Attitude check

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing. Philipians 2:5-7.

I'm so glad it's level ground at the foot of the cross. No matter the colour of your skin, status in society or vocation, we can stand side by side under the cross. I remember the story of a prince who went to worship at a local city church. At the end of the sermon, the pastor extended an invitation for prayers. A peasant walked forward then knelt at the altar. A few minutes later, he felt a tap on his shoulder and someone whispering for him to move to the other side. It was one of the prince's body guard. Seeing what was happening before him, the prince motioned to the peasant to kneel beside him and said 'It's OK'.

What a humbling attitude shown by Christ. Trying to be equal with God never crossed His mind. He had to be nothing to be something. Someone that could be filled and used by God. WOW, oh so humbling!

Dear Father,
I desire this same attitude as Christ. As I draw close to You may I leave behind the titles that the world has attached to my name but come just as I am, a woman seeking and yearning after Your heart. May I become nothing so that I can be something for You. I know that You cannot fill me with Your desires if I'm already full of mine. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Prayer

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that You have heard me'. John 11:41

This reading really made me think! He just knew that His prayer was in the Father's hearing. When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of ONLY His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (Galatians4:19), the Father will always hear my prayers.

For me, I need to remember that the cross represents only one thing; complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ! I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I that liveth but Christ liveth in me. Galatians 2:20.


Precious Lord, teach me to pray.

Take control

There's this reading that has been capturing my attention and I had to sit today to go through it again. It's the authority reading. I just need it to sink deep within my heart. I want to draw a flow chart but I still haven't discovered how to use that application here. This is when the teacher in me wants to come out. OK here we go....

God has given me the AUTHORITY.......Luke 10:19.This is the flashing verse which I will come back to.

Just to establish background knowledge......

For God gives the Spirit without limits. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His Hands (John 3: 34-35).

When God created the world, He gave the first Adam ownership over all the earth(Gen.1:26). However, Adam gave it to the devil through disobedience! Now this is the exciting bit...Through the cross of Jesus Christ- Jesus, the last Adam, took that ownership back and handed it to us. He put the dominion over the whole earth back in our hands-just like in the Adam days.

THEREFORE, if it's mine, I own it in Jesus Name. I can either not do anything with it or I can use it.The authority has been given to me so I need to take hold of it and use it! Take hold of it and use it! Take hold of it and use it!

Which means, God allows what I allow!.........whatsoever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mat.18:18).

Remember Ps.115:16, The highest heaven belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to man. That's us(me)!

How do I take possession or ownership of what my loving Lord has given me?

It's with my words!
I NEED to know what God's Word says regarding each situation. Once I know it, I can speak it with AUTHORITY. When I stand with God and on His unchanging Word, I WILL see the fruit of standing firm.

Father, thank you for the authority You have given me. May I feed on your Word each day and may it be so deeply implanted, that no matter what comes my way, I can speak over it with authority. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Sweeter than honey

This I know is true, God is not a man that He should lie.
Reading and meditating on His Word is like coming to a table that is layed out with different types of food. Once you've tasted what it has to offer, you want to keep coming back for more. Why?

Psalms 19: 7-10 explains it.

The Word of God is:

PERFECT-revives the soul
TRUSTWORTHY-makes wise the simple
RIGHT- gives joy to the heart
RADIANT- gives light to the eyes
Sure and altogether righteous
More precious than gold much pure gold
Sweeter than honey than honey from the comb
If I keep feeding on His Words , my eyes will open to see situations from His perspective. In verse 12 it says,Who can discern his own errors? Sometimes we are so caught up with things around us that we cannot discern our own faults. We think or we know that we are right, no matter what anyone else thinks.
Lord, may pride and self righteous attitude be so far removed from my life. It's only Your Word that can shed light on my weaknesses. As I journey on, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight. Amen

Creation Praise

I enjoy my early morning walks because it gives me a chance to reflect upon things that are happening with and around me. Everything is still (besides the early commuters making their way to work) and you hear the birds begin to greet the new morning.

Reading Psalms 19 reminds me of how creation continually praises God our creator-every moment. It's like watching a movie clip. Let's begin...........look up to the heavens...

The heavens declare the glory of God
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

How do they praise God?
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
They 'pour forth speech' through the sunshine, rain,
the different seasons. At night, the moon and stars speak.

There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

What else?
The heavens is like a tent for the sun.
In the heavens, He has pitched a tent, which is
like a bridegroom coming forth from His pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

And what does the sun do?
It rises at one end of the heavens,
and makes it circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

To me, the sun is like the glory of God, as it makes its daily triumphant sweep across the whole extent of the heavens. It pours out its heat (felt Presence) on every creature.

What does this tell us/me about our Creator?
Through Him, all things were made.John 1:3 and He is a God of order.
For night and day to keep rolling, creation to keep sustaining itself, they testify of the existence, goodness and faithfulness of the One who created them!

The song by Marc Byrd/Steve Hindalong, "God Of Wonders' is so true. Part of the song is:

Lord of all creation,
Of water, earth and sky.
The heavens are your tabernacle.
Glory to the Lord on high.

God of wonders beyond our galaxy.
You're holy,holy
The universe declares your majesty
You're holy,holy
Lord of heaven and earth.

Awesome and most loving Father, just as Your beautiful creation praise and greet You each morning, may I also praise and acknowledge You each moment. Amen.

Absolute loyalty

I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who loved me and gave Himself for me. Gal.2:20

Lord, your Word reminds me of who Iam meant to be in Christ. I'm no longer 'me' because that person has been nailed with Christ. I know that at times the old 'me' wants to creep in to say or do things I'm not meant to be doing! Keep chipping away the harder outer core of my individual independence from You, my wanting to take over when things don't go my way. May the indwelling of Your Word(Christ) liberate me and my nature into oneness with You, not following my own ideas but choosing absolute loyalty to Jesus.

Lord, each moment, each day, may I live with the consciousness of Your abiding Presence- that Jehovah Shammah is in residence:).

Bought at a price

Do you not know......you are not your own? 1 Cor.6:19

It's such a delight to feed on His Word this morning. To be able to open another wrapper- just unwrapping this single truth in 1 Cor.6:19, I'm so excited and tempted in wanting to unwrap more but I know I need to stop and to chew on a bit at a time.

Thank you Lord for buying me, more like rescuing me from the shop of sinfulness. You've bought me therefore I am Yours. My condition was dusty, dirty, and broken-yet whilst being in that state You bought me because You knew that there was someone/something precious under all that filth! While I was still a sinner, You died for me.

Thank You for the AWESOME price-Your Blood, which makes me look so brand new and the beautiful robe of righteousness that I have on today. Father, I know that You're still shaping me out of my deformities. Please continue to mold me into what You really want me to be. My life is not my own.

You're EVERYTHING to me

Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You Lord have never forsaken those who seek you. Ps. 9:10

Your Word says that You created us in Your image(Gen.126) and even before we were born, You saw our unformed body. You saw us even before we were created in our mother's womb(Ps.139). The earth my Lord and everything in it is Yours(Ps.50:10-12).

You own the cattle in a thousand hills, even the souls of the father and the son are in Your hands....because You created us all, we are Yours.

You are:
Jehovah- the Lord God, our God
Elshaddai- the Lord God my Supplier
Adonai- Lord and Master
Jehovah Jireh-the Lord God my Provider
Jehovah Rapha- the Lord God my Healer
Jehovah Nissi-the Lord God my Banner
Jehovah M'Kadesh- the Lord my Sanctifer
Jehovah T'sidkenu- the Lord God my Righteouness
Jehovah Shalom- the Lord God my Peace
Jehovah Rohi- the Lord God my Shepherd
Jehovah Shammah- the Lord God the Abiding Presence

I will lift You up, high above all else.

Faith vs Sight

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor.5:7

Lord, this is a verse I've heard so many times. It's so easy to say that we have faith but to actually exercise it is a different story. The world that we live in is all about instant coffee, instant cash, instant booking.......but You oh Lord, You work at Your own pace in Your own time. Indeed, having a child-like faith is what You want from me-they believe what is being promised to them and they've made up their little minds that they will get it!

I love the Faith Hall of Fame in Heb.11. These saints trusted You totally. Daddy, may You stregthen my heart each day to hold on to Your promises and not letting go despite the circumstances.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.......because He who promised is faithful!

Standing on the promises of Christ my King
Thru eternal ages let His praises ring
Glory in the highest I will shout and sing
Standing on the promises of God.

chrs
Standing, standing
Standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour
Standing, standing
I'm standing on the promises of God.

It's not about me

As I sit reflecting on how the Lord had or was moving in my life,gifts He has blessed me with, places He had taken me to and many more. I am in AWE of this great God.

My message was....

It's not about me
It's about God!!

I need to see everything from that perspective! When I see it from that perspective- I'll take the focus off myself and onto God.

He is the reason why I live....
because of His faithfulness, love, forgiveness, mercy

Rom.9:15
I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. It does not therefore depend on, man's desire or effort but on God's mercy.

Ps. 115:1
Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your Name be glory because of Your love and faithfulness.

In pursuit of Him

After reading 'Prayers of a God Chaser' by Tommy Tenney, I became more determined in my desire to pursue His presence. Here are some of my favourite quotes from this book.

'Intimacy with God produces union with His will and purpose. Passionate pursuit produces divine pregnancy in our hearts and supernatural fruit in our lives. Doubt has no place.'

'The more you seek His face, worship His glory, and pray at His feet, the taller you will stand when the time comes to 'stand up and be counted.'

'The only way to capture the fiery passion of God's heart is to draw near His heart so he can impart His Desires to us. Once we receive them, we can speak into the earth with authority.'

'You must invest time with God to experience intimacy with Him.'

Lord fill my heart with passion from Your heart!