The Lord gave him a picture…..

“Then God led Abram outside. God said, “Look at the sky. There are so many stars

you cannot count them. And your descendants will be too many to count.”

Abram believed the Lord. And the Lord accepted Abram’s faith and that faith made

him right with God.

  

Genesis 15:5, 6

The Lord led Abram outside and gave him a picture of his life and that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

But as I look back at my life I see how I allowed people to give me a picture. The enemy was in the mix

as well and did everything in his power to enforce the picture he had given me

because I didn’t know better. It took years to break the negative picture I had been

given and thanks to God the healing is still ongoing.

The Lord has a picture for you too. The picture is amazing and glorious but there is so much opposition

from the enemy. he doesn’t want you to walk in the plan God has for your life because that’s what the picture

is about. It’s about where God wants to take you. It’s about what He has in store for you.

But the enemy uses fear, abuse, manipulation and a whole lot of other things to blind you to God’s picture.

Don’t accept the enemy’s pictures. They are all lies.

his pictures get you depressed, fearful, anxious, greedy, and weak.

his pictures are all void of goodness, peace, love, fulfillment, faith, joy and every other good thing

God is.

Reject them at every turn. But you need help. You need the Lord’s help.

The good news is this, the picture you have now can be changed. That’s what happened to me.

My picture was really bad but the Lord came and changed it. He replaced the dark, hopeless,

fearful picture and replaced it with His life-giving, fresh, new, energizing picture!

And that’s what He does for us as His children.

As I end I will leave you with a scripture that sums up what I have been talking about,

“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, 

which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).”

Jeremiah 33:3

Blessings to you, friends

Rolain

You are an original and that’s okay……

“We must live in the Holy Spirit and follow after Him. So may we never be arrogant,

or look down on another, for each of us is an original.

We must forsake all jealousy that diminishes the value of others.

Galatians 5:25, 26

 

“each of us is an original”

 

Is this not where the problem’s start, when we compare ourselves to others? Trying to be someone

else is just going to make things worse for you. Jealousy, arrogance, dis-contentedness, frustration and a

whole lot more stem from trying to be someone else.

The word is clear, you are an original!

Let’s look at another scripture;

 

“You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them 

together in my mother’s womb. 

I thank You, God, for making me so mysteriously complex!”

Psalm 139:13, 14 (TPT)

 

We are handsome/beautiful not because we are made like another person but because we are unique.

There is no one on this planet like you and me and that’s a great thing. You are one of a kind.

You are made in the image of YAH!

 

But the world has created a standard of what beauty should be. It has created a picture of what

handsomeness should be and we have bought into it. Not only do we use that measure on others, but

we use it on ourselves. The standard has been reinforced for so long that we don’t know anything else.

We hate and destroy ourselves because of it.

 

I was that person I am describing. Through a series of unfortunate events (abuse, divorce of parents, stuttering)

I hated me. The enemy had done a great job of destroying any good picture I had of myself. There was not a

single trace of self-esteem I could hold on to. I was my own worst enemy. Like I said, I hated me and envied

other people. How I wanted to be someone else.

But when the Lord saved me He changed all that. He showed me I was unique and that was good.

It took a lot of years to get here but He did it. He changed the old picture with a new one. A better picture!

 

You are an original! Don’t let people dictate who you should be. Don’t let the media, your peers and

anyone else for that matter dictate your worthiness. If it’s not based on the word don’t give it any

credence. What YAH says about you should be your standard period!

 

When we live by his truth, then no one is a threat and there is no reason to change ourselves so we can

be like that actor, musician or whoever we are trying to be currently.

We can be confident in who YAH made us to be. And that’s how He wants us live.

 

 

ACT ON IT – Change the way you speak to yourself. Be your biggest fan. Exhort & encourage

yourself, speak YAH”s word over your life.

There is a way to speak to yourself when you mess up without diminishing your value. Find ways of doing

that.

Find two scriptures you can hold on to that talk about your value.

 

Bless you friends.

 

Rolain

 

 

The saddest story in the bible…..

The Israelites did secretly against the Lord their God

things not right.

They built for themselves high places in all their towns,

from [lonely] watchtower to [populous] fortified city.

2 Kings 17;9

 

I read this passage and I was saddened as I read it hence

the title. These were God’ s people for crying out loud.

The things they saw…..

The things they heard….

 

How could they have lost all that?

They had great leaders: Moses, Joshua, the Judges, Samuel,

King David, King Solomon…..

Yet they fell, and fell in a huge way.

Let us read more:

 

They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim [symbols

of the goddess Asherah] on every high hill and under every

green tree.

There they burned incense on all the high places, as did the

nations whom the Lord carried away before them; and they

did wicked things provoking the Lord to anger.

And they served idols, of which the Lord had said,

You shall not do this thing.  2 Kings 17:10-12

 

The Israelites saw God’s glory.

They saw and experienced His goodness.

They witnessed His power when He drove the enemy

out for them.

They experienced His faithfulness……

 

They despised and rejected His statutes and His

covenant which He had made with their fathers and

His warnings to them, and they followed vanity (false

gods – falsehood, emptiness, and futility) and [they

themselves and their prayers] became false (empty

and futile). They went after the heathen round about

them, of whom the Lord had charged them that they

should not do as they did.   2 Kings 17:15

 

They despised and rejected the Lord. They refused

to believe in God and yet they still prayed to Him!!!

That blows my mind.

I can’t believe how deep they fell, how far they went.

But this is a warning to us. As I read this I realized

that could be me……!!! It’s a scary thought. A friend

told me one time that, we are a step away from anything.

We are a step away from sin, a step away from grace. No

one is exempt from the power of temptation. Just one

wrong decision and all is lost. We need the grace of God

to help us indeed.

The word says, “The Israelites did secretly against the Lord

their God things not right.”

 

The secret things need to be dealt with. The secret thoughts,

the secret habits, the secret addictions……we need to confront

them head on. Our heart belongs to God. Let us not allow the enemy

to steal it. Our brothers and sisters fell and our job is to not say,

“how could you” but we are to look at their lives and learn. We are

to look at their lives and fall down on our knees and cry out to God

to save us from ourselves.

We are to plead with Him with tears and a broken heart realizing we

cannot do this alone……

 

The true you shows up when you are alone. When you are

alone what kind of thoughts consume you?

What kind of programs do you watch?

How do you speak when no one is watching?

What kind of habits do you have when you are alone?

 

The Israelites rejected God in their hearts

In their hearts they refused His commandments

 

There is hope for us. There is always hope!

Let us open our hearts before God.

Let us allow Him access to every part of our

hearts.

No part should be off limits to Him.

Nothing should remain in the dark.

No doors should be closed to Him.

We need to be totally open for Him to come!

Amen

 

Rolain

 

 

 

He knew all along…..

As I look back at my life I realize how God had a plan for me. There were times when it didn’t seem like it but He had a plan…….

– As a child going through abuse He had a plan for me
– Being told by my teachers I would amount to nothing, He had a plan
– When my family fell apart and got divorced He had a plan
– When I had to move in with my grand mother because of the divorce He had a plan
– On days when I constantly tore myself down (which was all the time) He had a plan for me
– When people laughed at me because I stammered He had a plan
– During times of hopelessness and despair over my future He had a plan

A lot has happened but God has been true. I couldn’t see Him at work through all that at the time but I see now how He kept me alive and safe. He preserved my destiny in spite of how messed up my life was. It’s amazing to think as I was going through all that, God had a plan already planned out for me. When I lost hope and belief in anything good God had something amazing in store for me. I didn’t even know Him for crying out loud but He had something in store for me, when I was in fear of being abused He had a plan for me, when my heart was broken because I thought I was a nobody God knew the plans He had set up for me……And that is what God does. I believe it is just the beginning and I look forward to more.
You might be going through trials and hardships that seem unbeatable but the fact is that God has a plan for you. Your life might be in pieces but know God has a plan for you. You might be abused at home but know God has a plan. You might be in the darkest of  nights in your life but know that God has a plan for you. He has so much in store for you. Don’t give up, don’t quit. He knows who you are and He knows what you are going through……He will never leave you. Don’t believe the lies. Trust in Him.

Rolain

The not so great side of Father’s Day!!

I have been online and reading some really inspiring comments about fathers. As I look back in my own personal life I see how I never looked forward to Father’s Day. It meant nothing to me. Father’s Day has been a harsh reminder of what I didn’t have.
– My father was a drunk and very abusive
– I don’t remember a time in my childhood when my father gave me a hug
– I don’t remember if my father ever encouraged me in anything
– I can’t remember if he ever told me he loved me. And because of that I don’t remember a time telling him I love him.
– I lived in fear of my dad for a big chunk of my life.

This is the kind of relationship I had with my dad. As I grew older I distanced my self from him. I never spoke to him because I was very bitter towards him. It was bad. But about a year ago after persistent prodding from the Holy Spirit I made a decision to pursue a relationship with my dad. Last year was a year of firsts for me.
– I told my dad I loved him and he  told me he loved me.
-We had our first conversation about life. It was actually about God and he gave his life to Christ. 🙂
– I sort of hugged my dad for the first time as far as I can remember!
– I started talking to my dad a lot more
– The bitterness and anger I had for my dad finally left last year.

I am not saying it’s easy and we are the best of friends but our relationship is a work in progress which is getting better all thanks to God.
But the truth is I am just one example in a very big big pool. There are a lot more stories of fatherless children! And a lot of the stories don’t have an ending like mine. A lot of the endings are tragic and sad. Just look at these stats

What is the conclusion then?

As a young man I am thinking about the future.  I don’t want to be a dad that is not there for his kids.

You may have had a bad example or NO example at all but that doesn’t have to be your story!!! You can be different. You can the dad that can make a difference in your family’s life. Don’t be discouraged you had a bad example. By God’s grace you will be the difference. If you are depressed and discouraged today please know there is hope for you! God has a plan for you and your family. He is going to use you to bring up your kids in the way of The Lord. Isn’t that exciting…….I am excited!!!!

Happy Fathers Day.

 

Rolain.

A word to the rejected, outcasts, and nobodies…..

At that time Jesus began to say, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [and I acknowledge openly and joyfully to your honour], that You have hidden these things from the wise and clever and learned, and revealed them to babies [to the childish, untaught, and unskilled].
Yes, Father, [I praise You that] such was Your gracious will and good pleasure.  Matt 11:25,26

We serve an amazing God. He really does great things. This is the will of God, to call the childish and the untaught and unskilled. Can you imagine if God chose us according to the world’s criteria?? A lot of us would be in some serious trouble!

For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth.
[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

You may be unpopular and made fun off but know God has a plan for you. You may think you are a nobody because of where you stay but know that God has a plan for you. People may think you are a complete loser because you can’t talk properly but God has a plan. Your teachers may have written you off but God hasn’t. This is the way He works. He takes the foolish things of the world and uses them to do great things. He uses them to confound the wisdom of the world. Listen to what Jesus says at the end of Matthew 11;26, Yes, Father, [I praise You that] such was Your gracious will and good pleasure. 

Looking at my life I see this truth so clearly. I was nothing and I was a nobody. I was made fun of at school because I stuttered. I wasn’t good at sports, I wasn’t good at academics and to top it of I was being abused at home. My dad was an alcoholic and abusive, please note, WAS. My parents had a divorce. So from the world’s perspective there was no hope of me doing anything of worth. I was written off but praise God, He didn’t. He had a plan for me all along. He took this nothing (me) and lifted me up and continues to lift me up higher. The amazing thing is He is doing that for you too because that is the way He works. You are not a nobody. You are special in the eyes of God.

Rolain