cannyben

“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.” Exodus 14:13 After Pharaoh let the Israelites leave Egypt, he came chasing after them because he thought he owned them as slaves. In other words, the past came chasing after, reminding the Israelites of what they had been. The past will always come chasing after us. The mistakes we’ve made, the disappointments, the failures. Don’t fall into that trap. Nothing that’s happened in our past and nothing that we’ve done have to keep us from the good things God has in store. He has mercy for our mistakes. He has new beginnings. Quit thinking and reliving the past for this is a new day. If we let go of the old, we’ll see the next levels God has in store.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 Sometimes we spend more time looking at what’s wrong with us than we do looking at what’s right with us. But if we don’t like ourselves in a healthy way, if we are living under guilt, feeling condemned and unworthy, it will negatively affect every relationship we have, including our relationship with God. If we acknowledge the grace of God in our lives, every chain that’s holding us back will be broken. We are going to come up higher, over come obstacles, and reach the fullness of our destiny.

'Moses alone is to approach…the people may not come up with him.’ Exodus 24:2 It’s essential to be alone with God in order to hear clearly from Him. For a texting/tweeting generation hooked on mobile phones and bombarded by round-the-clock media, this can be a tough concept to grasp. But until we do, we’ll get nowhere spiritually. Jesus ‘often withdrew…and prayed’ (Luke 5:16 NIV). He ‘went up on a mountainside by himself to pray’ (Matthew 14:23 NIV). The greatest spiritual victories come from the battles God calls us to fight when we’re alone with Him. He outlines and clarifies His plans for our life when there’s nobody else around. When God is grooming us for a special assignment, we’ll be required to spend time outside the company of others.

“John the Baptist, who was in prison…sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else ?” Matthew 11:2-3 John the Baptist had declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God, had seen the Spirit of God descend like a dove on Jesus, and had heard a voice from heaven say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Yet later, when John was in prison, he started having doubts and sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was really the Messiah. John was vulnerable and honest, and Jesus wasn’t the least disappointed in him. He understood what John was going through and answered with assurance. When we have doubts and questions, fears and struggles, we have to be honest. Faith doesn’t exempt us from life. When we’re honest with God about our doubts, our shortcomings, and our fears, that’s not a weakness, that’s a strength. When we humble ourselves and ask God for help, He will give us strength to overcome what we couldn...

“But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:4 We all have things we’re waiting for—a dream to come to pass, a problem to turn around. When it’s taking longer than we thought, it’s easy to get impatient and think, “When is it ever going to happen?” Sometimes it’s not happening because we’re not prepared for what God has prepared. Sometimes, we may not see anything changing, but something is happening—patience is working in us. Our spiritual muscles are getting stronger. Don’t discount the waiting period. Don’t get discouraged because it’s not happening as fast as we like. The longer it takes, the more God has in store.

“I will teach you about the hand of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal”. Job 27:11 Life is too short to live frustrated because we’re not getting our way or because something unfair happened. God wouldn’t have allowed it if it was going to keep us from our destiny. It’s a test. Are we going to let it steal our joy, or are we going to be still and know that He is God? If He’s not changing it, we have to be mature enough to say, “God, we don’t like this situation, but You’re in control. We are going to stay in peace and enjoy our life.” Could it be that what’s frustrating us is really the hand of God? Could it be He’s doing things behind the scenes that is for our good? He’s guiding us, protecting us, preparing us. Not everything that happens is ordained by God, but nothing can happen without His permission. When it doesn’t make sense to us, we have to trust Him. He’s given us grace to go through it. If we pass the test, we’ll see promotion, healing, breakthroughs, a...

Christians say they believe in one God; the only God. Yet He is also three Persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is, at best, baffling. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ~ Matthew 28:19 (emphasis added) Trying to comprehend the Trinity is so confusing, we have to wonder if it is really worth it. What difference does the Trinity actually make to our relationship with God? Does it really matter whether we think about this difficult bit of theology? We need to remember Jesus’ words when He sent His followers to “make disciples of all nations” after His resurrection. He told them to do so “baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). For Jesus, making disciples isn’t simply introducing others to the concept of God or even just the Person of Jesus. It is important that we know, and tell others about, who God really is; He is three distinct y...

“For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.” John 15:5 While life brings its share of physical scars from injuries, there are also inner scars that come from what somebody said, from a failure we made, from the loss of a loved one. So often we try to hide our scars from those wounds. They remind us of the hurt. But we need to see our scars in a new light. God allowed that scar to remind us of what He brought us through. The scar means the wound has healed, the pain is over, and we are moving forward. We can be at peace with our scars. Those scars tell our story. No one in the scripture fulfilled their destiny without scars. We all get wounded. The scar is proof that God healed us. The scar reminds us of the greatness of God.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul says that if your face is veiled with masks, you won’t see God’s glory. If you’re wearing a mask of perfection, pretending everything is okay, or wearing a mask of pride, worried about what others think, or wearing a mask of shame, feeling guilty and condemned, that’s going to keep you from God’s best. You have to take off the masks. Everybody is struggling with something. Don’t be embarrassed by it. Get honest with yourself, and be honest with God. You don’t have to pretend. When you’re real, you’ll see God’s favour. God doesn’t change us from shame to glory, or from condemnation to glory, or from pride to glory. He changes us from glory to glory. When you’re not wearing masks, God’s glory is on you. When you’re open, honest, and real, God changes you and takes you to the next level.

“Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 1 Kings 18:41 (NKJV) When the prophet Elijah heard God speak to his spirit and told King Ahab, “I hear the sound of abundance of rain,” it hadn’t rained in Israel for over three years. Elijah could have thought he was not going to tell anyone what he heard. Similarly, still today God speaks to us about what is coming, and it may be the exact opposite of what our circumstances look like. It’s not enough to just believe what we hear. The scripture says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (Psalm 107:2). Our words have power. When we announce it, it sets the miracle in motion.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1 The Scripture speaks of “the great love the Father has lavished on us.” It was not a conditional love. It was and is a “great love”. We think about how much we love God, but what is far more profound is how much God loves us. Before we were formed, God knew and loved us. He took time to plan out all our days. He knows our thoughts before we think them. He knows our words before we speak. Jesus says, “the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” So how much God feel when we go around thinking, “I think He loves me. I think I’m good enough. I think I haven’t done too much wrong”? God says, get rid of the “I think” mentality, and start having an “I know” mentality. Live securely, knowing that our heavenly Father loves us.

“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little: I will set you over much. Each into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:21 There are times in life when we feel like we are doing the right thing but not making progress. It’s easy to get discouraged and lose our passion. One test we all have to pass is being faithful when nothing new is happening. We are just going to work, coming back home, doing the same thing again. Will you stay faithful when it feels like you are going in circles ? When you are faithful in the routine, something is happening that you can not see. Your character is being developed. Your spiritual muscles are getting stronger. The routineness of life is not exciting, but it is necessary. You won’t become all you were created to be without being your best when it’s mundane. When you are doing the right thing with a good attitude month after month, you are being prepared for where God is taking you. When God can trust you to be faithful in...

“For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.” John 15:5 While life brings its share of physical scars from injuries, there are also inner scars that come from what somebody said, from a failure we made, from the loss of a loved one. So often we try to hide our scars from those wounds. They remind us of the hurt. But we need to see our scars in a new light. God allowed that scar to remind us of what He brought us through. The scar means the wound has healed, the pain is over, and we are moving forward. We can be at peace with our scars. Those scars tell our story. No one in the scripture fulfilled their destiny without scars. We all get wounded. The scar is proof that God healed us. The scar reminds us of the greatness of God.

1 John 4:7-19 God is love. Whoever lives in love in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16. "God is love ", John wrote, repeatedly, perhaps because the truth that God's love is the foundation of reality, amid the deception and power struggles. God's love remains a light that shines in the darkness, inviting us to learn the way through humility, trust and love.

‘Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.’ Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT Author Betty Mahalik says in this day and age we’re surrounded by messages that scream, ‘My life would be perfect if only I’d a different job…house…car…nose…spouse…bank account (you fill in the blank). Or if I could be like some celebrity whose life appears well ordered and perfect. Well this week I stopped playing “my life would be perfect if,” and started playing “my perfect life”. What’s the difference? Three things: 1) Being in the present; 2) An attitude of gratitude; 3) Taking action with what’s available now…When we’re caught up in the “my life would be perfect if” trap, we lose touch with the present and can no longer practise gratitude. Think about it: it’s difficult to be grateful for what you don’t have…and what you don’t have is always somewhere in “future-ville”. Look around you…do you have a roof over your head and food to eat? A few good friends or close relationships? Then appreciate them…You’re p...

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17 FAR MORE EXCEEDING: There are times when life comes at us like a flood – a difficulty, opposition, a great loss. You cannot choose when or where the flood comes from. That’s in God’s hands. We may not understand it, but God said His plans for us are for good to give us a bright future. That doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen along the way, but God knows how to use them for good. He wouldn’t allow it if it wasn’t going to work to our advantage. Remember that what you’re going through is temporary, but what it works in you will bless you forever. If you could see where God is going to take you – the favour, the influence, the abundance, the health, the friends – you would realize there is a purpose for every challenge. When you don’t understand the purpose, you have to say, “God, I don’t see what You’re doing, but I trust You. I know Your ways ar...

Proverbs 4:7 "... get wisdom. Though it cost all you have,...." Wisdom begins with a profound reverence to God. Out of that grows our understanding of sin and our need for a Saviour. Wisdom seeks to understand God's ways. Thus, wisdom is the greatest priority.

Job 12:13-25 "To God belong wisdom and power, counsel and understanding are his. " Job 12:13 We won't always understand why we are going through trials. This was certainly the case for Job, who faced horrendous and unexplainable suffering and loss. Yet despite his many questions, in Job 12 he declares that God is mighty : "what he tears down cannot be rebuilt " and "to him belong strength and insight ". We may not understand why God allows certain struggles in our lives, but we can put our trust in Him. The Lord loves us.

John 14:16-17 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. " John 14:27. Jesus promised this to the followers after the "last supper. " He reminded them that although they would face trouble in this world, the Father would send the Spirit of truth to live with them, and be in them. Although as God's children, we face hardships in the world, we're comforted that the Holy Spirit lives within us and flowing out of us.

Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Through prayer God prepares us for the encounter and our prayer is a part of His providential care. Even in the most mundane moments,God directs our paths and keeps us in His mercy, strength and love.