Change – A Constant In The Kingdom

Over time, I have found that change is one of the things that remain constant in Christianity. We are constantly being transformed: consistently evolving. From the very beginning of our true relationship with God, He begins to change us that He may truly be able to fellowship with us. As one yields oneself to the word of God, the word begins to turn a lot of things in our lives around and the ‘real us’ begins to be expressed. The word won’t allow the real person hide anymore because the ‘real us’ is who God sees and wants to work with. He made that person for His pleasure. This transformation sounds so easy but in reality I would say, it is easy and yet tough. It is tough, not just for the person or persons evolving but also for all those around them. It is a process for all parties affected and one from which they will all benefit. Of course, there will always be those who fight the change because it changes everything for them. Yes! They believe they love you and may be close to you but they are acting in the flesh and unwittingly trying to frustrate their friend’s destiny just like Peter tried to stop Jesus from fulfilling his purpose. It is your responsibility to ensure that doesn’t happen.

Mathew 16: 23 “Jesus turned to Peter and said, get away from me, satan! You are a dangerous trap for me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

2 Corinthians 3: 17b “And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from (one degree of) glory to (even more) glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

The truth is there is a high price to change for the person changing, yet we must allow God change us. Our God wants us to be like Him. To be like Him is certainly not to physically look like Him since God is a Spirit, but to look like Him in the spirit which is the core of man. Then whatever we are on the inside, will be reflected on the outward. The end product of this transformation work will certainly be beautiful; for our God is so beautiful, He is indescribable. This change is a process because it is in stages which actually makes it more difficult. Just when one thinks they are settled, here comes another exercise and all of these together can be frustrating; so frustrating, it has caused some to fall from the faith. I guess it may have been easier if the change was only in man’s spirit; but it transforms the entire being impacting the soul and body and our wills are not often easy to deal with. The process begins with God’s word taking us apart thereby ensuring that we see ourselves as we are and realize we need to drop certain things, turn away from them and align with God’s Word. No one ever suffers permanent damage for this process; instead it takes us higher from one level of glory to another. In those tough times, before all things become beautiful, we must know for certain that God through the process, is working His eternal purpose and at the end of it all, we will come out beautiful fitting into His picture.

Romans 12: 2 “… be transformed and progressively changed (as you mature spiritually) by the renewing of your mind (focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes)...”

Hebrews 4: 12 “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our inner most thoughts and desires.”

Though the word of God is not seen, it is active and powerful and as such, does not need man’s help to accomplish His purpose in any life who is yielded to Him and has their eyes fixed on Him. Though we sometimes feel the need to push and prod people to improve on their work with God, I think it just makes us feel like we are doing something because all our pushing does nothing except God’s word does it. To see the written word is to see The living Word – Jesus Christ. To study and meditate on the written Word is to keep one’s eyes on God. Uncomfortable as change is, God demands that we keep changing, getting better and better. If we insist on remaining the same then we cannot be like God. I think we always think the ugliness of the process is an indicator of the finished product so a number of us abort the process. However, it is not so; the result is awesome. So, though we may be afraid of change, we must allow God change us; the benefits are immense.

He Is Working; You Just Don’t Know How

Today, I am thinking of Naomi and cannot help but be glad that Ruth came into her life. Interestingly, Ruth was not even her own child but we probably would never have heard about her if Ruth did not enter her life. Her own children had all died. They died too early for her to reap the full benefits of having children. However, it was for one of them that Ruth came into her life and I guess this was God’s way of consoling her; no wonder the saying “the replacement is always better than the first”. I wonder if her children would have done all Ruth did for her and even put her in Christ lineage. The thing is, God works in mysterious ways and we must give Him room to do that which He does best. Most of the bible stories are nothing less than fascinating but someone paid the price for us to either be corrected or even encouraged by them. We must learn to wait patiently for God even when it looks hopeless because He is very often working to cause everything to work together for our good.

Hebrews 10: 36 “For you have need of patient endurance (to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising), so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised.”

Ruth 1: 20 “Don’t call me Naomi, she responded. Instead, call me Mara, for The Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me.”

Naomi had become so bitter at her God that she had decided to alter the course of her destiny, by asking to be called “bitter”, to align it with the events of her life as she saw it then. What she did not realize was that she had enough time left on this side of eternity, for God to change her story and enter her name in this book that will be read as long as earth remains. In her opinion and to all intents and purposes, the best period of her life was over and there was nothing to live for anymore; but God was just beginning. There was no indication of an exciting future for her. She more or less returned home hopeless which is understandable given her circumstance; but she forgot that God is Himself, Life. Naomi must have loved and trusted God at one point otherwise her daughters in law would not have met with and fallen so deeply in love with her God that they wanted to serve Him but tragedies of her life had dulled her love.  Love is obviously more than a feeling; it is a commitment. True love endures all and is long suffering. It takes a commitment to see love through to the end inspite of all.

Revelation 21: 8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshippers, and all lairs-their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

I wish God would always move just when we are about to give up but it is not always so. We can’t explain it either. I think it gets more complicated because He doesn’t tell you that He is working on “it”, not does He let you know that it will soon be over. God truly wants us to trust and love Him. Thank God for Ruth who trusted God enough to believe Him to the very end despite everything. It is worthy of note that Naomi went from that woman whose life drew others to God, to the woman who was so disappointed in life and frustrated with God that she complained to the point where she asked everyone to call her “bitter”. This is not unlike us when God seems to be looking the other way as terrible events unfold in lives. Sometimes, they happen so rapidly that it seems like God has set out to destroy one; but it is not so. Not only is He setting such persons up for great good, He is also preparing them to deal wisely in life.

1 Corinthians 10: 13 “The temptations in your life are no different from others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Sadly, complaining and murmuring against God is never a solution; instead it facilitates our disconnection from God. Though complaining may be instinctive sometimes, we must practice self-restraint at times like that seeking help from The Holy Spirit. God is not pleased with complainers and murmurers. Whilst it may not be unusual to get to that point where one is fed up; it is what we do when we get there that is most important. That is the point when one seeks help form The Holy Ghost like never before. Don’t try to do it yourself or in your strength which will fail you: we have no capacity in ourselves to carry the weight of life’s challenges. Life throws very hard punches sometimes and often when we are ill prepared, but God is never caught unawares. One day you will find that you came through it all and you are still standing.

Jesus Christ Ought To Be Lord In Our Minds

It has been a while since I was here and not for the best of reasons. Thank you Pastor Yinka for that video. It helped me adjust my priorities. So, it is all about our minds today. It is now a fact that even believers suffer from medically diagnosed mind related issues. It really bothers me. If I seem a little worried, please bear with me especially since science does not have a solution to these issues which they only manage. It is time to return to The One who keeps our minds healthy and heals troubled minds too. As I write, I have on my mind, blood washed and tongue talking believers who have been delivered from the grip of death and are now enjoying eternal life in Christ Jesus. A people whose minds ought to be given to Jesus Christ and who enjoy the benefits of salvation. Since we are family, we are compelled to tell ourselves truth so that anyone who perchance has been trapped in their minds, may begin to enjoy the liberty that is in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 5: 1amp “It was for this freedom that Christ set us free (completely liberating);therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery (which you once removed.)

Salvation is much more than our spirit man receiving life. Whilst it is true that our spirit which was dead is made to live again by reason of our redemption, it is just the beginning of a lifelong process that impacts on our lives after we are done on earth. Our spirit is given life by The Spirit of God; that life then impacts our entire being including even our mortal bodies and mind, making major changes to the way we think. The decision to allow this kind of impact in our minds, is ours. It is only to the extent that we are open to the Holy Spirit that He would move in our lives, to change us. The plan of God is for Jesus Christ to take full charge in and of us, so that He is Lord in our lives. As we know, we are spirit, soul and body. The challenge we are often faced with is allowing the Spirit of God take charge of our minds thereby establishing Jesus as Lord at that level. Who or what ever possesses one’s mind is in control of the person notwithstanding the state of the person’s spirit. I have found that in the times that we are in, a lot of believers are very reluctant to allow the Spirit of God possess their minds and for various reasons. Unfortunately, unless or until that happens, the believer only received the power to become a son of God but is not and as such, is unable to exercise the rights.

John 1: 12 “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Romans 8: 14 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

Galatians 4: 1 “Think of it this way, if a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.”

I wish it would be correct to say that we struggle with Christ ruling in our minds by His Spirit for very good reasons; but I have found that more often than not, it isn’t. It is often silly reasons like our strong desire to be perceived a certain way. We want to be considered “cool” by the world and yet we want to be believers. Carnality is not godliness. The two run as parallel lines and anyone attempting to merge them will only end up with a “situation”. God’s standard for greatness is not set by the world and vice versa and as we all know, God’s standard is better esteemed. As believers, we must open up our minds to the influence of God’s word working with the Holy Spirit. It is not possible to sincerely spend time with God whether in prayer or study of the Word and not be impacted by the word. Anyone who does these things sincerely will never remain the same as long as they are open to God. Indeed one of the things that would happen is strength will be released in such persons that enable them eject ungodly thoughts and ideas. Our “inner man” is as strengthened or weak as we allow. To strengthen one’s mind with the word of God increases His presence in us and darkness has no choice but to leave. It is always our decision and as often as we make decisions that align with God, we have a ready helper who will helps us ensure that we win.

Romans 8: 6 “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

Ephesians 3: 16 – 17 “I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

2 Timothy 1: 7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but (he has given us a spirit) of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline (abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control.)”

Infact to deny Jesus ruler ship at this level of our being, is to reject Him and it won’t be long before a contrary spirit takes over. In truth, no matter how much we would like to lie to ourselves, no one is in charge of their own life. It is either God or satan; our best option is Jesus who is God. It is time to be deliberate about who we hand over authority over our minds to. It is one thing to “give our lives to Christ” and another to ensure that He is in charge of our minds. When Jesus is in charge, His Spirit is in control and strengthens us from deep within. He doesn’t make us timid and/or weak in our minds but He gives strength on the inside and soundness of mind. It is impossible for any mind yielded to Him to be emotional troubled. He doesn’t need help to heal a troubled mind; He is Himself, the healer. If only we would yield to Him.

Life Is Not In Charge: You Are Through Christ

As I read through an old blog, I decided to rework and re-publish it just in case one person who reads it may be “going through something” and heard that believers never have “valley experiences” i.e. very challenging times. I wish I could say so but I have had them and I have seen God come through each one with me making me stronger and feeling more blessed than ever. Life is sometimes like a rollercoaster. Some days are easily great and others, one may need to make great. I met someone who never had these experiences, so she does not believe we should have them; but we do and we are not strange. We have learnt to enjoy “hilltop experiences”, inspite of what we may be going through. We do so with an attitude of thanksgiving and confidence that we are who God says we are. Thanksgiving facilitates the renewal of our strength so that we are able to, through Christ, stand and successfully take on what life throws at us. As believers, we must learn to make the most of every day.

 

Ephesians 6: 13 – 14 “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground…”

The songwriter says “nobody told me that life was going to be easy” and in truth, Christ never said so. It is one of those thoughts or suggestions we love to cling to which make us ill prepared to deal; making believers fail so often that the word of God which says we are blessed begins to look like a lie. Our enemy would rather have us deceived so that we are always “putting out fires” making it difficult for us to be on the offensive in this battle for authority on earth. It is sad that having gone through these experiences ill prepared, we fail to prepare our children or those coming after us, to deal better. We instead, tend to protect them from the realities inadvertently working for their failure because one way or the other, life catches up with everyone notwithstanding the depth or extent of one’s walk with God. If anything, it is the way you deal or handle life’s attempts to determine the cause of your life that is a reflection of the extent of your walk with God.

Genesis 1: 5KJV “And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

The sun rises and sets daily; so every day is bright at some point and dark at another. This is a very real description of the way life works; seeking also to dominate or control man but fails when dealing with believers because God’s presence in our lives makes it impossible for life to enslave us. Of course it still attempts to do so, but we always have the victory; truth that we must always walk in. Every attempt by life on our lives is not ended, until our victory through Christ is established. This is reality we must accept even when it is contrary to what we are experiencing physically. We must train ourselves to accept and live in the truth of God. It doesn’t just happen; we work at making it our reality. It is always our decision what we choose to see happening in our lives. We don’t have to see what others see if it doesn’t align with God’s word. It however, takes real inner strength to see what God sees inspite of what may see physically and that strength only comes from a revealed knowledge of God.

Romans 8: 27 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

Hebrew 5: 14 “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

Acts 17: 28a “For in him we live and move and exist.”

God is one Father who loves so much He died for us; yet is not excessively protective. Though He comes with us, He actually does let us “go through” with a certainty that if we hold onto and trust Him, we will come through. Most parents would love their children if love was measured by what parents allow their children go through, because most of them would certainly take their children round the “valley of the shadow of death” but He who loved us enough to die for us takes us through it for the priceless experiences and the prizes set before us. Success is certain for every sincere believer; we need maturity and strength to carry “success successfully.” God does not just make good decisions, but right decisions.

Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

To all those who think making positive confessions keeps one from “valley experience”, truth is that they don’t. Whilst making them is important, wise and aligns with God’s word as long as the confessions are Christ teaching, they won’s keep you from experiencing life as long as you are in this world. Instead, they will keep you as you “go through” and bring you out a better and more positive person. This is the reason we are more than conquerors. We conquer through Christ and surpass all expectations. We are built to weather the storms of life and come out victorious because Christ already won the victory for us.

The Contention Is Real – You Have An Enemy

There is no doubt that we are in the end times: these are definitely very troubling times. The activities we see around us are a strong reminder that the end is near. Whilst some saints rejoice about this truth, others wish it away and some others even argue that a God so good will not allow any of these “evil events” listed as part of all that will be unveiled in the last days.  It really does not matter what we prefer to or actually believe, God’s truth stands forever. The present times call for prudence on our path. A prudent man sees what is ahead and makes arrangement to hide from the evil thereof. We cannot over prepare for what is imminent – we are in the last days. It will be sad to have all the information that we have and yet pretend like these things will not happen for very selfish reasons because they will happen. We all wish we could live forever but we know also that we won’t; at least here on this earth, so it is wise to act accordingly.

Psalm 119: 89 “Your eternal word, O Lord stands firm in heaven.”

Isaiah 14: 27 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken – who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?”

In the normal course of my day, I counsel with people very frequently; almost every day. Even if I did not hear from God directly, all of the counselling has confirmed to me that believers are definitely under very serious attack from our enemy – satan. Pressures are mounted against us from all sides - our marriages, finances, health, businesses, relationships etc. Meanwhile minds are greatly troubled; such great turmoil in the minds of many even to the point of them losing their peace. The number of believers with mental health issues that stem from lack of peace or troubled mind today is mind boggling especially when we have a Saviour who is Himself, The Prince of peace. The plan is for us to lose faith in our Saviour. Do you know that some even trust themselves now more than they trust God? No wonder, Jesus wondered if He would find faith on the earth when He returns. Our individual faith is seriously under attack; but people have experienced such things before and have come through, so we must not fail God. If you prepare yourself, you will be better equipped to deal successfully.

2 Corinthians 4: 8 – 10 “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not given to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodied.”

Much as I enjoy going to church and fellowshipping with believers, I have found that I need to ask myself some hard questions daily so that I do not unwittingly align with satan’s plans to ruin us. One has to be very deliberate to survive. In these present times, one cannot afford to assume that they are believers just because they confess that they are and have told themselves so. We need to test our own selves. Look at your works daily and ask yourself if they line up with the works expected of believers. The fruits tell who we are hence we are told that we shall be known by them. It is not just the works/fruits but also the reason you do that good work that you do. For it to be a “God work” it must be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Dead works, no matter how good will count for nothing. You have to think again on your works and see if it evidences the faith you claim to profess. Dead works do not spring from the Fountain of Living Waters and as such do not bring joy or satisfaction but drain them, also making the believer’s life dreary and burdensome which eventually leads to loss of faith. It may please you to know that Jesus came that we may have joy and the fullness thereof. Joy is indeed a necessary ingredient for our survival so that stealing it is an attempt by the enemy, to choke one to death.    

2 Corinthians 13: 5 “Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as committed believers. Examine yourselves not me! Or do you recognize his about yourselves by an ongoing experience that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit.”

James 2: 17 “So you see, faith by itself isn’t good enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

Armed with all these truth, we cannot afford to let satan stop us from enjoying the benefits of the victory we have in Christ. We must guard our hearts, living like pilgrims that we are, always prepared for the return of our Saviour, inspite of all that the enemy throws and will continue to throw at us. We must deploy all the instruments of war we know to ensure that we successfully enforce the victory Jesus won for us so that we do not live defeated lives here on earth. You cannot be passive about your faith anymore if you are a believer. It is time to contend earnestly for our faith. It is time to make up your mind what you want to do about your faith. We must do all we know to do to resist the enemy that he may flee from us. It is time to put on your strength “o Zion.”

His Love = Our Commitment

One of the best things about getting born again, are the privileges and/or benefits we enjoy. God loves us so much, He has a table of goodness laid out for every one of us. The goodness or benefits laid out are so exciting that they have been successfully used to lure people to Christ; unfortunately though, many such persons have found themselves in the place of murmuring and complaining, which God hates. Dealing with the reality of this salvation which contradicts the premise on which they accepted salvation just got too tough. Some others even quit completely. They couldn’t cope with pain caused by disappointment; disappointment from finding oneself in a place which contrasts very deeply with where one thought they would be. Sadly, some no longer desire the true encounter that precedes salvation because they assume that they already had a taste of it and didn’t like it: of course, they are not aware that what they tasted is not the real thing. It takes an encounter with our Lord and Savior to enjoy the sweetness of this faith, with a knowing and an acceptance of the fact that the privileges we enjoy come at a cost; because man is inherently selfish. It takes a regenerated mind to put others first, esteeming them higher than one’s self.

Philippians 2: 3 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”

Romans 8: 17 “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together, with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

The primary reason a man commits to God is a realization that he is a sinner who needs God’s forgiveness and cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ. He acknowledges his deep need for His sin nature to be dealt with and brought under control so he makes Jesus Christ Lord and Master over His life. Until one comes to the place where He sees his life without Christ for what it truly is, he would not sincerely yearn for salvation. It is an awareness that instigates a complete transformation impacting spirit soul and body. It starts with a longing or cry to heaven for liberty from the filth of sin and control of the sin nature, to which heaven responds with forgiveness, cleansing and appropriation of Christ righteousness amongst several other benefits including access to grace which is an enabling by God through His Spirit to live the life that pleases Him. Until that complete work is done, one is not yet empowered to take on the responsibilities that accompany the privileges that come with salvation.  The Holy Spirit whose presence in a life signifies that this change has taken place, is given by God to also help us effectively accomplish our responsibilities.

Mathew 11: 28 “Then Jesus said, ‘come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens … take my yoke upon you … and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden is light.”

The privilege of being a joint heir with Christ definitely comes with responsibilities. That commitment to Christ is just the beginning and not all that is required of us. God has not called us to an irresponsible life where He does everything and we do nothing but just enjoy the benefits. He requires us to reciprocate His love, goodness, mercies and kindness. Our commitment to Him comes with responsibilities that must be embraced alongside the privileges. Some of the privileges include the fact that we become keepers of God’s precious word and consequently, custodians of mysteries which is in itself, an awesome privilege. The least God expects of us is that we keep that which was committed to us as we should.

1 Corinthians 4: 1 – 2 “So then, let us (who minister) be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards (trustees, administrators) of the mysteries of God (that He chooses to reveal). In this case, moreover, it is required (as essential and demanded) of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.”

Faithfulness is a key ingredient for success as a believer. Until we learn faithfulness and commitment, we would find this faith a little more difficult and without The Holy Spirit, an unacceptable burden. God demands faithfulness from every one of us so that we really do not have a choice as some of us would like to believe. Making commitments and keeping them is the hallmark of true believers. Our salvation involves a commitment to God and the working out of it involves several other commitments. From one level to the next, the commitment required is weightier so that much more is required to keep them but the reward is also greater. We come to God far from perfect but our aim is to be like Him and He knows, so He sends us a very willing and able Helper in the person of the Holy Spirit. We must always remember that He walks with us, keeps records and rewards. What will be found in the books concerning you when all is said and done?

Easter - That Season That Reminds Us What Love Is

Happy Easter everyone! Thank God for this season when we commemorate the awesome love of a God whom words cannot describe and His Son - Jesus Christ. This is that season when we celebrate the reason for our salvation and the basis of our precious faith. We can not ever give God and/or Jesus enough in return for all they gave for the abundant life that salvation facilitates. The love that made God allow His only begotten son endure such pain and shame just for man is inexplicable. That Jesus would also accept to go through so much for love cannot be explained but that is why we are who we are today - children of God and citizens along with all God's holy people and members of His family.

1 John 3: 16 "We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters."

Obviously, being mere mortals, we have learnt to celebrate the love of God for us and enjoy the full benefits of that love. It is innate nature of man to enjoy love, we love to feel loved. Many would even argue that there is nothing more wonderful than to feel loved. Sadly, the selfish nature of man only allows for man to think on how much he wants to be loved and feel loved never thinking that everyone and above all, God, desires to be loved. Whilst man is selfish and very much so, that is not the nature of God. Selfishness is one of those things that became a part of man by reason of the fall of man. It is a part of what is referred to as "the Adamic nature." God's nature which we have and should express as believers is love so that in desiring to be loved we are able to love. It is intrinsic in us to give and upon which we receive because it is the rule of God that in giving one receives so that as we give love, we receive love in return. Interestingly, giving others of the rich deposit of love in us is never a chore but a pleasurable and easy act because in loving God in return for Him loving us, one is inclined to love all that He loves and God loves man even the unsaved man. God loves Him so much, He longs for His salvation. In this season, the question to us believers is how much do we love God in return for Him loving us? Do we love Him enough to love who He loves and in the way He loves. Do we love Him enough to yield to Him such that people can feel His love flowing through us?

1 John 3: 18 - 20 "Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything."

John 2: 23 - 25 "Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart."

This love is not fake but real and sincere. This is the love that God is; which the unsaved man is incapable of giving and has difficulties understanding but is intrinsic in the believer. It goes beyond just visible acts; it flows from deep within. Indeed, God knows that man is capable of pretending to love when they indeed hate the person so He says one can give one's body to be burned and yet not love. Man's capacity to pretend is immeasurable. Man is spirit, should and body so that the love that believers have flows from our spirit encompasses our soul and is expressed by our body. It does not emanate from the body or soul. Being wise is to relate with everyone in love whilst ensuring that one allows the Holy Spirit reveal to them the thoughts of the hearts of men just like He did to Jesus hence the bible says Jesus knew what was in the hearts of men. It is indeed expedient that one understands the nature of man, for this is wisdom, yet we must deal in love. To prefer to remain in ignorant bliss is stupidity and not even naivety as some would conveniently prefer to say it is and then argue that God is fighting for them which is indeed correct. However, you will move faster in life, if you act with wisdom like Jesus did because you fight less battles making it tougher for the devil to slow you down. You don't know how many years you have left on earth so why engage in battles that wisdom can help you sidestep? 

Jeremiah 17: 9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?"

James 3: 14-16 "But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind."

That man is desperately evil is not strange. It is a desperately evil believer that is a misnomer, although it appears normal in our present day. Selfishness, no matter how subtle, and worldly wisdom have the capacity to make a believer evil and denomic. Unfortunately, the devil has sold us many lies one of which is making these evil things appear so normal these days that even believers advocate for everyone to have a certain level of selfishness claiming that selflessness is stupidity and allows people take advantage of you which said fact I do not dispute. However, One does not need to be selfish to be wise, all one needs to survive is the true wisdom that is from above. That wisdom is not selfish. The Holy Spirit is our ever present guide but we must hear Him and act when we are required to. To modify His instruction will lead to several failures which will slow us down and if we do so often enough, it may lead to His departure because then you claim to be wiser than He is and don't need Him anymore. This is that season when as believers, we may need to take another look at our loving? God is love and He who abides in Him abides in love and God in Him. Is He in you? Remember you can only truly love people to the extent that you love God and if you love God, you will obey Him. Do you?

We Must Allow Change In Our Lives - It's Our Decision

 Change is not often the easiest thing; even when we desire the needed change, it takes a lot to actually allow change fully when there is no apparent compelling factor. If we must see the change in our lives that God ordained for us in this new season, then we must allow change in our minds. Change that does not start from our minds, would be flitting, lasting only for a while before one falls back. The sad thing about falling back to one's old ways, is that one then unwittingly downgrades one's self from the better place God has brought them to. Any change initiated by God is always to improve us for a higher level of operation and comes with benefits. No matter how hard we pray, if we don't allow these God initiated changes, we would most likely not see the results that we desire when we pray and even when we do, they would not be permanent

Joshua 24: 15a "But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve."

Allowing change in our lives starts with a decision which we have to make ourselves. No one, one even God can make the decision for us. God lets us know, through the Holy Spirit, that we need to make changes to accommodate the new things about to happen in our lives but He won't make the decisions for us to allow or disallow the change. That becomes our responsibility and one we must take seriously. A lot of us would rather leave our decision making to God so that if anything goes wrong, we take no responsibility for it. Some people would just never go forward because they are "waiting one God" when God has already done all that Is required of Him. Unfortunately for everyone of us that would rather not think or prefer to pass on the buck, God has always left us with that final right to make decisions. He lets us know what is right for us to do but we make the final decision. If God will not compel man to serve Him, why do we think He would force anyone to make any decision. We even have the right to choose a contrary path though God would always do His very best to provide all the help we need to make the right decisions

Galatians 6: 7 "Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant."

I do not think God judges us for making the wrong decisions but we would have to leave with the consequences of those wrong decisions. We set things in motion in the spiritual when we make decisions though the Almighty God has the final say and can step in at anytime to help us with the consequences of bad decisions and this He does in any way He deems fit which said way never negates His very character and His names reveal His character. One thing we enjoy as believers is the fact that if at anytime we repent from making bad decisions and turn around and begin to make the right ones, God is always willing help us by empowering us to make the right decisions continually as well as ensure that we enjoy the benefits of the new decision so that with God, it is never too late to make the right decisions.

Galatians 6: 9 "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up."

Making the right decisions don't often seem to produce the desired result but it will only be a while, the results will surely manifest. Also, there is the tendency to always fall back to making wrong decisions even after we decided not to, but we must guard against it with all our might. We must not take for granted the grace that enables us make the right decisions and see it through. We have to carefully watch our decision making of we must become who God has ordained for us to be. No matter how little we may think the decisions we have to make are, we must check that it does not contradict in the true sense what God has said He will do in our lives. These decisions are much more powerful than a lot of us think.