A day full of promise!

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts, as [happened] in the rebellion [of Israel] and their

provocation and embitterment [of Me] in the day of testing in the wilderness,

Where your fathers tried [My patience] and tested [My forebearance] and

found I stood their test, and they saw My works for forty years.”

 

“Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it,

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert, when the people provoked

and irritated and embittered God against them].”

Hebrews 3:7-15

 

Today is not just another day. Today is the day. We can’t change what happened in our past.

The future is too far away to make any meaningful change. What we have is today.

The Israelites sinned against God in the wilderness. they murmured, they complained,

they doubted, they envied, they tested God. He gave them chance after chance but their

hearts were hardened.

I don’t what your past has been like but know that “Today” the Holy Spirit is calling.

The past is the past. He wants to do something new in your life starting today.

You might be riddled by guilt but TODAY is a new day! The Lord is calling out to you.

 

Today is our second chance.

We messed up and messed up some more but today is our second chance.

A day can make all the difference when God is involved.

I have made mistakes,

I have made some bad decisions,

I have done a lot of dumb things in my life but as I read this scripture I believe God wanted

me to know today is a new day.

I don’t have to keep looking back at those things.

You don’t have to let the things of the past hold you back any longer.

God is calling you today!

And all you have to do is answer His call.

Don’t let today go to waste. Make the most of it by answering the Holy Spirit. In our own strength,

we will fail but with God, today can be a start of something great!

Amen!

 

Rolain

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What power does worry really have?

“And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit)

to his stature or to the span of his life.”

Matthew 6:27

 

How powerful is worry? I am not talking about the negative effects of worry, like stress, depression,

mental illness and so on. Those are all the negative effects of worry that we are well acquainted with.

But what good things can worry really do?

The bible tells us there is nothing good about worry and it also shows us just how powerless worry is.

I am thinking like this because just the other day I was worrying and stressing about something.

After some time I realized worrying had accomplished nothing. There was no progress made, even a

little progress.

But instead of something good coming out of it the more anxious and fearful I got about

my situation!

 

“Does worry add anything to your life? Can it add one more year, or even one day? 

So if worrying adds nothing but actually subtracts from your life, why would you worry

about God’s care of you? 

Luke 12:25

 

The bible commands us not to worry. It reinforces the truth that God knows what we need

and will take care of us always. No matter what happens we will always have what we need.

Think about all the great things God has done, like creating the heavens and the earth,

all the animals, sea life and so much more and think about how much effort it would take

Him to grow an extra strand of hair for you or add an inch to your height. He would do

those things as an afterthought or with His eyes closed but the word shows us that worry

can’t even do something as minuscule as that.

 

After all, is said and done we cannot expect worry to help us with anything we face. There is never

a time worry is good for us. Worry cripples our faith in God. It brings in doubt and fear.

It always makes things worse for us.

 

The word tells us,

 

“Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, 

what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. 

Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent]

than clothing?” 

Matthew 6:25

 

We need God’s help because worry can feel so powerful, and real. It is in those times we

need to call on Him. Worry knows there is an answer for us but blinds us to it.

Its mission is to get our focus off God who is the way out and get us to panic, fear,

and be anxious. It wants to kill faith in the life of a believer. The less we walk in faith

the happier it is.

But we must choose faith no matter how real the threat of failure seems to be.

When it seems like that breakthrough is not going to come to pass we must keep trusting.

 

You may be feeling overwhelmed with the troubles you are in but stay in faith. God will

pull you through.

It may seem like He is late and the enemy is upon you but God will rescue you. He will not

abandon you and leave you helpless.

You might be on your last cent and have no idea where the next dollar is coming from but

He knows. He is the One who makes a way when there seems to be no way! Take heart.

 

Lord help us to walk by faith more and more in our daily life.

Help us to choose faith over worry, fear, and doubt always!

 

Blessings to you friends!

 

Rolain

The last say.

“When the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, 

and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and by force and power

made them cease. 

Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It stopped until the second 

year of Darius [1] king of Persia.” 

Ezra 4:23, 24 

It seemed like the enemy had won over the people of Israel by stopping the building of the temple.

It seemed like he delivered the deadly blow. But as I read the rest of the story I realized something that

brought me some encouragement that I want to share with you.

The enemy is constantly trying to stop us. “he roars around like a lion” the bible tells us. he may appear

powerful but he is not. It may have appeared like the enemy was powerful when he stopped the building

of the temple but that’s not the case.

God has the last say on all things and that’s what really matters.

It seemed like the enemy had the last say when the building of the temple was stopped but God was the

One who had the final say.

The building would continue and be completed! (Ezra 6:14, 15)

As I read the story I know God spoke to me. The enemy doesn’t have the last say in our lives.

It may appear so but the truth is, he is not powerful enough to have the last say.

What the Lord has started in us He will complete. The enemy will make us fall at times but the Lord

will pick us up always.

What has the enemy seemed to stop in your life?

What has he seemed to put a period to in your life?

his periods are really comma’s in our sentence of life.

Keep believing. Keep trusting. Keep hoping.

If you are in a place where the work in your life has seemed to come to a standstill know there

is so much more the Lord needs to do that no one can stop.

His plan for you hasn’t stopped just because the devil has thrown a spanner in the works.

Setbacks will be overcome and that’s our story!

Be blessed friends!

Rolain

When you don’t know what to do…

“After this, David inquired of the Lord saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? 

And the Lord said to him, Go up. David said, To which shall I go up? 

And He said, To Hebron.”

2 Samuel 2:1

 

When David was faced with a difficult situation he sought the Lord. He sought the Lord for

answers whenever he could. He rarely did his own thing and seeking the Lord was why he

succeeded. 

He never boasted to be the most intelligent or strongest. His confidence was in the Lord and it showed

in how he dealt with problems. 

When he didn’t know the next step to take, the direction he was supposed to go or when a problem was

bigger than him he ran to God for help and answers.

 

I was encouraged by that. What happens when we are in over our head or when we are out of ideas?

What do we do when we are confronted by troubles that threaten to stop us dead in our tracks?

Do we look to people or to God?

 

Going to God should be the first thing we do. He will help us no matter what we face.

Going to God made a difference in David’s life.

Going to God gave him victories wherever he went.

Going to God gave him the answers he needed.

 

When you go to the Lord for help, He will step in and help you. Situations will change,

and problems will be solved when God gets involved.

 

The word is simple today.

When you don’t know what to do, ask the Lord for help.

When you need help against a powerful enemy ask the Lord for help.

Don’t try to do it on your own. The Lord is with you.

 

“David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver

them into my hand? And the Lord said to David, Go up, for I will surely deliver [them] into 

your hand.” 

2 Samuel 5:19

 

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

 

 

The promise of God on your life under attack…

“And [that same] following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take courage, Paul, 

for as you have borne faithful witness concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you, must also bear 

witness at Rome.

Now when daylight came, the Jews formed a plot and bound themselves by an oath and

under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they had done away with Paul.

They were more than forty [men of them], who formed this conspiracy [swearing together this oath

and curse].” 

Acts 23:11-13

 

I know I have shared on this verse before but this week God has been speaking to me afresh concerning

this passage of scripture.

Paul had a clear word from God about where he was going. But we see that the very next day

an attack was launched against Paul and that is what I want to speak about.

 

The enemy is not afraid to attack the word God has spoken to you. The enemy wants to destroy the

work God has started in you. he doesn’t want you getting to the place God has planned for you.

he has declared war on you, on the calling God has on your life.

 

After reading Paul’s story I was shown how the enemy was attacking the word of God given to me.

When it comes to finances let’s just my faith has been nonexistent.

I would worry about how my needs would be met and how I would survive the month but God began

to help me through a group of men I am accountable to. He gave me scriptures to stand on and declare

and for a season I was energized and full of faith but somewhere down the line that stopped.

 

I started falling back into worry and fear and that is when God showed me what was happening through

the story of Paul. The enemy was attacking the word God had given me and I didn’t even realize it.

 

I will not let the enemy steal the word God has given me anymore and not just in the area of finances but every

area of my life. He has promised me health, long life, fruitful relationships, restoration, purpose realized

and so much more.

 

I don’t know where you are at today but know that the enemy is attacking the word God has given you.

 

“And he [satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every 

tree of the garden?” 

Genesis 3:1

 

satan had the audacity to challenge the word Eve was given.

he is trying to steal the word God has given

you.

 

Don’t let him steal it. The word God has given you is to carry you and protect

you.  It is to act as a way out of the storm you are in. It’s your light in the darkness.

Without the word you are left vulnerable, hopeless, lost and defeated. The enemy knows this.

 

The way to stop the enemy from stealing the word God has given you is by reading His word and

declaring it! Don’t stop declaring and reading the word no matter how bad it gets, no matter how hopeless

it appears to be.  That’s the mistake I made. I stopped declaring and the enemy took full advantage.

 

God’s word over you will come to pass. It will accomplish what it was meant to do and that is to

nullify the lies of the enemy, to break the chains you are bound by. The word will release you into all

of what God has destined you for. There is so much in store for you. It’s time to walk into it.

Take a stand against the enemy. God is with you.

 

Bless you, friends!

 

Rolain

 

 

 

Don’t carry that!

“Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; 

He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall or fail). 

Psalm 55:22

 

You can put it down now. You don’t have to carry that weight any longer. The Lord wants to carry

the burdens YOU are carrying. We go through life with the weight of the world on our shoulders

but that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. When we are under immense pressure we need to cast

it on to the Lord’s shoulders.

 

Remember, there is nothing too heavy for Him. There is no weight on earth or heaven that can

crush Him.  Sometimes we carry our burdens because we think He will let us down and will abandon

us when we need Him the most but God is not man. He is always faithful and will never ever

let us down.

 

You will not slip, fall or fail.

This doesn’t mean there will be no bad days, days you feel like giving up, or days you feel hopeless.

It means through it all you will not be moved.

When you fall you will get up.

When your back is against the wall the Lord will come in and save you.

When you are in chains, the Lord will rescue you, free you.

You will not be moved because the Lord is with you.

 

Cast it all to Him. Don’t leave one single thing. Learn to walk light.

 

“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, 

once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” 

1 Peter 5:7

 

Give it all to Him. Your worries, your concerns, your fears, your anxieties, and your troubles.

He will help you with all the trouble you face. He knows what you going through and will not leave

you helpless.

Turn to Him today!

 

Bless you, friends

 

Rolain

 

God is not deaf, so tell Him what you going through…

“As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon

will I utter my complaint and moan and sign, and He will hear my voice.” 

Psalm 55:16-17

 

When we pray God listens but not only does He listen, He responds (He saves)!

Don’t hesitate when you are in trouble.

Don’t hesitate when you are confused and looking for answers.

Don’t hesitate when you are fearful.

 

Bring your requests to Him with full assurance that He hears you and will save you.

 

I was in trouble a few days ago and armed with this revelation I prayed. I asked God for help and

He heard me. I know He heard me because He helped me. The trouble I was in He fixed.

I don’t know where you are today but let me tell you that God hears your prayers.

God is not deaf. He knows what you need. He knows the battles you are facing.

He knows your every desire.

The enemy, on the other hand, wants us to believe that God doesn’t care, that He has forgotten about

us. But it’s not true.

Pray to Him always, no matter how small or insignificant you think your request is.

And if you don’t get an answer then go back to Him and ask Him why. There is always a reason

for unanswered prayer.

 

“O You Who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come.”

Psalm 65:2

 

Because He hears our prayer we go to Him. He wants to hear our prayers.

So today make your requests to Him known.

 

Bless you!

 

Rolain

Is it game over for us?

“Let it be known and understood by all of you, and by the whole house of Israel, 

that in the name and through the power and authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, 

Whom you crucified, [but] Whom God raised from the dead, in Him and by means

of Him this man is standing here before you well and sound in body.” 

Acts 4:10

 

“Whom you crucified, [but] Whom God raised from the dead” 

 

Peter and John’s statement to the high priest and Sadducees spoke to me. The enemy’s

plan was to destroy Jesus and it seemed like he was able to carry out his plan when

Jesus was crucified but that’s not what happened. Just when the enemy thought he was victorious

God intervened and changed the narrative. Jesus was raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The enemy who seemed to have won, lost and lost in a spectacular fashion.

 

Like I said earlier, this spoke to me because when it seems like the enemy has the upper hand

he really doesn’t. God has a plan for us and that plan is of victory.

It may seem like the game is over and the enemy has won but it’s not over and he hasn’t won,

not by a long shot.

It may appear hopeless but keep trusting God. He will turn your bleak situation around.

Joseph experienced this truth in such an amazing way. This is what the word says about him,

 

“And the patriarchs [Jacob’s sons], boiling with envy and hatred and anger, sold Joseph into 

slavery in Egypt; but God was with him, 

and delivered him from all his distressing afflictions and won him goodwill and favor and wisdom

and understanding in the sight of Pharoah, King of Eygpt, who made him governor over Egypt

and all his house.” 

Acts 7:9, 10

 

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. His situation was hopeless indeed. There were no relatives

in Eygpt, everyone spoke in a foreign language, and he was a slave so that meant he was treated like an

animal. The game seemed like it was over. It seemed like the enemy had won.

But the Bible tells us that “God was with him.”

And because He was with him Joesph was delivered from all his distressing afflictions. What the enemy had

planned for him came to nothing. The Lord saved him and turned his situation around.

And that’s the God we serve. He is helping us in the most difficult of situations.

He will always reverse what the enemy is trying to do. What the enemy has planned will not come to pass

in our lives. This is not the time to give up. We need to keep trusting. God will save us even when it

seems like victory is nowhere in sight. He will save us when things are at their worst. We are not defeated.

So if you are in a place where you feel like there is no hope and no chance of things turning around know

that God will turn things around in your life.

He can be trusted.

Bless you, friends!

 

Rolain

 

Is Jesus ever late?

“[As for me] I am poor and needy, yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me.

You are my Help and my Deliverer, O my God, do not tarry!”

Psalm 40:17

 

Is the Lord ever late?

As I think on this question there are things I am trusting Him for. Some of those things

are things that need to happen in the next few days and the next month. Some of the other things

have passed the timeline I made for them.

 

Is the Lord ever late?

 

As I continued to meditate on Psalm 40:17 Jairus came to mind.

His daughter was really sick and if nothing was done she would die. He decided to go to Jesus for help.

If there was anyone who could help He could. (Mark 5:22)

Everything seemed to be going well. Jesus had agreed to go to see his daughter but on the way,

some of his friends met him and told him not to worry the Teacher any longer. His daughter

didn’t make it. She had died.

Jesus was late?

But when all seemed lost, when it seemed like Jesus was late something incredible happened.

 

“Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not

be seized and struck with fear; only keep believing.”

Mark 5:36

 

Jesus continued on to Jairus’s house and brought his daughter back to life!!

When it seemed like He was late, He really wasn’t.

Help us, Lord, to wait on You when all seems lost, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense!

 

The last story that came to mind was of Lazarus and his sisters. (John 11)

He was very sick and on the brink of death so his sisters sent for Jesus.

He loved this family very much. (John 11:5)

So you would think Jesus would go immediately but He didn’t.

 

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He 

held them in loving esteem.]

Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same 

place where He was.” 

John 11:5, 6

 

By the time He got to Lazarus, He found out he had been dead for four days! I think it’s almost definite

that the sisters thought Jesus was late, extremely late! I can imagine them seeing their brother getting worse

and worse and feeling so powerless. Where is He? Why is He late?

That’s what I think they were asking themselves.  And eventually, their brother died.

What emotions were they going through?

 

I can identify with that because there have been things in my life I have been trusting God for that haven’t

come to pass yet and it’s been years, like over fifteen years of waiting on the Lord. Earlier in my walk with

Him I thought He didn’t care. I thought He enjoyed seeing me suffer. I thought He enjoyed getting my

hopes up only to crush them but I was so wrong. As I have grown in my walk with Him I have begun to

understand that the Lord is never late! His word shows us this truth so powerfully. There are so many stories

of Him coming through for His children at just the right time. Their idea of early might have been

wrong but God always came through at the right time.

 

What are you waiting on Him for, today?

As we ask the Lord to not tarry may we understand that He is never late. He comes through

at the right time. It may not be when we expect it but it’s at the right time.

He knows what you need. He has heard your prayers. He will not ignore you and He does not delight in

getting your hopes up. He wants to give you what you are trusting Him for.

Don’t lose heart and give up. The Lord will not tarry.

He loves you!

 

Bless you

 

Rolain

 

 

He gave him back his strength…

“He answered them, The Man who healed me and gave me back my strength, He Himself

said to me, Pick up your bed and walk! 

John 5:11

 

For thirty-eight years the enemy had stolen the man’s health. For thirty-eight years he was under the

power of the enemy. The enemy thought he had won. But he was wrong. The story was not over.

 

The enemy is all about taking stuff away from us. From the moment he was cast out of heaven he

has been stealing, destroying and killing. he doesn’t want us to have the good things God has for us.

But there is some really good news for us.

 

“He answered them, The Man who healed me and gave me back my strength, He Himself

said to me, Pick up your bed and walk!

John 5:11 (emphasis mine)

 

Jesus gave the man back his strength which enabled him to walk again. The enemy’s hold on

the man was broken.

As I read this there are things the enemy has stolen from me that I want back.

The Lord came to restore what was stolen from me. He wants me to have all the goodness

and blessings He planned for me and so it is with you.

 

What has the enemy stolen from you? The Lord wants to give you back what the enemy has stolen.

It may take a day, a month or years but the Lord wants to restore to you what has been taken. The enemy

might think he is in the driving seat but he never was and will never be.

The Lord is gracious and merciful and fights for us!

 

Rolain