Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. – Genesis 13:10-13
As believers, we are constantly being tempted by the world, our own flesh and the devil. We watch TV, listen to music and co-mingle constantly. Unless we come to God daily and ask for strength to flee from temptation, it is only a matter of time before we succumb. Our Christian journey is one of constant movement – we are either moving forward with God or digressing. We may attend church every Sunday yet our hearts are as far away from him as can be. Little by little, we are drifting away from the Lord like a ship lost at sea. The enemy does not attempt to take complete control of our minds in one swoop; he entices and encourages us to take baby steps towards our doom. Before we know what is happening we become cold towards godly people and living a godly life. Our spiritual walk that was once burning hot as we yearned for the things of God becomes stone cold as we run after the desires of the world.
Lot was a Christian like us. His uncle Abraham was his mentor. He saw the faith his uncle had in God but yet he was drawn to Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot did not move into Sodom in one day. First he looked at Sodom. After looking for a while, he pitched his tent towards Sodom. He probably never intended to be anywhere near Sodom to begin with but the temptation was too great for him to resist in the flesh. In a very short time, Lot was living in Sodom – a place rampant with godlessness and sin.
What, who or where is your Sodom? Are you in a place that you were never meant to be in; engaging in stuff you thought you never would? It is definite that it was a gradual process of living in disobedience to God that got you to the point that you are at now. Rest in the knowledge that any of us can fall victim to the subtle temptation the world brings. If we are not careful and we persist in tip-toeing around temptation, it will not be long before we are swimming in the sea of sin.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
God Never Makes a Mistake
I watched in agony as a young child of 6 sang a heart-wrenching song about having the freedom to be whatever she wanted to be. This child was biologically born a boy but had always sensed that something was wrong. By the time he was old enough to speak, he told his mother that God had definitely made a mistake. He believed he was a girl and not a boy. This child has what doctors define as a Gender Identify Crisis. By 5 and in kindergarten, he was wearing dresses publicly and in school. His teacher knew he was a boy and luckily at that age, the bathroom was unisex.
As I watched, I could see the pain etched in the faces of his parents. This was not their first child. They had three other children that did not have this crisis. They did not understand why this happened to them. They just knew they had a son who loved mermaids and wanted to wear dresses and one piece bathing suits. I could see that they were trying to find a way to deal with the situation. They vowed to stand by their “daughter” in his decision to be female.
Transgender issues are real – and they are in the church. I know we do not want to discuss them and would like to sweep all sexual issues under the rug but they exists and we have no right to shut anyone out of the church. My faith does not allow me to accept that God can ever make a mistake. I strongly believe that there is a reason for every situation under the sun even if the "whys" are unknown to us. My faith does dictate however, that we do not treat anybody differently because they are dealing with issues for which we have no point of reference. If people come from a different family background, we look down on them. If they are a child from divorced parents, we treat them as if they have some sort of deformity and that they are not good enough to marry our son or our daughter.
The body of Christ is definitely plagued with hypocrites. It is our love for Christ that must unite us not the complexities of this world. If we focus on how different we are, there will never be a common ground. Why do some Christians think it is ok to treat people who are different badly or with great indifference? Why do we feel superior to others because they have challenges that God may have simply just spared us from? We are called to accept and love one another. We ourselves are not God and we have no right to stand in judgment of anyone. Someone once said the Church is the only place that the wounded get shot at. How sad that is.
I don’t have any explanations for all the problems that we have as human beings and I have no scientific insight as to why some of us have certain issues biologically, emotionally or physically and others don’t. But one thing I do know for sure is that God loves all his children and He does not love one more than the other. As Christians, let us endeavor to open our hearts and our arms to others who are different from us. Even if we cannot identify what they are experiencing or going through, we must never cease to ask ourselves the most important question of all – what will Jesus Christ do?
As I watched, I could see the pain etched in the faces of his parents. This was not their first child. They had three other children that did not have this crisis. They did not understand why this happened to them. They just knew they had a son who loved mermaids and wanted to wear dresses and one piece bathing suits. I could see that they were trying to find a way to deal with the situation. They vowed to stand by their “daughter” in his decision to be female.
Transgender issues are real – and they are in the church. I know we do not want to discuss them and would like to sweep all sexual issues under the rug but they exists and we have no right to shut anyone out of the church. My faith does not allow me to accept that God can ever make a mistake. I strongly believe that there is a reason for every situation under the sun even if the "whys" are unknown to us. My faith does dictate however, that we do not treat anybody differently because they are dealing with issues for which we have no point of reference. If people come from a different family background, we look down on them. If they are a child from divorced parents, we treat them as if they have some sort of deformity and that they are not good enough to marry our son or our daughter.
The body of Christ is definitely plagued with hypocrites. It is our love for Christ that must unite us not the complexities of this world. If we focus on how different we are, there will never be a common ground. Why do some Christians think it is ok to treat people who are different badly or with great indifference? Why do we feel superior to others because they have challenges that God may have simply just spared us from? We are called to accept and love one another. We ourselves are not God and we have no right to stand in judgment of anyone. Someone once said the Church is the only place that the wounded get shot at. How sad that is.
I don’t have any explanations for all the problems that we have as human beings and I have no scientific insight as to why some of us have certain issues biologically, emotionally or physically and others don’t. But one thing I do know for sure is that God loves all his children and He does not love one more than the other. As Christians, let us endeavor to open our hearts and our arms to others who are different from us. Even if we cannot identify what they are experiencing or going through, we must never cease to ask ourselves the most important question of all – what will Jesus Christ do?
Saturday, June 28, 2008
How Healthy is Your Faith?
Life is full of ups and downs. God never promised that things will be easy for any of his children. He however did promise to always remain by our side and work out all the valleys and mountains in our lives for his glory. Being a Christian does not mean we will have no problems. None of us are perfect and our actions will ultimately bring us pain sometimes. But must we pretend that all is well when it isn’t just because we have faith? Must we refuse to acknowledge the chills and pain we feel in our bodies when we have the flu because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? God never wants us to deny the fact that the valleys of life do exist. He does not want us to sweep our pain and suffering under the rug. He wants us to come to him in times of need with all our issues. He longs to comfort us when we are hurting and to draw us near and cleanse us when go astray.
Being honest about our problems helps us to realize that we really need the amazing grace of God to win the race of life. Having a healthy faith means that we embrace the realities of life – comfort and discomfort; joy and pain; plenty and want. As long as we are walking the face of this earth, we will be susceptible to sin because we are made of flesh. Thinking that we have achieved a high level of spirituality and sanctification that makes us sin proof is just ridiculous. The reality is we all fall short. Without the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the Cross of Calvary, we will be facing the wages of sin which is death.
I have been unfortunate to encounter some Christians who were disillusioned about what it means to be a believer with healthy faith. Wickedness, covetousness and jealousy had become their portion and they had no compassion for others. They had become extremely judgmental and thought themselves to be superior to everyone else. The truth of the word of God is always distorted when it comes from them. The giving and sacrificing spirit that all believers must have as children of the Living God is painfully missing in their lives.
Our faith as Christians is not an insurance policy against difficult circumstances. It anchors our belief in the supernatural power of God. Our faith gives us strength to do what we can in tough times and to trust in God to do his own part. We do not have the license to be hypocritical or to put others down; we are called to bring people to Christ and to help raise them up.
Being honest about our problems helps us to realize that we really need the amazing grace of God to win the race of life. Having a healthy faith means that we embrace the realities of life – comfort and discomfort; joy and pain; plenty and want. As long as we are walking the face of this earth, we will be susceptible to sin because we are made of flesh. Thinking that we have achieved a high level of spirituality and sanctification that makes us sin proof is just ridiculous. The reality is we all fall short. Without the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the Cross of Calvary, we will be facing the wages of sin which is death.
I have been unfortunate to encounter some Christians who were disillusioned about what it means to be a believer with healthy faith. Wickedness, covetousness and jealousy had become their portion and they had no compassion for others. They had become extremely judgmental and thought themselves to be superior to everyone else. The truth of the word of God is always distorted when it comes from them. The giving and sacrificing spirit that all believers must have as children of the Living God is painfully missing in their lives.
Our faith as Christians is not an insurance policy against difficult circumstances. It anchors our belief in the supernatural power of God. Our faith gives us strength to do what we can in tough times and to trust in God to do his own part. We do not have the license to be hypocritical or to put others down; we are called to bring people to Christ and to help raise them up.
Friday, June 27, 2008
In Time
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. - Ephesians 1:11
We were all created by God for a purpose. We did not choose God, he first choose us. The Bible tells us that it is out of his own free will that he beget us. We have all been predestined according to God’s plan. Nothing that happens to us is by accident. All the incidents and non-incidents in our life are no surprise to our creator. Every single thing works together according to his plan and in accordance with his will for our lives. Some of the things that happen to us do not make sense immediately but in time, all will be clear.
It is not smart to panic and fret when things go wrong. It’s best to be still and put things in the hands of Almighty God. He has a purpose for our lives and whatever we are dealing with will ultimately fit into the big picture of that perfect plan for us. The Bible says in Joshua 3:5 that if we consecrate ourselves for our battles, God will do amazing things before our eyes. When trouble subsides and life is calm once again, our breakthrough will be to the glory of God for all to see. In due time our troubles will all be over and the reasons behind our heartache will be revealed. It is often through brokenness that we understand the heart of God. It is only when we experience the valleys of life that we can know the amazing grace of God. In time, all our struggles will make us better than we could ever imagine.
We were all created by God for a purpose. We did not choose God, he first choose us. The Bible tells us that it is out of his own free will that he beget us. We have all been predestined according to God’s plan. Nothing that happens to us is by accident. All the incidents and non-incidents in our life are no surprise to our creator. Every single thing works together according to his plan and in accordance with his will for our lives. Some of the things that happen to us do not make sense immediately but in time, all will be clear.
It is not smart to panic and fret when things go wrong. It’s best to be still and put things in the hands of Almighty God. He has a purpose for our lives and whatever we are dealing with will ultimately fit into the big picture of that perfect plan for us. The Bible says in Joshua 3:5 that if we consecrate ourselves for our battles, God will do amazing things before our eyes. When trouble subsides and life is calm once again, our breakthrough will be to the glory of God for all to see. In due time our troubles will all be over and the reasons behind our heartache will be revealed. It is often through brokenness that we understand the heart of God. It is only when we experience the valleys of life that we can know the amazing grace of God. In time, all our struggles will make us better than we could ever imagine.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
God Always Fulfills His Promises
For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. - Galatians 3:18-29
I don’t know about you but I am eternally grateful to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. I am relieved that I am no longer under the curse of the law. My salvation and walk to liberation makes me follow the law by the strength of the Holy Spirit that lives in me. But thankfully, I am no longer under the curse that comes with failure to abide with the law. My inheritance in heaven is secure because Christ died for me.
We must all give thanks to our God in heaven that our inheritance does not depend on the law – it is dependent on a promise that God gave our fore-father Abraham by grace. If we were bound by the law, none of us will make it – not one. We will all be eternally condemned for our sins. We will be faced with the penalty of sin which is death. You and I are living under the grace shown to Abraham by God. We enjoy that grace every single day of our lives. We have the promises that God has promised to all the descendants of Abraham.
God will surely bring to pass all that He has promised us. We must never give up on His Word. We must pray for strength and wisdom to continue to stay on track. We must consciously refuse to be distracted in our walk and the things that God has called us to do, God will answer to our needs in his perfect time. It brings great peace to rest in the knowledge that what God wants for us is better than what we want for ourselves.
I don’t know about you but I am eternally grateful to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. I am relieved that I am no longer under the curse of the law. My salvation and walk to liberation makes me follow the law by the strength of the Holy Spirit that lives in me. But thankfully, I am no longer under the curse that comes with failure to abide with the law. My inheritance in heaven is secure because Christ died for me.
We must all give thanks to our God in heaven that our inheritance does not depend on the law – it is dependent on a promise that God gave our fore-father Abraham by grace. If we were bound by the law, none of us will make it – not one. We will all be eternally condemned for our sins. We will be faced with the penalty of sin which is death. You and I are living under the grace shown to Abraham by God. We enjoy that grace every single day of our lives. We have the promises that God has promised to all the descendants of Abraham.
God will surely bring to pass all that He has promised us. We must never give up on His Word. We must pray for strength and wisdom to continue to stay on track. We must consciously refuse to be distracted in our walk and the things that God has called us to do, God will answer to our needs in his perfect time. It brings great peace to rest in the knowledge that what God wants for us is better than what we want for ourselves.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Never Think Too Highly of Yourself
We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. - 1 Corinthians 8:1b-3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. - Romans 12:3
This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or a strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. – Jeremiah 9:23-24
It is a danger to have a “puffed up” nature. Having a conceited and arrogant nature leads to all sorts of problems. We fail to feel any kind of indebtedness to God. We refuse to recognize all that he had done for us. We are constantly focused on ourselves and our selfish needs. We live in great denial of the fact that we did not get to where we are on our own. We think that our arrogance has brought us success. We now know a lot and we start relying heavily on what we know. We forget that God holds all wisdom.
If we truly take the time to look at where God has brought us from; the things that we used to do and how we once lived, we would understand that we have nothing to be arrogant about. If we remember how we came to God in confession knowing that we could not save ourselves, how we were helpless and lost and how desperately we needed a savior, maybe we will loose the arrogance. Just because we are in a different and better place with our lives right now does not give us the license to think less of others who have the same struggles that we once did. Believing in our own knowledge will make us less dependent on God. It separates us from God and the people around us.
Do you look down on others? Do you believe that your immaculate background makes you better? Do you believe that you are more deserving of God’s grace? Are you in the habit of boasting about your accomplishments and your material possessions? Give yourself a reality check and if you think that you fall into the category of people loaded with self-pride, it may be time to sober up to reality. Realize that you are definitely not all that and all you take pride in could easily varnish in a heartbeat.
To eradicate arrogance and self-pride, you will need to come to terms with and understand that you cannot go to heaven without accepting the work that Jesus Christ did on the Cross of Calvary. Surrender your life completely to God on a daily basis. When you take time to praise God everyday, it enables you to take the focus of yourself and onto Him.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. - Romans 12:3
This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or a strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. – Jeremiah 9:23-24
It is a danger to have a “puffed up” nature. Having a conceited and arrogant nature leads to all sorts of problems. We fail to feel any kind of indebtedness to God. We refuse to recognize all that he had done for us. We are constantly focused on ourselves and our selfish needs. We live in great denial of the fact that we did not get to where we are on our own. We think that our arrogance has brought us success. We now know a lot and we start relying heavily on what we know. We forget that God holds all wisdom.
If we truly take the time to look at where God has brought us from; the things that we used to do and how we once lived, we would understand that we have nothing to be arrogant about. If we remember how we came to God in confession knowing that we could not save ourselves, how we were helpless and lost and how desperately we needed a savior, maybe we will loose the arrogance. Just because we are in a different and better place with our lives right now does not give us the license to think less of others who have the same struggles that we once did. Believing in our own knowledge will make us less dependent on God. It separates us from God and the people around us.
Do you look down on others? Do you believe that your immaculate background makes you better? Do you believe that you are more deserving of God’s grace? Are you in the habit of boasting about your accomplishments and your material possessions? Give yourself a reality check and if you think that you fall into the category of people loaded with self-pride, it may be time to sober up to reality. Realize that you are definitely not all that and all you take pride in could easily varnish in a heartbeat.
To eradicate arrogance and self-pride, you will need to come to terms with and understand that you cannot go to heaven without accepting the work that Jesus Christ did on the Cross of Calvary. Surrender your life completely to God on a daily basis. When you take time to praise God everyday, it enables you to take the focus of yourself and onto Him.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Expressing God's Love
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. – Romans 12:9-13
None of us can love like God wants us to in our own strength. We all need the help of the Holy Spirit to love. Our flesh is not strong nor is it pure enough to love like God loves. Even when I became saved, I did not instantly become Christ-like in nature neither did you. My soul is saved for sure but my flesh is still as corrupt as it was before I accepted the Lord. I still had my bad attitude and flaws. I was a saved sinner. As I began to hear and study the Word of God, I was relieved to find out I was not alone. Many believers had the same struggle I did. Even though my heart had been given to God, I still needed to work on the grueling task of renewing my mind.
The Word of God does change the mind – in time. It is not an overnight process; it is a lifetime one. Going from salvation to liberation is not an easy task. Unfortunately many believers will be saved but only few will be truly free; free from the horrors and bondage of the past. I thank God that I am on the road to liberation - being saved and in bondage will not work for me. Studying and listening to the Word of God has me safely and confidently on my way. I pray the same will be so for you.
There is so much to gain when we aim for liberation. We are able to love genuinely. When we see evil and evil-doers, we refuse to be included in their plots. We focus on doing well not just because we want to but because the Spirit of God dwells in us and He changes our hearts and who we are from the inside out. We find it possible to look at others and not view ourselves as being better than they are. We are able to reduce to give other people in our lives a chance to increase. We take pride in our ministry and whatever God has called us to do. Even when we do not understand some of the challenges of life, we fix our eyes and hope squarely on the Lord. We do not loose heart. Rather, we put things in the hands of God, confident that He will make a way of escape for us.
The more God blesses us with, the more we look for innovative ways to share our blessings with others who are less fortunate than we are. We have a burning desire to lift others up and show them they same comfort and compassion that God has so gracefully shown to us. When we begin to get liberated, we are able to express the love of God to other people – truthfully and genuinely. Even when our motives are misunderstood, we stick to the agenda that God has placed before us.
None of us can love like God wants us to in our own strength. We all need the help of the Holy Spirit to love. Our flesh is not strong nor is it pure enough to love like God loves. Even when I became saved, I did not instantly become Christ-like in nature neither did you. My soul is saved for sure but my flesh is still as corrupt as it was before I accepted the Lord. I still had my bad attitude and flaws. I was a saved sinner. As I began to hear and study the Word of God, I was relieved to find out I was not alone. Many believers had the same struggle I did. Even though my heart had been given to God, I still needed to work on the grueling task of renewing my mind.
The Word of God does change the mind – in time. It is not an overnight process; it is a lifetime one. Going from salvation to liberation is not an easy task. Unfortunately many believers will be saved but only few will be truly free; free from the horrors and bondage of the past. I thank God that I am on the road to liberation - being saved and in bondage will not work for me. Studying and listening to the Word of God has me safely and confidently on my way. I pray the same will be so for you.
There is so much to gain when we aim for liberation. We are able to love genuinely. When we see evil and evil-doers, we refuse to be included in their plots. We focus on doing well not just because we want to but because the Spirit of God dwells in us and He changes our hearts and who we are from the inside out. We find it possible to look at others and not view ourselves as being better than they are. We are able to reduce to give other people in our lives a chance to increase. We take pride in our ministry and whatever God has called us to do. Even when we do not understand some of the challenges of life, we fix our eyes and hope squarely on the Lord. We do not loose heart. Rather, we put things in the hands of God, confident that He will make a way of escape for us.
The more God blesses us with, the more we look for innovative ways to share our blessings with others who are less fortunate than we are. We have a burning desire to lift others up and show them they same comfort and compassion that God has so gracefully shown to us. When we begin to get liberated, we are able to express the love of God to other people – truthfully and genuinely. Even when our motives are misunderstood, we stick to the agenda that God has placed before us.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Growing in the Lord
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:17
We all know that faith comes from hearing the Word of God and from our experiences of the various situations that God has brought us through. It is impossible to have faith with no experience of faith in action. To believe in your faith you must have seen it work for you. Just like the Bible says faith without works is dead; faith without manifestation has no strength and will not last. There is no-one with faith that does not have a testimony. Going to church is great because it gives us the opportunity to fellowship with other believers. It allows us to get together and pray to God for answers to the world’s dilemmas. But personal growth in the Lord as a believer is an individual experience. Individually, we must all spend time with God; seeking His face in a desperation to know Him for ourselves. We must all have quiet times alone in His presence.
It is so easy to know those who study the Bible and those who do not. A Bible placed securely under your pillow at all times serves no purpose when you are trying to grow in the knowledge of God if you do not read it. If your bible is crisp and untouched or looks brand new and you purchased it 10 years ago, that is enough proof that you are not studying the Word. If you go to church 3 times a week and do not study the Word of God, you may not be growing as you should. Growing in the Lord and studying the Word go hand-in-hand. You cannot have one without the other. The preachers at churches do their part but the bulk of the work lies with the individual believer.
If you find that you are not developing in your faith or that your zeal or vigor for the things of God is slowly dwindling, maybe it’s time to return to the basics. What do you spend your spare time doing? Who are the people you surround yourself with? Where is God on your list of priorities? God must be number one in our hearts if we are to grow in the knowledge of Him. We must place Him first in our lives. As we read His Word and spend time in His presence, our relationship in Him deepens. Most importantly, our lives begin to change, we start to look and act more like the God that we believe in. His Word is sharper than a double edged sword and it begins to strip away the things in us that are not to the glory of God. The Word starts to change us from the inside out. We begin to change for the better; we begin to grow stronger in the Lord.
We all know that faith comes from hearing the Word of God and from our experiences of the various situations that God has brought us through. It is impossible to have faith with no experience of faith in action. To believe in your faith you must have seen it work for you. Just like the Bible says faith without works is dead; faith without manifestation has no strength and will not last. There is no-one with faith that does not have a testimony. Going to church is great because it gives us the opportunity to fellowship with other believers. It allows us to get together and pray to God for answers to the world’s dilemmas. But personal growth in the Lord as a believer is an individual experience. Individually, we must all spend time with God; seeking His face in a desperation to know Him for ourselves. We must all have quiet times alone in His presence.
It is so easy to know those who study the Bible and those who do not. A Bible placed securely under your pillow at all times serves no purpose when you are trying to grow in the knowledge of God if you do not read it. If your bible is crisp and untouched or looks brand new and you purchased it 10 years ago, that is enough proof that you are not studying the Word. If you go to church 3 times a week and do not study the Word of God, you may not be growing as you should. Growing in the Lord and studying the Word go hand-in-hand. You cannot have one without the other. The preachers at churches do their part but the bulk of the work lies with the individual believer.
If you find that you are not developing in your faith or that your zeal or vigor for the things of God is slowly dwindling, maybe it’s time to return to the basics. What do you spend your spare time doing? Who are the people you surround yourself with? Where is God on your list of priorities? God must be number one in our hearts if we are to grow in the knowledge of Him. We must place Him first in our lives. As we read His Word and spend time in His presence, our relationship in Him deepens. Most importantly, our lives begin to change, we start to look and act more like the God that we believe in. His Word is sharper than a double edged sword and it begins to strip away the things in us that are not to the glory of God. The Word starts to change us from the inside out. We begin to change for the better; we begin to grow stronger in the Lord.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Recognizing Jealousy
Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?” And they criticized him sharply. But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided. – Judges 8:1-5
I remember quite a while ago when I needed help. I approached the people that I believed will help me and was shocked to find out they will not help me simply because I had not come to them immediately my problems began. Truthfully, I didn’t intentionally make a decision to exclude them from my issues nor did I make a choice to hide my problems; I simply wanted to do things God’s way. As I pondered upon their reaction for a while and asked God why they treated me the way that they did, He reminded me of all that we have achieved together without their help. He reminded me that He was the authority over my life, not them.
The picture in time became very clear. Without these people but with the powerful strength and grace of God, I had been able to go on despite difficult circumstances, take care of my children and maintain my financial responsibilities. God holds my hand on a daily basis and gives me new opportunities and vision to expand my mind and horizon. I did not have much in comparison to what they had. They had accomplished a lot professionally and financially. Yet they were not happy about what God has been doing with my life. Their decision not to assist me had nothing to do with my not going to them to begin with but more to do with the fact that things are not going for me the way they had prophesized and anticipated. They had seen no hope for me but God’s plan for my life ultimately prevailed.
In the above scripture, we can see how Gideon had to emphasize how important and respectable the Ephraimites were before their anger could be abated. He had to boost their ego because he recognized the root of the issue. He did not waste any time trying to explain why he had not sought their help earlier on. He knew they were intimidated by his little success even though they had experienced more. They saw God at work and were not happy with what God was doing in the life of Gideon.
Anytime people refuse to offer you assistance, don’t fret. Your help simply may not lie in their hands. Our help is always from God; he may use people around us but he dictates where and how our help will arrive. The people who do not want to help or that do not offer to help when they see that you are in trouble may not be mean. They may just be jealous of how far you have come without any assistance. Their resistance is not to you but to what God is doing for you. So chin up; keep seeking and praying to God Almighty. He is never late in rescuing his children. He sees all you are going through and he will bring you out victoriously.
I remember quite a while ago when I needed help. I approached the people that I believed will help me and was shocked to find out they will not help me simply because I had not come to them immediately my problems began. Truthfully, I didn’t intentionally make a decision to exclude them from my issues nor did I make a choice to hide my problems; I simply wanted to do things God’s way. As I pondered upon their reaction for a while and asked God why they treated me the way that they did, He reminded me of all that we have achieved together without their help. He reminded me that He was the authority over my life, not them.
The picture in time became very clear. Without these people but with the powerful strength and grace of God, I had been able to go on despite difficult circumstances, take care of my children and maintain my financial responsibilities. God holds my hand on a daily basis and gives me new opportunities and vision to expand my mind and horizon. I did not have much in comparison to what they had. They had accomplished a lot professionally and financially. Yet they were not happy about what God has been doing with my life. Their decision not to assist me had nothing to do with my not going to them to begin with but more to do with the fact that things are not going for me the way they had prophesized and anticipated. They had seen no hope for me but God’s plan for my life ultimately prevailed.
In the above scripture, we can see how Gideon had to emphasize how important and respectable the Ephraimites were before their anger could be abated. He had to boost their ego because he recognized the root of the issue. He did not waste any time trying to explain why he had not sought their help earlier on. He knew they were intimidated by his little success even though they had experienced more. They saw God at work and were not happy with what God was doing in the life of Gideon.
Anytime people refuse to offer you assistance, don’t fret. Your help simply may not lie in their hands. Our help is always from God; he may use people around us but he dictates where and how our help will arrive. The people who do not want to help or that do not offer to help when they see that you are in trouble may not be mean. They may just be jealous of how far you have come without any assistance. Their resistance is not to you but to what God is doing for you. So chin up; keep seeking and praying to God Almighty. He is never late in rescuing his children. He sees all you are going through and he will bring you out victoriously.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Take a Moment – Be Thankful
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. – Psalm 100:2-5
I attended the Relay for Life today in Pittsburg, California. Someone I knew was giving a speech and I wanted to be there for him. He and his wife are both cancer survivors. As I fumbled through the lawn to the podium to listen, I saw a row around the field of little white paper bags with names of people on each. I actually almost trampled on one. I came to realize that each bag represented someone who had passed away from one form of cancer or another. I eventually finally made it past the crowd just in time to see a 104 year old cancer survivor being carted around. She waved from the passenger side of the cart as it circled the front of the crowd. People clapped and cheered. She had beaten the disease and looked a picture of health at 104 years old. My friend gave his speech and I listened intently to him and his wife’s story and journey with cancer. I later wandered curiously through the crowds watching people, trying to get a glimpse of their personal encounter with this disease.
I noticed many people in the crowd wearing their purple T-shirts – all cancer survivors. I saw young children, young adults, middle aged and the elderly; it seems cancer does not discriminate. I saw others wearing shirts with photos of their loved ones on the front and back; loved ones that have been snatched away by this terrible disease called cancer. I gave thanks to Almighty God – anyone of those faces could have been me. Even though I have had my own share of pain, what I had gone through felt like nothing compared to what some of these people have had to deal with – probably still dealing with.
Based on statistics from the American Cancer Society, 565,650 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 a day! Cancer is second biggest cause of death in the US; heart disease being the first. Cancer is responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths. The numbers are alarming. If you are not touched by cancer, give thanks to God. Remember there are many people who love God just as much as you do but are still affected by this disease. Don’t take your health for granted. You don’t have it not because you are better, more important or more precious to God. You simply don’t have it because it’s not part of God’s plan for your life. Get involved in whatever way you can in your community. Get regular checkups and take care of your health. Most importantly, offer thanks to Almighty God daily that so far you have been spared from the heartache that cancer can bring. Finally take time to pray for all those who are touched by cancer. Pray that God will restore their heath and that they will be survivors. Pray for God to strengthen them and give them hope so that they never give up.
I attended the Relay for Life today in Pittsburg, California. Someone I knew was giving a speech and I wanted to be there for him. He and his wife are both cancer survivors. As I fumbled through the lawn to the podium to listen, I saw a row around the field of little white paper bags with names of people on each. I actually almost trampled on one. I came to realize that each bag represented someone who had passed away from one form of cancer or another. I eventually finally made it past the crowd just in time to see a 104 year old cancer survivor being carted around. She waved from the passenger side of the cart as it circled the front of the crowd. People clapped and cheered. She had beaten the disease and looked a picture of health at 104 years old. My friend gave his speech and I listened intently to him and his wife’s story and journey with cancer. I later wandered curiously through the crowds watching people, trying to get a glimpse of their personal encounter with this disease.
I noticed many people in the crowd wearing their purple T-shirts – all cancer survivors. I saw young children, young adults, middle aged and the elderly; it seems cancer does not discriminate. I saw others wearing shirts with photos of their loved ones on the front and back; loved ones that have been snatched away by this terrible disease called cancer. I gave thanks to Almighty God – anyone of those faces could have been me. Even though I have had my own share of pain, what I had gone through felt like nothing compared to what some of these people have had to deal with – probably still dealing with.
Based on statistics from the American Cancer Society, 565,650 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 a day! Cancer is second biggest cause of death in the US; heart disease being the first. Cancer is responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths. The numbers are alarming. If you are not touched by cancer, give thanks to God. Remember there are many people who love God just as much as you do but are still affected by this disease. Don’t take your health for granted. You don’t have it not because you are better, more important or more precious to God. You simply don’t have it because it’s not part of God’s plan for your life. Get involved in whatever way you can in your community. Get regular checkups and take care of your health. Most importantly, offer thanks to Almighty God daily that so far you have been spared from the heartache that cancer can bring. Finally take time to pray for all those who are touched by cancer. Pray that God will restore their heath and that they will be survivors. Pray for God to strengthen them and give them hope so that they never give up.
Friday, June 20, 2008
God Never Disappoints
Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed. – Isaiah 49:23b
Where does you hope lie? In who have you placed your trust? Have you put all your hope and trust in your job, friends and family? Who do you look to for answers? Where do you go when your life hits a crossroad? I am sure I don’t have to tell you that humans cannot be trusted 100%. Most of our feelings are based on situations and circumstances that surround us. Friends are very plentiful when you are at the top of your game and everything is going well. The minute the weather of life changes and you are down and needing help, the numbers dwindle very quickly. The moment you lose your job and you can no longer throw the pretty parties you once did, you find yourself alone. Even though family is all we have, I have seen family turn their backs on one another. The need to hold onto relationships even when there is nothing material to gain is fast becoming a fallacy.
There is however someone that you can trust. He is not a fair-weather friend. He is everything you need for Him to be. He lives up to His name as a Comforter and He sticks closer than any brother. His name is Jesus Christ. He has never lost a battle so He can never disappoint you. He is always there for you. Even when you can’t hear His voice or feel His presence, you learn to trust in His plan for your life. Jehovah, Our God is a God who does not disappoint. His existence and power is not based on anyone or anything. He is Yahweh. He is Jehovah Jireh, Our Provider. He is Jehovah Rophe, Our Healer. He is Jehovah Nissi, the Lifter of our heads. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, Our Righteousness. He is Jehovah Shammah, Our Ever Present God. He is Jehovah Rohi, Our Shepherd. He is Jehovah Shalom, Our Peace. He is Elohim, Our Great, Mighty and Glorious God.
Place your hope and your trust, not in any man, but in Almighty God. He will never disappoint you. He is true to His Word. He is a God who means what He says and says what He means. Ask Him to come into your heart today and make you whole.
Where does you hope lie? In who have you placed your trust? Have you put all your hope and trust in your job, friends and family? Who do you look to for answers? Where do you go when your life hits a crossroad? I am sure I don’t have to tell you that humans cannot be trusted 100%. Most of our feelings are based on situations and circumstances that surround us. Friends are very plentiful when you are at the top of your game and everything is going well. The minute the weather of life changes and you are down and needing help, the numbers dwindle very quickly. The moment you lose your job and you can no longer throw the pretty parties you once did, you find yourself alone. Even though family is all we have, I have seen family turn their backs on one another. The need to hold onto relationships even when there is nothing material to gain is fast becoming a fallacy.
There is however someone that you can trust. He is not a fair-weather friend. He is everything you need for Him to be. He lives up to His name as a Comforter and He sticks closer than any brother. His name is Jesus Christ. He has never lost a battle so He can never disappoint you. He is always there for you. Even when you can’t hear His voice or feel His presence, you learn to trust in His plan for your life. Jehovah, Our God is a God who does not disappoint. His existence and power is not based on anyone or anything. He is Yahweh. He is Jehovah Jireh, Our Provider. He is Jehovah Rophe, Our Healer. He is Jehovah Nissi, the Lifter of our heads. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, Our Righteousness. He is Jehovah Shammah, Our Ever Present God. He is Jehovah Rohi, Our Shepherd. He is Jehovah Shalom, Our Peace. He is Elohim, Our Great, Mighty and Glorious God.
Place your hope and your trust, not in any man, but in Almighty God. He will never disappoint you. He is true to His Word. He is a God who means what He says and says what He means. Ask Him to come into your heart today and make you whole.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Be There For One Another
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:22-25
When we are saved, we suddenly become a member of a movement greater than our own individual agendas. We become a member of a very important body – the body of Christ. This body is different from any organization, club or fraternity on the surface of the earth. We have a great responsibility when we are a member of the body of Christ. We have a duty to perform. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. These talents and abilities are meant to be utilized in the body of Christ to proclaim the gospel.
Our talents get better as we practice our craft and spend time with God. We become more focused on where God is taking us in our lives and less held back by where we’ve been before we came to know God. We become confident in the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. We no longer need to fight for victory; we simply fight from the victory of our Lord on the Cross of Calvary.
God’s grace upon our lives allows us to extend forgiveness to others just like God forgives us. The ability that we now have based on the Holy Spirit that dwells in us to do good to others even when they persecute us, makes our persecutors experience the love of God through us. Our actions change the lives of others and we propel them to do better. Our greatest testimony is not our sermons but our individual lives – how we overcome adversity fully giving all glory to God for the victory; how we work hard and do our best promoting the gospel with the gifts that God has blessed us with.
As believers in the body of Christ, we are to encourage one another; develop one another and open doors so others can walk through. We are to reach out and pull others out of the slimy pit that we once dwelt in ourselves.
When we are saved, we suddenly become a member of a movement greater than our own individual agendas. We become a member of a very important body – the body of Christ. This body is different from any organization, club or fraternity on the surface of the earth. We have a great responsibility when we are a member of the body of Christ. We have a duty to perform. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. These talents and abilities are meant to be utilized in the body of Christ to proclaim the gospel.
Our talents get better as we practice our craft and spend time with God. We become more focused on where God is taking us in our lives and less held back by where we’ve been before we came to know God. We become confident in the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. We no longer need to fight for victory; we simply fight from the victory of our Lord on the Cross of Calvary.
God’s grace upon our lives allows us to extend forgiveness to others just like God forgives us. The ability that we now have based on the Holy Spirit that dwells in us to do good to others even when they persecute us, makes our persecutors experience the love of God through us. Our actions change the lives of others and we propel them to do better. Our greatest testimony is not our sermons but our individual lives – how we overcome adversity fully giving all glory to God for the victory; how we work hard and do our best promoting the gospel with the gifts that God has blessed us with.
As believers in the body of Christ, we are to encourage one another; develop one another and open doors so others can walk through. We are to reach out and pull others out of the slimy pit that we once dwelt in ourselves.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Comforter
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Becoming a follower of Christ does not make us perfect. Trying to attain perfection and becoming a 100% is a battle we can never win. Glory be to God that we do not have to be perfect; we simply have to rest in the perfection of Jesus Christ. Whether we like it or not, we will make mistakes and when we make them, God in his infinite grace, shows us compassion. Not because he turns a blind eye to sin but because he loves us and has sent his son to deal with the state of sin so that we might have abundant life.
God is indeed the God of all comfort. He lends his ears to our troubles and holds our hand in his as we find our way through. He understands how the world works, after all he created it! He knows that there will be troubles, sorrow and strife. He sometimes allows them in our lives to make us mature and permit the growth we often desperately need. The adversities we face are never meant to kill us or harm us. They are permitted by the Lord in our lives to prepare us for the future he has planed for us. Without the troubles, we will never be able to handle the tough times that are definitely ahead.
The good news is that with all the troubles comes the comfort of God. He shows us comfort to help us along the way but he also does it so that we can help others who are hurting as well. As the hands and feet of the Lord, we are expected to extend the grace that God shows us to others. We are meant to pass it on. There are only 3 things certain in life – death, trouble and taxes. If you are going through a tough time at the moment, rest in the comfort that a relationship with God brings. If you are yet to give your life over to God, do it today; do it right now.
Becoming a follower of Christ does not make us perfect. Trying to attain perfection and becoming a 100% is a battle we can never win. Glory be to God that we do not have to be perfect; we simply have to rest in the perfection of Jesus Christ. Whether we like it or not, we will make mistakes and when we make them, God in his infinite grace, shows us compassion. Not because he turns a blind eye to sin but because he loves us and has sent his son to deal with the state of sin so that we might have abundant life.
God is indeed the God of all comfort. He lends his ears to our troubles and holds our hand in his as we find our way through. He understands how the world works, after all he created it! He knows that there will be troubles, sorrow and strife. He sometimes allows them in our lives to make us mature and permit the growth we often desperately need. The adversities we face are never meant to kill us or harm us. They are permitted by the Lord in our lives to prepare us for the future he has planed for us. Without the troubles, we will never be able to handle the tough times that are definitely ahead.
The good news is that with all the troubles comes the comfort of God. He shows us comfort to help us along the way but he also does it so that we can help others who are hurting as well. As the hands and feet of the Lord, we are expected to extend the grace that God shows us to others. We are meant to pass it on. There are only 3 things certain in life – death, trouble and taxes. If you are going through a tough time at the moment, rest in the comfort that a relationship with God brings. If you are yet to give your life over to God, do it today; do it right now.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
God Delivers
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. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. - 2 Corinthians 1:9-11
We often find ourselves at cross-roads in our lives. In between the start and finish of our race of life, we get to a difficult place called “stuck”. A place that seems dry and devoid of life. A place where nothing seems to be functioning and everything we try produces no result. We feel trapped in our own existence. Our situation can even be likened to death – we are alive physically but spiritually and emotionally, we can be categorized as dead to the world.
I have been there and felt all the horrible emotions that accompany the feelings. But I can confidently say that God heals and that he delivers. He can touch any broken heart and bring supernatural healing to it. God is a God of resurrections. Lazarus was dead for 3 days and God brought him back to life. Jesus himself arose again and claimed victory over sin and death. God can bring wetness to all the dry areas of our lives if we would turn our eyes to him and choose to serve him. He is the only God that has the power to bring about the exact miracle that you need. He is the only one who can heal your broken heart. He can bring back to life all the area of our existence that have been dead for so long.
Trust in God today and let him bring to your life the deliverance that it so desperately needs.
We often find ourselves at cross-roads in our lives. In between the start and finish of our race of life, we get to a difficult place called “stuck”. A place that seems dry and devoid of life. A place where nothing seems to be functioning and everything we try produces no result. We feel trapped in our own existence. Our situation can even be likened to death – we are alive physically but spiritually and emotionally, we can be categorized as dead to the world.
I have been there and felt all the horrible emotions that accompany the feelings. But I can confidently say that God heals and that he delivers. He can touch any broken heart and bring supernatural healing to it. God is a God of resurrections. Lazarus was dead for 3 days and God brought him back to life. Jesus himself arose again and claimed victory over sin and death. God can bring wetness to all the dry areas of our lives if we would turn our eyes to him and choose to serve him. He is the only God that has the power to bring about the exact miracle that you need. He is the only one who can heal your broken heart. He can bring back to life all the area of our existence that have been dead for so long.
Trust in God today and let him bring to your life the deliverance that it so desperately needs.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Cry No More
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. – Psalm 30:5
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:18
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. – Psalm 126:5-6
Life hits us hard sometimes. I have had some bad experiences that has brought me to tears and they still do sometimes. There were times when I felt as if I was locked up in a vacuum and could not breathe. My spirit was crushed and I felt all alone. I cried daily and wondered if anyone cared; I even wondered if God could see and if he was concerned about me. Through all my tears and pain, I have also experienced the grace of God enough to know that He is always there for the brokenhearted. God brought joy to me in a time when crying seemed to be my portion. He was and still is the lifter of my head. He showed me favor even when I did not deserve it. He loved me when it seemed no-one else wanted to. I can testify that the Lord is always at hand to comfort those who are hurting.
As time passes, I have seen a continuous flow of joy into life. I have once again started to see the blessings of God in my life and in the lives of my children. I have started to live again. My teary season has ended and God has given me a reason to sing. I still have some down times but now, thanks to God, they are very rare. I have also learnt that the secret to eradicating gloom is praising God. He has turned my mourning into dancing and took away all my sorrow. I can now see and realize the promises of God in my personal life. He saved me and now I can sing songs of joy. I wake up praising God and I go to sleep praising God. He is the light of my life, the spring in my step; my all and all.
If you are sowing tears today, know that God’s joy will surely come in the morning. Hold on, persevere; God has not forgotten you. He sees all the tears that you cry; he catches them all in the palm of his had. None of them go unrecorded.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:18
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. – Psalm 126:5-6
Life hits us hard sometimes. I have had some bad experiences that has brought me to tears and they still do sometimes. There were times when I felt as if I was locked up in a vacuum and could not breathe. My spirit was crushed and I felt all alone. I cried daily and wondered if anyone cared; I even wondered if God could see and if he was concerned about me. Through all my tears and pain, I have also experienced the grace of God enough to know that He is always there for the brokenhearted. God brought joy to me in a time when crying seemed to be my portion. He was and still is the lifter of my head. He showed me favor even when I did not deserve it. He loved me when it seemed no-one else wanted to. I can testify that the Lord is always at hand to comfort those who are hurting.
As time passes, I have seen a continuous flow of joy into life. I have once again started to see the blessings of God in my life and in the lives of my children. I have started to live again. My teary season has ended and God has given me a reason to sing. I still have some down times but now, thanks to God, they are very rare. I have also learnt that the secret to eradicating gloom is praising God. He has turned my mourning into dancing and took away all my sorrow. I can now see and realize the promises of God in my personal life. He saved me and now I can sing songs of joy. I wake up praising God and I go to sleep praising God. He is the light of my life, the spring in my step; my all and all.
If you are sowing tears today, know that God’s joy will surely come in the morning. Hold on, persevere; God has not forgotten you. He sees all the tears that you cry; he catches them all in the palm of his had. None of them go unrecorded.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Father's Day
I would like to say Happy Father’s Day to all fathers in the world. Today is definitely an opportunity to celebrate the Dads around us. For those who are properly functioning in that role, God Bless you abundantly. May he continue to give you all the strength that you need to fulfill your calling as a parent. And for those who have relinquished their responsibilities for one reason or another, may the Holy Spirit minister to your soul and counsel you about the errors of your ways. Sadly there is no future reward for this choice; only pain, regret and loneliness.
Being a father is a huge responsibility and it should not be taken lightly. As a father, you must never fail to invest in the areas that really count – in your wife and in your children. When you invest time and effort in your family, you have the ability to impact the world and make a difference. I don’t need to remind anyone about the statistics regarding absentee fathers. Single parent households run by mothers are on the rise. I know God makes all the difference for us single moms and he has the power to make all crooked places straight such that all the wrongs that happen in the lives of our children are turned around for good for his glory. But that does not abdicate men of their responsibilities in participating in the day-to-day care of their children.
Fathers, please take time to evaluate your participation in the emotional, physical and spiritual welfare of your children.
1) How much time do you spend interacting with your children daily?
2) Do you even know what they like, what they do and who they really are?
3) Are you involved in their education and extra-curricular activities?
4) Do you lead your children to church or do they go without you?
5) Do you teach them one thing and live your life a completely different way?
6) Is the way you are living teaching your children God’s principles?
7) Can you say that your children will look back in time and say that there was never a time that you were not there for them or did not show them affection?
Be a testimony to your children. Whatever decisions you make, be a picture of God to your children.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
There is Strength in the Lord
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you. – Psalm 9:9-10
God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountain fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. – Psalm 46:1-3
Hear my cry O God; listen my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. – Psalm 61:1-4
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” – Psalm 91:1-2
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31
We are living in very difficult and uncertain times. The economy has taken a downward turn. People are losing out on their investments including their homes. Those that are managing to hold on to their homes are living with the reality that their homes are worse much less than the mortgages on them. Jobs are being pulled by employers. Families are struggling to make ends meet. Food prices are at an all time high. Gas prices are over $5 a gallon. The government has no answers for anyone. People are anxious about the uncertainty of the future.
I speak to friends everyday that are feeling drained and losing their strength. They see no reason to keep striving. But I assure them that there is strength in the Lord. When the future appears bleak and there seems to be little hope for the future, God is the answer. God is our strength and our refuge. There is supernatural power in the name of the Lord. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:10 says that the name of the Lord is a strong tower and that the righteous run to it and are safe. When we are losing faith and strength, all we need do is call on his mighty name and his strength is made perfect in our times of weakness. It does not matter what is going on in the world, we are safely anchored by the love of God. Even when material things are dwindling and money is tight, the peace and joy that comes from the knowledge and relationship with God makes life worthwhile.
If you are going through a tough time at the moment due to the current state of affairs with the economy, rest in God’s strength. He will hold your head up and keep you. No harm or calamity will befall you. God will never leave or forsake anyone that calls on his name and trusts in him. Even if you see no sign of relief; can’t hear God’s voice or sense his presence, trust in his perfect plan for your life.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountain fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. – Psalm 46:1-3
Hear my cry O God; listen my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. – Psalm 61:1-4
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” – Psalm 91:1-2
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31
We are living in very difficult and uncertain times. The economy has taken a downward turn. People are losing out on their investments including their homes. Those that are managing to hold on to their homes are living with the reality that their homes are worse much less than the mortgages on them. Jobs are being pulled by employers. Families are struggling to make ends meet. Food prices are at an all time high. Gas prices are over $5 a gallon. The government has no answers for anyone. People are anxious about the uncertainty of the future.
I speak to friends everyday that are feeling drained and losing their strength. They see no reason to keep striving. But I assure them that there is strength in the Lord. When the future appears bleak and there seems to be little hope for the future, God is the answer. God is our strength and our refuge. There is supernatural power in the name of the Lord. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:10 says that the name of the Lord is a strong tower and that the righteous run to it and are safe. When we are losing faith and strength, all we need do is call on his mighty name and his strength is made perfect in our times of weakness. It does not matter what is going on in the world, we are safely anchored by the love of God. Even when material things are dwindling and money is tight, the peace and joy that comes from the knowledge and relationship with God makes life worthwhile.
If you are going through a tough time at the moment due to the current state of affairs with the economy, rest in God’s strength. He will hold your head up and keep you. No harm or calamity will befall you. God will never leave or forsake anyone that calls on his name and trusts in him. Even if you see no sign of relief; can’t hear God’s voice or sense his presence, trust in his perfect plan for your life.
Friday, June 13, 2008
When Times Are Tough: Remember
For in hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not have yet, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. – Romans 8:25-27
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. – Romans 8:29-30
Times can get hard. Life can be very difficult sometimes. People who you thought loved you and will always be there for you suddenly abandon you to sink or swim. The job you so faithfully gave all your sweat and toil suddenly decides your valued services are no longer required. The person you thought will always be around is suddenly snatched away by death. We all face tough circumstances that threaten to shake or even destroy our world. We may crumble in pain but something inside of us gives us the courage to get back up again.
I am no stranger to pain and heartache. The world certainly took its best shot but God triumphed. But in between somewhere, I too lost hope. I didn’t see the point in carrying on. I could not see any light at the end of the tunnel. But God reminded me about my faith and how crucial it is for me to hold on to it. If I could just hold on to the faith – the little faith the size of a mustard seed that I had left in me, he would show me that there was a reason to hang on. He will make my life a testimony of his great glory. So I held on, I am holding on. As I struggle and I persevere, each day God shows me anew the reason to carry on. And when I cannot pray, I just sit in silence, earnestly trying to hear his voice. Sometimes I cry in weakness, sometimes I sit at peace and other times, I anxiously wait to hear a word from him. I trust him that he sees my heart and all that is in it – my hopes, my dreams and all my aspirations; the future that I dream for my life and the lives of the wonderful daughters that he has blessed my life so richly with.
Sure life is tough – if it wasn’t, it will not be worth anything. A life filled with ease is really no life at all. Challenges make us grow. They allow us to come into our own. They give us an incredible appreciation for the mighty God that we serve as he always causes us to overcome. He takes all the good and the bad and works it all out for our good and for his eternal glory. I am a living testimony of that fact. I once had nothing to say but now I have so much to give - all because Jesus Christ saw me worthy and first gave to me. He poured his Spirit into my life because he had a special assignment just for me. An assignment designed and crafted even before he made me; a mission that I was pre-destined to fulfill.
When times get tough, hold on, persevere, remember that you are a child of the Most High God and that He and only He has the whole world in his hand.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. – Romans 8:25-27
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. – Romans 8:29-30
Times can get hard. Life can be very difficult sometimes. People who you thought loved you and will always be there for you suddenly abandon you to sink or swim. The job you so faithfully gave all your sweat and toil suddenly decides your valued services are no longer required. The person you thought will always be around is suddenly snatched away by death. We all face tough circumstances that threaten to shake or even destroy our world. We may crumble in pain but something inside of us gives us the courage to get back up again.
I am no stranger to pain and heartache. The world certainly took its best shot but God triumphed. But in between somewhere, I too lost hope. I didn’t see the point in carrying on. I could not see any light at the end of the tunnel. But God reminded me about my faith and how crucial it is for me to hold on to it. If I could just hold on to the faith – the little faith the size of a mustard seed that I had left in me, he would show me that there was a reason to hang on. He will make my life a testimony of his great glory. So I held on, I am holding on. As I struggle and I persevere, each day God shows me anew the reason to carry on. And when I cannot pray, I just sit in silence, earnestly trying to hear his voice. Sometimes I cry in weakness, sometimes I sit at peace and other times, I anxiously wait to hear a word from him. I trust him that he sees my heart and all that is in it – my hopes, my dreams and all my aspirations; the future that I dream for my life and the lives of the wonderful daughters that he has blessed my life so richly with.
Sure life is tough – if it wasn’t, it will not be worth anything. A life filled with ease is really no life at all. Challenges make us grow. They allow us to come into our own. They give us an incredible appreciation for the mighty God that we serve as he always causes us to overcome. He takes all the good and the bad and works it all out for our good and for his eternal glory. I am a living testimony of that fact. I once had nothing to say but now I have so much to give - all because Jesus Christ saw me worthy and first gave to me. He poured his Spirit into my life because he had a special assignment just for me. An assignment designed and crafted even before he made me; a mission that I was pre-destined to fulfill.
When times get tough, hold on, persevere, remember that you are a child of the Most High God and that He and only He has the whole world in his hand.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
God Values Our Trust
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
I am currently going through a transition in my life. Some recent events defy explanation but I have chosen to trust God and rest in the assurance that he has total control over every event that happens in my life. Before I made the decision to let go and let God, I scurried around trying to figure things out. I kept looking for solutions but the more I ran around, the more anxious and restless I became. Sleep began to elude me as I found myself up at all hours of the night extrapolating and planning. I know what the Bible says about worrying but I wanted answers from God and I wanted them quickly.
As days and prayers passed, I found myself praying with the starting phrase – “God give me wisdom and strength”. I started to feel the need to ask God to take authority over the different events that I obviously had no control over. Gradually, I felt peace return and all my anxiety disappear. As a question popped into my head about what I was planning to do about a situation, I immediately spoke to God and left the question on the altar. I found myself saying out loud sometimes – “I really can’t answer that!”. And honestly, I couldn’t answer most of the questions that plagued me. I just did not have visibility to the future but I knew that God sees all and absolutely nothing is hidden from him. I know that he has the big picture and every single peace of the puzzle. I rested in that truth. I rested in my confidence and my trust in Almighty God.
Just today, God gave me a vision of what he wanted me to do and where he wanted me to go for now. I have chosen to do as he has asked and wait in that spot until I receive my next set of instructions. It seems God gives us a little at a time and we must do things in the order that he dictates. God wants his children to trust him and worry about nothing. He values our trust such that when we give it whole-heartedly without wavering, he gives us joy, peace and rest in return – phenomenal peace that people around us that know what we are dealing with may not understand.
Even in difficult times, let’s place our trust where we will be faithfully rewarded. We should never fuss and fret because this only leads to a feeling of hopelessness. We must place our trust in the God that we serve without wavering.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
I am currently going through a transition in my life. Some recent events defy explanation but I have chosen to trust God and rest in the assurance that he has total control over every event that happens in my life. Before I made the decision to let go and let God, I scurried around trying to figure things out. I kept looking for solutions but the more I ran around, the more anxious and restless I became. Sleep began to elude me as I found myself up at all hours of the night extrapolating and planning. I know what the Bible says about worrying but I wanted answers from God and I wanted them quickly.
As days and prayers passed, I found myself praying with the starting phrase – “God give me wisdom and strength”. I started to feel the need to ask God to take authority over the different events that I obviously had no control over. Gradually, I felt peace return and all my anxiety disappear. As a question popped into my head about what I was planning to do about a situation, I immediately spoke to God and left the question on the altar. I found myself saying out loud sometimes – “I really can’t answer that!”. And honestly, I couldn’t answer most of the questions that plagued me. I just did not have visibility to the future but I knew that God sees all and absolutely nothing is hidden from him. I know that he has the big picture and every single peace of the puzzle. I rested in that truth. I rested in my confidence and my trust in Almighty God.
Just today, God gave me a vision of what he wanted me to do and where he wanted me to go for now. I have chosen to do as he has asked and wait in that spot until I receive my next set of instructions. It seems God gives us a little at a time and we must do things in the order that he dictates. God wants his children to trust him and worry about nothing. He values our trust such that when we give it whole-heartedly without wavering, he gives us joy, peace and rest in return – phenomenal peace that people around us that know what we are dealing with may not understand.
Even in difficult times, let’s place our trust where we will be faithfully rewarded. We should never fuss and fret because this only leads to a feeling of hopelessness. We must place our trust in the God that we serve without wavering.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Let’s Accept One Another
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. – Romans 15:1-2
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! – Romans 3:9
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. – Romans 15:7
I have been unfortunate enough to know people in my life who were Christians but did not understand the love of God. They continually emphasized how I wasn’t good enough for them. They complained about my background and how that was the cause of all my problems. They saw neither hope nor future for me. They saw nothing good about me or my life. Most importantly they had no reason to believe that God could use a person like me. As I look back and evaluate how far I’ve come in my 37 years on earth, I cannot say that I blame them. Not because I lived a reckless life – no, but because as Christians who claim to love the Lord, we can also be hateful and judgmental. Through my experience, I learned that just because someone can quote the scripture does not mean that they really understand what they keep quoting or can live according to the scriptures they have come to know so well. I learnt that knowing God’s Word and knowing of the love of God are two completely different things.
The love of God is what allows us to embrace people who are different from us. It allows us to understand that not everyone has had the same opportunities in life that we have been fortunate to have. Knowing God and his Word will show that God always uses the people others would least expect. His ways are not our ways. He focuses on the heart rather than the lip-service. You may see a person as being un-deserving of the grace that they have received from God but the Lord is looking at a much bigger picture than you can ever see or comprehend.
If we say that we are Christians, why do we choose to live hypocritical lives? Why do we choose our friends based on the way that they appear? How can we bring others to Christ when we will only embrace those that are just like us on the outside? Jesus Christ was always amongst the less than desirable because he came to the world to save sinners. Embracing people who are different does not mean we compromise our faith and belief; it simply means we open up our hearts so that people can see Christ in us. Let us be quick to abandon all manner of wickedness towards others. If we don not change our ways and the way that we treat others, what goes around will eventually come around. Let us not be quick to write others off as being unsalvageable. God can save and use anyone of his choice regardless of what background or past they might have. He does not need to convene with any board or committee to get their buy-in. He is God Almighty and not answerable to anyone.
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! – Romans 3:9
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. – Romans 15:7
I have been unfortunate enough to know people in my life who were Christians but did not understand the love of God. They continually emphasized how I wasn’t good enough for them. They complained about my background and how that was the cause of all my problems. They saw neither hope nor future for me. They saw nothing good about me or my life. Most importantly they had no reason to believe that God could use a person like me. As I look back and evaluate how far I’ve come in my 37 years on earth, I cannot say that I blame them. Not because I lived a reckless life – no, but because as Christians who claim to love the Lord, we can also be hateful and judgmental. Through my experience, I learned that just because someone can quote the scripture does not mean that they really understand what they keep quoting or can live according to the scriptures they have come to know so well. I learnt that knowing God’s Word and knowing of the love of God are two completely different things.
The love of God is what allows us to embrace people who are different from us. It allows us to understand that not everyone has had the same opportunities in life that we have been fortunate to have. Knowing God and his Word will show that God always uses the people others would least expect. His ways are not our ways. He focuses on the heart rather than the lip-service. You may see a person as being un-deserving of the grace that they have received from God but the Lord is looking at a much bigger picture than you can ever see or comprehend.
If we say that we are Christians, why do we choose to live hypocritical lives? Why do we choose our friends based on the way that they appear? How can we bring others to Christ when we will only embrace those that are just like us on the outside? Jesus Christ was always amongst the less than desirable because he came to the world to save sinners. Embracing people who are different does not mean we compromise our faith and belief; it simply means we open up our hearts so that people can see Christ in us. Let us be quick to abandon all manner of wickedness towards others. If we don not change our ways and the way that we treat others, what goes around will eventually come around. Let us not be quick to write others off as being unsalvageable. God can save and use anyone of his choice regardless of what background or past they might have. He does not need to convene with any board or committee to get their buy-in. He is God Almighty and not answerable to anyone.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Guilt and Shame :- All Gone
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice for atonement, through faith in his blood. – Roman 3:23-24
No-one is perfect. None of us can claim to be a 100%. Only God is blameless and a picture of perfection. The best most of us can hope to come close to is 80%. Yet knowing that we all make mistakes, we still choose to judge and put one another down. We sometimes look down on others because they have struggles that we are fortunate enough not to have. We discard people because we know or believe that they don’t come from the same background as we do. We consciously or unconsciously treat them as sub-human as if our own “picture perfect” backgrounds guarantee us anything.
When it comes to the state of sin, we are all guilty – 100%! We all come from the seed of Adam so do the math! If we are to be truly honest with ourselves, we all miss the mark, just by varying degrees. Giving our lives to Jesus saves us from the consequences of sin which is death. As we walk with God and study his word, the Holy Spirit within us will help minimize the practice of sin. Still from time to time, we still fall short because we are human and made of flesh. But God does not hold up a ruler to measure how far or close to the mark we each are. God’s expectations of us are too high for us to achieve on our own that is why he gave up His Only Son as atonement for sin once and for all. Because of Jesus Christ, we are free from guilt and shame.
We no longer need to allow the weight of shame from the past hold us back. Jesus took all that away when he gave up his life at the Cross of Calvary. The Bible reminds us in Romans 4:7 that “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him”. How can you act as if you are blessed when you insist on carrying all that guilt and shame around?
If you are still feeling down because of things from the past, realize that this feeling is not from God. God has set you free to start on a clean slate on enjoy life anew. All the guilt and shame of the past have all been washed away. If you can make changes or make amends to rectify your source of shame, do so. You may owe someone a sincere apology because you have wronged them, give it from the heart. Do what you can within the limits that God allows to do the right thing. You do not need to spend the rest of your life paying for your past mistakes. Allow God entry into every little detail of your life. Keep him first and let what he says about you in his word reign supreme in your mind. Accept the liberation that comes with the salvation that you have received. Don’t waste another day on stuff that God has already taken care of on your behalf.
No-one is perfect. None of us can claim to be a 100%. Only God is blameless and a picture of perfection. The best most of us can hope to come close to is 80%. Yet knowing that we all make mistakes, we still choose to judge and put one another down. We sometimes look down on others because they have struggles that we are fortunate enough not to have. We discard people because we know or believe that they don’t come from the same background as we do. We consciously or unconsciously treat them as sub-human as if our own “picture perfect” backgrounds guarantee us anything.
When it comes to the state of sin, we are all guilty – 100%! We all come from the seed of Adam so do the math! If we are to be truly honest with ourselves, we all miss the mark, just by varying degrees. Giving our lives to Jesus saves us from the consequences of sin which is death. As we walk with God and study his word, the Holy Spirit within us will help minimize the practice of sin. Still from time to time, we still fall short because we are human and made of flesh. But God does not hold up a ruler to measure how far or close to the mark we each are. God’s expectations of us are too high for us to achieve on our own that is why he gave up His Only Son as atonement for sin once and for all. Because of Jesus Christ, we are free from guilt and shame.
We no longer need to allow the weight of shame from the past hold us back. Jesus took all that away when he gave up his life at the Cross of Calvary. The Bible reminds us in Romans 4:7 that “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him”. How can you act as if you are blessed when you insist on carrying all that guilt and shame around?
If you are still feeling down because of things from the past, realize that this feeling is not from God. God has set you free to start on a clean slate on enjoy life anew. All the guilt and shame of the past have all been washed away. If you can make changes or make amends to rectify your source of shame, do so. You may owe someone a sincere apology because you have wronged them, give it from the heart. Do what you can within the limits that God allows to do the right thing. You do not need to spend the rest of your life paying for your past mistakes. Allow God entry into every little detail of your life. Keep him first and let what he says about you in his word reign supreme in your mind. Accept the liberation that comes with the salvation that you have received. Don’t waste another day on stuff that God has already taken care of on your behalf.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Eradicating Self Pride
Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. – Psalm 138:6
I often think about the issue of self-pride. Where does it come from? Research shows it stems from our confidence in ourselves – our abilities, our talents, our material possessions, and our position in our place of work. Even though we believe God, we feel as if we achieved all that we have in our own strength. We give glory to ourselves for all that we are and forget the author and finisher of our faith. If like me, you are struggling in life but making it somehow, you understand that human effort is important and should not be underestimated but it is certainly not the most crucial factor to success.
We must all work hard – no doubt. The Bible says if a man does not work, he must not eat. I work hard day in and day out. It has become a way of life because I have little children who depend on me and are watching me to see how I handle adversity. But at the same time, I know God put the foundation in me; the building blocks upon which I build my life. No matter how hard I work, without the foundation that God has laid when he created me and put me together, nothing I do will amount to much. And even if I manage to put some things together and it appears to the outside world like success, I would develop a negative spirit of pride that alienates God. When we start to place all our confidence in ourselves and what we can do, God ceases to be the center of our lives. His will for our lives takes a backseat and our wills completely reign.
The Bible says God sets one down and sets another up. All the things you think that you have and have become arrogant about can all be taken away by the snap of the Lord’s fingers – you can lose it all in a heartbeat. God wants us to worship no other but him. If you have let your personal achievements go to your head, go to God in repentance. Anytime you begin to feel that false sense of self-confidence coming over you, confess it to God and ask for help. Take time to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross for all the things you now enjoy and want to take credit for. This will make it easy to relinquish all arrogance and surrender in humility to God.
I often think about the issue of self-pride. Where does it come from? Research shows it stems from our confidence in ourselves – our abilities, our talents, our material possessions, and our position in our place of work. Even though we believe God, we feel as if we achieved all that we have in our own strength. We give glory to ourselves for all that we are and forget the author and finisher of our faith. If like me, you are struggling in life but making it somehow, you understand that human effort is important and should not be underestimated but it is certainly not the most crucial factor to success.
We must all work hard – no doubt. The Bible says if a man does not work, he must not eat. I work hard day in and day out. It has become a way of life because I have little children who depend on me and are watching me to see how I handle adversity. But at the same time, I know God put the foundation in me; the building blocks upon which I build my life. No matter how hard I work, without the foundation that God has laid when he created me and put me together, nothing I do will amount to much. And even if I manage to put some things together and it appears to the outside world like success, I would develop a negative spirit of pride that alienates God. When we start to place all our confidence in ourselves and what we can do, God ceases to be the center of our lives. His will for our lives takes a backseat and our wills completely reign.
The Bible says God sets one down and sets another up. All the things you think that you have and have become arrogant about can all be taken away by the snap of the Lord’s fingers – you can lose it all in a heartbeat. God wants us to worship no other but him. If you have let your personal achievements go to your head, go to God in repentance. Anytime you begin to feel that false sense of self-confidence coming over you, confess it to God and ask for help. Take time to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross for all the things you now enjoy and want to take credit for. This will make it easy to relinquish all arrogance and surrender in humility to God.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Fear Not
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7
Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God” – Isaiah 41:10
The bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. There is good fear and there is bad fear. Good fear is the reverence of the Lord – a respect for the power and the glory of God – an awe inspired by devotion to God. Bad fear is being afraid of some situation or somebody. Bad fear is the opposite of faith. Anytime this spirit of fear comes in, faith is leaving through the door – both cannot dwell in us at the same time.
All in all, bad fear is not from God. Bad fear has been described by many as False Evidence Appearing Real. Satan sends fear to paralyze and incapacitate the children of God. He loves to instill fear in our hearts. Even when are not afraid, he presents us with all the reasons why we should be afraid. If you are living in fear, the chances of you fulfilling God’s vision for your life is greatly reduced and the devil loves that! What Gods has for you will never be yours if you are hiding in fear. Tolerating fear related feelings facilitates running away from your destiny. You must understand that all these fears are not based on anything concrete – they are all founded on a bunch of “if’s” and “maybes”.
I remember a time when I was overwhelmed with fear. My response - I began studying the word of God with great vigor. I found the word brought me great comfort during this time. I also realized that confronting my fears was an important key in overcoming them. Fear will normally generate one of two responses –face it and fight or run away in flight. So how do you face your fears? There is only one weapon that one can use to face fears and that weapon is faith.
Faith is the opposite of fear. When faith walks into a heart, fear must and will flee. Ironically there are over 300 instances of the phrase “Fear Not” in the bible. That tells me God does not want us to be bogged down with this feeling. He knows that when we give in to this feeling we have taken our eyes off him and we are focusing on the situation that we are in. I remember reading in a book that “Fear Not is synonymous with “Don’t Flee!” God never wants us to pick us to pack up and run anytime we are faced by fear. He wants us to confront it; face it. He promises us to deliver us if we don’t flee anytime we face the giant named fear. Even when we are afraid, we stand firm refusing to run – in fear. Faith makes us stand so fear can flee.
God understands that fear has the ability to make us lose perspective on things and we cannot see him in the midst of our situation. God promises to strengthen us in our trials if we faint not. Face your fears by channeling your energies towards a deeper knowledge and relationship with God.
Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God” – Isaiah 41:10
The bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. There is good fear and there is bad fear. Good fear is the reverence of the Lord – a respect for the power and the glory of God – an awe inspired by devotion to God. Bad fear is being afraid of some situation or somebody. Bad fear is the opposite of faith. Anytime this spirit of fear comes in, faith is leaving through the door – both cannot dwell in us at the same time.
All in all, bad fear is not from God. Bad fear has been described by many as False Evidence Appearing Real. Satan sends fear to paralyze and incapacitate the children of God. He loves to instill fear in our hearts. Even when are not afraid, he presents us with all the reasons why we should be afraid. If you are living in fear, the chances of you fulfilling God’s vision for your life is greatly reduced and the devil loves that! What Gods has for you will never be yours if you are hiding in fear. Tolerating fear related feelings facilitates running away from your destiny. You must understand that all these fears are not based on anything concrete – they are all founded on a bunch of “if’s” and “maybes”.
I remember a time when I was overwhelmed with fear. My response - I began studying the word of God with great vigor. I found the word brought me great comfort during this time. I also realized that confronting my fears was an important key in overcoming them. Fear will normally generate one of two responses –face it and fight or run away in flight. So how do you face your fears? There is only one weapon that one can use to face fears and that weapon is faith.
Faith is the opposite of fear. When faith walks into a heart, fear must and will flee. Ironically there are over 300 instances of the phrase “Fear Not” in the bible. That tells me God does not want us to be bogged down with this feeling. He knows that when we give in to this feeling we have taken our eyes off him and we are focusing on the situation that we are in. I remember reading in a book that “Fear Not is synonymous with “Don’t Flee!” God never wants us to pick us to pack up and run anytime we are faced by fear. He wants us to confront it; face it. He promises us to deliver us if we don’t flee anytime we face the giant named fear. Even when we are afraid, we stand firm refusing to run – in fear. Faith makes us stand so fear can flee.
God understands that fear has the ability to make us lose perspective on things and we cannot see him in the midst of our situation. God promises to strengthen us in our trials if we faint not. Face your fears by channeling your energies towards a deeper knowledge and relationship with God.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Pain - One of Life's Certainties
But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. – Isaiah 43:1-3
There are three things in life that are certain – death, taxes and pain. Pain is no respecter of race, age, gender, spiritual beliefs or social standing. It is a universal leveler. Gravity or degree of knowledge may differ but we’ve all met it in our individual journeys through life. There are different ways that trouble comes to a man – heartbreak, hardship, loss, death, disease – the list is long. If by chance, you have not experienced any pain yet in life’s journey, don’t worry, it will arrive at its appointed time.
We will all feel pain at one point or another. What differ are our individual reactions to adversity when it comes. We have two choices – accept the setback, deal with it and strive to overcome it or we can live in self-pity and blame everybody else for our problems. Often when we get no results from self-pity and finger-pointing, we choose to turn against God – the Only One that can see us through. We start to shut ourselves away from the outside world. We isolate ourselves and ride on the lonely boat of “why me”. We become angry at everyone and find it difficult to share joy with others who rejoice – not because we are mean-spirited but because we feel wronged by the world and everyone in it. When pain shows up in our lives, we can be an overcomer or be simply overcome.
The ability to meet adversity with courage is the only way to be an overcomer. What you believe helps to determine whether you will be an overcomer or be overcome by circumstances. Whatever fires, raging waters or rivers that we are dealing with in our lives, God is always standing right there with us. Even when we cannot feel God’s presence nor hear his voice during hard times, we must rest in the faith that God is always with us and that he has plans for our lives. God is always up to something.
The pain and difficulties that we go through now is all going to work out for our good and to the glory of God’s name in the end. He is perfecting something in our lives, teaching us a lesson that we need to learn. Maybe we need to learn patience. It may be that we are short on perseverance. But God never allows anything to happen to his children that will serve no purpose in their lives. He has his hand on the knob all the time and he always shows up at just the right time to deliver us. It’s a myth to think God will never give us more than we can bear – sure he can but we have the privilege of applying God’s power to any adversity that comes our way so that we can be victorious in our walk of life.
There are three things in life that are certain – death, taxes and pain. Pain is no respecter of race, age, gender, spiritual beliefs or social standing. It is a universal leveler. Gravity or degree of knowledge may differ but we’ve all met it in our individual journeys through life. There are different ways that trouble comes to a man – heartbreak, hardship, loss, death, disease – the list is long. If by chance, you have not experienced any pain yet in life’s journey, don’t worry, it will arrive at its appointed time.
We will all feel pain at one point or another. What differ are our individual reactions to adversity when it comes. We have two choices – accept the setback, deal with it and strive to overcome it or we can live in self-pity and blame everybody else for our problems. Often when we get no results from self-pity and finger-pointing, we choose to turn against God – the Only One that can see us through. We start to shut ourselves away from the outside world. We isolate ourselves and ride on the lonely boat of “why me”. We become angry at everyone and find it difficult to share joy with others who rejoice – not because we are mean-spirited but because we feel wronged by the world and everyone in it. When pain shows up in our lives, we can be an overcomer or be simply overcome.
The ability to meet adversity with courage is the only way to be an overcomer. What you believe helps to determine whether you will be an overcomer or be overcome by circumstances. Whatever fires, raging waters or rivers that we are dealing with in our lives, God is always standing right there with us. Even when we cannot feel God’s presence nor hear his voice during hard times, we must rest in the faith that God is always with us and that he has plans for our lives. God is always up to something.
The pain and difficulties that we go through now is all going to work out for our good and to the glory of God’s name in the end. He is perfecting something in our lives, teaching us a lesson that we need to learn. Maybe we need to learn patience. It may be that we are short on perseverance. But God never allows anything to happen to his children that will serve no purpose in their lives. He has his hand on the knob all the time and he always shows up at just the right time to deliver us. It’s a myth to think God will never give us more than we can bear – sure he can but we have the privilege of applying God’s power to any adversity that comes our way so that we can be victorious in our walk of life.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Abusing The Grace of God
“‘So do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel,’ declares the Lord. ‘ I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. I am with you and will save you,’ declares the Lord. Though I completely destroy all nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’ – Jeremiah 30: 10-11
We often suffer because of the wrong choices that we make. Even when we are saved and we belong to Christ, we cannot escape the consequences of our actions. Every seat does have its price. God has promised to heal us and restore us but he does not promise to take away the consequences of sin from us. If we live our lives erroneously and disregard the laws of God that are not meant to harm us but to guide us, we risk missing out on the abundant life that God had promised all those who believe.
Faith without works is dead just like works without faith is meaningless. Our works must be based on our faith and if we claim to believe in God, it must manifest in the kind of lives that we live. We cannot claim to love God and be living contrary to the directions laid out in the Word of God. If we are living dangerously, we may need to revaluate our salvation – maybe we are not really saved at all. If we say we love God, how can we do things that would make him unhappy? Shouldn’t we be focusing all our energies on doing things that bring glory to his name? Shouldn’t our lifestyle clearly dictate what we claim to believe?
I heard a story today about a college professor who gave his students assignments for the quarter and insisted that they must not be handed in late. The first assignment 25 students out of 250 were not ready by the deadline given and he gave them an extension. The next time the second assignment was due, 50 students were late and he also gave them an extension. By the time the third assignment was due, 150 out of 275 students were not ready. When he refused to give extensions anymore, they complained and grumbled so he decided to give all latecomers F’s starting with the late bloomers from the first assignment. We sometimes treat the grace of God this way. We say we believe in God but we abuse the grace he shows us. We keep coming to God and backsliding; repeating the cycle over and over again. We do what we want when we want and we have all sorts of reasons to justify our actions – may God have mercy on us.
This is the day of reckoning – a day of self evaluation. We need to take a closer look at how we are living the lives that we have been so graciously given.
We often suffer because of the wrong choices that we make. Even when we are saved and we belong to Christ, we cannot escape the consequences of our actions. Every seat does have its price. God has promised to heal us and restore us but he does not promise to take away the consequences of sin from us. If we live our lives erroneously and disregard the laws of God that are not meant to harm us but to guide us, we risk missing out on the abundant life that God had promised all those who believe.
Faith without works is dead just like works without faith is meaningless. Our works must be based on our faith and if we claim to believe in God, it must manifest in the kind of lives that we live. We cannot claim to love God and be living contrary to the directions laid out in the Word of God. If we are living dangerously, we may need to revaluate our salvation – maybe we are not really saved at all. If we say we love God, how can we do things that would make him unhappy? Shouldn’t we be focusing all our energies on doing things that bring glory to his name? Shouldn’t our lifestyle clearly dictate what we claim to believe?
I heard a story today about a college professor who gave his students assignments for the quarter and insisted that they must not be handed in late. The first assignment 25 students out of 250 were not ready by the deadline given and he gave them an extension. The next time the second assignment was due, 50 students were late and he also gave them an extension. By the time the third assignment was due, 150 out of 275 students were not ready. When he refused to give extensions anymore, they complained and grumbled so he decided to give all latecomers F’s starting with the late bloomers from the first assignment. We sometimes treat the grace of God this way. We say we believe in God but we abuse the grace he shows us. We keep coming to God and backsliding; repeating the cycle over and over again. We do what we want when we want and we have all sorts of reasons to justify our actions – may God have mercy on us.
This is the day of reckoning – a day of self evaluation. We need to take a closer look at how we are living the lives that we have been so graciously given.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
No Other Gospel
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned. – Galatians 1: 6-9
We live in a pluralistic world where we are exposed constantly to various choices. We are given options that appear to look good in the beginning but that have no long-term gain. There are a lot of religions that promise to be the answer to all problems but most of them are based on dead or imaginary gods. Some are based on science and others look to nature to explain the mysteries of God’s wonderful world. Some claim to based on Christianity but think it best to use mind games and manipulation to keep people in bondage.
There is only one true gospel – the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel is based on a Living God and not on animals, birds, trees or plants. It is not based on the sun, the moon or the stars. Rather it is based on the Creator of all nature. As believers in the wonderful gospel, the gospel of truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have to very knowledgeable about the God we believe in. We are not to be swayed by any other gospel out there in the world as we will be leaving the truth for a lie.
We live in a pluralistic world where we are exposed constantly to various choices. We are given options that appear to look good in the beginning but that have no long-term gain. There are a lot of religions that promise to be the answer to all problems but most of them are based on dead or imaginary gods. Some are based on science and others look to nature to explain the mysteries of God’s wonderful world. Some claim to based on Christianity but think it best to use mind games and manipulation to keep people in bondage.
There is only one true gospel – the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel is based on a Living God and not on animals, birds, trees or plants. It is not based on the sun, the moon or the stars. Rather it is based on the Creator of all nature. As believers in the wonderful gospel, the gospel of truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have to very knowledgeable about the God we believe in. We are not to be swayed by any other gospel out there in the world as we will be leaving the truth for a lie.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Be a Participant in the Great Commission
Sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
Proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
His marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
He is to be feared above all gods. – Psalm 96: 1-4
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
Proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
His marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
He is to be feared above all gods. – Psalm 96: 1-4
The Great Commission should be the uttermost priority of every believer. Each one of us must ask God to show us how he can use us in spreading the gospel. If we ask for his will regarding participating in the Great Commission, he will tell us what to do. In addition to testifying to the outside world, our greatest testimony as to the glory of God must be evident in our own individual lives.
What kind of testimony do you have? Do you have a good one, a bad one or none at all? I see mission families willing to go anywhere, willing to do anything and at any cost. Having children used to be a reason why we could not participate in preaching the gospel but now there are more and more children being messengers for Christ. I see young teenagers on missions to Mexico and Guatemala.
God’s greatest desire is to draw people to himself. Jesus Christ came not to die for the sins of a few but the sins of the entire world. What he wants more than anything is for the world to come to the knowledge of him and accept him as the Only Savior that can save this world.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Unashamed of the Gospel
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. – Romans 1:16
Earlier on in my Christian walk, I wanted to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone that I knew but I was worried that people will look at me differently or think that I was some type of freak. But as I learned more, I began to understand that the gospel of Jesus Christ is much bigger and more important than anything. I learnt that this gospel is the most important message ever. The gospel is the truth that this sinful world of ours so desperately needs. Encountering the truth is also very difficult to handle for us all. The world is full of options – people can pick any god they like. Some go as far as worshipping nature. They can choose to worship creation rather than the Creator. Freedom does have its perils.
But there is no time to be shy and bashful as a believer in the world we live in today. The message needs to be preached to all the corners of the world. Children of God are called to know, believe and proclaim the gospel. It is not about us or how we feel. It is all about the message that we believe in. It is important that we are knowledgeable about what and in whom we claim to believe but we must also never overlook the power of the message in and of itself. The power is not in the orator, it is in the God behind the message.
We should never promise anyone that the message of Jesus Christ is a magic bullet that takes trouble away or instantly makes life better. It is not a magic wand that we can wave to chase all hardships away. It is a gospel that changes people from within. It takes away hearts of stone and replaces them with hearts of flesh. God’s word changes us from the inside out and there are people out in the world that need this powerful message. Let’s share the gospel without shame. Let’s use our lives as testimonies to show that everyone needs a Savior.
Earlier on in my Christian walk, I wanted to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone that I knew but I was worried that people will look at me differently or think that I was some type of freak. But as I learned more, I began to understand that the gospel of Jesus Christ is much bigger and more important than anything. I learnt that this gospel is the most important message ever. The gospel is the truth that this sinful world of ours so desperately needs. Encountering the truth is also very difficult to handle for us all. The world is full of options – people can pick any god they like. Some go as far as worshipping nature. They can choose to worship creation rather than the Creator. Freedom does have its perils.
But there is no time to be shy and bashful as a believer in the world we live in today. The message needs to be preached to all the corners of the world. Children of God are called to know, believe and proclaim the gospel. It is not about us or how we feel. It is all about the message that we believe in. It is important that we are knowledgeable about what and in whom we claim to believe but we must also never overlook the power of the message in and of itself. The power is not in the orator, it is in the God behind the message.
We should never promise anyone that the message of Jesus Christ is a magic bullet that takes trouble away or instantly makes life better. It is not a magic wand that we can wave to chase all hardships away. It is a gospel that changes people from within. It takes away hearts of stone and replaces them with hearts of flesh. God’s word changes us from the inside out and there are people out in the world that need this powerful message. Let’s share the gospel without shame. Let’s use our lives as testimonies to show that everyone needs a Savior.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Let Us Encourage One Another
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. – Romans 1:12
Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Within the body of Christ, we all have different parts to play; we each have a role. Just like in our individual bodies, there are arms, eyes, mouth, ears and legs, in the family of God, all having different functions. We bring different gifts and talents to the house of God. No gift is more important than the other. When we come together in harmony, we reflect a beautiful picture of God.
We’ve all heard the saying “No man is an island”. As believers, we need one another. When one is down, another should be right there to lift him up. Our individual spiritual lives are principally based on our personal relationships with God. If some believers are hot and some are cold, it affects the overall temperature of the body. Regular fellowship allows us to strengthen one another spiritually. The Bible also warns us not to forsake regular assembly with other believers because it is important that we get together from time to time and share our testimonies and experiences.
It saddens me when I see believers fight and quarrel amongst one another. We bicker and fight amongst one another putting aside our common vision. We should spend time building each other up rather than tearing one another down. Christian marriages are failing at the same alarming rate as circular marriages because we say we no longer have anything in common with our spouse. We are quick to forget that if we both claim to love God that is the best thing that we could ever have in common. We quit one relationship and embark on the next under the myth that new will surely be better.
When we claim to love God, we must remember that all of us Christians, regardless of the denominations that we have created to divide us, are all part of one family. Our rituals and ceremonies do not make us different. The common love for God and everything about God is what makes us the same. We must encourage one another focusing on our common goal rather than our man-made differences.
Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Within the body of Christ, we all have different parts to play; we each have a role. Just like in our individual bodies, there are arms, eyes, mouth, ears and legs, in the family of God, all having different functions. We bring different gifts and talents to the house of God. No gift is more important than the other. When we come together in harmony, we reflect a beautiful picture of God.
We’ve all heard the saying “No man is an island”. As believers, we need one another. When one is down, another should be right there to lift him up. Our individual spiritual lives are principally based on our personal relationships with God. If some believers are hot and some are cold, it affects the overall temperature of the body. Regular fellowship allows us to strengthen one another spiritually. The Bible also warns us not to forsake regular assembly with other believers because it is important that we get together from time to time and share our testimonies and experiences.
It saddens me when I see believers fight and quarrel amongst one another. We bicker and fight amongst one another putting aside our common vision. We should spend time building each other up rather than tearing one another down. Christian marriages are failing at the same alarming rate as circular marriages because we say we no longer have anything in common with our spouse. We are quick to forget that if we both claim to love God that is the best thing that we could ever have in common. We quit one relationship and embark on the next under the myth that new will surely be better.
When we claim to love God, we must remember that all of us Christians, regardless of the denominations that we have created to divide us, are all part of one family. Our rituals and ceremonies do not make us different. The common love for God and everything about God is what makes us the same. We must encourage one another focusing on our common goal rather than our man-made differences.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
A Brand New Heart
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. – Ezekiel 36:26-27
When we come to Jesus Christ, we are born-again and given a second chance at living the abundant life promised to us as children of the Living God. God exchanges the ashes of our lives – all our disappointments, pain, failures and dysfunction for beauty. As we continue walking with God, our hearts and minds are slowly transformed such that day by day we begin to display the attributes of our Heavenly Father.
From the growth that is inevitable as we follow the Word of God, we begin to think more globally rather than locally. We start to see others the way that God sees them. We begin to feel more compassion and empathy towards the suffering of others. We can now share in the sorrow that our God feels at the turmoil that is going on in the world. Before we thought only about our needs but now we are eager to participate in the Great Commission and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people who are lost.
God’s Spirit now dwells in us and His light starts to attract others to us. People who would not ordinarily be drawn to us suddenly see something in us that cannot be explained. We know that they are not really interested in us; they are interested in the God that resides in us. We are different from everyone else in an unexplainable but great way. From the day we joined God’s wonderful family, the Holy Spirit guides us and tells us when, where and how to proceed with life. When we try to step into the wrong thing, the Spirit gives a feeling of unease so we know not to go the wrong route. On the other hand, He gives us inner peace about the right decisions that line up with God’s Word. Our attitude and way of living begins to move inline with what God requires of us. Because of our faith, our works are approved by God.
Coming to Jesus is the best thing that can happen to you. It changes your heart; it changes your entire life for the better. You will never be the same again. If you want a brand new heart, a heart like Jesus Christ, invite him into your life today and watch your life transform.
When we come to Jesus Christ, we are born-again and given a second chance at living the abundant life promised to us as children of the Living God. God exchanges the ashes of our lives – all our disappointments, pain, failures and dysfunction for beauty. As we continue walking with God, our hearts and minds are slowly transformed such that day by day we begin to display the attributes of our Heavenly Father.
From the growth that is inevitable as we follow the Word of God, we begin to think more globally rather than locally. We start to see others the way that God sees them. We begin to feel more compassion and empathy towards the suffering of others. We can now share in the sorrow that our God feels at the turmoil that is going on in the world. Before we thought only about our needs but now we are eager to participate in the Great Commission and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people who are lost.
God’s Spirit now dwells in us and His light starts to attract others to us. People who would not ordinarily be drawn to us suddenly see something in us that cannot be explained. We know that they are not really interested in us; they are interested in the God that resides in us. We are different from everyone else in an unexplainable but great way. From the day we joined God’s wonderful family, the Holy Spirit guides us and tells us when, where and how to proceed with life. When we try to step into the wrong thing, the Spirit gives a feeling of unease so we know not to go the wrong route. On the other hand, He gives us inner peace about the right decisions that line up with God’s Word. Our attitude and way of living begins to move inline with what God requires of us. Because of our faith, our works are approved by God.
Coming to Jesus is the best thing that can happen to you. It changes your heart; it changes your entire life for the better. You will never be the same again. If you want a brand new heart, a heart like Jesus Christ, invite him into your life today and watch your life transform.
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