Pentecost

Skywatch #55

Heath Flower, originally uploaded by duopastorale.

Listen To God (2)

Signpost
Originally uploaded by JMC Photos

'Fear not, for I am with you...' 

Isaiah 41:10

To be successful in anything God calls you to do, you must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit within you and learn to recognise when He speaks to you through the Scriptures. 

When the pressure is on and you're tempted to move too quickly you'll hear His voice saying: '...You shall not go out with haste...for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard' (Isaiah 52:12 NKJV). God's got you covered; front and back. How good is that? When you're about to make a wrong turn or a bad decision He will remind you, 'In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps' (Proverbs 16:9 NIV). When you don't have the ways and means to get the job done His voice will whisper: 'The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail' (Isaiah 58:11 NKJV). You have an unfailing supply. When you run out of answers and don't know what to do He will reassure you: 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you' (Psalm 32:8 NIV). 

When the load becomes too heavy to carry you'll hear His voice saying, 'Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall' (Psalms 55:22 NIV). Hearing God's voice may mean you have to sacrifice lesser things and tune out other voices, but you must do it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important than learning to recognise God's voice when He speaks to you.

Used with permission from UCB Word for Today. Free issues are available here for the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Skywatch #54

Wisley Gardens, originally uploaded by duopastorale.

Now is the time in the UK for azaleas, rhododendrons and ducklings! It seems that in other parts of the world these little things are entertaining too. My walk on Wednesday took me to the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park where I was well entertained by these characters. See the video below. Happy skywatch, and to all in the UK have a great holiday weekend!

Isabella Plantation, originally uploaded by duopastorale.

Listen To God (1)

radio on
Originally uploaded by flavijus

Your ears will hear a voice...saying, 'This is the way...'' 

Isaiah 30 :21

Any time you step out in faith and try something, a voice within you will whisper, 'You must be out of your mind. You're not capable of this. Those little accomplishments you had before were pure luck; you just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Now you're in over your head.' That voice will waken you in the middle of the night, sick to your stomach. You can hear it in every boardroom, living room and pavement. It's the voice of fear, and it doesn't play fair. It pulls the file on your past failures and preys on your deepest insecurities. But there's another voice; God's! It says: 'Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand' (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV). 

Attuning your ears to God's voice doesn't mean your problems are automatically solved or that the other voice just fades away. No, it's more like having an intimate conversation with a close friend in a noisy, crowded place. There may be other voices around you but you don't hear them because you're so focused on what your friend is saying. That's how it is with God's voice. Whether He speaks to you through the Scriptures, through a friend, or through your life's circumstances, He's always communicating with the heart that seeks Him. His promise to you is, 'Your ears will hear a voice...saying, "This is the way; walk in it."' One word from God, just one, can change your entire outlook. So today, take time to listen to God's voice.

Used with permission from UCB Word for Today. Free issues are available here for the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Matt Chandler

Skywatch #53

Westbury, Wiltshire, originally uploaded by duopastorale.

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

Ecc. 11:7

One-On-One Time With God

Morthoe
Originally uploaded by duopastorale

'...When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.' 

Mark 4:34

A recent survey confirms what most of us suspect: stress is increasing as work encroaches more and more on our personal time. The electronic age hasn't slowed the onslaught of mail, memos, books and periodicals we must read just to keep up. A PR consultant who fields 400 emails, 100 phone calls and 20 text messages every day says, 'I used to stop working when it got too late to make calls. Now I'm never finished.' Now she lives in the country behind a mountain because there's no phone signal there, and if they ever erect a mobile phone transmitter mast she says she'll move! 

It's critical to schedule one-on-one time with God, otherwise it won't happen. Mark says, 'When they were alone, [Jesus] explained all things to His disciples.' There are things the Lord will reveal to you only when you '...Meditate within your heart...and be still' (Psalm 4:4 NKJV). In High Call, High Privilege Gail MacDonald writes: 'The ancient Desert Fathers used to commit themselves to a disciplinary creed: silence, solitude and inner peace. Only after adequate amounts of time listening, did they consider themselves ready to speak...Among many Christian[s] today there's a strange...logic [suggesting] that spiritual resource and renewal are found in constantly seeking new voices, attending more meetings, listening to incessant music, and gathering to exchange half-thought-out opinions. How often do we fall into the trap of believing that God is most pleased when we've maximised our information, our schedules, and our relationships? Disengagement means silence before God...a time of heavenly discussion during which we listen more than we speak. And silence demands solitude.' Bottom line: You need one-on-one time with God!

Used with permission from UCB Word for Today. Free issues are available here for the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Thank You Lord

Image by maher berro via Flickr

Say “Thank you” to the Lord for being so good, for always being so loving and kind. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has saved you from your enemies.

Psalm 107:1-2 (TLB)

“It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord”. Today I feel overwhelmed with the goodness of God. From one day to the next He blesses. Even on dark days He proves faithful and his “rod and staff, they comfort me” (Ps.23). Sometimes though, I am aware that I doubt his goodness, the clouds are too dark and the pain and struggle too overwhelming. I need to be encouraged that God is good…all the time! What we don’t see in the valley, are the mountaintops above the clouds…and that is where he is leading us. Thank Him today. And if you struggle to find something positive today, then thank Him for what He has already done. Thank Jesus that when the Father said “Go”, He went, knowing that He was going to suffer terribly, and all because He loves us. Thank You Lord.

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Skywatch #52

Monta Rosa, originally uploaded by duopastorale.

I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

Friends

For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son

while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God

because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 5:10-11

Knowing What We're Up Against

St Michael slaying the dragon
Originally uploaded by Lawrence OP

Take up the whole armour

of God

Ephesians 6:13

In spite of a great spiritual awakening in Samaria, Simon the Sorcerer was still in business. The people '...heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time' (Acts 8:9-11 NKJV). So, how do the apostles handle this situation? Sidestep it? Coexist peacefully with evil? No, they confronted him with the claims of Christ, saying: 'Repent...[that] your heart may be forgiven...' (Acts 8:22 NKJV). And Simon did. A good doctor identifies the problem then treats it. The forces of evil around us are real, and we must know how to deal with them.

Blaming satan for all your problems is a cop-out, but failing to see him at work in your situation renders you powerless.

Remember the tortured man living in the tombs of Gadara whom Christ healed? The spirits within him did two things worthy of note. First, they introduced themselves as '...Legion...for we are many' (Mark 5:9 NIV). A legion was a well trained, fully equipped division of the Roman army that took orders from Caesar. Second, they '...begged Jesus...not to send them out of the area' (Mark 5:10 NIV). That's because they'd established a stronghold there. Can you see a spiritual parallel here? You can't fight spiritual battles with carnal weapons and hope to win. Blaming satan for all your problems is a cop-out, but failing to see him at work in your situation renders you powerless.

To fight and win you must know what you are up against. You must be able to look beyond the obvious and see the actual! You are dealing with '...principalities...powers...the rulers of the darkness...spiritual hosts of wickedness...Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day...' (Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV).

Used with permission from UCB Word for Today. Free issues are available here for the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Mi Corazon

Mi Corazon - Don Moen

My heart is filled with songs of praise
You gave me hope, You made a way
Now I long to live in Your presence
For all my days

My soul sings, my spirit shouts
With every breath I'm crying out
I want to live for You alone
You have captured my heart, mi corazon
Lord, I give You my whole heart, mi corazon

Amazing grace has rescued me
You paid the price, You set me free
I will sing Your praises forever
My Savior and King

I will give You glory, tell the wondrous story
How You rescued me
I'm the guilty one, but You sacrificed Your Son
Your One and only
Now I stand before You blameless and holy 

Spoil!

...and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice 

for all the miracles they had seen.

Luke 19:37

Listen to this stunning message from Bill Johnson, with story after story of amazing healings.

Skywatch #51

Great Chafield (2), originally uploaded by duopastorale.