Thursday, 15 July 2010
Still want more? Start sowing more!!!
Everyday I talk to Christians, I realise there is an insatiable quest for more and more blessings.
Am not saying we should not pray for blessings from God but do we show appreciation for the blessing we have right now? And are we sowing seeds with the blessings we have right now. To reap more, you need to sow more.
The parable of the travelling man
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several abilities; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained another two. But he that had received one went and dug in the earth, and hid his Lord's money. After a long time the Lord of those servants comes, and reckons with them. And so he that had received the five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His Lord said to him, Well done, you good and faithful servant - you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your Lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your Lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed: and I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth: lo, there you have what is yours. His Lord answered and said to him, You wicked and lazy servant, you know that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not scattered seed: you ought therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him which has ten talents. For to every one that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has. And cast you the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth
We need to realise first that God blesses us according to what he believes we can handle, however what are we doing with the “little” we have? A lot of people use up all they have without acknowledging the needs of those around them, yet they don’t understand how they never seem to have enough or even have increase.
God says that you cannot reap where you have not sown. If you get blessed by God but no part of your blessing is making a difference, you cannot expect to reap more.
My young daughter and I took part in the race for life for cancer research recently, I sent out numerous emails to friends and family to raise awareness of this cause and to raise money for the charity. I was so shocked at what little response I got from Christians. I know some people have not been touched by cancer through families or friends but the point is, there are so many people all over the world suffering from this terrible illness and through the support of this charity, so many people are now surviving.
More shocking is the fact that I raised a lot more than I initially thought I will, but 90% of the donation came from people that did not know God, the law of sowing and reaping works even for people that do not know God. I spoke to a lot of other believers at the event and they were all complaining about how little they got from their Christian families.
For our blessings to increase we should show gratitude to God for what he has done by sowing into lives of the needy, by doing this also we are planting for our own harvest. As Christians we need to stop preaching the bible but acting it out.
It does not have to be cancer research charity but search your heart today. What difference are you making? I pray God will continue to minister to us and open our hearts to the plights of people that need our love and support.
Monday, 26 April 2010
Start and Run your own business God's way!
I am not a business pro or have the magic formula but I do know that everything that God has a hand in succeeds. The business that you start and one that will succeed is within the gift that God has imparted into your life. It’s very easy to get carried away doing what everyone else is doing because you see that people have been blessed in that area, but is that what God has called you to do?
Psalm 139 15-16 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Everyone has been blessed with a gift. A gift that you have been born with and guess what, that gift can never be taken away from you.
Romans 11:29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
So you have been born with the gift that is natural and will give you the breakthrough you need in every area of your life.
So how do we identify these gifts?
First you need to get on your knees in prayer and call on God to open the eyes of your heart, to give you direction, to let your gift make way for you.
Luke 11:19 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Next you need to do a soul search. What do you enjoy doing, giving a chance that you are financially secure, what will you enjoy spending your time doing? What are your interests? What sort of work will you happily do now without being paid for and that you will really enjoy?
Then speak to your partner if you have one, your parents, your siblings, your mentor and your genuine friends. What strengths do they see in you? Ask your parents what you enjoyed doing most as a child. You will be surprised that your gift has just been there staring you in the face.
There are lots of business ideas and opportunities that can be developed from the call of God on our lives. Some people are very good at talking, writing, singing, giving advice, acting, buying, selling, nursing, teaching and the list goes on. The thing is behind every single one of these gift there is a business idea. I have heard of a lady that set up a business helping busy rich people shop for their kids, themselves, their houses and their vacation. She loves shopping, she has since built good relationships with the big stores, she gets invitation to all the UK fashion shows, she gets inside information about sales and has now employed people that help to serve her clients and has also expanded to help people organise their wardrobes, ensuring colour co-ordination and seasonal clothes are always within easy reach for these people. If this was done by a Christian, imagine the opportunity to talk to influential people about Christ?
There are lots of ideas out there and most successful ones come from what people enjoy doing the most.
Its great to identify one’s gift but what separates the successful people from those not successful is what you do about your gift.
Romans 12:6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
It is easy to say oh I can do this very well or I can do that very well but you do not do anything. Every successful business needs perseverance and hard work. Every talent one has needs to be nurtured and it takes constant practice to perfect one’s art. Look at the athletes, the Olympic medallists don’t say because they have won the Olympics, they now need to do nothing. They constantly push themselves and keep practicing. I once saw a very rich celebrity who recently had a baby and had lost all the weight, in the interview she said she went to the gym twice a day because her work depends on her looks. Well we could say that is vanity but guess what she got up and did something that will help to feed her family. I told my husband the lady is so lucky to be able to afford the gym and all these personal trainers, my husband replied “actually you do not need all the money to lose the weight. You can do simple exercises at home early in the morning and before you go to bed”. I do not need all the money, what I need is discipline which is what a lot of us lack.
You need to get out there, equip your self, do a lot of research and make your gift work for you. You don’t need millions or thousands to start a successful business. Alexander McQueen (May his soul rest in peace) was discovered at his college fashion show and delivered his first designs in a black bin bag
I have also learnt from successful people that their lifestyles did not change as soon as they started their businesses, they did not spend the money before they made. They save and save and save. They deprived themselves of things they were used to just to give their business the chance to flourish. They did not immediately buy all the latest fashion items. My mother had to cut out TV from her life to give her time to focus on her business. What are the things occupying your time now that are not making a positive difference in your life? What are you spending your earnings on now that you could give up to save enough to start your business? You can cut them out now and create time to invest in your future.
In all of these one thing you must do is remember to keep calling on God, make sure he is alongside you every step of the way by constant prayer and if needed fasting.
James 5:16(New living translation) The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
God is there willing to hear you out and answer your prayer. Remember the business you are starting is within the gift that God has given to you, so if you continue to include him in all your plans you are bound to succeed.
1 John 5:14-15 (NLT) And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
You must also learn to give to the needy. There is a simple principle that if your hands are always opened, you can receive but if you close them you cannot receive it. God’s biggest calling on our lives is to show love. The bible says that if you have all the gifts in this life and do not have love, you are nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.
In everything God wants us to show love to everyone around us and to show love, you need to help the needy, you need to be selfless in your treatment of everyone around you. God calls us to love him and then to love our neighbours as ourselves. If you want your business to succeed, you need to be in the business of giving to the needy and showing love. Some of the most successful and biggest organisation in the world that do not have any Christian ethos give away lots to charities year after year and guess what just because they obey that principle, God blesses them.
Finally be honest with your self. Not everyone is born to set up a business. If everyone in the world had their own business, there will be no employees even for your own business! Your day job is your business if that is what you have been called to do. Get more information than your employer is willing to give and do your job to the best of your ability. Trust me you will be rewarded. Use the skills and knowledge you have learned at work to help your local community, your church, your child’s school and even your family members. That is your business. You do not have to earn money from using your God given gift. All I know is you will always have a sense of peace and satisfaction from using your gift.
God bless you as you ponder on these words and may he open the eyes of your heart, give you wisdom and direction as you take the next step in your life.
Psalm 139 15-16 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Everyone has been blessed with a gift. A gift that you have been born with and guess what, that gift can never be taken away from you.
Romans 11:29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
So you have been born with the gift that is natural and will give you the breakthrough you need in every area of your life.
So how do we identify these gifts?
First you need to get on your knees in prayer and call on God to open the eyes of your heart, to give you direction, to let your gift make way for you.
Luke 11:19 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Next you need to do a soul search. What do you enjoy doing, giving a chance that you are financially secure, what will you enjoy spending your time doing? What are your interests? What sort of work will you happily do now without being paid for and that you will really enjoy?
Then speak to your partner if you have one, your parents, your siblings, your mentor and your genuine friends. What strengths do they see in you? Ask your parents what you enjoyed doing most as a child. You will be surprised that your gift has just been there staring you in the face.
There are lots of business ideas and opportunities that can be developed from the call of God on our lives. Some people are very good at talking, writing, singing, giving advice, acting, buying, selling, nursing, teaching and the list goes on. The thing is behind every single one of these gift there is a business idea. I have heard of a lady that set up a business helping busy rich people shop for their kids, themselves, their houses and their vacation. She loves shopping, she has since built good relationships with the big stores, she gets invitation to all the UK fashion shows, she gets inside information about sales and has now employed people that help to serve her clients and has also expanded to help people organise their wardrobes, ensuring colour co-ordination and seasonal clothes are always within easy reach for these people. If this was done by a Christian, imagine the opportunity to talk to influential people about Christ?
There are lots of ideas out there and most successful ones come from what people enjoy doing the most.
Its great to identify one’s gift but what separates the successful people from those not successful is what you do about your gift.
Romans 12:6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
It is easy to say oh I can do this very well or I can do that very well but you do not do anything. Every successful business needs perseverance and hard work. Every talent one has needs to be nurtured and it takes constant practice to perfect one’s art. Look at the athletes, the Olympic medallists don’t say because they have won the Olympics, they now need to do nothing. They constantly push themselves and keep practicing. I once saw a very rich celebrity who recently had a baby and had lost all the weight, in the interview she said she went to the gym twice a day because her work depends on her looks. Well we could say that is vanity but guess what she got up and did something that will help to feed her family. I told my husband the lady is so lucky to be able to afford the gym and all these personal trainers, my husband replied “actually you do not need all the money to lose the weight. You can do simple exercises at home early in the morning and before you go to bed”. I do not need all the money, what I need is discipline which is what a lot of us lack.
You need to get out there, equip your self, do a lot of research and make your gift work for you. You don’t need millions or thousands to start a successful business. Alexander McQueen (May his soul rest in peace) was discovered at his college fashion show and delivered his first designs in a black bin bag
I have also learnt from successful people that their lifestyles did not change as soon as they started their businesses, they did not spend the money before they made. They save and save and save. They deprived themselves of things they were used to just to give their business the chance to flourish. They did not immediately buy all the latest fashion items. My mother had to cut out TV from her life to give her time to focus on her business. What are the things occupying your time now that are not making a positive difference in your life? What are you spending your earnings on now that you could give up to save enough to start your business? You can cut them out now and create time to invest in your future.
In all of these one thing you must do is remember to keep calling on God, make sure he is alongside you every step of the way by constant prayer and if needed fasting.
James 5:16(New living translation) The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
God is there willing to hear you out and answer your prayer. Remember the business you are starting is within the gift that God has given to you, so if you continue to include him in all your plans you are bound to succeed.
1 John 5:14-15 (NLT) And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
You must also learn to give to the needy. There is a simple principle that if your hands are always opened, you can receive but if you close them you cannot receive it. God’s biggest calling on our lives is to show love. The bible says that if you have all the gifts in this life and do not have love, you are nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.
In everything God wants us to show love to everyone around us and to show love, you need to help the needy, you need to be selfless in your treatment of everyone around you. God calls us to love him and then to love our neighbours as ourselves. If you want your business to succeed, you need to be in the business of giving to the needy and showing love. Some of the most successful and biggest organisation in the world that do not have any Christian ethos give away lots to charities year after year and guess what just because they obey that principle, God blesses them.
Finally be honest with your self. Not everyone is born to set up a business. If everyone in the world had their own business, there will be no employees even for your own business! Your day job is your business if that is what you have been called to do. Get more information than your employer is willing to give and do your job to the best of your ability. Trust me you will be rewarded. Use the skills and knowledge you have learned at work to help your local community, your church, your child’s school and even your family members. That is your business. You do not have to earn money from using your God given gift. All I know is you will always have a sense of peace and satisfaction from using your gift.
God bless you as you ponder on these words and may he open the eyes of your heart, give you wisdom and direction as you take the next step in your life.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
WAITING
There was a fire on the route that takes me into work today. It was a nightmare journey into work today and trust me I did not enjoy the experience.
I initially thought to work from home but unfortunately I logged on at home and realised I did not have full access to all the files I needed for work. I thought to myself, if this was my company, will I give up just like that. Well I will not so I decided to find alternative routes to work even though I knew it was not going to be easy.
I got to Lewisham station (a journey that should have taken me 15 mind took about 25mins), I thought to myself, well this is not so bad. I decided to take another service called the DLR to a station near work and walk from there (the walk will do a lot of good after all the cake I ate yesterday as it was my birthday).
When I got to Lewisham, there was a huge crowd of people trying to get on this DLR and the platform had to be closed intermittently to reduce over crowding. I thought oh no, maybe I should have stayed home. I stayed with the crowd. Suddenly a man at the very front of the crowd started to push his way out saying he had been at the station for over an hour and could not get on the platform and he’s leaving. At this point, the information board was showing that the next train will be leaving in 5mins. The man pushed his way out and a few people followed him. Just then the rail workers opened the platform and we all rushed on to get the next train. Guess what the man that decided to leave after waiting for an hour did not get on the train but some of us that were there barely 15mins got on.
As I got on, God said to me, the spirit of patience is so important. The man that had been waiting so long decided to give up his space just literally minutes before the next train was departing and gave up his opportunity for others to get on.
How often do we all do this? We get fed up of waiting and we give up and move on to the next thing, not totally sure what the results of the next thing may bring. The truth is the devil always brings this sort of thought just when our breakthrough is around the corner. I have given up on things before and moved on to the next thing only to realise that if I had been a little bit more patient, the reward could have been great.
In Exodus, it took the children of Israel forty years to get to the land God had promised them. A lot of them did not see this land because they faltered along the way.
2 Peter 3 8-9
8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God stands on his word and none of his words will return to him void. We have hope in God that anything he has a hand on, in our lives will succeed no matter how long we have to wait.
Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
How shall we as Christians wait on God? The way to wait and to renew our strength is by being steadfast in our prayer lives. It can be challenging sometimes to pray when we are going through trials. It can be hard to focus, so why not join others to pray and let others lift you up when you are weary. Why not start a phone in prayer group with your friends or even have a praying partner with a friend you trust.
I have a weekly phone in with a few of my friends weekly, I have learnt so much from our prayer group and even when I am weak, its a relief to know there are people that will lift me up in prayer.
To help you stand when you feel like giving up, make sure you surround yourself with praying people and you will not miss the train you are meant to catch no matter how long you have to wait.
I initially thought to work from home but unfortunately I logged on at home and realised I did not have full access to all the files I needed for work. I thought to myself, if this was my company, will I give up just like that. Well I will not so I decided to find alternative routes to work even though I knew it was not going to be easy.
I got to Lewisham station (a journey that should have taken me 15 mind took about 25mins), I thought to myself, well this is not so bad. I decided to take another service called the DLR to a station near work and walk from there (the walk will do a lot of good after all the cake I ate yesterday as it was my birthday).
When I got to Lewisham, there was a huge crowd of people trying to get on this DLR and the platform had to be closed intermittently to reduce over crowding. I thought oh no, maybe I should have stayed home. I stayed with the crowd. Suddenly a man at the very front of the crowd started to push his way out saying he had been at the station for over an hour and could not get on the platform and he’s leaving. At this point, the information board was showing that the next train will be leaving in 5mins. The man pushed his way out and a few people followed him. Just then the rail workers opened the platform and we all rushed on to get the next train. Guess what the man that decided to leave after waiting for an hour did not get on the train but some of us that were there barely 15mins got on.
As I got on, God said to me, the spirit of patience is so important. The man that had been waiting so long decided to give up his space just literally minutes before the next train was departing and gave up his opportunity for others to get on.
How often do we all do this? We get fed up of waiting and we give up and move on to the next thing, not totally sure what the results of the next thing may bring. The truth is the devil always brings this sort of thought just when our breakthrough is around the corner. I have given up on things before and moved on to the next thing only to realise that if I had been a little bit more patient, the reward could have been great.
In Exodus, it took the children of Israel forty years to get to the land God had promised them. A lot of them did not see this land because they faltered along the way.
2 Peter 3 8-9
8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God stands on his word and none of his words will return to him void. We have hope in God that anything he has a hand on, in our lives will succeed no matter how long we have to wait.
Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
How shall we as Christians wait on God? The way to wait and to renew our strength is by being steadfast in our prayer lives. It can be challenging sometimes to pray when we are going through trials. It can be hard to focus, so why not join others to pray and let others lift you up when you are weary. Why not start a phone in prayer group with your friends or even have a praying partner with a friend you trust.
I have a weekly phone in with a few of my friends weekly, I have learnt so much from our prayer group and even when I am weak, its a relief to know there are people that will lift me up in prayer.
To help you stand when you feel like giving up, make sure you surround yourself with praying people and you will not miss the train you are meant to catch no matter how long you have to wait.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Stand Firm
There’s so much going on around us now and so many people struggling in so many areas of their lives. I will like to remind us that, God is with us through it all.
This week he wants us to know that when it gets to the thick of the battle, he shows up for his own people. We need to have absolute trust in God and know that he is in control. Sometimes we have to go through these challenges so that God can take all the Glory and be magnified. Also battles brings us back to the place of total dependence on God. In the book of Genesis after Pharaoh had let the children of go, the bible says he hardened his heart again and chased after the children of Israel.
Exodus14:2-9 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians-all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops-pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
The Israelites cried out and even said to Moses that was it because there was not grave in Egypt that he brought them to the desert to die? They had forgotten just not to long the miracle of the Passover.
We are all like that sometimes. We forget the pain we endured to get to where we are. We focus on the current issue or problem and somehow forget that he who is in control is still alive, in control and will be forever.
This did not stop God from answering them because of the love her had for his people.
The Israelites were fooled by appearances and revealed their lack of faith, but God did not reject them. He stayed faithful and said, ‘Just watch what I am going to do.’ In his hands the apparent problem of the Red Sea was about to become the solution they could never have dreamt of.
Sometimes the solution to our problem is right in the middle of the issue and God is working just to be glorified and for people to know that it could only have been God. In this passage, God that killed all the first born in Egypt could have easily killed Pharaoh and all his chariots but he choose to let them even overtake the children of Israel and get to the Red sea before he threw them into confusion.
In the middle of our pain and suffering we need to just be still. V 13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Notice how Moses told them, the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. We need to learn to call on God always, then be still and let God be glorified. Also we should realise that the battles that have been won will never rise again in our lives in Jesus name.
When it looks like there is no way forward, you need to realise that the battle is almost over. In tough situations when we are tempted to lose heart but we should try and stand firm and encourage others to do so. When we stick to godly ways and values and do not fall into compromises he will never let us down. Just trust him and depend on him totally.
This week he wants us to know that when it gets to the thick of the battle, he shows up for his own people. We need to have absolute trust in God and know that he is in control. Sometimes we have to go through these challenges so that God can take all the Glory and be magnified. Also battles brings us back to the place of total dependence on God. In the book of Genesis after Pharaoh had let the children of go, the bible says he hardened his heart again and chased after the children of Israel.
Exodus14:2-9 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians-all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops-pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
The Israelites cried out and even said to Moses that was it because there was not grave in Egypt that he brought them to the desert to die? They had forgotten just not to long the miracle of the Passover.
We are all like that sometimes. We forget the pain we endured to get to where we are. We focus on the current issue or problem and somehow forget that he who is in control is still alive, in control and will be forever.
This did not stop God from answering them because of the love her had for his people.
The Israelites were fooled by appearances and revealed their lack of faith, but God did not reject them. He stayed faithful and said, ‘Just watch what I am going to do.’ In his hands the apparent problem of the Red Sea was about to become the solution they could never have dreamt of.
Sometimes the solution to our problem is right in the middle of the issue and God is working just to be glorified and for people to know that it could only have been God. In this passage, God that killed all the first born in Egypt could have easily killed Pharaoh and all his chariots but he choose to let them even overtake the children of Israel and get to the Red sea before he threw them into confusion.
In the middle of our pain and suffering we need to just be still. V 13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Notice how Moses told them, the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. We need to learn to call on God always, then be still and let God be glorified. Also we should realise that the battles that have been won will never rise again in our lives in Jesus name.
When it looks like there is no way forward, you need to realise that the battle is almost over. In tough situations when we are tempted to lose heart but we should try and stand firm and encourage others to do so. When we stick to godly ways and values and do not fall into compromises he will never let us down. Just trust him and depend on him totally.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Our Covenant with God: Are we playing our part?
In the book of Genesis 19: God spared Lot’s family when he decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the covenant he made with Abraham which covers his entire family and generations to come. I have read this chapter a few times and always believed Lot was spared destruction just because of this covenant, however looking closely in the first verse, The two angels of God met Lot at the gateway of the city and immediately he saw them, he bowed down and offered them his hospitality. They insisted they will spend the night in the square but he persuaded them to go with him and spend the night at his house, where he cooked for them and cared for them.
Reading this chapter Lot was spared not just because of the covenant between God and his lineage but because of his generosity, hospitality and because he refused to compromise himself and encourage sin.
How many times have we missed God’s blessing because we have not blessed and welcomed people that we know will benefit from our love and blessings? How many times have missed it because we have seen our friends or family sin but we have turned an eye because according to us it’s nothing to do with us. The truth is regardless of God’s covenant with us we need to play our part. We need to follow the word of God. The greatest commandment is love
1 Cor 13:13: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love
Matthew 22 v36-39. Jesus tells the Pharisees that the greatest commandment is love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and the second is love your neighbour as your self.
Jesus’ death is a covenant on our behalf that we are saved and we will inherit the kingdom of God but we need to play our parts by obeying God’s commandments. We need to learn to bless people we know need help, they do not even have to ask. The angels of God did not ask Lot for help but he knew what Sodom and Gomorrah was like and he offered to keep them safe.
We must also not turn a blind eye when our friends and people we know are doing what is not right. Lot begged the men of Sodom not to commit such sin and he found favour in the eyes of God.
I am not saying we need to be shouting at the roof top at our friends or family but we need to encourage them to walk right showing love and we ourselves need to be receptive to correction from people God has placed in our lives.
Reading this chapter Lot was spared not just because of the covenant between God and his lineage but because of his generosity, hospitality and because he refused to compromise himself and encourage sin.
How many times have we missed God’s blessing because we have not blessed and welcomed people that we know will benefit from our love and blessings? How many times have missed it because we have seen our friends or family sin but we have turned an eye because according to us it’s nothing to do with us. The truth is regardless of God’s covenant with us we need to play our part. We need to follow the word of God. The greatest commandment is love
1 Cor 13:13: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love
Matthew 22 v36-39. Jesus tells the Pharisees that the greatest commandment is love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and the second is love your neighbour as your self.
Jesus’ death is a covenant on our behalf that we are saved and we will inherit the kingdom of God but we need to play our parts by obeying God’s commandments. We need to learn to bless people we know need help, they do not even have to ask. The angels of God did not ask Lot for help but he knew what Sodom and Gomorrah was like and he offered to keep them safe.
We must also not turn a blind eye when our friends and people we know are doing what is not right. Lot begged the men of Sodom not to commit such sin and he found favour in the eyes of God.
I am not saying we need to be shouting at the roof top at our friends or family but we need to encourage them to walk right showing love and we ourselves need to be receptive to correction from people God has placed in our lives.
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