Nov 6, 2020 |
Life-giving light
“Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world, and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.” John 8:12 (TPT)
What is the impact of your life on others around you?
Is your life-giving light for others to progress in life?
Let’s recall the story of the Lighthouse and the battleship Captain:
“A battleship had been at sea on its routine maneuvers under heavy weathers for days. The Captain, who was worried about the deteriorating weather conditions, stayed on the bridge to keep an eye on all activities. One night, the lookout on the bridge suddenly shouted,
“Captain! A light, bearing on the starboard bow.” “Is it stationary or moving astern?” the Captain asked.
The lookout replied that it was stationary. This meant the battleship was on a dangerous collision course with the other ship.
The Captain immediately ordered his signalman to signal to the ship:
“We are on a collision course. I advise you to change course 20 degrees east.”
Back came a response from the other ship: “You change course 20 degrees west.”
Agitated by the arrogance of the response, the Captain asked his signalman to shoot out another message:
“I am a captain; you change course 20 degrees east.”
Back came the second response: “I am a second class seaman.
You had still better change course 20 degrees west.”
The Captain was furious this time! He shouted to the signalman to send back a final message: “I am a battlefield. Change course 20 degrees east right now!:
Back came the flashing response: “I am a lighthouse.”
The Captain duly changed course.
The Lighthouse is designed to guide ships on the waters to their safe routes.
Is your life pointing others to Christ?
The Prophet Isaiah challenged the people of God to let their lives be a model for others ( Isaiah 41)
“Your lives light up the World. Let others see your light from a distance, for how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? “Matthew 5:14 (TPT)
Let Your Life light up the World.
Nov 4, 2020 |
Eager to do good deeds?
“Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds? Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you. So stop being afraid and don’t worry about what people might do. Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life.” 1 Peter 3:13-15 (CEV)
What are you always eager to do?
What are you passionate about and devoted to?
What do you become enthusiastic about?
All over the world, people are eagerly awaiting and anticipating the US Election results.
This will undoubtedly come and go into history.
However, there is one event that is eternity defining.
It is the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Are you eager to see Him as much as you are anticipating the results of the elections?
There are so many variable factors when you put your hope in man’s expectations.
Are you hopeful about the fulfillment of God’s promises?
People are sometimes excited and hopeful with political manifestos.
Are you at peace with the promises of God or man?
God’s promises based on His Word are guaranteed.
“For we continue to look forward to the joyful fulfillment of our hope in the dawning splendor of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus, the Anointed One” Titus 2:13 (TPT)
Are you full of expectations that Jesus is coming back as He promised?
Have you carefully studied and researched Him as much as you have done for these elections?
Paul was eager to preach the good news to everyone based on His expectations of the Lord’s return. (Romans 1:14-15)
Be eager to confirm and validate with everything in you the certainty of our Lord’s return.
Are you eager to do good deeds for God?
Nov 2, 2020 |
You’ve restored Jacob’s destiny from captivity.
“Lord, your love has poured out so many amazing blessings on our land!
You’ve restored Jacob’s destiny from captivity. You’ve forgiven our many sins and covered every one of them in your love. Pause in his presence. So now it’s obvious that your blazing anger has ended, and the furious fire of wrath has been extinguished by your Mercy.” Psalm 85:1-3 (TPT)
God had purposed even before Jacob was born to bless him.
(Romans 9:13)
However, he initially went about the fulfillment of his dream in the wrong way.
He manipulated, cheated, conspired, and used other methods that could “help.”
Finally, he realized that it is only the person that God blesses that is truly blessed.
He and an encounter with God and yielded to God’s way of making him become.
Whatsoever way you have started wrongly, you can turn it over to God.
The same God that in HIS Mercy restored Jacob’s destiny is still at work.
Come to Him today, admitting your wrong turns.
Shish!!!!
Shush!!
Stop blaming others.
Your birth?
Parenting?
And circumstances beyond your control?.
You don’t know my story; I hear you say.
Jesus is standing by, you know, just as he stood beside the sick man at the pool of Bethsaida.
“Do you want to be made well?”
Grace and Mercy overlooked his excuses.
His destiny was restored as he obeyed Jesus’s instructions. (John 5:8)
Turn over all the struggles to Jesus today.
HE is the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever.
HE restored the fortunes of Israel.
He will restore your destiny.
Oct 30, 2020 |
Hallowing God and not Halloween
“And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” Luke 11:2 (KJV)
It is about Hallowing God and not Halloween.
God created us in His image, and everything we do as His creation must Glorify Him.
Hallowing God means to:
“1. to make holy; sanctify; consecrate: to hallow the name of the Lord. 2. to honor as holy; consider sacred; venerate: to hallow a battlefield.” (Free Dictionary Definition)
Let everything you do give reverence to God and not the opposite.
Light and darkness do not and cannot mix together.
There is no Christian way to celebrate Halloween.
It’s not of God.
Its origin and practice have consistently been satanic and evil.
As a child of God, use every opportunity you have by your ways and manner. Glorify God that has given you life.
“Pray like this: ‘Our Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn.” Matthew 6:9 (TPT)
Let God be the real anchor that holds your life together. Not any satanically inspired event, no matter how famous, popular, and captivating it might be.
God says He has come to give you life and that abundantly.
Celebrate Him with joy and gladness,
Don’t participate in evil scary costumes,
Indeed, don’t put on an evil dress for your children.
God condemns every form of participating in witchcraft (Deuteronomy 18:10-13)
Don’t mix up your values; don’t mess up your virtues.
Halloween is not of God.
“For this reason, “Come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord. “Touch nothing that is unclean, and I will embrace you” 2 Corinthians 6:17 (TPT)
Don’t trick or treat in evil.
Show consistently true love from God.
Oct 28, 2020 |
Jonah was really upset and angry.
“Jonah was really upset and angry. So he prayed: Our LORD, I knew from the very beginning that you wouldn’t destroy Nineveh. That’s why I left my own country and headed for Spain. You are a kind and merciful God, and you are very patient. You always show love, and you don’t like to punish anyone, not even foreigners. Now let me die! I’d be better off dead. The LORD replied, “What right do you have to be angry?”
Jonah 4:1-4 (CEV)
Are you like Jonah today?
Yes, Angry and upset?
Distraught and agitated.
Against who?
With God.
Why?
Because God has decided to show mercy to a repentant person.
How many times have you been:
Greatly displeased.
The change in plans made you very angry.
“Knew This Was Going to Happen!”
This seemed very wrong!.
Many times we want to dictate to God how the outcome of an event should be.
There is still that trace of vindictiveness in the heart of a man like Jonah had.
The older brother in the story of the prodigal son felt that way too.
Why should the father rejoice over the brother that had lived a corrupt life?
Often we look at that man and the other woman and based on all their wicked ways. You want them condemned and put to shame.
When God in His Infinite mercy pardons them, you don’t.
The backslider has been restored but you playing the righteous ostrich believer is not happy.
God says:
“I will be merciful to whomever I choose, and I will show compassion to whomever I wish” Romans 9:15(TPT)
As in the parable of the prodigal son, the brother had unlimited access to the father’s wealth, too (Luke 15:11-32)
The Gospel is about bringing lost sinners to the kingdom.
To you, who has been ostracized, and you feel out of place.
God loves you, unconditionally.
Brethren.
Don’t form the “righteous and holy club” in the body of Christ.
Emulate our Lord and Savior, who interacted with all to bring them into the kingdom.
Apostle Paul also did.
“I became “weak” to the weak to win the weak. I have adapted to the culture of every place I’ve gone so that I could more easily win people to Christ.” 1 Corinthians 9:22 (TPT)
Remember, The Parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)
Get off your high horse and reach out like the Samaritan to help.
Please don’t pass by the injured in your lofty holier than thou attitude.
Oct 26, 2020 |
A hasty promise to do something good or bad.
“You are guilty the moment you realize that you have made a hasty promise to do something good or bad. As soon as you discover that you have committed any of these sins, you must confess what you have done.” Leviticus 5:4-5 (CEV)
Take time to think through the words you want to say.
Don’t babble.
Don’t speak with thoughtlessness.
More so, in this age of social media, don’t spread information you have not verified.
Those who are hasty regret their actions.
They wished they had been more patient.
“Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20 NKJV).
Herod Antipas regretted making a declaration to grant any request made by his stepdaughter.
He became the killer of John the Baptist through hasty words.
(Mark 6:14-29)
Jephthah’s rash vow was binding on him (Judges 11:30-31, 34-35).
Joshua, too was deceived by the Gibeonites through hasty decisions.
(Joshua 9:16-18)
Don’t be hasty to send a text message – think first and read through well.
Don’t be hasty to sign that contract paper or that agreement:
Read through, pray; make necessary consultations.
“People lose their way without wise leadership, but a nation succeeds and stands in victory when it has many good counselors to guide it.”
Proverbs 11:14 (TPT)
Be careful of instant deals that you have to pay now as it is.
Remember, buyers’ remorse.
Be quick to listen but slow to speak.
Be slow to become angry. (James 1:19)
Don’t fall into scams of becoming rich overnight.
“Brilliant ideas pay off and bring you prosperity, but making hasty, impatient decisions will only lead to financial loss.” Proverbs 21:5(TPT)
As you daily put your Trust in God, watch out for hasty decisions.
Those who trust in him will not act in haste (Isaiah 28:16)
