He knows your name……

“So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree in 

order to see Him, for He was about to pass that way. 

And when Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said 

to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay 

at your house today. “

Luke 19:4, 5

 

I read this passage of scripture during the weekend and was left

in awe.

This story is so familiar but there is a deep truth in it.

We forget that Jesus never met Zacchaeus!

All Zacchaeus wanted to do was see Him. (Luke 19:3)

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector. I highly doubt he

was a christian. (read Luke 19:7)

 

“What’s the deep truth”, you might be asking?

 

“And when Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said to

him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your

house today. ” (emphasis mine)

Luke 19;5

 

Jesus called Zacchaeus by name! He knew exactly who he

was.

No one told Jesus who he was. He

didn’t research “top tax collectors in Jericho”!   🙂

That should give us hope friends.

 

Like Zacchaeus, your name is known. Jesus knows you!

There is no such thing as a statistic in God’s eyes. We are ALL

important and precious in His eyes!

You may have lived by another truth all your life but the real

truth is Jesus knows who you are by name! No matter who you are

He knows you. No matter the things you have done, He knows

you and longs for you to turn to Him!

Come to Him as you are.

 

Jesus came to save the people of the world.

A lot of people think He came to make the righteous

better but that’s not it. He came to save the world. He came

to save the lost.

The righteous are not better than everyone else. We are broken

people who realized we needed a Savior.

 

“And Jesus said to him, Today is [Messianic and spiritual]

salvation come to [all the members of] this household, since

Zacchaeus too is a [real spiritual] son of Abraham; 

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was

lost. “

Luke 19:9, 10

 

Friend, remember this truth, He knows your name!

 

Rolain

Eleven days…….

 

It is [only] eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of

Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea [on Canaan’s border;

yet Israel took forty years to get beyond it]. Deuteronomy 1:2

 

I have heard so many teachings on this passage right here.

And in nearly all the teachings I have heard on this scripture

it would always be about how Israel sinned,

“Just imagine if Israel obeyed the Lord”, they would say.

Their journey would have taken eleven days, only eleven

days!!!

 

I think it is something to think about but at the same time I think

there is more to the story.

As human beings we will always sin. Yes, Israel went to the extreme

in the wilderness but sins are sins. They could off taken eleven days

if they were perfect but they were not and instead it took them forty

years!

Just imagine if they managed to make it in eleven days???

There would be no stories of disobedience and rebellion,

lack of trust and so on. Nothing would of being dealt with!

The Israelite’s needed the forty years! In that time there

was death, repentance, and a whole lot of other things

that needed to take place. This is how the word puts it:

 

And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord

your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble

and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart,

whether you would keep His commandments or not.

And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you

with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know,

that He might make you realize and personally know that man

does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that

proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:2, 3

 

God LED Israel for forty years so He could reveal what was

in their hearts! More precisely He wanted to know if their

hearts were devoted to Him……

He wanted them to make Him first in their hearts!

The Israelite’s went through so much in the forty years. They

would of missed out on so much if they took eleven days!

 

Let’s bring this home……

Just imagine it took you eleven days to get to the place God had

for you??? A measly eleven days!!!

I was a mess and it’s taken me at least fifteen years to begin to

get out of it but there is still much work to be done! I fail God

daily, I abandon Him daily, like Peter I disown Him by my

actions a lot, when I should be praying I watch TV or

something crazy like that.

But the good news is, from the first step I took on this journey

there has been growth. My relationship with God has deepened.

I have seen Him in a new way. My faith in Him has become

stronger. The failures, the hard times, the times of doubt, the

chastening, have drawn me closer to God.

I needed the forty years, as hard and difficult as they are,

I needed them!

What about you? Do you wish it would take you eleven days?

God wants to know what’s in your heart. He will test you

in the desert. He will allow times of hunger so He can

humble you so you can know His words are all you need!

Know this, God has a plan for you in the wilderness!

You are not there by mistake……

God has allowed times of hunger to test you, will you look to

Him or will you complain and murmur??

Will you lose your faith in Him in those times??

 

Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness;

give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.

Psalm 86:11

 

What an amazing prayer! Lord, give me an undivided heart!

I have allowed so many things to have a piece of my heart.

This heart that should be ALL Yours!

So I pray, give me an UNDIVIDED heart Lord!

God wants Your heart. Not a piece but all of your heart.

Fight those things that have contended for it….He is all you

need.

 

Rolain

 

 

 

Is there hope for the world?

Is there hope for the world? The world has really lost it’s way or maybe it’s always been like this but I never noticed. As I have asked this question there is another question that must be asked. Can we as Christians do anything to make a change? I read a scripture a few days ago that has made me think about this:

“And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again only this once. Suppose ten [righteous people] shall be found there. And [the Lord] said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

And the Lord went His way when He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.” Genesis 18:32, 33

We all know the story. Abraham started at fifty people and kept on asking God if He would spare the city till he got to ten and yes, God would spare the city if there were at least ten righteous people. That brings me to my next point. I think God would preserve them not only because He was a just and fair God but because He knew that ten people would be enough to turn that city around! In fact, I don’t think God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah!!!!! I know it is a crazy thought but hear me out. I say that because of Ezekiel 33:11. It says,

Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

I know this verse was directed to Israel but it also revealed God’s heart concerning the wicked. Judgement will come for the wicked but before it does He gives them a chance to turn from their wicked ways!!!

Then another thought came to me. If ten people was enough for God to use, how much more can He do now? There are more than ten Christians in each city, town, community, state. As Christians we can make a difference if we ask for God’s help. This is a challenge for all of us. I know there are Christians doing big things for God and we salute them. This post is to honour them and encourage the rest to stand up and do their part and to let people know there is hope for the world. A lot of people will die without knowing God but we must each do our part to save as many……..We are the “ten” God has called. The world may think there is no hope but there is. They may think God has turned His back on them but He hasn’t. There is still hope…..! We are in the last few minutes of the game and every second counts. God in His love and mercy made it possible. The game is not over. There is still hope…….

Rolain

 

Christianity – A part time thing???

What does this walk that we walk really mean? Is it something to take lightly? This question is very easy to answer for people who have just come to know the Lord. They are on fire, passionate and crazy. But something happens to those who have walked the walk for sometime. The storms and the trials begin to change them. Some get stronger but some begin to fade away. The continuous fighting begins to wear them down. This walk we have been called into is not an easy one. Look at how Matthew puts it,

Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life – to God! – is vigorous and requires total attention. 
Matthew 7:13, 14 (The Message)

What a sober reminder of the responsibility we have. This walk requires our TOTAL ATTENTION!!!! This is not a part time gig. It requires effort and perseverance.
Let us put aside the things that so easily beset us declares the word. Let us get rid of the things that distract us. God wants our full attention!

Jesus continues on by saying:

These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. Matthew 7:24 (The Message)

We are to focus on Christ because His words save us! They are exactly what we need. We must not take this walk for granted. If you are tired and on the brink of giving up I want to encourage you to keep holding on. Things are going to turn out right. Even though things are hard and difficult, God is going to bless you. Your fighting is to an end. It is making you stronger. You are being prepared. It is a privilege to be called of God but it comes with responsibility. He wants every part of you, not half but everything……….

What does God see when He sees you?

I will sing of the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation. Psalm 89:1

I have established the fact that God has a plan for you. But there is more. God has a plan for you but He has a plan for your children and their children and their children and so on. God doesn’t just see you. When He looks at you He sees generations. He doesn’t want to just bless you but the generations after you!! We need to begin to see like He does. We need to think like Him  in every sphere of our life. When you make a decision concerning your life, know that it is going to affect the generations after you. Where will your kids be and what will they believe, who will they worship? Do you want them to be blessed? Do you want them to do great things for God? Well, you have a part to play in that.

For He has strengthened and made hard the bars of your gates, and He has blessed your children within you. 
Psalm 147:13

God has already blessed your children within you! If you are single, know that your kids are blessed. If you are married and you have kids, God has blessed them. God has a plan for them and He has a plan for their children. There is more to God blessing you than just blessing you. There is a part you are to play in all of this.

When King David dwelt in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
The king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains. 2 Samuel 7:1, 2

We know the story. Nathan comes back to him and tells him he will not build the house for God but because the thought came into his mind God would bless his children.

And when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up after you your offspring, who shall be born to you, and I will establish his kingdom. 2 Samuel 7: 12
(read the whole of chapter 7)
God blessed David by blessing his generation to come!

“Your throne shall be established forever.” 

Wow!!!! I hope you are beginning to see it. You are not just living for yourself but for the generations to come after you and God doesn’t just see you but the generations that are to come after you. He is not just blessing you but He has blessed the generation after you! When you understand that, the way you live changes. The way you make decisions changes.
Remember, when God sees you, He sees generations. Amen

Rolain

The “Trust Issue”…..

In November I will be going for a tour to Malaysia. I am really looking forward to it but this is the thing, I haven’t finished raising my money. And then I found out I needed more cash for the trip. I have to admit that I panicked a bit. I started thinking about where I would get the other money and IF I would get it. That was just crazy. In the midst of all the anxiety a thought came to me. When things get crazy and beyond my control I panic why? As the month draws to an end there is always a worrying about the bills not been paid! The point is this, God has always come through for me countless times and yet I still worry again and again! One would think the lesson would have been learned but that is not the case! Every month and every season we worry about things that God has already come through for. Is it lunacy?

Is it a case of growing up as a Christian where I come to a realisation that God is my Provider and I don’t need to worry? Do I need to get to a level where I don’t panic no matter what comes my way because I have the understanding that God has already seen everything that I will ever face and also realise He had made a way for me a long time ago?

Do I need to come to a place where I realise that nothing ever shocks God, nothing!! Do I need to come to a realisation that God is never caught off-guard because He is TOTAL control of my life?!

God is the Almighty God. None can compare to Him. He gave His life so I could live. He loves me and watches over me. Since I serve so great a God instead of panicking I need to thank Him for coming through for whatever I have been facing! I should be solid and confident not in myself but in God that everything is ok…………..
Rolain.