IT’S TRANSITION TIME

Transition means being in transit; to be transported from one place to another; to be in between places. You’re betwixt and between; not here but not there. You’ve already left but not yet arrived. You’re no longer a child but not an adult; no longer a junkie but not totally clean. You’re saved but not a Christian. A Christian but not really saved. Our Christian life is called a walk because we are in transition. We are not home but we are on our way to our destination.

I remember being in a time of transition. Being able to smell my promise land and the vision God gave me but not able to see it. I was in the middle of my journey and knew that the struggle was almost over but I couldn’t see the end.  I was tired, broke, hungry, lonely and weary but I knew I couldn’t give up. I could see myself in the future and I was much better than what I used to be.  I wasn’t where I wanted to be but I knew I couldn’t go back to where I was because I was the best I’d ever been; I’d come too far; I’d given up too much but the struggle was tough. I cried out God where are you? How long will this last? And in the middle of it all He reached out to me; He physically comforted me and gave me His strength. You see, His word tells us that if we seek Him He shall be found by us (Jeremiah 29:12-14). He never said the journey was going to be easy but He promised never to leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He knew my weakness but had already made a provision for it (2 Corinthians 12:9). He told me I can overcome because greater is He that’s in me than him that’s in the world.  He said you may have trouble and suffering but He’s conquered it all for me already (John 16:33). But Lord I’m lonely...hold on; Lord it’s been over a year...hold on; Lord I am tired....just hold on...just a little while longer because I know the plans I have for you; It’s to prosper you (Jeremiah 29:11-13) and eyes have not seen nor ears heard what I can do (1 Corinthians 2-9) so just hold on a little while longer.  You’re in transition and I am on the journey with you.  I’m in the boat with you so don’t be afraid.  Don’t let the Jericho walls deter you, walk around them seven times then blow your trumpet and watch them crumble (Joshua 6).

Being in transition is a dangerous place to be. You’ve left Egypt but you’re not yet at the Promise Land. You’re being transported from one place to another, from one situation to another. You’re on a diet but not yet lost any weight. Praying and fasting but no breakthrough yet. It's an uncomfortable and unsettling place. You’re betwixt and between so you can't get comfortable. There’s just enough room to sit down but not enough room to stretch. You’re crying out Lord where are you..I’m in a dangerous place. You reach for things that give you comfort; anything to ease the strain and pain. Sampson reached for Delilah (Judges 16). He was a strong man but he was tired and in transition and sought comfort in the wrong person. We are all drawn to pleasure and not pain but often short term pleasure brings long term pain.

Joshua was faced with this problem when he reached the Jordan River. He was close enough to see it but not strong enough to cross it. The children of Israel were all behind him, they were stuck in transition (Joshua 3). What is your Jordan River and who is depending on you; your wife, your children, your family, your congregation?

Much of our Christian walk is spent in transit. We know what we are called to do and we are on the way there but we have to wade through the waters navigating life’s twist and turns. We have to climb out of the ditches and get over the mountains. We have to fight the loneliness and resist the temptations but the good news is the Lord knows where we are and just as with Joshua, the Lord told him I will never leave nor abandon you. As with Moses when he spoke to Pharaoh; I shall be with you. The Lord our God was with the children of Israel at the beginning of the journey, in the middle and at the end. Our journey is a transition period, a renewing time. It’s the seed time before the harvest; the battle before the victory; the breaking before the rebuilding.

If you are weary the Lord will give you rest in your transition (Matthew 11:28). Your yoke is hard and your burden heavy but His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matthew 11:30). We must be mindful of attaching ourselves to false promises of the deceiver in the midst of our transition. Are you in between jobs? It's a transition time. Lost a relationship or marriage? It's a transition time. Experiencing financial pressure? It's a transition time. Struggling to get your ministry going? Guess what...it’s a transition time. It's a waiting and renewing time. Waiting for a husband or wife? God is transforming you. Waiting for those crazy children to fix up? It's transition time. It's a time of new beginnings. Don’t get stuck in the darkness of the situation, look forward to the light because in the morning the light brings joy; praise your way out of the darkness of the journey and into the light of His joy (Psalm 30:4-5). Moses and the children of Israel spent forty years in the wilderness on their way to The Promise Land because they got stuck in the journey and started moaning but we serve a God of second chances and new beginnings. He used Joshua to bring them out of the wilderness. He told Joshua, be strong and courageous for I am with you (Joshua 1:9). Go to the land I have promised your ancestors; it's yours, from the east to the west wherever the sole of you foot treads I have given it to you (Joshua 1:2-4).

Our transition period is a time of allowing God to remould, reshape and renew us.  It’s a time of seeing things from a new perspective.  It’s a time of preparation. You are being prepared to be propelled into the promise for God’s purpose and along the way He will bless you. It’s a moving time and God’s ways are not our ways and his time is not our time so don’t build a house where you should pitch a tent....Keep moving and praising God.

It’s transition time!!!

CAN YOU ENDURE THIS

What is the essence of our walk with The Lord? It’s about patience, endurance and waiting.  Waiting on The Lord is a massive part of our relationship with Him.  There is always something to wait on but the biggest thing we are waiting for is Jesus coming back.

Imagine a marathon runner preparing for a race who gives up each time the road gets a little tough, he will never be able to make it to the end, he has to build up his road time and push through the pain barrier to endure the race to the finish line. An athlete can’t afford to give up each time the road gets tough or the hill gets hard to climb.  He has to keep pushing through; keep putting one foot forward at a time. When we go to the gym, we won’t see results unless we exercise our muscles.  Just like our physical muscles, our spiritual muscles can get weary and need a fresh anointing and fellowship.  We will have twists and turns and at times we will be hot other times cool; sometimes we will hear from God clearly every day yet sometimes we will say where is he; I can’t hear him, but he is still there; he is always there and if we seek him he will be found by us (Deuteronomy 4:29).  Just like the song says, One day at a time sweet Jesus, That’s all I'm asking of you.  We need to press forward and by faith endure to the end

God’s work on earth is done by man.  It can’t be done by someone with no faith.  There is a direct link between our faith and endurance and that link is the test.  Our faith will have to go through an endurance test to produce patience and work.  We will have to endure to finish the job in order to pass the test. Too many people say I wish I had your faith; we want to have it without doing anything but to whom much is given, much is required.  We look at others and yearn for their level of faith but we don’t know the struggles and endurance they experienced to get to that level. The level of faith we have has a direct correlation to what we can do.  The Bible teaches us that even if we have a mustard seed of faith we can tell the mountain to move and it will move (Luke 17:6).  If our faith is in the things and people of the world then our success will only be temporary but by faith the righteous live and will have eternal life (Hebrews 10:38).  If our trust is not in The Lord it is in something else and we will have no hope for the future. The world will dupe us into believing that our hope lies in man but God’s word teaches us that cursed is the man who trust in man and makes flesh his strength (Jeremiah 17:10) but blessed are those whose trust is in The Lord (Jeremiah 17:17).  The Lord will bless us just for trusting him during our trials and tests.  He will reward us for our endurance and patience and will fight on our behalf and win the battles for us (2 Chronicles 2:1-19).

How we spend our time waiting will determine how our faith grows and the level of our faith will determine how far we advance during the waiting period.  God’s word teaches us that those who wait upon The Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will not grow weary, they will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).  This tells us that the waiting period is a process of strengthening and it’s important how we use that period because Jesus can come back at any time.  When he comes he needs us to be prepared and ready for what he has for us.  The waiting period is a preparation process; it’s a testing of our faith period.  During the waiting period we will be tested and tried; we will be put through our paces and have hurdles to get over. Sometimes we will go through situations, separations, circumcision and hardship and these can seem like trouble but in the midst of these God is still with us because he promises never to leave us and he is not man that he can lie (Hebrews 13:5 & Numbers 23:19).  Faith requires action and in order to overcome these tests and hurdles we will need to exercise our faith and trust in God (James 2:14-26).  Our faith has to be tested, it has to do work and anything that has to do work has to be prepared and strengthened for it. Faith and endurance works together.  It’s impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6).  Our faith has to be tested in order to be prepared for where God wants to propel us.

When God commanded us to be strong and courageous, it wasn't just our physical strength he was referring to but our emotional, mental and spiritual strength; it is to develop our character.  David was tested, tried and prepared in the back side of a mountain.  He relied on God to strengthen him to defeat the lions and bears and was rewarded with the Spirit of God to defeat Goliath.  Joseph was thrown in a pit by his brothers.  He was left cold, hungry and afraid but he endured and The Lord rewarded him (Genesis 37).  God will use our endurance to propel us from the pit to the palace. 

God wants his people to be people of character and not just fall wearily.  He will use our tests and endurance to refine and strengthen us (Psalm 66:10).  It is his desire to give to us all that he has (John 10:10).  When our faith is tested and we endure the trials we will be refined and emerge stronger than before (Luke 48:10).  On this journey of waiting on the Lord we are racing to get to glory but the race is not for the swift but for those who can endure (Ecclesiastes 9:11).  The journey is about resilience against the powers of darkness; it’s about the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4); it’s about our prayers, belief, faith and hope.  Between prayers and manifestation there’s endurance and endurance produces patience and patience builds faith and faith pleases God (Romans 5:3-6).  

People of character, though they face trials their endurance always propels them to the next stage.  Jeremiah’s faith and endurance was being tested; God was preparing him for the things to come but he got caught up in the events and forgot the purpose but throughout his testing, God never left him and reminded him of the plans he had for him (Book of Jeremiah).  In times of trouble if we place our hope in man we will be weak but if our hope is in the Lord we will have an abundance of strength not only for ourselves but for others also.  God will use our experience and strength to build others up in his kingdom.  He blesses those who patiently endure testing (James 1:12).  In the waiting period we will be tempted but the temptation is not of God (James 1:13).  Temptation comes from our own weakness but God will give us the strength to withstand the temptation if we trust and rely on him to bring us through (Book of Job). When we are waiting and being tested we have a choice; we can either choose to die in the wait and test or live in our faith. Our faith will allow God to fight our fight for us. If we draw close to God in our testing times he will draw close to us (James 4:8 & 10).  

When The Lord is our hope and confidence we will flourish, we can endure all things (Philippians 4:13) because his joy will be our strength.  This does not mean we will not have to face tough situations but in God we will remain standing and not fall.  Our endurance is a time to prove God.  When we are facing tests and trails, people will be watching to see how we get through, how we endure.  How we exercise our faith will prove God to them.  The three Hebrew boys stood on their faith and endure the fire and God got into the fire with them and rescued them in front of their foes (Daniel 3),  Our test is a chance to build our endurance and faith (James 1:2-4) and in the process we magnify The Lord and raise up his name.

No matter what we are going through, whether its loneliness, heartache, financial strain, loss, whatever it is God is with us and he is waiting on us to exercise our faith.  He is waiting on us to call on him. Prayers, belief, faith and hope will touch the heart of God and he will give us the strength for the journey.  He will lift us up and plant our feet on solid ground.

He endured the cross so that we can endure the journey.

X-RAY VISION

X-RAY VISION

What would our day be like if we could see it all before we got out of bed; or see the whole week on Monday morning? What about the unforeseen expenses in the middle of the month before we bought that pair of shoes? What about the redundancy before you bought the house, or addiction before that first drink? What about the consequences of having unprotected sex?  If we can see the consequences of our decisions before we make them would we make them?

2 Corinthians 11:4 “Even satan had to disguise himself as an angel of light in order to deceive”. Satan makes sin look perfectly normal and acceptable. He makes wrong look right and right look wrong. He will throw at you everything which is bad for you and make it look good in order to trap and destroy you because his game plan is to steel kill and destroy.  If evil things looked evil, no one would do them. Matthew 24:4 “For false Christians and prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so they lead astray, if possible even the elect”. We fall into sin by buying into what we see on the outside but if we had x-ray vision and could look beyond the enticing surface, what would sin look like? Would we still buy into the outer beauty of what’s being sold to us?

God’s Word teaches us to: John 7:24 “Judge not according to appearance but judge based on what can be taken to heaven”.  It is important to look beyond what’s in front of you and see the bigger picture.  Sin is initially beautiful but the more a person becomes trapped in it, the less beautiful it is and the more they are eternally destroyed. We buy things based on its outer appearance and hen when we get home we are disappointed with what we've bought. What if God made his decisions about us based on what’s on the outside; how disappointed will he be when what’s on the inside surfaces? Satan uses what we portray on the outside to stop us from being what and where we are meant to be.  God uses what’s on our inside to propel us to what and where he wants us to be; two forces against each other.

From a scientific perspective, x-rays cannot allow us to see through walls; however scientists recently showed that wireless signals such as Wi-Fi can be used to track human motion through walls. This is because mans ability is limited but Gods ability is limitless. He is able to see beyond any barrier or object; He has the ability to walk through closed doors to save us from ourselves and the deceits of satan. John 20:19 & 26 “On the evening of that first day of the week when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you!”. A week later his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them.  Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

He has the ability to see the things that are not seen and hear the things that are not heard. X-ray vision can see through the physical but can’t read minds.  God sees beyond the physical. His x-ray vision knows our thoughts before we think them and the desires of our hearts before we feel them.  He created and knitted us in the seclusion of our mother’s wombs – supernaturally in the dark and he sees beyond the darkness that the world has wrapped around us. Nations are now concerned that scientists will be able to use technology to see us in our naked state. God sees us in our naked state, knows all our thoughts, all our faults and still loves us.

When we are in a relationship with God and we allow him to live in us and take control we are able to see the things that are not seen and hear the things that are not heard. When we pray for discernment: 1 Kings 3:9 “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” we pray to be empowered, energised and enthused with the ability to see beyond what the natural eye can see and hear beyond what the natural ear can hear; we are asking for Gods help to pick up abnormalities because what is bad looks good and what’s good looks bad. We are saying that the world is trying to make us accept things that are not good; same sex marriages, sex  before marriage, quick fixes, drugs, alcohol; the world is feeding me a diet of abnormality but makes it look normal; they are giving me poison but making it taste sweet; Lord I need discernment to know good form bad, right from wrong; I need to see beyond the disguises; I need your eyes and ears to guide and direct me....Lord I need x-ray vision!!

The world will feed you a vision of beauty but when the beauty fades all that’s left is a bitter taste on the road to destruction. Proverbs 5:3-5 “The woman may be beautiful and the sin so enticing; for the lips of the adulterous woman drips honey and her speech is smoother than oil but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword; her feet go down to death and her steps lead straight to the grave”. Sin at first looks great or else no one would engage in it but in Christ we are able to see beyond the disguise; we are able to trust him to give us a real understanding of what is being sold to us.  Proverbs 3:6 “Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight”.

In Christ you will be able to see and hear beyond the things of the world; you will be able to discern good from bad, wrong from right and see beyond the outer beauty to the inner reality. You will be able to use Gods x-ray vision.

Perfect Faith

Hebrews 11:1 -  Faith is the essence of the things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen. 

Faith fills hope – Faith begins in the heart and once it is released from your heart, the things you hope for will be birthed.  When God gives you a word, it is not always designed to make sense but to make faith.  Sometimes our heart will believe by faith what our heads can’t figure out. God works with our hearts before our heads and when we move, God will move. This is what happens as we believe and act by faith.  Our faith moves God. 

Faith comes from hearing of the word and obeying the word.  Abraham’s faith saved him. God promised Abraham he will be the father of many nations and he heard Gods word and by faith believed. (Romans 4:3 Abraham believed God and God counted him as righteous because of his faith). Abraham was 99 years old when God promised him a son and Sarah his wife was not far behind in age but Abraham by faith believed Gods promise (Genesis 18:1-10 - *10 One of the guests was the Lord and he said, “I’ll come back about this time next year and when I do, Sarah will already have a son”). Again Abraham heard the word of God and by faith believed. God instructed Abraham to sacrifice the son He had been promised and by faith Abraham obeyed and God saved his son (Genesis 22:2 – Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah.  Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you). Our job is our assignment and prosperity is our inheritance – faith is an action – it’s our job – the result of our faith is our inheritance. God’s promise and fulfilment of His promise to Abraham was not based on Abraham’s obedience but on his faith. God will bless you for what, by faith, you can believe in Him for.

When you pray, by faith believe that what you've prayed for you have already received and it shall be yours (Mark 11:24 & James 1:6).  By faith Elijah prayed for the rain to stop and it did (James 5:17 & 1 Kings 17:1 – 7 - *1 Now Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet from the settlers in Gilead. “I serve the Lord, the God of Israel,’ Elijah said to Ahab. “Surely as the Lord lives, no rain or dew will fall during the next few years unless I command it”). By faith he prayed for rain to come and it did (1 Kings 18:41 – Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming”).

The world was created by God by His words. Our faith is triggered by The Word and The Word builds our faith. In faith there is focus.  Only the believer who is focused on God can have true peace.  God’s word is His promise and our faith must lean on his word.  Without believing in Gods promise through faith, the world will dupe you into looking for logic but logic starts in the head; faith starts in the heart – God works with our hearts; our spirit man and then transforms our heads – our minds.

God’s Word can bring dead things back to life but he is looking for total dependency.  He is looking for complete commitment (John 4:23 But an hour is coming and is now when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth).  To be true worshippers we must mix the Word of God with faith to produce fruit in our lives. (James 2:17 Faith without works is dead); (Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him).  Faith is an action word which needs exercising and can only be exercised and strengthened through The Word of God.

Faith is proactive not reactive. We believe for our future by faith. Faith is our inner connection with God for the outer manifestation of what by faith we are believing in Him for.  The things seen in the natural is the evidence of our faith which went ahead before its manifestation.  Our faith causes God to move supernaturally in the natural

The Source And The System

The Source And The System

In the beginning God created the world and all therein (Genesis 1:1).  God is the source of all things.  Nothing was made that wasn’t made through him (Genesis 1:2-3).  God is the Creator of all things.  All things began with and through Him.  He is the Source; the Beginning and the End.

I remember a short time after opening my business I approached the bank for an overdraft.  Business had been slow and we were in the midst of a recession. I had overheads to meet; staff to pay and financial turnover was just not happening quick enough. The bank turned me down; I was refused an overdraft. My staff became concerned...How were we going to cope? But I refused to give up, to be defeated because God had directed me to start my business and I knew that where God lead me He would feed me; Where His Will took me His Grace will keep me, so I spoke with Him, I prayed and fasted; I went back to my Source, The Creator, The Author and Finisher of my journey and waited and He gave me new strength (Isaiah 40:30-31). He provided for me and is still providing for me. My situation was still the same but different.  I saw it not as the world showed me but as God had shown me. In the midst of a recession, when man and the system of this world failed me, God provided for me. He gave me His joy (Nehemiah 8:10b). He sustained me and is still sustaining me.

Too often we look at the world’s system as our provider. We look at man as our helper and sustainer and become comfortable and safe within their provision. We fall foul to the world’s system and believe that if we were to ever lose our connections then our resources will dry up but God’s Word teaches us different. His Word tells us that His well never runs dry (Isaiah 58:11).  When we recognise where our supplies come from and who our source is, we will never be in need.

The things of this world is temporary and mans supply is only as given to him by God (John 3:27).  Man is not able to provide for himself nor do anything without God orchestrating it. We are branches stemming from one tree and without that tree we will wither and die. If a branch is cut from the tree, its source, it cannot survive. Our source is our Creator and without Him we are destined to fail but with Him we have abundant supply (John 15:5-7).

In this world we will face situations that will test our faith; we will feel vulnerable and tired but that’s when God is calling us to come back to Him; to let go and let Him.  He wants to meet our desires and supply our needs. He is saying trust Me I am your source, if you would not rely on the world system and rely on Me I will forever sustain you (Jeremiah 17:5-8).  Stop looking around and start looking up to the hill, that’s where I am (Psalm 121:1-2).  The world and man will continually change but God never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The Bible tells us of the story of Peter and the fishermen who had been fishing all night and caught nothing but then along came Jesus and told them what to do, they heard and followed His instructions and was blessed abundantly. They caught more fish than their nets could hold. They were initially relying on their own strength to provide but when their source turned up and they allowed Him to take control of their situation their supply was more than their eyes or ears could believe (1 Corinthians 2:9). God our source is calling on us to let go and let Him.

God is a God of more than enough and He will bless you according to what you can believe in Him for.  He will bless you where others will fail you.  We have all been given a seed of faith and how and where that seed is planted will determine how and where our supply comes from (Matthew 13).  God is our source and if we plant our seed faith in its source it will bear good fruit. It will not wither and die but will be forever sustained. 

God takes delight in us when we delight in Him. Just for meditating on His law He will bless us (Psalm 1:2-3). He is our source of strength and provision (Habakkuk 3:18-19).

The world will tell you there isn’t enough; you won’t make it; the future looks bleak; there is no provisions but God, our source will say, go on your way, eat the fat, drink the water and bless others as I have blessed you (Nehemiah 8:10a).

Gods supply is limitless; the world is limited. With God as your source your supply will be endless (Philippians 4:19)

Just as sap flowing through the branches of a vine will cause them to bring forth fruit, Gods life flowing through you will bring forth a bountiful harvest of provision, healing and miracles. You only need to remain conscious of who your source is and who you are in Christ.

How do you get fed?  Who is your source?

MIND YOUR STEP

Cooking; Assembling something; Going somewhere; Up or down; Relationships; in every situation there are steps and each step leads you to the next stage.

The process of baking a cake involves step by step action; each ingredient has to be added at the right time and in the right way; the person baking the cake follows an order as given in the recipe; if the cake doesn’t come out as it should, it doesn’t mean the person baking the cake is not good at baking cakes, it just means that somewhere along the line the order of steps was not accurately followed but the next time they bake a cake and follow the correct step by step order, the cake will be made perfect.  God orders our steps to bring us into right standing with him; the Bible, his word is our step by step recipe.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way; when he falls, he will not be hurled headlong because the Lord is the one who holds his hand (Psalm 37:23-24)

Why has God ordered our steps? 

We have a tendency to go off in the wrong direction; to follow the way of the world; to look to friends for direction and end up a long way down the wrong road before we realise it. We have a natural inclination to levitate toward what is not good for us.  God knew of our weakness even before he placed us in our mother’s womb and so he made a way out for us.  He made His son Jesus Christ to be man, sent him to walk the earth so that he can understand our weaknesses and therefore prepares a way out for us. He is seated at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf when we step out of line (Romans 8:27).

The Bible tells us that a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again (Proverbs 24:16).  He is not righteous because he falls; he is made righteous by his getting up and seeking the Lord for direction.  It doesn’t say that the bad man falls......  He doesn’t “fall” because he is not in right standing, he is not righteous. The righteous man falls when he deflects from the path God has laid for him, when he tries to order his own footsteps but God is merciful and will place him back on the right path...the path that he laid for him. When you get back up and seek the Lord in moving forward he will show you the way to your next step.

When God ordered Moses to lead the children out of Israel, He gave him step by step directions; He ordered their daily step and provided food for each day.  He ordered their steps with a specific purpose.... to take them to the Promise Land but they became disobedient, restless and impatient and ended up losing their way, going down the wrong path and having to wait longer for the promise. He loves us too much to give us too much all at once. 

His Word tells us that his mercies are new every day (Lamentations 3: 22-23).  Daily he provides his mercy and grace for the next step we will take.  If we choose to jump from step A to C we will not receive the blessing at step B; we will forfeit the mercy and grace God placed there for us so mind the gap.

Each new step is a process of elevation.  The work of the Lord is carried out here on earth by us, his vessels and he wants to raise us up.  We are his army and he orders our steps to strengthen us to win the battles that lay ahead. He is preparing us to be victorious, to be his disciples but we struggle with disobedience; we are impatient; we want everything microwaved; we want instant gratification and results. (Psalm 37:23 ....The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him).  (Psalm 118:133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise and let no iniquity get dominion over me).

The most important part of anything good is preparation. Our personalities, temperament, speech, relationships all have to go through a step by step process otherwise we end up saying and doing the wrong thing.  We fall into the wrong crowd, marry the wrong person or even end up in the wrong job.  God prepares us step by step; He orders our footsteps.  If we would only wait on him, hear what he has to say, see where he is taking us, he will place a light on our next step (Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path). 

When God ordered the building of his tabernacle he gave step by step detailed instructions and directions (Exodus 28). He ordered the process step by step.  We are his tabernacle here on earth so he will give us Devine step by step instructions.


God is the unseen guest at your dinner table and if you make yourself available to him you will feel his presence and he will direct you ordering your steps to greatness.  (Zachariah 3:7 The Lord of host says; “If you walk in my ways and keep my charge then you shall rule my house and have charge over my courts and I will give you the right of access amongst those who are standing there”).

He parted the Red Sea for Moses; He parted the River Jordan at its highest peak; He saved Noah and his family from the flood – All were given step by step instructions, they had to go through a process; they allowed God to order their footsteps and they all prospered.  He is the same God who was then, the same God who is now and the same God who is to come...Listen and hear what he is saying to you; Look and see where he is taking you; Obey his direction and prosper; Walk in the path he has laid for you and enter into salvation.

Did You Get A Good Reference?

Did You Get A Good Reference?

Reference points - we all have them; good or bad.  Whether it be reference for marriage via our mum and dad, work ethics or any other aspect of our lives, we all follow from the examples set for us and that becomes our reference points.

As we grow from infants through puberty to adult hood, our lives are shaped by the people around us.  We are influenced by our parents, siblings, aunts and uncles or even our teachers.  These people shape our values in key areas of our lives in terms of finances, relationships, love, emotion, sharing, openness, work, education and our lives tend to unfold and take direction largely based on the input and influences of the people around us and on their value system and reference points.  Even the area or type of accommodation we live in can determine what we aspire to achieve.  Many people who grew up in council housing aspire to get council accommodation because that's their point of reference.  Many who grew up with out of work parents didn't understand the value of work or even education as they never saw the fruits of their parents labour.

If you grew up never experiencing a loving relationship, grew up in a single parent family or in an abusive home, those are the things that will be your reference points and could shape your aspirations for your future.  This relates to all aspects of your life because your influences and  gauge for where you go or what you do are based on your informative years.  Unless you can focus on what is inside you as opposed to what you are being shown on the outside.

Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary so his reference point was purity (Matthew 1:18-25).  However the circumstances he was born into was not where he was destined.  His reference point was quite different from what God had placed in him.  If you take a look at Mary and Joseph's lives, Jesus' life could have gone in a different direction but the key thing was what was in him. You see what God has placed in you is not dictated by where you're from or the influences and reference points of this world.  We all have a God given purpose but sometimes our reference points are contrary to that purpose.

My background in terms of where I grew up and what I was taught dictated to me that I would be an under achiever and never produce anything great.  I was pointed in the direction of failure.  My reference points for marriage were negative, abusive and one sided therefore my reference point for interacting with the opposite sex taught me to give as little as possible but take as much as possible. It was about interacting from as far as distance as possible; just enough to get what I wanted from it. My reference point for treating and appreciating the opposite sex was on two levels because at home mum was not equal to dad so her opinion was never valued and outside of the home it was not a level playing field for women.  The value system from a male/female perspective was more take than give.  


We behave according to the examples set for us. From the age of ten to nineteen we become more aware of and imitate what we learn (Proverbs 23:17 - As a man thinketh so is he); we adopt learnt behaviour but what is the reference points for the young men and women of today?  Nothing good, that is unless they're from the same postcode.  So their whole value of their lives is based on misguided reference points. There is nothing of value for them to gauge their journey by. When a ship is about to sail, they use reference points to plan the journey and to track  their progress. What examples are we setting for our young people today; what tools and examples are they gauging their journeys by? 

I needed to make a conscious decision to alter, disregard and not fall into the norm of the learnt behaviour of the people around me and not use the reference points of my parents, uncles, brothers, peers, teachers or neighbourhood as my gauge because that placed me at a disadvantage of selling myself short.

When we come to the Lord it redresses the balance because we no longer use the world and those around us as reference points.  We get born again. All things are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17 - This means that in Christ you have become a new creation). Coming to Christ renews our minds and we get new reference points and new directions.  Chains gets broken; we get unbounded and untied.  he greatest thing that happens is we start seeing ourselves as God sees us and we realign ourselves from virtually everyone.  Sometimes even Christians are misguided and we have to realign ourselves from them. When we come into relationship with God we evaluate and measure ourselves against his standard as opposed to that of our parents, friends, teachers, aunts, uncles or any other standards. We come into line with God because he now becomes our reference point. When we come into relationship with the Lord we go on a journey but the biggest turning point is baptism. It is symbolic of the dying of the old and birthing of the new; of renewing our minds. Things change and we start to reposition, reprogram and recalibrate. We get released into our true potential. Not what people think you are capable of, but what God says you are capable of. Your journey gets re-plotted.  Like Jonah you are freed from the belly of the whale;  freed from the bondage of your old reference points.

When the Lord sent Samuel to Jessie's house to anoint the future king, Samuel went with his own reference for what a king would look like. Jessie also had his own reference point for which son may be chosen.  He presented all his other sons and left David out, but Gods chosen person was David.  Away from being in relationship with God we chose things based on previous experiences and examples.  We choose a husband/wife based on what we can see in the natural and not their spiritual nature because our reference point was what went ahead of us. but if we allow God to be at the centre and to be in charge, it will be a different story.  When Samuel got to Jessie God revealed to him who he was looking for because Samuel was in relationship with God (1 Samuel 16 & 17).  Through being in relationship with God he will reveal a new reference point to us.  As Christians we are called to be someone else's reference point. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:16 - let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven). Some of us are flying unequally balanced because that was our reference point.  Suddenly God comes into our lives and we begin to be equally balanced.  It starts in our minds and reflects in our homes. 
 

Without the right amount of air in your tyre, your car can't operate at its optimum.  Without God in our lives we progress below our potential.  When you come into relationship with Christ your life must reflect him because someone you meet will have you as their reference point. As men we are our sons reference point of how men are supposed to act and to our daughters reference points of how men are to treat them as women.  Our actions can either position and propel us into Gods presence or prevent us from reaching our true potential.

A hawk who was raised by and amongst chickens spent many years believing he was a chicken and incapable of flying until one day he discovered his ability to fly.  He didn't know he could fly because his reference point was the life of a chicken.  How would you feel if you found out too late that you could fly but didn't know because you were running peep peeping and cluck clucking instead of spreading your wings and soaring?  That's how our lives are when we do not have God as our reference point.  Lots of people believe that because no one in their family went to university, owned a business or was successful that means they can't either.  I am someone who was the first to break barriers in my family and it's all because God became my reference point. 

The Bible told me that I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:14); That greater is he that's in me than him that's in the world (1 John 4:4); Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good and acceptable will of God (Romans 12:2).  When you are in relationship with God he transforms you by the renewing of your mind; you become a new creature; the old you passes away and a new you is birth.  He makes you a winner not a quitter (Winners are only quitters who didn't quit). The only difference between a winner and a loser is what is in their minds. When David defeated Goliath, he used his God given reference points.  He knew that if he was capable of killing the bear and the lion in the mountains then he was capable of defeating Goliath.  God had given him victory over the wild animals as a reference point.  Goliath saw David's stature and mocked him saying - you come at me with a stick? Am I a dog? (1 Samuel 17:43) David responded - I come with the Spirit of the Lord (1 Samuel 17:45).  Everyone's reference up to that point was Goliath's size and the need for big weapons.  David used God as his reference point and was guided and guarded by the Spirit of the Lord and was victorious.  If we are guided by God we can all be victorious.

When Moses sent the men to check out the Promised Land, they returned saying that there were giants in the land and that in their own eyes they were grasshoppers. Only two of the men who went used God as their reference point. Caleb and Joshua saw through the eyes of their relationship with the Lord and said - we can take them (Numbers 13:13-33).  They did not look at what the world showed them as their reference point but chose instead to see the situation as God saw it, as he had revealed to them.

Our victory and strength lies in our relationship with the Lord.  He is our reference point.  His plans for us are to prosper us and give us life and life more abundantly (Jeremiah 29:11) so that he can be reflected through us a reference point to others.

Make The Lord your Shield, your Rock, your Strong Tower, your Portion and your Ever Present Help in times of need....Who could ask for a better reference!!





Don't Get Yourself In A Twist

Don't Get Yourself In A Twist

After riding motor bikes for years I know how important it is to position the bike correctly in order not to end up in a hedge.


Most inexperienced bikers are very good in a straight line but it's the twists and turns that will catch them out.  I am living proof of that, having fallen off a few times in my early inexperienced years and having the broken bones to show for it.  Life can have the same similarities.  We are normally ok in the straight but it's the twist and turns and blind bends that catch us out and leave us in the gravel.


Often the problems are not with our lack of sight but the absence of vision. (Proverbs 29:18 where there is no vision the people will perish but he that keeps the law, happy is he).


The secret of staying on the motor bike while you approach the unknown at high speed is determining the vanishing points in the bend.  Is the bend tightening or extending?  Should you slowdown or speed up? The wrong decision or position could lead to broken bones or worse.  Life can be the same if we are positioned incorrectly.  Without Gods guidance you will lack divine vision.  You may be relying on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...) You may be opening up the throttle when you really need to be releasing it and slowing down.


We know the turns and bends when things are going well but it's the unfamiliar twists and turns of life that will floor us.  God knows what you're about to encounter, He knows how sharp the bends are and the dangers that lie ahead so He sends someone to aide you in your bend, someone who He has equipped to steer and accompany you.  As an experienced biker you gain additional senses of observation.  Your sense of smell increases.  You can smell rain in the air and diesel on the tarmac.  You can see the change in the road surfaces and slippery potholes that could cause you to crash.  You smell things; you see things all around because you have to look ahead.  A simple missed pothole could mean sudden death.  You can't afford to fall off too often or at the wrong time because it could mean the end of your journey.


Being on motor bike makes you more alert to the dangers on the roads than before and it's the same as when you're in Christ; you become more alert to the dangers of the world.  When you're in Christ and life takes on new twists and turns God sends assistance because He sees for you.  He sees what you can't see.  He sees around the bend and beyond the corners.  The aide He sends to you is His Spirit in human form.  God sent HIs son Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide, guard and protest us.  To bring us to an awareness of the dangers that lie ahead on the journey of life.  His spirit will awaken us, position us and protect us through the fast sweeping corners, the tight bends and the oily patches waiting to befall us. We have an increased vision if we allow the Spirit of the living God to guide us.


Just like the inexperienced biker, it's in the twists and turns that we see people go off the rails at different stages in their lives and it's normally triggered by fear of the future, pain and unhappiness about the past or uncertainty of the present.


For men it's more difficult.  We seem to be under constant pressure in multiple areas of our life to "perform" and during the twists and turns we find it difficult, so we fall off.  Statistics shows that most suicides are amongst men in their late forties to early fifties because of their past, present or future.  Instead of choosing to tackle the twists and turns to get around the corner, they choose out.  The performance is too much for them.  There is an expectation of them and they are scared.  They can't see round the corner so they cy out but no one hears them.  They feel alone.  The enemy tells them that they can't make it round the bend, they are weak, they're not agile enough, they are too old but what the enemy meant for evil God meant for good (Genesis 50:20) because His Word tells us that all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  God is faithful and the twists and turns are His strengthening process for us but we must be in right standing with Him to recognise and receive the assistance He sends to us.


At every corner or bend there's an opportunity being sought by two people (God and the enemy) and the enemy will use it to tell you you're not good enough, that you can't make it.  He will use each circumstance to make you fail, luring you into a false sense of security but Jesus prepared a way at the end of the bend and is waiting for you.  Just around the bend are the changes and the blessings.


When you're approaching the bends and corners, it's important to go in slow but get out fast.  You need to know when to find your position and feed on the throttle.  If the bend is getting tight you will need to ease off the throttle.  Because you've not been on this road before you will have to approach the bend with an exit strategy; feeding the throttle round the bend will determine how you exit.  In your bend God will position you.  You might be in the wrong position to tackle the bend but God will send the right help so that when you come off the bend there's someone to help put you together again.


Sometimes we are going through twists and turns and milestones and it can be daunting and you'll be asking what next or thinking there's nothing there other than a long way back but God is faithful and He knows where you are and which season you're in.  All you need is His grace because it's sufficient for you.  Along the twists you will get hurt, disappointed and roughed up but if you seek Him in your time of traumatic twists He will deliver you so fear not because He's conquered it for you already. (Psalm 30:5 weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning).  God's grace is all you need.  Paul had a thorn in his side but God told him "My grace is sufficient for you." (2 Corinthians 12:9).  He may not remove the negatives you feel in your twists and turns but no matter how tough it gets His grace is all you need. He has promised to never leave nor forsake you and His promises are forever.  He is not man that He can lie (Numbers 23:19).


In life we will have our share of trouble, twists and turns but God has conquered the world and through Him we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).  So when you're faced with twists, turns and corners, re-position yourself and hold on, victory is around the bend.