Enjoy today

I recently celebrated my birthday. One of my daughters surprised me with a painting of a ‘vision’ I had some time ago. At that time I saw a dense forest of white leafless trees. Brightly colored spheres, like balloons were rising from the branches and floating up to heaven. As I look at my daughters painting tonight it strikes me that these spheres of praise and thanks to God are creating the atmosphere that exists around and over the trees. It is a ‘party’ atmosphere – with much Joy, happiness, peace and celebration.

Praise and thanksgiving to God change the atmosphere in which we live. The bleak, black background in my daughters painting is pushed back into the distance by the brightly colored praise spheres on the trees. The life of the tree is not in the seasonal conditions it experiences. Rather the life of the tree is in the heavenly fruit it produces. This fruit changes the atmosphere.
Your life is not dictated by the circumstances in which you find yourself today. Rather it is the heavenly fruit rising from your life that sets the atmosphere. Enjoy it.

Bob Lipsys, Australia

A lot of pain but a lot more healing

I’ve been having a praise night tonight using Godfrey Birtill’s songs. Brilliant, I am so full of Joy at present. Here is a song I re-lived tonight . Godfrey Birtill is a worship leader in the UK. A number of his songs, including this one are available on You-tube. Be blessed. Bob Lipsys - Australia


Outrageous Grace (There's A Lot Of Pain)
By Godfrey Birtill© Thankyou Music 2000

There's a lot of pain
But a lot more healing
There's a lot of trouble
But a lot more peace
There's a lot of hate
But a lot more loving
There's a lot of sin
But a lot more grace

Oh Outrageous Grace!
Oh Outrageous Grace!
Love unfurled by heavens hand
Oh Outrageous Grace!
Oh Outrageous Grace!
Through my Jesus I can stand

There's a lot of fear
But a lot more freedom
There's a lot of darkness
But a lot more light
There's a lot of cloud
But a lot more vision
There's a lot of perishing
But a lot more Life!

Oh Outrageous Grace!
Oh Outrageous Grace!
Love unfurled by heavens hand
Oh Outrageous Grace!
Oh Outrageous Grace!
Through my Jesus I can stand

There's an enemy
That seeks to kill what it can't control
It twists and turns
Making mountains out of molehills
But I will call on the Lord
Who is worthy of praise
I run to Him and I am saved!

Godfrey Birtill © Thankyou Music 2000

Facing the impossible today? …I hope so….

But Jesus looked at them and said: "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27)

“When God asks me to do the impossible, I know He will equip me with His power and ability to fulfill the task.”……. “You can know the true Jesus because He demands the impossible. That is how you can identify Him. That is Jesus every time, telling you to do what is beyond your natural abilities. Kill Goliath! ... Be a giant, not a grasshopper! ... Move mountains! ... Be perfect! ... Walk on the waves! ... Cleanse the lepers! ... Raise the dead! ... Teach all nations! ... Preach the Gospel to every creature!” Quote by Reinhard Bonnke

Facing the impossible today? …I hope so…. Bob Lipsys, Australia.

Go away - We don't want any.

We were watching a TV program which was interrupted by commercials. One was a preview of the ‘Simpsons’. In it Homer opened the door only to find the Grim Reaper. ‘Who are you?’ Homer asks. ‘Death’ is the reply. Homer slams the door shut, saying: ‘Go away, we don’t want any.’ He used the tone he would use to get rid of an annoying sales person.

My eldest daughter said: ”Christians should be like that.” I said “What?“ She said, “We should close the door on sickness and death as quick as Homer did.”

She’s right. Jesus said “ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10. Jesus closes the door on theft, death and destruction.

Bob Lipsys, Australia

A Life That Counts

"Lord, make me a crisis man. Let me not be a mile-post on a single road, but make me a fork that men must turn one way or another in facing Christ in me." Jim Elliott (Martyred Missionary to Ecuador 1927 – 1956)