What was his confidence based on?

“When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son] and said, Surely the Lord’s 

anointed is before Him.” 

1 Samuel 16:6

 

Samuel thought his job was a success when he saw Eliab.

We must remember Samuel was sent to anoint a king, so the person he would anoint

was not ordinary. He would have something that separated him from everyone else.

So when Samuel looked at Eliab’s physical appearance he was convinced he was the one.

He had the muscles, the height, the intelligence, and was well spoken.

What Samuel saw convinced him Eliab was the one but the Lord said something that made

him change his mind;

 

“But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, 

for I have rejected him. 

For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord 

looks on the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7

 

“Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature; for I have rejected him.” (emphasis mine)

 

I like to imagine that Eliab was the “Dwayne Johnson” of his time. He had everything a man would

want. He was a first born, an ultimate warrior, had the voice, and so on. Who wouldn’t want to be like him?

But the Lord rejected him!

The Lord only rejects those who reject Him (Matthew 10:33) so that’s what must have happened here.

Eliab trusted in himself. He didn’t need YAH.

His confidence was in himself. He didn’t look to YAH for help.

We can conclude that Eliab didn’t have a relationship with YAH.

 

There is a lesson we can take from this.

Where is your confidence? Are you depending on yourself, your resources, your education,

your upbringing?

Are those things stopping you from trusting the Lord.

The word is very clear about what YAH is looking at? He is not impressed with our show of strength.

He wants us to look to Him. He wants a relationship with us.

While Eliab was wrapped up in himself, David his brother was in the field getting closer to YAH.

His relationship with YAH was getting stronger and stronger.

He trusted the Lord completely. The Lord was his consuming passion night and day. He

communed with the Lord daily. He sang songs to Him.

 

The Lord called him a man after His own heart.

The Lord wants our hearts friends not our “strength”.

He is not impressed when we try to go at life on our own steam.

He wants to be first in our lives, not second.

He wants our hearts set on Him and nothing else.

 

ACT ON IT – Is the Lord first in your life?

What is stopping Him from being first?

 

Bless you friends

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

One way to ensure your faith is alive and active……..

“So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up),

by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

But someone will say [to you then], you [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works.

Now show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can],

and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.”

James 2:17, 18

 

The book of James was part of my daily reading this week.

I am always so challenged when I read the scripture I just shared.

But something happened this week that brought it to life for me.

I was at training this week and after we were done we prayed.

The guy praying thanked God for divine healing.

He thanked God for keeping us healthy and he also prayed that

God would keep us in good health!

 

We always pray but this week the prayer struck something in me.

I realized I was looking at faith and action working hand in hand.

We have a desire to be healthy and fit so we train but our faith is

in God to grant us a healthy life!

 

That got me thinking about faith and action.

James 2:18 is not suggesting faith works if there is action. It’s telling

us that faith only works when there is action!

Faith without works is dead!

 

One person acting out of his or her faith can do more than 100 people

professing their faith without action!

 

It’s so true friends. I want to be that person who shows they have faith by

their works.

I really needed to be reminded of this truth!

 

Now, it’s not my place to tell you what action you need to take.

That’s between you and God. You are the one who knows what steps

God wants you to take.

As I read this verse I knew almost instantly the things I needed to be doing

right now that I was not doing.

Now remember, you can’t just act for the sake of  doing

something. God will ask you to do something specific for the thing you having

faith for. Allow Him to show what that thing is.

He may want you to be patient and wait,

He may want you to give into something,

He may want you to befriend someone,

He may want you to start writing that first chapter of that book,

He may want you to serve in a specific area at your church,

and the list goes on and on……

You need to be sensitive to His leading.

Remember, don’t act for the sake of acting.

That could do more harm than good.

God is surgical in the way He works.

What action is it that God wants you to be doing right now?

 

One thing is crystal clear though,

 

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

James 2:26

 

We have work to do friends……

Bless you.

 

Rolain

A new year…….

Hi friends!!!!

It’s good to be back! I hope the year has started well for you

and I hope you are expecting some big things to happen to you

and for you! I have been “AWOL” because our church goes on

a Daniel fast at the start of every year.

But this year my pastor challenged

us to stop social “media-ring” during the fast…..   🙂   So I

decided to stop posting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter but

I realised if I was to stay off those social media sites I couldn’t

post anything on wordpress because my posts would appear on

those sites and I would be unable to respond for three weeks.

That is why I haven’t written anything until now.

 

I was glad I was still able to follow you guys though. I was

truly blessed by your posts…..

 

I am really excited about what God has in store for me this

year. In 2015 (December) I went to God with my 2016 calender

and told Him to fill it. I have plans for this year but I am still

limited in my thinking and that is why I asked Him to fill it.

He is great and mighty and not bound by what I am bound

by. He is not limited by what I am limited by and that is why

I am excited about this year. He is the One who is in control and

He is the One who is directing my steps.

I want to share a scripture that has really ministered to me

in this new year. I came across it as I read Brian Houston’s new

book Live, Love, Lead!

 

Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you

to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in.

The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t

small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as

plainly as I can and with great affection.

Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

2 Corinthians 6: 11-13

 

I love this verse. There is a “wide-open, spacious life” 

God has planned for me…..for us!

And we can’t allow small thinking and small dreams to hinder

the wide-open, spacious life God has for us!

The truth is this, God has a wide-open, spacious life for you. Don’t

believe anyone who says otherwise. His intension is to bless your

life. It’s not because you did something right. It’s not because

of anything you have done. It’s all Him! It’s all Him friends!

It’s because He loves us that He blesses us.

 

My life is not small! God has so much more in store for me than

I have imagined for myself and the same is true for you!

He has more of Himself He wants to reveal.

There is so much He wants to teach.

Like I said, this is going to be a great year!

Have a great day friends…..

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

He was always coming.

 

Now a certain man named Lazarus was ill. He was of Bethany,

the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

This Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume

and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus

who was [now] sick.

So the sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord, he whom you love

[so well] is sick.

John 11:1-3

 

Mary and Martha were in need of a miracle. Their brother

was sick and it didn’t look like he was getting better.

 

Like Mary and Martha I NEED a miracle! I need Jesus

to come through for me. If He doesn’t come through for me

what am I supposed to do? The enemy will win if He doesn’t

come through.

 

“Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still

stayed two days longer in the same place where He was.

So when Jesus arrived, He found that he [Lazarus] had already

been in the tomb four days.”

‭‭John‬ ‭11:6, 17‬ ‭AMP‬‬

 

I sort of understand what happened here. Jesus could have left

immediately but He didn’t.

Was He testing Mary and Martha’s faith?

 

But let’s look at what was happening with Martha and Mary.

They had called for the Master but He hadn’t arrived yet.

That time of waiting couldn’t have been easy. As time passed

their brother’s health deteriorated.  Where are you Jesus, was

the question on their minds. How long could they keep

waiting? Did they feel abandoned by Jesus, like He didn’t

care what they were going through?

 

Lazarus died…..

Still no show.

 

Day two……

No show.

 

Day three….

It’s hopless.

 

Day four….

It’s over.

 

As all this was happening, the bible tells us that:

 

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He held them in loving esteem.
‭‭John‬ ‭11:5‬ ‭AMP‬‬

 

Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters very much. It wasn’t

easy seeing the sisters broken at thier loss. He wept with

them!

He is not up in heaven playing cruel jokes on His

people. He doesn’t get a kick from seeing us in pain.

He has a plan for us!

 

When I read this story I think of the things I am trusting

God for. There were times in my life in my trusting that

I would lash out at God because I thought He had abandoned

and forgotten about me. But it’s not true!

There are still some things I am trusting Him for, things

that I prayed for, years ago. Has it been easy? Heck

no. But I know He can be trusted. He has a plan in the

waiting. He has a plan in the midst of the pain. He has a plan!

As I wrap up I would like to challenge you to wait on Him.

He knows where you at, truly!

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s talk about airports and purpose…..

As I sat at the airport in Sydney I couldn’t help but notice

how busy the airport was. Our Zimbabwean airport cannot

even begin to compare to the Sydney airport. In fact, I don’t

even have to go that far. I can simply look at O.R Tambo

International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. Compared

to us that airport is enormous. So sitting there at the airport,

thoughts of destiny and purpose came to mind!

 

God wasn’t speaking to me about airports only,

He was speaking to me about my life, about His vision

for my life……

 

Having a big airport doesn’t just happen!

 

Before anything can ever happen there has to be a vision for it.

The CEO of the airport in my country MUST get a vision

for a bigger airport! Nothing will ever change if that vision

isn’t there!

 

And that is how it is in our own personal lives. You must get

a vision for your life but not just any vision, God’s vision!

God has a purpose for you. That’s why you were born. Ask

Him to show you your purpose. I believe He will show you

if you genuinely want to know. Without a vision the word says

we perish! Without a vision there is no growth, just stagnation!

 

 

After the vision is there, he will need to think about construction.

He can have a vision of having the biggest airport in Africa and

even the world, but if he doesn’t start constructing new runways,

breaking down hangars to buid bigger ones and so on, that vision

is not going to happen. He must realise the current capacity

will not be suitable to accommodate the new vision! There

must be a change if the airport is to become bigger. He has

to start thinking global instead of local. He must abandon the

old systems and learn new ones if he is to be recognized globally

and be a force to reckon with!

 

That stands true for you and me. I was seriously convicted

by this point. My current capacity is not capable of

accomodating all that God has for me. I must realise this.

We must realise this!!!

 

I need to understand there must be a tearing down of the

old (old habits, old ways of thinking, old ways of talking) and so

on if I am to grow! I will not become the international airport

God has called me to be if I am comfortable with the old

airport!!! If I don’t see anything wrong with the old then I

am in deep trouble. Change begins when I see a problem

with the old! I hope I haven’t lost you………haha 

 

 

 

The next thing the CEO will need to look at is education.

He has to make sure his staff are on the same page as he is.

They have to be trained but not just by anyone. He has to hire

the best in the world if they are going to have a chance! He has

to eradicate all small thinking at all costs.

He will have to think about sending his staff to some of the

major airports so they can get the vision! If he is to move

in the new vision he must make sure his staff are on the same

page. He has to encourage them. If someone doesn’t want to

get it then he has to cut off that person.

 

Do you have people who encourage you in what God has

called you to do? It’s important you hang out with the right

people.

Do you have a mentor?

If you are around negitive minded people all the time,

beware! They can pull you down, snuff the purpose right

out of you. They can discourage you from pursuing

God’s purpose for your life. Surround yourself with

like minded people, people who believe in you and

people who are not afraid to tell you the truth when

you go down the wrong path!

 

Disclaimer

This is a very broad description of what an airport

might do if they wanted to change. Don’t quote me on

any of the technical steps! I was looking at the airport from a total

outsiders point of view, as someone who has no idea of how or

what makes an airport tick!

I thought I should make that clear in case one of you works

at an airport and thinks, what the heck is he talking about???

🙂

 

As I end be encouraged. God is busy working on your

behalf. His purpose for your life will be accomplished if you

decide to trust Him. Expect Him to do big things in your

life friend because I believe He can and will!

Amen

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

The true gift……

                                    photo credit: google images

 

I want to bring something back into order, something that

has been tarnished, and diminished in the world

today. The world may have forgotten but we must not forget.

We cannot forget. “What is he rambling on about”, you might be

asking??

 

What do you think is the best gift God can give you?

Salvation yes…!!!! But I am talking about what comes

after salvation.

The world has put value on possessions. Some think God’s

best comes in the form of money. But the word is very

clear about what God’s best gift is:

 

Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?

The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Psalms 127:3 (MSG)

 

We have been deceived as the body of Christ because we have put

other things first. We have desired other things which is not a

bad thing. Don’t get me wrong….God has so much in store for us.

But we must not lose sight of His greatest gift to us, children!

Parents need to teach their kids about family and legacy!

As single men and women we need to think about our legacy.

Our career is important but I feel we have put that ahead of

everything else. It’s not “cool” to think about family anymore!

God’s definition of the best gift is children but do we think like that?

As I write this it is cutting me as well. It’s a hard

thought. We have become so selfish. We only think about

ourselves and what WE can get. But God is thinking so

much grander…..

May we get a revelation today…….Amen!

 

Rolain

The problem with being a virgin….!!!

It’s being a while since I have written about my

journey, my journey of singleness! It’s an important

season and we should give it the credit it deserves.

I am writing on singleness because there has been

something I have been wrestling with. I have been

wrestling with the significance of my virginity in the scope

of singleness.

 

For ages we have been told to wait, “don’t have sex

before marriage.” That is all good advise and that is not

the issue. The issue I have is when we are told we will get

God’s best if we keep ourselves!!! “You will get God’s best

if you don’t have sex and don’t date until you find the One.”

Before I carry on I want to make something very clear.

I have kept myself, I am a virgin, I haven’t dated yet and

years ago that was my pride and glory! I held that up

to everyone and even to God. I was going to get the best

because I was pure, I kept myself! But I was wrong.

The advise we have been getting is incomplete.

As the years go by I realize more and more

that the woman God has for me will not be given to me

because of what I have done, but because of His grace.

She will be a gift!

I don’t want to get anything based on my

performance because the truth of the matter is I would

not get anything! God looks at the

heart and my heart is sinful. I may not have slept around

but I have sinned incredibly in my heart!!

 

To be honest with you, I don’t deserve God’s best. I have let

Him down so much. How can I stand before Him holding

up MY version of purity (filthy rags) and with pride say,

“God give me your best”….!!!! It doesn’t work like that!

Don’t get caught up in law (I kept myself so I want this

kind of woman or this kind of man)

God is looking at your heart. He wants to give you the

best because He loves you not because you did this or

did that.

 

But if you have kept yourself please understand that I am

not attacking you. I want you to see that God will give you

the best because that is the kind of God He is.  Look at what the word says,

 

For God has not called us to impurity but to consecration

[to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity].

1 Thessalonians 4:7

 

The word says we should DEDICATE ourselves! That is

such a strong word. We dedicate ourselves to purity

because we want to honor God in our hearts of hearts!

We dedicate ourselves to purity because we love Him

with every fiber of our being.

When David committed sexual sin with Bathsheba he

ran to God. His heart was torn at what he had done.

But it was never about “I am a man after God’s heart”!

He saw himself as a man under God’s grace. He fought

to stay humble in his own eyes.

Don’t get caught up in the law side of things. We don’t

deserve anything from God to be honest. All the “good”

we have done is like filthy rags.

 

If God has someone out there for me it will be because He

loves me. And on my wedding day the focus won’t be on how

many years I kept myself, or how I never dated and so on but

the focus will be on God’s amazing grace and love.

It will be about how much God loved me a sinful man that He still

went ahead and gave me His best even though I didn’t deserve it!

It will be a day of praise

to Him. A day where people give Him the glory…….

I will have nothing else to stand on but His goodness

and grace and that is the way it should always be!

 

For those of you who think you have sinned so much that

you don’t deserve God’s best know this:

God loves you. He is a good God and He wants you to run

to Him. He knows what you have done but He wants to you

to trust Him. He has someone special for you.

Don’t believe the lie that there is no one for you. The lie

that says you have sinned too much.

The lie that says God can’t forgive you.

Just know, there is hope for you!

He has a plan for you.

 

God is so good. I think about all He does for me and

I thank Him. I have nothing to say. I am speechless.

I simply wait for His gifts and blessing that I didn’t

deserve or orchestrate. I do have a part to play but it

will not take away from ALL that God does for me.

Be encouraged in your season of singleness. God is

with you in it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

Rolain

 

 

Why hard times and suffering are important…

I have been going through a testing time this couple of weeks. The year started off well and it seemed like it was going to carry on like that but it didn’t. Things happened and everything is different now. I have some major life changing decisions I have to make. In fact as I look back in my life I see all the hard times I have been through. There were times when there seemed like there was no answer. I had nothing. No plan B, nothing but God! He was all I had and He came through. A few years ago our economy crashed. Food became scarce, inflation sky rocketed, people didn’t know what to do. Imagine going to the supermarket and finding nothing on the shelves! Imagine going to a coffee shop but finding out they didn’t have flour to bake anything? Everything came to a standstill. The average person’s job was to find any place that was selling any kind of food. People had money but couldn’t buy anything! Those were really testing times!!

Just one of the many pictures you would of seen in 2007-2008. No food in the country! But God came through for us!

 

But even in those very testing times God came through!!! He was there for me. He provided for me and cared for me.
Then there was the time when I had no job. I had no income what so ever and until today I don’t know how I survived. God helped me!

With all that said, why does God allow us to go through hard times and suffering?  You may be going through some hard times and wondering the same thing. Well, let us look at the word for the answer.

We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally – not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead. And He did it, rescued us from certain doom. And He’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11

Did you see that? Paul was going through some really trying times even to a point where he thought he was not going to make it. It felt like he was on death row! But as he was going through all that something happened. He saw something! He realized he was supposed to trust God and not in himself. He came to a realization that he was not the answer to his problem, God was!

Is this why God allows us to go through hard times and suffering, so we can trust Him? Does He want us to realize, He is the only One who can save us?
God does not want us relying on our own strength because it’s not enough and because there is only one God and one Savior.  Our strength is not strength at all. We are not strong and wise and perfect. We need God.

What is the “take home”then?

God allows us to go through pain and suffering because He wants to show Himself strong. He wants us to come to the realization that our strength is not enough. He does not want us trusting in our own ability! Instead, He wants us to look to Him and trust Him…..   God bless

Rolain