pure in heart

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

Matthew 5:8 NLT

This scripture can isolate us or turn us away, implying without holiness we are doomed. It doesn't say this but our human reckoning would leads us to self assess and say, I am not there, and therefore will not see God. Therefore we expect not to see God.

However,  let's change the word pure to single focus: blessed are those who maintain a single focus on God, seeking His kingdom, always advancing towards Him, they will see God.

Purity, after all is a refined focus on God, a seeking of Him for all answers and for all fulfillment. This is possible as we hear Jesus say: seek first the kingdom, and all else will be added unto you. 

So, each day, firstly seeking God, give Him your praise, your prayers, your sorrows. Allow Him to be the answers to all your concerns. Amen!

making the best of a bad situation

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 NLT

Earnest prayer is prayer that moves the heart of God. Tonight I witnessed many pastors and leaders praying for each other at a conference I was volunteering at. It was good to see. At every break they were all locked in deep conversations. I pray that much was accomplished.

This afternoon I had a conversation with the woman organising the accommodation for us volunteers. She had placed a man from my church in my unit. I thought it was odd. She thought he was my son or husband, not! When she discovered her mistake she was very upset and sorry for the inconvenience caused. I forgave her because I had made the best of a bad situation, I took charge, and invited another woman to share my room, as I had two single beds. I organised bathroom times and coordinated travel to and from the conference. With only one minor hiccup, all went smoothly.

We do not have time to be offended, we must make the best of all circumstances. Amen!

confession

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 NLT

Confession of sin cleans out our soul, brings us closer to God and people. Confession of sin is a humbling process. It makes us vulnerable and soft.

We can hide lust from others but not God. We can hide our critical thoughts, but eventually they will come out. The more we hide the dirtier our souls become,  the more impacted our spirits become.

Coming clean allows us to have good fellowship with God and mankind.  Why would we want to stay dirty? Amen!

at any time

You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

Luke 12:40 NLT

Jesus told a parable about a home-owner who was broken in to by a theif.  He then said, "if the home owner knew what time the theif would break in he could take measures to prevent it."

He also told another about the wise and foolish virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom to come to the wedding feast.5 took extra oil, 5 didn't. When the bridegroom was delayed the lamps were running out, and so the foolish asked the wise for some of their oil, however, the wise refused telling the foolish to go buy oil. When the foolish returned the door was shut and they were refused admittance. (Matt 25:1-13).

We must be constantly vigilant.  The Lord can come at any time. He warned it will be when we least expect it. We must be on guard! Having oil is having a vital, living and connected relationship with the Lord. Amen!

His goodness

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Romans 10:10 NLT

When we live our faith, openly talking about how Jesus changes our life, we are declaring His goodness. It is His goodness that saves us, not anything we can do or have done.

I am grateful that the pressure is off me. I cannot be good enough, But He is and can. I can trust Him never to fail His word. His word is faithful and true. Amen!

openly declaring

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Romans 10:10 NLT

Yesterday I discovered God had answered one of my prayers, a friend who has come to my connect group for over a year, without coming to a true understanding of faith, no matter how we talked Jesus to Him, was saved. On Sunday he put his hand up to accept Christ into his heart and was born again. The evidence is that he spoke it out and we are away helping at a ministers and workers conference, and he is entering in joyfully. What Joy!

Every now and again I ask the Lord to show me He is answering my prayers and He does it in His usual, surprising way. Ta da!! I love it!

During the night I was awake in intercession for today and I am expecting Him to show up in His glory. Right now I am tired, 

,but have asked for divine energy. He will provide, He always does.  Amen!

faithful God

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalms 107:1 NLT

People may abuse us  but God never does. Through all things He is with us and we can trust Him.

Today I travelled to Port Macquarie from Tamworth NSW. The forest were spectacular, and full of new growth. Rivers and streams were overflowing and the grass was very green. This spoke to me of the beauty of God.

Tonight I volunteered at a pastors and leaders conference. I made sure they all felt welcome. However, there were many disabled and I found this distressing. Surely the presence of God can heal. Let us not be content with bright music and motivational preaching.  Let us seek God for His presence. Amen!