I AM NOT AFRAID

I am not afraid. I have nothing to fear. I am a conqueror.

But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,  the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
   I've called your name. You're mine. "

Isaiah 43:1

(THE MESSAGE)

(part 2 - click here for part 1)

I want to encourage you today with GOD's Word - when He tells you that you need not fear anything!  If we are going to live as a people of purpose, who change the world around us, we cannot be afraid. Fear deters us from fulfilling our purpose.  Satan would like you to doubt, to fear, to think that you’re not good enough - because then he can hold you back from becoming all you can be in Christ - from discovering who you are!

Think about that young shepherd that walked out onto a field, in front of thousands of grown men who were trained to rip him to pieces.  He spoke up for GOD, popped a pebble in his rimpie, and klapped an overgrown moron right between the eyes.  And all those trained scary, hairy men?  They turned and ran!  That’s how our GOD operates!  That’s what happens when He says to us – do not be afraid!  That's what happens when we embrace our purpose and change our world!

If you want to become a person of purpose, then you need to become a conqueror in GOD.  Not your own strength, but GOD’s.  GOD doesn’t just say – don’t be afraid – He creates a conqueror’s spirit in you!  It's by His Grace, and finished work on the cross that we are able to stand in victory, to say "I am not afraid - I am a conqueror."

That means, no matter what situation you face, no matter who might stand up against you, you do not need to be afraid.  We are more than conquerors, for if GOD is for us, who can be against us?  I pray that today, you will be encouraged that your identity in GOD is by Christ's Grace, that you have no need to be afraid.

Who am I?

‘The only way to understand ourselves is by what GOD is and by what He does for us, not by what we are and what we do for Him.’

Rom 12:3b MSG

 Purpose.  Purpose is one of those words that old people use when they’re trying to give us guidance.  Some people think purposes swim in the ocean, but that’s wrong.  Those are porpoises, they’re like dolphins, but they’re not dolphins.  Anyway… purpose is key to defining who we are.  Definition is more than a name, we love to redefine our structures and environments by inventing politically correct names – stay-at-home moms become ‘home-executives’, cellphones become ‘handheld devices’ and sheltered employment becomes ‘local government’.  Changing a name can create some hope, but fundamentally, nothing changes.  Your name is only one piece of the picture of who you are.

It’s not enough to attach a simple name to something, purpose is achieved when something is used to change or influence something else – then, it has purpose.  I believe that purpose should be measure by the amount of change that is brought about.  When someone famous is said to achieved great purpose, it’s often when they’ve just brought about significant change – whether it’s an humanitarian gesture or an advancement in their profession, their purpose is measured by change.  Therefore, purpose has to do with what we do and why we do it and why we do things stems from who we really are.

I really believe GOD wants us to explore and discover ‘who we are because of Him’; that we will only become people of purpose in Him.  As you’re sitting reading this, close your eyes and ask yourself, with your internal monologue… not out loud,  “Who am I?”

The GOD of the heavens calls out into the universe, after you, and declares this:  He says:  “Do not be afraid.  I have redeemed you, I have called you by name.  Child, you are mine.”   It is in this scripture that we discover who we are, where we discover the power of our identity in Christ!

Over the next few posts, join me as we are encouraged to become people of purpose and people of power!

Be refreshed... in abundance!

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.”

Deuteronomy 32:2

There is an amazing gentleness about GOD’s love and His teaching, yet it penetrates marrow and bone and cuts through to the soul.  Rain can be gentle and refreshing, (see Psalm 68:9), but it can also completely transform and reshape a landscape. We often see the devastation of rain but if it falls in the right place, at the right time, forests and lush gardens sprout out.  Deserts of baron sandscapes become havens of life, newness and growth.  Wherever GOD’s Spirit is, things will be fresh and full of life!

People are attracted to life and newness, there is a uniqueness about growth that draws people in.  GOD offers this to us in abundance, not in limited supply, but more that we could ever ask or imagine!  If we want to become people who encourage, who stop, listen and love, then GOD’s word urges us to allow His teaching and discipline to grow, transform and empower us!

We need to desire to grow into the people that GOD has created us to be - images of Him.  As diverse and different as we all are, together, we create a glimmer of the diversity and depth of GOD.  It's from this beautiful picture that we begin to take on the image of GOD, and start to experience His abundance.  His Word encourages us to become part of the palette and add our colour to the canvas of life.

It's important to remember that bit I mentioned earlier about the right time and right place.  Often, we pray for GOD's abundance in an area and then struggle to accept why it might take time to manifest in our lives.  GOD knows that if we know too much, too soon, it can destroy us.  We should never rush GOD or His countenance, we should relish in what we have right now, because this is the abundance that He knows will create growth in our lives and in our relationship with Him.  We are like tender plants and He is the gardener, He knows how much sun we need, He knows how much shade.  He also knows how much watering will drown us, and how much will allow us to grow to our potential.

The heaven’s declare His righteousness – let your lifescape be a garden of hope and growth!