And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. – John 14:16-17
The Holy Spirit came to the disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of us. As we develop in our faith and spend time with God, our awareness of the Spirit that dwells in us becomes more acute. The Holy Spirit lives on the inside of us and knows every thing about us. He knows when we are weak and when we are strong. He is available every second of the day, 365 days a year. We can tune him out when we choose but He’s always there.
Personally, without the presence of the Spirit within me, I couldn’t tell you where I’d be. He is my practical helper; always reminding me what I can say and what I couldn’t. He tells me when to move and when to be still. He is always available and He is adequate for me. Everything that I need for successful living in Christ has been made available to me through God’s word and it is the Holy Spirit that gives me the ability to understand the word and apply it to my daily life.
When I was lost and completely abandoned by everyone around me, the Holy Spirit was my only dependable source. Now folks wonder how I can live isolated and separated for the social activities of life so easily. I can only say – Go Figure! The Spirit is wise and his counsel is all I desire and need. It’s often nice to share ideas with others but ultimately whatever I will apply to my life at this point must measure up to the word of God.
I could never live the life intended for me in my own strength. Simply being a “Mr. Nice Guy” doesn’t cut it. Only the Holy Spirit can help us live out the life of Christ.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Come Back Home
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against haven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. – Luke 15:17-24
We all go astray sometimes. We make the wrong choices and go into situations and circumstances that are clearly not in God’s vision for our lives. We keep going around the mulberry bush over and over. We try new things because in ignorance we think new is better. We try to run away from what we believe to be the source of our problems when our problems really stem from within us.
But I have learnt that it is not until we hit rock bottom that we truly appreciate our need to come back “home”. People can try to talk us out of our destructive lifestyle until they are blue in the face but we will never see it their way. It is when we look around and there is no where else to go that we truly understand the need to change our ways.
God is calling us home – each and every one of us that knows deep down we are in the wrong place doing all the wrong things. God’s vision for your life can be revealed if you seek him but some choices do not need supernatural intervention for their erroneousness to be revealed. Regardless of when we finally decided to turn our lives around, God is still right here – waiting. Hopefully we will make the right choice before it becomes too late. One thing God does not do is completely eradicate the consequences of our actions. If he did, how else would we learn?
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against haven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. – Luke 15:17-24
We all go astray sometimes. We make the wrong choices and go into situations and circumstances that are clearly not in God’s vision for our lives. We keep going around the mulberry bush over and over. We try new things because in ignorance we think new is better. We try to run away from what we believe to be the source of our problems when our problems really stem from within us.
But I have learnt that it is not until we hit rock bottom that we truly appreciate our need to come back “home”. People can try to talk us out of our destructive lifestyle until they are blue in the face but we will never see it their way. It is when we look around and there is no where else to go that we truly understand the need to change our ways.
God is calling us home – each and every one of us that knows deep down we are in the wrong place doing all the wrong things. God’s vision for your life can be revealed if you seek him but some choices do not need supernatural intervention for their erroneousness to be revealed. Regardless of when we finally decided to turn our lives around, God is still right here – waiting. Hopefully we will make the right choice before it becomes too late. One thing God does not do is completely eradicate the consequences of our actions. If he did, how else would we learn?
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Jesus Makes Us Complete
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner’”.
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost.” – Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus was a wealthy man but even with his money he must have been missing something. Why else will he have taken the time and energy to climb the sycamore-fig tree? He must have been desperately in need of something special – something his money has failed to get him thus far. His intent to see Jesus was based on more than mere curiosity. He could have complacently remained amongst the crowd. He could have satisfied himself with a simple glimpse of the Christ but Zacchaeus wanted much more.
Many of us Christians today are satisfied with being religious. We take part in all the religious activities but deny the power therein. We look the part and we talk the talk. We are satisfied with just a mere glimpse of the Lord. We are satisfied with knowing the word instead of taking time to know the God of the word.
The bottom line is your life will never be complete without Christ. You need to know him; truly know him. I am not talking about knowing him through your mother or your father but knowing him for yourself. When you do, you will realize that there is so much to gain. What you have to gain will be worth so much more than whatever it is you loose.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner’”.
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost.” – Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus was a wealthy man but even with his money he must have been missing something. Why else will he have taken the time and energy to climb the sycamore-fig tree? He must have been desperately in need of something special – something his money has failed to get him thus far. His intent to see Jesus was based on more than mere curiosity. He could have complacently remained amongst the crowd. He could have satisfied himself with a simple glimpse of the Christ but Zacchaeus wanted much more.
Many of us Christians today are satisfied with being religious. We take part in all the religious activities but deny the power therein. We look the part and we talk the talk. We are satisfied with just a mere glimpse of the Lord. We are satisfied with knowing the word instead of taking time to know the God of the word.
The bottom line is your life will never be complete without Christ. You need to know him; truly know him. I am not talking about knowing him through your mother or your father but knowing him for yourself. When you do, you will realize that there is so much to gain. What you have to gain will be worth so much more than whatever it is you loose.
Monday, January 28, 2008
When Was The Last Time You Got On Your Knees?
Morning, noon and night I plead aloud in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. – Psalm 55:17
There is a saying that “When the knees are not often bent, the feet soon slide”. Prayer is the believer’s secret weapon against the plot of the enemy. It is one weapon that the devil has no defense against. The more praying we commit to in our lives, the better our lives will be. It is vital that we create time in our hectic schedule to get on our knees and pray. Taking a particular position when we pray does not give us brownie points with God but this praying posture humbles us before God. When you think of how omniscient, powerful and awesome God is, you can’t help but fall on your face and knees before him. He is Almighty God and He is Holy.
Praying is not to change God’s mind. God never changes. When we pray, we do not give God any information that he isn’t already aware of but we give him honor when we talk to him about stuff he already knows. If we bother to take a bath everyday to cleanse us on the outside, it is imperative that we spend the same amount of time if not more to cleanse ourselves on the inside through prayer.
Prayer has been described as the key that unlocks all the storehouse of God’s infinite grace and power. All that God is and all that God has is at the disposal of prayer. I have also read that “The saint who advances on his knees never retreats”. The truth is we have absolutely no hope in life without prayer. Prayer moves the hand that moves the world. Getting on our knees to pray to God reminds us of how unworthy we really are and how much his grace upon our lives means to us.
When was the last time you got on your knees and prayed to God?
There is a saying that “When the knees are not often bent, the feet soon slide”. Prayer is the believer’s secret weapon against the plot of the enemy. It is one weapon that the devil has no defense against. The more praying we commit to in our lives, the better our lives will be. It is vital that we create time in our hectic schedule to get on our knees and pray. Taking a particular position when we pray does not give us brownie points with God but this praying posture humbles us before God. When you think of how omniscient, powerful and awesome God is, you can’t help but fall on your face and knees before him. He is Almighty God and He is Holy.
Praying is not to change God’s mind. God never changes. When we pray, we do not give God any information that he isn’t already aware of but we give him honor when we talk to him about stuff he already knows. If we bother to take a bath everyday to cleanse us on the outside, it is imperative that we spend the same amount of time if not more to cleanse ourselves on the inside through prayer.
Prayer has been described as the key that unlocks all the storehouse of God’s infinite grace and power. All that God is and all that God has is at the disposal of prayer. I have also read that “The saint who advances on his knees never retreats”. The truth is we have absolutely no hope in life without prayer. Prayer moves the hand that moves the world. Getting on our knees to pray to God reminds us of how unworthy we really are and how much his grace upon our lives means to us.
When was the last time you got on your knees and prayed to God?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Let God Fight For You
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. – Exodus 14:14
We all face battles in life. Not everyone will like or appreciate us. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We were never called to please man but to do what is pleasing to God. When we do what pleases God, our enemies have no choice but to be at peace with us. When folks chatter behind our backs, it is not our duty waste our time attempting to set them straight. Our only job is to continue in the tasks that the Lord has placed before us and let the talkative get on with what they do.
I do understand that we sometimes feel that our enemies are big and strong especially when they remain relentless in their goal to cause us harm. But I have never encountered an enemy so big that God cannot bring them down. He can see all the pain and misery that you suffer because he lives in you. When you become a child of God, anyone who messes with you is messing with the Lord. He will fight for you. All you need to do is be still and know that he is God.
Don’t waste a single moment of your life calling people and trying to change minds in your strength. God has a way of making all crooked places straight. All the folks that said they would never be moved and that their minds cannot be changed will eventually have no choice but to get out of the way when a move of God begins. Circumstances that people thought will never change will be transformed for the better. Just hold on; be still and know that He is indeed God Almighty.
We all face battles in life. Not everyone will like or appreciate us. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We were never called to please man but to do what is pleasing to God. When we do what pleases God, our enemies have no choice but to be at peace with us. When folks chatter behind our backs, it is not our duty waste our time attempting to set them straight. Our only job is to continue in the tasks that the Lord has placed before us and let the talkative get on with what they do.
I do understand that we sometimes feel that our enemies are big and strong especially when they remain relentless in their goal to cause us harm. But I have never encountered an enemy so big that God cannot bring them down. He can see all the pain and misery that you suffer because he lives in you. When you become a child of God, anyone who messes with you is messing with the Lord. He will fight for you. All you need to do is be still and know that he is God.
Don’t waste a single moment of your life calling people and trying to change minds in your strength. God has a way of making all crooked places straight. All the folks that said they would never be moved and that their minds cannot be changed will eventually have no choice but to get out of the way when a move of God begins. Circumstances that people thought will never change will be transformed for the better. Just hold on; be still and know that He is indeed God Almighty.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
The Strong Will Last Long
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. – Psalm 18:32
You armed me with strength for battle. Psalm 18:39
Trials and tribulation are allowed by God not to destroy us, but to make us strong. No tough situation is designed to last forever. It will all come to pass if you lean on God for strength in times when you are afraid. If you focus on the goal and refuse to be distracted for too long by the potholes along the way, God will see you through. I know that the Lord never wanted any of his children to live in fear or defeat – never!
Spiritual strength is so important for proper guidance through life. We need to spend a lot of time using God’s word to transform our minds. We spend a lot of money and pay a huge amount of attention to the way we look on the outside but we would be so much better off if we did the work required to fix all that is going on badly within.
We are all armed with strength for battle. If the Bible says that we are, then it’s time to start believing it for our lives. When we crumble in weakness and give up in defeat in times of opposition, we appear to be pitiful. Non-believers begin to wonder where the God we were ranting about while we are on the mountain is now that we are in the valley. Is God only visible in good times – when things are going well? No. God is with us all the time; in good times and in bad times but we refuse to acknowledge his presence or lean on him when times are hard. The temptation to look for solutions to our problems in other places and people takes the driver’s seat in our lives.
It is indeed true that only the fittest will survive. This world has no room for weaklings and underachievers. There is no more accommodation in the folks who belong to the club of “I Can’t”. Only those who truly believe that they can do all things through Christ will last the test of time and come out victorious.
You armed me with strength for battle. Psalm 18:39
Trials and tribulation are allowed by God not to destroy us, but to make us strong. No tough situation is designed to last forever. It will all come to pass if you lean on God for strength in times when you are afraid. If you focus on the goal and refuse to be distracted for too long by the potholes along the way, God will see you through. I know that the Lord never wanted any of his children to live in fear or defeat – never!
Spiritual strength is so important for proper guidance through life. We need to spend a lot of time using God’s word to transform our minds. We spend a lot of money and pay a huge amount of attention to the way we look on the outside but we would be so much better off if we did the work required to fix all that is going on badly within.
We are all armed with strength for battle. If the Bible says that we are, then it’s time to start believing it for our lives. When we crumble in weakness and give up in defeat in times of opposition, we appear to be pitiful. Non-believers begin to wonder where the God we were ranting about while we are on the mountain is now that we are in the valley. Is God only visible in good times – when things are going well? No. God is with us all the time; in good times and in bad times but we refuse to acknowledge his presence or lean on him when times are hard. The temptation to look for solutions to our problems in other places and people takes the driver’s seat in our lives.
It is indeed true that only the fittest will survive. This world has no room for weaklings and underachievers. There is no more accommodation in the folks who belong to the club of “I Can’t”. Only those who truly believe that they can do all things through Christ will last the test of time and come out victorious.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Keep Walking
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:6
The life of a believer is one of continuous and on-going repentance. Once we have given our hearts to the Lord, the change becomes a process. Back-sliding and coming back to Christ over and over becomes ridiculous and makes no sense. Salvation is not a merit system. It’s not based on morality or works. Salvation is totally a gift from God so no one can brag about it. But the change required to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ takes time as we walk with God. We walk with God through different changes and processes as we are molded and changed so that as time goes on, we begin to look like our Heavenly Father.
When we finally start to spend time in the presence of God, we will change. There will be certain things that we will find difficult to do and even when we do them, we will never get the same satisfaction from them that we once did. It is impossible not to see evidence of parentage in a child. When you are truly a child of God, there will be characteristics in you that resemble God – with time. Change will never be immediate. We need to work out our salvation. The miracle of salvation is about conception but we must do our part so that we can grow so that more of God is evident in us.
I am grateful for the wonderful gift of salvation. Even when people around me thought I was worth nothing, God thought me worthy to be called one of his own. With that sense of pride, I give my life wholly to God – everything that I own belongs to him. I pray that I will continue to grow in faith regardless of the circumstances that life throws at me. I am not perfect and there is no expectation that I will be but I shall continue to grow in the knowledge of God, secure and confident in his love for me.
So if like me, you still make mistakes and have not attained perfection yet, keep walking. Don’t look back at your errors and refuse to allow others to remind you of them. Look forward to your successes with God. Your future days will be much better than the latter ones in the mighty name of Jesus Christ Our Lord.
The life of a believer is one of continuous and on-going repentance. Once we have given our hearts to the Lord, the change becomes a process. Back-sliding and coming back to Christ over and over becomes ridiculous and makes no sense. Salvation is not a merit system. It’s not based on morality or works. Salvation is totally a gift from God so no one can brag about it. But the change required to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ takes time as we walk with God. We walk with God through different changes and processes as we are molded and changed so that as time goes on, we begin to look like our Heavenly Father.
When we finally start to spend time in the presence of God, we will change. There will be certain things that we will find difficult to do and even when we do them, we will never get the same satisfaction from them that we once did. It is impossible not to see evidence of parentage in a child. When you are truly a child of God, there will be characteristics in you that resemble God – with time. Change will never be immediate. We need to work out our salvation. The miracle of salvation is about conception but we must do our part so that we can grow so that more of God is evident in us.
I am grateful for the wonderful gift of salvation. Even when people around me thought I was worth nothing, God thought me worthy to be called one of his own. With that sense of pride, I give my life wholly to God – everything that I own belongs to him. I pray that I will continue to grow in faith regardless of the circumstances that life throws at me. I am not perfect and there is no expectation that I will be but I shall continue to grow in the knowledge of God, secure and confident in his love for me.
So if like me, you still make mistakes and have not attained perfection yet, keep walking. Don’t look back at your errors and refuse to allow others to remind you of them. Look forward to your successes with God. Your future days will be much better than the latter ones in the mighty name of Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Strive To Do What’s Right
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money,” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then varnishes. – James 4:13-14
Procrastination is man’s greatest enemy. We fail to do what we are called to do at the right time. We ignorantly believe that we can come back later and that situations and people will wait. We put off important things for another day. I have met people who say that they are no ready to be saved. They still want to go out there and do all the wrong things and will receive salvation tomorrow – never acknowledging that tomorrow might be too late.
The scripture above is sobering especially for me. I have procrastinated on the important calling upon my life for a few years doing what I have the aptitude to do instead of what I was created to do. I make a living with my aptitude but it is not what gives me life and I know it. The good news is I know my calling. The next thing is to simply take a step of faith. Success never comes without sacrifice so strive do sacrifice and do what is right today so that you can have success tomorrow.
It is so easy to keep going on with the “business as usual” attitude. We promise that we will take care of our children in a few years. Spend more time with them down the road not fully grasping that the children might not want that kind of attention tomorrow. As a parent it is important for me to do what is honorable today so that I can be honored tomorrow. I encourage every parent to take an active role in the lives of their children today – right now. They grow up so fast.
What are you doing right now that is speculation at its best? Do you have something that you know it is God’s will for you to do and you are ignoring? If it is God’s will according to his word, start right now. Do not wait until tomorrow because tomorrow might be too late.
Procrastination is man’s greatest enemy. We fail to do what we are called to do at the right time. We ignorantly believe that we can come back later and that situations and people will wait. We put off important things for another day. I have met people who say that they are no ready to be saved. They still want to go out there and do all the wrong things and will receive salvation tomorrow – never acknowledging that tomorrow might be too late.
The scripture above is sobering especially for me. I have procrastinated on the important calling upon my life for a few years doing what I have the aptitude to do instead of what I was created to do. I make a living with my aptitude but it is not what gives me life and I know it. The good news is I know my calling. The next thing is to simply take a step of faith. Success never comes without sacrifice so strive do sacrifice and do what is right today so that you can have success tomorrow.
It is so easy to keep going on with the “business as usual” attitude. We promise that we will take care of our children in a few years. Spend more time with them down the road not fully grasping that the children might not want that kind of attention tomorrow. As a parent it is important for me to do what is honorable today so that I can be honored tomorrow. I encourage every parent to take an active role in the lives of their children today – right now. They grow up so fast.
What are you doing right now that is speculation at its best? Do you have something that you know it is God’s will for you to do and you are ignoring? If it is God’s will according to his word, start right now. Do not wait until tomorrow because tomorrow might be too late.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Looking For Joy?
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. – Psalm 16:11
As believers, we all at one point or another look for pleasures from people and life. When we come to the real knowledge of Jesus Christ and we start to walk with him, we quickly realize that our peace and joy can never be found in the things of this world. But until we learn that fact, we spend our time and life going round and round the mulberry bush. We wander around from place to place looking for meaning to our lives – a meaning that only God can give us. We waste our resources going back and forth and just wearing ourselves out for no reason.
There is only one place where joy can be truly found and it is in the presence of God. No-one and nothing can bring you the joy and peace you so desperately crave. In Exodus 33:14 – God says the following to Moses “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest”. This means that if we are going anywhere at all when unrest comes, it is to be in the presence of God. When we are in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy regardless of the circumstances that we face. When we run away from our circumstances and begin to look for joy in all the wrong places, it can only end badly and in disappointment.
If you are feeling pressured today, seek God and spend time in his word. Talk to God one on one about your problems, he so longs to talk to you. Be still and know that He is God. Don’t be tempted to pack your bags and run away because regardless of where you end up on the face of this earth, trouble will come. For how long will you keep running?
As believers, we all at one point or another look for pleasures from people and life. When we come to the real knowledge of Jesus Christ and we start to walk with him, we quickly realize that our peace and joy can never be found in the things of this world. But until we learn that fact, we spend our time and life going round and round the mulberry bush. We wander around from place to place looking for meaning to our lives – a meaning that only God can give us. We waste our resources going back and forth and just wearing ourselves out for no reason.
There is only one place where joy can be truly found and it is in the presence of God. No-one and nothing can bring you the joy and peace you so desperately crave. In Exodus 33:14 – God says the following to Moses “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest”. This means that if we are going anywhere at all when unrest comes, it is to be in the presence of God. When we are in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy regardless of the circumstances that we face. When we run away from our circumstances and begin to look for joy in all the wrong places, it can only end badly and in disappointment.
If you are feeling pressured today, seek God and spend time in his word. Talk to God one on one about your problems, he so longs to talk to you. Be still and know that He is God. Don’t be tempted to pack your bags and run away because regardless of where you end up on the face of this earth, trouble will come. For how long will you keep running?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Hope
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” – Isaiah 12:2
I have learnt that it is extremely crucial to be a person of very strong spirit. I do exercise to strengthen my body but spending time developing my spirit is extremely important to me. Because I understand and fully appreciate that it is the resilience of my spirit that has kept me alive and going in very difficult times. I have no doubt that God orchestrates our life and everything that we go through. He knew what I would go through as an adult so everything that happened in my childhood was all to prepare me for what I would go through today. Without my upbringing, I would not have survived. My childhood built in me strength that you cannot get in a book or in a classroom; strength that could only come from experiences.
No doubt that the enemy of your soul will use various people and circumstances to try to bring you down. So it is vital that you know where your strength lies. It is important that there is a place in your heart reserved for God that that people and circumstances have absolutely no access to. A place reserved only for God so that regardless of what happens in the world, your trust and your faith is secure. When bad things happen, it is not to rob you of material things but to steal your hope, your strength and your faith. Because once you loose those, you’ve lost everything.
No-one and nothing is that important in your life that you cannot live without. If you loose a relationship it does not mean that your life is over – no-one is that great! Your hope is in Jesus Christ and not in any man or woman. When you put your hope in people, they will almost always let you down in one way or another. People will be people – human just like you and prone to making mistakes. In a way, you are giving them power that they don’t deserve and quite frankly don’t have the ability to own. But when you place your hope in God, he never makes mistakes. He’s got your back. He will be strong when you are weak. He will be the Israel in you when you are feeling like Jacob. Put your faith, hope and strength in the only secure place – with God.
I have learnt that it is extremely crucial to be a person of very strong spirit. I do exercise to strengthen my body but spending time developing my spirit is extremely important to me. Because I understand and fully appreciate that it is the resilience of my spirit that has kept me alive and going in very difficult times. I have no doubt that God orchestrates our life and everything that we go through. He knew what I would go through as an adult so everything that happened in my childhood was all to prepare me for what I would go through today. Without my upbringing, I would not have survived. My childhood built in me strength that you cannot get in a book or in a classroom; strength that could only come from experiences.
No doubt that the enemy of your soul will use various people and circumstances to try to bring you down. So it is vital that you know where your strength lies. It is important that there is a place in your heart reserved for God that that people and circumstances have absolutely no access to. A place reserved only for God so that regardless of what happens in the world, your trust and your faith is secure. When bad things happen, it is not to rob you of material things but to steal your hope, your strength and your faith. Because once you loose those, you’ve lost everything.
No-one and nothing is that important in your life that you cannot live without. If you loose a relationship it does not mean that your life is over – no-one is that great! Your hope is in Jesus Christ and not in any man or woman. When you put your hope in people, they will almost always let you down in one way or another. People will be people – human just like you and prone to making mistakes. In a way, you are giving them power that they don’t deserve and quite frankly don’t have the ability to own. But when you place your hope in God, he never makes mistakes. He’s got your back. He will be strong when you are weak. He will be the Israel in you when you are feeling like Jacob. Put your faith, hope and strength in the only secure place – with God.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Expect God’s Favor
For his anger lasts only for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. – Psalm 30:5
I have great expectations for this year. God is moving in my heart and in my life in ways you can’t eve begin to imagine. Everything that I’ve been through that I did not understand is beginning to have meaning. What are you expecting from life? Are you expecting God’s best or do you look forward to the worst? Is your attitude one that expects new things? Do you believe God for a better 2007 than 2008? Or are you down in dumps and don’t expect anything better than you had before?
It’s time to start expecting supernatural blessings from God. Start believing God for the things that you cannot see. Mark 24: 11 tells us very clearly that whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. God can turn anything around but it is all based on your expectations. With God anything is possible. God has so much in store for us – more than we can even begin to imagine.
It is time for us to start expecting negative situations in our homes and our jobs to turn around. God wants so much to promote us. He wants us to utilize all the gifts and talents that he has given us. Start to develop your faith; begin to believe. In God’s economy, we must believe before we can see. In the natural, it is seeing before believing but faith is different; it’s unique.
Expect great things from God this year. Refuse to live a mediocre life. Renew your knowledge of God’s promises for your life by reading his word. You will get only what you expect. Start changing your expectations. Expect the best – a child of God deserves only the best.
I have great expectations for this year. God is moving in my heart and in my life in ways you can’t eve begin to imagine. Everything that I’ve been through that I did not understand is beginning to have meaning. What are you expecting from life? Are you expecting God’s best or do you look forward to the worst? Is your attitude one that expects new things? Do you believe God for a better 2007 than 2008? Or are you down in dumps and don’t expect anything better than you had before?
It’s time to start expecting supernatural blessings from God. Start believing God for the things that you cannot see. Mark 24: 11 tells us very clearly that whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. God can turn anything around but it is all based on your expectations. With God anything is possible. God has so much in store for us – more than we can even begin to imagine.
It is time for us to start expecting negative situations in our homes and our jobs to turn around. God wants so much to promote us. He wants us to utilize all the gifts and talents that he has given us. Start to develop your faith; begin to believe. In God’s economy, we must believe before we can see. In the natural, it is seeing before believing but faith is different; it’s unique.
Expect great things from God this year. Refuse to live a mediocre life. Renew your knowledge of God’s promises for your life by reading his word. You will get only what you expect. Start changing your expectations. Expect the best – a child of God deserves only the best.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Pursuit of Perfection in Speech
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. – James 3:1-2
I understand that no-one is perfect – only God is. But I can’t help but feel guilty sometimes about saying negative things. Now I know when I fall short of the mark and fail to be all that I can be. The Holy Spirit never fails to convict me when these instances occur. God wants us all to speak encouragement to others. He wants us to see the good in others and not focus on the bad.
If we find ourselves around people that we know we will have problems speaking positively too, it is ok to love them from a distance until we get to a point where we can be around them, be positive and extend the love of God. If they communicate with us negatively, we can choose to offer no response until we get to a point when we are mature enough to return positivism for all the negativity they offer.
Until such a time, we can take great comfort in understanding that everyone is at fault at one time or another over what they say. No-one is a picture of perfection in speech. The grace extended to us by God in the same token is not an excuse to be reckless with our words and go around killing others with our tongue. We are to always walk towards perfection by pondering on our thoughts and trying to get our mind right.
I try to live by the saying “If you don’t have anything positive to say; say nothing at all”. So as we pursue perfection, let’s watch our words along the way. Even when we stumble, let’s take the time to make things right if possible and then move on. We are all a work in progress.
I understand that no-one is perfect – only God is. But I can’t help but feel guilty sometimes about saying negative things. Now I know when I fall short of the mark and fail to be all that I can be. The Holy Spirit never fails to convict me when these instances occur. God wants us all to speak encouragement to others. He wants us to see the good in others and not focus on the bad.
If we find ourselves around people that we know we will have problems speaking positively too, it is ok to love them from a distance until we get to a point where we can be around them, be positive and extend the love of God. If they communicate with us negatively, we can choose to offer no response until we get to a point when we are mature enough to return positivism for all the negativity they offer.
Until such a time, we can take great comfort in understanding that everyone is at fault at one time or another over what they say. No-one is a picture of perfection in speech. The grace extended to us by God in the same token is not an excuse to be reckless with our words and go around killing others with our tongue. We are to always walk towards perfection by pondering on our thoughts and trying to get our mind right.
I try to live by the saying “If you don’t have anything positive to say; say nothing at all”. So as we pursue perfection, let’s watch our words along the way. Even when we stumble, let’s take the time to make things right if possible and then move on. We are all a work in progress.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Learn To See What Others Miss
Not everyone with a pair of functioning eyes has vision. Truth be told, most of us with sight are blind as bats when it comes to vision. When I think of vision, I think of people like Stevie Wonder, he couldn’t see in the physical but he had a vision to use music as a way of blessing the world. Vision is more than seeing through your physical eyes; it’s seeing with your heart.
Vision is a gift from God. It cannot be learnt in a class or read in a book. When you have the gift of vision, you have the ability to see what others miss. You have the gift to see what is most important because the things you can actually see are not where your faith comes from. Your faith comes from things that you cannot see yet in the physical but God has given you a vision about. Your faith develops as you begin to believe God for all the things you can see very clearly with your heart but not yet with your physical eyes.
The story of Caleb and Joshua come to mind. 12 spies were sent out to scope out the land, 10 saw with their physical eyes and were afraid. 2 saw with the eyes of their heart and were encouraged. Joshua and Caleb saw something the other 10 did not see. They saw God delivering the land into their hands in spite of the giants that occupied the land. They must have had a vision of themselves in that land and believed by faith that they could take possession of the land with God by their side.
As I struggle to care for my daughters because they are young, I focus not on where they are right now and the amount of work it involves but the vision God has placed in my heart as to what they would be. I see them grown, following the Lord and walking in his vision for their lives. I never fail to tell them about the grace of God every day and how he keeps us moving forward despite opposition and hard times. I am training them to see more than what the naked eyes reveal. It is vision that gives the strength to persist and the tenacity to never give up.
What do you see about your life that others do not see? What is the vision God has placed in your heart regarding your walk with him and your time on this earth?
Vision is a gift from God. It cannot be learnt in a class or read in a book. When you have the gift of vision, you have the ability to see what others miss. You have the gift to see what is most important because the things you can actually see are not where your faith comes from. Your faith comes from things that you cannot see yet in the physical but God has given you a vision about. Your faith develops as you begin to believe God for all the things you can see very clearly with your heart but not yet with your physical eyes.
The story of Caleb and Joshua come to mind. 12 spies were sent out to scope out the land, 10 saw with their physical eyes and were afraid. 2 saw with the eyes of their heart and were encouraged. Joshua and Caleb saw something the other 10 did not see. They saw God delivering the land into their hands in spite of the giants that occupied the land. They must have had a vision of themselves in that land and believed by faith that they could take possession of the land with God by their side.
As I struggle to care for my daughters because they are young, I focus not on where they are right now and the amount of work it involves but the vision God has placed in my heart as to what they would be. I see them grown, following the Lord and walking in his vision for their lives. I never fail to tell them about the grace of God every day and how he keeps us moving forward despite opposition and hard times. I am training them to see more than what the naked eyes reveal. It is vision that gives the strength to persist and the tenacity to never give up.
What do you see about your life that others do not see? What is the vision God has placed in your heart regarding your walk with him and your time on this earth?
Friday, January 18, 2008
Without Faith
By faith Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. – Hebrews 11:5-6
The first verse of Hebrews 11 gives us a definition faith as being certain of what we hoped for and certain of what we are yet to see. Faith is a gift from God; it’s not contagious. It is powerful because it allows us to see what others cannot see. With faith we easily what others readily miss. I remember a special man of God speaking about seeing himself in the air in a jet plane while he was a kid sleeping on a mat on the cold floor in the Bahamas as a child. Now this man owns a jet of his own. I also remember the story of two college students who went to India on a trip. One saw a multitude of poor people with no shoes and the other saw a shoe business. He later designed cheap affordable shoes that could be shipped to India.
So how do we get faith? Do we get it through religious activities life attending church or fasting? No. Romans 10:17 clearly tell us where faith comes from. Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Faith builds up in our hearts when we start to believe God for things that we are yet to see and as we believe in the unseen, we ultimately please God. Having faith is not about pleasing your neighbors and your friends; forget your neighbors. The key is pleasing God. I have met a lot of people who get hung up on what people say about them – spending a lifetime on an image that means absolutely nothing to God.
Why worry about what you think about me? God has orchestrated my end from the beginning. He had a plan for me even before he made me so why should I be intimidated by you or what you think I ought to be? The only way I can ever have peace is through pleasing God. It is not my business or my concern to meet any of your expectations. I only need to aspire to meet God’s expectations in terms of his vision for my life. Don’t worry about me or my faults; focus on yourself and the plan God has for you. That ought to be the attitude of everyone who is living by faith – focusing entirely on pleasing God. Never waste your time on folks who happen to be experts on everything that’s wrong with you but have absolutely no clue about what is wrong with their own lives. You will never really please them until you become exactly like them!
I have learnt that you can spend your whole live as a round peg trying to fit into a square hole or you can spend time with God and let him show you who he created you to be. When real love comes, it won’t try to change you or anything about you. Real love won’t want you to be anything other than what God created you to be. That’s the love of God for us. And as we walk with him, he will gently guide us and re-shape any areas of our lives that need to be changed – by faith. It is only by faith that we are transformed into new creatures not by bullying and definitely not by intimidation and manipulation. Only God brings about true and lasting change and we can only receive it by faith.
The first verse of Hebrews 11 gives us a definition faith as being certain of what we hoped for and certain of what we are yet to see. Faith is a gift from God; it’s not contagious. It is powerful because it allows us to see what others cannot see. With faith we easily what others readily miss. I remember a special man of God speaking about seeing himself in the air in a jet plane while he was a kid sleeping on a mat on the cold floor in the Bahamas as a child. Now this man owns a jet of his own. I also remember the story of two college students who went to India on a trip. One saw a multitude of poor people with no shoes and the other saw a shoe business. He later designed cheap affordable shoes that could be shipped to India.
So how do we get faith? Do we get it through religious activities life attending church or fasting? No. Romans 10:17 clearly tell us where faith comes from. Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Faith builds up in our hearts when we start to believe God for things that we are yet to see and as we believe in the unseen, we ultimately please God. Having faith is not about pleasing your neighbors and your friends; forget your neighbors. The key is pleasing God. I have met a lot of people who get hung up on what people say about them – spending a lifetime on an image that means absolutely nothing to God.
Why worry about what you think about me? God has orchestrated my end from the beginning. He had a plan for me even before he made me so why should I be intimidated by you or what you think I ought to be? The only way I can ever have peace is through pleasing God. It is not my business or my concern to meet any of your expectations. I only need to aspire to meet God’s expectations in terms of his vision for my life. Don’t worry about me or my faults; focus on yourself and the plan God has for you. That ought to be the attitude of everyone who is living by faith – focusing entirely on pleasing God. Never waste your time on folks who happen to be experts on everything that’s wrong with you but have absolutely no clue about what is wrong with their own lives. You will never really please them until you become exactly like them!
I have learnt that you can spend your whole live as a round peg trying to fit into a square hole or you can spend time with God and let him show you who he created you to be. When real love comes, it won’t try to change you or anything about you. Real love won’t want you to be anything other than what God created you to be. That’s the love of God for us. And as we walk with him, he will gently guide us and re-shape any areas of our lives that need to be changed – by faith. It is only by faith that we are transformed into new creatures not by bullying and definitely not by intimidation and manipulation. Only God brings about true and lasting change and we can only receive it by faith.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Take Cover
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. – Psalm 34:8
In the last four years, I have had to duck for cover from time to time. I had occasions where I felt that my time in this realm was definitely done; times when I was convinced that I couldn’t go on. My troubles seem to overwhelm me and I spent my days and nights pondering upon them and focusing on them. And we all know that whatever we focus on will continue to get bigger. Problems just have a knack of getting more complex as we worry and fret over them.
It took a lot of work (and I am not quite there yet) to be able to have peace and appreciate life even in the midst of the toughest circumstances. When people marvel at how I get by on my own with two children I am honest enough to say that I couldn’t do it without God. And if truth be told, some days I still feel like I can’t do this on my own. But as people share their lives with me, I have come to realize that my problems are not the worst on the face of the earth. Some folks have tougher challenges that they live with day-to-day. I have learnt that it is often important that we look beyond ourselves and see what could have been and what God has saved us from. We must take time to focus on what is right in our lives rather than extrapolating on what is wrong.
There are many women even in this country raising their children on their own that would give anything to have my life. If we are all to be honest, regardless of what we are dealing with right now, it really could be a lot worse. We have to take refuge in the Lord when things get difficult and understand that in spite of all the storms raging around us and in our lives, we are still blessed; blessed because we trust the Lord never to leave us nor forsake us.
In the last four years, I have had to duck for cover from time to time. I had occasions where I felt that my time in this realm was definitely done; times when I was convinced that I couldn’t go on. My troubles seem to overwhelm me and I spent my days and nights pondering upon them and focusing on them. And we all know that whatever we focus on will continue to get bigger. Problems just have a knack of getting more complex as we worry and fret over them.
It took a lot of work (and I am not quite there yet) to be able to have peace and appreciate life even in the midst of the toughest circumstances. When people marvel at how I get by on my own with two children I am honest enough to say that I couldn’t do it without God. And if truth be told, some days I still feel like I can’t do this on my own. But as people share their lives with me, I have come to realize that my problems are not the worst on the face of the earth. Some folks have tougher challenges that they live with day-to-day. I have learnt that it is often important that we look beyond ourselves and see what could have been and what God has saved us from. We must take time to focus on what is right in our lives rather than extrapolating on what is wrong.
There are many women even in this country raising their children on their own that would give anything to have my life. If we are all to be honest, regardless of what we are dealing with right now, it really could be a lot worse. We have to take refuge in the Lord when things get difficult and understand that in spite of all the storms raging around us and in our lives, we are still blessed; blessed because we trust the Lord never to leave us nor forsake us.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Being Good vs. Looking Good
Today anything is possible – if you don’t like your hair, you can buy a weave or change the color. If you think your nose is too long, you can have it fixed. If you want to lose weight but can’t be bothered to exercise, there are various kinds of surgeries designed just for you. If you’ve ever seen the Extreme Makeover show, you will know that we can drastically improve our looks for the “better”. Looking good has become so important that it now supersedes actually being good. Nobody cares anymore if a woman has an original thought in her head, so long as she looks appealing to the eye. Beauty gets women much further than intelligence in the world that we live in today.
To some of us, our appearances mean everything. We focus our entire lives on looking just right and doing what is politically correct in public but act irrationally behind closed doors. Our emphasis is entirely on how things appear. We are so disillusioned that our image has become more important than our reality. Looking good is like a passport to eternity. If only eternity depended on how we see ourselves or how others see us! Hopefully when we eventually realize that it’s not about what the next door neighbor thinks that it is only about what God thinks, our lives can improve for the better.
God sees us all the time. When we think we can’t be seen and when we are out in the open. A man who treats his wife with respect in public but abuses and demoralizes her at home is in open view – to the Lord. A woman who spends all her money on nails and weaves but shows up in church without an offering can be seen by God. We are comfortable with owing everybody and their brother in order to perceive an image far from our reality. Credit card debt, store card debt; we continue to buy things that we cannot afford. We drive a brand new Mercedes and can’t afford our rent. We purchase a $200 bottle of perfume for our 3 feet by 3 feet sized bathroom. The list of how we can continue to fake it is endless.
It’s high time that our DNA starts to line up with that of our Heavenly Father. God is not interested in our image simply because he knows who we really are. Even in our darkest corners, we are in full view where God is concerned. It’s time to spend more time being good – treating others with respect; eradicating selfishness and doing what God has called us to do – in private and in public.
To some of us, our appearances mean everything. We focus our entire lives on looking just right and doing what is politically correct in public but act irrationally behind closed doors. Our emphasis is entirely on how things appear. We are so disillusioned that our image has become more important than our reality. Looking good is like a passport to eternity. If only eternity depended on how we see ourselves or how others see us! Hopefully when we eventually realize that it’s not about what the next door neighbor thinks that it is only about what God thinks, our lives can improve for the better.
God sees us all the time. When we think we can’t be seen and when we are out in the open. A man who treats his wife with respect in public but abuses and demoralizes her at home is in open view – to the Lord. A woman who spends all her money on nails and weaves but shows up in church without an offering can be seen by God. We are comfortable with owing everybody and their brother in order to perceive an image far from our reality. Credit card debt, store card debt; we continue to buy things that we cannot afford. We drive a brand new Mercedes and can’t afford our rent. We purchase a $200 bottle of perfume for our 3 feet by 3 feet sized bathroom. The list of how we can continue to fake it is endless.
It’s high time that our DNA starts to line up with that of our Heavenly Father. God is not interested in our image simply because he knows who we really are. Even in our darkest corners, we are in full view where God is concerned. It’s time to spend more time being good – treating others with respect; eradicating selfishness and doing what God has called us to do – in private and in public.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Jesus Makes Things Better
The master of the banquet called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” – John 2:10
In the real world, people always present their best face first. When you start dating for example, everything seems nice and good. We are all on our best behavior until we get married and actually start living together. In general, things often go downhill from there. Some find the ability to adapt and improve things while others never recover. The natural progression of things in the world is to start good and then go from bad to worse.
When I look back on my life, I can’t help but realize that I am living my best life now. I am not under any pressure to be what I am not. I do not have to please people to feel appreciated and most importantly, I don’t need to go anywhere that I don’t want to be. I believe that is what happens when you focus on exactly what you were born to do. There is less time to focus on the unimportant things like what people thing, where they think you ought to go and what they think you ought to do. The word of God starts to direct ones destiny related decisions. Life is so much easier for me now. I am pressured, have very little time to play and work extremely hard but my life is so much better. Jesus has made my life better. I give all the credit to Jesus Christ my Savior. He moved a lot of obstacles out of my way and changed my life for the better.
Jesus makes our lives improve. People with addictions get better and start to live a positive life. People who have been rejected and abandoned find the will and strength to use their pain and experience to help others on the road to recovery. When Jesus really touches your life, you never remain the same. An encounter with the Lord brings out from the darkness into the light. We find ourselves being a person who is willing to sacrifice for others. The spirit of selfishness varnishes for good as we start to be more and more like our savior.
In the real world, people always present their best face first. When you start dating for example, everything seems nice and good. We are all on our best behavior until we get married and actually start living together. In general, things often go downhill from there. Some find the ability to adapt and improve things while others never recover. The natural progression of things in the world is to start good and then go from bad to worse.
When I look back on my life, I can’t help but realize that I am living my best life now. I am not under any pressure to be what I am not. I do not have to please people to feel appreciated and most importantly, I don’t need to go anywhere that I don’t want to be. I believe that is what happens when you focus on exactly what you were born to do. There is less time to focus on the unimportant things like what people thing, where they think you ought to go and what they think you ought to do. The word of God starts to direct ones destiny related decisions. Life is so much easier for me now. I am pressured, have very little time to play and work extremely hard but my life is so much better. Jesus has made my life better. I give all the credit to Jesus Christ my Savior. He moved a lot of obstacles out of my way and changed my life for the better.
Jesus makes our lives improve. People with addictions get better and start to live a positive life. People who have been rejected and abandoned find the will and strength to use their pain and experience to help others on the road to recovery. When Jesus really touches your life, you never remain the same. An encounter with the Lord brings out from the darkness into the light. We find ourselves being a person who is willing to sacrifice for others. The spirit of selfishness varnishes for good as we start to be more and more like our savior.
Monday, January 14, 2008
A change in Approach
Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27
This verse of scripture is really for me. I am very passionate about it. I pray that God will help me to live it as well as I know it. I am learning day by day not to be troubled by this world and the things therein. I am learning to be distracted by people who have no vision or plans of there own but will rather bother those who do. The buttons they once knew how to push so well in the past has been disconnected. They no longer function – Hallelujah to God.
Even if my circumstances never changes the way that I expect them to, Jesus Christ has left me with his peace. It’s my reaction that I can control; I cannot control my circumstances and I have vowed not to let them dictate how my story will end. I have big plans for my life and the life of my precious daughters. God gives me his divine strength day by day as I watch supernatural things happen and impossible doors open.
We need to start watching the way we react to trouble-makers and the trials of life. God is definitely in control if we will let him. If we can begin to give credit only to where credit is due, we can move forward with the matters that count.
This verse of scripture is really for me. I am very passionate about it. I pray that God will help me to live it as well as I know it. I am learning day by day not to be troubled by this world and the things therein. I am learning to be distracted by people who have no vision or plans of there own but will rather bother those who do. The buttons they once knew how to push so well in the past has been disconnected. They no longer function – Hallelujah to God.
Even if my circumstances never changes the way that I expect them to, Jesus Christ has left me with his peace. It’s my reaction that I can control; I cannot control my circumstances and I have vowed not to let them dictate how my story will end. I have big plans for my life and the life of my precious daughters. God gives me his divine strength day by day as I watch supernatural things happen and impossible doors open.
We need to start watching the way we react to trouble-makers and the trials of life. God is definitely in control if we will let him. If we can begin to give credit only to where credit is due, we can move forward with the matters that count.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Participate in your Miracle
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
“Sir,” the invalid replied, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
The Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. – John 5:7-9
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”, so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. – John 2: 7-9
I think the very same question Jesus asked the invalid at the pool can be asked of everyone of us living a dysfunctional lifestyle today. The important and vital question – “Do you want to get well?” The invalid man gave Jesus an excuse that he had no one to help him into the pool when the water is stirred and that someone else always seemed to get in ahead of him. Sound familiar?
We always have an excuse for everything. An excuse for failing to live up to the purpose God has planned for our lives. We can get so spiritual sometimes that we fail to operate in the natural world. We forget that God does not want us emotional but spiritual with a handle of the world we live in. We must operate with acute effectiveness for God on earth before heading on to be with the Lord in heaven.
God promises us freedom and blessings here on earth but we must participate in our own breakthrough. We must have enough strength to put our faith into action. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we gain absolutely everything through struggle nor does it mean that God hands things to us without our involvement.
If you really think about it, Jesus could have simply filled all the jars in that entire neighborhood with wine. But he chose to include others and make them work the miracle. Similarly he could have healed the lame man immediately without saying a word but he asked him for his participation. He told him to pick himself up so that he can be healed.
Are you waiting for a miracle from God? What are you doing while you wait? Are you folding your arms waiting for God to drop things in your lap? If this is the case, look at what you have in your hands. Do an inventory of what God has already given you and get to work at once. Don’t waste another day. A day spent pursuing your dream is an extra day to actually live your dreams.
“Sir,” the invalid replied, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
The Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. – John 5:7-9
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”, so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. – John 2: 7-9
I think the very same question Jesus asked the invalid at the pool can be asked of everyone of us living a dysfunctional lifestyle today. The important and vital question – “Do you want to get well?” The invalid man gave Jesus an excuse that he had no one to help him into the pool when the water is stirred and that someone else always seemed to get in ahead of him. Sound familiar?
We always have an excuse for everything. An excuse for failing to live up to the purpose God has planned for our lives. We can get so spiritual sometimes that we fail to operate in the natural world. We forget that God does not want us emotional but spiritual with a handle of the world we live in. We must operate with acute effectiveness for God on earth before heading on to be with the Lord in heaven.
God promises us freedom and blessings here on earth but we must participate in our own breakthrough. We must have enough strength to put our faith into action. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we gain absolutely everything through struggle nor does it mean that God hands things to us without our involvement.
If you really think about it, Jesus could have simply filled all the jars in that entire neighborhood with wine. But he chose to include others and make them work the miracle. Similarly he could have healed the lame man immediately without saying a word but he asked him for his participation. He told him to pick himself up so that he can be healed.
Are you waiting for a miracle from God? What are you doing while you wait? Are you folding your arms waiting for God to drop things in your lap? If this is the case, look at what you have in your hands. Do an inventory of what God has already given you and get to work at once. Don’t waste another day. A day spent pursuing your dream is an extra day to actually live your dreams.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Like Father; Like Son
For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.” – Genesis 20:1-5
When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, She is my wife,: He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”
When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” – Genesis 26:7-9
Generation curses are very real. An irresponsible man will often raise an irresponsible son. There may be exceptions where an individual has made a decision never to be like their father and they follow through. But more often than not, the reverse is the case. I met a man who wanders from place to place – taking positions of employment in far away places and coming home only one a week or once a month. I later learnt that his father did exactly the same time when he was a child so it seemed normal to him. His mother shouldered all the responsibility of raising them so he saw nothing wrong with not participating in raising his children.
I have some generational curses in my family and as I became aware of them I made a decision to ensure that the buck stops with me. My dad raised me from age 9 to adulthood so I have vowed never to leave the spiritual, emotional and physical development of my children to anyone. I think there is something important that a same sex parent brings to the table that is very crucial to the development of a child.
In the scripture above, Abraham was a deceiver and his son learnt that skill from him. I like the way the Bible uses the same situation to highlight this horrible similarity. Down the line, Jacob also stole his brother, Esau’s blessings by deceiving his father.
What are the things that you know you are doing that your father did or your mother did that is wrong? Are you following your ancestors down the wrong road of dysfunction? Are you re-writing horrible history? Do an inventory on yourself today and you may be surprised to realize that you are propagating some improper way of living.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.” – Genesis 20:1-5
When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, She is my wife,: He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”
When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” – Genesis 26:7-9
Generation curses are very real. An irresponsible man will often raise an irresponsible son. There may be exceptions where an individual has made a decision never to be like their father and they follow through. But more often than not, the reverse is the case. I met a man who wanders from place to place – taking positions of employment in far away places and coming home only one a week or once a month. I later learnt that his father did exactly the same time when he was a child so it seemed normal to him. His mother shouldered all the responsibility of raising them so he saw nothing wrong with not participating in raising his children.
I have some generational curses in my family and as I became aware of them I made a decision to ensure that the buck stops with me. My dad raised me from age 9 to adulthood so I have vowed never to leave the spiritual, emotional and physical development of my children to anyone. I think there is something important that a same sex parent brings to the table that is very crucial to the development of a child.
In the scripture above, Abraham was a deceiver and his son learnt that skill from him. I like the way the Bible uses the same situation to highlight this horrible similarity. Down the line, Jacob also stole his brother, Esau’s blessings by deceiving his father.
What are the things that you know you are doing that your father did or your mother did that is wrong? Are you following your ancestors down the wrong road of dysfunction? Are you re-writing horrible history? Do an inventory on yourself today and you may be surprised to realize that you are propagating some improper way of living.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Something Old; Something New
Jesus said to them, "No one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. "And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, 'The old is good.'" – Luke 5:37-39
One thing I’ve learnt is that to have something new, we sometimes need to rid ourselves of the old stuff. We need to get rid of old and irrelevant cultures and traditions that impede our relationship with God. We spend far too much time trying to play both sides – we see the move of God in something new but we are bust trying desperately to hold on to the old. We know our tenure in the place we are is done but we are so comfortable where we are at, we refuse to break out of the four walls that we are stuck in. There nothing more hellish than feeling stuck; that horrible sinking feeling of not being able to move forward or go back.
The illustration above by Jesus is amazing. How do you put new wine in old wine skins? It not only makes no sense but it will never ever work. The new wine is fresh and it’s going to go through different stages like fermentation. It will expand and contract. The old wine skins cannot handle that kind of pressure so inevitably the skins will burst and all the wine will be lost. Similarly you cannot co-mingle the new thing that God is trying to do with the old dysfunctional stuff you have going on – the two cannot co-exist. If the new is to thrive, the old must be removed completely. To fully embrace the new, we must get rid of the old.
What are the things you need to rid yourself of before you can step into the new? Are you in a dysfunctional relationship that is headed no where? Or maybe you are stuck in a dead end job with absolutely no hope of advancement. Do you have that sick feeling that you are working hard but in the wrong place? You are working over-time and under-time trying to earn this paper but no-one cares. You have a dream in your heart that has absolutely nothing to do with what you spend all your waking hours doing and still you get no appreciation. Maybe it’s time to start planning – start strategizing your life so that the latter part can be better than the former. It’s time to trust God with the dreams he has placed in your heart and know that he will make provisions available for whatever he has called you to do – if it is his will.
Getting rid of the old and moving forward with the new with commitment is scary because to all of us, the old is extremely comfortable. With the old you get by, so you live with it and in some ways consider it better than the unknown.
One thing I’ve learnt is that to have something new, we sometimes need to rid ourselves of the old stuff. We need to get rid of old and irrelevant cultures and traditions that impede our relationship with God. We spend far too much time trying to play both sides – we see the move of God in something new but we are bust trying desperately to hold on to the old. We know our tenure in the place we are is done but we are so comfortable where we are at, we refuse to break out of the four walls that we are stuck in. There nothing more hellish than feeling stuck; that horrible sinking feeling of not being able to move forward or go back.
The illustration above by Jesus is amazing. How do you put new wine in old wine skins? It not only makes no sense but it will never ever work. The new wine is fresh and it’s going to go through different stages like fermentation. It will expand and contract. The old wine skins cannot handle that kind of pressure so inevitably the skins will burst and all the wine will be lost. Similarly you cannot co-mingle the new thing that God is trying to do with the old dysfunctional stuff you have going on – the two cannot co-exist. If the new is to thrive, the old must be removed completely. To fully embrace the new, we must get rid of the old.
What are the things you need to rid yourself of before you can step into the new? Are you in a dysfunctional relationship that is headed no where? Or maybe you are stuck in a dead end job with absolutely no hope of advancement. Do you have that sick feeling that you are working hard but in the wrong place? You are working over-time and under-time trying to earn this paper but no-one cares. You have a dream in your heart that has absolutely nothing to do with what you spend all your waking hours doing and still you get no appreciation. Maybe it’s time to start planning – start strategizing your life so that the latter part can be better than the former. It’s time to trust God with the dreams he has placed in your heart and know that he will make provisions available for whatever he has called you to do – if it is his will.
Getting rid of the old and moving forward with the new with commitment is scary because to all of us, the old is extremely comfortable. With the old you get by, so you live with it and in some ways consider it better than the unknown.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Investigate Your Environment
“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.” – Isaiah 54:2-4
What environment are you operating in? Is it conducive for your growth? Could your surroundings be impeding your success? Are you set in a dysfunctional environment that will never improve? What are your real as opposed as to your perceived limitations? Look around you, who have you surrounded yourself with? One thing is for sure – once you become the smartest in your circle, it’s time to make new friends.
Just like you can’t place an oak tree in a flower pot, you can never get farther than your environment will allow. If like me, you love to write and express yourself, stay away from people who constantly tell you how you’ll never make it as a writer. Find people who are where you want to go and learn from them. In reality, people may not understand your dream. It does not mean that they are bad people but they just can’t see what you see. Visions are often very personal and specific – God designed each one of us as a unique human being. There is no copy of you on this earth. And there may be others who will be jealous because they’ve never had the courage to go after their own dreams. They may be too busy trying to make a living to actually get a life.
Your environment plays a major role in the achieving of your goals. It can ultimately mean the difference between failure and success. Your environment should make more “deposits” into your life rather than “withdrawals”. You should be growing and enlarging, never staying stagnant.
What environment are you operating in? Is it conducive for your growth? Could your surroundings be impeding your success? Are you set in a dysfunctional environment that will never improve? What are your real as opposed as to your perceived limitations? Look around you, who have you surrounded yourself with? One thing is for sure – once you become the smartest in your circle, it’s time to make new friends.
Just like you can’t place an oak tree in a flower pot, you can never get farther than your environment will allow. If like me, you love to write and express yourself, stay away from people who constantly tell you how you’ll never make it as a writer. Find people who are where you want to go and learn from them. In reality, people may not understand your dream. It does not mean that they are bad people but they just can’t see what you see. Visions are often very personal and specific – God designed each one of us as a unique human being. There is no copy of you on this earth. And there may be others who will be jealous because they’ve never had the courage to go after their own dreams. They may be too busy trying to make a living to actually get a life.
Your environment plays a major role in the achieving of your goals. It can ultimately mean the difference between failure and success. Your environment should make more “deposits” into your life rather than “withdrawals”. You should be growing and enlarging, never staying stagnant.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
No Success without Sacrifice
Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. – 2 Corinthians 1:9
I have met people who grew up in a Christian home, married a Christian spouse and live a perfect live. If you ask about real life challenges, they tell you different circumstances that may seem trivial to you but was life threatening to them. You see, it’s all about perspective. To the man who has no shoes life cannot be any worse until he meets another with no feet. I always admire folks who have had or are having an “easy” life. I really believe they are lucky and should never fail in counting their blessings. Will I swap places with them? Absolutely not! If I did, I wouldn’t have anything to say about the lemons that life can throw at you; about how life can beat you down and make you question your very existence. I believe that real life is a combination of successes and sacrifices – you can never have one without the other. Sacrifices and prevailing over tough circumstances is simply the price you pay for success. Sacrifices and tough situations make us realize our desperate need for God - for without him many of us believers would not have made it thus far.
I am grateful for my life – tough as it may seem. My life has demanded a lot of me. I have fought all my life to be here today. Every thing I have, I had to sacrifice for. Life has not been a fairy tale at all. And most people who have lived a fairy tale life cannot be of any help to me. To help me, you need to have been through some tough stuff yourself.
I am glad that the enemy cannot do anything to us that God does not permit. So if God allowed the sacrifice, it stands to reason that relief is around the corner. God does not promise a life on flowery beds of roses but he does promise to walk with us and get us through whatever trials we may experience along the way. The key is not to let our sacrifices and circumstances get us down but rather to learn and grow from them. True success comes from focusing on lessons to be learned during times of sacrifice rather than drowning in self-pity. Use your sacrifices well and refuse to be defeated by them.
For me reading the biographies of all the people that I call my mentors and seeing the sacrifices that they made in their lives to get the successes they now possess gives me great hope. My prayer everyday is that I continue to realize God’s purpose to my suffering. If like me, you’ve been through a lot. Ask God to show you the reasons and the gifts that lie in the debris of your past – you may be pleasantly surprised!
I have met people who grew up in a Christian home, married a Christian spouse and live a perfect live. If you ask about real life challenges, they tell you different circumstances that may seem trivial to you but was life threatening to them. You see, it’s all about perspective. To the man who has no shoes life cannot be any worse until he meets another with no feet. I always admire folks who have had or are having an “easy” life. I really believe they are lucky and should never fail in counting their blessings. Will I swap places with them? Absolutely not! If I did, I wouldn’t have anything to say about the lemons that life can throw at you; about how life can beat you down and make you question your very existence. I believe that real life is a combination of successes and sacrifices – you can never have one without the other. Sacrifices and prevailing over tough circumstances is simply the price you pay for success. Sacrifices and tough situations make us realize our desperate need for God - for without him many of us believers would not have made it thus far.
I am grateful for my life – tough as it may seem. My life has demanded a lot of me. I have fought all my life to be here today. Every thing I have, I had to sacrifice for. Life has not been a fairy tale at all. And most people who have lived a fairy tale life cannot be of any help to me. To help me, you need to have been through some tough stuff yourself.
I am glad that the enemy cannot do anything to us that God does not permit. So if God allowed the sacrifice, it stands to reason that relief is around the corner. God does not promise a life on flowery beds of roses but he does promise to walk with us and get us through whatever trials we may experience along the way. The key is not to let our sacrifices and circumstances get us down but rather to learn and grow from them. True success comes from focusing on lessons to be learned during times of sacrifice rather than drowning in self-pity. Use your sacrifices well and refuse to be defeated by them.
For me reading the biographies of all the people that I call my mentors and seeing the sacrifices that they made in their lives to get the successes they now possess gives me great hope. My prayer everyday is that I continue to realize God’s purpose to my suffering. If like me, you’ve been through a lot. Ask God to show you the reasons and the gifts that lie in the debris of your past – you may be pleasantly surprised!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
The Rejected Stone
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. – Psalm 118:22-23
“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes” – Mark 12:10
As we journey through this world, we will face rejection at one point or another. Maybe you applied for your dream job but was not successful as securing the position. Or maybe you entered some kind of contest and a winner was selected, just that it wasn’t you. It could be that you were in a marriage for many years and your spouse left you for somebody else. Your situation might be that you abandoned a family tradition and/or religion to follow Jesus Christ. Whatever your specific situation, one thing is definitely certain - rejection hurts. Jesus Christ understood rejection well and he experienced rejection over and over again because of who He was. Why should your life as his follower be any easier?
Rejection makes one feel unworthy and less than God created one to be. You feel as if there is something that you are lacking. There is an incredible amount of negative ways for one to try to compensate for being rejected. But we must only focus on the positive. It is crucial that we understand that the world rejecting us does not mean that God rejects us. God never throws anyone away and he certainly has not forgotten you.
In fact God may have something so incredible for us to do, that being rejected was necessary to reposition us into what God has for us. When people reject you, they may actually be doing you a favor. What God has for you cannot be achieved with dead weight hanging around. Don’t waste your time trying to reconcile with someone who is not interested in reconciling with you – move on!
You can’t plant an oak tree in a flower pot. The plant has got to be moved in order for it to reach its full potential. In the end, the oak tree may be unfit for the beautiful flower pot but it becomes a giant in an open field. It becomes the shade in the hot summer. It becomes a great center piece.
Never let rejection discourage you – it could really elevate you to new heights. If you are rejected by certain people, it’s because you aren’t meant to be involved with those people. Your purpose does not line up with relations with those who rejected you. Forget those who rejected you. They never did deserve you to begin with. I have learnt that when people reject you, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you; most of the time it’s really because there’s something going on with them. You are just a convenient excuse. Sooner rather than later, the truth will be out for all to see as for where the issues really lie. Move past the rejection and the pain and reach for all God has for you.
“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes” – Mark 12:10
As we journey through this world, we will face rejection at one point or another. Maybe you applied for your dream job but was not successful as securing the position. Or maybe you entered some kind of contest and a winner was selected, just that it wasn’t you. It could be that you were in a marriage for many years and your spouse left you for somebody else. Your situation might be that you abandoned a family tradition and/or religion to follow Jesus Christ. Whatever your specific situation, one thing is definitely certain - rejection hurts. Jesus Christ understood rejection well and he experienced rejection over and over again because of who He was. Why should your life as his follower be any easier?
Rejection makes one feel unworthy and less than God created one to be. You feel as if there is something that you are lacking. There is an incredible amount of negative ways for one to try to compensate for being rejected. But we must only focus on the positive. It is crucial that we understand that the world rejecting us does not mean that God rejects us. God never throws anyone away and he certainly has not forgotten you.
In fact God may have something so incredible for us to do, that being rejected was necessary to reposition us into what God has for us. When people reject you, they may actually be doing you a favor. What God has for you cannot be achieved with dead weight hanging around. Don’t waste your time trying to reconcile with someone who is not interested in reconciling with you – move on!
You can’t plant an oak tree in a flower pot. The plant has got to be moved in order for it to reach its full potential. In the end, the oak tree may be unfit for the beautiful flower pot but it becomes a giant in an open field. It becomes the shade in the hot summer. It becomes a great center piece.
Never let rejection discourage you – it could really elevate you to new heights. If you are rejected by certain people, it’s because you aren’t meant to be involved with those people. Your purpose does not line up with relations with those who rejected you. Forget those who rejected you. They never did deserve you to begin with. I have learnt that when people reject you, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you; most of the time it’s really because there’s something going on with them. You are just a convenient excuse. Sooner rather than later, the truth will be out for all to see as for where the issues really lie. Move past the rejection and the pain and reach for all God has for you.
Monday, January 7, 2008
What Kind of Example Are You?
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord – Ephesians 6:4
Before I begin, if you are father who has abandoned his children totally for their mother, this piece today may offend you. The truth is too many fathers are not plugged in the way that they ought to be. Fathers in ignorance leave the day-to-day raising of the children completely to the mother. They believe that if they provide financial support, their job is pretty much done. Anyone can provide financial assistance. Truth be told most single mothers – if they had the means to make more money will not care one way or another. Where the help is really needed is in the spiritual and physical care of these precious children because very soon they will no longer need you fo these purposes.
Fathers, you bailing out on your children is simply not an option. If you are a father who has bailed out on your son, shame on you! The greatest role model for any child is the same sex parent. What kind of example do you think you are setting? Would you be happy when he turns around and does the same thing to a woman when he becomes a man? Talk about generational curses!
Statistics has shown that when each parent spends at least 2 days a week bathing and feeding their children, the children grow up to have more compassion as adults. If you are a real man, don’t be a coward chasing after some mirage that will never make you fulfilled. Abandoning the family to chase after fantasy and personal goals is simply not a viable option. What most fathers don't realize is the value they bring to their children’s lives. A “Birthday and Christmas Only” father will not reap the same rewards as a father who is 100% plugged into the lives of his children. You will get exactly what you invest. How can you be honored by your children when your lifestyle is not honorable? In my 37 years on this planet, I have never seen the internet or cell phone raise a child!
Fathers, you are indeed a picture of God to your children. You are like God with skin on. Seeing your children once in six months is not a picture of God. You must understand that you ought to be what you want your children to be to their children. Learn to live what you preach and be a Godly influence in your children’s lives.
Before I begin, if you are father who has abandoned his children totally for their mother, this piece today may offend you. The truth is too many fathers are not plugged in the way that they ought to be. Fathers in ignorance leave the day-to-day raising of the children completely to the mother. They believe that if they provide financial support, their job is pretty much done. Anyone can provide financial assistance. Truth be told most single mothers – if they had the means to make more money will not care one way or another. Where the help is really needed is in the spiritual and physical care of these precious children because very soon they will no longer need you fo these purposes.
Fathers, you bailing out on your children is simply not an option. If you are a father who has bailed out on your son, shame on you! The greatest role model for any child is the same sex parent. What kind of example do you think you are setting? Would you be happy when he turns around and does the same thing to a woman when he becomes a man? Talk about generational curses!
Statistics has shown that when each parent spends at least 2 days a week bathing and feeding their children, the children grow up to have more compassion as adults. If you are a real man, don’t be a coward chasing after some mirage that will never make you fulfilled. Abandoning the family to chase after fantasy and personal goals is simply not a viable option. What most fathers don't realize is the value they bring to their children’s lives. A “Birthday and Christmas Only” father will not reap the same rewards as a father who is 100% plugged into the lives of his children. You will get exactly what you invest. How can you be honored by your children when your lifestyle is not honorable? In my 37 years on this planet, I have never seen the internet or cell phone raise a child!
Fathers, you are indeed a picture of God to your children. You are like God with skin on. Seeing your children once in six months is not a picture of God. You must understand that you ought to be what you want your children to be to their children. Learn to live what you preach and be a Godly influence in your children’s lives.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Silence Those Negative Voices
“One comes to believe whatever one repeats to oneself sufficiently often, whether the statement be true or false. It comes to be the dominating thought in one’s mind.” – Robert Collier
We’ve all heard negative things said about us at one point or another. We take these statements in and play it in our mind over and over again like a broken record soon we start to believe what has been said. The negative words are strong but when they become our thoughts, we give them incredible power. Because we have allowed what others say silence our voice, we loose God’s intended originality.
To survive this world, we have to be able to separate any beneficial negative criticism that can be used for self-improvement from the catty horrible comments just intended to cause pain; the words that will ultimately serve no purpose. It is time to turn off all the negative things your father or mother said. Get as far away as possible from those who kept telling you that you can’t. Start to see yourself the way that God sees you.
Stop repeating all the negativity to yourself. If the words that you are hearing is not in the promises God has for your life, they are not true. Surround yourself with positive things. This is not about will power – it’s simply about truth and fiction. A lot of the things we store in our head that limits us is fiction. The enemy has held us bound long enough with fiction. It is time to turn to the only truth that is important – the Word.
We’ve all heard negative things said about us at one point or another. We take these statements in and play it in our mind over and over again like a broken record soon we start to believe what has been said. The negative words are strong but when they become our thoughts, we give them incredible power. Because we have allowed what others say silence our voice, we loose God’s intended originality.
To survive this world, we have to be able to separate any beneficial negative criticism that can be used for self-improvement from the catty horrible comments just intended to cause pain; the words that will ultimately serve no purpose. It is time to turn off all the negative things your father or mother said. Get as far away as possible from those who kept telling you that you can’t. Start to see yourself the way that God sees you.
Stop repeating all the negativity to yourself. If the words that you are hearing is not in the promises God has for your life, they are not true. Surround yourself with positive things. This is not about will power – it’s simply about truth and fiction. A lot of the things we store in our head that limits us is fiction. The enemy has held us bound long enough with fiction. It is time to turn to the only truth that is important – the Word.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Once You Change Your Mind……
Sometimes we feel as we are bound to dysfunctional circumstances – relationships, feelings and addictions. The one main thing that stands in the way of our freedom is our mind. I don’t care who you are in a dysfunctional relationship with – let’s face it no-one is that good! Once you change your mind about accepting the situation you are in and you make a decision to effect change in your life, the battle is half won. If you struggle with insecurity and self-esteem issue, I am guessing someone you valued in your life said something or did something continuously to grow the now gigantic oak tree in your head that is constantly whispering in your ear that you’ll never be good enough – maybe it’s time to find new friends!
Your mind is your most powerful tool if you decide to use it. Anything we will ever achieve for God or be in this realm starts with the mind; it begins with a decision. For me, it was a simple “No More!” and I moved from the seat of perpetual pain to a seat of victory. It’s time to get your mind out of the gutter. It’s time to believe that all the promises God has in the Bible is indeed for you. It time to begin to believe that you are definitely worth it and that you are important enough that the Son of God shed his blood on the Cross of Calvary to give you life. Understand that you are special and there is no-one on this earth quite like you. The time has come to make a decision in your head and in your mind that you are better than this.
The Bible in Romans 12:2 says we need to be transformed (metamorphosis) by the renewing of your mind. Any transformation of our lives will need to begin with the regeneration of the mind. As a baby would normally come out head first when being born, we need to get our head in order so that our whole body can enjoy a life of victory. I was telling a friend on the phone that I have learnt that my mission is not to fix anyone. If truth be told I can’t even fix myself – God fixes people and he can fix you.
When you encounter people who just refuse to do the rational, sane and correct thing, God must reconnect that dots in their head otherwise all your words will simply go to waste as they will never see it your way. Wandering around in the dark will continue until God sees that the mind is ready to receive. I know we all know about Saul in the Bible and how God changed his mind even when he wasn’t necessarily looking for change. I am convinced that God can do a “Saul” on anyone if it is his will. God can do pretty much anything but looking at the world today; I don’t see changing human wills as part of God’s agenda. He wants us to come to him willingly. When I changed my mind about trying to save people around me, God has given me the peace I need to minister to others without fear. Once I share the message, the rest is in the safe hands of God.
This year make a decision to work on your mind so that it starts to align more with the Word of God. Rid yourself of any unnecessary baggage and responsibility that is really not yours. Stay out of other people’s business and focus on your own life. Watch God make 2008 your best year yet but it all starts with the mind.
Your mind is your most powerful tool if you decide to use it. Anything we will ever achieve for God or be in this realm starts with the mind; it begins with a decision. For me, it was a simple “No More!” and I moved from the seat of perpetual pain to a seat of victory. It’s time to get your mind out of the gutter. It’s time to believe that all the promises God has in the Bible is indeed for you. It time to begin to believe that you are definitely worth it and that you are important enough that the Son of God shed his blood on the Cross of Calvary to give you life. Understand that you are special and there is no-one on this earth quite like you. The time has come to make a decision in your head and in your mind that you are better than this.
The Bible in Romans 12:2 says we need to be transformed (metamorphosis) by the renewing of your mind. Any transformation of our lives will need to begin with the regeneration of the mind. As a baby would normally come out head first when being born, we need to get our head in order so that our whole body can enjoy a life of victory. I was telling a friend on the phone that I have learnt that my mission is not to fix anyone. If truth be told I can’t even fix myself – God fixes people and he can fix you.
When you encounter people who just refuse to do the rational, sane and correct thing, God must reconnect that dots in their head otherwise all your words will simply go to waste as they will never see it your way. Wandering around in the dark will continue until God sees that the mind is ready to receive. I know we all know about Saul in the Bible and how God changed his mind even when he wasn’t necessarily looking for change. I am convinced that God can do a “Saul” on anyone if it is his will. God can do pretty much anything but looking at the world today; I don’t see changing human wills as part of God’s agenda. He wants us to come to him willingly. When I changed my mind about trying to save people around me, God has given me the peace I need to minister to others without fear. Once I share the message, the rest is in the safe hands of God.
This year make a decision to work on your mind so that it starts to align more with the Word of God. Rid yourself of any unnecessary baggage and responsibility that is really not yours. Stay out of other people’s business and focus on your own life. Watch God make 2008 your best year yet but it all starts with the mind.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Believe God Can
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25
Have you ever been in a situation where the worst time of your life was also the best time? If you haven’t heard this experience, I can testify that it is indeed possible. I have had situations where I was having the best experience with God in the worst of circumstances. Times when the Jacob in me was dying but the divine Israel stood tall.
It’s time for us to start believing the promises that God has for us. Once we take our eyes off ourselves and what we are doing onto God, anything becomes possible. This does not mean that we will no longer experience trials and challenging circumstances – far from it. But if we are to go through hard times, we will not go through them alone. The Lord will always walk alongside us till the very end. He has absolutely no limitations when it comes to resources.
With the New Year in place, we all have different goals and plans but all of them mean nothing without God’s anointing. God is the God that Can. He can make a way out of no way. He can heal any disease. He holds all the blessings in his hand. The whole world is spinning according to his control. When we believe and trust in Him, all things become achievable.
And if by chance, our time on earth is over, we have an incredible inheritance that awaits us in heaven. Either way, it’s a win/win situation!
Have you ever been in a situation where the worst time of your life was also the best time? If you haven’t heard this experience, I can testify that it is indeed possible. I have had situations where I was having the best experience with God in the worst of circumstances. Times when the Jacob in me was dying but the divine Israel stood tall.
It’s time for us to start believing the promises that God has for us. Once we take our eyes off ourselves and what we are doing onto God, anything becomes possible. This does not mean that we will no longer experience trials and challenging circumstances – far from it. But if we are to go through hard times, we will not go through them alone. The Lord will always walk alongside us till the very end. He has absolutely no limitations when it comes to resources.
With the New Year in place, we all have different goals and plans but all of them mean nothing without God’s anointing. God is the God that Can. He can make a way out of no way. He can heal any disease. He holds all the blessings in his hand. The whole world is spinning according to his control. When we believe and trust in Him, all things become achievable.
And if by chance, our time on earth is over, we have an incredible inheritance that awaits us in heaven. Either way, it’s a win/win situation!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Don’t Let This World Break You Down!
Life is hard and circumstances that we often face can challenge us to the core. Diseases, broken relationships, addictions, unemployment, poverty, homelessness and all the various kinds of negativity that life can bring – I know them and I have felt them and live through them; each day I make it through is a brand new victory. The world really takes a good shot at the human mind but with the presence of the Holy Spirit, you can prevail.
You can make a decision to use your circumstances to change your life in a positive way. You can use your positive words to improve your life for the better. It’s not about being ignorant or pretending not to see the opposition around you but rather acknowledging them while giving them no foothold in your life. If you stay positive and full of life, the ones that stuck their foot out to trip you will become your stepping stool to reach the next level in your life. You enemies will become your footstool in the Mighty Name of Jesus.
The Bible says in Romans 12:2 that we ought not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world but we ought to be transformed by the renewing of our mind such that we can walk in God’s perfect will. The world will try to make you control, manipulate and compromise the Word of God all in the name of “fitting in”. Do not be fooled – sometimes it’s really best to be in the minority and not the majority.
You can make a decision to use your circumstances to change your life in a positive way. You can use your positive words to improve your life for the better. It’s not about being ignorant or pretending not to see the opposition around you but rather acknowledging them while giving them no foothold in your life. If you stay positive and full of life, the ones that stuck their foot out to trip you will become your stepping stool to reach the next level in your life. You enemies will become your footstool in the Mighty Name of Jesus.
The Bible says in Romans 12:2 that we ought not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world but we ought to be transformed by the renewing of our mind such that we can walk in God’s perfect will. The world will try to make you control, manipulate and compromise the Word of God all in the name of “fitting in”. Do not be fooled – sometimes it’s really best to be in the minority and not the majority.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Protect Your Dream
I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Henry David Thoreau
If you are like me, you have probably documented some pretty exciting goals that you’ll like to achieve in 2008. Documenting your dreams is great but wisdom must be used when sharing them. Whether we decide to believe it or not, there are dream killers on the prowl. For simple reasons, we will simply call a dream killer a DK. DK’s are not dressed like bandits such that you will recognize them easily – oh no! They look like you and I – neatly cut and dressed like normal. But they are dream crushers. DK’s never see the possibilities; all they see are impossibilities. They are quick to tell you what will not work and how your dream is impossible to achieve. If you are not vigilant, self doubt creeps in and you also start to wonder if things will ever come together in your life.
Isn’t it amazing how God will give us a vision sometimes and we are afraid to share it. We are unsure about who is genuinely happy about the revelation and who isn’t. I do that now – hold the vision close so that I don’t come out too soon. Just like in some certain African cultures, a new born baby is not brought out in public until after 40 days; your dreams cannot be shared too soon. You must nurture and protect it so that you don’t lose it and consequently lose yourself in the process.
Keep your dream alive by reading books and magazines related to your dream. Find autobiographies on people who had dreams similar to yours and successfully followed them. Choose a mentor or two that can help further you along on the road to achieving your dreams. I always look at mentors like dream catchers – they do indeed help you catch your dreams.
If you are like me, you have probably documented some pretty exciting goals that you’ll like to achieve in 2008. Documenting your dreams is great but wisdom must be used when sharing them. Whether we decide to believe it or not, there are dream killers on the prowl. For simple reasons, we will simply call a dream killer a DK. DK’s are not dressed like bandits such that you will recognize them easily – oh no! They look like you and I – neatly cut and dressed like normal. But they are dream crushers. DK’s never see the possibilities; all they see are impossibilities. They are quick to tell you what will not work and how your dream is impossible to achieve. If you are not vigilant, self doubt creeps in and you also start to wonder if things will ever come together in your life.
Isn’t it amazing how God will give us a vision sometimes and we are afraid to share it. We are unsure about who is genuinely happy about the revelation and who isn’t. I do that now – hold the vision close so that I don’t come out too soon. Just like in some certain African cultures, a new born baby is not brought out in public until after 40 days; your dreams cannot be shared too soon. You must nurture and protect it so that you don’t lose it and consequently lose yourself in the process.
Keep your dream alive by reading books and magazines related to your dream. Find autobiographies on people who had dreams similar to yours and successfully followed them. Choose a mentor or two that can help further you along on the road to achieving your dreams. I always look at mentors like dream catchers – they do indeed help you catch your dreams.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Let It Go and Walk Away
Welcome to 2008. I hope and pray that this year is your year of supernatural breakthrough. I pray that God will give you the strength that you need to achieve all the great things Our Heavenly Father has in store for you. I pray that this year will be a million times better than the last for you. One thing is very important – this year must begin with a new mind. You will need a new mindset to start afresh this year by letting go of all the wrong things that have happened to you in the past. Let go of any insecurities, low self esteem, anger, jealousy, envy, depression, despair, mistakes and release all obstacles (people included) to your harmony.
One of my greatest assets is the ability to view each new day afresh. Not putting my faith and hope in a calendar or a clock, each day is an opportunity for me to start anew – to make new and right decisions about my life and the lives of my daughters; a chance to follow my dreams with fresh vigor. This New Year to me is another opportunity to let some things go; to release some unnecessary baggage. To embrace forgiveness of myself and others regardless of how unmerited our forgiving may be. The forgiveness is more for us not for our offenders. To free us and free our Spirit so that we can move into all that God has for us.
I have learnt that people will only have whatever power you allot to them. When people annoy you and you don’t let it go, you give to them power that they do not deserve. No-one has the right to do you wrong but they do. They only have one mission – to kill your dreams and bring you crashing down. But that will only happen if you let them.
So if you have some unresolved issues from 2007, it’s time to let those go if there is nothing you can do to change things around. Let it go and move on with your life and what God has in store for you for 2008. Renew your mind for 2008 – don’t bring the old junk from 2007.
One of my greatest assets is the ability to view each new day afresh. Not putting my faith and hope in a calendar or a clock, each day is an opportunity for me to start anew – to make new and right decisions about my life and the lives of my daughters; a chance to follow my dreams with fresh vigor. This New Year to me is another opportunity to let some things go; to release some unnecessary baggage. To embrace forgiveness of myself and others regardless of how unmerited our forgiving may be. The forgiveness is more for us not for our offenders. To free us and free our Spirit so that we can move into all that God has for us.
I have learnt that people will only have whatever power you allot to them. When people annoy you and you don’t let it go, you give to them power that they do not deserve. No-one has the right to do you wrong but they do. They only have one mission – to kill your dreams and bring you crashing down. But that will only happen if you let them.
So if you have some unresolved issues from 2007, it’s time to let those go if there is nothing you can do to change things around. Let it go and move on with your life and what God has in store for you for 2008. Renew your mind for 2008 – don’t bring the old junk from 2007.
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