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this popped into my inbox today and i thought it was a perfect follow on from my Five Minute Friday post on BRAVE yesterday so thought i would share. Be brave you awesome people – Be strong in God!
God gives strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.
Sometimes we get it backwards. When we worry about the uncertainties of tomorrow we’re bound to bend and break beneath the weight of anxiety. God doesn’t give strength for tomorrow’s tests. He only gives strength for today. Like manna. Each day has enough trouble of its own .
God’s only provision for your future needs is hope. The certainty of His sovereignty is your only guarantee. Make a note though: God doesn’t give you hope for the needs of today. He gives you strength for your immediate needs-and He expects you to do something about them! I’ve met people who waste time hoping things will work out-when God has already given them the strength to make a change and take a step. You can’t substitute hope for hard work, expecting God to do something for you that you can do for yourself.
Do you a have need today? Walk confidently in the strength of your God for the needs of your now.
Do you have a concern about tomorrow? Tomorrow’s strength will be deposited in your account first thing tomorrow morning-not a moment before.
Until then, put your hope in Christ alone.
Great is His faithfulness!
"God guarantees that His Word will not return void. He doesn’t guarantee that the return will be immediate. Keep sowing." – Steven Furtick
i posted the above quote on our housegoup fb wall the other day.
funnily i then got this email: from public life trust aka some spam
Claire, how are you growing? Plan ahead to make sure everything flourishes Just like your garden, in life it pays to plan ahead so that everything comes to fruition.
the email is about life insurance or trusts or something like that – i wasn’t overly interested but that first line had caught my eye. it lined up with what our awesome mums group leader had shared this morning (though i wasn’t there, we were talking about it later) from 2 corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
isn’t that cool.
God is so good. He is so gracious. Abounding in love and mercy.
and He makes all grace abound to us, at all times, in all seasons, no matter what.
we’ve got to keep sowing.
we’ve got to keep planting.
we’ve got to keep watering.
we’ve got to keep walking forward.
"in the future you will walk out in the fruit of your faithfulness" kim walker smith
there are times when sowing is hard. when ministry is hard. when life is hard. when you’re pressed on all sides.
in those times we so need to know the love and grace and peace of God.
we need His comfort and hope.
we need to know that He is at work, always, and will make ALL grace abound to you, so that in ALL things, at ALL times, you will have ALL you need so you can abound in every good work. He is able to accomplish His Word. He is able to accomplish His promises. He is able to accomplish His call.
so, how are you growing?
God our strength, God our Saviour
God our hope
yours forever
the glory, the honour
God our shield, God our shelter
God our rock,
yours forever is the glory, the honour
the victory and power
you’re greater, greater
there’s no one like our God
you alone are worthy
God you are greater, greater
there’s no one like our King
all the earth is singing
God you are greater
you are, you are
Our calling isn’t about us: its about the character of the God we’re representing!
the book of Jonah isn’t about a running prophet – its about the grace of God! its God’s grace that He will use us, even in our flaws and weaknesses (even our disobedience!) to reach the lost.
Jonah saw Nineveh as a barbaric terrorist state – but God didn’t see it like that!
Just as in Hosea 1 it says about the people of Israel – In the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people”, they will be called “children of the living God”. Hosea 1:10
So God looked at Nineveh and marked them for repentance and salvation.
Let God’s perspective consume you so you will see things as they CAN BE by the power and grace of God!
No darkness is too dark for God to shine His light in.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ Joshua 1:9
thoughts from watching the elevation church – steven furtick – recap from March 4th – A Clarification of your Calling
this is taken from a steven furtick post on his blog – and i’m reposting it because of a conversation i had this morning at church that reminded me of this verse: Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5
When Jesus asked the disciples what people were saying about him, they gave a laundry list of responses.
But then Jesus turned the question on them:
But what about you? Who do you say that I am?
Matthew 16:15
For Jesus, what other people say never has the final word. And so the question He’s always asking us in the midst of conflicting messages that we hear about God and ourselves is, can you see beyond what people say? Can you look past that to what God has said?
Peter could:
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
And his life was never the same. He became the leader of the early church and left his mark on the Kingdom and the world forever.
Similarly, if you’re going to accomplish great things for God, you’ve got to see beyond what people say.
Can you see beyond what people say about God to what He has actually said about Himself?
Can you see beyond what people say about your limitations to the fact that you serve a God who doesn’t even have that word in His vocabulary? To the God whose capability doesn’t rise and fall with your own inability?
Can you see beyond what people say about your dreams and plans to the God who has actually given them to you and is fully competent to bring them to pass?
Can you see beyond what your own insecurities are saying about you to the God who has given you everything you need to accomplish everything He’s asked you to do? To the God who knew about your weaknesses, hangups, fears, and baggage long before He ever called you, but called you anyways?
Can you see beyond what people say?
Answer carefully. Your response to that question will determine the entire trajectory of your life.
Resource of the Day: One of our biggest problems is that we often listen to the wrong voices in our lives. And these wrong voices have the ability to short-circuit the destiny that God has for us. For more on this idea, check out this blog post from a couple of years ago. It remains one of the most popular posts to date: Who told you that?
After the fall, Adam began to explain to God how he was ashamed and afraid because he was naked.
I love the way God responded:
“Who told you that you were naked?”
Genesis 3:11
Obviously Adam had been influenced, informed and instructed by a voice other than the voice of God. God was perturbed about it!
“You think you need to hide in shame and be afraid?
Who told you that?”
I wonder how many times God has the same objection when He hears the lies we believe:
Who told you that?
Who told you weren’t capable?
Who told you one little compromise wouldn’t hurt?
Who told you you’d never accomplish anything significant?
Who told you it was too late to start over?
Who told you that you couldn’t be forgiven?
Who told you that you had to settle for that?
Who told you you’d never gain victory over that sin pattern?
So many voices compete to create a cacophony of confusion concerning the things we believe about ourselves.
God’s voice resonates with clarity, wisdom, and vision.
Who misled you?
Who talked you out of your dream?
Who convinced you that you didn’t measure up?
Who told you that?
"You might be thinking you’re unimpressive and unqualified. That’s good. God performs the most impressive feats through the most unimpressive people. God likes to wet the wood before he sets it on fire. That way, everybody knows who made it burn." ~ Steven Furtick
today: both kids have friends round, so its both a little quieter and a little noisier… you know how it is…
want to be: living out the things i am reading – in the Word of God and in the books inspired by Him (see below!)
blessings: school stationary arrived today!
listening to: loving citipointe live… every time one of their songs comes on my playlist i’m like “i so love this song”! wanting to get the new jesus culture and new kim walker-smith and new elevation church worship albums. saving my christmas vouchers!
planning: the year ahead – love that spark of january planning new things and continuance of things. for the first term i am having phototherapy which throws out my usual schedule and involvement so am trying to find solutions to schedule challenges… looking ahead at planning the first 6 months of housegroup too, have a few series on the burn – WHAT WE BELEIVE (doctrine), LEADERSHIP PRINCIPALS, and LIFE AP (continuing from last year) as three main revolving components.
writing: my message for sunday morning church 27th january
loving: jesus and His magnificent grace
grateful: for the opportunities before me and the work of God to me and within in
reading: i’m reading about 4 books at once – all for different purposes!
for my own heart i am reading Undaunted by Christine Caine and Greater by Steven Furtick – both totally about the call of God and faith (so my heartbeat)
for housegroup research i am reading Doctrine by Mark Driscoll and Foundations of Christian Doctrine by Kevin Conner – we’re doing a series this year each month on WHAT WE BELIEVE
for relationships and our mums group i’ve just finished and will re-read Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst – challenging practical life application book on relationships and emotions and stress and managing life… soooo good!
* notes taken listening to steven furtick’s (elevation church) christmas message (on podcast) 2012 – TIMELESS CHRISTMAS
Matthew 2:1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’
the magi followed a star
Gods son was born in complicated circumstances
Whether you’ve been walking with jesus or new to it God wants to reveal himself to us
Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.’
And the star went ahead if them until it stopped where the child was
Star stand still Matthew 2:9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
be who God has called you to be
who He has made you to be
be who He has pleasure in
delights in
reject insecurity and inferiority and the crushing lies
you belong to Jesus
you are loved by God
you are uniquely gifted and wired
to a purpose
but more importantly
you are unique because God delights in who you are
be you
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