Gather Your Stones

We need to do everything we can to remember what God has done for us and not in a once-off kind of way but as a lifestyle.

God has done so much for us and He is doing so much more that we can’t afford to forget. Forgetting is so easy and

the enemy would love us to forget. he would love us to be so focused on the trials and the giants that we don’t even

stop to think WHO is on our side and the power He has.

I was talking to a friend this week and He reminded me of this truth. I was talking to him about a few things I was trusting

God for when he reminded me of what God had done for me in the past. As he reminded me my faith got energized

and I left that conversation repenting to God. I realized that God had come through for me in pretty amazing ways in

the past so these current things I was trusting for were not a big deal to Him.

We MUST do everything we can to remember. Throughout out scripture God continually reminded His people to remember

what He had done for them.

Take Joshua for example. he was about to enter the promise land but before entering it he came across the Jordan river. God

then gave him an interesting command;

“He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone

and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 

Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went

across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.””

Joshua 4:5-7 NLT

God told him to gather stones from the Jordan to help His people for generations to come remember what He had done.

Over and over in the Word we read how God’s people continually forgot what He had done for them.

“They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions.

They forgot what he had done—the great wonders he had shown them,”

Psalm 78:10, 11 NLT

“Again and again they tested God’s patience and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power and how he

rescued them from their enemies.

They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders on the plain of Zoan.”

Psalm 78:41-43 NLT

As you can see, they continually forgot what God had done and instead of trusting God they complained, were fearful, murmured

and didn’t trust God.

If you are going to enter a new level and receive the new things God has for you, then you need to remember! Do everything you

can to remember. That’s what David did when he faced Goliath,

But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a

lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw

and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the

armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

1 Samuel 17:34-37 NLT

Because David remembered what God had done to the lion and bear, he had faith that God would deliver him from the giant!

Don’t forget what God has done to the lion and the bear in your life.

There are more victories in store for you.

As I come to the end of this post I want to share one more scripture to help you remember the amazing things God has done

consistently,

“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind

as long as you live!”

Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT

And with that I have come to the end of this post. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. What do you do to remember

the amazing things God has done for you?

And on one last note, I have a video version of the posts I write on my YouTube channel. If you prefer watching to reading then

click here to follow me on YouTube and even if you prefer reading, still follow me 🙂

Thank you friends and see you soon.  

Rolain

A Place For The Young And A Place For The Old -Part One

I was watching one of my favorite series recently, Masterchef Australia. I love this show so much. Anyway, the latest season is champions versus fans or something like that. There was one contestant who was the first winner of Masterchef Australia who is probably in her late fifties or sixties I think.

She was talking about how she was struggling with the fact that she didn’t think she had nothing much to offer. She didn’t think she had anything new to bring to the table amongst a thriving and growing industry. The home cooks have got so much better, the creativity has blown through the roof.

And that struck a cord with me because in the world older people have been for the most part been relegated to the back. They are overlooked and not considered much but that is not the case in God’s kingdom. In His kingdom there is a place for both the young and the old. The world may be quick to tell you when your expiry date is but not so with God.

As far as I am concerned our expiry date is when we die and everything else before that is open game. No matter how young or old you are know that God wants to use you. And as you look into the word you will see a place for the young and a place for the old.

I think about Caleb who was eighty five years old when he went to Joshua and asked for his mountain. He didn’t let his age limit him. His faith was in God and that’s all that mattered. Age was certainly just a number in his case.

Don’t let age stop you from walking into what God has called you to do. He has so much in store for you. Remember Abraham and Sarah.

They had to wait for a really long time to see the fulfillment of what God had promised them but they kept their eyes on Him. They didn’t let their age or what people said about their age stop them!

“And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”

Romans 4:19, 22 NLT

This is part one of this series so I will be talking about the young people in the next post.

I will see you next week.

God bless you friends!

God loves To Come Through For Us

“But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house.

And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug.

I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

1 Kings 17: 12

The widow at Zarephath was in a crisis. The little food she had left was about to run out.

She had gone to gather a few sticks she could use to cook the last meal for her and her son then die.

Like I said, crisis.

But God came through for her. He sent Elijah and when she obeyed him by making him a meal

first the Lord provided for her in an amazing way.

“So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days.  

There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised

through Elijah.”

1 Kings 17:15, 16

I share this scripture because it teaches us a truth about our God – He loves to come through for us.

No matter how bad things get God has got your back.

No matter how deep you are in trouble, God will help you out.

When there seems to be no way out of the trouble you face, He will ALWAYS come through for you.

Throughout scripture we see this truth play out over and over and over.

With Daniel when he was thrown in the lions den

With David, when King Saul was hunting him down

When Hannah was being ridiculed for being barren

When the Israelites were trapped by the Red Sea as the Egyptians chased them

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

God loves to come through for you.

So in whatever trouble you find yourself no matter how bad it is, remember that

God is for you. He wants to help you.

Ask for His help always!

Bless you friends

Rolain

What Are You Asking God For?

“I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out;

I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.

Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me

that day.”

Joshua 14:11, 12

Because Caleb had faith in God, he asked for the mountain God had

promised him.

He didn’t ask for the mountain because he was strong enough.

Giants still lived there and they were much stronger than Caleb and his tribe.

Where is your faith at today?

There is a direct correlation between the faith we have and the type of

requests we make. We see this pattern all throughout scripture.

Caleb’s faith in God determined his request. Even at eighty-five years

of age, he believed he could defeat giants!

Faith in God gets us to be bolder and more radical in our requests.

It’s also interesting to note, that God promised Caleb, Hebron but giants lived

there. In his own strength, Caleb would not be able to possess what God

promised him. It’s only by faith he would be able to receive what God promised him.

And that’s true for us too. God wants us to trust in Him

completely. It’s only by faith in God that we can receive what God has for us.

So as I come to the end of the post, I want to challenge you to look at your faith.

If you are struggling with your faith ask God for help.

It’s time to ask Him for your “mountain”.

And no matter what giants stand in the way trust God to fight on your behalf

as you claim your mountain.

Bless you friends

Rolain

Unstoppable – Your purpose cannot be stopped.

“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!

As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Acts 23:11

 

We all have a purpose given by God and His desire is to see us accomplish it but the enemy doesn’t want us to accomplish it, he wants us to fail.

Paul had a clear mission from God. He would testify in Rome but a few hours after the angel spoke with him the enemy launched his attack,

“The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot.”

Acts 23:12

 

The enemy didn’t care that the Lord had spoken to him. He wanted to stop Paul but the good news is that he COULDN’T stop Paul, because God was with him. Paul did testify in Rome despite all the attempts from the enemy.

God has a calling on your life which the enemy will try to stop. But he will not succeed because God is with you. Trust Him fully.

We have a similar pattern in the story of Moses and the Israelites. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron to encourage His people that deliverance was coming. (Exodus 4:29-31)

But after receiving the promise instead of things getting better, things got worse for them. They were persecuted even more. (Exodus 5:6-15)

But as you know, the Lord delivered His people. The enemy tried to stop the call of God on their lives but once again he was powerless to stop it.

What the Lord has promised you will come to pass even when it seems like the enemy is winning. He will not stop the purpose God has for you.

So keep moving ahead in faith and even when things get tough, know that the devil will not be victorious over you. God is watching over you and will fulfill the purposes He planned for you.

Bless you

Rolain

No problem is too far gone for the Lord.

“Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; 

and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.” 

Genesis 18:11

 

“and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women” 

 

I was so encouraged as I read that verse. No matter how dead a thing may seem, no matter how hopeless

a situation appears, with the Lord there is hope. It’s not a faint or in the distant hope but a real and

tangible hope.

 

Sarah’s situation was beyond impossible but even in those circumstances the Lord gave her a son!

You may in a really bad place in your life right now and not sure how are you going to get through the new year

but know that the Lord is more than able to bring your dead situation back to life.

 

“Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the 

time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Genesis 18:14

 

Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Don’t limit Him this year. What has seemed impossible in the previous

years can be accomplished if you only put your trust in Him. There is no situation that is too far gone for

the Lord. There is nothing off the table for the Lord. Everything is game because the Lord is with you!

Have a great new year friends!

 

Rolain

When we have been let down, and we let down, God doesn’t…!

“God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, 

that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He promised]. 

Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not 

make it good?” 

Numbers 23:19

 

We have been let down on countless occasions. Heck, we have let others down on

countless occasions and the temptation is to look at everything through that filter.

But that is not the case with the Lord. He will never let us down. He will always keep

His word no matter what. He won’t back down or retract any promise

He made to you. The enemy might make you think God has given up on you but

He hasn’t. He loves you and won’t back down on what He promised you.

 

Don’t lose heart and don’t get weary in the waiting. God is faithful and will come through for

you. He has not forgotten about that problem you are having. He has not gone deaf to

your prayer. He hears you loud and clear and will help you. He is not a man…

He doesn’t belittle

He is not spiteful

He doesn’t abandon

He is not judgemental

Don’t think there is ever a time He gets tired of listening to you.

He is not a man…

 

Because He is not a man you can trust Him. He wants you to trust Him!

He will bring to pass every promise He has ever made to you. I know that’s a bold statement

but it’s true. It’s something I am coming to grips with as well.

You don’t need to worry.

He loves you and He is faithful to you!

Bless you, friends!

 

Rolain

 

You will laugh again…

“And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. 

Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. 

No one thought that I would be able to have Abraham’s child. 

But I have given Abraham a son while he is old.” 

Genesis 21:6

 

This spoke to me deeply. We live in a world saturated with darkness and in the darkness,

it’s hard to see God’s hand. It’s hard at times to see the good things He is doing for us.

Sarah was promised a child from God but she was barren and as the years went by she passed

the age of childbearing. It may have seemed like it was over but God was not done. He was going

to fulfill His promise to her. He fulfilled His promise to her!

He gave her a baby like He promised.

Where there was disappointment and hoplessness the Lord replaced it with laughter.

And that’s all we can do when He does good things for us. That’s all we can do when

He is faithful.

 

You may be in a dark place right now where nothing seems to be going right but know your

situation will turn around for the better. You will laugh again. The Lord will fulfill what He promised

you. It may seem like the dark times will never end but they will. You will have victory, and you will

have success. The Lord will not let you down.

What are you believing for currently? Don’t give up. Keep your hope alive.

A day is coming filled with laughter, your laughter!

Expect Him to move on your behalf.

 

Bless you, friends

 

Rolain

 

What do we do when we don’t see God’s entire plan for our lives??

“And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir,

but one who will come from your body shall be your heir.”

Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if

you are able to number them. “ And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

Genesis 15: 4-6

 

Happy New Year friends!! I hope you have had a blessed holiday. I am really excited for all YAH has

in store in the new year.

Without further delay let’s jump into the word today.

For a long time I have believed that YAH has an incredible plan for my life. I am not about to settle for

where I am in this season of my life.

And you shouldn’t settle too. Trust Him with your life and watch Him do wonders with it.

 

“YAH has a great plan for your life”

 

I have heard those words many times and I am guessing you have too but my question to you is, have

you fully grasped their meaning? I thought I had an idea but I was wrong.

Let’s take a look at Abraham,

YAH took him outside and told him to count the stars if he was able to.

“So shall your descendants be” YAH told him.

But did Abraham understand what that meant? Did he fully grasp what YAH was telling him?

 

What blows my mind is the fact that YAH spoke to Abraham about having descendants as countless as the

stars but at that time Abraham and Sarah couldn’t have children! (Genesis 11:30)

How crazy was that? It would have made sense for YAH to speak to a couple who could bear children, but no,

instead He spoke to a couple that COULDN’T have children!

He is the God who does the impossible! Why do you think He did that? He wanted to show how powerful

He was.

You may look at your life and think He can’t do the impossible but that’s just not true.

 

Something else that blows my mind about Abraham is that even though he and Sarah finally had a child they

would never be able to have descendants as countless as the stars without YAH’s help. I don’t even think they

knew what the Lord meant by that. They probably had an idea that YAH’s promise would transcended

their lives but I am not sure if they knew to what extent.

We are still benefiting from the promise YAH made to Abraham all that time ago!!!

There is was nothing Abraham could do in his strength to make sure he would have descendants as countless

as the stars, absolutely nothing!

Trusting YAH was the only way to ensure the promise would come to pass.

Every aspect of YAH’s plan for Abraham needed Him. Without YAH the plan would not work.

But there is something very crucial we need to understand about this whole thing, even though Abraham may

not have understood the full extent of what YAH was telling him the word tells us;

 

“And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

Genesis 15:6

 

Abraham didn’t need to have the whole picture; all he needed was to believe the Lord.

 

You may think nothing can happen for you but things can and will happen. You need to believe in the

Lord like Abraham did.

We cannot stop believing in the Lord. He has a plan for our lives and even though we may not see

the full picture we must believe!

 

He has a purpose for your life and He wants to show you what it is. If you have no clue

then pray, ask Him to reveal it to you. He is not trying to hide it from you.

And if you do know the plan know that it’s not the entire picture. There is so much more, more than

you could ever imagine or make up. Trust Him to direct you step by step.

 

“Then He brought him outside and said, Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to

number them.”

 

As I close remember it’s your faith that is the key. It’s not your strength or willpower but your faith

in the Lord. How much do you trust Him? He will bring everything He has planned for to pass.

Every promise He has given you, He will fulfill……

 

  “And the Lord visited Sarah as He said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.”

Genesis 21:1

 

Bless you friends.

 

Rolain

Something to remember when you are going through stuff…..

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,

for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous hand.

Isaiah 41:10

 

Life can be so hard at times. In the midst of the trials we face we can forget

we are not alone.

In hard times we can so easily get into a thing of dealing with situations

on our own.

But YAH is with us every step of the way. We are not walking in the fire alone!

We need to remember He is with us always!

The enemy wants us to believe we are alone. He wants us to believe that YAH

doesn’t care but it’s all a lie.

We are not alone! Let’s take a look at a two scriptures,

 

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them;

for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

 

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,

And delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Psalm 34:17

 

Whatever you are facing right now call to Him.

You don’t have to face the storm alone because you

are not alone!

Amen

 

Bless you friends…..

 

Rolain