Today Reminder - 30 April 2012 (Mercy)

My prayer for you for today is that you will remember that you are saved out of mercy and that God has incredible patience with you out of His great love, in Jesus name.

1Timothy 1:15-16

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of His great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life.

Mercy - But God had mercy on me. What a powerful statement Paul makes to Timothy here in the first chapter of his letter. Paul briefly tells of his past and how God changed him to become his messenger to the gentiles. Paul says that Jesus came into this world to save sinners and that he is the worst of them all. Do you feel like that, do you feel that you are the worst sinner? God’s mercy goes beyond that, it goes beyond your sins all the way to eternity. It is in His great mercy that God send Jesus to carry this burden and be punished for our sake. How much more do we need to hear? How much more sins must be committed before we realise how wrong we are? 

My dear friend, do not think yourself to be too great of a sinner to receive forgiveness. The forgive part is the easy one and the eternal life is free for all who believes, it is in living according to God’s will that is the hard part. Once we have accepted Jesus as our saviour and glorified God for His mercy and love we will be saved. This is such an awesome gift and that is why we must shout it out through our lives so that others too will see God’s mercy and seek His forgiveness.  Remember this: When Jesus died for our sins, He died for all of them. So what is holding you back? Do not let your past keep you from receiving God’s mercy and love. Break the bonds that the devil has on you and give your life to Jesus so that He will take away your burden of sin which you do not need to carry anymore, and free you from sin’s bondage. It is in this newly found freedom that we can truly live for God and honour Him with our lives. Accepting His forgiveness will bring us even closer to God as we seek His guidance in every day.  

So live each day rejoicing, because you are forgiven - "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"

Have a great “Freedom day” dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 27 April 2012 (Believers)

My prayer for you for today is that you will allow the Lord to lead your hearts into a full understanding of His love and the patient endurance that comes from Jesus, in Jesus name.

2 Thessalonians 3:2-5

Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

Believers. It is inevitable that we will meet many non-believers in our journey with God, some will be open to hear the message of Jesus and some will even accept this truth, but there are those whose hearts have been hardened and they will never see nor understand the gospel of Jesus. It is sad that they will continue to live their lives oblivious to the truth and even sadder that they would think our religion to be a joke. Satan on the other hand will not complain, he will continue to bring these people with all kinds of scientific explanations to us to bring division between us and God. This is why my prayer for you is based on understanding God’s love and experiencing the patient endurance that comes from Jesus, so that you will endure through all temptation and all lies and stand firm on the truth so that you will not be misled but instead you will seek the answers from God, from His word and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in this. 

My dear friend, I pray today that you we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. I pray that you will stand your ground steadfast and firm on Jesus, because the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. I also pray that you will continue to do the things God commands and that you will be patient and that you will withstand all evil. God is faithful, He will give you strength and He will set you free.

Have an awesome fighting day and remember this:

"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 – Jesus Christ)

Cheers

Today Reminder - 26 April 2012 (Worthy)

My prayer for you for today is that you will live a live worthy of God’s call and that He will empower you in every aspect of your life to accomplish this, in Jesus name.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honoured because of the way you live, and you will be honoured along with Him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Worthy - Living a live worthy of God’s call. I was just telling our prayer group yesterday how hard it is firstly making the choice to live fully for Jesus and secondly then living a life worthy of God’s call. We are so easily set off course when things are difficult and many lose their way and become mild Christians. 

My dear friend, I don’t want you to fall away. I don’t want you to give up, I want you to stand with me and fight. This life is short and temporary and the devil will continue each day to drive us of our direction and this direction should be simply focused on Jesus and eternity with Him. Stand with me in prayer today as we pray for victory in people’s lives all over this wonderful world. Stand with me today so that we will live lives worthy of God’s call. Stand with me and pray that God will empower us to accomplish this and all the good things that our faith prompts us to do. Stand with me today so that we will bring honour to our Lord Jesus in the way that we live. Stand with me so that we will be united in prayer and that we will be invulnerable to the deceptions of the enemy.

I pray that you will be filled with peace and joy in this day no matter your circumstances. I pray that God will give you power and wisdom so that you will be unmoved in your faith and that you will see beyond the temptations of the enemy. I pray for victory in all areas of your life today so that you will bring honour to Jesus.

This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus, you remain in my prayers.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 25 April 2012 (Persecution)

My prayer for you for today is that you will remain dedicated to the Lord through all your persecutions and that through this you will grow stronger in your relationship with the Lord, in Jesus name.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-8

And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.
And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.

Persecution. Every day we are victimized by a relentless enemy and he will use everything in his power to break you and make you lose hope. It is in our safe places where he will always try to create the most destruction. I find that at my work I am constantly challenged by waves of attacks on everything and in every area. It is as if the enemy wants you to doubt yourself and to make you think that you are worthless and not good enough. Once he gets a foothold or even a slightest inclination that your mood changed and you feel miserable, he will come with waves and waves of attacks putting all kinds of demoting thoughts in your head, making you feel more and more worthless. It is in these persecutions that we must remain steadfast and faithful to God. God will show His justice in these persecutions when He destroys the enemy, but He also uses these persecutions to make us stronger and to help us rise in our faith. 

My dear friend, don’t give up and don’t let the enemy bring separation between you and the Lord but instead of misery, let these persecutions make you stronger and bring you closer to God. Take your worries to Him and let Him fill you with His peace, love and strength.

And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.

Have an awesome glory to God day!

Cheers

Today Reminder - 24 April 2012 (Care)

My prayer for you for today is that you will be a true friend to those around you, encouraging them and being patient with them, in Jesus name.

1 Thessalonians 5:14

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

Care. Today the Holy Spirit just wants to remind us on how important we are to people we know and to people we meet.  A patient heart, a tender warning and an encouraging word can change the worst of days. It is not only you that faces the enemy on a daily basis, but everyone is under constant attacks to bring them down and to create distance between them and the Lord. Therefore it is even more important that we take care of each other so that everyone you know will not feel alone in their struggles but will be encouraged by a caring friend. Paul makes four important statements that we can focus on today:

Warn those who are lazy – Laziness is a terrible disease. It is so important that we should always work with a joyful heart, willing and motivated by giving glory to God in everything we do. Laziness will be scolded where hard work will always be rewarded.

Encourage those who are timid – The devil thrives on fear. Encourage those who are fearful, shy and nervous to seek God’s strength and fear no more. Be a source of motivation and a light in their darkness.

Take tender care of those who are weak – When we are weak, we are strong. Take care of those who are weak and bring them to God in prayer so that they will find strength in their weakness and glorify God in their victories.

Be patient with everyone – Most of all we must be patient, because it is in our patience that Jesus will shine bright to the world like a light tower guiding a lost ship. 

My dear friend, be the difference maker today and show Jesus in everything and everywhere to everyone.

Have a glorious day shining brightly over an ocean of God’s children.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 23 April 2012 (Encourage)

My prayer for you for today is that you will be an encouragement to those around you and that you will be encouraged, in Jesus name.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Encourage. It is funny how it is sometimes so easy to be harsh to someone than to rather say something encouraged. We can so easily bring people down and find it so hard to uplift them. There are also thousands of books that will teach us how to be positive and how to live our lives, which is great. To me there is only one book and that is the Bible and one example and that is Jesus Christ. He never turned away from people. He ministered among the outcasts, the lepers and even the hated tax collectors. He saw good in everyone and in the end died for all even you and me. When compared to Jesus I fail miserably, yet with God all things are possible and that is where my thought for today comes in, my reminder. I believe that when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and we live each day knowing that Jesus already won the battle and that our struggles here on earth will ensure our eternal future with the Lord in heaven we must be joyful, we must laugh and sing praises even in the midst of pain and suffering. Paul knew this well, because after a terrible beating and being thrown in jail, he sang praises to the Lord in chains. This is how we should take each day, we should be full of happiness and joyfully face each challenge as we are victorious in Jesus. Then we should take our own joy and encourage those that are going through hard times and in our joy we must build those up that we see every day. We must accept people for who they are and remember that Jesus loves them regardless of who and what they are and beyond what they did. 

My dear friend, like Paul sang praises to the Lord in chains, let us bring praises to the Lord in our daily lives and in this encourage each other and in the end build each other up so that we can form an unbreakable force that will glorify God and destroy the attempts of the enemy.

Have a wonderful day dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Note: If I live each moment of my life as if it is my last I will be light shining in the darkness, an unstoppable force of joy. A blessing most needed.

Today Reminder - 20 April 2012 (Be prepared)

My prayer for you for today is that you will always be prepared so that you will not be surprised when the day of the Lord is upon us, in Jesus name.

1 Thessalonians 5:2

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

Be prepared. Paul writes here in Thessalonians 5 that our lives must be lived in such a way that we will not be surprised when the day of the Lord is here.  He continues in verse 5 with “For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” This made me think of Matthew 25, where Jesus told the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

"Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn't take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight they were roused by the shout, 'Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!' "All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, 'Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.' "But the others replied, 'We don't have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.' "But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, 'Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!' "But he called back, 'Believe me, I don't know you!' "So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

My dear friend, keeping watch means living your life expecting the return of the Lord every day and do not fall asleep in living a relaxed life. Live each day knowing He will return soon and expecting Him prepared like the five wise bridesmaids. Don’t be fooled by the enemy in thinking that tomorrow is just another day. That is what he wants, he wants you to be relaxed and postpone so that you will forget. No, you are not children of the darkness, you are children of the Light, so be on your guard each day and let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armour of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

Have an awesome day in the light dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 19 April 2012 (Please God)

My prayer for you for today is that you will live to please God, in Jesus name.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

Please God. God alone examines the motives of our hearts, my goodness this statement made by Paul surely made me think this morning. How many times do we do something for someone just to please them yet inside we are angry about it. God not only sees the deed but He also sees the intentions behind it. We must be so careful about the way we commit our lives to please. We must please God in everything we do, from the smallest “hallo” up to your commitment in a relationship. We are so easily blinded by the enemy in who God is in our daily lives and in how we behave and treat other. We forget that God is not just somebody that we must keep happy. He is God and ultimately holds your salvation in His hands. 

My dear friend, it is so important that we remember who God is and that we realize how important it is to please Him and not ourselves nor people but God and God alone. We must remember who God is in the way we are with people and in our motives in everything we do.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you wisdom today so that you will know how to please God in everything and with everyone.

Have a wonderful day dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 18 April 2012 (Idols)

My prayer for you for today is that the idols of this world will have no effect on your life as you serve a living and true God, in Jesus name.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

For they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Idols. Don’t you just love the show – idols? All the glamour and excitement, the surprises and the sorrow, and all that leads up to the final episode where the best idol is crowned. I must say Idols have shown us some wonderful and really weird people, and people with truly amazing talents. The world we live in today is world of idols, and out of all of them I think that most people fall for fame and fortune. People always want to be popular and have lots of money to throw around to impress other people and they will stop at nothing to get there. We are so easily dominated by our own need and concerns that we place God in the background as a last resort, when He should be our first resort. We idolize people and we want to be like them, and yet we should idolise Jesus and be more like Him.  I love this statement in today’s scripture: “and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God.”

My dear friend, let’s turn away from the things of this world and seek the things of heaven. Let’s idolise Jesus and be excited about the things He did and is still doing. Let us strive to be more like Him and seek His presence in our lives, but above all let us worship Him in such a way that we will create a “want” in other to do the same. Ask God today to break the idols in your life and replace them with Himself, and as we place Him first in our lives looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment, and He is the one we should worship above all.

I don’t have many friends that will be brutally beaten, mocked and punished, hanged on a cross out of love for me AND then die so that I can live, AND after three days rise up from the dead to spend time with me making sure I am still fine AND sits on the right hand of God arguing my case each day, never giving up on me AND loves me unconditionally. Nope I don’t have many of those friends, in fact only the one. Only Jesus and He calls me friend. He is so AWESOME!

Have an awesome excited about Jesus day.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 17 April 2012 (Live)

My prayer for you for today is that you will highlight Jesus in your way of life, in Jesus name.

1 Thessalonians 1:5

For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.

Live. I often talk about the way we live our lives and how we should be ambassadors for Jesus wherever we are. I think when you suddenly find yourself on God’s side and you realize how wrong your life has been it is sometimes embarrassing. This to me must be the hardest mind shift that you should make and that is to put the past behind you and to focus on what lies ahead.  It is so easy to fall back into old habits when you feel unworthy of God’s love. I think we miss so many lives by not noticing the need because we live a life not close to God. It all starts with you, you have to forgive, forget and ask for forgiveness to free you from your past so that you can have a complete new beginning. It is in this freedom that we can commit anew to God and align our lives to His plan. This new direction will steer you towards people and this is where this scripture is so important today - And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.

To truly love is to give up something for someone. Jesus set the ultimate example by giving up His life for everyone. This means that the love of God for each one should be reflected in the way we live our lives and because we want all to know Jesus we should live in such a way that Jesus will be visible in us. Out of love and concern for other we should live completely committed to Jesus. To show Him to the world and to bring His light into the dark and to set free those that are bound by the enemy.

My dear friend let the Holy Spirit give you the strength to show the light to the world and in that you will become a changer – a life changer. Set your sights on Jesus and keep aligning yourself to Him each day, because the closer we get to Him the clearer He will be. I must set the example by living a life committed to God.

Have an awesome living day!

Cheers

Today Reminder - 16 April 2012 (Willingly)

My payer for you for today is that you will work diligently knowing that the master that you are serving is Christ, in Jesus name.

Colossians 3:23-25

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

Willingly. Have you ever had that feeling that you just don’t want to get up? You know that I wish I could just stay in bed and forget that it is time to get up and go to work. At some stage everyone must feel like that and I am sure some more than others. It must be harder if your job is not something that you are passionate about and you just do it to survive, and then there are our co-workers, our colleagues, the people we work with can have a negative impact on our job satisfaction. In all of this we can become quite miserable at times and in the end our attitude towards our job will change and we will start to do it with less enthusiasm as always. What Paul writes here have been an eye opener and a sure motivation changer in my life and my way of working. Paul says that we must do it willingly as if we were working for the Lord and in that lies an inheritance as reward. 

My dear friend, not only do we work for God in our lifestyle to show Jesus to the world, but we physically are working for God as our employer. The gift of a job is a privilege and one I believe we should be grateful for however small it is. I also believe that we are positioned in our jobs strategically by God for His purpose and that we should never forget that. I also believe that we will struggle in life as Jesus did, because of our acceptance of Him as our saviour. But most of all I know God has no favourites, and that He loves each and every one equally.  This has a two folded meaning, it means that God loves you and that He will be by your side all the time, but in the same sense will God judge each one of us equally. 

So today, no matter how hard it is or how difficult it can get at work, let’s work willingly for God knowing that Jesus is our Master, giving all to make it work. Stand in each moment positive and encouraged remembering that your inheritance is far greater than you can imagine. Let Jesus be clear and visible in everything that you do or attempt today, in your work and your relationships with you co-workers. Work = Worship – Our – Real – King! So today lets work to worship, and in our joy we might change a few hearts.

Have a glorious working “work day” dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 13 April 2012 (Harmony)

My prayer for you for today is that God will bring peace in your life that will rule your hearts, in Jesus name.

Colossians 3:14-15

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Harmony. It is sad that the devil will use anything in His power to hurt us and to break our faith. He is the master of chaos and pain and as soon as your relationship with God becomes stronger he will try and bring you down. I always say it is much easier to give advice than to accept advice. We can be so stubborn at times and yet when the walls start to fall we seek help. What is so amazing is how God can bring peace into your life so quickly as soon as you call upon Him in times of sorrow. With the sickness of our baby boy and quick unexpected change in his condition that led to his hospitalisation, I could feel how the devil was fighting so hard to break the peace God has already brought into our lives. But hurting you in one place is never enough, he will seek out all possible places and so he added to our pain in a number of ways that brought me to place where I was vulnerable. As I stood in the midst of this new storm in my life I could hear the Holy Spirit talking softly, reassuring me and lifting me out of my misery into God’s light and slowly as I opened my heart He returned the peace that the devil so dearly wanted to destroy. 

I pray for you today my dear friend, that the peace that comes from Jesus will rule your hearts and that you will seek God first in all your pain and sorrow so that the enemy cannot bring you down and in no way defeat you and make you vulnerable. I pray that you will stand amongst us, clothed with love, so that we are all united in perfect harmony making us strong, and making our faith unbreakable. 

And always be thankful.

Have an awesome peaceful and victorious day, dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 12 April 2012 (Tender-hearted)

My prayer for you for today is that you will forgive as God forgave you, in Jesus name.

Colossians 3:12-13

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Tender-hearted.  Then Peter came to Him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?"  - "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven! (Matthew 18) I think this must be the one place I have fallen so many times in my life, to have mercy and to be kind and gentle and to be patient and most of all, to accept other people’s faults. Accepting the fact that other people also have faults is a daily struggle and I think in most of our daily skirmishes this can be quite an uphill battle. Isn’t it funny that we sometimes have the least patience and kindness for those the closest to us. The example Jesus sets in forgiving is so remarkable and yet so many times we are so quick to forget that. To start with Jesus asked the Father to forgive the people when He was hanging from the cross: Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." How easy do you forgive when you are mistreated? And then to top it, Jesus gave up His life so that you and I can be forgiven of our sins. Would you give up your life for someone that offended you?

My dear friend, I pray that God will fill your thoughts with His great love in every situation you find yourself so that you will treat those around you with mercy, kindness, humility and patience and that you will forgive those that offend you and accept people for their faults. It is in these unselfish acts that God will be glorified and you will be lifted to a higher and closer relationship with God. But most of all, it will make you a powerful adversary against a relentless enemy.

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

Have an awesome day dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 11 April 2012 (Home)

My prayer for you for today is that your focus will be on the realities of heaven so that we will all share in His glory when Jesus returns, in Jesus name.

Colossians 3:1-4

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.

Home is where the heart is. I love going home to my parents, taking the long drive through all the places you have travelled so many times before. Driving down into the valley overlooking all the farms and seeing all the green pastures as the sun touches it all revealing the beauty of God’s creation. It is such a beautiful place nestled in the heart of what is now called Limpopo, with its life giving rivers and beautiful trees, interesting people and slow moving time. Yet that is how I remember it growing up, now so much has changed with land claims and over populated areas, pollution, slowly deteriorating roads and the increase in crime. It saddens one when such a beautiful gift from God can so easily be abused by greed. Now more so is it important that we set our sights on the realities of heaven, the clear crumbling of a dying world should change our focus to what is eternal. We have been lifted to a new life in Jesus and the treasures of this world should have no more value to us. Home should be heaven, and this is where you heart must be. Jesus makes it so clear in Matthew 6:19-20 - "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

My dear friend, our real life is in Jesus and when He is revealed to this world we will share in His glory and we will live with Him for eternity. Focus on the things of heaven and make this your priority, and do not seek the small treasures of this world, but instead the real treasure that is Jesus Christ.

Have an awesome day living for Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 10 April 2012 (Going Home)

My prayer for you for today is that you will continue to follow Jesus with a passion deeply rooted on His foundation, in Jesus name.

Colossians 2:6-7

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Going home. Going back to your roots can be an emotional journey. What a blessing to have been able to go home to my parents over the weekend and to see our family again. As I listened to my niece telling me how they went back to our old farm to see it again after so many years and how that brought back so many memories, I can’t help to think that each day should begin with a return to Jesus journey. Paul says that you must let your roots grow down into Him and you must let your lives be built on Him.

My dearest friend, each day should begin like that. Each day we must grow our roots into Jesus and start each day on Him, remembering what He has done and is still doing in your life. This will not only bring peace into our day but it will strengthen us for every situation that we could face where the enemy will try to pull us of our foundation. When you are well rooted in Jesus, nothing will bring you down, but beyond that Paul says that then you faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness.

This is the place where I pray we will get to, the place where you will stand strong on the truth that is Jesus Christ with a thankful heart, because as soon as you realise that everything is and is from God you will stand faithful and overflow with thankfulness. It is here where the enemy does not want you to be, because you will see the world differently as you completely and faithfully trust Him thankfully, were you will be incorruptible with roots deeply grown into Jesus.

Have an awesome day dearest friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 09 April 2012 (Treasures)

My prayer for you for today is that you will seek wisdom and knowledge from Jesus so that you will never be deceived, in Jesus name.

Colossians 2:3-4

In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.

Treasures. We are so often misguided by clever ideas and well-argued statements that we can so easily be overwhelmed into silence. It is the enemy’s strategy to make bold assumptions with no proof but merely an idea to bring so many people to a point where they start to question the wrong side. All the wisdom and knowledge is in God and yet we seek guidance at so many wrong places and we listen so easily to the wrong people.

Let us return to God and seek His presence and His wisdom, so that those with wrong ideas and well-crafted arguments have but no influence on us as we remain focussed and guided by God in Jesus Christ our saviour.

My dear friend, ask God to be your translator when you are confronted with arguments, especially when the Holy Spirit tells you they are wrong. Spend time in prayer and study the word so that you will see God’s true message in each passage. Seek the treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge and ask God to give you wisdom so that you will stand boldly for what is right.

Have an awesome day

Cheers

Today Reminder - 06 April 2012 (Resurrected)

My prayer for you over this awesome time is that you will be reminded of the amazing gift God gave us in the resurrection of Jesus and that you will tell it wherever you go and in all that you do, in Jesus name.

Colossians 1:28-29

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That's why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ's mighty power that works within me.

Resurrected. I am always amazed at this time of year as we enter the Easter weekend. Even now after so many years the enemy cannot quiet the defeat he had in the resurrection of Jesus. What an amazing time to not only celebrate our freedom from sin but to share the amazing miracle with those that are still lost or does not fully understand the implications of a life without Jesus. Jesus stated it so clearly that if you deny Him here on earth He will deny you in heaven. To me this is not a light statement and I believe so many do not grasp the implications of being denied by Jesus in front of the Almighty God. It is so important that we bring this message across and make people realise that the lives they live has a direct implication on the lives they will have when the Lord returns. 

People are so easy to forget that they will share in the devil’s fate if they do not change their ways and give their lives to Jesus. So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. More so is it important for us to live a life that shows Jesus to the world, because we so easily forget that we Christians is God’s picture to the world and to those that so desperately seek Him. 

My dear friend, we have an enormous responsibility to be Jesus to those who does not know Him and especially now when the whole world celebrates Easter. Don’t miss the opportunity to tell others about Jesus and don’t stop even if the struggle is hard. I pray that you will be filled with God’s mighty power so that you will boldly shout out the miracle of the cross of Jesus.

Have an awesome Easter, because we can celebrate the death of sin and the victory over the enemy – Super Awesome!

Cheers

Today Reminder - 05 April 2012 (Reconciled)

My prayer for you for today is that they enemy will find no place to accuse you and that you will know that you have been reconciled to God, in Jesus name.

Colossians 1:19-20

For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.

Reconciled. I love this comparison “reconciled”, God reconciled everything to himself. In the payroll world we know that to reconcile is to balance the input with the actual events. We balance figures on our systems to the values we paid and only when all is reconciled and balanced we submit to the receiver of revenue. When I look at the word reconciled, to me it means God took you and balanced you to Him so that you can be and look like Him. Awesome isn’t it? Jesus came and made all this possible, but you have to look at the next section from verse 21: This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.

 

Now what is so amazing is just this, because you are reconciled to God you stand in His presence, holy and blameless. So my dear friend, the poor devil is fighting a losing battle against you. You are already holy and blameless before God through Jesus Christ who took all the accusations and sin and destroyed them on the cross. You are free to live completely for Him and in no way can you be discouraged because you are reconciled/reunited to God. 

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. Stand firm and be strong and live your life knowing who you are in Jesus, and be holy as He who dwells in you is holy.

Have and awesome day dear friend of Jesus

Cheers 

Today Reminder - 04 April 2012 (Laminin)

My prayer for you for today is that you will once again know how great our God is and that you will worship Him with all your heart, in Jesus name.

Colossians 1:15-17

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.

Laminin. When I first heard Louie Giglio talk about laminin I was just amazed at what I saw. Coming across this passage this morning and looking at laminin once more I can’t help but to be amazed over and over again. Our God is an awesome God and with something like this, how can you not believe. My dear friend this is a faith booster for you this morning.

According to Wikipedia, it says, “…Basically, laminin is a protein found in the “extracellular matrix”, the sheets of protein that form the substrate of all internal organs also called the “basement membrane. Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together. Improper production of laminin can cause muscles to form improperly, leading to a form of muscular dystrophy.  It can also cause progeria.” In layman terms, laminin is like the foundation of a building. In short, laminin is like the glue that holds us together. But more importantly, do you know what laminin looks like?  Check this out:

 

Imagine, we all have millions of microscopic crosses holding our body together!  Is that cool or what?

Therefore I will rejoice and I will shout out His praises because: Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. Not only does He live in us, but He also holds us together. What an amazing God.

Today will be an awesome day, let’s give glory to God in each moment, each minute and with each breath.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 03 April 2012 (Forgiven)

My prayer for you for today is that you will remember the prize that was paid for your sins and that you will thrive in knowing that you are free from sin, in Jesus name.

Colossians 1:13-14

For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Forgiven. Today’s reminder is a reminder of the amazing love an awesome God has for each of us. Jesus came into this world and destroyed the kingdom of darkness and with this He rescued us from eternal death into a life where we can have eternal life. I can’t help but to imagine the humiliation, the pain and the suffering He took out of love to break an eternal curse and with this He purchased freedom for all. So I have a song in my head that I wish to share with you today – Amazing love from Hillsong.

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be
That you my king would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
Amazing love, how can it be
That you My king would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
In all I do I honor you

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well, you're spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

Let us live this day knowing that He died to save us, but let’s not just live with that knowledge, let’s live a life that will boldly shout that knowledge out to the world proclaiming that Jesus saved us and that we are free from the burden of sin and free from the kingdom of darkness as we live and walk in the kingdom of light.

Have an awesome free and forgiven day dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers

Today Reminder - 02 April 2012 (Endurance)

My prayer for you for today is that you will have endurance and that God will strengthen you so that you will endure to the end, in Jesus name.

Colossians 1:11-12

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.

Endurance. It is always funny to watch spectators, they always know more than the athletes and there are those that thinks they could do it better than the actual athlete. It is a different story going through months of preparation and then finally standing on the field to compete. The race of life is much the same. When we stand on the outside living a mild life, we are easy to find fault in the lives of those that is living for Christ, but the minute we step into the race we realise how hard it is and so many give up and just remain in between. They are mostly the ones who make the most noise with the least impact. I have seen it so many times in my own life, how easy it is to rise and fall. We climb the ladder towards God, but somewhere the enemy will find a weak step and we will fall. 

So it has become imperative that we endure and that we remain patient. It is my prayer then today for us all that we will endure through all that the enemy can throw in our way and that we will patiently hold on to God and trust that He will provide us with strength and power so that we will overcome the trials and tribulations that this life can bring and that we will be victorious so that we may be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled us to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.

Have an awesome and enduring day dear friend of Jesus.

Cheers