There is another level…….

“Arise [from depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you – rise to a

new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory

of the Lord has risen upon you”

Isaiah 60:1

 

There is another level to move up to in the new year.

This is what has been on my mind in the past few weeks. The level I have been on has been great

for the things I have done so far but that needs to change.

This isn’t about new year resolutions. This is about my life and your life.

Consider this, there is another level, a higher level to operate from than the one you are now.

In your relationship with God, there is another level you can go to. You can go deeper in your

relationship with Him.

There is a new level of revelation, a new level of sensitivity to His voice, a new level of hunger for

His word, a new level of prayer you can go to…..

In your career, there is another level you can go to, in your personal life, there is a new level of

growth you can go to.

I could go on and on but I think you get the picture.

We need to understand God has more in store for us, so we don’t stop dreaming, so we don’t

stop aspiring. No matter your age, it’s not time to slow down. It is time to pick it up, it’s time to

advance, it’s time to pursue, it’s time to engage because there is more, there is another level for us.

Our light is growing brighter and brighter.

 

“But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn,

that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in]

the perfect day [to be prepared].

Proverbs 4:18

 

So what about doubts, limitations, hesitations, fears and a host of other things that are holding us

back from going to the new level? They are not going to just sit back and let that happen without a fight.

I can’t ignore the fact that it’s because of those things I am still on this level. I have been too weak

to advance on my own. I failed countless times. So why would this be different?

Aren’t I doomed already? Aren’t we all doomed to fail?

 

That would be true if we were trying to do this in our own strength. YAH is with us and no matter the

amount of times we have fallen and failed He has picked us up and will continue to.

We can’t give up, we can’t lose hope!

YAH will take us to the new level if we truly look to Him.

Even though we haven fallen we still have hope! The things that have held us back will not be able to

hold us back for ever. YAH will win for us because He has already won the war.

Trust Him, cry out to Him for your life.

You don’t have to remain in the same place. It’s time to arise……..

 

“Arise [from depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you – rise to a

new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory

of the Lord has risen upon you”

Isaiah 60:1

 

Blessings to you friends!

 

Rolain

 

A season for God!

I want to ask you a question.

In the season you currently in, are you maximizing it for God?

Are you giving it a 100%?

Young man, young women, God wants you to maximize the

season you are in.

Stop thinking of singleness as a type of “transit” because it’s not.

God expects growth!

Like the men who were given talents to trade with and increase,

God expects the same. (Matthew 25:14-30)

The man who hid his talent was not the hero.

He was not rewarded for being wise.

Instead, he was scolded and rebuked!

 

Life doesn’t start when you get married. It starts now!

Whether you are married or single the expectation is still the same,

“maximize the season you are in.”

I have entitled this post “A season for God” because I believe

we should be bringing Him glory in

whatever season we are in.

If single, if married, bring Him glory by living the life He has

for you! Enjoy it, thank Him for it!

Maximize the season you are in.

 

Priscilla and Aquilla (married)

Paul met this amazing couple when he went to Corinth (Acts 18:2)

They were tentmakers like Paul.

This couple opened up their home to Paul (Acts 18:3)

There were many couples in Paul’s time but the Word mentions

Priscilla and Aquilla!

They were maximizing the season they were in!

 

“Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an

eloquent man and mighty in

the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.

This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and

being fervent in spirit, he spoke and

taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only

the baptism of John.

So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.

When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside

and explained to him the way of

the God more accurately. “ (emphasis mine)

Acts 18:24-26

 

Aquila and Priscilla had embraced the season they were in.

As a couple they were advancing the gospel. They were living

out what God called them to.

 

 

Timothy (single)

“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers

in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in purity.

Till I come, give attention to the reading, to exhortation, to

doctrine.

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by

prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. “

1 Timothy 4:12-14

 

It is clear from reading Paul’s journeying that Timothy was very

important to him. Timothy was being mentored by Paul.

Timothy was fearless and his love for

God was very evident. He might of being a pastor!

Whatever the case, Timothy maximized the season he was in.

He played a key part in the spread of the gospel.

He was totally devoted to God. He didn’t hold anything back!

He threw himself into what God had called him to do. He was

on fire for God.

 

I shared these two stories so you could understand what I am

saying.

Whether single or married live for God.

Seek Him and His will.

 

If you are single I can’t emphasis enough how important it is

to get started with life.

God has so much in store for you right now!

Take your worry, take your concern and give them to God

because He really does care how you feel. He wants the best for you.

 

As I close will you join me in making a decision to make this

season we are in a season for God?

 

Bless you friends!

 

Rolain

Wait for hope to appear……

THOUGHT OF THE DAY.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, 

to the woman who diligently seeks. 

It’s a good thing to quietly hope, 

quietly hope for help from God. 

It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out

through the hard times. 

When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself.

Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:

Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take

it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst. 

Why? Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail 

to return. If He works severely, He also works tenderly. 

His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. 

He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing 

roadblocks in the way: 

Lamentations 3:25, 36

 

What an amazing passage of scripture. There is so much to take

from it. What stood out for me was this verse that said,

‘wait for hope to appear‘

A lot of us have abandoned hope because what we were

trusting for didn’t come to pass.

We thought God abandoned us. But the word is very clear,

‘wait for hope to appear’…..

 

When all hope is gone, wait for hope to appear.

When life is hard, wait for hope to appear.

When trouble comes, wait for hope to appear.

Wait for hope to appear!

No matter how bad things seem, wait for hope to

appear.

The word is very clear:

 

“It’s a good thing to quietly hope,

quietly hope for help from God.”

 

We can hope because the Lord will never walk out on us,

He will never fail to return to us, the word tells us.

 

Hope can return. I may have given up and lost hope but

it can return! I will wait for hope to appear. God will not

let me down.

Don’t abandon hope, instead wait for it to appear!

Amen

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

The Truth About Your Life…..

THOUGHT OF THE DAY.

Lord, make me to know my end and [to appreciate] the measure of my days – what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am [how transient is my stay here]. Behold, You have made my days as [short as] handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight. Truly every man at his best is merely a breath! Selah [pause and calmly think of that]! Surely every man walks to and fro – like a shadow in a pantomime; surely for futility and emptiness he is in turmoil; each one heaps up riches, not knowing who will gather them.          Psalm 39: 4-6 

I have spoken on this scripture before but it has been on my mind lately. Do you realize just how fleeting our lives are? The word says, “every man at his best is merely a breath“! Our lives are not as long as we think they are!! Think about this. Adam lived a total of 930 years (Genesis 4:5) but even his life was just a breath!!! If his life was merely a breath all 930 years of it, just imagine yours??!! I hope you are beginning to see just how fleeting your life is. “My lifetime is as nothing in Your sight”, it goes on to say!!!! The problem is we act like we have all the time in the world when we don ‘t. Are you doing things that count? 60, 70, 80 years is really not that long. It is just a breath!

It is important to know how fleeting your life is so you can treat life with the respect it deserves!! When you know time is short you begin to see things differently. The important things of life become very clear to see. Grudges are forgotten about, people are forgiven, time is used wisely. My goal is to open your eyes to just how important the time God has given you is. Make your life count. Spend the time you have doing things that matter…….

Rolain

 

 

Taking Responsibility For The Next Generation!!!

Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this Your people who are so great?
2 Chronicles 1:10

This was what King Solomon prayed to God when God asked him what he wanted. Instead of asking for wealth or long life or a whole host of other things, he asked God for wisdom to guide the nation of Israel!!!!
How did this young man who was about to lead so great a nation know what to ask for?

Today we have a lot of kids who are not growing up in the way of the Lord. We have kids who are passionate about everything but God. We have young people who will not raise their hands to God in praise! The things of God don’t seem to interest our kids but why? As mentor’s and parents we blame Facebook and other social networks, we blame television but the truth is, it’s our fault! We have not set a good example. We watch anything and everything but expect our kids to be pure in what they watch!
Our kids are not passionate because WE are not passionate. We read our bibles once a week and expect our kids to read their bibles daily. We eat trash but we teach our kids to eat right!!! Something is wrong with that picture.                               Even if you don’t have kids yet this applies to you. Are you on fire for God? Do you read your word? Are you a passionate person?
King David managed to transfer his vision to Solomon. Could you say that about your kids? Do they know what God has called them to do?  Do they know your vision? Look at what the next scripture says:

When I [Solomon] was a son with my father [David], tender and the only son in the sight of my mother [Bathsheba],
He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live.
Proverbs 3:3-27

Solomon asked for wisdom because his dad treasured it. His dad would sit down and talk to him about it.
As mentors, teachers, and parents we have the responsibility of leading the way. I wrote a post sometime ago entitled Our kids at War. They are at war and they are losing. They need more role models. They need someone to follow. But how can they follow us if we are not passionate about God and we are lukewarm???? It won’t work. Let us follow King David’s example and raise up our kids in the admonition of the Lord….

As we do that our kids will be stronger. They will be able to stand on our shoulders as we lead them.

Rolain

Our Kids Are At War……!!!!

I have been teaching kids for a long time and I teach  kids from the age of 8yrs to kids who are 12yrs. I love teaching them. I love the relationships that I have made. I love the time I have spent with them doing crazy things but as the year’s keep coming and the kids keep on growing there is something changing. I don’t know what it is exactly.

It is almost like the kids are losing interest in the things of God. It is getting harder and harder to get them engaged. I have been crying out to God for a long time and only recently did I see it. I saw how the kids of these days have a lot more to deal with than when I was a kid. The challenges are more sinister than before. The world is also trying to win our children. As teachers on a Sunday we are competing vs Disney or PlayStation or the internet and so on. We cannot teach the way we have always taught. We need to be more creative. The world has really gone full out and that is what is making our kids dull. We as parents just leave them in front of the television and think it’s OK but it’s not. Our kids are at war and we don’t even know it…..

We allow the kids access to internet where they are exposed to porn and violence and whole host of other things. We need to take our place as parents and protect our kids.
As teachers we need to step up. We need God’s creativity and God’s grace. Our Sunday schools are boring and dull. We do the same old thing and expect God to move! We teach the same way we were taught but we don’t realize that things have changed.. We stick to our traditional Sunday school songs but don’t realize that kids listen to a lot more mature music be it hip hop, rock or pop.
There needs to be a serious evaluation of how we do things.

My conclusion is this, kids are faced with so much. What they need on a Sunday is an encounter with God that will turn their lives around for ever. They need something really powerful to nullify the junk that they have exposed themselves to or we have exposed them to. We need to teach them what to eat and what not to eat metaphorically speaking.
As teachers we need to expect the power God in our services. What is the point of having a service when God doesn’t show up. What is the point of having a service if we as the teachers don’t expect God to come down and touch the kids???!
Our kids will begin to change when the presence of God comes down in our services.

Our kids are at war and we have a responsibility whether you are a parent or teacher. Our kids need us. They need  our help. Will you take their side in this war??? You have a responsibility of revealing God’s amazing power, and love, and mercy, and greatness and I could go on and on and on……. What God means in your life is what kids will pick up on whether you are a parent or a teacher. How passionate are you about God? How much do you love the Word? Do you watch television endlessly or do you talk about people behind their backs when your kids are around? (Talking behind someones back is bad either way)! Men do you beat your wives in front of your kids? Women, do you disrespect your husbands in front of your kids? All these things and more build a child’s idea of you and God. There is a statement my pastor keeps on saying, What you do in moderation, your kids will do in excess!!! If you are lukewarm in your love towards God your kids will be cold. If you drink one or two beers then your kids will be alcoholics!!! Do you get the picture?

I don’t know where all that came from. I was supposed to conclude a long time ago. I get so passionate about this. Our kids are the future and we need to see it. They are at  war and we need to stand with them in this time. They need to know we are for them. God bless.

Rolain