Day 57/365

Jesus replied, “Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place.” (‭‭John‬ ‭14:23‬)

Relationship… relationship… relationship!!!

None of this walk has anything to do with ritual, or sacrifice, or anything else you can think of to ‘get GOD to act!’

It happens when we finally come to our senses and begins with an act of volition – a statement of the will that recognising our situation finally crumbles, gives in and discards our prideful stance. This action then reaches outward and upwards like a plume of smoke from the wreckage of our lives and whispers through the pieces of a shattered heart: “I need you…!”

By inviting GOD into your life, that simple act of giving over your broken and damaged ‘self,’ begins a cycle of events that will beautifully, wholly and systematically heal and transform ‘you’ as well as everything in and around you ‘forever!’

Some things will be perfectly restored, some things will be discarded – and all for the better!

And it all begins with accepting the invitation to a Relationship ❤️

Day 56/365

When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, “I promise that I’ll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!” Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him.

When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they’ll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up.

When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.
‭‭Heb 6:13)

Promises don’t mean anything when you exist in the world of ‘MUST HAVE IT NOW, NOW, NOW …!’ Promises go hand in hand with Faith and Trust and Belief of the One Who’s made the promise to you. ❤️

Day 55/365

Then Jesus gave this illustration: “Imagine what would happen if you were to go to one of your friends in the middle of the night and pound on his door and shout, ‘Please! Do you have some food you can spare? A friend just arrived at my house unexpectedly and I have nothing to serve him.’ But your friend says, ‘Why are you bothering me? The door’s locked and my family and I are all in bed. Do you expect me to get up and give you our food?’ But listen—because of your shameless impudence, even though it’s the middle of the night, your friend will get up out of his bed and give you all that you need.”

“So it is with your prayers. Ask and you’ll receive. Seek and you’ll discover. Knock on heaven’s door, and it will one day open for you. Every persistent person will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he needs. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door. (‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:5)

Can your Heavenly Father’s Love for you be any clearer? ❤️

Day 54/365

Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart. (‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:1‬)

We’ve had the blessing of children, and on each one my wife has said, “When will this child finally come out?”

The thing is, patience just isn’t one of humanity’s greatest attributes – but it is a Gift of Grace that we should all seek!

Remember GOD does (ALWAYS DOES) answer prayer:
A) Sometimes a direct ‘Yes, this is the best path for you’
B) Sometimes a direct ‘No, this isn’t the best path for you’
C) Sometimes a directive to use His gift of Patience ‘Yes, but trust Me, rest in My Patience and wait a little while for the best time for this to transpire.’

❤️

Day 53/365

… older women must train the younger women to love … (‭‭Titus‬ ‭2:4‬)

This Scripture came alive for me once in Italy. I attended a prayer meeting where I was the only man present. During the course of the evening a woman asked for prayer. By the way the others were comforting her, I could tell that the problem she had was on going and terrifying.

It transpired that she had no family but a son and he had given his life to drink and drugs, so much so that ‘if’ he managed to find his way home then he would spend hours absolutely terrorising her!

As the ladies prayed I felt the Lord telling us that we needed a plan. Bottom line, she was to tell her son clearly that his behaviour wasn’t acceptable any more and that as he couldn’t act responsibly any more then ‘she’ would take the lead for him!

She was to fit a sturdy lock to her bedroom, intercede for him and then see what the Lord would do. After a week of pounding and hammering the door, the son finally stopped and just crumpled on the other side. She kept praying and over two more nights she heard him on the other side of the door sobbing and begging GOD to help him …!

After I’d left to come home, I got a message from the ladies. Apparently, the woman often brings her son to the prayer meetings now. By all accounts he’s now a lovely gentle and totally ‘changed’ man. ❤️

Day 52/365

You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him.

Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. (‭‭Isa 30:20)

The Holy Spirit is real and personal snd He wants a real and personal relationship with you. He might speak to you outright in a dream or vision, or manifest Himself in a friend’s loving words. He might try and direct you through the way the wind is blowing, or within the expression of a song.

This defines the term ‘marriage made in heaven’. Two lives working together in harmony and both parties totally wanting to please the other. ❤️

Day 51/365

Behold! He appears within the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the people groups of the earth will weep with sorrow because of him. And so it is to be! Amen. (‭‭Rev‬ ‭1:7‬)

My wife and I watched “I Believe” on NETFLIX last night. It covered the testimony of Jeremy Camp who, at only 20 years of age suffered tremendous hurt, heart ache and pain, as watched as the young love of his life die of cancer.

In the midst of all this turmoil, he didn’t fold or quit but found the faith to put down his heart’s thoughts and wrote some of our most beautiful Worship songs.

There’s a song I enjoyed many years ago:“Sometimes He comes in the clouds.” by Stephen Curtis Chapman.

“Sometimes He comes in the rain
And we question the pain
And wonder why God can seem so far away
But time will show us, He was right there with us

And sometimes He comes in the clouds
Sometimes His face cannot be found
Sometimes the sky is dark and gray

And sometimes our faith can only grow when we can’t see… ❤️

Day 50/365

But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones.

He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own.

He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. For at one time you were not God’s people, but now you are. At one time you knew nothing of God’s mercy, because you hadn’t received it yet, but now you are drenched with it! (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:9)

What are these ‘wonders’ that we are to broadcast throughout the word?

The continuous miracles that come out of:
Loving others – and showing them how
Forgiving others – and showing them how
Blessing others – and showing them how
Helping others – and showing them how
Healing others – and showing them how
Revealing GOD to others – and showing them how
Praying for the needs of others – Etc.

❤️

Day 49/365

For it is not from man that we draw our life but from God as we are being joined to Jesus, the Anointed One.

And now he is our God-given wisdom, our virtue, our holiness, and our redemption. And this fulfills what is written: If anyone boasts, let him only boast in all that the Lord has done! (‭‭1 Cor ‭1:30)

EVERYTHING you need is there for you. You only have to ask the Holy Spirit and He will be your Wisdom, your virtue, your holiness and your Redeemer. That way you can joyfully boast to all who will hear, “Look at all that the Lord has done for me!” ❤️

Thursday

… I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise…

I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time…

I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. (‭‭Rom 7:14)

(Jesus speaking) “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” (‭‭Mat ‭11:28) ❤️