Yes & No

So glad that Scotland is staying. Thank you Lord for your mercy... it's a shot across this nation's bows!!! A lot of evil has been authorised by parliament in this last year. (Some 'Good' too, BUT there's some legislation was just plain evil and God's judgement was and still is, a breath away)

Europe was sharpening it's knives and Islam would have had a "scheme" if Great Britain had been dissolved.

Jesus said "Let your "Yes" be Yes and your "No" be no, anything beyond this, is from the Devil" - this has obvious application to Scotland's decision.

There is another aspect though, that I hope the UK parliament holds to. That is their pre-vote pledge to give great devolving powers to Scotland! They MUST keep their word!!! What Jesus said applies to Parliament too! The vote over the border was very close... there's enough potential devision already.. (it could've divided households, like the miner's strike did in the 1980's) - if the Prime Minister doesn't do what he promised... a great bitterness will spread!

So, not just Scotland, but the UK Government, let your "Yes" be Yes and your "No be no, anything beyond this is from the Devil.

Thank you Scotland... love you! Thank you Lord... LOVE YOU!


David

To The End

At the 1968 Mexico Olympics Marathon event, one of the runners, John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania, finds himself trapped in the middle of some other runners several miles into the race. He falls and hurts his leg horribly. He watches, anguished, as the other racers continue. John Stephen Akhwari will not win the marathon on this day. He has trained for years to come to Mexico City only to fail …or does he?

The 42km race was won by Mamo Wolde, an Ethiopian.
Over an hour has passes by, it's getting dark, the last of the crowd are leaving the stadium. Suddenly, the stadium gate is opened up, to the sounds of police sirens. Then a lone runner stumbles into the stadium, for his last lap. It is John Stephen Akhwari. He hobbles, painfully on his bandaged leg, in great pain with every step. He knew 3hrs before, he could not win the race, but he continued anyway. Finally, after 3hours and 25 minutes, he crosses the finish line and collapses.



"Why", someone asked him, "didn't you stop after injuring yourself?" After all, there was no way he could win the race. John's response was "My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race, they sent me to FINISH THE RACE."

Perseverance is a powerful weapon. With God's strength... you can!



2 Timothy 4:7
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Revelation 2:10
"Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."

"In The Last Days There Will Be Mockers"

John 16:7-11
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 
of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 
of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 
of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."

How does The Holy Spirit convict the world of "sin”?
Well the main definition of sin is an "Offence against God" - but the world doesn't even want Jesus to be real. Therefore - in His convicting of the world, one of His works, is to specifically target and challenge the unbelief of the reality and existence of God! Amen Lord.
The fact that hundreds of thousands are getting saved through Jesus Christ around the world every day, is evidence that He is Winning!!!

"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God."
Psalm 14:1

David

Square Peg

A Word For All Those Who Feel They Have Never Quite ‘Fitted In’:

Have you gone through life always feeling out of place. Do you feel that you don’t fit in, that you are different. That the problem goes much deeper.

It is a common thing to feel rejected. When younger it is often hard to feel that you are similar to others.  Indeed it is probably quite normal to feel a bit different. But I am talking about something much deeper.  Not just feeling a bit different but feeling BROKEN. I mean feeling like you stumbled into life and even feeling like you where thrown from a plane.

In these days God is taking those which are rejected by life and discarded and placing them into a position where they feel at home and secure.

But it is God ALONE who is doing this. As people we are weak and often create more problems than we solve. It is time to take our hands of control from off of the situation and let God do what he wants.  But what does this mean. Well it means TRUST.  Can we trust God to turn up. That’s a tough call. In fact there is an example in the story of the raising of Lazarus where He didn’t seem to turn up until it was too late. In fact Jesus had all His followers leave Him and His work appeared to die a death. So TRUST is tough. So let’s be honest... I DARE YOU TO TRY AND BELIEVE AND ACT UPON WHAT HE SHOWS YOU... Jesus said that this was like building upon a rock. We have to much sand and are therefore unstable at times.

We need God’s kindness and patience and mercy. There is forgiveness with Him... therefore He is to be feared. But we have been afraid in the wrong sense of the word. We have a lot of fear. Is that ok.  Well God says DO NOT FEAR. Does that make it wrong to be afraid. It just means that you have something to begin your conversation with, when God comes to you. He said to adam and eve... why are you afraid and hiding. That’s a good place to start but do you honestly think that it will stop God transforming your life with His love... DEATH COULDN’T HOLD HIM!!

Daniel Chuter

Stop Your Striving

Too many hats?

Holiness and Righteousness are inputed... because of what Jesus Christ did for us all, not earned by us, or a transfusion of a dead "saint's" surplus virtue. (where's that in scripture?)
Works are evidence of our faith.

Let your good works be motivated out of thankfulness, love and because you heard the instruction from the Lord's heart. - because He is wonderful, brilliant.

If God hasn't asked it of you, please consider that it is also Obedience and Faith to NOT pursue it...
(Unless the Lord builds the house, the workers work in vain)
Alternatively, when God asks something of you... He'll equip you for it.
Hence... His yoke is easy and His burden light.

Jesus only did that which He saw the Father doing and spoke that which He heard. (See John 5:19)

There is a difference between busyness and diligence. Which are you operating in today?
If it's busyness... lay it down and inquire of The Lord! If it's diligence, go for it with all you have! (Until God says otherwise)

"Jesus answered and said unto them, 'This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.'" John 6:29

There you go! If you are born again into Jesus, you are doing the work of God! 

Anything beyond this, needs to be the fruit of your relationship with Him. 

David Robinson

Aroused From Your Sleep

In 1Peter 5:8, it talks of the need to be VIGILANT.  In it’s original meaning this word means...’to be aroused from sleep’.  We need to be watchful in these days.  We need to be humble.

When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, there came a point when an enemy tried to stop the process.  In this case Nehemiah made sure that every person building also armed themselves.

When Gideon's army was going forward  after the Midianites they where told to come down to the river where they drank.  The way in which they did this was interesting.  Those who got right down to the water and lapped like a dog where thirsty and occupied by this.  However some merely got on their knees and scooped water to their mouths.  These satisfied their thirst but kept an eye out for an enemy.  These were the chosen warriors because they were VIGILANT.  They were meeting their own needs and at the same time they were looking out and watchful.

There is a fine line between being watchful and fearful.  FEAR is a big problem today.  We need to look at the motivation and root of some of our thoughts and actions.

The enemy has paralysed much of the body of Christ.  It is sleeping and unaware.  Paul talks a lot in Ephesians about the need to be alive and awake. As a result of this condition for many christians, the enemy is alive and well... LYING AND CHEATING.

God wants to heal us.  Do not be proud.

Daniel Chuter

What do you say, Lord?

We must develop a trust in these days. We follow a God who can make us feel very insecure, if we need to know continually every option and outcome. All around us are well meaning people with good ideas and ways of seeing. However...

In Hosea 2 it talks of God’s relationship to His people at the time. His people had been running after different ideas and options, which very often indicated their insecurity. They pursued alternative ways of achieving the things that God had suggested . This was boldly described as similar to the relationship of a man to his wife. She was being unfaithful. This study goes on to talk of how God’s people would be stopped from doing this by being brought to a place where she had no alternatives... She was to be STRIPPED and EXPOSED. Graphic language here but describing our condition in this world. In Genesis 3 the first people sinned and the consequence was that they hid and felt naked. So, in this way we feel exposed at the root of our being.

This is a tough place to be. But in the end it draws us back to a safe place. The secure place of being set on the rock that is the Lord. When storms occur in life we need a rock.

So it is really a case of coming to the end of our plans and options, in as much a they limit the Lord.  Anxiety and fear can result from a continual need to control.

God WANTS US TO GO ON AN ADVENTURE... He wants us to be delighted and excited. He wants to surprise us.

But it means working with His specification. Submitting to His ways. 1Peter 5, talks of young mens pride. We are young in the ways of the Lord. HIS HAND IS MIGHTY AND WEIGHTY. We get into the position of embarking on adventure by working with His suggestions... in the meantime.

The ideal then is to say like Peter... WE HAVE FISHED ALL MIGHT BUT AT YOUE WORD WE WILL GO AGAIN... We will try again not knowing the outcome, because we trust you and know that you have good things for us. You have plans. You have HOPE.

So we just turn up and invite the Holy Spirit... What does God want to do. Who does He want to speak to. Who has been crying out and THE LORD HEARS THE CRIES. How does he want to do things.  What are His parameters. What is His order.

But surely we must have some STRUCTURE... what does that really mean. But surely we must work with some king of plan... Over the years god has trained us and given us specific things to work with in our characters. We can overcome negativity and develop Hope as well as respect and Honour each other. We know not to point the finger.

God has heard our cries. He knows our needs. He knows where we hurt. He made us so surely He knows how to put us back together. He is loving and kind and gentle. He knows what needs to be done... HE IS WITH YOU, MIGHTY WARRIOR... GO IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT.

Daniel Chuter