The wisdom and knowledge of GOD!

 Dear Christ followers, whom of us can fathom the ways of our FATHER in Heaven.

We do not know why things are happening.  We do not understand the plan of our FATHER.  But what we do know is the following:

GOD is the CREATOR of everything.

We are all created in the image of GOD.

GOD loves us all, each and every person, GOD loves.

GOD wants a relationship with each one of us.

GOD has given us all a way to get to HIM through the blood of Jesus Christ which has washed us clean of our sins, if we will believe in Jesus and truly repent.

We are not alone, because GOD is always with us.

We have our Comforter, the Holy Spirit living in us when we truly are Christ followers. 

The will of GOD will be done on earth, despite the plans of man.

There will be a rapture.

Jesus will come again.

There will be a new Heaven and a new Earth.

If we are co heirs with Christ, we will live with GOD for eternity.

So today, let us celebrate all that we do know and let us take rest and comfort in the loving arms of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, despite all the bad things that are taking place right now.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that I have my Saviour Jesus Christ through YOUR Grace.  I thank YOU that I have the Holy Spirit living in me.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay amazingly Jesus Blessed today!

Share with others!

 Dear Christ followers.  GOD wants us to have a living loving relationship with HIM.  But HE also wants us to have a living loving relationship with each other.

And yes, sometimes it is very difficult to find the time to just chat to a person for an hour or two.  But GOD wants us to do this, especially with fellow Christ followers.

This strengthens our faith.  This grounds our faith.  This is pleasing to GOD.

Today, if you have not heard from someone for a time, pick up the phone and call them.  Give them your time.  Give them your ear to listen to their trials and tribulations.

As the world grows dimmer and dimmer, we need to strengthen ourselves with the armour of our FATHER.  There is simply no better way to do this than through fellowship with true believers.

Let us remember that we have a limited time on this earth and we need to be the light of Jesus shining for HIM in this darkening world.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU today for the fellowship of fellow Christ followers.  I thank YOU that YOU love me so much that YOU have given me such strong and loving bonds with my family and my friends.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay obediently Jesus Blessed today!

Meditate on these things!

Dear Christ followers, in this ever darkening world, it is sometimes so hard to feel that there is any good left.  But Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians to look for the things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report and if there is any other virtue in anything, then these are the things we need to meditate on.

Today, we had a beautiful sunrise, we had a holiday, so it was a restful day, there was very little or no load shedding.  Let us meditate on these things.

Let us think how very blessed we are to have our homes, our families, our friends, our churches, our work.  And then rather let us dwell on our blessings.

The birds were in their trees tonight as I stood outside for a little.  They were chirping away merrily without a thought about tomorrow.  They know that their needs will be met.

So, too, let us put our trust and our hope in the Hands of our FATHER.  HE loves us.  We are truly blessed!

Tomorrow let us wake up with a renewed attitude of gratitude, the LORD willing. 

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU for all the blessings that YOU have showered on me.  I thank YOU for my LORD and my SAVIOUR, Jesus Christ.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay amazingly Jesus Blessed today!

Are we happy with ourselves?

Dear Christ followers, who of us is truly happy with our own appearance. We are so competitive. We would like to be taller, or shorter, fatter or thinner, blonde or dark, and on and on.

And yet each one of us is made in the "image of GOD". So ought we not to feel special, regardless of how we look.

GOD loves us as we are, after all, HE made us.

I quote Psalm 139

"13 YOU formed my inward parts; YOU covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise YOU, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous ar YOUR works, and that my soul knows very well."

Today let us rather be truly thankful to our CREATOR FATHER, who made us in HIS image. And let us be thankful for who we are, what we have, our families and our friends.

Prayer: ABBA FATHER, today I give thanks to YOU for letting me a child of YOURS. I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. My LORD and my Saviour. Amen.

Stay thankfully Jesus Blessed today!

Nothing can separate us from the love of GOD!

 Paul writes one of the most powerful verses in the Bible here, in my humble opinion.

Once we believe in Jesus and truly accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Triune GOD is living in us.  We are co heirs with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of GOD.

And Paul states here that he, like I, am convinced that when this has happened and we have given our lives to the LORD, nothing can separate us from the Love of GOD which is in Christ Jesus our LORD.

To know this is such a comfort.  Come trials and tribulation, come good times and bad, when we are in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, nothing can separate us from the love of our FATHER.

HE holds us in HIS Hands.

This does not mean that we will not face trials and tribulations.  In fact, when we accept Jesus, we must understand that satan attacks us on a new level and we will have trials and tribulations whilst we wrestle with our flesh.

But through all of this, we are comforted by the love of our Saviour.

We continue to hope for our eternity with our FATHER.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU for the Gracious love that YOU shower on me.  I thank YOU for YOUR Grace, YOUR Favour, YOUR mercy.  I thank YOU for my hope, which rests on Jesus Christ.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  My Lord and my Redeemer. Amen.

Stay amazingly Jesus Blessed today!

Romans 8 Completed

 

God’s Everlasting Love

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:


“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that YOU loved me first.  FATHER I thank YOU that YOU sent Jesus Christ to save me from my sins.  FATHER I thank YOU today for all that I am and all that I have.  My family, my friends, my home, my work and everything YOU have so graciously bestowed upon me on earth.  FATHER, I humbly pray that YOU fill my heart to overflowing with the love of Jesus Christ that I may be a blessing YOUR glory.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay graciously Jesus Blessed today!

Romans 8 Continued

 

Sonship Through the Spirit

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
From Suffering to Glory

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.


26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Dear Christ followers, Paul is writing as if to you and I in this chapter of his letter to the Romans.

We have been adopted in the Kingdom of GOD through our faith in Jesus Christ by the Grace of our FATHER in Heaven.

We have now been "justified".  Our sins are forgiven and we are now "as if we had not sinned at all".  

The Holy Spirit which has taken up residence in our hearts, now makes intercession for us to our Holy Father in Heaven. 

If we continue to do the Will of our FATHER in Heaven we can look forward to being glorified and spending the rest of eternity in the Kingdom of GOD with Jesus Christ.  Maranatha!

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I cry out today, Thank YOU, thank YOU for loving me before I loved YOU.  Thank YOU for YOUR Grace and YOUR mercy and thank YOU for forgiving me of my sins.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay thankfully Jesus Blessed today!

Romans 8

 

Free from Indwelling Sin

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Paul write here to emphasise the need to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The Holy Spirit puts to death the carnal mind and focuses us on living for Jesus.

Romans is such an important chapter of the Bible for showing us how to live our lives in way that is pleasing to GOD. A way that will guarantee us eternal life in the Kingdom of GOD. A life where we are co heirs with Jesus Christ.

Only when we accept Jesus, repent and the Holy Spirit lives in us can we live a life where we can put to death the things of this world that move us away from GOD.

Prayer: ABBA FATHER, today, I thank YOU that I live with the Holy Spirit living in me. FATHER fill me to overflowing each and every day with YOUR Holy Spirit and help me to live my life in a way that is pleasing to YOU. THY Will be done in my life, ABBA FATHER. This I humbly pray in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Stay amazingly Jesus Blessed today!

The Law and Sin!

GOD gave Moses the ten commandments.  And it is argued here by Paul that if it were not for the ten commandments, we would not know what sin is.  

That is the right. Following and living by the Ten commandments cannot make us into Christ followers.  But it does give us the solid foundations for Christian living.

Knowing the Law cannot make us into "good people".  Following the Law cannot guarantee us a place in Heaven.

Only our faith in Jesus Christ can do that.

And faith in Jesus does not negate the Law.  Faith in Jesus should be with true repentance.  Repentance makes us very aware of where we have failed to live up to the Law.

True repentance makes us better followers of the Law.  GOD, as HE is in the first four of the Commandments, should be first and foremost for every Christ follower.  

We should die to self and become servants of our FATHER.  We should want to know the Will of GOD in every aspect of our lives.  We should pray to our FATHER and ask that HIS Will be done in our lives.  

The following six Commandments teach us how not to sin against others and if we follow them helps us to  keep us from getting hurt as well as others.

As Paul said lastly, he would not have known that to covet was sinful had it not been for the Law.  Our world today is full of coveting.  That gives rise to a lot of sin, like theft, murder, jealousy, and not worshipping GOD.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that YOU gave us the Law first and that we know what is right and what is wrong.  FATHER thank YOU that Jesus came and took my sin onto that Cross and saved me from my sinful self.  FATHER I humbly pray that as I grow in my faith, YOUR Holy Spirit convicts me to sin less and less.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay graciously Jesus Blessed today!

 

Walking worthy of our calling!

 Yesterday we spoke about the way we present ourselves as Christ followers and this follows that theme.  

Are we walking in a manner that is worthy of our calling.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we put off the old self and put on the new person, being "born again" through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

We are therefore now, "co heirs with Jesus Christ" called to share in the Kingdom of GOD in Heaven.

But that calling comes with a responsibility.  And that responsibility requires that we walk in a manner befitting our calling.

We cannot claim to be "Christ followers" and continue as we did before.  True repentance means that we turn away from our sins.  It does not mean that we will not sin, but we should start to sin less.

No longer can we be of this world, we need to fix our eyes on our eternal life and start to store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven.  These are things like working on our patience, our love for one another, our gentleness, our kindness.  It also means learning to know and to understand the nature and character of the FATHER we serve.

It also means that we are now servants of GOD and by implication, servants of our neighbours and our fellow beings on earth.

This looks like something.  And it should start to resemble being more and more like Jesus.  Not that we will ever attain being "like" Jesus.  But we should try.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU for YOUR grace and favour in rescuing me from my sins through Jesus Christ.  FATHER, today, I humbly pray that YOU show me how to be more and more like Jesus each and every day.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay amazingly Jesus Blessed today!

New in Christ!

 Dear Christ followers, as "born again" Christ followers, we need to walk in the newness of life.

No longer can we live as we used to, with impunity and under the law, sinners.  Now, as "new creations in Christ", we literally need to mind our p's and q's.

The thing that is most noticeable about a person is their choice and use of language.  As Christ followers, we need to guard our tongues.

No longer can we use bad language.  No longer can we talk badly about people.  No longer can we talk to people with anger or wrath.  Rather, like Jesus did, we need to think and pray about our usage of our language.

This is really important.  I believe that this is the reason that a lot of Christ followers are not taken seriously.  Their language and use thereof belies their "born again" status that they now enjoy.

We need to pray earnestly to our FATHER to fill us daily with HIS Holy Spirit who will convict us to guard our hearts, our minds and most of all, our tongues.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER,  I humbly pray that YOU fill me with anew each and every day with YOUR Holy Spirit.  FATHER help me to guard my heart, my mind but most of all, let me guard my tongue.  FATHER convict me when I am hurtful, or when I use bad language.  FATHER convict me when I gossip about or slander others.  I pray this earnestly in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. My Lord and my Redeemer.  Amen.

Be amazingly Jesus Blessed today!