The Lover of My Soul

It's been really long since I posted something new on my blog. I have missed sharing my christian journey but I must say I have learned a lot. Christ has been teaching me so much and have grown in so many ways. I have come to learn that this christian journey was started by Christ himself even before I knew him. God has blessed me with a son and as I take care of him everyday I am reminded that God has taken care of me even before I knew him. Recently I have realized that he has been revealing his love towards me.

The Good Shepherd

I give my life for my sheep

Have you ever felt like you are far away from God and you are trying to get back to him but can't. Your heart desires you but the more you try and pray the further away you drift from him.

IF THAT ISN'T LOVE BY THE ISAACS (LYRICS)

He left the splendor of heaven
knowing his destiny was the lonely hill of golgotha
there to lay down his life for me

If that isn't love
The ocean is dry, there are no stars in the sky and the sparrow can't fly
If that isn't love then heavens a myth
There's no feeling like this
If that isn't love

Even in death he remembered
The thief hanging by his side
He spoke of love and compassion
And he took him to paradise

If that isn't love
The ocean is dry, there are no stars in the sky and the sparrow can't fly
If that isn't love then heavens a myth
There's no feeling like this
If that isn't love




I have really enjoyed listening to this song on you tube and thought someone else might need the lyrics..so touching and powerful..

All To Bring You Glory

I just got home and decided to spend some time listening to a sermon. One that has really opened my eyes to see the character of the God we serve. Language can never begin to even describe the magnitude of Gods love, we can only see glimpses of it.

It is in Giving that we Recieve

On the way to Church I was thinking about the tithing system in the bible and why we find it difficult to give to God what belongs to him. I thought about the amount I was to give this morning and a part of me felt like it was too much. Have you ever felt that way?

The Love Of Christ Constrains Us

She was despised, no one wanted to be associated with her. A harlot they called her and each day she felt alone. She knew in her heart that she was a sinner doing what was wrong. Ever felt this way?

Sibling Rivalry

Joseph stood out from his brothers and whenever they did something wrong he reported it to his father. In fact while his brothers were herding sheep he seemed to stay home with his father therefore it seemed like he didn't spend much time with them. Ever been in such a situation before or know someone in it?

No Longer Enemies but Friends

Many times I meet people and try to bring up the topic of the Lords return they always say something like "I need to change my behavior and be a better person". Is this the ticket to heaven? Lets have a look at what we ought to know on a deeper level.

Why Bother?

Verse: 2 Sam 9:1-13

And David said, is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake.

Reflection:

During David’s younger days, the Lord had knit his heart to Jonathans. Many times Saul would try to kill David but Jonathan would help him escape or let him know his father’s plans. Later in life we are told King David went about asking if there was anyone left of Jonathan’s family that he could show kindness. While asking around he was told of Mephibosheth, a lame man. This man was brought in his presence by Ziba a servant of the house of Saul. As you read the rest of the story you will notice David offered Mephibosheth all the land of Saul. We are also told this man would eat at the King David’s table all his life ( 2 Sam 9:11). I can imagine this lame man never thought in his life that he would sit at the Kings table. Now David did not have to go out of his way to look for this man, why bother?  Notice the verse says, “Is there any left of the house of Saul” this led me to think this was not the first person he was helping. He had shown much kindness to many of the house of Saul that he was now looking for any left. As I was reflecting on this story I realized many of Gods faithful people always went out of their way to help others and sometimes strangers. Abraham while seating at the tent door in Mamre saw the travelers and ran towards them. He pleaded with them to enter his house, rest, eat something then go on their way. We are told he went out of his way to make them comfortable and provide them butter, milk and some meat. ( Gen 18) Now am sure he had many other things to do, why did he bother? Lot while in Sodom did the same thing, he saw visitors at the gate and ran to invite them to his house in order that they may spend the night. He knew how dangerous Sodom was and wanted to make sure they were safe. Lot might have told his wife that he was bringing visitors home and she might have said why do you bother yourself. As I read these stories I am lead to wonder how often I stop to help, how often I go out of my way to assist another. How often I plead with people who seem to resist my assistance..My heavenly father went out of his way to invite me into his presence; he actually died for me and has now adopted me into the heavenly family. Wretched and poor, lame and blind I was but now I sit at the kings table and eat for all my life. He provides all I need and lack nothing. As I spend more time with him I learn of his character and today I choose to go an extra mile. There are many in our paths of life who need help, everywhere we turn we will see someone in need. Take the time to invite someone this Sabbath to your house and share that little meal, give someone a ride to their home, open the door for that little child who is too short to do it, or say hallo to that person that everyone doesn’t talk to. It’s my prayer that the spirit of God may open our eyes to see those in need around us and my soften our hearts to go that extra mile. Remember we are his hands, to touch the world around us, we are his feet to go where he may lead us. We are his light burning in the darkness, we are his love shining in the night. God bless you!

And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai

Key Verse:
And Sarai said unto Abram, behold now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing; I pray thee
go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice
of Sarai. ( Genesis 16:2)

Reflection:
God had promised Abram a child however in the process of waiting his patience run thin.
Days, months, years were going by but there was no baby in site. During this time Abram
started to wonder whether God has forgotten his promise. Sarai his wife was getting older, all
around him were evidences that all hope was lost. While contemplating this His wife came by
and had an idea. Genesis 16:2 says she came up with the idea of Hagar her helper be a surrogate
mother.She believed that by doing that she would be helping God fulfill the process he had made to them in other words we would say she took matters into her own hands. At this point in time Abram gave in to her suggestion and months later Ishmael was born. We have heard the rest of the story how there was commotion in his family and so much strife between the two wives he had that God asked him to send Hagar away. oh the amount of trouble when bring on ourselves when we are impatient and think God is taking long to fulfill his promise. As children of God growing in his knowledge we fall. God allows certain situations to come our way to strengthen our faith. Sometimes he may let a painful experience come your way like that of Job or keep you waiting. In this times, it's easy to be led away from God by the ones close and dear to us. It could be your relative or a close friend who you really trust. I realized as a christian we have those friends close to us who are always growing in the knowledge of God. I share my christian experiences with them and they do the same..in time I develop that close trusting relationship with them and believe they are also led by God and will guide me in the right way. When faced with a problem I run to them to ask for direction since i believe God will speak through them. It is in this kind of situation that we may be led astray. As much as those close to us who have a relationship with God may give sound advice the ultimate person we should consult is God. Abram when facing this test of faith listened to his wife Sarai and failed the test. I personally through this story have learned to hold on to God's promise. when God says he will do something, he will do it. It can take years and years but his promises never fail. We can depend and trust fully on his promises to us. Whether the storms rage, we loose our houses, family members or anything dear to us we can count on his promises. In our daily lives we encounter challenges let us hold on to his promises. Also remember God is our guide and not the loved ones around us. Remember when Job lost everything, it is his wife that he devil used to lead him to curse God. Not that she was an evil person but our eyes should always be on God. In the garden of Eden when Adam fell it was because he hearkened to Eve. It is through those close to us that the devil sometimes tries to draw us away from what God was told us. It's my prayer that as we grow in faith we learn that he who has promised is faithful.

True Love

They say the only certain thing about life is it's uncertainty. This sure is true, things do change from time to time some for the good or others for the worst. In life we tend to look for something constant. Something we can hold on to and be sure that it will not change however as we get older we realize that thing is not easy to find or is it? Today while talking to a friend my eyes were opened to something we all view differently, Love. This is something we all chase after in life, some people
find it but some don't. As I talked to my friend she narrated how she can never stop loving her daughter, I went on to ask if she would really love her daughter after finding out that she had some something very bad. She still insisted that she would still love her and it would be impossible for her to stop. Now I thought this
sounds like real love, some call it storge which is the kind of love we have for family members. In fact there are different kinds of love namely; Philia, Eros, storge and Agape. If you take the time to look at love between family members you will realize they can do almost anything for each other. There seems to be this strong bond that cannot be broken easily.

As i go through my days, God opens up my eyes to learn life's lessons in the simple things in life. The other day I saw a very young boy walking holding his mothers hand. Now this baby doesn't know much
about life or even much about his mother but he places complete trust in his mother knowing she has his best interest in life and trust her with his life. Storge seems to be the strongest love we can see in our lives however there is a love that goes beyong storge..Agape, the everlasting love. This is the love that stops at nothing and will do all it can for the other. The true selfless love that does not seek it's own but does everything it can to ensure the other persons good. This is the love we all crave for in life but few find it. It is available to us all but few claim it, the love of God
to us.

Rom 5:8 - But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

In order for us a have a glimpse of this love we need to contrast it with human love. Human love is conditional which means it can change and is based on beauty, goodness and needs to be kindled. Usually when someone is good to you
you tend to say I love that person. On the other hand agape love is very different, it does not need to be aroused. It is not based on our goodness that is to say, whether you do good or bad this love will still be there. Now this is not easy to grasp because it is a love higher than human thoughts can grasp however it is the ideal Christ has for us his children. Picture someone loving you constantly, when you think you have sinned too much to be forgiven he still loves you as much as he did yesterday when you were so good. This reminds me of stories in the bible like the woman caught in adultery, the tax collector, the way Jesus treated the outcasts etc..It is easy to say God loves me when your doing right but how about when you have wondered from him? Agape love still loves you the same, what a contrast to human love. It is such a comfort to know that Gods love for me will always be the same and this is the ground or basis of my salvation. When we believe that Gods love for us will always be the same, wherever he takes us we are sure he will be with us
and it is for our own good. When God calls you to do something that seems like it may harm you, as a christian you can count on his constant unchanging love.

Many times I have found myself in situations where I felt like I was going to loose it all. God was calling me to stand up for him but if I did it I would loose something I thought of as precious. But the promises he gives us of his constant love kept me going, I was able to go ahead despite the uncertainty based on the assurance that he was with me and will not let me be hurt. There are times you will not see where your next meal will come from, or you will not see how you can pay for that house, or even how you can move on when you have lost someone precious.This is the perfect time to hold on to his unchanging love, and trust him to open a way where there seems no way. Hold on to his promise by faith that he will provide even though you have not seen it. You can rest assured knowing he who has promised is faithful. As I go through this day, I am comforted to know that I have a father who loves me more than himself. He was willing to give his life for me, this is enough to make me realize he will do anything it takes for me to not only survive in life but also be with him eternally. My salvation rests on him, my unchanging, loving and faithful father who will never let me down.

Matt 24:35 - Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Be encouraged!

One Thing Is Needed

Jesus has visited Mary and Martha, he had gone over with his disciples.
On arriving he was welcomed and Martha rushed to the kitchen to cook something delicious for him. Mary on the other hand sat close to him and listened to what he had to say. She was very interested in what he would say because she had not seen him for some time. Martha loved Jesus too and she wanted him to have a good meal. She wanted to treat him well as her visitor and make sure his needs were met. However she noticed her sister was not helping her with the work that seemed too much to handle alone. In frustration she asked Jesus to send over her sister to help her but Jesus reminded Martha that her priorities were not right. One thing is needful and that is to sit at the feet of Jesus. Now the problem with Martha was not that she did not love Jesus but she focused on the wrong thing first.

Whenever we have not been with a loved one for a long time, perhaps they were in another country or they were far our of town we long for them. When they get back we hug them and sit close to them to listen. We don't usually say let me get you food, or fix your bed etc..we usually first want to hear how they were doing and what happened while away. Sometimes we just simply want to look at them and listen to anything they have to say.

The same thing is what Christ is trying to tell us through this story. If we really love him, we will put him first in our lives. We will long to sit and listen to him talk to us. In the morning hours before starting the days chores, we will spend time with him while our minds are still fresh and uncluttered. This also depends on how much we love the person and long to see them. As our love for Christ grows we will automatically put him first and the daily cares last. If you have a lot to do today, begin the day with God. If Martha first sat down to listen then later when Jesus was done talking he would have released both Martha and Mary to go cook. He knew Marthas wishes to serve him a good hearty meal. Am sure he would not talk for 5 hours, he would teach them something that would build their relationship then let them go cook. This time Martha would not cook alone but together with Mary.

When Jesus said seek me first or spend time with me first it does not meal he doesn't care about the things you want to do. He wants to give you strength and support for the task later. He knows your cares and will not let you spend time with him and later suffer alone. He will send you help for your daily cares. Begin your day with God and put him first in all your endevours and all these things will be added unto you.

The good soil - Parable of Sower

The parable of the sower is one that we have come across countless times. When I saw it the other day I thought Lord not again I know everything here. Since I could not run away from it I decided to read it and just today God has helped me learn something new. In this parable there are different kinds of soil. The soil by the road or path, the rocky ground, the thorny soil and lastly the good soil. When I read this I was wondering what I can do to have the good soil but then I realized that is not my job but rather it is the farmers job. Usually a farmer is the one who tills the hard (pathway) soil, removes the rocks and thorns in order for it to be good soil.

Then I thought If it is the farmers job then why are there some people who belong to the good soil category and others to the hard soil. Then I realized everyday the farmer ( God ) is trying to make our hearts favorable to produce good fruit. He is trying to make each of us good soil but the problem is that we are not letting him do it. He wants to remove the rocks (gods) in our lives that take away most of our time. However most of us refuse and hold on to them. He tries to remove the things that separate us from him and those that are blocking us from receiving his word into our hearts but we say " God I will let go of that tomorrow". Today let us not resist the spirit of God but rather let us surrender to him our lives. Let the farmer do his work of preparing the soil so that it may be good and favorable to planting. He desires to see us produce lots of fruit. May you and I surrender to him today.

A song for the Broken hearted

Since yesterday I was battling with some trial in life and after carrying the load on my back for long, I realized it was time to give it to Jesus. This morning Jesus the ever faithful father put this song in my lips. As I sang, it took all my burdens away and he turned my mourning into dancing again.


UNTIL THEN....

My heart can sing when I pause to remember,
A heartache here is but a stepping stone.
Along a trail, thats winding always upward,
this troubled world, is not my final home.

Refrain
But until then, my heart will go on singing,
Until then, with joy I'll carry on,
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day God calls me home.


The things of earth will dim and loose there value,
If we recall they're borrowed for awhile;
And things of earth that cause the heart to tremble,
Remember there, will only bring a smile.

What love is this?

I have been sitting here listening to some sermon clips and this particular one touched my heart. This year I have a desire to get close with God and to understand his love for me. We have all heard that Jesus loves us but really do we understand how deep his love is. Please watch/listen to this video and for a glimpse that this amazing love.

Guilty of Sin?

Have you ever committed a sin and you felt like you have really messed up your once peaceful relationship with God? Do you feel like he will not forgive you because you did it wrong again? Well that is what the devil wants you to think. Now we serve a God whose love should not be compared to the love we have on earth for each other. He does not love us because we are good, remember it is while we were yet sinners that he died for us. Yes when you fall you cannot find the strength to get up again and continue but you have to realize he bids thee arise. Like the crippled man at Bethesda who was in that condition many years. Jesus told him to arise take up his bed and walk, this was not easy because he has no strength and was a cripple. According to our natural state it was an impossible thing to do but in the command on Christ is contained the power to do so. If you are feeling like you need to first feel the strength to get up that will not happen. This is when you have to exercise your faith that the power has already been provided. Once you get up by faith you will realize it is possible and will get back on track.

Now in that situation whereby you sinned and feel so guilty and bad for what you did, confess your sin to God and turn away from walking in a life of sin. Meaning you have to stop continuing to walk in sin and live in newness of life. when we confess out sins it does not mean that is enough, no we have to turn away from doing those same wrong things. All heaven is willing to assist anyone who is focused in keeping the commands of God. Get back to your bible study, if you cannot concentrate on it pray to God for concentration and keep studying. If you feel it is hard to pray, get on your knees as usual and pray then you will notice the desire is coming back. My point is that we should never give up the Christian journey, every time we fall we should always rise up.

What is in a Name ?

Based on Luke 1:59 - 63


When it was time for John to be circumcised the people called him Zacharias but Elizabeth informed them that he will be called John. This astonished the people because in the olden days when a child was named after the father it meant that he would walk after the fathers footsteps. This means if he was named Zacharias he would also grow up to minister as a high priest. Everyday his father would teach him what to do and how to act like him. Therefore when Elizabeth said she did not want that name, to the people it meant she was saying I don't want my son to walk after his fathers footsteps. Or rather there was no one who would carry on the fathers name since he was the only child at that time. To them it did not make any sense, but when Zacharias also affirmed that he also wanted that name then it was final that the baby would be named John.

Now what was the big deal about a name or what is in a name? Well like we said it stated a lot about who you are and who you will be. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 it starts by saying; If my people who are called by my name.. ... We are Gods chosen and we are called by his name. Wherever we go we carry our fathers name and we are to live according to that name. Every action should be in accordance to that name. Meaning our life should be like the life he lived when here on earth. As you live each day remember you are called by our heavenly fathers name. Every word, action and thought should be like our fathers.

John the Baptist - The Forruner of Christ

Based Luke 1: 5-17

Elisabeth is like the church of God which is barren and for many years we have prayed for a child. She keeps all the commandments of God and is blameless. After persistent prayer when she has given up, God comes in and answers her prayers by giving her a child. This child is born of the spirit and has a special mission which is to prepare the world for Jesus coming. We the church of God and for so long we have hoped that Christ will shower the latter rain on us in order for a child to be born. This child or children will be the chosen remnant who will proclaim Christ second coming. This remnant will go forth before God in the spirit and power of Elijah. They will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just ( Luke 1:17). This remnant who will accomplish the same mission John accomplished, they will bring joy and gladness to the church; and many shall rejoice and it's birth ( Luke 1:14)

Pre-requisite for the John of our Church to be Born

1. And they ( Elisabeth and Zacharia) were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Now in the last days just before Jesus comes he will empower his chosen to preach his coming. There are many people in the church but few actually have a relationship with God. For Jesus to come he has to empower those chosen few and they need to be a commandment keeping church, righteous and blameless before God. That is where we need to be in Christ for the latter rain to be poured on us and a new baby born of the spirit. Therefore this is the time to surrender all to Jesus and let go of the things that easily beset us. We should put away any strong drink or rather any thing in our lives that perverts us and separates us from God. Lets us surrender and crucify the flesh daily so that Christs character in us may shine forth. It is my great desire that even as the year starts, I may continue to live according to the light I have received through Christ Jesus.

Jesus Silence During his Trial

The chief priests accused Jesus of many things but he answered nothing. Here as human beings we would stand up for ourselves and try to defend ourselves. Silence and solitude as a means of getting closer to God. In Christs ministry here on earth he always talked to people and answered their questions. Many times the pharisees, elders and scribes wanted to arrest him and find fault. They did this by asking questions and he always answered. He never kept silent to anyone but despite all this they still rejected him. There comes a time when Christ has done everything to reach hearts but they don't let him in. The last resort he can give them is silence. Silence is powerful and it is a sign of judgment.If we feel the silence and this silence does not lead us to Christ then nothing else will. In Jesus trial he did not answer a word to Herod or try to defend himself against accusations. These men had already hardened their hearts and had already chosen to kill Jesus. No word from his mouth would change their minds. Every word Christ said
was meant to draw people closer to him and to change hearts and when he said nothing it meant that no word would change them. His silence was for the chief priests and pharisees who had rejected his saving grace.

When we use silence on our fellow being this can pierce hearts. It means that the person we are not talking to is not worthy of communication. Every time we use silence on someone it means we are pronouncing judgment on them that they are not worthy to be talked to. If a brother or sister annoys you and makes you angry do not use silence on them, Jesus says we have to point out their fault. Keeping quiet until they shape up is not the right way to treat someone who has wronged us.
No matter who that person is, we should find a way to make peace because silence is not good. If someone else does not talk to us and turns a deaf ear towards us, it is our duty to talk to them.

Questions;

1. Why did Pilate marvel at Jesus silence.

Answers;

1. Pilate marveled because he deeply knew that Jesus was innocent. He also knew that Jesus was sure he was innocent yet he did not understand why Jesus would let people kill him knowing he was innocent. Imagine this, the chief priests tried to have Jesus killed because they claimed that he
was saying he was the King of the Jews. Pilate asked Jesus if he was the King of the Jews meaning the earthly King of Jews at that time and Jesus clarified everything but telling Pilate he did not mean an earthly Kingdom but rather a heavenly one. Pilate understood Jesus explanation and found no fault in him. Then he told the chief priests Jesus is innocent but when they realized they had to reason to accuse him, they started to falsely accuse him. Pilate saw their envy because Jesus was well known among the people and more people were starting to love him. They desired this position and power Jesus was having among the people. So Pilate noticed all the false accusations and he knew that Jesus also understood well that he had done nothing. Yet Jesus did not defend himself. So he told Jesus aren't you going to say anything now that you see they are falsely accusing you( paraphrasing) and he answered nothing. This marveled him.

There Shall Meet You A Man Bearing A Pitcher Of Water

Mark 14:12-13

And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.

Every part of the Bible is for our learning, and every little story has meaning. I was reading about the last supper and I just had to look a little deeper into this part where the disciples were directed to a man bearing a pitcher. At first it did not seem that important but later on I learned that In those days men did not carry a pitcher of water so this man was doing something weird.

To other people he was insane and of course he stood out of the crowd. The pitcher had water and water is a symbol of the holy spirit. He was carrying a vessel containing the holy spirit. When we believers have the holy spirit in us he will work in us to do Gods will. We will always stand out from the rest because he will do things differently in us.

Our lives will not be led based on Tradition but rather by the word of God.The tradition was that carrying water was the work of women.I have a feeling the holy spirit has revealed to this man that carrying water can be done by anyone. Therefore as he walked in newness of life he stood out of the crowd. As you can see while walking in the spirit Jesus was able to use him.


The same applies to our lives, God will use us when we let his spirit guide us.