I was totally clueless until…..

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 

Mark 13:5

 

The disciples asked Jesus about the end times and it’s

interesting to me what He said to them.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are living in the end

times. This week in our weekly bible study as a church,

Mark 13 was the main focus. There are a few things that stood

out in that lesson that I would like to share with you.

 

In talking about the end times, Jesus warns us against being

deceived. In the end times the enemy will try and deceive as

many people as he can. Are you deceived?

Before you answer the question I want to ask you another question,

How does one know he or she is deceived???

 

Jesus made it very clear that in the end times the enemy would

try his very best to deceive us. We are in the end times so the

enemy is at work trying to deceive us.

Just last week God uncovered deception in my heart. The thing

about deception is this, it’s subtle. It creeps in like a thief in the

night without a trace. That is what happened to me.

I was deceived about the way I thought about life. I had a way

of looking at life that was wrong but I didn’t even know it!

Who knows how long I was deceived. All I know is that it was

years!!!!

Yep, that long and I didn’t even know I was deceived. Anyway last

week on my off day as I was spending time with God reading

His word, the light came on! It was like scales fell off my eyes

and for the first time I saw clearly. I saw right through the lies

and deception. I couldn’t believe I never saw it.

 

Jesus knew how real the danger was. How many times in that

passage does He warn us to watch and be alert??!!!!

 

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform

signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

Mark 13: 22, 23

 

How do you guard yourself against being deceived?

Be in the spirit, be in the word constantly, pray

as much as you can! I wasn’t doing these things that much.

Yes I would pray but not enough.

I would read my word but not enough

 

The word of God will expose deception in our lives.

 

Watch what you listen to and what you see. Left unchecked

you will be deceived.  Let me give you an example:

Things in my country are critical at the moment. People are losing

their jobs, corruption is at an all time high. Things don’t look

good.

The enemy is deceiving people by making them believe the

situation is hopeless. Christians are not tithing because things

are difficult but they have been deceived. God is the One who

provides for us and makes a way and that is why we can tithe

in the most trying of times. He is the God who makes a way in

the wilderness! But see how easy deception comes.

We need to watch and be alert! We can all be deceived. No one

is exempt.

I encourage you to look at your life and ask the Holy Spirit to

reveal any deception that is in your life. Remember what I said

in the beginning. It is hard to detect deception.

Anything that does not line up with the word of God is deception!

As I end I will leave you with this;

 

What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ 

Mark 13:37

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

Throw away that script!!

 

All his life he was abused. His dad was a drunk and his mom was having an affair, an affair that led to divorce! His school life suffered greatly! Who cared about science or geography when life was falling apart! His world as he knew it had been destroyed and was still a living nightmare and yet he was still required to engage at school!!! His teachers called him stupid, his seniors ridiculed him daily. He had no where to run but in himself but even that was hopeless because the person inside would tear him to bits, the person in him would tell him how pathetic he was……no one understood him not even his family….

His script.

I am a nobody and no one loves me! I am better off dead…..I am of no use on this earth! If there is a God, He really really hates me!!! No one understands me.

The boy grew up and for a lot of his life he held on to the script that had been given to him through experiences he went through as a child. He wanted nothing to do with his family, he was treated like trash but it never bugged him because his script said he was trash! He was poor but that was okay with it because his script said he was a nobody and he didn’t deserve anything good! He never expected love from anyone because his script said no one loved him and so it went until…..

Something happened, something that would change his life forever. The boy who was now a man found God or may I say, God found him! God changed the way he saw. God started showing him flaws in the script, not only flaws but lies and deception! It was a difficult time for the boy turned man. A lot of the lessons where painful. The crazy thing about the whole situation was there was a part of the man that wanted to hold on to the script!! It was what he knew and even though it was destroying him he held on to it and didn’t want to let go!

But God in His grace and love saved the man. After years and years of rebuilding and restructuring, and pounding and pain the man began to see something else. He began to see what God had for him…..He began to believe in love again! The script he once had was nothing but a memory now.

It would still come back to haunt him at times but by God’s grace he stood tall and strong knowing who his God was and is, knowing the plans God has for him, confident in the God who loves him!

This is what I would like to say to you. The script you have been given is false. God loves you and cares for you and has a plan for you. Your life can turn out differently despite what people are saying. Your life WILL turn out differently. God did not compose the script you are living by now not if it is a negative one and not if it undermines who are in Christ.

You are not destined to fail.

You are not a loser.

You are not ugly.

You are not useless.

You are not stupid.

You are not just a statistic.

You are not a burden.

You are not clumsy.

God has someone amazing out there for you.

You will succeed, you will win, you will prosper, you are loved, you have been forgiven, you are beautiful, you are rich, you are precious, you are important and so much more……

You don’t have to follow the script you have been given. God wants you to look to Him and trust Him. He wants to give you the best. The script is not true. Throw it away!

* Depression is real and needs to be taken seriously. If you want to understand it more and know how

to deal with it please click on the link below*

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/depression/10-depression-quotes-that-may-change-your-life/

Rolain

The truth about the Proverbs 31 woman…..!

The title might be a bit much but I thought it would be really fitting for what I am about to write….
As men we have been told about the Proverbs 31 woman. Every Christian single man wants her. He prays for her.
Ladies, you may think you know Proverbs 31 but what you know cannot be matched with what we as men know about Proverbs 31. We sleep Proverbs 31, drink it, meditate on it, dream about it and so on and so on!
By now you must be thinking to yourself, common Rolain, let’s be serious please!   🙂
OK, let’s be serious. We may not drink it, and meditate on it as much as I say or dream about it but the fact remains, it is important to us. We want a Proverbs 31 woman. Ladies, you have been told to be a Proverbs 31 woman but what does that mean? We read stuff like this and are in awe… :

– A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman – who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. Proverbs 31:10

– She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm. Proverbs 31: 17

– She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat. Proverbs 31:27

As men we read this and develop this crazy idea that you are perfect!!! I don’t say this in a derogative way. For years I has this perfect image of a Proverbs 31 woman.    My wife will be flawless I thought to my self. She will be perfect……But is that what it means to be a Proverbs 31 woman??
Ladies, this goes the other way as well. If my wife is expecting someone perfect then she is going to be seriously dissapointed!
I am human and I am trusting God to guide me in righteousness everyday. I lean on His mercy and grace everyday! I sin everyday! Does that mean I am not Mr Right???
Does being a Proverbs 31 woman mean perfection and flawlessness??? After all, Proverbs 31 doesn’t mention anything about her struggles with sin and failings or so we think! It doesn’t mention her having any battles so we think. We don’t see her in a confused state and we don’t see her struggling with fears so we conclude she is perfect! But that is not the picture Proverbs 31 paints. It paints a picture of a woman racked with sin who puts God first!! Don’t hide your imperfections. Men, don’t hide you faults. Our job is to put Him first. He should be the One you praise and direct the glory to.

But the truth is this. The Proverbs 31 woman is not perfect. Her trust is in God daily. She falls and makes mistakes. Ladies, Mr Right is in the same boat. He is flawed more than you know. Sin has left its mark! Don’t look for perfection. Expecting perfection from a person is impossible. They will never be perfect in this life. So if that is the case, what are we to look for in Mr Right and The Proverbs 31 woman? The end of Proverbs 31 puts it nicely:

Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears The Lord, she shall be praised!   Proverbs 31:30

This is what makes the Proverbs 31 woman a Proverbs 31 woman. Her strength is in God. Her confidence is in God. She is not perfect but she has a relationship with a perfect God! Mr Right has flaws. He doesn’t try to hide them and paint a false picture of who is. He shouldn’t! His trust is in God. This is what defines them, their relationship with God. We are all a work in progress. So as I end, men, we need to go into a relationship with the right image. You are flawed but so is the woman God has for you. She is not perfect and the same goes for you too…..Let us depend on God to help us in our relationships!
God bless…..

Rolain.