December 2016

Advent Thought – The Promise to Never Be Put to Shame

“For the Lord God helps Me, Therefore, I have not been ashamed or humiliated. Therefore, I have made My face like flint, And I know that I shall not be put to shame.” Isaiah 50:7

Christ came to set us free from captivity. To release us from the lies and illusions that had invaded our minds through the blindfold of religion.

Israel had trapped itself into a belief in their performance, into a covenant of self effort. But here in Isaiah God declares his commitment and grace to a people ridden with guilt and racked with shame.

The passionate heart of God is to take away the barrier of separation in the mind and heart of mankind. To restore to us the intimacy we lost, to heal us from our doubt, to cast away our shame and for us to experience the wondrous love of his heart.And to do this Jesus came, entered our world and through the finished work of the Cross gave us the same relationship that He had with God the Father.

In Christ we have been given the free gift of righteousness, and that means a vibrant, unhindered, perfect fellowship and union with God. A heart that is no longer guilty, condemned, feeling shameful or tormented with doubt, but is secure in God’s love, is peaceful and is in harmony with the presence of God.

All our shame was erased at the cross; Christ’s perfect work has freed us to live in the fullness of the riches of heaven.

December 16, 2016 0

Advent Thought – The Promise Never to Abandon You

“But Zion (Jerusalem in captivity) said, “The Lord has abandoned me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” The Lord answered “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you”. Isaiah 49: 14-15

There is a lie from Satan that has infected our view of God. This lie has rooted and established itself in our alienation from him. It is the lie that God does not want us. And this lie causes us to doubt God’s commitment to us, it causes us to withdraw from him and it causes us to feel abandoned in our hearts.

Here God declares the truth of his closeness to his people, his sustaining compassion in the turmoil of despair. His promise is that he will never abandon them, that he will never forget his promises to them and that he will never leave them or forsake them.

God’s commitment is that he is close, present, right with them, accepting them, guiding them and upholding them with his love.

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that promise, here is God, alive in flesh reconciling man back to God, destroying the alienation of our minds. He is the living breath of God, the goodness of God, the mercy and compassion of God shining into the darkness of the world.

The promise of Christ is that God’s compassion is his radiant embrace that declares he has never abandoned us, that regardless of our feelings and thoughts, he is totally committed to us.

For we are his treasure, the delight and desire of his heart.

December 15, 2016 0

Advent Thought – The Promise of the Favourable time.

“This is what the Lord says, “In a favourable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep watch over You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land [from its present state of ruin] and to apportion and give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands, “ – Isaiah 49:8

The good news of the birth of the saviour is that we have been placed into the perpetual season of the favour of God. That the plan of God was to bestow upon us the restoration and wholeness that we lost and our ruin has been superseded by heavens prosperity.

And this promise of the favourable season contains that life giving fruit of creation. To bring and give us knowledge of salvation, to give us forgiveness and remission of sin, to place inside of us God’s heart of tender mercy and loving-kindness, and to draw our life and light from the power that indwells us.

No longer do we have to be influenced by the fluctuation of seasons, the pressure of circumstance, for In Christ we are constantly in God’s favour.

And this favour means that we are held in an everlasting embrace, kept by Christ’s indestructible life, filled with his unconditional love, and showered with unloseable grace.

For the promise of Christ is to heal the broken hearted, to set the captive free, to declare the favourable time of the Lord and to know the acceptance, value and love of a good God.

December 13, 2016 0

Advent Thought – The Promise of the Way.

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit (benefit), who leads you in the way that you should go. – Isaiah 48:17

The promise of Christ changes everything. It is the promise to lead you from darkness into light, from illusion into reality, from confusion into clarity, from turmoil into peace.

It is the declaration of heaven that peace has come to mankind, that goodwill has been showered on all, that God who spoke in the past through Israel’s forefathers and prophets now declared the glory of heaven through the words of his son, Jesus.

That the guidance of God, the purposes and plans of heaven were given to us in a living, vibrant demonstration of the power of God.
For in Christ is the radiance of the divine, the perfect implant of God, the offering that accomplished the cleansing of our sins and riddance of guilt.

The promise of a light to our path in our darkness is the shinning revelation of the New Covenant given to us in Christ, no longer do we have to search for guidance, no longer do we have to seek for a path, for now the path to eternal, abundant life is found in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the promise of the path that leads us into the fullness of heaven and into our Father’s perfect plan and purpose.

December 12, 2016 0

Advent Thought – The Promise of Completeness.

“Remember [carefully] the former things [which I did] from ages past; For I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, And from ancient times the things which have not [yet] been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will do all that pleases Me and fulfills My purpose,’ “ – Isaiah 46: 9-10

Jesus offered the world something unique, extraordinary, and unprecedented, he offered to show all those who would look, the view of God. In all Jesus’ interaction with everyone who came in contact with him, he gave them the opportunity to experience the world through the eyes and feelings of God.

Here in the prophecy of Isaiah God communicates with us his interaction with man, his decisions and his time. It is a momentous statement, which cuts across all worldly wisdom and philosophies. God tries to communicate with us that he sees us as the completed work, before we acknowledge that work in ourselves.

The promise of the work of Christ is that in Christ before we were born he forgave, perfected, restored and glorified us. And that God sees us as complete in Christ.

Jesus was the demonstration of that completeness, he restored the denier, he raised the dead, healed the diseased, loved the rejected, show compassion to the broken and gave the condemned the power to live free of guilt.

Christ Jesus is the promise of completeness, the promise of the beginning and the end and the promise that his life in you is now your perfect right standing with God’s glory alive inside your heart.

In Christ you are complete and God declares you his beloved.

December 10, 2016 0

Advent Thought – The Promise of Water to All Who are Thirsty.

‘For I will pour out water on him who is thirsty, And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; – Isaiah 44:3

Jesus is the promise of living water, the promise of delight, joy, blessing, an ever refreshing fountain of life.

His living water poured out upon our parched, dry souls fills us, fulfils us, and immerses our hearts into an oasis of grace.

For his flowing river is the water of reconciliation, freedom from condemnation, release from guilt. Living water that cleanses and restores, forgives and forgets, it keeps no record of sin and declares you innocent.

It is the promise of the presence of God alive within you, the promise that you NEVER have to thirst again. For God has made his home in your heart, his deep well of love overflowing in your spirit. God cannot tear himself apart, he cannot go back on his word, his mercy upholds you, his commitment keeps you and love will forever sustain you.

Christ has united himself into you; he is your constant stream of vibrant, sustaining water.

Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus, nothing can steal your joy and God who is infinite in love can do exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ask or think according to the living water of the spirit that lives within you.

December 9, 2016 0

Advent Thought – The Promise that You Are Mine.

“But now, this is what the Lord, your Creator says, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price for you instead of leaving you captive; I have called you by name; you are Mine! “ – Isaiah 43:1

The love of God will never fail you. The love of God will not let you go. The love of God is strong enough, perfect enough, and powerful enough to cover you, fill you and wrap you in the knowledge of his faithfulness towards you.

The promise of Jesus Christ is the promise of God’s love for you; it is the promise that God declares you are MINE!

God’s promise to you is bigger than all your sin, it is deeper that all your rebellion and stronger than all your unbelief. It transcends every lie that would invade your mind and assails every stronghold that would captivate your thoughts.

You cannot get away from the love of God, but you can hide from its beauty.

The promise of Christ Jesus is the promise of redemption, freedom from slavery, deliverance, protection and the presence of the living God.

Jesus calls us out of brokenness, bondage and oppression; he picks us up from the gutter of sin and death and puts us on the father’s lap in heaven. He holds us in his tight embrace and whispers his affirmation of peace and acceptance into our hearts. His life kindles the flame of life within our innermost being.

In Christ Jesus you no longer have to go through life afraid of death, afraid of punishment, afraid of rejection, afraid of sickness, afraid of disaster because his love saves us, holds us, keeps us and declares to us, “That you are mine!”

December 8, 2016 0

Advent Thought – The Promise to Open and Not Close.

“I am the Lord, I have called You (the Messiah) in righteousness [for a righteous purpose], I will also take You by the hand and keep watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people [Israel], As a light to the nations (Gentiles), To open the eyes of the blind, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon. And those who sit in darkness from the prison. – Isaiah 42 : 6-7

The gospel frees us from the captivity of blindness and the prison of separation. For Christ has come and entered into our dungeon and opened the door to the vast, bountiful treasure of heaven.

Our hearts have been opened to the majesty and abundance of the full dimension of God’s wonderful love.

The door that God opens to us in Christ Jesus is never shut. Everything that God is, his love, abundance, health, freedom has been opened to us by his grace. We are no longer looking from the outside looking inward, we have entered the inner sanctuary of heaven and all the riches of heaven are ours in Christ.

Christ is the open door and he has flooded our darkness with his light, he has freed us from the dudgeon of oppression and sickness and he has opened our eyes to his glorious radiance.

Christ is the promise to open the door and never to close it, therefore today don’t let anything or anyone hold you captive to fear, sickness, distress and despair. For in Christ all the abundance and provision has been given to you.

Walk through the open door of grace and enjoy God’s riches at Christ’s expense.

December 7, 2016 0

Advent Thought – The Promise of God’s Delight.

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My Chosen One in whom My soul delights.I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. – Isaiah 42:1

God designed and created you for beauty. He redeemed you for beauty. You were the delight of his heart, the raging fire of his desire and the eternal joy that ravished his plans. He designed the universe for your benefit, so you could marvel at his vastness, desire his goodness, be captivated by his kindness and bask in his beauty.

Jesus Christ was the glory of God revealed to mankind. He was the delight of God’s desire. Everything that was in God was found in Christ and Christ is the first born of every believer. We have been united into the fullness of Christ; his life is now the life that is alive in our veins.

And just as Jesus was the delight of God, we are now the delight of the Father. You now are covered in beauty eternal, cemented in love, clothed in the glory of God, intertwined with him in union down in the innermost depths of your heart; you exist in love, for love has made its kingdom in your heart.

For the servant came to free us from the lies of the enemy that enslaved, confused and trapped mankind. The lies that took away our value, degraded our beauty and trapped us into a prison of shame. He came to demonstrate the goodness of God, to act in the mercy of God and to touch us with the compassion of God.

The promise of God’s delight is the overflowing grace of God demonstrated to us, that while we were lost he entered our world and revealed the love of God to us in Jesus.

December 6, 2016 0

Living Grace

Empowering, Feeding, Sharing

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