When Will The Losing Stop?

At times it seems like the devil is winning over us. It seems like he has the upper hand in various

Situations and circumstances we are going through. And we seem to be powerless and we can’t see

The end of the tunnel and are hopeless. We keep losing over and over again.

But we must not believe the lies the enemy is trying to make us believe because he has been defeated.

When Jesus rose from the dead He defeated the devil once and for all. He was victorious over him.

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and

True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.”

Revelation 19:11

In this verse we see Jesus riding on the white horse and He is named Faithful and True.

I want to mention something about the white horse. The color white was associated with victory so

In the old days kings, captains and generals rode on white horses.

But in this verse we see Jesus the victorious King riding on a white horse.

And because of what Jesus did on the cross we too have victory. We can walk in the same victory He

Walks in.

“And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.”

Revelation 19:14

Firstly we read of Jesus riding on a white horse and in verse fourteen we read that the army behind him

Were clothed in white and were riding white horses too. Jesus didn’t keep His victory to Himself.

His victory was passed on to the army behind Him. They walked in the same victory He had. 

Because of the victory Jesus obtained on the cross, we too have the same victory. Because He was

Victorious we too are victorious.

We don’t have to go on believing that loss is all we will ever know. We don’t have to believe that we

Have no chance against the enemy. We will be victorious over the enemy. We will win over the giants

Who seem to be winning over us today. Our portion is victory!

And we are reminded even more of this truth this weekend when we celebrate the death and

Resurrection of Jesus. This is a strong day for us. When Jesus died and was in the tomb, the devil

Thought he had won. He was having his own party BUT…

That was not the end of the story because Jesus rose from the dead and defeated the devil!

His grip over us was broken once and for all.

Jesus won it all for us. We were free! We ARE free because of what He did.

So as we remember and celebrate what He did for us this weekend, we can call on Him for help

against the enemy who seems to be winning now. That’s not the whole story.

Victory is our portion because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Happy Easter friends!

Rolain  

Don’t Lose Hope

“O Israel, hope in the LORD

from this time forth and forever.”

Psalm 131:3

Jesus is our hope.

No matter how bad things get we can put our hope in Him.

But the devil wants to kill the hope we have.

He doesn’t want us to walk around with hope in our hearts. He wants us to be distraught, fear, hopeless and anxious.

But we must not lose hope.

There is a story from the Word that comes to mind that encourages me so much.

Israel was about to be destroyed by the Babylonians and about to be taken into captivity when God told Jeremiah

something quite confusing:

“Then, just as the Lord had said he would, my cousin Hanamel came and visited me in the prison. He said, “Please buy

my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else,

so buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that the message I had heard was from the Lord.”

Jeremiah 32:8

In the midst of such hopeless circumstances, God told Jeremiah to buy land!

It seemed like it was over for the Israelites. The enemy had won. They were by the gate literally.

But it was there that God gave them hope. There was a reason he told Jeremiah to buy land.

 “Then I said to Baruch as they all listened, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘

Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.’ 

For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Someday people will again own property here in

this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.’”

Jeremiah 32:13-15

God gave his people hope when it seemed like it was over for them. Jeremiah struggled to understand what God was doing

(Jeremiah 32:24) but God knew what He was doing.

We always have hope with God. Don’t give up trusting in Him even if things are dead and hopeless.

He is Hope!

If you are in a hopeless situation right now and it seems like there is no way, look to God. Don’t give up hoping.

And that’s my encouragement to you today.

Hope in the Lord!

Rolain.

You Are Not Alone at Christmas!

Christmas is a few days away and there are a lot of people who are excited. And how can they not be?

The Christmas tree is decorated

The gifts are ready

The family is coming over

The food is sorted

Friends will be there

and so on and so on…

But there is another reality to Christmas. The reality that there are a lot of people facing depression, people who are contemplating

suicide, people who are facing mental health issues and so many other negative things.

But there is an answer to all the pain and difficult things we go through not just at Christmas but throughout the year.

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom

men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Isaiah 53:3 ASV

I love this scripture because it’s talking about JESUS. He was despised and rejected by men. He was acquainted with grief.

He was a man of sorrows! What a title.

If there is anyone who knows the pain you are going through it’s JESUS. He knows exactly what you are going through?

He knows the darkness you are in and the chains that are suffocating you.

He knows the hopelessness you are feeling at the moment and that is why you should call on Him immediately.

Whatever you are going through at the moment I want you to know that you are not alone. He is with you. He wants

to help you and bring you out of the darkness. He wants to break the chains that are suffocating you right now.

Whatever pain and heartache you are going through remember that Jesus went through it. He was the man of sorrows.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”

Isaiah 53:4 ASV

Give Him your grief. He will carry your sorrow.

So cry out to Him for help. He loves you and wants to be there for you.

He knows your every pain that you are going through right now.

There is hope for you this Christmas friend. And His name is JESUS!

Rolain

 

Big Problems, Bigger God!

There will always be giants to fight, trials and difficult times that come our way but we must always remember that

no matter how big the giants are, or how threatening the trials and problems seem, that God is bigger than ALL the

problems we face.

In the midst of the problems you face remember that God is bigger.

There is NO problem that you are facing right now that is bigger than God.

And it’s especially important where you are focused. Make sure that you are not focused on the problem alone.

Focus on the Lord in the midst of what you are going through.

The enemy wants you to focus on the problems, and the giants that are in your way so much that they seem bigger and

stronger than God. That’s what happened to Israel when they faced Goliath.

Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.

1 Samuel 17:8-11 NLT

And this happened for 40 days and nights. (1 Samuel 17:16)

They were so focused on the GIANT problem in front of them that they forgot that God was bigger and much stronger than Goliath. But that was not the case with David. He knew God was bigger than Goliath. He was confident that God would destroy Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:34-37)

Friends, I want to encourage you to look to God in the midst of the difficult things you are going through today.

He is bigger than EVERY problem you will ever face.

No matter what you are going through call on Him.

You don’t need to go at it alone. You are not alone in the fire.

God is with you and He will deliver you!

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.”

Psalm 18:2 NLT

Bless you friends

Rolain

This Is Not How It Ends

It’s so hard to see victory when all you experience is failure.

And it’s so hard to be full faith when fear has gripped you.

And it’s also extremely difficult to be hope-filled for your future when you are hopeless and your circumstances don’t

seem to be changing.

But I want to encourage you that this is not how your story ends. There is so much more to your story.

You can’t give in to the negative narrative you living in at the moment.

Things will get better friend.

I heard someone say,

“Don’t make a permanent solution out of a temporary problem”

Don’t write your off story because nothing seems to be happening.

God is working!

I love what Jeremiah 29:11 says,

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.

“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

No matter how bad things get or how hopeless your life seems know that God has a different ending for you.

It’s a great end.

Don’t lose hope.

Have faith that God will turn your life around.

On other news I am excited to tell you that my second book is about to be released.

It is titled, Delayed But Not Forgotten.

So as we wait I have created a free version (teaser) that you can read.

Click here to get your copy today.

Bless you friends

Rolain

Remember God!

You may be going through some intense times at the moment but I want to encourage you to remember God.

Always remember God through everything you are going through.

When the enemy has knocked you to the ground, remember God and call to Him. He will pick you up always.

I think of Job in his most intense time. He had lost everything and his closest friends abandoned him but in that intense fire

he remembered God.

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.”
  Job 19:25 NLT

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives”

The enemy wants you to forget God.

He doesn’t want you remembering God. He wants you in fear, anxious, stressed and so many other negative emotions.

But you can’t let him win. He is a defeated foe.

“I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

Psalm 16:8 ESV

We need to always set the Lord before us. He is the One who is fighting for us. He is our strength.

As I close I want to share one more scripture,

“I love you, O LORD my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my

rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

Psalm 18:1-3 ESV

Remember God!

Bless you friends

Rolain

God is Bigger Than Our Mistakes

Don’t let the devil lie to you that your sins are too much for God to handle.
Don’t let him tell you that you are beyond saving.
It’s not true.

God is bigger and greater than your biggest sins.

“Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.
They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.”

Psalms 107:17-20 NLT

We will sin and fall, that’s a definite but there is grace, mercy and forgiveness available to us. God is ready to forgive us and all we need to do is go ask Him.

When his people cried to Him, He saved them from their distresses even though they were the cause of the pain they experienced, even when they made the mistakes.

The other thing the devil will try to lie to you about is your past. He will try to tell you that there is no hope for you and God is not going to forgive your past but that too is a lie. He will use condemnation, guilt and shame to try to stop you.

But the Word of God is very clear in Romans 8:1 when it says,

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

God is greater than the sins you have committed.
Grace, mercy and a second chance are available to you today so receive it.

Bless you friends!

Rolain

God Doesn’t Stay In a Box!

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built.”

1 Kings 8:27 ASV

God is so big and cannot be contained. Even Solomon the wisest man on earth acknowledged this truth.

He knew that the temple he built could not contain the God of the Universe.

We know God is big but do we REALLY know it?

The way we see God is determined by the way we have been conditioned in the past. That can be by people close to us, TV, news, books we have read and so much more.

But that needs to change. We need the limitations broken because God is crazy big.

This week I cried out to Him to break the box I have put Him in. There are so many big things I am trusting Him for and I feel like there are limitations I have put on Him. Sometimes we put Him in a box without even knowing it.

But, God doesn’t not stay in a box.

The only way we can break the negative conditioning about God’s bigness and greatness is by immersing ourselves in the Word of God which is the Truth. We need an increase of God’s presence in our daily lives because this is the thing, God is big but our view of God is small at times. So when we consume more of His Word and get into His presence our perception of God begins to get bigger, it begins to grow.

We need to reprogram our minds with the Word of God.

God wants to perform miracles in our lives but if we only see a weak, powerless and feeble God then how is that going to happen? Remember the Israelites and what they said when they arrived to the land God promised them?

“Let’s go at once to take the land, he said. We can certainly conquer it!

But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are! So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought too.”

Numbers 13:30-33 NLT

God doesn’t stay in a box. He is crazy big, He is the God of the universe and nothing is too big for Him. There is nothing He can’t do.

God break the box we have put you in and the limitations we have put on You!

Show us your greatness and awesomeness anew again!

Amen

Bless you friends

Rolain

Is God Really Good?

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1 NLT

If there is something we as sons and daughters of God need to always remember is that God is good. At His core of who He is, He is good. And it’s important to have that truth secured in your heart because the devil will try to challenge that truth by using the painful things we have been through, the heartbreak, the rejection, the loss, the unanswered prayers and so many other things. And we need to be careful to not listen to the lies he tries to tell us as he reminds us of the painful things that happened to us. A good example of that is with the people of Israel. God delivered them from 400 years of slavery but destroying Pharoah and his people but even on their journey to the promise land they doubted God. Their trust in him failed numerous times. Let’s look at what happened when they reached their destination.

“Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness! they complained. Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?”

Numbers 14:1-3 NLT

God in His goodness had led them to the promise land to give them what He had promised but the people didn’t understand that. Instead they thought God wanted to kill them and their children!! And this kind of talk happens a few times in the desert.

The enemy wants us to believe God is a cruel God, he wants us to believe God is evil, unforgiving, mean, hateful, uncaring, unloving and so many other negative things but we can’t let him convince us because at the core of who God is He is good. He loves us so much.

So let me ask you this.

What do you believe about God in the difficult times, when your prayers haven’t been answered, when things are not going your way? Or let me ask it in this way. Do you believe God has got you in the midst of all the terrible things you have been through? Do you believe there will be a turnaround in your situation because He is good? Look at some of the people in the bible. Job went through some terrible trials but God showed him His goodness by revealing Himself to him and restoring double what he lost. Then there is Hannah who was barren. God gave her a son eventually. He showed his goodness to Abraham and Sarah by giving them a child in their old age and fulfilling the promise he made to them. And then David. Even though he sinned numerous times God in his goodness extended his grace and mercy to him. He called him a “man after his own heart”

God at His core is so so good. Hold on to that truth no matter what comes at you. As I close I want to share one more scripture;

He who diligently seeks good seeks [God’s] favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him.”

Proverbs 11:27 AMPC

So because God is good we need change our expectations. We need to expect good. The Word says we must SEEK good because when we do that we seek God’s favor! We go through so many tough things that at times we just expect bad things to happen. “No good things happen for me” is what we tell ourselves but that’s contrary to God’s word. We need to expect and seek His goodness to show up in our lives. Expect Him to answer your prayers. Expect the breakthrough to come. Expect the door to open for you. If I could sum it all up I would say,

Expect Him to be good to you! Period.

So with that I have come to the end of the post.

God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

Bless you friends!

Can These Negative Thoughts Stop?!

There is so much to be negative about today. Just turn on the news and see. Scroll your Twitter and Facebook feeds and see it all on display. We live in a negative-saturated environment. But that is an obvious observation off course.

What we need to do is look inside of ourselves and see the real battle taking place. People think that the devil’s attack is physical and it is but the other deadly strategy is mental. He attacks your thoughts. I experienced his attack first hand growing up. And for a very long time it looked like he won the war. I had no self-esteem. I thought very little about myself and didn’t expect that to change. And the crazy thing about his attack is that it went into auto-pilot. I didn’t need his help to tear myself down. I was my own worst enemy eventually.

It was only when Jesus came into my life that He destroyed all the strongholds the enemy had built. Through reading His word, and teachings my mind began to be renewed.

The mental war is real and it’s taking a lot of people out. What kind of thoughts are you battling today? It’s time to wage war on them because the thoughts the devil feeds are all lies. There is not even one that is true. And it’s easy to identify his attacks. Whatever thoughts cause you fear, panic, stress, anxiety, hopelessness, terror and so on are not from God.

Renew your mind with the Word of God. His Word is truth. Jesus is truth!

The only way to take down the strongholds in your mind is with the truth. I love Philippians 4:8 and this is what it says,  

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

This kind of thinking doesn’t just happen. Thinking positive doesn’t come naturally because we were born into sin. Because of Adam’s sin we are not perfect. And that is why Jesus had to come save us. On our own we would always lose. 

We need to train ourselves to think positive, to think about God’s word. We need God’s help to change the kind of thoughts we struggle with on a daily basis. We need His help to tear down strongholds that have been built on our minds.

You don’t have to fight alone. You don’t have to face the negative thoughts alone. Look to God. Bring Him the thoughts that are attacking you and let His truth replace the lies of the devil.

Bless you friends.

Rolain