Awakening…..

“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord

and set me down in the middle of the valley, it was full of bones. And He led me 

around among them, and behold, they were very dry. 

And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, “O Lord God, 

You know. 

Then He said to me, Prophesy over these bones and say to them, O dry bones, hear

the word of the Lord. ” 

Ezekiel 37:1-14

 

I was so encouraged by this passage of scripture this week. I can identify with the valley of dry bones!

I know what you are thinking, “don’t you mean you can identify with what Ezekiel was doing Rolain?”

No, I mean it, I can identify with what YAH showed Ezekiel!

I know there are dormant places in my life that are “very dry”.  There are dead areas in my

life that need awakening, what about you?

The prophet was taken to a land full of dry bones, very dry bones and was asked a question,

 

“Son of man, can these bones live?” 

 

I believe the Lord was speaking to me through this verse. “Can these bones live?”

“Can the dead areas in my life be revived anew?”

“Can the dormant things in my life rise?”

 

If you are feeling the same way and asking the same questions, the answer is yes,

These bones can live again!!

The dead areas in your life can come to life….

 

After asking Ezekiel the question YAH told him to prophesy to the dry bones.

Always remember that before YAH did anything, He spoke it out first. That’s the pattern

we see in the word. He always spoke what He was going to do before He actually did it.

Our words are powerful like we can’t believe. We need to learn to speak more, to prophesy

over situations in our lives. Complaining and grumbling about what’s happening in

our lives will not help our situation, it will only make it worse.

 

There is one more part to this story I want to share. Let’s look at another scripture,

 

“Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, 

they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 

Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open 

your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into

the land of Israel.”

Ezekiel 37:11, 12

 

Where it seemed like there was no hope, the Lord assured them He was with them.

There seemed like there was no way but they were wrong, the Lord would make a

way for them. They were not cut off as they thought. The Lord loved them and would save

them.

 

We have hope friends….as long as the Lord is with us, we have hope.

No matter how dead a situation is, the Lord can and will revive it. He is the God who

lets dry bones live again! It’s time to speak up. The enemy wants us silent because

he knows what our words backed up by YAH’s word can do!

Have a great weekend to you all!

 

Rolain

A thought about the impossible!

                                             photo credit: google images

 

“Lord,”Martha said to Jesus, “if You had been here, my

brother would not have died.

But I know that even now God will give You whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise in the resurrection

at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The

one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

Do you believe this?

John 11:21-26

 

I had to share the whole passage with you because it’s key to

what I want to speak on today. I was supposed to share

what I am about to share with you last week but something

happened last week to shake my faith. I was trusting God

for something huge and it didn’t happen! I was broken and

wondered why it never came to pass. But I realized

something. Just because something doesn’t happen in our lives

doesn’t mean it is too much for God, it just means it wasn’t

part of His plan for our lives. It took time processing that.

 

Anyway, lets move on. Last week God showed me something

that gave me so much hope! I was thinking about the big

things I am trusting God for but there was one thing in

particular I was doubting. As I was doubting if this thing

would happen I had a thought and wrote it down in my

journal:

 

We all know God does the impossible but there is

something you need to get into your spirit,

God can do YOUR impossible.

Whatever I am believing for that I think is impossible,

God can do. He is doing my impossible!

 

Look at Martha. She believed Jesus was the resurrection

and the life. She believed Jesus could do the impossible!

That was not the issue. But Jesus wanted her to know He

could accomplish her impossible! There is a big difference

between believing God can do the impossible and believing

He can do YOUR impossible!

 

Nothing in your life is too big for God to handle. When

you read of all those great things Jesus did in the bible

know He can do those same things in YOUR life. He cares

about you……

I was so encouraged when I got that revelation. I thought

to myself about the things I was trusting God for. I could

pray to God about that thing. He actually wanted me to

come to Him with “my impossible” things!

 

God has great things in store for you and no matter how

impossible they seem please understand He is the God of

the impossible, the God of YOUR impossible! Don’t doubt

Him. If something doesn’t happen after you have brought

that thing to Him then know that it wasn’t in His plan!

There is no such thing as, too big for God!

He wants to show Himself strong on your behalf!

Trust Him.

Amen!

 

Rolain

What do you believe about prayer?

How does God answer prayers? Is there a formula, a to-do list we have to follow? Well, a friend was speaking to me about prayer and this is what he had to say:

Throughout the Bible, God told His people to do something first before he answered their prayers. 

– God told Moses to strike the rock, and then water would come.

– The prophet told the widow to bake him a cake first. She believed God’s promise through the prophet and was kept alive through the famine.

– Before Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead, He tested the their faith first, He told the mourners to first roll away the stone, then because of their obedience He brought Lazarus back to life. 

– Jesus told the blind man to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, then he would receive his sight.

– He told the ten lepers to go show themselves to the priests. When they showed their faith by obeying and heading in that direction, only then did God do the miracle. As they went, they were healed. 

 

I thought what he said was very interesting. You may not have an answer to prayer because He wants you to take the first step? As I read what he was sharing, things started popping up that I know God would want me to do first. Not that He is unable to perform a miracle because He is capable.

With that said, I don’t think God expects us to do everything. He wants to see our faith in Him in the first step we take! Do you trust Him, then step out? Have you prayed and not received an answer? Maybe you need to take the first step, in faith that He has heard you!

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

Is Your Faith Really Faith?

I have spoken about faith a lot. Without faith it is impossible to please God but I read something that made me ask the question, is my faith really faith? As I write this, my prayer is you will see faith in a new light.
It was whilst reading the book of James that I questioned if my faith was really faith. This passage of scripture is very popular. I have read it many times but this time round it was different. I was really challenged by what I read. This particular portion of scripture speaks about faith and works. In James 2:14 it says:

What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul]?

It then goes on to say in James 2:18:

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.

According to James who was inspired by the Holy Spirit, real faith works hand in hand with action. You cannot have one or the other. It is not just believing and doing nothing. He paints a picture of two people. It almost seems like a competition is taking place. It is “faith” which is faith without action vs “works” faith with works. And in this competition “faith” without action loses. He is saying our faith is not really faith until it is accompanied by action (works)! Believing is not enough because according to James 2:19 he says:

You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as make a man’s hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!

There are a lot of things we are trusting God for but we need to realise that sitting and waiting is NOT faith! In the things that we have faith for there is a part we have to play.
Please understand, I am not advocating we do things in our flesh and not trust in God. What I am saying is, in the things we are trusting God for there is a part for us to play. Let me give you an example.

Saul and Jonathan and the army of Israel were trapped by the Philistines but to make matters worse Saul and Jonathan were the only ones with swords (1 Samuel 13:22). Saul and Jonathan had “faith” in God. Saul’s “faith” led him to enquire of the Lord through the priest Ahijah (1 Samuel 14:18,19) while Jonathan’s “faith” led him to act. Jonathan’s “faith” led his nation to victory ( 1 Samuel 14:23).
I hope you see as Jonathan stepped out and did his part God STEPPED UP and did His part and that is how it is supposed to be, that is real faith! Our faith needs to be accompanied by works!

James 2:21 says:

Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Issac?
You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.

You may have faith that God will turn your life around but know you have a part to play. You may be trusting God to bring your destiny to pass but know you have a part to play. You need to act. If you don’t know your part ask God. He will show you what you need to do. You may trusting God for healing, also know you have a part to play. It might be changing your confession. (Some of us make things worse for ourselves by speaking death over ourselves.) It may be changing how you eat. I don’t know, but what I do know is you have a part to play. You may be in poverty and trusting God for financial breakthrough but you have a part to play. You may need to give more, maybe pay your tithes (which a lot of christians don’t do), it might be saving money….etc
Are you starting to see it? I really hope you can. God is faithful and will not abandon us. When we do our part which is a sign of our faith in Him, He will do His part which is the main part, which is the miracle part. I will end with James 2:26 which says:

For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.

Rolain.