Finding The Root Of Negative Words……

But I tell you, on the day of judgement men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, non-working) word they speak.
For by your words you will be justified acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.
Matt 12:36,37

This scripture is very heavy I must say. On judgement day we will be asked to account for EVERY idle word we have spoken!!! That is hectic because I can’t even remember all the words I spoke last week till now! How much more for an entire life???
We can’t just ignore the gravity of this verse. What does that mean for us?
It means we have got to start changing the way we speak. But that is harder than it sounds!!! How can one change the way he speaks? How does one change from speaking negatively to positively.?
I guess the real question to ask is, what influences the words that come out of our mouths?? Where do the words that we speak come from?
The answer is further up in that verse.

You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.
The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things.
Matthew 12:34,35

We can see our words are greatly affected by what is in our hearts!! But what is in our hearts? How did the evil man get a “storehouse of evil things” and how did the good man get a ” storehouse of good things”?
The answer is easy, the good man fills his life with good things. He deposits good things and that is why he can speak well. Good things range from reading the word, to speaking right, to listening to the right things, to reading the right books, hanging around people who build you up and so on.
The evil man on the other hand has been making bad deposits!!! He lies, and watches anything. He doesn’t read the word or anything of worth. There are a whole host of other things the evil man gets into that I will not mention but the point is this, he has been making bad deposits and because of that he will bring forth evil. That is what is in his heart  and because of that it has affected the way he speaks.

What kind of deposits are you making because that will affect how you speak. Guard your heart.

But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
Matt 15:18

Rolain

A Story About A Little Girl!!!!!

I would like to share something amazing that happened to me yesterday. It is a story about me but in actual fact it is a testimony about how amazing God is.

I was at youth last night helping out. As I was doing that a friend of mine came in late with a few friends and asked where youth was happening. I told her the venue and she left. The strange thing though was one of her friends who I had never met but looked so familiar was staring at me. She seemed to have recognized me and I her but from where I don’t know! Anyway youth finished and only when she left did it hit me. I did know the girl who was looking at me!!

A few years back when I used to work at a Thai Restaurant there was a customer who had a little girl that I knew very well. I used to play with her whenever she came. She would tell me about what new toys she got and where she traveled and so on. As our friendship grew stronger my heart broke for her because I knew she was not a Christian. I now remember crying out to God for her and her family. God had given me a love for this little girl that I can’t explain. So I prayed and cried out to God and that was that. To top things off the restaurant closed down and that meant I would never see the little girl again!!

And yes, the teenage girl who was looking at me was the little girl i used to play with all that time back!!! It is at least four years back!! I had totally forgotten her even to a point that I did not recognize her last night at youth!! But God doesn’t forget! I hope my prayers played a part in her coming to the Lord or her hearing the word last night. I am so grateful to God, not because He answered my prayer but because the little girl who is now a teenager has heard the word of the Lord!!!! My faith has been given a boost after last night. There are a few lessons to learn from this:

– Don’t take for granted the impact you have in someone’s life.

– God does not forget your prayers! He has heard each and every single prayer you have prayed no matter how big or how small it may have seemed.

– God does answer prayer. He really does.

– His heart is for the lost. And when you have forgotten about them He hasn’t!!!!

– He is so GOOD!!!!

That is my testimony. God is totally Amazing!!!!!!!

Rolain

 

What Does It Mean To Follow Jesus??

 

But Jesus said to him, Follow Me, and leave the dead [in sin] to bury their own dead.
And after He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
And suddenly, behold, there arose a violent storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered up by the waves; but He was sleeping.
Matthew 8:22-24

As I was reading this passage of scripture something caught my attention. The word says, after Jesus got into the boat, His disciples got into the boat and suddenly there arose a violent storm! Not just a storm but a violent storm. Why did Jesus go on to the boat then? In fact why did He allow the disciples to follow Him onto the boat?? I am sure He knew a storm would come. They could of stayed on  land until the storm passed but instead He went on to the boat! The disciples had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
It is not easy following Jesus. A lot of people think it is but it’s not! Following Jesus doesn’t guarantee a pain free life. In fact it might mean more challenges and more trouble but why???

The answer is found further down in the scripture I shared. The disciples were freaking out. They thought they were in mortal danger!!! (Matthew 8:25)
And that is the thing about this walk we have chosen. The danger is real. The trials are real. The troubles we face can take us out! As the disciples thought they would die so it is with us. But Jesus had a plan. He wasn’t taking them into the storm for the fun of it. He wanted to teach them something. He wanted them to learn something.

And He said to them, Why are you timid and afraid, O you of little faith? Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great and wonderful calm (a perfect peaceableness). Matthew 8:26

Jesus equated their fear and timidity for a lack of faith!!! Very interesting….They were not over reacting when they were asking Jesus to save them. The storm was real, the boat was sinking so one would think their reaction was totally normal but no, Jesus equated it to lack of faith!!!!
In the storm we need to trust God. He is the ONLY One who can get us out of it. The only One!!
Your foreboding and anxious thoughts and your fear are showing Him how much you DON’T trust Him!!
Fear is a natural response to danger but how we respond when fear comes is important.

I want you to know, Jesus is with you in the storm. He wants your faith. Will you stop looking at the magnitude of the storm and turn to Him in faith? He will save you. He wants to strengthen your faith in Him. He is good. He does not allow storms into our lives for the fun of it. He has a plan.

Rolain

Where Has The Reverence Gone???

Ezra opened the book in sight of all the people, for he was standing above.them; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Nehemiah 8:5

I have being enjoying the book of Nehemiah so much. It has really been an eye opener for me especially concerning the word. If there is anything I have seen consistently in the book of Nehemiah it would be the people’s attitude toward the word of God. They had a reverence for the word of God. The word says, as Ezra opened the book of the law to read from it the people all stood up!! Wow!
I am not advocating that we stand up in church when the word is being read but what I am trying to show you is these people had a deep reverence for God’s word which reflected in their actions! Do you reverence the word of God? Can you imagine the kind of picture that was being painted to the children? The reverence and respect you have for the word of God will be seen by all, through your actions.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest an scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of them, This day is holy to the Lord your God; mourn not nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law.  Nehemiah 8:9

They wept when they heard the word of God. When I was reading all this I asked myself, does the word of God break me anymore? What have I allowed in my life that has dulled the living power of the word in my life? The thing is, we have become familiar with the word! Familiarity is a killer. We cannot be familiar with the word of God. These people wept when they heard the word, do you? Television and the internet are some of the things that dull our spirit to the word of God. We watch too much TV. We are always on the internet. We read the newspaper or that car magazine or the porn magazine more than the word and then we wonder why we are powerless???
And it doesn’t just stop there, it carries over to our kids. We allow them to watch anything and listen to anything. They don’t respect the word because you don’t!  Television cannot be the main attraction in the house. The time’s when you gather together as a family should be the most exciting thing at home!
On the second day, all the heads of fathers’ houses, with the priests and Levites, gathered to Ezra the scribe to study and understand the words of divine instruction.
Nehemiah 8:13
Let us get back to the word. Let us desire to understand what the word means. Let us teach our kids. They are looking to us as examples. Desire to study the word. Don’t be familiar with the word. It has the power to change your life. Block out those things that are hindering you from reading the word more. Watch less TV. Spend less time on the internet or reading those newspapers. Ask God to ignite a fire for the word. But it starts with you. Steps need to be taken. The fire is not just magically going to happen. If you read the word for 10 minutes a day then extend it to 15 minutes a day. Wake up earlier, cut down the amount of time you spend watching Television and so on. I hope you are beginning to get the picture.

Does God See Me???

God sees what you do. You may think your work for Him is going unnoticed but it’s not.
Take Benjamin and Hasshub for example. (Nehemiah 3:23) Work was going on around them as the  walls of Jerusalem were being built. People were getting involved.

“How can we get involved” they must of being thinking? I don’t think they ever imagined beyond their wildest dreams that thousands of years later people would know the part they played in the building of the wall!!! The word says they repaired the wall opposite their house!!! It was as simple as that. A lot of people think God’s will is complicated and complex but it’s not. What is in your hands?  How you live this life counts. Especially a life lived for God…….

What you do in this life counts but it goes the other way as well
There were a group of people who didn’t think what they did mattered. They didn’t take the work God had called them to do seriously.

Next to them the Tekoites repaired, but the nobles or lords did not put their necks to the work of their Lord.
Nehemiah 3:5

Let that not be our story. God has a plan for your life. Take it seriously!
The enemy comes against us and his goal is to discourage us. To say we should never get discouraged is unrealistic. We will get discouraged but how we respond is key.

And [the leaders of] Judah said, The strength of the burden bearers is weakening, and there is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall.
Nehemiah 4:11

The people were getting tired. They were working and working but nothing seemed to change. The rubble was still there. They thought their work was in vain. But let me ask you this, what if you were sent back into time to to speak to the people now? If you have read the rest of Nehemiah you will know that the people completed the wall. You know how the story ends.  So with what you know wouldn’t you tell them to keep on pushing and not give up???

Be encouraged because God sees our lives like that!! He sees the start and the finish line. He sees a good end. We are like the people in the story. We need to ask God to teach us how to see differently. We need to see like He does. How would life be if we saw like He did? What if we saw the BIG PICTURE! It would be different for sure. We would push longer and we would trust Him. We would be assured our lives would work out. And that is what I am here to tell you. Everything will be OK. Your work is not for granted. What you do in this life matters to God.

Rolain

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

People have tried to answer the age old question of why bad things happen to good people. That is a hectically broad question to answer but I would like to shed some light on the answer. The first thing we need to realize is, the world is inherently broken. We live in a broken world and sin has been decaying it more and more. The world broke when Adam and Eve sinned and has continued ever since. We blame God at times and then the devil at other times (he is to blame for a LOT) but we just need to come to a realization that we live in a broken world.
But what are we to do since we live in a broken world?

We are to be thankful to God for what we have been given. The very fact that we are breathing today is a miracle only God could do. Do you thank God for been able to live another day?
In whatever situation you find yourself be thankful.
Be grateful for the friends you have and the family you have. God has been good even though it may not of seemed like it. You may not be where you are but thank Him. It’s by His grace that you are where you are and not in a worse situation.
Our lives are so fleeting, so short. Make it count now!!! Not a year from now or ten years from now but NOW!
What really matters in life?
John the Baptist had an idea. Talking to the pharisees he had this to say,

Do you think a little water on your snake skins is going to make any difference? It’s your life that must change, not your skin! And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as your father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire. Matthew 3:7-10  (The Message)

We live in a broken world but John is saying that we got to make our lives count for God. For that to happen we got to change our lives. We have been focused on the wrong things. It’s time to focus on the things that really matter. A lot of people pursue titles and think that’s life but it’s not.

A life that is making a difference in people’s lives is what is important. Has there been a progression in your life? Has it been getting greener and greener?
Being thankful is so important. There is power when we are thankful in the midst of hardship. Learn to be thankful everyday. Find something to be thankful for. Have a thankful heart always.
In a broken world we can’t be familiar with the people God has given us. Familiarity is a killer and it will rob of us of God’s best!!! We cannot afford to be familiar.

In this broken world God has called us to be light. He wants our lives to count.
I don’t know why bad things happen to good people but I hope this shed some light on the answer.

Rolain

What Does Godly Character Look Like??

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place under these circumstances: When His mother Mary had been promised in marriage to Joesph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant [through the power] of the Holy Spirit. 
And her [promised] husband Joesph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly.  Matt 1:18,19

As a man this passage really speaks to me  and I will show you why. This post is directed towards  single men but if you are married or if you are a single woman please feel free and read through as well. If you have any points you would like to add please feel free to share…….  🙂

The first thing to understand is,
– Mary under law was supposed to be stoned. Joesph was her promised husband but they were not married yet. She had not been with him yet. So the fact that she was pregnant meant she was unfaithful (we know what really happened) which meant death.
– Joesph did not know she was pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit so he could of lashed out at her because he was hurt. He could of embarrassed her and shamed her as payback. That is what any other man would of done in the same situation but he didn’t.

As young men preparing for marriage we can learn from Joesph. He was a man of character. He protected Mary even though it looked like she did him wrong.
We as men are called to protect. Don’t wait till marriage to learn, start now in your friendships with the opposite sex. Are you protecting the women in your life? You do that by your actions. Are you watching how you speak to them or are you watching your thoughts towards them? Are you encouraging them in the way of the Lord? These are some of the ways we can protect the women in our lives. I would just like to clarify something. The job of protection falls on the dad. You as a friend can protect her to some extent but it’s her family’s role. Let’s carry on….

– He was a man of integrity and character. In this time of singleness you need to build your character. Without character you cannot accomplish anything great. Allow God to build godly character in you.

– Joesph was a humble man. He didn’t allow pride to dictate how he responded to Mary.

-In the verse 20 we read how the angel of the Lord spoke to him about Mary. God was involved and that showed me that God is interested in who we are to marry. He is not just sitting and watching from afar, no. He is involved. Allow Him to come and take control of that area of your life. He wants to be involved!!!!

That is what I have to share for you men. I pray God will open your eyes to see the heart of Joesph as He did to me. I want to be like Joesph. A man who is humble and who protects and who trusts God.
I pray the same for you.

Rolain

Are You Seeking For The Right Thing????

He who, with all his heart, goes after what is good is searching for grace; but he who is looking for trouble will get it.   Proverbs 11:27

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

This scripture really spoke to me this yesterday. What are you seeking in your life right now? The word is very clear about what we should be seeking. “Seek good“, the word tells us. You are not being selfish if you seek good. A lot of us would feel guilty about seeking good but there is no need to feel guilty. The first translation says you are seeking for grace when you seek for the good and the second translation says you are seeking God’s favor when you seek the good!!!
I want God’s favor in my life and I want His grace! Do you??
It can’t be that easy you say. Yes it can and yes it is. Don’t fall into the trap of being “realistic”. The next part of that verse says, “but he who is looking for trouble will get it”. It’s that simple! If you seek trouble it will come upon you!!!
If you want to fail you will fail.
If you want to be poor you will be poor.
If you want to be sick you will.

What are you looking for??? Why don’t you seek good? Trust the word of God. I am not bringing a new thing. This is not my idea. I am just showing you what the word says!!!! The word is saying seek good. You may have your reasons for not seeking good but just do it.
We live in a broken world and it has killed the hope in us. We have been  hurt so badly that we have adapted. We expect failure, we expect disappointment, we expect brokenness but God wants us to see and live on another level. He wants us to get up when we fall. He wants us to be able to see victory when we fall!!!! He wants us to have hope. And that happens when we seek the good!!!

So seek good things to happen to you. Expect that breakthrough, expect God to answer your prayers. I am speaking to me as well. Let us seek good always!!!!
God is good indeed!!!! Let us thank Him for his grace towards us…

Rolain.

Taking Responsibility For The Next Generation!!!

Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this Your people who are so great?
2 Chronicles 1:10

This was what King Solomon prayed to God when God asked him what he wanted. Instead of asking for wealth or long life or a whole host of other things, he asked God for wisdom to guide the nation of Israel!!!!
How did this young man who was about to lead so great a nation know what to ask for?

Today we have a lot of kids who are not growing up in the way of the Lord. We have kids who are passionate about everything but God. We have young people who will not raise their hands to God in praise! The things of God don’t seem to interest our kids but why? As mentor’s and parents we blame Facebook and other social networks, we blame television but the truth is, it’s our fault! We have not set a good example. We watch anything and everything but expect our kids to be pure in what they watch!
Our kids are not passionate because WE are not passionate. We read our bibles once a week and expect our kids to read their bibles daily. We eat trash but we teach our kids to eat right!!! Something is wrong with that picture.                               Even if you don’t have kids yet this applies to you. Are you on fire for God? Do you read your word? Are you a passionate person?
King David managed to transfer his vision to Solomon. Could you say that about your kids? Do they know what God has called them to do?  Do they know your vision? Look at what the next scripture says:

When I [Solomon] was a son with my father [David], tender and the only son in the sight of my mother [Bathsheba],
He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live.
Proverbs 3:3-27

Solomon asked for wisdom because his dad treasured it. His dad would sit down and talk to him about it.
As mentors, teachers, and parents we have the responsibility of leading the way. I wrote a post sometime ago entitled Our kids at War. They are at war and they are losing. They need more role models. They need someone to follow. But how can they follow us if we are not passionate about God and we are lukewarm???? It won’t work. Let us follow King David’s example and raise up our kids in the admonition of the Lord….

As we do that our kids will be stronger. They will be able to stand on our shoulders as we lead them.

Rolain

Restoring Broken Relationships….

The importance of relationships has been on my heart of late. Relationships can be so hard and difficult at times but is that a legitimate excuse to abandon them?
We need each other. That is how we were created.
We are strong when our relationships are strong but we are weak when they are weak. I remember being in a very tense situation with a friend. It got so tense that I was about to give up on the relationship. Why bother, I asked myself? What is the point?
What do we do when the relationships we have are broken? How do you salvage a broken relationship?
The mistake we make a lot of the time is try and solve it in our own strength. We don’t bring the situation to God in prayer, instead we plough through in our strength.
The situation I was in just escalated. It just got worse and worse. I was at a loss at what to do and that is when I got the revelation.
God wants to restore our relationships so badly. Do we have the same attitude or are we tired of fighting, that we have just thrown our hands up in surrender?
Have we starting treating the people  in our lives commonly?
Have we started talking behind our friend’s back because we are bitter and angry?
Or have we ignored them altogether hoping the tension will simply go away, because it won’t!!!

Relationships are from God and they are meant to sharpen us, build us up and mean’t to propel us into our future but why have they become taxing, and why is there pain and fighting, and tension and bickering? How could something so precious become so bad??? Let me tell you why that has happened:
We took God’s precious gift and decided to rely on our own strength. We stopped going to God for guidance. We stopped looking to Him for wisdom and started relying on our own intelligence.
Let us get back to God. He can restore your broken relationships.

God wants to be involved in our relationships. Let Him guide your relationships and watch how He will be glorified…

Rolain