Dear Friends,

I do not have a post this week.  I intend to post some pictures and a short report from a recent annual missions conventions at our home church.  We drew some of our focus onto Zimbabwe at this time.  Stay tuned!

Keith 

Hello Friends,

I trust that you are having a great week, and understanding more fully the full purpose and and desire of God’s love for you!  You are created in His image.  You are perfect in His eyes!  Yes, we do have imperfections that are a result of the corrupted seed.  They originate from Adam and as a result, we a prone to sicknesses and diseases of the body, mind and heart.  The world is full of disease.  Many times we think that the greatest risks are the diseases of the body, but in reality, we are at greater risk from the diseases of the soul and spirit.  Unforgiveness, bitterness, rage, resentment are just a few that we need to bathe ourselves of each and every day though the washing of the word.  We need clean hands and a pure heart, then we can confidently approach the glory of His presence.

Does the enemy (Satan) ever tell you that you are insufficient? Does he ever say that you are inadequate and cannot approach God? Probably.  Does he ever tell you that you can never live up to His standard and that God will never accept us?   In some ways the enemy is right, our best righteousness is like smelly filthy rags.  How enchanting!  So, if you think you can earn a good place in God’s books, you are wrong.  The second part of the truth that the enemy won’t tell you is the part that is life and liberating.  It is all about Jesus, God’s son.  The perfect Son who took our imperfectness and sin though His body and blood.  We will never be perfect, but when we accept what the Son did for us, God will see us as “made right” and “made perfect”. 

Confess your sins to God today.  Admit that you are weak, proud and selfish, perhaps trapped by various lusts.  We all confront the sin nature in a very natural way.  We were born in sin.  In the same breath, as your confess your faults, confess that He is faithful and just to cleanse us and forgive all our trespasses.  Yes, and even to make us kings and priests before our God!  We are compared to that prodigal son, who wasted his inheritance, yet we took the courage to return to God and to petition Him that we might just slip into heaven though the side door.  God grabbed hold of us and said, “I don’t see you as dirty or unclean any more.  Here is a royal robe.  The BEST robe!  Take My royalty. Here is a ring for your finger.  I bestow on you My authority.  Here are sandals for your feet that you might walk safely, humbly and not stumble.  I have been preparing a fatted calf over the months for you in eager anticipation of your return.  We will kill it right now.  The sacrifice has been made and you get off the hook free because you are my son.  Come let us all celebrate that you are my son and you have come back home.!  This is my paraphrase, but I feel it captures the way that God the Father feels about us.  We have a long way to go, but really the only distance we have to travel is towards God.  He will run to meet us and change everything as we allow His grace to work.  Come friends, lets make that step today, and every day.  In the place of His presence, we find restoration and empowerment to be His children and His representatives.  From this platform, we can change Zimbabwe.  From this platform, we can change the world!

Blessings in Him

Keith and Stacey

Greetings Friends!

This week markers the center point in our Christian calendar.  It is an event that is central in time and space, and I believe we will never fully appreciate all that precipitated through those days almost 2000yrs ago.  We know, and understand in part, but are constantly learning to grasp more fully the sacrifice and the resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord.  The Lord shared these words this morning:

“Be consumed with the presence of Jesus.  Let His thoughts consume your mind and heart.  When this happens, there will be divine unity in your spirit.  You mind and heart will agree and this will be unity and powerful.  You will not be double minded when this happens.  Look at the Son, and behold His glory.  This is the glory of the Father, full of grace and truth.  Look to the Son and be healed of your hurts, sins and failings.  He is majestic and perfect.  His Word never changes.  His Word is the Word of the Father.”

Happy Good Friday friends!  This is a separation day.  It was the day that Christ took our sins and was separated from the Father, so that we could become united with Him.  If you know or feel you have any separation from God,  I want to tell you that this does not need to be that way any longer.  Christ has paid the price of punishment for your and my sin, and for our separation.  Accept that today.  Pray this prayer if you want Christ to be your Lord and Saviour:

“Father, I confess to You that I am a sinner and that I have sinned in many ways.  I acknowledge that Jesus took the punishment and separation for all my sins because You loved me and wanted to reconcile me to You.  I accept this.  I ask that You be my God and Father today, and I take Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.  I ask for You to lead and guide My life in Your way.  I pray these words in the Name of Jesus.  Amen.”

Friends, I encourage you too.  If you have already prayed this prayer in your life, but know there are aspects that are stumbling blocks in your thoughts, words or actions, then lay these down too at the cross.  He came to set the captives free!  It is so good to be free! Salvation is the conversion of our spirit from dark to light.  Sanctification is the conversion of our soul (mind, will and emotions) from an unsanctified state, to a sanctified one.  This takes a life time of labor.  The labor is bringing our laundry to the washing machine of Christ to be cleaned and washed.  The one who does, or rather who has done the hard work is Christ.  Pray this prayer if you are willing:

“Lord, I ask that you flood my life with the Light of your presence today.  I have sinned and I am weak in _______ area (fill in the missing word).   I cannot change it on my own.  I have tried and I humbly say that I need your help.  Align My will to follow you in this area. I want to be free.  Jesus came to set the captives free, so I call upon the Name and the Blood of Jesus today to set me free, that no longer will I be a slave to fear and subjected to obey it.  I thank You that I am a child of God and a joint heir with the Son.  I take up my robes of righteousness today, and declare that I have the mind of Christ.  I will not be enslaved to ______ any longer! I am not my own I have been bought with a great price.  Set me free today, Jesus and liberate me to freely obey your will.  I ask these things in the powerful mighty Name of Jesus Christ! I rejoice in You today Lord! Amen”

Blessings to you our friends over this sombre but joyful time!

Keith and Stacey