Monday, May 31, 2010

God’s concerns towards us in order to receive

  • God is not concerned about the intensity of our problems or seriousness of our sicknesses, but

God is concerned about our faith, that He is able to solve ANY problem, because He specializes in impossibilities.

  • God is not concerned about the pity party tears you shed because of your problems, but

God is concerned of the tears of joy you shed because you are sure He is going to do the impossible, and

the tears of compassion that you shed for the lost souls to receive Christ.

  • God is not concerned about us being entertained in a church service (church isn’t meant to entertain), but

God is concerned about the worship we wholeheartedly give to Him in submission.

  • God is not concerned about the amount of money we give towards His work,

God is concerned about the motive behind our giving (do we give out of our love for Him?).

  • God is not really concerned about how religious you are, but

God is totally concerned about how strong your relationship is with Him.

  • God is not concerned how much you know about Him, but

God is concerned about your candid personal encounter with Him and how you know him.

  • God is not only concerned about how hard we work to meet the needs of our family, but

God is even more concerned about how hard we work to spend time with them and guide them.

  • God is not concerned of how hard we work to be and to look perfect, but

God is concerned of our surrender to His Perfect will, to be moulded by Him.

  • God is not concerned of how intelligent and smart we may be as married women, but

God is concerned about our ability to respect and submit to our husbands. 

  • God is not concerned about the numerous shopping baskets we may shower our wifes with as husbands, but

God is concerned about whether we dwell with them according to knowledge, honouring them as unto the weaker vessel.

Please feel free to post your comments about this article through the blog.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Are you Humble or Proud?

  • Any time somebody goes wrong, do you work towards helping that person, or do you make it worse by talking about it, defaming him and trying to show everybody how better you are than that person?
  • When you look yourself in the mirror, what do you see? do you see yourself beautiful than so and so, or ugly or do you like what you see but don't dwell on it?
  • When somebody compliments you when you are smartly dressed, do you reply, I know it, or do you reply glory to God?
  • What do you regularly talk about others? Do you always see their bad side and see yourself better than them or do you see a friend in them?

You know what your answers were. Of course one can not lie to oneself, or to God or to the devil - although people do lie to one another

Philippians 2:5-9

5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Joseph was a righteous man such that when he realized that Mary was pregnant while engaged to him, he did not want to shame her, but he planned to leave her quietly and that is when the angel confirmed to him. So many times when a brother errors, we want to shout it loud with a trumpet, but we should know that we are supposed to help him came back to faith because talking about that brother will do more harm than good and in the long run, the devil will be the winner while we lose. Pride is an unrighteous thing that makes us want to appear better than others by showing the bad things others have done.

The bible says that we are wonderfully and fearfully made. Each one of us is unique in our own ways and the differences shows God’s unique divine purpose for each one of us. So we should accept, appreciate and thank God for who are in Him. We should compliment each other in God by working together to accomplish God’s divine purpose. We should not therefore compare ourselves with others or try to be like someone else. 

Every time we look at people, let us always see the image and the creation of God. This will always help us to esteem others and socialize with all of them without feeling funny, because they are all God’s creation - before God all men are equal. I am surprised to note that even in churches, people put themselves in classes, according to their social status. This should not be the case, Christians should learn to fellowship freely with all God’s children without favouritism.

Jesus was a King and He was also God, but he humbled himself, became a servant, became a mortal man, and even died the most cursed criminal death – death of the cross.The humbleness of Jesus made God to exalt him, and to give him a name above every name. The pride of the devil made God cast him down from heaven. So, every time we are humble ourselves, we are preparing ourselves for a promotionhallelujah. Every time we are proud, we are preparing ourselves for a downfall and for shame.

1 Timothy 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

The bible says that pride comes before a fall. Mostly, pride shows itself every time we are lifted and so we should be careful not to take any glory but to give all the glory to God who has given us all that we have. There is nothing that we have, that we have not received from God. God must increase, but we must decrease.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

TRUST

Revelations 3:8

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff , trust Him fully and let go , only 1 of 2 things will happen , either He'll catch you when you fall , or He'll teach you how to fly! 'The power of one sentence! God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favor.


God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close.

Once there was a man who asked God for a flower.... and a butterfly, but instead God gave him a cactus...and a caterpillar. God always does things right. His way is always the best way,even if to us it seems all wrong. If you ask God for one thing and you receive another, TRUST. You can be sure that he will always give you what you need at the appropriate time.

what you want.....is not always what you need! God never fails to grant our petitions, so keep on going for him without doubting or murmuring.

Todays thorn...... is tomorrow's flower!

God gives the very best to those who leave the choices up to him!

God bless you!!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Common misinterpretation of Philippians 4:10

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I have always been hearing this verse being repeatedly used in Christian circles, until I started to wonder and ask myself why. When I decided to read the whole chapter,  it came to my understanding why Paul wrote to the Philippians and prayed this prayer for them.

When does God supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus according to Paul's epistle?
  • The brethren Paul was referring to had ministered to Paul by sending him supplies during his missions. We need to support the work of God and the servants of God as they preach the Gospel. The book of Matthew says that he that receives a prophet in the name of prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. So as you do that, you will surely receive a reward.
  • My God Shall Supply All My NeedWhen we give towards the work of God, we are actually making a deposit into our heavenly account. Of course we know that you cannot go to the bank to withdraw money that you had not initially deposited into your account. As Christians use this verse, they should ask themselves, "have I made a deposit into my heavenly account? Paul told the brethren that it is not that he desired a gift from them , but he desired fruit that was to multiply in the account when they gave to the ministry. Any time you give to the ministry, you provoke the blessings  of God, your account deposits increases and produces.
  • Paul clearly explains about the gifts Epaphroditus had sent to him in Phil 4:18 as pleasing to God. When we give to God's work willingly and sacrificially (even when in want), the gifts goes up to God as an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. When our giving is acceptable to God, He is pleased and so it would be in order for us to  expect abundant blessings from Him. 
  • In Philippians 10:14, Paul was commending the brethren for having done well by communicating with his afflictions. They are blessed those who communicate with the afflictions of the work of God and the servants of God. When we mind the business of God, which is preaching the Word, God will always mind our business. Are we good stewards of what God has blessed us with? Here I am not talking about tithing because tithe is paid and not given, but I am talking about supporting the work of God and being kind to the God’s ministers.
Any time a Christian proclaims Philippians 4:10 to you or you proclaim it to somebody else, ask yourself, do you deserve to draw from the heavenly deposits? Have your really done according to those who partake of such blessings?

Please send in your comments towards this articles through christlove blog.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Fix your eyes on Jesus alone

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Just like a student who does not concentrate when the teacher is teaching would performs badly, so is the case with Christians who does not concentrate on our Saviour. When we fix our eyes on Jesus always, He leads us safely as a shepherd leads the sheep to green pastures. For sure God's power is manifested in our weakest point, only when we trust in Him to strengthen us. So we can surely say, this far has the Lord taken us, He is Ebenezer.

The devil would like us to waste our time focussing on our flaws and weaknesses. His only intention is to make sure he creates a distraction, because he knows that when we are focussed on Jesus, we are well led because Jesus is the Way. Let us always focus on Jesus and we will not be derailed. Jesus is the only way, and He is the only one who knows the way to the Father. When we let Him lead us by the hand, we are fully assured of where we are going.

We are in a race and we need to not only run race but also to make sure that we finish the race and that we are not disqualified. This will only happen if Jesus is leading the way.Then shall we receive the prize for having finished the race. Therefore, let us stop complaining and be engrossed to Jesus instead.

Gazing on Jesus heals our bodies, our souls, our thoughts, our bones and our marrows and we are made strong in Him ready to face any measure of rejection, ridicule, slander, obstacle, shame, adversary, contempt and weakness. This is because the mighty hand of God overshadows all these things and they become very tiny and meaningless to our eyes because Jesus has become so big, so mighty, so magnified, so real and so near to us.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

No one knows the day or the hour

Mathew 23:36-39

36.  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37.  But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
39.  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be

Ephesians 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

John 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Galatians 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

God help us to prepare for the bridegroom, because He is coming for a bride (i.e. the church) without or a spot or a blemish. That calls for sanctification and taking the cross of Jesus Christ daily.

Unfortunately, many Christians have joined the bandwagon of those who are always on the run, being busy, running up and down for the cares of this world. God cannot communicate to us when we are busy taking care of our own affairs. Some of the things most of us are busy doing, are not even necessary, most are luxuries that we can comfortably do without. Hallelujah, if God blesses us with these things, but we should not run after them. The bible says in Deuteronomy 23:2 that all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shall hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

We need to take care of God's business and God will take care of our business. When Jesus was in this world, He told His disciples that His food was to do the will of Him that sent Him and to finish His work. May doing the will of the Father be our food, as it was to Jesus because we are His disciples. Is doing the will of God your satisfaction today or must you be pushed in order for you to work for God? Working and living for God is a privilege and a favour, but not a burden.

It upon us to understand our place in God’s kingdom and to understand that we are called to work, for he who does not work should not expect any payment when the master is paying and giving rewards to the faithful servants. Prayer, giving, tithing, fasting, testifying to the unsaved, preaching, encouraging others, helping the needy are all works of faith and we need to continue doing good as we wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Above all, as we do the works of faith, we need to make sure that our wedding garments are clean by sanctifying ourselves and not allowing the world to defile us.

  • Let us not compromise our faith with the ways of this world.
  • The world should be changed through us and not the world to negatively affect us and so defile us.
  • We should be ready to stand steadfast in our faith
  • We should know that the life we have in Christ is a gift
  • The Gift  we received  from Christ should be highly treasured

Friday, May 14, 2010

Dealing with emptiness

There is a void, a vacuum in every man’s heart that only God can fill. So many try to fill the void with things that are not satisfying and in the end keep searching for fulfilment that becomes slippery. Jesus is our life, peace and happiness. Being wealthy, being famous, being highly educated or having anything that you ever wanted in life cannot fill the emptiness.

Ask yourself, what you are addicted to. Are you a chronic drunkard, a wife beater, a thief, a chronic slanderer, a marriage wrecker, a phonographic addict, a masturbator, a homosexual, a lesbian, deep in wizardry, a rapist, a murderer, abortionist? Jesus is able to SAVE you and make you a new creature. Are you trying to seek satisfaction and happiness from something else apart from God? Some are addicted to sex and promiscuity such that they get blinded to the dangers they expose themselves to – the only ultimate solution is letting God occupy the void in their hearts.

Some Christians and even ministers of God are battling with lust. Know that God is the only solution to such problems. When you let Him fill your heart, mind and soul, He will give you the strength to overcome such addictions. Jesus came for our full deliverance and he is willing to help us overcome.

If one is trying to deal with lust, meditate on God's word, think about Him and get deliverance from lust. First one have to own up to the fact that he/she have that problem in order to get delivered. When one feels so weakened with such struggles, God’s power and love is increased and one is strengthened to overcome. Complaining  about oneself quenches the Holy spirit, but thanking God welcomes the Holy Spirit and therefore welcoming the help of God to overcome the weakness. Always remember that Jesus was crucified for our sins and no one is perfect. Jesus was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Lust is just one example of the struggles some Christians are trying to deal with secretly, but the struggles are numerous. The devil always wants us to keep these things secret and make us continue struggling  alone. Before you fall into sin, remember that you can share it with Jesus for your deliverance for He cares. If you need help, see your pastor for counselling and deliverance, but don’t suffer in silence. Start declaring your freedom for it is possible as long as you believe so.

If you know a Christian who is in such a situation, remember that you are your brother’s keeper. Pray for their deliverance and help them in any way possible. It could be somebody who has just gotten saved and is struggling with smoking, drinking or doing drugs. Such people really covet the support and prayers of other Christians. Above all, as I said earlier, deliverance ministry in all these cases is inevitable.

John 4:13-14

13.  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14.  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The Samaritan woman met Jesus and once she drank the living waters of salvation, her thirst got quenched and she got delivered from a life of promiscuity. She became a powerful preacher, who managed to marshal the whole city to see the wonders of God’s deliverance.

Friday, May 7, 2010

How should married couples resolve their conflicts?

 Question

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MARRIAGES? DIVORCE IS IN AN ALARMIC TREND IN CHRISTIAN FAMILIES TODAY. ARE CONFLICTS/PROBLEMS THE REASON FOR MISUNDERSTANDINGS IN MARRIAGES?

Conflict exists whenever there are important differences between people. Should these differences be permitted to be an issue, they persist and if they remain unsolved, they serve to keep the couple apart in some way”.

We need to understand ourselves in order to establish these important differences in us who are married. We are not the same; we are totally different, with different ideals, visions, motives, desires, likes, degrees of independence, tasks and responsibilities etc.

Working in the same household budget and trying to meet the same goals, will these two partners agree on everything or should they agree to disagree?

Please contribute to this through this blog.

By Pastor Dick

Deliverance Church Aldina -Mombasa -Kenya

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Stop Complaining

Awesome!! We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize
it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we can't.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine, after the rain....

Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;
But God's always ready, to answer your call.....

He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
a word from His lips, can calm every fear...

Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, dawn's early light...

The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
to give you His grace, and send you His love...

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage

...and you question God -'why me?'..
always look at the bigger picture...
.
A day without the Lord- Is a day wasted.

God is going to shift things around for you today
and let things work in your favor.


Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Pleasing God and not man

What propels or provokes you to do good or look good in life? Every time you want to do something, ask yourself why you are doing it. Do you do what you do to please God or to please man? Do you work hard to please your boss (soliciting for a promotion or a pay rise) or to please God? When you give towards the work of God, search your soul to see if you do it to please God or the pastor. Read through this piece and it  will help you meditate on pleasing God and not man.

2 Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

John 5:41-42
41. I receive not honour from men.
42. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you

If you live to be loved by people then you are in trouble, because people who are not God lovers will never love you since they are selfish. Instead find to be loved by God and even if people hate you and curse you, love and bless them. Always relate with other people well though not compromising your relationship with God so as to represent the gospel to them well. You can never please everybody, only be sure that whatever you are doing, you are pleasing God and not man.

Naturally, humans beings like to be praised. We are not supposed to expect or seek praises from men because it only satisfies fleshly desires and makes us feel good that we are being praised. Instead we should give God the glory when He uses us to do anything, knowing that we are only vessels used of God. Many servants of God who were initially used of God have fell into the trap of receiving praises from men and that has really made their ministries go down because God cannot share His glory with any other.

Ephesians 6:6 Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

In most cases, when you do what God is telling you, you end up being unpopular simply because most people don't listen to God but only listen to their flesh. The bible says that the majority of the multitude go through the wide road that leads to hell, whereas few follow the strait road that leads to heaven. That is why I don’t trust the voting system which follows the majority votes because God does not go with the majority. The majority always chooses the simple, quick way whereas the minority chooses the hard, right and sure way.

Matthew 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Hpim0721 by Grace W. Kariuki at http://christloveforworld.blogspot.com