Mysteries...

We have all come across the story of Peter's miraculous escape in Acts chapter 12, but if you haven't, heres a sumarised version. Herod killed James the brother of John and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he continued to seize Peter. He was scheduled to be killed when on that night before the morning of his death, an Angel came to his aid.

Now the point of this story is not how he escaped,that has already been handled,  but why God choose to deliver Peter instead of James. 

Perhaps you've read these stories and wonder why God does that. Well, let me tell you. It is because our God is a Sovereign God. And he made the choices he did regarding James and Peter, in those particular situations, because he was reigning over every circumstance of their lives.

God does not miss the details of your life. Nothing gets past him. He is reigning over the circumstances of your life.

God is Sovereign when your prayers are answered swiftly, and when they aren't. He is Sovereign through every stormy trial, when you suffer an injustice, and when you must walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

God chooses who to have Mercy and Compassion on. James' death was to Glorify God, and Peter's deliverance was to glorify God also. 

Whatever happens in our lives, take it up to God. Even if you don't understand what he is trying to do, even if it hurts or brings you pain, trust in him and his ways. For his ways are not the ways of man. He does not ask wisdom fron any man... He is the King above all the earth! No man can question his authority! He is GOD! And he's got your back!

Why do some die while others live?

In life, there are all these funny and weird questions that we ask ourselves or other people. Stuff about our lives or life in general. Truth is, some questions are unanswerable. They are Better off being just questions... But we keep asking them anyway, regardless of what the outcome will be. Whether we will get the answer or not.

One of the most popular question we ask is "why some live longer than others". I was watching a 2006 classic, The other day, My sister's Keeper, starring Cameron Diaz. At the end of the movie, the narrator a young girl who lost her older sister to cancer asked this question. ; "Why do others live why others die?" Truth be told, everyone of you has come across this question before. But no concrete answer has come about your way Im guessing. Even in this movie, there was no answer.... Well, we can come up with all these fancy ideas as to why God let's one person live and takes another. You have probably heard them all. They range from "God loved them the most" or "God was saving them from something bad" to "God wanted another angel or flower in heaven" and all those that you have heard. Most of us fall back on the fact that we will never know why some die and others live. But have you ever thought that maybe even of you did, you would not understand? It would not be good enough... But one day, we will all know because the bible promises in 1 corinthians 13:12 that " Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.

Why did James die and Peter go free? It's hard to say. Life just doesn't make sense a great deal of time. But God has purposes that often remain a mystery to us. When we say that someone "died before their time" we falsely assume that everyone has the unwritten promise of a long life. The bible makes no guarantees. The bible says that our times are in his hands. It also tells us that "there is a time to be born, and a time to die" in Ecclesiastes 3:2. We don't really get any say regarding the date of our birth or death but we can claim life. The moment we hold on to the spiritual, the physical is good too. If we let go of the spiritual, the physical suffers too. And death is always imminent. Every time... So here's what it boils down to:

1. Don't take any of your loved ones for granted.

2. If there is someone you need to tell that you love them, do it now.

3. If there is a change you need to make in your life, do it now. At the end of the day, you only have one life here on earth.

STOCK-TAKING

At the beginning of every year, we set goals and new year resolutions for that year. What we want to achieve and where we want to be in the next 12 months! Well, usually those are written and stacked away until we have to write another list for the next year, Or at least that's what I do.

How many of us reflect on the list reviewing it as the year goes if we have really achieved or if we are going according to the list? Not all of us, I am in that category.

In my time with Prophet Justice Hara and Ambassadors for Christ Ministries, I have learnt that you should never take God for granted.His Mercies are always new everyday and therefore you should never take yourself for granted because his mercies are in you!

Everyday you can do something new in your life. You can gain something new in your life, because his mercies are ever flowing!

2014 was the year of sufficient Grace; Grace walks together with Faith! Faith is a substance of things hoped for that are unseen! In this case, seeing is not believing! Well, I walked in  that Grace blindly, its now that when I look back and reflect that I realise that Grace is indeed powerful.

If in 2013 you did not achieve everything that you were supposed to achieve, (The year of the best of me coming out) and you did not achieve anything in 2014, in this year of the Spirit and Greater Glory;2015 You will see the hand of the Lord upon you.

If we do not do stock taking, we will miss out on the sufficient grace. Ask God where you went wrong in the past year or months as we are 8 months into the year!  If you did not achieve what you wanted to achieve, this is your time.  Achieve something before the year ends.

The reason we plan ahead is because when the time comes,we are ready! We pray for the future, not for now because when the time comes, we do not have time to pray. We plan ahead because when the situation comes we know what to do. Check what you promised God in the years past, If you didn't fulfill it, correct it!

The sign post that says "Blantyre 305KM" has never been to Blantyre.  But the information on the post is correct! A taxi driver on the other hand, Knows all the corners of Blantyre!

Let us all be taxi drivers, not sign posts! Taxi drivers know where they are going and how to get there, sign posts do not.

Remember, when you are giving advice, ask yourself what you have benefited from the advice that you have given. When your friends are benefiting from your advice and you are on the same level, do stock taking, check yourself.

In Luke 9, there is  a story of Dorcas, a woman that was remembered for her good deeds towards others when she died.

What have you done that you will be remembered for in the kingdom of God? Let your works speak for you! Most of us waste time back biting instead of taking a step! and at the end of the day we are victims of our own prayers!!

Talk is Cheap...Do something Now!!

GOD'S JOKER!

Often times we wonder why our things are not working or why our life seems to have hit a blank wall. We look at other people that we think were way below our level and are way beyond us now  and we question God! We usually ask God why, and we blame him for not answering our prayers or not elevating us.

Honestly, God never fails us. We fail God all the time. My 2 seconds in Ambassadors for Christ Ministries, founded by Snr. Prophet Justice Hara has helped me open my eyes and understand.

Prophet Justice Hara explained one time the difference between Grace, Justice and Mercy! And since then I am able to understand! I will explain that another day though. But the point is, #Grace is God's Joker. It never fails! I am what I am by the Grace of God! I don't think you understand how deep that statement is or maybe we just say it because other people are saying it too. 

Grace is you getting something you do not deserve! There is a strong relationship between Grace and Faith! The greater the Faith, the greater the Grace! The lesser the Faith,the lesser the Grace!
2 Corinthians 12:9 says the Grace of God is sufficient! But if you do not discover who you are, the Grace of God will pass you by!

Sometimes when things are not working its a one of the following things; either you have no Faith and you think God can't do, or maybe it's part of God's Plan and purpose upon your life.  And the Grace of God help us understand and accept.

The Grace of God is anointed favor and therefore does not fail! It can lift you from zero to hero. Anointing can make you anything. But get this, Christianity is a Game of Faith not feelings. Therefore you cannot experience divine Grace if you have no faith, we cannot please God if we have no Faith. Let's take the story of the 3 lepers in the book of Job  for example, they knew that if they stayed behind they would die, and that if they went ahead they would die anyway, so they went ahead! They had Faith, they believed and they were healed.

God never forsakes his own, remember, where there is a man to pray, there is a God to answer.

Mysteries of the kingdom;What the devil doesn't want you to know

As children of God, we are his true reflection, created in his own image and adopted as his own, trained and raised in his word, having received the spirit of adoption and sonship as said in Romans 8:14-28 that as “Those that are led by the spirit, they are the sons of God because those received the spirit which does not make us slaves but the spirit which makes us heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”

When God sees us, he sees himself in us. Which is why it is written that, “As he is, so are we.” Because of that, God reveals certain mysteries of the kingdom to us so that we can be able to be ahead of the evil one, defeat him and remain unshakeable. Mysteries are information of the kingdom, hidden with an intention of being revealed. Because we are God's heirs, these mysteries are revealed to us by the Spirit. These mysteries once known  to us are used as tools  for us to defeat the devil. We have been given authority and power to defeat and conquer the Serpent and the his entourage. We are one Spirit with God and therefore we can conquer.

Satan, clever and manipulative as he is, he wants us to believe certain things so that he can be at an advantage.

For example, the moment you became a Christian was like the opening shot in a Spiritual war between God and Satan. It is a long-term war, and the end won’t come until you take your final breath on Earth. God desires for you to live your life for Him. Satan wants to get between you and your relationship with God.

Satan will use imitation, flattery, and temptation, among other things, in an attempt to sway you from your commitment to Christ, and he is very good at using those weapons. But he has weaknesses, things he doesn’t want you to know, and Scripture provides us with those crucial pieces of information.

1. Satan is nowhere near the equal of God. As Christians, we know that God is omnipresent (everywhere), omnipotent (all powerful), and omniscient (all knowing). Satan is none of those things. He knows a lot and is powerful, but can only be in one place at one time. In fact, in most situations when people believe that Satan is tormenting them, it is likely one of his demons, not Satan himself.

2. Satan can do nothing in the life of the Christian without God’s permission. In the Book of Job, Satan couldn’t do anything to Job without getting God’s permission, and even then was limited in what he could do. Similarly, Jesus told Simon Peter that Satan personally asked God to be able to sift Simon Peter “like wheat” (Luke 22:31).

3. Satan cannot control you. Satan would love it if Christians believed that they were powerless against his temptations and attacks. The truth is that Satan and his demons can oppress and attack us, they cannot control us. As Christians, we are held by God and Satan cannot touch us (1 John 5:18). The exception is when we allow Satan to control us by giving in to temptation.

That is why we need to resist him, and deny him a way into our lives.

4. Satan was defeated at the cross of Calvary. When Jesus died on the cross, one of His final statements was “It is finished” (John 19:30). In other words, He accomplished what He set out to do—breaking the power of Satan over all of mankind (Hebrews 2:14). All of your sins, your death sentence, was taken by Christ and nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14), eliminating them. That is victory.

5. We can win the spiritual battle. Knowing that Christ has already won the ultimate victory, we can be assured that we can win in a Spiritual battle. In other words, we aren’t fighting to achieve victory. We are fighting with the knowledge that we have the victory. Now, that doesn’t mean we won’t struggle or that we won’t lose occasionally. But if we put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) daily, we will win the war.

Our Spiritual armor is a necessity if we hope to win in the Spiritual battle. We need the utility belt of truth, living a life of truth. We need the breastplate of righteousness, being right with God. We need the gospel footwear, carrying the message of Christ. We need the shield of faith to stop the enemy’s flaming arrows. We need the helmet of salvation, protecting our mind and our thoughts. And we need the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God in our lives daily.

Knowing Satan’s weaknesses and how to overcome them is one thing. But the devil has one final weapon—procrastination. The armor of God is no good if we don’t put it on, and knowledge is useless if we don’t use it. The time to commit to Christ is now, not later. The Bible says that today is the day of salvation. Start winning the war today... Do not give Satan the victory you already got. Do not give him the satisfaction that you have failed, the Greater one lives inside of you, you can never fail...

Mysteries of Love

Love. It is a simple word yet with it comes unlimited mysteries, complications and confusion. What a strange relationship if you ask me.

The past few weeks, months and years have been highly educational. Paying attention to the world and people around me has been eye opening. Paying attention to "the stories" and "situations" around me has brought more revelations.

Call it what you may, but people have different views about Love. Some say Love deceives. It confuses. It heals and it hurts. It can make you lose your mind. It should come with a warning label. Carolyn Hax, a Post advice columnist, suggests: “Don’t operate heavy machinery when you’re under the influence of this stuff.”

Yet people are still trying to explain love, to measure it, calibrate, capture it with advanced medical imaging. The science of love is in the air. Scientists are homing in on the neurochemistry of love. The love experts talk about dopamine and oxytocin and vasopressin and opioids. They study brain scans of people in various throes and permutations of love, and say things such as (we got this the other day from Helen Fisher, a pioneer in the field, and a professor at Rutgers): “We found activity in a tiny little part of the brain called the ventral tegmental area.”

Yet when you’re in love, it doesn’t feel like the ventral tegmental area is the cause.
It seems like, for example, that the eyes are more important. The hands. And other parts.

Love is not a feeling. Love is accepting another person and their flaws. Love is a decision that one makes. Love is choosing to love and accept the other people as they are.
Everyone has the power to hurt or betray another. It's up to us to chose who we want to be betrayed by... And the ability to accept is an act of Love..

For a reason, a season or a Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do.

When someone or something is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty; to provide you with guidance and support; to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

There is a purpose for every person we meet in life. Some are here to test us, some are here to teach us, some will use us. But the most important are the ones who bring out the best in us. They respect us, and accept us for who we are. These are the ones worth keeping around.

Some people come into our live and quickly go and we wonder why.

While others become our friends and stay a while leaving beautiful footprints on our hearts and we're never quiet the same because we have known them. Everything happens for a reason.

To everything, there is  season and a time to every purpose under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Just think, you are not here by chance, but by God's choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else. You are of a kind. You lack nothing that his grace cannot give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfil his special purpose for this generation.