What you didn’t know about God’s will……

Moses and Aaron went and gathered together [in Egypt] all the elders of the Israelites. 
Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 
And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Israelites, and that He had looked [in compassion] upon their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.  Exodus 4:29-31

The people’s believed what Moses and Aaron had told them. God would deliver them! They bowed their heads and worshiped says the word. But they didn’t fully understand what that meant. I know this because in a few verses later we see them rejecting what God told them,

And the foremen met Moses and Aaron, who were standing in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh. 
And the foremen said to them, The Lord look upon you and judge, because you have made us a rotten stench to be detested by Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hand to slay us. 
Exodus 5:20, 21

The leaders were told about God’s will for them and they believed. They thought it was going to be plain sailing but they were wrong. God doesn’t work like that. Yes, He has a plan for us but it comes with trials and times of testing. The people failed to see that and it cost them dearly. God’s will for our lives is so amazing but to get there, we will need to go through stuff…..!
The “stuff” is to make us stronger. The “stuff” will strengthen our faith in God. Please understand what I am saying, God’s will is not all trials and testing and hardship. There are victories, times of peace, breakthrough, joy, laughter, favor and a whole lot more. We need that understanding about the two aspects of God’s will.

And I will bring you into the land concerning which I lifted up My hand and swore that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage. I am the Lord [you have the pledge of My changeless omnipotence and faithfulness].
Moses told this to the Israelites, but they refused to listen to Moses because of their impatience and anguish of spirit and because of their cruel bondage. 
Exodus 6:8, 9

Can you believe that? They refused to listen to Moses and this was only the beginning. There was still the desert to come!
But there is something I would like to touch on that was in the scripture we just read. Impatience can steal what God has for you. The Israelites were impatient. They were not willing to wait or endure. They wanted God to come through now! Don’t get impatient. Learn to wait on the Lord. He knows what you need.  They thought it would be a bed of roses but it was so much more. Walking the road God has set out for you is not easy. It requires courage and trust. I am on this road right now. I am so tempted at times to just take the wheel but God is in control.  The will of God for your life is fulfilling but you need to understand there is another side to it. God doesn’t test us for the fun of it. He has a purpose for it, to bring us out stronger in faith, to bless us beyond our wildest dreams…..He is truly a good God!

Rolain

The disception of the media…..

Did any of you watch the Grammies? I didn’t but I heard so much, especially Katy Perry’s performance. So I decided to see what it was all about and I was shocked. How could they show such a performance on prime time television??? On top of that there was a mass gay wedding ceremony which happened during a performance by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. As if that was not enough Jay-Z’s and Beyoncé’s performance was said to be way to explicit for children. I watched a bit of Katy Perry’s performance and heard about the other two. I couldn’t believe it. Let us rewind a couple of years. A lot of the stuff the media is exposing us to now would be unheard of back in the day. What was R-rated then would probably be PG13 or something like that nowadays. Our minds have been numbed by the media. Their strategy, show something horrifying, not too excessive but enough to do it’s damage. Our minds have been seared by the media. We are constantly bombarded by violence, same sex marriages, divorce, sex before marriage, and so on, surely there must be an effect. Katy Perry’s performance was satanic and should never have been aired but this is the world we live in. We are being exposed to all kinds of junk and our minds are being seared. I want to show you some of the responses I read about Katy Perry’s performance.

– Um, did we just witness actual witchcraft during Katy Perry’s Grammy performance?

– I’m like 99% sure Katy Perry just summoned satan during her performance.

– Now all the little girls that look up to Katy Perry will worship satan.

I will stop there……There were so many tweets about the performance but what got me was the lack of shock. The statements were said as a mere statement of fact and nothing more. No outrage, disgust, hate or anything like that. If there was there wasn’t much of it. My case is this, our minds are being seared and becoming more susceptible to what the media is showing us. We need to make a stand about what we watch and what we listen to. Our kids, your kids are being attacked and not in the way you think. You think leaving your kids watching television is good but it’s not. It is destroying them on the inside……! I just would like to appeal to you to make a stand about what you watch and listen to for you and your family…. The media is working hard and smart to change the way we think. This must stop. We can’t change what the media air but we can make a decision about what we watch and listen to. Our lives and families lives depend on it.

Rolain.

4 Lessons to learn from Joseph about destiny…..

Some time ago I wrote a post entitled, “3 lessons  from David about destiny“. Well this time I am going to touch on someone who is another inspiration to me – Joseph. His story was pretty amazing as you know and there are things we can learn from him about destiny.

1. Joseph had a dream but as we see, it was not all roses for him. Yes he had a dream but he had no idea what he was about to go through for that dream to come to pass. I don’t think he had the slightest idea he would be sold into slavery or be wrongfully accused. As far as he was concerned, he had a dream……
Please note, I am not trying to instill fear in you concerning dreams. All I want you to see and know is, there is so much more to your life than what you see.  There is a process that must take place. That process will involve testing. With testing comes reward, if you pass! Don’t be afraid of the testing, because God will be with you through it all. He was with Joseph when he was sold into slavery, He was with him when he was wrongfully accused. He was with him in prison. God was with him through it all…….He never abandoned him for a single moment! That is great news for all of us.

2. But the Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a  successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. Genesis 39:2

This verse shows us, even though Joseph was in a hard place God was with him. Wherever you are just know that God is with you. If you are on the right path you will have favour.

3. But think of me when it shall be well with you and show kindness, I beg of you, to me, and mention me to Pharoah and get me out of this house. 
For truly I was carried away from the land of the Hebrews by unlawful force, and here too I have done nothing for which they should put me into the dungeon.   Genesis 40:14, 15

Joseph tried to take things in his own hands. He tried to direct his own life. He got tired of waiting on God. I can identify with Joseph. When the chips are down and nothing is working for you there is a temptation to take the steering wheel and drive but we always need to remember, God is control. He knows exactly what He is doing. I constantly try to keep this on mind always. He is in control and He knows exactly what He is doing.

This is the point. At times we try to do things on our own because we are not patient. We give up waiting on God because we think He has forgotten us or abandoned us. But that is not the truth. God knows exactly where we are.

4. After two full years, Pharoah dreamed that he stood by the river [Nile]. Genesis 41:1

Can you imagine how he must of felt. The butler was a free man but he never said anything to Pharoah for two whole years……..I wonder what he must of being thinking. Did he give up on God? Did he complain? The one thing he had to learn was patience. Yes he tried to take matters in his own hands but he had to be patient. He had to wait and trust in God. We will need to do the same. God’s call on our lives is not a day journey or even a year long journey. It takes a much longer time. Will you be patient and wait on Him?

And that is all I would like to share with you on the life of Joseph………God did amazing things through him. Please note that the way God worked in the life of David is completely different compared to the life of Joseph and it will be different for us. There are a few things we can learn that are universal but in the whole scope of things, God will work differently in each of our lives. The plan He has for us is exciting, fulfilling and amazing……Praise be to God, the maker of our dreams!!

Rolain

Do not be afraid……

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

I read something that gave me so much hope today. It really gave me peace when I read it. This is what I read,

Jesus takes our fears seriously!

That is what I read. So simple but yet so profound.

He doesn’t laugh at our fears, 

He doesn’t take them as a joke, 

He doesn’t water them down, 

He doesn’t ignore our fears, 

Instead, He takes notice and He identifies with them. He desires us to be free of our fears.

He sent His Son to die so we could be free of our fears…..

Rolain

Is there hope for the world?

Is there hope for the world? The world has really lost it’s way or maybe it’s always been like this but I never noticed. As I have asked this question there is another question that must be asked. Can we as Christians do anything to make a change? I read a scripture a few days ago that has made me think about this:

“And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again only this once. Suppose ten [righteous people] shall be found there. And [the Lord] said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

And the Lord went His way when He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.” Genesis 18:32, 33

We all know the story. Abraham started at fifty people and kept on asking God if He would spare the city till he got to ten and yes, God would spare the city if there were at least ten righteous people. That brings me to my next point. I think God would preserve them not only because He was a just and fair God but because He knew that ten people would be enough to turn that city around! In fact, I don’t think God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah!!!!! I know it is a crazy thought but hear me out. I say that because of Ezekiel 33:11. It says,

Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

I know this verse was directed to Israel but it also revealed God’s heart concerning the wicked. Judgement will come for the wicked but before it does He gives them a chance to turn from their wicked ways!!!

Then another thought came to me. If ten people was enough for God to use, how much more can He do now? There are more than ten Christians in each city, town, community, state. As Christians we can make a difference if we ask for God’s help. This is a challenge for all of us. I know there are Christians doing big things for God and we salute them. This post is to honour them and encourage the rest to stand up and do their part and to let people know there is hope for the world. A lot of people will die without knowing God but we must each do our part to save as many……..We are the “ten” God has called. The world may think there is no hope but there is. They may think God has turned His back on them but He hasn’t. There is still hope…..! We are in the last few minutes of the game and every second counts. God in His love and mercy made it possible. The game is not over. There is still hope…….

Rolain

 

What are you hungry for???

Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder.  Psalm 16:26

I have always thought this scripture was talking about the importance of a job. You know, if you don’t work you don’t eat, or something to that effect but there is a much deeper meaning to that scripture. I was so challenged by the revelation I was given in my quiet time. This scripture is talking about something more than jobs, it is talking about life. It is talking about purpose, destiny, the future. Let me put this verse in perspective. This year I decided there needs to be more change in my life but to do that I cannot keep on doing the same thing. That is insanity. If I want a change I need to change what I am doing. With all the frustration I have been having a hunger has been developed. And this is the hunger I think this passage of scripture is talking about. A hunger to be more, and a hunger to do more…..A hunger that is no more satisfied with the status quo but is willing to go against the grain….A hunger that says, it is time to get up and stop living life on the couch….A hunger that is not happy with just getting by but is pushing to do great things, significant things…..a hunger that is pushing forward in the face of insurmountable challenges…….a hunger that is tired of fear and instead stands up against it, that is the type of hunger I think this scripture is talking about!

“Appetite is an incentive to work” says the word. Without appetite there is no incentive to work. If you are not hungry for change, if you are content with everything as they are then there is no incentive. A mechanic fixes a car only when there is a problem, a surgeon operates only when a person is sick. What I mean by that is there is no need to fix a car if it is running smoothly and there is no need to operate if a person is healthy, so it is with us. There is no need for change if we see everything as OK. There is no hunger if you are full!!!! Only when you begin to want more, and be more, and do more does the incentive come. “Hunger makes you work all the harder“…..When you are hungry you will do whatever you can to accomplish your goal. The key to working harder is being hungry. Don’t settle for OK or good. This is why you shouldn’t settle for OK or good because there is no growth without hunger. Hunger is important to get to the next level of your life.

What are you hungry for in your life?

This is the question I asked myself. Am I hungry for change, am I hungry for God, am I hungry to succeed in all I do? Am I hungry??? I don’t want to live a “full” life. I want a change. A year from now I don’t want to be the same person I am now, I don’t want to live the kind of life I am living now, I don’t want to be praying the same prayers I am praying now, I don’t want to see the same way I see now, I don’t want to be at the same level of fitness I am now . I don’t want my life to be at the same place……!!!!

Before you can answer the question, “what are you hungry for in life” you need to ask yourself if you are hungry at all??? Without hunger nothing happens. Nothing great happened without hunger, passion!!!Get hungry. Whet your appetite by thinking more outrageously, praying bigger prayers, seeing a bigger picture. Pray big, speak big and trust God. Change happens when you make a stand and say “ENOUGH”!!

As I end I will leave you with this question, what are you hungry for?????                         🙂

Rolain

The word being declared….!!

I have been taught, the word of God in our mouth is just as powerful as the word of God in God’s mouth. Our word’s have power and even more so when we speak the word. There is power when we declare things over our lives, family and other things. There is a scripture I want to declare. It may be applicable to you or it might not but that’s OK. God has really been giving me a lot of scripture, scripture which I believe I should share. I am going to be declaring Psalm 21: 1-7 and I will personalize it because that is what I do at times. I will read it from the Amplified version.

I shall joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall I rejoice! 

You have given me my heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of my lips. Selah

For You send blessings of good things to meet me; You set a crown of pure gold on my head. 

I asked life of You, and You gave it to me – long life forever and evermore. 

My glory is great because of Your aid; splendor and majesty You bestow upon me.

For You make me to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make me exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence. 

I trust, rely on, and is confident in the Lord, and through the mercy and steadfast love of the Most High I will never be moved. 

 

I hope this word ministers to you as it has ministered to me…….

Rolain

You will not be disappointed…..

Thought of the day.

We really need the word in our lives. It is the main authority or should be the main authority in our lives. With that in mind I would like to share a scripture with you. It’s an amazing scripture and it’s in Psalm 22:4, 5 and it says;

Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted (leaned on, relied on You, and were confident) and You delivered them.                                                                They cried to You and were delivered; they trusted in, leaned on, and confidently relied on You, and were not ashamed or confounded or disappointed.   (Amplified)

I love this scripture because it tells us about who God is. He is our God and He can be trusted-that is a fact! As God came through for our fathers, He will do the same for us. As He delivered them so it is with us. As they trusted in God they were not put to shame or confounded or disappointed so it is with us. Yes they must have had their fair share of trials and challenges and failures but overall they were never put to shame, confounded or disappointed!

The conclusion is this, call on God because He will deliver you!

Trust in God because you will not be ashamed or confounded or disappointed!!!

As our fathers put their faith on the line God responded to their faith, so it will be with us. No matter what you trusting God for please know He will not let you down. He will respond to your faith. As He was faithful to our fathers He will be faithful to us…Amen!!!

Rolain

The ugly truth about adultery…..

Adultery, a term that is used very flippantly these days. It doesn’t carry the same weight it used to 10 years ago. My pastor said something very profound the other day. He said, Whoever controls the vocabulary controls the conversation. And that is what is happening these days. Words that meant something before mean something else or have been totally replaced. Adultery is one of those words. The world has watered down that word through the media. It’s nothing to commit adultery these days. That is the picture the world is trying to paint, but God is the same yesterday, today and forever. God has not changed His mind about His laws over time. They still have the same power and meaning…….I am directing this post to single men and even married men. Adultery needs to be taken seriously because the enemy wants to take out family and adultery is his sure weapon. As men we have to stand and fight. We need to stand our ground and not let ignorance steal our victory. I read a scripture that totally changed my perspective on adultery. We all know what Christ said about what adultery is,

You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.

But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Matthew 5:27, 28

But I read this same verse in my Message bible and this is what it said,

“You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don’t go to bed with another’s spouse.’ But don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.  Matthew 5:27, 28

I was really convicted when I read this scripture. How many times I have taken a few extra seconds to look at a billboard or that picture or that woman on the street. I thought that extra few seconds look didn’t mean anything but not according to the scripture. It is saying, the lingering look is even more deadly than sleeping with another man’s wife!!! Each act is deadly but this is one is deadlier. There is no middle ground here. It is blunt and to the point. Men, those magazines, those billboards we take the extra few seconds to look at, that model….it’s all corrupting the heart, the very place life starts from!!!

As children of God we have been called to live in purity. It is not an easy call but one that should be heeded. I am in no way better because I am writing this, instead it’s a revelation that I have been shown which I am sharing in the hope we can all be better men. Men who will guard their hearts and their families. Men who will walk in purity no matter what the cost.  Our responsibility as men is a serious one. Let us not take it lightly. Let us ask for God’s help as we make a stand against adultery, and as we stand for purity……God bless

Rolain

A prayer for you……

Word for the Day

I read such a powerful prayer this morning that I would like to share with you. God’s word is what we need in the midst of confusion and everything else. It is the answer to everything in life…..

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high [and defend you];

Send you help from the sanctuary and support, refresh, and strengthen you from Zion;

Remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah [pause, and think of that]!

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.  Psalm 20:1-4

Amen

Rolain