Exodus 20:17
God is telling His people not to covet their neighbour's possessions. He knew that envy is very dangerous, & can destroy your life ( Job 5:2). And it can steal your inner peace & you'll be left with misery. It is like a disease eating you from the inside (Proverbs14:30).
Allow me to share with you a short story about this old man who was in a hospital. He had a ward mate with him who was also admitted in hospital.
They had different sicknesses, old man no:1 couldn't sit on his own so he use to lie down the rest of the day, because of his back pains. Old man no:2 could sit on his own, so his bed was by the window as he could sit up & look outside.
Old man no:2 would always tell his room mate of what he sees outside that window. He said there was a beautiful view to a lovely park, full of colourful flowers & large trees. There was a lake with swans & ducks & all other lovely birds, which would come & go. He would describe everything into detail.
He would tell him about the people having picnics under the shade of the trees, & lovers walking hand in hand through the park. Mothers walking with their prams.
It seemed like there was something interesting happening outside that window everyday that old man no: 1 was living each & every day to hear about. Somehow he began to envy what Old man no:2 was seeing, & this feeling grew in him such that as Old man:1 was describing a swan swimming gracefully through the lake, Old man:2 suddenly felt that it is not fair, he also want to see all these beautiful things. That feeling grew until he got so obsessively envious.
One night Old man:2 was coughing so bad, & he seemed to be choking & battling to breathe. Old man:1 just lay there & watched instead of pressing the panic button to alert the Nurse. He coughed until he was quiet. The next morning Nurses came in & removed his room mate from the bed, he had passed on. He asked to be moved to the bed next the window once they had done everything needed to be done, & they did so. His mind was so focused to the pleasure of what that window would bring to him. Finally he tried to pull his body up & tried to sit up so he could have a pick of what was happening outside that window. To his surprise, there was a huge wall facing on that window, & there was no view to a park.
What had been happening all this time was, his room mate was telling him all these beautiful stories because he knew how important they were to him, & that it was the only thing that gave the will to leave to another day. He made it all up just for him. He was so miserable that he let him die while he could have done something to save his life, but because of envy he killed someone who was living his life to make a difference in his.
Brothers & sisters envy is harmful, that is why God said in the ten commandments that we must not covet or envy. We sometimes complain and say "it's not fair" when we see others with the ability to do things that we feel less privileged to do. We whine about it, but the truth is that there is a reason why we don't have that. There is a reason why they have it. So instead of being jealous, embrace that somebody in your life. They can make your life worth living. Don't be like this Old man & kill something that is the core of your everyday life.
Remember, your are blessed to be a blessing.
The people that are in your life are there to help you in a certain way. Do Not Envy, for Envy is the Enemy!
Friday, 18 November 2011
Sunday, 2 October 2011
They won't understand your praise
Luke7:37-38
When a woman who was known as a sinner learned that Jesus is in the house, she entered & stood before Him at his feet. Then broke a jar of expensive oil.
I want to speak about worship, there is something hidden in your worship that moves God. There is something powerful about your worship that changes situations. There is something great in your worship that makes God to pour His blessings on you. The bible says God is a Spirit, let those who worship Him worship in Spirit. In other words when you worship you don't just do it but you have to be deep spiritually.
The scripture that is mentioned above is talking about a sinful woman that worshiped Jesus with expensive oil. Listen your worship shouldn't be light if you really gonna move God. But I want to touch on something about this scripture. Nobody knew what was that woman thinking as she did that. Nobody knew what was she going through in her life at that moment. All they knew about her was her reputation. Listen, God doesn't care about your reputation but your character.
She knew what people think of her, she knew what people say about her. But she had a purpose to worship Jesus.
Sometimes we worry too much about what people will say about us & forget what God requires from us. When God created man, His purpose was that he may worship Him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there is something about your worship. You see that woman when she entered at that house, surely people began to whisper asking each other what is she doing here. But I like what this woman did, she just kept on moving to where Jesus was sitting. Sometimes people will talk about you even tell you that you are wasting your time when you come Jesus because of your reputation. But I want to tell you this, persist. This woman persisted even when others would block her way. I can imagine how full that house was, & she had to walk pass all those people to get to Jesus. Sometimes you will have to walk pass some people to get to Jesus. People who will stand in your way, persist.
As she pour that expensive oil on Him people were shocked that she could waste such expensive oil which could be sold for so much money. But you know what, sometimes it will cost you to do something people don't understand when you worship God. Worship Him like you are out of your mind. People will not understand your worship, because they don't know where you've been. They don't know your pain.
God is a Spirit let those who worship Him worship in spirit. You must have a connection with Him spiritually. I like a parable that Bishop T.D Jakes once used: a young stood up in church & started to say a Psalm; the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, he said till finish & sat down, & the congregation clapped their hands. Then an old man stood up & say it in a deep trembling voice: the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, as he said; He leadeth me in still waters. tears began to fall down from his eyes. & he said even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death. He said it until finish. Then the pastor asked the congregation, what is the difference between the young man's prayer & the old man's prayer. They said it was the same, but one old man said: the difference is that the young man knew the words to the prayer, but the old man knew the Shepherd. This old man has been through some stuff in his life. & he knows the shepherd that has been with him through it all.
I have learned that no one can worship God better than some who has been through something. Because that somebody is connecting with God spiritually while they in their worship. That is why this woman had to break this expensive oil, it's because she's been through something that nobody knows about. What are going through this day?
I once found myself in a position where I was facing a crisis. My wife was under a demonic attack, & we were praying with her mom & two other women. As we were praying the enemy tried to take her life. She was unconscious, she stopped breathing. At that time she was lying on the floor. I sat down next to her, held her head in my arms. I tried to pray but words couldn't come out of my mouth. My mind was filled with questions that what will I do if I lose her, do I even have the money to carry the responsibilities? You see when your mind is filled with question marks you must know that the devil is in control. But when your mind is filled with praise & worship then God Is in control. Suddenly in one of the women's prayer someone mentioned that God is Holy, & a worship arose in my spirit. I started singing "Ungcwele ungcwele, Ungcwele uThixo" I kept on saying that holding her head on my lap. Then suddenly she began to breath again she opened her eyes. There is something in your worship.
We need people who will worship God like they are out of their minds. People who will worship God like nothing else matters. I don't know what you facing this day, but God needs you to worship Him through you situation. I'm reminded of Paul & Silas in jail, they did not cry out or complain, but they began to worship God in jail & the doors of jail broke open. What is your Jail this day? Worship your way out this day! Praise your way out tell the devil that devil I'm gonna praise my way out of this situation so excuse me. I'm breaking out! Praise Him this day, forget about what people say about you, forget about what people think of you. Forget about what people will think of you & just praise Him. Praise Him like you out of your mind. Forget about everybody, they won't understand your praise, but God does.!!!!!!
When a woman who was known as a sinner learned that Jesus is in the house, she entered & stood before Him at his feet. Then broke a jar of expensive oil.
I want to speak about worship, there is something hidden in your worship that moves God. There is something powerful about your worship that changes situations. There is something great in your worship that makes God to pour His blessings on you. The bible says God is a Spirit, let those who worship Him worship in Spirit. In other words when you worship you don't just do it but you have to be deep spiritually.
The scripture that is mentioned above is talking about a sinful woman that worshiped Jesus with expensive oil. Listen your worship shouldn't be light if you really gonna move God. But I want to touch on something about this scripture. Nobody knew what was that woman thinking as she did that. Nobody knew what was she going through in her life at that moment. All they knew about her was her reputation. Listen, God doesn't care about your reputation but your character.
She knew what people think of her, she knew what people say about her. But she had a purpose to worship Jesus.
Sometimes we worry too much about what people will say about us & forget what God requires from us. When God created man, His purpose was that he may worship Him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there is something about your worship. You see that woman when she entered at that house, surely people began to whisper asking each other what is she doing here. But I like what this woman did, she just kept on moving to where Jesus was sitting. Sometimes people will talk about you even tell you that you are wasting your time when you come Jesus because of your reputation. But I want to tell you this, persist. This woman persisted even when others would block her way. I can imagine how full that house was, & she had to walk pass all those people to get to Jesus. Sometimes you will have to walk pass some people to get to Jesus. People who will stand in your way, persist.
As she pour that expensive oil on Him people were shocked that she could waste such expensive oil which could be sold for so much money. But you know what, sometimes it will cost you to do something people don't understand when you worship God. Worship Him like you are out of your mind. People will not understand your worship, because they don't know where you've been. They don't know your pain.
God is a Spirit let those who worship Him worship in spirit. You must have a connection with Him spiritually. I like a parable that Bishop T.D Jakes once used: a young stood up in church & started to say a Psalm; the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, he said till finish & sat down, & the congregation clapped their hands. Then an old man stood up & say it in a deep trembling voice: the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, as he said; He leadeth me in still waters. tears began to fall down from his eyes. & he said even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death. He said it until finish. Then the pastor asked the congregation, what is the difference between the young man's prayer & the old man's prayer. They said it was the same, but one old man said: the difference is that the young man knew the words to the prayer, but the old man knew the Shepherd. This old man has been through some stuff in his life. & he knows the shepherd that has been with him through it all.
I have learned that no one can worship God better than some who has been through something. Because that somebody is connecting with God spiritually while they in their worship. That is why this woman had to break this expensive oil, it's because she's been through something that nobody knows about. What are going through this day?
I once found myself in a position where I was facing a crisis. My wife was under a demonic attack, & we were praying with her mom & two other women. As we were praying the enemy tried to take her life. She was unconscious, she stopped breathing. At that time she was lying on the floor. I sat down next to her, held her head in my arms. I tried to pray but words couldn't come out of my mouth. My mind was filled with questions that what will I do if I lose her, do I even have the money to carry the responsibilities? You see when your mind is filled with question marks you must know that the devil is in control. But when your mind is filled with praise & worship then God Is in control. Suddenly in one of the women's prayer someone mentioned that God is Holy, & a worship arose in my spirit. I started singing "Ungcwele ungcwele, Ungcwele uThixo" I kept on saying that holding her head on my lap. Then suddenly she began to breath again she opened her eyes. There is something in your worship.
We need people who will worship God like they are out of their minds. People who will worship God like nothing else matters. I don't know what you facing this day, but God needs you to worship Him through you situation. I'm reminded of Paul & Silas in jail, they did not cry out or complain, but they began to worship God in jail & the doors of jail broke open. What is your Jail this day? Worship your way out this day! Praise your way out tell the devil that devil I'm gonna praise my way out of this situation so excuse me. I'm breaking out! Praise Him this day, forget about what people say about you, forget about what people think of you. Forget about what people will think of you & just praise Him. Praise Him like you out of your mind. Forget about everybody, they won't understand your praise, but God does.!!!!!!
Monday, 12 September 2011
Gold has to go through fire to be purified
Some people think that when you speak positive things & always motivating others, it means you have never been through trials & tribulations. Well that is not true. Every champion has gone through a fight to be crowned a winner.
Let me take this opportunity to reveal something about me that many people don't know.
I am a 32 year old young man, married for three years now. Married to a beautiful woman. But the devil has attacked my marriage from the word go.
I have had the most painful experience of marriage. We only enjoyed three months in our marriage. Then it just so happened that my wife got sick, she was hit by a mild stroke. She couldn't speak, walk & she couldn't do anything at all. I just thought it is gonna pass, but I was wrong. You see she slowly became alright after a month that happened & it was promising that everything is gonna be okay. I prayed to God that she get healed, & I had faith that she will be healed. Yes progress showed, her speech came back & she could walk again even though her arm was not yet functioning, but there was hope she will come right again.
that time I had to learn to do everything for myself & take care of her. I had to learn to do all the things that she couldn't do for herself anymore. Wash for her, bath her, make her food. Even if it is that time of the month, I learned how to change her pads. It was difficult for me. I thought that was the last straw, but I was wrong. She had a second attack from stroke after a year & 8 months. My goodness this time around was very disturbing. Up until today she can't speak & she can't hear, but there has been great improvement to what it was. I still have to do everything for her, but my love for her has never changed. I still Love her.
Just like Gold has to go through fire to be purified, even I aswel have to go through all this in my life. Not because God doesn't love us. But God is training me to be a Champion. You become a Hero only when you have been into a battlefield & was victorious.
When I speak, people think I have never had situations & faced challenges in my life, because I always speak the positive about life.
Well let me tell you today, that is not true. I have been knocked by life in a place where it hurts most. But I was fortunate enough to understand that "Everything works together for good to them that Love the Lord & are called according to His purpose." (Romans8:28)
I understood that I'm in a process of being made a Champion. I understood that my pain is not here to harm me, but to make me strong. God is making something out of me, every mountain that I come across makes me stronger. Every obstacle that I face in my life makes me stronger. I'm reminded of Paul & Silas, when they were arrested they did not cry out & asked God to save them from jail but they gave God the praise. (Acts16:21). Instead of focusing on my pain, I choose to focus on God & His word. That is why today I write & speak like this. It is because God wants me to encourage others who are going through tough times. He wants me to motivate those who think that there is no life after their situation. I wouldn't be able to do that if I hadn't gone through what I'm going through.
I may not know what the next person is going through, but I know that God may have to stop you for a while in order to prepare you for challenges ahead. I may not know your Jail today, but God needs only you to trust Him & praise him through your situation. Just like Meshack, Shadrack & Abednigo as they were thrown into the fire, they praise God in the fire & God kept them. So is your situation & my situation. They are no different, for God to rescue us. We must stop telling God about how big are our Problems, but tell our Problems how BIG is our God.
God will take you through situations that you never thought it was possible to go through. I don't think that there is anything that the devil can do to me now that can separate me from God. I am more wiser & more stronger now.
I just lost my Father & it was a traumatising experience.
I still stand & say I know that my redeemer lives.
I just want to give you hope that no matter what life may throw in your way, God knows about it & He has a purpose with it & He has a purpose with your life.
He created you for a reason & everything that comes your way has a reason why it has to. God is preparing you for greater things. Don't expect to be a champion with no wounds & scars. Just like a boxer in the ring, he gets punched, he gets knocked down but he gets up & fight again until he wins. He will be bruised & with swollen face, but will be crowned Champion.
Life will knock you down at some point. The important thing is that you pick yourself up & fight.
When I speak, I speak from the heart because I have been through fire & I've seen the love of the Lord in my life.
That is my story. In closing I would like to say: "when a man is in Christ, he is a new creation".
Remember even Gold has to go through fire to be purified.
Let me take this opportunity to reveal something about me that many people don't know.
I am a 32 year old young man, married for three years now. Married to a beautiful woman. But the devil has attacked my marriage from the word go.
I have had the most painful experience of marriage. We only enjoyed three months in our marriage. Then it just so happened that my wife got sick, she was hit by a mild stroke. She couldn't speak, walk & she couldn't do anything at all. I just thought it is gonna pass, but I was wrong. You see she slowly became alright after a month that happened & it was promising that everything is gonna be okay. I prayed to God that she get healed, & I had faith that she will be healed. Yes progress showed, her speech came back & she could walk again even though her arm was not yet functioning, but there was hope she will come right again.
that time I had to learn to do everything for myself & take care of her. I had to learn to do all the things that she couldn't do for herself anymore. Wash for her, bath her, make her food. Even if it is that time of the month, I learned how to change her pads. It was difficult for me. I thought that was the last straw, but I was wrong. She had a second attack from stroke after a year & 8 months. My goodness this time around was very disturbing. Up until today she can't speak & she can't hear, but there has been great improvement to what it was. I still have to do everything for her, but my love for her has never changed. I still Love her.
Just like Gold has to go through fire to be purified, even I aswel have to go through all this in my life. Not because God doesn't love us. But God is training me to be a Champion. You become a Hero only when you have been into a battlefield & was victorious.
When I speak, people think I have never had situations & faced challenges in my life, because I always speak the positive about life.
Well let me tell you today, that is not true. I have been knocked by life in a place where it hurts most. But I was fortunate enough to understand that "Everything works together for good to them that Love the Lord & are called according to His purpose." (Romans8:28)
I understood that I'm in a process of being made a Champion. I understood that my pain is not here to harm me, but to make me strong. God is making something out of me, every mountain that I come across makes me stronger. Every obstacle that I face in my life makes me stronger. I'm reminded of Paul & Silas, when they were arrested they did not cry out & asked God to save them from jail but they gave God the praise. (Acts16:21). Instead of focusing on my pain, I choose to focus on God & His word. That is why today I write & speak like this. It is because God wants me to encourage others who are going through tough times. He wants me to motivate those who think that there is no life after their situation. I wouldn't be able to do that if I hadn't gone through what I'm going through.
I may not know what the next person is going through, but I know that God may have to stop you for a while in order to prepare you for challenges ahead. I may not know your Jail today, but God needs only you to trust Him & praise him through your situation. Just like Meshack, Shadrack & Abednigo as they were thrown into the fire, they praise God in the fire & God kept them. So is your situation & my situation. They are no different, for God to rescue us. We must stop telling God about how big are our Problems, but tell our Problems how BIG is our God.
God will take you through situations that you never thought it was possible to go through. I don't think that there is anything that the devil can do to me now that can separate me from God. I am more wiser & more stronger now.
I just lost my Father & it was a traumatising experience.
I still stand & say I know that my redeemer lives.
I just want to give you hope that no matter what life may throw in your way, God knows about it & He has a purpose with it & He has a purpose with your life.
He created you for a reason & everything that comes your way has a reason why it has to. God is preparing you for greater things. Don't expect to be a champion with no wounds & scars. Just like a boxer in the ring, he gets punched, he gets knocked down but he gets up & fight again until he wins. He will be bruised & with swollen face, but will be crowned Champion.
Life will knock you down at some point. The important thing is that you pick yourself up & fight.
When I speak, I speak from the heart because I have been through fire & I've seen the love of the Lord in my life.
That is my story. In closing I would like to say: "when a man is in Christ, he is a new creation".
Remember even Gold has to go through fire to be purified.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
God has answered your prayer
I know there are times when you find yourself praying to God & it seems like your prayers are not reaching to Him.
Well the truth is, God does answer prayers. That's what He promised us.
(1Peter5:6)
He said He will answer in due time.
Let me tell you a story I once was told by a pastor.
This young lady was praying that God gives her a job,
Then one day as she was just sitting at home. A child from one neighbor came to ask her that her granny wanted her to come over & just cook her a meal then just clean up the house. This young lady said she can't do it because she needs to rush to town, she has a very important appointment to attend to.
You see this young lady had no appointment that day, she just didn't want to help that old woman. Here is a secret to this: God will hire you to work for Him before He give you that Job you were praying for. This young lady missed out on a blessing. If she went & helped that old lady, the old lady was gonna say "God bless you my child" & that is the most important gift she would have received from the old lady.
(Proverbs14:21,31) Many times we miss out on our blessings because we do not want to give help to the needy. Your blessing lies there, in giving. As you give to others. God will bless you.
As you help that old person & they bless you, that is where your blessings are. Give & you shall receive. (Proverbs19:17)
I'm reminded of an old parable about a woman that was praying to God that He pays a visit to her home & have dinner there. As she kept on praying the Lord answered her prayer & told her when He will be coming. The woman prepared good food for the day & cleaned her house very well that day & waited for the Lord. As she was waiting than she saw some beggar come through her gate to her door step. She asked him: "what do you want?" The man said "I'm hungry & I'm thirsty" then she said I don't have food for you, I'm expecting a special person here today, so I can't give you food for my guest & you can't drink from these cups too. So she just chased him away. "Quick quick get out of here now you will find water next door & drink, go before my guest arrives."
She waited the whole day but the Lord did not show up. She went back to praying asking God why He did not come while He promised to come. Then God replied & said: "I did come, but you chased me away." That beggar who came by your house, it was me.
Now you see we always expect God to come dressed up in a fancy suit. But the truth is, God will use that beggar on the street, He will use that old woman next door, He will use that poor child that passes by your house every day when she goes to school.
God qualifies the chosen, He does not chose the qualified. Like He did with Moses to rescue people of Israel from Egypt (Exodus4:10). God will show up in a mess so that He changes that mess into a message. That mess will bring your answer to your prayers. God has answered your prayer, but it is now left up to you whether you unlock that door to your answers or you just choose to walk away.
You have been praying for such a long time & God has been answering all this time, but you've been failing just this last part of it.
Help the poor, give to the needy. Give back to your community & see if God is not going to bless you.
God has already said yes, receive your answers now.
Well the truth is, God does answer prayers. That's what He promised us.
(1Peter5:6)
He said He will answer in due time.
Let me tell you a story I once was told by a pastor.
This young lady was praying that God gives her a job,
Then one day as she was just sitting at home. A child from one neighbor came to ask her that her granny wanted her to come over & just cook her a meal then just clean up the house. This young lady said she can't do it because she needs to rush to town, she has a very important appointment to attend to.
You see this young lady had no appointment that day, she just didn't want to help that old woman. Here is a secret to this: God will hire you to work for Him before He give you that Job you were praying for. This young lady missed out on a blessing. If she went & helped that old lady, the old lady was gonna say "God bless you my child" & that is the most important gift she would have received from the old lady.
(Proverbs14:21,31) Many times we miss out on our blessings because we do not want to give help to the needy. Your blessing lies there, in giving. As you give to others. God will bless you.
As you help that old person & they bless you, that is where your blessings are. Give & you shall receive. (Proverbs19:17)
I'm reminded of an old parable about a woman that was praying to God that He pays a visit to her home & have dinner there. As she kept on praying the Lord answered her prayer & told her when He will be coming. The woman prepared good food for the day & cleaned her house very well that day & waited for the Lord. As she was waiting than she saw some beggar come through her gate to her door step. She asked him: "what do you want?" The man said "I'm hungry & I'm thirsty" then she said I don't have food for you, I'm expecting a special person here today, so I can't give you food for my guest & you can't drink from these cups too. So she just chased him away. "Quick quick get out of here now you will find water next door & drink, go before my guest arrives."
She waited the whole day but the Lord did not show up. She went back to praying asking God why He did not come while He promised to come. Then God replied & said: "I did come, but you chased me away." That beggar who came by your house, it was me.
Now you see we always expect God to come dressed up in a fancy suit. But the truth is, God will use that beggar on the street, He will use that old woman next door, He will use that poor child that passes by your house every day when she goes to school.
God qualifies the chosen, He does not chose the qualified. Like He did with Moses to rescue people of Israel from Egypt (Exodus4:10). God will show up in a mess so that He changes that mess into a message. That mess will bring your answer to your prayers. God has answered your prayer, but it is now left up to you whether you unlock that door to your answers or you just choose to walk away.
You have been praying for such a long time & God has been answering all this time, but you've been failing just this last part of it.
Help the poor, give to the needy. Give back to your community & see if God is not going to bless you.
God has already said yes, receive your answers now.
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Be Still and know that I am God
Psalm 46:10
God did not say these words at a time when all was well. He did not say them when life was filled with rejoice. But it was the time when all things were falling apart. When your world is shaken by the circumstances, storms, trials & tribulations.
There come some times in everyone's life when things just don't seem to be going your way. & the biggest mistake we always do is to be afraid and begin to look for solutions at the wrong places. But God said do not be afraid for I am with you. ( Isaiah 43:1 ). That is what some Christians do when things go wrong. They trust that God is with them only when everything is going right. When they have all the money & property they want. But the moment they loose everything, they now speak like the none believers. But we need to be like Job who after he had lost everything, but he stood still into trusting in God.
You must remember that Jesus went through storms Himself. He suffered a lot of pain, but He stood still to the purpose He came for on earth. So as you follow Him storms will come your way too. But you need to understand that God can see you & He knows about everything that you are going through right now. That is why He ask you to be still.
When you are being still, it means no matter what kind of a storm that you are in. You keep holding on to the that word "God" & to the knowledge that He lives. God wants us to trust Him in our situations. He wants us to depend on His word. But as soon as we doubt Him, that is when He will leave. It does not matter how long have you been suffering or how long have been in that storm. What is important is that you give everything to Him.
You just stand still into knowing Him. You stand still into knowing His word, you stand still into knowing that all things are possible with Him. Even when people are telling you that nobody has ever made it through to a situation like yours, but be still & know that He is God.
You will be blessed according to your suffering. The greater the suffering the greater the rewards. For every storm the devil puts you through, he owes you. In other ways you must tell the devil that, devil you owe me for taking my job away, you owe me for taking my loved ones away from me. You shall pay me back. That is what God will do. He will make the devil pay for every pain you went through. Just like He did for the Israelis. After years of being slaves to the Egyptians. God made the Egyptians to pay them. So is your situation will pay you.
Just be still and know that He is God.
God did not say these words at a time when all was well. He did not say them when life was filled with rejoice. But it was the time when all things were falling apart. When your world is shaken by the circumstances, storms, trials & tribulations.
There come some times in everyone's life when things just don't seem to be going your way. & the biggest mistake we always do is to be afraid and begin to look for solutions at the wrong places. But God said do not be afraid for I am with you. ( Isaiah 43:1 ). That is what some Christians do when things go wrong. They trust that God is with them only when everything is going right. When they have all the money & property they want. But the moment they loose everything, they now speak like the none believers. But we need to be like Job who after he had lost everything, but he stood still into trusting in God.
You must remember that Jesus went through storms Himself. He suffered a lot of pain, but He stood still to the purpose He came for on earth. So as you follow Him storms will come your way too. But you need to understand that God can see you & He knows about everything that you are going through right now. That is why He ask you to be still.
When you are being still, it means no matter what kind of a storm that you are in. You keep holding on to the that word "God" & to the knowledge that He lives. God wants us to trust Him in our situations. He wants us to depend on His word. But as soon as we doubt Him, that is when He will leave. It does not matter how long have you been suffering or how long have been in that storm. What is important is that you give everything to Him.
You just stand still into knowing Him. You stand still into knowing His word, you stand still into knowing that all things are possible with Him. Even when people are telling you that nobody has ever made it through to a situation like yours, but be still & know that He is God.
You will be blessed according to your suffering. The greater the suffering the greater the rewards. For every storm the devil puts you through, he owes you. In other ways you must tell the devil that, devil you owe me for taking my job away, you owe me for taking my loved ones away from me. You shall pay me back. That is what God will do. He will make the devil pay for every pain you went through. Just like He did for the Israelis. After years of being slaves to the Egyptians. God made the Egyptians to pay them. So is your situation will pay you.
Just be still and know that He is God.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
HOPE
What is hope? does it mean that you are waiting on something that you don't know when will it happen or will it ever happen?
HOPE is when you Hold On & Pray Endlessly. when you hold on to something, it means you never let go of that particular thing. God promised that when you pray He will hear your prayers & He will ansawer in due time (1Peter5:6). when you have hope you will hold on to that promise & pray endlessly.
to pray endlessly means that you pray none stop. persist, don't stop praying. pray with no end. i would like to say HOPE & FAITH goes hand in hand.
To have FAITH is to have Full Assurence In Trusting Him. so you Hold On & Pray Endlessly with Full Assurence In Trusting Him that He will answer in due time.
I don't know what you may be going right now in your life, but God is able to change your situation around. Hold on. never give up. He knows all your troubles & He will pull you through. keep the FAITH.
HOPE is when you Hold On & Pray Endlessly. when you hold on to something, it means you never let go of that particular thing. God promised that when you pray He will hear your prayers & He will ansawer in due time (1Peter5:6). when you have hope you will hold on to that promise & pray endlessly.
to pray endlessly means that you pray none stop. persist, don't stop praying. pray with no end. i would like to say HOPE & FAITH goes hand in hand.
To have FAITH is to have Full Assurence In Trusting Him. so you Hold On & Pray Endlessly with Full Assurence In Trusting Him that He will answer in due time.
I don't know what you may be going right now in your life, but God is able to change your situation around. Hold on. never give up. He knows all your troubles & He will pull you through. keep the FAITH.
Thursday, 2 June 2011
FEAR NOT FOR I AM WITH YOU.
We live in a society that is consumed with fear. people live their lives with a lot of "what if's". they keep wondering what if that should happen? what if that don't happen? what if i lose my job? What if, what if. it's fear, fear,fear. they are not secure with themselves.
God said Fear not. (ISIAH 43:1). I can't help but think that God knew something that we don't know. after all He created us, He knew us before we were born. So yes God knew something that we don't know.
He knows what we are about to come across along the way, & yes He knows that we are gonna make it through. that is why He had to make sure that we don't live in fear, & that He is with us.
We face challenges in life & we fear if we gonna make it or how are we gonna survive, but let me tell you something today. God knows about that challenge & He's telling you not to fear for He knows all about you, & He created you. God has a plan for your situation. just trust in Him, have no fear. He will never leave nor forsake you.
Let me briefly share a story with you.
It was late & dark as the man walked briskly hone. An unmistakable rustle & commotion from the bushes stopped him in his tracks. He listened intently for what seemed like a lifetime but was really mere seconds. He could distinguish the muffled screams & frantic struggling of a woman & the low guttural bark of a man.
Then a tearing sound- perhaps a blouse being torn open? He identified a single word, which seemed to echo endlessly in his ears- "Help."
Panic stricken, it dawned on him that a woman was being attacked right there, at that very minute & right in front of him. Now what? What should he do? What could he do? Those were the questions going on his mind. He was not a big man & by no means strong or athletic. Surely if he got involved he would be hurt, possibly even killed. If he were hurt badly or killed, what would become of his family?
Maybe he should rather run to the nearest phone, call the police & come back with help. But then it could be too late!
Fear seemed to paralyze him in a vice-like grip & seconds seemed like an eternity before he made up his mind. To conquer his fear, he must take action, & take it fast before he changed his mind. He simply could not walk away even if it was the life of a stranger. He would have to face his fear by tackling it head on.
How could he live with himself if this unknown woman could have been saved, if only he'd acted with force & speed?
Once he had decided to act & even put his life on the line, he seemed to gain courage & found an inner strength of helping this stranger. He rushed through the bushes & charged the woman's attacker, pulling him off her & wrestling him to the ground. A vicious struggle ensued until the attacker managed to escape.
In all this time, the woman sat crouched in a protective ball with her face buried in her lap, Rocking & sobbing softly. He hadn't been able to get a clear look at her & still couldn't as it was too dark. His heart went out to her as he sensed her shock & fear. He was afraid to add to her fear by approaching her immediately & decided to rather say some comforting words to relax her & gain her trust."Are you OK? I'm here to help you. You're safe now. No one can harm you anymore", he said gently & soothingly.
Then the unknown woman asked with amazement & relief, "Dad, is that you?"
Shocked & choked with emotion & disbelief, the man watched as his youngest daughter, came forward, blouse torn, body bruised, eyes wide with shock, her face swollen from a torrent of shed tears.
This man selfless act of putting his own life on the line to save the life of a stranger went well rewarded, as the life he ended up saving was in fact of his own daughter.
We all have to make some difficult choices in life, but most importantly we all have to live with the consequences. Imagine this man consequences if he had let his fears paralyse his efforts & stopped him from taking action to help the girl.
"One can never hope to discover new oceans if they don't have the courage to lose sight of the shore." (Unkown)
The only time when God tells his people to fear, it is when He say they must Him. In the book of
Leviticus 19:14
Leviticus25:17
Leviticus 25:36
Leviticus25:43. God tells His people that Fear God your Lord. So the only time we must Fear is when we fear the Lord God.
in the book of Deuteronomy5:29 "oh, that their hearts would be inclined to FEAR me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever.
God said we shouldn't fear anything for he is with us. Haggai 2:5 "this is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear."
So do not let that fear to stop you from making that decision, do not let your mind be crippled by fear. The devil will put the beast in front of you to try & stop you from making you move to destiny.
Genesis9:2 " the fear & dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands."
It doesn't matter what the devil might put in front of you, you rule over it. The story I shared above is a perfect example of what fear could cost you.
Fear not my brother & sister, God is there by your side all the way. He knows about that situation & you came across that situation for a reason.
God said Fear not. (ISIAH 43:1). I can't help but think that God knew something that we don't know. after all He created us, He knew us before we were born. So yes God knew something that we don't know.
He knows what we are about to come across along the way, & yes He knows that we are gonna make it through. that is why He had to make sure that we don't live in fear, & that He is with us.
We face challenges in life & we fear if we gonna make it or how are we gonna survive, but let me tell you something today. God knows about that challenge & He's telling you not to fear for He knows all about you, & He created you. God has a plan for your situation. just trust in Him, have no fear. He will never leave nor forsake you.
Let me briefly share a story with you.
It was late & dark as the man walked briskly hone. An unmistakable rustle & commotion from the bushes stopped him in his tracks. He listened intently for what seemed like a lifetime but was really mere seconds. He could distinguish the muffled screams & frantic struggling of a woman & the low guttural bark of a man.
Then a tearing sound- perhaps a blouse being torn open? He identified a single word, which seemed to echo endlessly in his ears- "Help."
Panic stricken, it dawned on him that a woman was being attacked right there, at that very minute & right in front of him. Now what? What should he do? What could he do? Those were the questions going on his mind. He was not a big man & by no means strong or athletic. Surely if he got involved he would be hurt, possibly even killed. If he were hurt badly or killed, what would become of his family?
Maybe he should rather run to the nearest phone, call the police & come back with help. But then it could be too late!
Fear seemed to paralyze him in a vice-like grip & seconds seemed like an eternity before he made up his mind. To conquer his fear, he must take action, & take it fast before he changed his mind. He simply could not walk away even if it was the life of a stranger. He would have to face his fear by tackling it head on.
How could he live with himself if this unknown woman could have been saved, if only he'd acted with force & speed?
Once he had decided to act & even put his life on the line, he seemed to gain courage & found an inner strength of helping this stranger. He rushed through the bushes & charged the woman's attacker, pulling him off her & wrestling him to the ground. A vicious struggle ensued until the attacker managed to escape.
In all this time, the woman sat crouched in a protective ball with her face buried in her lap, Rocking & sobbing softly. He hadn't been able to get a clear look at her & still couldn't as it was too dark. His heart went out to her as he sensed her shock & fear. He was afraid to add to her fear by approaching her immediately & decided to rather say some comforting words to relax her & gain her trust."Are you OK? I'm here to help you. You're safe now. No one can harm you anymore", he said gently & soothingly.
Then the unknown woman asked with amazement & relief, "Dad, is that you?"
Shocked & choked with emotion & disbelief, the man watched as his youngest daughter, came forward, blouse torn, body bruised, eyes wide with shock, her face swollen from a torrent of shed tears.
This man selfless act of putting his own life on the line to save the life of a stranger went well rewarded, as the life he ended up saving was in fact of his own daughter.
We all have to make some difficult choices in life, but most importantly we all have to live with the consequences. Imagine this man consequences if he had let his fears paralyse his efforts & stopped him from taking action to help the girl.
"One can never hope to discover new oceans if they don't have the courage to lose sight of the shore." (Unkown)
The only time when God tells his people to fear, it is when He say they must Him. In the book of
Leviticus 19:14
Leviticus25:17
Leviticus 25:36
Leviticus25:43. God tells His people that Fear God your Lord. So the only time we must Fear is when we fear the Lord God.
in the book of Deuteronomy5:29 "oh, that their hearts would be inclined to FEAR me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever.
God said we shouldn't fear anything for he is with us. Haggai 2:5 "this is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear."
So do not let that fear to stop you from making that decision, do not let your mind be crippled by fear. The devil will put the beast in front of you to try & stop you from making you move to destiny.
Genesis9:2 " the fear & dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands."
It doesn't matter what the devil might put in front of you, you rule over it. The story I shared above is a perfect example of what fear could cost you.
Fear not my brother & sister, God is there by your side all the way. He knows about that situation & you came across that situation for a reason.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
I UNDERSTAND
In life not everything goes your way. sometimes things just don't go right at all. but God said in Romans 8:28. everything works together for the good of those who love Him & are called according to His purpose.
for you to be able to stand the test of time you need to know & understand Romans 8:28.
God will make your situation to work for your good, not for your worst. many times we fail in life because we did not understand this.
He said EVERYTHING not SOMETHINGS. He also said WILL, not MAY. which means it doesn't matter what it is that you may be facing, it is for your good.
God has already chose you. you are Highly favoured. you just need to understand this & know that if you love the Lord & made Him the centre of you living. everything will work for your good.
I hold on to that scripture in my every day life. it is what keeps me going even when things don't seem bright, but i understand that God is for me & all of my troubles will work for my good. as i dwell in His word & meditate in it. in Him i win.
for you to be able to stand the test of time you need to know & understand Romans 8:28.
God will make your situation to work for your good, not for your worst. many times we fail in life because we did not understand this.
He said EVERYTHING not SOMETHINGS. He also said WILL, not MAY. which means it doesn't matter what it is that you may be facing, it is for your good.
God has already chose you. you are Highly favoured. you just need to understand this & know that if you love the Lord & made Him the centre of you living. everything will work for your good.
I hold on to that scripture in my every day life. it is what keeps me going even when things don't seem bright, but i understand that God is for me & all of my troubles will work for my good. as i dwell in His word & meditate in it. in Him i win.
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
When you rush you crush.
You must never set the time when you pray to God. the problem with us is that we tend to rush God to answer our prayers.
Yes God did promise to answer when we pray to him. but we must understand that God has His own time, not the one that we operate under.
most of the times we find ourselves in deep trouble because we failed to wait on God & we decide to assume that God has answered.
Not every time will God give you a "yes" sometimes it will be a "yes but not now", sometimes it may be a "No". God knows what you need & when will it be useful to you.
So don't rush for quick solutions into your troubles, & claim it to be God's answer. for you will crush & God will let you be, because you didn't wait for him to answer or you just refused to accept that the answer to your prayer was a "Not yet" or a "No"
God will answer in good time. don't rush for you will crash & die.
(1Peter 5:6) God will lift you up in good time. so lean not to your own understanding, but let the holy spirit guide & lead you.
Yes God did promise to answer when we pray to him. but we must understand that God has His own time, not the one that we operate under.
most of the times we find ourselves in deep trouble because we failed to wait on God & we decide to assume that God has answered.
Not every time will God give you a "yes" sometimes it will be a "yes but not now", sometimes it may be a "No". God knows what you need & when will it be useful to you.
So don't rush for quick solutions into your troubles, & claim it to be God's answer. for you will crush & God will let you be, because you didn't wait for him to answer or you just refused to accept that the answer to your prayer was a "Not yet" or a "No"
God will answer in good time. don't rush for you will crash & die.
(1Peter 5:6) God will lift you up in good time. so lean not to your own understanding, but let the holy spirit guide & lead you.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Love has Hope in you. (Max Lucado)
This aspiring young author was in need of hope. more than one person had told him to give up. "getting published is impossible," one mentor said: "unless you are a national celebrity, publishers won't talk to you." another warned; "writing takes too much time. besides, you don't want all your thoughts on paper."
initially he listened. he agreed that writing was a waste of effort and turned his attention to other projects. but somehow the pen & pad could not be seperated to the wordaholic. he'd rather write than read. so he wrote. how many nights did he pass on that couch in the house, reshuffling his deck of verbs & nouns? how many hours did his wife sit with him? finally a manuscript was finnished. crude & laden with mistakes but finnished.
she gave him the shove. "send it out. what's the harm?" so out it went. mailed it to 15 different publishers. while the couple waited, he wrote again. while he wrote, she sat with him every night. niether expecting much, both hoping for everything.
As an author & his wife kept waiting, responses began to fill the mail box. "i'm sorry, but we don't accept unsolicited manuscripts, we must return your work. best of luck." :"our catalog doesn't have room for unpublished authors."
the wife framed the manuscript & gave it to him as a gift, about the time the 15th letter arrived. a publisher had said yes. they framed that letter too. which of the two is more meaningful? the gift from the wife or the letter from the publisher? it's the gift. for giving the gift, his wife gave him hope.
love does that. love extends an olive leaf to the loved ones & says "i have hope in you." love is just as quick to say "i have hope for you" you can say these words. you are a flood survivor, by God's grace you have found your way to dry land. (Gen:8:10-11). you know what is like to see the waters subside. & since you do, you are qualified to give hope to someone else who is low on hope.
initially he listened. he agreed that writing was a waste of effort and turned his attention to other projects. but somehow the pen & pad could not be seperated to the wordaholic. he'd rather write than read. so he wrote. how many nights did he pass on that couch in the house, reshuffling his deck of verbs & nouns? how many hours did his wife sit with him? finally a manuscript was finnished. crude & laden with mistakes but finnished.
she gave him the shove. "send it out. what's the harm?" so out it went. mailed it to 15 different publishers. while the couple waited, he wrote again. while he wrote, she sat with him every night. niether expecting much, both hoping for everything.
As an author & his wife kept waiting, responses began to fill the mail box. "i'm sorry, but we don't accept unsolicited manuscripts, we must return your work. best of luck." :"our catalog doesn't have room for unpublished authors."
the wife framed the manuscript & gave it to him as a gift, about the time the 15th letter arrived. a publisher had said yes. they framed that letter too. which of the two is more meaningful? the gift from the wife or the letter from the publisher? it's the gift. for giving the gift, his wife gave him hope.
love does that. love extends an olive leaf to the loved ones & says "i have hope in you." love is just as quick to say "i have hope for you" you can say these words. you are a flood survivor, by God's grace you have found your way to dry land. (Gen:8:10-11). you know what is like to see the waters subside. & since you do, you are qualified to give hope to someone else who is low on hope.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
God will make a way where there is no way, just when you thought it's over.
A young man from a not so wealthy family wanted to study medicine, but unfortunately he was late to register for for that course at the university. so there was only one course that was available for him to take. that was manangement course. he did'nt like it, but took it 'cause he had no other choice but to study something from that institution.
he passed it & he got a job & worked as a machine operator for 7 years. then it happened that there was an internal post for an Area mananger, he put his CV. he was called for an interview.
at an interview they were 7 of them who were called for interview. the difference amoung them was that, he was the only one who had studied the things that were being in the interview. so he passed it & got the job.
You see God will make a way for you. He said "i know the plans i have for you & it is to prosper you." when God lays a foundation, He already has the future in mind. don't quit, do'nt give up, don't give in. it is not over with you until God says it's over.
he passed it & he got a job & worked as a machine operator for 7 years. then it happened that there was an internal post for an Area mananger, he put his CV. he was called for an interview.
at an interview they were 7 of them who were called for interview. the difference amoung them was that, he was the only one who had studied the things that were being in the interview. so he passed it & got the job.
You see God will make a way for you. He said "i know the plans i have for you & it is to prosper you." when God lays a foundation, He already has the future in mind. don't quit, do'nt give up, don't give in. it is not over with you until God says it's over.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
YOUR HEART DETERMINES THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE
Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything. no matter how much you want, laziness won't help a bit, but hard work will reward you with more than enough. you are in for trouble if you sin, but you'll be rewarded if you live right.
Proverbs 4: 23. "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." you are what you eat. if you feed your heart with lies & hate. you will become just that, but if you feed your heart with the word of God, even your character will be as good.
remember, your character tells people about who you really are, but your reputation is what people think of you. change your heart, for your heart determines the course of your life. who you are on the inside has everything to do with what your life looks like on the outside. what is at your heart determines who you are. so in other words, you reap what you saw. you become what you think about. think about the word of God.
Proverbs 4: 23. "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." you are what you eat. if you feed your heart with lies & hate. you will become just that, but if you feed your heart with the word of God, even your character will be as good.
remember, your character tells people about who you really are, but your reputation is what people think of you. change your heart, for your heart determines the course of your life. who you are on the inside has everything to do with what your life looks like on the outside. what is at your heart determines who you are. so in other words, you reap what you saw. you become what you think about. think about the word of God.
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