A Talk About Eggs and Faith

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

This is a popular piece of advise especially when you talk about investing. And all it means is that someone should not concentrate all efforts and resources in one area as one could lose everything. But I read a quote recently that brought my faith walk in perspective. It said,

“Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket”

And I love that. That’s the attitude we should have when it comes to faith in God. It’s either we trust Him completely or we live in doubt of his ability. Now I am not talking about being reckless but I am talking about having an attitude of, “I will trust God and I am not looking to so and so or I have another plan just in case”

The word of God says that the just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)

So as you trust God today, do you have a back up plan, for just in case he doesn’t come through or are you all in with your faith? Do you know He will come through for you? Do you know He will never let you down? He has got your back even when it seems like things are going horribly.

True faith sees God as the ONLY option.

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

Bless you friends!

Rolain

Let Go Of Negative Labels

Throughout our lives we have been picking up labels from family, friends, teachers, coaches, you name it.

But this is the thing, the majority of the labels we picked up are not accurate and

at times downright destructive. We need to be careful what labels we have adopted

and from where.

Take Moses for example.

God called him to lead His people out of Egypt. So as He called him,

He gave assurances that He would be with him but there was one thing

that was giving Moses second doubts about his ability to carry out what

God had called him to do. And that thing was the label or labels he was holding

on to.

“But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past

or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”

Exodus 3:10

Instead of saying “yes Lord”.

He almost let the labels he had stop him from walking into what God had for him.

And also note, God knew the potential Moses had. He knew the great things He would

do through him but Moses didn’t see any of that because of the labels he held on to.

And that’s the danger of holding on to the wrong labels. They limit what we think

God can do and blind us to the opportunities available to us.

We need to measure up every label we have, to what God says about us. We measure

them up to His word. If words spoken to us are not in line with what God says in His Word

then it needs to go.

And we also need to be careful about what we say to ourselves. That’s what happened to

Moses. He may have told himself and believed he was slow of speech and not eloquent

and in his mind those labels disqualified him from doing what God told him to do.

You probably know yourself better than anyone on this planet but at the end of the day

you need to remember that you did not create you, God created you!

And because He created you He knows every little thing about you. There is nothing He

doesn’t know about you but you on the other hand you don’t have the full picture. You don’t have all

the information. There is stuff missing.

So stop with the “this is the way I am” statements.

Stop with the “I am clumsy, I am forgetful,

I can’t do this, I can’t do that” statements.

You don’t have all the pieces to the puzzle so why label yourself and make “absolute” statements

about yourself?

God is the only one who can do that so go to Him to tell who you are, what you can do and the

amazing opportunities waiting for you.

Ask Him for help as you do this. There is no way you are going to get rid of the negative labels

in your life by yourself. Ask Him to show you what negative words you are holding on to.

And ask Him to replace those words/labels with His truth, with His Word.

And as I close I want to end with a quote I read that I love. It says,

“Let no label stick unless it was put there by God.”

Have a great weekend friends!

Rolain

Surrounded…

There are times when it feels like the enemy has us surrounded and is going to finish off the job.

Times when it seems like we are about to be overrun and left for dead.

But in those times there is hope for us.

I was encouraged as I read the Word a few days ago.

The king of Aram wanted to get rid of Elisha so he found out where he was and at night had the place

where he was surrounded. In the morning Elisha’s servant saw the army surrounding the city and he

freaked out. He went to Elisha to tells him the “bad news” but Elisha was as cool as a cucumber.

This is what Elisha said to him,

“Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”

2 Kings 6:17

But Elisha went further. He prayed that his servant’s eyes be opened and after the prayer the servant saw the

hills filled with a great and mighty heavenly host outnumbering the enemy.

And that is what I want to encourage you with. Just like the servant saw, there are more with you than they

that are against you. It doesn’t matter how many enemies come against you, the fact and truth remains.

Let go of the fear and trust the Lord. He is fighting for you and is stronger and far greater than any enemy

that threatens you.

“Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise up against me,

in this will I be confident.”

Psalm 27:3

God bless you friends and have a great weekend

Rolain

Look ahead with confidence

“The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.””

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 

As David faced Goliath his confidence was in the God who had delivered him from the lion and the bear.

David knew Goliath had no chance against him because of what God had done before.

As you look ahead it’s important to remember what the Lord has done for you. As He brought you through last year with all its challenges and trials He will bring you through this year.

You can look ahead with confidence because the Lord who rescued and delivered you from the trials and challenges last year will do it again and again. He never let David down. He didn’t let the giant be victorious over him.

And it’s the same with you. He won’t let you down. He will deliver you and rescue you from the enemy who is standing against you. You can trust the Lord always!

Bless you friends

Rolain

Move ahead in faith…

“And the people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which was evil in the ears

of the Lord, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the 

Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp.” 

Numbers 11:1, 2

 

The Lord was with the Israelites and expected them to respond in faith but that’s not what happened.

Instead of trusting Him when things got really difficult they responded in unbelief and fear and that was evil

in the eyes of the Lord.

 

Possessing the land of Canaan was an impossible task. Giants resided there.

But no matter how impossible the task was the Lord wanted His people to trust Him. He wanted them

to be confident in His power, strength, and faithfulness.

Sadly, that never happened. The Israelites shrunk back in fear. Because unbelief and fear filled their hearts

they couldn’t possess what God promised them.

 

The Israelites couldn’t move ahead because they didn’t have faith. Instead, they were pushed back because

of their unbelief. And that’s what unbelief and fear will do if you entertain them. They will push you back when

you are supposed to move forward.

 

“Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country and smote the Israelites

and beat them back, even as far as Hormah.” 

Numbers 14:45

 

The Lord doesn’t want us to be pushed back. The enemy wants that. God wants us

to move ahead in faith. It’s faith in God that will allow us to defeat the giants standing in our way.

It’s faith in God that will enable us to tell mountains to get out of the way as we make our way to the place

God has promised.

Because God is with you,

you can move forward confidently no matter how hard the journey is, and no matter

how intimidating the enemy is. Don’t let fear and unbelief dictate your response to God.

Always respond in faith!

 

Bless you, friends!

 

Rolain

He hears me always…..!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“When I was in trouble, I called to the Lord. 

And He answered me.”

Psalm 120:1

 

There is a place to run to when we are in trouble.

There is a Person to turn to when things go bad.

His name is Yeshua. He hears our prayers. He ALWAYS hears us.

 

Pray to Him with confidence. When you are in trouble call out to Him.

He wants to help you. He wants to carry you out of the pit you are in. Put aside the lie that says He is

not listening. It’s not true.

 

“I love the Lord, because He has heard [and now hears] my voice and my supplications. 

Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.” 

Psalm 116:1, 2

 

He hears and He answers. That’s the way He does it. Don’t remain silent. Open your mouth and

pray to Him as long as you live……

 

Bless you

 

Rolain

God is looking for confidence……He will act!

I have been wrestling with something I read recently. I have been thinking about how I use my faith

daily. Faith is not just for looking into the future but it’s for this moment, for this season I am in right now,

for the situation I am facing today.

Faith was never meant to be a badge we wear. Faith is alive and active.

When you have faith there is a boldness, a surety even when there isn’t anything tangible to hold on to,

even when things are dark. Let me share a story with you that will shed light on what I mean.

 

I was reading Jonathan’s story and was deeply challenged by his faith. There was a time he, his dad and

army were trapped by the Philistines. To make the situation worse he and his dad were the only ones

who had swords! (read 1 Samuel 13:19-22)

So picture this, Jonathan and his dad with a small army of about 6000 men (1 Samuel 13:2) with only

two swords among them facing a countless army!

 

“and the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, 30000 chariots and 6000 horsemen and troops like sand

on the seashore in multitude.”

1 Samuel 13:5

 

Jonathan and the army with him were outnumbered and out-weaponed! (I hope that’s a thing! 🙂  )

But instead of shrinking back in the moment he used his faith. Like I said, we are not supposed to wear

our faith like a badge, and it’s not to be used only when trusting YAH for the future, it’s meant to be

used today in the situation we are facing now. That’s what Jonathan did, he trusted in the Lord and made

a move.

 

“And Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these

uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the Lord from

saving by many or by few.”

1 Samuel 14:6

 

What confidence! He didn’t even hesitate. That’s the confidence I want to live in. Jonathan trusted Yeshua

and saved himself and the army with him which was impossible by the way.

The enemy he faced was “supposed” to win because they more in number and ridiculously out-gunned

him but that was not the case.

 

And that is what I was wrestling with. I believe know Yeshua wants me to have that kind of confidence.

He wants me to use my faith in the situations I am facing right now.

He wants me to advance boldly in faith, not timidly. The calling He has called me to demands I do that!

 

What about you? Are you advancing boldly, assured Yeshua will come through for you, assured He has

heard your prayer and will act. In the place you are in right now, trust Him and expect Him to move.

There is every reason to be confident in Him. He will not let us down friends.

 

So as I end I want to highlight the two main points I was trying to get across:

• Have faith
• Be confident in your faith

 

Bless you friends…..

 

Rolain

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does God see when He looks at us?

“God has not beheld iniquity in Jacob [for he is forgiven], neither has He seen 

mischief or perverseness in Israel [for the same reason]. The Lord their God 

is with Israel, and the shout of praise to their King is among their people.” 

Numbers 23:21

 

This is a pretty amazing verse if you ask me. Balak hired Balaam to curse

the people of Israel but things were not going according to his plan.

Blessing was happening instead of cursing. Balaam could only speak what YAH

told him. But that’s not the amazing bit, whats amazing are the words YAH put in

Balaam’s mouth to speak (declare).

 

Up to this point Israel had rebelled against YAH in so many ways. They were back

in the desert because they failed to believe YAH could take them to the promise land

even though they were by the “door”.

 

They complained, tested, grumbled, and worshipped other gods (the golden calf) so you would think

YAH would allow the cursing to happen as a way of punishment for all the wrong things they

had done to that point. But that is not what happened.

 

Instead of allowing Balaam to curse them, He let him bless them!

He had forgiven them completely. Through all the bad they did and all the bad they were

going to do YAH still forgave them. He didn’t hold their sin against them.

This is a picture of how merciful our God is. We deserve worse because of our sin

but that’s not what we get.

The Israelites failed YAH so many times and yet He still loved them, He still forgave them,

He stopped Balaam from cursing them.

Do we really understand how great YAH’s love is for us?

I think the enemy lies to us that our sin is unbearable to YAH and because it’s so

unbearable, He will keep His distance from us. That’s a lie.

 

I am not saying it’s okay to sin, what I am saying is that YAH loves us no matter what.

There are consequences for sin and that is shown by the Israelites who never made it into the

promise land because of their unbelief.

 

But to say that the Lord hates us and can’t stand us because of sin is a lie. When He sees

us, He sees His children. He loves us so much.

You may have messed up and are continuing to mess up but know that you can repent.

Confidently cry out to Him when you fall. He doesn’t disown you when you sin. He picks

you up and that’s how much He loves us

We are truly blessed….

 

Rolain

 

 

How He grows your faith…….

“When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, He said 

to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?”

He said this to stretch Philip’s faith. He already knew what He 

was going to do. John 6:5, 6

 

When Jesus and Philip looked out at the large crowd what did they see?

Philip saw an impossible situation! In his mind it was an impossible situation!

Jesus saw something different when He looked out at the crowd. He knew exactly what He was going to do. Philip on the other hand saw obstacles and barriers but Jesus wanted to stretch his faith.

I have been meditating on this verse for a couple of days now. It is such a powerful scripture…..

We are like Philip in many ways. There are situations in our lives where we look and think, “impossible”! How am I going to do this or do that? How, how , how……but Jesus already knows what He is going to do!

You may be freaking out because you can’t see a way out or a solution but Jesus sees, He has the solution!

But He won’t just come and sort it out, like Philip He is asking us the same question,

“Where can we buy bread to feed these people?”

He wants to stretch our faith. What was impossible in Philip’s mind was possible in Jesus’s mind! He didn’t see barriers, limitations, roadblocks or anything like that………

As long as there is faith, the impossible does not exist! Jesus wants to stretch our faith!  No matter what impossible situation you are facing please know that Jesus has the answer. He wants you to be able to face any situation and know He has the answer!!!! No matter how big, no matter how impossible, He want’s you to know He has the answer. Philip had faith in God but Jesus knew his faith in Him had to grow, it had to be stretched!! I am comforted to know that Jesus wants to stretch my faith! I want my faith to grow……There is so much bad happening around me that the only way to get out of it is to have strong faith in Him! Having strong faith will not erase the situation, instead it will help me walk through it with peace and confidence that He is in control!!! He is so good!

Rolain