Changing the World
Life, before becoming a Christian was straightforward – look after me, myself and I, in any shape or form
There was undoubtedly little remorse, and definitely, no guilt, because I thought I deserved to be successful, I deserved money, influence, and to achieve all of my dreams
Yet, Christianity turns your thoughts and your belief system upside down
There are basic fundamentals in life that everyone deserves, especially in the 21st Century…
The right to clean water
To have access to food
For everyone to have shelter
Medical care
To find love
And also, the right to feel safe
Friends, I used to want to change the world to make my life better. Now I want to change the world for God’s Glory, but also, so everyone created by Him, receives what God has always intended
If everyone receives God’s love, then life as we know it will be forever changed, because then, like me, our desires become about us, we, and they
Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve others. Jesus came to show us the way back to our Heavenly Father, and to release us into an eternal life after fulfilling God’s plan in this one.
It’s time we dreamed BIG, because our dreams need to be realigned to God’s vision for humanity.
There is nothing that we can’t achieve when we have been empowered to change the world with hope, to release hope, and for everyone to see that Hope is the anchor of our souls.
Hope is the way, the truth, and the life, so let’s follow Jesus’ example, and help each other to change the world as we know it
“Love empowers us to fulfil the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles.” Galatians 6:2
Speaking Life
I have never really paid too much attention to Simeon’s prophecy before (Luke 2:25-32), but this morning, it blew my mind, for a few reasons…
The Holy Spirit had told Simeon that he wouldn’t die until he had seen God’s Messiah. Scripture doesn’t say how old Simeon was, but that he was eagerly awaiting the Saviour of Israel
I love this man’s faithfulness and dedication to prayer, but it struck me funny that the first thing he prays when he holds Jesus as a baby, was that God would now let him die in peace – how long had he interceded for Israel? How many years had Simeon obediently gotten down on his knees, to pray for the coming King?
I also love that Simeon knew that Jesus was the Messiah. He didn’t need to wait to see Jesus die on the cross – he saw a baby, and spoke prophetically what was to come
Simeon prayed in that instant to go home to God because the man knew that this baby was the saviour of Israel
Friends, God is calling us to intercede, because prayer is the master key in unlocking breakthrough
Prayer is where the real battle begins and ends, and I want to encourage us this morning, that we need to be praying for the world, our countries, nations, cities, neighbourhoods, streets, our homes, friends and family members – start being specific!
Prophesy into being, by declaring breakthrough, wholeness, and restoration, that dry bones will awaken, the devil will flee, and Heavens Armies will come. Pray for God’s goodness, mercy, faithfulness, and peace. Pour your heart out for love, kindness, gentleness, obedience, and joy in our land. Pray for the earth as it is in Heaven and that Heaven will open its floodgates and invade our atmosphere – whatever it is that God puts on your heart – pray!
The other thing that I wanted to encourage us with is what Simeon did – prophesy.
Friends, people have made the prophetic weird, when Biblically, it is apart of the body of Christ.
We are called to ALL prophesy. To speak life and love into the hearts of God’s children, and beyond. Call out God’s goodness in people’s lives. Show people who God is. We are called to comfort, and to build up the church – Simeon spoke what God had shown him. He spoke to the life of Israel, and while we are not all called to be prophets – we can all bless another person by the words we speak
And remember, when we speak in Jesus’ name, we know it should come from a place of love
Our Supreme God
I love the revelation Rahab receives…
This is at the time in Scripture where Rahab is introduced to us. Destined for death, and yet, God opened her eyes to Who He is.
Her life up until this point was promiscuous. She lived in Jericho, where a pagan lifestyle was the norm, and yet, Rahab was the first Gentile who gave her life to God, and thus received not only grace when the Israelites took down the city, but became part of Jesus’ lineage
It was in that moment of complete surrender of the life that she had known up until that point, to believe our Supreme God would save her whole family, because of her faithfulness
Rahab reminds us that we can be as far away from Christ as possible, and yet, one God encounter can change the course of our lives
Rahab knew that the red cord was her salvation, and so, in faith, she did what was asked by Joshua because Jesus has, and always will be, the way, the truth, and the life
Friends, we need a fresh revelation of Who God is…
There are a lot of us who are struggling with the basics. We have forgotten Who died for us…
We have forgotten Who is on the throne…
Who the angels sing to….
Who the rocks cry out to…
Who spoke life into being…
We serve the Supreme God – the One who was, who is, and is to come.
Yahweh – the name above any other!
Friends, He may be the God of all, but, all He actually wants, is you.
Your love, and your faith – in Him, because He honestly loves you that much
Being Honest
Oh, how pride and stubbornness has kept me at arm’s length from God, and other relationships, on more than one occasion in my life
It can be hard for us to ask for help because we fear rejection, or maybe abandonment, but that isn’t Who God is
We need to admit that we need restoration, to be restored
We need to realise that we have made wrong choices, in order to make the right ones going forward
Yet, we don’t know, what we don’t know, and that is why a relationship with God is fundamental because then, He imparts His wisdom, His grace, and His love into the very depths of our being
For years I thought I needed to make people around me think that I had it all together, but the cliché is actually when we admit that we aren’t whole, we become whole together
Relationships are hard because let’s be honest; humanity is hard work. To love, to know, and to serve one another, is the greatest sacrifice we will ever make to God, simply because that was His offering to us
Friends, it’s time that we got real with God. He already knows the situation we are in, but it’s in that honest and raw conversations, that wholeness begins
Yet, it’s more than that, because it was when I realised that God’s plan for me, was a relationship with others, along with Himself, that I understood the need to be honest with where I am at in life in general. If someone asks how you are – genuinely – don’t just say ”good, how about you?”
Being a Christian doesn’t mean we’re perfect, it just means that we know we need Christ in order to carry on…along with our brothers and sisters, who are on the same journey to wholeness
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16
Laying our Foundation
If you follow me on social media, then yesterday, you would see, that we had the privilege to watch the foundation being poured for our God-given home
Someone asked me why I would want to see that happen, as it’s only “boring concrete”? I replied that this was a more significant moment – for us as a family – than the walls or roof going on…
You see, the foundation (to us) is a prophetic declaration of the way forward.
If you don’t get the foundation right, everything else is affected.
The foundation is what sets the “stage” for what is to come.
Friends, I can think of Scripture after Scripture of ways God talks about the foundation or the Word of God needing to be on solid ground because once laid, it is the president of the building ahead…
Walls can be torn down, broken, and disregarded, but the foundation is what we don’t usually see unless it’s stripped right back.
A mansion cannot withstand a foundation of sand, or a high-rise needs a certain depth of foundation to remain secure.
We need to think of ourselves as a house of God. Therefore, the foundation must be from the Word of God, and the cornerstone should only be, Jesus Christ, because then, no matter what life throws at us, we remain firmly planted, safe, and in the knowledge that as for me, and my family, we will serve the Lord!
Yesterday, wasn’t just concrete being poured to us, because at that time, we laid a Bible in the foundation – right at the entrance way of our home…why?
Because everyone that steps into our home, will be standing (literally) on the Word of God, and we are believing for everything God says, for not only our lives, but also, for those who are friends and family.
We are a walking testimony of God’s goodness and grace. Twelve months ago, our dreams of a home had died…yesterday the foundation was laid…and tomorrow God’s house will start to rise
“But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
How to Win the War
I get asked a lot about breakthrough, or winning the wars we are facing in life, and although there is no formula or checklist to complete, I have found something that has seen me through the up’s and down’s of life…singing
Now, I’m not talking about in a band, worship leading, or performing on stage, I’m talking about having an audience of One, where we lift a shout of praise or faithfully worship the Lord when life around us is falling apart
Friends, I adore this song, but especially this line, because it was written for so many of us to have as the declaration of our hearts. Yet to me, it’s more than that, it is literally how I have won the most significant battles of my life.
Do I want to sing to God when I don’t know which way to turn – no.
Do I want to ding to God when the unexpected bills keep coming – no.
Do I want to sing to God when another friend or family member is struck down by sickness, illness, or disease – no.
But, I realise that my words to God become a weapon against the unseen, because I believe that God will do more with the song on my heart, than the actions of my flesh
I have never sung and not felt a shift in the supernatural. Whether that’s receiving joy, or peace, boldness, or love, God has always given a transaction when I have lifted my heart to Him
Today, no matter what you have going on in your life, I want you to put on some Christian music, and lift up your voice to God. If you can’t speak, raise your hands and let your tears praise Him anyway, but if the angels praise God 24/7 then I want to be apart of the orchestra that reminds me why God is on the throne
”singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Ephesians 5:19
Why the Blood still Matters
Scripture tells us that we are the house for the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) who dwells within us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
Interestingly, the blood of the lamb imagery found in Exodus, still applies to us today, regarding Jesus Christ as the lamb, but many people don’t believe that judgement is coming.
God gave the Israelites a chance to be spared if they followed His command by putting the blood of the lamb on their door. This meant that the Angel of Death would Passover their home, and they would be spared judgement – but it not only required belief in intellect, it also needed action.
Today, the same applies, we must believe in Jesus Christ, as the Lamb who was slain, but an act of sacrifice is needed from us – in other words, our bodies become the daily sacrifice to take up His cross, and follow God’s leading (Matthew 16:24-26)
Friends, there has always been ”Pharisees” throughout time – these are people who know what God says, but they think intellect is what will save them.
Yet, God is the same today, as He was then, and therefore, our fate regarding eternity has, and always will be, regarding our obedience to God
It has never been about just knowing, intellectually what God says to do, but still about what we do with that knowledge
