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Today was a first for 3 of us... first day in the church office for me, but more importantly first day of school in Victoria for Ella and Gracie.

We've arrived in Victoria!

I was watching Daniel and the Lions Den on cartoon with Judah, my boy, Friday... when Daniel goes into the lions den, an angel appeared and waved his wand over the lions, and they turned from roaring beasts to giant pussy cats... and the big lion goes to Daniel and gives him a big lick.

I just had this flash of thought.. what if the angel created a bubble of what life was like before the Fall.. before the Fall there was harmony in the animal kingdom, everything had place, and man had authority of all the animal kingdom... so Adam probably wouldn't have been afraid of lions, tigers, hippos (hippos actually kill more people I am told than lions do!) or even snakes (the sort that had legs and didn't crawl on their belly before they were cursed), and those animals wouldn't have attacked Adam.

Got me thinking.. sin has entered the world, but if Jesus gave us our authority back (which he did - see Matthew 28), the authority mankind lost at the Fall, then can we not take authority over everything that was given us pre-Fall?

Yours ponderingly, Russ

hey hey everyone, hope you are all having a fab summer for you northern hemisphere peeps, and things are not too cold for you southerners in winter!

The last year or two has been a journey of trusting God, especially with regard to our finances.

I can look back on the journey and see the progress.... beginning with waking up early in the morning, worrying about paying the bills, to shouting at God about it, to whining, to paddying... then to a place of praying the prayer to God to glorify his name, not my will be done but his.. then to standing on the Word, especially verses like Phillipians 4:19, or Matthew 17.20.. to then realizing recently that most of my thought and prayer life has been on this issue during this season.

It's made me realize that there are two parts to trusting God.

Part 1 is the journey of learning that God provides... we know it in our heads, but until we have it in our hearts, we don't get it. And unfortunately we can't get it in our hearts until we walk the journey.. it's like prophesying, you don't have deep revelation until you actually prophesy... you can't learn without walking it out.

Part 2 of the journey is rest.. can we rest knowing that God will provide, even when the circumstance says otherwise? We can rest when there is money in the bank, but how does the resting work when there are bills to pay and no money to do it? God is still provider, regardless.

So whatever your situation, yes by all means pray, and talk or even scream at God if needs be, but don't let it take over your life, live in rest. I'll leave you with the words of Jesus, and the words are good what ever you face:
"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 important than food, and the body more important 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matt 6:25-34

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1:2-4

Thank you Lord that grace - being able to come to you even when we have messed up and failed you - and peace - the shalom of God, meaning fullness of life, not just the absence of strife - are available to us because of who you are and what Jesus did on the cross.

Thank you Lord that you have given us all we need for life and godliness. What ever we face we know that through you we have hope that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, that you provide all of our needs, that with faith nothing is impossible. Thank you Lord that whatever happens in our lives we are a success because you love us and we love you!

Thank you for the exceedingly great and precious promises that you have given us, like the promise that you never leave us or forsake us, you are always with us.

Thank you that we can be partakers of the divine nature! Thank you that because of you, we escape the corruption of the world and you see us through the blood of Jesus, without sin!

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
(Ps 103:1-5)

Mike Bickle of IHOP fame in Kansas City is in Toronto for the Unveiling conference... his talks have been inspirational... Wednesday night for understanding that our first and greatest priority is to love Jesus... we are loved by God, and we love God, that makes us successful! Incredible. Last night, Thursday night, was amazing for different reasons.. Mike gave John honour for what happened in Toronto, and spoke of a connection between worship and intercession... and the convergence of what's happening out of Toronto with missions... and missionary organizations like YWAM... one of those nights that we will be feeling the effects of for years to come....

Create a free account and watch at revivetv.tv, or pay $10 a month for high quality... Heidi Baker is on on Friday too!

This is Russ and Jo's big recommendation to watch!!! Start with Wed night, then Thurs night then Thurs afternoon.

What ever is going on in your life right now, remember that you are loved by your Heavenly Daddy. Not because of what you can do, or how anointed you are, or how many people you have lead to Jesus, or how much time you spend with God, or how perfect is your church going record.... no, you are loved just because you exist.

If you feel like you are wading through raw sewage or treacle right now, things are really bad, then this is even more so for you.

You are loved! You are the apple of his eye, and those that put their hope in him will not be put to shame!

I was reminded on Sunday at church about the power of the testimony. The week before last at the church I am speaking at most Sundays, I spoke on the cross, and then called people up for healing... 4 came up, and God showed up, you know it when it happens! Well last Sunday, the week after, two of those people stood up and testified that they had had significant healing that Sunday. It really stirs faith when you hear stories of God doing stuff.

So I just posted a testimony on the forums - it was a pretty small thing, but it really boosted my faith to know that God cares for me, even down to the smallest detail.

If you have a testimony, or when you do, please post if for us all to read so we can get a faith boost too! There is a section in the forums for testimonies.

Russ

We all face disappointments, setbacks and seasons where we can't seem to get the breakthrough we need in areas such as finances, healing, or a loved one being saved.

I have lived much of my saved life thinking that God will insulate me from these times, that he should be all about making my life better, like window double glazing or something. But there is no where in the bible that backs that up. In fact listen to Paul:
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
(Philippians 4:12)

We are learning that there are two essential approaches to disappointments.
You can go under, feeling depressed, blaming God for his seeming lack of help and whining at him, and worse still go into self pity mode.

Or you can resolve to go deeper into God knowing that he still loves you, and that he has breakthrough for you. This is what Paul I think was referring to about learning contentment.

I have been working on the latter in recent years, but there are even approaches to that too.. we can sit and say, God our eyes are on you, what do we do, and wait for him. I think that approach does have some merit, but let's look at an example where David faced a nasty situation. Read 1 Samuel chapters 29 and 30.

David faced a situation where he was physically weary from travelling, and discovered that his crew have been taken captive, and his men are ready to stone him. I think that fits into the disappointment category - God I mean you have anointed me to be king, and you can't even watch my back for me?? For goodness sake. Or, O God, how can you let this happen to me, what am I going to do, oh God, whine whine.

No here is what he did:
* He acknowledged his emotions - 1 Sam 30:4 - So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.
* He strengthened himself in God, or stirred himself up, the Hebrew I believe is 'Kowzak' (spelling?!) - speaking in tongues is a great one here (But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit- Jude 1.20)
* He enquired of the Lord (v8), asking about action (note he didn't whine here and say, God what should I do? He said God, should I go after them or not)
* After hearing the Lord say go for it, he went for it - ACTION.

What ever you are facing, know that God has a plan for that's good (Jer 29:11), and these plans were laid before the foundation of the world (Ps 139:16). In John 10.10 Jesus says, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

So God's plan is for you to have life, and you have all you need for life and godliness because of Jesus death on the cross. It's the enemy that is trying to steal what is rightfully ours, and we just let him steal kill and destroy right in front of our noses!

Successful people I am told are the people who get up again and again after they get knocked down - do acknowledge your emotions, but then fight off discouragement, keep getting back up, following David's example! Resist the Devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7)