Journal Entry 17th October 2019:

As usual I spend time with the Lord in the morning so I came to the end of my journal, so I have decided to start writing my journal in my blog. It saves paper plus also space lol...

Well here is my entry for today:

# I have 12 stones and each morning I pick one. And the one for today is the one above.

# Word For Today

When you worship, you're taking in God's Word

'Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.' Ephesians 5:19 NKJV

The truths of God's Word have been passed down from generation to generation through preaching, teaching and publishing. But they have also been passed down through the hymns of worship we sing in church.

When you sing them, you're proclaiming the truth of God's Word and simultaneously ingesting it. You grow spiritually through the Word you hear, the Word you study, the Word you speak, and yes, the Word you sing.

Paul writes, 'Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord' (Ephesians 5:18-19 NKJV).

Jesus didn't just preach the Word, he sang it too: 'And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives' (Matthew 26:30 NKJV).

Why does the Bible emphasise speaking God's Word? Because when you read God's Word aloud you ingest it in two ways - through the eye-gate and the ear-gate. The same thing happens when you sing God's Word.

The readers of God's Word shouldn't look down on the singers of God's Word, and the singers shouldn't feel spiritually inferior to the readers. The important thing is to get into God's Word and get God's Word into you.

Some of us do that best through a sermon, others through personal Bible study and others through songs that proclaim the life-changing truths of his Word.So, when you worship, you're taking in God's Word.

# Ann, here's your Lion Bites daily prophetic word for Thursday 17 October 19

Freely Receive, Freely Give My precious adopted child, I brought you into my family so that you would be free, full of my life-giving Spirit, a light to the world and a rescuer of others. Today, reach out to those you meet 'by chance' - just reach out. Make a move. Show my hand. Say a word. Be active. Be proactive.  You don't need any special instruction from me except this - LOVE. Be love, give love, show love. And as you go out to bless, watch how much blessing splashes back onto you! Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 1 Peter 4:8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

#

The power of your testimony

Sunday 13th October 2019

'Go...tell them how much the Lord has done for you.' Mark 5:19 NIV

The most powerful testimony of all - is a life that can't be explained without including God! People may dispute your theology, but your testimony, that's something else! Six different times Paul stood before hostile audiences, and each time he gave his personal testimony. No arguing, no debating - just his story.

 Dr David Yonggi Cho built the world's largest church in South Korea (one million members). He was won to Christ by a lady he met only once. She shared her testimony, moved on, and Cho, a former Buddhist, never found her again.


Your testimony is an awesome thing, especially when it's backed by a consistent lifestyle. People who won't listen to others will listen to you, relate to you and respond to you if you'll share your story. And when you do, keep in mind four things:

(1) Be interesting. Give them the short version and avoid clichés. Jesus is exciting; He came to bring '[life] more abundantly' (John 10:10 NKJV).

(2) Be specific. Talk about: (a) how it used to be; (b) how you met Jesus; (c) how it is now.

(3) Be honest. Don't say, 'All your problems will disappear when you become a Christian.' The Christian life is a battlefield, not a playing field. Let people know you still have struggles but something important has changed - you're no longer alone: 'He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world' (1 John 4:4 NKJV).

(4)Be warm. Don't try to arm-wrestle them into the Kingdom. Be gracious, sow the seed and leave the harvest to God.
Now, 'Go...tell them how much the Lord has done for you' (Mark 5:19 NIV).

Guarding or Hardening Your Heart

A Cheerful Heart. 

The ground of your heart matters to God. A heart that’s submitted to God, produces His Fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

When you allow the things and the cares of this world to contaminate your heart you’ll choke your peace and sabotage your joy.

The ground of your heart is critical to your spiritual, emotional and physical growth and development. Choose to guard the ground of your heart with the Word of God.

There’s a difference between guarding your heart and hardening your heart.

When you guard your heart, you’re guarding the ground of your heart with the Word of God. His Word protects you. When you guard your heart, you’re allowing God’s Word to cultivate and till your ground. When you choose to allow the Word to cultivate and lead your heart, you’re choosing to live and walk by faith.

When your heart is hardened, you’re allowing fear, resentment, bitterness, pride and anger to take deep root. When your heart becomes hardened you’re allowing the cares and entanglements of this world to choke your harvest.

Don’t allow the cares of the world to weigh you down and choke your harvest. Declutter the ground of your heart by submitting to God’s Word. When you follow God’s Word, you’ll get His results.

Finding Peace Devotional. Living in Peace With Others 10th October.

Living in Peace With Others

It’s a challenge we each face regularly: How can we live in peace with other people and restore peace when conflict erupts?

The fact is, God desires for us to live in peace with others. He also knows that we’ll not always be at peace with others. Conflicts occur. At times, conflicts aren’t easily resolved. In fact, there are occasions when conflicts cannot be resolved. However, God wants us to do all we can to be at peace with everyone.

We who are followers of Christ know full well that when God isn’t in full control of our lives, we can act just as despicably as an unbeliever. Our salvation doesn’t automatically keep us from being mean, jealous, hateful, or angry. It’s only as we ask the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us, only as we yield our nature to His nature, only as we seek to be His representatives on this earth in every relationship we have that we’re going to move beyond pride into the behaviors that establish peace.

So how do we deal with conflict when it arises and establish a peaceful outcome?

First, determine the value of the relationship. If you’re going to live in peace with another person, you have to decide, “Is this relationship valuable enough to me to preserve it? Am I willing to compromise on some things to make the relationship work?” I firmly believe that those who are saved by grace and indwelled by the Holy Spirit can find genuine peace in their relationship when both value the maintenance of the relationship.

Second, start talking … and keep talking. When two people are talking—and willing to keep talking and listening to each other—they’re much more likely to quickly find resolution to their conflicts and live in peace with each other.

Third, be transparent. You can’t have a hidden agenda or a manipulative scheme at work in the back of your mind and hope for a peaceful relationship. Being open and honest with others when conflicts arise helps you to reach peaceful solutions in your relationships.

Finally, get to the core of the problem. As you communicate openly with others, taking an honest look at what is at the root of the conflict, you’ll be better able to work through any difficulty and establish peace.

As you strive to live at peace with others, standing on the truth of God’s Word, know that God stands with you. He will turn any conflict or persecution you experience to your eternal benefit. He’ll bring about spiritual growth, greater faith, and stronger enduring power within you.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Romans 12:18 NIV

What is Amaising is I choose the Peace stone today and what I love about the scripture that goes with it , is that its God's peace (not earthly peace), which passes all understanding.  And it also guards our hearts and our minds.

After Battle, How Will Life Be. Sarah Jakes Roberts Message

We have our own battles....Don't be like evil doers you

Finding Peace Devotional ; Giving Up Anixety 9th October

Giving Up Anxiety

Anxiety is a problem we all will deal with at one time or another. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: 

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matt. 6:25-26)

The Greek word for “anxious” in this passage means “distracted.” It’s a word that refers to uncertainty. That’s what anxiety produces in us. It gives us a feeling of, What next? It’s a feeling that the rug has been pulled out from underneath us and we have no idea if we’re going to fall, how hard, in what direction, or onto what.

The word “anxious” is also translated as “worry” in the Bible. For many people, worry has become a way of life. If that describes you, I encourage you to read again the words of Jesus. His words are not a suggestion—they’re a command.

You may say, “I can’t help feeling anxious, I’ve always been a worrier.” I’ve heard that from many people through the years. My response is, “Yes you can.”

There’s nothing about a circumstance that automatically creates anxiety. Anxiety occurs because of the way we respond to a problem or troubling situation. Your ability to choose is part of God’s gift of free will to every human being. You can choose how you feel. You can choose what you think about, and you can choose how you will respond to a circumstance. It certainly isn’t God’s purpose for you to feel anxious—He doesn’t allow situations in your life so you’ll have anxiety.

The Father may allow a situation in your life to develop stronger faith, grow and mature, or change a bad habit or negative attitude. But God doesn’t set you up for anxiety. He’s always at work to bring you to a place where you’ll trust Him more, obey Him more fully, and receive more of His blessings.

You can fall into a downward spiral of anxiety. Or you can say, “Father, I bring this to You. It’s beyond my control. I feel helpless in this situation, but You have the power to change what I’m facing. You love me perfectly, and I’m trusting You to handle what concerns me in the way You see fit.

I know whatever You’ve planned for me is for my good. I look forward to seeing the way You choose to express Your love, wisdom, and power.”

Friend, this is the way of peace—the road out of anxiety and worry.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:25‭-‬26 NIV

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV