OK, if you’re thinking….what does that mean?…..let me start off by saying that....
Today, the world is a strange and almost different place from what it once was……Some of the companies that I wanted to work for in 2006 (when I graduated from college), no longer exist, and those that do, aren’t hiring, but are laying off folks….
Real estate properties that seemed all so pricey then are such a bargain now….
A black, and dare I add, of Kenyan origin male ran for presidency in the U.S. and won…….
Over 100,000 jobs announced would be cut in the U.S……..
My relationship with a woman I deeply loved and cared for came to a sudden and heartbreaking end…….
I blame the credit crunch for all of these occurrences (well, I am not sure to what extent my relationship was affected by the credit crunch, but bear with me).
It seems that 2008 (and what’s spent of 2009) has been fairly eventful, for better or for worse……..but there’s hope……..
What I want you to know, and be assured of is that our God is Lord of the credit crunch……
It means that He’s God over it! It means that He stands above all the circumstances in our lives (even the credit crunch) and reigns victorious!…..It means that credit crunch or not, He is still God…...It means that God changes not, just because of the credit crunch! It means that God’s character doesn’t change, just because of a global financial recession! It means that you can still praise God and give Him glory, in the midst of the credit crunch for He is great and worthy to be praised! It means that in spite of what’s going on around you, God still wants, and wishes to be in your life, and to be your God!
This blog won’t have many bible references for two reasons:
1). Due to a bitter row with the utility company, I have no electricity, and so I am typing this out, with one eye at the battery left over on my P.C., and trying to beat the clock……..
2). I really wanna take time to minister to someone who, could be looking at the world as it is today, and wondering where’s the hope, and if there’s hope….and don’t want to sound “airy” with a liberal dose of the bible verses and references ……
In the 2008/09 tax year, I was laid off from my job in the U.S. in early 2008 (not because of the credit crunch), and then found my way back home (Nairobi, Kenya) and began the journey of self discovery, both personally, professionally and spiritually. And trust me, that has been turbulent……It sometimes feels like for every step forward I made, I meandered severally, and really took 10 steps backward…..but yet, in spite of the challenges ahead…..I press on, I have faith……I have hope……
Why is that? Is it because business is picking up?…….well, it has, but that’s not the reason……Is it because I have become smarter in my business dealings? No……Is it because a rich relative has bailed me out of my own personal credit crunch? No…….it’s because of this great God who is Lord of the Credit Crunch……..
In Luke 12:22-34, Jesus is challenging the way we react to the situations in our lives….I think the most natural reaction that comes to us when life becomes difficult, or things take a turn for the worse is to worry…….I remember when I lost my job, and tried to get another one but couldn’t (because most companies weren’t willing to hire in the wake of the credit crunch), worry began to set in……I wish I thought to encourage my soul from this passage of scripture……it could have saved me quite a bit of anguish.
One thing that the Lord wants us to be able to do is to NOT worry, but rather trust in Him……When we worry, we move our focus from God and what He can do, to the situations in our life…..We begin to build a sanctuary of doubt and disbelief, rather than an alter of praise and worship to God who is our supply!
Jesus tells us in that passage of scripture to……..
v. 29 “….Seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind”
v. 30 “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things”
v. 31 “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you”
v. 32 “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom”
I’ve quoted these verses before in a different blog, but it is still very much rue……instead of focusing your energies on what you cannot change, focus your hearts, desires, thoughts, feelings and emotions on seeking God’s kingdom……as a measure of your trust and faith in God, focus your energies on that which is important to Him, and He will come right through for you!
In Genesis 22, we get two of some of the most important names for God…….This passage deals with the Lord asking Abraham to sacrifice His son Isaac.
Our God is Jehovah Jireh, our provider…..He will provide all of your needs, according to His riches in glory! Remember, the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him, so do gold and silver…..Trust me, our God has got His bling on….
Our God is also Jehovah El Shaddai….our sufficiency……That means that He is all that we need, when we need it! He delivers us, saves us, restores us, blesses us all for His name’s sake…….He does it not because we do deserve His love, but because He is good! There’s nothing that we need, that God can’t give us…
I thank God that He has been my Jehovah Jireh, and my Jehovah El Shaddai…..the Lord has brought new business my way, He has protected my heart and guarded my soul from destruction, He has encamped beside me, restored my friendships and kept me safe from my enemies……..
I don’t know about what you face now, or what you have faced in your life…I don’t know what challenges have rocked you, or those things that have caused you to stumble and lose your way……my encouragement to you is that our God is Jehovah Jireh, and Jehovah El Shaddai………
Whether you believe in Him or not, whether you have been faithful to Him or not, whether you have been walking with Him or not, He remains who He is…..
He loves you, cares for you, protects you, restores you and wants to reign supreme in your life……I don’t know where the credit crunch finds you…..but it is my prayer that in this season, you may “taste, and see that the Lord is good!”
Even while things look bad, or crazy, look up to Him, who is able, and indeed more than able to deliver you, save you, restore you, sustain you, uphold you and cement you in His love, His grace, and His mercy……
Jesus tells us that he is come to “seek and save that which is lost”…..Do you feel lost, and without anyone to turn? He is right there “knocking at the door of your heart, waiting for you to let Him in”……Our Lord Jesus wants you to invite Him into your life, and let Him have His way in your life…..
It is my prayer that in this season of your life, wherever you are and whatever you may be going through, you will make our Lord God Jehovah, the God of the Credit Crunch……
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
I’ve fallen into temptation….again!
Are there areas in your life that you struggle with? Are there particular sins, that you find yourself almost sure to commit?
Do you find that no matter how hard you have tried in the past, you are prone to keep falling into the same temptation, again, and again and again and ….
That’s what I want to talk about in this blog….how to not keep falling into temptation over and over…
I don’t know what you are tempted by, but I do know this, most, if not all, of us, are tempted…….whether into sexual sin, or other, we are all vulnerable to something……
Why, because we are all sinners! As the word says:
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”
Have you ever noticed, that you are never tempted to do that which is of God? Personally, I have never been tempted to pray, to fast, to love like God loves…..but I am always tempted to indulge my flesh…….The word of God says……..
James 1:14 “But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust; and enticed”
Put differently, the lust in my life is what entices me, and thus I am tempted…….It’s interesting though, that each of us struggle with various lusts…..for some it is fornication, adultery, alcoholism, etc……
Personally, there are some things that I am not tempted to do……for instance, I am not tempted to go and drink myself silly…….or to smoke, or to steal……but there are other things that in the past have had a choke hold on me, and have threatened to destroy me…….
But there are things that I am tempted by….I’ll get to that…...
Firstly, what we need to remember is that God doesn’t tempt us……..
James 1:13 “Let not any man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man”
1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world; neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” v. 15
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” v. 16
“And the word passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” v. 17
Then if God isn’t tempting us, that temptation is coming from the enemy, in which case, we shouldn’t take any part in it………Why? Look at what happens when the enemy keeps using our lusts against us:
James 1:15 “Then when that lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death”
I thank God that He helped me to begin to isolate that which the enemy had been using in my life to bring me down……..For me, my lust is in wrapped around my sexuality. I think the first thing that we need to do is to identify that which the enemy is using against us, and, together with the Holy Spirit, start working on it.
I share this with you, not because I am proud of it, but so that you can realize that no one is perfect, but the word of God perfects us! I thank God for the mighty work of restoration and healing that has come in my life when I recanted the sin in my life…because my lusts had conceived into sin and were about to lead me to death……This leads us to the second most important thing when dealing with our lusts, confessing them before God.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
But why did I want the Lord to forgive me for my sin? This had to do with the fact that I loved God enough to desire to walk aright with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanliness, but unto holiness”
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”
1 Thessalonians 1:12 “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory”
Seeing that the Lord has called me to walk in holiness with him, that sin had no place in my life, and neither could I tolerate the lust. I couldn’t afford to let sin continue to monopolize my thought life and my actions, but that I needed to surrender my body unto righteousness
Romans 6:12-13 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” v. 12
“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dean, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” v. 13
1 Thessalonians 1:12 “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory”
Collosians 3:5 “Mortify your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanliness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry”
1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication”
Romans 8:1 “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”
Besides desiring walking righteously before God, I also wanted to inherit the Kingdom of God, and realized that my sin could keep me from that…….Moreover, I didn’t want to appear before Christ have the lust in my life be counted against me!
1 Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulteresses, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind”
1 Corinthians 6:10 “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God”
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether be good or bad”
1 Corinthians 3:13 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is”
There’s also another very serious consequence of not dealing with the lust and sin in our lives. …..besides the lust conceiving sin and the sin conceiving death, I didn’t want the Lord to hand me over to my wicked desires….
Romans 1:25 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves”
Romans 1:26 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed forever”
The third thing that we need to understand is that we cannot overcome our temptations in the flesh!
Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not”
Romans 7:19 “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do”
The fourth thing is that in order to attack my flesh, you need to renew your mind ….We need to start thinking and responding differently when lust rears its ugly head……….
Romans 8:2 “And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the entire renewing of your mind, that you might prove what is the good, and acceptable and perfect will of God”
By renewing my mind, I was letting go of my carnal thoughts, and trading them with the mind of Christ …..
Romans 6:6 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”
I had to understand that Christ died to break sin’s hold over my life and restore every part of me, even my flesh that was pre-disposed to sin
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we may become the righteousness of God in him”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new”
And because I was in Christ, I realized that He had freed me from the old way of reacting to stuff….when I am tempted, I can react in just like Christ would.
Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”
Trying to fight my lust in my flesh had been my problem all along…..What I needed to do is to fight my lust in the spirit
Galatians 5:16 “Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”
2 Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”
2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”
The fifth thing that you need to do is to draw near to God, seek Him and His word. As God draws near to you, you will be able to get all that you need to fight off the enemy and rid yourself of lust.
James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you”
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction for instruction in righteousness”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”
Six, you need to be sensitive when the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin……For me, I thank God that I hardened not my heart, but responded to the realization of sin in my life with repentance!
2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death”
Seven, you need to trust that God will protect you from evil, succour you from temptation and that you have in you the Holy Spirit who will empower you!
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind”
2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil”
Hebrews 2:18 “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted”
Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” v. 15
“Let us therefore come boldly to unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in times of need” v. 16
2 Peter 2:9 “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
James 1:5 “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men, liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”
Seven, we need to submit ourselves unto God, and live consecrated lives….this might mean different things for each of us…..either shunning profane babblings, or not having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness…….We will also need to keep resisting the devil every time he shows up.
Christ shows us exactly how to handle the devil when we are tempted…..Notice how because Christ was so submitted to God, He was able to thwart the devil by quoting scripture…….And notice inspite of every attempt that the enemy brought, the Lord resisted the devil……not particularly because turning stones to bread was wrong, but the devil needs to be resisted…..He is the bringer of death, destruction and all sorts of wickedness, and we need not entertain him in our lives…….And notice that as Christ resisted the devil, he fled from Him……
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves to God” “Resist the devil and he will flee from you”
Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage”
We also need to always remember, even as we submit ourselves to God, is that we are risen with Christ into newness of life, and as a result, we need to seek those things that are above, where Christ is……We need to seek after that which is important to Christ, because the devil can’t tempt us there…We need to think on those things that are beneficial so that we aren’t enticed, and we need to sow good seed into our lives, so that we don’t sow corruption into our lives…
Collosians 3:1 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”
Collosians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”
The truth of the matter is that the enemy will always tempt us with the things that are below, but if we focus on the things above, the enemy cannot get at us.....We also need
Phillipians 4:8 “Whatever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things
Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth unto his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting”
Perhaps finally, we need to “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all its righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” Luke 12.31. Again I say, the enemy cannot tempt us on Godly things and if we seek after those things, we won’t fall easy prey to temptations!
Hope this helps you greatly and challenges you to live rightly before Him. I won't lie, this has greatly strengthened me!
Do you find that no matter how hard you have tried in the past, you are prone to keep falling into the same temptation, again, and again and again and ….
That’s what I want to talk about in this blog….how to not keep falling into temptation over and over…
I don’t know what you are tempted by, but I do know this, most, if not all, of us, are tempted…….whether into sexual sin, or other, we are all vulnerable to something……
Why, because we are all sinners! As the word says:
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”
Have you ever noticed, that you are never tempted to do that which is of God? Personally, I have never been tempted to pray, to fast, to love like God loves…..but I am always tempted to indulge my flesh…….The word of God says……..
James 1:14 “But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust; and enticed”
Put differently, the lust in my life is what entices me, and thus I am tempted…….It’s interesting though, that each of us struggle with various lusts…..for some it is fornication, adultery, alcoholism, etc……
Personally, there are some things that I am not tempted to do……for instance, I am not tempted to go and drink myself silly…….or to smoke, or to steal……but there are other things that in the past have had a choke hold on me, and have threatened to destroy me…….
But there are things that I am tempted by….I’ll get to that…...
Firstly, what we need to remember is that God doesn’t tempt us……..
James 1:13 “Let not any man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man”
1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world; neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” v. 15
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” v. 16
“And the word passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” v. 17
Then if God isn’t tempting us, that temptation is coming from the enemy, in which case, we shouldn’t take any part in it………Why? Look at what happens when the enemy keeps using our lusts against us:
James 1:15 “Then when that lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death”
I thank God that He helped me to begin to isolate that which the enemy had been using in my life to bring me down……..For me, my lust is in wrapped around my sexuality. I think the first thing that we need to do is to identify that which the enemy is using against us, and, together with the Holy Spirit, start working on it.
I share this with you, not because I am proud of it, but so that you can realize that no one is perfect, but the word of God perfects us! I thank God for the mighty work of restoration and healing that has come in my life when I recanted the sin in my life…because my lusts had conceived into sin and were about to lead me to death……This leads us to the second most important thing when dealing with our lusts, confessing them before God.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
But why did I want the Lord to forgive me for my sin? This had to do with the fact that I loved God enough to desire to walk aright with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 “For God hath not called us unto uncleanliness, but unto holiness”
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”
1 Thessalonians 1:12 “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory”
Seeing that the Lord has called me to walk in holiness with him, that sin had no place in my life, and neither could I tolerate the lust. I couldn’t afford to let sin continue to monopolize my thought life and my actions, but that I needed to surrender my body unto righteousness
Romans 6:12-13 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” v. 12
“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dean, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” v. 13
1 Thessalonians 1:12 “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory”
Collosians 3:5 “Mortify your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanliness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry”
1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication”
Romans 8:1 “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”
Besides desiring walking righteously before God, I also wanted to inherit the Kingdom of God, and realized that my sin could keep me from that…….Moreover, I didn’t want to appear before Christ have the lust in my life be counted against me!
1 Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulteresses, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind”
1 Corinthians 6:10 “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God”
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether be good or bad”
1 Corinthians 3:13 “Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is”
There’s also another very serious consequence of not dealing with the lust and sin in our lives. …..besides the lust conceiving sin and the sin conceiving death, I didn’t want the Lord to hand me over to my wicked desires….
Romans 1:25 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves”
Romans 1:26 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed forever”
The third thing that we need to understand is that we cannot overcome our temptations in the flesh!
Romans 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not”
Romans 7:19 “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do”
The fourth thing is that in order to attack my flesh, you need to renew your mind ….We need to start thinking and responding differently when lust rears its ugly head……….
Romans 8:2 “And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the entire renewing of your mind, that you might prove what is the good, and acceptable and perfect will of God”
By renewing my mind, I was letting go of my carnal thoughts, and trading them with the mind of Christ …..
Romans 6:6 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”
I had to understand that Christ died to break sin’s hold over my life and restore every part of me, even my flesh that was pre-disposed to sin
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we may become the righteousness of God in him”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new”
And because I was in Christ, I realized that He had freed me from the old way of reacting to stuff….when I am tempted, I can react in just like Christ would.
Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”
Trying to fight my lust in my flesh had been my problem all along…..What I needed to do is to fight my lust in the spirit
Galatians 5:16 “Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”
2 Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”
2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”
The fifth thing that you need to do is to draw near to God, seek Him and His word. As God draws near to you, you will be able to get all that you need to fight off the enemy and rid yourself of lust.
James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you”
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction for instruction in righteousness”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”
Six, you need to be sensitive when the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin……For me, I thank God that I hardened not my heart, but responded to the realization of sin in my life with repentance!
2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death”
Seven, you need to trust that God will protect you from evil, succour you from temptation and that you have in you the Holy Spirit who will empower you!
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind”
2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil”
Hebrews 2:18 “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted”
Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” v. 15
“Let us therefore come boldly to unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in times of need” v. 16
2 Peter 2:9 “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
James 1:5 “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men, liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”
Seven, we need to submit ourselves unto God, and live consecrated lives….this might mean different things for each of us…..either shunning profane babblings, or not having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness…….We will also need to keep resisting the devil every time he shows up.
Christ shows us exactly how to handle the devil when we are tempted…..Notice how because Christ was so submitted to God, He was able to thwart the devil by quoting scripture…….And notice inspite of every attempt that the enemy brought, the Lord resisted the devil……not particularly because turning stones to bread was wrong, but the devil needs to be resisted…..He is the bringer of death, destruction and all sorts of wickedness, and we need not entertain him in our lives…….And notice that as Christ resisted the devil, he fled from Him……
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves to God” “Resist the devil and he will flee from you”
Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage”
We also need to always remember, even as we submit ourselves to God, is that we are risen with Christ into newness of life, and as a result, we need to seek those things that are above, where Christ is……We need to seek after that which is important to Christ, because the devil can’t tempt us there…We need to think on those things that are beneficial so that we aren’t enticed, and we need to sow good seed into our lives, so that we don’t sow corruption into our lives…
Collosians 3:1 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”
Collosians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”
The truth of the matter is that the enemy will always tempt us with the things that are below, but if we focus on the things above, the enemy cannot get at us.....We also need
Phillipians 4:8 “Whatever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things
Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth unto his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting”
Perhaps finally, we need to “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all its righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” Luke 12.31. Again I say, the enemy cannot tempt us on Godly things and if we seek after those things, we won’t fall easy prey to temptations!
Hope this helps you greatly and challenges you to live rightly before Him. I won't lie, this has greatly strengthened me!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Lord, they are laughing...
Have you ever been in a situation when those around you who don’t know the Lord talk and rise up against you?
“For mine enemies speak against me and them that lay wait for my soul take counsel together” Psalms 71.10
Can you hear them laughing at you, doubting your faith, doubting your God……
“The fool has said in his heart, there is no God” Psalms 53.1
Have you ever been in a situation where it seems, and feels like the Lord has forgotten about you, and the ungodly are prosecuting you because of your faith…….
“God hath forsaken him; persecute and take him, for there is no one to deliver him” Psalms 71.11
Have you cried, begged Go to come to your aid, to help you?
“Make haste, O lord to deliver me, make haste to help me O Lord” Psalms 70.1
“Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline thine ear unto me, and save me” Psalms 71.4
Have you asked God to deal very decisively with them that wish you hurt and destruction?
“Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt” Psalms 71:13
Have you pleaded with the God in whom you have loved to protect, guard and keep you from confusion?
“In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never to be put to confusion” Psalms 71.1
“But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake; because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me” Psalms 109:21
“Help me, O Lord my God; O save me according to thy mercy” Psalms 109.26
“That they may know that this is thy hand that thou, Lord has done it” Psalms 109.27
A friend of mine shared that this has been happening to her at work……at first it broke my heart to see how she was struggling, and I purposed to find a word to help her out in this season……I hope that as she reads this, and as others do, it gives you hope…
That which you need to remember going through this season of people laughing at you is that you are not alone…..The examples above are from David, and the experiences he went through…...They also laughed at Noah as he obeyed God and built the ark…….They laughed at Jesus when He told them the girl was sleeping….and yes, they are laughing at you…….
They laugh because they do not understand your faith…….Always remember, that the word of God is foolishness to them that are perishing, and so they respond in laughter….they don’t understand what you are doing, why you believe what you believe…….they just don’t get it, so they laugh, point, probe, persecute you, because you love God, or you are bold in your convictions…….
I know it’s tuff when that happens…….I personally, haven’t gone through that, but I can put myself in the shoes of you that have……..Having to feel like you and your faith are on trial………Having to feel like your life is under a microscope, coz you believe, and hold fast to that belief……..
The thing that I didn’t tell my friend is that I was secretly envious of her (meaning, I wish I were her)….Actually, as she shared, I was saying in my heart, thank you Jesus! Why?
Not because she was suffering……not because they were making her life a living hell at work……But because of something else……Because of what Christ said in Luke 6:22-23
v. 22 “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake…..”
v. 23 “Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for behold, your reward is great in heaven”…….
See, that’s why I was envious…..Because great is her reward in heaven……..And that’s something else…….Boy, how I long to hear Christ telling me, Kim, great is your reward in heaven!
OK, ok, some of you might be thinking…..mmh, gee, that’s great and all, but what should we do in the meantime? I am on earth, and I hurt on earth!
Firstly, understand that the Lord loves you, and because you seek him, cry out to him and love him, he will preserve you!
“The Lord preserveth all them that love him; but all the wicked will he destroy” Psalms 145:20
Secondly, He will also keep you, protect you, watch over you and He will ensure that you do not stumble…….
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber” Psalms 121.3
“The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand” Psalms 121.5
Thirdly, always remember that because you have called upon the Lord, He shall save you…..never stop calling on Him……Never stop praising him!
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10:13 (OK, this scripture is in the context of spiritual salvation……but the same is also true in physical terms).
Here’s one that I’m sure that you’ve probably heard in song…..
“I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from mine enemies” Psalms 18:3
Fourthly, remember because you have believed in Him, you shall not be put to shame!
“Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” Romans 10:11
Fifthly, remember that because you love God, you are known of him
“If any man love God, the same is known of him” 1 Corinthians 8:3
Also, don’t worry about those who don’t know God but seem to be prospering…..
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity” Psalms 37.1
“For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb” Psalms 37.2
And don’t worry, “the Lord knoweth the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever” Psalms 37.18
I could go on adding scripture after scripture, but I hope that this encourages you to not give up, or give in…….the Lord knows you are there, knows that they are laughing……but because you have been faithful, the Lord will come and save you, deliver you, and you will say out of a place of celebration!
“Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified” Psalms 70.4
And when his deliverance is come, you will rejoice, and truly realize that the Lord has kept you safe and sound…he has been your strength and portion!
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon the earth that I desire beside thee” Psalms 73.25
“My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” Psalms 73.26
May God bless you all!
“For mine enemies speak against me and them that lay wait for my soul take counsel together” Psalms 71.10
Can you hear them laughing at you, doubting your faith, doubting your God……
“The fool has said in his heart, there is no God” Psalms 53.1
Have you ever been in a situation where it seems, and feels like the Lord has forgotten about you, and the ungodly are prosecuting you because of your faith…….
“God hath forsaken him; persecute and take him, for there is no one to deliver him” Psalms 71.11
Have you cried, begged Go to come to your aid, to help you?
“Make haste, O lord to deliver me, make haste to help me O Lord” Psalms 70.1
“Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline thine ear unto me, and save me” Psalms 71.4
Have you asked God to deal very decisively with them that wish you hurt and destruction?
“Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt” Psalms 71:13
Have you pleaded with the God in whom you have loved to protect, guard and keep you from confusion?
“In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never to be put to confusion” Psalms 71.1
“But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake; because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me” Psalms 109:21
“Help me, O Lord my God; O save me according to thy mercy” Psalms 109.26
“That they may know that this is thy hand that thou, Lord has done it” Psalms 109.27
A friend of mine shared that this has been happening to her at work……at first it broke my heart to see how she was struggling, and I purposed to find a word to help her out in this season……I hope that as she reads this, and as others do, it gives you hope…
That which you need to remember going through this season of people laughing at you is that you are not alone…..The examples above are from David, and the experiences he went through…...They also laughed at Noah as he obeyed God and built the ark…….They laughed at Jesus when He told them the girl was sleeping….and yes, they are laughing at you…….
They laugh because they do not understand your faith…….Always remember, that the word of God is foolishness to them that are perishing, and so they respond in laughter….they don’t understand what you are doing, why you believe what you believe…….they just don’t get it, so they laugh, point, probe, persecute you, because you love God, or you are bold in your convictions…….
I know it’s tuff when that happens…….I personally, haven’t gone through that, but I can put myself in the shoes of you that have……..Having to feel like you and your faith are on trial………Having to feel like your life is under a microscope, coz you believe, and hold fast to that belief……..
The thing that I didn’t tell my friend is that I was secretly envious of her (meaning, I wish I were her)….Actually, as she shared, I was saying in my heart, thank you Jesus! Why?
Not because she was suffering……not because they were making her life a living hell at work……But because of something else……Because of what Christ said in Luke 6:22-23
v. 22 “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake…..”
v. 23 “Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for behold, your reward is great in heaven”…….
See, that’s why I was envious…..Because great is her reward in heaven……..And that’s something else…….Boy, how I long to hear Christ telling me, Kim, great is your reward in heaven!
OK, ok, some of you might be thinking…..mmh, gee, that’s great and all, but what should we do in the meantime? I am on earth, and I hurt on earth!
Firstly, understand that the Lord loves you, and because you seek him, cry out to him and love him, he will preserve you!
“The Lord preserveth all them that love him; but all the wicked will he destroy” Psalms 145:20
Secondly, He will also keep you, protect you, watch over you and He will ensure that you do not stumble…….
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber” Psalms 121.3
“The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand” Psalms 121.5
Thirdly, always remember that because you have called upon the Lord, He shall save you…..never stop calling on Him……Never stop praising him!
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10:13 (OK, this scripture is in the context of spiritual salvation……but the same is also true in physical terms).
Here’s one that I’m sure that you’ve probably heard in song…..
“I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from mine enemies” Psalms 18:3
Fourthly, remember because you have believed in Him, you shall not be put to shame!
“Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” Romans 10:11
Fifthly, remember that because you love God, you are known of him
“If any man love God, the same is known of him” 1 Corinthians 8:3
Also, don’t worry about those who don’t know God but seem to be prospering…..
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity” Psalms 37.1
“For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb” Psalms 37.2
And don’t worry, “the Lord knoweth the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever” Psalms 37.18
I could go on adding scripture after scripture, but I hope that this encourages you to not give up, or give in…….the Lord knows you are there, knows that they are laughing……but because you have been faithful, the Lord will come and save you, deliver you, and you will say out of a place of celebration!
“Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified” Psalms 70.4
And when his deliverance is come, you will rejoice, and truly realize that the Lord has kept you safe and sound…he has been your strength and portion!
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon the earth that I desire beside thee” Psalms 73.25
“My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” Psalms 73.26
May God bless you all!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Do you have God’s back?
The other day, while doing my Bible Study through Luke 12.29-31, I felt the Holy Spirit challenging me on these very thoughts ……….Do I have God’s back?
Here’s that scripture:
v. 29 “And seek not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be of doubtful mind”
v. 30 “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things”
v. 31 “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you”
If you are like me, life easily brings opportunities that absorb 110% of your life…..be it from work, relationships, family, etc……..So much so, that these things crowd out the things of God from your to-do list……..
If I asked you to go visit someone in hospital, you’d probably reply and say “I’m too busy”, right? Sadly, in our daily undertakings, our time becomes very dominant on us, and what we need, and very little on what does someone else need, and very rarely on “What does God need”?
That’s right……What does God need! As I write this, it becomes clear that we sometimes love God selfishly……what do I mean…….Simple:
We do things for God when we have the time
We take the time to talk to God when we have the time
We hardly talk to God, and when we do, it’s mostly about ourselves……
And yes, I have been guilty, infact very guilty of loving God selfishly……..but there’s hope…..
Imagine how hurt, disappointed, rejected and left out you would feel if you brought to God your urgent needs and this is what he had to say:
Don’t bother me, not now
I’m kinda busy
Can it wait
Gee, who else can help you with that!
Can we talk later?
Luke 12.29-31 assures us that God has all of our needs covered…He loves us selflessly…..He knows what we desire, and delights to meet our needs…….In other words, He has our back……..there’s only one thing He asks of us………..to have His, or put differently, v30. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you”
Just like we put in time to make our earthly relationships work, God expects us to put in time with Him to make our relationship with Him work………
Here’s what I have learnt about dating……generally, women like it when you talk to them, give them time, make them feel special, loved and adored, take the time to woo and court them, make them realize that you are their one and only, and you love them as deeply as they love you…..actually, men, although perhaps to a lesser extent, have the same needs……….
I submit to you that you should love God in the same way……take time to talk to Him, know where His heart is, what does He want, What does He want you to do, take the time to reach out to Him and tell Him you love Him, you adore Him, you cherish, appreciate and need Him……….
Realize that God isn’t your blank check, and whatever you need, you just write it on the check and ask Him to sign………….no…….Our God is a jealous God, and expects us to want to grow and cultivate and invest in our relationship with Him……..
King David, in the old testament, understood this about God…….He took the time to seek God, to see His face, to invest in His relationship with Him…………..Even when he sinned, he still drew closer to God, by lowering himself in humility and praying for mercy…….It is no wonder that God called David his friend………………
Dunno about you, but I want God to call me his friend……I know, I want my friends to have my back, and I submit it to you, that God wants us to have His back……….
How do you have His back? Well, that’s simple……………..You need to take time to find out what God wants from you……and that comes by seeking His face and reading His word…………..In Micah 6:8, the Lord shows requires of us:
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God”
So, the Lord wants us to have His back by acting in a just manner, by being merciful to others, walking humbly with Him, not being ashamed of Him……………David wasn’t ashamed about standing infront of Goliath and declaring that he was coming against him in the name of the God whom he (Goliath) had defiled…….
In Luke 12.8 the Lord says “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God”
When I read that, my attitude changed…..I began to realize I need to shake off what people will think when I say that I love Jesus, when I proclaim His name, when I stand up for those of lesser standing in societ……The bottom line, I want Jesus to confess before the angels that Kim is a friend of mine…..I love that Kim……Kim seeks to always know what’s going on with me….Gee, I look forward to talking to Kim….feel me?
Let’s look at it another way if you ain’t convinced……………….
God was mighty proud of Job…..and it’s no wonder why…………Job 1:1 reports that Job “….was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil”……God was so proud of God, that when Satan came about, He gave a good report…..that there was none like him on earth………………..
There was none like Job on earth, someone who was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil………..My prayer for myself and you is that you may be perfect and upright, fear God and detest evil……I would love for God to be able to brag about me just like that!…….
So folks, what am I saying…………devote more of your time to learning what’s important to God…….He wants us to give, to have mercy, constantly look upon others better than ourselves……
Personally, I have devoted to focusing my energies on the things that are important to God……that I might gain His favor, and that He may call me His friend……..As per now, that has meant supporting those around me who are under-privileged…..clothing the naked, feeding the sick, visiting them in hospital, caring for the widows and orphans……that’s how I will have God’s back this year……by making that which is important to God, important to me……….When the Lord says ‘Give’, I give, no questions, no hesitation, ‘when He says forgive as I have forgive you’, that’s what I do…..when he says, ‘love like I have loved you’ that’s what it is……
And just like God has promised, when I do all these things, He’ll have my back…….. “All these things shall be added unto me”……He will take care of my businesses, my relationships, my health, my finances, my hopes and dreams………“All these things shall be added unto me”……
OK, one final example for yall…..Look at Solomon….when God asked him what He could give him, Solomon asked not selfishly, but selflessly…..Picture it, the ancient of days asking what can I give you….and instead of saying a big house or car, a fancy job or a large bank account…..you ask for something that you know will help you achieve that which God has entrusted to you………Solomon realized the task of being king would be difficult, he asked God for wisdom that he might govern God’s people…………
I submit to you, that Solomon sought after the kingdom of God because He focused on what God wanted………and God added everything else unto him………..1 Kings 3:11-13, we see God giving Solomon the wisdom that he needed, plus riches, honor, etc and up to this day, there’s never been anyone as wise as Solomon, and neither will there ever be…………….
I submit it to you, that the Lord wants to bless you incredibly, that’s right…..until your barn houses cannot contain all of the blessings……but what you must do is seek after the heart of God, find out what’s important to Him and then focus your energy on that……
Our good God knows what you need, and He will add unto your bosom all the other things that you need, even others that you didn’t but just because He loves you anyhow!
Trust me, our God knows how to give good things….He’ll give you that big house, a big car, a big salary, and even through in a big big bank account, just coz He’s God, and He loves you……….
So, don’t get too self absorbed....your needs are important, yes, but focus on God, give Him your priority realizing you can do nothing without Him, and He will give you all you desire…………….
Testimony time……………After I began to put these principles into practice, people I didn’t know began calling me, wanting to give me the opportunity of doing business with them…….prior, I had been doing all the chasing and finding people to do business with……I thank God for reminding me to have His back, coz He already has mine! Going forth, I want to spend my every waking moment thinking, how can I make God happy……….coz I want His favor, His blessing, His anointing and His mercy to chase after me, overtake me, and even overshadow me…….The secular world seems to have understood this principle, and it is time that the church figured it out! Serve God, and God will sort you out………..
But don’t think that you can fool God….Don’t think that to get God to do “this” all you need to do is “that” …..Serve God as an expression of your love for Him….Let it come from a place of deep love for God! A place deep within your soul………..and trust me, He won’t let you down!
I leave you with this……from the beginning of time, God has always had your back, isn’t it time you had his?
Here’s that scripture:
v. 29 “And seek not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be of doubtful mind”
v. 30 “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things”
v. 31 “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you”
If you are like me, life easily brings opportunities that absorb 110% of your life…..be it from work, relationships, family, etc……..So much so, that these things crowd out the things of God from your to-do list……..
If I asked you to go visit someone in hospital, you’d probably reply and say “I’m too busy”, right? Sadly, in our daily undertakings, our time becomes very dominant on us, and what we need, and very little on what does someone else need, and very rarely on “What does God need”?
That’s right……What does God need! As I write this, it becomes clear that we sometimes love God selfishly……what do I mean…….Simple:
We do things for God when we have the time
We take the time to talk to God when we have the time
We hardly talk to God, and when we do, it’s mostly about ourselves……
And yes, I have been guilty, infact very guilty of loving God selfishly……..but there’s hope…..
Imagine how hurt, disappointed, rejected and left out you would feel if you brought to God your urgent needs and this is what he had to say:
Don’t bother me, not now
I’m kinda busy
Can it wait
Gee, who else can help you with that!
Can we talk later?
Luke 12.29-31 assures us that God has all of our needs covered…He loves us selflessly…..He knows what we desire, and delights to meet our needs…….In other words, He has our back……..there’s only one thing He asks of us………..to have His, or put differently, v30. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you”
Just like we put in time to make our earthly relationships work, God expects us to put in time with Him to make our relationship with Him work………
Here’s what I have learnt about dating……generally, women like it when you talk to them, give them time, make them feel special, loved and adored, take the time to woo and court them, make them realize that you are their one and only, and you love them as deeply as they love you…..actually, men, although perhaps to a lesser extent, have the same needs……….
I submit to you that you should love God in the same way……take time to talk to Him, know where His heart is, what does He want, What does He want you to do, take the time to reach out to Him and tell Him you love Him, you adore Him, you cherish, appreciate and need Him……….
Realize that God isn’t your blank check, and whatever you need, you just write it on the check and ask Him to sign………….no…….Our God is a jealous God, and expects us to want to grow and cultivate and invest in our relationship with Him……..
King David, in the old testament, understood this about God…….He took the time to seek God, to see His face, to invest in His relationship with Him…………..Even when he sinned, he still drew closer to God, by lowering himself in humility and praying for mercy…….It is no wonder that God called David his friend………………
Dunno about you, but I want God to call me his friend……I know, I want my friends to have my back, and I submit it to you, that God wants us to have His back……….
How do you have His back? Well, that’s simple……………..You need to take time to find out what God wants from you……and that comes by seeking His face and reading His word…………..In Micah 6:8, the Lord shows requires of us:
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God”
So, the Lord wants us to have His back by acting in a just manner, by being merciful to others, walking humbly with Him, not being ashamed of Him……………David wasn’t ashamed about standing infront of Goliath and declaring that he was coming against him in the name of the God whom he (Goliath) had defiled…….
In Luke 12.8 the Lord says “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God”
When I read that, my attitude changed…..I began to realize I need to shake off what people will think when I say that I love Jesus, when I proclaim His name, when I stand up for those of lesser standing in societ……The bottom line, I want Jesus to confess before the angels that Kim is a friend of mine…..I love that Kim……Kim seeks to always know what’s going on with me….Gee, I look forward to talking to Kim….feel me?
Let’s look at it another way if you ain’t convinced……………….
God was mighty proud of Job…..and it’s no wonder why…………Job 1:1 reports that Job “….was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil”……God was so proud of God, that when Satan came about, He gave a good report…..that there was none like him on earth………………..
There was none like Job on earth, someone who was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil………..My prayer for myself and you is that you may be perfect and upright, fear God and detest evil……I would love for God to be able to brag about me just like that!…….
So folks, what am I saying…………devote more of your time to learning what’s important to God…….He wants us to give, to have mercy, constantly look upon others better than ourselves……
Personally, I have devoted to focusing my energies on the things that are important to God……that I might gain His favor, and that He may call me His friend……..As per now, that has meant supporting those around me who are under-privileged…..clothing the naked, feeding the sick, visiting them in hospital, caring for the widows and orphans……that’s how I will have God’s back this year……by making that which is important to God, important to me……….When the Lord says ‘Give’, I give, no questions, no hesitation, ‘when He says forgive as I have forgive you’, that’s what I do…..when he says, ‘love like I have loved you’ that’s what it is……
And just like God has promised, when I do all these things, He’ll have my back…….. “All these things shall be added unto me”……He will take care of my businesses, my relationships, my health, my finances, my hopes and dreams………“All these things shall be added unto me”……
OK, one final example for yall…..Look at Solomon….when God asked him what He could give him, Solomon asked not selfishly, but selflessly…..Picture it, the ancient of days asking what can I give you….and instead of saying a big house or car, a fancy job or a large bank account…..you ask for something that you know will help you achieve that which God has entrusted to you………Solomon realized the task of being king would be difficult, he asked God for wisdom that he might govern God’s people…………
I submit to you, that Solomon sought after the kingdom of God because He focused on what God wanted………and God added everything else unto him………..1 Kings 3:11-13, we see God giving Solomon the wisdom that he needed, plus riches, honor, etc and up to this day, there’s never been anyone as wise as Solomon, and neither will there ever be…………….
I submit it to you, that the Lord wants to bless you incredibly, that’s right…..until your barn houses cannot contain all of the blessings……but what you must do is seek after the heart of God, find out what’s important to Him and then focus your energy on that……
Our good God knows what you need, and He will add unto your bosom all the other things that you need, even others that you didn’t but just because He loves you anyhow!
Trust me, our God knows how to give good things….He’ll give you that big house, a big car, a big salary, and even through in a big big bank account, just coz He’s God, and He loves you……….
So, don’t get too self absorbed....your needs are important, yes, but focus on God, give Him your priority realizing you can do nothing without Him, and He will give you all you desire…………….
Testimony time……………After I began to put these principles into practice, people I didn’t know began calling me, wanting to give me the opportunity of doing business with them…….prior, I had been doing all the chasing and finding people to do business with……I thank God for reminding me to have His back, coz He already has mine! Going forth, I want to spend my every waking moment thinking, how can I make God happy……….coz I want His favor, His blessing, His anointing and His mercy to chase after me, overtake me, and even overshadow me…….The secular world seems to have understood this principle, and it is time that the church figured it out! Serve God, and God will sort you out………..
But don’t think that you can fool God….Don’t think that to get God to do “this” all you need to do is “that” …..Serve God as an expression of your love for Him….Let it come from a place of deep love for God! A place deep within your soul………..and trust me, He won’t let you down!
I leave you with this……from the beginning of time, God has always had your back, isn’t it time you had his?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Help, I don't feel like reading my Bible.......
Have you gotten to the point where you feel like you've lost your fire?
Do you sometimes feel like you've lost your passion.....or that your salvation is on "cruise control"........
Do you no longer feel like reading the bible?
I've been there, and I like to think I am not alone........Either we get too busy, life throws us a curve ball, and the challenges we face cause us to lose our faith, feel like God has let us down, or perhaps, we feel like we know the word, we've read the bible over and over again.....or maybe we're just bored coz it doesn't make sense to us, or it isn't relevant......Or maybe certain parts of scripture have discouraged us from reading the word more.......
Personally, I went through a phase where I felt I knew what the bible said, coz I had read it over and over.........Also, I found that when I stopped going to church on Sundays, I lost the passion for Christ that I once had.......also, being caught up in the worldy ways robbed me of my thirst for God........However, I am here to tell you that there's hope.......Here's what I did:
1). I cried unto God and asked Him to restore the fire for His word in my heart......The word tells us in Luke 11:9 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye will find; knock and it shall be opened unto you" When I did, the Lord began to put a thirst for the Word again, and I began to want to know what God's word says........
2). Start with simple scripture, and as your apetite grows, get into deeper word........For me, I knew that if I started only with the Old Testament, or say Leviticus, I would soon get bored......So I had various scriptures I was reading......places where I could easily see God working.....For me I picked on David's life......so I was reading a chapter from I Samuel, then a chapter in Psalms, a chapter in Luke, and a chapter from one of Paul's letters.......I started with just one chapter, but before I knew it, I began to want to read many chapters at a go.........Just as with a baby, it has to suckle and eat soft foods, before it can tackle solid meals......But before I knew it, I was on my way tackling large chunks of God's word at a go, and the Holy Spirit began to cause me to want to know God's word more.........But even as I say that, remember that all Scripture is inspired by God....II Timothy 3:16 tells us that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness".......even 'em Leviticus...
3). Read with purpose and with an expectant heart.........When you read God's word, study it, memorize it, if you don't understand it, read it again, revise, ask God what He means by what you have just read.......Remember how you used to read hard for exams.......that's the same way you should read God's word........be an active reader.........Here are some tips:
a). Ask What.............What does that mean?
b). Ask Where...........Mmh, where else have I seen that before......Where else has Paul, or Jesus said that?
c). Ask Why................Why did God say that to him, Why then, Why didn't God do this or that?
d). Ask How.................How did that come about........
e). Ask Who..................Who did that, who saw that...............
f). Ask Which................Which people was God referring to..................
I think you get the point........when you start asking those questions, don't rest till you have answers........what this does is that it helps you understand and remember God's word better......and you will be better poised to stand when temptation comes!
Also, read God's word anticipating that God will speak unto you from that Word.....I believe that which we read, the Holy Spirit helps us committ to memory, and to recall it when we need to impart change into our lives........Study to learn about God from His word.......Don't wait for others to do it for you, read it and learn about God for yourself, and build a solid relationship with Him from His word............there are also a lot of warnings and things that God wants us to know, and only by reading and remembering them, do they stick longer in our spirits......Do you know that everything you need, or will ever need from God is wrapped up in His word?
For instance, II Timothy 1:15 "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth".........Now, I ask you.....how can you divide the word that you don't know......so first read the word, remember it, practise it, and before you know it, you will become that "workman"......and this is good for me too to know......that I need to know God's word, so that I can rightly divide it!
Also, God's word gives us a reason to praise God.....it reminds us what God has done for us "he healed our diseases and took away our infirmities" so read it, and watch your faith grow!
Here's something to encourage you from God's word, for those who feel like they've blown it with God and there's no salvation...... Hebrews 4:14-16
"14. Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession
15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin
16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need"
See, so you need not feel condemned, or unworthy......come boldly to the throne of grace and speak with God directly.......
Here's another scripture to encourage you: Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"
After the Lord restored my joy for His word, I continues to cut me, removing the folly, wickedness and other iniquity in my heart, pierces me, and challenges me to walk more rightly before God.........
4). Make time for God's word to sit into your heart
Whether at night, or in the mornings, spend some time reading God's word, removing other distractions from you.....for me, I like doing it at night just before I sleep! Why? Coz then I have the opportunity to read His word without distractions, and as I wait to fall asleep, I can pray, and meditate some more on His word.......Also, I find that I wake up more in my sleep, and because I have just read God's word, as I wait for my sleep to come back, I end up talking to God through the night, which definitely doth benefit my soul.
5). Share the word that you have learnt with someone else
If you think this sounds like the 4Rs that we learnt (Read Recall Revise Recite), then you are right! Share God's word with someone else, a friend, colleague, spouse, your boss, etc....As you do, it will reinforce that which you have read, and it will also help get your faith back on track......Start a blog and share what God's been teaching you, for instance...........
The key is to not let the Word of the Lord depart from your heart, so guard it, share it, memorise it, recite it, and walk in it! As the Psalmist says in Psalms 119.11 "Thy word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee".....Hide God's word deep in your spirit, and feed on it all the days of your life!
6). When you hear God's word, take that as an opportunity for you to dig for more!
Many of you go to church, and when you hear a sermon being preached, be an active listener.....Follow the preacher as he teaches, read along in your bible, ask the Holy Spirit to give you guidance......begin to follow along with other scriptures that have similar meaning.........cultivate the spirit of hunting for God's word, and before you know it, you'll burn so brightly with God's love, you won't even be able to stand it...........
My personal goal is to grow to a point where when someone shares somethign with me, I can look at them, understand what they are going through, and know enough of God's word, to encourage them, inspire them and to help them seek God in their own lives.......I pray that I may delight in God's word all the days of my life, that the word of truth governs my life, that I may be an effective witness!
Well, this seems like a good place to end. Again, this is what works for me, and I know others have their own recipes and things that work....Please share them with us! I know listening to audio bibles is also remarkably beneficial too, so go ahead.....as long as you are learning the word.........
Do you sometimes feel like you've lost your passion.....or that your salvation is on "cruise control"........
Do you no longer feel like reading the bible?
I've been there, and I like to think I am not alone........Either we get too busy, life throws us a curve ball, and the challenges we face cause us to lose our faith, feel like God has let us down, or perhaps, we feel like we know the word, we've read the bible over and over again.....or maybe we're just bored coz it doesn't make sense to us, or it isn't relevant......Or maybe certain parts of scripture have discouraged us from reading the word more.......
Personally, I went through a phase where I felt I knew what the bible said, coz I had read it over and over.........Also, I found that when I stopped going to church on Sundays, I lost the passion for Christ that I once had.......also, being caught up in the worldy ways robbed me of my thirst for God........However, I am here to tell you that there's hope.......Here's what I did:
1). I cried unto God and asked Him to restore the fire for His word in my heart......The word tells us in Luke 11:9 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye will find; knock and it shall be opened unto you" When I did, the Lord began to put a thirst for the Word again, and I began to want to know what God's word says........
2). Start with simple scripture, and as your apetite grows, get into deeper word........For me, I knew that if I started only with the Old Testament, or say Leviticus, I would soon get bored......So I had various scriptures I was reading......places where I could easily see God working.....For me I picked on David's life......so I was reading a chapter from I Samuel, then a chapter in Psalms, a chapter in Luke, and a chapter from one of Paul's letters.......I started with just one chapter, but before I knew it, I began to want to read many chapters at a go.........Just as with a baby, it has to suckle and eat soft foods, before it can tackle solid meals......But before I knew it, I was on my way tackling large chunks of God's word at a go, and the Holy Spirit began to cause me to want to know God's word more.........But even as I say that, remember that all Scripture is inspired by God....II Timothy 3:16 tells us that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness".......even 'em Leviticus...
3). Read with purpose and with an expectant heart.........When you read God's word, study it, memorize it, if you don't understand it, read it again, revise, ask God what He means by what you have just read.......Remember how you used to read hard for exams.......that's the same way you should read God's word........be an active reader.........Here are some tips:
a). Ask What.............What does that mean?
b). Ask Where...........Mmh, where else have I seen that before......Where else has Paul, or Jesus said that?
c). Ask Why................Why did God say that to him, Why then, Why didn't God do this or that?
d). Ask How.................How did that come about........
e). Ask Who..................Who did that, who saw that...............
f). Ask Which................Which people was God referring to..................
I think you get the point........when you start asking those questions, don't rest till you have answers........what this does is that it helps you understand and remember God's word better......and you will be better poised to stand when temptation comes!
Also, read God's word anticipating that God will speak unto you from that Word.....I believe that which we read, the Holy Spirit helps us committ to memory, and to recall it when we need to impart change into our lives........Study to learn about God from His word.......Don't wait for others to do it for you, read it and learn about God for yourself, and build a solid relationship with Him from His word............there are also a lot of warnings and things that God wants us to know, and only by reading and remembering them, do they stick longer in our spirits......Do you know that everything you need, or will ever need from God is wrapped up in His word?
For instance, II Timothy 1:15 "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth".........Now, I ask you.....how can you divide the word that you don't know......so first read the word, remember it, practise it, and before you know it, you will become that "workman"......and this is good for me too to know......that I need to know God's word, so that I can rightly divide it!
Also, God's word gives us a reason to praise God.....it reminds us what God has done for us "he healed our diseases and took away our infirmities" so read it, and watch your faith grow!
Here's something to encourage you from God's word, for those who feel like they've blown it with God and there's no salvation...... Hebrews 4:14-16
"14. Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession
15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin
16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need"
See, so you need not feel condemned, or unworthy......come boldly to the throne of grace and speak with God directly.......
Here's another scripture to encourage you: Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"
After the Lord restored my joy for His word, I continues to cut me, removing the folly, wickedness and other iniquity in my heart, pierces me, and challenges me to walk more rightly before God.........
4). Make time for God's word to sit into your heart
Whether at night, or in the mornings, spend some time reading God's word, removing other distractions from you.....for me, I like doing it at night just before I sleep! Why? Coz then I have the opportunity to read His word without distractions, and as I wait to fall asleep, I can pray, and meditate some more on His word.......Also, I find that I wake up more in my sleep, and because I have just read God's word, as I wait for my sleep to come back, I end up talking to God through the night, which definitely doth benefit my soul.
5). Share the word that you have learnt with someone else
If you think this sounds like the 4Rs that we learnt (Read Recall Revise Recite), then you are right! Share God's word with someone else, a friend, colleague, spouse, your boss, etc....As you do, it will reinforce that which you have read, and it will also help get your faith back on track......Start a blog and share what God's been teaching you, for instance...........
The key is to not let the Word of the Lord depart from your heart, so guard it, share it, memorise it, recite it, and walk in it! As the Psalmist says in Psalms 119.11 "Thy word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee".....Hide God's word deep in your spirit, and feed on it all the days of your life!
6). When you hear God's word, take that as an opportunity for you to dig for more!
Many of you go to church, and when you hear a sermon being preached, be an active listener.....Follow the preacher as he teaches, read along in your bible, ask the Holy Spirit to give you guidance......begin to follow along with other scriptures that have similar meaning.........cultivate the spirit of hunting for God's word, and before you know it, you'll burn so brightly with God's love, you won't even be able to stand it...........
My personal goal is to grow to a point where when someone shares somethign with me, I can look at them, understand what they are going through, and know enough of God's word, to encourage them, inspire them and to help them seek God in their own lives.......I pray that I may delight in God's word all the days of my life, that the word of truth governs my life, that I may be an effective witness!
Well, this seems like a good place to end. Again, this is what works for me, and I know others have their own recipes and things that work....Please share them with us! I know listening to audio bibles is also remarkably beneficial too, so go ahead.....as long as you are learning the word.........
Welcome!
Hey all,
Allow me to take this time to welcome you to the blog "Jesus Is Lord To The Glory Of God The Father"......
This blog is dedicated to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and is for anyone, everyone, who is looking to learn, grow, share, believe, and witness of God's love, and presence in their lives......
We invite you all to post, blog, comment and share honestly all that God has done for you in your life.....It is our prayer that through this blog, many might come to the saving knowledge of who Jesus Christ is, and the power of His resurrection........
You don't have to be super saved to join, or believe as we do.....our role is to show you the very person of Christ, His ministry, His word, and to pray that the Holy Spirit may work powerfully in your life, and reveal Himself to you in His own way......
We don't claim to be perfect, neither do we claim to have all the answers.....but we do know He who does. We are different people, of different race, sex, gender, persuasions, etc, all united by one thing......the amazing power of God, and in our faith that Jesus Christ is Lord To The Glory Of God The Father............
Our hope is that as you read the postings on this blog, you may feel free to share, learn and grow.......We pray that there will be many discussions on the varying aspects governing our lives as a people, and community of believers and that those who read the contents of this blog will be challenged to live powerfully for Christ........
And if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal saviour, it is our prayer that you may come to find out more about Him through the lives of very ordinary pple called by an Extraordinary God.........If your faith has been bitten and bruised, and you feel like you have lost your belief, it is our prayer that you may yet grow in the fullness of Christ, and that this blog will point you in the direction of the Master............
I am not sure what your experience with the Church, or Christianity has been............some of you may have been abused, taken advantage of, insulted, cast out, or made to feel unworthy of God's love.....My prayer for you is that as you read this blog, you will begin to connect with our experiences, and challenges, and begin to realize that no one is worthy of God's love....It is a free gift given unto us, and that God's will is for us to know Him personally..........
My prayer is that you may begin to know Him and the power of His resurrection.......and that as you get to know Jesus, grow in His word and become all that you can be, the Holy Spirit will begin a work of convicting you of the sin in your life, and that you will find grace and help from the throne of grace........
I pray that as we pour out our personal experiences and challenges, you may begin to understand that we aren't special, but God in us makes us special.............
I pray that you will feel free to chat about your experiences, what you struggle with, what you have overcome, and that through all things, you will give glory to God, for He alone is worthy.....I pray that you will be free to explore, ask questions, seek clarification, pose challenging questions, do all that which you need to to grow and become who God made you to become.......If you find something that you don't agree with, challenge it, ask, and together, we will grow deeper and more rooted in His word.
I realize I have been chatting for a bit, and I should wrap this up......lemme just say this, whoever you are, whatever you have done, wherever you are now, there's a God who wishes to know you better, and longs for you to draw to a closer and deeper relationship with Him through His son..........
Join us, as we grow and become rooted in His word..........
Allow me to take this time to welcome you to the blog "Jesus Is Lord To The Glory Of God The Father"......
This blog is dedicated to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and is for anyone, everyone, who is looking to learn, grow, share, believe, and witness of God's love, and presence in their lives......
We invite you all to post, blog, comment and share honestly all that God has done for you in your life.....It is our prayer that through this blog, many might come to the saving knowledge of who Jesus Christ is, and the power of His resurrection........
You don't have to be super saved to join, or believe as we do.....our role is to show you the very person of Christ, His ministry, His word, and to pray that the Holy Spirit may work powerfully in your life, and reveal Himself to you in His own way......
We don't claim to be perfect, neither do we claim to have all the answers.....but we do know He who does. We are different people, of different race, sex, gender, persuasions, etc, all united by one thing......the amazing power of God, and in our faith that Jesus Christ is Lord To The Glory Of God The Father............
Our hope is that as you read the postings on this blog, you may feel free to share, learn and grow.......We pray that there will be many discussions on the varying aspects governing our lives as a people, and community of believers and that those who read the contents of this blog will be challenged to live powerfully for Christ........
And if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal saviour, it is our prayer that you may come to find out more about Him through the lives of very ordinary pple called by an Extraordinary God.........If your faith has been bitten and bruised, and you feel like you have lost your belief, it is our prayer that you may yet grow in the fullness of Christ, and that this blog will point you in the direction of the Master............
I am not sure what your experience with the Church, or Christianity has been............some of you may have been abused, taken advantage of, insulted, cast out, or made to feel unworthy of God's love.....My prayer for you is that as you read this blog, you will begin to connect with our experiences, and challenges, and begin to realize that no one is worthy of God's love....It is a free gift given unto us, and that God's will is for us to know Him personally..........
My prayer is that you may begin to know Him and the power of His resurrection.......and that as you get to know Jesus, grow in His word and become all that you can be, the Holy Spirit will begin a work of convicting you of the sin in your life, and that you will find grace and help from the throne of grace........
I pray that as we pour out our personal experiences and challenges, you may begin to understand that we aren't special, but God in us makes us special.............
I pray that you will feel free to chat about your experiences, what you struggle with, what you have overcome, and that through all things, you will give glory to God, for He alone is worthy.....I pray that you will be free to explore, ask questions, seek clarification, pose challenging questions, do all that which you need to to grow and become who God made you to become.......If you find something that you don't agree with, challenge it, ask, and together, we will grow deeper and more rooted in His word.
I realize I have been chatting for a bit, and I should wrap this up......lemme just say this, whoever you are, whatever you have done, wherever you are now, there's a God who wishes to know you better, and longs for you to draw to a closer and deeper relationship with Him through His son..........
Join us, as we grow and become rooted in His word..........
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