Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Carpe seasons

John 4:35 (NKJV)

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

The journey (pilgrimage) of life is certainly a journey of different  seasons; the art of living well is to make sure that you live (squeeze the juice out of) each and every season, both sowing into and reaping from each and every one of them.

 

Being alive means that we will all walk through the various seasons of life. Here is a classic verse from the wisdom of Ecclesiastes to make you think this morning:

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (NKJV)

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted.

 

• If you get the chance, read the rest of this classic chapter to see the different types of seasons each and every one of us face as we journey through this thing called life.

 

• Like King David said in Psalm 37:25, we will all experience being young and being old and every season in between. I have met some older people that live in the regret of not being a teenager anymore and I have met younger people that can’t wait for a later season of life (like being married), but the problem is they are missing the one they are in – neither of these are good enough, love the season you’re in.

 

• You can’t always go back and re-live seasons gone but you can learn from them, and you really don’t want to fast forward to the ones in the future because when the ones you are in are gone, like flowers when they have flourished, they are gone.

 

The key for us all today is to carpe (seize) the one you’re in!

 

• So today learn from days gone by; love the ones you’re in and, with faith and expectancy, have excitement concerning the ones yet to come that are promised by God. Every season has something for you: make sure you harvest it out!

 

• To everything there is a season. There are seasons of age, seasons of relationship, seasons of ministry and business, seasons of everything. In them all there is a time to plant and a time to reap what was planted.

 

Here is some food for thought for you today as you consider the seasons that you are currently in:

• What season are you in today?

• Is it time to plant, or is it time to reap?

• Are you getting from this season everything that you should be and that is in the season to be had?

• What else do you need to do to enjoy and seize the season you are in?

 

God bless you; I pray that this season of your life prospers – don’t say, "In four months . . ." but make the decision to live large the life God has given you today!

 

Andy

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Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, hope this finds you well. Carpe Diem living John 4:35 (NKJV) 
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! We have been looking at living outside of procrastination, living with a desire to harvest and seize what is in our world now. Too many people are waiting for what one day will come, we too need to remain in faith concerning the yet unseen of God in our future but also be the people that grab the day. We looked at relationships yesterday. Today I want to challenge you with opportunities. I believe God brings and offers opportunities to us all at different times and we have a choice to grab them – “carpe” – or let them pass us by. Live in such a way that with wisdom you seize opportunities, especially those which are authored and sent by God. At different times in the Bible you see God turn up and offer something, then you get to witness some who carpe the God-offer, and those who don’t. Think of Elisha, that moment when Elijah walked across the field and offered him his mantle. God's intention was clear, the choice was now his. He chose to burn his plow and step into his God opportunity; he could have chosen to keep on plowing. The disciples were fishing; they never saw Jesus coming but He had been watching them. Suddenly a God-opportunity comes out of nowhere: “Drop your nets and follow Me, and I will make you.” Again they had the choice to say, “No thanks, we like fishing”! But they seized the moment and stepped into their destiny. Sadly, the rich young ruler thought he was ready for his moment but when the cost was explained he really wasn’t. • God will always bring opportunity to you – some small, some large, some bigger than you could have ever imagined – make sure you are ready for the 'no warning' offer of God when it comes. • Let us all make the choice, like the wise virgins, to live ready – not just for the second coming of Christ but for those divine opportunities that suddenly come that need us to respond in faith not fear. • I believe He prepares you for these moments when you are not even noticing. I believe He had been working on the heart of Elisha prior to Elijah's arrival; He had been working in the hearts of the fishermen before the one-time offer came; He is working on our hearts now concerning future moments. Just as King David was prepared for his opportunity with Goliath while defeating lions and bears, so what you are getting victory with today is setting you up for golden opportunities that God is going to bring to you in your tomorrows. Live ready for God moments, because they come to us all! Andy

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Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Champion. Carpe Vitam living John 4:35 (NKJV) 
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! Know, enjoy and love what you have while you have it – don’t wait when until it is gone to appreciate it! We ended yesterday on the thought of relationships. Relationships are a gift in your life; always make sure you are appreciating or getting the most out of each of them. The fact is, as we said yesterday, not everyone that is in your life now will necessarily be there in the same way in a few years time. This is so worth thinking about. I hope that thought does not cause fear but rather a motivation that, in turn, will deliver you from the chance of any regrets “later on”. Parents/Grandparents: make the most of every stage of your children’s life and development. When they are through certain stages they are so often done with them and those stages are never repeated. Like flowers in a field, take the time to smell the daily scent of who they are and where they are at now in this thing called life. Remember, their lives are not like DVD players, so don’t live with your finger on fast forward or you will miss stuff. Don’t live as if there is a rewind, thinking you'll be able to see it all another time when you’re not so busy – you won’t! Keep your finger on play and enjoy “real-time” life playing out before you. Kids (however old you are): however many parents you have left, and no matter what age they are, make the choice to live in such a way that you carpe the juice out of those relationships, because the sad heritage for kids is that we all say goodbye to our parents one day and that is the right way round (hopefully there is the assurance of reuniting with them in the next leg of eternity). Again, it’s not about living with fear or regret but purposing in our hearts to get the most out of these relationships – not in four months time but now! As many of you know a couple of years my mum died of cancer. It was so fast; she went into a hospital with back pain and four weeks later died in a hospice. I loved my mum – she was a great mum and an inspiration and mentor to my faith in God. I remember sitting in that hospice day and night in those last few days, trying to get as many moments as I could with her and from her. The reality is the moments were always there for many years previously, it was not that I did not want them: I was busy; thinking back, maybe too busy? Maybe if I had that chance again I would be less busy – who knows? Make that phone call, arrange that visit, forgive, love – they're worth it! Also with friends – we all like to think that the friends who are close in our life now will always be there in that same way. The truth, though, is not many will be: marriage, great job offers and many other things come to put distance between close friendships. Some stay close for ever, but not all. Again, don’t live in the fear of people moving on because that is natural. Some move out of your life, to some degree or another, to make room for others to move in. Live to love, enjoy and harvest the best of who is in your world now! Thank God for emails and mobile phones, that even those who move are never that far away. Children, parents, family and friends – they are all gifts from God for you. Let’s all be inspired to get the most out of all these gifts while they are still in our possession. Busy is good: the hand of the diligent rules. But let’s make sure a part of our busy is special people. Bless ya, Andy

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You can build your Character: Andy Elmes

Good morning, Champion.

You can build on character

Acts 6:3 (Amplified Bible)
Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty.

Here’s another great verse relevant to the importance of character development.

Here we see the early Church come to a point where they needed some staffing changes involving delegation. Some issues had arisen and some practical things to do with people care were not running as well as they should, so the disciples decided to enlarge their leadership team to make sure all was done well. Notice that, when they wrote the job description, right near the front was the need for good character, then came 'filled with Holy Ghost and wisdom'. They knew, as many employers have discovered since, that talent and gift are good but they can often be of no use if a person does not have good character. For example, you can be super-gifted but if you don’t turn up on time where you said you would or when you're needed to be what use is your great gift and talent to the moment?

Of course, the best deal is to have people who are gifted and talented and who also have character and integrity, so that they do what they say and don’t do what they know they shouldn’t. But if I had to pick one or the other I would go for character every time. You can teach people talents and skills but character is something they have developed, and it enables you to release responsibility knowing things will be done as they should, when they should – even when you're not looking!

If the disciples used this principle, and most employers do also, do you think God does? I do. I think when God is looking for someone to use He looks for the person of character, the person He can trust to do what He needs to be done over the person who can do it when they eventually get there in an “all-singing, all-dancing way”. Let's live to give God both – our talents and skills, but first of all good, solid character!

God bless,

Andy

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Purpose on a Star Bucks Mug

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Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Champion. It’s your character that “gets you out of there” Genesis 39:11-12 (NIV) One day he (Joseph) went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. Think of this crazy moment in the very colourful life of Joseph: after being sold as a slave by His brothers he is purchased by Potiphar; Potiphar sees “the hand of the Lord” on him and promotes him to the top so that Joseph is in the position of ruling over everything he owns. This man had given Joseph so much and such great opportunity. Then along comes what could have been “one of the perks” if he was a man of no honour or character – namely Potiphar's immoral wife. With hubby away she comes to seduce this handsome young key employee using the language of “you deserve it, and no-one will ever know”. What a great moment for Joseph: if he had no character, he could have had a ball and made a great ally! But Joseph did have character, and it says that “Joseph got up and ran!” That was his character leading his life. Why did he run? Maybe because he was conscious of his own inability and weakness, and did not want to see what would happen if his character was further chipped away at? Yes, she still set him up and accused him of rape, and he was imprisoned, but then one day the truth rises to the top and he rose again with it. Why? When you live with strong character and determine to be true to it then you set yourself up for great future. Despite those challenging moments you give God something He can mega bless and work with! Listen to the great character within his response to this lady “offering him apparent success”: "No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" Joseph Is a great role model. Let’s build lives that are sustained by great character – when you need to, RUN!

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes

Good morning, Champion. Two healthy trees, not one Galatians 5:22 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Ok, let’s talk about character and the need for its development today. As we daily walk with God we should be experiencing two things developing (growing) in our lives: we should be experiencing the gifts of the Spirit developing in and through our lives, and also the fruit of the Spirit. These are two very separate things and a healthy Christian always has the right amount of both! Remember, when we talk about the gifts of the Spirit as they are revealed in 1 Corinthians 12 we are talking about things that are given as gifts by God – we did nothing to get them. But when we speak about fruit we speak of things that are developed in our lives as we daily submit to, and walk in accordance with, God's ways. If the gifts and fruits of the spirit were Conifer trees standing at the front of the house of your life, would you have two healthy ones or would one be looking not so healthy? This world does not need to see any more gifted Christians, rather more God-gifted Christians who have great character too – people living lives where the fruit of the life of His Spirit now within is seen and experienced too. Recently we have seen too many headlines concerning celebrities and football players who have cheated on their wives and lived in ways they should not have – lifestyles not fitting well with their influential public roles. Often these are young men thrown into a fickle industry where, very quickly, they have fame, money and anything they wanted. Sadly, many times we see that they do not have the character to carry the gift or opportunity given and it all blows up into yet another embarrassing headline; we have seen this happen in ministry too, which does the advancement of Christianity no favours at all. Success needs to be judged more holistically – just because someone can kick a ball, sing or speak well does not mean they are successful! If the rest of their life has no character and is a mess then they are merely people with messed up lives who do a good job performing on the stage or kicking a ball on pitch. If you want true success, Champion, then be committed to developing both the gifts God gives you and the fruit that it is down to you to grow. Don’t worry, if you have the desire to then the Holy Spirit will help you all the way! Live to be a person with two healthy trees – gifts and fruit, talent and character. God can use that time and time again!

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Champion.

You are blessed so begin to act like it!

Galatians 3:13–14 (NIV)

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Good news, Champ: if you have placed your faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour you are not cursed but blessed today! This verse tells us plainly that Jesus redeemed us – “purchased us out of” the curse – and has led us into an inheritance of blessing. His purpose in positioning Himself on the tree and settling the curse for us was to position us so that blessing and goodness could be our daily experience.

 

He became (past tense) the curse so that we should not have to be cursed (present tense). He that knew no sin, and was above any reproach that could attract a curse, positioned Himself where we stood in life. He took every curse upon Himself and settled it once and for all. Every curse was settled by His loving substitution. So if He took it all and we connect to His perfect completed work by faith, what is left for us? The blessings of God, because they are ours today in Christ!

 

Two things to remember:

1.   Every curse was paid for by His sacrificial act of love. No curse has authority over you when your life is positioned in Him. He paid the bill completely. No curse is greater than His finished work. Curses no longer have a landing pad on your life, Champ!

 

Proverbs 26:2 (NKJV)

Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight (land).

 

2.   As with everything in God our connection to participate in this great daily reality is simply faith. Believe the truth, confess the truth, and see the fruit of truth manifest in your life. Why not start to speak the truth again over your life today? Go on, Champion, speak out these powerful words: “I am blessed in Him, no curse can come upon me, today I expect again the manifestation of blessing in and through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen”.

 

Bless you,

 

Andy

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Champion. Keep your eyes on the One in front Hebrews 12:2 (The Message) Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Champion, because Jesus both ran and finished His race we can now run and finish ours. We can be certain that, though our race seems tough at times, we will never have to run a race like He had to run and we will never experience the physical and emotional pain that He faced when He set His heart to cross that finishing line of redemption victoriously. It was His race that fashioned the very track of salvation we run upon today; a track of grace. It was His well-finished race that established for us an opportunity of having a finishing line that we could run towards and cross. When running a long-distance race it is always good to set your gaze upon someone in front, especially if they are a gold medal winner, and just keep running towards them. Make them your marker and the one who sets your pace. Jesus is a great marker so keep your eyes on Him, Champion, and as you do you can guarantee you will finish your race victoriously too. Don’t look to the left (the law) or the right (man’s opinion), and don’t look to see what other runners are doing lest you trip. No, keep your eyes on the winner and run in step with Him. Imitate Him and watch how He handled the hurdles of life, and jump them in the same way. Observe how He carried on when it was easier to quit, and do the same. Keep close to Him, avoid distractions, and finish well. He received a crown for a race run well, and so will you and I. Keep your eyes on He who began and finished! Bless you, Andy

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Nexus Nights 1st October

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Andy Elmes

Good morning, Champ. Breakfast is served. You do not run alone! Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. I have never been a long distance runner, but I imagine that any runner who runs long distance or cross country races must at times feel very alone. Even if others are taking part in the race, each runner faces their own personal challenges and they have to deal with the thoughts of quitting. A runner must overcome what is termed “the wall”, that moment when they think they have nothing left to give and feel their bodies begging them to stop. The runner endures pain as his or her body, with every new stride, gives its all to run the best race possible, and all this is done alone. It is as they cross the finishing line that they hear the cheers from the people who were supporting them and have been waiting for them to round the final corner. It would have been nice to have had some people cheering during the lonely bends of the race they had just run. Christianity is a race that we all run alone. Though we run towards the same finish line we all run a race that belongs to us. The race can get lonely and be full of challenges and we too can at times hit a wall and really want to stop, but it is then that we need to realize that we are not alone. The balconies of heaven are filled with the cheers of “Come on, you can do it!”, shouted from the believers who have gone before, those who ran their race to the finish and now cheer us on to both run and finish well as we carry the batton of the Gospel that they once held and ran with. If you are tired and at a loss for energy in your race of faith, hear the great crowd of witnesses again today – Paul, John, and Peter – as they shout from the balconies of Heaven, “Come on, don’t quit, you can do it”. Take a breath, cast off the stuff that has slowed you down and run the race that is marked out for you. The Message Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Bless you, Andy

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes

Breakfast is served. Be an untangled soldier 2 Timothy 2:4 (NKJV) No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. Living to please the One who enlisted us by grace should be our greatest pursuit and desire. Let us remember that, as well as being God’s kids restored to son-ship by the obedience of His Son, we are also all a part of the Lord’s army and we fight a very real fight of faith, and the reality is that there are no de-militarized zones. There is a fight on right now, as you read this, for the soul of man. God has called each and every one of us to be a part of an army that daily pushes back unrighteousness, establishes justice, and delivers people from one kingdom (darkness) to another (light). The truth is we will never be as active or effective as His soldiers when we are distracted and entangled by other stuff. This is the plan of the enemy: to de-mobilize you and your potential by entangling you with the “cares of this life”. Let’s be honest, when it comes to the affairs of life we all have cares and responsibilities we need to keep busy with, but that is different to being entangled by them. Be careful, Champion, not to get entangled by things that will freeze your potential as an enlisted soldier. The devil is very cunning like a fox, and daily lays his nets out to try and entangle us; but our God is always one step ahead and if we follow close to Him He will always keep us from planned entanglement. What if you are entangled today, maybe by debts that need to be paid that weigh you down – disabling you, keeping you from marching as you desire to for the Lord. Well, I believe that God, in His mercy and grace, is ever ready to untangle us from that net and any other situations we can find ourselves in. Call on Him today to untangle you, and when He does be careful not to get tangled again. There is a war to be won and we are God’s enlisted soldiers! Bless you, Andy

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Champion. Your God will fight your fights 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 (NIV) He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' " Hey Champion, if you are facing a big problem or a situation that makes you feel somewhat “out-numbered” draw your hope from these verses today. The promises of God to King Jehoshaphat are the same promises to you today in Christ. Here is some real good advice if you are facing something that needs a win : 1. Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the vastness of the situation; just remember, your God is bigger! 2. Remember you’re a covenant kid. The battle is not yours it is God’s, and by faith tag Him and let Him in the wrestling ring of this situation or fight. 3. Remember, you will not have to do the fighting but you do need to turn up and position yourself for a win. Why turn up? You need to position yourself so you can see the deliverance of your God. You won’t be able to see how incredible God’s deliverance is if you're hiding behind a rock of fear. 4. Finally, we are reminded again not to let fear be the atmosphere of our lives or this present situation, but faith (child-like trust in God). Turn up for the fight knowing what your problem does not know – God Almighty is on your side and has made your fight His fight! Take these keys today and apply them to your situation, and as you do you will see that the God who was for King Jehoshaphat is the God who is for you, too. Go fight that battle and win it, without fighting! Bless you, Andy

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Champion. Be careful what and who you’re coupled too 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV) Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? Here we see a warning concerning certain associations in our lives. It is not a call to remove yourself from the world or the people in your world who don’t yet know Jesus; rather it is a warning concerning who you link your life to in partnership and covenant-type relationships. Our lives are often just like train carriages – we have the choice who we couple (join) them to. As with a train carriage you need to have wisdom concerning the coupling of relationships because the reality can so often be where they go so do you, especially if they have more steam or drive than you do! This, of course, is great news if the trains and carriages (relationships) you have coupled yourself to are heading for godly, pleasant places, but not so good if they are heading for certain derailment or a very serious crash. Make sure the people and relationships your life is joined to are going in God's direction. This will certainly produce a great harmony in the journey of your life. Imagine if two train carriages wanted to go in very different directions – this would cause a continual strain and stress between the two carriages. So it is when one life in a relationship wants to live God's way and the other does not – why bring that strain into your world when you do not need to? Couple (join) your life together with people that want to go in the same direction (after God). As I said at the start, this is not a warning or call to separate yourself from unsaved people – far from it. If you did, what hope would they have of finding or experiencing Christ? But it is a warning concerning those closer, daily-walk relationships we all have including such relationships as future marriages, business partnerships and those closer-to-heart friendships (those where the person's words can affect your decisions and choices). Be careful who you join (couple) your life to – ask the question, “Do you want to go where they are going?”. (note: This thought is by no means meant to make anyone who is currently in a marriage where one is saved and the other not feel condemned in anyway; may God's grace bring that unsaved party to full salvation. But it is a strong warning to those who are choosing future partners to make sure you have God in common) God bless, Andy

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Champion. Be careful what and who you’re coupled too 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV) Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? Here we see a warning concerning certain associations in our lives. It is not a call to remove yourself from the world or the people in your world who don’t yet know Jesus; rather it is a warning concerning who you link your life to in partnership and covenant-type relationships. Our lives are often just like train carriages – we have the choice who we couple (join) them to. As with a train carriage you need to have wisdom concerning the coupling of relationships because the reality can so often be where they go so do you, especially if they have more steam or drive than you do! This, of course, is great news if the trains and carriages (relationships) you have coupled yourself to are heading for godly, pleasant places, but not so good if they are heading for certain derailment or a very serious crash. Make sure the people and relationships your life is joined to are going in God's direction. This will certainly produce a great harmony in the journey of your life. Imagine if two train carriages wanted to go in very different directions – this would cause a continual strain and stress between the two carriages. So it is when one life in a relationship wants to live God's way and the other does not – why bring that strain into your world when you do not need to? Couple (join) your life together with people that want to go in the same direction (after God). As I said at the start, this is not a warning or call to separate yourself from unsaved people – far from it. If you did, what hope would they have of finding or experiencing Christ? But it is a warning concerning those closer, daily-walk relationships we all have including such relationships as future marriages, business partnerships and those closer-to-heart friendships (those where the person's words can affect your decisions and choices). Be careful who you join (couple) your life to – ask the question, “Do you want to go where they are going?”. (note: This thought is by no means meant to make anyone who is currently in a marriage where one is saved and the other not feel condemned in anyway; may God's grace bring that unsaved party to full salvation. But it is a strong warning to those who are choosing future partners to make sure you have God in common) God bless, Andy

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes

Good morning, Champion, and welcome to another weekend! Don’t labour in vain Psalm 127:1 (NIV) Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. This Psalm gives us all a good reminder to make sure that God is involved in what we are building in life lest, after spending our lives building something, we find out it was worthless and all in vain. Each of us are building a number of things today: careers, families, ministries to name a few. The key to long-term success is to make sure that God is right in the centre of it all and that you are building with Him, not without Him. How do we do that? We must take time to include Him in what we are doing. Think of Him as working with a business partner and consult Him concerning what you are going to give your life to build. Seek His wisdom and input and you will be amazed, when you do, the time you can save and the ditches you can avoid. God wants you to succeed and prosper (Jeremiah 29:11) but He also wants to be involved, so include Him today, Champion, and make sure that plan to build or develop something is not just a good idea but also a God idea. The proverbs says we labour in vain when we do not build with Him, but the good news is when we acknowledge Him in all our ways and build with Him then what we build is strong and remains long term. What a waste to spend your life building something and, at the end, you find out it was all in vain or for nothing. Don’t do it, Champ, but let God be the architect and business partner to every blueprint that is in your heart. You will be glad you did. Bless you, Andy  

Posted via email from Heath Baxter

Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Good morning, Champion.

Don’t take your life into your own hands, but place it in His.

Acts 2:21 (NKJV)

And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.

When you called on the name of the Lord, as promised, you were saved. Saved from what? You were saved from your sins, yes, but also you were also saved from the consequences and fallout of everything that Adam and Eve did wrong in their moment of deception and fall.

 

Your faith in Jesus, as we have said, reinstates and restores you as a citizen of God’s kingdom. Now you need to make the decision to no longer live independently, but rather dependently. Before we believed in Jesus we did not have a choice. Our lives were independent, separated by sin from the governing and covering of God and His kingdom, but not now!

 

We used to have to hold our own lives in our own hands but now there is a better way. We can place our lives lock, stock and barrel into the loving, strong hands of a mighty God. As you yield your life into His hands, pledging your trust in Him, it is then that you experience all the blessings, protection and grace that Adam knew before his moment of foolishness.

 

So here is the choice, Champion – you can keep your life in your hands and do the best you can to make things happen, maintaining your independence, or humbly place it in the hands of your ever-redeeming God and watch Him lift you, protect you, and provide for you far beyond what you could have ever imagined.

 

1 Peter 5:6 (NKJV)

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

 

Put your life (all of it) back into His hands because it’s a better place for it to be. Faith is simply “dependence on God”!

 

Bless you,

 

Andy

Posted via email from Heath Baxter