Leave your baggage behind

During a group worship time this week I saw this picture.

It was of a person carrying an old suitcase. The person walks to the kerb and in a short moment a bus comes along. The person, 'leaves that old case on the kerb', gets on the bus with a looking forward not looking back. The doors shut, and the bus pulls away on to the next destination.

It was a picture where people can at times carry a bag holding things of the past and still be defined by them; shame, things that created pain, memory of sin, etc.

So, to me it was an encouragement for people in their journey with Jesus to leave those things behind. I love the word in Isaiah..."don't remember the former things, don't consider the things of old, behold I do a new thing" (Is 43:18).

Sometimes it seems hard to not pick up the old stuff again, and sometimes, to even let it go in the first place. But trust God's word when He says you are a new creation. Let Him do the work in you.

So if you are carrying some stuff, step into the freedom that is yours in Christ. Leave that old case there on the kerb.... don't look back and don't go pick it up again.

And for some help, some lyrics of an old song came to my thoughts as I wrote this..
If the enemy starts to remind you of your past (don't listen), you just remind him of his future.

(Carman - Revival in the Land).   :)

 

Miracles

You, every one of you are God the Father's special miracles. His miracle working power has given you life where there was no light or life in or of yourself.

 

He formed you and then (in Christ) He transforms you.

 

 

 

 

 

I wrote the above on my FB page and had the hashtag   #believe

 

Here I will elaborate further...

 

The scripture that I was going to add to #believe was Rom 10:13

 

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved

 

It is very important, although a miracle - our birth - who we are - we being thought of before time by God, and our form and frame fashioned by Him, the miracle of a new birth still awaits us.

 

Salvation in Christ.

 

Yes, He formed you and then (in Christ - the new birth) He transforms you.

 

Like the picture below

 His miracle working power has given you life where there was no light or life in or of yourself.

 

 

 

 OPEN YOUR HEART AND RECEIVE JESUS

 

 Amen

 

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All Who Are Thirsty

This post started with one word - Nailed!

The Cross of Jesus - The Blood of Jesus - The Risen Jesus; He has set us free.

When Jesus calls, it is a beautiful thing. My heart is stirred!

The Word of God says:

Isaiah 55 An Invitation to the Needy 1 Come, Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. 2"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.…

A commentary

55:1-5 All are welcome to the blessings of salvation, to whom those blessings are welcome.

In Christ there is enough for all, and enough for each. Those satisfied with the world, that see no need of Christ, do not thirst. They are in no uneasiness about their souls: but where God gives grace, he gives a thirst after it; and where he has given a thirst after it, he will give it. Come to Christ, for he is the Fountain opened, he is the Rock smitten. Come to holy ordinances, to the streams that make glad the city of our God. Come to the healing waters, come to the living waters, Re 22:17.

Our Saviour referred to this, Joh 7:37. Come, and buy; make it your own by application of the grace of the gospel to yourselves. Come, and eat; make it still more your own, and enjoy it. The world comes short of our expectations; we promise ourselves, at least, water in it, and we are disappointed; but Christ outdoes our expectations. We come to him, and we find wine and milk. The gifts offered to us are such as no price can be set upon. The things offered are already paid for; for Christ purchased them at the full price of his own blood, 1Pe 1:19.

Our wants are beyond number, and we have nothing to supply them; if Christ and heaven are ours, we see ourselves for ever indebted to free grace. Hearken diligently; let the proud heart stoop; not only come, but accept God's offers. All the wealth and pleasure in the world, will not yield solid comfort and content to the soul. They do not satisfy even the appetites of the body; for all is vanity and vexation. Let the disappointments we meet with in the world, help to drive us to Christ, and to seek for satisfaction in him only. Then, and not before, we shall find rest for our souls. Hear, and your soul shall live. On what easy terms is happiness offered us! By the sure mercies of David, we are to understand the Messiah. All his mercies are covenant mercies; they are purchased by him, they are promised in him, and out of his hand they are dispensed to us.

We know not how to find the way to the waters, but Christ is given to be a Leader, a Commander, to show us what to do, and enable us to do it. Our business is to obey him, and follow him. And there is no coming to the Father but by him. He is the Holy One of Israel, true to his promises; and he has promised to glorify Christ, by giving him the heathen for his inheritance.

.....

Hearts be opened, Hearts be healed, in Jesus name, Amen.

What are you proclaiming?

Phil 1:6   And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

I recently heard a song, titled:  Rooftops by Jesus Culture. (song clip below).

Here I am before You, falling in love and seeking Your truth
Knowing that Your perfect grace has brought me to this place
Because of You I freely live, my life to You, oh God, I give
So I stand before You, God
I lift my voice cause You set me free

So I shout out Your name, from the rooftops I proclaim
That I am Yours, I am Yours

All the good You've done for me, I lift up my hands for all to see
You're the only one who brings me to my knees
To share this love across the earth, the beauty of Your holy worth
So I kneel before You, God
I lift my hands cause You set me free

So I shout out Your name, from the rooftops I proclaim
That I am Yours, I am Yours
All that I am, I place into Your loving hands
And I am Yours, I am Yours

Here I am, I stand, with arms wide open
To the One, the Son, the Everlasting God

Salvation - Glory - part 3

In the meantime God had brought this South African girl into my circle and she and I became quite inseparable, and during my dropping her home one evening after a meeting (with her limited time left in Australia) she said that she wants to see Ayres Rock, Darwin etc and I passingly said, 'I've always wanted to do that' but not thinking about joining her, just commenting.

Then out loud she says '' L E T S   DO   I T'.  I can still hear her saying it.  I again got all nervous, thinking I hardly know her, will it be OK etc.  I checked with work and yes, it was all fine, I was on my own little trip through Australia.

We had a great time!  People were thinking we had been friends for years and years, not weeks! It really was a God encounter.

Finally it was the day for [boyfriend] to come home.  I went to the Sydney International Airport to collect him and saw him walking toward me, and as I watched him walk toward me I realised that I had changed so much in those 9 weeks that this person walking toward me I hardly knew.

During a conversation within the following week, I explained to [boyfriend] that I felt that I needed to get to know him again.  I also told him I wanted to do things the right way!

Salvation comes from the Lord - the former years

Significant Moments:

• When approximately 9 years old I was walking with Mum and said "I don't need to go to church because I know God lives in my heart'.
• When approximately 13 years old, walking to high school, remembering exactly where I was (Cordelia Avenue, Coolbellup, crossing the road) I said to myself 2 x "I don't know what I am here for, but I know it is for a special reason.  I don't know what I am here for but I know it is for a special reason:.
• When 29 years old, 1997, I responded to God's call through Jesus Christ and received forgiveness and salvation.

The Full Story:

I remember when I was about 9 or so, I was walking with my mum and out of the blue I said to her 
'I don't need to go to church because God lives in my heart'. It is probably one of the most profound things I have ever said! (I do believe that church is a good and blessed place to go, as God says to meet together, but back then, this was a statement of Faith).  My memory recalls my mum 'falter' and say something like 'well, yes, umm, ok' but I think she was more shocked about what I had just said, and she didn't really know how to respond. On the day it was just a random thought and comment, and it just flew out of my heart and mouth.  I've never forgotten that one little moment!  God lives in my heart!

The background. The influences.

My Nana became / was a very devout Catholic. She would arrive at our place on Sunday mornings to take us to church. I went once or twice, but I was extremely timid and shy and scared. I didn't like going to church or any gathering because there were ... 'people there'. My Nana, bless her heart, would always talk God, but there was always a lot of fear in her talk.  Such as: the 3 days of darkness (she even had a special candle made up so it would last 3 days... it was really tall!) and it was all doom doom doom, punishment etc.

Salvation Comes from the Lord - part 2.

There were a lot of years between those early days until the day when God brought a Christian girl in to my path. He really knows how to speak to us.

I had moved from Perth to Sydney.

I had a boyfriend. Someone I had known as a friend for a long time.

It is now 1996 and I am now 28 years.  I hadn't worked for over a year, I was pretty much on extended leave due to overwork, but soon realised that I needed to get myself back to work.  I applied for a job and started working as a secretary.  This Christian girl truly was a God send. She had started at this workplace a week before me. She was the receptionist, but it was my job to cover the gaps and help at reception when required.  The blessing was that I had often finished my job early, so was able to do a fair bit of work at reception and spend time talking to this girl.

Initially I found out she sang! That was a big draw card for me - I found that someone being able to sing was one of the most amazing things. It was beautiful to hear lovely voices, but it was the expression that could be given through someones heart, through a song.

The Dolphin

I was in between work situations, and seeking God for the next move for me. I decided to take a trip North along the east coast of Australia, where my home base stay for the trip was in Forster NSW, (a gorgeous place).  It was a 9 day trip in total.

I really wanted to spend time seeking God.

One evening I heard that there were dolphins in the inlet of Forster and to see them I would have to get up at the crack of dawn.  This I had planned, but the next day I was tired and decided to sleep in.

Later that day I was sitting on this huge open long stretch of beach, no where near the inlet.  There was no one in sight, just open water, with the ocean waves slightly lapping at the beginning of the sand.  I was talking to God and just enjoying the open ocean, fresh air, and time alone.