Until Heaven, Hold Onto Jesus

 

GodTracker 863
The e-devotional helping to keep you on track with God’s plans for your life.
GodTracker is published at godtracker.co.uk
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“Yet, the life I now live before entering heaven, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So, until then I will hold fast to the Lord my God.”

Joshua 28:8
but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.

I was pondering heaven while washing dishes the other day. “Lord, thankfully I won’t be doing this in heaven,” I mused with a smile. Indeed, when we get to paradise, we won’t need to do any of the chores we do in this life. But on the other hand, neither will we be involved in any activities we deem pleasurable here on earth. Heaven is a place like no other.

Heaven is the dwelling of our loving, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God. The Bible tells us that heaven is filled with his glory. There will be no need for the sun or a lamp as the splendour of God fills its expanse. Often called the New Jerusalem, heaven will be a place of majesty with streets of gold, gates of pearl and foundations decorated with precious stones. God will wipe away every tear, there shall be no more death, nor sadness, nor crying nor pain. It will be a place of splendid glory, peace and ecstasy (no washing dishes). And the pleasures we enjoy on earth will pale into utter insignificance compared to the euphoric pleasure of being in God’s perpetual presence.

Heaven will be eternal (and we have eternal life through Jesus). Won’t we get tired or bored living forever, year after year, millennium after millennium? No, because as we will exist in infinite time, we will only experience it as a moment - one eternal moment of grandeur.

Still, what of now? How do I live in the here and now before I cross over to be with him in his paradise? I long to be there, not here washing dishes. This 21st-century world is filled with pain, corruption and decay, I want out! And yet, I have a mandate from my Lord that qualifies me to remain here on earth; a lifelong mandate to make disciples of all nations so that others may hold to the hope of glory to which I hold.

Christ in me is the hope of glory. I long to be home with Jesus in the splendour of his glory. Yet, the life I now live before entering heaven, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So, until then I will hold fast to the Lord my God.

God-tracking is holding on until Jesus comes.

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT

(Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!)
Revelation 22:3-5
Revelation 21
John 3:16
Colossians 1:27
Matthew 28:19-20
Galatians 2:20


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SO, DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

“Until I get there, O Lord, help me to live in the here and now by faith with, holding fast to Jesus.”

“Ah, Father God, thank you for the hope of glory. Thank you that you have dealt with my sin through the cross of Jesus and promised me eternal life if I confess him as Lord. I rejoice that when I die or when Jesus comes (whichever happens first) I will walk on streets of gold. Wow! Praise God for heaven! Until I get there, O Lord, help me to live in the here and now by faith, holding fast to Jesus. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today email me dudley@godtracker.co.uk

----------------------------
What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at, godtracker.co.uk/godtracker-podcasts

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

He Will Redirect Your Path

 

GodTracker 862
The e-devotional helping to keep you on track with God’s plans for your life.
GodTracker is published at godtracker.co.uk
SUBSCRIBE to GodTracker by e-mail

“So, have confidence in the plans that God knows he has for you. Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways and he will direct or redirect your path.”

Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

This motivational thought is based on the concept of seeking and tracking the plans of God. The Bible tells us that God knows the plans he has for us; plans for his shalom; that is, peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and a future filled with hope. This concept is what we call God-tracking. Remaining in God’s perfect will is paramount to God-tracking. To remain in the will of God we need to acknowledge him in every aspect of our lives. If we do this, he will direct our life’s track, ensuring that we remain within his plans for his shalom. However, as is my experience, sometimes we acknowledge God and then go ahead and make the decision to take on an opportunity only to discover it ends in failure. Does this mean that God has not directed our path?

I was recently presented with a business opportunity. The idea had much potential. Before I began to set it up, I prayed and committed the plan to Jesus. I acknowledge God in this opportunity through prayer and confession, fully intent on seeking his sovereign will in moving forward. I will admit, however, right at the offset, I had a still small voice check in my spirit that it was wrong for me but I progressed, regardless. After only three months, it became evident that I had made the wrong decision. We shut the operation down.

“Lord, why did this venture fail? I acknowledged you from the start. Why did you not direct my path according to your plan?” I grumbled. “But I did direct your path,” came the sense of the Spirit’s answer in an instant. “You made the wrong choice but I have brought you back on track to where I planned for you to be in the first place,” I sensed he was saying.

Your plans may be sure in your eyes but God weighs up your tomorrow. In a man’s heart, he plans his way but the Lord directs his steps. So, have confidence in the plans that God knows he has for you. Trust him without leaning on your own understanding. Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways and he will direct – or redirect – your path.

God-tracking is trusting God to redirect your way.

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT

(Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!)
Jeremiah 29:11
Proverbs 3:5-6
Proverbs 16:1-2,3,9

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SO, DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

“I believe that, in this case, you have redirected my path back to your plan. Thank you, Lord.”

“Dear Lord, I’ve made this decision in faith that you would direct its outcome. I acknowledged you in it before I set out on this adventure. Yet, it’s failed. However, because I acknowledged you before making my decision, I trust that this outcome is according to your will. Forgive me if I missed your guidance in the first place. I believe that this result is right and good. Thank you that you were true to your word that if I acknowledge God in all my ways, he will direct my path. Therefore, I believe that, in this case, you have redirected my path back to your plan. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today email me dudley@godtracker.co.uk

----------------------------
What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at, godtracker.co.uk/godtracker-podcasts

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

Swimming in the Deep End

 GodTracker 861

The e-devotional helping to keep you on track with God’s plans for your life.
GodTracker is published at godtracker.co.uk
SUBSCRIBE to GodTracker by e-mail

“So don’t be surprised the next time you find yourself treading water. Just remember he is with you, even in the deep end.”

Matthew 28:20(b)
…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age

I have been a Christian for many years. From an early age, I learned the value of trusting God to direct my life. The Scripture says that God knew me before I was born and that he has fashioned the story of my days before one of them came to be. God knows the plans he has for you and me. God is omniscient, that is, he knows all things and he is omnipotent – all-powerful. If he has a plan for your life, believe me, he has the means and the know-how to execute it.

In 1994 I approached a radio station in my hometown looking for part-time work. I was studying for the ministry at the time and needed a job to bring in some income. I’ve always loved radio so I applied to the station, prepared to do anything to earn some cash. After welcoming me at reception, I was ushered into a studio and plopped in front of a microphone. I was handed a short script. “When the red light comes on,” said my host, “just read what’s on the paper.” As I emerged from the studio a smiling controller said, “He’s a natural!” Twenty-eight years later I still sit behind a microphone and speak when the light turns red.

This little story is only one example in my life of how my Lord and Guide has opened opportunities for me by his omniscient sovereign design. Granted, we have free will and thus, the freedom to choose our life’s path. However, in my experience, if we acknowledge God in everything then he will direct the paths of our lives. And sometimes God simply throws his awe-inspiring plans at us, dropping us in the deep end saying, “There you go. Swim!”

If you continue to acknowledge the Lord in all your ways; if you walk by faith and not by sight and if you keep your eyes stayed on Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith then he will direct your life tracks according to his perfect plan for you. So don’t be surprised the next time you find yourself treading water. Just remember he’s there with you, even in the deep end.

God-tracking is going where you’ve never been before.

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT
(Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!)
Ephesians 5:16 (NIV)
Proverbs 3:6
2 Corinthians 5:7
Hebrews 12:2

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SO, DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

“I commit my future to you and ask that you will open the doors that you know will suit me and where I will be productive and successful.”

“Dear Lord, thank you that you know the plans you have for me. Thank you that you know me better than I know myself and that your plans are always for my good. I commit my future to you and ask that you will open the doors that you know will suit me and where I will be productive and successful. I acknowledge you in every aspect of my life and trust your discretion in designing my life track. Help me, O Lord, to swim in the deep end. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today email me dudley@godtracker.co.uk

----------------------------
What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at, godtracker.co.uk/godtracker-podcasts

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

Rehearse the Goodness of God

GodTracker 860
The e-devotional helping to keep you on track with God’s plans for your life.
GodTracker is published at godtracker.co.uk
SUBSCRIBE to GodTracker by e-mail

“Rehearsing (or re-hearing) the times that God has met your needs, answered a prayer or lifted your soul will enable you to develop a habit of trusting him to do it again, and again, and again.”

1 Chronicles 16:24 (YLT)
Rehearse among nations His glory, Among all the peoples His wonders

The other day, I was reflecting on our financial situation wondering how we’ll pay the bills under growing inflation. The ins just don’t match the outs. The war in Ukraine has affected the economy of the entire globe and the cost of living has escalated to levels beyond the reach of many of us. “Dear Lord,” I prayed, “where’s the money going to come from to pay the bills?”

Just then, I had a flashback. I and my family moved from South Africa to the UK in 1996. I was not able to find employment until 11 months after we arrived. Those first few months in a new country were financially challenging. As I prayed a memory came to mind of me sitting on a bench next to the canal near my new home, opening the post for the day. In my hand was a small blue envelope from South Africa addressed to me. On opening the letter, I found a short, handwritten note from my friend Andrew, who lives in Pretoria. “Dudley, we had leftover cash from our recent trip to the UK so I’ve sent it to you. Twenty pounds fell out on my lap (a reasonable amount of cash, back in 1996). My courage returned. Indeed, I could tell you so similar stories of how God has miraculously provided for us over the years. 

As I prayed, the Lord revealed to me that I was rehearsing how he has always met our needs.

Rehearsing the goodness of God stimulates faith. The word rehearse comes from re-hear. When we rehearse a song, we re-hear it over and over until we can sing it by rote. Rehearsing (or re-hearing) the times that God has met your needs, answered prayer or lifted your soul will enable you to develop a habit of trusting him to do it again, and again, and again.

He is faithful and he will do it. My God will meet all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Ask and you will receive. For everyone who asks receives.

God-tracking is rehearsing the goodness of God

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT

(Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!)
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Philippians 4:19
Matthew 7:7-11

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SO, DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

“Help me to rehearse your goodness, how you have always provided for me, that I will develop a habit of trusting you to do what you have promised to do.”

“Dear Lord, thank you that you are always faithful and true to your word. Your word promises that you will meet my every need. Thank you! As I face today’s needs, I remember the many times you have met my need in the past. Help me to rehearse your goodness, how you have always provided for me, that I will develop a habit of trusting you to do what you have promised to do. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today email me dudley@godtracker.co.uk

----------------------------
What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at, godtracker.co.uk/godtracker-podcasts

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thank God for the Bible

 GodTracker 859

The e-devotional helping to keep you on track with God’s plans for your life.
GodTracker is published at godtracker.co.uk
SUBSCRIBE to GodTracker by e-mail

“Our lifestyles, as followers of Christ, are based upon the principles, purposes and precedents laid out in God’s Word. Therefore, may we worship God in thanksgiving for this marvellous miraculous book, the Holy Bible.”

Psalm 119:103
How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Thank God for Bible! May we never take it for granted. The Bible is more than a book, it is a volum e of 66 different books, penned over a period of about1,500 years by 40 different people. Few of these people knew each other yet each writing confirms the other. The oldest writing is thought to be the book of Job, possibly penned almost 4,000 years ago and still, we can enjoy the auspicious privilege of holding it in our hands today.

The Holy Bible contains the written word of God, preserved through the millennia. The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Word of God endures forever. Heaven and earth will pass away but the words of Christ will remain.

Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. Read it discerningly. Read it slowly. You have the rest of your life to read the Bible so read the Bible for the rest of your life.

Our lifestyles, as followers of Christ, are based upon the principles, purposes and precedents laid out in God’s Word. Therefore, may we worship God in thanksgiving for this marvellous miraculous book, the Holy Bible.

God-tracking is reading the Bible

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT

(Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!)
Hebrews 4:12
Matthew 24:35
John 15:7
Colossians 3:16

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SO, DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

“It says in the Bible that you watch over your Word to perform it, So, dear Lord, perform your Word in my life.”

“Dear God thank you for the Bible. Thank you for inspiring people to pen your word to us and for preserving it over the millennia so that I may hold it in my hands today. Help me to understand what I read and help me to apply it to my daily walk. It says in the Bible that you watch over your Word to perform it, So, dear Lord, perform your Word in my life. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today email me dudley@godtracker.co.uk

----------------------------
What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at, godtracker.co.uk/godtracker-podcasts

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Bond of Love

 

GodTracker 858
The e-devotional helping to keep you on track with God’s plans for your life.
GodTracker is published at godtracker.co.uk
SUBSCRIBE to GodTracker by e-mail

“Just as collagen binds our natural body parts together that we don’t fall apart, so love binds the body parts of Christ together in peace.”

Colossians 3:14,15
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

I remember my biology class at school when I learned about collagen. Collagen is the main structural protein found in the body's various connective tissues. I learned that it is the most abundant protein found in all mammals, making up between 25% to 35% of all the protein in our bodies. It is found mostly in tissue such as cartilage, bones, tendons, ligaments, and skin. Basically, collagen is the bond that holds our bodies together. I thank God that he formed my inward parts. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

You and I, together with every believer on the planet, are called the body of Christ. In Romans 12 we read that, just as we have many parts in our natural bodies, so, we, being many parts, are one body in Christ. Each of us is a body part of Jesus. In Colossians 3 we are exhorted to put on love, the bond of perfection. Just as collagen binds our natural body parts together so that we don’t fall apart, so love binds the body parts of Christ together in peace.

Thanks be to God for his incredible love that binds us together in peace. The love of God was demonstrated to us in this, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. God so loved the world that he gave his only son that if we believe in him, we will have eternal life and peace. 

God-tracking is being bonded together by love.

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT

(Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!)
Psalm 139:13-14
Romans 12:3-8
Romans 5:8

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SO, DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

“Help me show your love to those around me and help me to remain bound by love to fellow believers, in peace.”

“Dear Father, thank you so much for your love demonstrated through Jesus. Thank you that he died to redeem me from sin and entitle me to eternal life. Thank you that your love binds your body together in peace. Help me to live out your love in my life. Help me to forgive my brother when he grieves me. Help me show your love to those around me and help me to remain bound by love to fellow believers, in peace. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today email me dudley@godtracker.co.uk

----------------------------
What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at, godtracker.co.uk/godtracker-podcasts

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Word and the Spirit

 

GodTracker 857
The e-devotional helping to keep you on track with God’s plans for your life.
GodTracker is published at godtracker.co.uk
SUBSCRIBE to GodTracker by e-mail

“And always read Scripture in prayer seeking the rhema of God to guide your path. His rhema is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.”

Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.

The Word of God and the Spirit of God are synonymous. That is, the Word and the Spirit work together in our lives. The Scriptures tell us that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Throughout Scripture, we see the close relationship between the spoken Word of God and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. For instance, in the Gospel of Mark, we read that, after Jesus had commissioned his disciples and they began ministering after his ascension, mighty miracles followed the preaching of the Word of God. The Word of God confirms the actions of the Spirit while the Spirit activates the Word of God.

In the New Testament the word, “word” is translated from two Greek words: logos and rhema. Logos is used to explain knowledge or information while rhema is used for instruction or inspiration. Jesus is called the Word of God or logos because he revealed the knowledge of the salvation plan of God. However, active inspired faith for the salvation plan of God comes from rhema – the Word of Christ.

Your faith for active Christian living comes from God’s special anointed word to you, his rhema. When you read the Bible and a verse jumps off the page into your heart, it has been activated by the Spirit as rhema. On the other hand, the actions (manifestation) of the Spirit in your life and the life of the church are confirmed by the logos.

Therefore, always weigh up every manifestation you experience in life by the information found in Scripture. That is, test everything by the logos and hold onto what is true and right for you. And always read Scripture in prayer seeking the rhema of God to guide your path. His rhema is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

So I say, as always, get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!

God-tracking is living life by the word and the Spirit.

IT’S ALL IN THE BIBLE. READ ALL ABOUT IT

(Get into the word of God and get the word of God into you!)
Ephesians 6:17
Mark 16:20
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
Psalm 119:105

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SO, DON’T GIVE UP, LOOK UP & PRAY

“And I take you at your word when it says that Jesus has come to give me abundant life not pain and suffering.”

“Dear Lord, thank you so much for the Bible. Thank you for inspiring so many people to pen the Scriptures and for preserving them over the millennia so that I can hold them in my hand today. Help me to test everything in my life by the logos – knowledge – of your Word. And help me, O Lord, to seek your plan for my life by the rhema – your inspired, anointed Word to me. Your rhema is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Praise your name. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today email me dudley@godtracker.co.uk

----------------------------
What is GodTracker?
GodTracker is a weekly e-mail devotional, written by Dudley Anderson, based on the premise that God has a plan for our lives. His Word calls us to seek his plan by acknowledging him in all our ways and by tracking his purposes, in faith.

Listen to GodTracker podcasts by Dudley Anderson at, godtracker.co.uk/godtracker-podcasts

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.