Let’s talk about the dead things in our lives

“The Jews said, see how [tenderly] He loved him! 

But some of them said, could not He Who opened a blind man’s eyes have 

prevented this man from dying.”

John 11:36, 37

 

Lazarus had died. Jesus could have saved him but got there late, four days late!

Everyone agrees that the outcome would have been better if Jesus got to him in time.

 

“Martha then said to Jesus, Master, if You had been here my brother would not have died.” 

John 11:21

 

“When Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she dropped down at His feet, 

saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:32

 

But I noticed something not just in this story but throughout the new testament. Jesus was not

intimidated by death. While everyone stopped and came to a conclusion because of death,

He moved forward.

Jesus saw death as something to be conquered which He did.

 

That gives me hope.

When a dream appears to be dead or hope lost, Jesus is beckoning us to keep trusting, to keep hoping.

He is calling us to not give up, to keep believing because He brings the dead things to life!

We may have been disappointed over and over again but we need to remember that Jesus is stronger

than death. Its not “the end” for you.

 

Jairus experienced this truth. His daughter was deathly sick so he went to Jesus for help. (Mark 5:22-43)

He found Jesus and took him to his home. But on the way some men came to him and told him

that his daughter had died. It was all over for him it seemed. But listen to Jesus’ words,

 

“Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, 

Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep believing.” 

Mark 5:36

 

Jesus brought his daughter back from the dead! Death didn’t stop Jesus.

When everyone stopped at death Jesus moved forward and pushed death aside!

 

What is dead in your life? Where has hope been lost?

Look to Jesus because He brings dead things to life. Its not over yet.

Keep believing in Him.

He is the God who performs miracles!

 

Break the limitations we have placed on ourselves Lord. 

You see no limitations! 

You only see breakthrough! 

Amen! 

 

Rolain

 

 

Bring it all to God.

“Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation]

under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you.

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns,

once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”

1 Peter 5:6, 7

 

I want to focus on the last part of that verse today. The word says to bring ALL your anxieties,

worries and concerns. But how many times do we try to deal with problems on our own.

I had to stop myself the other day from worrying, from trying to solve a problem on my own.

The truth is the Lord wants to fix every problem we face.

 

The call is to bring everything to Him. We don’t need to carry a single thing.

But because we have been taught to be strong we try to go at it alone. But all that will do is

tire you out. The more I try to go at it alone the more worn down and weighed down I feel.

 

Like I have said so many times before, the Lord is not impressed with our show of strength.

He is impressed with our faith in Him, with the confidence we put in His ability.

Give it all to Him and don’t hold on to anything.

 

Blessings to you friends.

 

Rolain

God cares about the little details of your life.

Something happened to me a few days ago that solidified the truth that God cares about

the little things in my life. Let me tell you about it.

 

I was playing mini basketball at lunchtime and as I was playing one of my cufflinks broke.

I was a bit stressed because most of the shirts I wear require cufflinks. In the larger scope of

things, this was not a huge train smash. It would throw me off financially but not by a lot but there

I was stressing about what I was going to do. I don’t know about you but there are days

when the simple things seem like mountains. What you would usually swat away in a second becomes

a real burden on your mind. Anyway a few days later I attended a meeting and

at that meeting, a friend handed me a small black box. After the meeting, I opened the box

and in there was a pair of cufflinks!

 

What! How did my friend know I needed cufflinks? I hadn’t told him I needed a new pair

of cufflinks.

He didn’t know, but God knew.

 

God cares about everything we go through. No matter how small the problem God cares. You don’t

have to worry and stress about anything that comes your way. Just bring it to Him in prayer.

There is a story in the bible that drives this point home.

 

“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices

so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 

Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb, and they 

asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

Mark 16:1, 2

 

“Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

 

The problem the ladies faced wasn’t a matter of life and death? With the help of a few strong men,

the problem would be resolved but in the next verse, we learn that the stone which was very

large had been already rolled away by an angel!

The seemingly large but really small problem was taken care of.

 

God cares about everything you go through in your life, no matter how small.

There is no problem that is too small for Him. Bring it to Him in prayer.

Bring everything you are going through to Him in prayer.

He will help you, always!

Blessings to you, friends!

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

What’s the deal with fear?

I was deep in thought thinking about how I was going to make it.

Wondering how the bills would get paid.

Wondering how my life would turn out in the midst of such opposition.

As I thought on those things fear gripped my heart. I was afraid.

 

But it was at that exact moment that I realized something about fear.

 

Fear was not going to tell me everything would be okay.

 

I should expect no encouragement from fear. It is not an option thinker. All it thinks and

sees is negative. It’s not optimistic.

It will never direct me to God in any situation.

It wants me paralyzed.

It wants me to fail.

It doesn’t want me to see God.

It wants me hopeless and discouraged.

 

Fear chooses to forget God in difficult circumstances.

It can’t love, it can’t trust, it can’t hope.

It focuses on the worst possible outcome in any situation we face when it knows there is a better

outcome in God.

Fear ALWAYS sees the negatives in everything and CHOOSES to ignore the positives.

Or in other words, it chooses to see the dead ends, the failure, the death and refuses to see

light at the end of the tunnel, the hope, the answer!

 

And that is why we can’t listen to fear. As I let fear grip me, all I thought about

were the negatives.

 

But the truth of the matter is that there was another option.

There was a better and more positive outcome if I allowed my faith in God to take the lead instead of fear.

Let me rephrase that, there IS a better and more positive outcome…

 

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), 

but (He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind

and discipline and self-control. 

2 Timothy 1:7

 

As we walk out our faith in God, fear will always try to get in the way. It will try to disrupt the faith

we have put in God. Let us fight against fear no matter how long it takes.

This battle can’t be won in our own strength. We need God’s help to show us the areas we

have allowed fear to dominate us. We need His help to overcome Fear so we can move forward

in what God has for us.

The Lord is with us in this fight and leading the charge!

Bless you, friends.

 

Rolain

 

 

 

We are happy when we go to Him for help!

“I asked the Lord for help, and He answered me. 

He saved me from all that I feared. Those who go to Him

for help are happy. They are never disgraced.”

Psalm 34:4, 5

 

I needed to hear that today and thought you did too!

We need His help today and we will need His help tomorrow.

We simply have to ask for it and He will answer.

Life can be tough and unbearable at times but the Lord doesn’t want us going through it alone.

We should never get to a place where we deal with problems without Him. He cares about every

part of our lives and wants to help. He doesn’t like seeing us suffer.

He wants to bring to an end the things that are tripping us up. He wants to stop the trials

from having victory over us. He wants us to win. He wants us to be victorious.

 

Let me say this, the trouble you are facing today will pass because the Lord is helping you.

No matter how dim things appear they will get better. Trust in the Lord. He has got you.

He is on your side. The enemy will not win.

Ask the Lord for His help always.

Bless you, friends.

 

Rolain

We have a chance to win…

The fight we are in is not an easy one. The enemies we face are strong, intimidating

and formidable. Their goal is to take us down, to make us fail.

On our own, we are seriously outnumbered and outgunned. Do we have a chance?

Can we win when the odds are stacked heavily against us?

As I look at my own life and the challenges I face it can be intimidating and overwhelming

at times. There are times I can’t see a way out or an answer. There are times I feel

completely powerless and not sure how things will work out but this week

I have been thinking about victory. I believe the Lord has been showing me

I have a chance. Even though the enemy seems like a mountain blocking

my way I believe I have a chance, we have a chance!

No matter how gigantic the enemy is or how impossible our situation is we have

a chance because God is with us. Let’s look at a story that beautifully portrays this,

 

“Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the city’s gate; 

and they said to one another, Why do we sit here until we die? 

If we say, We will enter the city-then the famine is in the city, and we shall die

there; and if we sit still here, we die also. So come now, let us go over to the army

of the Syrians. If they spare us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, 

we shall but die.” 

2 Kings 7:3-16

 

The lepers were in a dire situation. They had no weapons,

they were heavily outnumbered and had very limited options but God made a way for

them. Because God was with them the lepers had a chance. With everything against them,

God turned their hopeless situation around for good.

 

We have a chance against the hordes that stand in our way. God will not abandon us.

Have hope because you will win. The Lord will carry you through the valley of death.

He is faithful and can be trusted.

Be encouraged today!

 

Bless you, friends.

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

Move ahead in faith…

“And the people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which was evil in the ears

of the Lord, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the 

Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp.” 

Numbers 11:1, 2

 

The Lord was with the Israelites and expected them to respond in faith but that’s not what happened.

Instead of trusting Him when things got really difficult they responded in unbelief and fear and that was evil

in the eyes of the Lord.

 

Possessing the land of Canaan was an impossible task. Giants resided there.

But no matter how impossible the task was the Lord wanted His people to trust Him. He wanted them

to be confident in His power, strength, and faithfulness.

Sadly, that never happened. The Israelites shrunk back in fear. Because unbelief and fear filled their hearts

they couldn’t possess what God promised them.

 

The Israelites couldn’t move ahead because they didn’t have faith. Instead, they were pushed back because

of their unbelief. And that’s what unbelief and fear will do if you entertain them. They will push you back when

you are supposed to move forward.

 

“Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country and smote the Israelites

and beat them back, even as far as Hormah.” 

Numbers 14:45

 

The Lord doesn’t want us to be pushed back. The enemy wants that. God wants us

to move ahead in faith. It’s faith in God that will allow us to defeat the giants standing in our way.

It’s faith in God that will enable us to tell mountains to get out of the way as we make our way to the place

God has promised.

Because God is with you,

you can move forward confidently no matter how hard the journey is, and no matter

how intimidating the enemy is. Don’t let fear and unbelief dictate your response to God.

Always respond in faith!

 

Bless you, friends!

 

Rolain

He delivers us from trouble.

“For He has delivered me out of every trouble, and my eye has 

looked [in triumph] on my enemies.”

Psalm 54:7

 

What trouble are you facing today? God will deliver you.

Which giant is standing in your way? God will move him out of your way.

 

The enemy thinks he is powerful but is not. he is under the impression that he has a

chance against you but he is so wrong. Because God is with you, victory is yours!

God will deliver you out of EVERY trouble you face, not some troubles but EVERY trouble.

That is the truth.

 

As I end I want to share a testimony of what God did for me.

Things have been pretty crazy in the country right now and our economy is in a bit of a

state with everything doubling or tripling in price but salaries staying the same.

So a few days ago I went to the shop to buy groceries because I had run out but as I swiped to pay

I had the dreaded insufficient funds message! I panicked a bit as the month is not

yet over. My mind started racing. How was I going to survive the next week and a

half with no money? How was I going to do when I ran out of fuel?? It was crazy.

But when I got home I remembered to pray about my problem. So I did. I brought it

to God.

A few days after that a friend blessed me with some money! He didn’t know I had nothing.

The money would get me to the end of the month and help me with the things I was worried about.

 

All praise to God.  I hope that testimony encourages you and helps you to realize the

Lord will deliver you from every trouble you are facing.

Call to Him. Tell Him what you going through. Ask for His help. Don’t remain silent.

He will come to your rescue.

Bless you, friends…

 

Rolain

 

How to respond in difficult times…

 

“So Potiphar arrested Joseph and put him into prison. This prison was where the king’s

prisoners were put. And Joseph stayed there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph

and showed him kindness. The Lord caused the prison warden to like Joseph.”

Genesis 39:20, 21

 

Joseph was having a really tough time in Egypt. Firstly he was sold into slavery by his brothers,

then he was falsely accused by his master’s wife which put him into prison. It’s important to

note and understand that the hardships he was facing did not limit God’s power in his life.

God didn’t stop moving in Joseph’s life because he was in a bad place. In slavery God was working,

in prison, being falsely accused, God was at work in his life.

 

No matter how bad things are in your life God is still working. The difficult things around

you don’t limit Him one single bit. He is not looking at what’s happening around you to move.

He is looking at your faith. Will you still look to Him when things are difficult?

Will you allow what’s happening around you to determine how big you dream? Are you going to

wait for circumstances to get better before you move in faith or will you start trusting Him where

you are right now??

 

I am fully convinced God is moving in your life even when the world around you is falling apart.

Don’t let the bad things that are happening around you determine how must live.

Put your trust in God and move with Him.

 

Bless you, friends…

 

Rolain

 

A time of endurance…

“So Moses and Aaron gathered all the elders of the Israelites. 

Aaron told them everything that the Lord had told Moses. 

Then Moses did the miracles for all the people to see. So the 

Israelites believed. They heard that the Lord was concerned about them

and had seen their troubles. Then they bowed down and worshipped

Him.” 

Exodus 4:29-31

 

The Israelites were in bondage for a really long time. Things had been really

difficult for them. So when Moses and Aaron told

them that God was concerned about them and had seen their troubles they must have

been encouraged.

 

But the hope they had quickly disappeared when the pressure intensified. The joy, the hope,

the faith they had was replaced with doubt, fear, and anxiety. They were not patient with the

Lord. They wanted the deliverance to happen that very instant.

 

“As they were leaving the meeting with the king, they met Moses and Aaron. 

Moses and Aaron were waiting for them. So they said to Moses and Aaron, “May the 

Lord punish you. You caused the king and his offices to hate us. You have given them 

an excuse to kill us.”

Exodus 5:20, 21

 

That story spoke to me today. We need to endure as we wait for God’s promise

to materialize in our lives. His promise for our lives, our families, and our countries will be

contested against by the enemy. There is no way he is going to just sit and let you

stroll into what God has promised you. he is the adversary and by the very nature of

that name he opposes and fights against everything good that God has prepared for us.

 

The Israelites thought it would be a walk in the park but it wasn’t. They had to trust God with

all that they had. They had to believe His word was true. They had to endure.

God’s promise was true and He would deliver them and they needed to understand that no matter

how bad things got.

 

“He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold as a servant. His feet they hurt with fetters;

he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into iron. 

Until his word [to his cruel brothers] came true until the word of the Lord tried and tested him.”

Psalm 105:17-19

 

When the promise seems like a fantasy we must keep trusting, we need to endure. His promise

is true, it will come to pass. The Lord is not a man that lies. His word is sure and if He promised

it will come to pass.  Difficulty doesn’t mean the promise won’t come to pass.

There is nothing that can stop the word of God from coming to pass.

Hold on in the storm. Endure, put your faith in Him.

He will fulfill what He promised you.

 

Bless you, friends…

 

Rolain