Planted......

Planted into the good soil of Jesus Christ .

Planted into His finished work, and not my own efforts.

Planted into the knowledge that I am permanently plugged into heaven, whether I feel it or not.

Planted into the good news of the New Covenant that Jesus bore the punishment for my sin, in Himself, on the cross.

Planted to produce fruit that abides and lasts.

Planted into knowing that the power of sin, failure and condemnation is broken.

Planted into my right standing before God.

Planted into a message of love, grace and mercy.

Planted into grace that brings intimacy between me and the father.

Planted into the New Covenant and crowned with God’s glory, captured with His goodness and consumed by His grace.

Planted into believing that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Planted into knowing that God loves me, and I love myself.

Planted into knowing that the power of Jesus breaks the hold of sin.

Planted into the reality that by His stripes I have been healed.

Planted into the person and finished work of Jesus Christ.

Grace Seeds # 5

Psalm 103:3

He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.

From A Park Bench - Planting Seeds

Last week I attended the Andrew Wommack Grace and Faith Conference at Telford. It was an amazing, rich, powerful and life enhancing weekend that once more shed God’s word into my heart. The three teachers, Andrew Wommack, Duane Sheriff and Wendell Parr all brought excellent words that spoke and confirmed truth’s that I had been soaking in.

One of the words that really spoke to me was a simple thought that connected with my heart.  God’s word is full of God’s seeds that we can sow into our lives and as we mediate on them the word of God become rooted and grounded in our lives. Now I have know this truth for years, but something happened that changed the word from knowing to revelation. I realized that more I mediate on the promises of God the more they cement in my life and become revelation to me.

There is nothing mystical or magical in this, it is the natural way that all seed works and produces fruit. My heart is the soil, God’s word is the seed, as I plant it into my heart, and it takes root and works in my life. It is also, not an instant process, like an instant email or twitter message where we can communicate and receive feedback in the space of seconds. Letting a seed work in your life takes time, time for it to take root, time for it to be established, time for it to bear fruit and the best time to start is now.

Life is full of problems, disasters and turmoil. Taking a few moments every day to plant seed into our lives will help us to grow in the grace of God, so when calamity strikes we have a sure foundation of the promises of God which we can trust and rely on.

God has provided all we need through the cross, Christ has done it all, and we already have all we need to live a life in and through the power of God. Planting seed helps us to understand all the grace God has given us enhances the garden of love we have in him and established us in the promises of God.  

Grace Seeds # 4

Ephesians 1:19-20

What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.

Grace Notes - Matthew 16:18

Matthew 16:18, 

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

God’s word contains all the seeds we need to live an abundant, overflowing grace filled life. It is the perfect spiritual mirror that actually shows the true reflection of who we are in Christ. It is not a rule book to be obeyed but a love letter to be adored.

We are filled in our inner man with all the fullness of Christ, we are now a living temple, Christ in His fullness is interwoven inside every believer and His life flows inside of us. As we let the seeds of his word germinate in our souls and let our new creation spirit dominate our thoughts and action, the reality of Christ dwelling in us starts to become Christ working in and through us.

As Andrew Wommack explains the revelation of Peter in Mathew 16 that Jesus was the Christ, was the foundation stone of every believer. Christ is our cornerstone, and we are his temple, God’s dwelling place on the earth. Christ in us the hope of Glory.

“Some people have mistakenly interpreted this passage to say that Peter was the foundation on which Christ would build His Church. However, that would violate many scriptures that refer to Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."

Ephesians 2:20 does mention the apostles as being part of the foundation stones of Christ's church, but it doesn't single Peter out above any of the other apostles, This same scripture once again mentions Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."

There are two different Greek words used for "Peter" and "rock" respectively in verse 18. The word used for "Peter" means "rock" but signifies a piece of rock like a pebble. In contrast, the word translated as "rock" signifies a massive rock which certainly refers to Jesus, the "chief cornerstone." Some have suggested that the foundation rock referred to was confession that Peter made saying that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16). Although it is true that, to enter God's kingdom, we do have to confess that Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9-10), in light of the Old Testament prophecies and New Testament references to Jesus being the "chief cornerstone," this passage of scripture must be referring directly to Jesus as the "rock" upon which He will build His church.

One of the greatest differences between the New Testament believer and the Old Testament believer is the fact that New Testament saints are the temple of God. God Himself actually indwells us. God does not dwell in a building made by man's hands. He now lives in the hearts of those who make Jesus their Lord (Rom. 10:9). The cornerstone of our lives in God must be an ever-increasing revelation of His Son. If we had a real understanding of the reality of Christ in us (Col. 1:27), it would drastically change our attitudes, emotions, and actions.”

Grace Seeds # 3

Psalm 118:27

God is the Lord, And He has given us light;

Grace Seeds # 2

2 Corinthians 1:20

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go by George Matheson

O Love that wilt not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

O Light that followest all my way,

I yield my flickering torch to thee;

My heart restores its borrowed ray,

That in thy sunshine's blaze, its day

May brighter, fuller be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to thee;

I trace the rainbows through the rain,

And feel the promise is not vain

That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,

I dare not ask to fly from thee;

I lay in dust life's glory dead,

And from the ground there blossoms red,

Life that shall endless be.

by George Matheson

Grace Seeds # 1

Psalm 72:18

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things.

From A Park Bench - The Spiritual Mirror.

It was my Auntie Doris, who with the best intentions in a passing remark once said to me, “You look just like your Dad; I can see Billy living on through you.” My Aunt of course, meant it as a compliment, a word of reassurance but it made me think, where my identity is, is it foremost in the physical and genetic atoms inherited from my parents. Unfortunately, when I look in the mirror as I grow older the more I look like my dad.

In the same way as I grow older with Christ living inside me, the more I resemble God my father. Jesus was the perfect representation of the father and I am united with the fullness of Christ living inside.

I have an exchanged life in Christ not a changed life. All that there is for me is to live in the reality of who I am, I can see who I am in the spirit by looking into the spiritual mirror. The Bible is Gods spiritual mirror, it is his love letter to me, it shows me everything God has provided for me by His grace, it shows me how my Father is and the love that has been deposited inside me.

As I renew my mind by the words of God through grace, my new exchanged life permeates through my mind and starts to eradicate all the bad, corrosive residue of my old, dead sinful flesh. 

When my soul and body agree with my Christ centered spirit, then the supernatural flow of Christ’s life flows out of me into the physical world around me. I release the life of God by living and receiving the grace of God. 

My Premiership Predictions

It seems like yesterday that I was sitting here writing my football season predictions.

And how did I do?

My Premiership top 5 was:

Manchester United

Chelsea

Manchester City

Arsenal

Liverpool

And it finished up:

Manchester United

Manchester City

Chelsea

Arsenal

Spurs

And My Relegation fodder was:

West Brom

Reading

Norwich

And it finished up:

Wigan

Reading

Q.P.R.

My team Everton I predicted a 7th place and they finished 6^th.

And the FA Cup team was Arsenal but it went to Wigan

League Cup team was Newcastle and that went to Swansea.

So there we are, the 2012-13 season finally over for the Premiership. I didn't do too badly, I predicted the Champions and got all the top 4 in the top 4. Spurs surprised me, Everton thrilled me and Liverpool were a disappointment.

When it came to the cup’s I got it way, way wrong, but I am glad as Wigan and Swansea both deserve their trophies, I admire the way both clubs play.

I am looking forward to next season with Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea all with new managers; it should be more interesting than ever.

The two managers that have really shone this season are Sir Alex and way down the league at AFC Bournemouth, Eddie Howe, what an incredible achievement to gain promotion from the position he took over. Eddie Howe is a talented manager and Bournemouth are a great club. 

Until next season!

Fix Your Eyes On The Cross

Fix your eyes upon the cross

Clearly

Stay close to him who saves

Lovingly

Dwell with him in your spirit

Alive

Drink in the wine of his grace

Revive

Give him the keys to your heart

Surrender

Open the door of your secrets

Answer

Pour out your desires and delights

Share

Give with him all your cares inside

Prayer

Rest in all he has provided

Deeper

Sit with him in fleeting moments

Ponder

From A Park Bench - Jesus Our Shepherd.

One of the most endearing images of my childhood, is a really old fashioned painting my grandparents had adorning their living room wall. This painting wasn't particularly good and to be quite honest I found it a bit unnerving, but also fascinating. It was of a perfect looking Christ, cuddling a small, insecure lamb in his arms.  It was almost too perfect to be true. Too Victorian in its essence. But although it was very religious it contained amazing truth. That Jesus Christ is our shepherd and we are his sheep and just as sheep respond to the voice of the Shepherd, we can hear and recognize the voice of Christ.

We are safe and secure held tight in the embrace of God, because Christ lives and dwells inside of us. He is not distant, he is not far away, and he is ever present with us every minute of every day.

His voice is a voice of love, a whisper of reassurance, a whisper of hope, a confirmation that we are righteous in God. Not the voice of an angry headmaster, because he has nothing to be angry about. All his anger and wrath was poured out on to Christ, who died on our place. His voice is the sound of many waters, the fragrance of heaven, the voice of a lover rushing to meet his bride. With words of adoration, words of love, words of passion, words of desire, words of adventure, words of hope.

Just stop and enjoy the voice of Him who died so that you could live in the fullness of God’s grace.

The Descent from the Cross by Christina Georgina Rossetti

Is this the Face that thrills with awe

     Seraphs who veil their face above?

Is this the Face without a flaw,

     The Face that is the Face of Love?

Yea, this defaced, a lifeless clod,

     Hath all creation's love sufficed,

Hath satisfied the love of God,

     This Face the Face of Jesus Christ.

by Christina Georgina Rossetti

10 Truths from Rob Rufus

Even when you feel surprised, God isn't surprised. God is inside of you, God loves you and God is working your life out to a prefixed victory that He decided before time began

You merit all the blessing that Jesus merits because you are a joint equal heir with Christ and an heir of God and you are 100% righteous all the time and you will be in 10 years time and 5 seconds time and in a billion, trillion years time - you will ALWAYS be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!

The MOMENT you are made His righteousness by a free gift, the blessings come automatically from heaven but according to the degree your heart is established in the understanding of the gift of righteousness.

The benevolent, peaceful government of God - it's not food or drink but righteousness. Whose righteousness? The gift of righteousness

Every promise God has made is yes and amen in Christ! So every promise - it's His absolute will for you to live in the benefits and fullness of New Covenant promises

When Jesus went to that Cross He surrendered to the sickness we deserve, the wrath we deserve, the curses - He surrendered to all of that willingly! For the joy set before Him - He endured the Cross knowing the joy we will experience when we believe this and are established in righteousness.

Jesus was crushed so that God would never crush you.

A people who have ALL condemnation lifted off them are empowered to have greater victory over sin.

Some Christians should go on a 5-year diet while that concrete is setting - stay on grace

The Father would take an oath never to rebuke us or withdraw His love - never to withdraw His peace but to always speak to us and relate to us with absolute recognition that we are righteous.