imageNATION!

God has gifted every human with a powerful gift of imagination. We are to worship the Lord with all our heart, soul, MIND and strength. Who do you look to in your minds eye?

Imagination - imageNATION - imageHOME - imageSELF
How do you see yourself?

Exodus 20:4
"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below."

God is creator of all and over all nations. There should be no other image, from any nation, that anyone should look to or submit to - none other than the hope of all nations: Jesus. There are many around the world that create their own image, and worship it. In the western world, we are trying to create a self image, and worship that. Everything about us should be reflecting the love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be mindful of our actions and the way we live toward others. Everything about churches must reflect the nature of God and reveal His love for others. Let's make sure we are working hard at reflecting God's image so that when anybody turns to look at us they won't see us getting carried away with our own imageNATION!

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A Huge Difference!

When God delivered Israel out of Egypt, it was with great signs and wonders.
Many of these were signs of distinction. Egypt suffered illnesses and plagues but God's people lived completely free of them. It was a distinction between those who trusted the Lord and those who didn't!

The first several years as a Christian I lived in a way that was always needing help. My posture was one of continually running to the cross, it was years later that I started to live life from the cross -knowing that Jesus had already won the victory for me. Gen 15:26
He said, "If you listen carefully to the lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the lord, who heals you."

Here, the Lord reveals another characteristic of His person, declaring, I Am the Lord, who heals you. This was before they got sick, not after needing healing. The Israelites were learning to live in and by the Names of God. Yes, He heals us when we are sick, but greater is that He leads us in health.
Yes, He brings balance to our chaos, but greater is that He leads us in wholeness. It's the difference between living from the bottom up, always needing a helping hand; and living top down from a place of strength and victory.

It's a shift in the way we think but it's A Huge Difference!

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The Secret Weapon Of Love!

Gen 4:23
Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me.

This is a crazy story. Cain has already murdered Abel and been banished from the presence of the Lord. Now his offspring is about to multiply evil and expand the mindset of payback. Lamech has killed a young man for injuring him and wants even greater protection that Cain received for killing his brother! V23. Gen 4:24 says:
"If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."
It's this anger and rage that causes so much wrong in our world. We must learn to control it and refrain from allowing it to manifest in our daily happenings. When Jesus arrived on the scene, His first sermon on the mount was addressing the original intention of the law. He said "you've heard that it was said... but I say to you...".
We sure made a real mess of things!

Is it any wonder that Jesus spent all His time revealing the character and nature of God the Father, explaining that God is Love. A new and living way to walk in. A measure against every action and intension. Jesus was approached with a question, which at first glance seems isolated, however, greater reflection again ties old and new testaments together. He was asked: "How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me? Seven times?". Jesus quickly answers - "No, not seven times but seventy -seven times!". Jesus was again establishing for all time that forgiveness puts an end to evil. The Israelites thought Jesus was going to overthrow the natural government and bring peace. But the peace and goodwill that came to all was through His one act of sacrifice to offer forgiveness to all mankind. Forgiveness is The Secret Weapon Of Love!

Posted via email from | joelabell |

Fruitful Increase!

Have ever had one of those days where you just didn't want to do anything?
Perhaps a day where you too exhausted to get going again?

I have found there are 2 general reasons why we get exhausted:
1. We are doing more that God has required?
- Whenever we do more that what God has asked us to do we usually prioritize our own tasks and lose sight of what God is actually wanting us to do. The balance is in knowing exactly what God requires of us during our days on Earth. Get this done before crowding your plate with things that are potentially not as important. 2. We are not resting from what God has required?
- God created everything in six days and rested on the seventh day! To work and work and never stop is not only unwise but a little arrogant. I have always been fascinated with how God could stop but we could not...

God's desire for all of us is Fruitful Increase!

Gen 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

We have been created to reproduce. It's in our DNA. We are meant to increase. Everything about you is screaming grow, increase, create, multiply, expand & spread out. Don't settle down, sit back or waste away. Understand you have been created on purpose, with a purpose, in order to fulfill that purpose. How to have Fruitful Increase?
1. You are meant to be here. Your parents may have decided on making out but God decided on making you! You were created by God and He has a plan for you. 2. You are meant to produce. You may not be good at everything but everyone is good at something. Comparing yourself with others will always leave you with doubts but comparing against what you were created to do should leave you with destiny. 3. You are meant to keep going. One of the biggest hinderances to fruitful increase is allowing mistakes to slow you down or even stop you. A set back is not a reason to step back. Instead, look for God's hand to help you step up and step out. You can still get there the long way as long as you just keep going...

There are some very talented, very gifted individuals in this life but all of us need to realize that life is lived daily in between the big moments. God's plans need not escape you, nor His ways be too difficult to find. After all, it was always God's plan for you to have Fruitful Increase!

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First Things First

Gen 1:1
In the beginning, God created the Heaven's and the earth. Who you put first determines what comes next!
To put first is to prefer, to defer. If I prefer myself and defer to my own counsel, I am missing out on a greater perspective of life. I can't see life from every angle. This is why I need you. It is dangerous to put myself first when I was clearly, just next in line. Mum and dad were here before me, but my grandparents were here before them... You can see where this is going... First Things First. Who do you give your ultimate preference to?
This is why its absurd to have ultimate preference to any human in the line of humanity. Buddah, Mohammed, Ghandi, Confucius... were all just great people in one line. Go all the way back to the first man, Adam, in the beginning, and you see how it all started, with God. In a moment of weakness, Adam gave his ultimate preference to Satan, and changed our world for every next person!

To live this life well, to live it whole, we must give our ultimate preference to the one God deferred it to, His Son, Jesus. I would not make another step until you make First Things First!

Here is how —> http://joelabell.hillsong.com/video/life-search-over

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The Heart&Soul of @HillsongBNE turned out for Heart&Soul night.

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A crazy pizza moment!

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