Shift Focus

Had the privilege of preaching at our church two weeks back. Was told two weeks in advance so had ample time to prepare. See what I never understood about God was how sermons came about. Do people preach what they felt the church needed to hear at a certain time? Do they preach on things that they are passionate about? Such questions went through my mind as I thought about what to share with God's people.

So I eventually did what I believed most man of God do before mounting the pulpit to preach on any given day, seek the face of God. So one morning as I lay in my bed pondering what God would have His people know about him, He dropped the subject of sin in my heart. I knew it was His topic for the day because of what happened soon afterwards. Had my quiet time around that time too and as I was meditating on the word of God that morning, He began to download the sermon to me. I took a pen and wrote down what He was telling me. I ended up titling the sermon, "working out one's salvation."

To get to what I wanted to point out with this post, let me skip the in-between happenings of how the whole sermon was finalized. The point is, somewhere along the sermon God made me understand how we as His children should not focus on the things we do not want, but rather the things we do want. So if you do not want to do something, do not focus on not doing the thing but rather on doing something else. This is to say, if you do not want to sin, then don't dwell on the things you do not want to do....i.e don't keep telling yourself "I won't steal, I won't lie, I won't ..." but rather focus on the opposite of what you do not want to do. This is to say tell yourself things like "I will work hard for what I want, I will tell the truth at all times, I will ...."

This was remarkably profound in that the human mind general is design to conform the body to do the very thing that it keeps repeating (in your mind). If you focus on negative things, negative things will follow you. In the same light if you focus on positive things, positive things will follow you. What you have in your mind will eventually translate into the physical, conforming the body to that very image or ideas, or thoughts that are persistent in your mind.

Shift your focus. God bless...more later

Something I heard today, very profound I would say.

Heb 11:1
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." NIV
My band was leading worship today and the leader said something, that we always base our faith in the "outcome" rather than on the God who makes the outcome possible.

Let me explain with an example.
If you wanted a new car, you would have faith to get the new car. But you are never satisfied until you get the car right? What if you don't get the car?

He spoke of how we shift focus from God to the things we are trusting Him for. God speaking to Abraham in Genesis 15:1 says:
"After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,your very great reward." NIV

God's first promise to man was Himself. He said He will be his shield and great reward. That is to say, even if what we are trusting God for does not come to pass (God knows what is best for us), we STILL have God. Should we not be satisfied?

More later...

A Call to holiness

On my mind today is the question: "Can one live a pure holy life in this world?"

Matt 5:48 says: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (NIV). Other bible translations and cross references can be found here.

This matter arose at my Liesbeeck Cell and we found ourselves divided on the matter as a group of born again believers. I decided to do more research to better understand why others felt it was not possible when others thought it was. Hence this post.

I have always been of the notion that it is possible to live a pure holy life in this world today. The question on people minds is HOW? I noted that those who did not believe that it were possible argued that we sin EVERYDAY. That there is no way we can go through a whole day without sinning. Simple things like thinking negatively about some one could disqualify us from that perfect sinless day. So is it really possible to live that holy life?

Those who felt it was argued that God could not ask us to be perfect just as He is perfect, knowing that we will not be able to. That would just have been plain unfair. Like a mother sending her one year old child to go get groceries when she knows perfectly well that the child can not do it, unless she goes with the child and help the child. The mother might even need to carry the child to and from the store if he/she can not walk. In this case, all the child has to do at the store is "help" the mother bring the item(s) from the shelf or just watch mommy do it.

As I sort answers to this very question I found the secret to living this life that God has called us to. Like the child in the story above, total reliance on the sender is necessary for them to carry out the command. Since it is God who said it, He is more than willing to help anyone who will agree to do it, to get there. The key here is in us agreeing, we have to be willing to let God take us to that place He has called us to. TOTAL reliance. For in our own strength we are not capable of doing it.

More light will be shone on this matter in my next post...watch this space.
Stay blessed always.

The Good and the Bad

2010 is finally here. For many this has been a long awaited year with many expectations on peoples hearts. I believe that this is indeed a year that God will do more for His children if they are willing to engage with Him.

Beyond that, something struck me as I read the book of Job some weeks back. For some/many (including myself), this year has began with alot of challenges. Some are facing what my cell (Liesbeeck Cell) termed "mountains" at the start of the year. Be it finances, accommodation, bad school results, etc, let me assure you right now that it is temporal. I will like to encourage you to be of good cheer, the One who called you is faithful.

Back to what I read in Job. If you can recall the story of Job, how he had everything and within a day lost everything too. What amazed me last past weeks as I read the book of Job was what he said when His wife came to him. She ask him to curse God and die to put an end to all his suffering, yet he responded by saying, "...Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God , and shall we not receive evil?..." (Job 2:10 KJV).

Job, though in a really tough situation, was able to accept his circumstance, saying that one should be willing to receive both good and bad from the Lord. Although it was not the Lord who caused his downfall, Job accepted it as being from him. How he was able to accept his circumstance in this way was beyond me. It boggled my mind for a while until later that week I read this line, "For I know my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." (Job 19:25 KJV). It was here that I found Job's secret to accepting his circumstance instead of following his wife's advice. Job understood that no circumstance is permanent. No season lasts forever. The morning will come, the dawn will appear. No matter what you are going through, remember the words of Job..."For I know my redeemer liveth..." He will surely rescue you from all your afflictions and set your feet on streets of platinum.

Stay blessed and keep trusting.