Simple – there is no such thing. We are all called to pray. Ephesians 6:18 says – “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” When you are true believer, you want to talk to God. You understand that through prayer you get to communicate with God. You feel compelled to intercede for others. If someone comes to you with a problem, the compassion in you makes you say a payer for them. Being a Christian and never praying just makes no sense!
Now I’ve seen how some people pray and I go wow! It seems like they have a special gift or skill but its all practice. How do we learn to pray? We learn by just praying and studying the scriptures. God is not looking for perfection or eloquence of speech. He is more concerned about how willing our heart is. So never be intimated by those that seem to pray as if they have some special gift. There’s no such thing. They've just been doing it a lot longer than you have. And truth be told, some God gives speech to those he wants to speak on his behalf. I've seen some people who could hardly express themselves in normal circumstances pray with great eloquence.
Now more than ever with all the craziness that’s going on in the world today, we need to pray at all times. Prayer is not restricted to a particular position or a particular time of the day. Learn to pray as the Holy Spirit leads you. It’s important to have special time with God daily but with the kind of schedules that would make some people roll their eyes in horror, I find that I need to pray all the time everyday – I even pray in my sleep.
Pray for your spouse, pray for your children, pray for yourself and pray for others that you believe that God wants you to intercede for.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
You Can Choose To Fight Or Choose To Lose
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6: 10-18
The devil is not after what you don’t have. But he’s bent on taking away from you all that you do have. He’ll try to take your health, your finances, your marriage and your children. He will go after your mind and your sanity. He’ll fight you for everything you’ve got – more so when you become a Christian.
Whether you believe it or not, the devil does have a kingdom. His own is the kingdom of darkness. Mo matter how we try to deny it, that kingdom is vibrant today. All you need do if you doubt my words is watch the news or crime channels on television. You will be astonished to see how this kingdom has taken control of a lot of lives. Thankfully, there is another kingdom. A kingdom where all who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior belong to – the Kingdom of Light. God is the ruler of the Kingdom of Light and the devil rules the kingdom of darkness. There is a constant war going on between these two kingdoms. But we can stand firm as children of the Kingdom of Light so that we do not ultimately become casualties to the kingdom of darkness.
So how do you fight for what you’ve got? The weapon is the word of God. Arm yourselves with the scriptures and meditate on them. If there is a particular area that the devil seems to defeating you in, search for scriptures relating to that issue and fill your heart with them. Don’t be a sitting duck! Crying will not help. Playing dumb will do no good. You have to get up and fight. Take your stand and fight.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
Don’t let the devil take your children, your marriage, your job or your health. Do not be caught spiritually ignorant.
The devil is not after what you don’t have. But he’s bent on taking away from you all that you do have. He’ll try to take your health, your finances, your marriage and your children. He will go after your mind and your sanity. He’ll fight you for everything you’ve got – more so when you become a Christian.
Whether you believe it or not, the devil does have a kingdom. His own is the kingdom of darkness. Mo matter how we try to deny it, that kingdom is vibrant today. All you need do if you doubt my words is watch the news or crime channels on television. You will be astonished to see how this kingdom has taken control of a lot of lives. Thankfully, there is another kingdom. A kingdom where all who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior belong to – the Kingdom of Light. God is the ruler of the Kingdom of Light and the devil rules the kingdom of darkness. There is a constant war going on between these two kingdoms. But we can stand firm as children of the Kingdom of Light so that we do not ultimately become casualties to the kingdom of darkness.
So how do you fight for what you’ve got? The weapon is the word of God. Arm yourselves with the scriptures and meditate on them. If there is a particular area that the devil seems to defeating you in, search for scriptures relating to that issue and fill your heart with them. Don’t be a sitting duck! Crying will not help. Playing dumb will do no good. You have to get up and fight. Take your stand and fight.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
Don’t let the devil take your children, your marriage, your job or your health. Do not be caught spiritually ignorant.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Who's Race Are You Running?
With a world filled with so many options, choice can actually be a disadvantage. We can choose where to go, where to live, what job to do and whether to marry or not marry and even whether to have children or not. By God’s design, choice is a good thing. God gave us choice and God is perfection. If we didn’t have the ability to choose and we had no free will, we will all be robots. God wanted us to choose to follow him and by following him make choices that line up with his purpose for our lives.
How do we know what God has purposed us to do? Well when a manufacturer makes anything there is a purpose and a function that the thing that has been made is expected to fulfill. So in order to know what your purpose is, you will need to go before God and ask him, the Creator of the entire universe what it is he purposed you to do. On finding out what that is, you will need to develop a clear plan on how to fulfill that purpose and then focus on running your own race in life.
So many of us waste years running the race purposed for others. We spend valuable time doing what we have the aptitude to do rather than what we are purposed to do in life. What you have the aptitude to do will get you a job and give you a paycheck but what you were designed to do will give you life. No more will be the days you get up in the morning discouraged about going to your job. What you are purposed to do will keep you up late at night and wake you up at the crack of dawn.
That is not to say running you own race will be without trials but the desire to persevere and push through the issues will never be lacking because that is what you were born to do. When you are doing what you are created to do, it never feels like work – you feel as if you are simply working yourself out.
God has a specific race designed for you. It’s not your sister’s race or your neighbor’s race. It’s not your father’s race or your husband’s race. It’s a race tailored just for you by your maker. It is definite that you will need to collaborate with others who are running their own races. Others will need to provide some resources that you need for you race but no two races are ever the same. Fix your eyes on Jesus as your run the race designed for you. You are unique on this earth – nobody else has your exact DNA or fingerprint. No-one can give to the world what you have to offer.
How do we know what God has purposed us to do? Well when a manufacturer makes anything there is a purpose and a function that the thing that has been made is expected to fulfill. So in order to know what your purpose is, you will need to go before God and ask him, the Creator of the entire universe what it is he purposed you to do. On finding out what that is, you will need to develop a clear plan on how to fulfill that purpose and then focus on running your own race in life.
So many of us waste years running the race purposed for others. We spend valuable time doing what we have the aptitude to do rather than what we are purposed to do in life. What you have the aptitude to do will get you a job and give you a paycheck but what you were designed to do will give you life. No more will be the days you get up in the morning discouraged about going to your job. What you are purposed to do will keep you up late at night and wake you up at the crack of dawn.
That is not to say running you own race will be without trials but the desire to persevere and push through the issues will never be lacking because that is what you were born to do. When you are doing what you are created to do, it never feels like work – you feel as if you are simply working yourself out.
God has a specific race designed for you. It’s not your sister’s race or your neighbor’s race. It’s not your father’s race or your husband’s race. It’s a race tailored just for you by your maker. It is definite that you will need to collaborate with others who are running their own races. Others will need to provide some resources that you need for you race but no two races are ever the same. Fix your eyes on Jesus as your run the race designed for you. You are unique on this earth – nobody else has your exact DNA or fingerprint. No-one can give to the world what you have to offer.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Where Are You Going?
There’s a very famous saying that if you don’t know where you’re going, all roads will lead you there. So many Christians are saved but they aren’t working out their salvation. So many know that Christ died and took their sins away but they have not grasped the fact that the resurrection has given them new lives if they would just take hold of it. So many spend years even after salvation, going down the wrong road.
It’s important when we are saved – probably more than ever to grasp our purpose in life and with God’s help fully understand where we are going and how we want to get there because it does matter how we get there. People around us may not understand where we are going but that does not matter. The only thing that counts is that we know where we are going and we refuse to be distracted or side-tracked from our purpose.
Our ultimate destination needs to be clear in the decisions we make today. We need to be dressed for our mission in life. It makes no sense to be drinking and smoking if we have a mission that requires we live healthy till we are old. If our plan is to help use medical skills to help Christians in poor countries, it might help to get some kind of health related educational qualifications.
We are to be prepared for what we want to become. A life with no destination is a wasted life. Take some time to figure out where you’re going today. What is that thing burning in you that God wants you to do? Are your plans and lifestyle in line with what you want to become? Are you preparing for your mission? Are you ready for your life yet? Do you have a clear roadmap on how you intend to get where you are going? A man without a plan in reality plans to fail. Don’t be one of the folks that just stumble through each day, each week, each year and each decade without an inkling of where they are going or how they intend to get there. Take control of your life today. Harness the destiny God has placed inside of you!
It’s important when we are saved – probably more than ever to grasp our purpose in life and with God’s help fully understand where we are going and how we want to get there because it does matter how we get there. People around us may not understand where we are going but that does not matter. The only thing that counts is that we know where we are going and we refuse to be distracted or side-tracked from our purpose.
Our ultimate destination needs to be clear in the decisions we make today. We need to be dressed for our mission in life. It makes no sense to be drinking and smoking if we have a mission that requires we live healthy till we are old. If our plan is to help use medical skills to help Christians in poor countries, it might help to get some kind of health related educational qualifications.
We are to be prepared for what we want to become. A life with no destination is a wasted life. Take some time to figure out where you’re going today. What is that thing burning in you that God wants you to do? Are your plans and lifestyle in line with what you want to become? Are you preparing for your mission? Are you ready for your life yet? Do you have a clear roadmap on how you intend to get where you are going? A man without a plan in reality plans to fail. Don’t be one of the folks that just stumble through each day, each week, each year and each decade without an inkling of where they are going or how they intend to get there. Take control of your life today. Harness the destiny God has placed inside of you!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Faith That Perseveres
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Faith is being able to see beyond what your physical eyes will allow – it involves seeing through your heart. It's seeing and being sure of things that have not manifested in the physical. Faith unfortunately is not contagious, you cannot sit next to someone who has faith and get the kind of faith that they have. Faith is something that is developed, it continues to grow and it should be what controls every aspect of our lives.
Imagine having the kind of faith that Noah had. We can liken his faith to living in Southern California and building an ark in the middle of July because God told you to do so. Your neighbors will probably call the police saying that you’ve lost your mind! But when you have faith, you know that you know that whatever situation you are in, God is sure to bring you out. You know that God never fails. You know he's not a mere man that he should lie. You just know!When you have faith you never quit because even in the midst of all the trials and tribulation that life can bring, you see the end through your heart, you see God. Why do people quit on their dreams? Because they cannot see beyond their physical eyes.
By faith, Abraham believed God will make a way when God told him he would have a son even though he and his wife Sarah were well past child-bearing age. He believed that God will make a way when the Lord told him to take his only son that he waited years to have and offer him as a burnt sacrifice. Let’s face it, God had told him that it was through Isaac that his offspring will be reckoned. Now God is telling him to slaughter that same child? In the natural, it made no sense, but through Abraham’s eyes of faith, he could see that God that gave him Isaac could raise him from the dead.
By faith, the Israelites passed through the parted Red Sea as if they were walking on dry land. Imagine in this day and age that the ocean parted and someone says to you god says you should walk through. I am sure that you would be scared stiff. Remember that the Egyptians attempted to walk through the same parted sea and they all drowned.
So how do you get the kind of faith that I’m talking about? True faith comes from hearing the word of God and also the things that you know that God has brought you through in the past. There are some things that I’ve been through that I know for a fact that if not for God, I never would have made it. These are the kinds of experiences that build up your faith. Contrary to popular believe, reading and memorizing the scriptures does not build your faith because I have been privileged to meet a lot of folks who know the word but have no faith in the God of the word. They can quote all the scriptures but their actions and decisions are proof that they lack faith. I have a funny feeling that when we get to heaven God will not be asking if you know the word by heart, he would be more interested in finding out if you believed the word that you know.
Additional Reading:
Hebrews 11:1-40
Imagine having the kind of faith that Noah had. We can liken his faith to living in Southern California and building an ark in the middle of July because God told you to do so. Your neighbors will probably call the police saying that you’ve lost your mind! But when you have faith, you know that you know that whatever situation you are in, God is sure to bring you out. You know that God never fails. You know he's not a mere man that he should lie. You just know!When you have faith you never quit because even in the midst of all the trials and tribulation that life can bring, you see the end through your heart, you see God. Why do people quit on their dreams? Because they cannot see beyond their physical eyes.
By faith, Abraham believed God will make a way when God told him he would have a son even though he and his wife Sarah were well past child-bearing age. He believed that God will make a way when the Lord told him to take his only son that he waited years to have and offer him as a burnt sacrifice. Let’s face it, God had told him that it was through Isaac that his offspring will be reckoned. Now God is telling him to slaughter that same child? In the natural, it made no sense, but through Abraham’s eyes of faith, he could see that God that gave him Isaac could raise him from the dead.
By faith, the Israelites passed through the parted Red Sea as if they were walking on dry land. Imagine in this day and age that the ocean parted and someone says to you god says you should walk through. I am sure that you would be scared stiff. Remember that the Egyptians attempted to walk through the same parted sea and they all drowned.
So how do you get the kind of faith that I’m talking about? True faith comes from hearing the word of God and also the things that you know that God has brought you through in the past. There are some things that I’ve been through that I know for a fact that if not for God, I never would have made it. These are the kinds of experiences that build up your faith. Contrary to popular believe, reading and memorizing the scriptures does not build your faith because I have been privileged to meet a lot of folks who know the word but have no faith in the God of the word. They can quote all the scriptures but their actions and decisions are proof that they lack faith. I have a funny feeling that when we get to heaven God will not be asking if you know the word by heart, he would be more interested in finding out if you believed the word that you know.
Additional Reading:
Hebrews 11:1-40
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
We are Free in Christ Jesus
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8: 31b-32
“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36
Apprehending the truth of God’s word sets is free. It is mind crushing to see how many Christians still live in bondage. Some are stuck in traditions and cultures. They believe there is a certain way people ought to pray, a certain way people ought to dress and the worship on Sunday ought to be in a specific way. If it is not the way they believed it ought to be, they had a problem with it. So many are deceived about what being a follower of Christ really means. Others are still engrossed in the ways of the world, participating in all manner of immoral activities yet claim to be born-again.
Due to many dysfunctions in childhood and upbringing, many get emotionally and spiritually biased. They have a lot of strongholds that must be eliminated in order to take hold of the blessings God has in store for them. These strongholds often result in them trying to control every aspect of their lives mainly because they had lacked control as children. They have an opinion what others should do, what they should wear and the way they ought to be. God forbid something comes and shakes their well-orchestrated life and they are complete emotional wrecks because the lives they were trying so desperately to control in their own strength has now gone completely out of control.
Then there are those who are slaves to the law. They believe that by obeying the laws in the old covenant, they can earn a place in heaven. They forget that it is only by grace that we are saved and salvation is a gift from God. He knew how we are – it’s a gift so no-one can boast that they obeyed the law better than another. People under the law are cursed. The only way to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross – there is no other way! Some denominations claim to Believe in God the Father but not Jesus Christ the Son. All I can say is that hell will indeed be packed! Jesus Christ himself said in John 8:42 – “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.”
It is time to give our so-called freedom over to God. We need to allow God total control of our lives because it is only through his Son, Jesus Christ that we can indeed be free. All our human efforts, plans, to-do lists and goals will go nowhere without Christ.
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8: 31b-32
“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36
Apprehending the truth of God’s word sets is free. It is mind crushing to see how many Christians still live in bondage. Some are stuck in traditions and cultures. They believe there is a certain way people ought to pray, a certain way people ought to dress and the worship on Sunday ought to be in a specific way. If it is not the way they believed it ought to be, they had a problem with it. So many are deceived about what being a follower of Christ really means. Others are still engrossed in the ways of the world, participating in all manner of immoral activities yet claim to be born-again.
Due to many dysfunctions in childhood and upbringing, many get emotionally and spiritually biased. They have a lot of strongholds that must be eliminated in order to take hold of the blessings God has in store for them. These strongholds often result in them trying to control every aspect of their lives mainly because they had lacked control as children. They have an opinion what others should do, what they should wear and the way they ought to be. God forbid something comes and shakes their well-orchestrated life and they are complete emotional wrecks because the lives they were trying so desperately to control in their own strength has now gone completely out of control.
Then there are those who are slaves to the law. They believe that by obeying the laws in the old covenant, they can earn a place in heaven. They forget that it is only by grace that we are saved and salvation is a gift from God. He knew how we are – it’s a gift so no-one can boast that they obeyed the law better than another. People under the law are cursed. The only way to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross – there is no other way! Some denominations claim to Believe in God the Father but not Jesus Christ the Son. All I can say is that hell will indeed be packed! Jesus Christ himself said in John 8:42 – “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.”
It is time to give our so-called freedom over to God. We need to allow God total control of our lives because it is only through his Son, Jesus Christ that we can indeed be free. All our human efforts, plans, to-do lists and goals will go nowhere without Christ.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Salvation By Grace Not By The Law
“It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is not transgression.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring – not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” – Romans 4: 13-16
It is by faith that we are saved not by works. A person is made right with God through faith not by obeying the law. Through faith we can achieve obedience to the law not the other way round. Our attempts at self-righteousness are like filthy rags before God. We cannot accumulate brownie points here on earth and think that they will be acceptable in the sight of God.
Whatever “works” we think that we are doing here on earth does not guarantee us a spot in heaven. We cannot achieve righteousness based on what we are doing – righteousness only comes through Jesus Christ. God is Perfect and his Son is also Perfect. We are far from perfect! Through faith we have grace that we don’t deserve that brings about change in our lives. For us to get this marvelous grace that we do not deserve, God allowed his Son to die a death he did not deserve. The only way that we are justified is through faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are only made right with God through faith, never by obedience to the law. We can never receive God’s promises for our lives by compliance to the law – the laws work for this kingdom but the Kingdom Jesus Christ came carrying on his shoulders can only be accepted, understood and complied with through faith. To accept citizenship of the Kingdom of God one must do so through faith, we cannot become citizens by works.
The good news is that salvation is free. Every Christian that enjoys the freedom that comes with salvation should be a bearer of the Good News – the news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, we are forgiven – totally and in addition we have received a brand new life through His resurrection. There is no way to be right with God through the law. The only way to get your heart right with God is through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring – not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” – Romans 4: 13-16
It is by faith that we are saved not by works. A person is made right with God through faith not by obeying the law. Through faith we can achieve obedience to the law not the other way round. Our attempts at self-righteousness are like filthy rags before God. We cannot accumulate brownie points here on earth and think that they will be acceptable in the sight of God.
Whatever “works” we think that we are doing here on earth does not guarantee us a spot in heaven. We cannot achieve righteousness based on what we are doing – righteousness only comes through Jesus Christ. God is Perfect and his Son is also Perfect. We are far from perfect! Through faith we have grace that we don’t deserve that brings about change in our lives. For us to get this marvelous grace that we do not deserve, God allowed his Son to die a death he did not deserve. The only way that we are justified is through faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are only made right with God through faith, never by obedience to the law. We can never receive God’s promises for our lives by compliance to the law – the laws work for this kingdom but the Kingdom Jesus Christ came carrying on his shoulders can only be accepted, understood and complied with through faith. To accept citizenship of the Kingdom of God one must do so through faith, we cannot become citizens by works.
The good news is that salvation is free. Every Christian that enjoys the freedom that comes with salvation should be a bearer of the Good News – the news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, we are forgiven – totally and in addition we have received a brand new life through His resurrection. There is no way to be right with God through the law. The only way to get your heart right with God is through Jesus Christ.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Living As Children of Light
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You however did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4: 17-24
It’s impossible to come to Christ and not have your life transformed. I am not talking about immediate change but a gradual process. Having Jesus Christ in your heart always creates a light shines from the inside out. It shines with such a glow that everyone around you will know that there’s something different about you. The change in your personality may even be staggering to someone, especially the ones that said your life would never change.
Your heart is now good soil and the word of God grows and multiplies – increasing the fruits of the spirit for all to see. Your heart is not hardened such that all your hear goes in one ear and out the other. You have decided to distance yourself from impure thoughts and immoral behavior. You will start to speak the truth of the word in love to others. You are eager to teach people the good news of Love, Hope and Faith.
As Christians, we cannot afford to live as if we do not believe. We cannot behave like a dog that continues to return to its vomit. We must release the old self that was living contrary to the word of God and embrace the new creature that we have become. We are assured that our sins have been dealt with by a faithful and living God at the Cross and we are confident that we have received a new life by the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We can never again be lost because we have the Spirit of God living in us and we have his word to continually guide us. We no longer need to seek the counsel of mere men – we have the counsel of our Heavenly Father to give us wisdom. It is true that a man is what he thinks so we are free now that our minds have been renewed and we no longer rely on our own understanding – hallelujah!
Now that we are being transformed and our lives have been changed, we are to be Children of the Light – guiding the lost and leading the way to salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ.
It’s impossible to come to Christ and not have your life transformed. I am not talking about immediate change but a gradual process. Having Jesus Christ in your heart always creates a light shines from the inside out. It shines with such a glow that everyone around you will know that there’s something different about you. The change in your personality may even be staggering to someone, especially the ones that said your life would never change.
Your heart is now good soil and the word of God grows and multiplies – increasing the fruits of the spirit for all to see. Your heart is not hardened such that all your hear goes in one ear and out the other. You have decided to distance yourself from impure thoughts and immoral behavior. You will start to speak the truth of the word in love to others. You are eager to teach people the good news of Love, Hope and Faith.
As Christians, we cannot afford to live as if we do not believe. We cannot behave like a dog that continues to return to its vomit. We must release the old self that was living contrary to the word of God and embrace the new creature that we have become. We are assured that our sins have been dealt with by a faithful and living God at the Cross and we are confident that we have received a new life by the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We can never again be lost because we have the Spirit of God living in us and we have his word to continually guide us. We no longer need to seek the counsel of mere men – we have the counsel of our Heavenly Father to give us wisdom. It is true that a man is what he thinks so we are free now that our minds have been renewed and we no longer rely on our own understanding – hallelujah!
Now that we are being transformed and our lives have been changed, we are to be Children of the Light – guiding the lost and leading the way to salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Pray For 3 Things
In the world we live in today, there are 3 things that we must pray for:
Strength: We need strength to let go of the past and press on into the future. We need strength to face our fears head on and to make a decision not to be defeated. No-one can unscramble eggs. We all have things in the past we wish never occurred; people we hope to God we had never met. but we can’t afford to hold on to the past and crucify ourselves over it. Feeling sadness and disappointment is normal but the time will come when we need to pray for the strength required to move on – strength to prevent the enemy from keeping us trapped in the past. Because life is what it is, we need to understand how to develop strength through our adversities. We must be strong so that we can stand firm no matter what comes our way. Sometimes we may feel tired and drained but we have to stay on course. We have to keep our eyes and our hope in God. He never fails to come through with just what you need when you need it. But you must have faith to receive. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Courage: We need courage to fight the enemy on a daily basis. Because we are carnal by nature we must pray for courage everyday. Temptation will come every single minute of the day – but with courage we can refuse to succumb to them. We must pray for courage so that we are not easily defeated when opposed or criticized by others. We must understand and believe in who started the work in our lives. Whatever God starts, he finishes. God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory. To do anything successful or win any fight in this life requires an abundance of courage – the type of courage that can only come from one source. When you start to feel fear taking over, it’s time to run to God so that your faith can once again be built up. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Wisdom: We need to pray for God’s wisdom – wisdom to know how to manage our time and spend our days on this earth. So many of us are running around expending energy, being busy and solving problems but really not doing what God has called us to do. Our time on earth is being spent – thoroughly spent on everything but not on what matters the most. We need to learn wisdom by praying to God to open our eyes and our hearts as we comb the scriptures and read through the teachings of Jesus Christ - that we would learn what we need to learn from the word of God. Many of us have the ability to quote the scriptures but lack wisdom. It’s much quicker to quote the scriptures than to live them – easier to dress like a Christian than to live like one. Everything that has happened to us in our lives is a class – a lesson. There is wisdom to grasp from every experience if we bother to take the time to learn. The kind of wisdom that we need today is not the one we get from one hour on a Sunday morning. You cannot command the devil in the name of what your preacher preached last Sunday. We must read, meditate on, understand and obey the word of God. Only by doing this can we gain the wisdom required to act as a mature Christian. Ephesians 4:14 says, “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
Strength: We need strength to let go of the past and press on into the future. We need strength to face our fears head on and to make a decision not to be defeated. No-one can unscramble eggs. We all have things in the past we wish never occurred; people we hope to God we had never met. but we can’t afford to hold on to the past and crucify ourselves over it. Feeling sadness and disappointment is normal but the time will come when we need to pray for the strength required to move on – strength to prevent the enemy from keeping us trapped in the past. Because life is what it is, we need to understand how to develop strength through our adversities. We must be strong so that we can stand firm no matter what comes our way. Sometimes we may feel tired and drained but we have to stay on course. We have to keep our eyes and our hope in God. He never fails to come through with just what you need when you need it. But you must have faith to receive. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Courage: We need courage to fight the enemy on a daily basis. Because we are carnal by nature we must pray for courage everyday. Temptation will come every single minute of the day – but with courage we can refuse to succumb to them. We must pray for courage so that we are not easily defeated when opposed or criticized by others. We must understand and believe in who started the work in our lives. Whatever God starts, he finishes. God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory. To do anything successful or win any fight in this life requires an abundance of courage – the type of courage that can only come from one source. When you start to feel fear taking over, it’s time to run to God so that your faith can once again be built up. Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Wisdom: We need to pray for God’s wisdom – wisdom to know how to manage our time and spend our days on this earth. So many of us are running around expending energy, being busy and solving problems but really not doing what God has called us to do. Our time on earth is being spent – thoroughly spent on everything but not on what matters the most. We need to learn wisdom by praying to God to open our eyes and our hearts as we comb the scriptures and read through the teachings of Jesus Christ - that we would learn what we need to learn from the word of God. Many of us have the ability to quote the scriptures but lack wisdom. It’s much quicker to quote the scriptures than to live them – easier to dress like a Christian than to live like one. Everything that has happened to us in our lives is a class – a lesson. There is wisdom to grasp from every experience if we bother to take the time to learn. The kind of wisdom that we need today is not the one we get from one hour on a Sunday morning. You cannot command the devil in the name of what your preacher preached last Sunday. We must read, meditate on, understand and obey the word of God. Only by doing this can we gain the wisdom required to act as a mature Christian. Ephesians 4:14 says, “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
Saturday, April 21, 2007
It is Finished!
As Jesus neared the time of his death, he mentioned that he was thirsty. A jar of wine vinegar was available so a sponge mounted on a stalk of the hyssop plant was soaked in the vinegar and lifted up to his lips. When he took some of the drink, he said, “It is finished.” With that statement, Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
I wonder whether many Christians really understand and grasp the true meaning of that statement – “It is finished.” It means it is done – there’s nothing left to be done. The mission is complete. Jesus Christ died to take away the sins of the world. His resurrection came to give us life – new life.
There is no need to go around depressed over past mistakes and wrongs. It is finished. It’s up to you now to receive the mercy available to you. The debt has already been paid. There is nothing you can do to pay God back for the wrong you’ve done. You can never pay God back even if you tried. The only person qualified to make that payment is Jesus Christ and he tells you and I that “It is finished.” God is not in the business of fault-finding nor is he looking for perfection. Quite honestly most of the people in the Bible that God used mightily did not come without their own issues. The most important thing is to have a heart that seeks after God.
You are forgiven – the debt has been paid by a loving and merciful God. Learn to receive mercy. Shake off your depression and quit feeling sorry for yourself. It is time to come boldly to the Throne of Grace and receive the mercy that has always been available for you. You have to believe that there’s nothing you’ve done or can ever do that will separate you from the love of God. Your dysfunctional past does not take away the promise of a bright future that God has in store for you.
I wonder whether many Christians really understand and grasp the true meaning of that statement – “It is finished.” It means it is done – there’s nothing left to be done. The mission is complete. Jesus Christ died to take away the sins of the world. His resurrection came to give us life – new life.
There is no need to go around depressed over past mistakes and wrongs. It is finished. It’s up to you now to receive the mercy available to you. The debt has already been paid. There is nothing you can do to pay God back for the wrong you’ve done. You can never pay God back even if you tried. The only person qualified to make that payment is Jesus Christ and he tells you and I that “It is finished.” God is not in the business of fault-finding nor is he looking for perfection. Quite honestly most of the people in the Bible that God used mightily did not come without their own issues. The most important thing is to have a heart that seeks after God.
You are forgiven – the debt has been paid by a loving and merciful God. Learn to receive mercy. Shake off your depression and quit feeling sorry for yourself. It is time to come boldly to the Throne of Grace and receive the mercy that has always been available for you. You have to believe that there’s nothing you’ve done or can ever do that will separate you from the love of God. Your dysfunctional past does not take away the promise of a bright future that God has in store for you.
Friday, April 20, 2007
How Strong Are Your Roots?
It is true that a tree is only as strong as its roots. When strong wind comes, all trees that are not properly rooted will be sent flying. When the weather is fine, a badly rooted tree need not have any worries, it tries to look like all the others. No-one knows about the serious issues underneath because the roots are hidden. Only the tree knows what lies beneath.
Every gardener knows when a tree is not doing well. The leaves are not as bright and it may never bring forth any fruit. If left in the ground like that the roots may not support the tree and it may eventually die. It does not take too long to realize that there may be issues with the actual soil that the tree is in. The tree may need to be dug up and the soil treated or actually transplanted and moved to better ground.
It’s the same principle with us – some of us came from dysfunctional and abusive backgrounds. We were planted in bad soil and as a result our roots are bad and the fruits we are displaying are not impressive. Issues like anger, bitterness, low self-esteem, depression and critical spirits are some of the bad fruits that come from being rooted badly. The good news is that the love of God can transform all of that. Our roots can be developed properly by God’s grace. God can completely transplant us so that we can begin to develop the good fruits of the spirit such as love, peace, joy, kindness, meekness and patience.
I had some bad roots and as such developed some bad fruits but with the help of God, I am being uprooted and re-planted. It’s not an instant transplant – it’s a painful but rewarding process. If you aren't displaying any bad fruits, I challenge you to search within yourself. You may be surprised at what you find. A wise man once said "the only people on the planet who aren't dysfunctional are those without a belly button." So if you have a belly button...............
Do you have any bad roots that are resulting in bad fruits in your life? Do you need to be re-planted so that you can be all God created you to be? Give you life to God today and follow the teachings of his Son – Jesus Christ. You whole life will be transformed. You will come to know peace, joy and above all - love like never before.
Every gardener knows when a tree is not doing well. The leaves are not as bright and it may never bring forth any fruit. If left in the ground like that the roots may not support the tree and it may eventually die. It does not take too long to realize that there may be issues with the actual soil that the tree is in. The tree may need to be dug up and the soil treated or actually transplanted and moved to better ground.
It’s the same principle with us – some of us came from dysfunctional and abusive backgrounds. We were planted in bad soil and as a result our roots are bad and the fruits we are displaying are not impressive. Issues like anger, bitterness, low self-esteem, depression and critical spirits are some of the bad fruits that come from being rooted badly. The good news is that the love of God can transform all of that. Our roots can be developed properly by God’s grace. God can completely transplant us so that we can begin to develop the good fruits of the spirit such as love, peace, joy, kindness, meekness and patience.
I had some bad roots and as such developed some bad fruits but with the help of God, I am being uprooted and re-planted. It’s not an instant transplant – it’s a painful but rewarding process. If you aren't displaying any bad fruits, I challenge you to search within yourself. You may be surprised at what you find. A wise man once said "the only people on the planet who aren't dysfunctional are those without a belly button." So if you have a belly button...............
Do you have any bad roots that are resulting in bad fruits in your life? Do you need to be re-planted so that you can be all God created you to be? Give you life to God today and follow the teachings of his Son – Jesus Christ. You whole life will be transformed. You will come to know peace, joy and above all - love like never before.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Power of the Word
Most people underestimate the power in the Word of God. Today I will simply re-iterate some of the highlights of what the Bible records in John 1: 1-13
1. The Word has been around since the beginning. The Word has always been since the creation of the world. Nothing exists in the world without the Word – everything was created through him because the Word is God.
2. The power in the Word is so great that nothing can be made without him. Everything that we think we create and come up with all started with him.
3. The word of God is like light shining in darkness to all those who believe. It shows them the way and path that they must thread. As bright as this light shines, some have refused to recognize or acknowledge the light of God. They refuse to accept because they do not understand it. The Word of God is the only true light that gives sight to man.
4. When Jesus came, He was the word. God sent the Word in flesh to dwell amongst us. He lived amongst men – ate with them and drank with them. He fellowshipped, slept and laughed with them. He was sent to redeem us so that we may be bold enough to even approach the Throne of Grace. Through Jesus Christ’s blood, we can actually draw near to God.
5. All those who receive the Word, and those who believe in the power of the Word, God has given the right to become his children - children not born by the natural means that we all know but born of God.
6. As we are now children of God, we are to be the Word in flesh at our schools, church and at our jobs. Through us others might have the joy of experiencing the power that is in the word of God. The power that has the potential to heal, transform, renew, set people free, give courage, liberate captives, eradicate worry and discord and eliminate feelings of inadequacy. The power in the Word can reach deep into a soul and heal all things.
Have you tapped into the power of the Word?
1. The Word has been around since the beginning. The Word has always been since the creation of the world. Nothing exists in the world without the Word – everything was created through him because the Word is God.
2. The power in the Word is so great that nothing can be made without him. Everything that we think we create and come up with all started with him.
3. The word of God is like light shining in darkness to all those who believe. It shows them the way and path that they must thread. As bright as this light shines, some have refused to recognize or acknowledge the light of God. They refuse to accept because they do not understand it. The Word of God is the only true light that gives sight to man.
4. When Jesus came, He was the word. God sent the Word in flesh to dwell amongst us. He lived amongst men – ate with them and drank with them. He fellowshipped, slept and laughed with them. He was sent to redeem us so that we may be bold enough to even approach the Throne of Grace. Through Jesus Christ’s blood, we can actually draw near to God.
5. All those who receive the Word, and those who believe in the power of the Word, God has given the right to become his children - children not born by the natural means that we all know but born of God.
6. As we are now children of God, we are to be the Word in flesh at our schools, church and at our jobs. Through us others might have the joy of experiencing the power that is in the word of God. The power that has the potential to heal, transform, renew, set people free, give courage, liberate captives, eradicate worry and discord and eliminate feelings of inadequacy. The power in the Word can reach deep into a soul and heal all things.
Have you tapped into the power of the Word?
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Live What You Believe
You are a sum total of what you think. You can never rise beyond your thoughts. Your thoughts and believes are like a parachute– they determine how high you will rise. If you constantly think bad thoughts and believe that bad things will happen to you, there no question that misfortune will come knocking at your door soon enough.
Your allotment for living is proportional to what you believe. If you believe there are no limits to what you can achieve, there will be no limits to the things you’ll do – nothing will stop you from reaching your goals. If your mind is stuck in a third world mentality or in the ghetto, it really doesn’t matter what others says, you’ll be out of the ghetto or slums but the slums will still be in you. I once met a guy from a third world country living in this country who insisted that his children will not attend pre-school and that they will be fed on an some African corn starch mixture that is used back home. He fled from Africa due to hard times but decided it best to bring the hard times to America with him. He did not attend pre-school and as far as he is concerned, he didn’t turn out too badly! Not only is he stuck, his wife and kids are stuck as well. It’s amazing how many people flee from their homeland for hardship reasons. They pray and they fast to get out and God finally brings them out and almost immediately they are busy planning on how they are going to return to what they fled from.
When we are saved, we have come into a new life but sometimes it’s almost impossible to get the old life out of us. We insist on limiting how far we can go based on beliefs that have arisen from man-made laws and traditions. We accept Christ but we never really come into the fullness of the blessings that come with all of that because we are stuck! We are stuck in beliefs that keep us prisoners of our own soul – beliefs that keep us trapped even though we have been set free by the grace of God.
Unfortunately the most impossible thing to change is a man’s thinking. Mainly because these kinds of limiting thoughts come from years of mental conditioning – what your parents taught you, what your teachers told you and what you saw around you growing up. These limiting strongholds are not easily broken because they are in the head.
Do you have beliefs and traditions that are clearly limiting how far you can go? Have you imprisoned yourself because of what you were taught as a child? Are you beliefs keeping you from reaching your God-given potential? I have a solution for you – never let man-made stuff control your life; let the word of God control your life. He created you and He knows what’s best for you.
Your allotment for living is proportional to what you believe. If you believe there are no limits to what you can achieve, there will be no limits to the things you’ll do – nothing will stop you from reaching your goals. If your mind is stuck in a third world mentality or in the ghetto, it really doesn’t matter what others says, you’ll be out of the ghetto or slums but the slums will still be in you. I once met a guy from a third world country living in this country who insisted that his children will not attend pre-school and that they will be fed on an some African corn starch mixture that is used back home. He fled from Africa due to hard times but decided it best to bring the hard times to America with him. He did not attend pre-school and as far as he is concerned, he didn’t turn out too badly! Not only is he stuck, his wife and kids are stuck as well. It’s amazing how many people flee from their homeland for hardship reasons. They pray and they fast to get out and God finally brings them out and almost immediately they are busy planning on how they are going to return to what they fled from.
When we are saved, we have come into a new life but sometimes it’s almost impossible to get the old life out of us. We insist on limiting how far we can go based on beliefs that have arisen from man-made laws and traditions. We accept Christ but we never really come into the fullness of the blessings that come with all of that because we are stuck! We are stuck in beliefs that keep us prisoners of our own soul – beliefs that keep us trapped even though we have been set free by the grace of God.
Unfortunately the most impossible thing to change is a man’s thinking. Mainly because these kinds of limiting thoughts come from years of mental conditioning – what your parents taught you, what your teachers told you and what you saw around you growing up. These limiting strongholds are not easily broken because they are in the head.
Do you have beliefs and traditions that are clearly limiting how far you can go? Have you imprisoned yourself because of what you were taught as a child? Are you beliefs keeping you from reaching your God-given potential? I have a solution for you – never let man-made stuff control your life; let the word of God control your life. He created you and He knows what’s best for you.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
How Would You Rate Your Heart?
Our heart is like a growing ground for the word of God and the word of God can be likened to a seed. When a seed falls on good ground, it flourishes and multiplies. When you hear or read the word, how does your heart respond? Are you ready to receive? Or are you indifferent? Are you the type that has heard the gospel all your life – gone to Sunday school and been in the choir but bear no fruit?
There are four conditions your heart can be in. Which one applies to you?
1. Hard Heart: If your heart is in this condition, the word of God is not given a chance to penetrate and change your life. Negative circumstances are quick to come and snatch the word from you before it can manifest itself in your life. You been in the church all your life – you can quote the scriptures but can never be bothered to live it. You heard it over and over again so much so that you are now numb to it. It has no effect. You have no openness to receive the teachings. It’s like having a barking dog. The dog is always barking so you’ve developed a deaf ear to it.
2. Shallow Heart: Your heart lacks substance. You lack ground and are shaky – one way today and another tomorrow. You are initially excited when the word of God is preached in your ear. You start out strong but can never seem to finish anything. You lose steam pretty quickly. You know for sure what God wants you to do but change your mind as soon as you hear different from mere men. Nothing you have heard has had time to take root. It may have been better if you heard nothing at all. You keep coming to the Lord and backsliding – coming to Him and backsliding. You continuously fall by the way-side because you really have nothing better to do but fall.
3. Divided Heart: You are torn between the old and the new. You want to be a Christian - you dress like one, look like one and talk like one but friends and alliances from your old lifestyle are still around. You can’t seem to let go long enough so that you can take hold of the new. It’s like trying to grow healthy vegetables in the midst of weeds and thorns. The vegetables do not have a fighting chance of flourishing under these conditions. The weeds and thorns eventually grow larger than the vegetables and eventually choke the life out of it. You desire to put God first but you can’t seem to do it. The worries and hang-ups of life have taken front-seat in your life. You would rather belong than take a stand. To you, it's more important to be a part of the social crowd. You try to juggle both like an acrobat at a circus and God watches as you spin your wheels. He watches as you are drowning in stuff you ought to be walking on.
4. Good Heart: The word of God has invoked an immediate response in you. The things of God seem to take priority and are always your priority. The fruits of the spirit are growing in your heart because the seeds fell on mighty good ground. You heard the word, you took time to understand and you obeyed. You are eager to share with others. It’s always on your mind to use your life to bring others out of darkness into the wonderful light of God. You feel like you received a new lease on life. Your attitude is one of humility never arrogance, always focusing on the work of the Cross not your actions as a means to your salvation.
Additional Reading:
Matthew 13: 1-23
There are four conditions your heart can be in. Which one applies to you?
1. Hard Heart: If your heart is in this condition, the word of God is not given a chance to penetrate and change your life. Negative circumstances are quick to come and snatch the word from you before it can manifest itself in your life. You been in the church all your life – you can quote the scriptures but can never be bothered to live it. You heard it over and over again so much so that you are now numb to it. It has no effect. You have no openness to receive the teachings. It’s like having a barking dog. The dog is always barking so you’ve developed a deaf ear to it.
2. Shallow Heart: Your heart lacks substance. You lack ground and are shaky – one way today and another tomorrow. You are initially excited when the word of God is preached in your ear. You start out strong but can never seem to finish anything. You lose steam pretty quickly. You know for sure what God wants you to do but change your mind as soon as you hear different from mere men. Nothing you have heard has had time to take root. It may have been better if you heard nothing at all. You keep coming to the Lord and backsliding – coming to Him and backsliding. You continuously fall by the way-side because you really have nothing better to do but fall.
3. Divided Heart: You are torn between the old and the new. You want to be a Christian - you dress like one, look like one and talk like one but friends and alliances from your old lifestyle are still around. You can’t seem to let go long enough so that you can take hold of the new. It’s like trying to grow healthy vegetables in the midst of weeds and thorns. The vegetables do not have a fighting chance of flourishing under these conditions. The weeds and thorns eventually grow larger than the vegetables and eventually choke the life out of it. You desire to put God first but you can’t seem to do it. The worries and hang-ups of life have taken front-seat in your life. You would rather belong than take a stand. To you, it's more important to be a part of the social crowd. You try to juggle both like an acrobat at a circus and God watches as you spin your wheels. He watches as you are drowning in stuff you ought to be walking on.
4. Good Heart: The word of God has invoked an immediate response in you. The things of God seem to take priority and are always your priority. The fruits of the spirit are growing in your heart because the seeds fell on mighty good ground. You heard the word, you took time to understand and you obeyed. You are eager to share with others. It’s always on your mind to use your life to bring others out of darkness into the wonderful light of God. You feel like you received a new lease on life. Your attitude is one of humility never arrogance, always focusing on the work of the Cross not your actions as a means to your salvation.
Additional Reading:
Matthew 13: 1-23
Monday, April 16, 2007
Stand Firm
Life can be really hard some times. Circumstances throw our lives into turmoil and we are continuously faced with temptations. All kinds of things happen that threaten our commitment to God. People bring worldly offers that we know that we must refuse. Others treat us as if we are lepers because we will not participate in unworthy activities.
When I am weak because of things such as these, I remember Paul in the Bible. Paul committed his life to Christ. He lived for Jesus. He was persecuted over and over again because of what he believed. Yet he still maintained that the Lord rescued him from all his persecutors. He reminds us that evil men will go from bad to worse. They will continue to deceive others just as they themselves are being deceived.
He encourages us to continue in the things that we have learned because we know that these things have been revealed to us through the divine Holy Spirit. We should continue to feed on the scriptures we have learnt for they are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. He reminds us that all scripture is from God to help in teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that we can be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
As I write this tonight, I need it more than anyone else. God has been faithful and I am being encouraged in the spirit everyday – even with the littlest of things. Stand firm in your believe – un-moveable and unshakeable.
Additional Reading:
2 Timothy 3:10-17
When I am weak because of things such as these, I remember Paul in the Bible. Paul committed his life to Christ. He lived for Jesus. He was persecuted over and over again because of what he believed. Yet he still maintained that the Lord rescued him from all his persecutors. He reminds us that evil men will go from bad to worse. They will continue to deceive others just as they themselves are being deceived.
He encourages us to continue in the things that we have learned because we know that these things have been revealed to us through the divine Holy Spirit. We should continue to feed on the scriptures we have learnt for they are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. He reminds us that all scripture is from God to help in teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that we can be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
As I write this tonight, I need it more than anyone else. God has been faithful and I am being encouraged in the spirit everyday – even with the littlest of things. Stand firm in your believe – un-moveable and unshakeable.
Additional Reading:
2 Timothy 3:10-17
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Achieving Your New Life in Christ
The Gospel is designed such that our flesh should be on the Cross and Christ on the throne. Any area of our lives where the new life promised is not being realized, its more than likely that Christ is still on the Cross in that area of our lives and our flesh is on the throne. There are 4 clear ways to achieve a new life in Jesus Christ:
1. Focus on Moving in the Right Direction: Now that we have been given life through Christ being raised from the dead, we are to focus on heavenly things not on the things of this world. We need to get our hearts and minds right with God.
2. Focus on Killing What Needs to Die: Whatever belongs to our earthly nature – sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed must be killed. Whatever God says kill that you leave alive will end up killing you. I remember Saul when God gave him an instruction to go and totally destroy the Amalekites. God’s instructions were clear. He was not to spare anything or anyone but Saul spared the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs and also the King – Agag. His failure to kill what God told him to destroy ultimately destroyed him. If you are an alcoholic, don’t hang out at bars. If you are a shopaholic, stay away from the malls. Starve what is earthly and needs to be destroyed.
3. Focus on Developing the Right Attitude – the Attitude of Christ: The Bible tells us that we are now chosen and God’s holy people. Because God first loved us, we should show mercy to others, be kind, humble, gentle and patient. We are get along with each other and forgive each other. Most importantly we are to love each other. Love is what holds us together in perfect unity. We are to focus on living as the children of the Most High God.
4. Focus on Making Deposits: We are to feed on the word of God. This will allow the teachings of Christ live in us richly. We are to be full of praise and thankfulness to God. Everything we do or say should be done with obeying Jesus as the focus. The peace of Christ should take control of our thinking.
Additional Reading:
I Samuel 15: 1-35
Colossians 3: 1-17
1. Focus on Moving in the Right Direction: Now that we have been given life through Christ being raised from the dead, we are to focus on heavenly things not on the things of this world. We need to get our hearts and minds right with God.
2. Focus on Killing What Needs to Die: Whatever belongs to our earthly nature – sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed must be killed. Whatever God says kill that you leave alive will end up killing you. I remember Saul when God gave him an instruction to go and totally destroy the Amalekites. God’s instructions were clear. He was not to spare anything or anyone but Saul spared the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs and also the King – Agag. His failure to kill what God told him to destroy ultimately destroyed him. If you are an alcoholic, don’t hang out at bars. If you are a shopaholic, stay away from the malls. Starve what is earthly and needs to be destroyed.
3. Focus on Developing the Right Attitude – the Attitude of Christ: The Bible tells us that we are now chosen and God’s holy people. Because God first loved us, we should show mercy to others, be kind, humble, gentle and patient. We are get along with each other and forgive each other. Most importantly we are to love each other. Love is what holds us together in perfect unity. We are to focus on living as the children of the Most High God.
4. Focus on Making Deposits: We are to feed on the word of God. This will allow the teachings of Christ live in us richly. We are to be full of praise and thankfulness to God. Everything we do or say should be done with obeying Jesus as the focus. The peace of Christ should take control of our thinking.
Additional Reading:
I Samuel 15: 1-35
Colossians 3: 1-17
Saturday, April 14, 2007
The 80/20 Rule
Even though we all expect it sometimes, nothing in life is ever a 100%. We always have to take some elements of bad with the good. However the human nature is such that we consciously or subconsciously keep searching for that extra 20%.
After dealing with 80% for a while, the 20% we are lacking seems more attractive. We begin to view the 80% we have as being in-adequate. All of a sudden, a 20% comes along – they always do! You begin to believe that the 20% will fulfill the obligations of the 80% you already have and much more. Simple 1st Grade mathematics begin to elude us. We suddenly drop the 80% we have and chase after the 20% we believe we so desperately need. After a while, realization sets in, we suddenly remember that 80% is definitely worth more than 20%. But for a lot of us, by the time we realize it, it’s too late.
I’m talking to anyone that left an 80% job for a 20% one and is now stuck - anybody that left an 80% relationship or marriage to chase after a mere 20%. It looked real good at the time – when you were in the 80%. Now you’re in the 20% and you find out it’s not all that it’s cut out to be.
Evaluate current situations carefully before making a move. Weigh all issues from every angle. Do not make rash decisions based on emotions – emotions really can’t be trusted all the time. If you have 80% right now and you’re considering dropping your 80 for a 20, don’t be a fool. Work with your 80%, appreciate your 80% - try to improve your 80%. Lord knows you’re not a 100% yourself. Maybe with some perseverance and trust in God, your 80 will gradually become a 99:)
After dealing with 80% for a while, the 20% we are lacking seems more attractive. We begin to view the 80% we have as being in-adequate. All of a sudden, a 20% comes along – they always do! You begin to believe that the 20% will fulfill the obligations of the 80% you already have and much more. Simple 1st Grade mathematics begin to elude us. We suddenly drop the 80% we have and chase after the 20% we believe we so desperately need. After a while, realization sets in, we suddenly remember that 80% is definitely worth more than 20%. But for a lot of us, by the time we realize it, it’s too late.
I’m talking to anyone that left an 80% job for a 20% one and is now stuck - anybody that left an 80% relationship or marriage to chase after a mere 20%. It looked real good at the time – when you were in the 80%. Now you’re in the 20% and you find out it’s not all that it’s cut out to be.
Evaluate current situations carefully before making a move. Weigh all issues from every angle. Do not make rash decisions based on emotions – emotions really can’t be trusted all the time. If you have 80% right now and you’re considering dropping your 80 for a 20, don’t be a fool. Work with your 80%, appreciate your 80% - try to improve your 80%. Lord knows you’re not a 100% yourself. Maybe with some perseverance and trust in God, your 80 will gradually become a 99:)
Friday, April 13, 2007
Change is Imminent
When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, we become new creatures. It’s a rare chance at a brand new beginning. The evidence of our past may still be around us, but we are forgiven. There is a welcome change in our lives. We begin to see things differently – our perceptions of life’s circumstances change. Things that used to bother us bother us no more. We understand that our destiny is in the hands of God. We stop focusing on what we are doing and begin to focus of the work of Christ at the cross.
I’ve often heard people say that once you give you life to Christ, you instantly stop doing a lot of the things you used to do before. I found this to be terribly untrue. You will still “try” to do the things you used to do but as time passes, the satisfaction you normally get from doing those things begins to diminish. You are not as excited as you used to be about gossiping, bickering, fighting or being negative. You suddenly love peace and want to be at peace with others.
The real evidence of someone who really has Christ living in them is that you see change over time. It’s not that if they used to be funny they suddenly become a wet blanket but you notice that something about them is different. They understand that they are no longer under the law but under grace and the love of Jesus living in them brings about real change – not a humanistic or flesh-based commitment to suddenly “be good”. With Christ, real change is certain. You can’t run from it and you can’t hide from it. People that you used to be friends with suddenly seem like you have nothing in common. The circle of people around you may change as you start to gravitate towards people of like faith. Your old friends that like what they see and want to receive the same gift that you have received may be a part of your future but some friendships will not survive the transition.
You are now more focused on where you want your life to go and what you want to become. You have no fear being who you were created to be. There is no longer room for wearing a mask, being hypocritical and trying desperately to fit in. You are sure of your future now and you can go alone if no-one wants to come with you.
You instantly change from being ordinary to becoming extraordinary. You now know for sure that you are special regardless of what anyone says. You are ready to embrace the process of change – to experience the power and the blessings that accompany supernatural change. You have evolved from being a regular face in the crowd - a nobody - to a child of the Most High God.
I’ve often heard people say that once you give you life to Christ, you instantly stop doing a lot of the things you used to do before. I found this to be terribly untrue. You will still “try” to do the things you used to do but as time passes, the satisfaction you normally get from doing those things begins to diminish. You are not as excited as you used to be about gossiping, bickering, fighting or being negative. You suddenly love peace and want to be at peace with others.
The real evidence of someone who really has Christ living in them is that you see change over time. It’s not that if they used to be funny they suddenly become a wet blanket but you notice that something about them is different. They understand that they are no longer under the law but under grace and the love of Jesus living in them brings about real change – not a humanistic or flesh-based commitment to suddenly “be good”. With Christ, real change is certain. You can’t run from it and you can’t hide from it. People that you used to be friends with suddenly seem like you have nothing in common. The circle of people around you may change as you start to gravitate towards people of like faith. Your old friends that like what they see and want to receive the same gift that you have received may be a part of your future but some friendships will not survive the transition.
You are now more focused on where you want your life to go and what you want to become. You have no fear being who you were created to be. There is no longer room for wearing a mask, being hypocritical and trying desperately to fit in. You are sure of your future now and you can go alone if no-one wants to come with you.
You instantly change from being ordinary to becoming extraordinary. You now know for sure that you are special regardless of what anyone says. You are ready to embrace the process of change – to experience the power and the blessings that accompany supernatural change. You have evolved from being a regular face in the crowd - a nobody - to a child of the Most High God.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
God Created You For A Specific Purpose
Every manufacturer has a function in mind for what it designs. I have never met anyone who invented anything without fore-knowing what the invention is to be used for. So if we ordinary humans have a purpose and a task for everything we invent, how much more the powerful God that we serve?
God made everything in life for a reason. There is nothing that he made that serves no function. Fish were made to swim and birds were made to fly – they do not need any kind of training to do those things. We all have a unique purpose in life and there is a specific spot designed for each one of us.
God said to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” God has a specific task for Jeremiah even before he was formed in his mother’s womb.
God has a unique plan and purpose for your life. You have to grab on to this truth and run with it. You have to believe that God created you to do something special – something significant that will impact your generation. The task God has for you is for you and you alone – no-one else can do it the way it needs to be done.
The world is waiting on you to embark on your God-given purpose in life. There is something special in you that you have that the world so desperately needs.
God made everything in life for a reason. There is nothing that he made that serves no function. Fish were made to swim and birds were made to fly – they do not need any kind of training to do those things. We all have a unique purpose in life and there is a specific spot designed for each one of us.
God said to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” God has a specific task for Jeremiah even before he was formed in his mother’s womb.
God has a unique plan and purpose for your life. You have to grab on to this truth and run with it. You have to believe that God created you to do something special – something significant that will impact your generation. The task God has for you is for you and you alone – no-one else can do it the way it needs to be done.
The world is waiting on you to embark on your God-given purpose in life. There is something special in you that you have that the world so desperately needs.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
What Lessons Have You Learnt?
It’s the mistakes that we make that make us wise. When we were children, we were told over and over again not to touch fire but the moment we felt the heat on our skin, we never needed to be told again. I don’t know about you but I hate to re-take a class. Same as in life, the world is our classroom and every experience is like a class.
When a smart man makes a mistake, he learns from it such that when he finds himself in the same or similar situation again, he knows what to do. He’s been in that class before, now he knows the right response. But not everybody is wise – some people keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Imagine someone who gave you bad advice in the past about a situation he has neither experienced or knows anything about except the worldly wisdom he’s been able to pick up here and there. You take his advice and the advice does you no good. In a very short time, you are again at a crossroad and you take advice again from the same person – re-taking the same dumb class over and over again. It’s like two blind people trying to find the bathroom – an accident is bound to occur!
Every disappointment we go through is an opportunity to learn – an opportunity to grow and improve. When things go wrong, the most important question one needs to ask at the end of it all is - What did I learn? Will I be caught like a deer facing the headlights of a car if the situation occurs again? How much has this mistake cost me and what do I need to do about me to ensure that I am in a better position for the future?
The reality is that you cannot change the mistakes that you’ve made but you can make a decision on how you are going to deal with certain things or certain people going forward. If there are hurts you need to release, let it go. If there are people that you are holding in un-forgiveness, take steps to forgive them. Most importantly, forgive yourself for the mishaps of the past. Don’t let the errors of your past dictate your future. Instead let them shape your future for the better. Make a decision to turn whatever scars you have from your mistakes into stars.
When a smart man makes a mistake, he learns from it such that when he finds himself in the same or similar situation again, he knows what to do. He’s been in that class before, now he knows the right response. But not everybody is wise – some people keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Imagine someone who gave you bad advice in the past about a situation he has neither experienced or knows anything about except the worldly wisdom he’s been able to pick up here and there. You take his advice and the advice does you no good. In a very short time, you are again at a crossroad and you take advice again from the same person – re-taking the same dumb class over and over again. It’s like two blind people trying to find the bathroom – an accident is bound to occur!
Every disappointment we go through is an opportunity to learn – an opportunity to grow and improve. When things go wrong, the most important question one needs to ask at the end of it all is - What did I learn? Will I be caught like a deer facing the headlights of a car if the situation occurs again? How much has this mistake cost me and what do I need to do about me to ensure that I am in a better position for the future?
The reality is that you cannot change the mistakes that you’ve made but you can make a decision on how you are going to deal with certain things or certain people going forward. If there are hurts you need to release, let it go. If there are people that you are holding in un-forgiveness, take steps to forgive them. Most importantly, forgive yourself for the mishaps of the past. Don’t let the errors of your past dictate your future. Instead let them shape your future for the better. Make a decision to turn whatever scars you have from your mistakes into stars.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Be Exactly Who You Were Created To Be
Most of us don’t realize how much of a gift that we are. We let other people’s opinions of us determine how we think of ourselves. If you have ever for a second feel unloved or unwanted, I am talking to you. Don’t let the world’s expectations of you determine your self worth. The world may reject you but God accepts you - just the way that you are.
God created you and he does not make anything that is not good. And in reality until a fellow human being can show me the factory they set up in their garage where they make human beings just like God does, I refuse to succumb to the idea that anyone – anyone can tell me who or what I ought to be.
If only the folks with critical spirits know how much their words and their actions hurt and break the spirits of even the strongest, maybe they would watch what they say to others. That’s why of all three things that we are commanded to have – Faith, Love and Hope – Love is the greatest of them all. Love changes everything. God’s love is a guarantee and an assurance that no matter what happens, he would always be there. When God commands us to love, it’s because he wants us to always encourage one another.
We are all created different. God never made any two the same – even identical twins. God created us with different talents and abilities. There are no two people on the planet with the same fingerprints. Never let anyone talk you out of your uniqueness. It’s the differences in us that make us unique. No one can offer what you have and no-one can do what you do exactly the way that you do it.
Choose today to start being confident in who God created you to be. He made you just the way you need to be. You have all that you need to be the unique creation you were made to be.
God created you and he does not make anything that is not good. And in reality until a fellow human being can show me the factory they set up in their garage where they make human beings just like God does, I refuse to succumb to the idea that anyone – anyone can tell me who or what I ought to be.
If only the folks with critical spirits know how much their words and their actions hurt and break the spirits of even the strongest, maybe they would watch what they say to others. That’s why of all three things that we are commanded to have – Faith, Love and Hope – Love is the greatest of them all. Love changes everything. God’s love is a guarantee and an assurance that no matter what happens, he would always be there. When God commands us to love, it’s because he wants us to always encourage one another.
We are all created different. God never made any two the same – even identical twins. God created us with different talents and abilities. There are no two people on the planet with the same fingerprints. Never let anyone talk you out of your uniqueness. It’s the differences in us that make us unique. No one can offer what you have and no-one can do what you do exactly the way that you do it.
Choose today to start being confident in who God created you to be. He made you just the way you need to be. You have all that you need to be the unique creation you were made to be.
Monday, April 9, 2007
He Who Believes Everything Believes Nothing
In the world we live in today, everyone is trying desperately to fit in. We all want to be liked. We want to get on with everybody. No-one wants to be the odd one out. The way some of us who call ourselves Christians behave in public does not signify what we claim to believe. If some of our friends saw us in church, they would literally pass out.
We put our faith and beliefs on the back burner so that we can be a part of a clique. We accept points of view that completely contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ because we are appalled at being looked at as “different”. We put what others think above what Jesus thinks so that we can be politically correct.
I heard some moron saying on the radio that Hinduism, Buddhism, Scientology, Islam and Christianity are all the same. He even had a dumb name for what he called a combination of all 5 religions. When asked if he had studied each of the religions independently – he responded saying “Actually No”. How can he then say that they are all the same if he has never looked at each one in isolation? He claimed he had studied the “hybrid” of all religions. Since when did faith, hope and love have anything to do with a "hybrid"? The only thing I could think at the time is that if he really wanted to be ignorant, why choose the public media to advertise his stupidity?
- Do you find yourself agreeable to things that are displeasing to God?
- Do you find yourself laughing at Christians with your mates because you think that it’s cool to do so?
- Are you constantly putting what others think of you above your faith? Check yourself today. Are you bold in for Christ?
- Does you life have people asking you what is different about you?
- Does the glory of God show in you?
Sunday, April 8, 2007
The Greatest Message Ever!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has no believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is unusual. How can someone die and be raised again from the dead three days later? But with God nothing is impossible. And just because a message is unusual does not make it untrue. The message of the resurrection is clear – Jesus died and was raised from the dead three days later. He died to guarantee you and I eternal life. If you read the Book of Acts in the Bible, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit after they had seen Jesus. They had witnessed both the death and the resurrection of our Lord – imagine someone walking up to them in that century and telling them what they had witnessed was untrue. The truth could not be denied because there were too many eye witness accounts. But the reason why we can doubt the truth now is because all the eye witnesses are part of history – no-one who saw it all is still around to tell the story.
My preacher preached today that facts are stubborn things. You can’t hide from them and no matter how hard you try – you can’t argue them away. You can avoid them but they will always still be there because they are true. The message of Jesus Christ is the greatest message ever preached anywhere to anyone.
The gift of eternal life can only be received by faith not by sight. We humans are always looking for evidence that what we are being told is in fact true. But the reality of life is that we all live by faith. We see a doctor and use prescriptions by faith, we get into our car in the morning without a daily check of the brakes – we trust our car service company by faith. We eat at restaurants by faith trusting that the food that is being placed before us has been prepared under hygienic conditions. So why is it so hard to believe in Jesus Christ by faith and quit living a life of doubt? The answer is simple - we choose not to believe. We know that if we believe in Jesus Christ we would need to change the way we live our lives and many of us refuse to make that change.
It’s time to believe the message of salvation and receive it by faith.
Additional Reading:
Matthew 28: 1-20
Mark 16: 1-19
Luke: 24: 1-53
John 20: 1-30
The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is unusual. How can someone die and be raised again from the dead three days later? But with God nothing is impossible. And just because a message is unusual does not make it untrue. The message of the resurrection is clear – Jesus died and was raised from the dead three days later. He died to guarantee you and I eternal life. If you read the Book of Acts in the Bible, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit after they had seen Jesus. They had witnessed both the death and the resurrection of our Lord – imagine someone walking up to them in that century and telling them what they had witnessed was untrue. The truth could not be denied because there were too many eye witness accounts. But the reason why we can doubt the truth now is because all the eye witnesses are part of history – no-one who saw it all is still around to tell the story.
My preacher preached today that facts are stubborn things. You can’t hide from them and no matter how hard you try – you can’t argue them away. You can avoid them but they will always still be there because they are true. The message of Jesus Christ is the greatest message ever preached anywhere to anyone.
The gift of eternal life can only be received by faith not by sight. We humans are always looking for evidence that what we are being told is in fact true. But the reality of life is that we all live by faith. We see a doctor and use prescriptions by faith, we get into our car in the morning without a daily check of the brakes – we trust our car service company by faith. We eat at restaurants by faith trusting that the food that is being placed before us has been prepared under hygienic conditions. So why is it so hard to believe in Jesus Christ by faith and quit living a life of doubt? The answer is simple - we choose not to believe. We know that if we believe in Jesus Christ we would need to change the way we live our lives and many of us refuse to make that change.
It’s time to believe the message of salvation and receive it by faith.
Additional Reading:
Matthew 28: 1-20
Mark 16: 1-19
Luke: 24: 1-53
John 20: 1-30
Saturday, April 7, 2007
The Death and Burial of Jesus Christ
“It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land, until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
How dismayed the followers of Jesus must have been after he died. The bible records that those who gathered to witness this sight saw what took place and they went away beating their chests because they were so sad. Close friends of Jesus, including the women who followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched all that was going on.
The body of Jesus was wrapped in linen cloth and placed in a tomb cut out of a wall rock, one in which no-one had yet been laid. This was late on Preparation Day (the day before the Sabbath) and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women witnessed the place where the body of Jesus was laid. The women left and went home to prepare spices and perfumes. They rested on the Sabbath day in obedience to the Law of Moses.
The people who loved Jesus must have been very quiet and confused. How can the Messiah be slain? How can the Savior be dead? But they had witnessed it. They saw him draw his last breath. His disciples may have been considering going back to their respective businesses. What was left to do? The person they had been following for the last three and half years was no more.
How would you have felt if you were one of the disciples? What would your next move have been? Would you have ever considered the possibility of a resurrection? Or would you be packing your bags ready to leave town?
Additional Reading:
Matthew 27: 45-61
Mark 15: 33-47
Luke 23: 44-56
John 19: 28-42
How dismayed the followers of Jesus must have been after he died. The bible records that those who gathered to witness this sight saw what took place and they went away beating their chests because they were so sad. Close friends of Jesus, including the women who followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched all that was going on.
The body of Jesus was wrapped in linen cloth and placed in a tomb cut out of a wall rock, one in which no-one had yet been laid. This was late on Preparation Day (the day before the Sabbath) and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women witnessed the place where the body of Jesus was laid. The women left and went home to prepare spices and perfumes. They rested on the Sabbath day in obedience to the Law of Moses.
The people who loved Jesus must have been very quiet and confused. How can the Messiah be slain? How can the Savior be dead? But they had witnessed it. They saw him draw his last breath. His disciples may have been considering going back to their respective businesses. What was left to do? The person they had been following for the last three and half years was no more.
How would you have felt if you were one of the disciples? What would your next move have been? Would you have ever considered the possibility of a resurrection? Or would you be packing your bags ready to leave town?
Additional Reading:
Matthew 27: 45-61
Mark 15: 33-47
Luke 23: 44-56
John 19: 28-42
Friday, April 6, 2007
A Very Dark and Painful Death
As Jesus prepared to face the cross, I wonder how he felt. Was he anxious or even afraid? Was it painful for him? Jesus humbled himself to God’s will and paid for our salvation by his death. If any of us were in the position that Jesus was, would we do the same thing? Would we submit to the will of our Heavenly Father? People laughed at him and spat at him. They mocked him and scorned him. The very people that he created with his own hands, loved and cherished would be the very ones who would turn around and crucify him. Would you be willing to give up your life for the very ones who despised you?
How was it for God? For the first time, he must withdraw his face from his only Son because he knew that the crucifixion must be done. Did God flinch when Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
God loves us so much – our souls are more important to him than his own blood. Our eternity is of more value than this life we live here on earth. I don’t know about you but the thoughts of today and what Jesus must have gone through humbled my spirit. He died on a cross so that I can live. Death and sin no longer has any power over my life because the one that lives in me overcame death. Death could not hold him down. He was crucified on a cross and he rose on the third day. All praise and honor go to Jesus Christ, my Lord. Without him, I don’t know where I would be today.
How do you feel about the crucifixion? Do you focus only on the resurrection? Remember that there cannot be a resurrection without a crucifixion.
Additional Reading:
Matthew 27: 32-55
Mark 15: 21-40
Luke 23: 26-43
John 19: 17-25
How was it for God? For the first time, he must withdraw his face from his only Son because he knew that the crucifixion must be done. Did God flinch when Jesus cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
God loves us so much – our souls are more important to him than his own blood. Our eternity is of more value than this life we live here on earth. I don’t know about you but the thoughts of today and what Jesus must have gone through humbled my spirit. He died on a cross so that I can live. Death and sin no longer has any power over my life because the one that lives in me overcame death. Death could not hold him down. He was crucified on a cross and he rose on the third day. All praise and honor go to Jesus Christ, my Lord. Without him, I don’t know where I would be today.
How do you feel about the crucifixion? Do you focus only on the resurrection? Remember that there cannot be a resurrection without a crucifixion.
Additional Reading:
Matthew 27: 32-55
Mark 15: 21-40
Luke 23: 26-43
John 19: 17-25
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Serving One Another
Just before the Passover Feast, during the evening meal, Jesus poured some water into a bowl and began to wash the feet of his disciples. He gently dried them with a towel that was wrapped around him. In John 13: 12-17, Jesus asked, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
Jesus wants us to be more than just nice to others – he wants us to go into the world serving God, serving each other and serving all people to whom we take the message of salvation. We are encouraged to be there for one another.
What have you done this week to serve someone else? What more can you do to fulfill the objective of the message Jesus was trying to convey by washing the feet of his disciples?
Additional Reading:
Matthew 26: 26-29
John 13: 12-17
Jesus wants us to be more than just nice to others – he wants us to go into the world serving God, serving each other and serving all people to whom we take the message of salvation. We are encouraged to be there for one another.
What have you done this week to serve someone else? What more can you do to fulfill the objective of the message Jesus was trying to convey by washing the feet of his disciples?
Additional Reading:
Matthew 26: 26-29
John 13: 12-17
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
What Have You Done Wrong In The Past Week?
Are there some things that you have done this week that you regret? Or are you a picture of perfectionism this week? Is everything you've done so far right on target all of the time? Even though we all believe we would never betray Jesus Christ the way that Judas Iscariot did, what have you done this week that is not in line with the character of Jesus? Have you done anything in the past few days that does not match up with how a Christian ought to act?
Judas was willing to hand Jesus over for thirty pieces of silver. What or how much will it take for you to abandon your faith and beliefs? If someone offered you millions to worship another God, will you bite the bait? All your financial worries will be over and you may not have to work a day again ever in your life but will it be worth it?
Judas expected Jesus to be a different kind of deliverer – he expected that Jesus will overthrow the Romans and take over Rome. He expected that if that happened, he would definitely be the Vice President and Second in Command. But when he sensed that the government that Jesus came carrying on his shoulders was more a spiritual one than a financial or political one, his greedy desire for the things of this world took over. He knew he could never get rich financially following Jesus so he decided to betray him for the financial gain he was after all along.
Are you any better than Judas? Who have you abandoned or let down because they did not meet your expectations? Who have you refused to fellowship with because their financial or social position in the community is beneath you? Have you let someone in your life down because they cannot be who you want them to be? Have you said or done something this week that betrayed Jesus Christ?
Additional Reading:
Matthew 26: 14-16
Judas was willing to hand Jesus over for thirty pieces of silver. What or how much will it take for you to abandon your faith and beliefs? If someone offered you millions to worship another God, will you bite the bait? All your financial worries will be over and you may not have to work a day again ever in your life but will it be worth it?
Judas expected Jesus to be a different kind of deliverer – he expected that Jesus will overthrow the Romans and take over Rome. He expected that if that happened, he would definitely be the Vice President and Second in Command. But when he sensed that the government that Jesus came carrying on his shoulders was more a spiritual one than a financial or political one, his greedy desire for the things of this world took over. He knew he could never get rich financially following Jesus so he decided to betray him for the financial gain he was after all along.
Are you any better than Judas? Who have you abandoned or let down because they did not meet your expectations? Who have you refused to fellowship with because their financial or social position in the community is beneath you? Have you let someone in your life down because they cannot be who you want them to be? Have you said or done something this week that betrayed Jesus Christ?
Additional Reading:
Matthew 26: 14-16
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
If You Were To Give Jesus a Gift, What Will It Be?
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.
If you could give a gift to Our Lord Jesus, what will it be? Will it be money or will it be time? Will you sing him a song or say a beautiful prayer? I believe that it’s not really the price or value of the gift but the motive behind the giving. Remember he sees our heart and he wants gifts from us that come from the heart. Any gift we give will never be compared with a gift given by another – each one of us is unique to God and He knows us by name.
Our gift is personal just like the woman with the expensive perfume – another sign of our personal relationship with God. God does not expect the same gift from us just like he gave each of us different gifts and talents that is individualized but all beneficial to his body, our gifts and offerings to him are personal and between us and the Lord – nobody else need know.
Next time you want to give a gift, give it willingly – be a cheerful giver. Jesus Christ is more interested in your motive than the actual gift you bring.
Additional Reading:
Matthew 26: 6-13
2 Corinthians 9: 6-15
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.
If you could give a gift to Our Lord Jesus, what will it be? Will it be money or will it be time? Will you sing him a song or say a beautiful prayer? I believe that it’s not really the price or value of the gift but the motive behind the giving. Remember he sees our heart and he wants gifts from us that come from the heart. Any gift we give will never be compared with a gift given by another – each one of us is unique to God and He knows us by name.
Our gift is personal just like the woman with the expensive perfume – another sign of our personal relationship with God. God does not expect the same gift from us just like he gave each of us different gifts and talents that is individualized but all beneficial to his body, our gifts and offerings to him are personal and between us and the Lord – nobody else need know.
Next time you want to give a gift, give it willingly – be a cheerful giver. Jesus Christ is more interested in your motive than the actual gift you bring.
Additional Reading:
Matthew 26: 6-13
2 Corinthians 9: 6-15
Monday, April 2, 2007
Pray All the Time and Everywhere
Prayer is mainly a way of communicating with God. It should not be look at as a means to get things from God but as way of communing with him. Through prayer we are awarded the privilege of fellowshipping with him. God speaks to us all the time but when we spend time quietly in his presence and studying his word, he gently speaks to our heart.
As much as we talk to God, the most rewarding part of prayer is actually listening to him. We need to learn how to quiet our minds and bodies in order to be in the receptive attitude to receive from God. The only way we know God’s voice is learning to know what isn’t of God. Prayer is not necessarily a position in a fixed place at a fixed time but it is wise to schedule personal time with God.
Praying should be a constant state of mind where we are continuously talking to God, involving him in all aspects of our lives. We are to pray our way through the entire day. This fulfills God’s wish to have an intimate relationship with us. We are to pray through the regular experiences of life. Prayer is so important because it is the only thing that really brings peace to our minds.
So how do we learn to pray? There really isn’t a special way to pray. God knows what’s on your mind even before you speak but he longs to hear and commune with you anyhow. Just say what is on your heart – God sees you heart even the deepest part. If you really want to learn how to pray – just pray. By praying all the time and everywhere, we get away from the pre-disposition to not pray when all is well and suddenly become a prayer warrior when all hell breaks loose in our lives.
Additional Reading:
I Thessalonians 5:17
As much as we talk to God, the most rewarding part of prayer is actually listening to him. We need to learn how to quiet our minds and bodies in order to be in the receptive attitude to receive from God. The only way we know God’s voice is learning to know what isn’t of God. Prayer is not necessarily a position in a fixed place at a fixed time but it is wise to schedule personal time with God.
Praying should be a constant state of mind where we are continuously talking to God, involving him in all aspects of our lives. We are to pray our way through the entire day. This fulfills God’s wish to have an intimate relationship with us. We are to pray through the regular experiences of life. Prayer is so important because it is the only thing that really brings peace to our minds.
So how do we learn to pray? There really isn’t a special way to pray. God knows what’s on your mind even before you speak but he longs to hear and commune with you anyhow. Just say what is on your heart – God sees you heart even the deepest part. If you really want to learn how to pray – just pray. By praying all the time and everywhere, we get away from the pre-disposition to not pray when all is well and suddenly become a prayer warrior when all hell breaks loose in our lives.
Additional Reading:
I Thessalonians 5:17
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Here Comes The King!
In the Book of Zechariah, Zechariah prophesized 500 years earlier about how our king will come to us righteous and having salvation. That he was gentle and would be riding on a donkey – on a colt the foal of a donkey {Zechariah 9:9}. Jesus actions in the New Testament on Palm Sunday will eventually fulfill the prophet’s words. This shows us beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was indeed the Messiah. When Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, it proved his messianic royalty as well as his humility.
The people rejoiced with him by spreading their coats on the road ahead of him, others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. The crowd was excited and pumped. They glorified the Son of David and Jesus glory is recognized on earth. I wonder how Jesus must have felt. He knew for sure the same people that were shouting and rejoicing will be the same folks that will succumb to pressure and abandon him in just a few days.
Jesus will have seen right through them and knew what was to happen. He knew he was to die for the sins of the world. As we celebrate Palm Sunday today, we are more than ever warned to guard against superficial acclaim for Christ. People who look like Christians, talk like Christians, walk like Christians but their hearts are far from God. I guess that is why salvation is purely a gift from God. You cannot earn it and you cannot buy it. All the earthly works we do (though important) will not get us to heaven. Taking communion will not get us saved or get our sins forgiven. It will never earn us a place in heaven – salvation is from God and God only.
What will you do this important week? Will this week mean something to you or will it be like any other? Will you be sober but at the same time joyful? Will your heart be grateful to the King who dies for the sins of the entire world? Remember this week is important to all believers in Jesus Christ as it is the Sunday of the week that Jesus was crucified and the great Passover Festival was to begin.
Additional Reading:
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 21: 1-11
Mark 11: 1-11
Luke 19: 28-38
John 12: 12-19
The people rejoiced with him by spreading their coats on the road ahead of him, others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. The crowd was excited and pumped. They glorified the Son of David and Jesus glory is recognized on earth. I wonder how Jesus must have felt. He knew for sure the same people that were shouting and rejoicing will be the same folks that will succumb to pressure and abandon him in just a few days.
Jesus will have seen right through them and knew what was to happen. He knew he was to die for the sins of the world. As we celebrate Palm Sunday today, we are more than ever warned to guard against superficial acclaim for Christ. People who look like Christians, talk like Christians, walk like Christians but their hearts are far from God. I guess that is why salvation is purely a gift from God. You cannot earn it and you cannot buy it. All the earthly works we do (though important) will not get us to heaven. Taking communion will not get us saved or get our sins forgiven. It will never earn us a place in heaven – salvation is from God and God only.
What will you do this important week? Will this week mean something to you or will it be like any other? Will you be sober but at the same time joyful? Will your heart be grateful to the King who dies for the sins of the entire world? Remember this week is important to all believers in Jesus Christ as it is the Sunday of the week that Jesus was crucified and the great Passover Festival was to begin.
Additional Reading:
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 21: 1-11
Mark 11: 1-11
Luke 19: 28-38
John 12: 12-19
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)