The Orchid

What greater gift could we have than a new life in Jesus!? Let’s take care of it; He will be blessed, others will be blessed, and so will we.

Source: KJV Bible Verses

Over the years, I’ve occasionally been given an Orchid; although I very much appreciated the gift, it also concerned me because orchids always seemed to die on me. Then a few years ago, someone gave me another one bearing large beautiful two-tone flowers, but this time there was a label stuck in the soil with instructions about ‘Taking care of your Orchid’. When I read this, it soon became clear why the others had died; - I’d been giving them the same care as I gave the other indoor plants, making sure I gave them enough water etc. No wonder the others had soon died, for orchids obviously don’t like much water; in fact, you almost have to neglect them to be kind to them.

That set me thinking of something of very much more importance: - Jesus has given me a new LIFE, but am I taking care of this life in the way He wants me to? Thankfully there are some instructions of how to keep our new lives healthy and alive in His precious Word, the Bible. God, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, makes us a promise which can be found in Isaiah 55:10-11 ‘As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it’. 

Since my Orchid’s first lovely show of flowers, it has produced two more lots of beautiful blossoms. It may have looked a bit untidy and unproductive in between times, but unseen to my eyes, it was busy storing up food for producing another flourish of flowers. How thankful I was that I continued following the instructions and didn’t throw it out just because it looked as if nothing was happening!

Source: PInterest

Again, how like our lives, that seems from time to time; we (or certainly I) sometimes wonder what’s happening, until I remember that the Lord uses these ‘latent’ times for Him to be working away in us, teaching us to be at peace while storing up food from His Word, listening to His voice, and learning to trust Him more, ready for whatever He has planned in the future, to bring Him joy and glory.

He has made us with great care, and for a purpose; Colossians 1:16 ‘All things were created by Him and for Him’, and in His Word He has given us all the advice we need for whatever circumstances we might find ourselves in. What greater gift could we have than a new life in Jesus! Let’s take care of it; He will be blessed, others will be blessed, and so will we.

Author: Joan Townsend

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‘When you hear the sound of marching in the poplar trees’

We should not always press on with doing things the same old way we have done them before. This may not be God’s plan for us.

Source: Heavenly Treasures Ministry

When David heard that the Philistines had come, he asked God whether he should go and attack them. The Lord told him to do it and said He would deliver them into David’s hands: 2 Samuel 5:18-19 ‘Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands? The LORD answered him, ‘Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands’.

How often do we go ahead and make our decisions and even fight our battles without asking the Lord or seeking His Counsel on how to deal with the situation that confronts us? We know we should go to God first, but I am sure I am not the only one who, at times, fails to do so. David sought the Lord and followed His instructions, and all went well for Him. He had total success on that day.

As so often happens the situation arose again for David. The Philistines came back. David again sought the Lord; 2 Samuel 5:22-25 ‘Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, ‘Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army’. So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer’. 

David did not assume that because he had done something one way the first time, he would automatically have success if he did the same again. He knew it was important to seek the Lord before making the decision and sure enough the instructions from the Lord on this occasion were completely different. This time he had to wait until he heard the sound of marching in the top of the poplar trees. So here is another lesson for us. We should not always press on with doing things the same old way we have done them before. This may not be God’s plan for us. He may want us to do the same things a different way or do something completely different altogether. We need to continue to seek His will for us individually and also as a family of believers.

Source: Meme

David was told that if he waited until he heard the sound of marching in the poplar trees, he would know that it was time to act because the Lord had gone before him. We must never act if we are told to wait. Even if we know what we should be doing, we should wait until we know the Lord has gone before us. Charles Spurgeon said: ‘Do not, I beseech you, go before the cloud’.  And also; ‘He goes on a fool's errand who goes before God’.  Have you ever thought how odd that instruction must have seemed to the rest of the army? What must they have they have thought when David told them that they could not act until ‘they heard the sound of marching in the poplar trees?’ Sometimes we may have a word or instruction from the Lord, either ourselves or via someone else, that seems strange or even crazy to us. If it has truly come from God, we must be determined to carry it out no matter how odd it appears to us and however much it takes us out of our comfort zone. We need to obey God whatever the cost.

David and his army had to be prepared to advance quickly once they heard the Lord`s marching in the trees. We need to be ready for battle, clothed with our spiritual armour. Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us very clearly what we must have in order to be prepared to fight the battles of life: ‘Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people’.

Father help us to seek you for guidance and instruction in every situation. Help us to be prepared to act immediately or to wait patiently, whatever you instruct us to do. Help us not to second guess you or go before you into battle as we sometimes want to do. Help us to be prepared to act on your instructions even if they seem strange or are outside our comfort zone. Help us to wear your armour at all times. Help us to listen carefully so that we may discern the sound of marching in the poplar trees. Amen.

Author: Thelma Cameron

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God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear

One thing I love about Jesus is that He is the ultimate example of ‘how to do life’. Not only can we be assured that He personally understands whatever we are enduring, He also provides an answer either through scripture or by example

Source: Heartlight

We see in Matthew 4:1-11 that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and nights. He had the attention of the devil and was in a position of weakness, physically, due to His fasting.

Personally, if I go food shopping on an empty stomach, I am the epitome of no self-control. I'll throw in the trolley whatever looks good right there and then. Oh and the snacks probably far outweigh the actual meal ingredients! This is also notably a costly way to shop.... So what am I getting at? Well, how was Jesus able to show the self-control that He did during those 40 days and nights and remain pure? He clung firmly to His Father in heaven, drawing on His strength. He remained in prayer, sustaining His deep relationship with the Father. He applied scripture to His circumstances and spoke it out. Jesus had total faith in the scriptures and in His father above. He stood firm.

One thing I love about Jesus is that He is the ultimate example of ‘how to do life’. Not only can we be assured that He personally understands whatever we are enduring, He also provides an answer either through scripture or by example. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it’. When Jesus had spent His time in the desert, Angels came and tended to Him. What a blessing that must have been! What a reward for standing firm!

Source: Lanie's Blog

We should take Jesus’s example and apply it to everyday life. Yes! Everyday life! If we save this example just for the times of testing and trials, are we likely to be level-headed enough to think and pray things through when we're in the thick of it? In my case - definitely not! But if we pray and commune with the Father regularly and draw on His mighty power which we have access to. 

Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds us, day by day, then we head into battle fully prepared: ‘Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people’.

Author: Samantha Tarplin

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You’re Accepted, Loved and Secure!

If God loves you, you must be worth loving and if He wants to have you in His Kingdom, then you must be worth having. 

Source: RedBubble

Romans 8:15 ‘So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children’

If you're adopted, that means your parents chose you. They could have picked a different gender, colour or ancestry. but they selected you. You may say, ‘But if they could have foreseen the rest of my life, they might have changed their minds’, but that’s the point exactly!  God saw our entire lives from beginning to end and He was still convinced; Ephesians 1:5 ‘God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure’.

We can now live like God's very own children, adopted into ... his family, and calling to Him ‘Father, Father’; Romans 8:15 ‘So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father’ .... And since we are his children, we will share His treasures because all God gives to His Son Jesus is now ours too.  

God doesn't accept you because of your pedigree and He doesn't reject you because of your divorce, deficiencies, debt or dumb choices.  You're His redeemed child.  You can call Him 'Abba' which means 'daddy' or 'papa'.  You may approach God with freedom and confidence; Ephesians 3:12 ‘In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence’ and this is the case on your bad days as well as your good ones!

Source: PInterest

It doesn’t stop there either, it gets even better.  Your adoption is horizontal as well as vertical.  You 're now a member of His redeemed family.  Dividing walls of hostility are broken down and community is created on the basis of a common Father, you have instant family worldwide!  If God loves you, you must be worth loving and if He wants to have you in His Kingdom, then you must be worth having.  God's grace invites you, not requires you, to change your attitude about yourself and take sides with God against your feelings of rejection and unworthiness.  You’re Accepted, Loved and Secure!

We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit is our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are; Galatians 4:4-6 ‘In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus’.

Father God, I wonder how I managed to exist without the knowledge of your parenthood and your loving care.  But now I am your son, I am adopted in your family and I can never be alone because Father God your there beside me.  I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises- for evermore! 

Author: Neil Berry

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God's incomparably Great Power

God is in the miracle business, and sometimes He chooses to Glorify Himself through miracles. He always works in the mundane, but He especially shows His Glory through the impossible.

Source: RedBubble

Ephesians 1:3-6 ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved’ 

Again, in Ephesians 1:11-12 ‘In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory’

and in 2 Chronicles 16:9 ‘For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him’

God is looking for people to demonstrate His Power. To experience God's Power, we must not discount God's ability to accomplish the impossible; Genesis 17:17 ‘Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’ When God prophesied about this miracle child, Abraham laughed. Probably he did not laugh because of disbelief, but it was incredible to him because Sarah was barren and past childbearing age. Just like Abraham, we don't consider the miraculous.  We ask, 'How can God fix this situation?', or 'How can God turn this around?', or ‘How can God use somebody like me?'  God is in the miracle business, and sometimes He chooses to Glorify Himself through miracles. He always works in the mundane, but He especially shows His Glory through the impossible.

Source: Bible Verses to go

In Matthew 19:24-26 Christ told his disciples about the impossibility of mankind being saved; ‘Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’  When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ Many of us know God as Father. He cares, directs, and disciplines us. It seems not many know God as El Shaddai, God Almighty, the all-powerful and sufficient God, who can do anything and meet any need.

In John 14:12 Jesus said that those who believed in Him would do greater miracles; ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father’.

When Peter preached his first sermon, 3,000 people were saved; Acts 2:41 ‘So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls’. Jesus’ ministry was largely limited to Israel, but the disciples reached and turned the world upside down. Nations and governments are transformed by the gospel, but most Christians still have no experience of this. This is the God we need to know as well. We need Him for our lives, our families, our churches, and our nations, to be transformed. We need El Shaddai. We should try to follow the example of the Apostle Paul who made it his mission to not only know Jesus but to also know His Power; Philippians 3:10 ‘that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death’.

When God appeared to Abraham, He told him to walk before Him and be blameless.  This does not mean sinless, but single hearted, sincere, and wholly devoted to the Lord. What situation is God calling you to bring before Him? Our God is the God of the impossible. Let us bring our problems, fears, and hopes before Him.  Because that is where He works, He works in the impossible.

Author: Eugene Dragunas

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