What an empty life looks like….

“Then He spoke a parable to them saying:

“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do,

since I have no room to store my crops?

So he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build

greater, and there I will store all  my crops and my goods.

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up

for many years, take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”

Luke 12: 16-19

 

We all know how this story ends,

 

“But God said to him, Fool!

This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will

those things be which you have provided?

So is he who lays up treasure, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:20, 21

 

This story shows us what an empty life looks like.

The rich fool had so much in his hands and instead of using it

to make a difference in people’s lives he thought about how

he could consume it on himself!

 

You can’t make a difference if all you think about is how you

are going to be provided for.

The rich fool could have impacted so many lives but he didn’t.

He didn’t understand what he really had.

 

I have a friend who is a dancer by profession and I watched one of his

dance videos yesterday.

I was so impacted by it and the one thing that stood out to me

was how he was using what God had given him to bring glory to God.

That’s what it’s all about friends.

God has given you talents and gifts but it is all meaningless if you are not

using it to bring glory to His name.

Are you using what God has given you to touch your family, neighbor,

unsaved friend, community, city, nation and world??

That is why you have been given talents and gifts.

That’s why you were created.

Your purpose is always about touching people. When God created

you, He made you in such a way that you would shine in the darkness.

 

My challenge to you is to think about what God has given you.

How can you use it to show God’s love?

How can you use it to impact the people around you?

Your challenge is my challenge.

Let’s make sure we are using the gifts God has given us to bring Him glory.

As I sign off I will leave you watching

my friend’s dance video. I pray

it ministers to you as it did to me….

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

What two men prayed…..

The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying

to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]:

God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men –

swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers – or even like

this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all

that I get.

But the tax collector, [merely] standing at a distance, would

not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his

breast, saying, O God, be favorable (be gracious, be

merciful) to me, the especially wicked sinner that I am!

Luke 18:12, 13 (AMP)

 

The year is about to end and as it does I want to touch

on a few things I think we need to reflect on before we get

into 2016. The word I am about to share has really been

on my mind for some time. This word brought attitudes

to light, attitudes that were not of God.

 

Just because you think you are humble doesn’t mean

you are humble. This is the kind of erroneous thinking

I had. But this scripture blew that out of the water.

I thought I was humble but truth be told, I was proud!

I couldn’t see it because my pride was cloaked in a

false sense of humility.

 

But to walk in the plan God has for us we need to be

humble! The tax collector was a perfect example of

what it meant to be humble.

I think humility is being able to stay small in our own eyes!

It’s having the wisdom to see that God is in control and

understanding that without Him we are lost.

Humility strips every selfish thought and idea we have.

Humility puts off our own strength and puts on God’s.

Humility doesn’t take pride in it’s own wisdom but

looks to the Lord for true wisdom!

 

The Pharisee stayed big in his own eyes. He saw himself

as more in his own eyes, as very important, while the tax collector

stayed small in his own eyes!

Who are you in your own eyes?

 

Please understand what the tax collector did and didn’t do.

He didn’t talk negatively about himself. He didn’t tell

God how useless and pathetic he was. He didn’t tear himself

down. That is not humility.

He knew he was a sinner in deep need of grace and mercy!

I hope you notice the difference. Stop the negative self talk.

It’s not biblical.

 

It’s so important we stay “small in our own eyes”.

Let us look at another passage of scripture that will help

us understand this truth:

 

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and

he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s

name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as

his father Amaziah had done.

He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed

him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God

gave him success.

2 Chronicles 26:3

 

God had a plan for Uzziah. Actually, He had great plans for him.

Like Uzziah, God has great and amazing plans for us. But look

at how the story changed……

 

But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.

He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple

of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

2 Chronicles 26:16

 

The priests were the only ones allowed to burn incense but

because Uzziah was proud (failed to remain small in his own

eyes) he never walked in the full promises of God!

God had made Uzziah powerful but he failed to realise

that.

When I start thinking I can’t do certain things because they are

beneath me or I am too important to do them

or if I think I should

only do certain things because I am important, that is a good

indicator I have become

proud. God wants me to walk in everything He has for me

but pride will destroy that very quickly!

 

Let us be like the tax collector. He remained small in his own eyes

and because of that the Bible says he went home justified!

 

My desire and prayer is that I walk in true humility, that

I stay small in my own eyes for the rest of my life!

Stay small in your own eyes!

God bless friends……

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

The true gift……

                                    photo credit: google images

 

I want to bring something back into order, something that

has been tarnished, and diminished in the world

today. The world may have forgotten but we must not forget.

We cannot forget. “What is he rambling on about”, you might be

asking??

 

What do you think is the best gift God can give you?

Salvation yes…!!!! But I am talking about what comes

after salvation.

The world has put value on possessions. Some think God’s

best comes in the form of money. But the word is very

clear about what God’s best gift is:

 

Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?

The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Psalms 127:3 (MSG)

 

We have been deceived as the body of Christ because we have put

other things first. We have desired other things which is not a

bad thing. Don’t get me wrong….God has so much in store for us.

But we must not lose sight of His greatest gift to us, children!

Parents need to teach their kids about family and legacy!

As single men and women we need to think about our legacy.

Our career is important but I feel we have put that ahead of

everything else. It’s not “cool” to think about family anymore!

God’s definition of the best gift is children but do we think like that?

As I write this it is cutting me as well. It’s a hard

thought. We have become so selfish. We only think about

ourselves and what WE can get. But God is thinking so

much grander…..

May we get a revelation today…….Amen!

 

Rolain

The man in the sack…..!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY.

I had just got back into town and was waiting for someone to pick me up to take me home. It was still early in the morning and it was cold when I heard a noise next to me. I looked down and this is what I saw.

A man sleeping in a sack!

I was feeling cold so just imagine what he felt. And this was his home……

 

His home…..

There were other people sleeping in the box. I saw this and realized how much God has given me. When I think about my life I think about all the things not in place yet. Things still to be accomplished, problems to be solved and so on but seeing that man made me realize I need to live a thankful life. I have a LOT to be thankful for….Things not going my way should never be an excuse to not be thankful.

Can we be thankful for all He has done and all He is doing?

Remember, no matter what is happening in your life right now, you ALWAYS have a reason to be thankful!

Rolain

What is the cost of helping others?

I was reading my bible the other day when i came across a scripture. It’s not the first time i have read it, in fact it is one of my favourite scriptures. That scripture really ministered to me personally. It resonated deep within me. There is nothing better than scripture speaking to you. I am not talking about just reading your bible. What i am talking about is getting a “rhema” word. The word that speaks to your heart at the appropriate time. At a time when you need it. It feels like God is speaking to you directly. That word.
The scripture i am speaking to you about is in Psalms 54:4 and it says: Behold, God is my Helper and Ally; the Lord is my Upholder and is with them who uphold my life.

What a scripture right?! But on this day, i had come across this scripture and saw something i never saw before. I could not believe that i hadn’t seen it before but here it was jumping out at me. This is what i seen, “the Lord is my Upholder and is with them who uphold my life”.
The Lord is the One who holds me up but He also upholds them who uphold us. This last statement blew me away. God is also watching over those people that bless me and care for my well being. People who take the time to speak into my life and help me when i need help. He upholds those people as well.
So a question came to mind as i was reading that scripture. Are you upholding others? Do you place value on building other people because I do! God places value on upholding people.
This is what hit me about this scripture. I realised how i love recieving gifts. I take pride in gifts people have given me. But it shouldn’t stop there. God wants us to be a blessing. He wants to bless us but He wants us to desire being people who bless other people as well.

In Acts 20:35 we read: It is more blessed (makes one happier and more to be envied) to give than to recieve.
It is more blessed to give than to recieve. This is a value we need to learn to adapt more and more. I live in Africa, a land of boundless wealth which has not being tapped into because we have this “feed me” mentality! Like my Pastor asked, as a nation who have we given to? It’s always give, give and not “how can we bless other nations”!!! But we are going to get there someday. We are the people who are going to change that.

I have seen how i had adopted this same mentality. But that is changed now. God will uphold me as i uphold other people especially of the household of faith! If i concern myself with helping other people God is sure to help me. But a word of warning, don’t do this because you can get something. God can see your heart. Are you being motivated by love or a selfish ambition to be blessed? It has to be by love that we uphold other people. We need faith as well.

Where are you concerning helping other people? Remember, it’s more blessed to give than to recieve. God will uphold you when you uphold someone else. Have that as a value because God values helping people. Have a vision when it comes to blessing people. Make it big because as you do God will uphold you. Amen.

Rolain.P