Before You Move…

We need to wait on God’s voice before we move, more and more.

The days of doing things because it’s a good idea or because everyone is going the same way must be rethought (if that’s

a word). We need to go back to the drawing board and rethink how we are living because we are in the end times and there

are so many voices, trying to show us the “true” way which is not the way God wants us to go. We need God’s voice, plain

and simple. I want to share a scripture which really drove this point home for me. And it’s the story of Noah.

After the flood he and his family waited for the waters to subside and they did. That’s where I want to pick up the story;

“In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried off from the earth.

And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.

In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth dried out. Then God said to Noah, Go out from

the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons wives with you.

So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons wives with him.”

Genesis 8:13-19

Noah did not move until God told him to move. The door of the ark was opened but we don’t read of Noah going out to

explore or to stretch his legs. For nearly two months from the time the door of the ark was opened Noah waited on

God’s next instruction.

“In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth dried out. Then God said to Noah, Go out from

the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons wives with you.”

Even when he saw the earth was dry he still waited for God to speak. He could have gone a few steps out of the ark to see

the new world but he didn’t. He wasn’t in danger of drowning but he still didn’t move. He waited on God speak to him

about his next steps. I love that!

“And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold the face of the ground was dry.”

That challenged me a lot. I don’t want to go through life doing my own thing. There are so many times I went ahead on my

own and messed up.

I want God to lead me.

And He wants to lead me and guide me because He knows best.

And that’s my challenge to you. Seek God’s voice more in your life today. He wants to direct your steps.

He has great things in store for you and He wants you to have them.

I think of Joshua who was commanded by God to destroy the enemy who lived in the promise land. He wasn’t

allowed to make a treaty with them but to annihilate them. But there were a people who were afraid and

they devised a plan to deceive Joshua. They didn’t want to be destroyed with the surrounding nations. So they

came up with a plan and the plan worked. They deceived Joshua and he made a treaty with them. (Read Joshua 9)

The word says,

“So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them

and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.”

Joshua 9:14 NLT

Because Joshua did not seek God’s voice with the Gibeonites he wasn’t able to carry out God’s command to the letter.

We need God’s voice in everything we do. We can’t go through life without it.

Let’s make sure we ask for His guidance with every step we take.

Because like I said earlier, He wants to direct us to the amazing things He has for us.

Bless you friends

Rolain

It’s not your burden to carry…..

I have been worrying about a certain situation this week. It actually started last week. It wasn’t too

serious but enough to warrant a response from me. But in the midst of the worrying a few thoughts came

to me. Was my worrying warranted? What does YAH think when I worry?

Surely it’s okay to worry here and there?

 

Reading the word brought some clarity and that is what I want to share.

No matter how bad things are, no matter what comes our way, His desire for us is to always bring

our problems to Him.

He doesn’t want us wasting even a second worrying.

The call to not worry is a command from the Lord.

Let’s look at a few scriptures in light of this,

 

“Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, 

by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants

known to God.” 

Philippians 4:6 (emphasis mine)

 

“Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives

do I give to you. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated

and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

John 14:27 (emphasis mine)

 

There is no suggestion or invitation here. it’s definite, resolute.

And that is so for a reason.

 

We worry about things but the Lord wants to take it all.

He doesn’t want us to waste time worrying because He cares for us and loves us. He wants to help us.

He is stronger than anything we will ever face and He knows that.

 

So as I end I want to make us see that worrying does not accomplish the purposes of the Lord in any way.

Worrying opens the door to anxiety, stress, fear and a lot of other harmful things.

When worry comes we need to take it to Him instantly. Don’t hold on to it.

Whatever you are worrying about today know that it’s not your burden to carry.

It’s the Lord’s burden, He wants it to take it from you. Will you let Him?

 

 

“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, 

for I am Your oasis. 

Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, 

humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. 

For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” 

Matthew 11:28-30 (TPT)

 

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

 

 

….the men told them things that made them afraid!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“I was 40 years old then. When I came back, I told Moses what I thought about the land. 

The other men who went with me told the people things that made them afraid. But 

I believed the Lord would allow us to take the land.” 

Joshua 14:7, 8

 

This was Caleb speaking to Joshua and he was talking about what happened when the 12 spies

got back from spying out the land of Canaan. That was the land YAH had promised his people.

But instead of going to possess it like the Lord promised 10 of the spies managed to strike fear

into the heart of the nation which stopped them dead in their tracks.

I want to zone in on a specific part of the verse I just shared;

 

“The other men who went with me told the people things that made them afraid.” 

 

We have to be careful what we are hearing from others. There is so much stuff happening around

us that can make us afraid which in turn paralyzes us and makes us inoperable.

This is not a casual call I am making but a desperate one.

As much as we can, we need to beware of what we allow ourselves to hear.

 

Israel failed to enter YAH’s promise land because of 10 men who told them things that made them

afraid.  This is serious.

 

Our country is about to have elections and there are a lot of people saying things that have the potential

to make me afraid but I have made a choice to block out those negative conversations. I have to do that

if I want to hold on to YAH’s promises concerning the nation. I know YAH has an amazing plan for my nation

but listening to all the negative things people have to say about what’s happening or going to happen will

not help me declare and hold on to what I need to hold on to.

 

You cannot operate in faith and fear at the same time. It’s either you believe or you fear. It’s that simple.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for news and trying to keep up to date with a situation, or things

happening around you but it gets tricky when those things perpetuate fear and dread instead of

faith and hope. You decide.

 

Joshua and Gideon refused to believe what the 10 men said. They were fully confident that YAH could

deliver them.

On the flip side, are you the one telling people things that make them afraid? It’s so easy to talk about the

bad things. Let’s change what comes out of our mouths.

When you do talk about a problem make sure you have a scripture, or word of encouragement that speaks

directly to the problem. Don’t leave the room or person on a negative.

 

“The mouth of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a well of life, but the mouth of the 

wicked conceals violence.” 

Proverbs 10:11

 

If you have heard or read things that have made you afraid then bring them to YAH.

Ask Him to replace that fear with faith and peace and hope.

One of my friends had destructive words spoken to him that were directly targeted to what YAH

had called him to.

Those words hit him hard, harder than he could ever imagine. He is still dealing with the effects

of it today.

Negative words are destructive.

Let’s learn to speak life and healing. That brings glory to YAH.

With that I am out…..

 

Blessings to you friends….

 

Rolain

 

 

 

He said, “Come”!

“As Jesus went into Capernaum, a centurion came up to Him, begging Him,

and saying, Lord, my servant boy is lying at the house paralyzed and distressed

with intense pains.

And Jesus said to him, I will come and restore him.

But the centurion replied to him, Lord, I am not worthy or fit to have You

come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant boy will be cured.”

Matthew 8:5-8

 

Our faith in God is so important we can all agree. The word says, “without faith it’s

impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6)

The story of the centurion reveals something amazing about the faith we are supposed

to walk by.

Before the centurion came to Jesus the pattern was this, Jesus would go and lay hands on the

sick person or the sick person would come to him.

But when the centurion went to Jesus and offered to go with him to heal his servant, the

centurion said no. He knew all Jesus had to do was say the word and his servant would be

healed!

 

Look at Jesus response to the centurion’s faith,

 

“When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you,

I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

Matthew 8:10

 

The centurion’s faith was very unorthodox.

He didn’t look at what everyone else was doing.

He had a revelation of Jesus and held on to that.

He knew there was no limit to his faith in God even if it meant asking for something

that seemed impossible.

Jesus didn’t tell the centurion to fall into line and trust the way everyone was trusting.

He marveled at the unorthodox faith of the centurion.

 

Don’t hold back when it comes to trusting in God.

No matter how big, and impossible it seems, keep trusting Him.

Don’t let people tell you what to trust Him for and how to trust Him.

He wants you to exercise your faith in Him.

 

Let’s look at one more story,

 

“Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea,

they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!”And they cried out for fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not

be afraid.”

And Peter answered Him said, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You

on the water.”

So He said, “Come.”

And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to

Jesus.

Matthew 14:25-29

 

Again we see someone exercise their faith in an unorthodox way. Peter broke all

protocol if there ever was any, concerning faith. At Jesus command he jumped out of the

boat and walked on water. When Peter asked Jesus to call him to walk on the water,

Jesus didn’t complain and tell Peter to tone it down! No!

He encouraged Peter to step out. When Peter started sinking this is what He said to him,

 

“But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried

out, saying, Lord, save me!

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him,

“O you of little faith, why did you doubt? “

Matthew 14: 30, 31

 

Peter’s faith wasn’t perfect but he still walked on water. His sinking is evidence of that.

But his rushed, raw, unchecked, bold, imperfect faith made him walk on water.

Jesus didn’t stop him from jumping out of the boat.

Jesus told Peter to “COME”!

 

Friends, it’s time to take the limits off our faith.

 

I was speaking to a friend a few days ago and he was telling me about the struggles

he was facing applying for university. He told me he was now looking at doing his

course on line because it was “easier”.

My friend is so talented and God fearing and I know God has great things in store

for him but I was afraid to tell him to keep trusting God to go to university. So I ended

my conversation and left it like that.

I made the mistake of looking at his situation through natural eyes and agreed with him.

I was meant to challenge him to throw off the limits.

I was meant to encourage him to trust the Lord for anything and everything, to make him

see that the Lord could and will open any door for him.

When I see him again I will do so and not hold back.

 

Are we letting the circumstances around us determine what we trust God for?

God wants us to trust Him for the impossible, whatever that may be.

Even if it seems crazy to the people around us, we must trust!

He will answer our crazy prayers. God loves it when we exercise our faith.

 

We must be like the centurion and Peter. We must be bold and ask Jesus for whatever

He has put in our heart no matter how impossible it seems.

We can’t be conventional with our faith.

We need to take the “training wheels”off our faith because what the training wheels

really are, are hindrances, and obstacles.

Let’s ask God to help us to break the box we have put Him in.

He doesn’t live in a box. He lives in a place where anything is possible.

Remember, we are the ones who see limits, not God. He doesn’t see

limits.

With faith there are no “out of bounds”areas, there are no areas that are “sectioned off”.

Everything is open game when we talk about faith.

Don’t shelve anything unless God tells you to.

My prayer for us is to throw off all restraints when trusting God.

 

God, help our unbelief. Now is the time to trust.

It doesn’t take great faith to move a mountain.

According to Matthew 17:19, 20 all it needs is faith as small as

a mustard seed to move a mountain!

 

Let’s not wait for our faith to be “perfect”

Let’s start now. God will come in and work with our mustard seed faith.

He will start moving with the faith we have now!

Amen!

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

It really starts with me…!

 

It feels like I haven’t written for ever but it’s been just over a

week. I attended a children’s ministry training and a few days

later I went for a Children’s ministry camp. It’s been kids,

kids, and more kids and I love it. Camp was amazing. I know the

kids had fun but I enjoyed it just as much as they did.

A scripture has been on my heart ever since I got back.

 

“Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness

[to the covenant made at your marriage] between you and the

wife

of your youth, against whom you were faithless. Yet she is your

companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your marriage

vows].

And did not God make [you and your wife] one [flesh]? Did not

One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why [did God

make you two] one? Because He sought a godly  offspring [from

your union]. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one

deal treacherously and be faithless to his wife of his youth.

Malachi 2:14, 15

 

I love this passage of scripture. In this passage we see how God

loves marriage. He created it. But there is something else. From

this passage we learn one of the reasons God created marriage.

 

“And why [did God make you two] one?

Because He sought a godly offspring [from your union]. “

Malachi 2:15

 

One of the reasons God brings two people together in marriage

is because He is seeking a godly offspring from their union!

Let me take it a step further, He already knows your

child and the plan He has for him or her! When God joins

two people together He is not just thinking about the two

people but He is thinking far ahead. He is thinking about thier

children and their children after them and so on! God has a plan

for your children. He loves them and He is thinking about them.

 

So, young man, don’t rush when it comes to choosing the woman

God has for you. There is so much more than meets the eye. He

wants to bless you and He wants to bless your children and thier

children after them. Young women, wait on God’s timing!

He is faithful.

 

“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord].

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and]

heart and with your entire being and with all your might.

And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be

[first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then]

 

You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate,

and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and]

hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your

 house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and

when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7

 

This verse ministered to me deeply. It starts with me, it starts with

you. God wants to work on you first so you will be able to teach your

kids. He wants His words to be lodged deep inside you first.

His words must first do thier work in you before they can impact

the next generation.

 

Young man, young woman, is the word first in your life?

Do you have a relationship with the Lord?

If yes, is it deep, is it growing?

Do you love the Lord?

Is He the most important thing in your life?

 

 

Like I said in the beginning, there is so much more to

marriage than meets the eye. Young man, God expects you

to lead your family but how will you lead if you have not

allowed the Lord to lead you?

 

The responsibility of teaching children the word of God lies

on the man. It’s your responsibility young man. It’s an

awesome responsibility and one not to be taken lightly.

Are you living your life in a way that will benefit your future

generation?

God sees generations when He looks at us. Let’s remember our

actions have a direct impact on the future generation!

 

Rolain

 

image credit: google images

What is God’s will for my Life????

God created each and everyone of us for a purpose. He made no mistakes when He created us. But there are a lot of people who don’t know what their purpose is on the earth. What is God’s will for my life, is one of the most asked questions among Christians. You see, everything around us speaks to us about destiny. If there is one thing you cannot deny is the fact that, everything on this earth has a purpose! For example, let us take a look at  a butter knife. It is a knife but it was made for a specific purpose. It was made so it could be used to spread butter on bread. You cannot use it to cut wood. It was not made for that.

The butcher knife on the other hand was made to cut harder things. Does it make it better than the butter knife, no! It makes it different. Each has a different function. What am I trying to get at, you might be wondering? My goal is to show you that everything is made with a purpose and that goes for us. What is our purpose?

     

To find out what our purpose is we need to look to the Word of God. There is so much in there for us. Let us look at a familiar passage of scripture which says,

  New American Standard Bible 
“The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise.  Isaiah 43:21

We were created with the sole purpose of worshiping God!!! God created you and me to worship Him. You were specifically made to do that. Everything else comes after that. Yes, you are a doctor, lawyer, athlete, pilot, governor, and so on but God created you to worship Him!!! Our purpose is to worship God in the place He has called us to be in. David was a king and a warrior but he was a worshiper! King David says in Psalm 119:164 –  New International Version
Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. 

He understood he was created to praise God. The Word says, the people I formed for myself WILL….not might, or if they feel like but WILL!!! It is a command and not a suggestion. God doesn’t command us to do things just for the sake of being difficult but because He knows there is a blessing. Will you answer to the challenge? Will you answer the call to live a life of worship. We were created to worship God! As you do that everything else will fall into place.

Rolain

Faith – Do You Have Your “Title Deeds”?

This is not a post about buying or selling houses but about faith. We all have a measure of faith. Some have big faith and some have small faith but we all have a measure of faith. I would like to share what I got from Hebrews 11:1. We all know this chapter and verse. I would like to read it from the Amplified bible. Hebrews 11:1 says:

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith percieving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

I really like the way the Amplified explains faith. Faith is the confirmation and the title deed of the things we hope for.
We have a lot of things that we need God to come through for. Our faith is the “title deed” of those things. In the natural we know what a title deed is. A title deed is given to someone who owns a house as proof that the house is theirs. You can try and convince the owner that the house is not theirs, or you can take them to court but it is all in vain if they have the title deed.
So the word says our faith is like the title deed of a house. People can say you won’t succeed or that you won’t own your car but your faith nulifies all those negative things. If you have faith, you have the “title deeds” to what you hoping for! No one can take it from you. Is that not amazing?

The verse goes on and says that faith is percieving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.
You may not have that house yet but in your mind it is real. You can see the colours. You can see the car park. You can see yourself sitting in your lounge. You can see yourself cooking in your kitchen. Your house is real to you. That is what faith is about. You may be living in a rented house now, struggling to make ends meet but you can see your “other” house. You have a conviction that it is real. You have a conviction that God has answered your prayer. That is faith!

As I end I would like to say that we are commanded to live by faith. When God commands it is not for the sake of being difficult but because we will be blessed if we listen to Him.
Hebrews 10:38 says:

The just shall live by faith.

He is not asking you to live by faith. He is not suggesting it. He is commanding you. He is saying, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!!
We need to live by faith all the time. It is for our own benefit. The men and women of faith died controlled and sustained by their faith. Faith in what? They died controlled and sustained by their faith in God! Hebrews 11:13 –

These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith.

Will we be those kind of people? Can we live a life being controlled and sustained by faith? I think we can. Let us carry our “title deeds” with conviction! Amen.

Rolain.P