KNOWING GOD.

But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NKJV)
God is searching your heart. Does that mean He is looking for the dark secrets, the hidden weaknesses, the shameful thoughts that sometimes trouble you? No, He knows all about those things and He loves you anyway. God condemned His own Son to die on the cross. He died in your place to pay for all the shameful things in your life. Now He sees you as His dear child, as one who He gave His dear Son for.
If you invited Jesus to come into your life, He came. God is actively involved and lovingly at work in your thoughts, in your feelings and in every part of your being.
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37 (NKJV)
But He will not interfere with your free will. He will not force you to think the way He wants you to. He longs for you to come into harmony with His love and truth. If you have opened your life to Jesus to become His follower, that means God has become your partner in life but not your equal partner, because God is God and He is your Lord and Master. God will direct your life but He is not interested in passive obedient slaves or puppets. What Jesus said to His chosen apostles is what He longs to be able to say to each one of us.
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:14-15 (NKJV)
The obedience He is looking for is the active partnership of men and women who want to please God and be led and directed by Him. The Spirit of God is searching your heart in love. He has  also opened His heart to you. He is inviting you to search His heart and know His love and understand His ways for yourself.
God is sad when we passively depend on preachers to tell us what to think about Him. I love good preaching but that must never be my main connection to God. In the Old Testament, God gave prophets and priests to stand between God and the people. Now each one of us is invited to enter into deep personal communication with Him.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)
If you have never placed your life in the hands of Jesus who loved you and died for you, now is the time. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Jesus died to forgive your sins but you must receive Him to benefit from His forgiveness.

But this invitation in the Bible was given to church people, people who were complacently depending on what they thought they already knew of God, people who were perhaps passively depending on preachers to tell them what to think and what to believe. God is calling YOU to know HIM, to be like the first Apostles of Jesus, a personal friend of God, purified by His love to become an agent for His glorious Kingdom.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:1-2 (NKJV)
I pray God will so bless you this Christmas when we remember the birth in Bethlehem of the Son of God 2000 years ago.

RICK JOYNER'S PROPHECY OVER GERMANY.

Strategic Prophetic Word - Europe - Germany

by Rick Joyner
May 31, 2002

Germany is one of the most strategic nations on earth, both spiritually and economically, and will again be a great military power. This is a nation of doers that must have a vision. Without a clear and noble vision, racism, national intolerance of others, anger, and cruelty will again sink its roots deep into the German culture and seek to direct its future. Steered with strong and noble leadership, Germany can become a powerful force for good in the world, healing the many ethnic conflicts within Europe and the Middle East. One thing that Germany will not be is neutral.

There is a calling on Germany to continue spearheading the Reformation of the church. Because of this the enemy is seeking to raise the level of religious intolerance and suspicion of all but mainline religious groups to thwart this nation's ultimate purpose.

Spiritually and politically there are many leaders arising in Germany that are truly a new breed. These have been patiently waiting for their time, maturing in their vision and resolve. They will soon be ready to lead. However, there will be a great battle between the forces of liberty and those of intolerance and tyranny. The direction the government takes in relation to religious liberty will be the direction it takes in regard to political liberty as well. Germany will either have true freedom or again be subject to oppressors.

If Germany chooses freedom, there is a strong enough moral center in the cultural heart of Germany that will not continue to tolerate the moral and spiritual pollution that is now the norm for much of Europe. Germany will then begin to set a separate course from the rest of Europe. Germany has one of the greatest potentials of any nation on earth to build a free society that is not overcome with moral corruption and pollution. Of all the people on earth who have a law in their hearts, Germans are near the top. They want to do what is right, and with the right spiritual and political leadership they can become one of the greatest moral nations on the earth.

The great danger for such a strong and resourceful people is that when the devil sees he cannot stop them in a matter, he will get behind them and push them too far. Becoming reactionary and extremists will always be a danger for this nation, but becoming a nation of noble and decisive action is its calling.

Even though Satan has tried to place his throne in the heart of Germany, Germans will be some of the first to respond to the gospel of the kingdom of God, and to bow before the throne of the King of kings. Germany is called to bring life and healing to all the places the devil has used them to bring destruction and death.

German leaders will one day join with the spiritual leaders of Britain and Russia to form a cord of three strands that will not be easily broken. Germany will also become one of the greatest friends of God's purpose for Israel and the Jewish people. Israel will love Germany and Germany will love Israel. These two nations are more alike than any two nations on earth at this time, and they will soon "discover" each other in a wonderful and powerful way.
Rick Joyner, 5/31/2002

FINDING DIRECTION IN YOUR LIFE

Where is your life going?
Are your choosing your direction or are you reacting to life as it comes? Are you navigating towards your promised land or are you serving as a crew member on a ship going somewhere else? Do you know what your destination is or who is directing your course? Is your life being pushed and pulled by your employer, your family or your church?


God designed you to be a unique agent of change, to impact this world for Him. God made you in His own image, not to be a second rate copy of your parents, your teachers or a preacher or leader. If you live to please other people, you have missed your reason for living.
Does that mean you should forget other people and just please yourself? Of course not. When you live only to please yourself and fulfil your own dreams, you make yourself the God of your own life. Any sensible person should realise that this is crazy, yet it is a popular idea today. And look what a mess people have made by playing God!
God created you in His love and He loves you. He has a wonderful plan for your life. He wants you to find Him and to work with Him to live out his plan. He won’t do it for you and He won’t do it to you. He wants to live WITH you and for you to live WITH him.
For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (TLB)
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. Revelation 21:3 (ESV)
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV)
Why do you and I need Jesus? We have messed up this world. We have all contributed to the darkness around us. We often think there must be something better but we just muddle through by guesswork.


There is an amazingly good God who made this world for Himself. He gave this world to us, to be His sons and daughters but we have taken this world away from Him and messed it up. He wants His world back but He doesn’t want to take it away from us. But we can only share this world with God if we are reconciled to Him as our Father.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (ESV)
You may have heard that Jesus died to pay the penalty of your sins. If you turn to Him in faith, He will forgive your sins and you will have eternal life, and enjoy heaven when you die.
All that is true but God’s plan is much bigger than that.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Revelation 21:1 (ESV)
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5 (ESV)
We often hear preachers invite people to turn to Jesus and receive eternal life. God has a wonderful plan for your life.
But after you turn to Jesus and join a church, no one talks about God’s wonderful plan for your life. You find yourself just pleasing people at home, at work and at church. You were saved from sin, from condemnation, from hell but where is God’s wonderful plan?


IT IS STILL THERE AND YOU CAN FIND IT.
But you must find it in God and walk that way with God. Only God can show you and only God can lead you in the way He has prepared for YOU. 

Knowing God for Yourself.. No Second Hand Faith

A church hierarchy sets up a chain of command that separates the so called ordinary believers from the immediate personal direction of the Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
Christianity is either supernatural or it's nothing. We are called to be fruitful and multiply.
There is a Christianity that does not welcome supernatural revelations, healings and the active presence of God doing surprising stuff.
The Reformation achieved some good things in its time. Salvation through faith in Jesus was preached. The Bible was translated and restored to the people.
BUT THE REFORMATION WAS VERY INCOMPLETE. GOD IS THE GOD OF MIRACLES. Faith in a God who only did miracles 2000 years ago will not impact the world today.
When Christianity is truly alive and healthy, every believer hears the voice of God and every believer follows Jesus directly and personally.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (ESV)
In the Old Testament, the people of God only heard the voice of God indirectly, through the Bible and the words of the prophets who spoke for God. We still read the Bible and it is God speaking through His perfect revealed word.
But how do you know what God is saying TO YOU NOW?
The Bible says different things to different people in different passages. Is God telling you to rest in His love or to radically change your life?

• Is God telling you to hide His truth in your heart or to tell everyone what you believe?
• Is God telling you to marry or to stay single?
• Is God telling you to preach in Africa or stay at home?
• Is God telling you to work in a job or to be a missionary who trusts Him to provide?

Bible reading alone will not answer these questions. Many people resolve this difficulty by putting themselves under the direction of a priest, pastor or spiritual advisor. This is putting a man in the place of God. It is Old Testament thinking but it is common in the church. It is like the old fashioned Roman Catholic system where the priests told the believers what the Bible says and what they should do. I hope you don't think I am against Catholics. Many Catholics love Jesus and listen to the Holy Spirit.

What is God saying TO YOU NOW?
There is nothing wrong with seeking wise counsel and teaching but this must not be a substitute for growing up in faith yourself. A Christian who is spiritually healthy is able to receive direct personal communication from God Himself.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (ESV)
And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:3-4 (ESV)

Here Jesus shows His faith in the Written Word of God but also in the spoken word of God. God SPEAKS today and He speaks every day. The Spirit of God brings the written word of God alive, so you know when God is speaking to you personally through a particular Bible text. But the Holy Spirit also speaks to your spirit in many different ways and He does it much more than most of us realise.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20 (ESV)
In the New Testament, every believer is invited to hear the voice of God and to share with others what he hears.
 â€œ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18 (ESV) 

Prophecy is hearing from God and telling others.

Prophecy is hearing from God and telling others.

Some Old Testament texts would indicate it is better never to prophesy at all than to make a mistake when claiming to speak for God.
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' Deuteronomy 18:20
But as we read the New Testament, we see strong instructions encouraging ALL believers to prophesy, not only church leaders.
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:1
How strange, that the Old Testament should warn against prophesying unless you know that you know that you are a true prophet who infallibly hears the exact words spoken by God.
How strange that the New Testament inspired by the same Holy Spirit should encourage all believers to prophesy. Surely God knows that we will sometimes make mistakes! Surely He knows that we often only partly understand what He wants to tell us!
Scripture seems to put us in a no win situation. If we boldly encourage everyone to prophesy, are we encouraging false prophecy, confusion and condemnation?
Many Christian leaders today are intimidated by this problem. They teach prophecy is no longer for today. This teaching is without biblical evidence.
Others  water down the concept of New Testament prophecy so that is just another word for preaching or general exhortation. There is plenty of New Testament evidence to suggest that God still appoints believers to hear messages from heaven and to tell others what they hear, not with the same authority and literal accuracy as scripture but still representing a direct message from God.
Others only allow pastors, elders or leaders to prophesy. But this too is dangerous. If prophecy comes only from leaders, and church members are not supposed to question their authority, then errors will go undetected and mislead many.

Of course we must distinguish between honest disagreements and abusing leaders. In a healthy family, sons are allowed to disagree with fathers and brothers with brothers. Nevertheless, the freedom to disagree is not a license to start a fight.

But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brothers (and sisters). Mt 23:8
Prophecy is often a problem because so many Pentecostals have not understood the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the OT, true prophets were anointed by the Holy Spirit to prophesy. These men (and sometimes women) were given an extra strong enabling of divine grace to protect them from errors. They had to be accurate because the people they ministered to did NOT have the Holy Spirit and so could find it difficult to discern truth from error.
In the New Testament, ALL followers of Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit living in them and all believers are called to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit and to seek to exercise the gift of prophecy themselves. This equips believers to hear the voice of God and to discern truth from error in a way which was impossible in the Old Testament.
This makes the Old Testament system of theocratic government obsolete because ALL believers in the New Testament can and should be personally led by the Holy Spirit.
Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Mt 23:9

In fact, this calls into question the entire system of church government practised by many churches, Roman Catholic as well as Pentecostal.  In these churches a specially ordained class of people called Bishop, Senior Pastor and Pastor rule over the people in a similar way to the government of Old Testament Israel. Hebrew Prophets, Priests and Kings were appointed by God to exercise spiritual control over the people and to speak for God into people’s lives with the authority of God Himself.
In the New Testament, believers are exhorted to exercise discernment for themselves, to discern between true and false teachers, true and false prophecies, true and false leaders and between accurate and inaccurate teachings even from genuine preachers and leaders.
So seek the gift of prophecy; dare to risk honest mistakes, knowing there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Respect genuinely gifted leaders but question and pray about what you learn from them because no one is perfect.

Finding God's Purpose for Your Life

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)

• How can we please God? By believing and obeying the written word of God. How about these two commandments in the Bible?

Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Joel 1:14 (ESV)


Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)


You want to obey God’s word but which of these two opposite instructions should apply to you right now? We can grow in wisdom through Bible study but even that is not enough.

• Perhaps it is the job of pastors to decide what applies to a particular congregation in every situation. My experience has taught me that this is a dangerously unreliable way of knowing the will of God.

What does the Bible say?


Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

• So how can we understand the times and seasons of God’s purposes? How can you know what is right for you right now?

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13 (NKJV)

• The Holy Spirit speaks to preachers and prophets to guide the people but all preachers sometimes get it wrong. Even when preachers get it right, they speak to the crowd and different individuals need different guidance direct from God.
• It is essential that EVERY believer is personally led by the Holy Spirit.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14 (ESV)

• So if you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you can confidently expect the Holy Spirit to speak to you personally in a way that you can understand. If this is not your experience, you can ask God to lead you into this experience and He has promised to answer your prayer.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5 (ESV)


My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (ESV)

• The word PASTOR means SHEPHERD. Following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, may often involve working under the guidance of a pastor. But it can be a serious mistake if you only do this. Pastors make mistakes but Jesus the Good Shepherd never makes a mistake. Pastors usually want the best for their people but no one KNOWS you like Jesus knows you.
• Jesus has placed potential in you that only HE can see. Sometimes God uses a pastor to recognise your potential and to help realise that potential but not always.

God has placed a heavenly deposit in your life and He wants a return on His investment, to bless you and to make you a blessing. Only the Holy Spirit knows how to lead you in the secret ways of God to fulfil His divine purpose in your life. ONLY the Holy Spirit knows.

• Your first loyalty is not to your church or your pastor. Your first loyalty is to the Holy Spirit

I thank God for the help I have received from preachers and other mentors along the way but most of all for Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

REFRESHMENT FOR ALL

Dear Friends
I haven't added to this blog for a while and I asked God what HE wants me to share and I believe the Holy Spirit gave me one word: REFRESHMENT.

People today are desperately in need of refreshment. The world is old, stale and polluted in all kinds of ways.
•    Office workers and professionals are bullied and burdened with regulations, red tape and paperwork.
•    Business people and tradesmen are increasingly insecure as economic systems crack and crumble.
•    Post Christian sexual freedom has left many women as struggling single mothers and so many men heartbroken and separated from their children.


People are stressed, overworked, insecure, bullied, betrayed, exploited and dehumanised.
People are guilty, frustrated, angry and wounded.
People are lonely and despairing.
People are hungry for refreshment and relief.
People turn to drugs and alcohol to ease the pain.
People go to nightclubs, bars and rock concerts to find refreshment.
People go from bed to bed to escape from loneliness and frustration, for refreshment.

God made us to be refreshed. He created these deep needs in us that only HE can satisfy.

John 7:37-39 (NKJV)
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

If we belong to a Christian church, we believe we are connected to Jesus, who is the source of eternal refreshment.
Yet so many Christians are addicted to the same cravings as other people, desperately seeking refreshment in internet pornography, sleazy movies and TV shows, rock music that glorifies anger, despair, suicide and lust.
The addiction to destructive refreshment is an epidemic inside and outside the Christian church.
We think that excellent churches have the answer but striving for excellence may not solve the problem.
People who are stressed out at work often go to church seeking refreshment but are disappointed. 
They leave a dogmatic and authoritarian boss at work and they find controlling leaders at church.
In the demanding modern workplace, workers must perform or perish. Then they go to church where excellent performance is constantly demanded. Just as in the workplace, excellent performers rule in church.
No wonder so many committed church people are trapped by internet pornography. Even sincere church leaders are starving for the refreshment that Jesus promises.
But isn’t performance important in the Christian life?
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NKJV)
A Christian is like an athlete who loves Jesus and gives himself to the cause of God like an Olympic athlete. Olympic sport requires enormous effort and self discipline but also a great deal of encouragement, rest and high quality refreshment. 

Christian meetings are intended to be places of encouragement and refreshment for all. If excellent worship, music and preaching become performances, as they often do, no wonder so many Christians leave church and so many preachers burn out or are trapped by counterfeit refreshment.
I believe God is redesigning and rearranging His church. Many people are leaving over organised, over controlled churches and meeting to drink deep from the River of Life as they bathe in the River of God.
Many are tired of regimented worship and they meet to share informal fellowship and to find real relationships with each other and with God. Many deeply committed Christians find more freedom to share their real thoughts on Facebook than they do at church.
If you are thirsty for God and tired of having your life controlled and organised, why not ask GOD what HE wants to do in YOUR life?
God bless you all and please let me know what you think.
Bill Derham

How God Uses Willing Believers

BARNABAS, SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Barnabas was an exceptional character. He was a Levite from Cyprus whose name was Joseph until he was called Barnabas by the Apostles. Barnabas means Son of Encouragement or Son of Prophecy. This means he had a servant heart to encourage others in an exceptional way. But it means more than that. There is no record of prophecies given by him but he had exceptional supernatural wisdom and discernment through the Charismatic gifting of the Holy Spirit.
The early church remained community of Messianic Jews until persecution drove the believers out of Jerusalem and even then they preached only to Jews as they went.
Acts 11:19-21 (NKJV)
19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.
20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
This was a radical revolution, even though it was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and commanded by Jesus.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
But it was revolutionary because it was a spontaneous initiative of so called lay Christians, apparently not directed or authorised by the Apostles in Jerusalem or anyone with executive authority in the church.
This should teach us a lesson which many have not been willing or able to receive.
God often directs His church through preachers in official leadership positions but the Holy Spirit also bypasses the official chain of command on occasions and leads Christians who appear to be virtual nobodies to take significant pioneering initiatives, sometimes initiatives of strategic importance. Without this kind of initiative, the mighty Chinese church of today would not exist.


The Apostolic leadership in Jerusalem was wise. They did not reject or criticise this movement because it did not come from them. But they needed to check up to see if it was a true work of God. They needed leaders with exceptional wisdom and discernment to do this job. They chose Barnabas for the work, a Levite with outstanding Christian character and spiritual discernment.
Acts 11:22-24 (NKJV)
22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.
23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.
24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
It appears in this brief text that Barnabas was also a gifted preacher and leader with the ability to encourage and empower believers and also to evangelise.
Some preachers in this situation would grasp the opportunity to take over this wonderful church and set themselves up as apostolic leaders. If Barnabas had done this, we might have seen the Gentile church in Antioch converted into “Joseph Barnabas Ministries: Reaching the Nations for Christ.”
But Barnabas did a remarkable thing. He trusted the new church to keep going with the pioneer leaders who had planted it and he set off to find another man of God prepared for this ministry, Saul of Tarsus.
Barnabas was not only a kind, generous and encouraging man but he was also a man who did not put himself first in any way. He sacrificed wealth when he donated his property in Cyprus to the church in Jerusalem and he sacrificed his opportunity to be a superstar church leader when he left Antioch to find and empower another man of God,  Saul (later Paul) who was destined to outshine him.

Is your life an adventure?

Is the story of your life interesting?
A church member once stood up and testified.

“Before I was saved, I was wicked, sinful and boring. I want to thank God I am not sinful any more.”
When you respond to the call of Jesus, God forgives all your sins and changes your character. God’s purpose is to make you like Jesus.
Most of us will never walk on water or die on a cross. But if you are like Jesus, the story of your life will never be boring. If your life is routine, ordinary and predictable, ask Jesus to show you what is missing, and he will answer.
Please don’t misunderstand me. Many people today demand constant entertainment. I am not suggesting every moment must be exciting. We also need to cultivate patience. But spiritual patience is not the passive acceptance of a mediocre life.
Are you actively pursuing a big dream for your life? Are you living an adventure story?
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
The peace God gives is not a domestic tranquillity where nothing exciting happens. It is the peace of Jesus who slept through a terrible storm at sea because He trusted in His heavenly Father’s care.
The prophet Jeremiah was in prison when God spoke to him.
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)
Prison can be a place of dark suffering because you stand for God in spite of persecution. Prison can also be a life dominated by a grey routine.
God can deliver His children out of both kinds of prison.
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;  Luke 4:18 (NKJV)
Even if you are trapped in domestic slavery with no means of escape, God can give you adventures in the Spirit.
Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV)
 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

• Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
• Your young men shall see visions,
• Your old men shall dream dreams.
• And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
• And they shall prophesy.

God created you with a purpose. When you repent and believe, you are forgiven. But the plans of God do not stop there.
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. Romans 8:30 (NKJV)
God has a plan and a destiny for your life. He wants you to experience His glory and to reveal His glory through you.
Why not read the story of Jesus of Nazareth? Fast forward to the book of  Revelation and see Jesus in Heaven. Then you will understand that GLORY can never be boring.
If your life has no adventure, ask God to put you on track to glory.
I hope you will allow me to conclude with some essential practical wisdom. One thing which imprisons so many good people is THE TYRANNY OF THE URGENT.
Of course you must not neglect ESSENTIAL practical duties. But are you setting aside time every day to work on your life dream?

For example, if you are called to minister the Good News of Jesus, start a house church or do something special for God, you need to MAKE time to prepare, to read and pray.

What are you doing TODAY to advance towards your destiny?

Jesus. Good vs Evil

Jesus came to this planet from a better place. He came to bring heaven to earth. He came to destroy evil. Evil was His enemy and He came to win the war. But his primary strategy was not to teach about sin but to teach and demonstrate perfect love and goodness.
... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NKJV)
The Bible gives us a lot of information about every kind of sin, about murder, lying, adultery and many horrible things. Jesus never sinned Himself and He spoke strongly against sin.
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. John 8:34 (ESV)
He warned of the horrible consequences of sin.
The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. John 8:35 (ESV)
Jesus, as the Son of God, has a permanent home with His Father God in Heaven, where there is no evil, not even human imperfection. But a sinner is a slave of sin and has no place in the Father’s House, no home in heaven.
But Jesus did not stop there. He offered a cure for this addiction to sin. He had a remedy for the hopeless condition of every man and woman without God.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 (ESV)

Jesus came to set us free from the addiction to bad things, things  that make us unfit for heaven.

The Old Testament tells us a lot about different kinds of witchcraft, sexual perversion, worship of false gods and many other sins. 

• But Jesus did not talk much about these things.
  

The people who Jesus criticised the most were the religious leaders.

• These people were obsessed with avoiding sin and criticising sinners. 

  • They also memorised whole books of the Scriptures and tried hard to live correctly. 

  • They did not worship idols or commit many of the sins that God condemned in the Old Testament.

So why was Jesus so opposed to these righteous Pharisees?
The Pharisees tried to obey the Law of God and taught the people not to sin. So what was wrong with that?
The Pharisees attacked sin but they also oppressed and punished sinners. They opposed sin but they offered no remedy or escape for ruined lives. They hated sin but they also despised sinners.
God hates abortion, witchcraft, pornography, sexual perversion and drug smuggling.
But if we go into battle against these things, we must be sure we are not like the Pharisees.

• The Pharisees hated sin but did not love the sinners.

• The Pharisees condemned sin with such self righteousness that they were completely ineffective in bringing sinners back to God.

• The Pharisees were obsessed with sin but could offer no remedy capable of saving people addicted to sin.

We can talk about sin and repentance and the saving power of God but we must also demonstrate the saving love and power of Jesus. If we only preach righteous words without love and power, we become like Pharisees who tell a drowning man to swim for his life but do not go out to him in a boat to pull him to safety.
"... the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10 (NKJV)
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NKJV)
⁶ Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

You may read this and think you must stir yourself up to be like Jesus. But remember, without HIM you can do nothing. Only in HIM you can do all things.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."