Be Prepared!

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Matthew 24:3

I read this passage and Jesus Christ had a lot to say about the end times - the signs of the end of the age. Some of these are hard to grasp because somehow they look far-fetched. Truth is, we need to be prepared at all times. We need to be watchful. We need to be very alert at all times, because no one knows the day nor the hour of His coming.
This makes me think of the times we tell ourselves that we have time....to repent. That we do not have to repent now. Well, the time of repentance is now. The time of living the life that God commands is now. It would be very unfortunate to think we have plenty of time yet lose our souls. Being ready means that we are living as God commands, daily seeking Him to know what he expects of us and obeying him completely. Then and only then do we live free lives knowing that no matter the day or the hour that He comes, we will be ready. He explains this further using the parable of the ten virgins! How sad to be left out!

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Matthew 24:44

Blame Game

"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." Matthew 23:1-3 (NIV)

This is a very powerful scripture where Jesus Christ was speaking. While reading Matthew 23, the first three verses struck me. They describe what is happening today. Most of our pastors and elders in the Church are like what is described here. They have a place of authority, and they teach the Word of God - but they do not practice any of the teachings they teach. Some have even gone further and given wrong teachings! But what does Jesus say to address this issue?
He says that we MUST obey them. As Paul writes severally in scripture, that we should submit to authority - and even go ahead and pray for them. One may argue and say, "But what if their teaching is false?" Well, if it is false according to scripture, then follow God's Word on the matter/teaching. Do your research and ask God to show you the right way. And He will.
Jesus Christ also says that we should do what they say and not what they do. Many Christians have fallen because they blame their pastors for misleading them by example. Well, each individual will give an account of himself before the Lord. One cannot say, because my pastor committed adultery (for example), then I just did as he did. NO! The scripture is clear on what God expects of us and we cannot blame our church leaders for our mistakes.
This is an encouragement to us. That we follow the Lord, and if the church and its leadership is sinful, we have an opportunity to make the difference for ourselves - obeying the Lord and following His instructions to us.

Every day make a point of meeting with the Lord, that He may show you the right way. For these are evil days.

Be encouraged!

The Ultimate Comfort Zone

Many times we associate the term "Comfort Zone" with being complacent or being too comfortable to want to advance in anything. Today, I want to use this term differently.
When I think about a comfort zone, I think about a place of rest, a place of peace, a place of security. When I read Psalm 23, I get a feeling of comfort.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever." Psalm 23 (NIV)

 Powerful words! Words of security, of comfort, of encouragement, of protection, of sustenance, of complete freedom in the Lord! Reading through this prayer reassures me of God's love, comfort and ever present help. This is the ultimate place that anyone should aspire to be in. In the arms and care of the Most High God - who looks at us and really just wants to care for us. There are so many verses in scripture that remind us of God's comfort - the place where He calls us to let ourselves go, secure that He will not let us fall.
He is our Shepherd (he feeds us ,he watches over us, he keeps his eyes on us). He comforts us and gives us peace amidst confusing or trying times. He leads us to places of peace and rest. He leads us in paths of righteousness - this is powerful! And even though we face difficult troubles in life, He is there with us. He protects us from harm. He lifts us up when we are down. How great is our Father in Heaven!
How awesome are the promises of God. We thank Him. Everyday, remind yourself of what God says to you because indeed, He is the ultimate comforter.

Be peaceful, be protected, be guided in the arms of the Most High God. The Ultimate Comfort Zone!

What to do with my enemy?! Part 2

People

Now, we may consider some people as our enemies. How do you deal with such people? People who invoke feelings of hatred, insecurity, fear, and other emotions in you. Jesus Christ gave us a wonderful command and guideline to deal with such people.
Lets get practical: am sure you're wondering, are you really really serious about this? Well, I am. I know God is. He gave these guidelines, among others:
"On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Romans 12:20 (NIV)
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

Pray for them and be good to them. I know I have people in my life who invoke all the wrong emotions in my heart! But God speaks to me constantly reminding me that all I need to do, is pray for them and be good to them. And God takes care of the rest. God's commands are for our good and He means well by counseling us to love our enemies. And there is much joy in following God's command about this.
So, lets love our enemies!!! 

Satan

We have been given clear instructions on how to deal with the devil.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
We have got to be sober minded and alert at all times. The devil schemes and plots ways to destroy us. So we need to be aware and careful how we live.

Identify other enemies in your life, look up scriptures to address those kinds of enemies. Allow God to direct you and guide you!

Be blessed!

What to do with my enemy?! (Part One)

Who is an enemy?

According to Wikipedia, an enemy is a being that is seen as forcefully adverse or threatening. The term is usually used within the greater context of war, to denote an opposing group as a threat.

Who is YOUR enemy?

This could be an easy or a tough question to respond to. You may think of your enemy being an object or a person/living being.
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:2 (NIV)
We probably have the same lamentation when it comes to our enemies. Our enemies could be people, thoughts, attitudes or ways of living or ultimately Satan himself. Oppression, Depression, Discouragement, fear are some of the things that our enemies inflict upon us.

How then do we deal with the enemies around us?

It is generally hard to deal with enemies.God gives us some options in dealing with our enemies:
a. Thoughts:
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are told to take every thought captive. We must be aware of the destructive thoughts that plague us, and be able to discard them immediately. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We are also encouraged to replace those thoughts with good thoughts: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Think about the thoughts that currently plague your mind. Ask God to show you how to really be free of them so that you may live a fruitful life. In Part 2, we will cover dealing with our enemies- People.

Be blessed!