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Spiritual Checkup

Spiritual Checkup

by | Dec 11, 2020 | encouragement

When we feel weak and tired physically we go to the doctor to get a check up, have some blood test that will show if we are lacking in something. If we are deficient in any vitamin, the doctor will prescribe that we take a supplement and recommend a good healthy diet and some exercise. To keep our bodies healthy we need to eat and exercise every day.
 
It is no different with our spiritual health, if we are not reading the Word of God daily, praying and spending time in worship, we become spiritually weak, and that leaves us wide open for the enemy to attack us.
 
Galatians 5: 22-23 tells us what a healthy spirit produces. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
 
Question to self: Am I deficient in the fruits of the Spirit? If you find yourself lacking in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self-control, then it is time to change your spiritual diet.
 
We cannot be spiritually healthy if we are not reading God’s Word, praying and spending time in worship daily.
 
Just as food energises our physical bodies, God’s Word will energise our Spirit.
You are on God’s Mind

You are on God’s Mind

by | Dec 8, 2020 | encouragement

I want to share a devotion that I came across a few days ago, it really encouraged me greatly.
 
I am the Alpha and the Omega, “says the Lord God”, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:8 (NIV)
This title describes the eternal omniscience of Jesus Christ. The Alpha is the first letter ad the Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Through the alphabet all of our words, all of our wisdom, and all of our knowledge are expressed. Jesus is the beginning and end fo the alphabet, the summation of all wisdom and knowledge.
 
What does the omniscience of Christ mean to me personally? It means I have always been on His mind. Think of it: The most important Man the Universe has always been thinking of me! Wonder of wonders! I have never been out of His thoughts! Even as He hung on the cross, He was thinking of me by name! Dying for me by name! And when He was raised from the dead on that first Easter Sunday, He was raised with me on His mind.
 
What an amazing truth, if you are not moved by that, take a few moments and read the above again. You and I are always on God’s mind, no matter what we are going through, or what our circumstances are, He is aware, He sees, He cares and He feels what you are feeling, and best of all, He will also help us through.
 
Challenge and question to self: How much is God on my mind?
 
Prayer: Father God, thank you that I am always on Your mind, Lord today I ask that You will help me to have You on my mind in every circumstance and situation I face, I pray in Jesus Name. AMEN
Garment of Disappointment

Garment of Disappointment

by | Oct 9, 2020 | encouragement

Disappointment comes in many different styles, shapes and sizes. It could be a relationship, a career choice, job promotion, Church, ministry, friends, home etc. etc. Some disappointments are because of our own choices, others because of other people’s choices, which we have no control over.
 
The definition of disappointment is: sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfilment of one’s expectations. Or, feeling sad, unhappy, or displeased because something was not as good as expected or because something you hoped for or expected did not happen.
 
Wearing a garment of disappointment can cause deep sadness and regret. Many become despondent and end up with depression. And instead of feeling content with life, one can become very discontent.
 
I found this summary online which says what I am trying to say in this blog. “See life’s disappointments as God’s appointments and as being according to His purposes? Take the Psalmist’s advice and “cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” Psalm 55:20. If you insist on carrying around your own burdens and disappointments, it will be a heavy load indeed. And it will be difficult, because we were not created to carry such loads. This is exactly why Jesus commands us all to “Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:28
Stand in Authority

Stand in Authority

by | Oct 2, 2020 | encouragement

I was reading about the armour of God in Ephesians 6:10-18, we are all very familiar with this passage of scripture, but so many of us don’t really know how to apply it. As I was reading it today, I saw something that I had not noticed or taken much interest in because the whole idea of putting on the armour of God sounds like we are on the defence.
verse 10 starts with “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might”
From verse 11 to 14 it says three times to stand and once to withstand. God always repeats the things that He wants us to take note of.
So first of all we are not standing in our own strength, we are standing in the strength of ALLMIGHTY GOD.
Just like David said to the Goliath “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
David is offended by the barbarous Goliath and his negative spewing about the the tradition of Israel and of God. He refers to him as an “uncircumcised Philistine” and it’s not a compliment.
Goliath taunted the people day after day, which is exactly what the devil and his hordes of demons do to us constantly.
As David approached Goliath he said “you come against me with sword and spear and javelin but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied”. (you can read the account of David and Goliath in the first book of Samuel).
So can I suggest that instead of saying. “Lord I put on the helmet of salvation etc”. Change your word to “Satan I stand here in the strength of All MIGHTY GOD AND HIS WORD, which is TRUTH, and I am wearing HIS BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, covered in HIS PEACE. My faith in ALLMIGHTY GOD is a shield of PROTECTION against all your lies and fiery darts. My mind is protected by the BLOOD OF JESUS. Therefore you, satan, have no power over me and I tell you and all your demons to go to hell where you belong.
It goes on to say “keep alert” in other words be aware of the schemes of the devil, but never forget that because of JESUS, you and I have the AUTHORITY TO STAND against the powers of darkness, and when you stand on THE TRUTH, no weapon formed against you will prosper.
PS. Just a word of warning, do not pray like that if you have known sin in your life. Pray and ask and ask God first if there is anything hindering you from standing on HIS AUTHORITY).
Vine/branch

Vine/branch

by | Sep 15, 2020 | encouragement

John 15: 1-8 (NIV) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
I love the picture that Jesus paints for us in this passage; I am a simple thinker and this really speaks to me. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches and our Heavenly Father is the gardener.
We often say that we look to see what someone’s life is like by their fruit, and I am not saying that is not right, but as I was thinking about this passage, it dawned on me, that I am not capable of bearing fruit on my own. My responsibility is to stay connected to the vine (Jesus) And I have to make sure that I do not have areas in my life that would prevent the vine from feeding me what I need to continue to be a healthy branch. The gardener (my Heavenly Father) will do the pruning, which is not pleasant but necessary, and it is to the degree that I allow the gardener to prune me that determines how much fruit I will bear.
Over the years, I have been pruned back to almost nothing many times, but each time I am pruned, I bear more fruit for His Kingdom and for His Glory. If your Heavenly Father is pruning you today, don’t fight it, let Him do it and you will see how much fruit He can produce through you. And by the way, pruning is not something that only happens once in our life time, if we want to continually bear fresh fruit, we have to be continually pruned.
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