"All of us are busy, so rather than spending time with God, listening to His voice , we let others spend time with Him and then benefit from their experience. Then we let them tell us what God is saying.

If that is your approach, if your spiritual experiences are second-hand and not first hand, I'd like to challenge you with a thought:
Do you do that with other parts of your life?
I don't think so. Vacations- you want to experience firsthand , not allowing someone else to experience it for you and then tell you all about it when they arrive home.
Romance: you want to experience love firsthand! You do not want to miss a word or a date and listening to God is certainly a thing that you need to do on your own.
He doesn't want a substitute, He wants you. He invites you to a vacation of His splendour. He invites you to feel the touch of His hand, He invites you to feast at His table and He wants to spend time with you.
Will you accept his invitation?"

I was reading through a bunch of testimonies last night and this caught my attention:

"I had peace with God - but not the peace of God."

It's not enough friends, to have the "He's up there, I'm down here and we're good." thing goin' on - I've been there, there's nothing to hold onto when life gets tough. Go right for the peace of God - it goes past anything we can understand or figure out and that's the point. It's supernatural.
Whatever you've got that's driving you crazy - or to drink, or to worry or to yell at your wife and kids - give it up to God. Let Him handle things, and this peace of God will guard your heart AND your mind in Christ Jesus. Let me tell you friends, there's no safer place to leave your troubles than in Jesus, and with Him guarding your heart and mind, you can finally stop the frenzy and just be still for once, and be OK with that.
Doesn't that sound inviting?

Have you any time for Jesus,
As in grace he calls again?
O today is time accepted,
Tomorrow you may call in vain.

Room for Jesus, King of Glory!
Hasten now, his word obey!
Swing your heart's door widely open,
Bid him enter while you may.
SASB #241

posted by:
Heather Dolby
sinner saved by grace through faith

Faithful readers- I am about to embark on a season of drawing from the deep and profound wellspring of restlessness and revelation poured out - with fire and tears- by my comrades in Christ.

• In Jesus there is victory even in seeminly defeat.
• God's Spirit might chose to move and manifest his power independent from my preparation or prayer.
• I still got to learn a lot about time management.
• God knows how to use bad things for my best.
• Those in the front ranks might not be God's main people his builds his kingdom on.
• There is power in prayer when God commands me to pray specificly.
• Without love my walk in righteousness might come across as religious.
• Never underestimate the power of the prayer and encouragement of the saints!
• God answers my prayers for more of his presence and power.
• Doing ministry as a team makes us a testimony to the world by our love for each other.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 wolves" inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority,lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy,
generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which Wolf Wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The One You Feed."

I wouldn't preach it (cheese factor is too high) but it's a good visual for sinful nature vs. Holy Spirit and how our free will affects the outcome.

I scammed this from my friend Nicole's blog because it moved me...I am transported back to this time last year when I was in the pre-TWC weeks, with S & D gone, and tons to do and NOTHING seemed to want to just work out, everything was a wrestle. It seems as though some things never change... (and I NEVER would have guessed I'd look back on that period of time nostalgically!)


"Well let me give you a quick a rundown of the last week.

Yesterday Fleur and I had to get our car out of the impound and we got lost on the way there.
The day before that our corporate cards declined.
The day before that we found out we cannot get beds for the 30+ students.
The day before that we carried a couple couches down the road.
The day before that the Nigerian Embassasy called.
The day before that the insurance in the van ran out.
The day before that we all got sick.
The day before that a bunch of leaders left the province.
The day before that our friends missed their flights.

Ahhh, but the important part is in each of these days God is good."

Pray for them - The Holy Session and their leaders ands comrades in 614 and the DTES.

In my rations today (rations are daily devotions, but like food for soldiers in times of warfare I couldn't survive for long without them) I was meditating on Luke 1:57-80.
One of the questions asked of the text was "What, according to Zechariah's song is the purpose of salvation? " I centred in on verses 74 and 75 as my answer:

"so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness forever."

Obviously, this is backed up by His redemption in v68, His deliverance in v71 and His Covenant to His people in vs72-73.
Feeling satisfied with that answer, I toddled on to the next question:

"Is this your experience?"

Well my word if that didn't catch me unawares and downshift me into discomfort and introspection...

Sadly for me, my truth is that I operate more in fear than I know...I believe that this is at the root of most of my emotional issues and breakdowns, especially in my marriage relationship. Two nights ago, I knelt in my kitchen and repented of all the places in my life where I have partnered with fear, but until my rations today, I never realized how much my marriage journey has been a place of not trusting that God is at work within myself and my husband and not trusting that my husband makes good decisions that won't totally derail us in our lives and our ministry. It's ridiculous. What kind of godly wife doesn't trust the man that God has given her? The kind that is ruled by the fear that if she is not in control it won't go right. That if she discerns it, it MUST be true, even if her mate doesn't agree. The kind whose selfish and fearful heart makes it fertile to the lying seeds sown by the enemy.
I don't want this in me. I want to stop being tossed about by fear. I'm willing for God to discipline me in the severest way to bring about immediate change in this foundational behaviour He has pointed out in me. Even if it's tough, I want to trust Him fully. I covet your prayers, friends.
He reminded me of a time before I was married when all I had to rely on was the promise He had made to me. He schooled me to fix my eyes on things above, on heavenly things, on unseen things. Believe Him, not what my eyes can see around me. How did I forget that lesson so quickly? God forgive me.

Allow me to catapult you in the same direction, and break off a piece of my rations to share with you, comrades:

As a follower of Christ, are you currently experiencing a salvation that allows you to serve God without fear?

"Because of God's tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us.." Luke 1:78 NLT

He's coming soon to collect us - who among us will be able to stand before the Throne and offer up our lives of service motivated by our love for Him, not hindered by our human fears and what our eyes perceive?
My God, let it be me, but only by Your grace.