How Is Your Garden Growing?

How Is Your Garden Growing

At this time of year our gardens can be unsightly, all sorts of things are springing up; weeds are growing; the grass has not been cut; the fence may have even been blown down by the bad weather.  Our gardens look dark and we're not able to enjoy it.  There are weeds and shrubs growing that we didn't plant.  To leave our gardens in that state is to leave it uncultivated.  I often pluck up the odd weed in my front garden on the way to my car.

Our minds and lives can be like our gardens - cluttered, dark and unsightly.  We can cultivate our minds and surround ourselves with positive things and people or let the weeds take over.  What you allow to grow in your garden is what will harvest.  What you sow is what you will reap.  Life is a sowing and reaping process.  It's about planting and harvesting.  Is the garden of your life uncultivated? Are you planting good seeds? Is the garden of your life darkened with weeds?

(Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  The earth was formless and empty and darkness covered the deep waters.  The Spirit of the Lord was hovering over the waters then God siad, "Let there be light." ) You see without light you will not be able to see your way clearly, you will stumble around in the datk.  You will get entangled by the weeds growing in your garden. God is the Light of the world and your mind is your life garden.  Without God you will live in darkness.  The absence of Gods' Spirit in your live will cause you to live in darkness and by your own desires but the presence of Gods' Spirit will bring light into your life and guide you to right living and fruitfulness.  His light will make you aware of the weeds in your garden.

Satan is the prince of darkness and deception.  He is a thief and his sole purpose is to rob you of what God created for you (John 10:10 - He came to steal, kill and destroy - Jesus came so that you might have life and have it more abundantly). Satan is a serpent and will deceive you, he will encourage you with the things that's not good for you (Genesis 3:1-1....."You won't die," the serpent told the woman, "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it and you will be like God knowing both good and evil.....").  Are you allowing the serpent into your life garden?  Disobedience leads to destruction; obedience leads to prosperity.  Satan is the enemy and he is real; Gods' word is truth and is also real, so who are you allowing in your garden? Are you allowing your garden to control you instead of you controlling your garden?

As human beings we often worry about how we will make ends meet and survive.  Do you realise that God created our provision before He created us?  Everything we will ever need, God has already gone ahead and provided it.  He created the earth and all things in it before creating man. He then gave man dominion over everything that He created with the express command to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28......."He blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground....."  God has supplied provision for all our needs but we fail to be fruitful and prosperous because we are not good stewards over what has been given to us.  We do not tent to and cultivate our gardens, nor do we sow our seeds in good soil yet we expect to reap a good harvest; we expect to be prosperous and fruitful.  The earth we live in and our minds are our gardens and just like Adam and Eve who were placed in a place of provision, all we have to do is to cultivate our gardens, pluck out the weeds, be obedient and follow Gods' instructions - our manual - in order to enjoy the things God went ahead and prepared for us.....

So ask yourself.....how is your garden growing?

Do Me A Favour!!!

Do Me A Favour!!!

Jonah found favour with the Lord deep in the belly of a whale (Jonah 2:1-3). Despite all his efforts to disobey Gods command and run away from the work of The Lord, he found favour with The Lord. He was sinking, his life was ebbing away and he had nowhere to turn but in the depths of his situation he called on God and God heard him (Jonah 2:7).

Joseph was falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit.  He fell foul to the trickery of a woman scorned (Genesis 39:11-20) and was placed in prison by his master but God was with him and favoured him (Genesis 39: 21-23).

God showed favour to both Jonah and Joseph in situations which should have ended their lives but God heard their plea, their cry onto Him. He saw neither their outward appearances nor their circumstances but He looked at their heart and favoured them. God is a God of favour but you will have to seek Him for Him to be found by you (Isaiah 55:6) and you will have to earn His favour.

The Bible teaches us that in all things we are to get wisdom. Wisdom gives us a greater understanding of Gods’ word and enables us to tap into His plan and purpose for us and His word tells us what His plan is for us; to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11), therefore He will favour us no mater our situation or circumstance. He has gone ahead and favoured your future but you will have to seek Him to get His favour. Favour isn’t fair and when God favours you it will make people hate on you. People will not understand what they see. People who want to say no to you will find themselves saying yes. You will plant in one place but reap in another. Gods’ favour will put you into positions you didn’t even know exist. You will lose the job you worked so hard to keep and find yourself in an even better one; you will lose relationships which you thought you couldn’t survive without but God will favour you with an even better more fulfilling one (Proverbs 18:22). When you walk in Gods’ favour He will restore everything the enemy took from you. You will experience great victories during greater odds. Your battles will be fought and won on your behalf. Your pleas and cries are more likely to be granted (Esther 7:3).

However His favour will sometimes close doors which you would like opened. You may pray for a financial downpour; you may pray for a specific job; a home, a wife/husband and not get those things. Not all doors are meant to be opened to you. Too many open doors causes confusion and God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Gods plan is to prosper you and sometimes the doors you want opened will not be prosperous so He will not open them. Your prayer should be that He keeps closed the doors that are not meant to be opened to you; thank Him for keeping them closed.  What we want is not always what we need but Gods favour will give us only the things we need. He knows what is best for us. 

He does not look at your circumstance and situation for Him to bless and favour you. He will favour you inspite of your situation, inspite of your disobedience. Even as a thief and a robber (Luke 19: 2,5-10); a murderer (Exodus 2:11-14) and a liar (Genesis 20:2) He will favour you because He is God and can choose who to favour and when to favour. He is God all by himself.

God favoured me during my disobedience. As a youth through to a young man I lived a life which the world showed me; a life that was not of God; A life which did not deserve Gods’ favour but He looked beyond my outer being and saw the man behind the mask; He saw my heart and favoured me. He brought me out of the darkness of the world and into His light. He favoured me whilst I was still in the darkness and deep in sin.  He called me but I had to seek Him and He was found by me and He blessed and favoured me. He chose me in advance and inspite of me, inspite of my sins, inspite of my circumstances, He favoured me. Each time I stepped out He went ahead and favoured me. Even in my job, He was ahead of me. He had a plan for me and no matter what I did, His plan remained. He favoured me with a business and inspite of me seeking alternative employment, His favour was on me. I recall saying to my pastor, “I can smell my promise land but I just can’t see it yet.” Today I can testify of his goodness and favour in my personal life, in my work life, in my spiritual life and in all that I do. I continually seek Him and He is continually found by me.

His word teaches us to seek and we shall find, knock and the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7). Anything of value will have to be pursued. Success does not come by just waiting for it to drop into your lap. You will have to pursue it, work at getting it; be persistent in your quest for it....pursue God; pursue His favour...be persistent in your pursuit. He is searching His Kingdom for those who worship Him in truth and in spirit (John 4:23-24). He wants to bless and favour you.

Be persistent.  God will do you a favour!

The Broken Place

The Broken Place

Have you ever seen a Western film where the cowboy is given the task of taming the wild stallion?  The stallion is majestic, fit, energetic, it stands tall and strong, its outward appearance is beautiful, alluring but as soon as it’s approached it runs wild, it stomps, neighs and given the chance, will run away causing destruction along the way.  Its real personality comes out and the beauty that once was so attractive now becomes the thing that scares the cowboy.  The cowboy has to take control, he has to become the master of the stallion, lead it, guide it and tame the bucking bronco until it's broken in.  Eventually the stallion learns that it’s pointless to try and run, to fight, or retaliate and very soon it begins to succumb to the direction and ways of the cowboy.  The cowboy who once represented something scary, something harsh and unnecessary has now become a loving owner, a tender trainer, a carer and guide and the horse receives and enjoys the benefits of a good home where it’s fed, watered, cleaned and taken care of.  All its needs are met by its master and it becomes a champion at its craft.

Sometimes as humans we are like that.  We are admired for our beauty, our stature, our outward attributes but dig just beneath the surface and we are unusable.  Our packaging is attractive and we look fit for purpose but beneath our beauty we are wild and out of control.  We go through life with no real purpose or direction, living day to day making do with the here and now and not really achieving anything, not making a difference or putting to use the skills we were born with.  We have no idea who we are and whose we are. But God has a purpose for every one of us (Ephesians 2:10). We belong to Him. We are made the way we are with all our outward attributes for a reason but our outward beauty has to be aligned with our inward beauty.  We need to harness the two and bring them into union.  We all need to be broken in and disciplined in order to fulfil our purpose.  Without direction we walk around aimlessly.

Most times even a pair of shoes gets broken in before being used for the purpose for which it was purchased.  We will take it home and walk through the house with it before venturing outside wearing it.  We will try on clothes before purchasing it making sure it is fit for the purpose it’s being purchased for.  Many times we hear children being referred to as wild and out of control. They have no direction or discipline and so they “act out”.  We hear of the terrible twos and threes but a child that has been guided, directed and disciplined by their parents often follows that direction.  We often hear of guide dogs being taken to training school in order for it to fulfil its purpose. The spirit of waywardness has to be killed for our true nature to be utilised, for our outward and inner beauty and strength to align.

When I was younger, I was wayward, I did things I wanted to do but without any real purpose.  I lived a life directed by the world.  My outward and inward appeal did not align.  Today, I am still Carl but God took control of my life and harnessed me.  He brought me in alignment with His purpose for my life.  He had to break me in.  I was broken, went down into the valley, lost some habits, lost some of my old ways, had to let go of some people and possessions but like the phoenix rising from the ashes He brought me through and raised me up.  Like the lamb whose leg Jesus had to break, He had to break me in order to carry me.  Sometimes we will have to be brought to our knees, to be in a broken place, lost and alone but that’s when God says, lean on me, rest on my everlasting arm, cast your burdens onto me and I will carry you.  I will wash you anew, I will renew your mind, I will give you your purpose, I will break you in and harness you and you will be made whole.  When you’re in a broken place He is waiting on you to call on Him, to say Lord HELP!

Broken places are necessary.  Even Christians get broken.  Even Christians goes through the valley but God always puts us back together and along the way He strengthens us and makes us fit for purpose.  Whatever your brokenness is, wherever it lies, whether it is financially, emotionally, physically or spiritually, He can put it back together again.  He will use your brokenness to harness you.  Your broken place is your breaking in process. Brokenness is something we can’t avoid but it’s important to look for the reason for it, look beyond your place of brokenness and see the breaking in, see the harnessing, see Gods hand at work. 

Your broken place is your scrap yard. It’s where you’re put back together.  When a car gets written off, it’s taken to the scrap yard not because it can’t be used again but because it can be used again.  All its various parts can be used in different ways for different reasons, it gets put back together one way or the other and is used again. Often times when it’s rebuilt it is worth much more than before, it is more valuable.  That’s what God wants to do and will do with you if you will call on Him.  He will restore and replenish you (1 Peter 5:10).  He is the Creator and He will create in you a new mind, heart and purpose. 

Your broken place is where God is waiting on you.  Look for Him, call on Him and let go and let Him.  He wants to feed you, to take care of you, to guide, guard and protect you.  His plan for you is to prosper you....don’t be afraid, don’t run away.  The process may hurt but it won’t hurt you.

You’re in your broken place for your breaking in

The Pirate Is After Your Cargo

The Pirate Is After Your Cargo

Gods word brings life into dead situations. There's none bigger, stronger or more powerful than He is and when you are in a relationship with Him, He dwells in you and you in Him. You have the power and strength through Him to walk on serpents and scorpions (Luke 10:19); to crush the enemy. He places something in you that's very valuable. He places His Word and Spirit. You become a vessel carrying very valuable cargo. What you carry as a Christian is powerful enough to lift up men, women and children to be who God wants them to be so that they can be where He wants them to be but just like the pirates out at sea, the enemy sees and knows how valuable your cargo is, he notices your power, so he will go all out to steal it from you.

Brothers and sisters, Christians, are you aware of what you're carrying? Are you aware of how valuable your cargo is? The enemy is!!!  You are carrying Gods love and your testimony.  Don't be ashamed of it; it's the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:8).  Don't let the pirate capture you.  The enemy will come after you like a pirate at sea but use Gods word - your power and strength - and let him know that what you're carrying is not for him, it's for defeating him.  Let him know that your cargo is much to valuable and powerful for him and you won't give in or give it up. Stand up and fight. Be a warrior for God. You've got His armour so wear it (Ephesians 6:10-18) and deliver your cargo to its destination.

Being a Christian, a man/woman of God, a Pastor, a Preacher is a massive feat but hold on and don't let anyone steal your standing with God from you; it's a blessing; it's your joy. You are equipped to make change.  Anyone you speak to you will change their thought process and destination. Gods purpose for them will be fulfilled in their new destination. Gods word changes minds and destinations.  It brings to fruition His purpose for your life and along the way He will use what He's placed in you to change the lives of others.  

The pirate is after you so hold on tightly to your cargo. You may have to change direction or be delayed but God makes no mistakes because He has a purpose for what He's placed in you and if you will only listen to His voice and be obedient to His voice (Deuteronomy 4:1) you will defeat the pirate. 

I had an encounter recently where I was getting ready to go to the gym before going to work but I was delayed because I felt the need to read Gods word before leaving the house. Eventually I left but on the way there I realised there had been quite a nasty accident on the route I had to take to get to the gym.  I realised that if I had left my usual time, I would have been caught up in that accident.  Immediately I recognised Gods work and how He saved me from the attempts of the enemy. The night before, the Spirit of God had heavily visited me and had given me a message to deliver (Fight For Your Name). I had not yet put it out there but I knew someone somewhere needed to hear that message and so the enemy was after me but I serve a God who is greater than the enemy (1 John 4:4).  A God who had placed something in me and because of my relationship with Him and obedience to His voice the pirate did not capture me and I delivered my cargo.

As Christians we are always in a race against the enemy.  The enemy knows how powerful the prize at the end of the race is and he doesn't want you to get to it because it will deplete him.  He will be the winner if you let him overtake you. Like the drivers in F1, they are racing to get to the finish line because the prize is waiting there for the winner.  The trophy is theirs if they make it to the finish line first and they will get there at all cost, overtaking, ducking and diving but at all times protecting what will get them to the finish line first (their car).  We are runners in a race and at the finish line is Gods glory and His kingdom (1 Corinthians 9:24 & Philippians 3:14).
What you have is very valuable so you will be noticed. 

What you have will raise you up and out of mediocrity to notoriety.  You will have to be on your guard at all times but your fight will be made easier as you continue to strengthen your relationship with the Lord. You will hear His voice above all else, He will guide, guard and direct you.  He will shield you.  He will take on your battles (2 Chronicles 20:15).  Like David when he went after Goliath, you will be armed with the Spirit of the Lord. Be strong and be courageous (Joshua1:9). Your cargo, the word of God must be delivered.  It will reach it's destination -Gods people - and you will overpower the pirate.

Fight For Your Name

Fight For Your Name

Are you in a place of waiting? Are you waiting on God to bless you? Are you in a fight that seems never ending? Have you lost your comfort? Does it seem like God is not talking to you anymore? Is your world crashing in on you? Are you in a ditch? Hold on, don’t give up, keep your faith and fight...a new day is dawning and your new name is coming. 

Abraham had to be taken out of his comfort and away from all he knew to be blessed and to fulfil his purpose. Sometimes you have to brake and change position to receive what God has for you. He lost all he had but held onto his faith. He was raised in a lap of luxury. He had every material thing he needed and more but God had a plan for him. His plan was to make him a father of many nations and his descendants as plentiful as the sand on the sea shore (Romans 4:17) but He had to make sure Abraham was capable of handling the blessing so God removed him from where he was and took him on a journey..on a process; He needed to strengthen and rename him. Abraham forsook all he knew and was made righteous by the depth of his faith and obedience. He had to live in the wilderness but he kept his faith. He believed God and God blessed him (Genesis 15:6). God renamed him and made him a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5).

Jacob had to wrestle all night long with man and God but he kept his Faith, he did not give up (Genesis 32:22-26). He knew that God would bless and prosper him if he held on. He was battered and bruised during the fight, suffered a broken hip but did not give up. He fought for his blessing and God favoured him; He gave him a new name Israel (Genesis 32:27-30). You may be wrestling with past and present struggles but hold on to God because in the morning of your struggles breakthrough will come. You will get your new name.

Job was a very rich man. He was a faithful servant and God blessed and prospered him with many riches but God had more for him. He was blameless in the sight of God but God allowed him to be tested and all he had was taken away from him, he lost everything; his riches, his children, his health but he held on to his faith. When everyone around him advised him to curse God, he held on to God, he kept hold of his faith and love for God and he was rewarded double for his trouble. God restored all he had and doubled it. His faith earned him the blessing of God (Book of Job).

These three great men of the Bible are examples of struggles, wilderness, loss, sinful past but great faith and love for the Lord. Abraham and Jacob were sinners but God forgave and rewarded them for their faith and love for Him. Abraham lied about his wife (Genesis 20:1-2); Jacob stole his brother’s birth right (Genesis 27).  There is no sin too big that God will not forgive. Job was blameless and loved the Lord but his faith was tested (book of Job).

This message is not for the proud and upright, but for those who feel bent over in pain. Those of you who are out of your comfort zone, in a place of wilderness and losing some stuff along the highway, you’re growing weary of wrestling with the challenges of just doing life.

God does not look at you through the eyes of man (1 Samuel 16:7).  He does not see you in your circumstances but sees you past your circumstances. He is a God of order and process. You will have to go through changes, lose some things, be processed, be separated from people, be uncomfortable but hold on, keep fighting, keep praising Him (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  God looked at Jacob and Abraham through His eyes, not the eyes of the people around them. He does not see you as people see you. He will change who and where you are to whom and where He wants you to be by the renewing and transformation in your spirit. He will change your mind, your thoughts, and your destination.  You may have to wrestle and release stuff but hold on to God. Your destination is not where you are now; you are on a journey to the promise of a better future and the enemy will fight you every step of the way.

When God shows up in your life He will show you your future but you will have to go through some stuff to get it. You need to want to have it above all else. When God revealed himself to me I did not understand it but I knew I had to have more of whatever he was offering. You have to trust him in the areas where you can’t trace him. When I was a child I thought like a child. When I became a man I put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11). The word of God will put the kid to sleep and awake the king in you.

Trust the Lord to deliver what he’s shown you. When I was deep in the world fighting to get the things of the world, I never gave up until I got what I wanted.  If I wanted it I was going to have it. Then change came. Greater is He that lives in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). When God came into my life I knew He had a plan and purpose for me, something that the world could not provide. Like Jacob I wanted what He showed me but to get it I had to have Him first and He would have to have me. He took me from where I was and I lost all I had but I held on. I was taken from my comfort, from all I knew; I had to fight situations, my finances, my relationships. I was broken, lonely and uncomfortable but I was not going to give up until He blessed me; until I got what He had for me and He blessed and prospered me. He renamed me. I had to have the sense and determination of Jacob; the faith of Job and the courage of Abraham. I am still holding on because He’s not finished blessing me. 

Abraham, Jacob and Job’s journeys are for the people who are wrestling; the people who are in the wilderness; those who have lost and are uncomfortable; those who are in ditches; those who are broken; those who are in a fight.  Hold on, don’t give up; your morning is coming and you will be rewarded.  When God shows up in your life you will never be poor or broke again; you will never lack again. He will give you something more valuable and powerful than money. He gives you His Word and it dwells in you. It can cut through any situation. It can give life to dead bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14). If you are in a ditch, don’t just lie down and give up...fight.  If He’s allowed you to fall in a ditch He can take you out. Don’t stop wrestling until He gets you out. You are a celebrity....His celebrity so get out of there; wrestle yourself out of there!!!  Stand on His Word and fight. His Word is not proud of any situation; it’s not too proud of your situation so use His Word; It’s a double edged sword and is capable of cutting through ALL things (Hebrews 4:12), us it and fight for your blessing. His Word is for the breaking of strong holds and proud arguments (2 Corinthians 4:5). God can start and stop any situation. 

Have you seen what God has for you? Have you smelt it, tasted it? Do you want it? Job, Abraham and Jacob did and they wanted it. I did and I wanted it. We all had to fight for it. We had to wrestle for it. Had to give up some things, lose some things, become uncomfortable; go down into the ditch, walk through the valleys but we never gave up. The enemy will always tempt you to give up. He will play on your pain, your loss, your discomfort but don’t let him steal your faith. Stand on God’s Word, His promise and say “Devil, don’t come near my faith because I will fight you for it...you can take everything but you’re not having my faith!!”

Fight your way out of the jungle.  Hold on till morning and claim your new name

The Time Is Now !!

The Time Is Now !!

After seeing the butchery of that soldier in Woolwich, South London on the news I realised that the enemy is at work. I could not sleep last night. I prayed “Lord what shall we do? Lord have mercy”. People who don't know the love of the Lord will do evil things (1 John 4:8 – The one who does not love does not know God because God is love). Our sons and daughters are being stolen and we need to reclaim them (Nehemiah 1:14 – After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “don’t be afraid of them, remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes”.) They have not had an encounter or heard the word (Romans 10:14 – How then can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”). Christians, we are the hope of this world (1 Timothy 4:10 – That is why we labour because we have put our hope in the Living God who is the Saviour of all people and especially of those who believe). We must share the Word and push back the enemy of evil through love – The Christian life is a life of warfare.  (1 Timothy 1:18 - We are called to be good soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ and to war a good warfare.) (Luke 23:34 - Lord have mercy on the evil doers they know not what they do). Lord help us to come together and intercede for those who need to know you. (Isaiah 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, “Here am I...Send me!”). The time is now for us to put on the armour of God and be strong (Ephesians 6:10-11 – Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”.)  It is time to magnify His name (Psalm 34:3 – Glorify the Lord with me.  Let us exalt His name together.) When he explained that everyone knows about God because nature proclaims God’s existence and power (Romans 1:19-20);  This does not cancel the need for missions because the message of God’s salvation found in His Word, the Bible, must still be told to the ends of the earth.  While nature points to the existence of God, the Bible tells us about God’s plan of salvation.  God’s people MUST explain to others how they can have a relationship with God.  Although most people believe in a Creator because of the evidence of nature around them, they need to know about His love, mercy and grace. What are you doing to take God’s message to the world? (PSALM 19)

           

Friends with Benefits

Friends with Benefits

Being faithful to anything or anyone can be rare in the society we live in today, whether it’s a job, a relationship or even this week’s favourite football team. It’s funny how individuals are happy to be with you when things are going their way. They’re happy to be with you when you’re cruising in the Bentley but where were they when you were on the bus?  Even some Christians that have never been in a tight place are happy to praise God but what happens when prayers are not answered by next Tuesday afternoon or funds run low and you’re suddenly demoted to life’s waiting room and wilderness?  It’s a well know secret that some people have not realised that faith and faithfulness is like a muscle that needs to be built up and worked on so that it can be developed. The gym is where this muscle gains strength, depth, durability and maturity.  It’s the place of adversity and nothingness.  

Dear brothers and sisters, when trouble comes your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow.  Let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed you will be perfect and complete needing nothing (James 1:2-5) 

We must aim to be steadfast and as sure footed as a dear on a mountain top in all our actions; in relationships and associations or we will come up short changed. (James 1:5). If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you; but when you ask Him, make sure your faith is in God alone. Do not waiver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave in the sea and can be tossed by the wind.

I believe we all have faith in something, sometimes the wrong things. Some people have a faith that’s subject to change depending on who or what shouts the loudest.  We often try to avoid the tests and trials of life because we are attracted to pleasure not pain. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Things are not going right at work, so we leave; football team gets smothered, you find yourself on the other side of the stadium; your relationship loses its initial excitement so you start looking around for another one; praise and worship at church seems to be off key this week and you’re not selected to lead the chicken frying committee so you think it’s time to find another church. 

Job was tested and lost all that he had and held close but he was sustained by his faith. It’s the only thing he did not lose and it’s the one thing that sustained him and because of his faith he was rewarded double for his trouble (Book of Job).  Faith that has never been tested really can’t be trusted. (1 Peter 1:7) These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when you faith remains strong through many trials it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. So in all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flame darts of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16).

God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).  God will bless those who are intentional about His will.  It’s the Lords wish for our desires to be met through His riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19) but His desire is also for us to be truly comfortable in Him through the power and strength that is within us.  Sadly lots of people get into relationships, jobs and situations for what they can get out of it instead of what they give to it.

I attend business network groups and our motto is “Givers Gain”.  We look out for who we can help and not who can help us therefore, everyone gets helped.  God wants to help you and wants very little in return but He is looking for true worshipers, those who will worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).  His plan is to prosper you and give you a desired outcome (Jeremiah 29:11). He said if you look for me I shall be found by you.   God’s word says He will bless you just for seeking Him.  It’s like getting paid for just turning up for work! 

Who will not want to serve a God like that?

(Ephesians 3:16) I pray that from His glorious unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your heart as you trust Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong and you may have the power to understand as all God’s people should, how wide, how deep and how high His love is.

It brings joy to my heart and a tear to my eyes when I try to imagine that kind of love and what having a true friend in Jesus means. A friend with real benefits. To serve a God who loves me in spite of me. I know that there is no one on earth that would love me in such a deep way and want so little in return. You can search high and low but there is nothing and none like Jesus...If there was, I would have found them. God is faithful even when we are not. Many times I have asked the Lord to create in me a clean heart and wholesome motives because without that prayers goes unanswered. I guess we have to check ourselves and surrender ourselves to God because He has made provision in His Word for all circumstances. He says “If you abide in me, I will abide in you and you can ask anything in my name and you will receive it.” (John 15:7)...WOW...guess what?  He means every word of it. I have experienced it in my own life. God’s promises are real and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called to His purpose (Romans 8:28) but you will have to exercise faith. Jesus is a friend to the lost and broken hearted.

A true Friend with Benefits