Daniel 4:37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

Deuteronomy 10:17 ““For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.”

Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.  Everything he does is just and fair.  He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”

Psalm 96:10 “Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly.”

1Peter 2:23 “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.  He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”

Dear brothers and sisters, We all have some version of this same question. How do I fill and keep my lamp full for Jesus’ return? How do I have more faith? How do I grow up in Christ? How do I overcome unbelief? How can I receive this promise I have read about in the Bible but not seen in my life?

The answer is the same to all of these questions. There are five things, five non-negociable, absolutely core essential things that are key to living the Kingdom life that God is calling all of us up to.

1. praise and worship God continually
2. Fellowship with God. Talk to Him continually, be mindful of His presence always, and commit to instantly dealing with any and every breach that comes up between you and Him. Be quick to repent for even the tiniest convictions. Be in the Word or meditating on what He has already told you every day. Know that He is the breath of our life, and apart from Him we can have no eternal or abundant life.
3. Fellowship with and sincerely submit to other believers
4. remember, replay, reconsider, meditate on all of things God has already done for you personally and corporately and scripturally. ie Often revisit the monuments, miracles, interventions, praise reports, stories in scripture etc of how God worked/showed up/ saved us). This would be an excellent reason to write down and reread a praise journal as a continuous source of encouragement for yourself and your family
5. serve others, especially the poor, the widows, the orphans, other people of faith, those in need….. Love others with hands on and practically.

These are all essential. We tend to specialize in one or two of these things. Truly we must aim to become faithful in them all.

Now the flip side of the coin, if you want to increase in your unbelief, if you want your faith to be covered with a wet blanket of doubt and fear etc….

Here are the 5 things to avoid doing as they will work against faith, against the Kingdom and against our growth in Christ.

1. grumbling and complaining, refusing to express praise and gratitude for what we have
2. Allowing other things to crowd out our time with God
3. Neglecting to gather with other saints, refusing to submit to instruction and correction
4. Not setting apart a regular time to meditate on and recall what God has already done… Jesus said they would not have been amazed by His calming the storm or had hear if they had meditated on the miracle of the loaves.
5. Serving self and or neglecting to serve other selflessly with no expectation of gain or recognition

Keep your lamps full dear friends…. the Groom will return suddenly one day and we want our lamps and every lamp around us overflowing when He appears. This is reason enough… but these are also the very core keys to seeing prayers answers and so very many of our heart cries fulfilled.

with Love always in Christ….

Psalm 139 (whole psalm)

Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, “

Ephesians 3:14-21 “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.  Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”

Ask big, God wants to do more for us than we can even fathom or imagine

John 3:16, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”

Psalm 146:6-9 “He made heaven and earth the sea, and everything in them.  He keeps every promise forever. He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.”

Roman 8:32 “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”

Romans 8:38-39 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 John 4:4 “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. “

1 John 4:16 “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.  God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”

1 Samuel 14:14 “All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.”

Ezekiel 11:5 “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and he told me to say, “This is what the Lord says to the people of Israel: I know what you are saying, for I know every thought that comes into your minds.”

Hebrews 2:17 “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.”

Jesus gets it (I may not, others may not but he does, every time)

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Mathew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Psalm 56:8 “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.   You have recorded each one in your book.”

Psalm 103:8-14 “The Lord is compassionate and merciful,  slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.”

Psalm 147:5 “How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!”

1 Corinthians 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Ephesians 3:16 “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.”

Mark 10:23-27 “Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”  This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God.  In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”  The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

Philippians 4:13 KJV “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Time to fire ourselves up dear friends.

We are all for truth, we are all for love, we are all for freedom and we are all for health. We have all these things in common.

We also have a common enemy. Call him by whatever name you like but his hand is evident whenever strife, bitterness, hurt, sickness and death are prevailing.

This enemy has been at working trying his best to drive wedges between us, to get us to focus on the small things we see differently instead of the big things we all believe. Please don’t let him succeed. If in the last year, you have separated from friends or family over political views etc, I encourage you to see that it was by design and not by accident. The same reasons you loved and appreciated them before covid still exist but have been de-emphasized to the point of being forgotten. I encourage you to take the time to remember why they are amazing human beings worthy of your love and friendship.

I encourage you to be a truth seeker in this hour. I am receiving daily reports now from veteran scientists and doctors who are all presenting a different set of facts than the media at large. Increasingly I believe the weight of factual evidence, data etc line up with what these experts are saying and yet they are being silenced by ????

Scripture tells us we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against spiritual beings…

I cannot encourage you enough to fill your homes with worship and praise.
For those who do not know the Lord, let me describe the power of corporate worship. If you have ever attended a large concert of one of your favourite artists, you have surely experienced the energy of these venues. Almost like they are charged with electricity. I think before knowing the Lord, this was the closest thing i had to a spiritual experience of His presence especially in group worship setting.

I now believe that why church gathering are being targeted in the lockdowns is because these weekly times of corporate worship, of praising God release the Kingdom of God with force and the light of His goodness with power. I believe that many only sing and praise the Lord in this setting and so while the lights in heaven have never and will never dim, the light of His Kingdom in this world has dropped dramatically indeed.

We cannot turn down darkness, we must turn up the light.

I encourage you to turn every day into a continuous worship service, one where the Lord is glorified in your thoughts, words and deeds. Speak life and life abundantly, be thankful, be positive and if you know the Lord, sing to Him and adore Him as is His due.

Even scientific studies have shown that time in worship changes our physical and mental well being. So there will be side benefits for you. There will be benefits for your home as this release of light and kingdom pushes back the darkness that is in the world… there will also be impact on your neighbourhoods and even countries.

Wanna see it in scripture?

Psalm 149:6-9King James Version

“6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.”
Rise up saints, take up the weapons of our warfare. Know that in worshipping our Lord, you are taking up the highest level of warfare against the encroaching darkness.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6King James Version

“3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
With love, with great affection, with hope and for His glory.

Romans 4:13-22 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be [a]sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+4%3A12-22&version=NKJV>

2 Peter 1:2-11 King James Version (KJV)

2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+1%3A2-11&version=KJV>

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 New King James Version (NKJV)

20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+1%3A20-22&version=NKJV>

Deuteronomy 28:8-13 “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.   “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.  “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops.  The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them.  If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.” 

1. Conditions obedience 2. Walk in God’s ways 3.listen

Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance”

Ephesians 1:13-14 “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.  The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

Provides the Holy Spirit (who is our comforter, our counsellor, and who can lead us into all the truths of God)

Exodus 33:19 “Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.””

To Whom, What, how and when are all ultimately up to God (it’s funny but at times we really do treat God like a fast food restaurant, we want it the way we want it fast, and if we don’t get it man do we complain  to the management)

Isaiah 50:10 “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.”

Even more important to trust him when you can’t see

Jeremiah 27:5 “With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.”

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.   If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

John 10:10 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

Luke 12:29-32 ““And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things.  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.  “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom”

Matthew 6:9-10 “In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.   Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. “ (God wants earth to be like heaven and there is no sickness in heaven)

Matthew 6:32-33 “These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Matthew 7:11  “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”

Psalm 34:9-10 “ Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”

Psalm 94:18-19  “I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”

Psalm 103:5 “He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. “

Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,    “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

2 Corinthians 6:2 “For God says,    “At just the right time, I heard you.  On the day of salvation, I helped you.”   Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

Joel 2:25-27 “25 “ So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust,  The consuming locust,  And the chewing locust,  My great army which I sent among you.   You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.    Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:  I am the LORD your God And there is no other.  My people shall never be put to shame.

Isaiah 61:7 “Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”

Psalm 90:15 “Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!  Replace the evil years with good.”

Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Isaiah 1:18  “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson,  I will make them as white as wool.”

Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Psalm 9:9-12 “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.  Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.”

Psalm 22:24-26 “For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.  He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.  I will praise you in the great assembly.  I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.”

Psalm 69:32-33 “The humble will see their God at work and be glad.  Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;   he does not despise his imprisoned people.”

Psalm 86:5 “O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,  so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.”

Romans 4:16 “So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.”

Romans 10:13 “For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”