The Battle of Change

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We all want to be better in one way or another… Right?

Well one thing is for sure,
The change in yourself that you want to see, and that you know you need, begins with You and ends with You.

It begins with you because you have to make the decision to make the changes that you want to see.
It ends with you because you, again, have to make the decision to remain committed to maintaining the changes that you have made, in order for them to become a permanent part of your life.

So, it begins and ends with you… But then there’s this part in-between.

The people in your life, and their perception, acceptance and supportiveness towards the change.

So to first clear things up, I agree with you! We live to please God and not man, therefore the issue of whether people want to accept or believe in our change or not, shouldn’t really matter.
But the truth is that for some (if not all) of us, ‘the people’ will have a massive effect on the longevity of the change.

So let’s discuss that, because on this journey to a ‘better us’, we will encounter a variety of people… Here are 4 categories…

1 – People who will ridicule the fact that you even want to change in the first place;
‘You?! You’ll never change, you’ll always be…’
They’ll chuckle at the fact that you could dare to think that you would ever get out of whatever cycle you’re in.
They’ll write you off and deem your change as impossible, and that will be all that matters to them.
They’ll continue to invite you to old places, to do old things and some will simply mock/disrespect your decisions to avoid certain things.
They will have no regard for your change at all.

Friend, though painful in some instances, you will need to separate yourself from these people.
They have the potential to cause severe damage to your journey, especially during the early season when the change is fresh, therefore you have to be bold, and break the link, or distance yourself, in order to make the first set of moves forward – in the right direction.

2 – People who will despise your change and never get past the old you;
Most of the people described above will also fall into this category.
But others will actually start off here, because they won’t dispute the fact that you could desire a change, however, mentally they can never get past the you they used to know.
These people will actually begin to see the difference, but will take every opportunity to remind you of where you’re coming from.
They’ll sometimes speak ill of you to others who become impressed by your new nature, and will make references to who you used to be, as ‘the real you‘.

Now friend you mustn’t take their lie as your truth. Unfortunately they’ll fail to grasp the fact that the old you died with Christ, and by His grace and resurrection, you have every right to live anew and be a new creation. (Romans 6:5-7)
That – is your truth – you are entitled and allowed to be a new creation in Christ. And the new creation, shall be the real you forever (in Jesus’ name, Amen).

3 – People who will lose faith in you if you fall;
They didn’t knock the fact that you wanted to rise and be better, but they’re easily discouraged and will lose faith in your journey if at all you slip up or fall back.
Though they care enough to have believed in you at the start, they kind of slide into a watered down version of the second category of people.
Your ‘mistake’ plants an element of doubt in them and they struggle from then onwards to take your change seriously or give you another chance.
Now I’m not repeating myself by introducing these people – I want you to know that it is extremely important for you not to exhaust your energy trying to win them back; win their trust back, win their belief back.

The bible says ‘by their fruits, you shall know them’ – Matthew 7:16-20.
What does this mean for you in this context?
It means that your effort and hard work ought to go into making sure you get back on the road to the new you, not into tirelessly trying to prove yourself.
It means that you should focus on tapping into the grace of God which will enable you to walk right, and walk consistently in your desired new path.
It means that you trust that gradually, they’ll see the fruits of someone who truly wants to change, improve, and be better. And so some of them after seeing the fruits of your effort, will become part of your support system, and will later fully believe in you.

Notice that you aren’t initially disregarding their feelings, and saying ‘whatever man’, but you simply realise that their doubt, and continuous reference back to the fact that ‘you fell backwards that time‘, could become a hinderance to your confidence and belief, in yourself and in the the fact that this change is truly possible at all.

4 – People who will encourage you, and want to see the change as much as (or even more sometimes) than you do;
These people will support you.
They want to see you win in, and with your change.
They’ll understand the ‘why‘ of your decision to improve yourself, and they’ll remind you of this even when you want to stop caring about it all.
They’ll already see a greater potential for you with the change, and so their minds are ready to correctly perceive and accept you through every stage of the process.
The next line may be obvious but it’s the simple truth –
You’ve got to surround yourself with these people… Keep them close.
They will serve as mentors, advisors, cheerer-uppers, picker-uppers and so many more things that will add salt, light and favour to your journey by the grace of God. These are the people sent by God to enable the perfect manifestation of your change.
These are the people God sends to ensure that you TRIUMPH over the Battle of Change.

So before we go, let us note a few more key things…

Good Change is Amazing; we can gather from Romans 6:1-4 that it is important for us, and pleasing to God, for us to put things right when we see that they aren’t, and therefore ‘walk in newness of life‘!
So I want you to definitely Embrace your Change.
Without a doubt, the people around us do play a massive part in the outcome of our change, but we must Always stay Determined to do what we set out to do!

Here’s my prayer for you;

I pray that God will open the eyes of your understanding, to see the things in your life that need to turn to Christ.
I pray that the courage required to take the first step to change, God will grant onto you.
I pray that every person that will lead to you being discouraged, and every attitude that will be detrimental to your journey, God will give you the discerning spirit to notice them and therefore walk away from them. Where applicable, He Himself will remove them!
I pray that God will bless your path with the people who will motivate, encourage, bless, uplift and assist you in your change.
I pray that once transformed, you will not become judgmental towards those struggling in areas similar to your past, but rather your journey will then become a testimony and a strength which you use to bring more people to a new life in Christ, by the Grace of God.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen

As God is for you, no one can succeed in being against you! (Romans 8:31)
So Believe in your Change, and Keep Going!

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

Cast your Cares…

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The bible says ‘Cast your cares…’

And there’s a good reason for it!

Because if we didn’t put those worries just somewhere else, onto someone else, they would literally drive us mad. 

The amount of things our minds need to think of, comprehend and process in one day is truly unthinkable.
Now then to add unfortunate circumstances, negative outcomes and bad news into this mix – it would physically and mentally be unbearable. 

So here is what the bible teaches us to do, when we are feeling overwhelmed with problems, consumed with grief, and it just feels like so many things are going wrong… 

“Casting all your cares
[all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all]
on Him, for He cares about you
[with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”
[1 Peter 5:7]

Cast your Cares. 

It says give your worries, your anxieties, your troubles, your concerns, all unto Jesus – Your Lord, who saves, who redeems, who looks after…

The bible assures us that He will carry our heavy load, and relieve us from the strain and the weight of ‘life’ that we’ve been carrying on our shoulders…

“Then Jesus said,
“Come to me,
all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
[Matthew 11:28]

The bible assures us that we will be made to stand firm, strong, tall, and steady, because God Himself will sustain us….

“Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.”
[Psalm 55:22]

He will not allow us to ‘slip and fall’….

Cast

Your

Cares.

You see there is a sense of peace, in running away from those problems for a second. And that’s what some of us do, when we turn to external, worldly things to relieve the pain, the hurt and the worry. We run away, but only for a time.

But let’s talk about true peace…

“And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
[Philippians 4:7]

When we run into Jesus, and hide in Him, what we are given is not temporary like that of the world’s.
No this peace is not a false feeling found in ‘quick-fixes’ from the world, but rather the true Peace of God provides us with a permanent escape, a permanent resting place.

When you Cast your Cares, you receive great Peace from entrusting all these issues into the hands of a Man who actually isn’t a mere man and is truly divine and conquered death and therefore through conquering death actually now sits at the right hand of God and has power above every single issue that confronts you.

When you Cast your Cares you allow yourself to Get Away.
Yes friend, Casting your Cares provides your mind with a holiday – it takes you away from the stress and the strife, but the better difference is that once you give it to Jesus, unlike a physical holiday, you don’t have the concept of returning home to ‘reality’.
With Jesus, your new found peace is maintained throughout your home (your heart). Peace becomes your reality…  

Peace becomes your insurance and security that with Jesus, Everything. Will be. Okay.

The only thing left to remind you of, is to continue doing your part.
What I’m saying here is, make sure you uphold and fulfil your physical role, when and where applicable, e.g. making the job application, studying for an exam, and so on.
Jesus does His part, and we must also maintain ours, through the strength and ability He has given us, because together, it makes the manifestation perfect! (Read James 2:14-26 which teaches us about the need of both faith and works to go hand-in-hand).

Let Jesus take those burdens COMPLETELY, and allow His peace and power to comfort you, and overcome every problem and every situation concerning you, today, and always. 

Cast your Cares, Maintain your Peace, Uphold your Role.

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

Saving Daily…

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Your worst day is your best day, really.

The bible tells me that all things work together for the good of you who loves the Lord God…

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.” 
[Romans 8:28]

Let’s explore that today.

So sometimes we can have what we call ‘a really rubbish day‘…

We find ourselves experiencing multiple unfortunate circumstances and we wonder
‘What on earth is going on?!’

The kind of days I’m talking about are the ones where:
You missed your train/bus,
Your car broke down,
You waited longer for your lunch because they got the order wrong the first time,
You got to work/school/university late,
You found out you forgot something really important at home
And so on and so on….

On days like these, with so many things happening ‘not in our favour’, we really feel as though someone is out to get us.
We feel victimised and ask ‘Is it only me?’
Some of us even wonder where God is; questioning His presence in the midst of everything that happened…

The answer is, He was right there.
Yes friend, on that ‘terrible’ day, God was right there with you at each moment, proving Himself to be an Immortal God, and saving you from more things than you know.

We must understand that the presence of God never leaves us. 

Deuteronomy 31:6-8
Genesis 28:15
Exodus 13:21
Exodus 33:14

The word of God tells us that God Himself goes before us. (How amazing?!!)
Therefore when God sees things that could possibly harm us, He removes/blocks/diverts them; sometimes without us noticing anything at all, but other times by causing something to happen in our lives that will strike us as being unusual, or simply not part of our routine/schedule/plan for that day.

We must undertsand that the Blood of the Lamb – Jesus, covers us daily and therefore what we see as an annoying delay/setback/diversion, is actually the protection of our Saviour .

So would you believe me if I said there wasn’t a single thing that happened to you on that ‘horrible’ day, that God didn’t know about?
Could you possibly accept now that your lateness, your broken down car/missed train, the wrong lunch order and everything else that happened; God purposed it for your benefit?
God was saving you from something that you couldn’t see…

The point of this message isn’t for me to act as God and give you explanations of why He did certain things on different days of your life, but I just want us to be a bit more grateful…

Grateful for His Faithfulness, Grace, Mercy, Love, Kindness and Loyalty to His word.

I want this message to cause us to be mindful of the fact that these so-called ‘bad days’ are actually the ones we ought to give God extra thanks for.
Why?
Because despite the fact that we felt like we took many losses, the truth is God caused us to Win.
God gave us victory over multiple small arrows that were sent to destroy and harm us, and caused us to rise above them and overcome – because He loves us and knows that we love Him…

So friend, when we have these days filled with what we deem as negativitiy and misfortune, let’s flip it around and see the positive!
Let’s flip it around and see a God who is taking every opportunity to save, protect, guide, cover, nurture and ultimately  L O V E  us.

Let us never forget that we are covered;
By God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, every day of our lives, and they are paying close attention to us, every step of the way, making sure we’re okay (put very simply).

 

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

Make Room…

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Let’s read,

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
[John 14:13-14]

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
[Matthew 21:22]

“And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
[Mark 11:22-24]

  1. Have faith in God
  2. Don’t doubt in your heart
  3. Believe that you have received it…

The bible doesn’t just say things for decoration.

I need you to look at this word and understand what it’s telling you.

Firstly we need to have faith that truly, God is an awesome God.
He’s a God who does great and mighty and glorious things, a God who works wonders (Psalm 77:14).

Now when we pray, the next thing is to have no doubt that God can and will do what we have asked for, (even better than what we ask for).
We ought to pray, and rest in the knowledge that our prayers are in the hands of a God whose word is ‘Yes and Amen’ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Finally, Jesus tells us to  B E L I E V E  that we have received what we asked for.

Now that’s why we’re here today…
I want to know how you believe.
I want to see how you believe.

Today, the focus on this verse isn’t the doubt, or the ‘have faith’.
Today God is saying, ‘Prepare for what you are praying for‘.

God is saying, ‘You’ve asked me, I’ve heard you, but there’s no space, no opening, no opportunity for Me to manifest this great big thing that I have for you, my love…’

So friend, it’s time to get up!

Once you’ve prayed, I need you to not sit on that prayer, but rather,  A C T  on it!

Some of us have asked for a new car and haven’t made enquiries about a) How to sell the old one, or b) Where to get the new one from.

We ask for a new job or a job promotion but we aren’t feeding ourselves with the knowledge and understanding that the role requires in order for us to fulfil it well.

‘Oh but I’m waiting till I get the answer to the prayer first then I’ll…’
No, no, no God doesn’t want you to wait until you get there, He wants you to prepare in advance!

I understand that it can be daunting to do this, because we don’t want to give ourselves a false hope and then be disappointed, however God is a faithful God and He won’t put your faith to shame.
Be confident to begin walking as someone who knows they already have what they ask for, and in doing so, understand that your preparation does some important things…

It creates space – the first verse we read says ‘Whatever you ask, I will do’, that means your prayer is already answered before you see it/know it.
But your preparation is what ushers it in; it creates the necessary space required for it to manifest in your life, and occupy its, let’s say, ‘plot of land’ in your life.

It shows God you mean business and you’re ready when He is, to receive that which you have asked for.
It shows Him that you understand the difference between being granted something, and actually receiving it.
Him granting the request is good, because that means it’s yours, but only when you stretch out your hands to receive it (through your preparation), are you able to grab hold of it, use and implement it in your life.

It gets you ready… Properly.
In the midst of your preparation, God will teach you things, speak to you, and show you things that are important for you to know how best to maximise what He gives you.
Your preparation allows God to move you into the right head space; appropriate for that thing/those things.

Today,
I need you to Move. Be Active. Make Room; for the baby, the car, the university admission, the job, the house, the husband/wife, the ministry, the business, the this, the that and the other, because,
God has it ready for you, but He’s saying ‘Show me you’re ready to take it!‘

And remember, as you prepare in faith, that faith won’t be put to shame.

 

 

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.

I Forgive You…

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You’ve been hurt.
Like, really hurt by someone, and to be honest, you’re struggling to get past it…

Today I want us to look at the importance of Forgiveness.

So first, let’s talk real talk…

When we’ve been hurt, naturally we don’t want to talk to that person, we don’t want to help them, and to be honest, sometimes it can go as far as us not wanting anything to do with them.
It’s the instinct of our flesh to hold a grudge, resent them, and possibly even seek a way to inflict pain on them, just so ‘they know how it feels’.

Most times, the memory of the scene or the words that caused the hurt, replays over and over in our minds, again and again, and for many of us it becomes something that occupies so much space in not just our minds, but our entire lives.
For others, actually we can do quite well ‘moving on’ and getting on with life without them in it, but failure to truly release that person and deal with our negative emotions towards them means that we still carry the hurt around with us and it only takes a mention of their name, or an unexpected encounter with them face to face, for all those emotions to come rushing back from wherever they were hiding.

Bitterness. Anger. Pain. Disappointment.
When we dwell on these emotions (and more) for so long, we find that we become consumed by them.
We become a different person; a negative person; a pessimistic person; someone who lacks trust in others because ‘all they’re going to do is just hurt us again like the previous person did!’

Shall we B R E A T H E…
Just for a second…

And remember one of the most cliché but important Truths of life;

God is Good.

And if God is good, it means His intentions for you are good, and nowhere in His plan did He write for you to be stuck in a rut, unable to forgive Jason because of what he did to you either last week, or 5 years ago.

God has enabled you to forgive others, and He holds your practise of forgiveness with great importance.

We ought to realise a few things about forgiveness:

  1. Forgiveness of others is a requirement for us to be able to receive forgiveness from God.
    As people who try not to, but still sin daily, the last thing we would ever want is for God to withdraw His forgiveness from us! But Jesus tells us plain and clear that if we fail to forgive our brothers and sisters truly from our hearts, we ourselves, will not receive forgiveness from God! (Matthew 18:21-35)
    Also read Matthew 6:12 and Mark 11:25.
  2. Forgiveness allows us to show a piece of Jesus to the person who wronged us.
    In many verses (you can check out Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:13)  we see that it says, ‘As the Lord forgave you…’
    When we forgive others, we actually show them a love that God, through Jesus Christ, showed us.
    We show them a love that says ‘I love you despite your wrongs’, and as humans, we need that love daily, because we sin and fall daily. The bible even tells us to make allowance for one another’s faults in the Colossians verse above.
    No, this doesn’t give them a pass to hurt us over and over again just because they know we’ll forgive them over and over again as Jesus instructs in Matthew 18, but actually, this love and this mercy we are able to show them could actually help them to also heal from any possible guilt that could be consuming them.
    The strength it takes to forgive, is definitely one that comes from God, so not only can your forgiveness encourage the individual to practise the same towards others in the future, but it can also point them to God to draw strength from Him too for whatever reason.
  3. Forgiveness liberates you.
    You don’t have to worry about how harsh you have to be to prove your anger, you don’t have to concentrate on making sure this person knows you don’t like them, you don’t have the bitterness eating away at you bit by bit, and you don’t have that strain on your heart from holding the grudge. Yes friend, Forgiveness provides spiritual, mental and physical freedom.
    When you forgive, you free yourself and you allow yourself to receive such a massive part of your own healing, because you have let go of the hurt, and left it unto God, who will deal with it perfectly, as well as continue to heal every one of your wounds.
  4. Forgiveness is an instruction.
    We see it spoken of so much in the bible, that it is clear that we have to learn to forgive, and do so genuinely.

So with that said, go before and ask Him to strengthen your ability to forgive.

Ask Him to give you a heart that can let go of wrongs, let go of sour memories of hurt, and let go of all bitterness, so that you can heal and move forward.

Your right to be upset should never be questioned, nor belittled, however let us always hold on to the fact that God wants us to walk amicably with one another, and therefore we ought to forgive each grievance, ‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice’, and never get tired of forgiving.

Though sometimes painful itself, Forgiveness definitely is a beautiful thing.

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

March, Be Good to Me…

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The 1st of March 2017.

Welcome to the third month of 2017 (ALREADY!!!).

Each time we reach a new month, we seem to look back at the distance we’ve travelled since the beginning of the year.

The first day of the month is always a good opportunity to stop, look back and evaluate what has happened in our lives, in the year so far.

Some of you may look back with joy and a sense of pride, because you’ve achieved both the expected and even unexpected.
Others may feel contrasting emotions; disappointment and hurt, because things haven’t gone according to how you would have liked.

To the people that fall into the latter category, can you guess what I’m going to say next?

Yep! I’m going to tell you,

It’s okay…

Now understand me, I don’t say this to make you falsely feel better about yourself, or feel like you can settle for less, or drop the standards you have created for yourself.
I don’t say this in order to validate any excuses you made in place of some of the achievements that you ought to have obtained, and neither do I say this to make you feel like it’s fine to not reach your goals and just drop them halfway, but I say this to remind you of the beautiful…

Grace and MERCY

…of the Most High God.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
[Hebrews 4:16]

I need you to remember this verse when the world tells you it’s too late or you’ve gone too far – remember that you can always still approach the throne, and remember that He who sits on that throne, is rich in mercy…

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
[Ephesians 2:4-5]

Now I know we all love Grace so much – the unmerited favour of the Most High God, but today I want us to explore MERCY a bit more – what is it and what does the bible say about it?

Mercy; (according to the Oxford dictionary)

  1. Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm
  2. An event to be grateful for, because it prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering.

 

Now the bible, having read the the two verses above, encourages us to approach God and ask for mercy (compassion or forgiveness) when we are in need, and it gives us the confidence to do this, because we’re told He is rich, overflowing, saturated in mercy.

The bible also tells us that;

“The Lord is merciful and loving,
    slow to become angry and full of constant love.“
[Psalm 103:8]

So what does this mean for us?

Well firstly it doesn’t mean that we should go around intentionally messing things up, or not trying our best, in the hope that God will have compassion on our careless behaviour, because though He is slow to anger, He also is not a fool (Galatians 6:7) and will not be mocked.

Thankfully, what it does mean, is that a God who is ‘constant in love‘, is telling you that He won’t withdraw His compassion from you just because you make a mistake/wrong decision.
This means therefore that we shouldn’t think it’s over just because it didn’t work the first time.
It means we shouldn’t write ourselves off and beat ourselves up about things we may have done wrong, or failed to do.

It means, yes, we got things wrong/made mistakes/misjudged situations, but there are steps we can take to ensure growth and improvement from the circumstance –
1) Being remorseful where appropriate,
2) Learning the lesson in that season,
3) Praying for the Spirit of God to completely overtake our fleshly desires which cause us to fall (Galatians 5:13-26).

The Mercy of God is here for each and everyone of us, giving us the ability to start afresh and get it right with the wisdom of God and be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).
The Mercy of God is what reduces what seems like a massive error to you, to absolutely nothing, because He trusts you to take this new chance, and do it with His will in mind, and therefore do it better.

 

I’m praying for a March of Mercy for us all…

Let us say these few lines of prayer together:

Wherever I have gone wrong, Father help me to put things right.

Whenever I have given up, Father help me to get back on track, and keep pushing.

Whatever good I have unknowingly let go of, Father allow me to meet with it again and grab hold of it and make proper use of it this time.

However I have fallen out of Your will, and/or done things that aren’t of Christ, Father empower me to get back up, put on Your armor and walk the walk I ought to walk with Christ Jesus.

March, be Good to me…
in Jesus’ Mighty Name,
Amen.

(Also have a read of Micah 7:18 and Psalm 51:1-2, and use them in a prayer for Mercy).

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

 

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

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Let’s read:

“I praise you,
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” 
[Psalm 139:14]

Alright, three areas:

  1. Appreciating the Most High
  2. Understanding our Beauty and its extent
  3. Believing in God’s work.

Part 1: Appreciating the Most High

I love the fact that the first part of this verse says ‘I Praise You‘!
It urges us to exalt and thank God for creating us, and show our gratitude for His continued grace upon our lives.

Being the first part of this verse, this act of praise unto God serves as a template for how we ought to acknowledge His hand in our lives at all times.
When we embrace the goodness within us, and when others acknowledge it too, we ought to first say “I praise You Lord…”
In doing so, we are giving God the credit He deserves as our Maker; who formed us intricately in the womb and knit all things together in perfection (Psalm 139:13).
We are reminding ourselves each time of our source and our foundation, and also reminding others of this too, whilst hopefully encouraging them to either a) Start to do the same, or b) Desire to know this God you speak of.

We can use this concept of worshipping and honouring as a guide throughout everything in life, to remember that ‘Before me, it’s You (God), because You are Great and Worthy’.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.”
 [Revelation 4:11]

Part 2: Understanding our Beauty and its extent

Having an understanding of our Beauty involves us realising that we are, as the verse says, ‘Fearfully and Wonderfully made‘.
Which means, God designed our entire being with accuracy and precision and we ought to Love every single bit of us!
Every intricate detail about you was an intentional brush stroke made by God, therefore you should take pride in you and be confident in who you are.
Always wear the true you.

You must understand that your beauty extends far greater than what you can physically see when you look in the mirror.
Yes your exterior is beautiful,
But what lies within you is extremely imporant and in fact is amazing.

The word of God teaches this particular aspect of internal beauty in the context of wives winning the souls of their husbands for Christ in 1 Peter 3, but we can all (men and women) benefit from understanding the importance of a beautiful heart and spirit in the eyes of God;

“You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within,
the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”
[1 Peter 3:4]

Now let’s look at these words;
Fearfully made, says God took His time, paid close attention, and thoughtfully crafted us into unique individuals.

Wonderfully made, says God very smartly and wisely designed the complexity of our physical human bodies, our minds, and everything else about us, in a way that is unimaginably great.

He designed everything in a way that it all works together to allow us to be the best we can be in fulfilling our purpose!
So let this part of the verse be a reminder of the truth…
When people call us names, or try to belittle our ability, or make fun of what we own or have achieved, we can ignore and rise above their negativity because we know that we are a fearfully, thoughtfully, intricately, excellently and wonderfully crafted Masterpiece of the Almighty God.

Part 3: Believing in God’s work.

This area of the verse acknowledges the quality of God’s work.
Our souls should know and believe very well that the work of God is magnificent and perfect;

“The Rock, His work is perfect,
    for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
    just and upright is he.”
[Deuteronomy 32:4]

This word serves an assurance of the fact that as God’s creation, we weren’t just made by Him throwing random pieces together in a rush, neither were we formed from cheap materials.
The Lord God – the Perfect God, used the very best resources and skills to make us.

Now I know that some of us will struggle to believe all this, because you can’t see past the apparent flaws that you’ve critically highlighted from within yourself.
But friend, please be encouraged that we all are a work-in-progress, and though already wonderfully made, God is also continuously working on us each day, to make us even better than we were yesterday.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you,
will continue his work until it is finally finished
on the day when Christ Jesus returns”
[Philippians 1:6]

“For God is working in you,
giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
[Philippians 2:13]

Does this mean then that His work actually isn’t perfect, and He in fact didn’t plan as intricately as He could have, if He has to improve us so much?

Well, the answer is no.

The bible tells us that God has made everything, but for an appointed time, and as humans we do not necessarily know the timing.

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so,
people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” 
[Ecclesiastes 3:11]

What this means, is that God has already sown each seed into you, but it will bear its fruits at the appropriate time.
And why does He do this?
Because we are made for the pleasure and will of God (Revelation 4:11 again haha [the second half particularly]), and for the glory of His name (Isaiah 43:7).

Each of our stories have been written, and it includes our purpose, as well as how we evolve and improve throughout our lifetime on earth, therefore we should stop dwelling on these ‘flaws’ and simply trust in the perfect work of God, and focus on walking closely with He who will transform them into strengths.

Now just one question; I’ve told you you’re beautiful, I’ve explained that you’ve been fearfully and wonderfully made by God, but Do you believe me? 

Friend, I can tell you 1 million times that you are beautiful, and that you are a carefully crafted product of God’s perfect work – it means nothing if you do not believe it yourself.

I urge us all to always believe in our beauty, and believe we are truly special.
If we struggle with this, let us remember to 1) Read the proof (these bibles verses and others) over and over again, and 2) Ask God daily to help us to truly see and believe that we are beautiful, and help us to be confident in our beauty, both in, and out.

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

Available God

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Let’s read:

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, ”
[Jeremiah 29:13-14]

I’m sure you can understand now why the title of this word is ‘Available God‘.

This word is so precious and should give us great comfort at all times, because the Lord Himself declares here (in other words) that;
‘I am always here’
‘I am dependable’
‘I am reliable’
‘I am not hiding’.

‘I am not hiding’…
He reassures us that despite the fact that His ways are not our ways, and we don’t always know what He’s thinking (Isaiah 55:8-9), He is forever an Accessible, Ever-Present, Attentive God! 

If we go back a little, and start reading from verse 12 in Jeremiah 29, the word of God also tells us that He will hear us when we call.

Now let’s get a bit of context here…
God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah in a letter he pens to people who were taken into exile (being kept away from their native land) from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Already we can imagine the heartache, and sour emotions of the inconvenience of being in a foreign land, but the purpose of this letter was to empower the heart of the people and encourage them, and instruct them on how to survive and continuing living, ultimately in a way that will lead to their triumph.

Who needs this word today?

I don’t know what you’re going through, I don’t know your hardship, but God says He knows your circumstance and will never stop being your God.
Despite how massive this earth is, He knows exactly where you are right now, and He is there with you.
Available God…

He says; ‘I will fulfil my promise to you’ – Jeremiah 29:10
He says; ‘I will never leave, nor forsake you’ – Deuteronomy 31:6
He says; ‘I will hear you when you call and pray’ – Jeremiah 29:12
He says; ‘I will be found by you’ – Jeremiah 29:14

God doesn’t deprive us of Himself.
The words we’ve read above, along with Psalm 34:15, give us confidence that God is always watching over us and listening out for us. Therefore when our hearts cry out and yearn for Him, we can trust that it won’t be an unending nor unanswered cry.
Rather, we can be assured that God will attend to our needs (Philippians 4:19), and fight on our behalf (Deuteronomy 3:22).

I think many times we wonder if we ever actually feel God for real, or ever hear Him speaking and feel Him moving for real, but I want to encourage you to never stop calling or looking for Him, because God is most definitely near to us (Acts 17:27). 

He is indeed an Available, Ever-Ready, Ever-Present God (Psalm 46:1), and I pray that we will never stop seeking Him, because I know for sure, that we will always find Him at the end of our search for Him (Matthew 7:7-8). 

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

I Am What I Am!

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I shared a shorter version of this message earlier this year, before the website was up and running, but I was recently watching a sermon online by a Pastor Touré Roberts (link at the bottom) and it reminded me of the importance of pushing this word out there again, and expanding on it a bit further.
This message is a mixture of addressing what true humility is, and being bold enough to say I am capable, I am qualified, I can do this…

So I’ll start by asking, What is Humility?
Some definitions say it is the quality of having a modest view of one’s importance; the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people. 

The bible says;

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
[Luke 14:11]

This verse shows us the importance of humility and the fact therefore that it is a trait we ought to pursue and desire to have, but let us understand something –
Humbling yourself doesn’t mean to rubbish yourself, or speak/think ill things towards yourself.
Humility is having an accurate understanding of who you are, and what you are capable of – that is, an opinion/belief of you, neither higher or lower than what it truly should be. 

Humility doesn’t encourage you to exhibit low self-esteem, or put yourself down, but rather, true humility is being able to embrace your abilities, achievements and successes whilst understanding that there is no need to flaunt it in everyone’s face, nor brag and boast about it.

The difference between the humble and the proud is that pride will cause an individual to deem themselves as more important than their neighbour because of their wealth/achievements/status etc. Whilst humility causes one to express equal respect and love to every and any person, regardless of these things.
Again, because a man is aware that it is ‘by God’s grace’, he doesn’t walk around as though he amasses all the goodness by his own power, but rather, embraces it, and uses it to bless and uplift others! 

Do you believe me when I say you can be humble, yet confident in who you are, what you are, what you can do, and how well you can do it?!
And trust me when I say that all this can exist without the arrogance that many of us are very cautiously running away from.
How? Because you understand that your abilities and your identity comes not from yourself, but from a greater source – the Grace of God. 

In the bible Paul writes this perfectly, he says; 

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
[1 Corinthians 15:10]

Paul recognises that he is who he is, and what he is, and how he is, simply by the grace of God.
He knows that his form; his past and his present, have worked together by the grace of God to produce his character in the now…
Not only does he know where his identity and ability comes from, but he knows better than to downplay his work, ability or efforts. No, Paul boldly says “I worked harder than everyone else, but again, I’m not saying that I did this by myself, I’m saying that I was enabled by the grace that God bestowed upon me”.

Today I’m encouraging you to follow from Paul’s example – you have no business in downplaying the light of God in you – no business at all I tell you. In fact it’s insulting to God!

Many times, we fail to step forward and share the fact that we can do something, or we sit silently in the background when there’s a service required, that we could very well provide.
Why? Because we fear that people will say we think too much of ourselves by stepping up to the challenge and taking on the well-suited role for ourselves.
But there couldn’t be anything more wrong!

Before you take that step back because of man, have you thought about what you’re telling God by doing so?

‘God I know You equipped me to do this, but what people think of me is more important than Your will and purpose for me, so let’s leave that on the back burner for now…’

Oh you didn’t think of it that way, right?
Oh it’s not that serious, right?

Friend it is that serious!

Not only do we deprive our environment of the fruit which they are meant to enjoy from the seed that is within us, but we also deprive the Almighty God from receiving glory from the work He wants to do through us!

It is in our knowing who we are and what we can do, that God will present us with opportunities for us to progress and excel.
We cannot (for the sake of ‘humility’) keep withdrawing ourselves from things that God has called us to do!
Therefore let us realise the importance of being able to declare that ‘I am what I am, by the grace of God’, and so be able to confidently say;

“I most definitely am skilled, and gifted, and qualified to do A, B and C, because God enables me.
In fact I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13), so please feel free, sir/madam, to send that task or responsibility my way, because I know I won’t mess it up!
God has equipped me to do it, and do it well!”

You are not being arrogant, you are not being cocky, but you are simply walking in your destiny; declaring and displaying the glory of God within you.
You will see that actually, your courage and confidence will speak out and inspire someone who is battling with insecurities. Because your energy will draw them onto you, and then open up the opportunity for you to share where your strength comes from!

Let us be confident in the grace God has given us, no we are not better than the next man, but we also are not worse!
His grace makes us able, and makes us excellent in our lane, excellent in our field, excellent in whatever He has called us to do, and we should never be ashamed to boldly embrace that!

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

*Click here for the sermon by Pastor Touré Roberts of One Church LA*