'In the World but not of the World' #thefathersword

All over the world and many nations, there is one phrase that has been used the most time by many leaders in the Christian domain. That phrase is 'In the world but not of the world' but what does it actually mean?

John 17:14 - 18 (KJV)
I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. As thou has sent me into the world, even so, have I also sent them into the world.

When God sent his son into the world, he sent him into the world with a purpose. He had a purpose and that was to destroy sin and reconcile sons back to the father. The whole time Jesus was here on earth, he fulfilled his purpose, even though he knew would one day go back to the father, that didn't stop him from getting involved in earthly affairs. He healed the sick, raised the dead, raised up leaders, turned water into wine and many more miracles.
The purpose of being sent is to affect the atmosphere into where you have been sent to. It is to deliver a message, to carry out the works of God

If you think of the British Army, there have been numerous occasions where they have been sent to different countries on a mission. That meant being in that region for a long while so they can deal with whatever threat they are facing. Even though they aren't from that country, they have been sent there on a mission. That is exactly like us as Sons of God, we are sent into the world with a purpose. No one gets sent without a purpose, a mission.

At this present moment in time, we are facing an identity crisis. Many sons have lost sight of why God sent them into the world and henceforth, they can't display the dominion and authority instilled in them when they were created. In order for us to carry out our duties, we must understand two things
1- Who has sent you?
2- Why are you here?

In order for us to carry out the works of God, it requires to renew our mind daily, it requires us to remind ourselves of the vision and the purpose God has revealed to us. When we think like the world, it will stop us from being effective but when we begin to think like Christ, we literally have a different perspective on the world and how it operates. When Jesus came to earth, he healed a sick woman on the Sabbath, but when people began to question him, he simply challenged their mindsets and asked why shouldn't he not heal on the Sabbath..............

Jesus spent started his ministry at the age of 30 and by 33 he was done. His purpose was fulfilled and evidently, he was called back to this father's right-hand side. Your age doesn't determine the longevity of your purpose... Can we truly say when we are reunited with the father 'I have finished, it is done'

John 19:30 (NIV) When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit

Remember, whilst you are not of the world, you are in the world. Make an impact, fulfil your purpose and leave a legacy.

Be blessed

Ryan

Hearing the word #thefathersword

Following Christ and Serving him is one of the best decisions that could ever be made by man. When a person gives their life to Christ, they declare that they want to serve him and no doubt God loves it when people serve him wholeheartedly. 

Over the past few months, we have looked at ministry and service and wondered how God wants us to do ministry. Before you actually go into ministry and service, there's something crucial that is the foundation for every believer. Let's look at a passage from the bible which will help us

Luke 10: 38-42 is a well-known passage. Let's see verse 39 - And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat Jesus' feet, and heard his word. Verse 41 says And Jesus answered and said unto her "Martha, Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things"

Martha and Mary were two sisters and no doubt both wanted to please Jesus when he came to visit them. Martha was concerned about Christ and serving but Mary was sat at the father's feet so she can hear his word. How many of us are like Mary? How many of us are like Martha? At some point in our life, we have somehow been concerned with both aspects - Serving Christ but also wanting to be at his feet. 

Martha, despite all her good intentions, missed out on Christ because she was too busy trying to serve Christ, it sounds a bit harsh but the reality of it is that there are times that Christ wants us to serve him by sitting at his feet and hearing his word. Have you become too busy trying to serve Christ that you no longer have time to sit at his feet? Jesus said to Martha that she has been become troubled by many things which indicates that she was trying to do all the physical things whilst missing on the spiritual aspect. 

Could it be that we are trying to serve Christ without actually having a relationship with him? Happy to serve Christ but missing out crucial time with Christ..............

In order for us to serve Christ wholeheartedly, we first need to establish a relationship Christ and that means to sit at his feet and hear his word. 

Proverbs 4:20 - My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 

21- Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 

The words of God bring life and healing, let's get into the culture of spending time at the feet of Jesus. Don't be like Martha and become troubled by many things, take time out to listen to the words of God. 

As you sit at the fathers' feet, may he also give you clarity and a clear path of what he wants you to do in this season. I also pray that Christ will help you develop a culture of relationship. 

Be blessed

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.

#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