thoughts & encouragements about life & faith
I want to encourage you to take a positive look at the possibilities of your future and think and speak in a positive way according to what God has put in your heart - not according to what you have seen in the past or are even seeing now. He has a great future for you so let's believe it & speak it! These are great declarations over your life - speak them every day!
Our current series 'Impact Now' has led me to reflect upon Adam and I's journey to date.
Four years ago I met Jesus, I knew instantly that I wanted to give my life to Him, He was going to be my drive and my purpose. Up until then I had sought fulfilment in lots of different things, most of these things weren't good for me...
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My wife and I run a small business from our home and often there come points when we talk about what we are going to do, how we are going to proceed or develop and what we are going to invest in. Generally, we wrestle with these issues before deciding on a course of action – we don’t tend to just jump straight in and go for it.
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"Concluding (see Romans 4) then that our righteousness has absolutely nothing to do with our ability to keep the moral laws, but that it is the immediate result of what Jesus accomplished on mankind’s behalf. This gives context to faith and finds expression in unhindered friendship with God! Jesus Christ is the head of this union!"
Romans 5:1 (Mirrior Bible - Francois du Toit)
I came across this verse in this translation a couple of months ago, and since it has really set fire to my heart and brought a new level of reality to how I walk out my daily relationship with Jesus.
Adam and I are currently counting down the days until we meet Baby Cree number two. We are already the proud parents of a beautiful little girl Ari'Ela, who turned one in December- and this time we're having a boy!
When choosing names we both feel that the meaning of a name has huge importance. Early on in parenting you realise that you could easily say your child's name a hundred times a day, "Ari'Ela come here please," "Ari'Ela don't do that," "Hello Ari'Ela!" And whether we're having fun or I'm trying to discipline, I know that I am proclaiming "Lionness of God" over her every time I use her name. Spiritually I believe this is powerful over her life. Proverbs 18:21 says "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."
Little things can make a big difference. In fact, each one of us has a very special gift – the ability to be a blessing and make an impact in someone else’s life.
I think so many times we believe the little things don’t matter, or that we don’t have enough to offer. But time and time again, I have witnessed God take ‘a little thing’ and use it to transform an entire situation.
It’s hard not to be moved by the images in Southern England of the unprecedented levels of flooding and the profound effects it is having on people. Homes, businesses, communities and transport links have all been adversely affected, the authorities have been overwhelmed and the politicking over who has been at fault is very much under way, whilst people continue to suffer.
Before David went out to fight Goliath King Saul came to him and offered something which to the outside observer seemed totally sensible. David was about to fight a giant. Saul offered him his armour. Armour is good and represents safety & protection but David had a different view...
Last Sunday I talked about the most frequent, most important choice that we all have to make. Will I stand on, and by that I mean put into action, the promises of God over my life or be led by my feelings, friends, circumstances or selfishness?
I talked from the story of David & Goliath - how Goliath represents Judgement and how we.....
t is easy to be busy. Often there is a subtle pressure that if we are not exhausting ourselves in Jesus' name then we are not quite up to scratch. God reminded me that Jesus is the reason that we do anything and everything that we set our energy to must be an overflow of our relationship with Jesus. As I was walking home one day last week the Lord...
There must be a better way.
I don't think there is one "magic bullet" but when I looked at Jesus He demonstrated how we can see breakthrough in the face of circumstances and odds that are way beyond our ability to control. In John 6 He is asked to......
I'm encouraging you to do the same. We sow not to release the favour of God BUT because we are already in a covenant of grace & favour. You might be looking at your life today and all you see is lack & barrenness. Isaac in Gen 26 was in a land of drought but God reminded him that He was in a covenant of blessing and so he should sow. he did just that and saw a huge return. Not because he was clever, sinless or manipulative. God spoke, he sowed and God brought the return. In a land that was dry and barren.
"God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness."
Romans 11:22b
Sometimes curve balls come our way and unexpected or unwelcome situations somehow enter our lives or the lives of those nearest to us. It is these times that test our faith in God the most, and show what and who we really believe God to be.
The killer line for me was "IF HIS LOVE HAS MADE ANY DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE....." then he goes on to explain what it should look like if Gods love has made any difference in your life. I guess his point is this - You, and everyone else around you, will know the depth of your encounter........
Recently I've started to read a chapter from Proverbs each day. In the midst of work, family, parenthood and ministry...I want to know practically how God wants me to live. I want to gain insight into God's wisdom, I want 'on-earth-as-it-is-in- heaven everyday living.'....
You've been given your life. No one else has your version. You'll never bump into yourself in the street. you'll never meet anyone who has your exact blend of lineage, loves and longings. Your life will never be lived by anyone else. You're not a jacket in an attic that can be recycled after you are gone.......
This summer we have had new faces speaking at Exchange in our series "Heroes" and it has been a joy to listen and be encouraged by what they have had to say. Last weeks talk was about the life of David and how he, even when surrounded by fear, was able to still do what God asked of him. It was a fantastic.
Grace, brought through Jesus, our foundation stone of new covenant.
My struggle with understanding Grace. Although I knew Jesus had taken on himself mans sin.
The problem I had with the apparent absence of law, was what is it being replaced or superseded with. As some of grace message patrons very often displayed a cocktail of lawlessness, it made me question it's validity.
When I began to read Luke again recently I felt excited, I related to Mary's heart. She witnessed God's power in Elizabeths incredible conception. She saw God move and she wanted to see more, and at this point she surrendered her life.....
have been thinking about the new covenant and what exactly it is? To understand the new, i needed to define the nature of the old.
