Just Because God Said……

 

I was speaking to a friend a few days ago and he was telling me about the challenges he was facing in getting his drivers licence. After he left I started thinking. It seems like the things God has for us need to be fought for. It is never easy. A lot of us think just because God said, it should be a walk in the park, but that is not the case!!!
I think of the Israelites who were promised a land flowing with milk and honey. Once they got there they had to fight. The enemies were mightier than them but with God they conquered.Obtaining what God had promised them was no walk in the park. There are so many other examples in scripture of people who had to fight and work hard to obtain the prize and that is why I am writing this post.

 

Just because God said………
– doesn’t mean it will be smooth sailing from here on. On the contrary things will get a lot tougher!!

– doesn’t mean you will never face opposition. It is because GOD SAID, that you will face heavy opposition.

– doesn’t mean you don’t have to do your part. You have a responsibility.

– doesn’t always mean you will get what God said you will get. It is possible to disqualify yourself of the things God has for you. (Look at the Israelites and look at King Saul)  

– doesn’t mean there will be no battle. There will be a battle and you will need to engage.
 
– doesn’t mean you are exempt from pressure.

This is the conclusion of the matter. I have realised, just because God says something doesn’t mean there will be no resistence. It doesn’t mean easy as pie! What matters is how we respond to the call of God. Will be break under pressure or will we stand and keep on trusting God? Will we freak out and lose it or will we be found trusting in God?

Rolain.P

Will Your Words Last Into Eternity?

Do you know why it is important to speak the truth and not lie? Some people do it because it is the “right” thing to do!
But that is not enough. We need something more concrete and that is the same for all our other beliefs. You can’t just believe in something because “it’s the right thing to do”!  Why do you believe what you believe?

A few months ago God focused His magnifying glass on truth and lies in my life. He shown me how much I lied! At first I couldn’t believe it but as I looked at my life through His magnifying glass I seen how bad it was. The worst thing about it, was how experienced I was!! I would just lie without even thinking about it and then there were times when I would think about how I would lie!!! It was crazy. But in God’s amazing grace, He helped me.
In one of my previous posts I spoke about the word of God. I shared Hebrews 4:12 which says the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power and that is what we should see the word as. It is not just some random book!! If you have not read that post just click here.
His word IS alive and full of power because as I was reading His word in that crazy season He spoke to me through a verse. The verse of scripture that He used was Proverbs 12:19 and it says,

Truthful lips shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is [credited] but for a moment.

That scripture hit me like a ton of bricks and it still does today. Truthful lips will be established forever! It is not just speaking about your time on earth. Your truthful words will make an impact lasting into eternity!!!!
Can you imagine that? When you are in heaven your truthful words will be still making an impact?!!
Let me say it another way. You will be remembered on earth for centuries to come because of your truthful words and in heaven your words will still be making an impact because you spoke the truth here on earth!!!
“Truthful lips shall be established forever”,

But there is a flip side to the verse. It says, “but a lying tongue is [credited] but for a moment”.

That sucks right? A lying tongue will get you no where. You may prosper for a bit but it will come to an end. You will never win when you lie.

When I got that revelation I asked God to help me. I knew I needed His power to change. I still struggle with lying but there has been a change. I am still working at it. I want my words to count in eternity. I want to be established forever and not just for a season. I don’t want to play with my words because they really do have power!!
Let us desire to speak the truth even if it hurts. As we do that we are being established.
Another reason we must speak the truth is because God hates lying lips. Proverbs 12:22 says:

Lying lips are extremely disgusting and hateful to the Lord, but they who deal faithfully are His delight.

“Lying lips are extremely disgusting and hateful”. Those are very strong words but as sons and daughters of God we need to have the same view of lying lips. We should come to a place where we are disgusted by it and we totally hate it. We should be disgusted at lying and hate lying not just in other people but in ourselves to!!!

As I end I would like to ask you a question. Have your words got Ever-lasting power? Are you establishing things forever or are things breaking down in your life because you are not speaking the truth?
Let us ask for God’s help in this matter…..
Amen.

Rolain.P

A Place Reserved for God??

Idolatry is something that must not be entertained. It is serious. A lot of people think that it has died but it hasn’t. In fact it has got worse.
I realised how easy it is to worship to idols! These days anything can be an idol if you not careful. One moment I worship God  and in the next moment I am bowing down to idols! The problem is, they come in so stealthily. We truly need the grace of God!

God hates idolatry. He is God and expects to be first in my life and it should be no other way.
I am so challenged by a scripture in 1 John 5:21 and it says,

Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods) – [from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life].

The first thing to note is, there is a place due for God in our hearts. Does God live in that place or does He constantly get evicted?
Oh, and the place that is due to God is really all of me! It is not just a part of me He wants. God wants ALL of me.

He wants all of us. He is not interested in having a piece of us, instead He wants ALL of us. He doesn’t want some of our attention most of the time. He wants ALL of our attention all of the time why? The reason is simple, He is the Creator of the Universe and He died on the cross for us. He is God!!!!

The other thing to note about this verse is, there is something I need to actively do. I need to make a decision to not worship idols.

The other thing I see is, there are so many things competing for my attention. There are so many things competing for that top spot, God’s spot!! I need to be very careful about what I allow into me. What am I watching? What am I doing? Who am I speaking to? These things all matter.

The conclusion of the matter is this, there is a place in our hearts that is due to God. He should be the only One residing there. I want Him to be the only One. Do you?

Rolain.

3 Things To Know About Discipline.

As Christians we need to be disciplined. I believe there are areas where we are disciplined and other areas where we need help in. For example, you may be disciplined when it comes to keeping time but you are not disciplined when it comes to spending money. The goal of this post is to make you see the need to strive to be disciplined in every area of your life. There is a reward for being disciplined. Without wasting anymore time let us get into the 3 points.

 – Character is the by-product of discipline.
Your character as a person speaks loads about how disciplined you are. Are you a person of character? Your character is developed when you are disciplined. You cannot be a man or woman of character if you are not disciplined. Can you call someone who sleeps around a person of character? Can you call someone who is generally undisciplined a person of character?  We need discipline if we want to be men and women of character.

   –  The undisciplined person is always at the mercy of the disciplined person.
That is the truth! If you are not disciplined you will always be at the mercy of the person who is. I don’t want to be at the        mercy of someone else. I want to be in control of what is happening in my life and not succumb to someone else idea because I am not disciplined! Which category are you in? Are you at the mercy of disciplined people or are people following you because you are disciplined?

 – To successfully lead others you need to be able to lead yourself.
Are you self disciplined? If you are undisciplined in your own life then it is impossible to lead others. Master yourself first before you master others. If you are disciplined when it comes to money then you can lead others when it comes to money. If you are disciplined when it comes to purity then you can lead others in purity and so on and so on.

This is the point, men and women of character are not born but are made by choices and decisions they make everyday.
Let us make the right decisions. Let us make a decision to be disciplined. Look at your life and see the areas you need to be disciplined and ask for help. Let us desire to be disciplined in every area of our lives. And remember, it is a process. It doesn’t just happen. You will need to work hard at it.

Rolain.

The “Trust Issue”…..

In November I will be going for a tour to Malaysia. I am really looking forward to it but this is the thing, I haven’t finished raising my money. And then I found out I needed more cash for the trip. I have to admit that I panicked a bit. I started thinking about where I would get the other money and IF I would get it. That was just crazy. In the midst of all the anxiety a thought came to me. When things get crazy and beyond my control I panic why? As the month draws to an end there is always a worrying about the bills not been paid! The point is this, God has always come through for me countless times and yet I still worry again and again! One would think the lesson would have been learned but that is not the case! Every month and every season we worry about things that God has already come through for. Is it lunacy?

Is it a case of growing up as a Christian where I come to a realisation that God is my Provider and I don’t need to worry? Do I need to get to a level where I don’t panic no matter what comes my way because I have the understanding that God has already seen everything that I will ever face and also realise He had made a way for me a long time ago?

Do I need to come to a place where I realise that nothing ever shocks God, nothing!! Do I need to come to a realisation that God is never caught off-guard because He is TOTAL control of my life?!

God is the Almighty God. None can compare to Him. He gave His life so I could live. He loves me and watches over me. Since I serve so great a God instead of panicking I need to thank Him for coming through for whatever I have been facing! I should be solid and confident not in myself but in God that everything is ok…………..
Rolain.

Conversations As A Prayer.

 

What kind of conversations do you have with people? I know it will vary depending on who are you speaking to but what kind of conversations are you having? A lot of people nullify God’s power and miracles because they are not careful about the kind of conversations they have. Some people simply don’t know how powerful conversations are! We are indeed perishing because of a lack of knowledge but that must change.

To build my case I am going to be sharing from JOHN 11:1-53.

This is the story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. As we know, Jesus is told that Lazarus is sick and we also know that Jesus gets to Martha and Mary only to find out Lazarus has been dead for four days! We then see Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This is truly an amazing story but a story that raises a very important question.

The question is, when did Jesus pray for Lazarus to be healed when there is no record of that prayer?

–          Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou has sent me.                                       John 11:41,42

 

                                                                                                                  

 

We find the answer in John 1:4. Jesus is actually having a conversation with the disciples. Listen to what He says:

 

When Jesus heard that, He said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

 

Conversations have power. Jesus understood this and amazing things happened. We on the other hand need to understand. How many times we have prayed for something, for example, we have just asked God for money for a trip we want to take, so in church we experience the power of God and we are sure that God has heard our prayer. We praise Him and thank Him for His goodness and mercy but the following week when we are with friends at the coffee shop we are telling our friends how we think the money is just too much to raise!!!

This is just one example but there are many situations where we nullify what God has said over us. And we do this mostly in our conversations. CONVERSATIONS HAVE POWER!!

 

What you say to your friends or anyone else matters. Please understand that it is allowed to have fun and joke around. What I am talking about is when you have asked God for something specific and you nullify it when you are speaking with people.

You are creating your life with your words. Opportunities are been created when you speak. Answers to prayers are being answered as you speak but the vice versa is also true. If you are being negative in your conversations after you have just declared God’s greatness then you are shooting yourself in the foot! You need to stop doing that. We need to stop doing that!!! J And this is where I am going to end. I have finished my case and it is now your turn to assess where you at.

 

On a last note, I am not advocating for you to be fake. If you are having a bad day then you are having a bad day don’t sugar coat it. There is a need to be transparent but in the midst of the bad speak life. End with hope. That is the way to do it. God bless!

 

Rolain.P

 

 

 

 

Congratulations On Becoming A Servant!!!!

Who likes being called a servant? I don’t think anyone likes being called that. It is degrading and just down right embarrassing. But this is the thing, God wants us to be servant leaders. Get it, SERVANT leaders! Somewhere down the line, the definition of true leadership has been lost. We have leaders who don’t talk to their flock. We have leaders who will not dare take advise from a mere feeble “commoner”. We have leaders who live in another world who cannot be touched and spoken to. Their security detail (oh excuse me, I mean protocol team) are the ones who decide who is fit or dressed well enough or eloquent enough to speak to the Man of God!!! Something is very wrong with this picture, very wrong!

One of the most important traits of a leader is being able to serve. A real leader is able to serve. Listen to how one of the greatest leaders in history is addressed by God Almighty,

And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people [reverently] feared the Lord and trusted in (relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord and to His servant Moses.
Exodus 14:31

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses minister,
Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordon, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites.
Joshua1:1,2

Moses was a servant leader. Another thing to note about a servant leader is, it’s not so much what you do but what is in your heart. Moses had a heart to serve. Do you have a heart to serve and not just the rich and famous but anybody from the youngest to the poorest? If not you are not fit to be called a leader!!!
As a leader are you able to listen to and serve anyone? If a child had to ask you to get something would you do it?
If a poor person asked you to get something for them would you do it?
A servant leader does not look at himself or herself anymore but looks at what they can do for others.
Are you that person?

This is what Jesus says about being a leader,

And Jesus called them to Him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men hold them in subjection [tyrannizing over them].
Not so shall it be among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your slave –
Just as the Son of Man came not to be waited on but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [the price paid to set them free].
Matthew 20:27,28

Being a servant-leader is not easy. It takes sacrifice. It requires you die to yourself!
Jesus washed His disciples feet. It must of been a humbling experience for Him but He did it. John 13:3 says,

[That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God,

Jesus knew exactly who He was yet in that understanding He still washed the disciples feet. Knowing that you are someone great and then serving someone is one thing but knowing you are the Son of God and washing your servants feet is something entirely different!!!

As I end I would like you to think about what kind of leader you are.
A servant leader is someone who thinks about other people more than he or she thinks about themselves. Is that you?

Rolain.P

What is more important, what you enjoy or significance?

I have just started a job at a restaurant this week. It has been a crazy week if I must say. The craziness has come about because I have my own company which I am running at the same time. So trying to balance the two things has been interesting! To top that off I have been preparing for an outreach. The outreach was on Friday and a lot of school students gave their lives to Christ. In the midst of this crazy week I have been reflecting on something. Which is more important, doing what you enjoy or doing what is significant even if

you don’t like it? I don’t like the hospitality industry and I had actually left it to start my own company. But my church has a coffee shop and I was asked to help. I had been avoiding it for quite some time but I finally decided to work at the coffee shop but the dilemma remains, I believe God wants me here but would He direct me somewhere I don’t like? What is more important, doing what you enjoy or what is significant? I know that some people get to do both and praise the Lord for you.

As I was meditating on this I remembered Jesus in the garden. He is on THE most important mission this world has and will ever know. The thing is this, Jesus knew it had to be done. If He didn’t do it then we would have to die for our own sins!

Listen to what He prays in Matthew 26:39: O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

He prays for the second time and says, O my Father, if this cup  may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.  Matthew 26:42

Please understand what I am saying. It is important that we do the things we are passionate about. We need to fill our lives with things that we love but sometimes to get to that destination we will need to endure things that we are not comfortable with for the greater good. Jesus understood this. He loved us so much but at the same time the reality of what was about to happen dawned on Him. Yes, he asked if the cup pass from him but I don’t think He was really considering not going through with it.

As I close make sure what you enjoy doing is significant.

So my question remains, would you rather do what you are passionate about or would you do something that is going to change lives even if it costs you your life?

Rolain.P

Persistence vs Friendship. Part 2

In part one I spoke about persistence and the importance of it. I shared a revelation which God had shown me about persistence.

Persistence will get you what friendship can’t.

In this post I aim to show you how powerful persistence is. We need to be persistent if we are going to accomplish anything of worth. There is a certain level of tenacity that is required to accomplish great things. Great feats were never accomplished by men and women just sitting down but by tenacious people, people who never gave up and people who would not accept defeat. They were persistent.

Jesus tells another story about persistence in prayer. We find the story in Luke 18:1-8
A lot of people including myself lose heart in prayer. Because we don’t see the answer we lose heart and stop praying but God is encouraging us to be persistent. He wants us to be tenacious. Don’t give up.
This story in Luke 18 is interesting because the judge does not fear God or man. He is an extreme case but we see a change in this hard man because of persistence. Listen to what he says,

” And for a time he would not; but later he said to himself, Though I have neither reverance or fear for God nor respect or consideration for man,
Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend and protect and avenge her, lest she give me intolerable annoyance and wear me out by her continual coming or at the last she come and rail on me or assault me or strangle me.”
Luke 18:4,5

There is power in persistence. The last story I am going to use is in Judges 16:1-17. This is the story of Samson and Delilah. In this story we see persistence working but in a negative way. Delilah has been asked to find out where Samson gets his strength. You would think Samson would see what was really happening but he doesn’t or chooses not to see. Delilah kept pushing and pushing and in Judges 16:16,17 we read,

And when she pressed him day after day with her words and urged him, he was vexed to death.
Then he told her all his mind and said to her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my birth. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.

Persistence broke down the barriers of one of the strongest men in history. Don’t underestimate the power of persistence.

Breakthrough comes when we are persistent.

Rolain.

Persistence vs Friendship. Part 1

There is something God taught me that I would like to share with you. It is actually a principle that I try to live by as consistently as I can.

PERSISTENCE WILL GET YOU WHAT FRIENDSHIP CAN’T!

Persistence is very important in a person’s life. Can you say that you are persistent in all that you do? Believe it or not but there is power in persistence.

Jesus tells a story about persistence and in this context, prayer. In Luke 11:5-10 He tells a story about a man who in need of bread goes to his friend at midnight. Even though he has a legitimate reason we read that the friend will not get up to give him bread. This is his friend who needs help but doesn’t get it. Friendship in this case is not enough. But listen to what will get him what he needs,

“I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.”
Luke 11:8

Please understand, there are things that you can’t get because of friendship that you can get only through persistence!
What is the lesson here? It is ok to say you know God but He wants you to be persistent.

“So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.
For everyone who asks and keeps on asking recieves; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
Luke 11:9,10

I have been in a lot of incidents where I wanted something from a friend but never got it only to get it after I bugged them daily!!!
This principle works. I have experienced it first hand.

In part two of this post I will expound more on this principle.
As I end always remember, Persistence will get you what friendship can’t!!

Rolain.