PERSEVERE

The birth of baby giraffes, is a great life lesson teaching perseverance and persistence.

The first parts to emerge are its front hooves and head. Then the entire calf appears, tumbles ten feet to the ground, and lands on its back. Within seconds the baby rolls over and stands, struggling to move those gangly, untried legs. Then sometimes, an amazing thing happens. The mother giraffe positions herself directly over her newborn calf, looks it over, kicks it, and sends it sprawling. If it doesn’t get up, she kicks it again! And when it grows tired of the struggle, she kicks it again to stimulate its effort to stand. In fact, every time the baby manages to get to its feet, the mother kicks it again. Her actions may seem cruel to us, but she’s preparing her child for survival. Unless that little calf learns to get up quickly and run with the herd when danger comes, it won’t survive. So what’s the lesson here? When life knocks you down, get back up.During difficult times you learn some of your greatest life lessons through sheer determination and perseverance.

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” So “”Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” Prov 4:25-26

When you finally settle, you’ll count it all joy and appreciate all you went through to get to your final destination.

BEHIND THE ANSWERED PRAYERS

Prayer and the life of prayer are spiritual practices. They are practices every Christian must experience. I cannot explain them to you. There are a lot of printed materials saying, “Prayer changes things.” But I want to tell you prayer does not change things. Prayer has no power whatsoever on its own. If simply being enthusiastic about prayer as a powerful vehicle were enough, I could pray to anything and receive an answer. Don’t pray because “Prayer changes things”. Prayer doesn’t change things; it is God who changes things as we communicate with him in prayer. I’ll say it again: It is not prayer or even a life of prayer that brings us power, it is the God to whom we pray who has all power.

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The church has been called to do something: pray continually! You and I have been called to do something: pray continually. We are to pray without stopping. Prayer is essential in the life of a Christian. 2017 is gone. A new year and a new day is here with us. Whatever has gone on in the past, you can decide today that you’re going to become a person who prays—a person who maintains a lifestyle of prayer, and the God behind answered prayers will grant your requests in His own perfect time. I pray you’ll experience greater things as you begin this new journey in your life.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

STAY IN YOUR SPACE

Why run another man’s race while you have whole journey ahead of you to complete?  Why compare yourself to another person and make his or her standards yours?  

Many people live based on expectations from family and friends. Others live to be like people they see around and 90% of such people are not happy. Always expecting more than what their stage in life provides for. 

You might have forgotten but I would want to remind you that, the grace that carried others through their challenges could be different from yours. Challenges they endured, could be way higher than you can handle. Why don’t you spend time building yourself up for the race set before you instead of running the tracks of others, trying to be like them. 

Quit worrying about how everything is going to turn out. Live one day at a time; better yet, make the most of each moment. You were created with a purpose to fulfil. Go for it. 

No matter where you find yourself in life, learn to focus on your journey to fulfil your purpose on earth. Do not waste time wondering what others think about you.

Stay in your space and grace will be enough to carry you through to success. 

Shared from WordPress

Reading Refresher: The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges – http://wp.me/p3o9aL-z8

ARE YOU READY!

News of the death of known and unknown people is heard almost every week like a jingle on radio.  I only conclude with conviction that, no one knows when he or she will be called to eternity no matter your age to start this eternal journey. Yes, that next journey of life without end! My question; Are you ready to cross over?  

 The death of young people committed to the things of God and striving to live right make me wonder if “RAPTURE” is not already taking place? It was just another good night greeting with the hope of seeing the sun rise again but that was the end. It was just another visit to the hospital but life on earth gave way to eternity there.

 It could be true that there’s no heaven or hell. What if the reverse is true when you finally join the train to no eternity? It will be too late my dear. God is giving you the opportunity to make your eternal life better when your transition time (known to him only) is due.

“It’s alright just go ahead and do this for the last time. Don’t worry no one is watching…”. That’s the deception the devil keeps feeding  your mind with until he takes over your soul.

Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you’ll harvest Gal 6:7 

May God have mercy on us all. 

LET YOUR FAITH REST ON GOD! (II)

“Faith is not belief without proof but trust without reservations.” D. Elton 

Joseph went through difficult times with his siblings at home, and then onto a strange land to serve. But he kept his faith RESTING IN GOD. As he journeyed through, he stood his grounds with the armor of God on and God unveiled him after the seasons of toils and intensive challenges (Preparation period). The rest of the story was as good as you know.
What you are going through feels like the evil winds are just blowing only in your direction. Life is not as good as you looked forward to, maybe you see your situation worse off than others; Do not give up on God to trust man, not even a “man of God”. This stage of your life is your refinery stage. 

Hear this from Paul, “My message and preaching were not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power” (1Corth. 2:4-5). Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked…But their delights is in the law of the Lord and meditate on His laws day and night (Ps 1:1-2).

Do not give up or conform to the norms of our generation. Hold on fast to what God says, and not what you know or feel. Just that one thing can make you lose your miracle and regret forever. 

Let your faith rest on God; sooner or later, your sun will rise. No matter how long your night has been, your sun will surely come out.

Stay connected to your source.  

LET YOUR FAITH REST ON GOD! (I)

“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of faith is to see what you believe.” – St. Augustine 

You have heard and seen so much about God and what He does. From creation to revelation, He has been the foundation of everything including your life. He spoke and all things came to being. He gave life to the lifeless. Light to complement darkness and for night,day. He saw the future needs of man (including the need for a life partner) and made provisions. 

Why will He bring you this to far to leave you? “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” – J.R.R Tolkien. Except you go your own way, He will take you through and when you get to the other side of life, you will know He’s been there through it all.

Do not yield to the whisperings of the enemy at this time of your life. You are right to ask all the questions popping up in your head but it doesn’t change who God is nor His word.  Everything you see and hear influence your decisions in life but it should not affect your faith in God. Just know that God allows persecution in our lives to advance his course.That is the time your faith is tested. What He says is true and undeniable. If you stay strong and focus like Job did, you will come out better than you are.

…LET YOUR FAITH REST ON GOD! (II)

YOU HAVE LOST YOUR IDENTITY

  Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Our lives as Christians is likened to salt which makes a difference in food, and light which drives away the dark.

Like Sampson, many Christians have lost your identity. Not the tag “Christians, singers, church play boys” but the anointing on your life, the joy and love in your home and all the gifts you enjoyed from God when you stayed much closer to Him. The positive atmosphere people experienced anytime they got close to you is no more and now you have to disclose your identity as Christians instead of what people did; testifying and professing your identity.

You have lost your identity to Delilah (Sin) which the devil has cloned as enjoyment through laziness, sleep, lousiness, lukewarm attitude and carelessness. You have given up time you spend with God and your focus is now on things that will give you the supposed enjoyment and relaxation through technology, series and TV shows, networking/friends, etc. Satan has crumbled you and made you  an object of scorn and mockery at the expense of the joy in the Lord, and the anointing you once had in your life and home.

But our God is a God of restoration. Just as He restored Sampson’s strength; He will restore you to even a greater level than your former days. Sampson’s hair grew again, his strength was restored and he killed more than he had in his life in his last days.

Just go back to God in prayer and ask for Restoration like Sampson did. His hair grew back (Judges 16:22). Your anointing will be restored; your peace, joy and all you have lost will be restored.

You will see great change in your life as you go back to God.

Meditation: Proverbs 2:12-19; 21-22