New Beginnings?

We were having a party to say goodbye to 2025. 

Some were pleased but others were uncertain what the future holds? 

Then the loaded question 'what is your New Year's resolution?' 

So many responses 'I decide the same resolution every year but have broken it by, one week; one month; or never even started it'. 

'I know I will fail so there is no point in trying.' 

'God knows I try but it makes me such a failure, I should have the victory without making a resolution'. 

Guilt on guilt, not a good start to a New Year.

Jesus had lived a relatively 'normal' life but as a guest at the marriage feast at Cana it was all a 'New Beginning', John 2:1-11. He was put on the spot by His Mother 'dear woman why do you involve Me, My time has not yet come.' But He responded with compassion for the couple whose wedding feast had run out of wine. How embarrasing!! His mother simply said to the servants 'do whatever He tells you to do'. She was not  put off by Jesus' words to her, she knew her Son. The men did exactly what was needed filling six stone water jars, holding twenty to thirty gallons of water to the brim. They then went to the master of ceremonies with a taster. It could have gone so wrong, imagine giving him a cup of water!!! But Mary's faith was rewarded, after all there were disciples who had been learning as new students from their Rabbi Jesus. They hadn't yet seen His daily healings, so their faith level was not sky high. Here they were just at the beginning of their new journey into the unknown. But as a result of Jesus turning all that water into top quality wine 'His disciples put their faith in Him'.

Like us, we don't know what is ahead personally, or the world around us. We cannot even guarantee another day. But we have to be prepared to draw closer and closer to Jesus today, this month and this year, by the power of His Spirit. We are so blessed as if we 'walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfill the lust (cravings) of the flesh' Galatians 5:16-18. So resolve today to chuck the resolutions and to know nothing this year but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, 1 Corinthians 2:2-5. We can focus on all He did for us on the Cross and accept 'it is finished' and walk in the power of that authority. We can be prepared for anything, by the Holy Spirit that lives in us  that same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

So ask the question 'Jesus what do You want to say to me right now?'  Listen  'What do you want me to do?'  Obey  'What am I holding onto that is stopping me from being free?' Being a Christian is so simple, die to self and allow Christ to live His life through us.

This will be our most valuable year for eternity yet, step out and try it, one foot in front of the other.

Disappointment

Disappointment can be such a debilitating experience, disappointment with😞 myself - why did I do that?

Disapointment when a friendship breaks down - why did she do that to me? Disappointment we are not pregnant this month - how many more months/ years? Disappointment with the sale of our home - it is not happening?

Disappointment ......... fill in your own blank. 

Then there is all the disappointment with God. He could have sorted that, answered my prayer, stopped that happening, stepped in before it was too late. Does He really love me?

Disappointment can be quite overwhelming and prevents us from seeing things from God's perspective. It prevents us from going back to what Father God says about us, it tells us that what we were believing can't be true.

So we are in a battle. 

Having been walking with God for many years I know that so many disappointments can change into divine appointments. Some we can see very quickly and some take much longer. Always when we look back we can be thankful to God for the way it worked out, even death, as Father sees from an eternal perspective.🙏

1. Choose praise to silence the thoughts ☝ Ps 8:2; Ps 38:21,22

2. Put the situation into God's hand and leave it there, Ps 27:13

3. 'What do You want me to learn in this situation?' Matt 7:7,8 

4. Bring Glory to God whatever the outcome Phil 1:20,21; Is 44:8

5. Be patient 'this too will pass'. Romans 5:6

'Father God I am so disappointed with what is happening in my life at present, please give me Your GRACE to learn more about YOU through this, in Jesus Name and for His Glory, Amen.'🙏🙏

What are you thinking about?

 Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. What we think shapes who we are. So Proverbs 23:7 says 'For as he thinks in his heart so is he', or as I like to say, 'so as I think in my heart so am I'.

If  we then pray asking the Holy Spirit to lead, and meditate on this verse for as long as possible, then we know for certain how we can move forward in our thought life. Don't rush, just listen for the quiet whisper. 

What am I thinking? over thinking? Be honest. Release every thought to our Father, Who knows anyway. 'Finally I confessed ALL my sin to You and stopped trying to hide my guilt'. Psalm 32:5

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill us up to overflowing with Himself and to remind us of another Bible verse to back up His plan for us to move on. This may just be a little step or a massive life changer. We ask Him what He has planned in His book for our future, then Listen. 

We capture EVERY rebellious thought; and teach them to obey Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5

A few days ago I was meeting my siblings at a restaurant in London. I needed a taxi upon arriving at the station from Wales. I was directed to these really easily and he gave me a fun ride, sometimes showing me the sights and sometimes sharing family stories.

I arrived at the restaurant about an hour early and as I went to order a coffee I recognised that I had lost my mobile phone. I knew straight away to take control of my thoughts and ask the Holy Spirit to give me instructions. I asked for His peace as I really wanted my siblings to know that God is real in everyday life problems. I was determined that my phone was not going to ruin or dominate our precious time together. My brother phoned my son back home and they worked through the possibilities which I appreciated but they couldn't help. I had a real confidence in the Lord that He would return it, I just didn't know when. I declared twice that 'the taxi man will bring it back'. That is exactly what happened, nearly two hours later. I stood up in the middle of the restaurant and shouted very loud 'Alleluia'. I was mega thankful. We don't like having these tests but that is where our testimonies come from

What a great boost to my faith that God would do all that was needed to return my phone to me when I could do absolutely nothing towards it myself except trust Him. 

Replace all thoughts that are not giving you peace with His word, repeating this over and over. Or maybe try singing a worship song, the one you can't get out of your head.  As it says in Psalm 8:2 'Strength rises up with the chorus of infants, This kind of praise has power to shut Satan's mouth. Childlike worship will silence the madness of those who oppose you'. Let the praise begin.

Move forward

I love being old, as I have told so many, when I was little and did something wrong I got a ……… now I can be as naughty as I like and I can’t get into any trouble, but I give family and friends a laugh and they say ‘Oh Mother….’ 

I am writing this today before the funeral of a very close friend and we loved sharing life with Jesus and she daily had stories of what the Holy Spirit was saying to her.  How can I make the most of the rest of my life? I don't want to be stuck at the crisis point, the pain, the loss. I want whatever time Father has given me, and is written in my book (Psalm 139:16), to be spent with eternity in mind. I know I can't take any 'stuff' with me but I can take people as the fruit of my labour by the power of His Spirit. We sing ‘He is all I need’ but we don’t know whether we can mean it till He is all we have got. What a challenging place to be.

I can't use the time I have left the way the world does, 'eat drink and be merry for tomorrow I die'. 'Let God transform me into a new person by changing the way I think, then I will know God's will which is good and pleasing and perfect', Romans 12:2

I can put my feelings in a box and bury them as deep as possible, but I don’t want my body to react and come out with some horrible disease because I haven’t allowed God to heal me from the inside. Or when I come to another trauma situation again and all the old feelings come back to the surface and I feel completely overwhelmed. Jesus said, 'I have told you these things so that in Me you may have perfect peace.....' John 16:33. How? How?

Avoiding pain is not an option unless we want to lock our emotions up or harden our hearts, as that means we cannot love again in case we get hurt again. We can insulate ourselves from relationships but that is not Father's way. Praise Jesus and thank Him as He doesn't cut us off every time we hurt Him.

To be vulnerable in life means allowing ourselves to be hurt, but learning how to put mechanisms in place, with the help of the Holy Spirit, for healing to take place. We are the most blessed of people, as when we do go through trauma Jesus has put in place some stepping stones to allow us to choose how to navigate life on a daily basis and to prepare for future trauma with Him at the centre of our storm. 

see https://www.joyforlife.org/index.php/power-up/power-up-study-11

How hot is your fire?

Pentecost weekend, it was so exciting to celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit 2000+ years ago. Imagine if we had to live like the Jews back then following all the rules and regulations. Following the ten commandments would be tough, but when the leaders (Pharisees) added a whole load more it would have made life impossible. I would have constantly been saying 'sorry' and adding more sacrifices for blood on the scapegoat once a year. In the mean time I would have been weighed down with guilt and shame.

Living with the Holy Spirit alive in us can be so exciting, Romans 8:11. From the day we start our new life following Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us and enables us to have the power to obey all He leads us to do. And to walk in love which we were not even trying to do before our life change, or should I say, our eternal destination change. We now have a completely different destination and the power to walk headlong in that direction.

Our responsibility though, is to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit in our heart burning. 

This will not happen if we don't focus on it. Like a fire in the hearth of our home, if we don't keep stocking it up and adding wood, controlling the draft, and making sure it is not overcome by rubbish ash, it will die out. This will take some work to return it to a place of heat, warmth, even cooking ability. The same with us, our excitement, passion for the things of God, can turn sour or cold. So let us take time out to pray, and cry out for the help of the Holy Spirit to 'fan into flame the spiritual gift God gave us' 2 Timothy 1:6. Get back into studying the Word for ourselves. And have a friend who is excited about Jesus and share with them. When we are on fire with the Holy Spirit then He is free to flow out of us and touch all those round us, then life is exciting again, encouraging, and full of His joy. 

So I am really keen to stop being lukewarm and return to my passion for Christ. Jesus Himself said 'Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me! Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the scriptures declare, 'Rivers of Living Water with flow from his heart'. Sounds like a very exciting journey to me, walk in daily fellowship with the Holy Spirit and live like Jesus, nothing could be more exhilarating or exciting, life in all its fullness. 

For more about walking with the Holy Spirit see https://www.joyforlife.org/index.php/living-with-jesus/living-with-jesus-study-5 

Then the JUDGEMENT

 When I wrote the two posts about 'Heaven here we come' little did I know of the horror that was coming. I got weaker and weaker, losing weight and had differing opinions from the doctors. I was admitted to hospital after Christmas for various investigations. My family were very supportive the only problem was that my son collapsed on January 2nd and he was in a different hospital. Heaven seemed very imminent for us both. I had hoped that I would be 'the woman of power for the hour' sharing the gospel with anyone who would listen in another bed. It wasn't like that at all, the sky felt like brass, I didn't know the power or the Presence of the Holy Spirit at all. I prayed for one other precious lady and the answer never came as I walked up and down the ward with her. 

The fear I had was tangible, so real. I couldn't imagine that if I was dying I was going to enter into the Presence of Jesus as when my faith was tested I was sadly lacking. Judgement seemed frightening.

Lovely people visited me and I shared my crisis of faith and was totally honest. They pointed me to some different giants of the faith who had messed up. When I came home starting to mend physically, I asked the Father how to mend my relationship with Him and He directed me to take up the 'Bible In One Year'. Slowly but surely as my body restored so did my spirit and Father had used the whole experience to help me recognise my total need for Him on an hour by hour basis. I no longer needed to walk in self-sufficiency, prayerless activities, and busyness to look good, but needed the Holy Spirit for everything. 

So I picked up my terror about the Judgement and went through some verses. I know that when we repent AND turn away from our sins, even habitual ones, He forgives them, 1John 1:9. 'He also doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. ...... And as far as sunrise is from sunset He has separated us from our sins.' Psalm 103:12 Msg. This so encourages me but also there are verses, 'For we will all stand before the Judgement seat of God.......' Romans 14:10 - 12 of this passage 'So then, each of us will give a personal account of himself to God.'  This is where the problem comes, I know me and I don't feel so bad about what I did before I gave my life to Jesus, but I feel so much shame about the things I have done and said since I knew better. I know the Word says 'don't gossip' 'don't slander others'. 'I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it.' Romans 7:19. But on the other side of the scales Psalm 103:12 - 14 'He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord ..... is tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust.' AND joy of joys 'I- yes, I alone - will blot out your sins for My own sake and will never think of them again' Isaiah 43:25. 

So we have to take the judgement seriously but keep it in balance according to the Word. We are accountable to God for every wrong we have done, but as we take responsibility for our thoughts and actions we have a clear way to the throne of God to confess them, not hide them, and receive all that Jesus has done to cover them and remove them just like the Lamb of God in the Old Testament. His grace is amazing but not an excuse to keep on sinning. So when I was in hospital I knew I had been walking in gluttony for years, yoyo dieting, and making food the idol of my life, but coming to the edge of life caused by my attitude to food has allowed me to focus on my responsibility to my Heavenly Father and to myself as the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and family. It truly has been life changing and the thought of me standing in front of the Judge of all the earth with all this sin has caused me to clean out the dirty larder of my soul. I have to ask the Holy Spirit when shopping, when going into the cupboard and fridge, and if I slip, turn away from that food, and be thankful.

When I stand before the judgement seat of Christ I want to know I am covered in His robe of righteousness that Jesus paid for with His Blood. But like Paul, I know it is a daily choice, and my motive now is far more 'no secrets' and I want to make choices that please Him not my dead flesh. There is so much to learn in His Word about the Judgement and our priority is to be ready at any time like the wise virgins in Matthew 25:6 'Look the bridegroom is coming'.   

'Now all glory to God, Who is able to keep us from falling away and will bring us with great joy into His glorious Presence without a single fault. All glory to Him Who alone is God, our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord. All Glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!' Jude 1:24,25. ARE WE READY?

See More https://www.joyforlife.org/index.php/menu-bible-studies/menu-revelation

https://www.joyforlife.org/index.php/menu-bouquets/menu-how-to-find-god

After Resurrection - Feed My lambs

 When I was first asked to do something for the women in my church in South Wales in 1993, I tried with my childish faith to ask the Father what was His plan for me. I knew I loved many of the women but I needed His plan. The first Bible verse that I got, that really jumped off the page to me, was the story of Jesus talking to Peter privately after He had risen from the dead, John 21:15-17. Peter had been warned by Jesus that he would betray His Lord but Peter adamantly denied he would do any such thing.

But after Jesus was viciously dragged away by the soldiers after Judas' kiss of betrayal, Peter in his usual impulsive way used his sword to cut off Malchus' ear, but Jesus healed it straight away, John 18:10,11. This resulted in Peter doing a runner. Then to add insult to injury he was seen by three different groups of people who accused Peter of being a Galilean  and a disciple of Jesus, John 18:25-27. He denied he knew Jesus, three times.

After the horrendous crucifixion, then the fantastic Resurrection, Peter and his friends had returned to what they knew, fishing. They never knew where Jesus would turn up next. Peter must have wondered even if  Jesus would have him back after his denial? This time Jesus turned up on the shore and told them where to fish. He then cooked breakfast for them. This was reminding them that although they had been through the worst trauma of their lives, lost their rabbi and they didn't yet understand what this new life was going to look like, He was still going to lead them every step of the way.

Jesus asks Peter 'do you love Me more than these?'

Such a loaded question, do you unconditionally love Me more than the fishing business? more than your work colleagues? Peter replies 'Yes Lord, You know that I love You.' Jesus says 'Feed My lambs' 
Jesus asks 'Simon son of John , do you love Me?' 'Yes Lord, you know that I love You.' 'Take care of My sheep.' 

The third time Jesus asked Peter the same question and Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time, and Jesus said 'Feed My sheep.' It was important that Peter saw that Jesus was reinstating him after his three denials. He was commissioning him to do the work that Jesus had started, 'feed My lambs', the new believers. Also 'feed My sheep', the more long term followers. Peter was beginning to see the vision Father God had for his future. From the example of following Jesus for three years, he had a small idea of the life changing  message. He also knew when Jesus finally left the earth He would send the promised Holy Spirit to help complete the work of preaching the Gospel to the ends of the earth and making disciples of Jesus Christ.

And so 'Joy for Life' began to feed the sheep and encourage them to pass the life of Jesus on to their lambs. What a challenge to make disciples in our local area, in our city, country and to the ends of the earth. www.joyforlife.org