Hi Everyone!
I hope you are having a wonderful Friday. I just want to let you know that I will no longer be writing on this blog, I've started a new blog with my friend, Joanna, at graceandglory.keepsblogging.com
Please feel free to check it out and subscribe!
God Bless you!
Friday, June 24, 2016
Monday, June 8, 2015
People fail, God never fails
I can't count how many times someone has said to me, "Don't worry, I've got your back." I've had high expectations from friends and I've been let down. I've expected people not to hurt me but they still do. We set high expectations for our friends and families and as a result, we're often let down. We fail to understand that human nature is flawed and regardless of how good we are at keeping promises, we're bound to fail someone. We find ourselves hurting and getting hurt. We love to make promises but we often break those promises. People fail but God never has and he never will.
The Bible says that we should trust God with all our heart, and lean not unto our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) We should trust in God, not people because people are flawed and cannot always keep their promises. Our intentions may be pure and noble but we are flawed and limited. I can promise someone that I will meet them at the mall tomorrow and my intention may be to meet that person but if my means of transportation become unavailable, I can't meet them. My intention was not to break my promise but still, I found myself breaking my promise. I can promise never to hurt someone but in some way that I don't understand, I can still end up hurting them. Intentional or not, we still fail each other constantly. God's intention is to keep every covenant that He has made with you and He will do just what He said. He promises never to forsake us. (Deut 31:6) He promises to meet all of our needs. (Phil 4:19) God promises to defend His children. (Ex 14:14) Everything that He says He will do, He will do. Though you can't always trust mankind, you can trust God.
Usually, our family and friends don't fail us intentionally but sometimes they do. I can say that there were people who have used me for their own personal gain and when they were done, they forgot about me. There were people who I thought were my friends who let me down. There were people who I expected to defend me who joined in with others against me. Sometimes people do cruel things that we can't understand. It's hard to even wrap your head around it. This is why we should put our trust in God, not people. When people forsake you, God will adopt you. When people reject you, God will embrace you. When you feel lost, God will direct your path.
There is nothing too hard for God. Many people may have failed you but God will never fail you. He can heal everything inside of you that resulted from broken promises. He can make what was old new again. You don't have to set high expectations for people anymore, just trust God because He never fails.
The Bible says that we should trust God with all our heart, and lean not unto our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) We should trust in God, not people because people are flawed and cannot always keep their promises. Our intentions may be pure and noble but we are flawed and limited. I can promise someone that I will meet them at the mall tomorrow and my intention may be to meet that person but if my means of transportation become unavailable, I can't meet them. My intention was not to break my promise but still, I found myself breaking my promise. I can promise never to hurt someone but in some way that I don't understand, I can still end up hurting them. Intentional or not, we still fail each other constantly. God's intention is to keep every covenant that He has made with you and He will do just what He said. He promises never to forsake us. (Deut 31:6) He promises to meet all of our needs. (Phil 4:19) God promises to defend His children. (Ex 14:14) Everything that He says He will do, He will do. Though you can't always trust mankind, you can trust God.
Usually, our family and friends don't fail us intentionally but sometimes they do. I can say that there were people who have used me for their own personal gain and when they were done, they forgot about me. There were people who I thought were my friends who let me down. There were people who I expected to defend me who joined in with others against me. Sometimes people do cruel things that we can't understand. It's hard to even wrap your head around it. This is why we should put our trust in God, not people. When people forsake you, God will adopt you. When people reject you, God will embrace you. When you feel lost, God will direct your path.
There is nothing too hard for God. Many people may have failed you but God will never fail you. He can heal everything inside of you that resulted from broken promises. He can make what was old new again. You don't have to set high expectations for people anymore, just trust God because He never fails.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Stuck on Repeat
Today is Resurrection Sunday, more commonly known as Easter Sunday. It's a day filled with tradition. Some people partake secular activities such as painting, decorating and hunting for Easter Eggs. Others attend church or mass (probably for the first and last time that year until Christmas comes around) dressed in their best for Easter Sunday. Some people don't even recognize the holiday and for them, everything is business as usual.
However, most of us try to be pious as this time of the year comes around. I was in a restaurant and heard a woman quickly apologize for cursing. "I'm so sorry, it's Holy Thursday," she said. Most Christians try to give more to God during this time period. Churches are filled on Easter Sunday, people are singing, and people are thinking about the sacrifice Christ made for us. We try to do the best that we can because it is Easter, after all.
Jesus didn't die so that once a year we can go to church, cry about His death, rejoice about His resurrection and then go back to our old sinful lifestyles. He didn't die for this but unfortunately, this is what so many of us do. We're like broken tape records. We're stuck on repeat. We confess to God that we want to change but then we go back and live the same lifestyle that we told God we wanted to change.
We go to church on Easter Sunday and we listen to the sermon about how Jesus died, was buried and rose on the third day. We feel triumphant and victorious because Jesus, our Lord and Saviour lives! But we miss the message. He came so that we may have life. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God says that He has set life and death before us and He tells us to choose life. Death was our only option but when Jesus died, He gave us the option to choose life. Choose life.
Traditions are great but Jesus' death, burial and resurrection are more than just a tradition. If you are burdened with sin, you can lay it down. Jesus said to take His yoke upon you because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He will take the burden of sin and give you salvation and peace. Don't just take Resurrection Sunday as another tradition. Realize that He died and He can change your life if you allow Him to. He can take your struggles and give you peace.
Jesus died to give us a new life. He wants you to move forward in God. He doesn't want you to be stuck on repeat, stuck in your sin and hiding behind tradition. You can give your life to Jesus. It doesn't matter who you are. Jesus came for the least among us.
Don't just go through the motions. Recognize that He took beatings and wounds for our sins. He took our sins. You don't have to live in yours. He can make you a new creation. Don't be stuck on repeat, give everything to Jesus and live!
However, most of us try to be pious as this time of the year comes around. I was in a restaurant and heard a woman quickly apologize for cursing. "I'm so sorry, it's Holy Thursday," she said. Most Christians try to give more to God during this time period. Churches are filled on Easter Sunday, people are singing, and people are thinking about the sacrifice Christ made for us. We try to do the best that we can because it is Easter, after all.
Jesus didn't die so that once a year we can go to church, cry about His death, rejoice about His resurrection and then go back to our old sinful lifestyles. He didn't die for this but unfortunately, this is what so many of us do. We're like broken tape records. We're stuck on repeat. We confess to God that we want to change but then we go back and live the same lifestyle that we told God we wanted to change.
We go to church on Easter Sunday and we listen to the sermon about how Jesus died, was buried and rose on the third day. We feel triumphant and victorious because Jesus, our Lord and Saviour lives! But we miss the message. He came so that we may have life. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God says that He has set life and death before us and He tells us to choose life. Death was our only option but when Jesus died, He gave us the option to choose life. Choose life.
Traditions are great but Jesus' death, burial and resurrection are more than just a tradition. If you are burdened with sin, you can lay it down. Jesus said to take His yoke upon you because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He will take the burden of sin and give you salvation and peace. Don't just take Resurrection Sunday as another tradition. Realize that He died and He can change your life if you allow Him to. He can take your struggles and give you peace.
Jesus died to give us a new life. He wants you to move forward in God. He doesn't want you to be stuck on repeat, stuck in your sin and hiding behind tradition. You can give your life to Jesus. It doesn't matter who you are. Jesus came for the least among us.
Don't just go through the motions. Recognize that He took beatings and wounds for our sins. He took our sins. You don't have to live in yours. He can make you a new creation. Don't be stuck on repeat, give everything to Jesus and live!
Monday, February 9, 2015
What is the anointing?
There are 5 different types of anointing, according to Smith's Bible Dictionary. First, the ordinary anointing which refers to anointing the body or the head with oil, according to Jewish customs. It was also a sign of respect that a host gave to his house guests. (Daniel 10:3) Next, there is the official anointing, which is linked very closely to the last two types of anointing. The official anointing was done as a rite of inauguration into the office of either, prophet, priest or King of Israel. (1 Kings 1:39) Next, the Ecclesiastical anointing, which has to do with the recovery of the sick. The sick would be anointed with oil and then prayed for so that they could be healed. (James 5:14) The Spiritual anointing refers to the Messiah or the Anointed, which is Jesus Christ. He is anointed as Prophet, Priest and King. (John 1:32-33, Acts 10:38) Lastly, there is the Spiritual anointing with the Holy Ghost which is given to Christians by God. This is also an expression of the "sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit upon Christians who are priests and kings unto God." (1 John 2:27)
Luke 4:18 says "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted , to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised..." This specific anointing described refers to commission by God. Luke was sent by God to preach to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to captives, to heal the blind and to set free those that are bruised. As Children of God, we have a commission. It's specific and it's not the same commission that God has given to your friend or your neighbor. An anointed person is sanctified and set apart for God's purpose.
When God sent Samuel to anoint David as King, God was setting David apart for purpose. His purpose was to lead. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul says that God did not send him to baptize but to preach the Gospel. Paul's purpose was to preach. In Exodus 40:13-15, we see that Aaron was anointed and sanctified to minister to God as a priest. Aaron's purpose was to be a priest.
When I contemplate what it means to be anointed, I realize that to be anointed means to have a specific assignment or purpose from God. It's not about how well you can shout, how well you can sing or dance or how many people stand to their feet while you're ministering. It's okay if you sing and no one stands to their feet. If you have been anointed to sing, God will allow your ministry to encourage and to break chains. In Isaiah 10:27, the Bible says that the yoke will be broken because of the anointing. The anointing breaks the yoke. The anointing breaks chains and barriers that hold down the people of God. If you are anointed, your ministry will break chains and set prisoners free.
Beyonce's performance was not anointed. It couldn't have been. She is a great singer but she is not a minister of the Gospel. She has not been set apart by God to minister. She is a performer and a performer only.
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