Answers

 Are you in a situation right now where you want answers? You want to know why. You may want to know the cause, or the reason. 

Well, I want to give you the answer to all your questions. His name is Jesus Christ.  He’s the answer to all life’s questions. 

He is the hope for the hopeless, the water, the giver of life. He is the strength for the weary, love for those cast aside. He gives rest to the restless, freedom from fear. When things seem impossible, know that he’s near.     For all of the problems of life, the answer is Christ. 

Workers

 We, as workers, are to be: 

1) Submissive; doing what we’re told 

2) Well-pleasing; not argumentative. 

3) Honest; not even stealing that of the least value.  

4) Loyal.

5) Showing perfect courtesy; respectful. 

6) Peaceful; avoiding all fighting. 

7) Self-controlled in our speech; not speaking evil of others. 

Live each moment as if it were the last!

 Psalm 39:4-7

Life is like a vapour. It vanishes away, and eternity starts.  Life is so short. David describes it as a few hand breadths. We stand at a mere breathe. We do things, not knowing if we will reap the rewards of our labour, and if not us, who it will be.                                                We do not have enough time to waste on ourselves. We cannot live life for our own glory and pleasure. No. We must live it for God’s glory and honour. We do not know where we will be tomorrow, or even if we will be alive tomorrow. We can plan, but it is the Lord that directs our way. 

Live life for God. Don’t waste it on yourself and your pleasures. Seek to honour and glorify God with the time he has given you. You don’t have one or two years. In fact, you may not even have one hour. Or even a minute. Do all for the glory of God. 

Live each moment as if it were the last. Think to yourself: if I were to meet God the minute I said or do  this, would I be embarrassed, or will he be pleased. Don’t put things off for next time. There may never be a next time. 

Suffering

I’m reading a really good book at the moment. It’s just what I need for what I’m going through. So I thought I’d share some notes from what I’ve read so far. 

It’s called “A Place of Healing” by Joni Eareckson Tada. 

 Sometimes he delivers us from the storm, and sometimes he delivers us through the storm  

Suffering restores a lost beauty in Christ.     Suffering doesn’t teach you from a text book, but by experience.                                                       Suffering can strengthen your thirst for Christ

I can go on cause God moves through time with me.  

I can go on cause I know that God can use broken instruments to make incomparable music. 

Wait on the Lord

 Tho the pathway before you uncertain maybe, trust the Lord, no good thing to withhold back from thee. He is perfect in wisdom, and faithful to bless. Trust his word; in his time he will give you his best. 

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary; they’ll walk and not faint. Wait, I say, wait on the Lord. 

Be not weary in waiting, for love suffers long. If you faint not, you’ll reap when the harvest is come. Run with patience the race as you rest on his word, for your testing will teach you to wait on the Lord. 

I was looking through my journal from past years, and I came to this song. Obviously I was in a season of waiting. Isn’t it funny how we seem to always seem to be waiting. And then finally that waiting period stops, and God sends us another waiting period. Well, use that time of waiting. Don’t waste it wishing for ‘it’ to come. Cause ‘it’ may never come. Instead, use your time of waiting to glorify and honour God. 

The person who never succeeded in life was the person who waited his whole life for the waiting season to end. 

John 15:1,2,4-7

 God is our vine dresser, and Jesus is our Vine. 

If a tree has branches that are rotten and don’t produce fruit, then that branch is cut down and completely dies. But if a branch does produce fruit, and is fruitful, then it will get pruned so that it may bring forth more fruit. That pruning period is tough for the branch, but eventually the good is revealed when it produces more fruit. 

If we do not bring forth fruit as a Christian, and we are dying, then God will cut us down, and we will wilt and completely die. But if we are fruitful, then he will prune so that we bring forth more fruit. Pruning is a painful process in our lives, but eventually we will see the good from it when we produce more fruit. 

A branch cannot do anything by itself. It must abide in the vine. 

Jesus is our vine, and we are the branches. Unless we abide in Jesus, we cannot bring forth fruit, and eventually we will be cut down and we will wither, because God is that Perfect vine dresser. 

May we abide in Jesus Christ. May we bring forth fruit for his glory. 

God’s smile

 This morning when I woke up to go to work I had this really depressed feeling in side. It was like everything in me said: not another day of this please!!!  

What horrifies me is that my attitude will stay the same throughout the whole day if something is not done about it, and it will affect the people I meet. But what can you do when so frequently you wake up and think: not another day!!! 

Well, I heard Joni Eareckson say how she asks Jesus to give her a smile for the day. So I decided If he can give Joni a smile, then he can give me one too. 

Since my work is serving customers, I have to have a smile ready and waiting. 

But sometimes it’s so very difficult to have a smile for them. Cause everything inside of me just wants to cry or be at home in bed. But instead of crying or hopping in bed, we need to cry out to God and ask him for his smile. His smile will brighten another’s day. His smile will encourage others. His smile will draw the people you meet to himself. So I encourage you, if you wake up feeling depressed and smileless, cry out to God before you leave your room and ask him for his smile

God’s grace

 When my strength is all gone

And I can't carry on

He comforts with peace from above

With the valley so deep

I trust God's word to me

My grace is sufficient for thee

My grace is sufficient for thee

For my strength is made perfect in weakness

Gladly therefore will I glory in infirmities

That the pow'r of Christ rests on me

My heart gladly will sing

Of the treasure I seek

As I seek his face day after day

Though the testing seems long

In his grace there's a song

I long to know him, never question his ways

My grace is sufficient for thee

For my strength is made perfect in weakness

Gladly therefore will I glory in infirmities

That the pow'r of Christ rests on me

Our thoughts

 For me, I find idleness a very easy trap to get caught in. What I especially struggle with is when I have nothing to do, so I think. Now this would be alright so long as it was always good thoughts. But it’s so easy to start thinking in a way that Jesus would not be glorified. 

Psalm 36:4 describes this exactly. While on our bed at night, when we can’t sleep, the wicked starts to plot trouble. It starts with the mind. 

It says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to take every thought captive to obey Christ. Get rid of that evil or dirty thought. I heard a pastor say that if you leave it for a couple of seconds, it’ll stay. You need to get rid of it immediately. 

So something I try do every time one of those dirty or wicked thoughts come up is immediately take it to God and say: God, take this thought and replace it with something beautiful that will honour and glorify you.    It takes a conscious effort to remember to get rid of it, cause our enemy, the devil, uses subtle thoughts that are hard to see at first. 

James 4:5-8 

Contentment

 

                         Contentment!!

                            (1 Timothy 6:6)

A lot of people don't really understand the meaning of the word 'contentment.' 

Content= a state of happiness and satisfaction. 

1) Luke 3:14b (being content with the wages you're  given.) 

2) 2 Corinthians 12:10 (content with hardships and trials.) 

3) 1 Timothy 6:8 (content with what you wear.)

4) Hebrews 13:5 (being content with the things you have.)

5) Philippians 4:11 (content in everything.) 

1,2,3,& 4 seem to be easier. But 5? EASY!!  Nah uh!! More like OUCH!! No way am I content in everything!! 

So many hard things crop in our life that make it hard to be content. We cannot be content on our own.

The world is so discontent. They think that SOMETHING can fill that empty hole inside, when really only that SOMEONE can. 

How true that is also for us christians today, too. We are so discontent. We forget that Christ is the only source of our contentment. 

We think we have the secret to contentment, but unless it is related to a spotless person, then we don't. 

Sometimes as christians, we are content with the wrong things. 

We are content to: 

1)Forget the people out on the street are going to an eternity full of fire. (Its an unhappy thought anyhow!!) 

2) Sit down instead of standing up for what is right. (After all, people might mock us!!) 

3) Stay in a situation that is totally displeasing to God, instead of leaving. (How awkward it would be if they asked us why we left!!) 

God doesn't want us to be content in these areas. He wants us to be discontent in these areas. 

So many christians are content in the wrong way.

Can we rely on God for contentment? If so, why don't we? 

We as christians tell the world: God loves us, he helps us when we are struggling. 

Why then do we turn to the world for contentment? 

The world's slogan is: If you have the latest...you will be content!! 

God's slogan is: If you have me, you will be content!! 

But we don't think so. We think that 'if only I had...' I would be content! But God says NO!! HE is the only source of contentment! 

Our key verse says that "Godliness with contentment is GREAT gain." 

No one in this world can offer you contentment. Only God can. 

The world offers a lot of TEMPORARY stuff!! But what God offers is ETERNAL!! (2 Corinthians 4:17,18) 

As christians we need to take God seriously when he says: I will supply all your needs.

He doesn't say all our wants. He doesn't always give us what we want, but he does always give us what we need!!

Having the right attitude

 

Having a I-get-to-be-here instead of a I-got-

to-be-here attitude.

Having an attiude that says "I get to be here," is a whole lot different to a the attitude "I got to be here."

Wherever it is  in life, whether it is a financial problem, a health problem, or even a contentment problem, we are there for a reason. God wants us to learn something from it, too. 

You might be in a place right now where you are thinking: I GOT to be here cause God wants me here.

Oh man, you have it all wrong. In every situation you can and should have the attitude that says: I GET to be here cause God wants me here!! 

Here are some things that can help us have a I-get-to-be-here

attitude. 

1) Realise God's Providence. Isaiah 55:9,10

Remember that God has you where you are for a reason. He is your guide. He is guiding you to a place that you did not know existed. 

At this present moment, you may have a I-got-to-be-here attitude. Listen friend, if you have that attitude, you are not alone!! I have had that same attitude. But it is not the attitude to have!! 

Remeber also, friend, life is not a destination, it is a journey. 

2) Experience God's presence. Matthew 28:20.

Its not about who you are, its about who you are with.

It is not about where you go, its about who you go with. 

Remeber who you are travelling life with. He is the important one. Without him, you do not have a purpose to life. 

Spend time with God alone. Not a hi-and-bye talk. Get to know him personally, and what he wants for your life. Spend each day with Jesus. 

3) Steward God's postition and possesion. Matthew 25:23.

God has given you eveything you have. Look after it. For example: your room. If you have your own room, God has given that to you. Clean it, keep it tidy, keep it fresh,ect. Whatever you have, look after it. If you are the piano player for church, practice hard. Remeber who you are playing for. Give God the glory. Whatever God has put in your charge, whether it be school, job, church,ect, give your all to it. 

Position prepares you for the future. 

Here are also a few DON'TS that will help you change from a I-got-to to a I-get-to attitude. 

1) Don't doubt in the night what God has shown you in the light. 

God may have shown you at one  point of your life what he wanted you to do, but then when things get tough and you're having a hard time, you start to think: Is that really what I should be doing?

Don't doubt in the night what God has shown you in the light. 

2) Don't spend your life trying to be out of prisons, spend it staying in God's presence. 

We can spend a lot of our time trying to stay out of something, when God says: Hey, I want YOU!! 

Spend your time listening to what God wants you to know. You can do that by reading his Word often. Don't skim over it!! Fall into it!!! Meditate it!! 

3)Don't compare yourself to others. Be content with where you are. 

All to often I find myself looking at others seeing what their life calling is. Or I see how far ahead they are. Or how skinny they are compared to me. Then when I see how much better they are than me, I start being DISCONTENT! DON'T compare yourself to others!! God puts people in different circustances, he gives different jobs. Everyone isn't the same. Instead of comparing and then despairing, look to God and ask him what he wants you to do. 

4) Don't pick up other peoples offences.

Why someone is hurting because of another person is NOT your business!!! If someone has offened your friend, you don't need to be offended too. Picking up someone elses offences divides people. You may never of had a problem with that person until you took over your friends offence. 

Also, if you are in a church situation or job situation or whatever, and someone else is leaving, it is not your place to leave too. Just because God may have called someone away, that doesn't mean he's calling you too. WAIT for God's perfect timing!!

Lastly, Live to serve others. Not yourself. Serving others brings more JOY than serving self

Psalm 23

 

        Psalm 23

What comes to your mind when you think of Psalm 23? 

On our kitchen wall we have a rug type thing with the Psalm 23, and below the psalm there are two lambs beside a stream, and they are sitting in green grass. So when I think of Psalm 23, that's what I think of.  

When I read verse one when I was younger, I imagined the psalmist to be saying: The Lord is my Shepherd that I do not want. 

And I remember thinking: Why put that in there? 

But that is not what it means. It means: 

The Lord is my Shepherd, I do not want anything else. He is all I need.

Or it could mean: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack anything.

What is a Shepherd? My definition would be someone who looks after sheep. 

Often in the bible we are referred to sheep. Our Lord is our Shepherd. He looks after us. 

A Shepherd's job is to look after his sheep. He tends to them when they are sick. When the sheep is wounded, he looks after the wound till it is healed. 

LUKE 15:3-7.

So Jesus is our Shepherd. He looks after us. He tends to us when we are sick, and looks after our wounds till they are healed. 

Verse 2. 

"He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters."

This takes my mind to those two lambs lying on the fresh green grass while a peaceful looking stream runs beside them. 

Have you ever felt like those two lambs? Not a care runs through their head. They know their Shepherd has everything under control. They don't sit there worrying that the stream might over flow onto them. No!! They are content to lie there, knowing their Shepherd is watching them with their saftey on his mind. 

Are you content to lay on the soft green grass Jesus has led you to? Are you content to lay beside a still stream, knowing that the Good Shepherd is watching over you with your saftey on his mind? Or are you worried that the stream will overflow? 

MATTHEW 6:27

Verse 3.

"He restores my soul. He leads me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake." 

I will give you my paraphrase of this verse. 

"He brings my soul back to a usable condition. He leads me in a way where I will do right for his name's sake." 

He brings my soul back to a usable condition for him!! He makes is usable for the things he wants me to do. He leads me in a way where I will do right for his name's sake. 

How often in a day do you do right for Christ's name? When you help your mum around the house, do you do it for your name's sake? Or your Shepherds? When you go to work, do you work hard for your name's sake? Or your Shepherds?

Verse 4.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Have you ever lost a loved one? Can you remember thinking 'why God?' 

Have you ever been close to dying? Have you ever hurt so much physically that you thought to yourself 'I must be close to death!!'

Here's good news for you, my friend. You don't have to fear ANY evil because Jesus, your Shepherd, is there. 

Why do you think that the Shepherd's staff and rod are a comfort to the Psalmist?

Maybe its because that he knows that Jesus uses his rod and staff to keep him on the right track? 

Maybe it gives him comfort knowing that when Jesus, his Shepherd, uses his rod to chasten him, It's because his Shepherd loves him. 

Verse 5.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." 

Wow!! The Shepherd prepares a table for his sheep in the presence of the sheep's enemies. That is the last place i'd think of eating!!! But even when our enemies surround us, we can still feast on what God has given us!! We can be thankful even when we think its impossible.

My cup is truly overflowing right now!! And it always is! God is sooo incredibly generous with his blessings!! Thank-you, Lord, for your amazing blessings!!

Verse 6. 

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Goodness and Mercy are our companions if we have Jesus as our Shepherd. I am so thankful for these companions. 

And guess what!!! I am gonna dwell in the house of my Shepherd!! What an incredible promise!!! I am looking foward to being with my Shepherd in his house forever!!! And i'm looking forward to seeing those of you who have Jesus as their Sheperd there too!! 

God’s promises for us as his children

 

God's promises for us as his children 

We are HIS children! Therefore any promise in the bible applies to us if we are is children.

Please take note that the word 'PROMISES' is PLURAL!!

Firstly, we need to realize and remember just how amazing God is.

"Wonderful, merciful Savior. 

Precious redeemer and friend.

Counsellor, comforter, keeper... Almighty, infinite Father, faithfully loving your own."

NOTE: Faithfully loving his own!! (I love that) 

We are like a canvas. God is painting our picture. And along with that picture, he has given us some precious promises. I want to take a look at some of the promises he has given to individuals in the bible, and then also some promises he has given to us. 

I am going to look at 3 people in the bible that God personally promised something to. 

So the first person I would like to look at is found in Exodus 3&4:1-17. 

Here we see Moses. A Hebrew by birth, but raised an Egyptian. He flees after killing an Egyptian, and then is called by God to go back and deliver the Hebrews WITH THE LORD'S HELP!!! 

The promise is made in chapter 3:12."But I will be with you." 

God fulfilled that promise when Moses went back. God was always with him, and he continued to be with him even out in the wilderness. EVEN when Moses didn't do as he was asked. 

But in order for this promise to be fulfilled, he had to do as he was commanded. He was to go back to Egypt.

The second person we will look at is found in Luke 1:26-38. 

Here we see Mary.  God gave the promise of a son who would be king. Mary had her reputation at stake when she found out what would happen to her. But she believed in God and his promise. Also, he gave a second promise, which is found in verse 35. The Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the 

Most High would over shadow her. WHAT AN AMAZING THING TO BE PROMISED!!!! 

And also later on in the book we see the promise fulfilled. Mary herself states that in verses 46-55. 

But in order for that promise to be fulfilled, Mary needed to obey the Lord. She needed to give birth to a

son. 

The third and final example we will look at is found in John 14:1-4. 

Here we find the disciples listening to the promises of God. The promise is found in verse 3. 

Jesus is going home to prepare a place for them, and he also promised  to come back for them. WHAT A TRULY AMAZING PROMISE!!!

But in order for that promise to be fulfilled, they needed to obey the command: To not be troubled. 

Something I want us to take note on is: God doesn't only give promises to PERFECT people. He gave promise to a murderer, to a young girl who was not perfect, and also to disciples who were unbelieving. All clearly NOT perfect. Therefore these promises can apply to us if we have truly been born again and we are God's child. 

Now we will look at 7 promises God has given to us.

1) Joshua 1:9.

The promise is given with a command. How often God gives us promises along with commands!! Moses was given the command to rescue the Hebrews. Mary was commanded to have a baby boy. The disciples were commanded to not be troubled. 

They all had to do something hard!!!! 

With this promise we are told to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS!! We are not to be frightened or dismayed!! Why? Because the Lord our God is with us wherever we go. 

2) Psalm 31:23 

COMMAND: love the Lord.

PROMISE: preserve the faithful. 

God keeps the faithful. He looks after them.

3) Isaiah 35:4 

COMMAND: be strong and fear not! 

PROMISE: he will come and save us! 

Oh how we often need saving!! And usually its because we didn't follow God's command.

4) Isaiah 43:1-5 (I LOVE this promise!!!) 

COMMAND: wait upon the Lord.

PROMISE: when we pass through deep waters, he'll be with us. When we go through rivers, he wont let them overwhelm us. When we walk through the fire, he wont let us be burned or be consumed!! 

He loves us. He honors us. He is with us!!!!

5) Isaiah 40:31(also another of my favourites) 

COMMAND: wait upon the Lord. 

PROMISE: he will renew our strength. We shall run and not be tired. We will walk and not faint. He also promises in Isaiah 43 that he will make a way for us in the wilderness, and streams in the desert!! WOW!! 

6) Jeremiah 1:8 

COMMAND: believe in him.

PROMISE: he will deliver us.

7) John 3:16

COMMAND: believe in him.

PROMISE: we shall have eternal life. 

WOWZA!!! That is the most amazing promise of ALL promises!!! 

The bible is full of amazing promises. They are waiting to be claimed. But our problem is, we think we are strong enough. We don't need God's amazing promise. 

Oh how foolish we truly are!!! We stoop so low as to decline an offer so great? 

When was the last time you received a promise? When was the last time you fulfilled the command, and let God fulfil the promise? 

O Christian, do not live in such a way! Claim his promises! They are for you. Search God's word for all his promises and claim them!!! Do not be afraid! They are YOURS!!!!

A broken vessel

 A Broken Vessel of Honour

Lord, you are the potter, and I am the clay.

You mold me, you re-make me,

You do it exactly your way. 

No one can change or alter the vessel you've formed.

They may hate it, and it's name they may deplore,

but you are still molding it, making it beautiful as never before. 

You take the ugly, broken-down vessels that are unwanted by all,

and you reform it, and build it strong so as never to fall.

You remake it with such love in your hand, thinking only of the beauty that will come from it.

When you are finished, a vessel of beauty sits there.

The vessel has gone through re-molding, and of pain it has had it's share.

Now it is completed. Transformed till it looks like new.

All glory and honour is given back to you

Having Hinds Feet

Accept with Joy:

Accepting the things that God puts in my life with a joyful heart.

 Not complaining or wishing that he didn't put it there.

Bearing without bitterness/bearing with love:

Always forgiving the wrongs that others do to me. Loving the hardest things, even when it feels impossible.

Treat others like royalty:

Treating others like kings and queens. Making them feelspecial and important, even when they are hard to be around.

Reaching out to the lowest of humanity.

Every circumstance, if it is reacted to in love and

forgiveness and obedience to God's will, can be

transformed.

Once we learn these lessons, God can transform our

feet into Hinds feet.