I recall many years ago while in primary school and especially when there was no teacher in the class room, we - the pupils used to chat, scream, cry, generally be a real nuisance and the whole atmosphere sounded like weaver birds singing to the top of their voices.
Then suddenly the teacher would walk in
and shout: S I L E N C E!!!!
And like water poured into fire, the noise would instantly go dead! you could literally hear a pin drop. Sometimes those who were the loudest would be chastised, other times, just warnings would suffice, but in any case, no sooner had the teacher left the classroom than like in joyous harmony, the 'singing' began; more like how classical music starts, slowly then gradually the resonance is felt in successive dips and highs if you know what I mean.
Upon growing up to the man I am now, I have revisited those scenes in primary school and always laughed at myself whenever I recall the SILENCE bit that the teachers used to utter.
Interestingly though, I have come to realise that too much noise is really a sign of something deep. This noise may be internal(within you) - call it restlessness, anxiety, confusion, unsettled mind or it may be external - coming from your environment - pressure at work, threats, being misunderstood, deadlines, etc.
Whichever it is, you will agree with me that, too much noise is a source of big time distraction, hinders proper planning & progress and is just downright unhealthy - ever heard of noise pollution?
The pace of life in this modern age is one where swiftness and urgency seem to be the order of the day. Technological advancement have even meant that, things across continents just happen at a click.
It almost seems like if you don't keep up with the joneses, you will wake up one day and find yourself out of touch with the world.
Patience which once used to be a well cherished virtue seems to take its toll as almost everything begs for urgent attention. It is not surprising that impatience among many is a very common disposition and someone rightly said one time that; we seem to be living in a' microwave' generation, where everything has to be ready in a matter of seconds/minutes.
A place of quietness and reflection has been so relegated, so much so that this very wonderful practice now bears no apparent significance in many peoples lives.
The truth is,..
Our bodies are designed to have moments of rest,(besides the normal night sleep), for recuperation and revitalisation, it's no wonder our Creator, the God almighty even said that we should rest one day in a week. If you subject your body and intellect to too much strain without adequate rest and moments of quietness, soon, you will realise that you can't cope and if you must cope, it will be the most challenging thing.
To be truly effective in the mid to long term, one ought to take moments of rest, planning, to strategies, visualisation and generally to think things through.
And,...
You can not do these effectively if you are surrounded by/with a lot of noise; either externally from our environment or internally from our own selves. We ought to learn to be quiet, to be still/tranquil. It is a noble act and a very powerful practice.
"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of Wisdom" James Allen.
So,..what exactly is SILENCE and how can you benefit from the practice of silence as a lifestyle?
In the few lines that follow, and by the grace of God, I have endeavoured to bring this to light.
Let's see how far we can get, shall we? Oh, yes!
See, Silence is the element of greatness. It is in Silence that great things fashion themselves.
If you are to ponder the path of your feet and have your ways be established, you will have to take moments of silence. If you are to keep sound wisdom and discretion, moments of silence will be inevitable
In a nutshell, Silence is the art of Kingship and greatness: Say less, Act and Listen more; and the place of effective listening(to yourself and others) is in silence.
Remember, even God was Silent for 400 years before the Messiah was made manifest; and what a great manifestation it was and still is! Humanity received the greatest gift of all time - Christ Jesus the LORD! Just absolutely incomprehensible! Magnificent! Glorious! Wonderful! Waw! Magnanimous, eh?
This is so beautiful. God the almighty took time to be Silent. And I am forever grateful that after His period of silence, the most excellent gift was made manifest. Thank you Father! Thank you for Jesus Christ; my LORD, my King, my Rock, my Redeemer, my Saviour, my all in all! Hallelujah.
Well then, what forms of silence are we talking about here?
A couple of them,..
Quietness
"For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel;.......in quietness and confidence shall be your strength..." Isaiah 30:15.
It is always a good thing to take time to ponder and reflect on life and especially the purpose of which you are living in the first place. This moments should be very sacred to you and worth all the time, the effort & opportunity you accord it, but first, you have to make time for it.
As the above scripture suggests; '...in quietness and confidence, shall be your strength...', if you truly take time to be quiet and confidently assess yourself by God's grace, you will find that you continuously increase in strength - emotionally, mentally and intellectually, you will grow to love and cherish those quiet moments and there will be a form of poise, calm and collected disposition that will be evident in your character. You will further develop your imaginative faculty and sharpen your cutting edge. Just remember to always invite the Holy Spirit to overshadow you in your moments of silence.
There is that quiet place where we hear from God, yearn for it with all your heart and never leave it when you find it (return to it everyday). It is available for each and every body.
For some of us however, this moments of quietness are more like a luxury; it's simply too expensive to afford it! Responsibilities, deadlines, and all sorts of stuff seem to always raise their heads up for attention at all times, and we always find ourselves dragged and often falling short of time for ourselves. What a shame! However, I have got news for you, buddy.
All of us have 24 hours in a day, no more, no less; from the richest man alive today to the poorest man alive today, all get a fresh allocation of 24 hours daily.
How each of us uses this 24 hours, is where the vast difference in life comes in. A lot of people spend their time doing urgent things while altogether neglecting the important things. Urgency does not necessarily mean importance, that is why taking time to be quiet will help you Identify what is important visa vee what is urgent and then spend a great chunk of your 24 hours doing those important things first. The difference will be enormous. I know so.
You should spend time regenerating your intellect and purifying your soul, nourish your soul with knowledge. It is important to take time to reflect on and be thankful for some of the gifts we may have taken for granted, the things that really matter in life.
That is why it is important to find some time to be alone(Could be an hour, two etc), it is up to you, how much time you allocate to it, the important thing is that you find some time to be alone and have moments of reflection, contemplation, planning & execution(Decision). It's your call.
I am well a ware that this is easy said than done, I am under no illusion that the evil one will try to rob you of this very wonderful practice and I know why,....and you have to hear this very clearly...
It is called the Vice of Talkativeness. Yes, Talkativeness, we are all prone to it.
Expel from yourself the spirit of talkativeness. For in it lurk the most dreadful passions: lying, loose speech, absurd chatter, buffoonery, obscenity.
To put the matter succinctly, through talkativeness, you will not escape sin, "In the multitude of words, there wanteth not sin: but he who refraineth his lips is wise" Proverbs 10:19
Whereas on the other hand, when you take time to be quiet, you will be exercising prudence and a prudent man is a throne of perceptiveness; "A prudent man concealeth knowledge,: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness" Proverbs 12:23
Apostle Paul was well aware of this fact, that he gave young Timothy these advise: "...shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness" 2Timothy 2:16
It is wise advise, I choose to follow it as well, how about you?
Moreover, the Lord Jesus said that we shall have to give account of every idle word that you speak(Matthew 12:36)
Thus Silence is most necessary and profitable.
Besides taking time alone to be quiet, you can also be silent as a group by going for a retreat(call it a prayer retreat, business retreat, etc).
Necessary withdrawal is also a form of silence. You deliberately withdraw yourself from the crowd for some time. Jesus did this with the disciples; "And He said unto them, come ye yourselves apart into the desert place, and rest a while" Mark 6:31.
If the master recommended it, it is definitely a good thing.
Let me close with this remark:
Take one day at a time, today is here and it's yours to do whatever you want with it, it's all you've got, make it count, make it worth living. Spend your time wisely, it waits for nobody. 10, 20 years from today, what will be your story?....
You decide that now, with how you spend your time everyday. It is your day after all.
However, here is my suggestion if you don't mind; take time to be quiet, at least an hour or so in a day, I am sure you can afford at least an hour, and you will be glad you did it.
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen"
Peace & Love
Libs
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Whatsoever you do in Word or Deed
A typical day for most of us from the time we wake up to the time we fall asleep again, will involve saying something or doing something.
All through out the day, if you are to keep count of the things you say and do, you would be amazed. How much you had to say, not only vocally but also in your inner dialogue with yourself and also the sheer amount of work you get done, some of which you probably had no Idea how to accomplish in the first place but all the same you did it.
It is therefore inevitable that, naturally, on a typical day, you will be involved in Word and or deed. Right?
But how much of the word and or deed were about laying treasures? How much was seed? Was it edifying? Did it encourage? Who was the center of attention? You do the maths.
Very well then, our great Apostle, St. Paul made mention of word & deed in His Epistle to the Colosians: "And whatever ye do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" Colosians 3:17
Theophan the Recluse wrote some very insightful things about this verse in the book: the Art of Prayer. It blessed my soul so much that I will lend the rest of this article to what he had to say. It is very profound and I am very sure it will bless you as well.
Concerning the above scripture: Col 3:17, this is what Theophan had to say:
"Here St. Paul speaks of the third way whereby we prove that our hidden abode is in God-and that is by doing everything in the Name of the Lord.
As for the other two methods, by means of the first-the reading of Holy scripture and the assimilation of the revealed truths which it contains - We banish vain and unclean imaginings and fill our minds with good thoughts, wholly concerned with things divine; and by means of the second - prayer - we establish in ourselves the habit of remembering God always and walking continually in His presence.
Both these methods keep our attention and feeling absorbed in God. it seems, perhaps, that this should be enough? it seems so, but it is not.
If these two methods alone are used they will not lead us to the aim which we desire. Man is not only thought and feeling, but above all action. He is ever moving constantly active.
But every action involves attention and feeling. The man acts entirely wrapped in his action. Consequently, the man who seeks God will find that because of certain things he cannot avoid doing, he will inevitably deviate from God in his thought, and after thought, in his feeling. Occupations bring him down from heaven to earth, or lead him from his seclusion in God into external relationships with other human beings.
For our occupations are almost all visible, since they are carried out among fellow creatures and the things of the senses. It follows from this that, if man's occupations are not so directed as to enable him to keep his life secluded in God, the first two methods will remain fruitless and it will even become impossible for him to practise them as he should.
........And so Apostle in the passage which we quoted, teaches us how to turn our actions into a means of preserving our secret life in God: this can be achieved by 'doing all in the Name of the Lord'.
If we succeed in attuning ourselves in this way, we shall not withdraw from the Lord either in thought or feeling. For to do all in the Name of the Lord means doing everything to His glory, in the desire to please Him, having understood His will correctly even in some trivial matter. In this the members of the body, like tools will do the work; and thought and feeling will be turned towards the Lord, anxious to carry out their task in a manner pleasing to God and obedient to His glory.
........,when our action is sanctified by it's dedication to god, then in the process of doing it, a certain divine element enters into all the organs and powers which take part at work. The greater the number of such deeds, the more are the divine elements entering the being of man. And later they feel him completely so that his whole nature is immersed in the divine, and abides in God.
Gradually as these God-ward orientation is established, prayer and worship of God, accompanied by thoughts of what is good, become more firmly established too.
Prayer and worship influence the work being done for the glory of God; and because we are abiding in the divine, as a reward our deeds themselves are endowed with greater strength and effectiveness.
All our activities, St. Paul embraced in two terms: Word and Deed. Words are uttered by the mouth, deeds are performed by other members( of our body).
From the moment of waking up to the moment of falling asleep we are continually engaged in both.
Our speech flows almost without stopping, while the various movements of the body continue unceasingly. What a rich offering to God if all of this could be directed to His glory! By making our speech serve the glory of God not only is evil speaking banished but also vain or idle talk, and only one kind of speech remains - that which serves to edify our brethren or at least (to put it at its lowest) does not bring any harm.
We should also consecrate our speech to God by reciting prayers.
Furthermore, by turning our deeds to the glory of God, no only can we rid ourselves of evil deeds done from lust or irritation - such things should be not so much as thought of among Christians - but we are also enabled to see in what spirit we should perform such deeds as are permissible, necessary, and useful.
This rids our actions of all pandering to self and all servitude to the world and its evil ways.
To do everything in the Name of the Lord means to turn all to His glory, to try to perform everything in such a way as to please Him, conscious that it is His will.
It means also to surround every deed by prayer to Him; to begin it with prayer and to end it with prayer; as we begin, to ask His blessing; as we proceed, to beg His help; and as we finish, to give thanks for accomplishing His Work in us and through us.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ forevermore.
Peace & Love,
Libs
All through out the day, if you are to keep count of the things you say and do, you would be amazed. How much you had to say, not only vocally but also in your inner dialogue with yourself and also the sheer amount of work you get done, some of which you probably had no Idea how to accomplish in the first place but all the same you did it.
It is therefore inevitable that, naturally, on a typical day, you will be involved in Word and or deed. Right?
But how much of the word and or deed were about laying treasures? How much was seed? Was it edifying? Did it encourage? Who was the center of attention? You do the maths.
Very well then, our great Apostle, St. Paul made mention of word & deed in His Epistle to the Colosians: "And whatever ye do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" Colosians 3:17
Theophan the Recluse wrote some very insightful things about this verse in the book: the Art of Prayer. It blessed my soul so much that I will lend the rest of this article to what he had to say. It is very profound and I am very sure it will bless you as well.
Concerning the above scripture: Col 3:17, this is what Theophan had to say:
"Here St. Paul speaks of the third way whereby we prove that our hidden abode is in God-and that is by doing everything in the Name of the Lord.
As for the other two methods, by means of the first-the reading of Holy scripture and the assimilation of the revealed truths which it contains - We banish vain and unclean imaginings and fill our minds with good thoughts, wholly concerned with things divine; and by means of the second - prayer - we establish in ourselves the habit of remembering God always and walking continually in His presence.
Both these methods keep our attention and feeling absorbed in God. it seems, perhaps, that this should be enough? it seems so, but it is not.
If these two methods alone are used they will not lead us to the aim which we desire. Man is not only thought and feeling, but above all action. He is ever moving constantly active.
But every action involves attention and feeling. The man acts entirely wrapped in his action. Consequently, the man who seeks God will find that because of certain things he cannot avoid doing, he will inevitably deviate from God in his thought, and after thought, in his feeling. Occupations bring him down from heaven to earth, or lead him from his seclusion in God into external relationships with other human beings.
For our occupations are almost all visible, since they are carried out among fellow creatures and the things of the senses. It follows from this that, if man's occupations are not so directed as to enable him to keep his life secluded in God, the first two methods will remain fruitless and it will even become impossible for him to practise them as he should.
........And so Apostle in the passage which we quoted, teaches us how to turn our actions into a means of preserving our secret life in God: this can be achieved by 'doing all in the Name of the Lord'.
If we succeed in attuning ourselves in this way, we shall not withdraw from the Lord either in thought or feeling. For to do all in the Name of the Lord means doing everything to His glory, in the desire to please Him, having understood His will correctly even in some trivial matter. In this the members of the body, like tools will do the work; and thought and feeling will be turned towards the Lord, anxious to carry out their task in a manner pleasing to God and obedient to His glory.
........,when our action is sanctified by it's dedication to god, then in the process of doing it, a certain divine element enters into all the organs and powers which take part at work. The greater the number of such deeds, the more are the divine elements entering the being of man. And later they feel him completely so that his whole nature is immersed in the divine, and abides in God.
Gradually as these God-ward orientation is established, prayer and worship of God, accompanied by thoughts of what is good, become more firmly established too.
Prayer and worship influence the work being done for the glory of God; and because we are abiding in the divine, as a reward our deeds themselves are endowed with greater strength and effectiveness.
All our activities, St. Paul embraced in two terms: Word and Deed. Words are uttered by the mouth, deeds are performed by other members( of our body).
From the moment of waking up to the moment of falling asleep we are continually engaged in both.
Our speech flows almost without stopping, while the various movements of the body continue unceasingly. What a rich offering to God if all of this could be directed to His glory! By making our speech serve the glory of God not only is evil speaking banished but also vain or idle talk, and only one kind of speech remains - that which serves to edify our brethren or at least (to put it at its lowest) does not bring any harm.
We should also consecrate our speech to God by reciting prayers.
Furthermore, by turning our deeds to the glory of God, no only can we rid ourselves of evil deeds done from lust or irritation - such things should be not so much as thought of among Christians - but we are also enabled to see in what spirit we should perform such deeds as are permissible, necessary, and useful.
This rids our actions of all pandering to self and all servitude to the world and its evil ways.
To do everything in the Name of the Lord means to turn all to His glory, to try to perform everything in such a way as to please Him, conscious that it is His will.
It means also to surround every deed by prayer to Him; to begin it with prayer and to end it with prayer; as we begin, to ask His blessing; as we proceed, to beg His help; and as we finish, to give thanks for accomplishing His Work in us and through us.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ forevermore.
Peace & Love,
Libs
Sunday, 22 November 2009
A prayer for You
Welcome to my humble blog dear beloved friend, I am so glad that you chose to click on the link and are finally here. Welcome.
Today, I have taken time to pray for you and my hope is that, as you meditatively read this prayer out, let God manifest to you everything mentioned in it as best concerns your situation, and I am confident that burdens will be lifted, yokes broken, there will be deliverance to the captives, broken hearts will be healed, and you will truly experience the awesome power of God in your life.
This prayer covers just about everything in your day today living: Family, Relationships, Health, protection, Career, Finances, provision and. It’s all covered.
Let me first of all begin by establishing few remarks about prayer;
In prayer, man converses with God, he enters through grace into communion with Him, it is a deliberate act of turning the mind and thoughts towards God in reverent fear and hope with praise and thanksgiving to Him and in supplication for the good things that we need, both spiritual and physical.
Prayer is one of our great inheritance in Christ, it's a very, very, powerful weapon.
“Prayer is the test of everything, prayer is also the source of everything, prayer is the driving force of everything, prayer is also the director of everything, if prayer is right, everything is right. For prayer will not allow anything to go wrong.
If you are not successful in your prayer, do not expect success in anything. It is the root of all” The Art of Prayer.
Just look at the account of:
Abraham(father of our faith),
Jabez(When he prayed for God to bless him indeed and enlarge his coast),
Hannah(when she prayed for Samuel),
Jacob(when He wrestled with’ God’ and later asked for a blessing),
Isaac(When they were looking for a wife for Him),
Solomon(when he asked for wisdom),
Ezra(the great scribe),
King David(not only was he a field warrior, he was also a prayer warrior),
The Apostles(when they healed and raised the dead in the Name of Jesus)
I can go on and on and on, you get the point.
Perhaps the classic illustration of the point- 'if prayer is right everything is right' , can be seen in the story of the great contest; between Elijah and the prophets of Baal (450 of them). The full story can be found here: 1Kings 18:17-40. This story will help you understand the potency of the right prayer, to the right God in the right way.
“The power of prayer lies not in this or that oral prayer, but in the way in which we pray.(Remember prayers are spiritual). Prayers are spiritual because they are originally born in the spirit. Their spiritual nature is intensified because they are born and ripen by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Psalms and all other oral prayers were not oral at the very beginning. In their origin they were purely spiritual, and only afterwords came to be clothed in words and so assumed an oral form. But becoming oral did not deprive them of their spirituality: even now, they are oral only in their outer semblance, but in their power they are spiritual.
So, whenever, you hear or read a prayer; enter into the spirit of the prayers which you hear and read, reproducing them in your heart; and in this way offer them up from your heart to God, as if they had been born in your own heart under the action of the grace of the Holy spirit. Feel them deeply, and so when you hear it or read it and eventually pray it, you will express that which is already deeply felt in your heart.
Alright then, having established that preamble, Here is the prayer that I prayed for you, I hope you will receive it with gladness and meekness by the grace of God. This is to express my Love & gratitude to God and to all of you who have supported & encouraged me in various ways with your testimonies of how this blog articles speak deep down to all of us in the simple and yet profound ways in our day to day living.
Below is my prayer for you;
Let today mark yet another new beginning in every area of your life and I also pray that; the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of Wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Let God’s Holiness, faithfulness, Love and righteousness be hallmarks of your life in Christ Jesus to His praise and glory;
Let God arise in you and all His enemies be scattered in your life. I declare that no weapon fashioned against you(in time past, present or in the future) shall prosper and any tongue that rises against you in judgement is condemned in the Name of Jesus, for you are a child of the most high God and your inheritance in Christ is glorious;
May God grant you, your hearts desires as may be most expedient for you and may you grow continuously in the knowledge of His truth and the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, living and manifesting the excellency of God’s power and authority; triumphing over every form of evil and wickedness to the glory of God;
May God keep your family strong and united, may your children grow up as champions and real arrows in your hands. And if you are believing God for a husband or wife, may God cause the path of your husband/wife to cross with yours as He orders each of your steps, and may there be a definite recognition and glow in your hearts for each other , in Jesus’ Name.
May there be a definite assurance in your heart and mind of the most excellent blessing of salvation and may you continually yield your heart, soul and strength to Love God and likewise to love your neighbour as yourself. May the beauty of God in your spirit burst forth on every side in an undeniable fashion and let your light so shine forth brighter and brighter unto a perfect day;
As you go about applying for jobs, promotions, scholarships, grants, interviews; may the grace of God encompass you on every side and cause you to be favoured before men for grace brings acceptance and as a child of God you are marked and distinguished for championship and victory in every area of your life;
May you prosper in all things and be in good health even as your soul prospers, for according to His divine nature, he has given you all things that pertain to life and godliness. Go now in the power of His might and do great exploits, wax great on every side, may all that you lay your hands upon to do be prosperous and more prosperous; for all things are yours. The treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places have been delivered to you in Christ Jesus;
From today, you cease to lack any good thing; for every good and perfect gift comes from God to you his child, anointed and chosen among many. Grace to you and peace from God our father and Lord Jesus Christ. You have access to the vast treasures & resources in the earth, for your heavenly Father owns everything;
Refuse and reject defeat of any form in any area of your life, for you can never be defeated because your faith is the victory that overcomes the world. You shall not be disadvantaged, because all things work together for good to you who loves God.
I pray to God that he turns a way your eyes from beholding vanity and that he quickens you in His ways;
More than that I pray to God that you be invigorated with might by the holy ghost in your inner man in the Name of Jesus;
I come against any sickness or disease in your body and or mind; I declare in the Name of Jesus that you be healed of your infirmity.
I command that sickness or disease(known to you or unknown to you) to die and pass out of your body in the Name of Jesus. Be made whole; from the crown of your head to the sole of your feet, wholeness be yours, for the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you and thus quickens(Vitalises) your mortal body as well and hence divine health is yours.
Rise up in your spirit, reject any sickness, refuse to be bound, break loose, live in divine health in your body and mind, for it is your God ordained privilege and right in Christ Jesus;
Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you! Be of good cheer my beloved brother/Sister. It is well with all that concerns you, rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for the Lord your God, the Lord of hosts neither sleeps nor slumbers.
The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your strength, whatever battles and challenges you are faced with right now/today; know yea today that the Lord will deliver you from them all, for the battle is the Lord’s.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth even for evermore;
Fear not my dear, for the Lord is with you wherever you go, He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you. Beloved, rejoice for your Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.
For if God be for you, who can be against you! Nothing shall separate you from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus; Nay, nothing. Not death, nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature. No, non, nothing will ever separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus!
So, I pray for you today, and say that, don’t be shaken, don’t be moved; You are special, God is watching over you, He will preserve you and keep you under His care and protection.
Fear not, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death. There is therefore no more condemnation to you who is in Christ Jesus and who walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
You are exceedingly blessed and highly favoured my dear. Rejoice forever more.
May you remain planted by the rivers of water, being fruitful and productive in every good work;
And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your heart and mind in the knowledge of His truth and gift of eternal life; And may the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy ghost be with you and remain with you, now and always, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
We’ll speak again soon. Till then, Praise the Lord.
Peace & Love
Libs
Today, I have taken time to pray for you and my hope is that, as you meditatively read this prayer out, let God manifest to you everything mentioned in it as best concerns your situation, and I am confident that burdens will be lifted, yokes broken, there will be deliverance to the captives, broken hearts will be healed, and you will truly experience the awesome power of God in your life.
This prayer covers just about everything in your day today living: Family, Relationships, Health, protection, Career, Finances, provision and. It’s all covered.
Let me first of all begin by establishing few remarks about prayer;
In prayer, man converses with God, he enters through grace into communion with Him, it is a deliberate act of turning the mind and thoughts towards God in reverent fear and hope with praise and thanksgiving to Him and in supplication for the good things that we need, both spiritual and physical.
Prayer is one of our great inheritance in Christ, it's a very, very, powerful weapon.
“Prayer is the test of everything, prayer is also the source of everything, prayer is the driving force of everything, prayer is also the director of everything, if prayer is right, everything is right. For prayer will not allow anything to go wrong.
If you are not successful in your prayer, do not expect success in anything. It is the root of all” The Art of Prayer.
Just look at the account of:
Abraham(father of our faith),
Jabez(When he prayed for God to bless him indeed and enlarge his coast),
Hannah(when she prayed for Samuel),
Jacob(when He wrestled with’ God’ and later asked for a blessing),
Isaac(When they were looking for a wife for Him),
Solomon(when he asked for wisdom),
Ezra(the great scribe),
King David(not only was he a field warrior, he was also a prayer warrior),
The Apostles(when they healed and raised the dead in the Name of Jesus)
I can go on and on and on, you get the point.
Perhaps the classic illustration of the point- 'if prayer is right everything is right' , can be seen in the story of the great contest; between Elijah and the prophets of Baal (450 of them). The full story can be found here: 1Kings 18:17-40. This story will help you understand the potency of the right prayer, to the right God in the right way.
“The power of prayer lies not in this or that oral prayer, but in the way in which we pray.(Remember prayers are spiritual). Prayers are spiritual because they are originally born in the spirit. Their spiritual nature is intensified because they are born and ripen by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Psalms and all other oral prayers were not oral at the very beginning. In their origin they were purely spiritual, and only afterwords came to be clothed in words and so assumed an oral form. But becoming oral did not deprive them of their spirituality: even now, they are oral only in their outer semblance, but in their power they are spiritual.
So, whenever, you hear or read a prayer; enter into the spirit of the prayers which you hear and read, reproducing them in your heart; and in this way offer them up from your heart to God, as if they had been born in your own heart under the action of the grace of the Holy spirit. Feel them deeply, and so when you hear it or read it and eventually pray it, you will express that which is already deeply felt in your heart.
Alright then, having established that preamble, Here is the prayer that I prayed for you, I hope you will receive it with gladness and meekness by the grace of God. This is to express my Love & gratitude to God and to all of you who have supported & encouraged me in various ways with your testimonies of how this blog articles speak deep down to all of us in the simple and yet profound ways in our day to day living.
Below is my prayer for you;
Let today mark yet another new beginning in every area of your life and I also pray that; the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of Wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Let God’s Holiness, faithfulness, Love and righteousness be hallmarks of your life in Christ Jesus to His praise and glory;
Let God arise in you and all His enemies be scattered in your life. I declare that no weapon fashioned against you(in time past, present or in the future) shall prosper and any tongue that rises against you in judgement is condemned in the Name of Jesus, for you are a child of the most high God and your inheritance in Christ is glorious;
May God grant you, your hearts desires as may be most expedient for you and may you grow continuously in the knowledge of His truth and the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, living and manifesting the excellency of God’s power and authority; triumphing over every form of evil and wickedness to the glory of God;
May God keep your family strong and united, may your children grow up as champions and real arrows in your hands. And if you are believing God for a husband or wife, may God cause the path of your husband/wife to cross with yours as He orders each of your steps, and may there be a definite recognition and glow in your hearts for each other , in Jesus’ Name.
May there be a definite assurance in your heart and mind of the most excellent blessing of salvation and may you continually yield your heart, soul and strength to Love God and likewise to love your neighbour as yourself. May the beauty of God in your spirit burst forth on every side in an undeniable fashion and let your light so shine forth brighter and brighter unto a perfect day;
As you go about applying for jobs, promotions, scholarships, grants, interviews; may the grace of God encompass you on every side and cause you to be favoured before men for grace brings acceptance and as a child of God you are marked and distinguished for championship and victory in every area of your life;
May you prosper in all things and be in good health even as your soul prospers, for according to His divine nature, he has given you all things that pertain to life and godliness. Go now in the power of His might and do great exploits, wax great on every side, may all that you lay your hands upon to do be prosperous and more prosperous; for all things are yours. The treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places have been delivered to you in Christ Jesus;
From today, you cease to lack any good thing; for every good and perfect gift comes from God to you his child, anointed and chosen among many. Grace to you and peace from God our father and Lord Jesus Christ. You have access to the vast treasures & resources in the earth, for your heavenly Father owns everything;
Refuse and reject defeat of any form in any area of your life, for you can never be defeated because your faith is the victory that overcomes the world. You shall not be disadvantaged, because all things work together for good to you who loves God.
I pray to God that he turns a way your eyes from beholding vanity and that he quickens you in His ways;
More than that I pray to God that you be invigorated with might by the holy ghost in your inner man in the Name of Jesus;
I come against any sickness or disease in your body and or mind; I declare in the Name of Jesus that you be healed of your infirmity.
I command that sickness or disease(known to you or unknown to you) to die and pass out of your body in the Name of Jesus. Be made whole; from the crown of your head to the sole of your feet, wholeness be yours, for the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you and thus quickens(Vitalises) your mortal body as well and hence divine health is yours.
Rise up in your spirit, reject any sickness, refuse to be bound, break loose, live in divine health in your body and mind, for it is your God ordained privilege and right in Christ Jesus;
Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you! Be of good cheer my beloved brother/Sister. It is well with all that concerns you, rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for the Lord your God, the Lord of hosts neither sleeps nor slumbers.
The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your strength, whatever battles and challenges you are faced with right now/today; know yea today that the Lord will deliver you from them all, for the battle is the Lord’s.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth even for evermore;
Fear not my dear, for the Lord is with you wherever you go, He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you. Beloved, rejoice for your Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.
For if God be for you, who can be against you! Nothing shall separate you from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus; Nay, nothing. Not death, nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature. No, non, nothing will ever separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus!
So, I pray for you today, and say that, don’t be shaken, don’t be moved; You are special, God is watching over you, He will preserve you and keep you under His care and protection.
Fear not, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death. There is therefore no more condemnation to you who is in Christ Jesus and who walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
You are exceedingly blessed and highly favoured my dear. Rejoice forever more.
May you remain planted by the rivers of water, being fruitful and productive in every good work;
And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your heart and mind in the knowledge of His truth and gift of eternal life; And may the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy ghost be with you and remain with you, now and always, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
We’ll speak again soon. Till then, Praise the Lord.
Peace & Love
Libs
Monday, 2 November 2009
Goodness & Mercy
We all Love Psalm 23, don't we? It's one of the best known and most popular of all Psalms and is attributed to King David (as many of the psalms are), thought to have been written towards the end of his life.
Psalm 23 may be divided into two sections; the first explores the image of God, guiding and caring for His sheep, and these theme is reflected in the New Testament, where Jesus is seen to be the Good shepherd of the flock(John 10:1-21). In the second section, David is invited to partake in a meal and the Lord God is the host of this extravagant banquet.
It then follows with what I would call as it were; a confession. Thus:
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" Psalm 23:6
I am going to concentrate on this last bit of the Psalm, Verse 6, as shown above, and as God gives me grace, I will expound on it for us in light of of our Inheritance in Christ Jesus and our oneness and fellowship with God, the LORD of hosts.
I say, in light of our inheritance in Christ because, everything that humanity will ever need has been consummated in Christ, so, if you have Christ in you, most assuredly, you lack nothing for Christ in you is your hope of glory, for God has blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Without further adieu, let's fasten our seat belts, sit back, relax, for it is blessing time!
Let's begin;...
Surely:
Whenever you use the word surely, it's indicative of absolute belief, lack of doubt, certainty and wholeness. You are absolutely at par with your understanding and your heart is in sync with your whole being: there is oneness!
So, you say surely and go on to say;
Goodness:
waw! Our God is good and in Him there is no iniquity. So when Jesus is truly Lord of your life, by all accounts and in all respects, goodness must manifest in your life. It is not rocket science. No, it's plain simple.
But then, what exactly is goodness! You may ask.
Aaah! Good question.
Goodness is the manifestation of God's power in your life, the expression of His Love that is shed abroad in your heart, and it is also the ability to make sound decisions and not to live in fear "For God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of POWER, and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND" 2Timothy 1:7
See, that is goodness! to live with Power, in Love and having a sound mind! Glory Hallelujah!
So, next time someone asks you how you are, or how you are doing, Stand tall, square your shoulders, look them in the eye, and say; I am GOOD! and you know exactly what you're talking about: You are manifesting God's power, living in Love and you have a sound mind. Gochaaaa!
Not only are we talking about goodness, there is also;
Mercy:
Our God is a merciful God, His mercies are new every morning and endure forever.
For even while we were still sinners, He sent His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you & I, so that we may be reconciled back to Him. That is really so loving of God to do that, don't you think so?
I call His mercy, the covenant of Grace. For our God never sleeps nor does he slumber: He is continuously watching over you, guiding you, teaching you and always shinning His light upon your path.
O magnify the LORD ye people for He is Good and His mercy endureth forever. What a mighty & awesome God we serve.
Question. Have you accepted His mercy or are still struggling to do things and live on your own strength? Thereby rendering His mercy of no effect in your life!
Realise that,we all need the the mercy of God, for we are totally helpless without it. No amount of your own struggles and efforts will yield long lasting and sustained success. If you try to run the show, you will not get far, you might get a bit of success here, and a bit there. You know; that sort of break through and break down. You surely don't want to be tossed here and about, do you? No.
It is therefore imperative that you let yourself loose, to the divine flow of God's grace and Mercy, and abound in His favour, letting Him show you the way to live successfully.
The First step to take, is to COMPLETELY surrender your life to Him, I can not overemphasise this point, it is the most basic yet powerful way to live; a life completely surrendered to God is a dangerous place for the enemy and is a channel of God's blessing. Seriously, no kidding.
"The Lord is near all those who truly call on Him. Find a place in your heart, and speak there with the Lord. It is the Lord's reception room. Everyone who meets the Lord, meets Him there; He has fixed no other place for meeting souls"
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Kindle and maintain a contrite spirit, a humble and contrite heart. And let God guide you, lead you, and teach you all the days of your life.
Surely goodness and mercy;...
Shall follow me:
There is no question about this step. When you are in Christ and Christ in you(United) goodness and mercy shall follow you, in fact it will even go a head of you and overtake you so much so that your path will be shining brighter and brighter unto a perfect day. For you will be blessed to be a blessing and you always live in the fear of God, being a trail blazer in excellency and witty inventions.
Wherever you go, you will leave an audit trail of goodness and mercy for that will be your signature for the Lord of Hosts is with you wherever you go.
And,...
you will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever:
Again, just like the path of life, this house of the Lord is; the household of FAITH.
"...without faith it is impossible to please him(God). For he that commeth to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" Hebrews 11:6.
As you dwell in this house, victory in every area of your life will be imminent and indeed you present hour reality every day, because, "....this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our FAITH" 1John 5:4.
The word of God was given to us so that we can see and respond from God's perspective. Have the faith of God, that when you speak, it comes to pass. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is at work in you, and it makes you free from the law of sin and death(Romans 8:2). You shall therefore decree a thing and it shall be established unto you.
"There is therefore no more condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
What more can I say,.......... I suppose..., Amen.
Okie, dokie, Why don't you, if you will, say that bit of Psalm 23, i.e Verse 6, as a confession from the depth of your heart, good idea, right?
And this time, add the name of Jesus in it. For the Name of the Lord Jesus by itself disperses everything alien to it and attracts everything akin
Here we go, personalise it;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever in Jesus' Name.
God bless you and may He perfect all that concerns you today. Speak to you soon, till then, keep walking in the light of God and truly have unforgettable experiences.
And if you have no idea what I am talking about, here is a good place to start: Romans 10:9
Peace & Love
Libs
Psalm 23 may be divided into two sections; the first explores the image of God, guiding and caring for His sheep, and these theme is reflected in the New Testament, where Jesus is seen to be the Good shepherd of the flock(John 10:1-21). In the second section, David is invited to partake in a meal and the Lord God is the host of this extravagant banquet.
It then follows with what I would call as it were; a confession. Thus:
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" Psalm 23:6
I am going to concentrate on this last bit of the Psalm, Verse 6, as shown above, and as God gives me grace, I will expound on it for us in light of of our Inheritance in Christ Jesus and our oneness and fellowship with God, the LORD of hosts.
I say, in light of our inheritance in Christ because, everything that humanity will ever need has been consummated in Christ, so, if you have Christ in you, most assuredly, you lack nothing for Christ in you is your hope of glory, for God has blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Without further adieu, let's fasten our seat belts, sit back, relax, for it is blessing time!
Let's begin;...
Surely:
Whenever you use the word surely, it's indicative of absolute belief, lack of doubt, certainty and wholeness. You are absolutely at par with your understanding and your heart is in sync with your whole being: there is oneness!
So, you say surely and go on to say;
Goodness:
waw! Our God is good and in Him there is no iniquity. So when Jesus is truly Lord of your life, by all accounts and in all respects, goodness must manifest in your life. It is not rocket science. No, it's plain simple.
But then, what exactly is goodness! You may ask.
Aaah! Good question.
Goodness is the manifestation of God's power in your life, the expression of His Love that is shed abroad in your heart, and it is also the ability to make sound decisions and not to live in fear "For God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of POWER, and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND" 2Timothy 1:7
See, that is goodness! to live with Power, in Love and having a sound mind! Glory Hallelujah!
So, next time someone asks you how you are, or how you are doing, Stand tall, square your shoulders, look them in the eye, and say; I am GOOD! and you know exactly what you're talking about: You are manifesting God's power, living in Love and you have a sound mind. Gochaaaa!
Not only are we talking about goodness, there is also;
Mercy:
Our God is a merciful God, His mercies are new every morning and endure forever.
For even while we were still sinners, He sent His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you & I, so that we may be reconciled back to Him. That is really so loving of God to do that, don't you think so?
I call His mercy, the covenant of Grace. For our God never sleeps nor does he slumber: He is continuously watching over you, guiding you, teaching you and always shinning His light upon your path.
O magnify the LORD ye people for He is Good and His mercy endureth forever. What a mighty & awesome God we serve.
Question. Have you accepted His mercy or are still struggling to do things and live on your own strength? Thereby rendering His mercy of no effect in your life!
Realise that,we all need the the mercy of God, for we are totally helpless without it. No amount of your own struggles and efforts will yield long lasting and sustained success. If you try to run the show, you will not get far, you might get a bit of success here, and a bit there. You know; that sort of break through and break down. You surely don't want to be tossed here and about, do you? No.
It is therefore imperative that you let yourself loose, to the divine flow of God's grace and Mercy, and abound in His favour, letting Him show you the way to live successfully.
The First step to take, is to COMPLETELY surrender your life to Him, I can not overemphasise this point, it is the most basic yet powerful way to live; a life completely surrendered to God is a dangerous place for the enemy and is a channel of God's blessing. Seriously, no kidding.
"The Lord is near all those who truly call on Him. Find a place in your heart, and speak there with the Lord. It is the Lord's reception room. Everyone who meets the Lord, meets Him there; He has fixed no other place for meeting souls"
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Kindle and maintain a contrite spirit, a humble and contrite heart. And let God guide you, lead you, and teach you all the days of your life.
Surely goodness and mercy;...
Shall follow me:
There is no question about this step. When you are in Christ and Christ in you(United) goodness and mercy shall follow you, in fact it will even go a head of you and overtake you so much so that your path will be shining brighter and brighter unto a perfect day. For you will be blessed to be a blessing and you always live in the fear of God, being a trail blazer in excellency and witty inventions.
Wherever you go, you will leave an audit trail of goodness and mercy for that will be your signature for the Lord of Hosts is with you wherever you go.
And,...
you will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever:
Again, just like the path of life, this house of the Lord is; the household of FAITH.
"...without faith it is impossible to please him(God). For he that commeth to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" Hebrews 11:6.
As you dwell in this house, victory in every area of your life will be imminent and indeed you present hour reality every day, because, "....this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our FAITH" 1John 5:4.
The word of God was given to us so that we can see and respond from God's perspective. Have the faith of God, that when you speak, it comes to pass. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is at work in you, and it makes you free from the law of sin and death(Romans 8:2). You shall therefore decree a thing and it shall be established unto you.
"There is therefore no more condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
What more can I say,.......... I suppose..., Amen.
Okie, dokie, Why don't you, if you will, say that bit of Psalm 23, i.e Verse 6, as a confession from the depth of your heart, good idea, right?
And this time, add the name of Jesus in it. For the Name of the Lord Jesus by itself disperses everything alien to it and attracts everything akin
Here we go, personalise it;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever in Jesus' Name.
God bless you and may He perfect all that concerns you today. Speak to you soon, till then, keep walking in the light of God and truly have unforgettable experiences.
And if you have no idea what I am talking about, here is a good place to start: Romans 10:9
Peace & Love
Libs
Saturday, 10 October 2009
Your will be Done
Beloved, we say this in the Lords prayer, we say it when unsure of what to do, we say it concerning our loved ones and or situations that seem to be beyond our control, we basically say it sometimes even without conscious thought:
"Let your will be done"
But what exactly do we, or shall I say do you mean when you say that statement? Hmm, what do you expect to happen when you say it? Do you really wish or desire God's will to be done? or have you just reached a tipping point, where you just come to say; ah! well, I don't know what to do anymore, please, God let your will be done. Do you say it in confident assurance or do you say it in sheer exasperation?
Sure, I am confident many of us would Identify with the above sentiment you may even right now be wondering what God's will for your life is.
Question is, would you really like to know? If yes, then, would you be willing to walk in it with no questions asked?
Serious questions, huh?
Alright, today's article will address this subject in form of a prayer and as God gives me grace, I will endeavour to dissect the prayer and open it up for us so much so that we will come to that defining moment where we can clearly see and say; yeah I am walking or not walking in God's will for my life.
Make sure you read till the very last sentence in the following few paragraphs.
Ready? here is the prayer:
Dear Father, I pray that thou would perfect all that concerns me today according to your will, and show me the path of life that I may walk in it by your Grace in Wisdom and Spiritual understanding to your glory, honour and praise in Jesus' Name. Amen
48 simple, yet powerful words, the power though is not in the words in themselves, rather its in the attitude and understanding behind the words. I will dissect the prayer for you now, so that you may see the potency in it.
Dear Father:
When we pray, we do pray to our Father who is in Heaven and when you say Dear Father, it is very personal & should mean a lot to you to begin with. Shows that you are Close to Him in your heart and you love Him and that is very powerful, why...,
because He always feels the same way about you; only waiting for you to realise it and connect with the anointing under His Love.
By saying; Dear Father, you become open in your heart, signifying readiness to receive & bang! the anointing is activated.
You then go further and say;
I pray that thou would perfect all that concerns me today according to your will:
Here in lies the heart of the matter;
You see, all of us have a 'that which concerns us', and the point of living in God's perfect will is to ask Him to perfect that which concerns you in any given time, day, place and season in life.
And that which concerns you, if I may say, is that which God already has purposed and desired for you to have, and can only come to perfect fruition and manifestation when you ultimately and completely surrender all to things to Him:- your cares, your burdens, your success, your fame, your worldly riches, everything, and allow Him to take control of things! Yeah, complete surrender, no hung ups, no hold ups! EVERYTHING! Including your will and your Ideas of how to live your life - It's called TOTAL surrender. You place yourself every minute before God with the prayer; thou would perfect all that concerns me today according to your will.
What in God's eyes concerns you is not the worldly things that feed on your outward man, rather, it's the spiritual things that feed and renew your inner man.
Here is the point,
God desires to perfect you in the knowledge of who He is, in your inheritance in Christ, in the awesome power that you have as a new creation in Christ(2 Corinthians 5:17), in the ways and acts of Holiness, Love, righteousness, Faithfulness, meekness and in the fruit of the Spirit(Galatians 5:22).
These are the things worth living for! but can only be perfected in you when you surrender your cares, your burdens, your worries and doubts, which, otherwise, would take the place of the spiritual attributes mentioned above.
So when you pray and say; 'that thou would perfect me in all that concerns me today according to your will' it ought to be a prayer from your heart open to God for an outpouring of His divine knowledge and attributes which is in essence; seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; then guess what? all the other things(Matthew 6: 24-32) shall be added unto you! How better can it get.
When you wholeheartedly say so(thou would perfect me in all that concerns me according to your will), God will smile at you and say; daughter/Son, you have asked wisely, come to your Fathers rest. God knows you infinitely better than you do know yourself and a life surrendered to Him will be blessed beyond measure - "Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for those who Love Him. But God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" 1Corinthians 2:9-10
So, by praying this line, you open your heart & thus your life, to this treasure of unfathomable things - the deep things of God! Because the Spiritual understanding you are walking in is granted to you by the Holy Spirit.
Further more, you also said;
And show me the path of life that I may walk in it:
This path of life is - FAITH.
The way to life is salvation through Jesus Christ but the path; how to walk in that way, is by Faith and it will be evident in your persistence & humility of heart: a lot of trials, temptations, success etc will come your way, but at the end of the day, you will be glad you persisted and walked with humility of heart, trusting God all the way, resisting fear and unbelief in your walk of Faith.
And as you walk this path, and as you clearly also prayed, you will be walking in it by His Grace in wisdom and Spiritual Understanding:
" For wisdom is better than rubies and all things that may be desired are not to be compared to it" Proverbs 8:11
"Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get Wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee to honour when thou dost embrace her" Proverbs 4:7
"For whoso findeth me(Wisdom) findeth life and shall obtain favour of the LORD" Proverbs 8:35
So when the trials and challenges come your way, you don't mourn, No, you stay grateful, you continuously say; thank you Lord Jesus, praise be to you oh God, O Lord have mercy...,
all because you are walking in Spiritual understanding and know that God is perfecting that which concerns you today, tomorrow or for the assignment that He has for you in the future and that your help and strength comes from the LORD, so you will be equipped for any thing without fear.
Walking in Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding is really walking in the presence of God and in His presence, there is fullness of Joy and at His right hand, there treasures for evermore.
Truthfully, you can not, must not and will not fail when you are walking in Wisdom & spiritual Understanding; it's just not possible.
You will have no room for complaints & complacency, you will live with a broken and contrite heart:- you recognise that without Christ, you are and can do nothing. Your life essentially becomes a life of surrender, of worship and your sacrifice of praise will be pleasing to God, and that my dear, is a full and well lived life! Hallelujah!
Please note that perfection in the sense used here is continuous, you never arrive, because God's knowledge is infinite. You can not really ever exhaust it, and so are His attributes and gifts. You will never arrive at a point where you say, Mmm, this is it! No, doesn't happen, and when any such thoughts cross your mind, banish them immediately, they are from the evil one, he wants you to become complacent and prideful. Cast Him off immediately, reject the thought and seek to continue your walk in humility of heart.
"Although expecting everything from God and nothing from ourselves, we must nevertheless force ourselves to action, exerting all our strength, so as to create something to which the divine power may encompass. Grace is already present within us, but it will only act after man has himself acted, filling his powerlessness with its own power. Establish yourself, therefore, firmly in humble sacrifice of your will to God, and then take action without any irresolution or half-heartedness"
"Our efforts will be rightly directed so long as we preserve self-abasement, contrition, fear of God, devotion to Him, and the realisation of our dependence on divine help. If we are self-satisfied and contented with our efforts, it is a sign that they are not performed in the right way, or we lack wisdom"
And remember, all these:- the perfection of all that concerns you, is ultimately to God's Glory, honour & praise.
When all that you do and pray for is to God's Glory, honour and praise, it shows the hallmark and the epitome of your worship and that you live for His glory and hence your life will be a clear reflection of His grace and a masterpiece of His craftsmanship.
The unsaved will notice your lifestyle and will be drawn to your calm & collected demeanour and hence you will be in position to easily lead them to Christ, which in fact is your reasonable service to do. See, prayer works!
You finally sum up the prayer by saying: In Jesus' Name.
And if you truly understand the power behind that name, you can not doubt that, anything you have said prior to it will manifest, because the Name of Jesus carries all the divine authority and power to accomplish anything. The potency of God resides in it and if properly used, the name of Jesus will accomplish wonders.
"...for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12
"....at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
The name of Jesus Christ in a treasure. In the name of Jesus, we obtain every blessing and grace for time and eternity, for Christ said: "...Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you.........ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" John 16:23-24
Eventually, after heartily praying the above prayer, walking in God's will becomes your present hour reality and soon your life will be a living testimony of God's grace and mercy and what apostle Paul said in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18, becomes your everyday experience - living in the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!
Amen - Let it be so, and that is how you concluded your prayer. Powerful!!
Now,
With that renewed understanding of the above said prayer, why don't you say it again, this time though, mean it from your heart and sink into God's will for you as you surrender all to Him.
Ready? one, two, here we go...
Dear Father, I pray that thou would perfect all that concerns me today according to your will, and show me the path of life that I may walk in it by your grace in wisdom and Spiritual understanding to your glory, honour & praise, in Jesus' Name. Amen
If you really meant what you just prayed, leave the drivers seat of your life and hand it over to God in the Jesus and let Him drive. You will enjoy the rides every time & everywhere.
The starting point though, is here: Romans 10:9
I Love you all very much, thanks for your company today, be sure to take good care of yourselves and speak to you soon. Live in God's will - Surrender all to Him. He cares for you.
Peace & Love
Libs
"Let your will be done"
But what exactly do we, or shall I say do you mean when you say that statement? Hmm, what do you expect to happen when you say it? Do you really wish or desire God's will to be done? or have you just reached a tipping point, where you just come to say; ah! well, I don't know what to do anymore, please, God let your will be done. Do you say it in confident assurance or do you say it in sheer exasperation?
Sure, I am confident many of us would Identify with the above sentiment you may even right now be wondering what God's will for your life is.
Question is, would you really like to know? If yes, then, would you be willing to walk in it with no questions asked?
Serious questions, huh?
Alright, today's article will address this subject in form of a prayer and as God gives me grace, I will endeavour to dissect the prayer and open it up for us so much so that we will come to that defining moment where we can clearly see and say; yeah I am walking or not walking in God's will for my life.
Make sure you read till the very last sentence in the following few paragraphs.
Ready? here is the prayer:
Dear Father, I pray that thou would perfect all that concerns me today according to your will, and show me the path of life that I may walk in it by your Grace in Wisdom and Spiritual understanding to your glory, honour and praise in Jesus' Name. Amen
48 simple, yet powerful words, the power though is not in the words in themselves, rather its in the attitude and understanding behind the words. I will dissect the prayer for you now, so that you may see the potency in it.
Dear Father:
When we pray, we do pray to our Father who is in Heaven and when you say Dear Father, it is very personal & should mean a lot to you to begin with. Shows that you are Close to Him in your heart and you love Him and that is very powerful, why...,
because He always feels the same way about you; only waiting for you to realise it and connect with the anointing under His Love.
By saying; Dear Father, you become open in your heart, signifying readiness to receive & bang! the anointing is activated.
You then go further and say;
I pray that thou would perfect all that concerns me today according to your will:
Here in lies the heart of the matter;
You see, all of us have a 'that which concerns us', and the point of living in God's perfect will is to ask Him to perfect that which concerns you in any given time, day, place and season in life.
And that which concerns you, if I may say, is that which God already has purposed and desired for you to have, and can only come to perfect fruition and manifestation when you ultimately and completely surrender all to things to Him:- your cares, your burdens, your success, your fame, your worldly riches, everything, and allow Him to take control of things! Yeah, complete surrender, no hung ups, no hold ups! EVERYTHING! Including your will and your Ideas of how to live your life - It's called TOTAL surrender. You place yourself every minute before God with the prayer; thou would perfect all that concerns me today according to your will.
What in God's eyes concerns you is not the worldly things that feed on your outward man, rather, it's the spiritual things that feed and renew your inner man.
Here is the point,
God desires to perfect you in the knowledge of who He is, in your inheritance in Christ, in the awesome power that you have as a new creation in Christ(2 Corinthians 5:17), in the ways and acts of Holiness, Love, righteousness, Faithfulness, meekness and in the fruit of the Spirit(Galatians 5:22).
These are the things worth living for! but can only be perfected in you when you surrender your cares, your burdens, your worries and doubts, which, otherwise, would take the place of the spiritual attributes mentioned above.
So when you pray and say; 'that thou would perfect me in all that concerns me today according to your will' it ought to be a prayer from your heart open to God for an outpouring of His divine knowledge and attributes which is in essence; seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; then guess what? all the other things(Matthew 6: 24-32) shall be added unto you! How better can it get.
When you wholeheartedly say so(thou would perfect me in all that concerns me according to your will), God will smile at you and say; daughter/Son, you have asked wisely, come to your Fathers rest. God knows you infinitely better than you do know yourself and a life surrendered to Him will be blessed beyond measure - "Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for those who Love Him. But God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" 1Corinthians 2:9-10
So, by praying this line, you open your heart & thus your life, to this treasure of unfathomable things - the deep things of God! Because the Spiritual understanding you are walking in is granted to you by the Holy Spirit.
Further more, you also said;
And show me the path of life that I may walk in it:
This path of life is - FAITH.
The way to life is salvation through Jesus Christ but the path; how to walk in that way, is by Faith and it will be evident in your persistence & humility of heart: a lot of trials, temptations, success etc will come your way, but at the end of the day, you will be glad you persisted and walked with humility of heart, trusting God all the way, resisting fear and unbelief in your walk of Faith.
And as you walk this path, and as you clearly also prayed, you will be walking in it by His Grace in wisdom and Spiritual Understanding:
" For wisdom is better than rubies and all things that may be desired are not to be compared to it" Proverbs 8:11
"Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get Wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee to honour when thou dost embrace her" Proverbs 4:7
"For whoso findeth me(Wisdom) findeth life and shall obtain favour of the LORD" Proverbs 8:35
So when the trials and challenges come your way, you don't mourn, No, you stay grateful, you continuously say; thank you Lord Jesus, praise be to you oh God, O Lord have mercy...,
all because you are walking in Spiritual understanding and know that God is perfecting that which concerns you today, tomorrow or for the assignment that He has for you in the future and that your help and strength comes from the LORD, so you will be equipped for any thing without fear.
Walking in Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding is really walking in the presence of God and in His presence, there is fullness of Joy and at His right hand, there treasures for evermore.
Truthfully, you can not, must not and will not fail when you are walking in Wisdom & spiritual Understanding; it's just not possible.
You will have no room for complaints & complacency, you will live with a broken and contrite heart:- you recognise that without Christ, you are and can do nothing. Your life essentially becomes a life of surrender, of worship and your sacrifice of praise will be pleasing to God, and that my dear, is a full and well lived life! Hallelujah!
Please note that perfection in the sense used here is continuous, you never arrive, because God's knowledge is infinite. You can not really ever exhaust it, and so are His attributes and gifts. You will never arrive at a point where you say, Mmm, this is it! No, doesn't happen, and when any such thoughts cross your mind, banish them immediately, they are from the evil one, he wants you to become complacent and prideful. Cast Him off immediately, reject the thought and seek to continue your walk in humility of heart.
"Although expecting everything from God and nothing from ourselves, we must nevertheless force ourselves to action, exerting all our strength, so as to create something to which the divine power may encompass. Grace is already present within us, but it will only act after man has himself acted, filling his powerlessness with its own power. Establish yourself, therefore, firmly in humble sacrifice of your will to God, and then take action without any irresolution or half-heartedness"
"Our efforts will be rightly directed so long as we preserve self-abasement, contrition, fear of God, devotion to Him, and the realisation of our dependence on divine help. If we are self-satisfied and contented with our efforts, it is a sign that they are not performed in the right way, or we lack wisdom"
And remember, all these:- the perfection of all that concerns you, is ultimately to God's Glory, honour & praise.
When all that you do and pray for is to God's Glory, honour and praise, it shows the hallmark and the epitome of your worship and that you live for His glory and hence your life will be a clear reflection of His grace and a masterpiece of His craftsmanship.
The unsaved will notice your lifestyle and will be drawn to your calm & collected demeanour and hence you will be in position to easily lead them to Christ, which in fact is your reasonable service to do. See, prayer works!
You finally sum up the prayer by saying: In Jesus' Name.
And if you truly understand the power behind that name, you can not doubt that, anything you have said prior to it will manifest, because the Name of Jesus carries all the divine authority and power to accomplish anything. The potency of God resides in it and if properly used, the name of Jesus will accomplish wonders.
"...for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12
"....at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
The name of Jesus Christ in a treasure. In the name of Jesus, we obtain every blessing and grace for time and eternity, for Christ said: "...Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you.........ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" John 16:23-24
Eventually, after heartily praying the above prayer, walking in God's will becomes your present hour reality and soon your life will be a living testimony of God's grace and mercy and what apostle Paul said in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18, becomes your everyday experience - living in the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!
Amen - Let it be so, and that is how you concluded your prayer. Powerful!!
Now,
With that renewed understanding of the above said prayer, why don't you say it again, this time though, mean it from your heart and sink into God's will for you as you surrender all to Him.
Ready? one, two, here we go...
Dear Father, I pray that thou would perfect all that concerns me today according to your will, and show me the path of life that I may walk in it by your grace in wisdom and Spiritual understanding to your glory, honour & praise, in Jesus' Name. Amen
If you really meant what you just prayed, leave the drivers seat of your life and hand it over to God in the Jesus and let Him drive. You will enjoy the rides every time & everywhere.
The starting point though, is here: Romans 10:9
I Love you all very much, thanks for your company today, be sure to take good care of yourselves and speak to you soon. Live in God's will - Surrender all to Him. He cares for you.
Peace & Love
Libs
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
The Overcomer
Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. What a blessed assurance and glorious inheritance we have in Christ! Rejoice brethren, We are more than conquerors, we are over comers, for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world, and if God be for us, who can be against us? Be of good cheer.You are marked and distinguished for excellence and set apart for very noble and gracious things, for the word of God is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. Commend yourself today to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified.
Grace to you dear beloved.
Well, what have we got today? Yammyyyy..,quite a menu, I must say. I wonder whether you will have room to contain all of it, just take as much as you can, then come back later for some more, sounds good? And that is fine by me.
What shall we say then, well,.....first of all, its about the economy.
The current economic environment has and is still destroying many peoples dreams, aspirations, hopes, just to say but a few. And in the midst of these many people are, guess who? God's Children! Born again, spirit filled believers!
Surprised? Mmmm..., yeah, somehow. The truth is, Gods Children are among those who are the worst affected by this down turn. This is not right, Mm? for truly God's children are supposed to reign and have dominion over challenging situations and circumstances. isn't it so?
Well then, a very worthy question to ask would be; why are they(God's children) among those terribly affected? why? shouldn't they be reigning? for the silver and the Gold is their Fathers? And for the blessing of Abraham is also fully theirs! So, why all the restlessness, worry, anxiety, fear, shame, why all these?
Well, by God's grace, I will attempt to answer these burning questions and also point to the direction of a safe and sound refuge. My humble request & hope is that you open your spiritual eyes and ears and so be able to perceive with the understanding that comes from high above, the things that will be said in the few lines and paragraphs that follow.
If that is okay with you, lets begin then, shall we:
Knowledge;..
The lack of knowledge is by far the most and major cause of destruction and destitution for God's Children. Knowledge of their inheritance in Christ and knowledge of how the kingdom of God Operates is still lacking among many.
Some times it might be quite challenging to grasp these truth's, especially when you know that you have done all you could with regard to prayer, giving, tithing, confessing the word etc, yet things are still tough: You have lost your job, your debt is high and increasing, the bank wants to repossess your house, you can not keep up with the rents, etc. What do you do next? you might wonder, and rightly so, what next?
Here it is,..
What we require is to increase in the knowledge of God and its application, walk in our full inheritance in Christ(functioning in it) and use kingdom principles & dynamics to operate in these fallen world. Read that preceding statement again and again till it soaks into you!
Please do not underestimate the simplicity of that statement, there in lies all the power, the authority and solution to all that you face, whatever the challenge, economic, physical, social, environmental or otherwise . More about that later.
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, even our faith" 1John 5:4
Because of lack of knowledge, God's Children have been deceptively lured to live according to systems of these fallen world, many have exalted mammon and many more have foundations of their prosperity built on the worldly system which is run by the enemy - satan.
As a child of God, that is clearly contrary to your status as an ambassador of Christ in this world. The scriptures clearly say that you are not of these world though you are in theses world, you do not belong here! So, you ought to lay your treasures in heaven.
Our God desires and requires you to get out of these broken worldly(Babylonian) system and come back to what His heartbeat is all about - SOUL's. Everything you do should be geared to winning Souls to the Kingdom(whatever your occupation), that is your commission and worship, for you are not your own: 2Corinthians 5:15 says: "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again"
Many are searching for freedom and peace. Let it be known to all that; REAL, TRUE and LASTING freedom and peace can only be found in Christ Jesus and thus by increasing in the knowledge of Him; Read Colosians 1:10
God wants His children to to come to an absolute knowledge that He is their source and we should be about His business; winning souls and leading people to Christ, if truth be told, those who do these things have never and will never lack any Good thing, for every good and perfect thing comes from the Lord.
But then, what do you see all over the place these days? almost everyone minding their own business, worrying about how their purse is empty or full. Oh dear! how sad, for as a child of God, that is simply not on. You were bought with a price, your place of rest and solace is in Christ.
Don't get me wrong, money is good, oh yes, make no mistake about that, without money you are 'caput'.
However,....
It is when you believe that money is everything, that you begin to loose sight of the real thing. Because then, you would have fallen in love with it and scripture clearly says that; " For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1Timothy 6:10
And the sad thing is that, the worldly financial system is somewhat designed quite subtly in such away that you can easily have love for money(credit cards, store cards, sales), it is so subtle that you can easily find yourself ensnared and smoking from head to toe with debt.
Be advised beloved, be sober and vigilant, those are some of the weapons of the evil one.
It is dangerous, very toxic and it corrupts your being and if it gets into a believers lifestyle which I believe has happened to many Christians, the evil one one will be quick to snatch you off.
The good news though is, Our God is Love and indeed loves us more than we can imagine. He loves you with an everlasting love and will always bring you back in line and that is what this post is all about. Only trust in Him, He is your only true source, He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you and in all honesty, our God does not desire that you live under the yoke of debt of any form; for the blessing of Abraham is always at work and should be operating in your life. Read Galatians 3:13-14
Though the system of this world is run by the enemy, our God reigns supreme over all. So as a child of God, you reign supreme with him by his Spirit that liveth in you, For he who is joined with God is one spirit. You are never alone and if you truly live live according to Matthew 6:33,....., the worldly system will have no option but default to serve you as opposed to you serving it which seems to be the current trend among many Christians, to the effect that, they appear whipped by circumstances they should and ought to have dominion over.
Seriously, as a christian, you must take your rightful place and have dominion, which is your right as a kingdom bound citizen. You are very powerful in Christ, for you have a glorious inheritance in Him, Christ in you, the Hope of Glory, Hallelujah!
Besides just the financial crisis, there are lots of other challenges that Children of God face: for some is family breakdown, unruly children, loneliness, prejudice, discrimination, feeling of worthlessness, envy, lust etc. Of which when you carefully examine them, you will realise that they are weapons the enemy uses in this world to rob you(child of God) of your inheritance in Christ.
Now,
Listen to what our master said; "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world John 16:33 and in 1John 5:14, Apostle John says; "Ye are of God little children and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world"
"No weapon formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their righteousness is of me saith the LORD" Isaiah 54:17
It is now your responsibility to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ and pray to God that you be invigorated by might by the holy Ghost in your inner man always seeking to be led by the Holy ghost who is your guide, comforter, helper, strengthener, and standby, who will teach you all things of the kingdom of God.
Brethren, we live for God, we live to serve His purpose. It's a very noble duty and worthy of all your strength, heart, mind and soul.
Therefore, 'love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him' 1John 2:15
True words!
You see, many of God's children today, sadly, love the world! how terrible. Living outside the love and presence of God is very, very dangerous. You ought to guard your relationship with God with sobriety and vigilance. Your love for God is demonstrated in your Trust in Him! Do not trust in the 'mighty' pound/dollar or man, for the pound/dollar and man will let you down and besides the word says that; "....Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD" Jeremiah 17:5 , that is a very serious admonition not worth ignoring. "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man". Psalm 118:8
Please note that, this is not a call for you to become cynical about your human relationships, oh no, rather it's an admonition for you to know that, man is fallible and thus humanly will let you down from time to time(only God is faithful and dependable), do however, cherish your human relationships but ultimately let God govern them.
While we are still at this point, lets be reminded of what our Lord Jesus said: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing" John 15:5
Many times you hear folks saying; 'I trust myself '...., I know myself '(perhaps you have said it too), and this is with regard to trusting in your own human abilities and efforts to accomplish things or avoid things('bad' ones). Well, Jesus said it all, without Him, ye can do nothing. You will be surprised at the number of times you will let yourself down, despite your sincere efforts and intentions, if you don't trust in God.
That is why it is extremely important to Trust in God, your own human efforts though you experience short bursts of so called success, will eventually zero out if God is not involved. Sanctify your efforts & abilities in the Lord.
As an overcomer, learn to confess the words of the psalmist; "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the LORD which hath made the heaven and earth" Psalm 121:1-2. Personalise them, make them your own!
Two things you need to do please;
1. Discover what your inheritance in Christ is, - the road map is in the Holy scriptures and the Holy spirit is ever so ready to guide and help you in this wonderful and expeditious adventure, just ask Him
2. Live in this world by kingdom principles and kingdom dynamics, you belong to the kingdom of God, you are not of this world -Vocalise your faith everyday & thus activate the anointing to work for you, when the anointing takes over, flow in it.
Be wise and take action, you will be glad you did. In life, you have to make an effort. Life is not for the weakling or 'jellyfish'. True, Christ has done everything for you, however, you have to take a step to receive all that He has done for you.
Here is a truth worth noting; "You will achieve nothing by your own efforts alone, yet God will not give you anything, unless you work with all your strength. This is the unbreakable law"
Fittingly, I will defer the last word on this subject to our great Apostle, Paul:
"Thanks be to God, which giveth us Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" 1Corinthians 15:57-58.
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" Colosians 2:6-7
Beloved, you are always a winner and forever an overcomer in Christ Jesus, "For it pleased the Father that in Him(Jesus) should all fullness dwell.....,For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" Colosians 1:19, 2:9. WAW!
And, " According to His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue" 2Peter 1:3
"... we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" 2 Corinthians 4:7
How Glorious!
Peace & Love
Libs
Grace to you dear beloved.
Well, what have we got today? Yammyyyy..,quite a menu, I must say. I wonder whether you will have room to contain all of it, just take as much as you can, then come back later for some more, sounds good? And that is fine by me.
What shall we say then, well,.....first of all, its about the economy.
The current economic environment has and is still destroying many peoples dreams, aspirations, hopes, just to say but a few. And in the midst of these many people are, guess who? God's Children! Born again, spirit filled believers!
Surprised? Mmmm..., yeah, somehow. The truth is, Gods Children are among those who are the worst affected by this down turn. This is not right, Mm? for truly God's children are supposed to reign and have dominion over challenging situations and circumstances. isn't it so?
Well then, a very worthy question to ask would be; why are they(God's children) among those terribly affected? why? shouldn't they be reigning? for the silver and the Gold is their Fathers? And for the blessing of Abraham is also fully theirs! So, why all the restlessness, worry, anxiety, fear, shame, why all these?
Well, by God's grace, I will attempt to answer these burning questions and also point to the direction of a safe and sound refuge. My humble request & hope is that you open your spiritual eyes and ears and so be able to perceive with the understanding that comes from high above, the things that will be said in the few lines and paragraphs that follow.
If that is okay with you, lets begin then, shall we:
Knowledge;..
The lack of knowledge is by far the most and major cause of destruction and destitution for God's Children. Knowledge of their inheritance in Christ and knowledge of how the kingdom of God Operates is still lacking among many.
Some times it might be quite challenging to grasp these truth's, especially when you know that you have done all you could with regard to prayer, giving, tithing, confessing the word etc, yet things are still tough: You have lost your job, your debt is high and increasing, the bank wants to repossess your house, you can not keep up with the rents, etc. What do you do next? you might wonder, and rightly so, what next?
Here it is,..
What we require is to increase in the knowledge of God and its application, walk in our full inheritance in Christ(functioning in it) and use kingdom principles & dynamics to operate in these fallen world. Read that preceding statement again and again till it soaks into you!
Please do not underestimate the simplicity of that statement, there in lies all the power, the authority and solution to all that you face, whatever the challenge, economic, physical, social, environmental or otherwise . More about that later.
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, even our faith" 1John 5:4
Because of lack of knowledge, God's Children have been deceptively lured to live according to systems of these fallen world, many have exalted mammon and many more have foundations of their prosperity built on the worldly system which is run by the enemy - satan.
As a child of God, that is clearly contrary to your status as an ambassador of Christ in this world. The scriptures clearly say that you are not of these world though you are in theses world, you do not belong here! So, you ought to lay your treasures in heaven.
Our God desires and requires you to get out of these broken worldly(Babylonian) system and come back to what His heartbeat is all about - SOUL's. Everything you do should be geared to winning Souls to the Kingdom(whatever your occupation), that is your commission and worship, for you are not your own: 2Corinthians 5:15 says: "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again"
Many are searching for freedom and peace. Let it be known to all that; REAL, TRUE and LASTING freedom and peace can only be found in Christ Jesus and thus by increasing in the knowledge of Him; Read Colosians 1:10
God wants His children to to come to an absolute knowledge that He is their source and we should be about His business; winning souls and leading people to Christ, if truth be told, those who do these things have never and will never lack any Good thing, for every good and perfect thing comes from the Lord.
But then, what do you see all over the place these days? almost everyone minding their own business, worrying about how their purse is empty or full. Oh dear! how sad, for as a child of God, that is simply not on. You were bought with a price, your place of rest and solace is in Christ.
Don't get me wrong, money is good, oh yes, make no mistake about that, without money you are 'caput'.
However,....
It is when you believe that money is everything, that you begin to loose sight of the real thing. Because then, you would have fallen in love with it and scripture clearly says that; " For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1Timothy 6:10
And the sad thing is that, the worldly financial system is somewhat designed quite subtly in such away that you can easily have love for money(credit cards, store cards, sales), it is so subtle that you can easily find yourself ensnared and smoking from head to toe with debt.
Be advised beloved, be sober and vigilant, those are some of the weapons of the evil one.
It is dangerous, very toxic and it corrupts your being and if it gets into a believers lifestyle which I believe has happened to many Christians, the evil one one will be quick to snatch you off.
The good news though is, Our God is Love and indeed loves us more than we can imagine. He loves you with an everlasting love and will always bring you back in line and that is what this post is all about. Only trust in Him, He is your only true source, He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you and in all honesty, our God does not desire that you live under the yoke of debt of any form; for the blessing of Abraham is always at work and should be operating in your life. Read Galatians 3:13-14
Though the system of this world is run by the enemy, our God reigns supreme over all. So as a child of God, you reign supreme with him by his Spirit that liveth in you, For he who is joined with God is one spirit. You are never alone and if you truly live live according to Matthew 6:33,....., the worldly system will have no option but default to serve you as opposed to you serving it which seems to be the current trend among many Christians, to the effect that, they appear whipped by circumstances they should and ought to have dominion over.
Seriously, as a christian, you must take your rightful place and have dominion, which is your right as a kingdom bound citizen. You are very powerful in Christ, for you have a glorious inheritance in Him, Christ in you, the Hope of Glory, Hallelujah!
Besides just the financial crisis, there are lots of other challenges that Children of God face: for some is family breakdown, unruly children, loneliness, prejudice, discrimination, feeling of worthlessness, envy, lust etc. Of which when you carefully examine them, you will realise that they are weapons the enemy uses in this world to rob you(child of God) of your inheritance in Christ.
Now,
Listen to what our master said; "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world John 16:33 and in 1John 5:14, Apostle John says; "Ye are of God little children and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world"
"No weapon formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their righteousness is of me saith the LORD" Isaiah 54:17
It is now your responsibility to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ and pray to God that you be invigorated by might by the holy Ghost in your inner man always seeking to be led by the Holy ghost who is your guide, comforter, helper, strengthener, and standby, who will teach you all things of the kingdom of God.
Brethren, we live for God, we live to serve His purpose. It's a very noble duty and worthy of all your strength, heart, mind and soul.
Therefore, 'love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him' 1John 2:15
True words!
You see, many of God's children today, sadly, love the world! how terrible. Living outside the love and presence of God is very, very dangerous. You ought to guard your relationship with God with sobriety and vigilance. Your love for God is demonstrated in your Trust in Him! Do not trust in the 'mighty' pound/dollar or man, for the pound/dollar and man will let you down and besides the word says that; "....Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD" Jeremiah 17:5 , that is a very serious admonition not worth ignoring. "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man". Psalm 118:8
Please note that, this is not a call for you to become cynical about your human relationships, oh no, rather it's an admonition for you to know that, man is fallible and thus humanly will let you down from time to time(only God is faithful and dependable), do however, cherish your human relationships but ultimately let God govern them.
While we are still at this point, lets be reminded of what our Lord Jesus said: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing" John 15:5
Many times you hear folks saying; 'I trust myself '...., I know myself '(perhaps you have said it too), and this is with regard to trusting in your own human abilities and efforts to accomplish things or avoid things('bad' ones). Well, Jesus said it all, without Him, ye can do nothing. You will be surprised at the number of times you will let yourself down, despite your sincere efforts and intentions, if you don't trust in God.
That is why it is extremely important to Trust in God, your own human efforts though you experience short bursts of so called success, will eventually zero out if God is not involved. Sanctify your efforts & abilities in the Lord.
As an overcomer, learn to confess the words of the psalmist; "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the LORD which hath made the heaven and earth" Psalm 121:1-2. Personalise them, make them your own!
Two things you need to do please;
1. Discover what your inheritance in Christ is, - the road map is in the Holy scriptures and the Holy spirit is ever so ready to guide and help you in this wonderful and expeditious adventure, just ask Him
2. Live in this world by kingdom principles and kingdom dynamics, you belong to the kingdom of God, you are not of this world -Vocalise your faith everyday & thus activate the anointing to work for you, when the anointing takes over, flow in it.
Be wise and take action, you will be glad you did. In life, you have to make an effort. Life is not for the weakling or 'jellyfish'. True, Christ has done everything for you, however, you have to take a step to receive all that He has done for you.
Here is a truth worth noting; "You will achieve nothing by your own efforts alone, yet God will not give you anything, unless you work with all your strength. This is the unbreakable law"
Fittingly, I will defer the last word on this subject to our great Apostle, Paul:
"Thanks be to God, which giveth us Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" 1Corinthians 15:57-58.
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" Colosians 2:6-7
Beloved, you are always a winner and forever an overcomer in Christ Jesus, "For it pleased the Father that in Him(Jesus) should all fullness dwell.....,For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" Colosians 1:19, 2:9. WAW!
And, " According to His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue" 2Peter 1:3
"... we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" 2 Corinthians 4:7
How Glorious!
Peace & Love
Libs
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Define the Relationship(s)
We are relational beings. Relationships matter a lot to us, in fact it was once said; "Relationships are everything" Very true, I agree. 100%
Your great moments in life and indeed even your worst moments will be directly related to the relationships you are involved in, one way or the other.
Ladies and gentlemen, relationships do offer solace, nurturing, support and happiness and fun, however they are also sometimes the origin of distress, frustration and deep despair. At the core of unrest and troubles in many relationships is lack of understanding of the defining relational principles both in personal and corporate lives.
The burden of this article is to try to shed light on this subject and by the time you read the last sentence in this article, I am confident that you would have safely travelled with me to a safe landing and would be uplifted in your soul and spirit to take your relationships to the next level, and this I will do, God being my helper!
Right then, what could it possibly mean to define a relationship? after all aren't all relationships defined?
Well....., Yes & No. On the surface many appear to be defined, however, principally, few are, they are lacking in substance.
Question - Why are you in the relationship(s) you are in right now? Why did you get into it in the first place? Are your intentions genuine or are they selfish?
This is what I've found out, many people get into relationships for all sorts of reasons. Some basically do so to overcome things or issues like loneliness, the pain of rejection, the need for sex, the need for companionship, the need to feel wanted, the need for financial security, yet others do it for EGO reasons - want to be connected to the 'top' people in society(they like to flaunt around about knowing so and so, the 'big shots' blah, blah, blah, name it)
Look, there is something called "love" and "need". One is "giving" and the other is "taking". When you "need" something from the relationship, you become a "taker" - and this can work well so long as your partner is prepared to "give" indefinitely and you know that, this is not always the case, very soon the giving party becomes tired and both parties become frustrated leading to even more serious issues.
The solution, - Define the Relationship.
Defining the relationship is about knowing the clear purpose of that relationship (where it is not known, establishing it) without ambiguity or deception. You simply are Crystal clear and honest about your intentions and they should be known to all parties involved in the relationship and being willing to do your part to make the relationship a success(pledging your commitment).
When you do not understand the purpose of anything, abuse is inevitable and relationships are no exception to this statement and sadly, that is what has happened or is happening to many folks, they have abused or are abusing their relationships and thus betraying the trust of those who gave them the benefit of the doubt in the first place and you find that they hip and hop from one relationship to the other, all for the wrong reasons. That is simply wrong.
I am pretty sure that we all want fulfilled and lasting relationships, don't we? Of course!
Well, below are some guiding principles to help us define our relationships and make the most of them, ready? Here we go:
1. Honesty
When it comes to relationships, the sooner you set things straight, the better. When meeting people and seeking to establish relationships with them, be honest about your intentions. Do the right thing and do not leave room for deception. HONESTY is the best policy.
By being honest, you set a strong foundation for the relationship you intend to pursue and at the same time you would have avoided entering into fake relationship - one based on deception. Always deal with honesty and demand honesty in all your a relationships, avoid leaving it till later because it might become too late.
Lying and deception are a terrible combination to be entertained in any relationship be it in an intimate relationship between two people, family relationship, business, team, etc, never ever entertain lies or deception, they will destroy your relationships.
2. Know Thyself
Who are You?
This is a question that is very critical and is at the center of identity crisis world over. If you can answer these question unequivocally and without qualifying it; then you are doing well with yourself, absolutely.
And it all starts with you having a relationship with yourself.
Here is where I am going with this; If you can't have a relationship with yourself, how can you possibly be successful in having a relationship with somebody else? think about it, seriously, is it possible? Nay, I do not think so.
You basically have to sort yourself out first - know thyself then you will be in position to appreciate others and relate to them successfully. And by the way, take your time knowing yourself, do not be in a hurry.
"The saying 'Know thyself ' may refer by extension to the ideal of understanding human behavior, morals, and thought, because ultimately to understand oneself is to understand other humans as well. However, the ancient Greek philosophers thought that no man can ever comprehend the human spirit and thought thoroughly, so it would have been almost inconceivable to know oneself fully. Therefore, the saying may refer to a less ambitious ideal, such as knowing one's own habits, morals, temperament, ability to control anger, and other aspects of human behavior that we struggle with on a daily basis".(Wikipedia)
Isn't it interesting that some people once they get into relationships, tend to want to change everyone else but themselves in those relationships to conform to their likes. It is not difficult to understand why this happens; If one fails to take time to know themselves, almost invariably they will fail to recognise and appreciate others for who they are, no wonder they will be inclined to want to change others.
News flash - You can not change anybody, forget it. Change always starts and begins with YOU!
I am obviously under no illusion to suggest that you will be able to know yourself fully, no, not even in your lifetime here on earth. There is just too much about you that you will not be able to fully comprehend it wholly as a human.
"In the true theological sense, 'Know Thyself ' is a fundamental tenet of the question of life's meaning. To truly 'know oneself' in this sense involves a deeply personal, spiritual transformation whereby a person would seek to orient themselves towards understanding their own phenomenological perceptions of reality, so as to gain earnest insight into aspects of one's own existence". (Wikipedia)
That is quite deep, however, you can at least know your core attributes and general human virtues like Truth, prudence, patience, love, justice, forgiveness, but more than that, practice them! walk the talk and that should never stop even when you get into relationships with others.
3. Let your YES be YES, and your NO be NO
This talks of clarity as opposed to ambiguity. Avoid at all costs being ambiguous in your relationships, there should not be room for second guessing your words and actions. Do not 'dilly dally' there is no point for that, in fact dilly dallying will only serve to amplify the anxiety and stress levels in your relationships and that is never good news for any relationship.
Poor communication almost invariably creates problems in relationships. The way people talk (or don't talk) to one another sometimes causes lots of distress and tensions, for example; domineering, demanding, intrusive communication which will only serve to cause one party to pull away or not communicate in return or on the other hand parties not showing any concern or empathic understanding by not physically or emotionally responding to their partner can also cause a break in communication with very unpleasant consequences. Sometimes these could be a consequence of ego.
Ego is terrible in relationships.
If you are not sure of anything, say; ' I can't comment on that right now, can I get back to you on that?' then go and do some research. Even the scriptures say: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" 1Thessalonians 4:21.
I have a sneaky little feeling that the Accountants and Lawyers, base their term of DUE DILIGENCE on the principles of the above scripture i.e PROVE ALL THINGS, then hold fast on that which is good. Lovely.
Well, what does that tell you about your personal life and relationships given the fact that Accounting and Law are very thorough and prudent professions.
It can only mean that, whenever somebody wants to pursue a relationship(of whatever nature- personal, business or otherwise) with you, make it your responsibility to perform your due diligence - prove all things before committing yourself. Avoid just falling into relationships, it is worth taking time to have a healthy scepticism, oh, yes.
Remember, the onus is on you to be responsible for your life.
You do your due diligence, not so much as to find fault with the other party, no, but to establish CREDENCE & CHARACTER; how credible is the person in question and what is their propensity to stay so in the mid to long term? Very important.
Doubtless, you will find some unpleasant things/issues about people's past, it would however be a terrible indictment to your sense of fairness if you were to rule out somebody purely based on their past mistakes. This is because mistakes don't & should not define anybody, we all have made and will make mistakes. People change, and at least that is one of the things mistakes tend to accomplish - change.
You should rather base your due diligence and judgement on things like; the persons values, beliefs, flexibility, their understanding of the purpose of the relationship they seek to establish, their plans for the future and perhaps also their disposition to embrace reality when it dawns, things ain't always gonna be the same, be open minded.
You will be amazed at what this process(due diligence) can help you accomplish in terms of making decisions. I dare say that, there are people currently in relationships, who said YES when they should have said NO & they are regretting their decision and there are those who said NO when they should have said YES and as such have missed out on a very, very great relationship. Very true, no doubt.
Anyway, do your due diligence and do it properly, keep emotions out of the way and when you finally come to say YES or NO, it will be an emphatic one without ambiguity and a well informed YES or NO.
The only exception is when you are establishing a relationship with God, that one you don't ask questions, salvation is free and its the best gift, for God knows you infinitely better than anybody and He makes the best companion on all aspects of life - more about that later.
Endeavour to be informed, that way, you will be confident and sure of your words and actions and you will be able to build meaningful and lasting relationships.
4. Review your relationships from time to time
The truth is, we all tend to deviate from our best intentions from time to time and that is quite normal and okay. What is not acceptable is failure to realise when you have drifted and make the necessary adjustments or amends for that matter.
That is why reviewing your relationships from time to time will help you keep focus and perhaps redefine them so that they continue serving your collective purposes in changing times.
5. Operate under love and Forgiveness
These two factors are very essential in any relationship, both at its inception and in its life time.
I don't see any other way you can be able to sustain any relationship without Love and Forgiveness being the bedrocks and foundation on which it is built.
6. Keep the big picture always in mind
I would like to believe that any relationship you get into should serve a purpose bigger than you and that benefits all concerned.
Realise that 'no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice' Therefore, engage in no transaction that does not benefit all whom it affects. It would be even further beneficial to eliminate hatred, jealousy, selfishness, cynicism and embrace love for all humanity.
When your relationships start being about you, at that point, you have lost the plot and that is when it starts getting toxic. Review it and redefine it immediately. Your relationships should never ever be only about you but should be about all concerned.
Don't take the above statement lightly.
Here is why....
Because, naturally humans are selfish, you have to exercise your will power correctly and always be motivated by love, otherwise, you will struggle in your relationship(s).
Having said all of the above, the ultimate and most important relationship you ought to have defined is your relationship with GOD and in case you did not know, the first step to take in defining that relationship is to accept the LORD Jesus as your saviour and receive the gift of salvation. More can be found here: Romans 10:9
Then there after, you make the commitment to walk in that new relationship so passionately and an unapologetically.
Your relationship with God in terms of your commitment and passion should be sacrosanct, nothing should take its place and make that a statement in your life one that is non negotiable. By FAITH, you can do it, and as you do it, the beauty of God in your spirit will burst forth on the outside in an undeniable fashion. Excellence, glory, virtue and success will become hallmarks of your life! Praise the LORD!
Many thanks for your kind attention, I have endeavoured in this article to get you thinking about your relationships, I hope you found it helpful and till next time, take good care of yourselves and speak to you soon.
Make the most of your relationships - Define them.
Peace & Love
Libs
Your great moments in life and indeed even your worst moments will be directly related to the relationships you are involved in, one way or the other.
Ladies and gentlemen, relationships do offer solace, nurturing, support and happiness and fun, however they are also sometimes the origin of distress, frustration and deep despair. At the core of unrest and troubles in many relationships is lack of understanding of the defining relational principles both in personal and corporate lives.
The burden of this article is to try to shed light on this subject and by the time you read the last sentence in this article, I am confident that you would have safely travelled with me to a safe landing and would be uplifted in your soul and spirit to take your relationships to the next level, and this I will do, God being my helper!
Right then, what could it possibly mean to define a relationship? after all aren't all relationships defined?
Well....., Yes & No. On the surface many appear to be defined, however, principally, few are, they are lacking in substance.
Question - Why are you in the relationship(s) you are in right now? Why did you get into it in the first place? Are your intentions genuine or are they selfish?
This is what I've found out, many people get into relationships for all sorts of reasons. Some basically do so to overcome things or issues like loneliness, the pain of rejection, the need for sex, the need for companionship, the need to feel wanted, the need for financial security, yet others do it for EGO reasons - want to be connected to the 'top' people in society(they like to flaunt around about knowing so and so, the 'big shots' blah, blah, blah, name it)
Look, there is something called "love" and "need". One is "giving" and the other is "taking". When you "need" something from the relationship, you become a "taker" - and this can work well so long as your partner is prepared to "give" indefinitely and you know that, this is not always the case, very soon the giving party becomes tired and both parties become frustrated leading to even more serious issues.
The solution, - Define the Relationship.
Defining the relationship is about knowing the clear purpose of that relationship (where it is not known, establishing it) without ambiguity or deception. You simply are Crystal clear and honest about your intentions and they should be known to all parties involved in the relationship and being willing to do your part to make the relationship a success(pledging your commitment).
When you do not understand the purpose of anything, abuse is inevitable and relationships are no exception to this statement and sadly, that is what has happened or is happening to many folks, they have abused or are abusing their relationships and thus betraying the trust of those who gave them the benefit of the doubt in the first place and you find that they hip and hop from one relationship to the other, all for the wrong reasons. That is simply wrong.
I am pretty sure that we all want fulfilled and lasting relationships, don't we? Of course!
Well, below are some guiding principles to help us define our relationships and make the most of them, ready? Here we go:
1. Honesty
When it comes to relationships, the sooner you set things straight, the better. When meeting people and seeking to establish relationships with them, be honest about your intentions. Do the right thing and do not leave room for deception. HONESTY is the best policy.
By being honest, you set a strong foundation for the relationship you intend to pursue and at the same time you would have avoided entering into fake relationship - one based on deception. Always deal with honesty and demand honesty in all your a relationships, avoid leaving it till later because it might become too late.
Lying and deception are a terrible combination to be entertained in any relationship be it in an intimate relationship between two people, family relationship, business, team, etc, never ever entertain lies or deception, they will destroy your relationships.
2. Know Thyself
Who are You?
This is a question that is very critical and is at the center of identity crisis world over. If you can answer these question unequivocally and without qualifying it; then you are doing well with yourself, absolutely.
And it all starts with you having a relationship with yourself.
Here is where I am going with this; If you can't have a relationship with yourself, how can you possibly be successful in having a relationship with somebody else? think about it, seriously, is it possible? Nay, I do not think so.
You basically have to sort yourself out first - know thyself then you will be in position to appreciate others and relate to them successfully. And by the way, take your time knowing yourself, do not be in a hurry.
"The saying 'Know thyself ' may refer by extension to the ideal of understanding human behavior, morals, and thought, because ultimately to understand oneself is to understand other humans as well. However, the ancient Greek philosophers thought that no man can ever comprehend the human spirit and thought thoroughly, so it would have been almost inconceivable to know oneself fully. Therefore, the saying may refer to a less ambitious ideal, such as knowing one's own habits, morals, temperament, ability to control anger, and other aspects of human behavior that we struggle with on a daily basis".(Wikipedia)
Isn't it interesting that some people once they get into relationships, tend to want to change everyone else but themselves in those relationships to conform to their likes. It is not difficult to understand why this happens; If one fails to take time to know themselves, almost invariably they will fail to recognise and appreciate others for who they are, no wonder they will be inclined to want to change others.
News flash - You can not change anybody, forget it. Change always starts and begins with YOU!
I am obviously under no illusion to suggest that you will be able to know yourself fully, no, not even in your lifetime here on earth. There is just too much about you that you will not be able to fully comprehend it wholly as a human.
"In the true theological sense, 'Know Thyself ' is a fundamental tenet of the question of life's meaning. To truly 'know oneself' in this sense involves a deeply personal, spiritual transformation whereby a person would seek to orient themselves towards understanding their own phenomenological perceptions of reality, so as to gain earnest insight into aspects of one's own existence". (Wikipedia)
That is quite deep, however, you can at least know your core attributes and general human virtues like Truth, prudence, patience, love, justice, forgiveness, but more than that, practice them! walk the talk and that should never stop even when you get into relationships with others.
3. Let your YES be YES, and your NO be NO
This talks of clarity as opposed to ambiguity. Avoid at all costs being ambiguous in your relationships, there should not be room for second guessing your words and actions. Do not 'dilly dally' there is no point for that, in fact dilly dallying will only serve to amplify the anxiety and stress levels in your relationships and that is never good news for any relationship.
Poor communication almost invariably creates problems in relationships. The way people talk (or don't talk) to one another sometimes causes lots of distress and tensions, for example; domineering, demanding, intrusive communication which will only serve to cause one party to pull away or not communicate in return or on the other hand parties not showing any concern or empathic understanding by not physically or emotionally responding to their partner can also cause a break in communication with very unpleasant consequences. Sometimes these could be a consequence of ego.
Ego is terrible in relationships.
If you are not sure of anything, say; ' I can't comment on that right now, can I get back to you on that?' then go and do some research. Even the scriptures say: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" 1Thessalonians 4:21.
I have a sneaky little feeling that the Accountants and Lawyers, base their term of DUE DILIGENCE on the principles of the above scripture i.e PROVE ALL THINGS, then hold fast on that which is good. Lovely.
Well, what does that tell you about your personal life and relationships given the fact that Accounting and Law are very thorough and prudent professions.
It can only mean that, whenever somebody wants to pursue a relationship(of whatever nature- personal, business or otherwise) with you, make it your responsibility to perform your due diligence - prove all things before committing yourself. Avoid just falling into relationships, it is worth taking time to have a healthy scepticism, oh, yes.
Remember, the onus is on you to be responsible for your life.
You do your due diligence, not so much as to find fault with the other party, no, but to establish CREDENCE & CHARACTER; how credible is the person in question and what is their propensity to stay so in the mid to long term? Very important.
Doubtless, you will find some unpleasant things/issues about people's past, it would however be a terrible indictment to your sense of fairness if you were to rule out somebody purely based on their past mistakes. This is because mistakes don't & should not define anybody, we all have made and will make mistakes. People change, and at least that is one of the things mistakes tend to accomplish - change.
You should rather base your due diligence and judgement on things like; the persons values, beliefs, flexibility, their understanding of the purpose of the relationship they seek to establish, their plans for the future and perhaps also their disposition to embrace reality when it dawns, things ain't always gonna be the same, be open minded.
You will be amazed at what this process(due diligence) can help you accomplish in terms of making decisions. I dare say that, there are people currently in relationships, who said YES when they should have said NO & they are regretting their decision and there are those who said NO when they should have said YES and as such have missed out on a very, very great relationship. Very true, no doubt.
Anyway, do your due diligence and do it properly, keep emotions out of the way and when you finally come to say YES or NO, it will be an emphatic one without ambiguity and a well informed YES or NO.
The only exception is when you are establishing a relationship with God, that one you don't ask questions, salvation is free and its the best gift, for God knows you infinitely better than anybody and He makes the best companion on all aspects of life - more about that later.
Endeavour to be informed, that way, you will be confident and sure of your words and actions and you will be able to build meaningful and lasting relationships.
4. Review your relationships from time to time
The truth is, we all tend to deviate from our best intentions from time to time and that is quite normal and okay. What is not acceptable is failure to realise when you have drifted and make the necessary adjustments or amends for that matter.
That is why reviewing your relationships from time to time will help you keep focus and perhaps redefine them so that they continue serving your collective purposes in changing times.
5. Operate under love and Forgiveness
These two factors are very essential in any relationship, both at its inception and in its life time.
None of us is perfect and we are bound to annoy or piss off others in relationships, it happens, believe me, we get it wrong often times, and that is why there should be scope for forgiveness in your relationships and it should be motivated by love for Love covereth all things - say Amen!
I don't see any other way you can be able to sustain any relationship without Love and Forgiveness being the bedrocks and foundation on which it is built.
6. Keep the big picture always in mind
I would like to believe that any relationship you get into should serve a purpose bigger than you and that benefits all concerned.
Realise that 'no wealth or position can long endure unless built upon truth and justice' Therefore, engage in no transaction that does not benefit all whom it affects. It would be even further beneficial to eliminate hatred, jealousy, selfishness, cynicism and embrace love for all humanity.
When your relationships start being about you, at that point, you have lost the plot and that is when it starts getting toxic. Review it and redefine it immediately. Your relationships should never ever be only about you but should be about all concerned.
Don't take the above statement lightly.
Here is why....
Because, naturally humans are selfish, you have to exercise your will power correctly and always be motivated by love, otherwise, you will struggle in your relationship(s).
Having said all of the above, the ultimate and most important relationship you ought to have defined is your relationship with GOD and in case you did not know, the first step to take in defining that relationship is to accept the LORD Jesus as your saviour and receive the gift of salvation. More can be found here: Romans 10:9
Then there after, you make the commitment to walk in that new relationship so passionately and an unapologetically.
Your relationship with God in terms of your commitment and passion should be sacrosanct, nothing should take its place and make that a statement in your life one that is non negotiable. By FAITH, you can do it, and as you do it, the beauty of God in your spirit will burst forth on the outside in an undeniable fashion. Excellence, glory, virtue and success will become hallmarks of your life! Praise the LORD!
Many thanks for your kind attention, I have endeavoured in this article to get you thinking about your relationships, I hope you found it helpful and till next time, take good care of yourselves and speak to you soon.
Make the most of your relationships - Define them.
Peace & Love
Libs
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Can you against Hope, believe in Hope?
In the recent past during the course of my Bible study, I came across this scripture, and it totally got me riveted;
It says: "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be" Romans 4:18
A literal exegesis of the above scripture gave me some very fascinating insights and moreover it's something that we see on a day-to-day basis and possibly even feel and operate in albeit with little conscious thought.
The Scripture talks about father Abraham and the experience of his encounter with God concerning the child of promise. You can read details of this encounter in Genesis 15:1-21.
The line that caught my attention in the scripture of Romans above was: "who against hope, believed in hope!"
How can someone possibly do that? against hope, believe in hope? The line looks like an oxymoron, doesn't it? But not quite, as I later found out.
For a couple of days, I couldn't help ruminating over that statement - ....against hope, believed in hope, not because there is something special that I'm hoping for, rather its just a case of my spirit being stirred up and that makes me believe somebody out there needs to hear this and be strengthened in their inner man.
I am very optimistic that in the few lines that follow, we shall be able to learn from Abraham's experience and thus at a point in time in our lives be able to say - Against hope, I(your name) believed in Hope! praise the LORD.
You see, all of us without exception do hope for one thing or the other, don't we? and these often times gives us reason to live, right? We hope to have a vibrant, fulfilled and a happy life, Isn't it so? True.
But how easy is it to have and sustain that Hope? you may ask.
That's a very good question and I believe father Abraham's life can teach us just that. Moreover, this is not just a hope per say, it is in all accounts, a reality just awaiting your ACTION to bring it to manifestation.
The hope that Abraham had to believe in was one of becoming the father of many nations and that was clearly against his state of Childlessness and his wife Sarah who was barren. But thank God that Abraham's hope was not based on some wishful thinking, delusion or fantasy. It was based on what was spoken by God as recorded; "......, that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken" Romans 4:18. If you read Genesis 15:1-21, you will find details of that which was spoken.
Now, how was it possible that Abraham believed in this hope; just beside even God speaking to him(some people have been spoken to by God, but still have no hope, they've basically lost hope), what made Abraham a winner?
Aaaah, glad we came to this point.
Abraham's earlier encounter with God is recorded in Genesis 12, where upon the LORD told Abram to get out of his country and from his kindred and from his father's house and go unto the land that God would show him.
The scriptures tell us that by FAITH, Abram Obeyed. He took RESPONSIBILITY. he released his faith.
So there you have it, Abraham was later able, against hope, to believe in Hope, because he was a man of Faith and one who took responsibility and we can clearly see why God was pleased with him as we later learn according to the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him(God)"
(Just like the Pound Sterling is the currency of Great Britain, Faith is the Currency of the Kingdom of God. Everything you will ever want in the Kingdom of God, you will get it by FAITH, no two ways about that).
The other thing Abraham did was that, He acted on the word of God, he did as God told him -in other words, he took the word that was spoken and made it his responsibility to perform it.
2Timothy 3:16 tells us that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness"
Well, we can learn from the scripture about father Abraham's experience that FAITH and RESPONSIBILITY are very critical/essential to our christian walk and victory thereof.
Faith doesn't require you to have proof to act or receive and responsibility calls for you to find a way to do the right thing regardless of how tough things may be around you. And that right thing to do at anytime is to release your faith, in fact, unleash it. "God's favour surrounds us - Our Faith releases it!" Act in Faith.
Right now, just as you are reading this article, there is perhaps something or some word(s) that the Almighty God has spoken to you, it may well be that you are believing God for something He's promised you ages ago, true?.
Now unto you, hear what the LORD has to say to you this day;
Stand firm! and thus saith the Spirit of God: "Fear not, ( your name here): I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward" Genesis 15:1. Do not despair.
As earlier on intimated, all of us have hopes and the reality is that, often times, there are 'giants' and 'mountains' in the way of our hopes and dreams, however, God says: Fear Not! yes, Fear not. Oh, how reassuring.
We serve a mighty & Sovereign God!
And like Abraham did, you also ought to take the Word(s) that Papa God has spoken to you and make it your responsibility to perform it - ACT on the word. Stand on the word of God & refuse to back down. Do not be shaken, not now, not ever. Unleash you faith.
God will surely supply you with the grace to perform it, just ACT in Faith, and "Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17
There and only then will you be able to say - Against hope, I believed in hope!
God bless you. Shalom.
Peace & Love
Sterling.
It says: "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be" Romans 4:18
A literal exegesis of the above scripture gave me some very fascinating insights and moreover it's something that we see on a day-to-day basis and possibly even feel and operate in albeit with little conscious thought.
The Scripture talks about father Abraham and the experience of his encounter with God concerning the child of promise. You can read details of this encounter in Genesis 15:1-21.
The line that caught my attention in the scripture of Romans above was: "who against hope, believed in hope!"
How can someone possibly do that? against hope, believe in hope? The line looks like an oxymoron, doesn't it? But not quite, as I later found out.
For a couple of days, I couldn't help ruminating over that statement - ....against hope, believed in hope, not because there is something special that I'm hoping for, rather its just a case of my spirit being stirred up and that makes me believe somebody out there needs to hear this and be strengthened in their inner man.
I am very optimistic that in the few lines that follow, we shall be able to learn from Abraham's experience and thus at a point in time in our lives be able to say - Against hope, I(your name) believed in Hope! praise the LORD.
You see, all of us without exception do hope for one thing or the other, don't we? and these often times gives us reason to live, right? We hope to have a vibrant, fulfilled and a happy life, Isn't it so? True.
But how easy is it to have and sustain that Hope? you may ask.
That's a very good question and I believe father Abraham's life can teach us just that. Moreover, this is not just a hope per say, it is in all accounts, a reality just awaiting your ACTION to bring it to manifestation.
The hope that Abraham had to believe in was one of becoming the father of many nations and that was clearly against his state of Childlessness and his wife Sarah who was barren. But thank God that Abraham's hope was not based on some wishful thinking, delusion or fantasy. It was based on what was spoken by God as recorded; "......, that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken" Romans 4:18. If you read Genesis 15:1-21, you will find details of that which was spoken.
Now, how was it possible that Abraham believed in this hope; just beside even God speaking to him(some people have been spoken to by God, but still have no hope, they've basically lost hope), what made Abraham a winner?
Aaaah, glad we came to this point.
Abraham's earlier encounter with God is recorded in Genesis 12, where upon the LORD told Abram to get out of his country and from his kindred and from his father's house and go unto the land that God would show him.
The scriptures tell us that by FAITH, Abram Obeyed. He took RESPONSIBILITY. he released his faith.
So there you have it, Abraham was later able, against hope, to believe in Hope, because he was a man of Faith and one who took responsibility and we can clearly see why God was pleased with him as we later learn according to the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him(God)"
(Just like the Pound Sterling is the currency of Great Britain, Faith is the Currency of the Kingdom of God. Everything you will ever want in the Kingdom of God, you will get it by FAITH, no two ways about that).
The other thing Abraham did was that, He acted on the word of God, he did as God told him -in other words, he took the word that was spoken and made it his responsibility to perform it.
2Timothy 3:16 tells us that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness"
Well, we can learn from the scripture about father Abraham's experience that FAITH and RESPONSIBILITY are very critical/essential to our christian walk and victory thereof.
Faith doesn't require you to have proof to act or receive and responsibility calls for you to find a way to do the right thing regardless of how tough things may be around you. And that right thing to do at anytime is to release your faith, in fact, unleash it. "God's favour surrounds us - Our Faith releases it!" Act in Faith.
Right now, just as you are reading this article, there is perhaps something or some word(s) that the Almighty God has spoken to you, it may well be that you are believing God for something He's promised you ages ago, true?.
Now unto you, hear what the LORD has to say to you this day;
Stand firm! and thus saith the Spirit of God: "Fear not, ( your name here): I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward" Genesis 15:1. Do not despair.
As earlier on intimated, all of us have hopes and the reality is that, often times, there are 'giants' and 'mountains' in the way of our hopes and dreams, however, God says: Fear Not! yes, Fear not. Oh, how reassuring.
We serve a mighty & Sovereign God!
And like Abraham did, you also ought to take the Word(s) that Papa God has spoken to you and make it your responsibility to perform it - ACT on the word. Stand on the word of God & refuse to back down. Do not be shaken, not now, not ever. Unleash you faith.
God will surely supply you with the grace to perform it, just ACT in Faith, and "Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17
There and only then will you be able to say - Against hope, I believed in hope!
God bless you. Shalom.
Peace & Love
Sterling.
Monday, 7 September 2009
Talk it over
I wonder how much we humans would have been able to accomplish if communication was not part of our wonderful make up!
Through communication, we express our need to be understood, to be appreciated, to be loved.
Economically, some companies like Vodafone, T.mobile, Orange, 3, are thriving because of our need to communicate and now with the advance of technology - Internet, satellite, the world has truly 'become' small. Messages Kris cross the ether with record breaking speeds and volume and the pace of living really seems fast.
On many occasions when we refer to communication, talking is invariably involved.
We talk to: God, our relatives, our friends, our enemies. We talk, talk and talk, don't we?
Failure to talk at the right time, in many instances causes a communication break and that is like stopping the heart beat - 'blood will cease to flow in the body'. Communication is the life blood of families, communities and nations.
It wasn't so long ago when I was reminded of this need for us to talk to/with each other. It happened when a young man who felt betrayed and lied to by his dear friend, poured out his heart and openly talked about his frustration, his bitterness, you could feel his pain, you could hear his cry, tears rolling down his cheeks, sobbing quite heavily and heartily - who says men don't cry?
Anyway....
He was uploading all his bottled up emotions, talking it out in the presence of a caring, and listening ear.
At the end of it, he breathed a deep, big sigh of relief, visibly looked refreshed, burden lifted off and you could see a smile in the handsome face that he had. What a dramatic shift!
Well, like that young man, many of us are carrying burdens, disappointments, betrayals, rejections and all manner of things that are really and truly chocking the life out of you.
It, shouldn't be, you can not afford to continue like that any longer my dear. The life that we live on this earth is just, but for a moment and you need to live it to the full. But then, how can you live it to the full with all those bottled up emotions inside of you?
You ought to release them and make space/room for God & His army of angels to inhabit you. You won't truly experience the awesome power & effect of God in your life if you do not let go of the bottled up emotions.
Understandably, it might be hard, but you have to gather the courage to talk to somebody, pour out your heart and get your healing.
Now, talking to somebody, does not mean just anybody. there are two categories of people you can talk to in this instance:
They should either be; part of the problem or they should be part of the solution.
Let me explain;
Say for example, you feel betrayed by a colleague & you are obviously hurt, your first point of call would be to talk it over with your friend and communicate your concerns in a one on one heart to heart talk. If it is hard for both of you to do that, then consider talking to somebody who you know can listen to you without prejudice (your pastor or mentor perhaps). Do not just go and yip yap your heart to any ear, it might be counter productive and even cause you more emotional turmoil.
Sometimes, in fact often times, many of this emotional build-ups are caused by genuine, legitimate concerns; things like frustration for luck of employment, frustration for taking long to get the right partner for marriage, frustration for loss of a loved one, for mistakes we have made in the past that are now costing us. All of this things are legitimate and any normal person would feel it.
However, we ought to be proactive and not allow this legitimate concerns to build up emotional banks that will reach lethal levels. Do not allow those emotions to build up, because if you do, before long you will be like a walking time bomb (excuse my military language) waiting to explode. You need to occasionally detonate it (empty yourself of those frustrations) and be filled instead with the power, Mercy and Love of the unchanging, most gracious God. It is possible and you can do it.
Just remember that no one does not face challenges, we all do. From time to time, we will need a shoulder to lean on. "No man is an Island" We need each other and we should be there for each other, in good times as well as in challenging ones.
As I conclude this post, if you feel overwhelmed with life's challenges, I urge you to take action; talk it over, By talking it over, you will feel relieved, find insight and inspiration, the lights will be turned on and darkness dispelled, go on - give it a try.
Even our God invites us to talk it over with him "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" Isaiah 1:18.
Peace be with you and grace to you.
Peace & Love
Libs.
Through communication, we express our need to be understood, to be appreciated, to be loved.
Economically, some companies like Vodafone, T.mobile, Orange, 3, are thriving because of our need to communicate and now with the advance of technology - Internet, satellite, the world has truly 'become' small. Messages Kris cross the ether with record breaking speeds and volume and the pace of living really seems fast.
On many occasions when we refer to communication, talking is invariably involved.
We talk to: God, our relatives, our friends, our enemies. We talk, talk and talk, don't we?
Failure to talk at the right time, in many instances causes a communication break and that is like stopping the heart beat - 'blood will cease to flow in the body'. Communication is the life blood of families, communities and nations.
It wasn't so long ago when I was reminded of this need for us to talk to/with each other. It happened when a young man who felt betrayed and lied to by his dear friend, poured out his heart and openly talked about his frustration, his bitterness, you could feel his pain, you could hear his cry, tears rolling down his cheeks, sobbing quite heavily and heartily - who says men don't cry?
Anyway....
He was uploading all his bottled up emotions, talking it out in the presence of a caring, and listening ear.
At the end of it, he breathed a deep, big sigh of relief, visibly looked refreshed, burden lifted off and you could see a smile in the handsome face that he had. What a dramatic shift!
Well, like that young man, many of us are carrying burdens, disappointments, betrayals, rejections and all manner of things that are really and truly chocking the life out of you.
It, shouldn't be, you can not afford to continue like that any longer my dear. The life that we live on this earth is just, but for a moment and you need to live it to the full. But then, how can you live it to the full with all those bottled up emotions inside of you?
You ought to release them and make space/room for God & His army of angels to inhabit you. You won't truly experience the awesome power & effect of God in your life if you do not let go of the bottled up emotions.
Understandably, it might be hard, but you have to gather the courage to talk to somebody, pour out your heart and get your healing.
Now, talking to somebody, does not mean just anybody. there are two categories of people you can talk to in this instance:
They should either be; part of the problem or they should be part of the solution.
Let me explain;
Say for example, you feel betrayed by a colleague & you are obviously hurt, your first point of call would be to talk it over with your friend and communicate your concerns in a one on one heart to heart talk. If it is hard for both of you to do that, then consider talking to somebody who you know can listen to you without prejudice (your pastor or mentor perhaps). Do not just go and yip yap your heart to any ear, it might be counter productive and even cause you more emotional turmoil.
Sometimes, in fact often times, many of this emotional build-ups are caused by genuine, legitimate concerns; things like frustration for luck of employment, frustration for taking long to get the right partner for marriage, frustration for loss of a loved one, for mistakes we have made in the past that are now costing us. All of this things are legitimate and any normal person would feel it.
However, we ought to be proactive and not allow this legitimate concerns to build up emotional banks that will reach lethal levels. Do not allow those emotions to build up, because if you do, before long you will be like a walking time bomb (excuse my military language) waiting to explode. You need to occasionally detonate it (empty yourself of those frustrations) and be filled instead with the power, Mercy and Love of the unchanging, most gracious God. It is possible and you can do it.
Just remember that no one does not face challenges, we all do. From time to time, we will need a shoulder to lean on. "No man is an Island" We need each other and we should be there for each other, in good times as well as in challenging ones.
As I conclude this post, if you feel overwhelmed with life's challenges, I urge you to take action; talk it over, By talking it over, you will feel relieved, find insight and inspiration, the lights will be turned on and darkness dispelled, go on - give it a try.
Even our God invites us to talk it over with him "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" Isaiah 1:18.
Peace be with you and grace to you.
Peace & Love
Libs.
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