Thursday, 28 November 2013

The God-Factor

I was in my Final year in school, stuck between the Rock and a Hard Place; having to write my Final year student Project, coordinating our Student Campus Fellowship and Preparing for our 10th Year Anniversary Program,it was a lot of Hard work and time spent, and yet I had to attend Lectures, wrote Tests and Assignments as well took care of domestic responsibilities right in the middle of it. I took comfort in the scripture below and found Grace and Strength. it turned out to be my Best Year at School. This is one of my Favorite scriptures translated in one of my Favorite versions Phil 4:13 (AMP) I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency] I Love this scripture so much I personalize it and decree it to myself... " I have strength for all things...I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Christ" Christianity is not designed for us to use our Strength and Might, because we're told in John 1:12 that we have been given the "Power to become..." I am not trying to sermonize here. We're Christians and our difference is in what we Believe, and therefore we Speak. May Your Strength not Fail as God will Renew the needed Strength for each day. You'll do well and Graciously as God brings you to a Level of Great Grace!


Psalms 44:3 NLT- They did not conquer the land with their SWORDS; it was not their own STRONG ARM that gave them VICTORY. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them. This guys were the Best Skilled Swords-men in the Land, there were the best Samurai in Town, they even had Big Biceps as described as strong arm in the text. But yet the scriptures says they didn't Possess the Land with all that. It wasn't in their strength. The Victory was because God Favored



them. On the other hand its OK for us to sharpen ourselves give ourselves a cutting edge as an individual, look good, educate ourselves and be 21st century compliant, have several (Academic) Degrees like the thermometer. But give a little space for the God-Factor. Don't put your Faith in all you've acquired and in yourself more than you recognize the Help of God at work in your Life. Do not be too intelligent more than your obedience to God. I Believed God put me there at that time to do all that  was done, I know Him well enough not to abandon me. Because He promised Never to Leave us or Forsake us Hebrews 13:5. He came through for me. Proverbs 3:5-8 Honoring God brings Healing to your Body and Strength to your Bones. Its a Biblical Principle! All through. That Period in my final year I was basking in an unusual strength, wisdom and exceeding Favor. Little wonder the Bible said "It is not by Power nor by Might..." But it is by the God-factor. Do all you need to do best, but take Comfort in the Help of God. For He will Help you. That is the God-Factor! You'll Excel in Jesus name. The Lord is your strength. I Celebrate you.

Friday, 22 November 2013

Wisdom for Reaching out

You are not responsible for what a person receives and digests. You’re only accountable to observe and pay attention to what they need, and offer it to them in the best way you know how.  Don’t force-feed or overwhelm them, or they may disengage from the conversation. Don’t under nourish, or they might leave less than satisfied. Offer it as the Holy Spirit inspires.

Friday, 4 October 2013

A Picture of a Transformed Life

We’re not trying to conjure up transformation. It’s within us, and we are to “live toward” it. But in doing so, it helps to know what the transformed life looks like. So what does the transformed life look like?

1. Surrender
Surrender rather than treaties. The first verse of Romans 12 tells us to be “a living sacrifice.” The problem with living sacrifices is that they squirm on the altar. We need to remind believers to utterly surrender to God’s plans, not strike a treaty for trading favors. The lesson of surrender often begins with leaders. Whether as a pastor or in a different role of leadership, your life must be an example of living for God’s agenda first, allowing personal desires to fall away.
 2. Renewal
Renewed  thinking. In 12:2, the transformation is highlighted as an exercise of the mind. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that murder and adultery are committed internally long before acted upon externally. For believers to live out the change brought about by redemption, a spiritual mind is required.
 3. Service
Embracing and activating our gifting. As Paul transitions from doctrine to practice, his thoughts jump quickly to how all are gifted to serve the church and Christ’s mission (vv. 3–8). But serving in the mission of God is too often understood as a “one size fits all” endeavor. And most believers do not feel as if they fit. Living the transformed life means participating in the disciple-making process for others in the way God has personally called and equipped you.

4. Love
Push love to the forefront. The word “love” is terribly abused in our language. Perhaps it is because we only have one word to refer to our love for a spouse, children, sports team and pizza. The emphasis necessary for living out our transformation is to understand the purity involved with the Christian ideal of love (vv. 9–10). It is the love more associated with a hero’s death than a romantic comedy’s fairy tale ending. Love is essentially the choice to value the need of another rather than our own. Though simplistic as a definition, it becomes a manner of living that runs counter to the world.
Love is one trait that Christ clearly said would distinguish our lives from the rest of the world

5. Diligence.
Determination. The triplets of verse 11 say, “Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.” It feels cliché and trite to say that the Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. However, it is still true. The imagery throughout the Scriptures shows that God’s people must persist. In our culture, determination is rarely the norm. Transformation brings about a steadiness that eventually results in the internal fruit of maturity and the external fruit of new disciples.

6. Perspective
Proper perspective.  Where verse 11 deals with persisting in service, verse 12 carries the impact of moving through difficulties. “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” These three statements all require the initiation of faith in our lives.
True gospel transformation requires faith. We believe that, through faith in God’s grace, one becomes a disciple of Christ. But faith does not have its ending point at the moment of conversion. Faith is required to please God (Hebrews 11:6). It is through the lens of faith that believers should see the work of God and their own lives. Living out transformation requires the perspective that “my” strength and ingenuity will never be sufficient. They were not sufficient to secure my soul for eternity, and they will not be able to get me through the years of this life. Faith is being convinced that God is there and He is for us. Maintaining a perspective of faith will keep believers in a state of reliance on Christ, and it is in this active reliance that living out our transformation is possible.
 7. Community
Keep believers in community. The bulk of Romans 12 deals with how believers relate to one another. From verses 13-20, a model is given to us for remaining close to one another. The language of the passage points to the needs we have: sharing, hospitality, blessing, weeping, peace, hunger, thirst. Meeting these needs for one another is where transformation shows itself. But for needs to be met, community must be valued.
 8. Righteousness.
Model for them a life worthy of the gospel. The final verse of the chapter reads, “Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good” (v. 21The very nature we have been given is that of righteousness. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul taught that we had been given the ministry reconciliation because God “made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our lives—both lived and in leading—should show that we are more interested in displaying Christ’s righteousness than gaining a transitory victory over someone’s ill will toward us. We are guaranteed righteousness, so don’t waste your life messing about with sin.
(Romans 8:29). The issue of “Can I be righteous?” is to be removed from the minds of the believers. Instead, our thought each day can be, “How will Christ’s righteousness be displayed in me?”
).

Thursday, 26 September 2013

7 Reasons Why a Christian Guy is More Attractive

Written by: Nina Daugherty
Now I know a lot of girls from ALL generations love the “bad boy” image. They find the idea of risk and danger to be attractive. However, people underestimate how attractive a man who follows God is. As much as we want to believe that the “bad boy” is what we want (click here for more on this), the light of Christ shining through someone’s eyes, behavior, and soul will always win over. Keep in mind, not everyone who says they are Christian is actually Christian (If they say they are religious…run for the hills…true Christianity is about relationship not religion!). First let me offer you a few characteristics of a Christian guy:

1)  He goes to church regularly and is active- Anyone can go to church but you can tell if someone really is a part of the body of Christ is if they are there regularly and are part of some type of ministry. This will not only show you someone is holding them accountable but also they are part of a cause other than themselves.
2)  He owns and actually reads his bible- The Word holds truth. It became flesh through Jesus (John 1:1) as an example of how to walk. You want this person to be a role model for you and those around him. One day it may be your children looking to him for an example on how to walk as a Christian.
3)  Look at those around him- In this journey of sexual purity, it is so important to have the right people around you. For more about this, click here. You can tell more about a person by looking at the crowd they are a part of. Think about this in your own life.
You may think, “I’m young…I don’t care about that stuff! I have time.” I have witnessed many young people lose their life either physically or through a relationship God never meant them to have. I’m letting you know now you are setting the foundation not only for your future marriage but also for your future children. Invest your time in someone who deserves it.
Another question you may be asking yourself is, “Why is she talking about kids? I don’t have any yet.” The reason why I bring up kids is because unfortunately a lot of people will accept ungodly situations (to say the least) when it’s just them by themselves. However, when you become a parent you are no longer responsible for your life but for the protection of your little ones. The love of a parent runs deeper than you will ever know until you are one and you don’t want to be in a situation where your child will be abused or grow up in a hostile environment. With that being said, here are some reasons why a Christian man is the way to go:
 1)  You love the same God- Already there is an instant connection and knowability between you. Also, going to church or for the future bringing your kids to church will not be an issue. Being a mother who comes to church alone may open a doorway of jealousy and bitterness when you see men of God bringing their families to church and your husband is home.
2)  You are on the same page- Hopefully you won’t need to explain a lot as to why you want to remain sexually pure. He will already understand the whys and be on the same path.
3)  He will know how to pray for you- There is nothing like a man who can pray! I’m sorry but contrary to popular opinion; there is no greater power than the power received from the Almighty. One day when you or your children are in a place of either extreme sickness or sadness, you will want someone who can speak life and cover you with spiritual protection. Every time my hubby prays for me he gets that much hotter (didn't think it was possible..lol).
4)  He can wash you with the Word- One thing that helps us Christians get through the deceptions of life is finding truth in the Word of God. God specifically says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:25-26). So you know when you’re in that place where you just need someone to speak to you on a real level and give you that much needed encouragement, your husband will be that for you.
5)  You can help each other learn more about God- The bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17). You can bounce ideas and thoughts off each other. We also learn differently so there may be a topic you can explain in a way the other person understands better.
6)  The Holy Spirit will help direct his behavior- You know if we (male or female) are left to our own devices it can be catastrophic. If we lean on the One who created us then we have a better chance of making the right decisions. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” (Gal. 5:22-23).
7)  He will have the right people around him- This will be important especially if you are struggling in sexual purity or just in general. You want him to turn to God or the healthy people in his life rather than people who will encourage him to cheat or leave you.
I pray this changes your perspective on Christian guys. By no means am I saying Christian men are perfect, they will have their faults too. The Word says, “for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity” (Prov. 24:16). God is telling you the difference between when a man of God falls and someone who is not of faith.
I cannot stress enough how much this is for your protection. You should not be dating someone who is not Christian. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14). They will be used to pull you away from God instead of towards. When in doubt, return to your First Love and let Him figure it out.

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Speaking Profession

From the very beginning we see God Speaking. "And God Said..." He saw what was(the earth, without form and void) but knew what ought to be(Order). Faith does not ignore reality, it emphasizes on the Supernatural over the reality (natural). There are two things, the way things are and the way things ought to be, as believers we choose the latter. And He goes ahead to Speak what ought to be and they came forth speedily. The Tongue is a very powerful element of the body. In Prov 15:4 " The soothing tongue is a tree of life..." So You ask how powerful can this Tongue be? Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue... KJV. Its so powerful it can either kill or give Life, it can do evil as well as do good Psalm 64:3. Why is there so much Power in this Tongue, remember at Creation God made man in His Image and Likeness, a Translation puts it this way "Let's make a Speaking Spirit like us". So God intended that Man operates in Partnership with Him. So He puts the Tongue there to effectively Work here on earth. There are disabled people but yet to see one born without a Tongue. Now let's proceed.    God desires that our Tongue be as easy for us to use like we use our Hands to write. I see this in Psalms 45:1 "...My tongue is the pen of a ready writer" a translation says "like a Skillful poet". We have a duty friends, and we vent that duty through our Tongues. Skillfully putting it to use.    I'll make my last reference and then make my Point clearer. 2 Cor. 4:13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak. I feel so excited sharing this. If You ask me, what should another name for "Christianity' be? I'll say "Speaking Profession". We now having that same Spirit of Faith can now Speak with our Tongues the Words communicated from The Father of Spirit. The Prophet Ezekiel only had to speak to those dry bones and they came alive. Jesus through out His ministry on Earth Spoke most of the times and even raised the Dead to Life with just Words "Lazarus Come forth". The Disciples as much as they Acted also  used words to Follow it through. We ain't got much power if we do not know how to use the Tongue.    And here watch closely in Act 2:3-4  "Then there appeared to them divided TONGUES, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to SPEAK with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them UTTERANCE.   If You followed me from the beginning am sure You would have understood by now.   Here Ladies and gentlemen is our Duty and Profession. The Holy spirit would have appeared in another form, but chose to take the Shape of the Tongue, the Tongue for Speaking. And they began to speak. Implying we now have that same Spirit of Faith with which we are now to Speak and Preach the Gospel of salvation. The Bible was first of all spoken in the ears of the Men that wrote it, written so that it can be Spoken. Hallelujah! John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life We have received a Speaking Spirit not just any kind but "as of Fire" and Power 1Corithians 4:20 How well are using that Tongue for God.... the earth was spoken into existence, use your tongue and speak to create your world and the world of others.  Mark 11:23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.