Wednesday 31 October 2012

Bygone Times - Klackers - Clackers.


Toys came and went with frequent regularity in my teenage years.

There were many great toys

And a few phenomenal ones

Clackers were without doubt a playground phenomenon.

Anyone around in the mid 1970’s would recall clackers.

They were the rage, the must have toy,

If only for a short space of time,

Before they were quickly and ruthlessly banned.

Clackers were a lot of fun and they hurt

There was something satisfying about clanging two hard balls of acrylic plastic marbles together.

It was a skill and an art

And they were strangely hypnotic and addictive,

As you tried to out do and out last all your friends.

Needless to say I was not very good; there was always some sporty kid that was better at clackers than me

However clacking yourself with a hard whack was painful

There was an outcry as splinters of plastic flew up and injured children

Together with badly bruised arms and bloodshot eyes

So eventually they were banned

And the Clackers phenomeum that swept the nation went as quickly as it came.

But for a few short months Clackers were the talk of every playground and back-yard in Britain.

And here is what all the excitement was about: -





Tuesday 30 October 2012

Tuesday's Track - All I Wanted by Paramore



I was introduced to Paramore by my teenage son, now at least we can play a CD in the car that we both like.

I love this song.

It overwhelms with desire and longing. A real heart cry.

I often think of it as God’s heart cry to us, calling to us from his heart, a cry to get us to live in His grace, His righteousness, to trust His provision and enter His rest.

There is nothing God wants more for us than to lavish his grace and goodness upon us.

He wants us so much that he sent to son to die in our place and take all the guilt and condemnation we deserved.






Think of me when you're out
When you're out there
I'll beg you nice from my knees
And when the world treats you way too fairly
Well it's a shame I'm a dream

All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you

I think I'll pace my apartment a few times
And fall asleep on the couch
Wake up early, the black and white re-runs
That escape from my mouth, oh

All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you

I could follow you to the beginning
Just to relive the start
Maybe then we'd remember to slow down
At all of our favorite parts

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you


Monday 29 October 2012

God Demands Joy



God demands joy
Demands that we be fat
On the things that he is fat on

Delight in him
Pleasure in him
Feast in him
Drink him in
Soak him in
Bathe him in


Be drenched in a deluge of his love
Drowned in the overflow of his grace.

Sunday 28 October 2012

Jesus is.......



Jesus is the center and solid ground on which we stand

Jesus is the word of God who became flesh

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life

Jesus is our wisdom, sanctification, righteousness and redemption.

Jesus is our Yes and Amen

Jesus is the name above all names

Jesus is the light of the world

Jesus is the living water

Jesus is the bread of life

Jesus is the I AM

Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith

Jesus is the darling of heaven, the center of everything

Jesus is the person of grace.

Friday 26 October 2012

Friday's Five - Psalm 85



Psalm 85 v 10-14
  
Unfailing love and truth have met together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed!
Truth springs up from the earth,
and righteousness smiles down from heaven.
Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings.
Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.
Righteousness goes as a herald before him,
preparing the way for his steps.

God is the champion of restoration.

His heart is constantly towards his people. Mercy and grace are showered on us in a stream of everlasting goodness.

He will never withhold any good thing from us.

We have a new identity in Christ. Our spirit is born again and is perfect, holy and righteous. All the time.

Every day, every minute of every day, every second God sees us as righteous and we are His righteousness.

He is the God who lives inside of you.

Don't focus on your weakness and your old sinful man. Your old man is dead and buried. Instead, focus on His grace, activate the spirit man and become aware of the abundant, holy life inside of you.

You are totally forgiven, eternally saved and overwhelming loved. 

You have an overflow of the goodness and grace of God cascading out of your life.

Let it burst out in a torrent of joy, freedom and abundant love.

Your life is hid with Christ In God.

Here is Psalm 85, the writer confirms the showers of his blessings towards us: -

  1. Unfailing love and truth have met together – God’s unfailing love and truth have met together in Christ. He has poured his love and truth into our hearts and we can know the fullness of all he has done.
  2. Righteousness and peace have kissed! – We have been made righteous before God and God has given us his peace. When we concentrate and meditate on God’s grace and our new identity in Christ, we have an overwhelming peace in our life. When we forget we are righteous and go back to feeling condemned and guilty we lose our peace. 
  3. The Lord pours down his blessings. – We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Every blessing God gives has been poured out to us by His grace.
  4. Land will yield its bountiful harvest. – Our hearts are the fields ripe for the harvest of his love. We have overwhelming joy as we rest in all God has provided for us.
  5. Righteousness preparing the way for his steps. – We can walk in confidence and security knowing that Christ lives in us and he is guiding our steps. God will lead us as we live by the new spirit life awaken inside of us.

What amazing promises in this Psalm?

God gives us:-
His righteousness, 
His truth,
His unfailing love,
His peace
His blessings
His harvest
His guidance

All free, all unmerited and by His grace.

Thursday 25 October 2012

Cherish



Cherish his love
Caress his mercy
Touch his wounds
Devour the fire
Desire his grace
Taste his breath
Embrace his nails
Kiss his scars

Ruined by his response
Satisfied by his goodness
Captivated by his touch
Absorbed by his presence

Reside in his promises
Rest in his grace
Wallow in his fullness
Feasting in his glory


Wednesday 24 October 2012

God is Always Here



God is always here
His promises are always there
Ready to be believed

It’s a simple thing
Trust

Trust in his unfailing love
Great mercy
Unmerited favour
The promises made

Trust in his gift of righteousness and walk away from your performance and works
Reach out
Accept
His free gift

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Tuesday's Track - Run by Snow Patrol


I love this song

It is one of those songs that can have multiple meanings, different perspectives for different situations in life.

To me there is something of the hope of life, the essence of loving-kindness in a world full of dark ambition.

Although almost forlorn and solemn, the feeling that parting and leaving is not the end, just a transition towards a better day.

Every door is an opportunity to learn and trust no matter how painful and terrible the present circumstances faced.

God is always there, he is forever reaching out with loving arms.

Accepting us, embracing us.

I am sure Gary Lightbody never intended that meaning, “I've never told anyone before and I don't want to spoil it for people because it has its own meaning for them. But in 2000 I was on a massive bender and one night I was drinking in the bar of the Glasgow School Of Art. I fell down a full flight of stairs. Jonny Quinn (Snow Patrol's drummer) found me in the stairwell with blood coming out of my head. He said I looked like a police chalk line and he thought I was dead.

I was very lucky. A fall like that could easily finish you off. I split my head open and my eye was closed and I lost a few teeth. I was put on a plane to see my mum and dad and they were terrified when they saw me. I wrote Run soon after in this little guitar I'd tried to smash up in my little room near Hillhead. The words 'Light up, light up' gave this sense of a beacon. There had to be a light at the end of a tunnel."






I'll sing it one last time for you
Then we really have to go
You've been the only thing that's right
In all I've done

And I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Away from here

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say

To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry
And as we say our long goodbye
I nearly do

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say

Slower slower
We don't have time for that
All I want's to find an easy way
To get out of our little heads

Have heart, my dear
We're bound to be afraid
Even if it's just for a few days
Making up for all this mess

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Monday 22 October 2012

Under The Waterfall of Grace



Under The Waterfall of  Grace is one of my favorite websites, it is a cascading stream of Gods love, truth, heart and grace towards us.

Sparrow Girl who writes the blog is just an infectious spirit overflowing with the life of  Christ, this is one of her recent posts that really blessed me.

Be Blessed -

Because He is in us, always and forever in perfect loving communion with us, in a relationship based on His grace and love and set in spiritual concrete through the sufficient and finished work of Christ, because of that wonderful reality, we will always be:

Cherished, adored, valued,
Taken in, accepted, embraced,
Held, affirmed, wanted,
Cared about, cared for, nurtured,
Supported, helped, strengthened,
Guided, cheered, comforted,
Kept, secure, safe,
Warmed, hugged, nestled,
Upheld, carried, lifted up,
Chosen, wanted, delighted in,
Valuable, listened to, remembered,
Thought of, important, significant,
Companioned, attended to, encouraged,
Whole, complete, sure,
Released, empowered, freed,
Needed, joined, included,
Celebrated, smiled upon, favored,
Befriended, fellowshipped with,enjoyed,

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED!

Thank You, dear Lord!

By Sparrow Girl

Saturday 20 October 2012

His Blood......



His Blood cleanses me from my sin
His Blood flows with healing through my veins
His Blood unites me with Christ in His death
His Blood is life inside of me
His Blood sets my spirit free
His Blood gives me access to the throne room of heaven
His Blood places me in the grip of a mediator
His Blood placed me under the waterfall of God’s grace
His Blood made me a living stone
His Blood washed away every action that was not correct
His Blood keeps me clean
His Blood is far greater than the blood of bulls and goats
His Blood has bought me eternal forgiveness
His Blood is the wine of the New Covenant


Friday 19 October 2012

Friday's Five - Jude 20-24

Jude 20 - 24
"But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
And you must show mercy to  those whose faith is wavering.  Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.
A Prayer of Praise
 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen."

The final few verses of Jude contain some incredible grace truths.
The Bible is God’s love letter to us, his words of affection, commitment and reassurance.
Scripture’s truth is timeless, once we break free of legalism and see the goodness of God’s heart anointing our lives as we feast on its fullness.
Here in the last few words of the letter, the writer paints a portrait of all we have in Christ.
It is a vast, gracious expanse that cascades over the reader.
1 .  Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit – The power of the Holy Spirit lives and works in every believer.  We are united into the electricity supply of heaven.  All the revitalizing energy of heaven is flowing into our spirit and permeating into our earthly bodies.   
2.  Show mercy to everyone – God in his mercy has showered us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. As we let his life work in us, we can rest in his goodness and mercy will flow out of our lives into everyone around us. This is not a work of the flesh but an overflow of the spirits wonderful life.
3.  God is able to keep you – God is totally committed to us. We are his prized possession that he gave everything to purchase. His heart is abounding in loving-kindness and he has provided everything we need by his unmerited favour. He will keep us and never let us go.
4. He sees us without a single fault – Every moment of every day God looks at us and sees us as righteous. He sees Christ in us and we are holy and perfect in his sight.
5. He is the God of the past, the present and the future – There is nothing outside the scope of God’s abounding wonderful love. He holds time in his hands and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, dealt with sin, once and forever. All sin, past, present and future sin was paid for at the cross and we are eternally forgiven.
Christ is a wonderful, majestic, glorious, victorious, gracious king and we are united with him, seated in heavenly places with him and the fullness of him dwells and lives in us.
It is hard to believe, totally incredible and it is all given to us freely by grace.
All we have to do is believe and receive the truth.     

Thursday 18 October 2012

The Colour of Love



So what is the colour of love?
Does it lie in a hidden glance?
A beaming smile of overwhelming joy
A intimate dance to ‘Coldplay’s’ yellow
A secret touch
A trembling embrace
A desperate reaching out to entwine hands

A declaration of scripted words
A tear
A kiss
A promise
A ring

With words
And glances
With touch
And embrace

Two lives become one
Eternally joined
Commitment
Hope
Acceptance
Passion
Sharing
Sacrifice

A waterfall of adoring love
Such is the colour of love.

(For Dan & Amy's Wedding),

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Jesus the Son of God identified with my humanity



Jesus the Son of God identified with my humanity that I by faith can now identify with his divine nature.
Jesus came and was a substitute on my behalf.
Everything Jesus did was for me.
Everything was for ME.
Jesus was God born into the natural world
He become a man
And as a man He overcame sin
As a man He overcame the world
As a man He overcome the devil
As a man in my place He identified with me
He went to the cross for me
He died my death
His burial was my burial
His resurrection was my resurrection
His seating was my seating
And
His reigning is now my reigning

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Bygone Times - Fibre Optic Light




I may have been a little late in purchasing a ‘Fibre Optic’ light.

In fact I recall that my wife and I were given one as an engagement present in 1983.

Certainly when we proudly placed the light on mantle piece it was as if a piece of ‘Star Wars’ had come to our flat.

It was the coolest thing I've ever seen.

And the only way to appreciate was to draw the curtains and turn off all the lights.

And be mesmerized as tiny fibre optics created an almost starry effect.

It was visually stunning

Star Trek has come to our living room.

The colors changed from red to green to blue in a never ending, dazzling display of light magic

You were transported to another universe by the stunning effect.

The only down side was when the ‘Fibre optics’ started to break off and pick you with knife like precision.

But this was a small price to pay,

For a taste of the future and the stars in your living room.



Monday 15 October 2012

Grace Notes - Psalm 17 v 15



"As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."

Psalm 17 verse 15

Through the finished work of the cross we have been made righteous. When God looks at us, he sees Christ in us, he sees us as the Righteousness of God.

Before the cross righteousness is demanded, after the cross righteousness is a free gift.

We have 100 percent, every second, every moment access to the father, to his presence, to all his riches and his favor.

We are free from guilt and condemnation.

John Crowder explains that our relationship with God is not based on how we feel but by who we are now in Christ.

“Are you tired of performance-based, emotional roller coaster type of spirituality, thinking God is happy with you one day and upset with you the next? Trust in His finished work, not your own efforts. Rest in the knowledge that you are permanently plugged into heaven, whether you know it or not, feel it or not. You are basking in permaglory thanks to his work. Don’t doubt just because you’re not experiencing it. It is first believing that we experience. Manifestations follow faith.

There is an infinitely sweet satisfaction in beholding His face. And how does the believer do this? Because the veil of sinfulness has been removed, we can see Him clearly in the person of Christ.” 

Sunday 14 October 2012

Christ Revealed in the Bible



Christ Revealed in the Bible

This is an excellent post, over at Grace and Glory
Rob Rufus here shares an amazing list of how Jesus is revealed in scripture.

Genesis - The seed of the woman.

Exodus - The Passover Lamb.

Leviticus - High Priest.

Numbers - Pillar of Fire by Night and Pillar of Cloud by Day.

Deuteronomy - Prophet like Moses.

Joshua - Captain of our Salvation.

Judges - Judge and Lawgiver.

Ruth - Our Kinsman Redeemer.

1 and 2 Samuel - Trusted Prophet.

Kings and Chronicles- Our Reigning King.

Ezra - Our faithful Scribe.

Nehemiah - The re-builder of the broken walls of our shattered lives.

Esther - Mordaci.

Job - Ever living Redeemer.

Psalms - The Lord our Shepherd

Proverbs - Wisdom

Ecclesiastes - Wisdom

Song of Solomon - Lover and Bridegroom

Isaiah - Prince of Peace

Jeremiah - Weeping Prophet

Lamentations - Weeping Prophet

Ezekiel -The wonderful 4-faced Man.

Daniel - The 4th Man in the Fiery Furnace.

Hosea - The Eternal Husband forever married to the Backslider

Joel -The Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.

Amos - The Burden Bearer.

Obadiah - Our Saviour

Jonah - Our Great Apostle

Micah - The Messenger with beautiful Feet.

Nahum - Our Avenger.

Habbakkuk -The Evangelist pleading for Revival.

Zephaniah - The Lord Mighty to Save.

Haggai - The Restorer of the Lost Heritage.

Zechariah - The Fountain open to the House of David for sin and uncleanness.

Malachi - The Son of Righteousness rising with healing in His Wings.


Matthew - The Messiah.

Mark -The Wonder Worker.

Luke -The Son of Man.

John -The Son of God.

Acts - The One moving and working among men.

Romans -The Justifier.

1 and 2 Corinthians -The Sanctifier.

Galatians -The Redeemer from Curse of Law.

Ephesians -The Christ of unsearchable riches.

Philippians -The God who supplies all our needs.

Colossians -The Fullness of the Godhead bodily.

1 and 2 Thessalonians -Our Soon-Coming King.

1 and 2 Timothy -The Mediator between God and Man.

Titus -The faithful Pastor.

Philemon -The Friend of the Oppressed.

Hebrews -The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant.

James -The Lord who raises the sick.

1 and 2 Peter - The Chief Shepherd who soon shall appear.

1, 2 and 3 John - Love.

Jude -The Lord coming with 10's of thousands of His Saints.

Revelation -The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Friday 12 October 2012

Friday's Five - Christ Our Cornerstone



Ephesians 2:19-22

"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

Friday’s five this week contains five truths of our new creation spirit.

Through the cross and the shedding of Jesus blood, Jesus paid the admission for us into the family if God.

We have access into the throne room of God; his presence is eternally with us,

All the time
Every moment
Every heartbeat
Every breath
Every thought
Every blink
Every touch

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit,

  1. We are NO longer strangers and aliens – I am not estranged from God. I am not a victim of my sin, my race, my nationality, or my birth. By Christ’s blood I am now a citizen of heaven, my old man has been crucified and I am a new man.

  1. We are fellow citizens with the saints – I am a citizen of heaven, every saint that has gone before me is my fellow citizen.

  1. We are the household of God – I am a child of God, an inheritor of all God’s riches he has provided for me by grace. I do not have to earn it or work for it; it is all there, unmerited favor, graciously given to me as a gift.

  1. We are built on Jesus Christ – I am built on the rock of Christ. When the storms of life batter me, he is my rock, my stronghold, my refuge and my shelter. I need fear no one and my life is hid with Christ in God.

  1. We are the habitation of God – I am alive with Christ living inside of me. Christ works through me as I let the same power that raised him from the dead dominate my all. God is not distant, he is not aloof. He lives, reigns and is united with me. His life, flows through my veins, enlivens my heart and directs my thoughts. I am his vessel created for him to work through me.

This short passage in Ephesians gives us amazing truths of all that Christ has accomplished for us.

I am one with Christ, now and forever more.

Thursday 11 October 2012

You Are Mine



You float around my mind
You invade my slumber
You run through my veins
You live in my heart

You free me to dream
You release me to live
You open me to love
You allow me to hope

I have tasted your warm
I have fed on your goodness
I have savored your grace
I have received your kindness

Now you are mine
Now we are united
Now you are in me
Now we are one

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Bygone Times - The Transistor Radio



In my teenage years of the early to mid 1970’s,

The world around me seemed to be overflowing with new technological advances.

The marvelous Concorde elegantly dominated the sky.
The American’s dominated space
Bruce Forsyth dominated TV (and still does!)

And the Airwaves were dominated by Radio Luxembourg.

And when my Dad gave me Transistor Radio, I could join all my mates in listening to the ‘Top 30 Rockshow – with Stuart and Ollie Henry’.

I remember stuffing my transistor radio under my pillow at bedtime and staying up late listening to anything that had the slightest resemblance to rock music.

The ear-piece was forever uncomfortable in my ear, but I didn't mind,

It was a whole new world had opened up for me.

I would try to pick up music from various European stations; I recall that the Dutch played some good progressive rock late at night.

A whole world there in my bedroom on my cheap little transistor radio.

All I had to do was close my eyes and listen to the radio.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Tuesday's Track - Mighty To Save by Hillsong


This is a great song from Hillsong

Every time I sing it I am reminded of the never failing love of God towards me.

God through Christ has achieved all I will ever need or require at the Cross. His perfect provision gives me everything

Jesus + nothing = Everything

He can move the mountains in my life, NOT by my obedience and my performance but by HIS obedience and His performance in my place.

I can now enter into the perfect Rest God has freely given me.

Relax, enjoy the song and let your spirit unite with the life of God flowing inside of you.





Well, everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing let mercy fall on me
Well, everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour, the hope of nations

Saviour,
He can move the mountains
For my God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save
Forever, author of Salvation
Where He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as
You find me
All my fears and failures, fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in, and now I surrender, I surrender

Saviour,
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save,
He is mighty to save
Forever, author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave

Shine Your light and let the whole world see, we're singing
For the glory of the risen King, Jesus
Shine Your light and let the whole world see, we're singing
For the glory of the risen King


Monday 8 October 2012

Grace Notes - Isaiah 55 v 12



(Isaiah 53-55) - this is about the gospel and the New Covenant coming into the earth. 

Isaiah 55:12; "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace and the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you and the trees of the fields will clap their hands".

Rob Rufus explains how Isaiah the Old Testament prophet – inspired by the Holy Spirit – prophesized the full effect and infinite grace of the New Covenant hundred’s of years before Christ was born,

In the wonderful New Covenant – God through Christ now lives and is united with us by his Holy Spirit. When the problems of life come, we have the peace of God living inside of us and we can let his peace reign in our lives and trust him. He is not aloof and distant, he lives inside us and has promised never to leave or forsake us.

Here is Rob to explain: -   

Now in prophetic language, mountains refer to nations. They can also refer to problems. Nations will burst into song for the people who go out in joy and be led forth in peace. Zion the joy of the whole earth is led out in joy and goes forth in peace, nations will burst into songs of praise or mountains of problems will have to give way to the song of joy and peace in the earth.

Peace is a supernatural sign of the government of God - it is a supernatural sign of legitimacy upon you. Not peace when everything is going well but peace when everything is going horrifically wrong, then you have a sign that the supernatural sign of the authority of God's government is upon your life. (Isaiah 9) says Jesus shall be called the prince of peace and the government shall be upon His shoulders and of the increase of His ... peace there shall be no end.

This will go through the whole earth and conquer the earth and the mountains shall burst forth in joy and be led forth in peace. This isn't just personal prosperity for me but a weapon to manifest the concentrated glory for signs and wonders and miracles

Sunday 7 October 2012

My Heart Almost Stopped




My heart almost stopped.
The world seemed to fall away.
There was nothing I could do.
Helpless.
Panic.
Sheer panic.
Fear.
Blinding fear.
Hopeless.
Everything falling.
Me.
Yes, you've guessed it.
In the space of a few seconds.
The world went black
very black.
As I ……
Fell down the stairs.
Crash….
Bang….
Thump…..
My balking weight in free fall.
As I slipped on the carpet.
And took off down the staircase.
At break-neck speed……
I reached out to grab hold of something.
Anything…….
Desperation.
I brought down two pictures.
From the wall.
But managed to steady myself.
And stop my fall about half way.
Uninjured.
Shaken.
But OK.
My wife and kids ran to me.
Comforted me.
Loved me.
Until they realized I was OK, only my pride damaged.
Then they fell about laughing.
Serves me right.
Should have looked where I was going.

A cup of tea later
A chocolate biscuit
Lots of sympathy
Well not too much
And I was almost mended

I hadn't caused too much devastation
I was just grateful
I hadn't destroyed all around me

The words of an old hymn came floating into my mind

“On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

And certainly
For a few moments
On a Saturday afternoon
The world around me
Felt like sinking sand
I was glad
Very glad
That I had a rock
I had Christ.

Saturday 6 October 2012

I Cannot.....



I cannot be separated from God’s love
I cannot be perished or be lost
I cannot be moved
I cannot be taken out of my father’s hand
I cannot be charged or be accused
I cannot be condemned

Friday 5 October 2012

Friday's Five - Preserved and Protected



Christians are preserved and protected by the Holy Spirit.

We are New Creations in Christ and are made righteous, holy and pure. We are always worthy to approach God and no matter what we've been doing or what sin we may have slipped up and committed. God sees us as 100 percent righteous all the time.

We do not have to beg him to forgive us; he has eternally forgiven all our sins.
We do not have to beg him to be with us, he lives inside of us and is united with us.
We do not have to beg him to act; he has already acted and provided all we need by his grace.

We need to see ourselves, eternally forgiven
We need to see ourselves, eternally righteous
We need to see ourselves, eternally united with Christ
We need to see ourselves, whole, healed, free, victorious,
Living in the fullness of all Christ paid for at the Cross.

Andrew Wommack in his book – The War is Over – gives us 5 promises that happen to us once we are born again: -

Once you believed in Jesus, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit
‘In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.’ Ephesians 1:13

Your born-again Spirit -  or ‘new man’ was created in righteousness and true holiness
‘put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.’ Ephesians 4:24

Your spirit became as Jesus is, right here in this world
‘because as He is, so are we in this world.’ 1 John 4:17

Your spirit became one with the Lord
 ‘But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him’. 1 Corinthians 6:17

Then, all of this goodness was immediately sealed tight with the Holy Spirit
‘in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,’ Ephesians 1:13

When you were born again, your spirit was immediately encased – vacuum packed – by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of preservation. When you fail in any area of your life after being saved, the rottenness, uncleanness, and defilement that comes to your body and soul doesn't penetrate your spirit, The Holy Spirit keeps the good in and the bad out.

Therefore, once you are born again the only sin that brings you back again under the law, is the sin of unbelief in the free gift of righteousness given to you.

You are righteous no matter what sin you fall into and commit. So if you let the act of sinning dominate your relationship with God and start to feel condemned and guilty you start to bring yourself back under the law from which you were freed from.

You are 100 percent the righteousness of Christ, Now, tomorrow and forever, whatever sin you may slip and commit.

God is NOT counting your sins against you, there is no condemnation for you and you are preserved and protected in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Thursday 4 October 2012

Kiss the Badge



Kiss the badge
This is my team
My allegiance
My dream

Kiss the flag
This is my nation
My identity
My habitation

Kiss the cross
This is my salvation
My rescue
My elevation

Kiss the spirit
This is my re-birth
My adoption
My worth

Kissed by God
This is his goodness
His mercy
His oneness

Kissed by Christ
This is his fullness
His grace
His wholeness

Monday 1 October 2012

I Can....



I can do all things through Christ
I can find mercy and grace to help
I can come boldly to the throne of grace
I can quench the fiery darts
I can declare liberty to the captives
I can pray always and everywhere
I can chase a thousand
I can overcome the enemy
I can tread the evil one under my feet