Jesus – Page 24 – Godinterest

November 29, 2018

As I Look out into the World There’s Some Things I See I Want to Talk about, Can I Talk about It?

Luke 7:18-23 ‘And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Are you he that should come? or should we look for another?

When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto you, saying, Are you he that should come? or should we look for another?

And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.

Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me’

John had spent weeks even months in a dark dungeon with little company except rats so it is easy to see how he could have begun to question himself and indeed the messiah he baptised in the river Jordan proclaiming Him as the Lamb of God

When we take our eyes of Christ fear and doubt eat away at childlike faith and rob us of the truth that set us free. Without his presence we see walls instead of open doors, we see problems instead of answers and hopelessness instead of hope

God can only keep us in perfect peace as we keep our minds firmly fixed on him

What do you see when you look at Christ? Do you see a crucified saviour or an empty cross, a vacated tomb and a risen saviour who has given you victory over death and hell?

Do you see your sin or do you see a Saviour?

Do you see the sin that so easily overcomes you or do you see Jesus who became sin with your sin so that you would be the righteousness of God in him? Have you not heard that he is faithful and just to forgive you all your sins and to cleanse you of every sin as you repent and turn from them?

Do you see sickness and disease destroying your body, robbing you of strength or do you see Jesus who took your infirmities and carried your sicknesses and by whose stripes you are already healed?

Do you see yourself struggling with debt, drowning in poverty, hear a bank managers abusive remarks or do you see Jesus who became poor with your poverty that you would become rich with his riches?

Do you see an empty purse or a cruse of oil that will never run out? 1st Kings 17:14-16

Do you see yourself living a pauper’s life or do you see the Lord who has promised to provide all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus? Philippians 4:19

Do you see the devil when temptation overtakes you or do you see your saviour Jesus who always makes a way of escape when you ask him so that you may be able to bear it?

Do you see fear and defeat robbing you when unbelief sets in or do you see Jesus who always causes you to triumph? Have you not heard that God did not give you a spirit of fear but of love and power and of a sound mind?

Do you see no way out of captivity and misery or do you see Jesus who releases the captives and who is your joy and your strength?

Do you see your many afflictions, or do you see Jesus who delivers you out of them all?

Do you see death when you have lost someone you love or do you see Jesus the resurrection and the life

Do you dwell on the loss of a loved one or on the gain that Christ purchased for them for in Him ‘death has no sting and the grave no victory’ for from the moment we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord? In Christ they are risen indeed

Do you spend your days in sorrow or do you see that while weeping lasts for a night joy comes in the morning?

Do you look at the darkness which can so easily overtake you, or do you turn your eyes toward heaven and see his glorious light; his life, his hope, his peace which will cause you to laugh in the face of adversity.

In Christ there is endless joy, hope that springs eternal, health that springs forth speedily and victory that is yours always”¦

Open your eyes and fix them on the Crucified saviour now risen for your sake

Dark days vanish when Christ comes, all things change when Jesus comes to stay

David Robinson

November 29, 2018

Why the Church Needs to Refocus on the Concept of Sanctification

Sanctification belongs to our Father in Heaven. Being sanctification is freely offered to the heirs of righteousness. It is given to us as part of our inheritance, which comes by salvation. It is our Father’s perfect will for us, that we are sanctified. By the proclamation of our Lord, who is the pillar of all that is our inheritance, we are sanctified through the truth of our Father in heaven. We are set apart from all that is in the world; from all that is not of faith; and from all that is unbelief. Heaven sent sanctification is not with rituals of behavior or customs of tradition; neither is it self-imposed separation from the world. While separation from the world is commanded by our Lord and is a result of sanctification, it is important for us to understand how this separation is accomplished. Sanctification comes when we hear the truth and we obey that truth. Truth is living and it is universal. Self-imposed sanctification only leads to dead works. Our Father’s truth is alive. It is as alive as the life we live. His truth is subject only to his perfect will. Our Lord admonished us that our Father’s Word is truth when he said: “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth”. We are set apart from the world not by self-imposed, artificial rituals and practices; but rather by the truth that makes us free.

Church leaders throughout the ages have received truth from Holy Spirit, only to fall victim to holding on to what was received so passionately, they become unwilling, or even unable, to embrace the followup enlightenment when it arrived. Consider the Word of God concerning circumcision! Circumcision was once the primary distinction whereby a Hebrew identified their relationship with God. Circumcision was believed, and it was followed. Circumcision was mandated as a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham. It was later ritualized under the Levitical Laws. However, once grace arrived, and faith by grace, circumcision became a symbol of not having faith. Apostle Paul wrote; “for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love”. So, if that which was once the standard of a relationship with God, has now become that which hinders what God is doing, how much more is that which He is doing now, greater than that which has been replaced?

If we say we have all the truth that our Father has, or that there is no more truth that He will give, then we make Him a liar. If that which we have is the conclusion of God’s revelation, then of necessity Holy Spirit did not need to be sent. For what do the scriptures say? “When the spirit of truth is come he will lead us into all truth; and show us things to come”. Now the things to come are not limited to the writing of the apostles of old, but every generation is beset with the mandate to understand the things set before them and to peer into the things to be. Each generation must be willing to embrace things that have been hidden until now. If they have been hidden from generations past and have been reserved for the present generation, then of necessity Holy Spirit must expose what has been hidden in days past. It is incumbent upon present apostolic leaders, to avail themselves to the unction of Holy Spirit to speak those things She is revealing to the generation at hand.

I further make the case, which even now, we do not have all the truth that was spoken through the apostles of old. Even our own canon speaks of truths that have been lost to antiquity. If in fact, we accept Apostle Paul as a vessel of truth through which Holy Spirit has spoken; where he makes mention of an epistle he wrote to the Corinthian church, that to this present day has been hidden from the Ecclesia even our present generation. If then, the truth that was scribed in this lost epistle was inspired by Holy Spirit, and I believe it was, then it is clear we do not have all that was given by Holy Spirit. Further, the epistle written to the Colossians makes reference to an epistle Apostle Paul wrote to the Laodiceans. This epistle to has been hidden from generations that followed.

Beloved let us not stifle the ministry of Holy Spirit because we are unwilling to allow Her to freely give us the things She has received from our Father and our Christ. She is our comforter. Lest you mistake my boldness as skepticism of the scriptures; I say boldly, the scriptures are the Word of our Father, but all of our Father’s Word is not in the scriptures we have. Therefore, I submit my spirit to Holy Spirit who delivered the Word that admonishes us that lack wisdom, to ask God for wisdom and God will give it liberally to all who ask because we ask in faith and don’t waiver.

Contemporary leaders are always charged with “Who hath ears to hear let him hear”. We must never become so beholden to what has been done that we are unable or unwilling to receive what is being done now. Some have concluded there is nothing new, and all things that will be has already been. We embrace this understanding because Solomon said it in the writings of Ecclesiastes. We’ve been told from the writings of Solomon; there is no new thing under the sun. Even as Solomon has declared nothing new under the sun, Isaiah admonished us to forget about the former things and do not consider the things of old because Jehovah was doing a new thing. Is this a contradiction? On the contrary, it’s actually moving on from truth in a previous generation to truth in the contemporary generation. Isaiah wrote after Solomon and declared what

Jehovah was speaking in his generation. Even so, must we be bold to break free from the captivity of what was written aforetime to declare the wonderful truth that is being spoken in our generation? The things that were written aforetime were written for our learning, they were not written to incarcerate in a time before us. All truth begins with the Son, who gives it to Holy Spirit, who gives it to us. Thus, by authority given to me as a good steward of this gospel, I declare to you, Yeshua is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and in Him, we are transformed into the sons of the kingdom and heirs of righteousness. Amen!

November 27, 2018November 27, 2018

To the Girls Who Want a Godly Man. This Is for You.

“And two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh” (Mark 10:8).

This is what biblical math for marriage looks like 1 + 1 = 1.

No, this is not common core math; this is what God’s definition of what marriage should look like if it were visualized mathematically.

As Scripture says, husband and wife, will become one, and live one life together. When we say “I do” we no longer live separate lives, but rather one.

American culture is all about the “me”, and not about the ‘we’. It’s individually focused. And competition is how we move forward individually. In marriage, focusing on “me’ and not on “we”, creates conflict.

As men, we are raised to be competitive with playing sports or in my case, playing video games. So, when we get married, our individualist traits become difficult to break. When we were single, we only had ourselves to worry about. But that all changes when we get married. If we don’t break the habit of acting as “me”, it will become a source of conflict in our marriage.

Here are 2 important qualities that all godly husbands should have:

One: A Servant-Leader

As men, we are called to be leaders of our household. But a good leader puts himself last and others first. Robert K. Greenleaf calls this Servant Leadership. “The servant-leader is a servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” In the Bible, Jesus depicts what a servant-leader should be and as husbands, we are to emulate this in our marriages.

Jesus put it this way: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many”(Matthew 20:25-28).

Jesus could have ruled the world and had others serve him. But rather, he became a King who served others, washed dirty feet, and sacrificed himself for those he loved and served. A Christian husband should serve his wife, not rule over her. A godly husband puts his needs second, and his wife’s first.

Husbands, if you want to be King, you must first be a servant to your Queen.

Two: Shows plenty of grace

Forgiving those who hurt you is always difficult. In marriage, it’s no different. We’ve all have had our feelings hurt by our spouses at some point. You forgot to take out the trash or fold the laundry correctly. Or in my case, hung my wife’s clothes in the wrong spot. She will get mad and I will take it personally. Sometimes, she will say something that will hurt my feelings, and I will grumble about it for days.

In 1 Corinthians 4: 5, it states loves keeps no record of wrongs. What this means is we must forgive our spouses when they hurt us, and not hold what they did wrong in the past against them. We must fill our marriages with plenty of grace. Showing forgiveness towards our spouses is what God-like love looks like.

God forgave us for our sins, why should we not forgive the sins of our spouses? If we want God to forgive us for our sins, we must show our spouse’s the same grace God has shown us.

The hardest part of marriage is putting our spouse’s needs above our own. I know for myself and many other men, this is not a natural trait. We must be intentional in our marriages to live up to being Christlike. This world will try to pull our marriages apart. When we focus on ourselves, we are not becoming ‘one’. Being a servant-leader to our spouse’s and showing plenty of grace to our other half, is what a godly marriage looks like.

November 24, 2018February 25, 2019

Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Godly Parent

Jeremiah 34:2 “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.’”’”

JUST DO WHAT GOD SAYS

Jeremiah knew Zedekiah. He wasn’t a kind king. He was, in fact, cruel and demanding. Jeremiah knew he would not like this message. Get the picture – Zedekiah is surrounded by the Babylonian/Chaldean armies. The city is about to be lost. And who comes into your court but the very prophet who has prophesied this. Jeremiah was surely stepping into danger.

But Jeremiah went and said exactly what the Lord said to tell him. You see, Jeremiah valued being committed to the Lord over his own life. There are many today who serve in very dangerous parts of the world who do the same. What would you do?

TEACHING MOMENT

I want to challenge you today, Mom and Dad. Turn your children over to the Lord. He may ask them to be a Jeremiah. He may send them to a place that is less than friendly. He may ask them to be His mouthpiece in a hostile land. How will you respond to that? It’s one thing for them to move across the country from you. It’s another whole thing for them to go to a place which can’t be made public for fear of death.

As we release our children to the Lord, He gives us the faith we need. It makes no sense to “allow” our children to do that. But we trust the One Who has called them. We trust that He is big enough to protect them when we are not. We trust that the Lord Jesus will only let what He wants to touch them if they are centered in His will.

This is a tough one, parents. We are made to protect our children, not send them into harm’s way. But they are not our children. They are the Lord’s. He has merely entrusted them to us for a short period of time. In fact, their response to His calling is our reward for teaching them so well. Go chew on that.

Lord, thank You for allowing me to invest in my children. Thank You for allowing me to have a small part in their preparation for whatever You call them to do. I trust You.

November 22, 2018January 15, 2024

I Like Your Christ, But Not Your Christians

I think we’d be surprised to know how many people in this world actually like the person of Jesus Christ, but aren’t keen on becoming a Christian. Sound familiar?

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. Romans 12:10.

We must not allow ourselves to become self-absorbed and so forget the claims of God and humanity upon us…. God would have us more kind, more lovable, less critical and suspicious. O that we all might have the Spirit of Christ, and know how to deal with our brethren and neighbors!

We must forget self in loving service for others…. We may not remember some act of kindness which we do, it may fade from our memory; but eternity will bring out in all its brightness every act done for the salvation of souls, every word spoken for the comfort of God’s children; and these deeds done for Christ’s sake will be a part of our joy through all eternity.

When we pursue toward our brethren any course save that of kindness and courtesy, we pursue an unchristian course. We should manifest courtesy at home, in the church, and in our intercourse with all men. But especially we should manifest compassion and respect for those who are giving their lives to the cause of God. We should exercise that precious love that suffereth long and is kind; that envieth not, that vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not easily provoked and that which is not evil.

Where Jesus reigns in the heart, there will be sweet love, and we shall be tender and true to one another.

You should give no occasion for faultfinding. A moment’s petulance, a single gruff answer, the want of Christian politeness and courtesy in some small matter, may result in the loss of friends, in the loss of influence.

God would have you appear at your best under all circumstances—in the presence of those who are inferior to you as well as in the presence of equals and superiors. We are to be followers of Christ at all times, seeking His honor, seeking to rightly represent Him in every way.

Let self drop out of sight, and let Jesus appear as the One altogether lovely.

We should seek to live for His glory alone, not that men may praise us.

November 21, 2018November 24, 2018

When God Throat Punches You, Count It Joy. Says God.

I have been absolutely mesmerized by the recent pictures of the Volcanic eruptions in Hawaii. How often do we think about the power beneath every step we take each day? The Earth’s Outer core is liquid rock, moving freely beneath us each day, while its innermost core is solid, composed of an iron-nickel alloy (Wikipedia). I never thought about it until those amazing pictures of the Eruption in Hawaii recently forced my mind to take stock. I looked up facts on the Earth’s Core, on Volcanoes, etc. I just couldn’t get over the immensity of what I was seeing.

This all made me think of what the Bible says in Philippians 2:12-13

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Oswald Chambers commented on this passage by saying this:

With focused attention and great care, you have to “work out” what God “works in” you— not work to accomplish or earn “your own salvation,” but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. (From My Utmost for His Highest Updated Edition)

There is power in every believer in Jesus Christ. God is at work in us both to have the “want to” and the “ability to” accomplish His will on this earth. There is a yielding to God’s leading that takes place. I watched with amazement as the Lava from the Volcano just went wherever it found a place to flow. It created rivers of molten rock throughout communities, making its way to the Sea. There was no stopping it, no stemming the flow, no diverting of the pathway. It was impossible to do anything but watch in awe and trembling, as the Eruption went on for weeks.

God is at work within each of us, seeking to make us an unstoppable force for His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is being built by God through us. What an amazing privilege and honor to be a part of His Eternal Plan. Sit before this precious and all-powerful God today and praise Him for both the “want to” and the “ability to,” do His will. He is able and will make a way where there seems to be no way, in and through each of us.

November 20, 2018November 21, 2018

When Did We Become So Mean?

In a recent conversation, my teacher-friend mentioned how the school system has recognized the need to teach kindness to the kids. Over the years, it’s been forgotten and kids are not as kind. They make fun of others. Tear down. Have exclusive clubs. And the such.

Kindness? Really? It’s not something that they already know? After reflection, I realized…you know what? They’re right! They know what it means but fall dreadfully short when it comes to living it out.

Shows like Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood have been replaced with Fairly Odd Parents and the like. This generation has grown up watching intolerance, injustice, and acts of hatred left and right. They’ve seen us let fear take hold….and watched as we fret at night. But kindness…have they seen it modeled? Do they recognize it as a need right now?

Do the words we speak lift others up…or rather tear them down?
Do we put others in front of ourselves…or does selfishness abound?
Will we spread joy this holiday season…or grumble as we wait in the crowd?
Do we gossip, complain, whine, and moan…or do we spread good cheer?
Have we forgotten the meaning of respect to those in public service? Our teachers, policemen, firemen, and others who give their lives to better us.
Do we have a me-first attitude? Or do we remember the words of Jesus…”It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35).

As parents of the generation-rising, we have a responsibility. It is our job to instill an attitude of gratefulness and stop passing the buck around. If we want a world where kindness looms, then we need to reflect within. What do we show with our own lives? Would others say that we’re kind?

November 18, 2018January 15, 2024

To the Girl Who Wants a Husband More Than Jesus

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.”

But how strange the sight! While one of those so closely united is engaged in devotion, the other is indifferent and careless; while one is seeking the way to everlasting life, the other is in the broad road to death.

Hundreds have sacrificed Christ and heaven in consequence of marrying unconverted persons. Can it be that the love and fellowship of Christ are of so little value to them that they prefer the companionship of poor mortals?

Is heaven so little esteemed that they are willing to risk its enjoyments for one who has no love for the precious Saviour?

To connect with an unbeliever is to place yourself on Satan’s ground. You grieve the Spirit of God and forfeit His protection. Can you afford to have such terrible odds against you in fighting the battle for everlasting life?

Ask yourself:

“Will not an unbelieving husband lead my thoughts away from Jesus? He is a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God; will he not lead me to enjoy the things that he enjoys?”

The path to eternal life is steep and rugged. Take no additional weights to retard your progress.

November 18, 2018November 18, 2018

We Gave Up Everything and Somehow Gained Everything in Return

Time is ticking away and the world is slowly but surely going up in flames. Christians are being persecuted, Christianity is being banned, natural disasters are happening more often, Christians are turning away from their faith and we have become blind and numb to GOD’S Word. It seems as though everything is going pear-shaped for us, but that is only if we believe that GOD is not in control.

I believe that we tend to forget that GOD is in control. We look at the chaos happening around us, and we wonder: where is GOD in all of this? He’s right where He has always been, making things happen at the preordained time. The devil hasn’t suddenly become more powerful, no, GOD is still keeping a lid on what he can and cannot do. If you are Christian, then you know that the devil has no power over you. However, if you commit a sin then you can expect Satan to know all about it. In any well-run and tightly controlled organization, there is the boss at the top, the leaders that work under him, and the people that monitor what happens in the organization to report back to the leaders. It’s the same for Satan and his kingdom. He has monitoring spirits that roam the earth to keep an eye on people and report back to their leaders (the demons higher up in the kingdom). We need to understand that while the monitoring spirits do not attack us, they are watching us, waiting for any open doorways to afflict us. Therefore, when we sin we open a spiritual doorway for the devil to do something to us, and it would be completely ‘legal’. But, with Jesus by your side and the power of the Holy Spirit, you can send those demons packing and have the affliction removed from you. Do not expect it to be easy to detect the work of the devil- he is a crafty being who knows what makes us tick and what makes us fall apart. We are pretty stupid creatures, we may think that we are smart and all that, but when you’re up against a being that had been around since whenever, then you’re in for a rude awakening. That’s why GOD tells us to trust Him in all things- He created Satan, therefore He can put him in his place.

It’s not easy giving up control over our lives. We are always planning for the future, trying to maintain financial security and care for ourselves and our family. But we get it so wrong. GOD had this plan for our lives, a plan that fits you into the grand scheme of things. Think of a massive quilt with hundreds of thousands of interconnecting images that make up one beautiful story. If one of those images were to be removed, then there would be a gap in the story, a missing piece that distorts things but doesn’t necessarily stop the story from continuing. You are an image in that quilt; your life connects to the lives of other people, influencing them and making a lasting impression- whether you realize it or not. But if you choose to remove yourself from that quilt, then there will be a gap, but that doesn’t mean that GOD’S plan for His people changes. It’s just that you didn’t fulfill the plan for your life because you chose to go at it alone. There is a bigger picture that our minds cannot comprehend, but each one of us makes up that one picture and we are all equally important. We are the body of Christ and GOD has plans for all of us, some plans take longer than others to come to fruition, but it’s all part of His plan.

There is nothing sadder than to watch Christians try to live a life for themselves and watch them fall apart. On one side, Jesus is waiting with open arms to welcome them home and on the other are demonic vultures just waiting to tear them apart. But they never look like demonic vultures, they look like everything that you could ever want. A Christian life is as simple or as complicated as you make it, it’s all a matter of trust and obedience. Commit your life to GOD if you haven’t already; it will be the best decision of your life, but don’t expect it to be a walk in the park.

November 18, 2018November 25, 2018

This Radical Perspective On Love Will Blow Your Mind and Give You a New One All in One Shot

Love is a general word and a popular one as well. We may well believe that it is a word that is found in all languages because all men know the concept of love. Is love an instinct? Is it a primary impulse? If it is, then why is it that we sometimes come across people who do not know how to love? If it is a universal character trait, why are some people able to do the most unloving things?

We know that God is love. Love is who He is. He is not just loving, He is love itself. Man being imperfect as he is falls short in the understanding, practice, and experience of true love. In this world, we will suffer from heartaches. In this world, we will cause heartaches. But the one who has come to a saving knowledge and relationship with God thru Jesus Christ now has enablement to understand and practice true love.

A genuine relationship with the God of love begins healing. With the Holy Spirit working in us and blessing us with guidance, hurts heal and enlightenment comes in. We get over our love-hurts. We are liberated from the consequences of wrong love or abuse. God who is love restores us to wholeness. No longer do we need to imitate the wrong ways our parents loved us; we can start loving our children right. No longer do we need to carry out a self-serving love relationship with a partner or spouse; we can nurture a true, loving relationship with someone today. No longer do we need to settle for flawed and unhealthy love; we can break free and let loose because God our maker is our completer. (Isaiah 54:5) We may enjoy the single life because we are never alone and we will never be unwanted nor unloved.

Scriptures discuss in 1 John 4 that God is love. Anyone who knows God knows how to love because love is of God and He is love. Since we have the God of love as our Father, Friend, and Guide, we can walk in right, balanced love. This is made possible because as we now experience the love of God, we gain understanding on what it means to truly love. From knowing comes doing.

1 Corinthians 13 gives a good guideline on the right ways to love. But here are a couple of things we can highlight about right love:

Right love is always assuring but never consenting of wrongdoing.

It deals with the wrongs but in a loving way. It helps to set people aright by rebuking them with grace and gentleness.

Right love is liberating and unrestricting.

Flawed love has the idea of wanting someone all to oneself but right love is liberating. Knowing that our loving God is over us, we have peace to set our spouse and children free to become the best they can be and to pursue their God-driven purposes in life. We release them from our own desires and goals and allow them to discover what life has for them. We fear not and trust God’s watchful care over their spirit and ways.

Right love forgives, builds trust and security.

Jealousy, suspicion, distrust, and insecurity- these result from wrong practices of love. When relationships fail us, these are part of the baggage that we take with us. These carry on into future relationships. Even when we choose to remain, these negative emotions hang around and cause our relationships to become even more unfruitful. But, right love forgives. With grace at work, people can start on a clean slate. Hurt lingers but healing comes. Trust is broken but it is rebuilt. Love and desire is repelled but it is welcomed once more. Self-esteem is lost but it is found once more.

Lastly,

Right love is balanced love.

At times, you put your best heart and effort into something but things don’t work out. There are times when staying in a relationship or friendship becomes more unhealthy or even unsafe. Right love is balanced. It is patient to keep working and sensible when it is time to let go. To love is to bring out the highest good in another. If maintaining connections is no longer good nor helpful, have the peace and courage to remove yourself from the environment. Doors may be reopened in the future so stay hopeful. But at the moment, step back and let God work things out for you and for the other person individually.

November 18, 2018March 1, 2019

What Do You Use as a Moral Compass?

I’ve been on earth almost half of a century. My life has had many highs and several lows. To stay sane you have to just roll with the changes trusting that whatever storm we are facing will pass just as those fun, love-filled times did. Through it all we have to put our best foot forward and finish our race. Which foot should we use? What pace should we run? All these come from our moral compass.When I read headlines or catch a glimpse of the news, it troubles me. Something has gone terribly wrong. There are children hurting so badly that they open fire on each other. There’s human trafficking to fill perverted sexual desires. The abundance of children living with a parent who love getting high more than their precious children. The need for people to escape the reality of this world through chemical means. Are we mentally softer or weaker than generations past or am I imagining things? When the going gets tough we go searching for something at the pharmacy to right it. Is being made of sterner stuff a thing of the past?

There is so much hate and confusion. I read scriptures and pray each day for God to use me. I want to be like Jesus. I want to empty myself and spread love. I want there to be love left everywhere I go. Remember in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis when Aslan comes back and everywhere he prances flowers and plants spring to life? That’s what I envision me doing in my wheelchair. Me embracing my moral compass and everywhere I go leaving a trail of beauty behind me as I roll! Then, I will come to my end and step into eternity and be at peace. It’s urgent for us to dig deep, clean out the garden our souls, and use those compasses that God gave us.

What the world needs now more than ever is to grow our moral compasses. We are currently at a huge crossroad. Everyone wants to be right. Everyone feels they have the knowledge and discernment to be the judge on so many moral issues. We have lost the intimacy of being humans. Sharing meals and taking time to listen to our children and spend time with our elders. Don’t get me wrong. I depend on technology for so much, but the access of so much too soon is a problem. It’s literally poisoning the minds of our children, promoting immoral behaviors, and making everything a world of me not we. We are in this together. Just one kind gesture at a time and we can begin to move toward decency. It costs nothing to be kind and considerate. Being cruel or mean is never an option. We have to find our moral compass or I fear the human race will be lost forever.

Sarah Anderson Alley

Sal the Moral Compass Gal

Quotes of the Day:

“I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values – and follow my own moral compass – then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.” Michelle Obama
“Conscience is a man’s compass.” Vincent Van Gogh
“Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.” Brad Henry

November 18, 2018

The Importance Of Being A Prepared Soldier

It would be straight-up foolish to go into any battle unprepared. While you may think that improvising and spontaneity is the spice of life, the enemy has studied your military strategy (or lack thereof), obtained vital information about you and knows combat moves that will probably get you killed. You’re basically walking into that battle to be defeated because you didn’t bother to prepare. That makes you a bad soldier, doesn’t it? You wouldn’t last a minute on the battlefield, that’s for sure. Being an unprepared Believer leaves you wide open for attacks, and when they come you will not know how to handle them.

I believe that we forget that the devil never rests. He has a plan to carry out, and that’s destroying GOD’S people. Every day (and night) is an opportunity for the devil to attack us, and you better believe that his plans are well thought out with great attention to detail. There is no way that we will be able to figure out what his evil plans are and we shouldn’t; all we need to do is to be prepared by following GOD’S Word.

We have a military plan given to us by GOD Himself and it can only be found if we study His Word as we should. He explains just who the devil is, what his plans are, how to fight and how to defend ourselves.

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Do you understand the strength of a lions roar? The closer you are to it, the more you can feel it. It’s like vibrations traveling through your body and it leaves you on edge. Lions roar to communicate with each other, ward off other lions from entering their territory and to give an indication of their size. It’s no mistake that the devil had been described as a roaring lion. We know that the world is basically his (for the time being), so he’s stating his territory, he’s in constant communication with his demons to keep track of people, and he wants to show that he’s the big fish in the pond (that’s what got him kicked out of heaven in the first place). He has legal ground to torment those who are his (the Lost), but he’s on the lookout for any legal ground that Christians give him through sin. Also, the devil knows how committed you are to GOD and your knowledge of His Word, so if you’re one of those that fail to meditate on His Word every day then you could be destroyed for your lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).

Colossians 2:15

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Good news, Family, Jesus overcame Death that we may have life. Death no longer has the sting that it once had, and the devil is justly angry about that. Who likes being defeated and humiliated so publicly? So now we know our position: we have already won, but that doesn’t mean that the battle is over. There are still souls that are lost, Christians falling away, and a devil that will do all in his power to destroy us that continue to stand. So what can we do?

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in GOD for pulling down strongholds.

I don’t know about you, but I get excited when I read the Bible. I’m even smiling as I type this. GOD gave us WEAPONS! And not just any type of weapons, but ones that can and will bring down every evil stronghold in our lives. Family, we need to use exactly what GOD gave us if we expect to stand in that evil day. We need to pray, fast, petition, be thankful, remain obedient and trust in GOD in all things.

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places,

Family, our fight is not against other people, it’s against the devil and his minions (demons). They are the ones behind every evil and horrendous thing that has befallen us. You need to understand this if you want to be a prepared soldier of GOD. It’s not a physical war, but a spiritual one. There will always be an overflow of what is happening in the spiritual world into the physical world, but our fight isn’t there. Don’t get angry at people, get angry at the devil. We are to hate sin, not people. But let me tell you this: do not become cocky and think that you can disrespect the devil. Jesus never did, and neither should you. You speak the words that GOD has given us, nothing more and nothing less. You’re not honoring him by being respectful, but you need to understand that you are a human being and he is a spirit with more power, knowledge, and days than we could ever know or understand. GOD is infinitely greater, but don’t step into that trap of running your mouth off.

Ephesians 6:11 & 13-17

Put on the whole armor of GOD, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Therefore, take up the whole armor of GOD, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of GOD;

GOD has provided us with an armor. This is not just a concept or some metaphorical description, but an actual armor that goes on your spiritual body. Wearing this armor means that we will be able to stand against the trickery of the devil. Wearing it means that we will be able to stand in the evil day. Every morning, you need to ask GOD for this armor in Jesus’ name; do not start your day without it or you’re just asking for trouble. We need to understand that all that the devil can do is to try and trick and lie to us. He doesn’t have any true power against GOD’S people, only what we give him.

There is so much more to say on this matter of being a prepared soldier, but you need to read your Bible to gain more wisdom and spiritual understanding. Let the Spirit guide you and teach you as you remain faithful and do the will of GOD. There are times that we are attacked, but do not despair, GOD is always with us even when He seems absent. Our times of need are the times that we need to show our faith and trust in Him by standing and trusting in Him. We will go through refining fires, family, but once we have come through them, we become worthy vessels of honor to carry out GOD’S work. Just remember that although you suffer now, your reward in heaven is greater. Fight the good fight and remain steady in your faith.

November 17, 2018

What Are You Eating?

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and decided to have an onion and garlic-rich meal? Jump into a taxi afterward and you’ll most likely stink out the driver- he may even decide to kick you out of the taxi! A garlic loaf or loaded burger with a mountain of crispy fried onion is great when we’re eating it, but the effects of the meal are not so wonderful. Now we know that spiritually, food is not about to defile you, but what we feed our minds will.

We have all heard of the saying that ‘you are what you eat’. This saying works well in both the physical and spiritual sense. We probably all understand the implications of a junk food laden diet and what it does to our bodies, but do we fully understand how our spiritual diet affects our walk of faith as Believers? Every choice that we make feeds our spirit in some way; there is a cause and effect situation happening. If we were to examine our lives, would we be able to determine the type of spiritual food that we are filling ourselves with? Let’s examine two types of diets (the only two types, really) that should give you an indication of where you fit in.

The World Diet a.k.a Junk Food

This nutrient deficient diet is sure to starve your spirit. Day in and day out, we watch TV series and programs that do nothing to help us grow spiritually. They are entertaining, immensely so, but they make us dumb people. We are so busy looking into the lives of other people, emulating their speech, fashion sense, and attitudes that we miss out on what truly matters, and that’s spending time doing GOD’S work and living a life of purpose. The sad thing is that we do not leave the junk food at home, but we take it to the public as well by wanting to discuss the junk that we watch. It’s not just what we watch either, it’s also what we listen to and what we read. Our minds are like sponges and will soak up whatever we expose it to. If we insist on reading sensational magazines full of gossip, scandal, judgment, and immoral speech, then you better be aware of the consequences. When we listen to secular music that we know is vulgar and the opposite of GOD’S Word, then you better be ready for the devil to take advantage of that.

The effects of this diet are spiritually debilitating, soul-destroying and eventually leads to death. It is possible to suss out a person who consumes this type of diet. This person is constantly negative and can bring down a person’s mood quicker than listening to music about broken hearts. The filth that comes out of this person’s mouth can and will make you cringe. Their lives are most likely full of the sin of gossiping, slander, backbiting, unforgiveness, grumbling, hatred, coveting, fornication, adultery, blasphemy and everything else that this world has to offer. This person’s heart is far from GOD and is spiritually dead.

Sometimes, a Christian can be following this diet because they do not fully understand what is expected of them. Unfortunately, this makes one a lukewarm Christian and Jesus did say that He would ‘spit’ out any lukewarm Christians out of His mouth. It is no doubt that this diet is delicious, but it rots your soul and silences the Holy Spirit within you. Believe me when I say that you are better off without it.

GOD’S Diet a.k.a The Nutrient Dense Diet

Who doesn’t want to be healthy and full of vitality? The energy from this diet is through the roof and it raises your endorphin levels as well. This diet consists of reading GOD’S Word on a daily basis, speaking to Him regularly, taking heed of the Holy Spirits’s voice, reading material that enhances spiritual knowledge and listening to music that encompasses everything about our faith. There is nothing better than feeding our spirits with the food of the Spirit because it leads to eternal life and brings us closer to our Creator. It’s wonderful to watch a sermon on TV that speaks GOD’S truth and increases our wisdom and understanding. Our lives are considerably less stressful, we have greater peace in our hearts, our joy is more stable and not situation based, and we generally have a more positive outlook on life- even with what’s going on in the world.

GOD’S Diet is simpler, rewarding, and healthier. There are no preservatives needed to extend GOD’S food because it’s eternal, there are no colourants needed to enhance the look of His food because it’s all natural and of the purest beauty, and there are no flavor enhancers to trick us into believing that it tastes better because it’s fresh, wholesome and wonderfully tasty for our spirits, and there are no lurking chemicals to slowly poison us because GOD is life.

You would think that the decision is easy to make, but if it was then we would all be Saved. But it’s not. Those who are still Lost cannot see and understand that the World’s Diet is leading them on a broad path to Death. They have been taken in by the fake pleasure of the diet, not being able to see how decayed it truly is. If they could see what they were truly taking into their spirits, they would be appalled and sick to their stomachs. We as Believers need to be careful about what we allow into our lives by paying attention to what we watch, read, and listen to. Even a little guilty pleasure can corrode your spiritual life and lead you away from GOD. Our lives on earth are but for a moment in the light of eternity, so we need to be wise with our decisions.

November 17, 2018

What Kind of Life is This?

The Bible talks about life in so many passages. A word search alone tells us that the word life occurs 565 times in the Bible. As God’s children who have a relationship with God through Christ by free grace thru faith, Scriptures tell us the kind of life we have in a more detailed way.

We have eternal life.

Eternal means lasting and continuing. Eternal life will never end. It will never stop. Nothing we do, feel, or say, will ever cancel the eternal life we have in Christ. Jesus says, “I I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)

We have new life.

New means unlike before or not existing before. With newfound salvation is newfound life. I am now a new creation, walking and living a new life. 2 Cor. 5:17 says that for those “in Christ, a new creation has come. The old has gone, the new has come.” A change of life instantly takes place and everything continues to change. God our Father is making all things new. Healing takes place, correction takes place. We begin to desire the right things. We begin to say and do the right things. We begin to act in the right way. The Holy Spirit who resides in us guides us into all truth as we walk in newness of life. Christ in us empowers us to live the new life, enabling us to overcome temptations and do the right thing in spite of our weaknesses.

We have enlightened life.

John 1:4 tells us that in the Lord Jesus Christ is life, and that life is the light of man. In chapter 8 of John and verse 12, Jesus Himself says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In having life thru Christ we have light; we have an enlightened life. This means we will have guidance; we will have wisdom. With the Holy Spirit guiding us into all truth and strengthening us for right living, we are able to walk the path, the right path laid for us. We will be empowered towards making right decisions and taking the right steps.

We have abundant life.

In John 10:10, Jesus said that He came to give us life, abundant life. To have abundance is to have something more than before. Abundant is about having plenty, about possessing something inexhaustible. What is abundant will never come to depletion. That’s the kind of life we have in Christ. It is vibrant life. It will never grow bleak. It is filled with promise and potential.

We have overcoming life.

I John 4:4 says that one who is born of God overcomes the world because the One in us will always be greater than the one who operates a broken system on this earth. 1 John 5:4 assures us that one born of God will always be an overcomer in this world. God in us will enable us to move past hardships and to rise above failures.

A child of God need not settle living in confusion, defeat, desperation, or dissatisfaction. Nurture intimacy with God and you will see God nurturing your heart and spirit. You will find yourself experiencing the positive kind of life God has in mind for you.

November 17, 2018

Lay Aside the Weight of Discontentment

The discontent Christian, he shouldn’t exist. So many places in Scriptures assure us that a life in Christ is not only marked by content and satisfaction, it is characterized by abundant joy, peace, and fullness of life. Christ says, “I am come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) He also says, “I am the Bread of Life, he who comes to me shall never hunger. He who believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35). Jesus also says, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’’ (John 7:37-39). The living water referred to is the Holy Spirit, who would be given to every person that comes to believe and accept the Lord Jesus the Messiah as one’s Savior.

But the discontent Christian does exist. The cycle of the Christian life undergoes periods of highs and lows. At times, the middle or level ground is one of spiritual consistency. At other times, it is one of stagnancy or lukewarmness in the faith. In all states, discontent may creep in and the wise Christian should know by now to deal with this heart problem early on. Else, one is in danger of losing his passion and love for God.

Following are 2 ways we can deal with discontent:

Deal with Discontent by Repurposing Your Heart

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your affection on things above not on things on earth.” Life on earth, the blessings and challenges that come with it; these are all meant to be enjoyed and faced with positivity. We know that God sees our past, present, and future. He knows what’s coming and He’s with us all the way. Keep your eyes upward. Stay committed to Him. Desire His thoughts and fellowship first of all. He is ever with us and He will never leave us. Stay mindful that all we see, feel, and do in this world are temporary. But the fruits of doing what pleases the heart of God lasts forever.

Deal with Discontent by Reprioritizing Your Life

Matthew 6:33 tells us to “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God’s Word Translation renders the verse this way: “But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.” We need to seek His heart and what pleases Him. In finding and pursuing that, we find ourselves treading the right path, making wise pursuits, finding fulfillment in the right places. God stands by us, ready to support us in the right things we do in accordance with His will. He will not fail us. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Deal with Discontent by Enjoying God

Scriptures say that God has placed eternity in the heart of every man. God is our Maker. He is “I AM.” You can’t be away from Him and expect to feel whole. In Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28). He understands us completely and knows how to guide us as we navigate the uncertainties and rough patches of our life. The Christian life is a life of freedom. It unleashes us to do better and be the best we can be. In the Christian life, rewards are high yielding and of great and lasting worth. God in our lives is always more than enough. With Him, we will have all we need to live an overcoming life on this earth.

November 17, 2018March 23, 2019

Will Jesus Find Faith on Earth?

In Luke 18: 1-8, Jesus shares a parable with us to encourage us to pray always and not to give up. He tells us of a persistent widow who kept begging for justice from ‘a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought’. This unbelieving and uncaring man of power refused her over and over again but finally granted justice just to be rid of her. In verse 7 and 8 Christ reminds us that God is far from the character of the judge mentioned in the parable. He assures us, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Those who presently suffer injustice may find it hard to understand and believe God’s promise of speedy justice. We know true to life stories of people who have been on a long and fruitless road in their fight for justice. It is a bitter reality for many, even for Christians. But how ever hard it may be to grasp this fact, God has told us so. He is not a liar and he is no mere man who can be fickle and unreliable. He will show up to support His children and to grant justice in His time. He does not operate within our system. He does not see life nor time as we do. Scriptures say a thousand years is but a day for Him. (2 Peter 3:8). He has the wisdom of eternality to act at the best time with the best intentions to accomplish the best results.

The question then is not “Will God keep His promise?” nor “Is He able?” but “When Christ shows up, will He find faith on the earth?” Faith is a complete trust and confidence. It is a sure hope in something though it remains unseen. (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is steady commitment and loyalty even when odds are greatly against you. In these contexts, will He then find faith inside you and me?

Faith is essential to Christianity. It is what brings you into a love relationship with our Creator and Savior Friend. Faith is crucial to Christian maturity. It is what grows you through the ups and downs of navigating a spiritual journey in this fallen world. We need to nurture this faith into consistency. We need to protect this faith from the destructive attacks of the enemy.

Faith brings miracles into our lives.

In the Gospels we get clued that Jesus denied people’s requests for Him to prove Himself as God. He never entertained the taunts of people for him to do some miraculous acts to showcase His identity as God. When He performed miracles, there were special reasons and specific purposes He wanted to achieve. One time, Jesus visited his hometown. And what should have been an opportunity for spiritual breakthroughs became a day of huge losses for the people. Christ said He was unable to do miracles that day because of the people’s lack of faith. I gather that He wanted to (and He still could have) but He would not because in that moment He looked for faith, and there was none.

Faith brings the pleasure of God into our lives.

Hebrews says, without faith it is impossible to please Him for He who comes to God must believe that He is God and that He is a rewarder of those who seek after Him. If you are one of those who experience firsthand how fulfilling it is to please our loved ones, wouldn’t you want to bring pleasure to the heart of God? If making our boss, our family or our special someone is very important to us, how about God? How about making Him happy? How about bringing pleasure to His eyes? Not for selfish reasons like, “I do this for you, you do this for me God”. But for agape love reasons, “I do this for you, because I love the God of love; I love the God who I can never outlove nor outgive.”

Faith is important for these 3 facts and more. Faith is what Christ wants to find in each of us. Will He find it in you and me?