The Tough Get Going…

James 1:12 “Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. The reward is life and more life for those who are loyally in love with God.”

Looking at a garden on a hot day reveals the plants that are up to a challenge and those that are not. Some plants wilt and quickly dry up never to be seen again. Others simply stand strong and stick out the heat. These are the ones that continue to have life.

Some people wilt like a plant in the heat whenever a challenge comes their way. Others rise up, meeting challenges head-on, sticking them out to the end. This verse calls them “mighty fortunate” and says they are rewarded with life and more life. Why? Simply because they got tough and rose to the challenge, sticking it out to the end.

There is only one-way to meet a challenge head-on: by being loyal and in love with God. As we do this, above everything else, we become equipped to succeed no matter how hot or desperate the battle becomes. When it’s over we get rewarded with so much more life than we had before.

Let’s meet our challenges head-on this week. Let’s not wilt and die but rather gain abundant life by simply obeying our verse. Remember the challenge is worth winning so that we receive our reward. Whenever we’re loyal to God and His Word, every challenge we meet head-on is sure to produce abundant life!

Summer

Faith, Hope, Love…

Psalms 95:6 “Come let us adore and bow down: Let us kneel before the LORD our maker for he is our God.”

As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus many people are busy organising last minute gifts to ensure that everyone is taken care of on the day. Christmas is a special time of outreach and inclusion, a time when we can share the love and goodness of Christ with others.

It is a time to stop and remember the reason for this season. We celebrate the love that God has for this world. His great love sent Jesus into the midst of all that was lost and dying. Jesus’ sacrifice allowed us to be reconciled back to God again as He laid down His life on the cross.

Now that is truly something that we should be thankful for. We should worship God because of it. As we come humbly before our Lord in this way we testify that we are His people and we are surrendered to His leadership.

This Christmas as we celebrate Jesus let’s also remember our maker and our God. Set aside time to adore, worship and bow down before him and express our love and adoration. Not only will this bring honour to God but it will also help to restore faith, hope and love to those around you.

Building Strong Families…

Psalm 103:17 “But the Lord’s love for those who respect him continues forever and ever, and his goodness continues to their grandchildren”

The foundations under any building are what cause it to stand strong. If they are faulty or inferior they won’t fully support the structure that is built upon them. If foundations are weak, they will almost certainly fail at sometime in the future.

Everyone wants their family to be strong and functional. Our verse teaches us how to build the strong foundation needed to achieve this. It says that as we show respect to God He pours out His love and goodness on us. But it goes further than that. He keeps pouring this love and goodness out onto our children and our grandchildren. Now that’s a strong foundation to build under any family!

It is not difficult to show respect to God. As we are obedient to His Word and live life the way the bible says our lives transform from being self-centered to being God-focused. We become a vessel of worship to Him and He responds by pouring His love and goodness into the future generations of our families.

This week why not strengthen the foundations of your family and effect the coming generations. As we make a choice to do things God’s way we cause His love and goodness to flood over us, our children and our children’s children. A strong foundation will be formed that will enable our families to stand strong through any storm. Prepare now for a strong family in the future!

Joy Needed…

John 16:24 “You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy”

Have you ever been in a crowded room talking with someone only to discover that they were actually chatting to someone else? You feel embarrassed and slightly disappointed as you move away and compose yourself.

This verse lets us know who to talk to about what we need in life. We are to go directly to God and ask in Jesus’ name. When we do this the Bible says that we will receive what we asked for. Now that is great but there is even more.

When we’ve received what we asked for we also get abundant joy. We won’t walk away disappointed and embarrassed like in the conversation above. God promises to supply this joy with everything He gives when we ask properly.

Now, the key to opening this verse is that Jesus said, “You probably haven’t done this before.” Many believers have never asked for anything in Jesus name. That is why they haven’t received anything with joy. God’s promise is that whenever we ask in Jesus name, we will receive what we asked for plus abundant Joy.

So, what do you need? Take some time this week and ask God for it in Jesus name. Then get ready to receive. God’s Word says that it will come to you smothered in Joy at just the right time. This is God’s way, and it works, so why not let it work in you!

God’s Talking…

Numbers 23:19 “God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it”

Have you ever told people the truth only to have them not believe you? It can be devastating but as time passes, and good fruit shows, everything turns around. Those who didn’t believe you often become your greatest cheerleaders.

Today’s verse states 4 important facts:

GOD…

  • Tells NO LIES
  • Doesn’t CHANGE HIS MIND
  • DOES WHAT HE SAYS
  • KEEPS EVERY PROMISE He makes

We must understand that God’s pleasure is that we believe Him and His word. Often people humanize God to have similar weaknesses and failures to themselves. The fact is our God is not weak in any area. He is stable, sure and true!

This is why we can be 100% obedient to God’s Word. It will produce everything that it says. There are no lies and no changes. Exactly what God says is what will happen. We can bind our lives to Him and have success as we obey His Word.

This week let’s work on any lingering areas of doubts that we may hold towards God’s Word. Dig them out of our lives by telling them the truth… “God said it, I believe it and I’m going to do it.” Keep speaking to them until they line up with His Word. Doubt will flee and the strength of God will enter in and before long our fruit will be displaying the truth of God in every arena of our lives.

No Surprises…

Psalm 119:165 “The people who love God’s Instructions enjoy peace and lots of it and nothing shall offend them”

I enjoy walking on paths that twist and turn on their way to a destination. My mind thinks about what’s coming up ahead or what’s beyond the next turn. As I stay on the path I arrive safely at the destination.

God has a path for us. Our verse says that as we walk on His Path and follow His Instructions offense won’t be able to lead us astray. Isn’t it great to know that around the next bend of life can be lots of peace rather than another unexpected offense?

Offense always leads us away from God. It takes us into a wilderness of self-interest and deception. We soon discover that peace has gone and the never-ending storms of life are tossing us about instead. This all resulted from us following an offense.

God has provided us with a fabulous escape from offense. All we do is simply follow His Instructions. When we start doing things His Way we suddenly find ourselves back on His path for our life and His path is an offense free path.

Don’t allow offense to stalk you and lead you away from God. Instead hold firm to God’s way of doing things. Before long you’ll find that there is LOTS OF PEACE in your life. Soon others will be looking to you to lead them along His path of life towards peace.

CLICK HERE to download a FREE Word Study to help you with offense.

Caution Roadwork…

Philippians 1:6 “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished…”

When roadwork commence on a highway it’s easy to become frustrated. We have to slow down and crawl along while they work to upgrade the road. Eventually it is complete and we are speeding along in safety again. We soon forget that it had ever happened.

Likewise our verse tells us about the work God has planned in us. He says He has already started it and that it is going to continue. It will keep going until it is complete just like road works. At that time we will again speed along in life and get to the planned destination safely.

The powerful key to victory here is to never allow frustration to set in. God is doing a perfect work in us so we need to slow down and yield to His mighty hand. It may seem slow, bumpy and dirty but as soon as it’s complete we’ll forget the difficulty and frustration that was there. We’ll be speeding along with a smile on our face.

This week know that God is doing a work in you and in everyone around you. Decide not to react in frustration and anger but reach out to others with love and concern. As you do this you’ll reap the same back as a harvest in your life. Rather than people reacting to you they’ll be supporting you. Try it and see just how true the Word of God can be in your life.

Help Wanted…

1 Chronicles 16:11 “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

Have you ever seen a sign in a window that says “Help Wanted” In reality this sign is offering more than just employment. It is signaling that someone has discovered that they can’t accomplish all they want by themselves.

You and I can be in a similar position when we look at life and think, “I don’t have the strength to accomplish all of this.” These are the times when we need to put out our “Help wanted” sign to God.

Our verse lets us know that He will respond. He will allow us to draw our strength from Him. Now there’s an amazing key hidden in this verse that will have you feeling strong more often than you feel weak. The key is to seek God’s face continually.

Now a face always looks forward. God’s face is the same. We find His face as we look towards our future. We will never find His face in our past. As we look for God in our future we are ensured that He will be our strength.

This week let God know that you need His help. Stop looking for Him in your past and resolutely seek Him in your future. As we do this strength will flow from heaven enabling us to flourish into the future. It’s not difficult; you just have to look in the right direction – to God in your future!

We love you and believe in you.

Cheerleaders…

1 Samuel 30:6 “But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord.”

We all love life when it’s going well. As people believe in and encourage us we advance easily. In these seasons we often feel that we could take on anything and win. On the other hand, when life is less encouraging, our progress can be a little more difficult to achieve.

David held a key to making progress through the less encouraging seasons of life. Our verse takes place when David was in distress and about to be stoned by his own people. It says that he “encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord.” In other words David became his own personal cheerleader of God in his life.

In some seasons we need to cheer ourselves on. Others may not notice what God has been doing for us but we do. These are the times when we open up our mouths and declare God’s goodness like David would. “Come on I know I can do it, I can overcome. God helped me slay the lion, slay the bear so now lets go slay this Goliath!”

We become a cheerleader of God in our life. As we cheer, others will start to join in. Before we know it there will be a whole team all cheering God together!

So take up the challenge and become your own personal cheerleader. Start declaring God’s goodness in your life. Keep cheering until a whole team of people surrounds you. You will be helping others as you help yourself. This is what the gospel is all about. Have the greatest week cheerleading yourself to success.

Time for a Change…

Malachi 3:6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change”

Everything changes! Change affects things we want it to as well as things we rather it didn’t. It does not matter if it’s a hairdo, car, house, friendship or a season everything changes. We must continually remind ourselves that change is a vital part of life.

Our verse shows us that only one thing exists that will never change, and that is God. He is stable, unchanging and solid. He is the firm foundation for us to anchor our life to. God will not change in any way. If something is going to change it will be us, not Him.

People often find change difficult to navigate but it shouldn’t be. God’s Word tells us how to live and adapt to change. The simplest key to winning is for us to obey God’s Word no matter what! In times of change always remember that God’s Word is His Word is His Word! Stick with it and you will discover that His perfect plan will brilliantly come forth and everything will be OK because of it.

This week don’t let change intimidate you. Instead, open your Bible and anchor yourself to God’s Word. Let it change you. God will be there and before you know it things will be getting better. You will train yourself to like change instead of fearing it. Get ready for a powerful week ahead – we love you!