I am a new creation

 ‘This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.” 2Cor 5:17 NLT

As soon as you come to Christ, as soon as you ask Him to be your Saviour and Lord, your new life begins.  You might not feel much different or look any different; you might not even behave any differently straight away.  Yet you are now a new person.

Discipleship is the development of new ideas and new behaviours born from the new life already inside you.  You change on the outside, because you have been changed inside.  Your new behaviour does not bring you new life.  That would be putting the cart before the horse.  No, your new behaviour comes from the new life given by God.

The old life has gone; you just need to learn to let it go.  Now you are a child of God, you need to let His Spirit gently show you how, and give you the strength to learn to be different than you were before.  He will help you deal with old habits and give you new ones.  He will set you free from old addictions and give you new desires.

I will rain down

 "I will rain down bread from heaven for you." Exodus 16:5

Anyone who knows me, knows that I enjoy my food. In fact, I don't really travel at all without making sure that I have packed an appropriate meal for the journey. My kids have now become used to this and they even expect me to produce sandwiches every time we are at the park. So you can understand how the thought of wandering around in the wilderness with no idea of where my next meal was coming from would be my worst nightmare.

The people in Exodus were not at all happy about their situation. They complained to Moses. In fact they were so upset they wished they were back in Egypt, living as slaves.

Even after seeing all the miracles that God had performed, their current dilemma seemed to overshadow everything that they had experienced in the past and they felt helpless yet again.

How often do we find ourselves in this place? Despite the victories we have won & the battles we have overcome through God's grace we can so easily allow our confidence to be shaken when our flesh starts demanding and our senses start to dominate our lives.

What I love in this passage is the gracious and effortless response of our loving Father. It was never a problem to him. He was not having to come up with a emergency rescue plan. He literally showered the people with his abundant supply. Taking care of their need for each day. All they had to do was have enough faith for the next day. Rest in his grace and believe in his endless supply.
Whatever you face today are you trusting in a God who literally longs to pour out goodness on you?

Do not let your heart be troubled

 "Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:1
Over this past number of years we have encountered some very challenging situations. In fact at times so painful that for a period of more than a year I couldn't remember what it was like to have normal feelings. Sadness and despair were just what life seemed to be full of. God carried us through this time and looking back I know that he wanted us to know much more of his peace and joy but I realise that at times my meditation was more like worrying!

However there was one area of life that I stopped worrying about altogether and that was finance. We had made a number of investments and then when the economic downturn hit and the housing market crashed we were left in a very unstable position. Due to the fact that so many other areas of our life were chaotic I simply didn't have the capacity or time to worry about this. I made a choice not to think about it and we are now slowing coming out the other side of that particular challenge.
Recently I spoke to someone who had gone through the same situation and they asked me how we had coped, they talked about the many sleepless nights they had suffered and the hours of worry and turmoil. I realised this hadn't happened because I hadn't gone there.

Then I thought about the things I had concerned myself with instead! If only I had taken the same approach in those situations. How different life could have looked.
We are so caught up today with being responsible that we take on burdens & cares we were never supposed to shoulder. We strive for perfection but God already knows we're not perfect and has made provision for that.

Enjoy the life you have been given. Enjoy each day he has made. Don't let Satan steal from you for another minute. Fear is his greatest weapon and God's love will overcome it every time. Meditate today on who he says you are and get a right perspective on every challenge you are facing.

The best day ever

 "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5 v 11-12

My daughter has the cutest expression when she's enjoying herself. She will just shout out

"This is the best day ever!"

As you can imagine with the life of a 5 year old these days usually occur when there's plenty of sweets involved, trips to favourite places and being with friends & family. Each time she says it though it makes me smile!

How much more does God smile when he sees us embracing the incredible life his son died to give us.

For me planning special days for my daughter might take my time, energy and money but that's it. But God  gave everything. There was nothing more he could give, no higher price that could be paid.

Jesus literally poured out his life. Emptied himself of everything and took on our cursed life so that we  might receive all his blessings. But more than this he choose to be separated from his Father in order to bring us back to relationship with him.

The exchange at the cross is so incredible and yet it becomes so familiar that the impact can be lost in the busyness of life. Before you allow the demands of today to occupy your mind. Take time to meditate on what Jesus has done for you, the life that he died to give you. Embrace life today and say " this is the best day ever!"

The more you discover...

 "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life". Psalm 23: v6

I have recently been taking time out from a lot of tasks and responsibilities I had carried to be able to spend more time being built up in the word. I had allowed the demands of ministry to dictate my schedule and my trust had not been focused on allowing God to build the house.

Having a much freer schedule has been such a blessing because it has helped me to hear the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit. I realise there were so many times in my life and I hear it so much in the lives of others where we feel we can't hear God or that he's not answering our prayers. We want answers to issues, decisions we should make, our future direction. Our seeking God can become very self focused rather than Jesus focused.
I have found recently that as I clear my head of a lot of the business and distractions I get a much clearer sense of his leading and calling. I don't have all the answers but I don't need them because my heart is more fully persuaded of his goodness.

My trust rests in the fact that He is my loving Father who only has good things to give me. He only ever has good thought about me. As I meditate on his love for me my confidence grows. I don't have to fear what might be. He is leading me. Don't seek God for answers, seek after a deeper revelation of what he thinks about you. The more you discover this the less you will be concerned about the path ahead of you.

She watches...

 “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:” Proverbs31:27-28NIV

I'm currently 5 years into marriage, 3 years into parenthood, 2 years into being a parent of two and a year and a half into launching a hairdressing business. Life is busy - it never stops.

However, in this season I have found that to avoid becoming overwhelmed by everyday stuff, we need to remind ourselves of the grace, mercy and rest that our Father has for us.

A common prayer for me everyday is that He continues to use me with the people I encounter and refreshes me to have an abundance to give to those in need and to my family.

Being a mum, with a heart for the kingdom means that quite often I'm wearing many different hats! Not only am I trying to cultivate Kingdom principles at home with my toddlers, but also I am invested with others outside of the home, believing that God is using me to reach those outside of the church and I am determined to demonstrate the beauty of God’s grace to my children as I do so!

I've learnt that having order in the home and in my "affairs" is key to both a happy and functioning home and human being, who is free to fulfill their purpose. Being organised in the simplest of things whilst running a home and a business leaves space for God to grab my attention more and more in the everyday.

Grace and responsibility

“At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.””John8:9-11

I love this story. I can relate to this woman, and to her shame and her guilt. And it's this story that most represents Jesus to me, and the freedom he gives. Adam and I refrained from having sex for 10 months prior to our wedding, we had just become Christians, and we had the verses "Go and sin no more" at our bedside. We knew we were free to make our own choices and that we were not condemned and it was experiencing His love in this way that lifted us out of our sin.

It strikes me as I read this story that we don't know what happened next, did this lady go and sin no more or did she slip into the same patterns and behaviour? Was this interaction with Jesus pivotal for her life? Did it change her- did she let it change her?

Did she need to remind herself of Jesus' words?

You see, what I've found on my journey is that with Grace comes a beautiful freedom, but with freedom comes choice and responsibility. The right choice is usually the most difficult, to stop promiscuous behaviour, to stop watching pornography, to be honest and confess to lying, to start giving your money more freely. He gave us freedom; Grace gives us freedom. And then we are left with a choice.

From the mouths of children

“When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, “Hosanna to David’s Son!” they were up in arms and took him to task. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” Jesus said, “Yes, I hear them. And haven’t you read in God’s Word, ‘From the mouths of children and babies I’ll furnish a place of praise’?” Matthew21:15-16MS

We've heard it said, our ceiling will be their floor. This excites me when it comes to thinking of our future church. Our children are the future church.

When I look at Ari'Ela singing with her arms held high to God in our living room or when I watch Elijah close his eyes and whisper his own prayer of thanks softly at the dinner table I'm reminded of how far they've come already!

As adults we have so much baggage- life can hurt and church can hurt, and each of these things can stunt our spiritual journey. But when we look at our children we see a freedom, an innocence, a rest and an ease. And Jesus tells us that the kingdom is for such as these! Wow!

As we stand in worship each Sunday morning, I envisage our prayers and praise falling over them in the floors below. It's their environment and it's their norm. And God will use us and His church to "furnish a place of praise" in our kids!

A season of thanks

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

A common theme in my thoughts and prayers lately has been how God uses all things for good. This was affirmed today as I presented to GPs on the rare skin condition that our son has been diagnosed with. It's been a fear filled journey that we are only out the back of. And a lot was caused by misinformation from medics.

Here I am two years down the line reclaiming ground, correcting the facts. And yet I would have had no idea how this opportunity could have come about.

I am in a season of thanksgiving. God has been so good, and I am so thankful. So many doors have been opened in terms of fundraising and awareness raising for this condition, and all of it has been easy. I hope to equip others with the right information to avoid unnecessary fear and worry. I feel God has positioned me in this situation to reach out to others, redeeming...turning all things to good.

The Gift of Eternal Life

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”John 3:16

The verse is so incredibly well known, children learn it in Sunday School and adults who have it engrained in their heart either believe it to the full stop at the end or think it shares a truth too wonderful and fantastical to ever really be true and apply to them.

But it does.

For me the key word that stands out is whosoever. It’s not a certain person or demographic for whom God sent Jesus, it’s not a subset of humanity that is loved unconditionally…

It’s you.

Salvation wasn’t only a one-way golden ticket for my dad and (hopefully) it isn’t for you. It’s the beginning of a relationship, the beginning of a journey that continues on and on throughout our mortal life and into our immortal one.

It’s for the great and the good, it’s for the bold and the bad, God doesn’t see identities in the way that we do, he simply sees the whosoevers and lovingly invites them to “Come.”

Like in the story of the prodigal, our father sees us from afar and races to meet us, he throws his arms around us and embraces us. This is the relationship, this is the depth of the connection we have to the eternal father. All because Jesus came for the whosoevers like you and me.

The Gift of No Separation

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 38-39

Dad’s funeral was a pretty difficult day, many people were grieving the loss of a man who led his engineering department and more within a huge company management structure. He was their guide and inspiration on a daily basis, a steady hand that could ensure the ship stayed the course. It seemed as though for anyone over the age of 35 he had been the equivalent of a daring hero, and for once I don’t actually think I’m making that up.

But at the core, the loss their grieved was that they would be separated from my dad and the various elements of his personality he brought to them. He was a supporter, a mentor, a guide, an analyst and a truth talker. In the good times and bad times he was always there for them.

But in reality, because of my father’s faith, there is no separation from God. Nothing is able to separate us from the love that God the Father has for us and Paul lists all of the various ways in which this is the case.

Death is merely a pause, the shell of a person, their body or skainos, is a reminder that although we don’t see that person in a living capacity, we know they have gone on to a greater glory. Their empty tent points the way to show that they are now in the presence of Jesus.

For Dad there was no pause, he’s forever in communion with the love of God. Nothing changed as he slipped from one form of being to another. Like moving from one room to another or simply taking off a coat, his experience was constant. He still remains fully within the love of God and nothing, not even death has separated him from experiencing that fully and completely.

So if you are doubting today, remember you are loved more than you could ever know, and nothing, not even death can separate you from the torrent of compassion and desire that God has for you.

The Gift of an Advocate

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2: 1-2

When we read to children in Exchange Kids’ Church the account of the ascension in Acts 1, we love to emphasise the fact that Jesus was really dead, really was made alive again and now sits in Heaven at God the Father’s right hand.

1 John tells us that we have an advocate, someone who speaks for us, who knows what it’s like to be fully human and deal with all the emotions, feelings and challenges that we face. He is not spirit, he is not a ghost, He is fully flesh and blood like us.

The words of our advocate carry weight. When my own father had an issue in his workplace and he had a solution or directive to deal it, he simply spoke and it was carried out. Similarly, the words of Jesus have weight with God the Father. We have someone who we can be sure is speaking on our behalf, whose ultimate act of sacrifice has made it possible for Him to be our mercy seat, our propitiation.

Be sure today that you have someone speaking for you who knows what it is like to be fully human. His words carry weight with the very creator of the universe. He cares about you and your present worries and successes.

Why not invite him into your journey of life today and let him walk with you through whatever you have to face.

The Gift of No Condemnation

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”Romans 8:1

Condemnation hits me hard. I hardly ever need someone in a given situation to make me feel bad because once I know I’ve wronged another person or acted in a thoughtless and selfish way, I punish myself much better than anyone else ever could.

I also know the feeling of sticking the knife in deeper when another has wronged me so they can truly appreciate the hurt or strife they have caused in my life. Thankfully I’ve learned from the experiences of this negative behaviour not to repeat it. We find the process of condemnation upon another acceptable because we really want people to see things from our perspective.

But Christ’s death on the cross allowed us to no longer have that sentence upon our heads; we are free. John 3:17 continues to tell us that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but rather the world through him might have life.

Condemnation, no matter how real if may feel to you, was never intended to be part of your experience- life was. God wants us to live a life to the full, a life free from stress, pain, unrest and fear. He wants to give us life with added value (John 10:10).

Today, begin to find wholeness in the fact you have been given a gift of no condemnation through Christ Jesus. You may still have consequences to work out, it would be wrong to suggest that we will not have challenges to face. But you will begin to feel the loving embrace of a saviour and a father around you as you navigate life’s many events.

Go now and sin now more. You are free and whole today.

My Father Knows How to Give Good Gifts

What father among you, if his son asks for[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”Luke 11: 11 – 13

We recently had the difficult road of watching my father succumb to long illness yet pass away in a very sudden manner. As such, it fell to me to organise the funeral and according to his final wishes lead the service.

It was a daunting task, it was my role to represent my father’s life and legacy to the gathered mourners and to share with them his personality and values. When preparing, I was able to share a biography of him as well as relate aspects of who he was. Yet repeatedly I was confronted by how much of a quiet provider my father was.

This wasn’t just in relation to material items but also how he provided strength and support at any time of the day or night. We laughed about how he set up toy trains on Christmas Eve and accidentally woke all the children in the neighbourhood. Or at another Christmas I was awoken and was convinced I heard my Uncle downstairs. As I went to make my way down I found my father at the bottom holding a brand new green bike. I was shocked and asked if my uncle had been or had Santa truly arrived. I was given a very quickly mumbled excuse and put back to bed.

Stories and memories like these caused me to remember, if this was how good my earthly father was to me then how much more would my Heavenly father be to me? Just as I could be sure of my own father’s heart towards me, how much more can I be convinced of the Father’s heart to me.

Today be assured that God the Father is for you, not against you and he wants to lavish you with the gifts he has at his disposal. Beginning with the gift of his love. Love that will never hold back or run out and that is all entirely for you.

A brand new thing

 “For I am about to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun!...” Isaiah 43:19

Can you see the “brand new thing” God is doing in your life? Sometimes we can see the hand of God moving, and other times the storms of life can cloud our vision. No matter where you are in life today, focus on the fact that God is working behind the scenes!

You can trust Him because He is always faithful. His plan for you is good, and He wants to give you a future and a hope.

Ask the Lord to show His plan for you today. Ask Him to show you the new thing He is doing. Set your mind on things above and let go of the old. Take a step of faith and embrace the blessing and victory God has in store for you!

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me even when I don’t see it. Thank You for doing a brand new thing in my life. I open my heart and set my mind on You today.

Our weakness - His strength

 “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10, NIV)

We all have seasons in life when we feel overwhelmed. When unexpected things happen, we can be tempted to get discouraged. We may feel like we don’t have what it takes, or we may feel weak. Anytime you feel this way, you have to realise that feelings aren’t facts.

The truth of the matter is that God has equipped you and He already has a plan for you to come out of that difficulty. Scripture says, when you feel weak, that’s when God’s strength rises in you. His strength will overcome any opposition you may face.

Remember, anytime you feel weak, that’s when The True Nature Of God can be called on! When you are weak in your own strength, then you become strong in Him!
God has raised you up to change people’s opinion of Him. You can change their lives, and then they will change the world.” Wow! That pretty much sums it up.

One thing you need to do

 “...You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. ...”

(Luke 10:41–42, NIV)

Do you ever find that you have so much on your “to do” list that you don’t even know what to do next? The question is, 'is all of that really necessary?' Scripture says there is only one thing needed in life and that is to sit at the feet of Jesus.

When we sit in His presence, we get to know Him. We hear His voice and He shows us the way that we should go. When we don’t take time for Him, that’s when we feel the cares and worries of the world.

Make time for Him in every area of your life! He is concerned about the little things that you may think don't matter to Him! He wants to become part of everything you do!

Today, take a moment to evaluate how you are spending your time. Tune out unnecessary distractions and tune in to His voice. Make time for Him every single day because that is the one thing that is needed!

Father, today I choose to set my heart and mind on You. I choose to cast my cares and focus on what’s most important — hearing your voice so I can follow Your ways! I choose to praise you for all the blessings you have given me and for supplying the answer to all those little problems I have shared with you! Thanks for being my best friend.

Revel in His great goodness

 “They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.” Neh 9:25

God’s desire is to lead you from the wilderness to a place of rest and abundance – from a place where you wander and just get by to a life characterized by God’s favour on all you do. God wants you to have a life that cannot simply be explained by your own efforts.

The Children of Israel moved from the wilderness into the Promised Land through the miraculous deliverance of God. They were able to enjoy fertile lands and live in houses they didn’t build. God placed them in a position of abundance through no effort of their own where they could revel in His great goodness. To a place where they were able to full-heartedly enjoy the goodness of God.

At times I start to believe that I am responsible for any success I have had in my life. I convince myself that my hard work, my persistence and even my good works have made this happen. God reminds us over and over again in the bible that everything we have comes from Him.

Whatever we have – our jobs, positions or possessions – they do not come about because of our efforts but because of God’s great goodness. He is the true source. 

God blesses us because He loves us; He wants to bring blessing into your life – to your work, your family, finances and relationships. Not so that you can enjoy them for what they are but so that you can revel in the great goodness of God!

He will not withhold

 “You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
 And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth,
 And gave them water for their thirst.” Neh 9:20 (NKJV)

Yesterday we remembered how God, because of His great love for His people, did not abandon them but continued to lead them by the pillars of cloud and fire. Here in the following verse we see that He went even further.

Throughout their time in the wilderness God the Holy Spirit was with the Children of Israel. He did not leave them to figure it out themselves or to come up with their own plans. God will never leave you stranded in the wilderness without any direction. As His child, the Holy Spirit is always within you longing to lead and to draw you into a closer relationship with the Father.

This verse also reminds us that God is a God of practical provision. On top of nourishment for their souls He provided food and water for their bodies. God did not withhold His blessing and provision from them even though they had turned their back on Him. He provided for their every need – again and again – not because they were good but because of His great compassion.

God has everything you need; He is not miserly or begrudging in His provision for you. Today open your heart and your spirit to receive what God longs to bring to fruition in your life. He is with you.