Tag: Obedience

Submit your Flesh

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The excuse of ‘I’m human’, is one that definitely gets overused in our society of believers.

Many of us use it to justify our actions when we’ve fallen short, or sometimes to actually convince ourselves that we can go ahead with doing something that we know isn’t right.

But here’s the thing, if only we would cultivate and nurture a good standard of self-control and self-discipline, as the bible instructs (Titus 1:8, Galatians 5:22-23), we would find ourselves resorting to this statement less and less…

I aim to challenge you with a few things today, in the hope of you developing a renewed conviction about some of the things you’ve allowed yourself to slack with…

You see, the bible teaches us to flee from sin, (1 Timothy 6:3-11), yet so many of us walk side by side with it.
Where we’re mingling and mixing with the things that lead us astray, some of us will find that rather than becoming more spiritually inclined, we’re becoming more accustomed to the ways of the world, and in fact becoming more comfortable with engaging in practices/activities/habits that we ought to really detest as children of God!

That’s why this message today reminds and instructs you to always
Submit your flesh to the Spirit of God in you!

It is an absolute MUST to do this.

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 
Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 
Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 
For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
[Romans 6:1-4]

When we make the decision to accept Christ and walk with Him, one of the first things we establish is that our old self has died, and our new being is alive in Christ, as the above scripture says. We are then encouraged to walk in the light of Christ, and to actively rid ourselves of all the worldly things we used to do when we didn’t know Him, in order to fully pursue this new life and new glory with Him.

But friend, these days your lines are blurred.
You’re speaking Jesus but you aren’t living Him.
You’re portraying Jesus but your heart isn’t really here for Him, fully…

So what’s changed?

Why does it seem like you’re caring less and less about the implications of your decisions?
Why does it seem like you’ve lowered your standard of how much you want to obey God?
Why does it seem like you’ve lost focus?

You see, the word of God is intentional, and therefore every word is for a reason, so when it says to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), it’s because being a follower of Christ is not at all a passive decision, but rather an active, alive and vibrant choice to walk in His way. This means therefore that if we don’t culture, grow, nurture, and pay attention to our spirit, then indeed we will so easily become entangled in sin (as Hebrews 12:1 puts it).

So for many of us, over time, our lax attitude towards our journey with Christ has allowed the old self to creep back into our environments and slowly infiltrate our minds and therefore our behaviours, beliefs, and attitudes.
What this means is that we’ve become more ‘okay’ with lying, theft, sexual immorality, drunkenness, idolatry, selfishness and all the other things that we were initially so eager to put behind us when we first got saved.

For some of us, we get tired.
Our enthusiasm runs out.
Our interest and ability to be ‘bothered’ with the things of God, and honouring God, decreases, and so we find ourselves drifting further and further away from the will of God and His purpose for us.
In some cases, what’s surprising is that actually some of us are still able to look ‘Jesus-good’ externally, but deep down in our hearts, we couldn’t be any further away from true worship and surrenderance to the heart and will of God.

If I’m talking to you, and this message is for you in any way, and you’re ready to be real, I’m saying let’s go back to basics…
Yes, I’m calling you out, and I’m hopefully making you uncomfortable with where you are in your walk with Christ right now, but understand that I’m not judging you – instead, I’m simply saying don’t spend another second compromising your faith or relationship with God! Rather, let’s return to that very fundamental aspect of giving our lives to Christ, and turning our lives around;

“We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.”
[Romans 6:6-7] 

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.”
[Galatians 5:24]

You are not a slave to sin. 
Sin is no longer your master.
Sin no longer controls you.
Sin no longer has a hold or any power over you…

I’m emphasising this point, because the weakening of sin’s power, by our death and resurrection in Christ Jesus, is such a key element to remember from today’s message.
When we stray away from the will of God, we often forget this truth because we are so immersed in the ways of the world.
Therefore sin begins to look convenient. And in this slippery area of dabbling, the devil capitalises on our state of mind and tries to trick us into believing that sin holds us ransom again as it once did, that it’s too hard to let go of the wrong habits, and that sin has defeated us…

But these are all LIES!

You are no longer a slave to sin. (I had to say it one more time!)

And you must rise with this strength daily, in order to conquer every wayward desire of the flesh.
You must understand from this truth, that the Spirit of Christ Jesus, who conquered death and destroyed all power of sin – that Spirit in You, is greater and more powerful than your flesh.
Your Spirit has authority over your flesh!

Therefore you ought to train your flesh to pipe down.
You ought to tell your flesh ‘not today, not ever, you’re not getting your way’.
You ought to submit your flesh to the will of God daily; your thoughts, words and actions – and begin to build up a resilience against any desire to engage in sinful natures (1 Peter 4:1-2).

I’ll finish by sharing something Paul said in the bible;

“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
[1 Corinthians 9:27]

Another translation says;

“No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (NIV)

Let us develop the understanding that we too have the authority, the courage, the power and the tools of the spirit, to discipline ourselves, discipline our bodies, and discipline our flesh, in order to ensure that we do what we are meant to be doing, and that we run our race with purpose and perseverance to win!

Further Scriptures to read and pray with daily:
Overcoming tiredness – Galatians 6:7-9
Overcoming sin – Romans 6:11-14, Titus 2:12, Ephesians 4:22-23, Romans 12:1-2
Growing in the Spirit – John 3:30 (a crucial daily declaration)

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you

#SubmitYourFlesh
#SpiritWins
#MoreThan100PeoplePraying

Love With a ‘No’

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From a young age, for many of us, ‘No’ has probably been one of our least favourite words to hear.

Usually associated with refusal, rejection and denial – ‘No’ is almost always seen as a bad word, that stimulates negative emotions.

But have you ever realised that we can also Love with a ‘No’?

Did you know, that sometimes,

No can say – ‘You’re not ready’

No can say – ‘I want you to learn’

No can say – ‘I want you to grow’

And ultimately, No can say – ‘I want you to depend on God’.

Today I want us to understand that as friends/siblings/parents/partners – whoever we are to the people in our lives, we each have a responsibility of knowing when to say ‘No’, for the right reasons.

I get it – we would do absolutely anything for our loved ones, just to see them smile and just to make sure that everything is alright for them.
I mean we literally just spoke about being our brother and sister’s keeper on Sunday, and ensuring that we’re always there for them, so why would we now be discussing the concept of denying them of what they may request from us?
Well, what God is telling us with this post, is to ensure that we get the right balance.
Loving and caring for someone goes beyond giving them what they ask for all the time, but actually sometimes requires us to be tough and disciplined, in order to produce the best them they can be. 

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness
and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
[Hebrews 12:11]

Whilst this word can sometimes have negative connotations, what the bible attributes to discipline are good things like self-control, wisdom, knowledge and growth.
Therefore without making the other person seem inferior, our ‘No’ can serve as good discipline, which is important in order for them to grow and learn from their situation.

Now let’s be real, some of us will struggle with this.
Particularly those of us who have fallen into a cycle with a friend or family member who keeps finding themselves in the same situation as a result of poor decisions. Each time they cry for help, we run to their rescue.
Firstly, God bless you for your diligence in supporting them all the time. And please don’t entertain any feelings of guilt as you now read this post, but rather be encouraged and led by the Holy Spirit to know that one day you will have the strength and wisdom to say ‘No’, in order for them to benefit from the crucial lesson that awaits them in the midst of that circumstance.

Yes it will hurt.
In fact the bible already says it will be painful, and this can be true for both us and them – we may feel like we’re letting them down, whilst they may feel unloved/rejected.
But let us not lose focus on what really matters…

You see, though our intentions our good, we fail to realise that sometimes we may end up depriving people of the growth and development that God has purposed a situation for in their lives. And this isn’t at all a post to blame us, but it’s just to make us mindful of the fact that in some cases, we ought to take a step back, and let God be God in their lives.
Let them remember that they ought to always depend on God.
And rather than us trying to take over His role, let us ask Him for the wisdom for us to know when not to intervene, so that He can take control and His perfect will be done.

Looking at the verse again, it says discipline produces a
H A R V E S T  of  R I G H T E O U S N E S S,  which means that our timely ‘No’ can positively contribute to the building of good and proper character – a man or woman that seeks God’s heart, and whose ways are pleasing in God’s sight.
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, some of us have fed our friend’s bad habits for so long, simply because we haven’t said ‘No’.
With this verse in mind, we ought to make the conscious decision to refuse to encourage any detrimental behaviour, and instead be a light in their lives by saying ‘No’, in order to push them to break away from every practice that doesn’t glorify God.

Now I know some of you will be thinking, ‘But a ‘No’ from me doesn’t necessarily stop them from seeking help somewhere else, which could be even worse’.
This is where we remember the importance of prayer and taking everything to the throne.
After seeking wisdom of when to say ‘No’, we must remember to pray that they will receive the ‘No’ with love and will appreciate the training it eventually provides.
Most importantly, our prayer should be that they shift their focus away from man and unto God, and that they seek guidance from Him alone.

Before we go, let us take note of this for ourselves too…
We also must learn to be open to receive a ‘No’.

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but whoever hates correction is stupid.“
[Proverbs 12:1]

In loving discipline and knowledge, and taking into consideration what we’ve discussed above, when we find ourselves on the receiving end of a ‘No’, let’s first remember that this isn’t because the person doesn’t love us.
Let us be reminded that we should depend on God, seek His hand in every situation, and pray not to miss the lesson.

With the promise of God in Romans 8:28, we can be confident that whether we’re saying it, or it’s being said to us – the right ‘No’, will surely produce good fruits in our lives.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

 

#LoveWithANo
#TrueLoveSaysNo
#MoreThan100PeoplePraying

Timely…

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We often underestimate the power of doing things ‘right on-time’.

What do I mean?

I’m talking about when the Holy Spirit inspires us to send a message to someone, or reach out to someone in one way or another, and we delay to do it.

Today I want us to realise the perfection of the Almighty God, and appreciate the importance of moving right when He tells us to.

Question: How many of us have ever sent a random text, or encouraged someone out of the blue, and in return heard that person say that it was exactly what they needed to hear?
How many of us have ever gifted someone with something, and found out that it was exactly what they needed/had been longing for?

You get my point right?

I know a lot of the time many of us shy away from calling things ‘perfect’, but the truth is, God is Perfect, and His perfection can be felt by the world around us, through our obedience to His intricate instructions.

When He whispers these things to us, and we act upon them straight away, we allow a restoration of faith, hope, joy and so much more, in the lives of those on the receiving end.
We allow them to enjoy perfect moments of grace and favour from Father God, and even as I type this I’m filled with awe and joy to know that He’s a God that pays such close attention to the tiny details of His children’s lives.
Through us, God shows Himself right on-time, reminding His children that they are never alone – now friend, how much of a privilege is it, to be part of such a beautiful Master Plan? 

Today I encourage you to allow yourself to be used by God.

There will be times when He moves you to do something, to carry out a certain gesture, to give a compliment, to call to check up on someone, and I want us to promise today that we will do it immediately.

Don’t shy away or allow any human emotions to dissuade you – e.g. thoughts of ‘I don’t want to intrude’, ‘I don’t want to seem too forward’, but rather have faith in the spirit of God in you, and go ahead and do/say what He tells you to.

I often say, ‘You never know what anyone is going through’, and for this very reason, I want us to understand that we have such an important role to play as Jesus’ hands and feet on this earth, sharing His love and peace to those around us.

The lesson today is this: When God urges you to do/say something, it’s because He knows that His child (the recipient) is in great need of those words/actions, at that very moment.
So with this being said, I want us to realise that it’s a privilege to be used by God, and therefore take pride in fulfilling His will.

Let’s pray:

Father we thank You for being a God who pays close attention to our every need.
Today we focus not on ourselves, but rather on those who You will send us to bless, through our timely obedience to Your instructions.
Help us Lord to appreciate the importance of doing things right when You send the word, in order for it to be perfect for Your beloved children in need of the words and actions to come from us.
We thank You for using us for Your glory, and pray that we’ll always embrace Your perfection and excellence, and therefore allow it to be felt by all those around us,
In Jesus’ Mighty name,
Amen.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

#PerfectTiming
#MoreThan100PeoplePraying

Now, not Later

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“I will hurry, without delay,
    to obey your commands.”
[Psalm 119:60]

Today’s post is one where I want us to look at this verse uttered by David the Psalmist, and pray for our hearts to have the same attitude to do God’s will NOW, rather than later ‘when we’re ready’.

Let’s talk…

You see I get it.
We have the freedom to live however we please.
We have the liberty to live life to the fullest and not be bound by any limitations.
We all want to do things at a time convenient for us, and when it fits into our timetable and works well for us.

All this is perfectly understandable!
But in the midst of our freedom, we have to remember who permits it…

We have to remember the One who enables us to live this life, so freely, so easily and so fully.
And in remembering that it’s God’s grace which allows us to go about our business, day in, day out, then we too must realise that we ought to honour Him, listen to Him, and yield when He instructs us to do things.

I guess we can point out two types of commands from God; there are those which we find in His word – right there in the scripture, either telling us to do this, or not to do that.
Then there are those commands which God plants into our spirit personally. These are instructions He gives us regarding how to act, move, and behave in our daily life.
These are the things He shares with us when we’re engaging in conversation with Him – often perceived by some of us as an urge to do something (sometimes totally different from what we’re used to).

So anyway, David says in this verse,
‘I will hurry, without delay… to do Your work, God’.
He’s basically saying, ‘I’ll do it immediately Father’.
He’s saying, ‘I’ll drop whatever my plans are, and get stuck in with Yours’.
He acknowledges that the will of God takes precedence over all else.

Anyone else agree that this is BOLD?
Like, really bold, and forward.

But friend, this is definitely something to emulate.

You see, David demonstrates that he understands that we are made for God’s glory – Isaiah 43:7.
He demonstrates an understanding of the fact that his life belongs to God – Psalm 100:3. And so in knowing that he is God’s, he realises that fulfilling God’s desires should come first.

Now I want us to look at the sense of urgency in this verse…

David says he will hurry, hasten, not delay…
This aspect of the verse is extremely important for us to pay attention to; the ability to not only say yes to God, but to also say, ‘I’ll get on it Right Away!’

I want us to dwell here a little, and be real with one another…
David sets the bar kinda high here, right?
I mean not only is he setting the example of obedience, but he also crosses into the timing factor – not wasting time, and not doing it when it suits him, but actually doing it diligently and in a timely manner – which essentially gives the obedience a greater sense of wholeness.

Can we pray to have this heart of obedience too?

I know immediately, you’ll probably think of all your life plans, and your personal schedule, and all the fun things you currently indulge in, and think to yourself – no thanks, I’m gonna give it time before I do what this post is saying.

But that’s exactly my point.
Many times, we have read things, heard sermons, watched videos pertaining to the things of God, and the commands and instructions of God, and even though we have felt a shaking in our spirits for us to make a change, we have resisted that change because in our opinion it just simply was not convenient.

That’s what I want us to break down today –
The attitude of not being ready, or rather, or not wanting to be ready to live by God’s word when we receive it –
And we’ll do it with a few prayers…

(With regards to the commands in the word of God):
Father help me to not spend a day longer pleasing my flesh and engaging in sinful ways which Your word has commanded me not to indulge in.
Help me to do the things You have instructed, such as sharing love, peace, joy, and bearing with those around me.
Help me to look at the things within me that are contrary to what Your word says, and rather than wait till later to deal with them, give me the courage and the respect for the authority Your word carries, to deal with them NOW.

(With regards to personal instructions from God):
Father help me to act on the things You place in my spirit, immediately.
Let me not deprive the manifestation of Your word or Your will with the stubbornness of my heart, but rather let me move according to when You say so.
Every inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Father I pray that I will not ignore it, or brush it aside, but rather I will acknowledge, honour, and fulfil the assignment, by Your grace and strength.

(In general about this topic):
Father rid me of any spirit that is lazy when it comes to doing Your work.
Take away every wrong desire to dwell longer doing things of the flesh ‘until I’m ready to change’, and place in me a burning fire that will long to do the things which please You, Right Now, and always.

All this we pray, in Jesus’ name,
Amen.

If we’re being fair, we’ll be able to admit that God doesn’t constantly demand different things from us each day, nor does He wake us up each morning with a long list of Dos and Donts.
In fact, His most important instructions to us as followers of Christ are to Love Him and Love one another.
Subsequent instructions, therefore, are simply a guide for us to know how best to get these two Great commandments right, so friend, I pray that we will listen, trust and obey God’s word when it comes, and very importantly, I Pray we will do so, on-time, in God’s time, to honour and reverence Him.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

Step 2: Do

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Here’s a quick word about,

‘Doing’ His Word

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
[James 1:22]

Sometimes we’ll read a verse in the bible and we’ll require further exposition on what it’s saying, but the verse above is so clear and direct!

I’ve quoted this verse briefly before in a previous post (Be An Example), but today I want us to take a quick look at what it says by itself, and why it is important!

We know and believe that the word of God is life, and therefore we believe that it is our manual for life and our guide for how to live and move.
However, how many times do we read/listen to the word of God and just keep doing our own thing, our own way?

How many times have we read the bible, or heard a teaching by a preacher, known that it ought to change our hearts and habits, but have decided that the change isn’t quite convenient at that present moment in our lives?

Look at this…
The bible tells us that;

“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight,
but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”
[Romans 2:13]

This verse demonstrates the significance of us not just knowing or hearing the word and the instructions/commandments of God, but actually practising, living, and fulfilling the word of God with our lives…
Our obedience in doing God’s word not only helps to put us in right-standing with the Father, but it also importantly means that we do not blaspheme the name of God (context from Romans 2:17-24), by calling ourselves His children, yet doing the complete opposite of what He desires!

Here’s a simple prayer today to begin to change our hearts that still want to wait till later or wait till we’re ready to DO the word of God;

“Father, give me the heart of obedience to be an active doer of Your word, NOW, not later.
The first step is hearing/reading/becoming aware of what Your word says, the second step is understanding and putting it to action…
In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus shares a parable about different responses to the Word,
I pray God, that You will make me the person whom verse 23 speaks of!
Let my heart be good soil; let me hear the word, understand it, and produce good crop from it.
Help me to trust and love Your word, so that I will make a harvest out of it,
in Jesus’ Name
Amen.”

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

A Prayer for Women

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International Women’s Day 2017…

Many women in the bible are true inspirations for how women of God ought to behave and walk with God.

The word of God in Proverbs 31:10-31 enlightens us on what it is to be a virtuous woman, and this is a fantastic guide to live by and pray with at any time.
If we read a few more stories across the bible, we’ll find that actually there are more messages we can get about many different women of Grace, Honour and Glory.
So let’s make a deal, I’ll summarise for now, but promise me that you’ll make the time to go back and read the stories to get the full picture.

Both Men and Women, please thank God for Women today (and always), and let us pray for them, using these stories…

 

Mary, Mother of Jesus

(Context of story found in Luke 1)

Mary was a lady of purity and uprightness, who was going to get married to a man named Joseph.
When it was time for Jesus the Messiah to come into the world, God decided to use Mary; a virgin; to bear and birth this Holy child.
Mary was obedient to God’s word, she trusted in God’s word, and surrendered herself to God’s work.

In all that you do, may God always be pleased with you.
May you be a woman of great value and worth, whom God honours and deems worthy to be entrusted with great responsibilities. (Luke 1:28-30)
May your heart be one of devout obedience and trust to the will of God, and may you never waver in your faith to serve and fulfil the will of God. (Luke 1:38)

 

Ruth

(Context of story found in The Book of Ruth, Chapters 1-4)

Ruth‘s husband died.
Not only did her husband die, but her husband’s brother and father died also, leaving her husband’s mother (Ruth’s mother-in-law) lonely; widowed and at a loss of both sons.
When Naomi (Ruth’s mother-in-law) urged her two daughters-in-law to return to their mothers’ homes, Orpah (who had been married to Naomi’s other son) kissed her mother-in-law, obeyed her instruction and left, but Ruth remained.
Naomi made this request for Ruth to leave her in her sorrow, bitterness, and loneliness more than once, but Ruth refused.
Ruth made it clear that she would stick with Naomi, come what may.
Eventually Ruth remarries and restores joy in Naomi’s life after she has her own son, whom Naomi embraces as her own family.

May you be a woman of loyalty and love, diligence and kindness. (Ruth 1:16-17)
May God give you the courage to stand with those who need you, regardless of what the custom or tradition may be!
May the Lord use you to bring joy and hope to those who feel helpless, and feel as though they have lost it all, and may you be a source of the restoration of all lost glory in their life. (Ruth 1:20 & 4:13-17)

 

Esther

(Context found in the Book of Esther, Chapters 1-10)

Esther was an orphan, but was well cared for by her uncle Mordecai.
She was seen and favoured by a King who took her as his wife and crowned her as Queen.
At a time, people of the same nationality as Esther were being oppressed and sought out for destruction and death.
Queen Esther did not forget her humble beginnings. She addressed her husband (the King) with wisdom, asked for mercy on her people, and this resulted in the deliverance of her people and even favour for her uncle along the way.

May the Lord bring you to a place where you will be looked upon with great favour above all others. (Esther 2:17-18)
May the Lord enrich you with humility, and endow you with wisdom to deal with difficult situations in a way that will bring success and victory at the end. (Esther 5:7-8)
May the Lord use you to deliver many from oppression.
In whatever form the oppression may be, may the Lord make you a woman of strength, courage, and dedication, to bring an end to people’s suffering and pain. (Esther 7:3-4, Esther 8 [particularly 8:5-6, 8:7-12])

 

Elizabeth

(Context of story found in Luke 1, Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 11:11)

Elizabeth was a righteous woman.
Despite her longing before God for a particular thing, and seeing no answer, she still served Him and worshipped Him and honoured Him without question.
When the Lord said it was time, He blessed Elizabeth’s womb, and though her and her husband were advanced in age, she bore a child.
God used Elizabeth to birth a great man, who would not only be a relative of Jesus the Saviour, but would also have the honour of baptising Him.

May you be a woman of righteousness. (Luke 1:6).
May you be able to endure the journey God has put you on, and wait patiently for Him to come through for you.
May you be able to trust in His timing, and in waiting on God, and trusting Him to give you His best, may you be surprised with unexpected, glorious blessings; blessings far greater than you could have ever imagined. (Luke 1:25).

 

To Women all over the world,
Happy International Women’s Day.

You are celebrated, and prayed for.
May God honour you all, lift you up, and use you for His glory,
All we have prayed, in Jesus’ name,
Amen!

 

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.