It Is Not What Man Says But What God Says That Matters

 

God created man for His pleasure. However through the Fall man lost his fellowship with God. Man now orders His world the way he feels like it. This means that man decides how he wants to live in this world. Sin has tarnished every aspect of our lives. We are now fallen beings in a fallen world. This is the Biblical position and those who believe that the Bible is the word of God stand on this. Fallen man however rejects God's word as mythology and so decides to do what he thinks is right. This then causes the moral drift that leads to all kinds of disorder in society.

 

God has made a way of escape from this chaotic and confused situation. He provided an answer for the fall of man into sin. His answer is Jesus who came to pay the price for our sin by dying as a sacrifice on the Cross. Now we can choose to avail ourselves of His answer or reject it. Most people are blind to sin and therefore it takes a spiritual intervention for our spiritual eyes to be opened. This is called the born-again experience. When our eyes are opened we see sin for what it is. This is why a spiritual man cannot be judged by a worldly person. It is as if we are from two different worlds. No amount of discussion can remove the blindness. 

 

It is time now for Christians to pray that the spiritual blindness that affects the world be removed. Satan who is the god of this world wants to keep us blind and bound. God wants to liberate us and give us abundant life. We can live the heavenly abundant life now. This is possible for anyone who will call on the only Name under heaven by which they can be saved. Jesus saves and He is the only way the spiritually blind can see. Once we see then many things we thought were right are wrong. Truth replaces lies and we will stand for truth. The Holy Spirit will help us see the truth and His word will confirm it. This is the only way we can be free to be who we were created to be. This spiritual sight is available to all who will repent and turn to Jesus to save them.

Your Thoughts Framed By The Word Of God Has Power To Move Mountains.

 

Your thoughts are powerful to bring about change. God's thoughts can transform lives and situations. Man's thoughts are natural. God's thoughts are supernatural. The Word of God is supernatural. The Word and the Spirit are as one. God's Spirit dwells in His word. Jesus is the living Word of God. The Bible is the written word of God. When we believe this then His word becomes alive to produce fruit. Fruit is the manifestation of life. Where there is no life there is no fruit. Many read His Word but don't believe it. This is to read it as a letter and not as the living word of God. This is the difference between the religious and the faithful. 

 

Now imagine what power is released when the word of God frames your thoughts. God's word will begin to transform you from within. This transformation will affect your perception of things outside you. It will affect your relationships and your destiny. Once you walked according to the law of the world. Now you walk according to His word and His Spirit. This is an about turn from the path leading to hell to a path leading to heaven. Heaven is now your destiny. His word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. His word is the lamp but it is darkened to those who are blind. Those who see can walk in the path wherever it leads.

 

The word of God spoken by faith can move mountains. This is the key to victory. Speaking the word of God is to speak His will into being. If my mountain is sickness then I can speak His word of healing and see my healing manifested. If my mountain is poverty then I can speak to that mountain with God's word of prosperity and cancel the curse of poverty. God's word is His perfect will. Therefore when I speak His word it will manifest the fruit. Jesus spoke and the lame man walked. His word had power because He did the perfect will of God. Now we can do the same in Jesus’ Name.

Keeping Confidences Is Related To A Selfless Life

 

Relationships are built on trust. Trust means we keep what is shared in confidence to our self. Moreover, we don't gossip about others. We can be trusted with what is shared with us by another. This is what is lacking in the world today. Many people don’t trust the words of another. Much communication is distorted and like Chinese whispers secrets are shared and distorted. Lies abound in the fake news and no one knows what is the truth anymore. This only breeds insecurity and a lack of faith in others. What is the remedy for this fake state of affairs? 

 

Trust in God is the remedy for a world that revolves around lies. God is our Father and when we trust Him we are able to be honest with each other. Satan is the father of lies, but God is the Father of truth. We are able to be vulnerable with each other when we operate from a platform of trust. When we trust God to be the judge then we are not involved in the game of one-upmanship, and furthermore we seek to serve and not to lord it over others. How much the world needs to see this in the church. Yet the church mimics the world rather than the other way round.

 

God is calling for a body of believers who will forsake all and trust in Him. He died for the whole world, which includes you and me. What manner of love is this, that a man will lay down his life for another? Yet God knew this was the only way to prove His love for us. Today, turn to Him, let go of your insecurity, and trust in Him. He will help you to turn from your wicked ways and walk with Him. I choose to follow Him and to trust Him with everything. I can keep confidences and build trust with my fellow brethren and prove to the world that unity is possible for those who seek it.

I Don't Run On Feelings. I Run On Faith.

 

Feelings are real and this is what makes us human. To feel is to know who I am as a human. Our feelings teach us what it means to empathise with another. When we see someone crying we naturally respond with sadness. When we see someone laughing and happy we too feel happy. Feelings make us feel alive and present. We could be having a happy or sad memory and this could evoke feelings from the past. Feelings however are like the weather and will pass. When we allow our feelings to dictate our decisions then we could run into problems. Feelings should only alert us and guide us to make the right decisions and not decide for us. 

 

Feelings are not right or wrong. They are just feelings. Some of us feel guilty when we feel angry. This compounds the problem. Anger is good when it is controlled. It means something is not right. If we have a sense of justice then anger could be a response to being wronged. So also other feelings are just responses to a situation or person. They are not the end but only a guide to help us come to a decision. We must never let our feelings dictate how we decide on an issue, because our feelings can cloud our judgement. In this case it is best to take a break and decide later when we are more composed.

 

A self-controlled person knows how to use his feelings to help him decide and not to decide for him. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. Such a person knows when to use his feelings to his advantage. Feelings can  help us to move away from danger or wrong relationships. Without feelings we become like a stone. We don't react and people will find us cold and distant, which will affect our relationships. No one wants to be friends with a cold and distant person. People are attracted to warm and vibrant others.

 

Running on faith is to be led by the Holy Spirit. This does not discount feelings but feelings are secondary. Faith calls for trust in the fact  that God is in control. Faith believes and so is prepared to take risks. Faith does not depend on feelings, but depends on the word of God. His word fires up our faith to do what appears impossible or illogical. Faith moves me to pray for someone on his death bed. I operate in faith when I am surrendered to His will and His purpose. Faith is what pleases God and it operates in the unseen world and brings the miracle into the seen world. God spoke both worlds into being. We can create in both worlds when we run on faith.

When The Spirit Separates Itself From The Flesh We Experience Total Freedom

 

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are His creation and created in His image. Adam was created in His image and likeness but through the Fall he lost His likeness. We too bear His image and now are being transformed into His likeness. This is a process so that one day we will be like Jesus when we see Him as He is. Now we only see dimly and so we only know Him dimly. The clearer our vision of Him, the greater our likeness to Him. To be like Him is to be like Him in His nature or character. This is what we all yearn to be but our flesh life continues to dictate our behaviour. What is the way out of this dilemma?

 

God has put His Spirit within us to help us to be like Him. We cannot be like Him by following rules or imitating certain behaviours. That is just an outward show. The real you is in you and is revealed in times of crisis. In these times, the outward show will collapse and the real you will come forth. It is like wearing make-up and the real you is revealed when the make-up is washed off. We can fool others most of the time but we cannot fool God. God has given us a solution, which is to submit to Him and He will do the rest. Our will must submit to His will.

 

God commands us to be filled with His Spirit and to walk by His Spirit. This means we have to die to our flesh to be free from its demands. We are then free to follow Him. In the Spirit we will walk in His likeness. He has given us His own Spirit who helps us in our time of need. He will help us in our weakness and make us strong. Nothing is impossible for Him, so that the worst sinner can be transformed by His Spirit. All we have to do now is to be filled and overflow with His Spirit, by praying much in tongues. He will then flow through us and the more we walk in this way, the more we will be like Him.

God Is Interested More In Your Character Than Your Gifts.

 

God created us in His image. This means that we carry in us the divine design that reflects His personality and gifts. God’s attributes are the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, patience, gentleness and self-control. We are to grow in these characteristics to supplement our faith. Without these additions to our faith we are but a clanging cymbal and a noisy gong, or a cloud with no rain. Many in these days go after the gifts as if they are emblems of God's presence and favour. However these can be just a show and when trouble comes such people fail. Only our Godly character can withstand troubled times. Our gifts are only for a season and will disappear when we go to heaven. In His presence there is no need for gifts. In His glorious presence He is all in all.

 

Character is not automatic. This is to do with maturity. Our character matures as we practice God’s attributes in our relationships with others. Jesus commanded that we love our enemies. How is this possible when we have difficulty loving our family and friends? This is only possible by the Spirit. His Spirit in us enables us to operate in the gifts and also the fruit of the Spirit. However we need to be submissive to Him. This means we have to surrender our will to His will in all areas of our lives. Sunday Christianity will not do. Only a surrendered life will do.

 

We either choose to walk according to our flesh or according to the Spirit. The world cannot do this as they do not have the Spirit of Christ. We can do this because we are born again in the spirit and have His Spirit within us. In these last days there will be a separation of the wheat from the tares. Light and darkness will be more obvious, and there will be no place for compromise. Therefore, we will be either radical for Christ or against Him. I choose to be radical for Him. What about you?

How To Differentiate Between Your Soul and Your Spirit

 

Our spirit was redeemed when we accepted Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Our soul is in the process of being redeemed as it is still under the influence of sin. Sin has no more power over us unless we choose to give into it. Our soul continues to rule our lives through our thoughts, feelings and will. We have to submit to the Holy Spirit who lives in our spirit. When we do so we bring captive every thought to the obedience of Christ. This is to be led by the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit. We were so accustomed to our soul life for this is what we experienced since we were born. However things changed when we were born again. Our spirit experienced new birth and now we have to choose to walk according to the Spirit or according to the demands of our soul.

 

Our soul is influenced by the world, the devil and our senses. Our senses are prone to receive from the world and the devil because we have not been fully redeemed. We have to go through the process of sanctification of our soul till it is fully redeemed. This is a life-long process. Even Paul at the end of his life said he is the chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15). But for the grace of God none of us would be fit for heaven. This is why Jesus came to be the perfect sacrifice for us that we may inherit eternal life. Our soul always seeks to please itself. We need to transformed by the renewal of our mind.

 

Our spirit is redeemed and has access to the Holy Spirit. We now have to read and meditate on the word of God to be transformed from our old ways to the ways of the Lord. The Bible is the inspired, infallible word of God. Our spirit will influence our soul and choose to walk according to the word of God. We will love His word because it nourishes us and edifies us. We unlearn our old ways and adopt new ways of doing things. We learn to love ourselves and love our neighbour. This is a reprogramming process. It does not happen automatically when we are born again. We have to train ourselves to be worthy servants who choose between right and wrong. Many misinterpret His word and compromise. God's word is absolute truth. When we choose to follow Him we become like Him and will do His works.

What Is Your Narrative? Mine Is The Word Of God.

 

We all have narratives that determine our walk in life. Our narratives influence our world view and therefore the stance we take in politics, moral values etc. If we are liberal then we tend to be inclusive and accepting of others. If we are conservative we tend to be restrictive and exclusive. These narratives are made over time and also tend to be familial. We tend to hold to that which runs in our family of origin. Some of us will actively rebel against these family views and become the black sheep in the family. Family values have a powerful way of running our lives. Some ruin us and others strengthen us. Understanding your narrative may give you some understanding of why you behave in certain ways. They are powerful propellers that drive our daily lives.

 

Narratives born out of worldly systems tend to support worldly attitudes. Worldly attitudes tend to be largely amoral and therefore are largely selfish and callous. People with such attitudes are concerned about themselves and no one else. The world is driven by greed and lust for power and self aggrandisement. In such a narrative there is little concern for the other person. Everything is driven by a lust to improve one's lot at the expense of others. One can see this played out in our world where decisions are made purely based on self interest. This may work for a while but ultimately is self destructive. Addictions and other selfish states often arise from a lust based on greed and power. The lust for power usually is the driver.

 

A Godly narrative based on the Word of God, on the other hand, is primarily driven by the love of God and a love for God. God has revealed Himself to man and those who find Him find true love. God's love always serves and never controls. Father God loves His creation. He sent His own Son Jesus to redeem mankind. He created us and now longs to bring us back into His fold. We were lost in this fallen world and now He leads us to Himself. We choose to follow Him. This narrative will drive us to Him and life eternal. Come drink from His well and be saved today from a worldly narrative to a Godly narrative.

Fix Your Heart On The Healer, Not On Your Healing.

 

 

God is a Healer. His perfect will is to heal all who come to Him, because Jesus healed all who came to Him. Why then do we see many not healed after years of prayer? Could it be because we are waiting for our healing rather than fixing our heart on the Healer? Sickness and disease could be a distraction like symptoms are to the body. A painful little toe can take all our attention and we forget that the rest of our body is well. We spend so much time being distracted by the painful toe and neglect the rest of our body. The devil sends us distractions to keep us focussed on our symptoms rather than keeping our heart fixed on our Creator. This is the time to shift our attention and treat our symptoms as irritations sent to distract us.

 

Jesus came that we may be delivered from the devil. He came to destroy the works of the devil. The devil is the god of this world and he can only affect us if we give into temptation. He sends diseases and disorders to keep us from our assignment given by God. Paul had some thorn that affected him and yet God allowed it. He said God's  grace was sufficient to keep him. He did not let this distract him from his mission. We too are called to keep our heart fixed on God and He will take care of our symptoms. Nothing can touch us when we acknowledge Jesus as Lord. He is Lord of our body and He is our Healer.

 

Today let us remember that the Healer lives in us. When we keep our heart fixed on Him then everything else will flow from Him. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. We belong to Him and He will take care of us. He has promised us abundant life and we accept nothing less here and now. The devil has no right to us and thus we can cancel any and every power he has over us. We are free to be as God has called us to be.

Your Thoughts Are Powerful To Tear Down Or Build Up.

 

Your thoughts are constantly being processed even when you are not aware of them. Most of us are only partially conscious of the thoughts passing through our mind. It is like a computer processing information that is coming through our senses. We smell something or see something or hear something and all these are being processed. Our thoughts elicit, for example, love or fear responses. These thoughts then fire off our feelings and actions. Fearful thoughts elicit anxiety and dread and we withdraw or break out in a sweat. Once we become aware of our thoughts then we can do something about them. However most of the time we are unaware of these thoughts and only experience our feelings.

 

Most of our thoughts are at a subconscious level. When we decide to focus on our thoughts we will be able to identify some of the trigger thoughts that spark off our healthy or unhealthy feelings. Once we become aware of our unhealthy thoughts we can capture them and analyse them. Are these thoughts true or false? Can they be challenged and reversed? This process of analysis and change is what the Bible calls the transformation of our minds (Romans 12:2) . We are transformed through the renewal of our minds. These culprit thoughts are like a telegram, short and sharp. They lie below our conscious thoughts. Some examples of unhealthy thoughts are as follows: I am a failure; I will never amount to anything; I am a loser. Challenge these thoughts with thoughts based on what God says about you: You are fearfully and wonderfully made; You are a winner; You have been destined for greatness.

 

When we become aware of the power of our thoughts then we will begin to monitor them more consciously. Our dreams are a signal of the the type of thoughts we entertain. When we sleep we are less prone to filter our thoughts. Fearful dreams maybe an indicator of entertaining fearful thoughts. Replace those fearful thoughts with thoughts of love and peace. Our thoughts are precursors to our words. We can speak aloud against these fearful thoughts and cancel them. They can be demolished by our words. God's words spoken aloud are like cannons that blast mountains to dust. Every mountain of disease and disorder will disintegrate at the Name of Jesus.

Imprisoned By Rules Or Liberated By Grace. You Choose.

 

Rules regulate our daily lives. Without rules we will be chaotic and head nowhere. Rules like laws were instituted to regulate life. God gave us the Ten Commandments for right living. However over-regulation will limit our freedom to be creative. In fact we were born in rebellion and so all we do is break rules. However there is another way. It is called the way of grace. God initially introduced laws to reveal how wicked our hearts are. We were born in sin and sin always breaks laws. I in myself is not good or bad but the sin in me makes me choose what is bad. This is what is described as Paul’s Romans 7 experience. Many are born again but still live in Romans 7.

 

There is a way out. Thanks be to God in Jesus we are no more bound by rules. It is not that we now do not uphold the law but our hearts have changed to do more than what the Ten Commandments require. This is the law of grace. This is the Romans 8 experience. How sad to see that many still prefer the old ways of pleasing God by rules. In the flesh we are proud to display our righteousness by boasting about our good works. Yet we know that our good works can never satisfy the righteous requirement of God. How foolish we are to keep in the old ways when the new has come to deliver us from our old ways.

 

Today Jesus is calling us to abide in Him as He abides in us. No more toiling and labouring under the old master. We have a new master who has paid the price for sin. Jesus’ death on the Cross paid the price and delivered us from the law of sin. Now we are free to live lives free from the power of sin and free to live abundant lives. No more labouring under the old tutelage but free to be me. I am so grateful for the salvation I enjoy in Jesus. Come and join me in the river of life and live.

Think Your Way To Health, Wealth And Prosperity.

 

God is good and He desires the best for His children. He has revealed His will to us through His word. However few search the scriptures to know His will. Most fear God as He is perceived as a judge and not a Father. God is a God of love and justice. He is truth and His truth is absolute. His truth is not an opinion but absolute truth, which is a certainty based on His character. God judges fairly and in Him there is no fear. We fear that which we are guilty of. For example, we fear punishment because of our sin. God provided the solution for our sin in Jesus. Now we are free to be His children who can call Him Father.

 

God's promises are true and never change. Apostle John prayed that his friend Gaius be in health in his body even as his soul prospers (3 John 1:2). This means that as we are changed by His word we receive His goodness. We are changed and transformed by His word. It is like brain washing. We need to be transformed in our thinking to be changed, healed and restored. God's word reveals Himself to us and we become like Him as we gaze into His face. We are transformed from a beast to a beauty. We are transformed from our carnal self to our Christ-like self. Our thoughts are renewed in line with His word. We learn to trust His word more than our thoughts or the opinions of others.

 

Prosperity is our lot when we walk with the Lord. Poverty is not God's will for us. God is a rich God. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. In heaven the roads are paved with gold. Poverty is of the devil whose agenda is to steal, kill and destroy. God's will is that we prosper not only in wealth but in health and in our soul. Therefore let us today begin to trust His word, meditate on His word and be transformed into His image. We are called to be priests and kings and we must think like a Priest and a King.  We become what we think in our innermost thoughts.