steve penny » Bible

Dreary rainy days

Steve Penny — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:51:13 +0000

Ahh this is the England I know and love. Overcast and rainy. Brollies everywhere. What was yesterday a delightful excursion down leafy lanes has become today a dark dank dirty and dismal journey weaving among the masses moving mindlessly toward unknown and distant destinations. Seriously – I actually love watching the people of London go about their business.
They seem so at peace with their lot in life.
What I’ve noticed.
1. They take the weather in their stride. They just dress accordingly and get on with it.
2. They are highly relational. They seem to always have time for a sidewalk coffee or beer. I love all the little sidewalk cafes that are always full of people deep in conversation. Have had some good talks with people in these little cafes.
3. They are very trendy. Fashion here is everything – and they all strive to keep up with the latest perceived piece of cool.
4. They have made the book – The God Delusion, their bible. There are masses of people here who have believed a lie, and are blinded and in darkness.
Thankfully God’s word promises a great light will come to those sitting in darkness.
Thank God for Gary Clarke and the London Hillsong team. They are having a huge impact in this city.
Now the rain is pelting down.
Mad dogs and Englishmen.

DREAMS HAPPEN AROUND DREAMERS

Steve Penny — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:46:04 +0000

DREAMS HAPPEN AROUND DREAMERS

People who love to dream see things others never see, because they have developed the ability to DREAM SCOPE.

They look beyond the obvious evidence seen by the natural eye, and use their DREAM SCOPE to see into the invisible realm of unlimited potential.

DREAM SCOPE is the faculty used by all successful dreamers. It is also called in the Bible; the EYE OF FAITH.

“Dream Scopers” see opportunity in everything.

That’s why it seems as though successful people often get the lucky break.

Truth is – they saw the potential others did not see.

They have simply learnt to use their DREAM SCOPE – and so dreams happen all the time for them.

Start seeing the possibilities for good in your present circumstances and you will soon find that dreams start to materialise all around you.

Count your toes

Steve Penny — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:57:57 +0000

Sitting on my bed looking at my feet I realized that I have had the same number of toes my whole life. Ten toes – five on each foot. This came as an amazing revelation. Do you mean that these two feet and these ten toes have been attached to the same two legs and have walked the journey with me for life.
When I have walked on right paths and on wrong paths these toes have been there the whole time. When I have taken huge leaps of faith and when I have tripped and stumbled. These ten toes have seen it all.
Truth is – it is not my toes that determine my direction and walk in life – it is my heart.
The Bible says that a person with a wicked heart is quick to run toward evil whereas a good man walks continually on good paths.
Someone who makes excuses for where they end up in life is like a person who is lost abusing their toes for taking them in the wrong direction.
Hey friend – it isn’t your toes that are tripping you up – it is the desires of your heart. It also isn’t your toes that cause you to go from strength to strength. Ultimately it is the desires of our heart.
Delight yourself in the Lord your God and He will give you good desires with which to fill your heart and mind.
Don’t let your toes be too quick to get into the starting blocks of a new day. Make sure you have awakened your heart to the purposes of God before beginning another daily sprint through life.

Exits and entries

Steve Penny — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:43:08 +0000

There is always divided opinion on the importance of both exits and entries. Some wax eloquent that exits are the greatest judge of a person, whereas others put more focus on the way a person begins a new project, relationship or season.
The Bible clearly shows where God puts His emphasis.
God told the people of Israel to record their journey to the promised land according to their beginnings. Tiherefore the account of their journeying is recorded after each new destination they planned.
You see – endings should take care of themselves. If you start the day well it will continue well.
If you start a new relationship on the right foundations then it will continue well.
If you begin a journey with the right attitude it will go well for you.
Endings are important – but they should take care of themselves if they are viewed as the open doors to a new beginning.
It is only when an ending has inherent within it a sense of loss that people struggle to accept it and then handle it badly.
However handling new beginnings well is of even greater importance as it lays a foundation for the next season of your life which in turn is shaping the future endings you will experience. Always begin with the end in mind.
Here are my recommendations for beginning a new season or project etc.
1. Accept it as God’s doing and therefore a gift from above.
2. Begin humbly – new seasons always make you look good.
3. Don’t despise the previous season – somebody worked hard to get to this point.
4. Dont take on something with a prejudice plan- wait to spy out the land first.
5. Love the excitement of new beginnings and draw strengh from the adrenalin rush it provides.
6. Don’t sell off what previous pioneers have given their lives to possess.
7. Do begin with awesome faith and joy as God is allowing you an opportunity to step up to a new level of grace and favour.
I am personally starting a new season in 2010 and am looking to God for it to be my most fruitful ever.
I am also very mindful that the way I start this new season will have a lot to do with how I finish it.
I want to start with the end in mind.

SAY GOODBYE TO NEGATIVITY

Steve Penny — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:15:36 +0000

SAY GOODBYE TO NEGATIVITY

Negativity is the cancer of the human soul. It destroys more lives that all other physical ailments put together.

The problem is that some of us are raised in a positive environment and some of us are raised in negative surroundings.

We inherit many of our family traits and not all of them are positive.

Some of us see the glass as half full, while others see it half empty.

I am one of those who sees the glass half empty. Wherever I go, I have such a high expectation that I am invariably disappointed when I get to the actual event.

Because of this I used to struggle with disappointment, which can then lead to negativity.

Let me tell you what I have learned in my journey to overcome what was becoming a destructive attitude in my life.

Learn to love life the way it is.

Stop dreaming of a

Life in Christ

Steve Penny — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:14:36 +0000

How do you explain the miracle of living the Christian Life.
One of the simplest examples is that of building a new house.
When Jesus comes into your life it is like having the power connected to your home. Something changes when you get the power on. From then on you have the power for lighting and for doing all kinds of amazing things. However now that Jesus is in your life and the power is on – you must now learn how to live in Christ to enjoy the power. Jesus is in you and the power is on but now you must plug yourself in to access the power in you. Jesus is all over your house as the power source but you have to plug in your three point connection to access the power.
Jesus is in every part of your life, but you have to connect daily to the power source for light and warmth and power for living. I do that through my three point connection of prayer, praise and precept – reading his life manual – the Bible.

Christ in you and you in Christ.
The power may be on but are you connecting to it.
Tr it – it makes a world of difference. SJP

THE BLESSED MAN

Steve Penny — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:27:51 +0000

THE SEVEN ATTITUDES OF A BLESSED MAN

I have completed a series on Deuteronomy 28 where the Bible reveals the seven attitudes of a blessed person.

In the series you will learn the following;

1. I AM BLESSED IN MY POSITION

I am called to be a number one in life. I must learn to live in the number one position and to do so I must accept that the higher I go the more the rule of

Reading between the lines

Steve Penny — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:08:51 +0000

Many times in life we receive messages that could well have a double meaning. That is when we must read between the lines and discern the intent of a persons heart.
Recently I had the privilege of playing golf with a friend who is a very good golfer. We were playing in a comp so it was fairly serious. Coming up to the last hole my partner started some banter with the good golfer, and I thought it would put him off so I interupted and asked him if he had a very good score happening. His drive went left into the trees and so he immediately blamed me for interrupting his pre shot routine. And rightly so. However if he had read between the lines he would have known that was not in my spirit nor my intent. I actually wanted him to do well.
Sometimes we judge people after our own modis operandi in life -when if we took a moment to read between the lines we may see that they are not that kind of person at all. The Bible says that God looks at the heart and not at the visible actions of a person.
I was personally challenged again to live and act in such a way that people who know me would say- that is not what is in his heart. He is not that kind of person. I want people to believe that what I say and do is always based on good motivations. When I fail to live up to the motives of my inner convictions then I need to be man enough to apologise and assure the person that such behaviour will not happen again.
I am not that kind of person.
We all need to read between the lines and cut people a little slack – often they didn’t mean it the way we interpreted it.
We often judge others on their actions -while wanting them to judge us on our motives.
Let’s continue always to be people who live in such a way that people know what we mean – and when the lines are not clear they know us well enought to say – they are not that kind of person. SJP

THE POWER OF FIRST ACTIONS

Steve Penny — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:21:16 +0000

THE POWER OF FIRST ACTIONS

One of the very important truths in the Bible relates to the affect of first things.

First impressions, the first mention, the first sounds, the first son, the first day, the first fruits, etc. all have significance, as they set the DNA for what is to follow.

That is why the Bible says to “seek first the Kingdom of God”, as your attitude toward God will affect every other part of your life.

The early church also decided to make the first day of the week -which is Sunday, as their day to gather and worship God. They taught that everything else for the coming week is influenced by your expression of faith on the first day of the week.

Therefore the way you start something dramatically affects the way you continue doing something.

Someone said to me recently,

OVERCOMING NEGATIVITY

Steve Penny — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:02:55 +0000

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.

Steve Penny