The last say.

“When the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, 

and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and by force and power

made them cease. 

Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It stopped until the second 

year of Darius [1] king of Persia.” 

Ezra 4:23, 24 

It seemed like the enemy had won over the people of Israel by stopping the building of the temple.

It seemed like he delivered the deadly blow. But as I read the rest of the story I realized something that

brought me some encouragement that I want to share with you.

The enemy is constantly trying to stop us. “he roars around like a lion” the bible tells us. he may appear

powerful but he is not. It may have appeared like the enemy was powerful when he stopped the building

of the temple but that’s not the case.

God has the last say on all things and that’s what really matters.

It seemed like the enemy had the last say when the building of the temple was stopped but God was the

One who had the final say.

The building would continue and be completed! (Ezra 6:14, 15)

As I read the story I know God spoke to me. The enemy doesn’t have the last say in our lives.

It may appear so but the truth is, he is not powerful enough to have the last say.

What the Lord has started in us He will complete. The enemy will make us fall at times but the Lord

will pick us up always.

What has the enemy seemed to stop in your life?

What has he seemed to put a period to in your life?

his periods are really comma’s in our sentence of life.

Keep believing. Keep trusting. Keep hoping.

If you are in a place where the work in your life has seemed to come to a standstill know there

is so much more the Lord needs to do that no one can stop.

His plan for you hasn’t stopped just because the devil has thrown a spanner in the works.

Setbacks will be overcome and that’s our story!

Be blessed friends!

Rolain

A note to the busy…….

Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?

Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?

She’s taken her stand at First and Main,

at the busiest intersection.

Right in the city square

where the traffic is the thickest, she shouts,  Proverbs 8:1-3

 

This is a very interesting scripture. Interesting not because she makes a call but where she makes the call. She could of gone to any place and made the call to anyone but the scripture says,

 

“She has taken her stand at First and Main,

at the busiest intersection.

Right in the city square

where the traffic is the thickest, she shouts,

 

It’s so busy that she has to raise her voice. She actually has to shout to get the people’s attention! That got me to think. What were the people doing that she had to shout??? Were they really that busy? I started bringing up possible scenarios……

– A man had to get to the other part of town so he could deliver a package and get paid.

– A mom had to take her kids to school and was running late

– A young man had to meet someone who would fund his business

– A parent had to  rush to the hospital because his child was involved in an accident

– A family had to rush to the airport or they would miss their flight

and so on and so on………… Whatever the reason is for the busyness, they forgot about wisdom because she had to make the call. If they were operating in wisdom in their busyness wisdom would of kept silent but that was not the case.

Doesn’t that describe the kind of world we live in today? Everyone is just so busy today. Too busy to form real relationships. Too busy to stop and care for someone. Too busy to love. Too busy to stop and take time with their children. Too busy to stop and look at their lives and make changes. Too busy to stop and reflect.

Stop! Take some time to listen, someone pretty important is calling. And she is calling you! Will you heed her call or are you just too busy? It’s not wrong to be busy but when that busyness stops you from listening to the voice of wisdom then you have a problem. That is my challenge!

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

Standing Up Against Human-Trafficking!!!!

Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and–outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute.  Proverbs 31;8,9

This was a command given to a king. We are sons and daughters of a Great and Mighty King so this command is for us today. One area we need to speak out against is human trafficking!! The people who have been involved or are still involved are afraid to speak up because of threats made to them. If they cannot speak up I will!!! God has called us to be the voice for the oppressed and for those who have no voice. It is estimated that there are about 27 million men, women and children who are currently trapped in modern day slavery. (for more Stats click here) There are more people who are being trafficked and trapped in slavery today, than any other time in history!!! That is crazy right. We have been silent as this beast has been growing and growing. Now is the time to stand and let our voices be heard.

And don’t make the mistake by thinking this doesn’t affect you because it does. A lot of products that we buy were made by traffickers. They exploit people in fields, factories, sweat shops, restaurants etc. we cannot just sit back and relax. We need to take a stand. The first step I guess is bringing awareness to people about the evil that is going on.

What part will you play in this whole thing? This is my starting point. I am making sure I am making people aware of human trafficking. There is more to be done but the important thing is to start where you are at, no matter how small it is. As we step out in faith and do something we can be sure that God will help us and turn our little into much. Will you be a voice for those with no voice? Will you stand up for the oppressed? What part will you play in this fight?

God bless

Rolain