Tuesday 30 November 2010

the gift that is the bible

So over the last month or so life has been getting in the way of my bible reading. I have been reading but not consistently and I have been doing that thing where we think it's sort of OK to just open it and read for like a minute just so we can say we have read the bible today. But God gave me a bit of a newsflash; if you aren't being strengthened, challenged, encouraged and inspired when you read then you probably aren't reading enough or paying enough attention. It's not about reading because we feel like we should it's about getting to know the God who made us. It's about drawing near to a God who loves us. It's about accepting the gift that he has given us in his word and taking hold of it in our lives.

We need to readdress our approach to the bible; WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE BEAUTY that lies on the pages that we so often neglect. We need to think about the fact that God sent his Son to bring us back into relationship with him and remember that our free access to the bible is a huge part of that. We can walk into any bookshop and pick up THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD!! Just think about that for a second; you can actually read the word of God and HE WILL SPEAK TO YOU!!!
I have been blessed over these last few days of the further realisation of the beauty that this book holds. My passion for the bible has been reignited and I am eagerly devouring his truth. I want to rediscover the beauty the bible holds and live a life that spreads its truth.

What better time is there than the Christmas season to jump back into his word? To rediscover what it means to have this gift. To really spend time in his word and think about the impact it can make on our lives. TO REDISCOVER OUR GOD!!! I have been reading about the birth, life and death of Jesus and thinking about what it means that God sent his Son into a broken world and I want to invite you to join me on this journey. A journey that I know will lead us closer to our heavenly Father and HELP US TO LEAD LIVES THAT SCREAM JESUS!!!!

So find a reading plan, or bible notes or choose a book, decide how your going to jump into the word and stick to it. Even when it's hard lets stay firmly in his truth and watch the change it brings to our lives.

Friday 26 November 2010

we are all pathfinders really....

Pathfinders.. Pathfinders.. Pathfinders..

Leading Pathfinders youth group at Christ Church is literally one of the highlights of my week; seeing God moving in the young peoples lives and letting him use us to impact them is AWESOME!! I love it!!
Tonight was a true joy; seeing new friendships start to form, boys being boys and giggling girls!

Every week we have a short testimony at the end and tonight Catherine spoke about living in God's plan and following his path. Which really made me think; we are all Pathfinders really!! We are seeking to follow his path and walk in his way. We are constantly searching for where he is leading us and the path he has mapped out for us. And we all make mistakes over and over again but the point is that we are called to choose LIFE to 'Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.' [Matthew 7:13-14]. That right there would be one of the many times that Jesus told us straight how hard it would be to live for him. But love compels us to try to walk in his way to strive to find his path for our lives. It is not impossible, it can definitely by achieved, we can find our path and walk in the glorious light for all our days! That is my prayer for you all that you would be Pathfinders that you would walk in the light of Christ and live everyday for his glory. That we would all live LIVES THAT SCREAM JESUS EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!

Monday 22 November 2010

Kingdom thoughts...

What if you had to say everything you thought? What if there was no control that stopped you from vocalising everything that came to mind? Would you be OK with that? Do you think Kingdom thoughts? Would you be OK if everyone you know knew every thought in your head?

Generally we don't filter our thoughts much. I mean sure the really bad ones we actively stop but generally we don't. We think things about people we shouldn't. We think the things we want to say but know we shouldn't. We think about the things we want to do but shouldn't. We let the devil plant sinful thoughts in our heads and we entertain them. We entertain thoughts that we know will distance us from God because we don't think there is any real consequence if we don't act. BUT THERE IS. When we entertain these thoughts we let Satan take control of our minds!!

Negative thoughts that aren't filled with God's truth will never be beneficial to us. They will never lead us in the way everlasting. They won't help us to distinguish the voice of our shepherd. As children of the king we must claim our minds. Take control of everything we think and let our minds be places where the kingdom reigns. We must think thoughts that scream Jesus and flee from those that stink of Satan.

WE ARE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST AND WE WILL ONLY THINK THOUGHTS THAT BRING HIM GLORY!!!!!

Friday 19 November 2010

Our God Is Love....

Getting the post yesterday was probably the most fun post has even been when I opened a mysterious package to find the new soul survivor album. I don't think I have ever been so excited about a CD. I have actually been waiting and virtually counting down the days to hear it and in this process God has taught me about expectancy. That when we eagerly anticipate his good gifts the reward is great. When we have put our hope in the father and the gifts he desired to give us then WE WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!! He will never let us down because he always knows what is best for us.

I wanted to also share the words of one of the songs with you; Beth Croft's version of Our God is love is truly beautiful and the lyrics are full of truth.

Every soul every beating heart
Every nation and every tongue
Come find hope in the love of the Father
All creation will bow as one
Lift their eyes to the risen Son
Jesus Savior forever and after

This is love
Jesus came and died and gave His life for us
Let our voices rise and sing for all He's done
Our fear is overcome
Our God is love
Our God is love

Every distant and broken heart
Every prayer every outstretched arm
Finding hope in the love of the Father

Age to age let His praises rise
All the glory for all of time
Jesus Savior forever and after

Age to age we will be singing
In the light of all He's done
All the earth everyone singing
In the wonder of His love

Tuesday 9 November 2010

the air I breathe...

We have all heard the songs, the ones that speak about total dependence, we have read the stories of people who live and breathe the Lord and I think it is fair to say we are both inspired and disheartened when we hear it. We want to be the person who is a mess without his presence but at the same time we know we don't deserve it and we will never get there and we lose ourselves in pointless comparisons that inevitably make us feel rubbish and the last thing we want to do is talk to him. And this is where WE ARE TOTALLY WRONG!!

He doesn't want us to feel rubbish, he wants us to be hungry. He wants us to strive for more. He wants us to wake with him and rest with him. He wants us to praise him because of the intimacy that our brothers and sisters have and to strive to know him better.

I was that person; The one who felt inspired for about a minute before I realised that I couldn't be that person, that I would never have that intimacy, that it was beyond me. And then God decided to inform me that what I believed was complete rubbish. That I could push for more, I could soak in his presence and stand on his word. That he could be the air I breathe. So I want to challenge you to do the same right now... to be a person who is inspired. I pray that you would be the person who is fired up by stories of God's perfect grace, the person who claim's these stories as their own because HIS STORY IS OUR STORY!!

I want to tell you a story that changed me this week. I had been feeling rubbish; exhausted, a little miserable and like I just wanted to lie in bed. I had no idea why and was starting to think I was coming down with something. When all of a sudden it hit me. Jesus and I well we hadn't spoken in a couple of days. Not properly. I hadn't sat down to give him the time to be God in my life. I had been so busy running around like a crazy person that I forgot to spend time with the point of all of this. So I prayed; there and then I turned around, I TURNED BACK TO JESUS. And it was instant; I was energised and revitalised, I had the Spirit that brings life flowing through my veins again. It was in that moment that I realised that JESUS IS THE AIR I BREATHE.

When we focus on our own strength, our own agenda, our own needs we are essentially saying 'Jesus you really didn't need to do what you did because I can do this all on my own' which we all know is complete rubbish!! However, we he becomes our focus, when we hunger for him, when we rest in his presence we are renewed and revived. When we put him in his rightful place within our lives then he will become our very essence and you will notice!

So in the words of the Wonderful Phil Wickham....

I'm running through the gates of love, as fast as I can
I can't wait to see You I'm a desperate man
You made the light and sent it down
To show us who You are
Now It's bursting out my heart

My desire is burning like a million stars
And I'll keep reaching out, reaching out for You
My desire, is burning with the fire You sparked
And I'll keep reaching out, reaching out for You

I'd be nothing without You, yeah I would die
If I didn't have Your hand if I couldn't look into Your eyes
Jesus if Your love's the fuel then I'm the desperate flame
That's screaming out Your name

This is glory rising, over a new horizon
I See Your love, I feel Your smile
Your in my heart and I will run with all I have to You....

lies...lies...lies.....

Our society is dominated by lies and falsehoods. We watch programmes focused around lying, we play games that focus on lies, we make money by lying. We live in a society that is very accepting of lies; we dress it up and give it different names and with that it becomes a skill. Your poker face is considered a gift. We preach that we value honesty but we practice that we value lies. Everything we are presented with is fiction, we read books, watch tv, read magazines, all of which is based around lies. We are so open to accepting this that we even start to believe that it's ok to tell 'white lies' to 'protect others'. When really we all know that 'honesty is always the best policy'.

IT'S NOT OK TO LIE in any form whatever our motives because JESUS IS TRUTH.

And if Jesus is truth then to lie is sin, it separates us from the Lord. It puts us in a place where we are living in fiction. We are painting ourselves and others a picture that is neither true nor healthy. If we are walking with Jesus then we are called to walk in truth. How do we expect to be able to share the gospel when we are just as easily sharing lies? How is their any validity in the truth we proclaim when we have no problem proclaiming falsehood? How do we expect people to listen to our message when they know that we easily lie?

Our father above knows our hearts, he knows what is truth, he knows what is not. There is no-where to hide, there is no need to cover up our shortcomings for he knows all and HE LOVES YOU DESPITE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE AND WILL DO. This is such a freeing truth to know because if we are focused on his opinion of us then we have no need to lie about anything because we accept that we aren't perfect and that we rely on the grace of our lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Lies have NO PLACE IN THE KINGDOM.

Everything he speaks is truth, and I am striving to do the same, join me, won't you? I want to be like Jesus and Jesus is truth.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

how have we got it so wrong?

We live in a world that believes that we have a God who sits in heaven judging us, which is a complete contradiction to everything the bible teaches us. Yes we will have to come before the Lord on the day of judgement but Jesus came so that we would live. He is all about beauty, grace, forgiveness, mercy and love. He died so that we would live in him. It's that simple, why would a God who wants to judge us, hang on a cross to bring us life? It doesn't make any sense. God is love, that makes sense. I hate that our brothers and sisters have got it so wrong, I hate that as Christians we condemn ourselves when "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned....". [John 3:17-18]

If we believe in Jesus, then we must trust that the bible is full of truth because Jesus is truth. And if we believe that the bible is true then why do we stand condemned? Why do we burden ourselves with guilt and shame when Jesus died to forgive our sins? We don't need to earn it; we never could. We don't deserve it but God says we are worth it. YOU ARE WORTH IT, YOU ARE WORTH DYING FOR!!! You were given a gift and all you need to do is accept it. A gift that was freely given for a broken world because we have a God who loves us so much that he would send his Son to die so that we could be brought back into relationship with him. He created us to be in relationship with him, he created us in his image AND HE SAID IT WAS VERY GOOD! God said the world was good, but he said mankind was very good. You are special, set apart, different, you are a chosen people.

The bible is a love story; a love letter from our heavenly Father to show his children how much he LOVES THEM. The bible is a truth story; full of the truth that God is speaking over us. The bible is a current story; we live in the middle of it. THE BIBLE IS OUR STORY!!!!

Tuesday 2 November 2010

God's Blog :)

I have never been a blogger and to be honest the idea is a still a little strange to me but God asked me to and obedience is a must but also I do just love to talk about Jesus and it is extremely powerful when we share what God is doing and teaching us so I thought why not? :)

Although that then leads me into but why? Because I personally don't think I have much to say that is truly profound but God has been talking to me loads about the words he gives us to speak so this is going to be GOD'S BLOG!!! If it's not from the Big G it won't be appearing because it's all about the Jesus lovin' fun :)

It is such a gift that God uses us to bring his children home and that is what I give my life to. To eagerly chase after what he has for me and live every day for his glory; to give all I am to live for him. I feel so blessed that God loves the internet so I suppose that is what inspired this in part, to bring glory to God in everything even when I'm on-line. I am so excited to think of what God is going to teach me and hopefully whoever reads this through the world that is blogging!