I Heard Him Clearly!!!

I have had a crazy week! It has been one thing after the other going south! But I guess it comes with the territory.
I discovered something interesting in the midst of all the craziness. Something I did not expect which got me thinking.
As all this craziness was happening I nearly lost it. My strength collapsed. My hope was lost. It is one of those times where you realise there is nothing you can do. I had no answers to the problems that were before me. I just broke down because I felt so helpless.
But this is the interesting thing I discovered in all the craziness, I saw God clearly! His presence was tangible. It’s like the problems I was going through were amplifing His presence! The bible made sense when I read it. I literally felt strength coming into me as I read His word. I felt His hand upon me as I looked to Him. It is amazing. My time with God was different.
The problems have not gone away but I am not freaking out. I have hope now. My quiet times with God are real. God speaks to me and I can hear Him clearly, much clearer than before.
I want this in my life. I need God to be real to me all the time. I almost hear myself praying for hardships because that means more of God! It’s crazy how that works.
I know God is for me. But in times of peace and everything going great it’s often hard to see it. It is mostly in times of trial and pain that we get to see God clearly.
I don’t want to forget that my God is with me. I want to experience Him in new ways everyday regardless of what is happening in my life because He is my God.

Rolain.P.

He Forgives. . .

Lord, You have [at last] been favourable and have dealt graciously with Your land [of Canaan]; You have brought back [from Babylon] the captives of Jacob.
You have forgiven and taken away the iniquity of your people, You have covered all their sin.
Selah [pause, and calmly realise what that means]!
Psalms 85:1,2

What a powerful picture of God’s grace and mercy. He is truly amazing. We know why Israel was taken captive to Babylon. They committed sin after sin. They kept on testing God with the things they did. They complained about the manna. They didn’t trust Him to provide for them. They sacrificed their children in fire to other gods. They followed the ways of the other heathen nations, something God had commanded against. The list is endless!

But this is where we see God’s amazing grace in action. After all the things they did God still forgave them. He covered all their sin. Despite straying so far away, God forgave them!!

What does that mean for us? It means hope for us. What sin have you committed? Are you in a place where you think you are beyond forgiving?

Just know, there is hope. God will forgive you if you come to Him. He wants to forgive you. He has not shut you out. There is no sin that is too big for Him to forgive. Look to Him. He has extended His mercy and grace to you. No matter how far you have strayed remember the Israelites. Remember God’s amazing grace…..

Rolain.P

Life after “No”.

I was watching a talent show on TV which was very interesting. What was interesting about it were the comments judges were making about the people who were auditioning. I didn’t agree with a lot of the comments that were being expressed. I really felt for the people who were being shot down. They were being torn down by the judges. Some left the stage crying while the judges were laughing. That really got to me. Those judges don’t seem to realise that they are holding people’s future’s in their hands! You may think I am a bit extreme in what I am saying but think about it.

A person who thinks they have a gift goes for an audition but gets told they should never use that gift ever. They get ridiculed and joked at and probably get told to do something else.
Yes, there are people who should not venture into somethings because they are just not good at them. But this is what I am trying to get to, are the judges qualified to tell those people what they are good at or not? Are they credible?
In life we go around allowing people to tell us what we can do or can’t do but are not credible! They may have qualifications but that doesn’t make them credible. Let me be bold in saying that there is no one on this earth who knows the real you, no one! You are not even credible to tell yourself what you are good at or not! You have a more intimate knowledge of who you are compared to anyone else but you are still not credible to make a decision about what you can do or can’t do. What I mean by that is, you don’t know your real potential so be careful when you start drawing conclusions about what you can or can’t do. God is the only One who is credible because He created you. He is the only One who can tell you who you really are.

My conclusion is simple. Don’t allow people to define what you can or can’t do. There is hope after the “No”. Listen to the positive comments that come your way. But be very cognisent of the negative comments that come your way. A question to ask is, are the authority voices in my life credible to tell me what I can or can’t do in my life?
Is a teacher credible to tell me what I am good at or not?
Is the coach who tells me that I am useless really credible even if he is qualified?
Can a music teacher come to a conclusion that I am not musical?

If you have kids, beware who is telling them what they can or cannot do. You need to protect your kids from people who are telling them the wrong things. Your voice as a parent is the one they listen to so use your power wisely. Build them up by speaking positively. Tell them they can achieve whatever they desire. Draw them to who God says they are.
Your role in their lives is so important. Don’t take it lightly.

As I end I would like to ask, what have you being told you can’t do? What dreams have you abandoned because someone told you “No”? They said you could not do it.

It is time to make a decision and pursue your dreams.

Rolain.P

God’s Favour In Our Lives!

What are you seeking? Are you focused on the right things in life. I spoke about this in detail in a post entitled “What Are You Seeking” that I wrote last month but I came across a scripture that reminded me of it. This is one of my favourite scriptures which ministers to me everytime I read it.
In a world where we have been trained to be “realistic” what have we come to expect?

Proverbs 11:27 says:
He who diligently seeks good seeks [God’s] favour, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him.

He who DILIGENTLY seeks good seeks God’s favour! In all the things that you are doing, have you being seeking good? In other words have you being looking for positive results?
In the company you have started have you been expecting to succeed or fail?
In the plans that you have, do you expect to fail or to succeed?
When you seek and expect good things to happen to you in everything you are doing you are actually seeking God’s favour!
God wants you to be a success in every area of your life so you can be a blessing to others.
Yes bad things happen in life but don’t seek them. Don’t expect to fail. Don’t plan to fail because the word is clear when it says:

“but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him.”

I encourage you to expect good things to happen to you. Seek good things to happen in your life. As you do that you are seeking God’s favour!!!
Amen!

Rolain.P

Know & Recognise & Acknowledge Him!

Does God know everything that is going on in your life? What I mean is, do YOU tell God about everything that is going on in your life? Is He the first one you speak to or is He the last? I have made it a standard in my life that God is the first one I speak to about anything. So when I tell anyone about anything no matter how deep or serious it is, I would have already told God. That is the way it’s supposed to be in a christian’s life.
As you do this He will answer you. There is a scripture that helps me and encourages me to keep on looking to Him before anyone else. It is in Proverbs 3:5,6 and it says:

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognise, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

As you KNOW that God is with you and as you RECOGNISE that He is the only One who can help you and as you ACKNOWLEDGE Him in all of your ways He promises that He will DIRECT and make STRAIGHT and PLAIN your paths. How many of you want to know which path to take? You have several to choose from but you just don’t know which one to choose. You need to KNOW, RECOGNISE, and ACKNOWLEDGE Him.
How many of you want clarity? How many of you need direction? How many of you want your way made straight, then you need to KNOW, RECOGNISE, and ACKNOWLEDGE Him in ALL your ways!

And that is why He wants you to run to Him first! He knows He can help you. Run to Him. Seek Him first.
He can be trusted!!!

Rolain.P

Know & Recognise & Acknowledge Him!

Does God know everything that is going on in your life? What I mean is, do YOU tell God about everything that is going on in your life? Is He the first one you speak to or is He the last? I have made it a standard in my life that God is the first one I speak to about anything. So when I tell anyone about anything no matter how deep or serious it is, I would have already told God. That is the way it’s supposed to be in a christian’s life.
As you do this He will answer you. There is a scripture that helps me and encourages me to keep on looking to Him before anyone else. It is in Proverbs 3:5,6 and it says:

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognise, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

As you KNOW that God is with you and as you RECOGNISE that He is the only One who can help you and as you ACKNOWLEDGE Him in all of your ways He promises that He will DIRECT and make STRAIGHT and PLAIN your paths. How many of you want to know which path to take? You have several to choose from but you just don’t know which one to choose. You need to KNOW, RECOGNISE, and ACKNOWLEDGE Him.
How many of you want clarity? How many of you need direction? How many of you want your way made straight, then you need to KNOW, RECOGNISE, and ACKNOWLEDGE Him in ALL your ways!

And that is why He wants you to run to Him first! He knows He can help you. Run to Him. Seek Him first.
He can be trusted!!!

Rolain.P

Know & Recognise & Acknowledge Him!

Does God know everything that is going on in your life? What I mean is, do YOU tell God about everything that is going on in your life? Is He the first one you speak to or is He the last? I have made it a standard in my life that God is the first one I speak to about anything. So when I tell anyone about anything no matter how deep or serious it is, I would have already told God. That is the way it’s supposed to be in a christian’s life.
As you do this He will answer you. There is a scripture that helps me and encourages me to keep on looking to Him before anyone else. It is in Proverbs 3:5,6 and it says:

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognise, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

As you KNOW that God is with you and as you RECOGNISE that He is the only One who can help you and as you ACKNOWLEDGE Him in all of your ways He promises that He will DIRECT and make STRAIGHT and PLAIN your paths. How many of you want to know which path to take? You have several to choose from but you just don’t know which one to choose. You need to KNOW, RECOGNISE, and ACKNOWLEDGE Him.
How many of you want clarity? How many of you need direction? How many of you want your way made straight, then you need to KNOW, RECOGNISE, and ACKNOWLEDGE Him in ALL your ways!

And that is why He wants you to run to Him first! He knows He can help you. Run to Him. Seek Him first.
He can be trusted!!!

Rolain.P

Questions Of The Heart.

God is great and He is mighty. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and no one can compare to Him. All other gods are wood and stone. He is the only true God.
But how many of us have questions about His Greatness? How many of us have questions about His faithfulness? Those questions need to be answered. God is perfect and He loves us. I was reading the word and I came across some very deep questions. On the surface they seemed ordinary, but as I stopped and meditated on them I realised how powerful they were. Take some time and meditate on these questions. I believe these are questions we deal with on a daily basis which need answers. Here we go,

Will the Lord cast off forever?

And will He be favourable no more?

Have His mercy and loving-kindness ceased forever?

Have His promises ended for all time?

Has God [deliberately] abandoned or forgotten His graciousness?

Has He in anger shut up His compassion?
Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
Psalm 77:7-9

How do you answer those questions? Let God speak to you through those questions. Let Him deal with negative mindsets that you have held about Him.

He is Faithful!!!!

Rolain.P

When Trouble comes.

We live in a broken world. And because we live in this world we are guaranteed that we will face trials and persecution. (Read John 16:33)
I would like to ask, how do you respond to the trials and frustration and the distress in your life? Do you freak out and lose it or are you calm as you wait on God?
What are you speaking in the trouble you facing? Is it life or death? Are you making your situation worse with the words you speak or are you making it better?

There is a life lesson that I would like to share with you that I have been taught from the Word. It is a life lesson and not something we do once in a while. The great men and women in the bible applied it whenever they were in trouble. The lesson I would like to share is, turning to God. As a son or daughter of God we need to learn to turn to God. No matter what comes our way, we must learn to turn to our Father.
I am going to show you two men of faith who did that but the Word is full of other examples.
The first person I would like to show you is King Asa.

There came out against Judah Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a million [that is, too many to be numbered] and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.
Then Asa went out against him, and they set up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
Asa cried to the Lord his God, O Lord, there is none besides You to help, and it makes no difference to You whether the one You help is mighty or powerless. Help us, O Lord our God!
For we rely on You, and we go against this multitude in Your name.
O Lord, You are our God; let no man prevail against You!
2 Chronicles 14:9-11

The second person I would like to show you is Asa’s son Jehoshaphat.

It was told Jehoshaphat, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead ] Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi.
Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah.
2 Chronicles 20:3,4

These men had great challenges to overcome but they looked to God first. They did not call their friends first. Their first point of call was God. It is interesting to note that Jehoshaphat feared when he heard about the mighty army coming against him. But even in fear he sought God! It is ok to express fear but it is what you do in fear what counts. Do you panic and speak doom when in fear? We need to be like Jehoshaphat who in his fear still turned to God.
As both these men turned to God, He delivered them. Let us then learn to turn to God all the time. He wants us to turn to Him because He knows He is the only one who can save us. He also knows that it will strengthen our faith in Him as we turn to Him more and more.

It is sad to see that Asa stopped looking to God. He turned to man for help. Our trust in man is vain. It will not get us any where. Look at what God says:

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, Because you have relied on the king of Syria and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you.
Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied then on the Lord, He gave them into your hand.
2Chronicles 16:7,8

Let us not be like Asa who towards the end of his life refused to seek God.

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet-until his disease became very severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but relied on the physicians.
2 Chronicles 16:12

I pray that will not be our testimony. Instead it will be one where when trouble comes He will be the first we turn to. Amen.

Rolain.P

Guarding The Most Important Thing In The Universe.

As christians we face the challenge of guarding the word that God has placed in our hearts. There are so many things that bombard us on a daily basis that threaten what we have been given by God. And because of that we need to make a conscious decision that we will meditate on the word we have been given. Believe it or not but it is easy to forget the word you have been given.
I find that a lot of the trouble I get into would of being avoided if I had remembered the word I had been given for a specific situation.

Look at what Proverbs 3:1 says:
My son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;

We need to discipline ourselves to keep the word in our hearts. Memorise it, meditate on it as much as you can. Do all that you can do to keep the word in your heart. I want you to realise that this should be a serious priority in your life.

Proverbs 4:20-22 says:
My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.
Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.

We need to be vigilant when it comes to storing the word in our hearts. It cannot be taken lightly. Our lives depend on it. In areas where we are supposed to be walking in freedom we are not because the word which was given to us has not taken root.

My son, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them.
Proverbs 7:1.

Let us not take lightly what God has spoken. Let us not forget what God has spoken to us. It is a fight but one that will make the difference between failure and success.

Rolain.P