Trusting God

1 So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? 2 If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we're given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. 3What we read in Scripture is, "Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own." 

4 If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift. 5 But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it - you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked - well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift. 

6 David confirms this way of looking at it, saying that the one who trusts God to do the putting-everything-right without insisting on having a say in it is one fortunate man: 7 Fortunate those whose crimes are carted off, whose sins are wiped clean from the slate. 8 Fortunate the person against whom the Lord does not keep score. 9 Do you think for a minute that this blessing is only pronounced over those of us who keep our religious ways and are circumcised? Or do you think it possible that the blessing could be given to those who never even heard of our ways, who were never brought up in the disciplines of God? We all agree, don't we, that it was by embracing what God did for him that Abraham was declared fit before God? 

10 Now think: Was that declaration made before or after he was marked by the covenant rite of circumcision? That's right, before he was marked. 11 That means that he underwent circumcision as evidence and confirmation of what God had done long before to bring him into this acceptable standing with himself, an act of God he had embraced with his whole life.

12 And it means further that Abraham is father of all people who embrace what God does for them while they are still on the "outs" with God, as yet unidentified as God's, in an "uncircumcised" condition. It is precisely these people in this condition who are called "set right by God and with God"! Abraham is also, of course, father of those who have undergone the religious rite of circumcision not just because of the ritual but because they were willing to live in the risky faith-embrace of God's action for them, the way Abraham lived long before he was marked by circumcision. 

13 That famous promise God gave Abraham - that he and his children would possess the earth - was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed. 14 If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That's not a holy promise; that's a business deal. 15 A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise - and God's promise at that - you can't break it. 

16 This is why the fulfilment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God's promise arrives as pure gift. That's the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it, those who keep the religious traditions and those who have never heard of them. For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father - that's reading the story backwards. He is our faith father. 

17 We call Abraham "father" not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, "I set you up as father of many peoples"? Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. 18 When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, "You're going to have a big family, Abraham!" 

19 Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. 20 He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, 21 sure that God would make good on what he had said. 22 That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." 23 But it's not just Abraham; 24 it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. 25 The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God.

-Romans 4 MSG

Skype Cell Group: His love casts out all fear

One of my best friends and her mother have started a cell group via Skype! She has been looking for a new cell for a few weeks now, and asked me if I would like to be a part of it. I haven't found a church here at home yet, so this couldn't have been more welcome. It is a chance to have fellowship with a few women that are earnestly seeking God's heart. I need this.It is too easy to get lost in this world on our own and forget the promises God has made in our hearts. We need to be reminded of His goodness and love, especially during the storms in our lives.  

So, this group chat is made up of my friend - in Cape Town on campus, her sister - at their home in Somerset west; her mother - all the way in Wales; her friend - over in Newlands, UK; and me - here at home. 

It is truly amazing that no matter where you are in the world, the word of God can reach you. He will send you the right people to help you through whatever situation you may face, to support you and help you grow in His love. 

Here are little bits and pieces, words of wisdom and encouragement from the session. I hope you find something that touches your heart too.

***

Trust in God and His promises will come to pass. In His time, He will reveal all things to us. Be Patient and lift your voice up to Him for He hears our cries. He is always fighting a supernatural battle for us. Have faith, the victory is already yours.

He [Abraham] was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.

-Romans 4:21

“Don’t give up on your hopes and dreams; you may just be on the brink of your miracle.”

Jesus is not the spare wheel in your life, so don’t put Him in that position. Allow Him to take the lead and trust Him with all your troubles and worries. Give it all up to Him.

Our flesh is weak, but our spirit is strong. Therefore, we must feed our spirit with the word of God every day. Soak up all His wisdom and grow in His presence.

“Doubt kills faith, so don’t allow the enemy to put that in your heart.”

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High

will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This I declare of the LORD:

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;

he is my God, and I am trusting him.

For he will rescue you from every trap

and protect you from the fatal plague.

He will shield you with his wings.

He will shelter you with his feathers.

His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,

nor fear the dangers of the day,

nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness,

nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

Though a thousand fall at your side,

though ten thousand are dying around you,

these evils will not touch you.

But you will see it with your eyes;

you will see how the wicked are punished.

If you make the LORD your refuge,

if you make the Most High your shelter,

no evil will conquer you;

no plague will come near your dwelling.

For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go.

They will hold you with their hands

to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.

You will trample down lions and poisonous snakes;

you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue them and honor them.

I will satisfy them with a long life

and give them my salvation."

Psalm 91

***

“His love casts out fear. Allow Him to fill you with peace and replenish your spirit.”

Don’t be afraid. The Lord sends His angels to look after each and every one of us. Don’t allow the enemy to put fear into your heart either. Trust in the Lord, in all things, and for all things. The Lord is your protector, make Him your refuge and turn to Him when you are afraid. No harm can fall upon those in the Lord’s counsel.

When your day is not focused on God, you miss the point. You miss out on hearing His voice and receiving His direction. We are here to live a life that is pleasing to God. Therefore, let every day be a testimony to Him; and let it bring glory to our Heavenly father.

Find your hope in Christ Jesus, and it will never run out.

God is good, and we need to be able to acknowledge that goodness, and look for it all around us.

Don’t let your circumstances affect your faith. Look first to God and let Him deal with all your worries.

***

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God!

They are innumerable!

I can't even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me

Psalm 139:16-18

Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER!

"But the angel answered and said “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen…" Matthew 28:5,6

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

"Now my debt is paid"

Man Of Sorrows 

-Hillsong United-

Man of sorrows Lamb of God
By His own betrayed
The sin of man and wrath of God
Has been on Jesus laid

Silent as He stood accused
Beaten mocked and scorned
Bowing to the Father's will
He took a crown of thorns

Oh that rugged cross
My salvation
Where Your love poured out over me
Now my soul cries out
Hallelujah
Praise and honour unto Thee

Sent of heaven God's own Son
To purchase and redeem
And reconcile the very ones
Who nailed Him to that tree

Now my debt is paid
It is paid in full
By the precious blood
That my Jesus spilled

Now the curse of sin
Has no hold on me
Whom the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed

Oh that rugged cross
My salvation
Where Your love poured out over me
Now my soul cries out
Hallelujah
Praise and honour unto Thee

See the stone is rolled away
Behold the empty tomb
Hallelujah God be praised
He's risen from the grave

The Light of the world

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God,
and the Word was God. 

- John 1:1

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
- John 1:4-5

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
- John 1:9-13

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
- John 1:14

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.
- John 1:16-17

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

- John 3:16-17

Skype Cell Group: Week 1: God will always reach out to you, wherever you may be

One of my best friends and her mother have started a cell group via Skype! She has been looking for a new cell group for a few weeks now, and asked me if I would like to be a part of it. I haven't found a church here at home yet, so this couldn't have been more welcome. It is a chance to have fellowship with a few women that are earnestly seeking God's heart. I need this.It is too easy to get lost in this world on our own and forget the promises God has made in our hearts. We need to be reminded of His goodness and love, especially during the storms in our lives.  

So, this group chat is made up of my friend - in Cape Town on campus, her sister - at their home in Somerset west; her mother - all the way in Wales; her friend - over in Newlands, UK; and me - here at home. 

It is truly amazing that no matter where you are in the world, the word of God can reach you. He will send you the right people to help you through whatever situation you may face, to support you and help you grow in His love. 

I am in awe. 

Here are little bits and pieces, words of wisdom and encouragement from the session. I will try to do this every week. I hope you find something that touches your heart too.

***

No more excuses to worship God or to make time to spend in His word. He will meet us wherever we are. He sees us always. There is no place to hide away. We can be lost in the world, but He can find us, out on the greatest ocean, or in the vast dessert.

*** 

The Lord tells us that He will be with us always because we are His children and He loves us more than we can ever know. So no more doubt, and no more fear.

***

 “We don’t arrive in the Lord, we grow in Him.”

***

Our past does not determine our future. And just because something didn’t change yesterday, doesn’t mean that it can’t change today or tomorrow. You need to feed the fire of the spirit that is burning within your heart in order for it to keep burning. And the only way to feed it is to turn to the word of the Lord.

***

  

***

 Do not lose faith when you are facing a trial. Always remember that He is preparing us for what is still to come. This is only a phase in your life, and this is the time that God will be strengthening you. So hold fast to His word, and believe that He is fighting this battle for you.

 ***

Let the holy spirit guide the decisions that you make in your life. And every morning when you wake up, put on the coat of peace, so that you may always know when you are making the wrong decision. You will know by the uneasy feeling in your heart. You will hear His guidance. Believe. Trust in Him always.

***

Sometimes our own feelings of guilt will bring us down, but if we repent and give it up to God, then we will be free of it. He died to pay the ultimate price for our lives, that we may have an everlasting life with our Heavenly Father.

***

Put your focus on Jesus and you will find your way.

***

“He steadied me as I walked along.”

Fighting for our Hearts' desires

Sometimes it’s so easy to back down and hide away from all your troubles. We think that God wants us to just accept this fate and have faith that He will change things. And yes, He will overcome all our troubles, but I am starting to realise that there is more to it than just acceptance.  He seeks your heart and wants to give us all that we desire. So what if God doesn't just want us to be passive and to just try and cope with everything that is happening in our lives? Maybe He wants us to shout out and ask Him for advice. He wants us to pray to be recovered. Right NOW! Not to just wait and learn to cope with the misfortunes that come our way, but to first ask Him if we should FIGHT BACK and listen to His reply! God wants you to turn to him to find strength. 

I heard a sermon at church by Ps. Charles Niemand about King David in 1 Samuel 30.

David and his men arrived back to their camp site to find everything completely destroyed by the Amalekites. Not only did they burn down all their houses and steal all their possessions, but they took away their wives and children with them. The bible says that David and the men were so distraught that “they wept until they could weep no more.”  After this, the men started to become bitter and David saw that he would be in danger. But instead of accepting his fate and giving in to his grief, David found strength in the Lord his God. 

Then he asked God whether or not he should go after the band of raiders and whether he would catch them. And the Lord answered and told him YES he would catch them and that he would recover everything that was taken from him. So he went out and it was exactly as the Lord had said.

I feel that this message is so important in my life right now because for far too long I have been trying to cope with everything myself, and all that I have wanted from God was peace and understanding. I have been trying so hard to change myself to be better adapted to handle all these things but I still feel as if I keep coming short of that. And this then leads to me feeling inadequate and as if I am not good enough.

But I've finally realised that it is time to seek STRENGTH from the Lord, and to be RECOVERED! In this very moment I want to be different. And not on a physical level, but deep down in my spirit, I want to be renewed and I want to FIGHT for God’s will to be done, and to achieve all the desires that God has placed in my heart. 

God can only do so much for us. He gave us the the power of choice and the right to have our own opinions. So now we have to believe that with Him we are greater than without Him, and that He is equipping us to better handle the obstacles in our path, and to unite His nations for His glory. 

Praise be to God, forever and ever!

Bitterness

In church today Ps. Charles Niemand spoke about asking God to be RECOVERED, so that our grief does not turn into bitterness, for bitterness soon turns into hostility if it has been nurtured for too long.

Don't focus on the "Why me?" type of questions, that we so readily ask ourselves when things happen that leave us feeling shattered, because it doesn't change anything that has happened. All it will do is hold you back. 

2 Corinthians 11:24-29

²⁴ Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.^[c] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

²⁸ Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10

⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul faced all these terrible things and didn't once ask, "Why me?" He knew that even though he was going through troubled times, his God had not forsaken him. Instead, he chose to be proud of his weakness because that is when  the Lord's power works best. His grace is all we need to gain strength. 

Always remember that the whole universe is NOT against you! You are not the only one that is facing or has faced some really tough things. Turn your eyes back to the Lord and your spirit will be renewed. Don't give up hope, for the Lord has overcome the world and He will never leave your side. 

Our God is Love

"God will bring you through the fire"

Having faith gives us a future

The message in church on Sunday was about faith. Below is just a few notes and my understanding.

Pastor Phil Dooley of Hillsong Church Cape Town.

"You may not know what the future holds, but you know who holds your future."


Faith is so powerful.

Hebrews 11v1:
To have faith, is to be sure of the things we hope for and to be certain of the things we cannot see.

Faith is trusting in God. It is not just striving, but pressing forward and trusting God that as I live for Him, He will provide. God is big enough to handle what is going on in our lives. He will come to meet you. Always. God believes in each one of us.

As long as you welcome Jesus with an open heart, then He can use you.

Faith is seeing something that is not there YET.
Faith is believing something that has not happened YET.
Faith is thanking God for something that hasn't happened YET.
"YET" is a faith word. It says that it is still possible.

To build faith, you have to go back to the word of God.

Hebrews 11v6
"It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who comes to Him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek Him."
To grow your faith:

1. Speak in faith

Sometimes God places things on your heart that you may not understand, but have faith and follow that instinct. That inner voice that guides you when you are quiet enough to hear it. Share His word at every chance that you get.

2. See faith

Start to see what God has planned for your future.

If you keep seeing only the obstacles, the things blocking your way, you won't be able to see the everything that God has planned for your future. Imagine it. Dreams it. And believe that it will come true.

3. Thank God in faith

Before it has even happened. Thank God now and believe that it is still coming. Trust that God has perfect timing. And our timing is usually a little off course. So thank Him now, for God has a grand plan. And He can make all things possible.

***

Throughout the message pastor Phil shared a few stories with us and they were truly magnificent to hear. Its always so inspirational and moving to hear and see how God is working in different people's lives. Nothing is too small or too big for Him. And the Lord loves us all equally. It always amazes me to see how different everyone around me in church is. This is one of the things I love most, God doesn't judge us on who we are. Because He made us all individually, each and every one of us is different.

Jeremiah 1v5
" I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations."

No matter where you are, and no matter who you are, He will find you.

Lesson's learnt

 

Life is never what it seems, and is often unexpected. But God always gives you what you need. He will never lead you where he knows you won't be ok. In every situation there is always a lesson to be learnt. It may not always be clear to us, but I guess this is where faith comes in. Faith that even though we can't see where we are going or why things are happening the way that they are, God has a mighty plan.