Tuesday 21 September 2010

TRUST

“If you want anything done properly, then do it yourself.” Ever heard that one – I expect you have. I have even heard, “If you want anything done properly – don’t ask a man !” Heard that one too? i expect so. So what’s missing? Trust is missing – that’s what. In meetings, when ministering, we hear all sorts of things. Things like – “I don’t suppose it’ll do any good.” Or, “Well, you can try!”. Or even, “Didn’t work last time so I don’t expect it to work now!”

There we go again – its that old trust thing again, isn’t it? Well, let me ask you another question – If we can’t trust God – who can we trust? Don’t you realise who you are in Jesus? Do you not remember His words and promises?

Numbers 23:19-20
“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.”

Psalm 103:1-3
“Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

I think this is enough to excite most people, but, just in case you are still a doubter Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

God still heals today – He still releases today – He still blesses today.

I have heard it said from the pulpit that the promises of God were only for the Apostolic Age. The promise of healing was for the apostles – the promise of release was for the apostles – it all died out when they died. Oh yeah ??? So why do you bother to pray at all then? Why expect blessings at all? Did they all die out with the apostles?

No – I don’t think so!

Do you believe in God? Yes??
Is Jesus also God? Yes??
Is the Holy Spirit also God? Yes??

So – If Jesus is God – can you trust His words the same as you can trust Gods Word? Yes??

Luke 4:18 Jesus said "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,”

It’s time to trust God and take Him at His Word again.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Setting their teeth on edge

Funny old world isn’t it? As the French say “Tout c’est change; rien c’est change” which literally translated means that everything changes but nothing changes. The Word of God puts it another way in Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

So when a friend quoted this next scripture to me, I had to stop and think

Ezekiel 18:1-4
"The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "

'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me.”


Then the Lord spoke – quietly but firmly. “You are robbing Me of My harvest with your ‘sour grapes.’ ” Intrigued, I asked Him for more. He said, “When you continually grumble, you turn your children from Me. You meet together to praise Me and worship Me – then you go back home and grumble. Your children hear all of this and they turn from Me because of your grumbling.”

Knowing myself to be guilty too, I asked the Lord if I/we have always grumbled so much and how many of our precious children we have turned away from His Kingdom. He told me that we have always done it and the numbers are almost incalculable.

How many of us can, hand on heart, say they have never grumbled in front of our children? How many of us can say that we have not sown doubt and even disbelief into our children and grandchildren? Of course, we can always say that our grumbling may not have turned the hearts and minds of our children – but what a terrible thing we may have done.

As I thought about this, feeling rather glum and guilty, the Lord brought another couple of scriptures to mind. This is where the Lord is so good to us – His mercy and forgiveness are so sure and reliable – much more so than us !!

Romans 8:28
[ More Than Conquerors ] “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Ah this feels better. Yes we do know that God works for our good in everything

2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

What an astonishing thing Grace is ! Grace abounding in us. In all things at all times, having all that you need. Having ALL we need. If we know these things why do we grumble?

Ephesians 5:20
“ ... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ah – here’s the crux of it all. ALWAYS giving thanks – always, always, always thanking God in ALL things. Not grumbling but giving thanks in all situations, for everything, because Gods Grace and Mercy abound in us.

What a wonderful God we serve. Can we perhaps try to give Him thanks in everything? Can we try to grumble less or even not at all? After all, none of us want to see our children away from the Lord but that is exactly what all this ‘eating sour grapes’ does. It ‘sets our children’s teeth on edge’ and maybe it turns them away from God – perhaps for ever.

Lord forgive our complacency and our grumbling. Help us to give You praise and thanks in all things. Let us glorify You instead of grumbling about You. Turn our hearts back to your Word, Lord, and let us take it literally and be “ ... always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

AMEN ?

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Be Utterly Amazed

The Lord brought a particular verse of scripture to mind today. Not just any old verse, but a verse that means a great deal to me personally. You see, I have a dream; a vision; about filling stadiums around the world with Gods praising people and bringing them together, through the medium of TV, and linking them into one great big worship and prayer team. A few years ago, when the Lord first gave me this vision, I came within a signature of hiring the then largest stadium in the UK for just such a purpose but the Lord stayed my hand and it became a non-event at that time. But I still hold the vision and I would still like to pull it together one day.

The verse was this one - Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)
"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

Now if we couple that verse with this one – then we start to have something really good.

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”

At this point, my dream or vision no longer matters because it’s personal to me. Your God-given dream or vision does matter though. Has God given you a dream or vision which has so far come to nought? Have you prayed about it? Have you claimed it – spoken it in faith and into existence?

Habakkuk 1:5 speaks about Gods vision of what He will do. Ephesians 3:20 speaks about our all powerful creator God for whom nothing is either impossible nor too much trouble. In fact it speaks of how we should keep asking; keep chasing the vision because He can do so much more than just the vision He has given to you or me.

Yet there is still something missing and that is Ephesians 3:20b “....according to his power that is at work within us,”

When will we realise just who we truly are in Christ? When will we truly realise that His power is at work within us. It is time to step into ALL that God has for each and every one of us. It is time to believe God’s Word. The Word of God is sharper than a double edged sword isn’t it?

Take your vision back to the Lord. Speak it out; claim it; use God’s Word as the sword to cut through anything preventing you vision happening. Step into the destiny that God has for you – especially right now with the end times so close. The world needs your vision – otherwise why did the Lord give it to you – to tease you? No !! God gives all things for a purpose and if we don’t fulfil that purpose, then He may take it to someone else who will fulfil it.

Don’t say about your vision, “Well that’s impossible!”
Nothing that God gives us to do is impossible because whom He chooses, He equips.
Whom He equips He teaches.
Whom He teaches does the work.
Thus God moves vision to reality. And it’s time for the world to see the reality of our wonderful God.

Realise your vision and be utterly amazed at what God can do in your life !!