Phrophecy or predicting the future?

Rob has returned from France 3 months early. I knew he would be home before the end of his expected time of April but this is because I know my son and I didn't really expect him to last 5 months.

This wasn't a prophetic knowledge, it was just a prediction. I can't see into the future.

Some people are debating the possible sainthood of Judas Iscariot saying it wasn't his fault he betrayed Jesus because there were several prophesies and Jesus himself said that one of the 12 would betray him.

We need to remember that God is outside of time. He existed before time and will exist after time. Our days, years and months are not boundaries for God. Jesus knew Judas would betray him because he had seen in happen. He wasn't making a prediction about something, he was stating a fact of something he had witnessed.

When God gives a prophetic word we need to hold on to the truth of the statement because it will happen, God has already witnessed it. This should give us a security and strength as we go about our lives.

God will fulfill his promises to us. He is unable to lie.

Awesome Night!

Awesome God!

Our cell group met last night and although only about half of us were present God didn't stay away!

The main cry of our local church at the moment is about moving and living in the power of the Holy Spirit. Last night was to be a night where we exercised.

Individually, we were asked to say which of the gifts we felt most comfortable in using and then to say which gift we felt we wanted to move in. Everyone else seemed to know where they were and where they wanted to go.

I felt alone.

I speak and sing in tongues but don't feel that these are my giftings for the building up of the church, more that they are the gifts which are for my personal uplifting and strengthening. This is not to say that I don't believe there will be times when God will use me to bring a tongue.

Everyone was very encouraging and spoke of words I had brought in the past to the group, or in Sunday meetings, which they believed where from God. The odd thing is, I thought these were just words of testimony, yet others felt there was a prophetic nature to them. I had never seen them like this and it was very encouraging.

It was good to see that we all were seeking more of God's power in our lives, not for our benefit but for the benefit of others. For some, it was for power to build the church where God has placed us, for others it was for power to impact the lives of those yet to know God. None of us were seeking power for ourselves or for our own personal glorification.

Moving in God's power, using his gifts, is not so that we as individuals can say "hey look at my super gift! See how powerful I am!" God's powerful gifts are for us to use for the benefit of others.

We each need to be seeking God's specific gift for our lives, whilst not ignoring the need for each of the other gifts to be displayed when the Spirit prompts.

This is an exciting time we are moving in. Don't let yourself be left behind!

The perfect job?

Whilst looking around a web site today I saw a position vacant for my perfect job. The problem? Well it isn't lack of qualifications or lack of experience, I have both of those. It's unpaid!

Time to seek God!

Who Am I?

I'm one of those people who's very negative about myself, very unsure about my skills and very low in self esteem.

When I started this blog it was with the intention of it helping me to become more positive and in some ways I do feel a lot more positive. Yet I know I have a lot more to learn. When I look at myself I see someone who has very little joy for living and I know this is not as it should be.

I feel challenged at the moment to really seek who I am. To find out what it means to be a child of God.

I can rattle off a load of phrases about being a royal priesthood, holy, pure in God's eyes, set free from condemnation, full of the Spirit etc. Yet I believe I need to get to grips with what this really means in my every day practical existance.

Over the coming weeks and months I want to try to formally put down in words a study which will guide me into discovering what it really means to be a child of God.

This year we bought a desk calendar which gives bible verse for each day. Today's comes from Joshua 24:15

But as for me and my household,

we will serve the Lord

This seems as good a place as any to start. I am a servant of the Lord. Now in a practical, everyday sense, what does this mean?

Any suggestions?

The old has gone

I lost the last 2 days of last year. I spent them in bed with a migraine! So we missed the party, the fireworks and everything else that goes with seeing in the New Year.

Thankfully, this morning my head is almost normal and I can walk around the house again.

The past year has seen big changes for me. I'm expecting more changes this year as I seek God's will for our lives.

I've now handed in my notice and feel lost as I haven't a clue which direction I should be looking for new work. But I know that I am not alone. I may not know where I am going this year, but God does and I know he is in control. I feel a bit like someone who is walking with an experienced hiker over mountainous terrain. I know I need to get to somewhere, I don't know where somewhere is, or how to get there but I have absolute faith that the leader does. As long as I follow them and don't stray I will arrive safely at the destination.

To me, New Year's Day is nothing special, it's just another day. But at the same time, every day is a special day to seek God's will and begin a new phase of work for Him.