They are new every morning #thefathersword

Lamentations 3:22-23
'It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness'

Mercy. What is Mercy?

The dictionary describes it as an act of kindness, compassion or favour. It also describes it as compassionate or kindly forbearance shown towards an offender, an enemy, or another person in one's power; compassion, pity or benevolence.

Did you know that in heaven, you have a heavenly account? Now, let me explain this in modern day terms.
Each of you has a bank account and in order for you to withdraw money, you need to have money in there. In order to transact money, you need to deposit money in there. If however, you have nothing in your account, you can't take anything out.
I wonder, what would it be like to have an account where each morning there is always money available. What would it be like if there was an overflow in your account every day?

You see, every day in our lives we strive to be like God, because he is perfect and we desire to strive to be perfect ourselves. During any one day, you can come across situations that will come to test you and may require you to draw on the mercy of God so you can get through the day. But what would happen if every day you have the same amount of mercy you had from the day before, life would be peak each and every day.

I am very grateful that God's mercies are new every morning. God is very compassionate, not one day will he fail to not show compassion to someone.

So back to the heavenly account. Just as we have an earthly account, we also have a heavenly account and in that account, there is plenty for us to withdraw from. I would imagine that you have love, peace, joy, faith and mercy. At the end of every day, it's like God saying to you - "Go to sleep, wake up and start again, fresh and on point"
In other words, God makes a transaction, everything we did or didn't do, he wipes it away and replaces it with new mercy. What a mighty God we serve.

We as human beings, we don't generally qualify for mercy. Ever since Adam sinned, we then were born into sin but God has different ideas. Despite our sin nature, he showed us mercy and came to save us. You think you didn't deserve it but God is merciful is full of compassion and for him to go against that, it would be detrimental to everything that he is.
We probably would have been consumed if it wasn't for the Lord's mercies.

1 John 4:8 - 'He that loveth not knoweth God; for God is love'

God is love and within that love, he is full of compassion and he is full of mercy. His mercies are new every morning.

You are a new creation #thefathersword

Romans 8:10 - "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit of life because of righteousness"

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

John 20: 11-14 - But Mary remained standing outside the tomb sobbing. As she wept, she stooped down [and looked] into the tomb.
And she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
And they said to her, Woman, why are you sobbing? She told them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.
On saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing [there], but she did not know (recognise) that it was Jesus.

It is often said that we are new creations and that when we die to the flesh and walk in the spirit, we will be seen as new creations. What exactly is a new creation?
The new creation status implies newness of life and a new manner of life that accords with God's will.

A person who is a new creation will be completely new so that means all aspects of the old life has passed away. So what kind of life will the new creation possess? I am led to believe according to John, that post resurrection when Mary came to find Jesus, she found him but didn't recognise because his countenance had changed.  Often when someone becomes born again, there is a change in their life. No longer will they have any thirst for the things that they did before and no longer will they possess any of the characteristics that they were bound to in their old life.

Galatians 5:19 - 21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

A few verses up in Galatians 5, we see that the flesh and the spirit are always at war with each other so one must decide what side they want to be on.

So, what are some of the benefits of being a new creation?

Now that you are a new creation, you will become equipped with a new way of thinking as Romans 12:2 tells us to renew our mind daily. This means training your mind to believe the fact that you don't have to be sick, poor and defeated. Everything in your life can become new, your relationships can become new because you are a new creation.

Philippians 4:19 says - "But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
This indicated your needs will be met by God

Not only can all your needs now be met by God, all the things that were impossible will now become possible.
Mark 9:23 tells us that all things are possible to those that believe

You a new creation in Christ. The relationship you once had with God has now been restored, no longer do you have to feel condemned.

Be blessed as you read. I pray that God brings you to a new understanding of what being a new creation is all about. I pray that God gives you wisdom, knowledge and new level of understanding.

#thefathersword - How do you feel

It's often said in society that in order to do something, you have to want to do it or do it when you feel like it. Whilst that can be very legitimate in some cases, it certainly can not be that way in the Kingdom of God.

Luke 4:1 - 'Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness'
The above passage shows that Jesus was led into the wilderness by the spirit. Not by his feelings or his mind but it's the spirit that led him.
Along with that passage, we see that Jesus resisted the temptation to give in to the devil. Jesus was hungry and probably thirsty at those times. He came in a physical body so it's only natural that he would be hungry and thirsty but he was able to resist the temptation due to one key component - He was filled with the Spirit.

Within the context of Church, there are instances where God will tell us to go on a mission, go on a fast or go out and evangelise. There are legitimate reasons as to why things can't be done and that is understandable but when we come to the realisation that we serve a living God and that we are filled with the Holy Spirit, only then will earthly problems be made to look small to us.

Isaiah 40:31 - Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Luke 22:454-46 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

One of the key reasons as to why you shouldn't let your feelings dominate you is so that you can be obedient to God. Many times within the Bible, we see reasons why it is good to obey God and not allow our flesh to dictate how we feel.

One of the reasons is because our spirit is always willing but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

When we talk about dying to the flesh, we talk about it because if you are ever to walk in total obedience, then your flesh must be crucified so this is your desires, feelings and anything that will stop the Spirit from manifesting itself in you and through you.
It's natural to feel tired, thirsty, hungry. They form part of the human senses and are needed so we can live.

When you walk with God, being filled with the Spirit is necessary.
So, How do you feel?

#thefathersword - The art of Communication

There's a merry go round in the world these days. Messages go from one side to the other but are we assured that the right message will get across.
All throughout our life, we will communicate in various ways. This could be verbal via phone, voice notes, conference calls, face to face. Then there's non-verbal such as messaging, emails, text and everything else in between.

What has stumped most people is the idea that they don't know how to communicate. Communicating and knowing how to communicate are two separate ideas.

Let's see what the Bible says about communication

 James 1:19 - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath

Colossians 4:6 - Let your speech [be] always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Proverbs 18:13 - He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it], it [is] folly and shame unto him

When you read the word, you will find many gems of how to communicate. The biggest difficulty the kingdom has today is Communication. Lack of communication or a communication breakdown is the number one reason why many things fall. It can be marriage, your relationships with people, or even in business.

Whenever a message is given to someone, the responsibility on both parties is to check that each other has understood the message and it's always good to go over the message and to be sure that they have got the message.
However, one can only get the message if they are silent whilst the other is speaking. It can be very frustrating when people don't listen to what was said. If we are to be effective communicators within the kingdom, we must first learn how to listen to people rather than speak over them. We should listen to understand and not listen just to respond.

The other sticking point is hearing and listening. We often have this belief that hearing is the same as listening but it really isn't. Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by ear but listening goes much deeper. Listening is something that we choose to do, listening is something that not everyone has mastered. To really listen to someone, we have to be free of noise and distractions. When we listen intentively, it leads to understanding. The more you listen, the more you will know.

How about when you want to confront someone or having to resolve an argument. Do you know how to? Do you know how to communicate in the heat of the moment?

Matthew 18:15-17 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Romans 12:17-21 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord

The number one test in our walk with God is how can we handle conflict? I believe that everyone should settle their differences no matter how long it takes. The first stage in conflict is to settle every issue you may have but if it can't be resolved, then call in other parties so they can help mediate.
Dealing with conflict is very key if we are to have long-standing relationships with people. Conflict will arise but how you deal with it is very key.
 
In conclusion, Hearing is a gift but listening is a skill. Choose to listen, choose to understand. Deal with conflicts in a godly manner.

Ryan

'Ye shall know the truth' #thefathersword

A while ago whilst I was studying the word, the phrase 'And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free' dropped in my spirit. I know the phrase but for me this time I had to really tear it apart and break it down. You know when the Holy Spirit just drops a word and leaves you speechless. This was me for about a week.

I had to find out the revelation and now I know it, I want to share it with you all.

John 8:32 - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

What does it mean to know the truth?

Jesus said in John 14:6 - "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me"
When we looked at this passage, we immediately came to the realisation that knowing the truth is us knowing Jesus. So the next question was how do I get to know Jesus?
We can get to know Jesus through being intimate with him. The more intimate you are with Jesus, the more you get to know him. When we grow in the knowledge of Jesus, when we begin to read the word more it's only then that we will become strong.

John 1 describes this - In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.
So we can clearly see that the living word is God himself, so the more we read the word, the more knowledge we can gain.

Let's now move on to the next section of John 8:32 which is - The truth shall make you free.

So we already know that knowing the truth is effectively is us knowing Jesus. So could this mean that if we know Jesus, we will become free?

Romans 8:2 - For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Romans 6:22 - But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life

John 8:36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Let's look at John 8:36 in a bit more detail. We know that the son of God is Jesus Christ and we then find out that he is actually the way, the truth and the life. So if we add everything up we then arrive at this conclusion

'The more knowledge you have of Jesus and his word, you will become free'

The real climax point was when Jesus died on the cross. When Jesus died, the veil was torn in two and everyone found out that he truly was the son of God. John 3:16 states this - For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life".  To have everlasting life is to have eternal freedom and we can only achieve real freedom when we get to know Jesus and we believe in him.

To take it a little bit deeper, we may know of Jesus and we may read the word but do we apply his word in our everyday lives? It's good to have knowledge but the application of knowledge is what will set you apart............
If you are to ever grow in freedom, we must grow in knowledge.

'And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free'

Be blessed always

#thefathersword - Love is the answer

Around 2.40pm yesterday afternoon, Westminster Bridge and Parliament square were the subjects of a terror attack, one of the bloodiest attacks since the 7/7 attacks in 2005.
Amongst the dead was the attacker and also PC Keith Palmer. The scenes were quite horrific as hoards of people were laid out along Westminster Bridge.

As I was digesting all the information with a friend, I felt compassion and love towards each and every person who was caught up in the attack. On my way home, the word 'love' played on my spirit and so I was pointed to a particular passage within the bible - John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

The images that I saw and the stories that I heard of people running to help the fallen and also to help the injured police officer really brought that passage to life. People laying down their life in order to help their fellow citizens really showed me that the London is full of love and compassion.

In the aftermath, people have really been divided over the attack but our message today is - Love is the answer.

1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love

After an atrocity like the one we all witnessed yesterday, there will always be the tendency to go and attack the enemy like never before but in reality, the more you attack the enemy, the more he will attack you. We must choose the right response and respond in love.
Stand together with one another, Be united with another and resolve to not let terror grip the hearts of this nation.

This is not a time to fight evil with evil, it is time for us to stand together and love one another. Right now, it may seem like the world is in darkness but the only way to eradicate the darkness is being shining lights, by spreading love all over this nation.

Be blessed, be safe and spread love wherever you go.

#thefathersword - Walking in the Spirit

Within the word, we have the heard the phrase – ‘The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak’. 

Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

This came at the time when Jesus was praying at Gethsemane. He asked the disci-ples to pray along with them but each and every time Jesus returned, the disciples were found to be asleep. 

Their spirit was willing to obey and pray but the flesh took over. If we are to walk in obedience with God and achieve all that he wants pertaining to our life then we must kill our flesh. 

1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

Galatians 5: 16-25 

16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

18 But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.

19 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,

20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),

21 Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,

23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [[f]that can bring a charge].

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.

25 If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit [g]we have our life in God, let us go forward [h]walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]

If one wants to be obedient, then walking is the spirit is a must. Your spirit and your flesh will always be warring with each other. In order to walk in full obedience, you need to be walking in the spirit. 

Amos 3:3 Do two walk together except they make an appointment and have agreed?

Can your spirit and flesh every walk in agreement? Can your spirit and flesh work to-gether. The answer no. It’s either full obedience or total disobedience, you can’t be in between. God requires all of you, he requires your whole heart

When we look back on Abraham, Moses and other great men of God we can see that they were walking with God. Abraham, when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac, his son was in a place where was walking with God and that is one of the reasons why he was able to be obedient. When you walk with God, obedience is easy. 

Many years back, I was going through school and there came a point in my life where I was going to and fro, not knowing where I was going. After giving my life to Christ, I still wasn’t fully submitted so one some occasions I would still slip back into my natu-ral self. 

One day during school, there was this boy who had always troubled me. Now if I wasn’t walking in the spirit, it could have ended very bad for him but the Spirit took over and sent me in a total different direction. I decided to go away and go home. From that day forwards, I never intentionally get into arguments with people. It’s not my nature anymore. When you truly put on the new nature of Christ, you will no long-er want or desire the things of flesh. 

Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

God loves people who are fully obedient. People who will love him, people who will walk with him and acknowledge him in all their ways. 

Can you walk with him? Can you be obedient even when others around you are being ignorant? Can you be obedient even though you can’t see what God is telling you? 

#thefathersword - Obedience comes with responsibility

Obedience is very pleasing to God. As you read the bible you will see many disciples who answered the call of God over their lives. As you read on, notice that God also enabled them and equipped to do the job.
Let’s look at this analogy – A young man was offered a job. Before accepting, he had all these reservations about whether he could do it or not. So, he decided to take on the job. Once he accepted the job he was given training and PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) and a team around him so he could carry out the job that needed to be done. As of such, he had faith in his boss and began to accept more jobs in the knowledge that his boss would always provide for him.

Obedience births responsibility. When you accept the call of God, God gives you the ability to respond to that call.

Let’s look at Abraham. In Genesis, it tells us that God said to Abraham that he should take his son Isaac and get him ready to be sacrificed. Abraham did just that and when he was about to kill his son, an angel appeared and told him to stop what he was doing.

(Genesis 22:15-18)
The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time. And said, I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son. In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir). will possess the gate of His enemies. And in your Seed [[e]Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed My voice.
Before God sends you out, he will test you. If God is going to give you instructions, then he has to ensure that you are well equipped to follow them. Giving up his son would have been so painful for Abraham, he could decide to not obey God and do something else but he obeyed immediately and through his Obedience, God blessed him which still transcends right up until today.
The more obedient you are, the more responsibility that God gives you.
Even before one is given a responsibility, he must first listen to what is being said. Without listening to what is said, one will be lost and will have no direction and therefore will naturally be disobedient.
Don’t jeopardise your blessing by being disobedient.