him to the woman, who declared that it was she who had touched him. Jesus said her faith has made her whole. The woman stepped out and touched him by faith, it was her faith that healed her.

When you put your whole faith into Jesus, he will cause your situation to turn around in an instant.

The next person is 'Blind Bartimaeus'. In the text (Mark 10:46-52) we see that he was sitting by the roadside. Bear in mind, he had been in this position for some time, he had begun to cope with his issue. It was now part of his nature so he sat down and waited. Have you got so used to something that you just sit down and concede defeat?
When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was in the area, he cried out to him. The people who heard his cry told him to keep silent and to stay still. It's almost like he was an outcast, the black sheep of the crowd but nevertheless he cried out again but even louder - "You son of David, have pity and mercy on me {now}!". It was so loud that Jesus stopped. He told his disciples to call him and bring him forth. Jesus told the man that his faith has healed him, he should now go and be on his way but the amazing thing is this - he followed Jesus. His eyes were now open, he could now see the way forward.

How many of us have walked into a situation with our eyes closed? How many of us have stayed silent rather than acting upon our faith?

What is similar between the two is that they both caught the attention of Jesus. They both acted in faith which is something that pleased Jesus. They both were told to stay silent, to stay away but they refused to back down. They wanted to see and end to their pain and their affliction.
What have you done which caused you to step out in faith? Did it work?

Another thing which is similar is that they took the opportunity which was laid before them. Jesus was passing through and if they missed him, they may never get the opportunity to see him again. Whenever you see or hear that Jesus is passing through, you need to do whatever it takes to receive your blessing.

You can be healed, no longer do you need to suffer in silence. Step out, call on Jesus. You can be well if you want to.

Do you want to be well? It's not too late.

Open Thoughts: Daily Devotional - Be at Peace

'Be at Peace'

And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing? And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness). He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)?
Mark 4:37-40 AMP
http://bible.com/8/mrk.4.37-40.AMP

Sometimes I don't think we understand who we have with us. The disciples were in a boat, the storm was raging but Jesus was sleeping or let's say relaxing lol. Jesus was at peace despite all of life's troubles around him. He then rose and calmed the storm, immediately the storm calmed down.

No doubt that in your life there are things you are going through, it can feel like you are being attacked from every corner, unrelenting pressure, wave after wave. It may seem like there's no end to it but I want to announce that you can be at peace. Invite God into your life, trust in him, rest in him and with him.

Being at rest in the middle of pressure and all the storms is a key thing that we need to be able to do. Ask God to give you peace............

Do you have the ability to be at peace while the storm Is raging?

Open Thoughts - Daily Devotional

The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God's word]. It is good that one should hope in and wait quietly for the salvation (the safety and ease) of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:25-26 AMP
http://bible.com/8/lam.3.25-26.AMP

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 AMP
http://bible.com/8/ecc.3.11.AMP

If you're like me, when deliveries don't come on time you get upset and impatient. Fact of the matter is this, you're not in control. It's the person who delivers the goods, they're in control. Many times I've rang and asked where they were, it still didn't make them hurry up. All they say is to make sure you are in and are ready to sign for it.

God is very much in control of our lives, he has everything planned out. It's quite possible that it's not the time for a particular thing to happen. Be calm, be patient, wait for God to show up. Don't allow your insecurities to ruin what God has set out ahead of you.

It is going to happen, it will come to pass.

Be blessed

The Daily Word:the finish line

2 Timothy 4 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing

Peter was a man of great faith, he went everywhere to share the gospel. Further down in that passage he tells us that people rejected him, people left him on various journeys but yet he kept the faith, he got to the finish line.

I want to explore two passages in the bible where people have fallen short of the finish line.

It's a very painful thing to fall short of the finish line, I don't think anyone could come back from that. In football terms, this could be missing out on promotion, losing a play-off final or in athletics, it could be falling at the last hurdle or dropping the baton halfway. Building something and it falls down, starting a journey but you don't get to the end. We all have sometime in our life stopped short. How did it make you feel?

Genesis 35:16-19
Jacob and Rachel were on their way to Ephrath. Now Rachel was the love of his life, the type of love that will keep them together. They were some distance away from their destination when Rachel went into labour. Rachel gave birth but she encountered some difficulty, she gave birth to another son. Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (Bethlehem).
For Jacob, not only did it effect it him physically, I want to propose to you that it effected him psychologically. The fact that he didn't get to the finish line, it must have troubled him for some time. They were almost at the finish line, nearly there. So close but yet so far. Jacob didn't have much but he did his best with what he had, in between the people the around him and getting to the finish line.
How many times have we given up on something and buried it? How many times have we experienced failure and dug a hole for ourselves?
Do you feel like Jacob sometimes?

In society, there are many Jacobs out there who are under pressure to help their family and get them to the finish line.
Have you ever felt like you have fallen short of the finishing line? Have you ever felt like you didn't quite meet the set standards? You are not alone, many people have stopped short of the finishing line.

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God

The next passage I want to look at is the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 35 is where we are zooming in on.
Moses was given a brief to rescue the children of Israel and lead them into the promise land. Along the line Moses stumbled, he failed his task and due to his unbelief and disobedience he was not allowed to go into the promise land. Moses too, fell short, he fell short of the finish line.

The finish line may represent many things to you, it may be completing university, it may be completing coursework or even reaching a destination. Have you ever felt like you have failed? Have you ever felt like you wasn't worth it? It's commonly known that when people fail, they lose hope, they lose faith and so they don't try anything again. They never get out of the starting blocks because they fear they won't make it. The voices of those people who tell them you won't make it, go back.

There's many instances as to why people don't reach the finish line. It could be because your vision has become blurred, it could be because your perspective has changed.

I want to now turn this around, I want to tell that you can push on and reach the finish line.

We all know the birth of Jesus but I want to look at Joseph and Mary. Joseph is the son of Jacob, now we know that Jacob didn't make it to Bethlehem. Joseph is now on the road to Bethlehem with Mary, who is heavily pregnant. Joseph knew that he had to reach a safe place for Mary to give birth. They were travelling by donkey, it was a long journey. The place where Jacob fell short, Joseph persevered and reached Bethlehem where Mary gave birth to baby Jesus. Where Jacob fell short, Joseph carried on. Where Jacob fell short of the finish line, Joseph crossed the finish line.

When you have a great destiny ahead of you, you will reach the finish line despite of what is facing you. I want to tell you that when you are marked for greatness, you can reach the finish line. The fact that Mary was carrying greatness, it drove them to the finish line.

In Joshua 1, Joshua is told by God to be strong and very courageous. God will always be there with him and that he will never forsake him.

Don't give up, don't stop, don't quit, you can make it. You can make it to the promise land, you can make it to the finish line. Let's be like Joseph, let's reach the finish line. There is untold pressure to reach the finish line, untold pressure to finish, to be successful but what do you do when all what you have done falls short.

Cast all your burdens onto Jesus for he cares for you. Jesus can get you to the finish line. When Peter fell short, when he couldn't catch any more fish, Jesus stepped in and got him across the line with more than he had. Whenever you are about to give up, don't give up, Jesus will get you there.

2 Timothy 4 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing

You can do it!!!!!!!!!! You can make it to the finish line!!!!!!!!

Lord help us to reach the finish line, give us grace and strength to finish the race.

The Daily Word - Seek God

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord .
Proverbs 18:22 NIV
http://bible.com/111/pro.18.22.NIV

 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 NIV
http://bible.com/111/mat.6.33.NIV

 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:3‭-‬4 NIV
http://bible.com/111/col.3.3-4.NIV

Many of us desire a relationship, the vision God has is for families to be restored, for man and woman to be one. It's evidenced all over Genesis.

It's commonly known that if you want to treasure, you have to dig deep for it. It's also commonly known that even when you find it, you need to open it to access what's inside.

So, with that in mind I want to get us thinking on this.
Brothers - How earnestly are you seeking God?
Sisters - How hidden in Christ are you? How accessible are you?

Seek first the kingdom and all things shall be added unto you. It's very clear what we have to. If we are not seeking God, how do we expect to find favour?

The Daily Word - Can you Love whilst Hurting

'Despite going through pain and torture, he went to the cross to show how much he loves me and you'

Some time ago, God asked a question - Do you still love people even though they hurt you? . I had to think a long time about that, it was something that had me stuck for a while until I finally realised why.

There's this mentality that some people have which is this - If someone hurts or lets me down, there is no way I can trust someone else or even love someone else. Looking from the outside that could be totally acceptable but let's take a step back and really consider whether it's the correct idea.
Let's look it at from the perspective of Jesus.

On the third day when he rose again, you would imagine that he had some scores to settle. His first port of call was to appear before Peter and have a heart to heart. That was a poignant moment, even though Jesus was hurt by Peter he still showed love by commissioning Peter and then he appeared to the rest of the disciples.

In a modern day context, you would describe a person who did that as quite mindless but ask yourself this - How many time has God forgiven you? How many times has God shown his love to you.
Even though we hurt God on a daily basis, he still shows us his love.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. - Matthew 11:28-30

Wow, so what Jesus basically said is to give him all our troubles and exchange them for his yoke so we will find rest for our soul. What a huge statement, a statement of sincere love for me and you. We sinned against him, got him tortured but yet he is willing to take away our sins and forget them no more.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES - Matthew 8:17

Holding on to the past, holding on to those memories of the people that hurt you and let you down, the memories of being abused and neglected, the memories of being cheated on, all of this will weigh you down and keep you down. Give it to Jesus, he is willing to take your burden and wants to give you his yoke so you can be free and be able to move on. 

So, let me ask this question again - 'Do you still love people even though they hurt you? How will you respond...................................

The Daily Word - Power of Love

John 3:16 - For God so Loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life

When thinking of ways of describing the power that love brings, I can only cast my mind back to that moment Jesus died on the cross. That moment was a powerful act of love, one that everyone is synonymous with. You could drop that and let people think on that but I want to describe a relationship where love defeated hate.

In Acts 15 we see the relationship between Paul and Barnabas reach a critical point. They had been everywhere preaching the word. They now want to go back and see how everyone is doing but somewhere along we have an added element, John Mark. He abandoned Paul at Pamphylia and went on his way, up until now we still don't know why that happened but sure you can imagine what was going through Paul's mind.

At Antioch is where things came to a head, Paul told Barnabas that it would be wise for John Mark to not accompany them on this mission. Barnabas and Paul parted due to that disagreement, Silas then joined Paul instead.

Forward onto 2 Timothy, Paul is now in the last moments of his life on earth, he tells Timothy something which I believe is very powerful.
'Only Luke is with me, Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful for me in my ministry'
Wow, what a significant moment, the love that Paul has for John Mark can now overlook what happened in Pamphylia and now bring him forth into the ministry.

In the world, most people wouldn't give a second chance to someone who had abandoned them but when you have love for someone, what they did is consigned to the history books and remembered no more. It could have been easy for Paul to disregard John Mark but he didn't, he deemed him valuable for the ministry.

Can you think of a time when someone showed you a powerful act of love?

Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs

1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins

Romans 5:7-8 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 5:2
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Romans 8:39

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Love, Love is an action. Love is very powerful. Romans 8:39 is a excellent way to describe that. Nothing in this world could separate us from God's love. Before Jesus died, the disciples couldn't be one with God because of the sinful nature that had plagued the generations but when Jesus died, that veil which has covered people's eyes was torn in two. Love was restored, Love defeated hate, Love defeated death. 

Just after Jesus rose again, he appeared to Peter. Now Peter had abandoned Jesus so probably Peter wanted to get away and live a quiet life away from all the commotion but Jesus had other ideas. When they were reunited, Jesus asked Peter whether he loved him three times, the third time Jesus then told Peter 'If you love me, then feed my sheep' 

The love Jesus had for Peter never diminished, it just had to be reinforced. So the love Peter has for Jesus now has to be translated to the people. 

What a responsibility, what a moment. At that point, Peter was forgiven and restored as the rock of the Church. One which Jesus built his church upon. 

All throughout the life of Jesus, he was moved with Love and Compassion

Let us be like that, filled with Love and Compassion so that we can overlook people's faults and carry on loving them. 

Love is Powerful

Love is Caring

Love is Kind

Love is Patient

The Power of Love is displayed through your everyday actions...........................The Power of your Love was displayed on the cross.............

The Power of Love

The Other Side - The Daily Word

John 21:3-7 

Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

The Background to this text is that Jesus had been crucified and now Peter is wondering what to do. He now decides to go fishing and the other disciples also accompany him. At this point it is quite dark and as a result they caught nothing. For Peter, this could be seen as a major block because he is a fisherman by trade and now for him to not catch any fish, it just doesn't make sense. 

Morning came, Jesus approached and asked if they had caught any meat, Peter said no. At that point, Jesus told him to cast his net on the other side, the right side. When Peter did as commanded, he brought in a multitude of fishes. Wow, look at that, a multitude of fish. It was more than he had expected. 

In life, there are going to be times that the things we are doing will stop working, it won't be productive. How will you respond. What do you do when the thing are used to doing doesn't work any more, what will you do when you catch nothing? For too long, we keep doing things our way instead of God's way. 

Our perspective of a situation will be different to God's perspective of our situation, he can see the whole situation and everything around us.  

'Cast your net on the other side' 

It may seem difficult but the answer really is that simple. Listen to God and cast your net on the other side, you will soon bring in multitudes of blessings. 

Peter was in the fishing business, Jesus then stepped in and then told that he will be a fisher of men. He transformed it into a kingdom business

Allow God to step in and use what you currently do and transform it and use it for the kingdom

'Cast you net on the other side'

Bless you all, Step out in Faith and Cast your Net

Look Where you are going - The Daily Word

Carrying on with our Perspective of Focus series, we want to zoom in on a phrase that is normally said at different times in our life

'Look where you are going'
This phrase is said when you either crash into someone or you are lost and need directions. There are times when we will be asked this and we will need to know where we are going. Not knowing where we are going can cause us to be led down a blind alley.
When there is no direction, there is no vision.

Let's look at someone who was in that situation

“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14:28-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬
http://bible.com/1/mat.14.28-31.kjv

It's a story that we all know about but we want to have a look at Peter's focus and how it relates to us. When Peter knew that it was Jesus on the shore, Peter stepped out and his focus was on Jesus but as soon as he stopped looking where he was going, his focus became impaired and henceforth he became afraid of the storms that were around him, as a result of that he started to drown.
In life, we can be focused on Jesus, looking to him to guide us and direct us through different stages of journey but as soon as we take our eyes off Jesus you soon find that the things around will start to get in the way and you start to sink or begin to lose faith that you will get to the other side.

It's been well documented that when we focus on something for a while, everything that is surrounding it disappears but as soon as we refocus ourselves, everything becomes clearer.


“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:105‬ ‭KJV‬‬
http://bible.com/1/psa.119.105.kjv


“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬
http://bible.com/1/heb.12.2.kjv

Many have started the journey, looking unto Jesus but have let the storms of life get in the way and as a result they lose their way but we want to encourage you to keep looking towards Jesus, focus on him and your whole situation shall become clearer.

God knows me and you, he planned our life even before we were introduced to the earth so where are now and what we are going through is no surprise to him but he wants us to acknowledge his presence and accept him as our personal saviour.

When you look where you are going, you will reach your destiny.

Be Blessed

Unshakable Faith - The Daily Word

Your response to adversity will show how strong your faith is

Earlier today, people's lives were turned upside down, destinies were cut short, people lives cut short, a nation shook to its very core. As we were pondering on this the spirit said that it's not time for us to run away from terror, it's time for us to stand firm in the midst of terror. The enemy wants you to run, to be scared, to be shaken but it's time to refuse his tactics and show him how strong you are.

Peter couldn't see Jesus but he still climbed out of the boat. Run to Jesus, the enemy will wants to stop you but stay strong and run to him.

After the death of Moses, Joshua was tasked with leading in the children of Egypt into the promise land. Some time before, spies were sent out in order to see what they would need to do to enter the promise land. The rest came back and said there was no way that they could defeat the Giants standing in their way but Joshua and caleb came back and reported that they had every belief that those Giants could be defeated. What sets you apart from others is your faith and belief in God.

So from the perspective of Gods view, do you believe that all things are possible? Are you seeing the same thing as God is seeing. Whenever God sends someone out on a mission, he never leaves you unprepared and lacking support. Knowing this, it is not possible for us to be afraid or even be shaken for it says in Joshua 1 to be strong and of Good courage, for he will never leave us nor forsake us.

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬
http://bible.com/1/jos.1.9.kjv

Keeping your eyes on Jesus will ensure you are focuses on him and him alone. Times will come when things happen to shake your faith and to blind your vision but we have to stay steadfast and strong and focused on Him in order to reach our full potential.

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭KJV‬‬
http://bible.com/1/col.3.2-3.kjv

This passage lets me know that because I am hidden in Christ, I must set my mind on heavenly things. Are you doing the same? When you see news of terror, how do you respond?
Being hidden means that no one can find you

Take on the mind of Christ, be steadfast, refuse to be shaken. Build your foundation, operate and respond from a heavenly perspective.

Stay Blessed


#brussels #faith #walkinfaith