Here's Some GOOD NEWS for ya!

I find this so amazing. I'm about to share some things with you today from Psalm 107. I believe you'll be encouraged and perhaps excited, as I am, by these things.

You will discover why you should give thanks to the Lord, and praise Him all the time:

• He is good
• His mercy endures forever
• He does wonderful works for the children of men (that's us!)

Read the entire Psalm 107 here


The common thread for you to notice throughout this psalm is this: no matter how messed up their (the Israelites) situation was, even when they were at fault for the mess, ANYTIME they called unto God to help or save them out of their distresses, HE DID! And He's mad keen to do the same for you, if you'll just let Him. Talk about unconditional love!

Please note the tense used here: God HAS redeemed you from the hand of the enemy (whatever that enemy is in your life - flesh, sin, sickness, poverty, broken relationships, you name it...) if you are willing to receive God's redemption - it's yours! No need to attend fancy 'deliverance services' or do a 'special fasting' for your deliverance and redemption or anything.

Just keep things real and simple and receive by faith right now wherever you are, what God has ALREADY done for you - it's that simple, and He's that powerful, He'll meet you right where you are right this very moment...). Read on to see that this is the Truth that makes you FREE!

Hope you are beginning to get excited about what this means for you, cos God is no respecter of people. If He bailed out the Israelites when they asked Him for help, how much more will bail you out - you, a bought-blood believer and disciple of Jesus Christ!

Here check this out:

• From vs 17-19: Here we discover how, because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities, these fools (the words in the Book, not mine!) were afflicted. Wow. Folks, if there's any affliction in your life, any 'enemy', before you look outside for who to blame, go look in a mirror and examine yourself to see if you're not the 'enemy' responsible for your problems.
  
  They'd lost appetite and were so depressed they wanted to die, or their situation was so bad they were going to die - all self-inflicted, mind - (why oh why do we do these things to ourselves?)
  
  But look up! GOOD NEWS!
  
  They cry unto the Lord in their trouble (yes even if it's your fault - though you've gotta acknowledge responsibility and repent from the foolishness) and He saves them out of their distresses.
  
  He sent His Word, and healed them (whoa, hold the phone! The Word of God has been sent (past tense) to heal you! And it's so powerful, it's been sent to heal not just your physical disease, but every disease in your life - mental, financial, relationship, you name it.)
  
  He sent His Word and delivered them from their destructions!! Now wait a minute there - you mean you don't have to attend special 'deliverance services' where you hoot and holler and roll on the floor, or you don't have to fast for 40 days or 21 days or anything, in order for God to deliver you from destruction?!
  
  Er, according to the Word of God, you don't! He's sent His Word to bail you out already!! You can be delivered RIGHT NOW, right where you are...if you will just receive the deliverance He's offering you and has fully paid for when He sent His Word (Jesus Christ is the Word of God, and God did send Him here to destroy ALL the works of the enemy, and to redeem you and to deliver you, you know)
  
  Hey I didn't write the Book - I just read It and take what It says just as It says it! No need to add or subtract to It. It's powerful all by itself. Don't complicate things for yourself: it really is that simple - believe and receive what God has ALREADY done for you, and take APPROPRIATE ACTION to back up your faith (eg to receive healing, believe and receive it, then adjust your lifestyle to back up your faith, and you will see health. For financial increase, believe and receive it, then learn to manage your finances better, become a good steward of it, and you WILL see your increase. etc...No fan fare, no fancy or fluff about it. Just simple powerful, Truth!)
  
  
• From verses 4-7: These people were wandering aimlessly all over the place, no place to call 'home', they were hungry and thirsty, very discouraged by their situation.
  
  Do you sometimes feel like this? Like you lack direction in your life?
  Are you discouraged by your circumstances? Feeling oppressed?
  
  Then do what the people in the Psalm did - and you WILL get the same results they did: they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.
  
  He satisfied all their longings, and filled the hungry soul with goodness.
  
  
• From verses 10-13: At some point they were in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and iron.
  
  Notice that this was their situation because they rebelled against the Words of God and contemned the counsel of the most High. They brought it on themselves.
  
  If you rebel against the law of gravity (the Word of God - He put that, and other 'natural laws' into place) you're gonna get crushed when you go walking off a cliff.
  
  A lot of sickness today (mental or physical) is the result of our violating (going against, rebelling against) God's set principles of healthy living. Yes, even a lot of cancers, if not all, are man made in one form or another. We are responsible for a lot of our affliction and bondage today.
  
  These people were so messed up, they were beyond help. Ever had a report from the doctors that 'we've done all we possibly can, sorry but there is no more we can do for you'...well that's sorta how things were for these people. Things were seriously messed up.
  
  Or ever been in a situation where there just seems no way out -eg mountain of debt, unsaved loved one - you name it ('the enemy'), there seems to be no hope?
  
  Well cheer up, there's GOOD NEWS! The story doesn't end there o! Here's what happened next!
  
  Vs 13, 14: Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bands in sunder!!
  
  
• 
• I just had to stop right here and praise God with a little dance and jig  - feel free to join me!
  
  
  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
  
  For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
  
  
• When you realise just how good God is to you, you'll do like vs 22 says and you will 'sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing'!
  
• From vs 23-30: These people were at their wits end (sound familiar??). Some of them were in business and things were looking pretty grim (perhaps they were in a recession:) ).
  
  Some of them did business out at sea even in perilous times (and note your perilous times could apply anywhere not just at sea...), their souls melted because of the troubling times they found themselves in...
  
  Am I speaking to somebody here? Come on now, people! Perhaps you know someone in really dire circumstances...
  
  That's ok! There's GOOD NEWS!!
  
  These folks cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses:
  - He calmed the storm and stilled the waves (Friend, God is still in the business of calming storms and stilling waves and filling our hearts with perfect peace, rather than dread...but you've gotta keep your mind on Him and do what He says...)
  - He brought them to their desired haven. Hang on a sec: whose desired haven did God bring them to? His or theirs? Theirs! So don't be afraid to have desires and dreams of your own, dear reader. As long as your mind is stayed on God, chances are your desires will be in line with His will anyway, and guess what, He WILL bring you to your desired haven.
  
• You oughta praise God for His goodness and wonderful works to the children of men!
  
• We oughta exalt him in public, I tell ya. Here's me doing just that, dear Heavenly Father!! Love ya!
  
• WAIT, there's still MORE GOOD NEWS!!
  
• God turns the wilderness into a standing water, and the dry ground into watersprings.
  There He makes the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation, and sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
  
  Ok now I'm gonna ruffle a few feathers by what I'm about to say but that's ok cos I'm just saying what God has said. Listen up!
  
  God has made you live where you live right now because He's already prepared the place with ALL the resources you need, to bring about your increase. But guess what, the rest of the WORK is up to you! Notice that:
  
  - You are to prepare the city and make it habitable. Fix your environment up real good, so that you're happy to live and work in it. God's not gonna do it for you.
  
  - You are to plant the vineyards. WORK, people! Don't just 'believe for increase' and expect it to come, when you're not out there working your tail off. Don't just pour money into some big deal preacher's pockets, thinking that's all you have to do in order to get increase. You've gotta WORK! Don't think that tithing and offering alone will cut it. You've gotta WORK!! God's not gonna plant your vineyard for you.
  
  - You are to sow the fields. You can interprete this any way you want but the principle is the same: you've gotta put in your own EFFORT in the place that God has placed you. WORK at it, use the talents God has placed in you. God's done His part. The rest is up to you now.
  
  - If all this talk of 'work' and 'effort' scares or discourages you (which it shouldn't , unless you're a lazy git!)... cheer up, there's GOOD NEWS!!:
                                                   
• When you WORK in the place God has put you, with the resources He's made available to you:
  
  - God WILL bless you so much that:
  - you WILL experience increase
  - you WILL multiply GREATLY (this is unusual increase, notice you won't just multiply - which is plenty, but you will multiply GREATLY!)
  - your income, income source, your livelihood (whatever represents 'cattle' in your life today) will not decrease
  
• From verses 39, 40:  These people went through times when they felt low and were indeed diminished in their hearts and in their numbers, through oppression, loneliness, affliction and sorrow...these are all part of the human condition today too.
  
  They wandered about, even the 'princes' among them. This stuff really messes up your self esteem if you are brought low in life (think of situations eg at work or at home where you've encountered this sort of thing, eg abuse, bullying, etc).
  
  Sometimes you feel all alone...
  
  Cheer up, there's GOOD NEWS for you!!:
  
  God sets the poor on high from affliction and makes him families like a flock! God is able to deliver you from ALL your affliction, and to make you a part of His family here on earth and of course in Heaven for all eternity!
  
• If you observe these things, you SHALL understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. He's truly awesome!
  
  And that's truly, GOOD NEWS!!
  
  
                              

Your Key To Total Transformation...

Do you wish for your life to reflect the glory of God - do you desire a life of excellence in every area?

Let me share a few verses with you that show you what you need to do in order to make the leap from mediocre to excellence in life.

All are from The book of 2 Corinthians. I've changed some fonts of some words, and put some words in [parenthesis], for clearer understanding...

Chapter 2 vs 14:

"Now thanks be unto God, which ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in EVERY place."

Chapter 3 vs 16:

"Nevertheless when it [the heart -  my paraphrase] shall turn the Lord, the veil shall be taken away..."

3 vs 18:

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Here's the key - though I'm hoping you've sussed this out already: if you desire to triumph ALWAYS in EVERY place, in every area of your life, you must:

• grow in your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ
• Turn your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ
• Behold the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ

Which all mean that you need to spend quality time with (aka focus on) the Lord Jesus Christ - which is what you're doing when you study the Word of God in the Bible (because Jesus Christ IS the Word of God ...) and when you pray.

Jesus Christ, the Author of the Bible and the Person spoken about in all its 66 books, should take front and centre stage in your life. More of Him, less of you sort of thing.

Study the Word, meditate, dwell on it, focus on it:

• Focus on what it says about who you are and what you are capable of. This will cause you to have a tremendous level of self-confidence, and a healthy self esteem which all in turn enhance your performance in every area of your life.
• Focus on what the Word of God says about your relationship with God and how it ought to be. This will cause you to have a great sense of purpose in life, and will give your life deep and great meaning and direction.
• Focus on what the Word of God says about your relationship with others. This will teach you how to relate to others in your world. Because your success in life depends on how you relate to others, this will cause you to relate to others in a way that mutually, greatly benefits you and them. Win-win!
• Focus on what the Word of God says you are meant to be, do and have. Folks, there is a reason why a popular personal development mantra is 'what you focus on, expands'...it's cos it's true! When you discover what the Bible says you are meant to be, do and have here on this Earth, your mind will be expanded , you will be dissatisfied with mediocrity and you will be inspired to take ACTION that will bring about the good success you were created to exhibit and experience in life.

So if you've been slacking in the area of PERSONAL Bible study, you are doing yourself a great disservice as you are missing out on the very best that life has to offer.

A lot of failure and misery is due to ignorance (people perish for lack of knowledge), not due to lack of resources or anything.

I encourage you to refuse to let the cares of this life distract you from what really matters in life. Do what the richest and wisest man who ever lived, advices you to do: focus on the Word of God. Trust in Him with ALL your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He WILL direct your path. If God is not directing your path, dear reader, who is?! And how hot are you about the current direction it's taking?

Choice is yours you know - choice of what to focus on, choice of whose direction you follow. Each choice has its own consequence.

I pray you make the no-brainer choice today and shift your focus to the One who can truly cause you to have GOOD SUCCESS!

On Loving God: The Ten Commandments

I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the gathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Thou shalt not take thje name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work:but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

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The above laws can be summed up thus: 

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength"
(Jesus speaking in Mark12:30)

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Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Thou shalt not covet thy neigubour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

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The above ones may be summed up thus:

"Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself."

Jesus. Mark12:31

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Thinking About ... the Power of God's Love

Something about Tyler Perry's message at Whitney Houston's funeral yesterday led me to meditate deeper on the 8th chapter of the book of Romans. As I did so, God reminded me of His love for each of us, and how powerful that love is.

At the end of this post I've pasted links to some songs that talk about this very thing. I desire for you to have no doubt about this, and I pray that God reveals this Truth to you personally as you read these words and listen to these songs.

Listen first to this one below. Everything about God is amazing and difficult for us to comprehend with our puny finite minds - we've just gotta accept, receive and enjoy all He has for us, such as His unconditional love and its implications for your daily existence...


:


Don't ever believe the lie that 'God could never love someone like me'.  While we were yet sinners, God loved us so much He came down to Earth as a man - the man Jesus Christ  - to personally pay the price to set us free from our sins. Romans 5:8. While we were yet sinners  - He loved you first, dear reader - unconditionally, always has, always will. So get with the program and get off the guilt wagon already!

I believe in my heart that someone reading this needs to hear this message from our Father in Heaven.
Someone is going to be made free as this Truth dawns on them today.

If thinking about the fact that you - yes you reading this - are the subject of God's love, the apple of His eye - if this fact, this Truth, doesn't cause your self image and self esteem to soar through the roof - I don't know what will!

The fact that the most Powerful Being in existence (who knows EVERYTHING about you, including your deepest, darkest secrets), considers YOU worthy of His love regardless, should make you soar confidently like an eagle above all circumstances no matter how challenging they are. So always remember that God, through Jesus Christ, loves you.



The love that God, the Creator of the Universe, has for you and I, is so amazing, great and unconditional that:

• whether or not you love Him, or believe in Him, He still loves you so much that even if you were the only person on planet Earth He would still have given His all, His very life, to save yours.
  
  
  
• God's powerful love washes away ALL your guilt and shame, no matter what sins you have committed, no matter what depths you have sunk to - when you come to Jesus Christ in repentance, His love causes Him to use His shed blood to wash you white as snow - when this happens, you become justified ('just-as-if you never sinned!)...so no more guilt trips, baby! Romans 8:33
  
  
  Guilt is a deadly emotion, like cancer is a deadly disease - it destroys you from the inside out and keeps you from performing at your peak. Don't live with guilt. Deal with it, receive the love of God that's freely and unconditionally available to you and you will be empowered to overcome your guilt, once you've repented of your sins.
  
  Then you will be in a peak state to achieve phenomenal success in any area of your life, no baggage - and anytime anyone tries to make you feel bad or guilty by reminding you of your past sins, look them in the eyes, smile and tell them: "I refuse to feel bad about that because God's nailed my guilt and shame and all my sins on the Cross of calvary because of His great love for me. He took it all away so that's not even on my record anymore! I don't know why you're dwelling on it, cos I've moved on from there pal! Get a life why dontcha! :D" God's love declares you 'Not Guilty'! and there's nothing any haters out there can do about it!
  
  
• God's love for you, through Jesus Christ, makes you able to be more than a conqueror in ALL circumstances - tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword (or their present day representatives...) - Romans 8:35
  
  
• God almighty, through Jesus Christ, has got your back. And if God is for you, who dares to be against you? See why you can, when you receive Jesus Christ in your life as your saviour, you can be bold as a lion? He's got your back, baby! No need to fear anything or anyone...and it's all cos He loves you unconditionally.

So from today I want you to step out boldly, knowing that yes, Jesus loves even you - doesn't that just make you glad? Doesn't it just put a spring in your step? A smile on your face? Doesn't it just make you know that 'everything's gonna be alright'?

I pray the fact that 'yes Jesus loves me'  takes on a real, liberating, empowering meaning for you from today. I'm telling you, this revelation will have you so excited about your life you'd be raring to go face every day feeling like royalty!



Anytime you feel down, unloved, rejected and so forth, come back here and prayerfully read through this post again. Think about The Power of God's Love for you.



Have a fantastic week, dear reader! Bask in the glow of your Father's love.

Stewardship...the flip-side of the teaching on Giving...

Many pastors preach about how you oughta give, give, give 'to the Kingdom', but very few people teach about how you should be a good steward with your finances.

I wonder if it's because good stewardship involves more effort on your part than just giving...and many of us are lazy by default, and shy away from anything that involves work or effort if possible.

I'm tired of watching Christian TV cos most of it seems to be appeals for money, money, money. Very few people are teaching you how to manage your finances - they just teach you to part with them. That ain't right. It's not balanced teaching.

It's true that if you're a consistent giver you won't go hungry or get poor, but it's also true that if you're not a good steward of your resources (finances, etc), you won't prosper or excel in life. Giving in the context of good stewardship is what brings about great rewards. But if you give in the context of poor stewardship, you're not only unwise, but are on a self-destruct mission.

If you are irresponsible with your finances, no responsible Father will reward or prosper you by giving you more finances, people!

So the teaching about giving must be balanced with the teaching on good Stewardship.

Wake up, Church!

Quit thinking that giving is a get-rich-quick scheme, and quit listening to preachers who make it appear to be so. Search the Scriptures for yourself and you will discover the whole counsel of God in this matter.

Stop this madness of taking one tiny part of Scripture and going crazy with it, while all the time neglecting the rest of the Word.

Educate yourself on good financial stewardship (some people call this 'financial intelligence').

Don't just swallow up everything your pastor says - be like the noble Berean Christians, and ALWAYS search the Scriptures for yourself to make sure what he's said is the Truth.

Don't get suckered into giving if  you are not also being taught the wisdom of being a good steward in the first place.

God is not mocked: you will reap what you sow. If you sow bad Stewardship, even the little you think you have will be taken from you.

Here are a few tips to get you started on good stewardship: for every income you receive...
-- Pay God first (tithe is the minimum to get you into the habit of giving...)
-- Pay yourself 10%
-- Pay your taxes and everyone else.
-- Live within your means on the rest...

If you're in debt, then add to that list 'Put aside 10% each month for paying off debts' - then begin paying them off and stop doing things that drive you right back into debt - that's bad stewardship.

If you desire to see an improvement in your finances, you've got to manage your money wisely, be a good steward of your finances. Seek advice from a professional financial advisor if need be, but for goodness sake, step up! Handle your finances wisely!

And have a prosperous New Year!

I can only imagine...

If a loved one has gone to be with the Lord, rejoice for they no longer have to imagine, like we do! They're literally having the time of their life! Glory!
Thinking about this Truth sets you free from sorrow and grief. It also causes death to lose its sting over you and your loved one, and denies the grave its victory - rather victory remains ours in Christ Jesus, yeah baby!

How To Find Rest for your soul

This is a testimony to how God's yoke really is easy, and his burden really is light.


My dad passed away a few days ago.


He'd been unwell, and I'd been taking care of him until the day before when he got suddenly even more unwell and I had to take him to hospital via ambulance. He passed onto a better life on the 22nd of November 2011.


I wept on the 22nd but have felt increasingly happy since then.


Reason: I realize more and more each day, that passing on was the best thing for daddy at this time - he'd been suffering from his illness which also caused him a lot of pain on most days you see, so it was a mercy that God cut short his suffering and took him from his earthly body. The real daddy lives on - he was always a spirit anyway - the body was only a temporary vehicle for that spirit.


Knowing this, knowing that daddy is now truly free from pain, sickness, stress and all the rubbish that earthly life can throw at you sometimes, makes me truly happy that he's gone home to Jesus.


What's this got to do with your success?


Everything!


Your focus determines your emotions and your actions.


I have chosen to focus on the good life that daddy led, the fact that my brothers and I were able to spend time with him and keep him as comfortable as humanly possible while he was with us, and the even better life he is leading right now and for eternity, and that pleases me - dude's having a blast presently! This focus has empowered me to move on with life, to be full of joy, praise and thanksgiving to God,  and also to console and comfort others touched by dad's passing.


I also know to choose my words carefully cos they also affect my focus. I refuse to say I've lost my dad - how can you lose someone when you know exactly where they are? Besides, 'loss' conjures sad images and emotions - not my cup of tea. No, I've not lost my dad. I know exactly where he is!


So I refer to his passing as just that. I don't even say he's dead anymore, cos I now realize that no, he's not! His body (earthly vehicle/container) may be, but he was never really his body anyway.


Dear reader, there are some profound revelations in the above paragraphs, if you are willing to see:


- You are not your body: your body is simply a vehicle that transports the real you, around on earth.
- You are a spirit. God made you in His image, and He's a spirit.
- This means that you, the real you, are perfect - no sickness, no weakness, no disease, no sadness or lack, no stress or grief etc; the real you is perfectly whole - abundantly wealthy, abundantly joyful, abundantly complete in every way!


The implication of this truth for you is tremendous:
- Your self esteem, your self image, gets a super turbo boost when this truth dawns on you. This is who you are, dear reader. A spirit made in God's image. This is why your thoughts are powerful, and become things. It's why your words are powerful, and come to pass. You're all of that, baby!


- Your self image determines the level of your performance in life. You can never perform above or beyond the image you have of yourself. Knowing that you've been made in God's image empowers you to know beyond a shadow of doubt that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength, that you are above only, not beneath, the head and not the tail, etc, etc. You rock! You excel!


- Knowing who you really are, and focusing on this regardless of what the outside world looks like, empowers you to bring into physical reality, that which you are focusing on.




I'll let you chew on that for  a while.




For now I'd like you to please think on these things, be thankful for who you are, and start acting like who you really are.




Your life, your success, depends entirely on it.




God bless ya!