Today Reminder - 27 July 2012 (I am writing)

My prayer for you for today is that will have a peaceful and blessed day and that all your battles will be won, in Jesus name.

1 John 2:12-13

I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one.

I am writing - I am writing to you who are God's children. I have always loved the saying “Determination today leads to success tomorrow”. With the Olympic Games starting in just a few days I can’t help but to think of all the hard work in preparation and training that went into this. How people will exceed their own limitations and make the impossible seems so easily achievable, through dedication and perseverance. I imagine all the dreams of Olympic medals in the minds of so many athletes, and yet there can be only one winner. I think of how passion and love builds determination and that giving up is not an option. I can just imagine the anxiety and nervous fear that pulses through their veins as they eagerly await their events. 

My dear friend, I am writing to you who are God’s children living in victory for your sins are forgiven. I am writing to you so that you will rise up a champion for God determined and inspired. We are all athletes competing in the Olympic games of life, each one of us is slowly preparing for their individual event. Do not let fear hamper your performance, but know the secret to your success – you are not competing to defeat your rivals, you are competing to defeat your own self. If we overcome the limitations of our own mind we will become invincible champions. 

The secret to success is not in who or what you are, but in the essence of your faith driven by passion and determination. It is in knowing who God is and implementing that knowledge into your life. It is on this solid foundation that you will be steadfast and headstrong looking ahead with victory in your hands.

I am writing to you, because then you will become a gold medallist, a true champion…

Have an awesome day

Cheers

Today Reminder - 26 July 2012 (Obey)

My prayer for you for today is that you will obey God’s word so that you can completely live in Him and He in you, in Jesus name.

1 John 2:5-6

But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

Obey - But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love Him. How do you show your love? Is it in what you say, or is it in what you do, or is it the way you show it or the way you talk about it? Whatever or whichever way you show your love, it is always visible. When we follow God and we call ourselves Christians we tend you love God in secret. It is almost a forbidden thing and we don’t show it let alone confess it publicly. We hide our religion and this is among fellow Christians and we are embarrassed or shy to talk about His great love. If you enjoy an artist’s music, you will listen to it and share it with your friends, if you like a movie star you will talk about their movies and probably have a picture or own one of their movies, yet when it comes to God we are silent.

My dear friends, if you truly love God, you will follow His word and you will shine with this inner joy that nobody will be able to dampen. You will show His presence in your life by the way you live and you will never be shy to talk about Him, in fact you should shout it out, sing it and dance it or however you want to show it – it must be visible.

Come with me today as we dance again in God’s presence in our lives and show His love in everything we do. Let’s obey His word and follow Him with renewed enthusiasm.

Live to love and love to know and know to share and share to save.

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus

Cheers

Today Reminder - 25 July 2012 (Second Chances)

My prayer for you for today is that God will cleanse you from all wickedness and forgive your sins, in Jesus name.

1 John 1:9-10

But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts.

Second chances - This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all (Verse 5). I just love this: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. Our God is a God of second chances. When Jesus were confronted by the priests about the fact that He visits all the sinners and that He spends time with them, His answer was: "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." (Mark 2) God is all light and there is no bad side to Him, He is love and more than we can ever imagine. You see the enemy will try and hurt you by accusing you of the things you did wrong or are doing wrong and he will try and make you negative about life. Where God is all about forgiving and standing up and trying again, the enemy is all about destroying and accusing. God will forgive a repenting heart and more than that God will use your repenting heart for His purpose. 

My dear friends, whatever it is, God will forgive it if you repent with a humble dependent heart. This life is not about giving up and sitting down, this life is about standing up and fighting back. It is about second chances and determination, making the best of what you have and accepting forgiveness and turning bad into good. Life is about taking on the impossible and seeing the victory long before you reach the end. 

Let us take our second chances and turn them into victory marches as we take on each new day will renewed determination. I am more than meets the eye, because in me dwells a living God. I am unstoppable and unbreakable as I hold on to Him, He is my solid ground.

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus

Cheers

Today Reminder - 24 July 2012 (Beginning)

My prayer for you for today is that your faith will be renewed and your heart filled with joy in Jesus Christ, in Jesus name.

1 John 1:1

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.

Beginning - He is the Word of life. Here we are once again looking at an eye witness account of Jesus as God and we receive more confirmation from John that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God. This is the essence of our faith and here I have given you two eye witness accounts of His deity and confirmed that He is who He is. 

My dear friend, come with me today as we renew our faith in Jesus Christ. Come with me and let His light shine with renewed glory through our lives. Come with me a walk with renewed conviction and determination as we follow in His ways. Come with me today and live a new life filled with His presence. Come with me and let us give our hearts to Him making His presence known wherever we go. Come with me and dance with joy, because our saviour lives. Come with me as we stand united in fellowship.

We have no reason to fear nor do we have a reason for being sad and there is no reason to live in darkness. Jesus is alive and He has defeated all evil on the cross. Let us live, because in living we are His voice. Let us live, because we are free. Let us live, because of who we are in Him and He in us. 

There are no mountains and no waves, only Jesus. Live, because He is the Word of life.

This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen Him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that He is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then He was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

Have an awesome day

Cheers

Today Reminder - 23 July 2012 (Deliberately)

My prayer for you for today is that you will not be misled, but that you will remain focused and that you will continue to follow God with an undivided heart, in Jesus name.

2 Peter 3:3-5

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."  They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of His command, and He brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water.

Deliberately - What happened to the promise? We live in modern times and people in our time are so easily influenced by ideas and weird believes. I think as Christians we mostly face an uphill battle, because those who do not believe will find ways to confront our religion and ask questions to try and discredit it. Peter knew this will happened and he knew the type of questions these people will ask, but Peter, most importantly, knew God’s heart.  In verse 8 he says “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” Peter writes again about our Lord’s return and he is faced with a difficult question when people will say that so much time has passed and He did not return. Christians will start to lose faith and return to their old ways, but Peter stops them here and reminds us that God does not function in our time. God is outside time and the end of time is as real as it ever was. God is being patient out of love and grace and does not want people to be lost, but to be saved instead.

My dear friend, “but the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.” Do not be misled by the people of this world, by those that choses to be lost. They will always try and find ways to bring our religion down and make their ways seem correct. If I am wrong and proven wrong and still I argue, I am but a fool to my own argument. 

The road to God is difficult and hard, but worth every struggling moment. Don’t give up dear friend, the return of the Lord will be unexpected.

Have an awesome day

Cheers

Today Reminder - 20 July 2012 (Control)

My prayer for you for today is that you will hold on to Jesus and let Him be the focus of your life, in Jesus name.

2 Peter 2:19-20

They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.

Control - For you are a slave to whatever controls you. Peter talks about the wicked (False teachers) here in chapter two of his second book and makes it quite clear that they will do anything to lure you into their corrupted and sinful world. He refers back to how God threw the bad angels in hell and the time of Noah and Sodom and Gomorra. He says in verse 13: “Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.” What caught my attention in this chapter is the phrase “For you are a slave to whatever controls you”, this is quite an important statement. I always loved to say “Your home is where you heart is” and to think about this statement of Peter I recall that he and Paul often writes that they are slaves to God. 

My dear friend, what is controlling you? Are you easily influenced by the way people live their lives or by what they say? Would you change who you are to fit into a group? Would you allow bad influences into your life and think them to be fine just as long as you are accepted? 

In this life living for Jesus means that you will probably not fit in all the time, you will lose friends and you will be laughed at and people will condemn you. You will stand out and you will be the odd one out. You will be the target of bad influence and people will applaud your down fall. But in God’s eyes you will be a light shining in the darkness, a pillar of hope and a tower of strength. You will be alone in the eyes of the world but you will never be alone in the eyes of God. You will be the compass for those that are lost and thorn in the side for those that seek the destruction of all. You will be lifted up as you stand against all evil and triumph in God’s victory.

Your life will be God’s voice shouting in the darkness to lead people to the light, to lead people away from destruction. 

I am a slave for God and He’s way is my way.

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus

Cheers

Today Reminder - 19 July 2012 (Eye witness)

My prayer for you for today is that you will know you are worshipping a living God, in Jesus name.

2 Peter 1:16-18

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw His majestic splendour with our own eyes when He received honour and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to Him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

Eye witness - We saw His majestic splendour with our own eyes. Stumbling upon this verse this morning left goose bumps on my arms, Wow! Peter writes here in his second book about how we should live our lives growing in faith and he makes it clear that he will continue to remind people of these things and then he comes to this part where he talks about the second coming of our Lord and to highlight the importance of living holy lives he stops here and gives a brief eye witness account of his experience with Jesus. This is so powerful! This is Peter saying: “Look I saw Him resurrected and I saw Him being glorified and I saw His hands and feet and heard God’s voice confirming that Jesus is His beloved son.”

My dear friend, have you ever had a surprise for someone and you just can’t wait to give it to them. That amazing feeling of excitement that races through your mind as you wish time would just go faster. When I read Peter’s book I get that feeling. We have this amazing gift in Jesus Christ with this awesome confirmation of who He is and what He did and we should be bursting with excitement running around and sharing it. Why are we so short sighted? 

Jesus lives and He is alive, He is who He is and He is the son of God. Come with me today as we share this great gift and live our lives for His glory – Live because He lived, live free because He rose from the dead, live joyfully because He is the son of God, live without fear because He is alive. 

LIVE = Living In Victory Every day

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus

Cheers

Today Reminder - 18 July 2012 (Given)

My prayer for you for today is that you will live a godly life using the gifts and talents God has given you for His great glory, in Jesus name.

2 Peter 1:3

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvellous glory and excellence.

Given - God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We often struggle living our lives as God wants us to live. We go through temptations and we allow daily circumstances to get the better of us and our emotions take over and eventually it all explodes. So all the good intentions that we wake up with are out by the door and in are all the bad. We can so easily get ourselves worked up over small things and we allow our emotions to get the better of us in so many unnecessary ways. 

My dear friend, through God’s power and grace He gave us all the tools that we need to live above all our issues and problems. God through His love has equipped you to overcome and live a godly life free from your emotions and free from anger and desire. It is us that choose to fall into the trap and allow things to get the better of us. You are more than that. With Jesus in your life you are bigger than the waves and the mountains, you are godly, because in you dwell a living God. Come with me today as we are more than our worries and issues and anger. Come with me as we allow God to lift us up and bring us to a place where we can be holy, because He is holy.

Live today, because yesterday is gone and tomorrow may not exist. Live full moments and do not allow this gift of living to be misused but rather let it bring glory to God.

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus

Cheers

Today Reminder - 17 July 2012 (Kindness)

My prayer for you for today is that God will restore, support and strengthen you as He places you on a firm foundation in Jesus name.

1 Peter 5:10-11

In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. All power to Him forever! Amen.

Kindness - God called you to share in His eternal glory. I have often wondered about the time we have here on earth and I so often find myself being negative about life and all the bad that happens around us. Just as I get to a point where I feel strong and free from the worldly burdens, the enemy will launch a new attack. It is almost as if you cannot get to place or a stage where you can just chill for a while and bask in God’s grace. Every time we reach a new goal, there is mountain to climb. Life seems unfair in this as we struggle from one day to the next and to make it worse we are constantly reminded by the media how “cool” it is to live a Godless life when we see or hear what the rich and famous are up to. 

My dear friends, is it not so that when you are not on a diet you can walk past the sweets aisle and not give it one thought, but the minute you are on a diet you can almost taste those sweets and chocolates and the temptation suddenly appears to be unbearable. It is in this that the enemy has become relentless. He seeks out your weaknesses and he will focus all his attacks on them. What we must not forget and I plead once more with you to remember every minute of each day that life is a breath compared to eternity and that our time here is only a little while. When temptation is hampering your relationship with God, call out to Him and ask for strength and support to restore you. When the mountain lies ahead of you, remember that with faith we can move mountains, whoever and whatever they are. Keep your heading focussed on Jesus and rise with me today as we continue our struggle for a little while, keeping our heads up and our hearts filled with His love and strength. 

I will not fall nor will I lose the fight as I journey on through today, to live, to love and to overcome in God's kindness.

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus

Cheers

Today Reminder - 16 July 2012 (Roaring Lion)

My prayer for you for today is that you will stand strong against the enemy and know that you are not alone, in Jesus name.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Roaring Lion - He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. It is probably one of the strongest comparisons ever made of the devil. Peter made it so clear here how he is. I believe that this statement made by Peter is one made in experience, an experience in seeing how the enemy tries to destroy our faith in every possible way, relentless and without shame. Peter starts this verse with “Stay Alert!” and in this he places all the focus on what he is about to say - Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.

My dear friends, this is no shallow warning. This is one made out of experience and knowledge of knowing and seeing how this enemy hunts and destroys wherever it goes. He will do everything in his power to get you alone, to make you vulnerable and to put you in a place where you are an easy target. He will do this through trouble, pain, hatred, temptation and anything else that he can find to pull you of your course – to make you slip and fall. Know this – our enemy uses the same tactics that he has used for centuries and we can destroy him using the same tactics as those before us. We must stand firm against him, strong in our faith and united in our goals. We must look forward to the prize that awaits us and seek God’s strength and power in every day and in every moment. We must live for God’s glory and remain humble as we live on fulfilling Jesus’s last request. 

"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28)

Victory is in our hands as Jesus has already defeated the enemy on the cross. He has no power over you nor does he have any authority over you. You are free from this evil and nothing he says or do can take away the promise you have in Jesus Christ.

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers