Wednesday 27 June 2012

FAITH IS.......

"Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 8:26)

It is amazing to me how many times Christ says such a statement, esp. to His own disciples. I often say, " I am placing all my faith in God..... I have faith.... I have faith that all will be well, I am afraid, but I have faith that God will get me through this etc. etc. etc." There are so many words that we use or associate with in our walk with the Lord: faith, trust, hope, peace, joy, spirit, strength etc. We must remember that the world's definition of these words is not the same as what God intends them to mean. GOD'S joy, peace, strength and hope is not easily defined because it is so wrapped in POWER, His power. They are unmeasurable, unsearchable and definitely unexplainable to a non believer. The only way someone can truly comprehend it is when you are filled with the Holy Spirit. No matter how well we preach the gospel to a non believer, nothing we can say or do can define or explain the joy that comes from giving yourself truly to Christ.... it is WHEN God sends His helper, the Holy Spirit to grab and transform that person, finally allowing them to feel it and understand it. The Holy Spirit (the fuel) ignites our hearts and sends waves of splendid emotions through our veins that make us want to scream with full conviction and absolute JOY of our love for God.

 QUESTION: Faith is the most important thing in my life, but how do I define it? What is it?
So, when I say "I have faith", do I really let what that word symbolizes penetrate my entire mind, heart and soul? Do I really have faith without ANY doubt.... I mean such absolute faith IN Christ that I can go to sleep in absolute peace even when my world pulses with fear or anxiety because I know God will come through? Faith or faithfulness:They both come from the Greek word 'pistos' which we find in the word 'epistemology.' Faith is used about 230 times in the Bible. 

I refer to Luke 7 about the centurion who was willing to believe that Jesus could heal a loyal and trusted servant who was near death. The centurion told Jesus, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Then the centurion used a personal example to illustrate that he understood what it meant to be taken at His word and obeyed. In response to the centurion, Jesus turned to the crowd that was following Him and said, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” Jesus seemed to be saying that “great faith” was simply taking Him at His word.

Can I find my answer in all of Hebrews 11? (the golden discussion of faith) which starts with ..."Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the CONVICTION of things not seen..." No matter whom the writer of Hebrews was talking about, each person had simply taken God at His word and obeyed His command. They were remembered for their faith!! Regardless of circumstances, despite arguments of logic and reason, and regardless of how he or she felt, each person mentioned in Hebrews 11 believed God and His word and chose to be OBEDIENT.

OBEDIENCE IS FAITH PUT INTO PRACTICE. YOU CAN NOT SEPARATE FAITH AND OBEDIENCE! REMEMBER: BEFORE SIN, IT WAS DISOBEDIENCE! IT WAS THE DISOBEDIENCE OF ONE MAN (ADAM) THAT BROUGHT ABOUT SIN, AND IT WAS THE OBEDIENCE OF ONE MAN (CHRIST) THAT SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF SIN!!!!

What I have also been pondering about is the notion that even by having faith, abiding in His word and being completely obedient does not mean that we will reap the fruits of our obedience and faith in OUR span of life. God's promise is forever, so just because we have faith and obey, we must not EXPECT a reward for it.... our reward will be in heaven! Many of God's loyal servants DID NOT receive what they were promised, because our GREAT promise awaits not in our lifetime, but in eternity. "AND ALL THESE, THOUGH COMMANDED THROUGH THEIR FAITH, DID NOT RECEIVE WHAT WAS PROMISED, SINCE GOD HAD PROVIDED SOMETHING BETTER FOR US, THAT APART FROM US THEY SHOULD NOT BE MADE PERFECT." (Hebrews 11:39-40) So, I, a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ should constantly remind myself that I have faith, I obey and I abide in His word and promise for ONE REASON: TO GLORIFY GOD!!! Its is ALL about Him, and not for an "expectation" to receive what I want by being obedient. What I want does not dwell here in this broken world, but rather it stands waiting for me as my inheritance in the Kingdom of heaven... By truly believing this and letting it resonate in my life, God always bestows blessings upon His loyal servants.... not because I expect it for my obedience, but rather because He loves me beyond words for my faithfulness.

Oh, how word's have lost their meaning, yet the Bible speaks so often about guarding our mouths. Where is the value of words? In the world we live in today, we carelessly use and throw around the word Love and Faith so easily that the essence of what they truly convey begins to lose its shine and POWER.

So often, I find myself reading the Bible without careful examination of the words used. Example: "...And when Jesus SAW their faith.." (Matthew 9:2) I have read that passage many times, but now I am drawn to the word SAW. Jesus SAW their faith..... it is not about merely having faith, but also exemplifying it because often we can go about deceiving ourselves just through our words.

ANSWER: Faith is taking God at His word. Let me be consumed in my faith, letting His Word and His promise come ALIVE, penetrating my heart. The spirit of God's word flows in me cleansing my blood. Let His Word and His promise pierce my very existence because the Word of the Lord abides FOREVER. 

For me, FAITH IS OBEDIENCE. FAITH IS FREEDOM!

Sunday 17 June 2012

With full conviction, I recently made a comment that it is not enough for me to just merely live a comfortable Christian life.... rather, I want to be USED to my fullest in a significant way as an instrument by God for His glory.

Today, I thought a little more about that statement.......I did not go into deep spiritual analysis about it because the answer was simple. I had so many cultural/religious/intellectual obstacles that stood before me in coming to the Lord where I fought a hard battle against Jesus, and I had the devil constantly trying to deter me by whispering fear, guilt and shame within me........YET, I still stand today with great conviction, love, JOY, strength and peace IN Christ.......... SO, after all that, I would allow myself to believe that Christ just merely wants me to comfortably sit in my faith????? I refuse to believe this. Now, instead of fighting against Christ to come to faith, I will be fighting ALONGSIDE Christ to spread my faith to the unreached Muslim population. I truly believe that a seed has been planted because this calling has grabbed me in a powerful way. It is a whole different battle.... but this time, I have God's Kingdom, power, truth, the Holy Spirit and a group of faithful warriors backing me up. Not bad eh?

A side note: I have used the word "I" many times thus far shamelessly, but I know with full force that "I" would have been doomed without the power of the Holy Spirit. "I have no good apart from you..."

I do not expect nor do I want my walk with the Lord to just be "comfortable".... Be good, read your Bible, love your neighbor, serve here and there, go to church etc. ....NO. I think about all those early Christians who were humiliated, persecuted and slaughtered for the sake of Christ...Yet, we now live in a world where we try to avoid suffering at all costs.... so, forget suffering for the sake of our Savior! Here is a question I have been deeply thinking about in recent days: As a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, would you truly lay down your life for Him? The answer is simply yes or no. Do not deceive yourself....You must TRULY be honest when answering this question because it has the potential to rip your world apart.

 Lord, I pray that you use me for your glory until my dying day when you can no longer use me anymore....My prayers have changed. All I pray for now is, "God use me, use me, use me, use me in a powerful way"

Lord, never let me become merely "comfortable" in your presence and Mighty name.... 

When you start to merely exist in a state of comfort, ease and minimal suffering for the sake of Christ..... well, that is when you should worry.

Christ did not die on the Cross so that Salvation could just be cradled in our arms.... rather, it is our duty, if we like it or not, as Christ's soldiers to share His Glory and Truth with all people.... all flesh.... as we face a broken world that tells us that we are crazy........... that  can include your family and friends :)

The question is..... are you too comfortably numb in Christ to want to take on that burden for His sake?

Thursday 14 June 2012

Kansas City Living.......

Seek the Kingdom of God First and His righteousness, then all things will be given to you. Therefore Lord, help me clear out of my life of all those things that block me from having God alone as the center and King of every aspect of my life.

Well, it has been about three days since my two suitcases, my one way ticket and I arrived in Kansas City, MO. There are unexpected curves in the path of life, to say the least. Often times the choices in ones life are dictated and motivated by desires that fall outside the realm of what God's will is for us. So, we plan and move forward to satisfy our earthly desires without giving the Spirit any participation in the decision making. I have come to realize early in my walk with the Lord that I can not categorize my personal, social, professional, and spiritual segments of my life as independent of one another. I hold firm to the knowledge that my spiritual life with Christ is the center of all things and all other aspects of my life are only an extension of that. In order to satisfy my hunger for professional accomplishments, I must look to God for advice. In order to have truly fulfilling relationships, I must imitate Christ. The only way I will experience the truest and Godliest form of love and happiness, I must be jab dab in the middle of God's will for me. There is the world's definition of love, success, happiness and joy...... and there is God's definition which is NOT about merely satisfying our desires, but rather knowing that we are in obedience to God's will, therefore, glorifying HIM.  Remember that Jesus said: “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” By following Jesus and seeking to fulfill HIS purpose in our lives, we attain a JOY that is unmeasurable.  This JOY gives birth to strength and peace... but even more than that, this JOY is loud and present even in the midst of suffering and pain. THAT IS GOD'S JOY. In the world's definition of happiness, once suffering comes along in ones life, JOY runs away like a thief in the night.

I came to KC because my God demanded me to, so I obeyed. This command was a direct response to my prayer and cries...... " Lord, I do not know why I am going, but I know that in your time, you will reveal your plan and glory to me. I have lost much...... but I have gained everything.... I have been given the tools that I must use to build a Godly foundation and a Godly life that will truly satisfy my heart and desire to glorify you." I am thirsty for the Word of God, so as I commit to HIM, HIS Word and HIS truth, my God with all his love and grace will shine HIS light upon my steps to satisfy my professional, personal, social, and spiritual needs. I have learned that there is NO fear in God. What can Man do to me?

Thus far, my time in KC has calmed and rejuvenated my heart in ways that words can not describe. I am at awe with how fast God can work sometimes when other times you want scream out, " you might wanna hurry it up a bit Lord...." But we must trust that God's timing is perfect. HE has so faithfully answered so many prayers in only a few days. I am surrounded by HIS children who radiate with HIS love and knowledge..... and they have been pouring HIS love and knowledge upon me.... building me up in faith!!!! I am BLESSED to be in the presence of Cheryl and Jeff Adams whom God has used to ignite my heart and guide my steps. I am in AWE of their love, compassion, integrity and wisdom.  They are the most beautiful and truest examples of what it means to walk as children of light..... loyal servant's to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, I am full of nerves and I am scared because I do not know what will become of my life.... but we live by faith and not by sight, so I must trust. Any fear, anxiety, sadness or anger that the devil uses to attempt to paralyze me in my walk with the Lord, I put in God's hands.... and HE takes that burden for me. In exchange, HE continues to fill me with HIS Spirit and Truth.  My eyes are FIXATED on Christ, so that I may magnify HIM in my life. THAT IS THE GOD I SERVE!!!!

Sunday 3 June 2012

 FORGIVENESS...

THERE IS NO GREATER PAIN WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN BETRAYED.... BY A FELLOW SISTER OR BROTHER IN CHRIST. YET, THERE IS NO CHOICE BUT TO FORGIVE. I AM NOT A CHILD OF GOD IF I DO NOT FORGIVE. I CAME ACROSS THE BELOW SERMON NOTES ON THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY TO FORGIVE. FORGIVENESS DOES NOT TAKE THE PAIN AWAY, BUT IT DOES GIVE YOU PEACE. I AM A CHILD OF GOD, AND MY KING DEMANDS ME TO LOVE OTHERS AS MYSELF.... EVEN IF THEY HAVE DONE ME WRONG. I AM A CHILD OF GOD, AND MY KING TELLS ME TO SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. I AM A CHILD OF GOD, AND MY KING TELLS ME TO SEEK LOVE AND PURSUE IT.  I MUST FORGIVE BECAUSE MY KING FORGAVE ME. IF I DO NOT FORGIVE, THEN I AM NOT FOLLOWING CHRIST. 


DO NOT MERELY FORGIVE, BUT FORGIVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL AND MIND. IT IS NOT EASY, YOU WILL STRUGGLE IN YOUR HEART. TAKE THESE STRUGGLES AND RESENTMENTS TO GOD!!! TAKE IT TO HIM AND HE WILL CONTINUE TO REPLACE IT WITH PEACE. DO NOT LET THE ANGER OF THE SITUATION PUSH YOU TO THE DEVIL: Ephesians 4.26-27, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

EXCERPT FROM SERMON -God has graciously forgiven your great sin through Christ. In response you are to humbly and gratefully forgive those who sin against you. If you do not forgive your brother and sister, no matter what the circumstances, it reveals that you are not a true believer or that you are living in rebellion against God. The Church is a community of forgiven people who forgive fellow Christians. We are sinners who have been forgiven by God and in humility and gratitude willingly forgive others even if it would be completely just not to forgive them. Because we have been forgiven much, we must forgive always.

 Another thing I want to mention this morning is that forgiving someone does not remove the consequences of their sin against God’s law. You are only releasing them from their sin against you. In reading the parable in Matthew 18 and the king’s forgiveness of the man’s debt and the expectancy of his forgiving his fellow servant’s debt, we might get the idea that forgiveness removes all the consequences of the other person’s sin, but that is not the case. We may forgive a person for their sin against us but only God can forgive their sin. God will forgive them if they are truly repentant of their sin but God may still choose to discipline that person for their sin to sanctify them. Our part is to forgive them for their violation against us and to hold no personal judgment over them and no grudges.

 GREAT PODCASTS AND SERMON NOTES!! CLICK HERE

SERMON LINK ON FORGIVENESS: CLICK HERE
2ND SERMON LINK ON FORGIVENESS: CLICK HERE 

PLEASE GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO KNOW AND DO BETTER......

Friday 1 June 2012

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. - from "Thoughts in Solitude"