Everything heaven contains

 “Everything heaven contains has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus – all because He sees us wrapped into Christ” Eph 1:3 (TPT)

We often hear the statement “All I have is yours” from a father to a child. Indeed, I would have no problem giving everything I have to my children. The thing is, sometimes I think God is a less generous father than I am.

When I read statements like, “everything heaven contains is lavished on me as a love gift”, I somehow struggle to believe that is really the case. You see, I can manage to accept that a few worldly possessions could somehow be mine because of the relationship I have with my father but “everything heaven contains”?

That is because I am looking at it from the wrong perspective. Here Paul clearly states that when God looks at us, He sees us wrapped into Christ. I suppose we all have less problem believing that God loves Jesus and is pleased to give Him all He has. When God looks at you He does not see you as a slave or someone to be punished but as His child, someone intimately connected to Jesus. Our Father loves us and because of Jesus – not our abilities or good works – He lavishes us with all that heaven contains.

Today because I am in Christ, all that heaven contains is mine. Wherever you find yourself, whatever the challenge remember that God sees you wrapped in Christ and all you need is right there for you.

Love beyond the norm

 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” Phil 1:9

Paul’s prayer for the church in Philippi was that their love would abound more and more – that their love would ‘exceed the ordinary’, ‘overflow’, ‘be abundant’ and do so over and over again. What a thought! Can you see the enthusiasm, the excess of what Paul is asking for? Love that goes beyond the norm, a love that bursts forth and does so in a manner that just keeps flowing.

It wasn’t that they would work more, or achieve great things but simply to have a love that surpasses what they have experienced to date. The source of such love in our lives is found in knowledge and depth of insight of God’s love.

Love is the heart of the gospel; it is the relentless force behind God’s grace. Because God loved us so much, Jesus gave Himself for us. His love saves us and frees us from condemnation (John 3:16-17).

I cannot make myself love more until I have seen He who is love. I cannot fully express love until I have known and experienced the life of Him who is the perfect expression of love…Jesus.

Today, take time to think on how much God loves you, rest in His love, experience it, let this fact move from your head to your heart and allow His love to abound more and more in your life.

DARE TO DREAM BIG

 “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” [Eph 3:20 NLT]

The LORD asked me,” How much do you have?”

I answered, “Not enough.  Not enough to fulfil my dream.”

“Who gave you that dream?”  He asked me again, with that still small voice that touches the soul, in the place between being asleep and awake.

“You Lord,” was my reply.  As the dream I have is to serve Him.

“Then should you not trust in me to supply all that you need?  Just give me the little you have, and I will multiply it to make it enough.”

“Enough for what?”  Was my nervous reply.

“Enough to fulfil my dream for you, which is far bigger than you could ever imagine.”

The song of children for generations then touched my heart.  Two little fishes, five loaves of bread.  Five thousand people by Jesus were fed.  All of this happened when one little lad, gladly gave Jesus all that he had.  All that I have, all that I have, I will give Jesus all that I have.

Your dream may be small and your resources even smaller.    But give the dream and the resources to God today, and He will increase them both.  Trust in the Father who loves and adores you, and do not be afraid to dream big.

RUNAWAY BRIDE

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. [1Jo 1:9 NLT]

My daughter and I enjoyed the movie, Runaway Bride.  Every time the main character was about to take her wedding vows, she did a runner.

As believers, we are part of the Church of Jesus and as such His bride.

Picture this, a bride in her beautiful white dress and wearing expensive jewellery.  She runs from the church, and ends up in a dingy pub. After drinking too much, the bride ends up lying in the street.  Her dress gets dirty and a mugger grabs her jewellery.

Now, knowing she is not fit to walk down the aisle, she returns in shame to the church where she was supposed to get married.  At the church the Bridegroom is waiting for her.  He runs to her and puts his coat around her.  He embraces her and tells her that he still loves her.

If you are a Christian who has run away from Jesus, He is calling you back.  He loves you and wants to wash away your tears and clean up the mess that sin has caused to stain your wedding dress.

Come back to the one who has never stopped loving you deeply. 

A REALY GOOD 3D MOVIE

“My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!  He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.  Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.  The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.” Psalm 121:2-5

I love 3D movies.  Everything comes right out of the screen at you.  A hand reaches out to point, and everyone in the cinema sees it right in front of them, a ladder falls, and we all duck. That is how God our Father wants to speak to us.

God sees us as individuals, not just faces in a crowd.  But, unlike the movie, He is real and does not need special effects. God is all-powerful and can step into our lives, wherever we are - all we have to do is ask Him.

A phrase came to my mind 20 years ago and has not left me.  “ONLY THE INFINITE COULD BE SO INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH SO MANY INDIVIDUALS.”

God is so big that He has room for us all in His arms.  He is also so close that He is there for us in all our need.  He is more intelligent than any super computer and is connected to every one of His children. He is better that any Internet - no loss of connection, no worry about a bill at the end of the month and no need to shop around for a better deal; no-one can give us better.

This connection will not crash and no computer virus or power cut can sever our relationship to our loving Father.  When times have been tough, His hold has never let me down. Today remember, God loves you as an individual; He is never to busy for you. God will never let you down but is right there with you. Your redeemer lives and His love will sustain whatever you may face.

Beholding

2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This is a verse that we have used many times recently in church. It is a real encouragement  to keep your eyes on Jesus and not to allow circumstances to overwhelm you. When you look in a mirror, what do you see? Of course, you see yourself. But God does not want you to see yourself in the natural. You may be sick, weak, broke and depressed, yet God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you—healed, strong, favored and whole because Christ is in you. (Colossians 1:27)

God wants you to behold as in a mirror the glory of His Son who is in you by His Spirit. As you do this, His Word says that you are being transformed from glory to glory—sick to healed, loser to winner!

The world may say to you, “It can’t be that easy. You can’t be transformed just by beholding the glory of Jesus. No, you must do something about you. If you don’t put in effort, nothing will happen. If you don’t start making changes, nothing will change.”

But the world will never understand that as you are beholding the glory of the Lord, who is the successful one in you, you are being transformed from a failure to a success. And this is not accomplished by any effort of yours to get ahead in life, but by the Spirit of the Lord! (Zechariah 4:6)

As you behold the glory of the Lord who is the healthy one in your sick body, you are transformed from sickness to health. And this is not accomplished by any effort of yours to keep fit but by the Spirit of the Lord!

So today stop focusing on yourself and your efforts. Look away from these things and begin to behold the glory of Jesus who is in you right now, and you will begin to behold the miracles that you need!

Your strong Kinsman Redeemer

Jer 50:34

Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead their case...

We are in a series at the moment on Ruth. She was a young, poor and childless widow in the Old Testament who at one point in the story comes to lie at the feet of Boaz, her potential kinsman-redeemer. (Ruth 3:7) As a rich and close relative of her in-laws, Boaz had the power to redeem her from her plight.

Boaz is a picture of Jesus who is our kinsman-redeemer. He is our kinsman, having been born into this world as one like us. And He is our Redeemer because He redeemed us at a great price when He shed His blood for us on the cross.

As your Redeemer, not only is Jesus willing, but He also has the power to restore to you all that you have lost. That is why you can go to Him and say, “I blew it and now my family is suffering. My finances are a disaster.. But I come to You, my kinsman-redeemer…” And you will find that He will redeem you because your Redeemer is strong. The Lord of hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead your case, causing only blessings of wisdom, deliverance, restoration, provision and liberty to come out of your situation!

Rather than going through today with the heavy weight of worry on your shoulders turn to Jesus and thank Him that His redemption is super abundant and more than enough. God is for you today in every detail of every circumstance!

Today I'll look to Jesus

Hebrews 12:2

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

In my last few sermons I have been encouraging our church to look to Jesus. I said that whatever your question is the answer is Jesus so look to Him every day. What though does it mean to look unto Jesus? Well, we can think of it like this: If you are drowning and somebody walks past you, you do not look at him. You look unto him. When you look unto him, you are turning to him and expecting him to rescue you.

In the same manner, you look unto Jesus expecting Him to save, heal and protect you because you know His mighty power and sacrificial love for you. God’s Word says that we are to keep “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. That is how God wants us to live.

So if you have a recurring headache , keep looking unto Jesus. See Him taking that headache upon His body on the cross and say, “Lord, I thank You that by Your stripes I am healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) As you keep looking unto Jesus, your healer, that migraine will have to bow to His finished work!

If you have a financial lack in your life, just keep looking unto Jesus with confident expectation that He will provide for you and deliver you from your lack.

“But is it really so simple? All I have to do is look unto Jesus and He will bless me financially?”

Yes, it is that simple. The problem with us is that we tend to look unto ourselves. But we cannot save or deliver ourselves. Even the apostle Paul struggled when he depended on his self-effort. That is why he said, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7:19) It was only when Paul looked away from himself and unto Jesus that he received his deliverance.(Romans 7:24–25)

If you have been looking unto yourself, it is time to start looking unto Jesus. Look unto Him, the author and finisher of your faith. And soon, you will be looking at your healing and provision!

What's your choice?

"Come to me....and I will give you rest.." Mat 11:28

The theme that God has been speaking to us as a church this year is all about learning what it means to rest in the grace and love of God. I have said many times over the past few months that if we will rest and stay in faith that God is faithful to every promise then He works on our behalf. If though we choose to work all our stuff out then we cut ourselves off from Grace and life and we must carry burden and responsibility that God does not intend for us.  

My encouragement for you as you go through today and this week is to say "Lord my trust is in your word. Today I declare that you are working in every situation in my life. In my family, my relationships, my work, my career, my health and my money. Thank you that I can receive peace knowing that as I keep my heart focused not on what I see with my natural eyes but what I read and see in your word, that your blessing and favour is flowing in my life and bringing goodness to me." 

This is a day to learn this rhythm of grace. That is your choice - you can carry or allow the weight and worry to leave you and find rest instead. We have a good father. He is watching you right now with such a depth of love in His heart for you and favour for you today. So enjoy today. Take a deep breath and breathe in His goodness. Whenever you feel pressure coming turn to the Lord and thank him that you have nothing to worry about because you will rest and know that He is working for you!