A Life of Peace
Isaiah 26:3-4You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever,
For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength
Anxiety, fear and stress all generally result from setting your mind on a problem or situation of concern. God doesn’t want you living like that so He tells us in His word to fix our minds on Him and take every thought that does not have God at its centre captive, refusing to allow it to occupy our minds.
2Corinthians10:4-5
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ
The truth is that the the only weapon satan has against the people of God is deception. The bible tells us that when we dwell in the secret place of the Most High, nothing shall by any means harm us,(Ps91). The enemy’s only hope then is to deceive us by causing us to think, not on the promises of God, but on fears and concerns. That way he hopes to make those things bigger in your thoughts than God and His faithfulness, thus robbing your peace and causing you to falter in your faith.Perfect peace is that which rests in faith, knowing, through Christ, the love, power, protection and faithfulness of God. The Message bible says it well
Isaiah 26:3
People with their minds set on you,
you keep completely whole,
Steady on their feet,
because they keep at it and don’t quit.
As children of God we are entiltled to life lives that are free from fear, sin and sickness. He promises that as you keep your mind set on Him he will keep you completely whole. His mercy endures forever – think on that, seek His face, dwell on His promises and rejoice in His faithfulness as you worship him – do this and He will keep you in perfect peaceHave a wonderful, peaceful week.
Lots of love,
These signs shall follow
Happy New Year!
And what a wonderful year it will be। As I was praying this morning I felt the Lord prompt to declare that this is a year of increase.
Praise God, already in the last week we have seen God doing increasingly wonderful things। Last week at a local church where I was ministering, a lady who had no eardrum responded to a word of knowledge about a problem with the ear. I felt that day like my faith was at a place where I could believe for her to be healed overnight while she slept, but instead, when we tested her hearing on the spot we found she had been instantly healed and could hear. Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask, hope or imagine…To Him be glory in the church!
I still get amazed when I witness these wonderful healings। We are now hearing testimonies of people who have been miraculously healed by the power of God every week. Faith is rising in the hearts of the people and healing is being claimed. It seems too that there has been an increase in the gift of faith being in operation.
What really blesses me is hearing testimonies like the one Maxine shared last week। Maxine had been talking to one of the girls in the coffee shop she visited every day and found out that this girl was pregnant. Last week Maxine saw the girl rushing out of the shop looking distressed and stopped her to ask what was wrong. The young woman responded that she had started hemorrhaging and thought she was going to lose the baby. (Apparently the doctors had been concerned about the pregnancy and now it looked like she would lose the baby so she was rushing to the doctor). Maxine asked her to wait so she could pray for her. Well this young lady said she couldn’t wait, but after Maxine insisted, she let her pray. The hemorrhaging stopped and the baby was saved. What a testimony to this young woman of the power of the name of Jesus.
It is time for the church to take this wonderful healing power that we are seeing at work among us to the world – to the shopping centres and workplaces, the buses and the trains। And this is the promise we have from God as we do…
Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
16″He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
17″These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover”
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
16″He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
17″These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover”
Thank-you Lord. Your love never ceases to overwhelm me.
Please keep us in prayer as we endeavor to look for a building to lease for the church। We are growing and need a place where we can hold extra meetings, conferences and prayer meetings etc. We’re preparing for revival and we know that God has gone before us. Thank-you to those of you who have supported us through 2007. 2008 is our year of increase and it is also a time for bold faith.
God bless you all,
If you missed the meeting last week, you can watch or listen to the message and other clips from the meeting online by going to http://www.newday.com.au/Multimedia/multimedia.htm
God bless you.
The Blessings of God
Thomas Aquinas, who was highly esteemed by Pope Innocent IV।, going one day into the pope’s chamber, where they were reckoning large sums of money, the pope, addressing himself to Aquinas, said: “You see that the Church is no longer in an age in which she can say, Silver and gold have I none?” “It is true, holy father,” replied Aquinas, “nor can she now say to the lame man, Rise up and walk!”
Is wealth the root of all evil? Proverbs 15:6 says that
“great wealth is in the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked.”
Prov 10:22 tells us It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it।
“great wealth is in the house of the righteous, But trouble is in the income of the wicked.”
Prov 10:22 tells us It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it।
I believe the real issue is not money but focus। Do you have possessions or do possessions and your pursuit of them have you? Our hearts must remain uncluttered and our focus on Christ must remain simple, pure and undefiled. Unhindered, continuous fellowship with Christ will always result in His power, love and glory being displayed. However, if we fail to keep our eyes on Christ, the source of our strength, we will become weak and powerless. We are temples of the Holy Ghost and as such are unfit for idols of any form.
Matt. 6:33 tells us “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
When our thoughts and lives are given over to the passionate pursuit of God as our first love, the blessings of God will not fill our lives but be added to lives already filled to overflowing with His greatest blessing which is fellowship with Him।
God wants to bless you, but He doesn’t want his material blessings to fill your life। He wants to add to lives already filled to overflowing with the fullness of God. God asks us to seek him continuously so that he can continually fill us with love that is beyond our comprehension, so that we are continuously overflowing. Only then he can safely add “all these things”.
Have a wonderful week and we hope to see you at Friday night church। God is worthy of worship!
Seek Him first!
If you missed the meeting last week, you can watch or listen to the message and other clips from the meeting online by going to http://www.newday.com.au/Multimedia/multimedia.htm
God bless you.
Come up here…
Rev.4:1
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
What an awesome invitation! And just as these words were spoken to John, the Lord sets this invitation before us. In faith, He wants us to look, to hear and to respond.
Note that this invitation began with John looking. If you will take time to seek the Lords face you will see that the blood of Christ has made the way open to you to come boldly before the Throne of Grace. Once John could see the way was open, the invitation was issued to “come up here”. The way has been made for us, will you take the time to enter the heavenly realms and hear what He has to say?
God wants to share His secrets with you and show you things to come and have you co-operate with Him as He moves across the earth. He longs for us to come up daily with Him into the heavenly realms, to eat with Him, to spend time with Him, to share His secrets with us and to reveal more and more of His Goodness. God’s door is open to you and He longs for you to “come up” , open up, and receive all He wants to speak and impart.
Thank-you for your invitation Lord, we are coming, please keep calling. The Lord showed me a vision last week of the church throwing back the bed sheets and deciding to get up. It’s time for the church to arise and shine and come up higher. We are made for heavenly places and He wants to lift us up as we come – up where we belong!
Much love to you all,
Tell the TRUTH!
Eph. 3:10-12
to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him।
to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him।
God’s intent and delight is that His redemption, the victory of the cross, would be made known by the church to their former captives – the principalities and powers of darkness। Once we know the Truth, we then need to take up the sword of the Spirit and wield it against the enemy in faith, declaring the Gospel of Christ to anything that would try to exalt itself above the truth. The word of God is shaper than any two edged sword, it cuts more powerfully both ways – out of His mouth and out of yours.
As the spirit of wisdom and revelation is poured out and peoples eyes are being opened to the hope of their calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and the greatness of the power toward us who believe, God’s desire is that the revelation of the freedom of the cross would be proclaimed। For the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation – freedom from sin and all the power of the evil one.
We need to be declaring to the powers of darkness that we are free by the blood of the Lamb! Instead of wallowing in depression we need to declare to demonic oppressors that the joy of the Lord is our strength। Instead of ministering to sickness with sympathy and attention we need to declare to the evil powers the truth that BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.
The only power the enemy can exercise over a born again believer is the power of deception। So when you begin to declare to the enemy that you know the truth and that you know you no longer have to submit to the enemies presentations of sickness or discouragement, the truth shall make you and others free.
I am looking forward to the meeting tonight and to hearing some of the wonderful testimonies of God’s healing। Praise God we have had wonderful reports of people being instantly healed of hepatitis, arthritis and injuries during the meetings in recent weeks
Church arise to victory and make Christ’s redemption known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places।
God bless you abundantly and with joy.
Walking in the Light
Luke 24:45-49
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Oh that God would open our understanding to comprehend the Scriptures and truly understand the power of the message of the cross. This was the message we are told to preach to all nations – repentance and remission of sins in His name.
Repentance means turning away from sin and leaning on and putting your trust in “Him who is able to keep you from falling”. We cannot walk in holiness without His help, and there is no forgiveness of sins without repentance.
1 John 1:9 is often quoted – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Many have taken this verse out of context and believed that just confessing their sins is enough to receive forgiveness. However, there is no forgiveness without repentance. The verses leading up to 1 John 1:9 make this clear.
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Jesus died that we could have fellowship with Him in the light, receiving power to turn from sin and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Then when we do sin, we know that he is ready to forgive us immediately and help us back on the path of righteousness as we exchange our sin for His holiness.
The grace of God is a divine exchange – sin given up in exchange for His righteousness, ashes exchanged for beauty, mourning exchanged for joy, the garment of praise offered in exchange for the spirit of heaviness. Light has no fellowship with darkness, sinful man can have no fellowship with God who is Holy – that is why Jesus had to go to the cross and make a way for us to be free from sin. Don’t be deceived, you must turn from your sin to be saved. There is no forgiveness without repentance and the Holy Spirit is ready to help you as you decide in your heart to leave your old ways.
Rev. 22 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments,[a] that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
The Holy Spirit is ready to lead in the paths of righteousness if you will only ask for His help. It is not by works, but about trading in your old life for His new, abundant life and companionship.
Much love to you all,
More Love
“Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching];” (AMP)
It is easy to tell people what they should and shouldn’t do. The problem comes when we forget that good fruit only comes from a good connection to the vine as Tom wrote last week.
I have often fallen into the trap of judging people’s behaviour and trying to change them without really considering that outward change is of little eternal value without revelation from the Father Himself.
According to this verse, only someone who loves God can walk righteously. Trying to live a holy life because we think it is the right thing to do will only end in religious pride or failure if it doesn’t flow from a true love for God. Too often I have opened my mouth and offered unsolicited advice to friends or relatives, telling them that they “shouldn’t watch that, or do that or go there”, without realizing that true change flows from love and that what I really need to do is show them God’s love instead of trying to change them from the outside in. Love is patient, it’s kind, it doesn’t parade itself, it’s not puffed up or rude, it doesn’t seek it’s own, it’s not provoked, it thinks no evil… (1 Cor 13)
People can’t really love God, and therefore obey Him without first knowing and receiving love. We love because He first loved us. We can’t give anything we haven’t first received.
Jesus was known as a friend of sinners because he didn’t point the finger at sinners in judgement, but instead offered unconditional love and forgiveness that would, if accepted, result in love in their own hearts for Him. Think of the woman with the alabaster box, when she came in he didn’t begin lecturing her about her sinful life. She knew He wouldn’t by the way he had behaved with others. Jesus knew that the result of their love for Him would then bring about obedience to His Words. Basically, God’s aim is to win our hearts. His is the original ‘hearts and minds’ campaign.
Let’s not try to white-wash graves any more, but instead let’s focus on sharing the love and joy and life that we have been given, just as Jesus did. And my prayer for the church is that our hearts will be opened and hungry to drink in more of God’s love so that, as we come to know the height, depth and breadth of His love we will in turn love Him more deeply and walk in deeper levels of holiness.
Our God is worthy!
The Lord is my Shepherd
Ps 23
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
Worshipping God for who He is always brings us to a place of peace. As we set our thoughts on who God is to us, our hearts are flooded with the peace that comes from knowing that He is in control. Declaring who He is to us, we enter the wonderful rest of faith and the peace of God guards our hearts and minds.
Beginning my day by remembering that the Lord is my Shepherd sets me up for a day where I know don’t have to worry about anything. God is my Shepherd, I can cast all of my cares on Him – He is taking care of things for me today. He will provide everything I need and more. All I have to do is trust, obey and stay close to Him, which is easy when I remember that He loves me more than He loved His own life.
Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God is so good.
