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Change is hard but needed
Being a Christian I have found it hard to not stand out in common societal beliefs. It is part of life. Most people go against what I believe in. Some changes I have made have been hard but they definitely have been needed. Sort of like Moses being a prince in Egypt but realizing temporal wealth was far greater for the lay person than for someone who knew his maker (Hebrews 11:24-26). Leaving your nation is no small feet, all he had known for years, respect he had earned. When I made decisions to stop listening to particular types of music, certain TV programmes, speak a certain way and many other changes, my nation changed. Some people didn’t contact me anymore, I didn’t contact others. It would have been easy in some senses to move to another place. Eventually when I moved away from the area I grew up in, it was hard but I did not focus on the negatives for long. God steadied me and I accepted and I began to enjoy the fact, I did not know anyone and other benefits.
I don’t like change naturally but I know it is essential to growth, never being content in stagnation, but knowing moving forward is vital. Some of my greatest successes came from me changing and moving.
What I do know is life is more important to me than death. Life for me includes what happens after we leave Earth and what happens in eternity. I asked someone today, If they were told to leave their location because they were warned the city would be attacked and destroyed, would they leave and if so, what to take. I wont disclose their answers but I will give you the gist of my answer. My answer included no more than three items and they all ensured I could continue my call from God. In crunch situations, importance counts. When Lot was being evacuated from Sodom and Gomorrah, what do you think he took? Due to the pace of evacuation, one man could not take much. Remember, Lot came to Sodom and Gomorrah rich and I am sure he dwelled there even richer. However when he left, he left with potentially nothing. He had his life and two daughters. I say this is better than dying and also better than forsaking God. Riches can be returned, life can’t.
Change is hard for me but God is more important. This is why I try to change for God everyday…
Dust off the dirt
The way to success is simple. It takes hard work and determination, it takes experience and it takes long-suffering. Being able to look adversity in the face and say I defeated you and I am still alive. This is what separates losers from winners. A loser will overreact in a situation, while a winner knows exactly what is going on and keeps moving forward. We live in a world where people and opportunity is unforgiving. We have to take what we want by force and this does not mean breaking the law.
Jesus described the Kingdom of God as something which should be fought for, something which should be taken by force. If you are not willing to fight for what is yours, there is no point. Give your all, and all means life included. Go to death for the cause as it means you really believe it. Let us take people who perceive themselves to be martyrs for a cause and take others lives, Although the action may be wrong, they are doing what they believe in their hearts to be right in most cases.
I don’t condone violence on others illegitimately, I am one who always tries to strive for perfection. Set your sights on the best and expect nothing less. Be a person who has a vision and then start to live your vision. Taste it, feel it, grab onto it and it will come unto you. This blog is nearly two years in the making and I remember before I even wrote one blog post, I could see something. When I got there, I looked even further and continue to do so. A vision is real because you have experience it.
Dream Big…
Word you just say?
Daily Ministration
I learned that words are much more powerful than I previously thought. There is a certain stereotype or custom in being a Christian, I use to evade it so easily, fell into it and now I’m trying to learn t evade it again…It’s called being AVERAGE! Learning about a topic, all you want to do is focus on the famous scriptures, not looking to delve deeper into study.
I like to challenge myself, see how serious I want to be with God, average doesn’t cut it with me, neither do I want to live a life of mediocrity. I want God to be able to ask me, why does he love me and be able to answer with more than John 3:16.
God gave us so much and we gave him nothing initially. We now have the opportunity to give God everything and what do we give him? Ecclesiastes made me think about what we give God. I started to understand that God holds us accountable to what we say…If Nehemiah never prayed to God, he would not have been bound to complete his tasks. The words of our mouth only mean something binding to God when we say them to him…Don’t be hasty. When I say to God, I will give you £100, God now expects it, if I don’t say it, God won’t hold me to it. Whatever we promise God he expects it. God has taught me how important integrity is.
This is something I want to remember everyday I’m living, God Expects what we promise…
Beatitudes
I want to teach you a lesson. Blessed are those who are hungry in spirit, for they will have the Kingdom of God. Those that mourn will be comforted, the meek of the Earth shall inherit it. Those of you seeking righteousness will find it and be filled. You who are merciful will reap mercy, the pure hearted will perceive God. The children of God are peacemakers! If you’re persecuted for God’s sake the Kingdom of God is yours. If you are hated for Jesus’ sake you are blessed, and you should rejoice and be glad in him, as your reward in heaven is waiting.
I don’t know how many times in the Bible God encourages us to trust in him. I do know that, those who trust in God will be rewarded – in this life and the next. I frequently receive information about missions overseas. Places where its illegal to call oneself a Christian. Where you are arrested and tortured for leading people to Christ. It reminds me of the times spoken about and written about in the Bible. It made me start thinking, is it over there where the real Christians are, or is the world developing much faster in western society? I believe both have an element of truth. I heard of Muslim converts who were killed within a week of baptism. This startled me at first. I rejoiced however at the fact that they were accepting of Christ and had a space to repent and follow God. Whether you’re the labourer of the first hour or the last hour, you’re both labouring nonetheless (Matthew 20:1-14). Rejoice when someone comes into the vineyard with you, that’s one more pair of hands to share the load. Even if it be for thirty minutes, that is still some sizeable amount of time for you to rejoice.
People in the east are persecuted regularly and aggressively. Do you trust God to deliver you from any and everything? I’ve had visions about places God has in his heart for me to go. At times I’m fearful in thought about what may happen to me. God continually reiterates where he has taken me from, and where can take me to. Paul was willing to travel across the world, to both teach and be killed for the Gospel of Christ, how far are you willing to go? Are you willing to leave your front door? Have you left your bedroom, better so have you left your heart yet? Not all want to hear about Jesus, and many will kill and attack you for mention his name, but are you ready? Will you fight the good fight for God?
Turn your face to faith
Faith is great, faith is vital. We all have faith. The faith we have however is in different things. The Bible says in Hebrews, that Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The Hebrew word for substance here meaning the ground or setting stone. Faith is the platform for our relationship with God. Faith ultimately is what pleases God. On top of everything faith is personal. I can’t experience your faith personally, I can only try to understand it. God will honour one’s faith because he is true to his word. You may feel you must be some generationally-universally renown individual like John the Baptist or Paul the apostle to have faith but you do not need to be someone special to utilise faith in God.
This article focuses on King Hezekiah. A man that wasn’t the greatest man but he had faith. His faith was visible on more than one occasion. Picking up from Isaiah 37, we see that Hezekiah sent messengers unto the man of God. He highlights the fact that troubled times have arose. You may not know the significance in this, however recently, God has given me several dreams which have indicated, the first point of reference in danger should be him. God sees the fear we have and knows when we are afraid. He is so well pleased when we trust in him and ask for help. Verse six shows God’s response to Hezekiah’s plea ”Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” Israel is seemingly on the brink of destruction but the king’s faith in God is what saves the nation. The next few verses show God’s word come to pass and then messengers sent to Hezekiah stating the destruction is not off. Hezekiah was placed in fear again and what did he do? He went to the house of God and spread the letter before the Lord. Hezekiah spread his problems before God and began to pray. God’s response to this prayer is “He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.” This is a clear formula, faith equals results from God.
Hezekiah believe God could work above all. Moving onto the next chapter in Isaiah we see Hezekiah became sick. The man of God Isaiah comes to deliver a message to him, telling him he will die and not live (set your house in order). What does he do? He rejects the word from Isaiah with his faith, turning his face to the wall.
God’s response was to send Isaiah back saying “I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.“
FAITH IS BIGGER THAN YOUR SITUATION!!!
