ETERNITY

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said,

'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it."

- Mark 8: 34-35

TODAY'S THOUGHT

When you are absolutely convinced that Jesus died on the cross to spare you from eternal punishment and give you the gift of eternal life, the troubles of this world are put in to perspective. You know that your future-for all eternity- is secure.

Then you begin to understand how God intended you to live, and you become more willing to "give up" those things that gratify only you and pursue those things that make a difference to God and others.

TODAY'S PLAN

Can you learn to forgo your own agenda for God's agenda for you?

NEEDS

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!.... Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs."

Matthew 6: 8, 32

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Learning to recognise the difference between needs and wants allows you

to find contentment in living God's way.

The more you focus on what God values, the more you will be able to distinguish

your wants from your needs.

If you constantly feel discontented, you may be focusing more in what you want

than on what God knows you most need.

TODAY'S PLAN

Could you be satisfied if God gave you only what you needed and not what you wanted?

Can you trust that this might be best for you?

MIGHTY GOD

TODAY'S PROMISE

"The Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me........His mighty arm has done tremendous things!"

- Luke 1: 49-51

TODAY'S THOUGHT

It's hard to picture the baby Jesus as the mighty Gd, but he was mighty enough to create

the world, live a sinless life, heal countless people, calm storms, and conquer death.

He is mighty enough to conquer your troubles too!

TODAY'S PLAN

Do you see Jesus more as a meek and lowly or as a mighty warrior?

WEARINESS

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint"

- Isaiah 40: 30-31

TODAY'S THOUGHT

The Lord will give you renewed strength when you grow weary.

When you come to him in praise, he refreshes your heart.

When you come to him in prayer, he refreshes your soul.

When you come to him in solitude, he refreshes your body.

When you come to him in need. he refreshes your mind.

When you come to him with thankfulness, he refreshes your mind.

When you come to him with thankfulness, he refreshes your perspective.

Doing these things releases the burdens of life and draws strength from the One who is the source of strength.

TODAY'S PLAN

Are you ready to rely more on God and discover the benefits of his spiritual strength?

SACRIFICE

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother

or children or property, for my sake, will recieve a hundred times as much

in return and will inherit eternal life"

-Matthew 19: 29

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Following Jesus may mean you have to sacrife a comfortable life.

It may mean, if you are forced to declare ultimate loyalty to someone,

having to choose to be loyal to Jesus over any other relationships.

But Jesus promises to reward such faithful commitment!

Your salvation is evident what you are willing to give up

in order to gain a relationship with him.

TODAY'S PLAN

What kinds of sacrifices are you willing to make to follow Jesus ?!

My vision is poor....

As many of you know, I have like the most thick 'milk bottle' glasses EVER!

Hahaha Yes and albeit most of the time I wear contact lenses but they are just

as bad! The point I am making is that I RELY on my lenses to be able to see.

But what am I trying to see? Well to see the world around me, to even get dressed in

the morning I have to RELY on my lenses or I will just bump into everything

and probably get myself into trouble.

Why is it then that I am unable to RELY fully on God?!

I am being crazily honest here but it is important to admit our faults!

Until we have admitted we have an issue we are unable to actually do anything about them.

After repenting of this I know I can come to God knowing fully that he is my ONLY

help! My source! My Guide! My All!

SO WHAT?!!!!

Yeah yeah I can hear you all saying how is this important to me?

Or

What can I do now?

Or

HELP!

One particular person that I am learning to think of when things get tough is

an amazing women called Hannah. She is the parts of me I struggle to get the hang of and yet she does it beautifully!

To set the scene.......

READ 1 SAMUEL 1 (FIND IT BELOW)

Basically Hannah is awesome!

Hannah is so so desperate for babies (anyone notice any similarities here ? :-P)

she continually asks God and all she gets is a no ! :=(

But many of us at this point would give up.... NOT Hannah!

She is DETERMINED AND PATIENT! -She does not and will not give up

She is STRONG! - She finds the strength to pray for years & years

She is a women of FAITH! - She pushes on and on

She has HOPE! - She hopes in prayer - "You do not have for you do not ask" - James 4

God loves us to pray expectantly! Wrestle passionately with God!

We may come broken, emotional, weak and yet we are stronger when we do...... It is ok you know to come to God crying and desperate.....

Psalm 56 "put my tears into your bottle"

Bring everything to him, take everything to him, he is sympathetic!

Some of us may feel like we are completely unable to come to God because

we just don't know him well enough! This is no excuse.... infact it is an answer to your own prayers........ If you don't know someone well enough in the flesh then we spend time with them until we get to know them better!

We must do this with God!

We are all culprits of being 'too busy doing and not being'

Pray with FAITH and EXPECTATION because HE is GOOD!!!!!!!!

You know what?! She is given a baby! After years and years of wrestling patiently with God she is blessed for her continued faith and assurance that God is faithful.

1 Samuel 1 (taken from the Amplified Bible)

¹THERE WAS a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

²He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

³This man went from his city year by year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were the Lord's priests.

⁴When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters portions [of the sacrificial meat].

⁵But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children.

⁶[This embarrassed and grieved Hannah] and her rival provoked her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless.

⁷So it was year after year; whenever Hannah went up to the Lord's house, Peninnah provoked her, so she wept and did not eat.

⁸Then Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons?

⁹So Hannah rose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside a post of the temple (tent) of the Lord.

¹⁰And [Hannah] was in distress of soul, praying to the Lord and weeping bitterly.

¹¹She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; no razor shall touch his head.

¹²And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli noticed her mouth.

¹³Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.

¹⁴Eli said to her, How long will you be intoxicated? Put wine away from you.

¹⁵But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord.^{A)" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">(A)}

¹⁶Regard not your handmaid as a wicked woman; for out of my great complaint and bitter provocation I have been speaking.

¹⁷Then Eli said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.

¹⁸Hannah said, Let your handmaid find grace in your sight. So [she] went her way and ate, her countenance no longer sad.

¹⁹The family rose early the next morning, worshiped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

²⁰Hannah became pregnant and in due time bore a son and named him Samuel [heard of God], Because, she said, I have asked him of the Lord.

VISION

TODAY'S PROMISE

The people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3: 14

TODAY'S THOUGHT

It seems ironic that for many of us the only way to see clearly is to cover our eyes with glass lenses.

With spiritual vision, you need the lens of faith-the ability to believe that there is much more happening than you can see.

When you face difficulties that seem insurmountable, remember that spiritual armies are fighting for your soul.

Open your spiritual eyes to view God's power.

TODAY'S PLAN

How can you develop better spiritual eyesight?

Trusting God!

Trusting God!

This week has been a busy and generally hectic week...... but in that I have found that I just haven't wanted to be close to God! I am writing this blog today to be honest, to show you that yes we ALL struggle but also how we can use this time to our advantage!

In not wanting to be close to God, I have found coming to him for anything has been really tough. Being busy should never be and excuse but our lifestyles can effect our ability to do anything other than work.

I know from past experience that putting myself first continually and trying to answer my own prayers gets you no-where! We have all tried to fill gaps/wants/desires..... what ever you call them with short-term fixes and yeah temporarily we may feel peace, happiness or joy but this often leaves us with a 'come-down' afterwards and its important to recognise this so we can stop hurting ourselves.

So...... in finding the drive to come to God this week near impossible I did the exact opposite to what I wanted to do.

I listened to podcasts from the Church I attend and chose topics on Love and Trust......... I listened to worship music full-blast and sung my heart out at EVERY opportunity! Finally I talked this through with the big man himself.......

God is already aware of my 'head-noise' my distractions and my 'thought life' but in being honest, admitting my faults and surrendering to his will for me I know that this is the ONLY way forward.

You know what?........................... the week has flown by and I have found it actually easier as the week has gone on. I will keep going..... WHY?

I will keep on pushing into God....... he has the most awesome plan for me!

I will give him my all.........he has given me more than I can ever give!

I will NEVER give up!.............as he has promised to complete the works in me!

Know-one said it would be easy and that is the MOST common assumption that christians have it easy.... they don't! But boy is it easier tackling this crazy life in this crazy world when you have someone COMPLETELY on your side, that will ALWAYS have your back and will NEVER let you go! NEVER!

Trust that God has your back, that God is the answer.....

'He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty (whose power no foe can withstand). I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I (confidently) trust'

Psalm 91 vs 1-2

Oh and he LOVE me more than I can ever comprehend! Wahoooo!

He created me, he knows me and has promises, many promises that he will NEVER break and they are awesome......... don't wait! Don't think that he isn't for you!

HE IS! He is for us ALL!!!!

'Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high,

because He knows and understands My name (has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love and kindness trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never)

Psalm 91 vs 14

Thank God, My God for that!

BLESSINGS

TODAY'S PROMISE

How joyful are those that fear the Lord-all who follow his ways!

Psalm 128: 1

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Throughout the Bible, you find a simple but pro-found principle:

Obeying God brings blessing, and disobeying God brings misfortune.

But be careful not to think of these blessings in terms of only material

possessions.

The greatest blessings are far more valuable than money or possessions.

They come in the form of joy, family, relationships, a well-functioning home,

peace of mind, spiritual gifts, and the confidence of eternal life.

A life focused on God brings joy to God and many blessings to you.

The more you trust and obey God, the more you will experience

the blessings he gives.

TODAY'S PLAN

Other than happiness, what are some other blessings you experience through obeying God?

In what ways can you pursue those blessings today?

ESCAPE!

TODAY'S PROMISE

The temptations in your life are no different from what

others experience. And God is faithful.

He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.

When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

- 1 Corinthians 10: 13

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Don't underestimate the power of Satan, but don't overestimate it either.

He can tempt you, but he cannot force you to sin.

He can dangle the bait in front of you, but he cannot make you take it.

The bible promises that no temptation will ever be too strong for you to resist.

Even in times of heavy temptation, God will provide a way out.

In these times of temptation, the Holy Spirit gives you the power and wisdom

to find the way of escape.

TODAY'S PLAN

What temptation do you need an escape from ?

BURNOUT

TODAY'S PROMISE

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit,

says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.

- Zechariah 4: 6

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Because burnout is so draining and paralyzing, you need to take care of your body

and mind by eating right, exercising, and getting adequate sleep and rest.

Even more, one of the best ways to reduce burnout is by taking

time to be close to God.

When you draw near to him, you can tap into his power, strength, peace,

protection and love. Doing this can help you stay strong and persevere

through even the worst times of burnout.

TODAY'S PLAN

What steps can you take to draw closer to God?

Lex Buckley - Heaven rejoices

CONFLICT

TODAY'S PROMISE

Jesus said, " You have heard the law that says,

'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say,

Love your enemies!

Pray for those who persecute you! In that way,

you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven"

- Matthew 5: 43 - 45

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Human nature wants to love friends and hate enemies.

But Jesus brought a new order that adds a divine perspective-

the only way to resolve some conflicts is to reach out in love to

your enemy. You can know that you are maturing as a child

of God when your natural reaction becomes to reach out in love

to those who are against you.

TODAY'S PLAN

Who wants to see you fail?

How can you show love to that person?

ENEMIES

TODAY'S PROMISE

Dont repay evil for evil. Dont retaliate with insults when people insult you.

Instead pay them pack with a blessing.

This is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.

- 1 Peter 3: 9

TODAY'S THOUGHT

An enemy is anyone who tries to hurt you. This verse isnt saying that you

should just let someone hurt you, but it does promise that when you respond to your enemies with forgiveness, when you pray for them, and when you dont retaliate, God will bless you for it.

This is what sets christians apart from the rest of the world. It is better to experience the blessing of God than the human satisfaction of revenge.

TODAY'S PLAN

Who are your enemies?

What do you do to bless them?

BODY

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Dont you realise your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,

who lives in you and was given to you by God?

You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you

with a high price. So you must honour God with your body"

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Your body was made to worship and gloriry God and to fulfill the purpose

for which he created you. When you do things that are destructive to

your body, you are breaking down the vessel God wants to use to help

accomplish his work in the world. Because God chooses to work through your body,

not just your spirit, to get things done.

Take care of your body so that you are ready for the great things

God wants to do through you.

TODAY'S PLAN

Are you honouring God with your body?

APPEARANCE

TODAY'S PROMISE

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought,

"Surely this is the Lord's annointed!" But the Lord said to Samuel,

"Dont judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him.

The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward

appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart".

- 1 Samuel 16: 6-7'

TODAY'S THOUGHT

The condition of the body does not reveal the condition of your heart.

But it doesn't take long for your true colours to show through your

out-ward appearance. The beauty inside always sines brighter than your

eternal looks.

TODAY'S PLAN

Is your appearance deceiving to others?

TITHING

TODAY'S PROMISE

(God Said,) "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.

If you do, "says the LORD of Heaven's armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you.

I will pour out a blessing so great you wont have enough room to take it in!

Try it! Put me to the test!"

-Malachi 3: 10

TODAY'S THOUGHT

When you tithe, you show your commitment to God and his work,

honour him for his provision and his faithfulness, and help those in need.

Regular tithing keeps God at the top of your priority list.

Instead of asking, "How much of my money do I need to give to God?" ask yourself,

"How much of God's money do I need to keep?"

As you fulfill his command to meet others needs, he graciously meets-and-exceeds-your own.

TODAY'S PLAN

How can you develop the discipline of tithing?

Discernment

DISCERNMENT

TODAY’S PROMISE

The Gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep instantly recognise his

voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow

him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from

him because they don’t know his voice.

- John 10: 3-5

TODAY’S THOUGHT

When you really know someone, you can instantly recognise his or her voice.

You can pick it out in a crowd. As you spend time studying the teaching of Jesus

And getting to know him better, you will get to know his voice. When a person is

Teaching or preaching, you will be able to tell if what he or she is saying is consistent

with what Jesus would say, and you won’t be deceived.

TODAY’S PLAN

How well would you say you recognise the voice of Jesus?

RESPONSIBILITY

TODAY'S PROMISE

"To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given,

and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing,

even what little they have will be taken away"

Matthew 25:29

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Often it seems that people no longer want to take responsibility for their actions;
it's never their fault. But God promises that if you take responsibilty for your actions,
and use what he has given you well, he will give you more opportunities and more blessings.

In the end, each person is accountable to God for his or her own decisions, behaviour and
relationships. So use well whatever gifts and opportunities God has given you, and he will
reward you.

TODAY'S PLAN

What God-given responsibilites do you have ?

FORGIVENESS

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

- Colossians 3:13

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Forgiveness is not an option; it is a command. It is necessary for your own health

and your relationship with God. Forgiveness doesn't mean that the hurt doesn't exist

or that it doesn't matter; nor does it make everything "all right."

Forgiveness allows you to let go of the hurt and let God deal with the one who hurt you. Forgiveness sets you free to move on with your life. It's not always easy, but forgiving those who have hurt you is the healthiest thing you can do for yourself.

" God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins "

-Romans 3: 24

TODAY'S PLAN

Who do you need to forgive to set you free?

PAIN FREE :-D YIPEE

Pain Free?! Yes Yes Indeed

Today's Promise

"Our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce

for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!"

-2 Corinthians 4:17

" He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears"

- Isaiah 25:8

Today's Thought

God does not promise believers a life free from pain and suffering. If christians

didn't hurt, other people would see God as a magician who takes away pain.

But as a christian, you have a relationship with God, who helps you through your

hurts, comforts you in your pain, and sometimes miraculously heals your wounds.

Whatever pain you are experiencing is temporary; it will end, perhaps here on earth,

but certainly in heaven.

Today's Plan

How might your present hurt be turned into eternal joy?

************* I love this! Don't you? Its sooooooo exciting these promises set out before us..... certainly a list of things to praise God for!!!!!*********************

Praising God!

Well recently I was studying Psalm 103 with a friend and it totally and utterly wow'd me!

I am so used to busy and long days with hardly any evenings/free time to spend long quality time

with God until my days off..... so to be honest I do the long ones then but one evening at work

we went through this and am still now using this as my focus.....

* I have taken this from the Amplified Version as the words are just beautiful!*

(for translations at your fingertips go to www.biblegateway.com)

Psalm 103: 1-4

"Bless (AFFECTIONATELY, Gratefully Praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is

(Deepest) within in, bless his holy name! Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise)

the Lord, O my soul, and forget not (one of) all his benefits. Who forgives

(every one of) your iniquities, who heals (each one of) all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, who beautifies, dignifies, and

crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercy"

Firstly in reading this it just sounds quite cool but read it a verse at a time, stop after each]

one and spend time on it.......

Hi-lighted in Blue are the bits that are just INCREDIBLE!!!!!

So basically My Almighty and Heavenly Father has promised to forgive EVERY ONE of

my iniquities..... so NO, God isn't going to forgive you for just the odd sin here and there

or even the ones that you consider are minor........ he WILL forgive you for ALL of them!

It matters not to your view of them..... Sin is Sin and he has promised to FORGIVE THEM!!!!

Praise the Lord! :-)

Our God is sooo gracious and amazing that he doesn't stop there.... He goes on promising

that he will heal us of ...... yeah you guessed it.... EVERY ONE OF of diseases.... so no not

just the cough, the cold, the dodgy eye or poorly belly but the big stuff too!

AND

If all of that wasn't enough we come to the what I like the call the STEAK! The best bit for me!

He promises to "redeem your life from the pit and corruption" ....... I have been SAVED!

For each and everyone of us our life holds a different story, no one life is harder than the other

as each and everyone of us deals with hard stuff in our life time.....

I was in a deep dark pit with what I felt like was no way out, full of darkness, corruption and rubbish I just kept digging my pit deeper and deeper........ one day I called out for help.... I knew I couldn't dig any longer for fear of being buried alive..........

With open arms, my Heavenly Father rescued me....... he picked me up and carried me out of the pit and I have been redeemed! AMEN! :-D

and verse 4...

"who Beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy"

I see this as like being rescued in my most awful state..... for the women out there it is like how you feel being in the scruffiest, most awful clothes you own, your hair is greasy and in desperate

need of a wash, your screaming out for a shower/bath, no make-up on and left stranded with nothing....... no phone, no money, no car NOTHING!

You feel grubby yeah? Discusting? Low? now imagine being picked up by the most important

person to you, taken to have a beautiful hot bubble bath, wash your hair and you feel clean..... you get your favourite meal inside you, and you put on clean, comfortable clothes and feel like a new person! God has promised the emotional and spiritual side of this.......

He beautifies you, dignifies you, crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercy!!!!!!

You can not even feel any of that through bubble baths, clothes and yummy food I know but an example of how much better you feel is there all the same......

Being beautified and dignified by God is a total overhawl...... and it is AMAZING!!

**** This just my account of the verses and my own personal account of time with God******

EXAMPLE

TODAY'S PROMISE

Take a new grip with tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.

Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame

will not fall but become strong.

Hebrews 12: 12-13

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Every person on earth is a role model of something to someone.

You follow others' example and you set an example for others.

Your words and actions influence others not only in maters of daily living

but also for good or evil, Christ or Satan.

What kind of example have you been demonstrating lately to others?

TODAY'S PLAN

How can your words and actions help others want to be more like God?

Who am I ~ Casting Crowns

LIMITATIONS

Todays Promise

"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"
- Ephesians 3: 20

Todays Thought


God calls out the best in you.
He sees more in you than you see in yourself.
You may look at your limitations; God looks at your potential.
If you want to increase your possibilities, learn to see life from Gods perspective.
He doesn't put nearly as many limitations on you as you do.
He sees you for what he intended you to be and what he created you to do. How encouraging that the God of the universe looks at you for what you can become rather than what you are.

Todays Plan

In what areas is God asking for more from you?