Understanding God’s Love      By Jacob Dann

Almost every Christian book I’ve read, song I’ve listened to, bible verse or preach I’ve heard have mentioned something about God’s love. In fact phrases like ‘God loves you’ are thrown around so much they can sometimes go in one ear and out the other. Or sometimes we just simply don’t believe it. I can definitely relate to that one! From the day I became a Christian to very recently I really struggled to believe that God loved me, every time someone would say ‘God loves you’ I would think ‘how!? How could God love me?’ But in the last few weeks I’ve started to understand that God does love me, and it’s changed my life! Now I get it I just want to shout it from the roof tops, which is why I’ve braved it and decided to write a blog on it. So if you struggle to believe God loves you, please keep reading, because when you get it, it really does change your life!

Firstly it’s important you know where that little voice in the back of your head saying ‘God doesn’t love you!’ comes from, it’s the enemy, the devil, and he wants to do all he can to destroy your relationship with God. But it’s also important that you realise that you have God on your side, who really is greater, stronger and wiser! So what do we do when those thoughts come about? Well it can be very easy to just believe it, give in and give up, but believe me, that helps no one! Instead, pray! That can seem very obvious, but it’s not always that easy, for months I would give in and give up but when I started praying regularly that God would help me to understand his love, he did! The more time is spent with God and the more I got to know him, the more I started to understand that he loved me. Think about it this way, in all relationships it takes a while to truly trust the other person, and believe that there love is genuine, and without spending time with them, how are you going to believe this? It’s the same with God, you can listen to all the preaches and songs telling you that God loves you, but until you start spending time with him yourself, it’s likely that it will just go over your head and that’s when those thoughts can start creeping in. Also spending time with God can strengthen our foundations, and when the devil does attack us, we are more confident to go to God and fight, instead of feeling like we can’t go to him.

Like any battle, you need weapons, prayer can be a very powerful weapon, another one that we sometimes forget about is the bible. The bible is a brilliant source that God lovingly created for us to get to know him better, so use it! Just like praying helps to understand Gods love more, so does the bible, and a lot of the time the answers to our prayers can be found in the bible. So how do we use the bible as a weapon against the devil? Well like I already said the thoughts that God doesn’t love you comes from the devil, but there are loads of verses in the bible that say the opposite, these verses are the weapons I’m talking about! Reading verses about Gods love for me regularly have really helped me to believe it, and when those thoughts do come creeping back instead of listening to them and believing them I can go back to these verses and use them as weapons against those thoughts. This is why it is really important to know some verses, so you can fight!

God Given Strength by Beth Fitz

It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog, and I’m actually so thankful for Rachel for requesting one from me - it is something I rarely think about doing but gain so much from, unexpectedly! I totally recommend trying it. God does so much in our everyday lives. If we just stopped, and thought, then I think a lot of us who think that are Christians but don't think of themselves as HEARING from God, would actually be astonished - about how much he is in touch with our lives.

SO, I had no idea what to write about, and I was having a read through my previous emails, and Jez suggested doing a blog on prayer. BORING, right ahha I am kidding, but no. I think one thing that God has put on my heart recently is strength. S.T.R.E.N.G.T.H. that beastly word, often associated with body builders and weight lifters haha. At college all the gym lads talk about the numbers they are lifting, etcetc, and in the human world - they have physical, muscular strength.

But that's not the only side of the word. on the news and such we hear stories, stories of people who are STRONG in character, belief, love and so on - these people are admired! 

Often I think that it is seemed to be a trait which is unreachable; desirable; but made for only a select few. It’s what superheroes and brave, one-in-a-million people have. But, I don't know, I think that God wants to tell us something different. I think he wants us to know that every one of us, each and EVERY one of us has strength - inner strength, that's amazing, and possible of ANYTHING. In the bible, it says in Philippians’ 'we can do all things in Christ who gives us strength' - one of my personal favourite verses. it can be whipped out in all occasions; when there are people moaning about how a maths question that is IMPOSSIBLE, or even when someone just seems too low to get through a situation. However I do not think that it is used ENOUGH as it should be in our everyday lives. The Lord is out best friend, he adores us SO much and it delights his heart to see us relying on him. When we were in Romania, it was AWESOME to see his people so dependent on him - and heck, he delivered! If we let God into so much more of our lives, if we turn to him as our first port of call when the going is good, smooth AND when we hit rough waters, how can we NOT see so much more of him every single day?

We are stuck in this world, full of sin, death and sadness- Jesus knows what it's like. But we haven't been left for dead. We have a MISSION for this world, and that is not just to get through it with a smile on our face. The Lord our God is here, with us, powering us through, even if it feels like we can barely make it through the day! We can do ALL things, through Christ, who gives us strength. We just have to soak it up! We can do that by spending time with him; ask. and you shall receive. :)

 

So yeah, that's just what God has put on my heart. It should be our mantra, that we are, unstoppable. Even when we're going through turmoil - we have been given the power, the backbone the muscle of GOD behind us. Dude, this guy created the heavens and the earth. #crazy he knows the ins and outs of absolutely EVERYTHING. And he's our father? Wow! Yeah!

 

I’m going to stop now, I could go on forever in these things. I just pray that everyone can USE the amazing power we have access through. Whether it's keeping it together through a family crisis, or physically pulling yourself up a mountain expedition.

AMEN:) we have His strength.

xoxoxox

 

Prayer: Find somewhere, ANYWHERE...

This week I’ve felt really challenged by God on my prayer life.

I am ashamed to say that I am definitely no prayer warrior and go up and down a lot with my levels of ‘botheredness’. This is not because I feel I want to rebel against God or anything, but mostly I just forget, get distracted mid way, or get frustrated with my repeating myself on unanswered prayers. So if this happens to you too, I just want to say, don’t worry this is normal! It happens to other people too - well it does me anyway!

But we shouldn’t be satisfied with the attitude that if others do it too, it’s ok - it’s not ok, we're missing out on a lot! In Galatians 1:10 it says “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” And as Christians we are servants of Christ so we should want to please him and do his will, which is for us to have a relationship with Him, for Him to father us; and, if we want God’s guidance and blessing over our lives we should also want a relationship with Him, like we would any earthly parent.

So, I’ve been reading this book called ‘Too Busy not to Pray’ (well actually Abbey has been reading it to me because I hate reading, but minor details! – Thankyou Abbey!) and it’s a really good book. As you read it and think of a question, it immediately goes on to answering that question so I highly recommend it. It challenges you while also explaining things, and the last bit we read was about how you can pray to God anywhere and anytime, but how you also need to have a quiet place that you can go to regularly. Prayers don’t have to be long and well phrased... in fact God just wants you to be passionate and truthful about what you are saying, you don’t need to flower it up or waffle– just say it how it is and ‘amen’ it! God will develop your prayer language over time, but he just loves his children talking to him.

How can you expect to have peace over a situation, if you haven’t even asked God to be in it? And this is where I fail drastically. I’m like, “oh God I feel so upset/angry/whatever emotion about this situation, why can’t you make it better, or at least give me some peace over it.” And God says, “Well hello? Have you talked to me about it much recently? Have you prayed that I would give you peace?” How can you expect God to work in a situation that you haven’t even invited Him into? He wants to work in it, but he wants you to want Him in it more... and notice His work and be grateful for it, not just think it was a coincidence! So pray about things expectantly, not just once and that’s it, but every day!

And this is where our challenge came in, and where I challenge you too: find somewhere you can go regularly with no distractions and be still and wait on God and pray to him. It can be ANYWHERE... your room, the bathroom, the car, the garden, a walk, but make sure you go there at least once a day and chat to Jesus, your friend and brother, so that eventually being in that place naturally prompts you to prayer. Mine's the car and by doing this I know that some situations may change and be the answer I was hoping for; or they also may not change, but luckily for me I also have a God who doesn’t change so I know that I can stand firm with him and know that “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2. Don’t mistake the bad things as Gods lack of control or care. Life is not about His ability, but about His sovereignty. If you don’t have peace over a situation, pray that God will reign over it and the peace will come. I promise you!

It’s like the line in the song ‘Oh Little Town of Bethlehem’, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” We can bring our doubts, fears and upsets to Him, especially now as we start a new year, and know that he is listening. And as we look back on what has been, we can also put our hopes in Him too and know that he is the centre of it all and “working all things together for the good of those who love him.” Romans 8:28. So pray pray pray and see what God has in store for you, it’s going to be a great journey!

Happy New Year, Sal.

Prayer: God is LISTeNING

Woo! So yeah, Jez liked my first ever blog :') and so did some people
who read it, I guess that's the same people reading this one now (if
this all goes to plan) so thanks for the feedback, guys. Just, thank
God(: once again it's dark outside, my knees are keeping me up and my
bb keyboard is getting another beating.

Anyway, so a good idea that was thought about and suggested to me to
talk about is another big big thing that's apart of my; and well
everyone's I think, relationship with God. It's the way of
communication with the Lord, the way which I think we can truly
express what we want to the Creator: such a privilege, right. Because
it isn't necessary for God: I mean, He knows our every thought and
action and deed and emotion, He doesn't need us to tell Him! Yet, He
still is overjoyed when we take the time outta our day to sit there
and talk to him, spill our problems, hear out our moans and complaints
as well as our babbling excitement of the ups and downs of our lives.
It's a lot, isn't it. Once again, I think, picturing a good friend of
yours who you're close with helps me realise. Got someone? These days,
contact is easyyy. Straight after seeing them face to face and having
a big catch up, you're either at your laptop screen on facebook chat,
msn or in a cheeky skype call if they're lucky. When you're on the
move, of course, too: texting on bbm'ing.. What I'm trying to get at
is that most of the time, the person that you trust and who knows a
lot about your life is there, to talk and respond.
And that is, and must be, something to treasure.
(We'll come back to God in a minute.)

... Okay, actually, we'll come back to God now: think of this absolute
babe of a gift of communication, as prayer. It's the same. But better.
God is available, 24/7, 365 days a year (and a quarter.)
Because with your friends and all...

There's always been the time, when you've felt alone, right. Maybe
you're lucky enough for it to be the rare hour or so when they're
asleep, or with a broken phone or dodgy internet. However, it could be
if you're going through a bad patch, and you don't feel like there's
anyone, at all, who cares. like there IS no-one at the other end of
the phone, to talk to who will listen.
Well guess what... God's still there. He's never going to run out of
credit, and neither are you!

And that's the marvelous thing that prayer is. It's the honour we've
been given to contact and communicate, as little human beings, to the
powerful mighty Christ the Lord of all things. Kind of...
Unbelievable. You don't need do to anything, either, to get into his
presence. There's no test or selection process which we have to endure
to be listened to; we have been blessed that God IS lISTeNING; there
to comfort you and provide advice and anything else you need (queue
bible).

Okay so you may be thinking, well, this is great. But how the heckk do
I 'do' this crazily magnificent thing. How can I access this
too-good-to+be-true service, as it is, which allows me to talk to the
King of kings?! Well, it really is as simple as it seems. Just, talk
to him. Starting off with 'Dear Lord', may help, but then just...
Talk. Tell him how you're feeling. Ask Him what you'd like to be done.
Thank Him for the good things. Moan to Him about how unfair it all is.
Don't be hiding anything; because God knows your thoughts anyway! Be
honest with Him; He'll understand. Read through the book of Job and
you'll see this guy complaining about all the bad things that God's
put him through; the same with a bit in Jeremiah: we don't have to
gloss over the rough bits to suck up to God so He'll like us! The
Lord'll see right through that, and we won't go anywhere in a
relationship with him. A strong friendship, or anything more than
that, can't be built on lies and dishonesty: even if it is just on one
side..(Us.). So we can't expect to get close with God if we're not
honest with Him. It's important at the end, though, to bring it back
to Him.

Once you've lost your energy being mad at Him, just stop, and
remember. Remember all of the amazing things He's done for you, for
everyone, and his great love for you...

Because, at the end of it all, He's the important one. He doesn't need
us.. He wants us, because He loves us. we're the ones that need him.
And, honestly, prayer really does work. I know it sounds obvious! But
there are thousands upon millions of miracle stories, just google
them, and in the bible is says in James that when believing people
pray things happen. And isn't that just amazing. It's
probably one of the most encouraging things as a Christian, answered
prayer. It may not come quick though, or at all. Only God knows the
plan! years and years of long hard prayer could finally be responded
to; perhaps the healing of an injury, or the saving of a family
member. Years of perseverance, of week after week of no change; you
could begin to wonder is anyone actually listening up there?!
Persistence in prayer pays off; and believing that God's actually
listening and CAN make that change is vital. Because He is feeling
your pain. Your anguish. Your happiness, and your joy!

Surely, if you love someone, you're going to talk to them, right. Pour
your heart out to them. Rely on them to always be there. And that's
how, well I think anyway, prayer should be used: this blessing of a
pearl in which we can speak to the Lord our God.

Thanks, Beth(: x