The passion that offended many…..

 

Don’t let another person’s lack of passion determine your passion!

 

As He came near to Jericho, it occurred that a blind man 

was sitting by the roadside begging. 

And hearing a crowd going by, he asked what it meant. 

They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. 

Luke 18:35-43

 

I was challenged by the blind man in this passage of scripture.

He was blind and needed, desperately needed a touch from God!

What challenged me was his passion. It was raw, uncensored,

untamed, bold!!

As a Christian in today’s world can we follow Christ with a tame,

steril passion, if you can call it that?

The blind man’s passion made people around him uncomfortable.

Look at what the word says,

 

And he shouted, saying Jesus, Son of David, take pity and have

mercy on me!

But those who were in front reproved him, telling him to keep

quiet; yet he screamed and shrieked so much the more, Son of

David, take pity and have mercy on me!

Luke 18:38, 39

 

He screamed and shrieked so much the more!!

 

Jesus was passing by and there was nothing and nobody who

would stop him from getting a touch from Him.

We need that kind of raw, untamed, uncensored passion

if we are going to make our life count for Christ.

Jesus is passionately in love with us so how can we give Him

any less?

Let us not allow other people to dictate how passionate we should

be.

Let us be passionate about our Lord.

He is the one after all who gave His life for us!

I want my passion to get His attention don’t you?

I want to live out my passion for Him and not just talk

about it!!

He is my everything and deserves nothing but the best!

Let us follow the example of the blind man!

Bless you friends!!

 

photo credit: Google images

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

Because he had no convictions he……….

 

Hi friends…..

It has been a while. A lot has been going on. God has been working on me so much. He has been

revealing a lot of stuff I need to deal with. I want the passion I had when I first came to the Lord.

I have put a lot of other things first and I am having a hard time pushing them down. I definitely

need His grace in this season. Please keep me in your prayers in this season. Simply put,

I need a revival in my life, an awakening! There are so many things I am trusting God for but

they all count as nothing if I don’t have God, if He is not first in my life……

 

Anyway there is something I would like to touch on concerning destiny. As I always say and will

keep saying, God has a plan for your life. He created you for a reason. You are not a mistake.

On the road to discovering your destiny there is something you need and can’t do without.

That ‘thing’ is conviction.

To accomplish your destiny you need to have convictions.

 

PS.   When I talk about conviction I am talking about it in context of our walk with God.

There are lots of people who have conviction about the wrong things. We need conviction

but it needs to line up to the word of God! I wanted to make that clear as I start.

 

I want to share a scripture with you:

 

Your personal convictions [on such matters]–exercise [them] as in God’s presence,

keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will].

Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he

approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do].

But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating,

and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because

he is not true to his conviction and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not

originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its

approval by God is sinful]. (‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭22-23‬ AMP)

 

The passage was speaking about people having a conviction concerning what they

decided to eat but there are lessons we can take from it that apply to our daily lives.

It is very clear from this passage that there is a connection between faith

and conviction. You cannot have convictions without faith. For example, I have a

conviction that God has a plan for me right. That conviction stems from my faith in God

that He has a plan for me. Do you see that?

It is important to have convictions in your walk with God even if they don’t

make sense to the people around you. Look at what this passage says:

 

But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating,

and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God],

because he is not true to his conviction and he does not act from faith.

For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done

without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful]. (‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭22-23‬ AMP)

 

I have a friend who doesn’t eat pork. He has never eaten it ever!

Before I read this scripture years ago I made it my personal goal to change

his mind. I tried everything but I failed. But I am glad I lost because He

pleased God! He stuck to his conviction even though I didn’t understand.

We need to be like him! If my friend gave in to me, It would of been sin.

When I give in to someone else’s conviction even though it goes against my

own conviction it’s sin! Do you see how important it is to have your

own convictions based upon what GOD HAS SHOWN YOU…?

It may not make sense to the next person but that doesn’t matter.

 

What has God put in your heart? There are things God has put into

each and everyone of us! Will we listen to that strong voice or

will we shrink back in fear?

 

But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating,

and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because

he is not true to his conviction and he does not act from faith.

 

The truth is this,

You are condemned if you are not true to your convictions….ouch!

Stand by what you believe. Don’t be ashamed to believe what you

believe. Stand up for what you believe!

No matter what people say, stick to your convictions….

 

There are times I shrunk back. I shrunk back because I

wanted to please my friends,

I shrunk back because I didn’t believe what God had promised me would come

to pass.

I shrunk back because I was the only person and it seemed crazy to keep believing!

But whatever the reason it’s wrong!

Stick to your convictions friend!

Convictions reflect how much faith we have in God!!

Rolain

 

 

photo credit: Google images

 

 

 

 

 

Looking after the other “Temple”…..

I have already spoken about how my year has been and what I am expecting for 2015. But in this post I am going to speak about something else that is very close to my heart. It’s a passion and desire I have had for many years.

A passion that has brought me joy and has grown me as a person.

And that passion is “Fitness and Health”!

I am passionate about being healthy and staying fit! The origins of that passion can traced back to about 2012 when I was introduced to a group of doctors who worked for something called “Maximized Living”. They are chiropractic doctors but with a difference and they changed my whole perspective on health and fitness.

According to these guys, nutrition, exercise, right thinking, and adjustments all play a part in what you call health! I am not a doctor so I will not even attempt to explain all they do. All you should know is because of them my view on health has changed drastically!

I used to drink soda’s before I met them (Coca – Cola, Pepsi and so many more but it’s been at least 2 years from the last time I had a soda.

I loved all things sugar but once again in the past two years my sugar intake has dropped significantly! I stopped having sugar in tea or coffee.

Honey has been a great substitute! But the battle continues. My desire is to stop ALL artificial sugars! That is the goal.

I have done lots of 5 kilometer runs and even purchased exercise equipment since meeting the maximized doctor’s! I have attempted Crossfit but I am not ready for that yet. There is some work to do till I can do Crossfit! 🙂

These are just a few of the things that have changed since I met Maximized clinic but what does all this mean and what am I trying to say?

My goal is to get you to think about your temple, your body!

We are the temple of God and it is our responsibility to look after it!

A lot of people have not made the connection yet! What you do with your temple will determine how far you will go in your calling!

I have heard it being said, How can you lead and look after the body of Christ when you can’t even look after your own body?

Crazy huh???

There is some truth to that statement. How we look after our bodies is connected to God’s purpose for our lives!

God wants us to live a long and fruitful life but how will that be accomplished if we eat and drink junk and don’t exercise???

How will that happen if you don’t look after yourself??

Please understand what I am saying. We have a part to play in how long we live but it’s God who has the ultimate say. I have heard of people who are health freaks die at a young age. God is the one who has a say on how long you live but you have a responsibility to look after your body.

Let me give you an example of how this plays out in real life. I am a kids leader and as a leader I have to be fit and energetic all the time. But what happens if I don’t exercise and I don’t look after myself? It will be hard to give of myself fully! I won’t be able to jump with them and rum with them and play with them because I am so unfit! So as a leader it is my responsibility to stay fit and eat healthy and think healthy!

I hope that has given you a clear picture of what I am trying to say! Our health is important. So as the new year comes there are a few things I need to do concerning health and fitness. I need to step up and eat better than I am doing now! What I eat has changed so much but I could do better. There are enemies that have to go down! Giants that need to be slayed!

Red velvet cupcake!

I need to make another point clear. I am not talking about total abstinence!! It is okay to have a slice of cake once in a while. It’s okay to have that cheesecake occasionally! It’s okay to spoil yourself but there needs to be a balance! I am serious, a better word would be, I try to be serious during the week and then I spoil myself during the weekend! But even during the weekend I don’t go over the top!

This “enemy” is going down! haha!

As 2015 fast approaches what are some of your health and fitness goals? If you have any??

Just remember to go at YOUR pace! Do what you can do. If your goal is to cut out one teaspoon of sugar compared to the 15 teaspoons you usually have then by all means do so! Haha…..Don’t change anything because someone is pressuring you. It needs to be what you want, a personal conviction.

It took me a long time to change the mindset I had and even now, change is still happening but it has been so worth it! And it’s just the beginning! I am getting healthier as I get older.  What will your testimony be?

As I conclude I would like to leave you with a thought:

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 (Amplified)

It’s interesting how the Amplified describes strength! Strength here is described as spiritual, mental and physical fitness! So if that is what strength is the question is,

Are you preparing yourself like the Proverbs 31 woman? As a Christian you are complete when you are working on all three areas. You cannot just focus on the spiritual! And you can’t just focus on the mental part. It has to be ALL three! You are the temple of God and you have a responsibility to look after it! But focusing on the spiritual is not enough. You need all three!

With that thought I will leave you friends!

God bless

Rolain

They threw down their crowns……!

And the four living creatures, individually having six wings, were full of eyes all over and within [underneath their wings]; and day and night they never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty (Omnipotent), Who was and Who is and Who is to come.                                                                                                               

And whenever the living creatures offer glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities),                                                     

The twenty-four elders (the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out,          

Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created.        Revelation 4:8-11

 

This passage of scripture intrigues me. It intrigues me and fascinates me so much. I envy the four living creatures. They get to be in God’s presence all the time. They get to see Him face to face……I know God has a purpose for me on this earth but I can’t wait for the day when I will see Him face to face. To be in His presence for eternity!!!!                                                                                                 What an honor it must be for the four living creatures! What has the presence of God done to them? How do they see? How do they speak? What do they think of God?

As I was meditating on the passage of scripture a thought came to me. The word says,

“Day and night they never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty (Omnipotent), Who was and Who is and Who is to come.”

If I had to say Holy, holy, holy for a whole month non-stop I think I would get bored. I am just trying to be honest. So how did they do it? Before the earth was created and for eternity they will be crying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord so how is that possible? Maybe I am being crazy for trying to reason it out with my mind but it’s a thought I had. Don’t shoot me down just yet.   J

Then the answer came to me:

“He then went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him Who sat on the throne. And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb.” Revelation 5:7, 8

Is it possible they have been able to cry Holy, holy, holy from the beginning of time because God revealed a new aspect of Himself to them???

Is it possible their praise has been a reaction to what God has shown them that they have never seen before??

In other words every time the four living creatures cry Holy, holy, holy it is because God showed them something new about Himself that they didn’t know and they will continue for eternity because God is so big that no one can ever say they know God fully!!! We can never get to a place where we can say we have seen ALL of God!

I want to be like the four living creatures where I see God working all the time. I don’t praise God enough not because He is not working but because I am distracted! I want to be able to see more of God at work in my life and in people’s lives and respond in praise to Him! Why wait till I get to heaven to start crying Holy, holy, holy! I can start now by being more sensitive to what God is doing, because He is working all the time!

The last thing I want to touch on is the twenty four elders. The word says,

The twenty-four elders (the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever, and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out, Revelation 4:10

They threw down their crowns. I think those crowns were significant. They meant something. They had meaning and they were precious. They were a gift from the Master but the twenty four elders were so overcome by God that nothing was more precious and important than God!! Yes, the crowns are important but for eternity they will throw them to the ground as a sign and declaration that God is the only One who is important!!  In worship, it’s not what we have that is important but the God we serve and the twenty four elders understood this. Nothing and I mean nothing came close to God no matter how precious it was. Can we be like them? The word says they “threw” down their crowns! They didn’t carefully place them down but threw the crowns!! May we get an understanding of how awesome our God is!

 

This post is different because I am rambling. I have been thinking about this passage for most of the day and this is what I have been coming with. I am going to leave it like this and hope you get the message behind the post. I am still trying to understand what it means for me. All I know right now is, I want to be more aware of what God is doing in my life and respond, like the four living creatures I want to cry out Holy, holy, holy day and night because I saw something about God I had never seen before; I want to be like the twenty four elders who threw their most precious gifts at God’s feet! Everything paled in comparison to God! Such passion, such devotion!!!!God is worthy of all our praise and may we see more of Him at work in our lives and respond!!!

Rolain

Living a life of passion.

I want to be someone who is driven by passion. I don’t want to waste away in the dark because I have no convictions and no drive…….I want to be so passionate that it will be what wakes me up in the morning. So passionate that I will not want to be idle! So passionate that the thing I am passionate about consumes my entire being. So passionate that every fiber of my being is infected! So passionate that people get uncomfortable around me….

Jesus was a passionate person. He was driven by passion.
He was passionate about God. So passionate that he obeyed Him even to death! He didn’t have to die but He did. Yes He loved us but He loved God,  loved Him enough to die!!!
He was passionate about the church, so passionate that He sat down and made a cord of whips and drove people out of the temple…..!
He was passionate about people. He was so passionate that it didn’t matter who they were or what time they would come to Him. He always made time for people. His heart broke for people, He wept for people, He gave His life to save people!
I hope you are starting to see how passionate He was. He wants us to have that same passion! A passion that cannot be extinguished. A passion that impacts the world! Jesus impacted the world forever because He was passionate. The Pharisees tried to stop Him but their efforts were futile! A passionate person cannot be stopped. We live in a world that needs the light of Christ. But that light will shine through passionate people. People who are passionate for God! People who are willing for God to use them. People who are passionate about the things God is passionate about! Are you that person?

Rolain

What is more important, what you enjoy or significance?

I have just started a job at a restaurant this week. It has been a crazy week if I must say. The craziness has come about because I have my own company which I am running at the same time. So trying to balance the two things has been interesting! To top that off I have been preparing for an outreach. The outreach was on Friday and a lot of school students gave their lives to Christ. In the midst of this crazy week I have been reflecting on something. Which is more important, doing what you enjoy or doing what is significant even if

you don’t like it? I don’t like the hospitality industry and I had actually left it to start my own company. But my church has a coffee shop and I was asked to help. I had been avoiding it for quite some time but I finally decided to work at the coffee shop but the dilemma remains, I believe God wants me here but would He direct me somewhere I don’t like? What is more important, doing what you enjoy or what is significant? I know that some people get to do both and praise the Lord for you.

As I was meditating on this I remembered Jesus in the garden. He is on THE most important mission this world has and will ever know. The thing is this, Jesus knew it had to be done. If He didn’t do it then we would have to die for our own sins!

Listen to what He prays in Matthew 26:39: O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

He prays for the second time and says, O my Father, if this cup  may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.  Matthew 26:42

Please understand what I am saying. It is important that we do the things we are passionate about. We need to fill our lives with things that we love but sometimes to get to that destination we will need to endure things that we are not comfortable with for the greater good. Jesus understood this. He loved us so much but at the same time the reality of what was about to happen dawned on Him. Yes, he asked if the cup pass from him but I don’t think He was really considering not going through with it.

As I close make sure what you enjoy doing is significant.

So my question remains, would you rather do what you are passionate about or would you do something that is going to change lives even if it costs you your life?

Rolain.P

The Sad Truth About The “Bride”!

I had an amazing church service today. God really showed up in our services. I serve in my church in our visual arts department which consists of dance, flags, banners, ballet and drama. I am directly involved in banners and flags and I love it. I also teach young people at kids church. I love that as well.
I was reading a book called “An Hour On Sunday” by Nancy Beach. This is an amazing book especially if you are serving in a department. If you serve at church you need to know that your role is important. It doesn’t matter what you do, just know your role is critical. It is not just something we do, No! It is an opportunity to bring someone to Christ. The book addresses how we should be people who serve with passion. Where is your passion when it comes to the ‘Bride’?

Before I go further into passion let me tell you the sad truth of the ‘Bride’. For many people the hour at church is a time when attenders minds tend to wander aimlessly and their hearts go untouched! This should not be so. An hour on Sunday should be a time of wonder, a time of transformation, and perhaps a time of awe!
But most people would describe their experience at church as tolerable at best. These same words are used quite frequently when church is talked about: boring, irrelevant, mediocre, hypocritical, academic, stuffy.
A few people expect to be moved or encouraged or transformed in significant ways because of the hour on sunday.
And that is so true. We have a responsibility as people who serve to allow God to move powerfully in this time on Sunday.

Our God longs to use the gathering time in communities of faith for some of His greatest work in human hearts!
Is that the way you view the hour at church?

I will pick up on this important topic in part two. In the part two we will look at the zeal we should have for the church and we will look at how the hour on Sunday is a cooperative effort. It is God working through you. But more about that in the next post. See you then.

to be continued………

Rolain.P