Identity

Listening to Andy Stanley on Romans 6:
Declare
Decide
Devote

Imitating Christ will result in failure, key to success is letting the life of Christ in me radiating through me.

I can choose either to identify with being in Adam or being in Christ.

I decide who I yield my members to. Sin will ask to use my mouth , my mind etc I decide NOT to let sin have dominion over me and to devote every member of my body to you!

Prayer......

I felt at peace in every way, with a matter that was causing so much anxiety in the family. It made me imagine how the Apostle Paul felt when he with confidence stated, "the angel of God whom I serve, and whose I am.......", had assured him there would be no loss of life.

Seed
Time
Harvest

God gives the increase
Let go of the seed in prayer , nurture with the water of faith, eliminate every doubt with confidence in the words of life John 6:63.

Facts and Feelings.

My friend appeared relieved at being able to express her feelings. She had talked openly about feeling confused, not knowing what she wanted from life and having been let down by friends. I suspected her disappointment dated years back than she feared to admit.
"I feel like rubbish" shaking her head like she was shaking off the undesirable feelings she expressed.

It was hard to separate feelings from facts! She was a pretty young woman that many other girls admired. Her face brightened up with life when she smiled even through tears. She could not help as she later explained, nominating on her traumatic life experiences, and noting that through it all - she was the constant.

I thought it might help to think things through together and posed the thought of how a queen may feel if she got splattered with mud. Surely she would not conclude she was a pig! She would certainly admit she needed cleaning up but she was no less a queen mud or not.

The Truth
The challenges can seem so real, but more real is what we do not see. Functioning devices powered by electricity are real to man, more powerful is the unseen power, electricity, without which the devices will not work.

When confronted by life's challenges, and we feel deflated like a burst balloon, it's worth remembering the power that's needed is not the fixing of our fragile frame, but God's breath in us. 

When feeling low in spirit, we need refilling by God's Spirit to keep us going. At such times it therefore helps to lean on God - He'll fill us anew and fix the leak.

The WORD

Our world operates with words:
Communication both verbal and non verbal are interpreted in words. Everything that can be described as a noun and every action, is identified by words. Words may be spoken or unspoken, words may lift spirits or depress.

A grievous word stirs up anger
Death and life are in the power of the tongue
Proverbs 4: 20-24 God"s words are health and life to those who receive them.

John 6:63 Jesus Christ"s words are life giving
Hebrews 1:  Our world is sustained by the WORD of God"s power!

The Word of God mixed with faith (Hebrews 3:15) transforms situations to align with divine purpose, to our benefit.

Who am I?

Kirsty was glad to be home after a hard day's work. Exhausted she heaved a sigh of relief, as she slid her shoes off eyeing a comfortable corner on the settee. She prided herself on a sense of progress, glad she had been able to resolve some major issues for her employers. She winked in self admiration as she threw her head back to a comfortable pose on the sofa.   It wasn't till she woke up hours later, to the smell of wine and a wet top, that she realized she had fallen off to sleep with her drink in her hand. 

Her thoughts drifted back to her week at work. She thought of the joy she derived from the challenges at work. She smiled to herself as she thought she was not one for passing time at work. "yes" she thought, there was a fulfillment she derived from taking on challenges in the work place. It had also been well worth it! She had been rewarded with pay rises and annual bonuses, supported by her employer in her pursuit of personal development. It was all going good, more heights to attain. Her thoughts seemed to slide down from to the reality of the part of the week she often dreaded - coming home on Fridays!! She had once thought the lonely weekends was a result of not having a man in her life, but then realized her married and partnered friends shared this horrible feeling of an emptiness on the inside. It was a horrible feeling that seemed difficult to fill!! She thought of work again and identified it as a distraction that helped at least for most of the week. What was it she desperately, and seemingly unknown to her did she seek to be distracted from? Kirsty was desperate for answers- yet fearful.

Who am I? what is the purpose of my existence? How did I come to be besides the explanation of my biological being? A mass of cells surely can't think? She was convinced there was much more to her than her physical existence. How can I know what or all I am about? She suddenly feared she may be losing it - these seemed to be crazy thoughts. She dreaded she may be experiencing early signs of insanity yet wondered if she was running from confronting the truth about life. "I really must stop" she concluded. She propped herself into a sitting position uncertain what to do for the rest of the night, with being so alert and no more signs of sleep. She poured herself another glass of wine, "I might as well!"

It was nice to be admired. So many of her colleagues had not hesitated to let her know how they wished they had her confidence. If only they knew it was all a facade. She dressed up to the image she perceived was required for the work place. she was confident about her skills in the managerial role, but that had been developed over time. She wished she could be happy, satisfied, like herself in every way....Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by her James, "how was your weekend?" She found herself struggling to respond, this wasn't Kirsty, no what's the matter with me? Her voice finally came, "Oh, er, it went so fast, but ok". "you obviously had a nice time, never a dull moment with you Kirsty." The distressing thought rumblec again in Kirsty's heart, " who exactly am I?"

Idols

My feelings swung from being puzzled to confused, then amused. I wondered what would happen if I kicked the little wooden statue of a human on her knees, meant to represent the "idol of twins", described by some as a god of twins.

Growing up in the city, near our hometown made it easy to visit our extended family as often as we wanted. One would imagine the proximity would trigger frequent visits, but the disparities in the culture of a city life and the sub-urban community made it more reasonable to make only essential visits. This was probably guided by my father's apparent determination not to get entangled in complex family issues.

Idols may not seemingly be as common in this day as decades ago, but the reality is they are probably more prevalent. The forms are now different, Materialism and consumerism are a reflection of the idol worship that has permeated our world. Food is described as "divine", cars are "to die for", moral values care trashed for want of fame and fortune in the worship of self.

Happy death day

It’s much easier to avoid a challenging situation than to confront it. It’s like avoiding going to war despite knowing there’s a raging enemy. It is a matter of time before the battle becomes inevitable.

I am reminded of the song “everybody wants to go to heaven, nobody wants to die.” Life on earth is challenging and has been since the beginning of human existence. There is uncertainty for many about life after death, so relatively very few people are keen to exit their earthly existence, in spite of the hardship they may be going through. It is perceived as ill health when people therefore take their own lives, as very often this is in the depths of despair. Exiting life on earth can be likened to changing destination. The most important thing however is to know where one is going to prevent a potentially disastrous arrival, if appropriate preparation is not ensured.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWXcRVZWTb8

Death is a certainty for everyone who lives in a body, everybody! A lot of people however, seem to avoid talking about the inevitable. There was a teaching I heard years ago in church, it was enlightening and assuring about the day of death, titled happy death day. Like a lecture you enjoyed I planned to listen again to imbibe and digest the details, hoping to sift the chaff from the wheat if any chaff was there. A friend asked for it just before I travelled out of town for a few weeks. On my return I was told my friend had died. She had a chronic kidney problem and a complication had resulted in her passing on. I hoped the tape had been a blessing and helped her to cross over with peace in her heart.

No Need To Fear!! 

Faith in Jesus ensures no need to fear! He's been there to the grave and back. That is the only hand that assures safety in going to the grave. Jesus Christ will lead us out of the grave to newness of life, if we hold on to his hand on earth till we get to the grave. He's been there and out.

With Christ on our side we can like the psalmist say:"though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me!"

HOW???

The qualification to walk with God is like a marriage vow. He loved us first like a man finds a wife, regardless of her deserving Him or not. He loved us and paid life, in the form of blood shed by Jesus Christ, to have us. Our consent is all that's left to belong to Him.

God has said His bit :- 

John 1:12 For as many as believed in him gave them power to become the sons of God

Romans 10:9-10 The promise here is that if you believe in your heart the Lord Jesus Christ and confess with your mouth that God has raised him from the dead and you will be saved.

the second bit to seal the deal is for whosoever will. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Man's Part:

Believing in God and saying it, like you would a marriage vow, seals the deal for the start of that walk with Him, and He then will never leave you or forsake you. Walking through the valley of death then does not cause fear.

There are different beliefs about death. The most important belief however is the truth! We are all free to believe whatever we want, but when push comes to shove, reality sinks. If one believes a floating piece of cardboard is as good as a life boat, the erroneous belief will unfortunately result in the person’s demise. It is therefore important to know what the truth is regardless of it making sense or not to our finite thinking.

It is in my opinion unwise to expect anyone to help me get to a place they’ve never been, or believe an account of an event the person has never experienced. I would rather rely on a person who has been to a place to tell me about it and how he got there. In all of history the one person who without a doubt experienced death and triumphed over it is JESUS CHRIST. There is therefore no reason for me to listen to anyone else’s idea about death when I can get the facts from Jesus Christ. It is no wonder he stated in the scriptures, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”…John 14:6 The truth is what we need, not ideas without evidence. Many have professed knowing a way, yet have nothing to verify what they say. It is the truth that sets free, not man’s ideas, postulations or unfounded beliefs.

Recommended web links:

http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1064

www.apologetics .org

The Journey

Will my dreams ever come true? 
Will my hopes ever be realised?
Will I ever achieve my goals?

"When do we get there", the young passenger moaned

"Almost", replied the driver, without looking back

"It's taking too long, I just can't wait"

"you said "almost" four hours ago!"

The journey is long with windy roads

You're nearer the end than when you began

Every minute brings us closer to the end

we're almost there with each tick of the clock

"Feels like we'll never get there", she groaned again

"your father said the same, your mother too. 

They traveled with me on this same train,

and moaned the as well just like you do."

The journey continued through Toddler lane
then Childhood paths and Teenage ways,
exciting highways and fearful alleys

some phases dark and others brig

The fretting will not change the time it will take

Best to sit back, enjoy the scenes

There'll be dark paths with lessons for life

Enjoy the ride it's the best choice!

Roots and Fruits

We often dream of better things, a better house a better car. We also long for  happier times, for dearer friends, laughter and love! The key for all is often a seed. The seed we sow and how it's sowed determines the harvest we reap.

No seed, no root, No root, no fruit
From seed to root, it needs good soil
From root to fruit, nurturing's a must
The parable of the sower, explains it all:

Ensure good ground whene'er you plant
Rocky ground will sure deter growth
And with no root, the sun will scorch
and precious seeds will come to nought

Keep the birds off for seeds to stay
Seed eating birds may look real glam
Be careful not to let them near
Some are called doubt they'll eat the seeds

The roots will come as it's designed
as long as it's sown on good soil
Nurtured aright it will in time 

attain the stage of fruitfulness

With time the stalk and then the head
Later the hairs then full grown fruit
and when you've got fruits from your seed
Don't eat it all please sow some more!

It sure takes time that is God's law
Weed grows faster than precious fruits
And so your seed of dream needs time
Keep holding on in holy faith!

For all the dreams our heart desire
Be it a home or a better job
A closer walk with God on high
Sow your seed right and watch it grow!

LOVE

I watched with delight as my son guzzled up his food. He licked his fingers happily, his eyes gleaming as he hurried to make sure all his taste buds had no break. It was almost unbelievable to see such joy caused by a meal.  "You had lunch in school didn't you?" I questioned, a bit surprised that he seemed that hungry, after a meal at the after school club, which he had reported was generous. The response was a spontaneous chorus from him and his sister, "It doesn't taste the same", and then he added, "mummy you cook real good!" I was pleased to hear the compliment and delighted that I could give my children that much pleasure. It instantly brought to my mind the words of  the Lord Jesus Christ:

"Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Luke 12:32

 

Love divine, certainly, would delight far more to give me greater pleasure than I delighted in making my children happy. God's resources are unlimited. God is LOVE. I belong to him. He loves me in spite of my frailties. He has given me all I need because I belong to him. He is my Father. Surely He delights in blessing me exceedingly more than I delight in blessing my children. I refrain from his arms of love because of feelings of inadequacy and fear. It is no wonder Jesus said "Fear not..." As you read this determine to rest in your Father's love, confident that he cares for you much more than you can ever imagine.
"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32 

The preceding verses explain that all we worry for is noted by our heavenly Father, and if we seek first the kingdom all other things will be added unto us. The key therefore, to all we fret about, is to prioritize our search for the kingdom of God, and all other cares will be taken care of. Jesus therefore assures us that it is not just our Father's pleasure to give us the kingdom, but it is our heavenly Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, and all other things will be added as well!! Jesus addresses us as " little flock", acknowledging our frailties and our need for reassurance. In the same sentences He states the reason we ought not to fear. 

Embrace The Father’s Love. 

1John 4:18 New Living Translation 
"Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love".

The Truth

"Help me Lord", I whispered in mild exasperation, tired of going back and forth, in search of a client I had been waiting for. One of my colleagues immediately responded, "he can't, he doesn't exist!" He immediately got my full attention. I turned slowly towards him, delighted with full confidence,  "believe it or not, he does", as I smiled sympathetically. I could not help but feel sorry for him, the same way my heart often goes out to many, who seek solace in pursuit of material and other things, that can never fill the void in man's life meant only for a relationship with the creator - the only God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

My colleague wasn't through with our dialogue yet, as he went on, "you are entitled to your opinion and I to mine", he smiled back at me. " I agree with you, but nothing changes the truth", was my reply. I thought it might be a good opportunity for him to know a life changing truth. I continued with an explanation, "no matter what we believe, the truth remain unchanged. If I believe good food is poison, I lose the benefit of a healthy life, and suffer the consequences of my erroneous belief, indeed a delusion. While I starve to death, the food maintains its true quality, it stays nutritious. Whatever we believe the most important thing is the truth!" My colleague was silent, then muttered "that's true, but I don't believe". I prayed he would know the truth that God loves him.

STOP RUNNING, DON'T HIDE.

We run from God because we feel we are not fit for Him. It is often easier to run from an uncomfortable situation,than confront it. The same way the fear of knowing who we are, why are we on earth, what is this human existence all about, causes man to run from being alone. It is easier to numb our thoughts with strong drink once the distraction of a busy day at work is gone, than to face who we are, for then thoughts of guilt come and we see undesirable traits that are uncomfortable. God sees all that too, and still stretches out his arms to us in perfect love. There's no point running from God!! GOD IS NOT CONDEMNING MAN!! God is saying I love you, I love you, I love you!! I love you, that's why I could let Jesus Christ die for you. It was the only way you could be saved from the clutches of the evil one, the loneliness and emptiness that you feel from not being connected to me, worse than a child lost to his mother's love!

GOD WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU!

Man is often too busy seeking solace in activities and can't hear that soft voice saying, "come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest"-Matthew 11:28. There is no normal earthly parent who gives up on a child that is troubled by life stresses and has resorted to seemingly wrong choices. The parent waits in hope of the child accepting help and loving support from the family.God's love is perfect, incomparable to the  measure of any earthly parent's love. God is waiting for us to come to the realization that no amount or quality of good work can save man from eternal damnation. Ephesians 2:8-9  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

The onus therefore is on me to find the truth. It is only the truth that sets free, not what I find convenient to believe. Jesus says, "I am the way , the truth and the life, no one cometh to the Father but by me."John 14:6

LOVE LINK

Like a marriage covenant, all that's required for a relationship with Jesus Christ is to say "I do". It's not the crowd at the wedding that determines the marriage. It is the covenant agreement between the man and his bride. Jesus says, "come". To say I do all you need to say is, "Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you are the truth, and it was for me you died to pay for my sin. I believe in my heart that God raised you from the dead. I ask you to be Lord of my life and I accept your gift of eternal life, in Jesus Christ name." - Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

 Life's 3 most important questions: http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1048