Make Room

“I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new” (Leviticus 26:9–10, NIV)

God wants to bless you and multiply you. He wants to increase you above and beyond what you could ever ask, think or imagine. But sometimes, we fill our lives with so much that we simply don’t have room to receive all that God wants to give us. People fill their lives with good things, noteworthy obligations and impressive accomplishments. But “good” can be the enemy of “best.” We have to take the time to evaluate what we have in our hands and be willing to move some things out in order to make room for the new thing God has for us.

Today, take some time to evaluate your life. Be open to what God wants to do in and through you. If your hands are full, maybe it’s time to use what you have to bless other people. Don’t let holding on to yesterday keep you from God’s best. Instead, make room because He has abundant blessings in store for you.

Power in Perspective

This is one that i've really come to terms with lately and whilst it may not be perfect yet for me it should definitely be an encouraging one!

“I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth” - Psalm 34:1 (NKJV)

It’s easy to get focused on what’s wrong in life, what we don’t have, and how big our obstacles are. If we’re not careful, we’ll lose sight of all the good things God has done. We’ll take for granted our family, friends, health and the opportunities God has blessed us with. We’ll get so busy and stressed out that we won’t appreciate the gift of today. What’s happened? Our perspective has gotten off.
Perspective is all about how we see a situation. There’s power in your perspective because you will draw into your life what you constantly meditate on. Business may be slow. The economy may be down. The wrong perspective is, “I’ll never make it. It’s just too much.” The right perspective is, “God is supplying all of my needs. He said He would prosper me even in a desert.”
Today, I encourage you to evaluate your perspective. Choose to lift your eyes to God the Father no matter what is happening in your circumstances. Remember, as you set your perspective in the right direction, your life will follow. When you keep an attitude of faith and expectancy, you open the door for His blessing in every area of your life!

One Thought at a Time

“...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” - 2 Corinthians 10:5

Transforming something in your life whether it’s your attitude, mindset, financial situation or bringing change into a relationship can seem like an overwhelming task. But as the old saying goes, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Likewise, the way you change your life is one thought at a time.
Your thoughts set the direction of your life. If you need to change the direction you are headed, you simply need to change your thoughts in that area. When a thought comes to your mind that “you’re never going to get well; this is your lot in life,” don’t dwell on that. Don’t sit around and have a pity party. No, immediately reject it and replace it with God’s Word. Just say, “Father, You said in Isaiah, ‘By the stripes of Jesus I am healed.’ You said in Jeremiah, ‘You would restore health unto me.’ So Father, I thank You that I’m coming out of this in the name of Jesus.”
I encourage you to be aggressive in taking every single thought and making it obedient to Christ. Stay determined, stay focused and keep declaring His Word because you can change your life, one thought at a time!

Transformed

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will” - Romans 12:2

Most people have things in their lives that they want to change — old habits, addictions or something they want to overcome. The world offers so many “solutions” to improve your life; but really, the only way we are truly changed, the only way to be permanently transformed is by renewing your mind with the Word of God.

The scripture tells us that we shouldn’t follow the pattern of the world. What is the pattern of the world? It’s the constant striving to do more, be more and have more that only leads to weariness, emptiness and frustration. That’s not what God intends! Instead, focus your thoughts on the Word of God because when you make the Word your number one focus, something supernatural takes place.

Only you can control the doorway to your mind. Nobody can do this for you. You choose what you meditate on and what you set before your eyes. I encourage you to stay on the offensive and diligently guard your mind and heart because when you do things God’s way, you get God’s results — life, peace and joy!

Sudden Breakthrough

What's up guys! It's me back from hiatus as I was dealing with some major issues which I may elaborate on later.. As of now i'm fairly busy with college work and so on, but i'll try to keep updating you with little snippets where i'll have a bible verse and do a little bit on it.

So inspired by Ben Rowe's awesome preach on 'Breakthough':

From 2 Samuel 5:20 "So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim."

God wants to give you a breakthrough - a sudden burst of his favour; an explosion of his goodness. He wants to release his power in such a way that it overwhelms you and drives out your enemies!

Maybe you've been praying about a relationship for years; and suddenly, things get into place. That's a breakthrough. Or you were trying to get a certain job. They said there no openings; but suddenly, they call you back and you get the job. That's another breakthrough. Perhaps you've struggled with an addiction for a long time; but something happens, and it's not a struggle anymore. Those are all breakthroughs.

No matter what you've been facing, no matter how impossible things look, know this: the God of breakthroughs wants to visit your house. Get ready! Look for his favour and goodness. Remember, God rewards the people who seek after him. So keep expecting, keep believing because the God of Breakthrough is ready to overwhelm you with his goodness today!!

And trust me guys, this is coming from experience.

God Bless and until next time!

Nat

Truth

The other day a good friend of mine told me he was reading a book and that in this certain book there were 4 truths that can be used and are true for everyday life. These truths can form the basis for the onslaught of lies that attack us and our minds day in and day out.

I just thought that i'd share these truths with you guys and back each one up with a bible verse and unpack them a little! I'll then add one more because it's just so applicable to me right now and I want to share it

1) God is Great.
Check out Psalm 27!
We don't have to be in control of what's going on and what will happen. God does have control of whatever was, whatever is and whatever will happen! as it says in the psalm: The Lord is the stronghold of my life, he's got control so we don't have to

2) God is Glorious
Check out Psalm 31!
God is glorious so we don't have to fear others! We as Christians are forever in his hands and belong to no one else. And God will not let us fall, so what can we fear? That psalm talks about all the hardships and attacks of the enemy yet the saving grace is that God will deliver us from all evil, so we should not fear it!

3) God is Good
Check out Psalm 84!
When we have such a good God who loves us so much, we really don't have to look elsewhere, he alone is worthy of our praise. We as christians will dwell in his house forever.. and that is a pretty awesome place to be!! He is an amazing God and he is good, he wants what's best for us. We need to fix our eyes on him and only him.

4) God is Gracious
Check out Psalm 103!
God is such a gracious God, he loves each and everyone of us and knows us from the inside out.We don't have to prove ourselves to anyone else or even to him, he loves us as we are. So much that he sent his son to die for us!

and now the personal one that i've added onto the end:

5) Jesus is Enough
Let me direct you to this site I found.. http://www.isjesusenough.com/
Essentially, Jesus is all you need, only he can rescue, only he can satisfy. Because he is so amazing and the risen lord.

Hope you guys enjoyed this one and remember these!
God is Good, God is Glorious, God is Good, God is Gracious and Jesus is Enough
God Bless everyone!
Nat

Close to the Edge

Let me start with an offhand note: With these posts i'm not trying to conclude anything or force my views on anyone. I'm just trying to write down my thoughts and goings on in a personal and hopefully encouraging way.

So let's get underway!

We've all had those days where everything seems to go wrong. You feel hurt and completely insecure. People say things that make you think and evaluate yourself. Your confidence is completely shot and you don't know what to think anymore. I've had many of those days where anger and hurt is rife in my life. Feeling completely down as though nothign is right and everything that happens seems to come back and destroy you. You wake up in the morning, look in the mirror. Disgusted.

Am I right? Or is it me?

If you're like me and you think too much or have an unnatural memory then you'll know what i'm on about for this bit. (Sorry If I get a bit whiny for this bit!) Every little thing that impacts my life registers in my mind and I don't seem to let it go, they keep swimming around my head and are twisted beyond belief. They eat away at me and will try and bring me down every single day.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that everyone has these days, we all have trouble staying up. Everyone may not show it but we have off days where you are driven so close to the edge you don't know where you're going anymore.

Sounding familiar? If we are feeling this, we mustn' t push it onto other people because chances are they are going through something that's hurting them inside too. Everyone need's compassion and as a Christian it is my desire to show the love of Christ to everyone and anyone. Jesus taught us in Matthew 5 to be 'salt and light'. This means as Christians we need to be different in these modern secular times. Where everyone else is hurting we need to extend our hand and show the love of Jesus. Believe it or not, he died for everyone, not just us. His message is for everyone and we need to spread his love out to the world! Showing love and compassion, even when you're down. And there's also the side note of helping others, and you will feel better about yourself.

Feeling down about yourself. I know at times i've felt worthless, a disappointment, horribly unnatractive, insecure and so much more. It sounds quite grim doesn't it?

Well fear not! There is hope!

And where in times of need to we look to for hope? We look at our lord and creator. God created us each in our own special way, each unique and each of us is the apple of God's eye. He sent his song to die for us because he loves us. Think about it, why would God need us? He doesn't need us, but he wants us! as often quoted in John 3:16:

" For God so loved the world,
that he gave his one and only son,
so that whoever believes in him will not perish,
but have eternal life."

God wants us to have eternal life and a relationship with you and me. Next time you're feeling worthless, remember this: The almighty living God, The Alpha and the Omega, The Creator himself wants YOU. He loves you, how amazing is that? Furthermore, God delights in us, where is my evidence for this you say? Well let me look at the bible! More specifically Psalm 22:8:

"He trusts in the Lord;
let the lord rescue him,
let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."

Isn't this an amazing truth? God delights in us, that means he wants us, and it says in that verse that God will deliver and rescue those he delights in (i.e. us). Remember to give it all to God when things are suffering, he loves you enough to carry you through the storms of life. He will rescue you because it says so in his word. He is a good God and holds true to his promises and his word. Believe in him and his power. Nothing is too small or dirty for him and he wants to help you in every way. You just need to meet with him because he will come through. He has so many times for me, and I want to share them with you if you want to know more.

On an extra note.. God made you in his image in Genesis 1:27:

"So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them."

So whatever negative things you hear or think about your appearance then it is a lie. God has created you as beautiful and it is his own perfect design. Who are you to argue eh? ;)

Thanks for reading my ramble guys!
God Bless,

Falling

This is essentially a note I wrote on Facebook the other day and i'm sharing it here as my first post!

"As some of you may know.. I've been on a real downer recently, emotional slump of sorts and it's really been getting me down.
And it's got me thinking about falling away from yourself. Losing faith in who you are, where you're going. You drowning in your fears. Drowning in your sorrow. Feeling completely useless and a huge dissapointment to everyone around you. And I was on that road again, crying out to God to help me through it, praying for peace and guidance on what to do during these tough times and where I'm going. Psalm 121:1-2 says this:

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

I guess when you're in times of trouble the only one you can really look up to and seek help is from God, you need to keep focusing on him. Because ultimately God is the creator of life, the universe and everything. He's got it all in his hands and we should seek him because he is the almighty and wants to help us in anyway he can. Heck he sent his son to die for us so that we could have eternal life if we accept Jesus as our saviour. How amazing is that?!

The rest of Psalm 121 says:
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

How encouraging is it to know that the Lord Almighty is watching over us? He doesn't need us, but he wants us and wants to help us. As the Psalm says; he watches over us, keep us from harm. Both now and forevermore. How amazing is that? Well God is a good God, he cares about us and loves us. It says in John 3:16 'For God so LOVED the world.' He loves you guys!

Does God keep with his promises? Most certainly but he can impact your lives in mysterious ways. I was crying out for guidance. Feeling as though I was falling and fading fast. And God came, not through a shining light or a flash of lightning or even a talking Donkey. No, he works in mysterious ways, in this situation he spoke to me through my friend.

Many of you may know that I have a penpal from Poland who I talk to on a regular basis. His name is Paul and he suffers from Cerebral Palsy. Everyday he's teased and ridiculed about it, people are afraid to be genuine around him. They spread rumours about him and mock him, but do you know what he said to me tonight? He said:
'If I had to choose, I'd always choose the life I am living now as broken vessel. It is mere a flaw that can be perceived as beautiful like a crack in the stone.'

and then later one:
'Just that's how my life goes. Some people will see it as a flaw, barely a stone crack yet some will look at it as a beautiful asset.'

Think about it guys, so many people are against him, but he doesn't let people get him down. He views the beauty of the ugly. The light in the darkness. He suffers on a daily basis, but he's always happy to talk to me, he's always happy to help who he can. In fact he tells me that he helps his friends with their problems when no one else wants to listen. He took his friend to a school dance when she had no one else. I tell you, this is such an admirable thing to do. To not let anything hold you back from using your 'beautiful asset' as he put it.

Those words cut me deep, they showed me that God is evident in the people who need him. God helps everyone and is there for everyone. EVERYONE falls, everyone hurts and has their heart broken. But we shouldn't let it get us down. God is here for us! He loves us! Just trust in him and 'he will make your paths straight' (Proverbs 3:6)

so if you're like Ben Powrie and don't like to read long things..
tl;dr
2 things:
Be inspired! People hurt on a daily basis and face so much every day, but they don't let it get them down. Do you want to be the same? Do you want to make a difference and stand strong to help those who are falling? Stand firm in Christ!!

And last but by no means least.. When you are falling and everything just seems to be going away. You're breaking down and hurting. Trust God! For those that know me, I use the quote' When the world is falling out from underneath, I'll be found in God' He loves us and wants to take our weights from us like the loving father he is. Seek him, He sent his son Jesus Christ to die for us so that we are dead ourselves to the consequences of sin! (if we accept him into our lives) Isn't that amazing? We should rejoice! God wants to help so give it all to him.

Just wanted to share that with you, and I hope it encouraged some of you!
God bless everyone!
Nat

(I'm happy now for all those that were wondering)"