Written into His Story

Did you believe that I loved you? by Brennan Manning

In the 48 years since I was first ambushed by Jesus, in a little chapel in the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania, and in literally thousands of hours of prayers, meditation, silence and solitude over those years, I am now utterly convinced that on Judgment Day the Lord Jesus is going to ask each of us one question and only one question, 

“Did you believe that I loved you? That I desired you? That I waited for you day after day? That I longed to hear the sound of your voice?”

The real believers there will answer, “Yes, Jesus, I believed in your love and I tried to shape my life as a response to it.”

But many of us who are so faithful in our ministry, in our practice, in our churchgoing, are gonna have to reply, “Well frankly, no, sir. I mean I never really believed it. I mean I heard a lot of wonderful sermons and teachings about it. In fact, I gave quite a few myself. But I always thought that was just a way of speaking, a kindly lie, some Christian’s pious pat on the back to cheer me on.”
And there’s the difference between the real believers and the nominal Christians that are found in our churches across the land. 

No one can measure like a believer the depth and the intensity of God’s love, but at the same time no one can measure like a believer the effectiveness of our gloom, pessimism, low self-esteem, self-hatred and despair that block God’s way to us. Do you see why it is so important to lay hold of this basic truth of our faith? Because you’re only going to be as big as your own concept of God.
 
Remember the famous line of the French philosopher, Blaise Pascal? “God made man in His own image, and man returned the compliment.” We often make God in our own image and he winds up to be as fussy, rude, narrow-minded, legalistic, judgmental, unforgiving, and unloving as we are.
In the past couple three years I’ve preached the Gospel… (all over the world) … and honest to God, the God of so many Christians I meet is a God who is too small for me, because he is not the God of the Word, he is not the God revealed by and in Jesus Christ who this moment comes right to your seat and says,  
  “I have a word for you. I know your whole life story. I know every skeleton in your closet. I know every moment of sin, shame, dishonesty and degraded love that has darkened your past. Right now, I know your shallow faith, your feeble prayer life, your inconsistent discipleship.
And my word is this:
I dare you to trust that I love you just as you are and not as you should be, because you’re never gonna be as you should be.”

From a sermon by Brennan Manning

foundational truth

Fresh Hope

He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, Restoring dignity and respect to their lives— a place in the sun! For the very structures of earth are GOD's; he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation. 1 Samuel 2:8 (MSG)

Walking in the favor of God

Restoring Dignity and Respect

He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, Restoring dignity and respect to their lives— a place in the sun! For the very structures of earth are GOD's; he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation. 

1 Samuel 2:8 (MSG)

Bringing you home

The fact is: God has not rejected you. He is not angry and out to get you. He has actually been devising ways to bring you back into His loving presence. 

"All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him."

from the Bible 2 Samuel 14:14 (NLT)

A walking God Encounter

"When we experience God, it changes the way we see the world and ourselves—what we see in us and around us. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the grave lives inside of us, and that Spirit longs to get out of us. The Holy Spirit enables us to become a walking encounter wherever we go."
Quote by Chris Overstreet

God's Dream

"Your wildest imagination is nowhere near God's dream for you."
Quote by Graham Cooke

Problem Solving

"Most people talk to God about their problems, when in reality, what you ought to do is talk to your problem about God"
A quote by Curry Blake

Perception

The antidote to my past is not my present being sorted out, it’s me understanding my future. ………..Once God tells you who you are, He will only speak you as that person. He doesn’t go back and speak to you as the person you used to be……Learn to walk in God’s perception of who you are, because yours is not good enough.
by Graham Cooke

When your atmosphere is poisoned by negativity.

What is surrounding you at present? What atmosphere are you living in?

Someone just like you once wrote: “I have heard the many reports and rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror” Psalm 31:13 (NLT).

David is surrounded by negativity, bad news, threats to his person and his life. It terrorizes him.

Rather than remaining in that negativity, and rather than accepting the reports and the so called facts of the situation, he calls on God for a good future. He prays: “ But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, “You are my God! My future is in your hands.” Psalm 31:14-15 (NLT)

God is God. God is in charge. Not his enemies. Not the facts or reports. God is God. The Lord is David’s God.

This faith in God changes the atmosphere around David. Terror is replaced with “Songs of Victory.” And the implication is that God is singing these songs.

“For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude: The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:7-8 (NLT)

What is it like when God sings? God sings your future…..

Lord, open the ears of all who put their trust in you. Let them hear you sing.

In Psalm 32:10 David describes it as being surrounded by unfailing love. “...unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD.” Your future is good in God.
Bob Lipsys, Australia

Hope does not dissapoint

".... hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:5 (NIV) It is time to rekindle the hopes that God has placed into your spirit. It is time they are set on fire by the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual Java

Tomorrow, Friday 21 @ 7pm (Australia time) three of us from church are gathering at McDonalds for a coffee and to live out our faith and touch peoples lives. At home this week, we each read the first Chapter of Bethel Church's "Spiritual Java" book. Here Bill Johnson, wrote 3 pages on what he calls "Aggressive Faith". Our plan of action is to absorb the teaching into our spirits and then live it out in the community. There are 40 chapters in the book written by a variety of Bethel Pastors, so by the end of the year our hope/belief is that God will be able to use us more effectively to touch peoples lives with His presence. Most weeks we will meet on a Saturday. We need to begin somewhere, We need to move out of Church into the community.

Please pray that God gives us "ears to hear and eyes to see." Over the past few weeks God has been melting my hard heart. He's been making it pliable again. He has been challenging my thoughts, attitudes and words. He has been revealing the depths of His mercy and His grace. This kindness has revealed my lack of mercy, and my judgmental attitudes. "It is His kindness that leads us to repentance." not His Judgment. (Romans 2:4).

Bob Lipsys (Australia)

The floods in Australia continue

With ¾ of the state of Queensland Wrecked by floods, the Capital City Brisbane and its surrounds are now flooding. In the next 2 days 7500+ homes and businesses are expected to go under water in the city. Yesterday an 8m (26 foot)wall of water hit the heart of the city of Toowoomba. 10 people have been confirmed dead, at least 78 are still missing. They only had 10 minutes notice. A super-storm released an enormous amount of rain close to the city. Toowoomba is a city of 90 000 people and serves a rural population of 250 000. Most of the area is under water. One third of Ipswich, a city of 162000 people, 40km (25miles) from Brisbane will soon be submerged. The river is running through this city at a height of 22m (72 feet). Some country towns have been totally submerged on 3 occasions since Christmas. The whole situation is totally unreal. Since Christmas 70 towns have been devastated. Many others have been damaged. The rain is still pouring down.

Please pray for us. What to pray?
In hours of TV coverage not one political leader has called for prayer or has prayed. God has not even been mentioned. This is Australia, “we will work it out for ourselves,” is our motto. Please pray that we will come to know the love of our Father, God. We need to soak in His love. We need to know Him. We are truly a lost and Fatherless nation. How much God wants to gather this nation in His arms and love them.
Lord call us into your arms.

Rick Renner, a missionary to Russia and Greek Scholar, translates John 1:5 as “Darkness does not have the ability to suppress or hold the light under its domain.” He adds “ Even in what seems to be the darkest or bleakest situation the efforts of evil will always be thwarted by the prevailing power of God’s light.” As Australian Christians lets pray for a revelation of the goodness, the light and the love of God over our suffering communities. God is not limited by the darkness of our circumstances. He shines out in the darkness…

Bob Lipsys, Australia

Bursting with God - news

I was contemplating writing our 2010 Christmas newsletter to family and friends, when I came across this passage in the Message Bible. It is words of Mary, spoken before the Birth of Jesus. But it is also prophetic words for us to shout to each other this Christmas. Be Blessed…You are loved. ……….Bob Lipsys, Australia

Luke 1:46-50 (MSG) “I'm bursting with God-news; I'm dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I'm the most fortunate person on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him.”

Are You Single?

Psalm 68:6a (NLT) 6 God places the lonely in families;

God knows you. He loves you. He desires that you be totally fulfilled. Jesus said “I have come so that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 Some Christians are happy to be single. Others agonize over it. God knows and loves you. If you are lonely, even with your great bunch of friends, then seek God about it. He cares and He places the lonely in families.

Years ago my wife had a good Christian friend who was single. This lady desired to be married. One day God “told” her to write a list of “attributes” she desired in a husband. She carefully created a list of desired characteristics she would like in a husband. One was that he would have blue eyes. She then prayed over the list.
God brought a loving Christian man into her life. They were married. The fascinating thing was that he met every “characteristic” on her list except for blue eyes. He had gray eyes. That did not matter. These two were made for each other.

One day after they had known each other for a couple of years, the man’s mother pointed out that his eyes looked different. She realised that they had changed color. They had turned blue. The list was complete.

God knows and God cares.

I will end with a great word of advice from Danny Silk of Bethel Church:
Don't waste your time looking for your better half. Become a whole person looking for another whole person. -Danny Silk

A song and prayer for Christchurch New Zealand

My Brother David and his wife Janine pastor a Lutheran church in Christchurch New Zealand. The Earthquake (RS 7.4) buckled their home, yard and road, like ever other one in this city. They are OK and thanking Jesus that no lives were lost even though buildings collapsed. The city has damage in the $Thousands of Millions. It is a real mess and will take years to repair. Lets pray that rather then depression and hardship, the result of this earthquake is a Christian revival.

I found this song by Godfrey & Gill Birtill, on You tube. Here is a link and the words. If you are feeling down, this will pick you up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLs6Kl3wgtk


Just One Touch From The King

There's battle raging over this land
A deep damage in the people
Yet pride stops us
Stretching out our withered hand
Yet God has stretched out to heal us
This I know, this I know,
This I know, this I know that

Just one touch from the King
Changes everything
Just one touch from the King
Changes everything

There's a great darkness over this land
A deep darkness on the people
But a light shining
That the dark can't understand
Light of the world King Jesus.
Do you know? Do you know?
Do you know? Do you know?

Just one touch from the King
Changes everything
Just one touch from the King
Changes everything

O land O land O land
Hear the Word of the Lord

Godfrey & Gill Birtill
© Thankyou Music 2006

CBC PRAISE & WORSHIP SONG OF THE YEAR 2008, UK

Beautiful Worship

I was worshiping in church on Sunday. I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as I do most weeks. We were having a good time together as we worshiped and thanked God. Joy filled the group. For a just moment I saw the people as a forest of trees - without leaves or fruit. Instead the trees were covered in large transparent blue spheres. As we worshiped many of these spheres rose up like bubbles towards heaven. It was absolutely beautiful.

Getting together to worship in our rural church was something really special. I got a glimpse of the beautiful experience we were giving God.

I believe we often do things: eg. acts of love, worship, honor, and care; without realizing the significance behind them. God sees a beauty in these things beyond our imagination. Wow.

Do something beautiful for God today.
Bob Lipsys, Australia

Journal

How is this for a God moment? I reading my Bible outside this afternoon and began with the following passage. Jeremiah 30:1-3 (NLT)
1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah. 3 For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to this land that I gave to their ancestors, and they will possess it again. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

I then continued reading and meditating on the next 2 pages. At the end of it my wife came out and we had a chat. I noticed in the clouds what looked like a clear letter “O” ...in front of it was a “J” ..Finally we realized it spelled out “Journal”. The “u” and “a” were not as distinct as the other letters but they were there. The letters were seen in a bank of cloud to the east. The letters were spaces of blue sky in the cloud itself. I had never seen letters in the sky so clearly formed.

When my wife left, it struck me that my reading had began with God asking Jeremiah to “Write down for the record everything I have said to you”. He was asking Jeremiah to Journal. I have been keeping a journal on the computer of many of the things God has been speaking to me. I am going to be more diligent now.
Bob Lipsys, Australia.