BE GOOD SOIL.

We made it to the end of the year! And what a year it’s been. I hope 2023 has been good to you. As we approach the last weeks of the year, it got me thinking about growth and the kind of Christian I want to be, going into 2024. I think it’s something we should always be asking ourselves! The bible tells us that we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling. To me, that means I need to constantly check myself and my faith because faith without works is dead. We have to become doers of the Word, not just hearers! When we first hear the good news of Jesus, we all experience something that seems to take root in us, a hope that we never knew before. Initially, we feel this change that takes place, and we desire to be the person that we were created to be. But what happens after the Word is planted within us? Do we just go back to life as we know it? Do we let the world continue to consume us?

The bible says that if we love God, we must obey his commandments. Obedience is very important in our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is much more than just turning up to church on a Sunday. We can’t treat God casually and think that our relationship with Him will grow with minimal effort on our part. The closer we draw to Him is, the closer He will draw to us. Honestly, it’s the same with any relationship we have. What we put in is what we get back. If we don’t tend to the people in our lives, our relatonships with them would never grow deep. So why do we struggle to tend to our relationship with God like we do with our friends or our partners? The parable of the sower has been on my mind of recent. I think I have firsthand seen different examples of this parable this year, and it really resonated with me. It can be so easy for the enemy to come in and snatch away God’s Word, for many are called, but few are chosen. The parable talks about four different kinds of people who hear the Word. This post, I hope, is to help you figure out what person you are! And if you are really looking to see growth in 2024, I pray that this will help you to tend to your relationship and grow closer to God!

MATTHEW 13:3-4 HE TOLD MANY STORIES IN THE FORM OF PARABLES SUCH AS THIS ONE: “LISTEN! A FARMER WENT OUT TO PLANT SOME SEEDS. AS HE SCATTERED THEM ACROSS HIS FIELD, SOME SEEDS FELL ON A FOOTPATH, AND THE BIRDS CAME AND ATE THEM.” The first person who hears the Word is like a footpath. The Word can not take root because there is no soil. This means that this person lacks understanding when they hear the message of the Kingdom of God. Because of this, the evil one comes and snatches away the Word from that person.

MATTHEW 13:5-6 “OTHER SEEDS FELL ON SHALLOW SOIL WITH UNDERLYING ROCK. THE SEEDS SPROUTED QUICKLY BECAUSE THE SOIL WAS SHALLOW. BUT THE PLANTS SOON WILTED UNDER THE HOT SUN, AND SINCE THEY DIDN’T HAVE DEEP ROOTS, THEY DIED.” The second person who hears the Word is like shallow soil. This person immediately recieves the Word with joy and for a short time will seem like there is potential for growth in their walk with God, but because they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for being believers.

MATTHEW 13:7 “OTHER SEEDS FELL AMONG THORNS THAT GREW UP AND CHOKED OUT THE TENDER PLANTS.” The third person who hears the Word is like a bed of thorns. This person hears the Word, but very quickly, the message is crowed out by the worries of this life and lure of wealth, the wanting of everything under the sun. Because of this, the Word is unfruitful.

MATTHEW 13:8 “STILL OTHER SEEDS FELL ON FERTILE SOIL, AND THEY PRODUCED A CROP THAT WAS THIRTY, SIXTY, AND EVEN A HUNDRED TIMES AS MUCH AS HAD BEEN PLANTED!” The fourth person who hears the Word is like good soil. This person hears the Word and understands it. The Word becomes deep rooted within them, and they bear the fruit that produces a harvest that is beyond their wildest dreams.

Now we have gone through the different kinds of people who receive the message of the Kingdom, which one are you?

I can not stress how important it is to tend to your “Garden”, make sure you are good soil. Make sure there is nothing that is gonna uproot what has been planted. Being a believer makes you fruitful. There is an expectation for growth to see a harvest! We can not be believers who are unfruitful. The message of Jesus is meant to change us from the inside out. The Word of God renews our minds. It causes us to want to live a Holy and righteous life, it changes our hearts and our desires. When we are truly changed, we work for God’s kingdom, not because we have to; because our works don’t save us, but because it is a result of our faith, our faith produces good works.

This world is a trap. It promises us so much but really has nothing to offer us. The bible promises us that if we seek the kingdom first, everything else will be added to us. More than our minds could ever comprehend. Knowing that God doesn’t lie, we can trust that His Word is true, He will do what He says!

Put God first in 2024. I promise you that you won’t regret it. Get rid of whoever, or whatever, is holding you back from drawing closer to Him. Think about the things that have happened in your life since first hearing the Word. The fire that was set a blaze when you first discovered who God was and what that truly meant to you. Now, see all the birds that have been devouring your seeds. Whether it’s dressed up as a new job opportunity, or a new relationship, something that on the surface can seem like a God send, is usually a distraction from the enemy to take up more time, the time you planned to use to initially spend time with God in your secret place or to attend that bible study you promised yourself. I promise you, God wouldn’t bring something into your life that takes you away from Him. MATTHEW 6:24 “NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. EITHER YOU WILL HATE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR YOU WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MONEY.” This world is always pushing us to want more, to see the having of things as what makes us worthy. But the more we have is, the more we desire. It’s this endless cycle and pursuit of happiness that causes us to turn away from our creator. But remember, all these things we chase are temporary, but what God offers us is eternal!

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As we prepare for the obligatory New years resolution, I encourage you to add God to your list. God has a plan for all of us. Some of us are walking in His plan already, and the fruit is plentiful. God bless you if you are good soil! May your crops continue to multiply. If you recognise that your soil needs some help, then seek out the farmer, seek out God, and ask for His help! Spend time with Him in His Word, He will water you. Ask your community of believers for help and advice. Make a conscious effort to remove a distraction and replace it with God. Create the habits that draw you close, and He will draw close to you!

Thank you for reading and journeying with me this year. I pray that this blog has blessed you as much as writing it has blessed me. May the good Lord continue to bless you, and may you always remain hungry for Him! As we prepare for the festivities of Christmas, let’s never forget the reason for the season, JESUS! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2024.

FISHING IN YOUR POND.

I have spent the last few weeks talking and thinking about what it means to be a Christian and my purpose; the point of it all! It has led me to have some interesting conversations with other believers, who have made me delve deeper into understanding why we even exist. We all know about Jesus, and we all know that because of Him, we are reconciled back to the Father through the wonderful gift of grace, which cost nothing but our faith in Jesus Christ, and His death on the cross to absolve our sins. Hallelujah, we cry! Salvation is ours! But what next? Now, we work out our salvation on the narrow road, trying, and at times failing, to resist the temptations placed in our way by the evil one, all while we try our best to keep our eyes focused on Jesus! But what next?

While that might seem like work enough, it doesn’t end there. If I am honest, I have spent the last four years worrying about MYSELF, MY walk, MY struggles, MY growth, and MY relationship with God. Don’t get me wrong, that is exactly what I should be doing, but God requires more from me. I have learned to love God with all my heart and all my soul, but now it’s time to love my neighbour as myself! Part of loving my neighbour is sharing the good news of the Gospel, something that I haven’t been doing as well. It’s easy to meet fellow believers and talk about the goodness of God. It takes no effort to engage with each other when we share our love for Jesus. But when we have to explain the reason for our hope to someone who has no idea of who Jesus is and often has no interest in finding out, our mouth suddenly becomes dry, and we stumble on our words, praying that we don’t get asked something theological because we don’t have all the answers! When I think about sharing the gospel, most times I picture myself standing on a street corner, talking loudly about Jesus to strangers who look at me like I have lost the plot, or shout out abuse at me. The thought alone doesn’t make me want to run and grab my bible and make my way to the local town centre. The first thing this fear highlights is my pride, my worry of how I will be perceived by others, or just my fear of persecution. A reason why I am forever reminding myself of 2 TIMOTHY 1:7 “FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR AND TIMIDITY, BUT OF POWER, LOVE, AND SELF-DISCIPLINE.”

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I then told myself to slow down and take one step at a time. I asked myself, what does sharing the good news of the Gospel really look like for me? Then, my sea suddenly became a pond! All this time, I was picturing myself talking to strangers, and my sea felt too big and overwhelming! Now, I saw all the people I knew, whether friends or colleagues, and now my sea turned into a manageable pond that wasn’t as frightening! It’s no secret that I live for Jesus now. I am constantly reminded of how much I have changed, becoming someone seen by some as wise and full of truth, and others, as a former shell of myself who is no longer fun! Well, you can’t please them all, and that’s fine by me. My faithfulness to God’s word, and how my faith gets me through lifes difficulties, has made it easier for me to naturally get into conversation about what I believe, but I know I haven’t been intentional with most of those conversations.

MATTHEW 28:18-19 “THEREFORE, GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. TEACH THESE NEW DISCIPLES TO OBEY ALL THE COMMANDS I HAVE GIVEN YOU. AND BE SURE OF THIS: I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.” The great commision Jesus left to His disciples in His day is also for His disciples today! And if you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, then you too are a disciple. We have a mission to go and make new believers and teach them to obey God’s commands. If you have wondered what your purpose in this life is, then look no further. You have found it! Too many Christians do not think this is their resposibility, they think this is reserved for others, but no, we all have a job to do. We need to stop living a life that is dead, wake up! You have risen from death into life! This new life you have been given is not to be wasted. It’s to be fruitful, to be made to be a blessing to others. It’s not about what God gives you, and what you can take from your brothers and sisters in Christ, but instead, it’s about what you can give to God and how you can meet the needs of others! This is why churches remain stagnant because people only attend, thinking about what they can get from it or what the pastor can do for them. Only a few come thinking about how they can serve the church. When we attend church thinking about how we can serve others, only then will we see and start to live out what it truly means to walk with one another, the Christian who is devoted to each other, the ones who love and do life together, true brotherly love!

So now that you know your calling, what will you do about it? Because in the end, if we are only hearers of the word and not doers, we are only deceiving ourselves.

The topic of evangelism has been coming up at my church recently. My church wanting to equip the flock to be able to carry out the great commission has been very enlightening for me. Like I said before, the idea of sharing the Gospel filled me with fear. But now I see it so differently. I was reminded of the story in the Gospel of Luke chapter 8, when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man and sent the demons into a herd of pigs. After the man had been healed, as Jesus was preparing to head back to the other side of the lake, the man begged to go with Him. But Jesus said no. LUKE 8:39 “NO, GO BACK TO YOUR FAMILY, AND TELL THEM EVERYTHING GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU.” SO HE WENT THROUGH THE TOWN PROCLAIMING THE GREAT THINGS JESUS HAD DONE FOR HIM.” Imagine wanting to follow Jesus and his disciples, but being told no, but instead, to just go and tell the people you know, your family, about the great things God has done for you!? Wow! This really blew my mind and made me think differently about what evangelism meant. All the time, I thought it meant that before I could do anything, I had to become a scholar overnight, having read all 66 books in the bible. I thought I had to understand everything in the bible so that I could debate anyone who challenged my faith! I definitely wasn’t a scholar, and I know I didn’t understand everything, I’ve only been walking with the Lord for four years, I just wasn’t qualified! But Jesus says you are qualified because your testimony is your good news! He says, “Go and tell your family about what God has done for you!” You don’t have to be a scholar. You don’t have to know or understand everything. So what, if you meet someone who seems to know more and wants to challenge your belief, because the one thing they can’t debate is your testimony, your experience with God! You will never lose talking about what God has done for you.

My church challenged me to be able to give my testimony in three minutes. It really was a challenge to condense it because I am a natural born waffler. But I mangaged to, and now I will be able to share it with people without fear of losing their attention, and giving them the highlights opens up the door for questions and genuine interest. I really encourage you to do the same. So start with your family, share with your friends, your colleagues, work your way down the list of the people in your life, and before you know it, it will become so natural that you too will be going through your town proclaiming all the good things Jesus has done for you!

When Jesus says, follow me and I will make you a fisher of men, all we need to do is make our way to our own personal ponds, our family, our friends, the people that we have V.I.P access to in our lives, and fish! Keep talking and sharing about the goodness of God, pray for them, and live a life that is holy and righteous. Live a life that speaks of Jesus, and just let the Holy Spirit do the rest. You will be surprised when you ask people who they think Jesus is. The answers will make you realise how misimformed people really are. My mum came to Christ through me and my walk with God, I know this works, God used me without me even knowing what was happening!

So be encouraged, my brothers and sisters. Your testimony is unique. Your testimony is powerful! Go and share what God has done for you confidently and boldly! And remember, you can be sure of this, that He is with you always, even to the end of the ages.

Thank you, Lord, thank you, God, for you are good, for you are love

Forever faithful, full of grace, God of mercy in this place

King of kings, Lord of all, the Alpha and Omega, my cornerstone

The right side of the Father, where you wait, my advocate, who prepares my place

The hearts of men, you know them all, no river too wide, no mountain too tall

Nowhere to hide, for all things you see, from the beginning of time to eternity

Then, one day, when it’s time to rest, I’ll sit and hope I’ve done my best

Faithful servant, righteous and true, is who I hope I’ll be to you.

Cerise Vidal.

ADULT. CHRISTIAN. FRIENDS.

The last few weeks have been such a struggle for me in the area of friendship. A lot of past trauma has resurfaced, things I never knew I held onto. I know I have posted about navigating old friendships when you become a new believer, but let’s talk about friendships within the body of Christ. I have, and I am still learning so much when it comes to friendships as a believer. But there has also been a lot of unlearning I have had to do, and that has been the most challenging part because having to deny your flesh is very hard, especially if your flesh desires to cuss someone out or simply just tell someone to shut up!

To understand where I am at, it’s important I take you back to who I was before Christ. When it came to friendships, I was always super picky about who I let into my inner circle. I always knew a lot of people, but I was very good at grouping them into “social” boxes. Certain people were good for certain things. But the ones that stayed close to my heart, the ones I truly considered my friends, I could count them on one hand and I had known them for more than 15 years, so these were the people I trusted wholeheartedly. Although this may seem very wise to you, and of course there is wisdom here, I was very guarded, and it was because I had been hurt at the tender age of 18/19 by these two girls who I thought were my friends, but ended up stabbing me in the back over money. I was heartbroken! Then a few years after that, a school friend that I spent every waking minute either talking on the phone with or hanging out with, behaved so badly on my birthday, the one day I expected them to show up for me. We were never close after that, and that hurt me. Those events changed me, I honestly was never the same again when it came to people. The people I let in close to me always hurt me, and I couldn’t trust anyone. So I built these walls around me so I wouldn’t get hurt again. Now, anyone I let into that space had to really earn it. I wasn’t about making new friends. I might have thought you were cool, but you stayed outside the wall, and I grouped you in boxes instead. In time, I became more introverted, an introvert who presents as an extrovert. If you weren’t in my inner circle, I found it a chore to make time for people, and if I did make plans, I would always be more concerned about when I would be able to go home. I found it all very draining. But it is very draining when you are constantly making an effort to be on guard all the time. It’s hard withholding yourself from people.

At the ripe age of 41, these past events have still been haunting me. They have shaped the way I relate with people. To be honest, I forgot about these things. They were so expertly hidden from myself that I didn’t even realise I was still dealing with the hurt until a recent event triggered this mine bomb to explode. The way God is always making me look deep within myself is just a testament to His love for me. Just when I think I have seen all there is to see, He reminds me that I am still a work in progress. When Jesus commanded that we love our neighbour as ourselves, I never anticipated how hard that would be for me. Oh, how easy it is to love the ones who love you the way you love them. But what happens when the love and consideration you show to others are not reciprocated? COLOSSIANS 3:13 “BEAR WITH EACH OTHER AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER IF ANY OF YOU HAS A GRIEVANCE AGAINST SOMEONE. FORGIVE AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU.” But we cry out “No! They don’t deserve it. Lord, you see how they hurt me?!!!” but He whispers in your ear softly, with all the love and compassion of a Father “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” And now the real battle begins between your flesh and your Spirit.

Bearing with each other in love would have felt weak years ago, and I would have been too prideful to stand for any of this. I would have been the first to let you know how I felt without any consideration of the words I used. Letting people treat you however they want and still have to grin and bear it in love?? To me, who walked hand in hand with the world, this would have been foolishness! 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18 “THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING, BUT TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD.” To keep my heart from closing up to people, I have to remind myself of God’s grace for me and all I have done to Him! yet in His mercy, He has chosen to forgive me, His love for me makes it possible. And it’s the same love He calls us to have for each other! It’s not easy, but it’s important. I have had to deny myself to the point of tears. It’s been a true battle, but I have won, and I have come out the other side healed! My teenage truama is no longer hidden. The enemy can no longer use it against me. Instead, God gets all the glory!

Friendships are important! They are necessary! But wisdom is needed in how we go about them. Unfortunately, in my lack of wisdom, I have learnt some hard lessons during these few years as a believer. The first lesson I learnt was that just because someone is a Christian, it doesn’t mean they will be a friend without fault. If I am honest, when I became a believer, I expected to find friendships easily, thinking everything would be smooth sailing. I learnt very quickly that wasn’t the case. We all fall short, and we all need help. Not one of us is perfect. That is why we need to keep close to the one who is; King Jesus! COLOSSIANS 3:12 “THEREFORE, AS GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE, HOLY AND DEARLY LOVED, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS AND PATIENCE.” As we walk hand in hand with each other, how we do life together should not look like the world. Our friendships should not look like the world. How we respond to each other should not look like the world, for we have been set apart from the world! We will experience hard times with each other, and some days, it will be harder to pick up your cross and die to self than others. But in those times, remember that you are holy and dearly loved. Put your pride aside and humble yourself. Remember grace and mercy, and know that God sees it all and He will deal with His children, the way a good Father does with love and discipline. Don’t let the actions of others bring you out of the new nature that God has given you!

The newest lesson I have learnt is that it is ok to have inner circles within the body, as long as it’s not born out of truama. The best example of an inner circle is Jesus. In the Gospels He had twelve disciples, but He always went off with Peter, John, and James. He loved all the disciples, but He had an inner circle. The three were privy to certain experiences. They were sworn to secrecy, and they were trusted. I don’t know what made them special, but I don’t think that matters. I think it’s a healthy model of what friendships can be. Too many times, we can feel like we need all twelve to be in our inner circle, but that doesn’t make an inner circle, it’s just a circle. Just like there are family members we are closer with, the ones we are distant with don’t cease to be family because we only see them twice a year! My mistake was that I put too many people in my inner circle, so when I felt that I had been hurt, I automatically wanted to throw everyone out of my circle, I didn’t know who I could trust to be there. I started to feel overwhelmed and drained because I had gone back to withholding myself from people because I no longer felt safe. But I recognise that was just an attack from the enemy! God showed me I needed to use discernment in this area, and after a little shuffling around, I now feel peace, and I am back to being open, no longer withholding.

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I know I have shared a lot of negatives, but there are way more positives to having friendships within the body. no matter what age, finding friendships is not an easy task. At 41, finding new friendships has been an experience. The people I am blessed to have in my circle have become so important to me! I literally need them to keep my head above water when life gets difficult. I understand the importance of having people who are like-minded lovers of Jesus in your corner! These are the people who will speak into your life with words of wisdom, these are the people who will cover you in prayer, these are the people who will hold your hand and walk along side you through difficult seasons, these are the people who will encourage you daily! I didn’t think I would find these connections at my age, people that I can truly be vulnerable with, without judgment. People who love me enough to correct me in love when I need it. Thank you, friends, you know who you are! I am truly grateful.

ECCLESIASTES 4:10 ” IF EITHER OF THEM FALLS DOWN, ONE CAN HELP THE OTHER UP. BUT PITY ANYONE WHO FALLS AND HAS NO ONE TO HELP THEM UP.”

THE ABANDONED CHILD.

I’ve been noticing something within the body of Christ that is becoming more and more concerning. The lack of unity, the lack of oneness! Instead of living as part of the body of Christ, some of us are living like an abandoned child! Like we don’t belong! Why? What is really going on? I am genuinely confused. When I was part of the world, I could say I lived like I was abandoned. I had no guidance. Yes, I had a mother who did her best, but she too didn’t know God, so it was the blind leading the blind. I was living doing what I felt was right for me, making up my own rules as I went along. Yes, I had friends, but they definitely didn’t know any better than me. They, too, were swayed by the culture.

Something that is abandoned can mean to be forsaken or deserted, but it can also mean for something to be unrestrained, uncontrolled, and uninhibited. Yes, yes, and yes! That was my life before Christ. When I accepted Jesus into my heart, He scooped me up out of that deserted place I was in and He joined me to His body, and for the first time, I had a deep sense of belonging to something greater than myself! I quickly discovered that I wasn’t alone, and God’s plan for me was not to do His will by myself, but as part of a body of believers working together. So it wasn’t a surprise that the first thing He convicted me about was church and being part of a community! I had already had this false idea of church and Christians in general, but it was reading His word that challenged my feelings, and I accepted that God was right! Now, almost 4 years in, I know that I can’t be a Christian without being part of the body. It’s more than just attending church on a Sunday. It’s doing life together the rest of the week. Too many Christians believe that their relationship with God is all they need. They don’t have to add people to the mix. Their alone time with God is sufficient enough to see them through! What a big fat lie from the enemy! The enemy loves to keep you separated from the body so that you don’t work as you should. You take longer to complete the assignment that God gave you! And in that time of separation, he gets to work sowing seeds of doubt, making you more corruptible. Before you know it, you are drifting further and further away from Christ, and now you can no longer discern the voice of God from what you feel in your heart.

There are many reasons why Christians avoid attending the church and being a part of the community. Sometimes it’s complicated, people have been hurt before! It’s hard to trust when you have experienced trauma at the hands of the very people that are meant to safeguard you, the people that you trust to be the instruments of God. The other reason for people staying away is because it’s easier to live in your sin without accountability! You hold people at arms length because you don’t want anyone to speak into your life. You don’t want to be told to stop doing what you have grown to love doing. You have convinced yourself it’s ok. You are doing just fine as you keep telling yourself that God’s grace is sufficient enough. Thank you, God, that it is! But we mustn’t abuse it either. Another thing I have noticed is how easily offence has settled into the hearts of the Church. Someone doesn’t like how they were spoken to, or someone doesn’t like how they weren’t spoken to, either way, offence is taken, and the heart is hardened. Imagine a church that follows a ministry that promotes forgiveness and reconciliation but doesn’t have the grace to extend it to their brothers and sisters! What a joke!

ACTS 2:46 “EVERY DAY THEY CONTINUED TO MEET TOGETHER IN THE TEMPLE COURTS. THEY BROKE BREAD IN THEIR HOMES AND ATE TOGETHER WITH GLAD AND SINCERE HEARTS,” Imagine meeting with the people from your church everyday! Some of us can only muster 2 hours on a Sunday, we tell each other we are just too busy in our weeks to give anymore time. Church becomes secondary, and our 9-5 jobs and family duties take precedence. God is no longer first, and we become Cain instead of Abel, not giving God our first fruits, not honouring Him the way He deserves. In the book of Acts, the believers devoted themselves to fellowship, to breaking of bread, to prayer. They were together always, they had everything in common, they gave to anyone who had need, even if it meant selling their possessions and property! They were devoted to each other, which, in my opinion, was just an overflow of their devotion to God. So God added to their number DAILY those who were being saved! As we sit in our half filled churches, praying for chairs to be filled, asking for a move from God, lets ask ourselves if we are truly devoted to the body the way that is described in Acts! Maybe there, we may find our answer and our solution. I know we live in a different age to the believers of the bible, but I believe we can still uphold the same sincerity, devotion, and favour that has been left as a blueprint for us today.

Whether you want to accept it or not, you are part of the body! You are called to work together with the body, not separate from them. Imagine if someone chopped off your big toe, although the big toe is no longer a functioning part of the body, it is still your big toe, it just doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to, it no longer fulfills it’s purpose! Don’t be the discarded part that doesn’t function the way it was designed to because you don’t want to be a part of the body. Jesus has one body, and He is the head! You don’t get to be your own body, separated from everyone else. You don’t get to be casual with the body either. You can’t step in and out when it suits you or when you feel like it. Be devoted. If you can’t do it for yourself, then do it to honour your Father in heaven. MATTHEW 22:37-39 “JESUS REPLIED: LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT. AND THE SECOND IS LIKE IT: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” When asked which was the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus gave what on the surface may seem simple. But when we look at what it takes to love our neighbour, we see that it’s far from simple. People are hard work, so trust me when I say I get the draw to want to take Jesus without the body!

Although the body is made up of different people from different walks of life, it’s these differences that make being a part of a community so enriching. Regardless of our differences, we have so much in common, Jesus! Jesus is who unites us, who binds us, who draws us together in harmony. The body is the people who edify us, who encourage us daily, who petition us to God. When we disassociate ourselves from others, we miss out on the fullness of what God has for us. Blessings upon blessings!! If you are deliberately avoiding being a part of the body, then I emplore you to check your heart position! Yes, it’s a heart issue. Ask God to search your heart and to remove what offends Him. Trust me when I say you not wanting to tolerate the body is offensive! You are not forgotten, and you are definitely not abandoned, so please stop living like it. You have a job to do, like we all have, but your job is to work in harmony with the rest of us! Just like the big toe works in harmony with the other toes to bring balance. The big toe is useless if it is removed from the foot, but do you know what happens to the body without the big toe? Absolutely nothing! The foot learns to balance without the big toe and continues on, while the big toe is disgarded to the rubbish heap. That’s a word for someone, I’m sure!

EPHESIANS 4:15-16 “INSTEAD, WE WILL SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE, GROWING IN EVERY WAY MORE AND MORE LIKE CHRIST, WHO IS THE HEAD OF HIS BODY, THE CHURCH. HE MAKES THE WHOLE BODY FIT TOGETHER PERFECTLY. AS EACH PART DOES ITS OWN SPECIAL WORK, IT HELPS THE OTHER PARTS GROW, SO THAT THE WHOLE BODY IS HEALTHY AND GROWING AND FULL OF LOVE.” Yes, we all have our own special work to do, but do you see how our own work affects the growth of others? Do you see how you contribute to the health of others and the love that fills us up? There is no mission that is separate from the body. We are one! PERIOD. Let’s start acting like it. Let’s show the world what it means to truly love one another, to have Christ as the head. It’s the way we treat each other, the way we devote ourselves to each other, that is what will bring people to want to know who this Jesus is who we serve and worship. And God will add to us, just like He did in Acts! Because in the end, isn’t this what it’s all about? Not me, not you, but spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and making disciples. That is the great commission! That is why we labour together as one body under Christ! As the saying goes, “United we stand, divided we fall.”

MAN OR GOD?

Before God shakes up your life, I find He tends to bring all the scum to the surface. He forces you to clean house before He can take you to that next level. The things He brings to the surface can be messy, but it’s nesscersary if you want to see the glory of God in your life. I got to thinking about that mess and how that mess that nobody expects to see can affect those around you. This week, I found myself exposed to someone’s mess. I saw how that mess affected someone impressionable. In my disappointment, I was reminded that man is not God. We can not place people in positions only reserved for God no matter what their title is. Man will never be perfect! Only Jesus holds that title! I know I am stating the obvious, but it’s so easy to place people on pedestals. When they fall off, not only do they do damage to themselves, but to others who are witnesses to the fall. Very quickly, we see where people place their faith. If your faith is affected by the fall of man, there you will find who the God you serve really is.

In the last few years alone, there have been many notable men of faith who have fallen from grace. These men have had huge ministries and overseen thousands of people. So when their evil deeds were exposed, the damage was not only done to themselves, but to many people who trusted and followed their ministries. A lot of people left the faith because of their transgressions. These are good examples of people who placed their faith in man instead of God! I understand God’s judgment for people in such positions. If you lead yourself into eternal damnation that’s on you, but if you take the flock with you, then that’s even worse. The bible talks about being aware of wolves in sheeps clothing, not being led astray. It also warns us that not many will endure to the end when Jesus returns. It’s a scary thought!

This post is a reminder of where our faith should be placed so that we don’t fall away. 1 JOHN 1:8 “IF WE CLAIM TO BE WITHOUT SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US.” We are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. Yes, even Mary from church who always brings in the baked goods every Sunday; with the big beaming smile on her face, even she is a sinner! That includes your favourite pastor. So if someone tells you that they can’t be included in this list, the Word makes them a liar! Trust me when I say the acceptance that nobody is perfect is what is gonna keep you grounded, especially when you are new to faith. With the knowledge that we are sinful, we should forever be at the feet of our Father thanking Him for His great demonstration of love, sending Christ to die for all of us even though we are sinners. So why place our faith in someone who is imperfect? It’s disappointing when someone we felt could do no wrong is revealed to be a deceiver. We mourn for the loss of that person, but that loss should drive us deeper into the arms of Jesus. Because the loss should humble us, showing us how easy it is to stumble. It reveals our deep need for Jesus because we can’t do this life without Him!

If you go to church just for your pastor or because you like the worship, you are gonna find yourself at a crossroads if scandal falls upon your church or someone causes offence. If you think about the church hurt that people experience, the damage that it does to people who never want to step foot in a church again. These people grow a distrust at the mention of God. When, in fact, it has nothing to do with God! It’s not a reflection of who Jesus is. It begs the question, did you ever know God? Were you ever a friend of Jesus? ROMANS 10:17 “CONSEQUENTLY, FAITH COMES FROM HEARING THE MESSAGE, AND THE MESSAGE IS HEARD THROUGH THE WORD ABOUT CHRIST.” Our faith comes from hearing the word. The bible is where our faith pours out. We must read the word so our faith is so strong that when we see people fall away, our feet dig deeper into the foundation that we built-up our faith upon. We can’t stay a float on the faith of others, that will not carry us through this life. The enemy will quickly devour us. That’s why we have a relational God. He wants to walk side by side each of us, just as He did with Adam in the Garden of Eden.

To the people that hold respected positions in ministry, beware of the enemy lurking in the shadows, waiting to bring you to your doom. It may sound dramatic, but really, it isn’t. The enemy would love to tear you down because he knows he can maximise the damage, two birds with one stone! JAMES 1:15 “THEN, AFTER DESIRE HAS CONCEIVED, IT GIVES BIRTH TO SIN; AND SIN, WHEN IT IS FULL-GROWN, GIVES BIRTH TO DEATH.” He can’t force us to do anything that isn’t in our hearts already. All he does is speak to the desires of our flesh, he has no power over us! Greater is He in you than he in the world. So when you are behind closed doors indulging in whatever your vice may be, don’t forget that you are only decieving yourself! You can hide from your brothers and sisters, but you can’t hide from God, He sees you. PSALM 69:5 “YOU, GOD, KNOW MY FOLLY; MY GUILT IS NOT HIDDEN FROM YOU.”

We will never be perfect. We will stumble at times, but we must get up each time we fall. We are no longer slaves to sin because of Jesus. His death on the cross broke the power of sin over us. So keep telling yourselves that when sin comes knocking at your door, trust me, it will; just don’t answer. This is not only for people in leadership, but it’s for the whole body. As a body, we are more effective when all parts function. Every part of your body is important, even the smallest of limbs. If someone removed your big toe, you would find it hard to balance. something so small and insignificant can have a great impact on the body if removed. When we function as one unit, we are more effective in doing our kingdom work. JAMES 5:16 ” THEREFORE CONFESS YOUR SINS TO EACH OTHER SO THAT YOU MAY BE HEALED. THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS PERSON IS POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE.” Let’s look after the body, pray for your brothers and sisters who are struggling, don’t write them off because God doesn’t write you off with all your imperfections. Repent and ask for help. The devil can’t use what you do in the dark if you bring it to the light!

The easiest way to fall away from faith is to place your faith in man instead of God! Read your bible. I’ll say it again, READ YOUR BIBLE! Get to know the God you serve. You won’t truly know the good news of Jesus if you never hear the word of God! As soon as your faith is tested, you will fall each time because your foundation is built on sand instead of the rock! When you read the word, you get to know God’s voice with the help of the Holy Spirit. No man can come and deceive you. No voice can whisper in your ear something contrary to God’s word. Remember, His sheep know His voice.

Church is a hospital full of the sick. The resident doctor on call is Jesus! We all need a hospital. Even when we may have to wait hours to be seen, we still know the value in waiting for the doctor. Church isn’t any different. As Jesus said himself, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” I think that’s a helpful reminder when dealing with the church. It helps to give grace and show mercy to our brothers and sisters who fall short. It also helps us to remember that we are also in need of a doctor and there is no other better than JESUS!

THE FRUIT OF THE VINE.

Before I came to Christ, it’s sad to say this, but I didn’t have a good impression of what it meant to be a Christian. People I met who claimed to be followers of Jesus weren’t the best examples. They actually made me feel I was better living my life away from Christ! I found non-believers in my life more loving and humbler than the Christians I encountered. Christians can often be depicted as intolerant and judgmental towards anyone who isn’t a part of what seems to be a members-only club, reserved for the chosen ones. This picture is the opposite of the life we are called to live as followers of Jesus. As Christians, we have a standard to live up to! To be “Christ-like” is to understand what Jesus expected from his disciples because that’s what we are when we accept Jesus into our hearts. But what does that mean? Does it mean we come to church on a Sunday for a few hours, get our word from whoever the speaker of the day is, then go home and continue on with whatever “life” looks like for us, then do it all again the following Sunday, showing no evidence of change in our lives? Of course not!

First let’s start with the word “Disciple.” It means to be a student, a learner, a follower. Someone who accepts the leadership of another. So to be a disciple means we follow Christ. We learn from Him and continue to learn from him because we always remain students, we always remain teachable. We turn our backs on our former lives, we change because He changes us. We stay close to Him and give Him all authority over our lives so that He can lead us to eternal life! But how do we know we are true disciples? What is the evidence? Let’s take a look at John 15:1-8, where it talks about Jesus being the true vine.

A vine can produce grapes, and the fruit that is born is of similar nature and quality of the plant from which it comes. We are the branches and Jesus is our vine. And what we put out to the world should reflect His nature. Being a disciple is about producing fruit! We are expected to produce plenty of fruit, and we produce fruit when we remain in Jesus! But what is this Fruit? In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul talks about the fruit of the spirit being love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The fruit is the change that following Christ invokes, the sign that the Holy Spirit is really working in us. We start from producing no fruit but being made clean, purified. Now pruned with the word, we start to produce a little fruit at first, then God tends to us, and we go on to produce plenty! John 15:4 “REMAIN IN ME, AND I WILL REMAIN IN YOU. FOR A BRANCH CANNOT PRODUCE FRUIT IF IT IS SEVERED FROM THE VINE, AND YOU CANNOT BE FRUITFUL UNLESS YOU REMAIN IN ME.” Remember I said we are the branch, so to be severed means not being in a relationship with Christ. It’s not about losing your salvation. It’s more about a loss of fellowship with Him and a loss of reward, which can have a serious effect on our spiritual lives. We can become useless to ourselves, to God, and to other people. Remaining in Jesus is to have a continued relationship of true intimacy with Him. The way we do this is through creating spiritual disciplines, like daily Bible intake, prayer, worship, spending time with Him in our secret place, meditating on His word, and really applying it to our lives. We should also invite the Holy Spirit to work within us. This is how we make Him the true foundation, the root, the vine of our lives. This is how we become fruitful!

JOHN 15:6 “Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.” Sometimes we have to take an honest look at ourselves and see what fruit we are producing. Are we even producing fruit? Or have we turned into the useless branch withering away, waiting to be burned? Remember, fruit isn’t hidden. For example, when we look at a fruit tree, we know whether it’s an apple tree or an orange tree because the fruit is visible. There is no confusion about what fruit you are getting. When people look at us, they should know what fruit we have! They should see Christ in us, and not just at church on Sunday! We are not called to be casual Christians. When we are out in the world, we are called to be the light and salt of the earth. People should be drawn to us like they were drawn to Christ because of our love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control!

JOHN 15:7 “BUT IF YOU REMAIN IN ME AND MY WORDS REMAIN IN YOU, YOU MAY ASK FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT, AND IT WILL BE GRANTED!” This is not a one-way relationship. We give ourselves to Him and He gives Himself to us in return! This is what makes us fruitful. God sees the fruit we produce through Christ and He tends to us, designing our paths and being the architect in our lives so that we produce even more fruit! When we move away from Christ, we stop bearing fruit. We stop being useful to the kingdom, we start to wither away spiritually. When we stop remaining in Jesus, we stop being in true alignment with God’s plan. Remember, God has the blueprint for our lives already, but when we come out of alignment, we start drawing up our own plans and hand them over to God, expecting them to be done for us, all because we ask for it in Jesus’ name! We start to treat Him like a genie god, then get mad when wishes are not granted. But when we abide in Him, our plans fit in with the blueprint that God already has for our lives. So now when we pray and ask for what we wish, it will be done for us because we are in alignment.

JOHN 15:8 “WHEN YOU PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT, YOU ARE MY TRUE DISCIPLES. THIS BRINGS GREAT GLORY TO MY FATHER.” Every good thing we do gives glory to the Father. The seeds of encouragement that you plant among your brothers and sisters, the patience you show your neighbor, the acts of kindness that you show strangers, the times when you respond with love when speaking in truth, all this is evidence that we are disciples, not just fans of Jesus! People we meet should be attracted to the light within us, they should want to know why we are so different, what makes us so peculiar. They should want to know how and what caused change in us. That is how I came to Christ. It was finally meeting Christians living life the way God calls us to live. They did nothing special, but through the fruit that they produced I was attracted to them like a moth to a flame. There was a peace that they had, that was a peace that I had never experienced and I knew that nothing money could buy would ever give me that peace. And I knew this because they were not rich, their lives were not perfect, yet I felt desperate to have whatever it was that they had. What they had was JESUS! Their light is what led me down the path to truth. All they did was bear fruit, and in doing so, I am here today, my life completely changed. And that is all we need to do, live a Christ-led life, bearing the fruit that is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. And when people want to know our secret, now we get to share the good news that is Jesus Christ! And you didn’t have to go to your local town square screaming aggressively about burning in hell if you didn’t repent.

If you feel that maybe your fruit production needs some improvement, ask Him for what you need. If it’s more patience, pray for it! Just don’t be surprised when He brings someone into your life who tests your patience. Remember that God isn’t a genie, expect to put the work in. Also, look at the spiritual disciplines you have, and if there is a lack of them, commit to spending more time with Him. Remember, the Holy Spirit resides in you, and just like we nourish our bodies with food daily, we must also do the same spiritually. Some of us are spiritually malnourished! Here is my prayer for all of us as we continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Father, we thank you for this day, thank you for allowing us to see another day with you. Each day you give us is a reminder that we have a purpose and assignment to fulfill. Thank you for loving us and choosing us, and thank you for the grace and mercy you show us every day. Help us to become more like you, Lord. Light the fires in our hearts so that we have a renewed hunger for you. Help us to bear good fruit, fruit that not only glorifies you but is nourishing to the people we encounter. May your light continue to shine brightly within us, that it will be a guide to people who seek to know you. Help us to share your goodness boldly with others. Give us a hunger that can only be satisfied by your word. Help us to become better students so we can do great things in your name. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN.

YOGA, THE GREAT DECEPTION.

This post is going to be a little different. It will contain a lot of information that I have put together while looking into the history of yoga and the modern-day practice of yoga. Now, I don’t make it a habit to dive into stuff like this, especially in the way that I have constructed my findings, but this subject hit close to home awhile back prompting me to look further into it, to be able to plead my case on the reasons why Christians should steer clear of yoga altogether! This post is not to judge a brother or sister who takes part in yoga. I understand the health benefits that can be present in this practice. Fitness is a good thing! I just believe that there are plenty of other practices that can be pursued for fitness instead of yoga. Stretching is good. Taking time to breathe is important, nothing wrong with taking deep breaths in and out. Meditation is necessary when we do it in the correct way; meditating on God’s word, so you will find no argument from me there. I already know that this is gonna be a long post, just because of the information I will share. But just know that this is just me scratching on the surface of what I found. The information I post here can be easily accessed if you just look for yourselves, and I have used a few unbiased sources so that I was fair. Trust me when I say I saw enough to be convicted that this was not pleasing to God.

Although these things might be carried out innocently in the guise of health and fitness, the enemy is a deceiver, and what starts off as something “innocent” after some time can open doors to other things. We already know God is very clear in the bible about idolatry and the worship of other gods. We might not be going out of our way to do this with yoga, but being that it is what it’s associated with historically and presently, depending on how advanced and serious a practitioner you are, it is still all connected and we can not seperate it and reclaim parts by adding “Christian” at the front of it. The philosophy is bad enough alone. What is made for the dark, must stay in the dark!

“Yoga” has roots from the Sanskrit word “Yuj,” which means to join or unite. It works on leading the union of your consciousness to the universal consciousness. If you experience this unity and bond between nature and self, you attain “Moksha”(ultimate liberation). The aim is to achieve self-actualisation and peace. This is when you achieve “Kaivalya” (freedom). Yoga is believed to originate in Northern India 5000yrs ago. The story is that Lord Shiva (a Hindu god, also known as the destroyer) was the first yogi. He imparted and taught yoga to his seven disciples and sent them out to different parts of the world to spread the knowledge of yoga. These teachings reached as far as Asia, Middle East, Northern Africa, and South America.

Yoga was first mentioned in the Sanskrit texts of Rig Veda dated back as far as 1500 BC. The vedic religion (Hindu) had vedic priests who took part in sacrificial rituals named “Yajnas”, these rituals required an invocation, and they used mantras and music to complete these rituals which they carried out in their everyday lives. They used poses as part of their rituals to their many gods, which have now evolved into modern-day yoga poses. As time passed, yoga found its way into Buddhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, an emphasis was made for meditation and yogic poses that helped attain enlightenment. In Jainism, the importance of meditation was stressed to attain salvation and “Moksha.” Lord Krishna said of yoga “That it strives for oneness between man and nature. It takes us back to our joyous state.” In ancient times, the purpose of yoga was to connect oneself with the world around them. It focused on breathing and freeing of the body, spirit, and mind. The four different paths of yoga were, Karma Yoga (yoga of action), Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge), Raja Yoga (path of meditation), Bhakti Yoga (path of loving devotion to a personal god). There are different yoga techniques that are still used, Dranayama (breathing exercises), Pratyahara (withdrawing senses), Breathing Modulation, Sound and Meditation in complete Peace.

Today in Western culture, the benefits of yoga are limited to fitness, flexibility, and ridding oneself of physical disabilities. It aids in strengthening physical and mental health, to achieve eternal peace and harmony between body, mind, and soul. The aim of yoga is to achieve self-actualisation and self-realisation. Asana Yoga (which means postures) is the one made popular today, as fitness and flexibility are at the core, but new classes and courses are starting up with the intent of spreading the full yogic culture, bringing back the forgotten yoga paths. After receiving a “Yoga day” by the United Nations, the plan is for yoga to be spread throughout the west to “enlighten” millions. Today, most people innocently partake in yoga, but there is a lot more to it than people realise. There are different types of yoga, and there are different levels of yoga. Most people who are beginners are probably taking part in Hatha Yoga, the popular exercise practised in the West, usually without the spiritual pairing. Although it is hard to separate Hatha Yoga from the spiritual because of the poses used.

The more advanced type of yoga is Kundalini, also known as “Shakti,” a new form of yoga that developed in the early 2000s. The philosophy is that the body is the vessel for the flow of energy. Shakti is the goddess of energy, creativity, and change. Known as the source of all life and an embodiment of the feminine principle. Shakti or Kundalini energy is said to be a creative force that lies within and gives you the power to manifest your dreams and desires when you awaken and harness the energy. The opening of your Kundalini energy can cause physical and emotional symptoms, which you are then advised to seek a qualified yoga teacher or yoga therapist.

Another advanced type of yoga aimed at the more experienced is called Shiva Yoga. Shiva is something you work your way up to, as it requires a lot of discipline and dedication. It’s cited as a powerful form of yoga that connects you to your inner power first and foremost but can also help to release negative energy and emotions. It combines physical postures of yoga with breathing techniques and meditation of Pranayama. Shiva is known as the god of destruction and regeneration, the destroyer of evil and transformer of the universe. Before you begin Shiva Yoga, the instructions are as follows: First, create a calm and peaceful environment, and turn the lights off. Then burn incense and play soft music. Sit in a comfy position, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths to prepare for the practice of shiva yoga. Chant “Om Namah Shiva” (which translates to “I bow to shiva”) to help you connect with the power and energy of shiva. Then begin physical practice using a basic sequence of yoga postures.

The poses used today are still relevant to worship and receiving spiritual enlightenment. These postures are meant to make you feel more connected to shiva. Remember these are the same postures used as part of rituals 5000 years ago that have evolved into modern-day yoga. Here are a few with there original names: Easy Pose (Sukasana), Mountain Pose (Tadasana), Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana), Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana), Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana), Child’s Pose (Balasana), Downward Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana), Tree Pose (Vriksasana). There are many different gods that can be called upon for guidance and support by practitioners, each represents a different journey in yoga. Most common gods include Shiva (god of transformation), Vishnu (god of preservation), and Durga (goddess of strength and protection). You are meant to choose who you feel called to work with or are drawn to, as it helps you to connect more deeply with the practice. Lord Shiva is still considered the originator of the yoga lifestyle, the patron god of yoga.

There are a lot of different parts of yoga not mentioned, but I wanted to keep this brief. I think it’s important to stress that I do not believe that stretching is demonic, but what became very clear to me was that yoga was! Before I started looking into it, I had only heard the testimonies of people who had once been yoga practitioners and had now found Jesus! What they were exposing was shocking. I had also heard a few Christians speak of being into yoga and practising it with a “Holy” mindset, only to later become convicted that it was not good. I had never really investigated it myself until I needed to. Although some may argue that they are not summoning spirits or doing anything other than the fitness aspect of yoga, the fact that yoga to this day is still very connected to the demonic, is enough to say maybe we should consider finding another form of excercise as Christians. The fact that the postures are still very much the same and taught in the same way as in days of old is enough to err on the side of caution! Performing this sequence of postures is unsettling to me. We must be careful of what we dabble in or what we invite in! I don’t think this is a case of what one feels convicted about compared to another. I believe that God is very clear when it comes to things like this. We can not redeem everything in this world. DEUTERONOMY 12:4 “DO NOT WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD IN THE WAY THESE PAGAN PEOPLES WORSHIP THEIR GODS.”

We can not take the things made for the dark and make it something of light. We can not pick and choose and remix it to make it about the Lord. Instead, let’s leave the dark to the dark and set up our own things. Satan is always trying to deceive us by coming dressed as light! It’s time we wake up to his schemes and plans. Do not be easily swept away by his lies. I pray for my brothers and sisters who practice yoga, I pray that they will have wisdom and discernment, and that God would convict them and remove the scales of deception from their eyes. I hope this post was helpful. Like I said before, I used unbiased sites to get my info so that I would be fair in my assessment of yoga. But don’t just take my word for it, go look for yourself! I hope this blesses you.

DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND!

Did I get your attention? I hope so, because this post is a serious one. Being that it’s holy week, and as we approach Easter Sunday I felt this was a fitting message to share. This months post is connected to a message God gave me in a dream. It was a warning to the body of the church, to every believer; a reminder that we have a choice to make, a choice that results in life or death! As we get together this weekend and we are reminded of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection, we have to remember why and what he died for. Look in the mirror and you will see who he died for, he gave his life as a willing sacrifice so that me and you could have eternal life, so that me and you would have salvation. But what is salvation? what does that mean? When you look up the definition of salvation, it says to be saved from danger and destruction. As Christians, salvation means being rescued by God from the consequences of our sin which is eternal death. So we are reminded that there is destruction coming, it may not be here yet, but its on the way and we will be judged and we will have to pay for our sins, and we already know that the wages of sin is death, eternal death!

The beautiful part of this story is if we believe in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and what he did on the cross; and in his resurrection, with all our heart and soul, we get the free gift of grace, and we will be saved from destruction and separation from God. We will have eternal life in heaven, where there is no evil, no sickness, no tears! We don’t have to do works to receive this gift, nothing that we can boast about, all we have to do is accept Jesus and follow him. The simple Gospel.

So now that we are reminded that there is a coming judgement, let me also remind you my brothers and sisters that we are called to live by the spirit. This is what my post is about, living by the spirit! Before God gave me His message, one day as I was reading Romans, I suddenly truly understood what it meant to live by the spirit, something I hadn’t really comprehended before. I knew we had the Holy Spirit who was our helper, but there were other elements I didn’t understand, like our soul and body and how it was all connected. That day as I sat in my room with my bible in hand, it was as if there was an explosion in my mind, and everything just connected seamlessly! So before I share God’s message with you, it’s important that I share what it means to live by the spirit, I don’t think I can share the message without it.

As you know we are created in the likeness of God, who is God the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. We too are in three parts, our Spirit, our Mind/Soul, and our Body. Before we accept Christ into our hearts, our spirit is lost, its like somebody walking aimlessly in the desert, without a drop of water in sight, dying from dehydration and heat stroke. Our soul, which is our mind, where we think and feel, is being controlled by our body. The body is where our sinful nature is located, where the desires of the flesh are born. Our desires are so powerful it controls our mind; our soul. We become a slave to sin, because we naturally want to fulfil those desires of our flesh, we want to do what feels good, so without Christ we do what feels right, but ultimately leads us down a path of destruction. PROVERBS 14:12 “THERE IS A WAY THAT APPEARS TO BE RIGHT, BUT IN THE END IT LEADS TO DEATH.”

When we accept Christ into our hearts; the living water, we receive a new Spirit; the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who is our helper joins our dying spirit and we are reborn, we are no longer dehydrated and dying of heatstroke in the desert. With the Spirit of God living within us we receive a new nature, remember our old sinful nature before we received the Holy Spirit was to follow the desires of our flesh, but with a new nature we are no longer controlled by our flesh, the power of sin is broken, we now carry out the desires of the Holy Spirit, which are pleasing to God! So now we have the wonderful Holy Spirit, what happens to our old sinful nature? Are we free from the desires of our flesh? The answer is NO. Our sinful nature is part of our body, this is why when Jesus returns we get a new glorified body! Our sinful nature is always trying to control us, always calling out to us to do what feels good, always trying to get into our minds and corrupt us. ROMANS 8:7-8 “FOR THE SINFUL NATURE IS ALWAYS HOSTILE TO GOD. IT NEVER DID OBEY GOD’S LAWS, AND IT NEVER WILL. THAT’S WHY THOSE WHO ARE STILL UNDER THE CONTROL OF THEIR SINFUL NATURE CAN NEVER PLEASE GOD.” So the question to you reading this right now is, who is controlling you? Are you pleasing God? Or are you giving into your sinful nature?

As a believer in Christ we are not controlled by our sinful nature, we are controlled by the Holy Spirit! We are no longer under its power! Just like Christ was raised from the dead, so were we when we received the Spirit of God! But why are some of us living like we are still dead?? Some of us are living like we don’t have the Holy Spirit in us! Following Christ everyday is not always easy, the path is narrow for a reason, but what we don’t get to do as believers is claim Jesus but live like a child of satan, thinking all will be well because we say we believe in Jesus! Don’t be foolish! We are not called to be fan’s of Jesus, but followers of Jesus! With faith comes action, you have to act like you believe in what you don’t see. We are not safe my brothers and sisters, if we don’t live to please God, we won’t see Him! ROMANS 8:6 “THE MIND GOVERNED BY THE FLESH IS DEATH, BUT THE MIND GOVERNED BY THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE.”

There is a reason why the bible mentions the need to renew our minds, it’s because our mind can be easily controlled by the wrong things, that’s why reading the Word is so important! It helps us in this spiritual war we fight! We wear the helmet of salvation for a reason, to avoid sinful thoughts, so that we are not dominated by our sinful nature! ROMANS 12:2 “DO NOT CONFORM TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD’S WILL IS-HIS GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL.” So now that I have shared my understanding of living by the Spirit, let me get to the message I believe God gave me to share with the Church.

One morning, I had woken up from an unfulfilled sleep, one of the many consequences of being a shift worker. After a short period of tossing and turning, I drifted into a sleep where I felt semi awake. I started to dream, but it was strange because it was like I was being shown something and I was watching it unfold, and I kept talking to myself saying things like “this is really important, I have to remember this!” and “as soon as I wake up, I am going to write this down!” I had never had a dream before where I was aware that I was in a dream like state! As soon as I came out of this dream and opened my eyes, my memory was blank! I could not remember a thing I saw, even though I knew it was important! It was all a blur except for one detail, which didn’t make any sense to me. The one detail I remembered was hard to explain, but it was like I saw people as two, like they had a second person connected to them, but this person was like a spirit with no distinct features, but like a fuzzy outline of a person. All I could remember was that there was something happening, something of great importance. After being frustrated with myself for not being able to recall the events in this dream, I fell back asleep. This time, I was taken back into what I instantly knew to be the same dream, but this time, the dream was being explained to me. The detail I remembered suddenly made sense! I woke up still not remembering the details of this dream, but I knew what the dream meant, and I knew it was from God!

A week before I had this dream, the Holy Spirit gave me the understanding of what it meant to live by the Spirit. Now I understand why, because I would have never understood the importance of this message without it! God’s message was clear then, as it is now as I write this, and this message was for my Christian brothers and sisters. The message is this, if you are a follower of Christ Jesus, this is a wake up call! Stop living like children of the world following your sinful nature, it’s time to turn away and start living by the Spirit that God gave you! Time is moving quickly and Jesus will be back soon, if you don’t change before it’s too late, YOU WILL GET LEFT BEHIND!

To be left behind is the worst thing I could ever imagine, I couldn’t even imagine it knowing what I know now that I am no longer part of the world! But scarily enough some of us will hear it, when God will say go from me, I do not know you! But while we still have the mercy of God, we have time to repent and change our ways. I notice that churches today do not like to confront sin head on, instead they dance around it, thinking it too harsh and not palatable enough for a Sunday service. But doing this does a great disservice to the flock, and that is not what God calls us to do, give a watered down version of what is right. It’s loving to give hard truths, remember souls are at stake here! I pray that we will all see God’s glory, but lets not be asleep and miss the wedding altogether! It’s time to wake up!

HEALING FROM PAST TRAUMA.

Today’s post is a hard one for me, maybe triggering for some, but I hope it promotes a journey that leads to healing for you. In my pursuit to start my year seeking God more diligently, it has led me down a road into an introduction to the world of spiritual healing and even deliverance. Now let me say it’s all very biblical, nothing new age over here! But in my struggles being a slave to sin, and having the colourful past I have had being apart of the world, I thought I needed to seek extra help to overcome some of my hurdles. I was recommended a therapist of sorts that deals with spiritual healing and deliverance. To be honest I don’t know what I expected, as I hadn’t talked to anyone professionally since I was 13 years old. The informal chats; getting to know this person who I am supposed to share the deepest part of myself with, were very refreshing and easy over a skype call, and before I knew it, I was in floods of tears after an hour into the conversation. Now, I have a long way to go still, as it’s only been a few sessions, but my last session was so revealing and surprising it moved me to share my revelation in hopes it might help someone else.

If you have been reading this blog from the beginning you would know I didn’t grow up knowing God, I don’t come from a religious family, and for 37 years of my life I lived as an enemy to God. Three years in, my walk with God has been difficult! That’s no surprise, its hard to be on the righteous path. As hard as it may be at times, it was definitely harder being apart of the world. When you are apart of the world you live a lie, because they tell you it’s the fulfilling path that leads to happiness, when the truth is you are always left with a feeling of emptiness. That emptiness you feel will never be satisfied if you follow the world, that emptiness is especially reserved to be filled by GOD! In my last session I had to admit I had been experiencing a block; a spiritual block, and I had no idea why. During the month of January, the month I had been seeking out the Lord, God had been communicating with me in different ways, but I felt like I couldn’t receive Him fully. I know the Holy spirit has been trying to fill me at points, but its felt like a tap that drips ever so slowly, instead of the gushing flow that is intended. But why? Was it a problem of unbelief? NO. I know God’s Word, I believe God’s Word! Watching my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ having these flowing in the spirit experiences, I felt like I was excluded from a club that wouldn’t let me through the door.

It’s very easy for the enemy to remind me of my past and make me feel unworthy, but I know that it’s not true! After our previous conversation where I had shared snap shots of my old life; a life where I lived very guarded with my heart, because of my past casual relationships that were built on me being in control and not letting men past a wall; all to protect myself from getting hurt. This led me to dig deeper, something I had never even considered doing. I had closed the door on my past since coming to Christ. All the things that I had experienced in my life and childhood, I had locked away. I thought that had no power over me. Growing up the way I did, I was never able to truly express my trauma, I always had to get over things quickly and get back to life! Sweeping every hurt and pain under the “carpet” being “strong” because that was all I was allowed to be. It was digging as far back as my earliest memories of my childhood that brought the revelation; that made me realise that I was still guarding my heart, even in my relationship with God my heavenly Father. I had created a wall unknowingly because I hadn’t given all the hurt of my childhood to Him. My mind and my heart were not connecting because I was still a hurt child protecting myself out of habit! I realised that I had never been a child, or even knew how to be one! Now when I am faced with being a child of God, and for the first time having someone to call a Father; never knowing my earthly father because he had no interest in knowing me, and not knowing what it meant to be a daughter because I grew up having a mother who wasn’t always loving and was very hard hearted, a mother who was physically abusive at times because she was abused, a mother that would always tell her friends with an air of regret that her life would of been different if she didn’t have me, a mother who planned to give me up for adoption when she found out she was pregnant, a mother who I had to mother. Add being abused at the age of 13 by my brothers dad, and seeing the only man who I ever wanted to call dad attempt to take my mothers life, my walls were built from an early age.

It’s strange how the things you don’t even think about can still haunt you. It’s in that hidden place where the enemy will get comfortable. He works in those hidden secret places, hiding behind the veil of hurt and pain. I thought that hurt didn’t affect me anymore, I am 40 years old! It’s funny how we can be transported back to that hurt child and feel every feeling exactly the same as you did back then. It was overwhelming but after the flood of tears that consumed me after that session, I felt a lightness that I hadn’t felt before. I closed my eyes and asked God to remove the wall around my heart that I had built, to help me to trust and accept His love for me so I could experience Him on a deeper level, so I could experience Him as MY Father!

Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas on Pexels.com

Sometimes it’s hard reopening closed doors, it’s easier not to feel, to be numb is how we survive. But not allowing God to truly heal us is even more damaging. We have to trust Him with the hard things, as well as the good things because those who trust in the Lord are secure! No matter what has happened in your past, all the people that have hurt you, the everchanging hearts of man, know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! 1 PETER 5:7 “THROW ALL YOUR ANXIETY ONTO HIM, BECAUSE HE CARES ABOUT YOU.” There is nothing of our past that He can not carry, no burden too big! His love for us is so great, it numbs our past pain so we don’t have to, we are perfected in His love!

I feel like I have drawn closer to Him since starting these sessions. He has been showing me new things and I have been and still am on this spiritual journey of what it means to worship Him in spirit. When Jesus tells us to seek and we shall find Him, no truer word was spoken. God is not hiding from us, if we look for Him, He will reveal Himself to us. What an amazing God we serve!

My childhood might have been hard but God carried me through every hard point. When I look back on my life I see He was always there, even in the darkest moments He was a light that carried me through the darkness. My mum is amazing, after the life she had and the things she experienced at the hands of those who were meant to love and protect her, she did the best she could in a dark place. The enemy is real and he is out here destroying lives! My mum being new to Christ today is a testimony of the power of God! Remember your past life doesn’t define you, it is your identity in Christ that defines you! So give it all to Him and let Him heal you, because only He can.

PSALM 118:5 “OUT OF MY DISTRESS I CALLED ON THE LORD; THE LORD ANSWERED ME AND SET ME FREE.”

THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the Christmas period. As we look to the new year, I wanted to share this message I shared at my church at the beginning of the year about reconciliation. Forgiveness can be very hard to do but as Christians it’s a very important part of our walk. So I thought I would share this message with hopes that as we go into 2023 we can go with forgiveness in our hearts. God bless you all, see you in 2023!

If we think about the relationships in our lives, I am sure if we are honest we might see there are relationships in need of repair, relationships in need of reconciliation. Now I know we can all feel justified in our reasonings for these relationships breaking down, we can have our reason for placing the blame on others for their wrong doing, and we may feel that things are beyond repair. God teaches us in the bible the importance of reconciliation because ultimately God’s sovereign plan is for us to be reconciled to Him! One of the stories I want to draw from in the bible is the story of Joseph in Genesis. Now, the story of Joseph is very long and I don’t think I could go through it all in detail right now, but I will do my best to summarise it to the best of my ability. There is so much teaching to be had from it, but what I want to focus on is the story of a family being restored. If you come from a big family, I am sure the family dynamics will be familiar to some, I know I see a parallel when I look into my family history.

Joseph was one of twelve brothers. Joseph was what we would call the golden child, he was his fathers favourite. GENESIS 37:3-4 “NOW ISRAEL LOVED JOSEPH MORE THAN ANY OF HIS OTHER SONS, BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN BORN TO HIM IN HIS OLD AGE; AND HE MADE AN ORNATE ROBE FOR HIM. WHEN HIS BROTHERS SAW THAT THEIR FATHER LOVED HIM MORE THAN ANY OF THEM, THEY HATED HIM AND COULD NOT SPEAK A KIND WORD TO HIM.” This story is all too familiar for some of us. This is a cautionary tale to parents. Joseph was resented by his brothers because of his fathers behaviour. Having a big family can be a blessing, but not for Joseph. He experienced rejection from the people that were meant to love him. Just like Joseph we can experience the same rejection from our family, even our friends who are often like family to us.

God gives us spiritual gifts, and we see Joseph’s spiritual gift of interpreting dreams given to him at the young age of 17 years old. He was given two prophetic dreams from God which were a foretelling of his rulership. In his immaturity he told these dreams to his brothers, some may argue in a prideful way without humility. GENESIS 37:5 “JOSEPH HAD A DREAM, AND WHEN HE TOLD IT TO HIS BROTHERS, THEY HATED HIM ALL THE MORE.” I think when God shows us something we have to be careful how we share it with others, because this is what led to Joseph’s brothers conspiring to kill him. Sometimes we have to use wisdom when giving a word, not everyone is able to receive what God is saying.

Now we see what the relationship was like with his brothers, lets fast forward to his brothers conspiring to kill him and a summary of what Joseph’s life is like afterwards. When his brothers plot to kill him and throw him in a cistern, it’s his brother Reuben that tries to rescue him, suggesting that they leave him in the cistern and not harm him. But later it’s his brother Judah that decides to make some money by selling him into slavery where he is taken to Egypt. Joseph goes through a lot and there are parts of his story that we can all relate to. Firstly being betrayed by the people closest to him, feeling alone, treated like an outcast. He was accused of something he didn’t do, lied about, even we he was living the right way. He was imprisoned, he was overlooked and forgotten, all these things we experience in our relationships today. But through it all God was faithful to his word and everything that happened led him to be in a position to fulfil God’s ultimate plan of saving a nation. Joseph was sold into slavery at 17; remember he was 17 when God gave him the prophetic dreams. The dreams didn’t come into fruition until over 20 years later! God can give us a vision of where He see’s us, and in our excitement and impatience we want to see God’s plan for us immediately. We question God when we feel it’s taking too long, but the thing about our Father is nothing happens before it’s time. During the waiting period He is always preparing us to be able to handle where He intends to take us! It’s important to note that during all of this we never see Joseph crying about his situation or cursing the brothers for his predicament, instead you see him honouring God in everything he does, something we can all learn from. Even in his darkest moments, God is always with him! Something we all need to remember in life when we are going through our difficult seasons, God is always with us, even in the silence. God doesn’t forget us!

It’s over 20 years until Joseph see’s his brothers again. When they do come face to face, Joseph is in charge of all things in Egypt, a position given to him by the Pharaoh because of his spiritual gift which saw them well prepared for the famine that would last for 7 years throughout the country. All of the country would have to come to Egypt and deal with Joseph for food supplies, this is what brings the brothers face to face with Joseph. Joseph’s brothers do not recognise him, so Joseph uses that to put them through a series of tests. Being in the position he was in, when he accuses the brothers of having ulterior motives for coming to Egypt; possible spies, the brothers are fearful of Joseph. The tests he puts them through shows a side we haven’t seen of the brothers, it’s the first time they show regret for what they did to Joseph, believing that this bad turn they find themselves in is God’s punishment for what they did to Joseph. Even though Joseph really puts them through it, it’s never in a malicious way, it’s God working through him to bring the brothers to repentance. Remember we need to repent before we can be restored!

Sometimes time can have no affect on a person, but sometimes time can change a persons heart completely. Joseph wept when he heard their regret. After a few more tests he puts the brothers through, he finally reveals his identity to all of them. What you see is a family who was once broken coming back together, being restored after 20 years of separation! You do not see blame being cast out, all you see are hearts being mended. Joseph says this to the brothers when he reveals himself, GENESIS 45:5-8 “AND NOW, DO NOT BE DISTRESSED AND DO NOT BE ANGRY WITH YOURSELVES FOR SELLING ME HERE, BECAUSE IT WAS TO SAVE LIVES THAT GOD SENT ME AHEAD OF YOU. FOR TWO YEARS NOW THERE HAS BEEN FAMINE IN THE LAND, AND FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS THERE WILL BE NO PLOWING AND REAPING. BUT GOD SENT ME AHEAD OF YOU TO PRESERVE FOR YOU A REMNANT ON EARTH AND TO SAVE YOUR LIVES BY A GREAT DELIVERANCE. SO THEN, IT WAS NOT YOU WHO SENT ME HERE, BUT GOD. HE MADE ME FATHER TO PHARAOH, LORD OF HIS ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD AND RULER OF ALL EGYPT.” Joseph doesn’t send his brothers away, he doesn’t blame them for the hard times in his life, he doesn’t even have hate in his heart for them. Instead he shows them love and forgiveness, and he recognises God’s divine plan in it all. He says come, you and your families come here where I will cover you, keep you and provide for you. He kisses them and cries tears of joy that he has his family back!

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This is what God wants, He wants us to be reconciled back to him. He says I know you have done wrong, but I want you still, I forgive you! He says I want to cover you, keep you, provide for you, you are my family! This is the ministry we are called to. This is why Christ died on that cross. This is why our sins are washed clean by His blood! God knew that was the only way He could be back in relationship with us. He planned this from the beginning, when Eve took the forbidden fruit. He planned for a way to bring us back to Him so that we could have the opportunity to be restored, to be brought back to our Father, our sins wiped clean, made into a new creation! This is the message we have been charged to share; this is the message of the Gospel! 2 CORINTHIANS 5:18-20 “ALL THIS IS FROM GOD, WHO RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF THROUGH CHRIST AND GAVE US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION: THAT GOD WAS RECONCILING THE WORLD TO HIMSELF IN CHRIST, NOT COUNTING PEOPLE’S SINS AGAINST THEM. AND HE HAS COMMITTED TO US THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION. WE ARE THEREFORE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS, AS THOUGH GOD WAS MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US. WE IMPLORE YOU ON CHRIST’S BEHALF: BE ROCONCILED TO GOD.”

God doesn’t count our sins against us, instead He shows us grace when we don’t even deserve it. Even when we fall from grace time and time again, He doesn’t hold it against us, keeping score. He asks us to do the same of others, to show grace and forgiveness, even when they don’t seem deserving! But if we have a God that can forgive us of so much, then surely we can begin to do the same for others! MATTHEW 5:23-24 “THEREFORE, IF YOU ARE OFFERING YOUR GIFT AT THE ALTER AND THERE REMEMBER THAT YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU, LEAVE YOUR GIFT THERE INFRONT OF THE ALTER. FIRST GO AND BE RECONCILED TO THEM; THEN COME AND OFFER YOUR GIFT.” It doesn’t matter if its you that has something against your brother or sister, or if they have something against you! We have to learn to own up to our sins and we have to learn to forgive. Remember we have a God who searches our hearts! We can not come to the alter if we can not reconcile in our own lives. How can we be ambassadors of Christ if we do not do what we proclaim!?! If you don’t feel convicted to address any relationships that need reconciliation today, I pray that this message will act like a stone in your shoe. It might be uncomfortable at first, but the longer you walk with it, it starts to hurt and you can’t ignore it any longer, you got to stop and take your shoe off; get rid of that stone!

My prayer for you reading this today, is for your hearts to be softened, for peace and harmony in your relationships, for families to be restored, for forgiveness! Like God forgives us and shows us grace, I pray that you can forgive and extend that same grace to others, so that when you approach the alter, you can approach with boldness! In Jesus name, AMEN.