Faith, Grace, and Victory!

STRESS. ANXIETY. WORRY. These words describe where many of us live every day. In fact we live today, stressing about tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. How many of us lie awake at 3:00am in the morning with tight chests - unable to breathe, hot and cold sweats, and feeling hopelessly trapped? Stress has become an unwanted companion. He reminds us about unpaid bills, failed relationships, impending crisis, lack of performance, and just how hopeless and purposeless we are. As Christians, we talk about faith and we trust God. How is it then that we worry so much, usually about stuff we cannot fix anyway? It seems like a contradiction. The opposite of Fear is Faith, right? Wrong! The opposite of Fear is PEACE! The opposite of Faith is UNBELIEF!

In Hebrews 4, Paul talks about how the nation of Israel did not enter into God's rest, and therefore did not enter into the Promised Land for 40 years! Essentially, they lived in unbelief which was not the REST of God!

For those of us who seem to be in the 'wilderness' - ENTER into the REST of God! Speak PEACE! Confess PEACE! Live in PEACE!

"How can I"? you might say.

Live from moment to moment, minute to minute, hour to hour, and day to day. Can you have FAITH for one moment? How about GRACE for one moment? Well, if you can take a step in Faith and then another step of Grace, you can have the VICTORY! That's how you do it. Faith, Grace, Victory! Three moments. Do you reckon you can walk in Faith, Grace and Victory for 1 minute? If you can - AWESOME! Try stringing moments, and minutes together of Faith, Grace and Victory and before you know it - you have had the Victory for a whole day! You get the picture.

To enter into the Promises of God and to live a stress free life is to live in the moment...I know I'm there...

Faith, Grace, Victory!...Faith, Grace, Victory!...

Ps Justin Lippiatt

Snakes

I hate snakes, especially when there’s a close call. Thinking about them makes me feel sick in the stomach. Recently, my family arrived home from Jacob’s soccer presentation and break up lunch. It was a lovely warm day and the children ran straight out into our back yard. As I walked through the back door, I was alarmed by a scream from my little girl as she scampered up our tree. Directly after I heard that awful sound of something rushing off into the bush just across from the tree. I’m not sure if it was a snake or lizard sunning itself but one thing was for sure. The bush that was harboring it had to go. I took to the bush with a pair of secateurs and cut it back so that it could no longer could any creepy animals hide from my family and I.

Sometimes we can allow bushes to grow and get out of control in our lives. It may be the television that we watch or the relationships that we allow to influence our lives. I find that there are many different things that can allow the enemy to harbor, places where he can hide. He often waits until we are weak or distracted and finds the most opportune time to strike and take us out.

How is the garden of your life? Do you have any areas where the enemy might find a place to hide. If you are prepared to remove the risky environment, you will most likely remove the threat. Make sure you book a time to chat with one of our amazing pastors about areas in your life that you think might be causing you some strife. Bring things out in the open, allow someone to help remove the wrong habitats and come into agreement for the promises that God has for you and your future.

Tim Howard