Tuesday 31 January 2012

Today Reminder - 31 January 2012 (Extreme makeover)


My prayer for you for today is that you will be transformed into a Christ warrior as we ask the Holy Spirit to help us in our limited earthly bodies to face each day knowing that there is eternity in the Kingdom of God as our prize, in Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 15:40-44 and 50
There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.
It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

Extreme makeover. You must have seen these shows on television where they take a very unattractive looking everyday person and transform them into this shining star. Is that not something most people desire, to look like somebody else. If I only had his eyes or her hair or his nose or her smile or his hands or her toes or his arms or her legs, we desire to be like somebody else when instead we can be like Christ. I think that this is just another way the world invented to make us feel substandard and then the world decided what a perfect person should look like, and they advertise this everywhere so that you would think that this is what you should look like, and then you spend thousands on all kinds of supplements to be more worldly instead of being more like Jesus. Oh I agree we should be healthy, but we should be healthy in our own bodies. Your earthly body in all its glory is not even close to what your spiritual body will be when we are resurrected. You earthly body will perish while your spiritual body will live forever. This, my dear friend, is the ultimate extreme makeover. All this we see now is temporary, so exercise to be healthy, but focus on a Christ like look. When we focus on being more like Jesus, our worldly ideas and desires will fade and we will be less like ourselves and more like Jesus. This is the ultimate goal, and believe me it is a lifelong goal. 

Remember this: If there is one fact that you must not forget it is this – Time can be our greatest enemy and time can be our greatest partner. Time does not stop nor does it wait. Time heals, but time can also destroy. Time can be slow and time can be fast. Time will tell but time will also be silent. Time is important and time can be lost. Time can never be turned back, and time flies. Time is running out…

I will lift my eyes up to the heavens and I will know where my strength is. 

Have a great day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Monday 30 January 2012

Today Reminder - 30 January 2012 (Who am I)


My prayer for you for today is God will pour His special favour over you, in Jesus name.

1 Corinthians 15:10-11
But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out His special favour on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by His grace. So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.

Who I am. I am sitting here this morning reflecting back over a life lived with many mistakes. When I read this part where Paul says that is all because of God’s special favour then I can relate. I have travelled the road mostly travelled and made all the mistakes you can possibly make. I have been completely lost up to a point where God pulled me out of the dump I found myself in and brought me back by His love and His grace to a place where I can be worth something. I realise now that each day is a gift and each moment that we have is a blessing. God’s love is great, it is much greater than any human mind can comprehend, much greater than any value we know and far greater than any distance we can cover. 

If God can take a sinner like me and change my life and bring me to place where I can stand and be part of Him, then He will surely do it for each one of you. He can pull you out of any misery, out of pain, out of sorrow, out of failure, out of trouble and out any wrong direction and place you back on the road of recovery, the road of Jesus Christ.

Above all God is patient and He is patient with you as much as He has and is with me. Don’t give up, let the Lord be your help line. Bring your problems to Him and you will see how small they really are.

In the hands of an all-powerful God anything is small and more than possible.

Have an awesome day, dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers.

Friday 27 January 2012

Today Reminder - 27 January 2012 (Dear friend)

"Look into the depths of another's soul and listen, not only with our ears, but with our hearts and imagination, and our silent love."  - Joyce Kanelakos 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Dear friend of Jesus, I pray that you will be filled with love today. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you a little part of God’s love so that you will smile in the face of fear and be solid when your world wants to crumble. I pray that your heart will bounce with love when you share in the joy’s and success of those around you and that your love will shine out so that people will experience God’s love. 

I pray that you will be stronger when you are weak, that you will easily forgive when you are wronged and that you will return friendship to everyone you meet. I pray that God will bless you through this day, that He will fill you with joy and take away all that troubles you as you steadily walk through today into the weekend. I pray that you will be safe and warm and that the blessings of this day will continue through the weekend as you continue to live a life for God and that every person you meet will see the light and love of God in your eyes. I pray that you will be a lighthouse in the world ruled by storms and disaster. I pray that you will be incorruptible and unbreakable against the attacks of the evil forces of this world.
I pray that you will have enough rest and that you will start Monday fully restored and ready for another week. I pray this in the name of Jesus.

Have an awesome day and even greater weekend dear friend.

Cheers.

Thursday 26 January 2012

Today Reminder - 26 January 2012 (The hammer and the nail)


My prayer for you for today is that you will know how valuable you are and you will see the value of other in the body of Christ. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 12:22
In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

The hammer and the nail. There was once a hammer that thought himself to be the greatest tool in the shop. He would hammer all day long about how important he was and that no job could be done without his help. Yes this hammer was a proud hammer. He would marvel at his strength and boast about his gracious curves. He would bang down on the nails and laugh as he smashed them into the wood. One day as he was slamming his weight down on a tiny nail, the nail started to laugh. “What are laughing about” he shouted. “Well …” the nail said “I do not think you are as strong as you say you are” he said smiling. “What do you mean” he said this time in a growling unhappy and very sarcastic voice. “Well, I bet you that you cannot keep these two boards together longer than what I can.” Said the nail, again with a smile “What!” the hammer laughed “Off course I can and I can do it better than anyone” he said with his big hammer head lifted up in pride. “Well then, it is a challenge” Said the nail.

The hammer took two equal slabs of wood and started to try and keep them together as the rest of the tools continued with building the cupboard. The nail smiled as he just stood there keeping his wood bounded by his length. The hammer on the other side struggled, and struggled. He grinded on his teeth as he struggled to keep the wood together and finally he could not hold on any more, and gave up, he fell to the side watching the cupboard fall apart. He could not believe that such a simple job was impossible for him to do. He realised that each tool, no matter how small, played a vital role in the world of carpentry.

You might not be a hammer and you might not even be a nail, but you are most certainly a vital part for God. He made you irreplaceable in your role that you play in this world. Don’t ever think yourself too small or too weak for whatever God allows to come your way. You are designed to succeed against all odds, because you have a loving and all powerful God by your side. I pray that you will be strong when faced with large obstacles, and humble when you overcome them with ease.

Have a great day friend of Jesus.

Cheers.

Wednesday 25 January 2012

Stay Focussed


Philippians 3:14 - I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Today Reminder - 25 January 2012 (The battle continues)


My prayer for you for today is that you will be strong against all temptation and that you will hear the warnings of the Holy Spirit and that you will see the way out. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 10:12-14
If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 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. So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.

The battle continues. The world has become one big pool of temptation. We see it everywhere, it is in magazines, on television, billboards, shopping malls, cell phones and windows. People even advertise on shirts and cars. Every day people are trying to find a way to sell things to you that you do not need, and then there are the need of things we can’t afford. We find good reasons and strong arguments for why we would need another pair of expensive shoes or jeans and finally when we have our expensive needs they become so important in our lives that our world starts to revolve around them. This is when material things begin to take God’s place in our lives and we start to worship ourselves and our possessions. We start to ignore the need of the poor and we focus on our ever increasing need to possess more. We lose the face of Jesus and we become the enemy. How hard is it for us to see that we have fallen into the trap as the enemy will continue to strengthen our arguments of why, how and when to keep us in his grip. The devil does not play nice, and your downfall is his main goal. He knows our weaknesses and he will continue to attack us with as many ways as possible. He does not want you to succeed but he wants you to become dependent on him and forget about God. He will lift you up and prepare you for the drop so that you will fall into his trap. He will show you the “good life” in a temporary and decaying world, to give a false sense of security so that you will not need God…

God is faithful and He will not let you be tempted above your ability to withstand it. When satan bombards you with temptations God will show you a way out. Paul says that you must flee from the worship of idols. We must not let anything take God’s place in our lives. Let the Holy Spirit help you and ask God to open your eyes and assist you when you are tempted so that you will glorify God in the end for each temptation destroyed. I will continue to trust the Lord every day to provide me with what I need and to help me own what He had in mind for me, to not overindulge but to take only what is needed and to let the need of other be part of my daily life. I pray that the Lord will strengthen us in our fight against temptation and that we will be victorious against a relentless enemy.

After the rain comes the sun, in every difficult time Jesus will shine. 

Have an awesome day great warrior.

Cheers



Tuesday 24 January 2012

Today Reminder - 24 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will train your spirit so that you can run the race of life with endurance and succeed to gain the eternal prize. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 9:23-27
I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

A healthy body hosts a healthy mind. I must admit I love to exercise. I love to train until my body is tired and I reached my limits. I might be a little fanatic in that sense but before my day starts I spend time with God, this is our quiet time. It is a special time of the day that I reserve for Him in prayer. This is my time I exercise my spirit. I believe that training your spirit is just as important as training your body. I find that in the challenges of life a healthy body alone cannot withstand the continuous battle that the spirit faces. You need you train your spirit so that it can endure these attacks and carry you through. Exercise without a goal can be a torture, and it will destroy your motivation. In the same sense exercising your spirit without a goal can be a challenge. To motivate myself I have a number of goals that I want to achieve physically and spiritually. I exercise my spirit to reach a closer and more intimate relationship with God and ultimately winning the eternal prize – eternal life. But not only do I spend time fighting my own battles but I carry the battles of my loved ones, my colleagues and you and I bring them to the Lord. So to sum it up, not only my personal gain but also the success of those around me motivates me to get up every morning and spend time in prayer. I love this quote: “Determination today, leads to success tomorrow.” Believe me when I say I have seen that in practice many times. Don’t give up in your daily exercise, the prize is much greater than the effort.

While I am sitting here writing to you it started to rain outside and I am once again in awe.  What a wonderful God we worship. Rain cleanses the world much like the Holy Spirit cleans the body. Let it rain in your spirit today as the Holy Spirit helps you to clear away and clean the areas where it is needed. My prayers are with you, friend of Jesus.

Have a wonderful day.

Cheers.

Monday 23 January 2012

Today Reminder - 23 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will be a valuable asset for God in your relationships with friends and family and that you will see God’s hand and His work as these relationships as they become a bond that cannot be broken. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 4:17
That's why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go.

The gift of friends and family! What an awesome weekend. We were so blessed in seeing our family over this weekend and spending some time with them. It made me realise once again how important family can be in our lives. They listen when we are sad, help when we are in trouble and they share in our happiness and in our sadness. We sometimes forget how important they are in our lives and we can easily take them for granted. We get mad at them, we forgive them, we laugh with them we miss them, we cry with them but most important is that we love them and they love us. God gave us friends and family as gift to help us stand against the attacks of the enemy and the hardships of this world. It is in our unconditional love for each other that God will be truly visible.

The Gift of Family
Some people are born into wonderful families.
Others have to find or create them.
Being a member of a family is a priceless membership
that we pay nothing for but love. 
 - Jim Stovall 

Let us be grateful for the gift of friends and family, they can be a valuable anchor in our daily lives. Enjoy every moment as a gift, because time goes by so quickly.

Have an awesome day friend of Jesus, my prayers are with you.

Cheers.
 

Thursday 19 January 2012

I am in awe


As I stand in awe of a glorious God, knowing that all I am and all I see is created by Him. All the trees, all the animals, all the stars, all the plants and all the people, from the heavens above to the depths of the ocean, perfectly crafted in a portrait like a beautiful picture. I am amazed that in all this splendour and beauty He still has time for me, He carries my pain, my fear and my worries close to His heart. His Son took the burden of my sin and cleansed me of all that could burden me and bound me to this world. I am in awe…

Today Reminder - 20 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will know you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you. Be strong and be holy in the Name of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

In 1889 a most unusual structure was built. When it was first built for an international exhibition the citizens of the city called the structure “monstrous.” They demanded it be torn down as soon as the exhibition was over. Yet, from the moment its architect first conceived it, he took pride in it and loyally defended it from those who wished to destroy it. He knew it was destined for greatness. Today it is one of the architectural wonders of the modern world and stands as the primary landmark of Paris, France. The architect was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower.

You are a temple for God, because the Holy Spirit lives in you. No matter who or what you are, you are unique and specially designed by God for a unique purpose in this world. Off course this means that you are special and more so because you are made in the image of a perfect God and that means that every line and every bit of detail in you is formulated in God’s image. You form part of a much larger temple which is the church and God mobilizes you as He mobilizes His church to continue fighting for the lives of the lost sheep. As Christians we might look different, feel different and even stand out, but when this world tries to destroy you, you will be defended by your architect. And your architect is God. So be different, because you have so much and such an awesome defender and remember: God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple.

Have an awesome day friend of Jesus as we stand out and be free.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 19 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will renew your foundation in Jesus so that you can build knowing you will not fall. In Jesus Name

1 Corinthians 3:10-11
Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

Are you building, renovating or breaking down? Building a house or even just renovating can be a stressful business. How is it going to look, how long will it take and what is it going to actually cost you? When it finally starts there are delays, problems and changes and yes naturally there is the rain. I can’t help thinking of Psalm 127:1-2

Unless the LORD builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the LORD protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to His loved ones.

To live a life as a Christian is much like building a house. We start with the foundation and that is Jesus. This is the rock that the wise builder used. As time progresses the walls will come up, the piping and wiring, the windows, plaster, the roof, doors and the finishing touches. To build your house you must use the right material. The word of God, the Bible is your bricks, friends can be the paint or plaster, the Church could be your doors, worshipping can be part of the finishing touches and God is your roof. When you build on your house today, build with the master builder, build with God. Let Him help you to reinforce your walls against the attacks of the enemy, let Him be your roof so that every time you look up for help you will see Him, let Jesus be your foundation, so that where ever you walk you will see Him and know Him. 

Psalm 121:1-2 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!

My prayers are with you, friend of Jesus. Today is going to be a beautiful day created by a great and amazing God. Wherever and whatever you find yourself building on your house today, know that with Jesus you are building with the right foundation, the right material and the right tools.

Have a nice day.

Cheers.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Each new day


Each new day is a new beginning-
to learn more about ourselves
to care more about others,
to laugh more than we did,
to accomplish more than we thought we could,
and be more than we were before.

Today Reminder - 18 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that God will make the seed planted in you grow so that you too can plant seed in the lives of other. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9
I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building.

It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. - J. K. Rowling 

Dedication is doing the "BEST" with your life rather than settling for what is only the "good." - Unknown

Do you have green fingers? I love to work in our little garden, digging in the dirt and watching the plants grow. The most amazing thing is to take something that seems dead and nurture it back to life. To watch a plant that you would normally throw away come back to life, is just amazing. By giving it a little water and a better place to grow, it just suddenly comes back to life and grows. The funny thing is that I don’t see myself as this great gardener. When it comes to gardening I am an amateur and yet my small effort gets them to grow. When we look at God’s garden we are the gardeners. We plant the seed and give water, but God makes the seed grow to form beautiful gardens with plenty of shade and plenty of light where it is needed. The important thing to remember in this process is that you could be either the one who plants or the one who waters, but most important is that both is needed to make the seed grow. Neither of them is more important than the other, because in the end God has the final say. It reminds me of the story Jesus told of the farmer scattering the seed. Some fell on the footpath, some fell on shallow soil, some fell among thorns and some fell in good and fertile soil. I always think of the seed that fell among the thorns: Mark 4: 18-19 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

These are the guys I worry about, they hear the good news but this world robs them from producing a harvest. I truly hope and pray that we can bring light to them in their times of darkness. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by to plant or to water, and be patient in the process, because God is at work. I pray that you will be strong in faith when God needs you to plant or when God needs you to water and that the thorns of this world will not be able to overpower you or to inhibit your spirit.

Another beautiful day lies ahead of us. I know you will have an awesome day friend of Jesus.

Cheers.

Today Reminder - 17 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will hear the Spirit as God reveals His thoughts to you. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12
But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

Telephones. Don’t you just love this awesome device they call the cell phone. I remember when I was young we had these old phones with a shared line. When they called you, you had to listen for a certain ring then you knew the call was for you. When I went to high school I had my first encounter with an automatic phone. This was the first time I could dial a number and I did not have to ask for a number through a switch board. But still I remember how this old switch board operator was quite an advantage for us. My parents owned a shop on their farm and they were either home or at the shop, so when I dialled our area code from my hostel I could ask our operator where my mom is, and she always knew where they were. She knew us well, so while I was waiting for her to find my mom she would ask how we were doing and chatted with me while she was putting me through. The Holy Spirit to me is a lot like that. He is the operator that connects us to God’s thoughts and talks to us while we are working or driving or even sleeping. With this amazing Spirit in us we can know God’s thoughts, and I must admit thinking about that is giving me goose bumps. We have a direct link to God. Let’s quiet out the noise of this world and let the Holy Spirit reveal God’s thoughts to us. I know this can be scary, because we might not all be ready for what God wants us to do. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you strength to boldly follow and do God’s will as He reveals it to you. God will put you in the right place and on the right path, have faith and trust Him.

Another beautiful day given to us by a loving Father. Have an awesome day friend of Jesus, my prayers are with you.

Cheers.

Monday 16 January 2012

Today Reminder - 16 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will know you are not foolish in following the Lord but that you will stand firm in it as you show the light of Jesus to the world. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 1:18-21
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.  As the Scriptures say,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
  and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." (Isa 29:14)

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

The narrow path. I think in today’s world with all the technology and constant archaeological findings with explanations of the so called “Big bang” theory and to top it off you have  television spreading a bunch of rumours and theories by clever people, it seems hard to be a Christian when your faith is constantly being attacked from all sides. The funny thing is it has been happening for many years. Paul had problems convincing the wise in his time and surely we will have trouble convincing the wise today. Paul clearly says that the good news of Christ is foolish to those headed for destruction. Following Jesus is a choice we make because the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes and our minds so that we can clearly see and feel the reality of a living God. But following Him is not a once off decision and now you are free from all temptation. The world will continue to attack you, because you have chosen correctly. The devil does not want you to succeed so he will do anything in his power to get you off your present path. He is the master of lies and he will make up as many as he can to confuse you. Why is it so much easier for people to follow a lie, than to follow the truth? I think it boils down to choice and will. You see it in our everyday lives, we have become creatures of comfort and we do not like to face difficulties. I think that is why so many followers of Christ are falling away, they will believe any nonsense just to have it easier. Following Jesus is no easy task, it is a constant and continuous spiritual training exercise. You have to spend time in prayer to make your spirit stronger and to build your bond with God. Alone you will slip, but with Jesus you will succeed. He is your life line and your saviour. Spend more time in prayer and reading the word so that you will be stronger in the continuous battle against the devil and his lies. My prayers are with you so that you will have victory in this day and every day that follows.

I am not alone in this fight against evil, I stand united with many as we bring honour to God with each new victory.
Have an awesome day, friend of Jesus.

Cheers.



Friday 13 January 2012

Today Reminder - 13 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will be a profitable partner in your partnership with Jesus. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 1:8-9
He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Business as usual.  I started work again this week after taking a short break and I suddenly feel as if I was never gone. The consistent load and continuous rush just seem to carry on and on. January just started for me and here we are almost half way through this month. It is almost as if I fell into a river and can’t seem to get back to the side as I struggle to keep my head above water paddling with all I am worth to get to dry land. Life can be hard in that sense as we fight to stay in the race. God will keep you strong, He is faithful and does what He says. God is the rescue helicopter, the coast guard, the life saver that rushes in to pull you out of the waves that keeps on smashing you in the face and pulling you down. God said that He will never leave you and He will never forsake you meaning He will never ever quit on you. He gave his only son to free us from the burden of sin. Are you tired today, are you looking at the waves in your life and it scares you? Do you feel alone today? I pray that God will send you peace, I pray that you will feel that He is pulling you out and He is carrying you through. God is with you, in you and beside you and you will have victory for His glory. God has a plan for you in whatever it is you face today, this week or this year. It will not only make you stronger but form stronger roots in God so that you will be ready for bigger challenges and greater success. My prayers are with you, my dear friend.

As the waves come crashing down on me I will look to my inner God-strength to keep on fighting as I reach out for the hand of Jesus so that I can walk on water.

Today will be a God day as this year will be a God year.

Have an awesome day friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Thursday 12 January 2012

Today Reminder - 12 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will know and remember the gifts God so freely gives us each day. In Jesus Name.

1 Corinthians 1:4
I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. I believe that to give brings us so much closer to God. For me each day is a gift from God, each moment that we have together and each message I write to you is a gift from God. Beyond that God gave us His son and then He sends the Holy Spirit to be our comforter. I think that we sometimes do not know what we have. It is much like the early settlers finding a beautiful stone here in Pretoria and though that it is nice rock not knowing they had a diamond. When Jesus told His disciples that He must go so that He can send someone like Him to them and it is better for them that way, they waited patiently. When the Holy Spirit came they began to do unbelievable things. But what I think we all miss is the part where Jesus says it is someone like Him. In you there is someone like Jesus – this is where I go… Wow! Yet we are just like the next person, in some cases non-believers seems happier than what we are. There is an all-powerful God living in you ready to give you limitless power, you are given one of the greatest gifts anyone can ever have. The early disciples didn’t know the Holy Spirit, they learned as they walked with Him. Let’s take time and get to know the Holy Spirit so that we can fully understand who He is so that we can have His peace and joy in our lives. I pray that God and the Holy Spirit will guide us in this process as we become more and more familiar with His power and His voice in our lives. 

I will not be intimidated by a temporary world, temporary problems and temporary pain. I will be influenced by an awesome God, a loving Son and an amazing Spirit.

Today is going to be a beautiful day again. Have a great day friend of Jesus.

Cheers.


Wednesday 11 January 2012

Never give up


It is just amazing how God will find a way to remind you of His great love. As I started this day, I felt near to the end of my strength. Looking at the work that lied ahead and the worries I face I stood for a moment at the end of a cliff and felt alone. Then a friend emailed me this, and again I was in awe of a great and awesome God, I am sure you will enjoy it too. 

We worship a BIG God!

One day I decided to quit....
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. ..
I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

'God', I asked, 'Can you give me one good reason not to quit?'
His answer surprised me...
'Look around', He said. 'Do you see the fern and the bamboo?'
'Yes', I replied.
'When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds,
I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo', He said.

'In year three, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.
I would not quit.' He said.

'Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. ..

But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots.
Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
'I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.'

He asked me.
'Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots'.

'I would not quit on the bamboo.
I will never quit on you.'
'Don't compare yourself to others.'

He said.
'The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful.'
'Your time will come',

God said to me.
'You will rise high'
'How high should I rise?'  I asked.
'How high will the bamboo rise?' He asked in return.
'As high as it can?' I questioned.
'Yes.'
He said,
'Give me glory by rising as high as you can.'

I left the forest and brought back this story.
I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.

Never, Never, Never Give up.

For Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Heavens door opened this morning,
God asked me...
My CHILD... what can I do for you?'
and I said
'Protect and bless the one reading this message.
God smiled and answered ...
'REQUEST GRANTED'

Today Reminder - 11 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will be filled with joy and peace as you trust in the Lord and to be an acceptable offering to God made holy by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus Name.

Romans 15:13 and 16
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 16:19-20
But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

You are holy because I am holy. I am looking after our baby boy as I write to you today and I am just amazed how the smallest of smile or even just a little chat from my side brings complete joy to that little face as it lights up with these beautiful little smiles followed by baby talk. Looking at him lying here next to me I am again fascinated by the wonderful peace that you see in his little face and I can feel the Holy Spirit just bursting inside me telling me that this is the kind of peace God has in mind for us. It is that complete and trusting faith this little baby has in us that I know we must have in God. He can’t feed himself and he can’t walk from one place to the next, he is fully dependent on us as his parents for this. We are God’s messengers in this world and we must have complete faith in God and trust Him in each circumstance. We are holy, because Jesus is holy and inside us is the Holy Spirit. Let’s remain obedient to the Lord as we stay the course and bring the good news to those around us. God will soon crush Satan under your feet as we follow Him faithfully every day. I pray that you will overflow with confident hope as the Holy Spirit fills you with His power so that you can face this day knowing a wonderful God is with you and you have nothing to fear. In Him we find our peace and joy.

God is the God of wonders. Today will be a wonderful day.

Have a great day friend of Jesus.

Cheers


Tuesday 10 January 2012

Spirit Wind (Winds of change)

Sprit wind by Casting Crowns

Ezekiel stared down into the valley
Filled with dry bones baking in the sun
Remains that used to be a mighty army
To him, it looked like their fighting days were done

But driven by a calling on his life
He spoke God’s words, the bones began to shake
He stared wide-eyed as the flesh began to form
And as he prophesied to the wind
The soldiers began to wake

And the Lord sent His wind into the valley
And breathed the breath of life into their souls
And raised them again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For they have been filled with the Spirit Wind
Woah...

A pastor stands before his congregation
Once a mighty army for the Lord
But now he stares into the lifeless eyes
Believers leading carnal lives
He wonders what they’re fighting for
But driven by a calling on his life
He spoke God’s word like he’d done a hundred times before
But this time he comes broken and weeping
With tears of a broken heart
And he cries out to the Lord

Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into their souls
And raise them again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For they have been filled with the Spirit Wind
Woah...

Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me

Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into our souls
And raise us again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For we have been filled with the Spirit Wind
Woah...

Oh Lord, we need You now
Breathe Your life into us
Lord, we need You now
Our churches and our families
Oh Lord, we need You now
Breathe life into this dry and weary land
Raise us up again

Today Reminder - 10 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that we will live in complete harmony with each other for glory of God. In Jesus Name.

Romans 15:5-7
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

Unity is strength. Acceptance can be a hard part of our lives. I think it is boils down to where and with whom we seek acceptance. When it comes to accept or being accepted, it seems as if society made up a list of requirements for people to fit into certain groups. If you look funny, talk funny, dress funny or smell funny you are not in my group. If you are Christian that’s cool, but if you are a radical Christian then you are not cool, in fact you are weird. Why is there even a difference between a Christian and a radical Christian? The funniest thing is, we read the same Bible but we interpret it differently. There are those that only read what they want to hear and completely blocks out the Holy Spirit. I believe if we ignore the Holy Spirit it is a sin. To accept somebody as Christ accepted us, is to accept them regardless of who they are, what they are, where they are from, what they look like and even what they smell like. Jesus took us in just the way we are, so let’s accept others just the way they are. Let God give us peace and encouragement to live together in harmony so that we will rise as one voice giving praise to God. Accept and be accepted. My prayers are with you friend of Jesus so that you will know Jesus accepted you no matter who you are or what you did.

I woke up listening to the wind rushing by our little house, and in me the Holy Spirit just confirms that there will be winds of change as God will be glorified in all the earth. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the Lord.

Today is going to be a beautiful day again!

Have an awesome day!

Cheers.

Monday 9 January 2012

Today Reminder - 09 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will live a life of goodness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus.

Romans 13:14
Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Romans 14:17-19
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

Clothes do not make the man. It is funny how a small change in our clothes can have a huge effect on our self-confidence. If there is a tiny spot of dirt on your pants or shirt, it seems to highlight itself in every situation you find yourself in and you continuously wonder what people will think. Or maybe your socks does not match or your pants are too tight, whatever the problem it can change your day. When you clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord and you ask the Holy Spirit to dwell in you, you are different, and yes you are going to wonder what people think. When we clothe ourselves with the presence of the Lord it resembles the closeness of your relationship with Him. I think it is how we stand in that relationship, how we see Jesus in our lives. He must be so close to you as your clothing is, and a small change in that should affect you completely. The closer we will get to the Lord the more comfortable we will become with ourselves and the less we will worry about what others think. You see it is not what we do or what we did, but it is what God does through us. In the end I do not want people to see me for what I did, but I want them to say that God is awesome when they see me. God must be my clothing, my whole self must reflect Him to the world. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in this process of being clothed by the Lord and let us try and live a life of goodness and joy, so that we can live in harmony with each other and build each other up. My prayers are with you friend of Jesus, may you find that Jesus is closer to you with every moment. 

God blessed us with rain during the night, I always seem to sleep so much better with the soft sound of rain on the roof. It is going to be a beautiful day.

Have a great day!

Cheers.

Friday 6 January 2012

Today Reminder - 06 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will put on the shining armour of right living as we move closer to our salvation. In the Name of Jesus.

Romans 13:11-12
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armour of right living.

Time is of the essence. I love NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigation Services), it is always a rush to find the killer and to save the innocent. In each episode they are always fighting against time as the team rushes to investigate people, looking for clues and interrogating people until it all eventually fits together like puzzle. My favourite character is Special Agent Gibbs that leads the NCIS team in their investigations. I think it is his qualities as a character that amazes me most, he cannot be corrupted, and he is steady as a rock and always focussed on the job no matter what happens or happened in his personal life. He made mistakes in his past that brings a more human side out to an almost super hero and the best part obviously is, he always gets his guy. Waking up this morning listening to the thunder outside and waiting for the rain to start, I can’t help to think that the puzzles are falling into place as we are watching a dying world. Are you ready for the end? Time is running out slowly but surely, and we don’t have much left. If you knew tomorrow is the end of time, the end of the world and the coming of the king, would you leave your loved ones to continue living a life without God, would you stand around and keep quiet? Why do we do it then, when we know it is all coming to an end?

Life is but a mere moment. All the evidence is on the table and it all points to the return of the Lord. If there is anything that holds you back from your past, shed it now and remove this from your life. Put on the armour of right living and live today as if there is no tomorrow. Honour God for each moment and thank Him for another chance to share His gift with those around us. Do not wait and do not be scared for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13). Let’s continue to be the difference makers and city changers as we fight to save God’s people. My prayers are with you friend of Jesus.

Today is going to be a beautiful day.

Have a great day!

Cheers


Thursday 5 January 2012

Today Reminder - 05 January 2012


My prayer for you for today is that you will love with an open heart seeking to do no wrong to other. In Jesus Name.

Romans 13:8-10
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law. For the commandments say, "You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet." These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.

Paul writes a lot about love and that for a very good reason, love sums up all the commandments, does no wrong to others therefor fulfilling all God’s requirements. So today I want to leave you with this:
Love is…
Love is simple and easy
Love is powerful and strong
Love is kind and caring
Love is patient and quick
Love is quiet and loud
Love is pure and messy
Love is silent and outspoken
Love is always, now and forever
Love is free and captivating
Love is more or less
Love is given and received
Love is you and me
Love is God and God is love
Love more, live more and feel more. Give from your heart in such a way that it burns from the inside, then you will know it is real. Make every moment count and savour that moment, because it is in the little that we see a lot of God. 

My prayers are with you friend of Jesus. It is going to be a lovely day.

Have a nice day.

Cheers

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