DAY SIXTY ONE | Confidence – 4

June 30, 2009

DAY SIXTY ONE | CONFIDENCE – 4

Psalm 4:7, The Lord puts gladness in my heart.”

The fourth conviction that produces confidence in our lives is that God has placed His spirit of joy within us. Joy is the infallible proof of the presence of God. In His presence is fullness of joy. When God is with us He puts His joy and gladness in our hearts. Read more

DAY SIXTY | Confidence 3

June 29, 2009

DAY SIXTY | CONFIDENCE – 3

Psalm 4:6, “The Lord lifts up the light of His countenance upon us.”

The third conviction that produces confidence in our lives is our belief that, “God will reveal Himself to me.” So many people live in a gloomy fog of never quite knowing what God has in store for them. They are forever wandering through life like a ship at sea in a murky fog. Read more

DAY FIFTY NINE | Confidence – 2

June 28, 2009

DAY FIFTY NINE | CONFIDENCE – 2

Psalm 4:3 “The Lord has set apart the Godly for Himself.”

Our second conviction which produces confidence is simply: God has positioned me for good success.

There is something powerful in knowing that we have been appointed to a position of strength and good success. You must know you have been set apart by God to fulfil His purposes and extend His Kingdom. When you honestly believe that God has raised you up together with Christ, to sit in an exalted position of authority and dominion, you have a confidence that cannot be shaken. To believe that all things in life have been placed “under” your position, gives you an ability to see life from a different vantage point. You are above and not beneath. Read more

DAY FIFTY EIGHT | Confidence in God – 1

June 27, 2009

DAY FIFTY EIGHT | CONFIDENCE IN GOD – 1

Psalm 4:1 “The Lord has relieved me in my distress.”

There are a number of convictions found in Psalm four which help us live with confidence in God. The first has to do with trouble and hard times. So often we allow our troubles to undermine our confidence in God and we can then become very introspective and self-judging. When something difficult comes your way you need to express confidence in a number of areas. Read more

16 DAYS TO GO!

June 24, 2009

I must admit that from the start of our Excel 70 season, 70 days seemed like such a long time to go without some of the things I love in life.

However as we focussed on the gains to be had, we realized that this special season was not so much about GIVING UP as it was about GOING UP.

We together agreed that we would individually do what was necessary to go to the next level in specific areas of our lives.

Many of our friends and colleagues have expressed amazement at the work of God in their lives over the past eight weeks as they have focussed on believing God for breakthrough

and growth in their lives.

We are now just over a week away from the beginning of the great Hillsong Conference in Sydney Australia, which for many of us was to be the culmination of our “70 days to excel” journey.

I know that I have seen God’s grace at work in my life over this excel 70 season, as I have triumphed in some areas, and to be honest – failed in others.

However the excel 70 season has again brought into focus the need to continually present ourselves as living sacrifices before God for His help and strength in our lives.

It has also reminded me that we are on a journey of faith that never ends while on earth, and our mission is to continue becoming more Christlike, so that by our lives we will

convince others of the Love of our Heavenly father.

To me our excel 70 season was never just about dieting or financial breakthrough alone , but much more about going to the next level of faith and Godliness.

Only time and others will be a able to bear witness to the effects of 70 days to Excel 2009 in my life.

I hope and pray it will be evident in my life to those who know me well.

Steve Penny

DAY FIFTY THREE | Live Free Through Forgiveness

June 22, 2009

Life was never meant to be complicated. In our church we have a statement of purpose that says we exist to;

Love God – Love People – Love Life.

Sounds simple enough and yet many of us struggle to stay in love with life. I think it is because we allow ourselves to become imprisoned in the biggest prison on the planet. It is called UNFORGIVENESS. It is true that we all get ripped off, hurt, let down, abused, disappointed, offended etc. and that life can often be a tough road to walk.

However there is an escape route from all of the junk of life. You do not have to live a restricted life if you will learn to practise forgiveness. Forgive everyone, everywhere and you will stay free to love life to the full.

When someone does something to hurt you forgive them and you stay free of the hurt. When someone rips you off, forgive and you stay free of the offence.

The moment you choose to carry the hurt or remember the offence, it has you in its grasp. You are now imprisoned to that person or offence and will be bound by it, until you choose to forgive.

The saddest people I know are those who travel through life in the prison of unforgiveness. They are always victims, and forever talking about what has happened in the past. Remember that forgiveness is your choice.

You can choose to live life free of all that junk and even more importantly, people who forgive have no enemies.

The world has its fair share of idiots; choose not to be one of them. Forgive daily.

DAY FIFTY TWO | Overcoming Negativity.

June 21, 2009

DAY FIFTY TWO | OVERCOMING NEGATIVITY

Have you noticed how negativity can ruin a persons life. I call negativity the cancer of the human soul. It is the worst and most destructive epidemic on the face of the earth. How could any person allow themselves to become the victim of negativity to such a degree that they act destructively towards themselves or others. It doesn’t make sense why anyone would deliberately act in a destructive manner. Usually it is because the fruit of negativity produces something in people’s lives that ultimately becomes more powerful than they are.

The truth is that when negativity and it’s bi-products gets a hold of a person’s life, it produces a downward cycle that eventually devalues them and leaves them feeling worthless and incapable of positive change. I have had to counsel many people who have been caught in the cave of depression, which is the hiding place of negativity, and it is very hard to get such a person to believe that they can engage in positive change for the better.

Let me give you a few helpful hints to overcoming negativity.

A. Start every new morning with a thankful attitude.
Thank everyone you meet for anything, until you start to feel thankful. Most of our negativity comes from what we are unthankful about. The Bible says, In everything give thanks.

B. Choose one thing you want to do and act on it. Get up and get started.
Actions always change attitudes. Do not sit and stew on your problems. One little achievement starts a process toward greater achievements.

C. Spend time with positive people who can put up with you and your negativity.
Ask them questions and find anything at all to laugh about. Stay away from negative people who are always critical of others.

D. Stop blaming other people, events etc.
You can choose to be positive or negative about anything in life.

E. Never give up on your dreams. Dreams will drag you out of the worst slump in life if you will just continue to believe.

I believe God has created you for a purpose and you must choose to deal with negativity until you find your outlook on life becomes positive and proactive.

DAY THIRTY SEVEN | Boasting In Your Ability

June 6, 2009

DAY THIRTY SEVEN | BOASTING IN YOUR ABILITY

2 CORINTHIANS 10 : 13 – “We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us.”

The Apostle Paul shows us a very valuable lesson. We are not to boast in our own abilities, but we are definitely called to boast in the Lord. We are to declare His calling for our lives, and to confess His promises to us. We are to establish His authority in a region by declaring His purposes for us in that sphere. Read more

DAY TWENTY THREE | The Generous Heart

May 23, 2009

WELCOME TO DAY TWENTY THREE | THE GENEROUS HEART

EXODUS. 35:29 – The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material for all kinds of work which the LORD, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.

Freewill offerings from all the men and women whose hearts were willing! Giving can be such a challenge.

In any progressive congregation of believers you will always be given the opportunity to give to many different causes. To missions, building new facilities, visiting speakers, special projects etc. God’s people gave willingly FOR ALL KINDS OF WORK. It seems remarkable that people who for 400 years had been enslaved in Egypt and who had escaped with bounty, should now so willingly give it up.

I am sure they felt it was their inheritance to help them get established in the new land. And yet they had WILLING HEARTS to serve the purposes of God. I wonder whether they knew that the land they were to possess was already loaded with every good thing. How could they know that, unless they believed in the goodness of God?

There are a number of liberating factors to be seen in this account.

1. They knew it was God who had brought them thus far.
2. They knew God’s house should be built first.
3. They believed in Godly leadership to reveal God’s plan.
4. They continued giving until the work was complete.
5. They knew that miracles are linked to a generous heart.

Today take control of your heart and your future. Command your heart to be willing to give generously. Look for opportunities to be generous in all kinds of work and you will see God’s miracles at work in your life.

PRACTICAL

1. identify the opportunities you have to give generously to a noble cause.

2. Reorganise your finances to allow for generosity.

3. Start today – no matter how small the amount – to be a person with a generous heart,

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