Lets consider what the will of God is all about in the following:
The will of God will never take you
Where the Grace of God cannot keep you,
Where The Arms of God cannot support you
Where the Riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the Power of God cannot endow you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the Wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the Army of God cannot protect you,
Where the Hands of God cannot mold you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the Love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the Mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the Peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the Authority of God cannot overrule for you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the Comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Words of God cannot feed you,
Where the Miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the Eyes of God cannot find you.
Everything happens for a purpose.
We may not see the wisdom of it all now, but
“Trust and Believe”
In the Lord that everything is for the best
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I Broke Many Promises, How About You?
All of us at one point or another in our lives, have been let down, disappointed and betrayed by friends or even family. Some of us have been promised things or we have promised people to do or give certain things for them but didn't fulfill the promise. I know that I made promises and broke them not only to God but to even my very own best friend. Which in all actuality and honesty...A BROKEN PROMISE RESEMBLES A LIE! When I take inventory of my life, surely there are numerous times when I disappointed and gave excuses for not fulfilling what I promised. FOR THAT...I'M TRULY SORRY!! I'm sure, you probably could find or see the same in yourself, somewhere in recent or distant past.
The Word of God teaches and encourages us to make a covenant to love the Lord and worship Him with all our heart. This covenant must be viewed as a pledge or binding agreement which directs all our actions. God gives many examples of covenants in His Word, and no where does He allow for a covenant with half-hearted commitment.When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai. He promised special blessings if they would set themselves apart and worship Him with all their heart. But the people failed to honor their commitment - they worshiped other gods and disregarded His commands.After several hundred years of willful disobedience, God sent the prophet Hosea to remind the Israelites of the pledge they once made and to reveal their unfaithfulness.Hosea 6:6-7"I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Like Adam, they have broken the covenant - they were unfaithful to Me."Hosea was able to deliver this message with great passion because he understood the pain of unfaithfulness. God had called Hosea to marry a woman who, though she made a covenant of marriage, left him to live as an adulteress with another man. Hosea could literally cry to his Israelite Brothers of the hurt they were causing God with their spiritual adultery; he fully knew how it felt when the one you love turns away to love another.The covenant we make with our Heavenly Father must not be taken lightly. He loves us dearly and gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sin. And to those who believe He has given His Spirit, "with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). God is committed to this covenant and, though He forgives us when we fall short, He expects and deserves commitment in return.
When we turn from sin and believe Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, He promises forgiveness, and we promise to trust and follow where He leads. He promises a clean heart; we promise our heart will always be His. He promises eternity in His presence; we promise to worship Him with every breath!Have we truly entered into a covenant relationship with the Living God? And if so, are we being faithful to this covenant? Are we seeking His direction, or are we following our own path and our own desires? We must commit to love, honor, cherish...and follow, until the end of this life brings us fully into His presence.
Let's remain faithful and true to our promises. Let's renew our commitment to obedience and worship, and refuse to come to the end of this journey with a broken covenant. We need to ask God as well as those we have hurt or disappointed with our BROKEN PROMISES for forgiveness. I want be the first to own up.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
The Word of God teaches and encourages us to make a covenant to love the Lord and worship Him with all our heart. This covenant must be viewed as a pledge or binding agreement which directs all our actions. God gives many examples of covenants in His Word, and no where does He allow for a covenant with half-hearted commitment.When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai. He promised special blessings if they would set themselves apart and worship Him with all their heart. But the people failed to honor their commitment - they worshiped other gods and disregarded His commands.After several hundred years of willful disobedience, God sent the prophet Hosea to remind the Israelites of the pledge they once made and to reveal their unfaithfulness.Hosea 6:6-7"I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Like Adam, they have broken the covenant - they were unfaithful to Me."Hosea was able to deliver this message with great passion because he understood the pain of unfaithfulness. God had called Hosea to marry a woman who, though she made a covenant of marriage, left him to live as an adulteress with another man. Hosea could literally cry to his Israelite Brothers of the hurt they were causing God with their spiritual adultery; he fully knew how it felt when the one you love turns away to love another.The covenant we make with our Heavenly Father must not be taken lightly. He loves us dearly and gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sin. And to those who believe He has given His Spirit, "with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). God is committed to this covenant and, though He forgives us when we fall short, He expects and deserves commitment in return.
When we turn from sin and believe Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, He promises forgiveness, and we promise to trust and follow where He leads. He promises a clean heart; we promise our heart will always be His. He promises eternity in His presence; we promise to worship Him with every breath!Have we truly entered into a covenant relationship with the Living God? And if so, are we being faithful to this covenant? Are we seeking His direction, or are we following our own path and our own desires? We must commit to love, honor, cherish...and follow, until the end of this life brings us fully into His presence.
Let's remain faithful and true to our promises. Let's renew our commitment to obedience and worship, and refuse to come to the end of this journey with a broken covenant. We need to ask God as well as those we have hurt or disappointed with our BROKEN PROMISES for forgiveness. I want be the first to own up.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Building In Vain Or For Eternity?
Years ago having been in the Hotel/Restaurant industry for a few years, there came a time when my wisdom dictated that I had to venture into business then. Tired of working and making money for other people ( I hear many people say this all the time), I thought it was time to start my very own. Armed with enough experience,I started both a catering business and a restaurant simultaneously. At this point of my life, things were going very well, business was booming but my relationship with God became worse. Here I was, trying to make money and had little time for the things of God. I was trying to build this business on a very fragile foundation. I did not pray nor seek God for His favor, nor did I seek His will or even direction. I just wanted to become successful. Thing is, God WANTS us to be successful BUT in order to succeed (in whatever area of our lives), we must build our foundation in Him. Rest assured that if God is in it, IT WILL SUCCEED NO MATTER WHAT! This lesson is applicable to all areas and aspects of our lives.
The tall and short of this story, is that the business failed due to many reasons. I lost the money I had invested. I made the decision to go back on my knees and seek God afresh. It took me a long while to find my footing again but this time, I did not let go of God. QUESTION: WHERE AND IN WHAT ARE YOU INVESTING? WE HAVE THE CHOICE TO INVEST IN GOD OR IN EARTHLY THINGS WHICH...WILL PERISH SOON OR LATER!
"which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it..." (Luke 14:28)
The Lord Jesus was not referring to a cost which we have to count, but to a cost which He has already counted. The cost was those thirty years of popularity, hatred, the unfathomable agony He experienced in Gethsemane, the assault upon Him the calvary-the central point upon which all time and eternity turn.
The conditions of discipleship given by our Lord in verses 26, 27 and 33 mean that the men and women He is going to use in His mighty building of the Kingdom are those whom He has done everything.
All that we build will be is going to be inspected by God. When God inspects us with His searching and refining fire, will He detect that we have built empires and of our own on the foundation of Jesus? (See 1 corinthians 3:10-15). We are living in a time of tremendous enterprise, a time when we are trying to work for God, and that is where the btrap is. Jesus, as the master builder, take
s us over so that He may direct and control us completely for His kingdom and His building plan; and we don't have a right to demand where we will be put to work.
As we learn to walk and trust God, we need to come to place where we will re-organize our Goals, re-arrange our priorities and then we will re-alize all that God has for us.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
The tall and short of this story, is that the business failed due to many reasons. I lost the money I had invested. I made the decision to go back on my knees and seek God afresh. It took me a long while to find my footing again but this time, I did not let go of God. QUESTION: WHERE AND IN WHAT ARE YOU INVESTING? WE HAVE THE CHOICE TO INVEST IN GOD OR IN EARTHLY THINGS WHICH...WILL PERISH SOON OR LATER!
"which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it..." (Luke 14:28)
The Lord Jesus was not referring to a cost which we have to count, but to a cost which He has already counted. The cost was those thirty years of popularity, hatred, the unfathomable agony He experienced in Gethsemane, the assault upon Him the calvary-the central point upon which all time and eternity turn.
The conditions of discipleship given by our Lord in verses 26, 27 and 33 mean that the men and women He is going to use in His mighty building of the Kingdom are those whom He has done everything.
All that we build will be is going to be inspected by God. When God inspects us with His searching and refining fire, will He detect that we have built empires and of our own on the foundation of Jesus? (See 1 corinthians 3:10-15). We are living in a time of tremendous enterprise, a time when we are trying to work for God, and that is where the btrap is. Jesus, as the master builder, take
s us over so that He may direct and control us completely for His kingdom and His building plan; and we don't have a right to demand where we will be put to work.
As we learn to walk and trust God, we need to come to place where we will re-organize our Goals, re-arrange our priorities and then we will re-alize all that God has for us.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
God's purpose Or Ours?
There have been times in my life when I have wondered what God's plan and purpose for my life was. I know, I'm not alone when it comes to this. As you read this blog, you might see yourself in the same boat. Many of us are attempting to walk His path in our own strength by working hard and carrying the burdens which are rightfully His. This is not our call! We must love Him with all our heart and serve Him with all our strength. But we must do so through joyful surrender, daily submission and obedience. He will accomplish His work in His time and according to His purpose.
There is a tendency to think that if Jesus compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great SUCCESS. We should NEVER the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. In fact, His purpose might be the exact opposite. We tend to have this notion that God is leading us towards a particular end or desired goal, but HE IS NOT! The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. WHAT WE SEE AS ONLY THE PROCESS OF REACHING A PARTICULAR END, GOD SEE AS A GOAL ITSELF.
What is mine and your vision of God's purpose for our lives? Whatever it maybe, His purpose id for us to depend on Him and on His power now. If we can stay clam, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil and storms of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in us. God is not working towards a particular finish-HIS PURPOSE IS THE PROCESS ITSELF. WHAT HE DESIRES OF US IS TO SEE "Him walking of the sea" with NO SHORE, NO SUCCESS, NOR GOAL IN SIGHT, BUT SIMPLY HAVING THE ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT because we see "Him walking on the sea" (Mark 6:49). IT IS THE PROCESS, NOT THE OUTCOME THAT IS GLORIFYING TO GOD.
God's training is for NOW and NOT later. His purpose is for this very minute, NOT for sometime in the future. WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WILL FOLLOW OUR OBEDIENCE, AND WE ARE WRONG TO CONCERN OURSELVES WITH IT. WHAT PEOPLE CALL PREPARATION, GOD SEES AS THE GOAL ITSELF!
God's purpose is to to ENABLE US to see that HE can walk on the STORMS IN OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW! If we have further goal in our mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. HOWEVER, IF WE REALIZE THAT MOMENT-BY-MOMENT OBEDIENCE THE GOAL, then each moment as it it comes is PRECIOUS!!Let’s continue to reflect more and more of His glory. Let’s draw closer into His presence and make every effort to enter His REST and come to a place of complete SURRENDER!
"My Utmost For His Highest"
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
There is a tendency to think that if Jesus compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great SUCCESS. We should NEVER the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. In fact, His purpose might be the exact opposite. We tend to have this notion that God is leading us towards a particular end or desired goal, but HE IS NOT! The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. WHAT WE SEE AS ONLY THE PROCESS OF REACHING A PARTICULAR END, GOD SEE AS A GOAL ITSELF.
What is mine and your vision of God's purpose for our lives? Whatever it maybe, His purpose id for us to depend on Him and on His power now. If we can stay clam, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil and storms of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in us. God is not working towards a particular finish-HIS PURPOSE IS THE PROCESS ITSELF. WHAT HE DESIRES OF US IS TO SEE "Him walking of the sea" with NO SHORE, NO SUCCESS, NOR GOAL IN SIGHT, BUT SIMPLY HAVING THE ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT because we see "Him walking on the sea" (Mark 6:49). IT IS THE PROCESS, NOT THE OUTCOME THAT IS GLORIFYING TO GOD.
God's training is for NOW and NOT later. His purpose is for this very minute, NOT for sometime in the future. WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WILL FOLLOW OUR OBEDIENCE, AND WE ARE WRONG TO CONCERN OURSELVES WITH IT. WHAT PEOPLE CALL PREPARATION, GOD SEES AS THE GOAL ITSELF!
God's purpose is to to ENABLE US to see that HE can walk on the STORMS IN OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW! If we have further goal in our mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. HOWEVER, IF WE REALIZE THAT MOMENT-BY-MOMENT OBEDIENCE THE GOAL, then each moment as it it comes is PRECIOUS!!Let’s continue to reflect more and more of His glory. Let’s draw closer into His presence and make every effort to enter His REST and come to a place of complete SURRENDER!
"My Utmost For His Highest"
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Have We Abandoned God?
One of our worst enemies as christians is DISCOURAGEMENT. As I talk to people or maybe even just watch them, I see that so many are struggling and grappling with different situations in their lives which has produced discouragement. The reason I write about discouragement is that I also struggle and battle with it daily. In as much as I know that God is at work in my life (and your life), I still battle, still you balttle. But does how we feel change the fact that HE is ALONE IS GOD? Absolutely NOT!!!
My very dear friend Dervon who I have known for a few years now had the opportunity to share the Word of God yesterday at Church and his topic was "Rejoice and a gain I say Rejoice". He talked of how we need to give God thanks even in our bad times but equally as important, rejoice in the Lord at all times. Trust me, its hard some times especially when things are going the opposite direction.
Some of us have been on a journey and have been blessed by God and maybe are currently not facing troubles (yet) and have raised ourselves up to certain heights. We have forgotten where God found us and how He saw us. How He picked us up and placed us where we are now. Some of us used to have nothing and were no-bodies and He picked us up and transformed our lives into beauty itself, and surrounded with His favor. But...the sad part of this is that along the way on this journey, while others are going through tough times and wondering when God will rescue them, others have quickly forgotten and ABANDONED GOD who blessed them. It is very easy for us to forget where He brought us from. But allow me to submit to you at this point that it is A GRAVE MISTAKE to abandon the Lord. Beacuse without Him, we ARE NOTHING and without Him we will NEVER find our own direction. No matter what we face, even DEATH itself, we need to stand and remember His love, mercies, grace and goodness. We would have never been where we are now or today had it not been for God. I personally would have been dead by now had it not been for GOD. He has rescued us numerous times from the hand of the enemy even when we cant see it. The battle is in the spiritual realm. Surely, we CAN NOT boast that we got here by our own efforts. It may seem that way BUT...it has been the LORD who carried us ALL ALONG!!
Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt and it was 40 years after. During their years of wandering in the desert, God demonstrated His faithfulness as well as His holiness. Now, as the people were finally ready to cross the Jordan river into the promised land of Canaan, Moses gave one last encouragement.
Deuteronomy 6:10-12
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
Truth is that we have all lived in the land of slavery - a land where we were controlled by sin. We were born as slaves, but Jesus came to set us free: "Though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free" (Romans 6:17-18).
The Bible tells us that while we were still lost in our sinful condition, Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice (payment) for our sin; but He also broke the chains which kept us slaves to sin. Though we still struggle, we need not be mastered if we have placed our faith in Jesus and daily submit to the leading of His Spirit. His sacrifice provides a way to be "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). This IS the victorious life!
One will say, Jesus set us free and end of story. Very true, we have been set free but we did nothing to earn this freedom. We did not dig a well of righteousness or plant a field of forgiveness. Our "promised land" of freedom is a gift, given by a loving Father to those who believe.
For as long as we as we continue on our Christian walk, with its many peaks and valleys, twists and turns, we often forget. We become discouraged over trivial matters which are quickly fading away and forget the gift of eternal life we have been given. We wander in the dry desert of ungrateful hearts and ask, "Where is God?" We forget the joy we once had of abiding in His presence and forget His promise to always be near; "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
This alone should give us reason to praise His Name with every breath and live a life holy and pleasing to Him. Whether we are currently in a time of crushing trials or unparalleled peace, we must continually remember from where we were rescued. His gift is a blessing we can hardly comprehend! Through God's precious gift, we have an eternity to worship our Heavenly Father. And as we draw near and give Him all of our heart, His grace continues to bless us even more. Let's worship with a thankful heart, glorify His Name in ALL we do, and be careful to never forget about the God of Love who sent His son to become a sacrifice for us. LET US NEVER FORGET WHERE GOD BROUGHT US FROM! Having said that, let us NOT withhold our lives from HIM who has been faithful to us from birth. QN: Have we ABANDONED GOD and is our FIRST LOVE for Him still alive.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
My very dear friend Dervon who I have known for a few years now had the opportunity to share the Word of God yesterday at Church and his topic was "Rejoice and a gain I say Rejoice". He talked of how we need to give God thanks even in our bad times but equally as important, rejoice in the Lord at all times. Trust me, its hard some times especially when things are going the opposite direction.
Some of us have been on a journey and have been blessed by God and maybe are currently not facing troubles (yet) and have raised ourselves up to certain heights. We have forgotten where God found us and how He saw us. How He picked us up and placed us where we are now. Some of us used to have nothing and were no-bodies and He picked us up and transformed our lives into beauty itself, and surrounded with His favor. But...the sad part of this is that along the way on this journey, while others are going through tough times and wondering when God will rescue them, others have quickly forgotten and ABANDONED GOD who blessed them. It is very easy for us to forget where He brought us from. But allow me to submit to you at this point that it is A GRAVE MISTAKE to abandon the Lord. Beacuse without Him, we ARE NOTHING and without Him we will NEVER find our own direction. No matter what we face, even DEATH itself, we need to stand and remember His love, mercies, grace and goodness. We would have never been where we are now or today had it not been for God. I personally would have been dead by now had it not been for GOD. He has rescued us numerous times from the hand of the enemy even when we cant see it. The battle is in the spiritual realm. Surely, we CAN NOT boast that we got here by our own efforts. It may seem that way BUT...it has been the LORD who carried us ALL ALONG!!
Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt and it was 40 years after. During their years of wandering in the desert, God demonstrated His faithfulness as well as His holiness. Now, as the people were finally ready to cross the Jordan river into the promised land of Canaan, Moses gave one last encouragement.
Deuteronomy 6:10-12
"When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."
Truth is that we have all lived in the land of slavery - a land where we were controlled by sin. We were born as slaves, but Jesus came to set us free: "Though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free" (Romans 6:17-18).
The Bible tells us that while we were still lost in our sinful condition, Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice (payment) for our sin; but He also broke the chains which kept us slaves to sin. Though we still struggle, we need not be mastered if we have placed our faith in Jesus and daily submit to the leading of His Spirit. His sacrifice provides a way to be "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). This IS the victorious life!
One will say, Jesus set us free and end of story. Very true, we have been set free but we did nothing to earn this freedom. We did not dig a well of righteousness or plant a field of forgiveness. Our "promised land" of freedom is a gift, given by a loving Father to those who believe.
For as long as we as we continue on our Christian walk, with its many peaks and valleys, twists and turns, we often forget. We become discouraged over trivial matters which are quickly fading away and forget the gift of eternal life we have been given. We wander in the dry desert of ungrateful hearts and ask, "Where is God?" We forget the joy we once had of abiding in His presence and forget His promise to always be near; "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
This alone should give us reason to praise His Name with every breath and live a life holy and pleasing to Him. Whether we are currently in a time of crushing trials or unparalleled peace, we must continually remember from where we were rescued. His gift is a blessing we can hardly comprehend! Through God's precious gift, we have an eternity to worship our Heavenly Father. And as we draw near and give Him all of our heart, His grace continues to bless us even more. Let's worship with a thankful heart, glorify His Name in ALL we do, and be careful to never forget about the God of Love who sent His son to become a sacrifice for us. LET US NEVER FORGET WHERE GOD BROUGHT US FROM! Having said that, let us NOT withhold our lives from HIM who has been faithful to us from birth. QN: Have we ABANDONED GOD and is our FIRST LOVE for Him still alive.
THIS IS OUR GOD!!
Have a blessed day!!
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