Take Responsibility!

No matter what you've been through in life, you must choose to rise above it and be a different person. Do not be consumed or controlled by past hurts and mistakes, rise above them! I know people are always quick to point out what and where we have gone wrong and never what we have done right. But I have learnt that most of the folks that harp on things like that are just trying desperately to convince themselves that their lives are better than yours.

You can chose to have a fruitful life or a futile life. Start by taking responsibility for your actions. Blaming your circumstances on everything and everyone else is not the key. You have a right to chose what you will believe and the things you will focus on. The things in the past are gone and cannot be rectified but what you choose today can change your future.

I once heard someone say that the reason why the rear view mirror on a car is relatively smaller than the front view mirror is that where you are going is much more important than where you've been. It really doesn't matter how you start, it's how you finish that counts.

Take responsibility for where you are headed today.

Only One Thing Counts:1 Corinthians 13:4-13

As Christians we often focus on a lot of secondary things – how we serve in the church, which committees we belong to, the tithes we pay, our offering and how well we pray in tongues. But the Bible clearly states that only one thing really counts – love. How much we love others and treat others. In the flesh, we can never love the way the Bible commands. It is only with the help of the Holy Spirit that we can achieve this. Take a look at the characteristics of love and see how you could never measure up. And anytime you do display love, thank God for being able to show it, because you really couldn’t do it without his help:

1. Love is patient. (This is a tough one for me!)
2. Love is kind.
3. Love is not proud.
4. Love does not envy.
5. Love is not self-seeking.
6. Love is not easily angered.
7. Love keeps no records of wrongs.
8. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.
9. Love protects.
10. Love trusts.
11. Love always hopes.
12. Love always perseveres.
13. Love never fails.

Out of faith, love and hope – Love is the greatest of them all. To love is the greatest commandment God has given us. Many Christians are the most unforgiving folks I’ve ever met. We need to learn to forgive and to love one another. Refusing to love because people are different from the way we are and we rather wish they were just like us is not right. We are to love and accept people just as they are – kind of like God accepts us. Love encourages people to change for the better. Maybe if you loved the people in your life a little more – just the way they are, you can help them become the best they can be.

Optimistic in a Pessimistic World

Truth be told a lot of folks are depressed, unhappy and fed up with life. It shows in their actions and their attitude towards anyone that remotely demonstrates that they have something to be happy about. Being a Christian in a predominantly non-Christian environment is tough – especially when you’re not a quiet one!

I underestimated the importance of having strong belief system – to put it more correctly, I sometimes take my beliefs for granted. As Christians, our being grounded in someone and things higher than ourselves can be irritating to others especially when you mention what God has done for you or the near escapes you credit God for. It is easy to see the scorn on people’s faces and how they think they can minimize your faith based on their faithless opinions. As if you got where you are today on flowery beds of roses!

When you are a person of faith, you can’t hide it – it just shows. That’s why when people say that they are Christians but no-one in their workplace knows - I am stunned. Faith radiates, it shines. It shows in the way you deal with critics and how you handle their continuous criticism. It’s evident in the way they are afraid to speak the truth or stand up for what is right and continually focus on “staying under the radar” so as not to offend anyone as if to say if they lose their job no-one else on the planet would hire them. They fear their earthly boss more than their heavenly God.

I am glad for my faith. I am glad that my life is not in my hands and that what happens to me or with me is not dictated by anything or anyone. God holds the key to my life. He lights my way and clears my path. He finds me a job when I need a job. He finds me a house when I need a house. He makes a way for me when there seems to be no way. When the world says I’m done, God says it’s not over till He says it’s over. I am grateful today and everyday for my God. Are you?

He Orders Our Steps

When we give our lives to Christ, it’s important that we place our complete trust in him. In everything that we do, we must acknowledge our need for God. Without him, we can be nothing and we can do nothing. I don’t know about you but my life is a testimony. Considering where I’ve been and all I’ve been through from birth to now, I shouldn’t really be alive. But he kept me because he has something bigger than I can imagine for my life.

I am where I am today because of God – I can give credit to nothing or anyone else. He directed me to the point I am today. I may have lost my way sometimes but he has always been there taping me on the shoulder and steering me back in the right direction. I never fail to thank God everyday for his mercies.

Regardless of where you’ve been or what you are going through, be rest assured in the knowledge that God is directing your steps. He directs us in the way that we must go and he makes our path straight. Even if you feel as if things are dead and nothing seems to have life around you, trust in the Resurrection and the Light. He can bring back to life anything. He has the whole entire world in his hands.

So if you have been worrying about where you are or concerned that you don’t seem to be making any progress, rest in the bosom of Jesus Christ. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the kings of kings and the Lord of lords. He knows the end of the beginning. He knew you would be here today – right this moment – even before you got to the point you are now.

Demonstrate Love

Most of us have no idea what true love really means. We think it’s the touchy feely "butterflies in my tummy thing" that happens when we meet someone new. Most folks talk about being “in love” with someone only to find that the love based on feelings fizzles out and they’re once again out on the prowl looking for someone new to love.

Real love is a choice. It’s not based on how we feel rather it’s based on following a mandate laid down by God. If we choose to love God with all our heart and soul, we should have no problems loving others. If God really lives in us, it would change the way we live our lives and the way we look at others.

Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice when he died for you and I on the Cross of Calvary. If we took a minute to look back on all the wrong we’ve done in our own lives, we would not be too quick to judge others. If God can forgive all our wrong doings, we should be able to forgive those who wrong us.

It’s true that through Christ we are indeed free but the freedom is not given to us so that we can treat people the way we like, do what we please to others. It is so that we can do what is good and what is right in the sight of God.

Let’s all start to reconcile what we profess with the way we live our lives. Don’t let the word of God just feel your head, let it saturate your heart. Let’s take the knowledge of the scriptures that we are often quick to demonstrate to show our love for God by loving others. Out of Love, Faith and Hope, Love is the greatest of them all three. There is a good reason why. We all have excuses why we treat people badly. We are generation of excuses.

Next time you find yourself in a situation when you are tempted to treat people the wrong way, ask yourself this simple question – What will Jesus do?

Believe and You Can Do Anything!

For those of you that don’t know, I am an aspiring writer. I have discovered that writing is what I love to do the most. It’s what wakes me up in the morning and the last thing I do before I go to sleep at night. It’s not something I need to fight to do; it comes naturally. I decided at the beginning of this year to start sharing my writing with others, hence the birth of http://www.herfaithonline.blogspot.com/. This website is just the beginning of many things to come. I have a lot of things in the works that I am excited above and Philippians 4:13 encourages me.

Sometimes the devil will put thoughts in our head showing us all the obstacles we might encounter in the pursuit of our dreams. As a natural born leader, I am more inclined to see opportunities rather than obstacles but sometimes I also get discouraged just like the next man. Trying to get your work published is a tough task but I believe that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. It’s not going to be an easy road but I am confident in the power of persistence and discipline. Most of all I fully place my trust in the God who put the passion in my heart.

So today I encourage you, whatever it is God has placed on your heart for you to do, pursue it with vigor and diligence. Be disciplined and don’t let anything or anyone stand in your way. If your friends need to change so be it, sometimes we really need to reposition ourselves to obtain what God has for us. What we have the aptitude to do is not necessarily what we were called to do. There's no greater gift than finding your true mission and passion in life. When you find it, don’t quit until you finish your God-given assignment.

Wait For God

God is always on time. He’s never late to an appointment. His ways are not our ways so when we pray for something and we don’t get an immediate response we resort to doing things in our flesh. God answers all prayers however his answer may not always suit us. He answers "Yes", "No" or "Wait" but we all want the "Now" answer. We are a generation that loves microwave results.

When we pray and we see an immediate response to our prayers we are thrilled and we have an expectation that every prayer that we pray should be answered the same way. If we don’t get the response we want, we believe God may have taken a vacation or we start to question and doubt our faith. When God says "No", it’s for our own good. He sees the bigger picture. We can only see what we have in front of us right now, the unseen are like missing pieces of a puzzle and God sees the whole picture. "No" means what we are asking for is not the right thing for us – He has something bigger, better and more fulfilling around the corner.

Sometimes God may say “Not Yet” because he knows we are not ready for what we are demanding. If he gave it to us right then we would destroy it. He still has some lessons we need to learn and things to we need to go through in order to be ready to receive what he has for us. Some of the things we call failure in life aren’t really failures, we simply moved into something too soon that we were not spiritually prepared for.

Learn to wait on God. Waiting on God means you are waiting for the possible best. The Bible clearly says that they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint. Our prayer tonight should be for God to teach us how to wait upon him.

Give God a Chance to Work

I know many of us have the “I can fix it all” attitude. I’m as guilty as can be. I think I can take care of everything. I wear myself out trying to handle things that I should really hand over to God. The truth that we can't fix every mishap in our lives can be hard to face. The fighter in us sometimes refuses to let go when that’s all we can really do. We want to win at all costs. Defeat is a kind of weakness that we don’t want to entertain.

But releasing things to God does not mean defeat. Its understanding that there is One greater than ourselves. It’s accepting that sometimes only God can make a difference and that all our steps and goals mean nothing without the presence of the Holy Spirit.

When situations get tough and we have done all that we can, it’s time to allow God to work. When relationships break down and we are doing all we can to mitigate damage, it’s time to let go and let God. When we have done all we can, it’s time to be still and know that He is God. When we have prayed and asked God for help, it’s time to simply stand. It's time to quit the DIY routines and just wait on God to show up. He always does; just in the nick of time.

This is a hard lesson to learn especially if you are like me and you believe you can handle anything that comes your way. Sometimes some situations are so enormous, that only God can do what needs to be done. In cases such as these, we will need to take our paws off the issue and simply give it to God. God never ever fails.

Choose Your Thoughts; Choose Your Life

Most of what we are today can be attributed to our thought processes. Words are indeed important but more powerful are our thoughts. We will all ultimately believe what we think. Whatever we invest into our thoughts is manifested in our lives. If your thoughts are suck in the gutter, your life will pretty much be in the gutter. If you believe in living a wretched life and have wretched thoughts, you will indeed have a wretched life. In order to change the way our lives are going, we need to choose carefully what we think.

Most of the world today is after our thoughts. Get a man’s mind and you pretty much have the man. That is why the fight today is for our thoughts. The media – TV, movies, music and general entertainment guide our thoughts. I once heard that violent gangster music results in a gangster lifestyle. The desire to engage in drive-by shootings and violence is not far off. The Bible constantly talks about the renewing of our minds – choosing the rights thoughts that are in line with the word of God. Our minds have to be in line with what God has for us regardless of what our external circumstances may look like.

Proverbs 23:7 says as a man thinks in his heart so he is. Your life will always line up with your thoughts. It is as certain as the law of gravity. What is your thought life like? What do you find yourself thinking about?

Fight For What You Believe

What are your beliefs? What keeps you grounded? When you become a believer of Jesus Christ, you often feel a restrictive force that attempts to hinder you and stop you from moving in the right direction. You feel yourself fighting the enemy that was once a part of your fraternity. It becomes imperative that you arm yourself against this restrictive force of the enemy with the Word of God. To fight this fight I'm talking about, you need Faith.

In a Christian warfare, the odds are generally against you. But if it looked like you were going to win all along you wouldn’t need faith. But if you really believe what you believe, you must stand for it. If you stand for something you are going to have to fight sometimes for what you believe. Do away with the timid, passive, lukewarm, “don’t want to offend anybody” attitude that is so prevalent today. Sometimes you will need to be controversial and roll-up your sleeves in order to successfully defend what you believe.

Jesus Christ said - “I came not to bring peace but a sword”. At times, an “I don’t care what you think and who likes it or not – I need to do what needs to be done” attitude is of great gain. If you don’t fight, the enemy will take over your stuff. He’ll make you think you’re not good enough to do what God called you to do. He’ll take your body; he’ll take your mind, your house, your family, your children and your job.

You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and fight. The enemy is after your life, you must fight. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal; but they are might through God for the pulling down of strongholds and every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God; casting down imaginations and bringing every thought under subjection to the obedience of Christ. This fight is not fair but it has to be done.

And remember – If God be for you; who can be against you. No weapon fashioned against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you the Lord will condemn.

Fight.

Jesus + Nothing = Salvation!

It is utterly amazing to me how man has tried to transform the subject of salvation. Man-made and old testament traditions are being used to confuse people about what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. Jesus Christ did it all – nothing can be added to what God did or taken away from it.

People come up with all sort of things like baptism, tongues, church membership and tithes as a means of ways to get to heaven. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Good works are like filthy rags before God – they cannot earn you a seat in heaven. On the other hand, good works or fruits of the spirit are a direct consequence of living a godly life – it is a product of godly living.

I’ve heard a variety of intimidation tactics used to manipulate and confuse folks. Salvation does not come to a building; it comes to a people. Having 300,000 member church, plasma screens and jets has nothing to do with being saved. Just as you cannot measure the faith of a man by the size of his house or the length of his car.

Salvation is from Jesus – the gift of the gospel is all about Jesus and Jesus alone – period. That does not mean that baptism and all the other stuff is not of value but they do not add anything to salvation. You don’t need to speak in tongues, be baptized or pay tithes to be saved. Being saved is simply a gift from God – never by works. Once we start to focus on what we are doing and we think what we are doing plus what God has done means salvation. We have no claim to the gift of salvation – it is entirely from God and through faith – it is enough.

Persevere - Hold On.

You are going to get a whole lot of "IT". "IT" being anything you may be going through right now - sickness in your body, troubles in your personal life, financial burdens or issues with your marriage - basically any attack that you may be under right now.

God says "you will get a whole lot out of it". Do not despise the day of small beginnings. Your labor is not in vain. You've shed tears and wondered if your tears matter. You have agonized in your spirit and wondered if God heard you or even cares. Whatever you are dealing with right now is to equip you for what you will be handling later on. Your trials are designed to elevate you - they are simply a step up to greater and better things.

I know you think you've prayed and prayed and nothing is changing. Nothing seems to be happening. Rest in the knowledge that even when you hear absolutely nothing God is at work in your life. God is doing a new thing every single day - the outcome is all designed to bring you to an expected end.

Don't let your troubles weigh you down - don't let them get the best of you. God is moving you in the direction he wants you to go. You need to go through "this" in order to get "that". Keep pressing on, keeping your eye on the price at all times. The best in your life is yet to come. It will all work out for your good in time.

Don't Be Troubled

Life is full of all sorts of ups and downs. If it's not this, it's that. You just finished dealing with one issue and as you are about to heave a sign of relief, another issue comes down the pipeline. You watch the news on television and you are shocked. You can no longer watch the tube with your kids as most of the channels are not appropriate. Even the cartoons today have a wealth of in-appropriate connotations. You've been praying about it all but it seems to you God has taken a vacation.

Then you are introduced to certain people - as far as you know, you've never met them. They on the other hand claim they've met you. Obviously the meeting had no impact otherwise you would remember:) They start to mention events you know for a fact you did not attend or ones that you showed your face for such a brief moment, you had absolutely no time to make new friends. The look in their eyes tells you they've heard something - they have spoken to someone else who knows somebody that claims to know about you and your life. You can see the judgemental glance and attitude. You are tempted to be troubled. But your spirit-man tells you not to waste another second on being concerned. They don't know where you've been, where you are or where you are headed. They are simply not worth the investment in energy.

Be of good cheer and rest in the confidence that God is with you. He knows everything about you. He knows your heart. He hears your prayer and sees everything that you are going through. He 's right by your side - walking alongside you like no other friend could ever do. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is your ever present help in times of trouble. He sees the world we live in today and how everything is upside down. How people are turning on one another; how families are being torn apart.

He never takes a break and there is never a time that he turns a deaf ear or is not listening. He knows what's best for you - exactly what you need and exactly when you need it. He has not forgotten you or his promises to you.

Do not be troubled. Rest in the shadow of the wings of the Almighty God.

6 Steps to a Joy Filled Life

We all want to experience great joy in our lives but for some, real joy seems to be elusive. We often confuse happiness with joy and though the words are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Happiness is an emotion that is often dictated by circumstances. When life is great, we are happy but the minute we hit a challenge or pot hole in our lives, happiness is replaced with sadness. Joy on the other hand is a feeling deep down that circumstance cannot change or dictate. It is a feeling that only Jesus Christ brings. That is why it is possible to see believers who on the outward appearance, seem to be having a really bad time but the joy in their souls cannot be denied.

If joy seems to be lacking in your life, here are six simple steps that may help bring this awesome feeling back into your life:

1. Slow Down: Make a commitment to enjoy each phase of your life. Joy does not lie in reaching the final destination but enjoying the journey.

2. Be Yourself: God has given each of us different gifts and abilities and he has a tailored plan for every life. Run your own race and your own race alone. Aim to win the approval of God not men.

3. Lighten Up: A happy heart is a good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing; but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

4. Be Positive: Jesus Christ came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. In life there will be troubles, disappointments and adversities but we must be of good cheer for He has overcome the world. Never allow your circumstances to rob you of your joy.

5. Refuse to Worry: Worry is one of the most important tools in the enemy's toolbox. It can be a destructive force that hinders us from fulfilling our God given assignment. But we should rejoice that God has promised to keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on him. Fix your mind on god and replace your worry with faith. Learn to let go and let God.

6. Live to Give: The more we live for self, the more miserable we'll surely be. We must be willing to live unselfish lives. To experience real joy, you must give your life away. Make a commitment to encourage someone every single day. Be committed to being a giver.

Pruning Can Hurt

Continuing in the line of what I talked about yesterday, I wanted to talk about the pruning process. John 15:2 says that God prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it can bear even more fruit.

Once we give our life to Jesus Christ, we become branches on the vine. By abiding in the vine, we begin to develop good fruit but the bad fruit that we had on us before we became a part of the vine starts to stifle the growth of good fruit. I liken this to a fruit tree, if we prune it, it brings back more fruit. If my rose bushes are not pruned, the flowers do not come back in full force. The more I prune, the bigger and brighter the roses are. I never thought about how the rose bush might be feeling as it is pruned but as I see God remove from me all the bad fruit that hampers my spiritual growth, I can kind of identify with the rose bushes. Pruning can really hurt! But the good news is that it’s profitable.

Now that I am born-again, all the old fruits such as bitterness, anger, malice and un-forgiveness are being pruned every day. Some of the things I would do in the past and not bat an eyelid about are no longer worth the effort. The desire to do them or be a certain way that is not glorifying just isn’t there. That is not to say that I am perfect, the pruning will continue as long as I live but I can say confidently that there would less to prune as I continue to abide in the vine. I really believe that pruning gets rid of sin in my life.

Sometimes we are pruned of something that we look at as being positive but we have to trust God and believe that he knows what’s best for us. And whatever we think we may have “lost” due to pruning, we need to rest in the fact that God has something a million times better around the corner.

We should all wake up and thank God for the pruning – it removes all impurities from our spirit so that we can become more and more like Christ.

Abiding in the Vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15: 1-8

When you spend time with God your life changes. Your demeanor changes and most importantly your heart changes. It’s impossible to spend regular time in the presence of God and not change. The way you live will be dramatically different. If you still do all the things that you used to do that are against the teachings of Jesus Christ and you are comfortable with doing them, I am sorry to tell you that your actions are evident that you have not been with God.

The reason most of us are blatantly disobedience to the word of God is that we lack faith. If we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we will trust God enough to know that he has something great in store for us and understand the benefits of waiting for his timing. We would not waste time embarking on various “do-it-yourself” options that lead us nowhere. The bible says – “when a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him”.

Our priority shouldn’t be running around trying to be fruitful. Our priority should be abiding in the vine. Our focus should be to continue working with God. God will take care of the fruitfulness - that is not our responsibility. Most of us are busy running around trying to be God. We need to turn over our lives to God so that we can have a life of impact. In order to have a life of impact for God, we need to spend time with God. Without God and abiding in him, we can do nothing. When we don’t abide in God by spending time daily in his presence, we struggle. We struggle so much that it can be overpowering. When we don’t spend time in the word of God and let God speak to us, we suffer the consequences.

When we wake up in the morning, the first thing we do is give thanks to God. Thanks to God that we are saved. Thankful to God that he chose us to be his people – his disciples.

God Has Something on His Mind

Regardless of all the ups and downs that you may go through, God’s plan never changes. Whatever tough times that you are going through be rest assured that these times are not designed to wipe you out. You may feel pain and disappointment during such times but remember that God has a plan and a destiny for you that no trial can abort.
The purpose of the troubled times in our life is not designed to kill us but to reveal the nature of God to us - to remind us that there is more to this life outside of ourselves. When we have suffered for a while, we begin to know him in his suffering and appreciate the power of his resurrection. Because lets be honest, we all become self-absorbed from time to time and think that we are "it". We achieve a little bit of success and we think that we are the best thing since sliced bread. We begin to believe our own press and forget the God that brought us out of many bad situations and safely got us to where we can experience any kind of triumph.

The reality is that when it comes to experiencing and knowing God, there’s so much of him to know. Knowing God is a process of a lifetime, it’s not something anyone can accomplish in his or her own lifetime. It takes forever to know God in the entire power of his might. When you begin to put him in some box to fit your image of what you think he is or ought to be, he reveals himself again in a completely different dimension. Knowing the word in its entirety is virtually impossible. The same passage read everyday for a year could reveal different insights every single day! Its time for us to just trust God and trust what he has on his mind for each and every one of us.

The Closet Christian

Tim has successfully mastered the art of keeping his spiritual life separate from his social and professional life. He attends church on Sundays when he can and has read the Bible cover to cover. He can quote scriptures eloquently and pray in tongues but has restricted the practice of his faith to his church and home.

He would frequently laugh at offensive jokes and agree with points of view that completely contradict the word of God. He so desperately wants to be liked and belonged that he would solicit and implement advice given by his friends who don’t know God from an apple tree. His closest friends are non-believers or at best lip-service believers. He stands for nothing and as such fall for everything. It’s as if Christianity is an outfit he puts on and takes off at will. Tim is so proficient at this “pretend” way of living such that if you hang around him long enough you can pretty much tell when he has his “I am a Christian" suit on and when he has it off! He can dress up a lot quicker like a Christian than he can live like one. He finds it much easier to quote scriptures than to live it.

Tim is the type that shows up in church smelling all nice and looking good but in reality he is as hateful as a burnt cat! He always seems very interested in how other men’s wives are doing – wondering if they were treating them right when in reality he has been neglecting his own. Tim is a Christian and he is saved but not much about his life has changed. He still talks the same way and his lifestyle is “business as usual”. He sometimes succumbs to various forms of immorality that he cannot control. He finds himself talking out of both sides of his mouth. He is helpless to turn things around in his own strength.

Tim longs to walk the talk but just can’t seem to get things right. Are you Tim? Do you know a Tim? It’s time for all the Tims to stand up for Jesus Christ. It’s time for them to put their full trust in their Savior. At some level, certain things need to remain in the closet. We need to pray, seek God and study his word in private but we also need to stand up against what is contrary to the word we know so well in public.

Happy Mother's Day

To me today was one of mixed feelings. I was grateful to be a mother but I could not help but ponder on times that I have fallen short and failed to meet the mark. But amidst it all, I pray that I do the work God has called me to do in the lives of my daughters. I often hear that the greatest role model any child can ever have in this world is the same sex parent. In this mission, I cannot afford to fail. I am not disillusioned though – raising Godly children in an ungodly world is not child’s play.

We all want to give our children the best that we can afford. But often times we fail to realize that the greatest thing we can pass on cost nothing at all. We send them to Christian Schools, take them to church every Sunday and enroll them in Vacation Bible Studies hoping and praying that this will steer them in the right direction. All these things are good to do but the most important thing is to give them a legacy of faith. We need to instill in our children the right things to increase their chances of following God as adults. There is no guarantee that what we do will make that happen but the chances of it not happening is considerably lower when we impart the most important values in them.

I heard today that research shows that it’s better for children to actually come from a godless home than to come from one where faith is simply a question of lip-service. Children have a better chance of walking with Christ where then they are raised in an environment where faith is real. Without faith life will be empty. Children will lack the confidence they need as they do not understand the truth of who they really are in Christ.

So how do we transfer this legacy of faith to our children? We need to be living a life of faith ourselves. Children watch what we do rather than what we say. If father and mother are having fighting matches in the house daily and then turning around and telling the children God is love, they appear highly hypocritical. It is often said that values are caught rather than taught. You can talk until you are blue in the face but if your actions contradict your words, they will most definitely model your actions. We need to start showing our children a life that they can copy. This is not to say that you will not make mistakes believe me I am the queen of errors. But when I raise my voice or handle a situation badly, I let my children know “mummy did not deal with that too well, I should not have been angry and I am really sorry”. This way children can understand that it’s ok to make mistakes and that the grace that is available to you from God is also extended to them when they do wrong.

My preacher mentioned 4 things about our faith that our children must see:

* They need to see faith that is indeed visible. They need to see us living out of the faith we proclaim.
* Our faith must be embraceable. We need to show examples of faith in how we handle everyday situations.
* They need to see a faith that is measurable. They must see how we take responsibility for our actions. We need to be transparent and honest.
* Our faith must be transferable. They must see that our faith is not Sunday-based. If they cannot see the faith we go on and on about – it isn’t really there.

Develop Your Spirit

Most of us exercise and eat right to be physically fit but it is of uttermost importance that we are spiritually and emotionally fit. Being physically fit is quite different from being spiritually fit.

When we develop a strong spirit, we are less likely to be completely destabilized when we face the real challenges of life. A strong spirit will ensure that we are not easily broken or destroyed.

There are really only 2 ways to develop a strong spirit: Spending time with God through studying the Bible and meditation and living life. The Word of God will nourish your spirit as you read and learn more. Life will teach you as you go through various trials and tribulations. Living through all sorts of life's disappointments with God by your side will strengthen your spirit.

Take time everyday to strengthen not only your body but more importantly your spirit.

Do You Need An Attitude Adjustment?

Have you ever done a self examination to your attitude? Do you always think that others around you are wrong and you are right? Do you go from employer to employer because you get annoyed and irritated by your boss and colleagues - 6 jobs in 2 years may actually mean more than you've led yourself to believe!

It's amazing how a small change in our attitude can change our altitude. Just like a little change on the thermostat can affect the entire temperature in your house so can a change in your attitude change your entire outlook on life. Evil will always try to find a mechanism to destroy all we have achieved from hard work via a poor attitude.

Take a minute to examine your attitude today - at work, at home and at play. You may be surprised at what you find.

Additional Reading:

Proverbs 17: 18-20; 22; 24; 27-28

Never Live In Fear

Often out of ignorance, we find ourselves drowning in stuff we ought to be walking on. We fuss and fight over the simplest of things and we fret over issues that we should not even give a second thought to. I personally have experienced that most of the issues we inflate is mainly due to fear. We all have a comfort zone and anything or anyone that threatens to move us out of our comfort zone comes across as a threat and so we fight back.

Walking in fear can make us emotional baskets. We are afraid to go wrong – terrified of failing. But it’s time to believe in God. He tells us never to fear because He’s always with us and He will be with us until the end. When we are living in fear, it’s impossible to be who God created us to be and we can’t make the most of all He has given to us or has planned for our lives.

I learned to trust God because He promised to always go before me and prepare the way for me. I can now face fear head on instead of running away to hide. Through God’s word, my inner spirit has been strengthened and I can stand tall and strong. It’s not that I do not feel the sense of fear coming over me sometimes, it’s that I fully understand that through it all, my God is with me.

There will always be trouble and trials. Life will often throw things at us that seem too much to handle. The enormity of issues that people we have to deal with and live with should never be minimized. I have had some real potholes in my life and there were times I almost lost my mind. There were days that if not for God, I would not have gotten out of bed. Some days I simply wanted to end it all.

God may not always deliver us from all our problems but he walks alongside us through every single one of them.

Every Seat Has Its Price

I am sure we have all looked at some people and kind of liked their lives. We wonder what it would be like to be them. I know for me I look at Oprah and while there are certain things I wouldn’t give up, It’s kind of nice to see someone be who they were created to be.

But even without knowing what they are really like personally or the sacrifices that they have had to make to be where they are, we like their lives. Bill Gates is another success story that people often mention but no-one knows what he went through when he left school to pursue his dreams. Degree-oriented folks would have probably laughed at him and thought he was crazy, after all an education was the most important thing. He probably now has all his classmates that stayed and graduated on his payroll!

Michael Jordan is another one – his coach said he could not play basketball. But he was determined to follow his dream and if you follow autobiographies, you would know what it cost him to be the world’s most successful basketball player. I saw another designer who loved making pottery with clay and in design school his pottery teacher told him he could never make it. Now he has his own collection. I wonder what price he had to pay especially when he quit his lucrative career to pursue his pottery dreams.

I once heard a famous motivational speaker say people keep saying they want to be like him. But how can they want to be like him when they really don’t know what he is like? Every person that has ever done anything significant find it hard to mentor others because they are too busy trying to fulfill their dreams. Once they meet one goal, they set another so their dreams never end so time to mentor others and help them get to where they want to get to is terribly limited.

Everyone successful in life (not just financially!) has paid a price. A price that may or may not be visible to all. Some have had to give up marriage and children. Others have lost close relationships with family and friends while some may have battled terrible abuse or illnesses. I know for a fact that most people with a story to tell have a few tragedies in their lives. They’ve had experiences that they have had to overcome that have helped in building strength and resilience.

Success is not easy and not for the faint-hearted. The truth is success comes at a price that most people that want it desperately aren’t willing to pay. A lot of people want something great for nothing. To be great is not something anyone can give to you. God has pre-assigned spots for each and every single one of us. The key is finding yourself and your spot and remembering that there will be a price to pay – even for you assigned seat.

It’s Time To Recognize Who You Are

As children of the Most High God, we are royalty. Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. A lot of us do not recognize who we are or whose we are. We belong to God. I don’t know about you but that makes me lift my head up high, straighten my shoulders and walk tall.

People tell you who you are based on what they see or where you are right now. But God knows what you will become. He sees the end from the beginning. You are valuable to him. You are heir to his kingdom. If the Prince of Wales was to go to a shoe store and buy a $10 pair of shoes, those shoes automatically become royal shoes. As earthly royalty, he gave the shoes some value. As children of God we should never expect to gain value from things, we give value to things by the virtue of whose children we are.

It’s time to start seeing yourself the way God sees you. Forget all the negative things that anybody ever said about you or directly to you. You are blessed and highly favored. No weapon fashioned against you shall ever prosper. You are more than a conqueror. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Grab a hold of your inheritance today.

We Are All Different

We are all different – created equal but different. The issue is that man has viewed “different” to mean better which it isn’t. We are all guilty – guilty of thinking others are impaired in some way if they fail to see things the way that we do. I particularly am impatient with soft spoken women who allow everyone and everything walk all over them. I have an issue with pitiful women who see themselves somehow inadequate that they must be validated by the opposite sex at the expense of their wholeness. But my opinion is not necessarily the right one – different it is and right for me but definitely not right for every woman.

I am strong-willed and relentless. I don’t give up on anything. I thrive best when there is opposition. Resistance is never an indication for me to give up; it’s simply an opportunity to be persistent. I am high-spirited and assertive. I believe what I believe and have been called highly-opinionated. I sometimes rub people the wrong way and often my confidence and aggression is misinterpreted as arrogance. I don’t have a lot of friends mainly because majority has either thought I needed to be different or just didn’t understand me. Others see something in me they wished they had but don’t so they dislike me for it. My persistence and high drive also can be a disadvantage, I don’t know when to stop pushing myself and I can wear myself out sometimes. But that’s me and I refuse to apologize for it. The reason is simple – there is a reason God made me this way. There is a reason I’ve gone through all that I had to go through so that I can deal with the stuff that I’m dealing with right now.

The soft-spoken woman also has her place I guess. The type who is afraid to express her true feelings so as not ho hurt anyone. The type who is always walking behind everyone with her head bowed down as if apologizing for her existence. The woman who has spent a lifetime trying to please everyone and has placed everyone above herself. The type who has no original thought and no individual vision. The one who is trying to be what everyone wants her to be. God has a plan for her too – a plan different from mine but nevertheless a God-given plan.

We are all different – each of us a unique and genuine creation. You can never be me and I can’t be you. But maybe you and I can meet in the middle somewhere. Each of us not afraid to be who we were created to be. Each of us confident in knowing that God has a part we each have to play. I spent years trying to be what others wanted me to be – I failed miserably. People spent their time pointing out what was wrong with me instead of looking at their own lives to figure out what was wrong with them. I finally learned that no-one can put me in a box. God made me just the way he wanted me to be. I know for a fact that if He had not made me the way that I am, I could never have persevered the way that I have. I am grateful for me. Can you be grateful for me too?

No two parts in a play are the same – each character is unique and yet the story is told. Never let anyone tell you who you ought to be, let the word of God guide you in shaping your character. The folks used by God in the Bible were not perfect – they had willing hearts. We all have different abilities and personalities; each of us designed for our individual destinies – beautiful in our different shapes, colors and sizes.

Where is God?

Sometime or the other in our lives, we get overwhelmed by things. Work is hectic, the bills are piling up, things need to be fixed around the house that cost money and if you have children – they need more attention as they get older. School projects are never-ending and even though the mind is willing to tackle all these things, the body just can’t keep up.

I felt like that today and I found myself wondering – where is God? Surely he can see that I needed a hand. My neighbor’s weeds were slowly making their way over the property line and it didn’t matter how much time I spent trying to get the weeds off my property, they always came back. Tired by noon on Saturday from washing and drying the hair of my girls (and these guys have a lot of hair!). Off to the home improvement centre to get something to separate the property line as well as deter the weeds. Then came back and figured out the part for the sprinkler head I bought was the wrong one and that the amount of decorative mulch I had purchased will never do. Drove back to rectify the problems. Came Sunday, laundry had to be completed and preparation for Monday must commence. Talk about a hectic weekend! There was a time when the thought of sitting back and doing nothing came to my mind but it only lasted but a second. That thought cannot be entertained.

As things calm down about 8:00pm on Sunday night, I had the chance to step into the shower and wash my hair. It was at this time that I remembered to ask God if he was watching me. I wanted to know if he could see all that I go through day in and day out just trying to keep the lid on my pot. And a still small voice answered back that he did and all will come in due time. That was all the reassurance I needed to carry on with business as usual.

So if like me there is more tasks to do than only you can handle, just ask God if he can see you. He’ll probably tell you the same exact thing he told me. And if you hear nothing, just trust his plan, he is God and he understands.

Freedom From The Law

I was looking at the 10 commandments and thinking how do I obey all these commandments? How do I day and after day never fall short? I know it’s impossible and therefore I for one am eternally grateful for the grace of God. If not for the grace of God, hell was a certain destination after this life. I had broken God’s decrees over and over again. I could never make it into heaven in my own strength. I was bound and eternally doomed by my sins. I was born into sin and was spiritually dead from the minute I entered this world. Only the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross saved me from a life of condemnation. Only the crucifixion saved me from spiritual death.

So now that I am free from the law through the death of Christ - Hallelujah, I refuse to go back to it. If I focus on obeying the law, Christ is of no good to me. Neither you nor I would ever be made right with God through obeying the law. Our attempts at righteousness are like filthy rags before our God. I heard a preacher telling folks that God is taking note of all the good things his congregation are doing. And I am amazed that the ‘brownie points collection system’ is still being preached. I am surprised people still think that it’s all about what they are doing. When we are in Christ, it’s no longer about what we are doing but what Christ has done for us.

The verse “Faith without works is dead” has been misinterpreted over and over again. The works mentioned here (as I see it) are the fruits of the Spirit not tasks or attending night vigils or prayer meetings. Real faith is accompanied by manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit which brings about an attitude of servitude not servant hood. The attitude of servitude gives you a way of life that shows the gradual transformation to the image of our Creator.

Free yourself from worrying about obedience to the law. You could never keep all of them even if you tried. Breaking one is just as bad as breaking them all. Instead trust in Jesus Christ for your righteousness - not yourself.

You Reap What You Sow

We sometimes wrongly believe that coming to Christ means a life free from trials – a life devoid of repercussions. Life becomes honky-dory. With crosses around our necks and abundant stickers on our cars, we think we have earned a worry-free life. Not! Being a Christian is not a parachute that takes you to Never-Never land nor is it a blanket that shelters you from the facts of life or the repercussions of your actions.

Galatians 6 says “Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

Essentially you cannot plant potatoes and turn around to reap tomatoes. Life does not work that way. We are each a sum total of all the decisions we have made in life. When we come to Christ, we are free from ending up in hell for all the sins we have commited and will commit but we have not been set free from the consequences of those actions. We have the choice on what we want to invest in and what types of plants we want to plant in our hearts. If we plant seeds of discord, anger, vengeance, fraud or deceit, we would reap the fruits thereof. If we decide that we would invest in sinful things – we want to smoke, drink or do drugs, we will reap the rewards of those kinds of decisions – even after we have accepted Christ. If you decide to engage in pre-marital sex you may end of pregnant out of wedlock or making someone else pregnant who you have no intention of marrying.

The truth is when we truly come to God, we become new creatures and change will come – change must come as we are slowly transformed to the image of our creature. But when we come to Christ and we are still living like we never accepted the Lord, the repercussions can be devastating. Salvation is instant, free and a grace from God but you must work out your salvation. Saying that you are saved and still being involved in different actions of immorality has its consequences.

Make a decision as to who you want to follow. Basically you are either on the Lord’s side or on the devil’s side – there is no middle ground. The choice you make will establish what you will sow and consequently what you will eventually reap.

Additional Reading:

Galatians 6: 7-8

He is With You Always - No Matter Where You Go

God is with us no matter where we go or what we do. I think that if we all remembered this on a daily basis, it would change both our words and our actions. It is true that once we accept Jesus Christ we are saved and heaven bound but the quality of life we live here on earth is fully dependent on how we live the life that we have.

I have found that keeping the reality that God is everywhere in mind helps me to check my words and my actions. Obviously being human I fall off the wagon form time to time but I have realized that the truth of that fact changes my reactions a great deal of the time.

Even when you are out at the club doing things you aren’t supposed to be doing with people you aren’t supposed to be doing it with, God is there. When you talk about others negatively behind their backs, God is there. When you blatantly tell a lie, God is there and when you take things that really don’t belong to you, he is still there. When we are wallowing in the pit of our sins, we may choose to turn our hearts away and convince ourselves that he does not see but I guarantee you that he is there because he is everywhere all the time.

Keep the truth that God is with you no matter where you go or what you do in the fore-front of your mind. You’ll be amazed how far God will take you.

A World Full of Options

We live in a world today where there are so many options to pick from. There are so many religions available today – Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Scientology, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism – the list is endless. It’s like looking at the menu at a local Starbucks Coffee Shop! If you are interested in a comprehensive listing, feel free to visit the website at http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-religions. The ones I listed are just a tip of the iceberg. Even Christianity is further divided into uncountable sects. It’s just mind-blowing!

If there is only one way to heaven, why are there so many religions? Why are there so many beliefs? Free will is a good thing because God wants us to come to him – he did not want to create robots but at the same time I think the freedom to choose may not be advantageous to majority of the human population. There being only one way to salvation seems to me to be as simplistic as asking folks if they would choose life or death. I doubt anyone would choose death! So if people are headed down the wrong path due to ignorance, how do they learn the truth? Who will explain to them the path that they should take?

All believers in Jesus Christ know that they are on the right path but how many are sharing the news of the gospel with others? Would we be held accountable for the souls of others that come our way that we do not try to impact? Is it ok for us to know the truth but keep it to ourselves?

The amazing thing is God understands – he does not excuse the ignorance but he understands. He understands that so many people experiment with their faith because in reality they are searching for the truth. So what does God do? He brings some of them our way, speaks to our hearts to share but we do not and we let folks walk on by to continue with their lives in error. The good news is Jesus Christ did not die for the sins of just believers – he died for the sins of the whole world. The bad news is some will never get to enjoy the forgiveness that comes from his crucifixion and bask in the new life available through his resurrection due to ignorance.

I don’t know about you but I must do more to share my faith with others. I understand that I do not do the work of changing the heart of anyone – God does that. If souls are to be won, God is the initiator, we are simply the responder. I pray that God will give me the strength to do more than I’m doing now to draw others to him more by how I live my life rather than what I say. I pray he would teach me exactly what to say so that I do not come across judgmental or self-righteous in any way – Amen.

Rules For Christian Holy Living - Colossians 3:1-17

1. Set your heart on the things in heaven, not on earthly things. Our stay in this realm is temporary and it’s very easy to forget this fact. All the things we accumulate in this life will all be useless to us in heaven. Your old sinful self has died and your new life is in Jesus Christ in God.
2. Put to death all that belongs to your earthly nature - abstain from any form of sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. All these things are considered as idolatry.
3. Rid yourself of all characteristics of your old self – anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language.
4. Do not lie to anyone since you have taken off your old self with all its old practices and have put on your new self which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.
5. Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
6. Bear with others and forgive whatever grievances you may have against anyone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
7. Let all your actions be motivated by love.
8. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart and control your thinking and actions since as believers are all members of one body called to peace.
9. Let the word of God dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish others with wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart to God
10. Whatever you do – whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ.