Saved, Blessed & Chosen

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.– Ephesians 1:3-8

I often pray to God in tears that my hope never depart from me. The reason that I pray this prayer very frequently is because I tend to get overwhelmed with my current circumstances. Due to my sensitivity to the Spirit, I can immediately tell when the enemy is trying to get a foothold in my mind. He knows that if he can steal my hope, he can get to my thoughts, pollute them and corrupt my actions. God directs me to scriptures such as the one above to remind me that regardless of my outward circumstances, I am part of a blessed and chosen generation. He reminds me that I am covered by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and as such no weapon fashioned against me will ever prosper. The weapon can be fashioned but it will not prosper. I am reminded that He loves me that is why He sent His Precious Son, Jesus Christ to die on the Cross of Calvary – for me. I am saved and washed in the Blood of Christ. What more do I need to be victorious in this realm? Nothing! It’s all up to you and I now. We have all that we need built into us. So let’s get to work and step over the obstacles that threaten to steal our dreams and purpose. We are saved, blessed and chosen. Halleluiah to the Lamb of God!

The Grace for Change

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2

We all need to change. God is a picture of perfection. We can never be perfect but with God and His Word, our minds can be gradually transformed such that we start to think like him. I don’t know about you but I am grateful for God’s grace. With His grace, I am shown areas in my life that I need to work on. I get the tug in my heart by the Holy Spirit to adjust my attitude and my temperament when I am tempted to go my own way. It is God that gives us the grace to change so it is important that we welcome the conviction by the Holy Spirit with humility and gratitude. Some are never convicted. Their consciences are dead to the Spirit. So be thankful that God is prompting you to change – for the better.

There are three crucial elements to lasting change – Grace, Truth and of course, Time. Grace and truth go hand-in-hand. We cannot have truth without grace because then we become judgmental. In the same token, we cannot have grace without truth as that will bring liberty to sin. Then there is the important component called Time. Any real change will take time. Fast change will never last and it is often very shallow and cannot withstand strong opposition. When we invest time in our change process, we give the roots of change to run deep. And when our roots in God run deep, our mind is being transformed and we begin to resemble our God. We will not be frail in the face of opposition. We will be able to stand firm in the midst of adversity.

With God, It’s All Good

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

Mistakes are a fact of life. Unfortunately, there is no golden parachute for the believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will make errors and we will fall at some point or another. We will get disappointed and wounded by something or another. But God is a God of second, third, fourth and fifth chances. He is always there for us when difficult times arise – even when they come upon us as a result of our own doing. When we make a wrong move and we make mistakes, God works all our mistakes out for our own good. He does not take away the consequences of our erroneous ways but He allows us to learn from them and use the lessons to take us to our next level of development.

Constant Guidance from the Lord

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. – Psalm 119:105

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. – Proverbs 3:5-7

Sometimes we think we know it all. We try to make the wrong choices to get this right. We head in the wrong direction hoping to get to the right destination. We take the law into our own hands; get in the driver’s eat of our lives and run the car right into a ditch. We fail to acknowledge the Lord as our God and ask Him for directions as to how to lead our lives. To make matters worse, some of us profess to be Christians but get to guidance from the Word of God. We trust only in the physical – what we can actually see. We often do the right thing and are optimistic about the things of God when things are going our way but the minute difficulties arise, we start to go our own way. In truth it is when things become tough that we ought to move closer to God so that we do not lose hope.

God’s Word remains the same yesterday, today and forever more. We must learn to trust in Him and the instructions He has provided for us in His Holy Word. We are to focus not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For all that we see is temporary but what we cannot see is eternal. God promises us that if we follow Him, He will make our paths straight. He tells us never to take matters in our own hands – if the Bible does not condone an action or a behavior that simply means we must never partake in it – period. We have the Bible, our manual for living available to us. God’s Word is to be the Light that illuminates our paths; that guides us in our journey through this realm.

Never Alone

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

I am in a period of transition right now. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the enormity of the decision I have had to make in order to follow my dreams and make my life count for something. Don’t get me wrong – I have achieved some level of success in my personal and professional life but I have also had my own share of disappointments. But I have been plagued by this nagging feeling that God has a lot more for me to do so hence a big change had to me made. The planning and preparations that needed to be made often left me frustrated and discouraged. On some days, I wanted to give it all up and stay in my comfort zone. I wanted to get another day job, pay my bills and mind my own business.

One night as I lay down and was talking to God about my transition, he put all my fears to rest. He reminded me that I am called; designed for a purpose. He reminded me about Joshua 1:9. He told me never to be afraid and not to be discouraged and give up, regardless of the obstacles that come my way. He promised to be with me through it all; never to leave me or forsake me. These promises I will hold onto for the next six to eighteen months. I am confident that I am going to need them.

The Meaning of Life

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11

Life can be complicated. Things aren’t always what they seem and people aren’t always who they appear to be. But God is our anchor and our foundation and as long as we not only know that but have a firm grasp on that understanding, life becomes what it is – just life. God has a plan for you and I – He has a unique plan for every creation, which means that we are not accidents or coincidences; we are all here for various reasons. God’s plans for us are great plans; plans to give us hope and a secure future.

Life always has meaning for a believer. We must approach our lives with passion and enthusiasm. With God, we can achieve extraordinary things. We can make our lives count. We can impact our generation and leave legacies for our children and grandchildren.

Transform Your Life

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2

It does not really matter how gifted and you are, if your mind is unstable and you are indecisive, it will affect every area of your life. It is so very easy to get sucked into the ways of this world. One minute you are pledging to follow the Lord with vigor and the next, you are knee-deep in questionable behavior.

Making the right decisions can only be accomplished when we walk with God and lean on his understanding and not our own. The more we study the Word of God and spend time in His presence, the more our minds are transformed and we start to think in the way He purposed us to think.

Walk the Talk

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But a man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does. – James 1:22-25

There is nothing worse than hypocrisy. It is crucial that we do our best to live what we profess. When we fail to do this, we are talking out of both sides of our mouths. The sad thing about living a double-life is that we stop people from coming to Christ. When people see us on Sunday preaching against adultery and we are right smack in the middle of the behavior all other days of the week, they laugh behind our backs and we make a mockery of our God. But the Bible tells us not to be deceived and that God cannot be mocked. Whatever we sow, we will surely reap. Anyone who sows to please his or her sinful flesh, from that same flesh will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8). It does not matter how crafty we are, we can never be successful in fooling the Lord. People may look at you and think you are the best thing since sliced bread but God knows and sees the real you. He can see right through you to your heart. You may look like the perfect Christian and smell like a Christian; park your body religiously in a pew every Sunday but if you are not practicing what you are preaching, you are being a hypocrite. Unfortunately, God is not looking at how you look, what you wear or how many scriptures you quote. He is looking deep into your heart to see what it is you truly believe.

It is not enough to be mere hearers of the Word of God, we need to be doers. We need to get our actions in line with what we claim to believe. If we are truly born again and have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, our attitude and way of life needs to reflect our faith. The more we study the Bible, the more our minds are transformed. We’ve all heard that “As a man thinks in his heart so is he” so the more we learn about God, the more our thought process changes and we start to think like God thinks. Every action is preceded by a thought. If we can change the way we think with the word of God, we can change our lives for the better.

Forgive, Forgive and Forgive

“And when you start praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” - Mark 11:25

Jesus set for us a great example on what it means to truly forgive. The only snag is that most of us find it hard to truly forgive. We’ve all heard people make statements like “I can forgive but I can never forget”. I believe the reason why we find it hard to fully forgive is because the true benefits of forgiving is not fully understood. When we know what forgiving can do for us, we will find it easier to follow Christ's example. If we make a decision to stop replaying events over and over again, forgetting can really be achieved in time. When you make a conscious choice not to focus on the mistakes that were made and rehashing the issue with everyone that will listen, we have a strong chance at letting go of the hurt. I can testify that there is so much to gain from being a person who fully forgives. I have personally enjoyed improved health, physical and spiritual strength, peace and inner joy as some of the benefits of forgiving. When the Bible instructs us to forgive, it is for us and not for the offender. Refusing to forgive does great harm to the body internally. Holding grudges and refusing to let go and let God has negative implications on the quality of our lives.

I was told a story of a woman who had cancer and was abandoned by her husband. She was sick and to top it off, she had two children to care of. She became very bitter and resentful. She prayed and prayed regarding her health. She even had the entire church praying for me but her situation did not change. She had no idea why her prayers were going unanswered until God revealed to her in a dream that if she wanted her healing she needed to work on her feelings. She had so much anger and bitterness toward her husband that it was slowly killing her. The woman decided to follow the instructions of the Lord and worked on the state of her heart toward her husband. In time, she was able to forgive and release her bitterness. The speed at which her healing came after her heart changed was remarkable. She was shocked to discover that she had the key to her healing all along; she just needed to turn the key.

We must forgive, forgive and keep on forgiving. It is in our best interest to do so. I myself find it easier to forgive when I put people in their proper place. Humans will always be human and they will make mistakes just like I do. Learning to set expectations in a realistic manner minimizes the chances of being wronged. Only God does not disappoint; human beings will disappoint you – you can count on it. So when you have that squared away, you can view people in the right way; you can give them room to make mistakes and forgive them as they do so.

Learn To Put God First In Your Life

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33

We all have priorities whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. There are things that are important to each and every one of us; the things that we must do or our lives will not be complete. There are some who must work 60-72 hours a week to sustain themselves and their families. By the time they are done with working, there is very little time left for the things of God. Others choose to work on weekends because of time and half and double pay. Taking care of the home, the kids and the demands of our circular job can very often leave us drained. If care is not taken God starts to move further and further down the list of our priorities. Maybe we miss church for one Sunday, one becomes two and before we know it we go months without fellowshipping with other believers. We console ourselves by saying “I don’t have to attend church too meet with God”. True, God can meet with us anywhere but iron sharpens iron. If we are to remain in the spirit, we must spend time with people who believe in the same things that we do. We must be engaged in the work of the kingdom helping to edify the saints and build up the body of Christ. Imagine if everyone stayed home on Sunday with the same belief, what would happen to the church?

God does not want to be included in our to-do list; he wants to at the top of our priorities. If our lives are to be genuinely successful, God must come first. All other things must be laid aside to give way for our time with God. For a believer, this is not optional. During our every waking day, we have to make allowances for the Lord – planned allowances. We must seek God’s face every day understanding that failing to do so may result in an aimless day – busy but aimless. I encourage you to invest in a 30 – 45 minute time with God each day, preferably in the morning before you do anything else to set the tone for your entire day. Making this investment may very well mean the difference between a result-filled day and a day filled with endless frustration.

Be Grateful For Your Miracles

When he came near the place where the road goes down to the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” - Luke 19:37-38

I have been out of commission for a while but I am grateful to be back. In the chaos of life, we often forget the Lord. We are quick with our laundry list of requests – asking for a new car, a new house, a bigger job with a larger salary that we forget to thank God for what He has already done. I was watching a show called “The Secret Millionaire” and caught a glimpse of some problems that other human beings just like me, had to live with. When our families are healthy and we can put food on the table, God deserves praise. When we have a job to go to that enables us to work out our gifts and our talents, God is worthy to be praised. When we can rise in the morning and see the dawn of a new day, we must appreciate that Our God is still on the throne.

If we want to know where we stand in regards to thanksgiving, we must analyze our prayers. How much time to we spend in worship and praise as opposed to making requests? Do our prayers predominantly contain requests for things or do we spend a great deal of time just thanking God for what He has done. Are our prayers one sided or do we take time to just sit and be still in God’s presence? Praise and thanksgiving brings an atmosphere of worship. God loves to inhabit the praises of His people. As a parent, when I can see that my daughters are grateful for the gifts they have received and I can see that they are putting these gifts to good use, I am encouraged to give them more. So before you start to ask God for more, search your heart and see if you have been full of praise and thanksgiving for what the Lord has already provided. Do an inventory of your life and see if what he has previously allocated has been put to good use.

I don’t know about you but I want to spend the other half of my life as a true worshipper and disciple. I will spend my time thanking God each moment for the miracles He has graciously brought my way. My existence today in the Spirit is itself a miracle. As I keep my eyes and my heart open, I anticipate my relationship with my Father in heaven to deepen. As I spend more time appreciating Him and thankful for every single experience, I will be able to see His divine authority, His compassion and His presence in my life.