All have sinned

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:23

One of my favorites Bible verse is the one that says "remove the log from your eyes before u remove the speck from ur neighbor's"
It's easy to find fault in others while we totally ignore or act indifferent to ours. Though it's good to help our neighbors remove the speck from their eyes but first we should make sure we don't have a log in our's.
Also we should do this with love and not act as though we are above sin. We should not be like the Pharisee who thought he was better than the tax collector... We all have sinned, and there is no little sin in the sight of God, be it a Lil lie or stealing, or murder, sin is sin.
Therefore, while we help others, we should check ourselves, so we don't go far from Home.

He's Our Help

I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13

Though sometimes we can't c the Hand of the Lord, we need to be rest assured that He's always working on our behalf.
When we have The creator of the whole universe holding our hands, who or what do we have to fear and He has also promised to help, and He's the only One who never breaks a promise.

Hold Him to His promises and He'll never fail to deliver. He's our present help in times of trouble.

Cast your Burden

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:22

God has asked us to cast our burden unto Him. Either be it light or heavy, He can sustain us. But once we lay our burdens at His feet, He doesn't want us worrying about it again, He hates double mindedness. Instead of worrying, we can pray about it or better still thank Him believing He has done it.

He's got the whole world in His hands and no matter how big our burden is in our sight, It is nothing to Him. There's absolutely nothing He cannot do.
Keep believing and stay blessed!

According to His Will

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
1 John 5:14

It's not just about asking God to do things for us, it's about asking according to His will. How can we know His will if we don't have a close relationship with Him.
His Word has been given as a guideline to help us know more about Him and His will for our lives.

Also, we need to speak more in an unknown tongue, cos The Holy Spirit helps us to pray to God according to His will and not our own selfish desires.
If we feed the spirit and not flesh, we decrease as He increases, His will, desires n ways become ours, we find that it's easy to ask Him n receive cos we are asking exactly what He has in mind.

Ask according to His Will and He'll NeVeR disappoint!

Careful!

Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.
Psalm 69:6

Unknowing to us, there are fellow believers who c us as their role model, they incorporate not only what we say but also what we do, and if they find us doing opposite to what we say, it leaves them heart broken n make them question their faith.

We really need to be careful the way we live at all times, cos not only will it affect us, it may affect the other person even greater, and it's more risky for them cos once their faith is questioned, it may take a while for them to get back there.

You are accountable not only for u, but for other believers near u.

Reason of our Hope

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
1 Peter 3:15

Ppl tend to question our faith mostly when things are not going good for us, they don't understand y we still trust in God even when nothing goes our way and it looks like all is gone..
Then when things go well for us, they wonder how we went from nothing to more than enough. It's all cos of the Grace of God who is the reason for our hope.

Whether we know it or not, ppl are watching us, either to laugh at our face or to learn about our faith.

In Mary Mary's song - God in me, it says:
Everything she got
The girl has been given
She call it a blessing
But u call it living...
...She on her knees
If u ask her, she'll tell u
It's The God in Me

So next time we are asked the reason of our hope, we should boldly tell "it's God"

Stay United!

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Psalm 133:1

It's def good for us to be united in Christ, cos without unity there's Lil we can do for Him. Each one of us are given diff gifts and this makes us unique, no matter how small we think it is, we are important n needed. Being united is what makes up for other ppl's gift and this make us one Body in Christ.

No one is too small and none is big in the Body of Christ, each person has his own function, and we should do our work diligently else the Body will suffer. Stay united and be accountable!

God Of Peace

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27


Peace means to be calm or serene. God's peace means to find that calmness not only in favorable situations but also in difficult situations, in fact ESP in diff situations.


Since we decided to serve God, we are def bound to have troubles, it's inevitable, but since we serve a God of Peace, He has given us His peace that even in the most diff situation of all, we have this calmness n believe in God that all will be well.


If u don't feel that peace yet, y don't u ask Him, He's the one that giveth all things..

Be Victorious

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:4


Salvation is free but Jesus paid the price, so we automatically become an overcomer after giving our life to Him. But still, we have to work on overcoming as we proceed in our journey, of which faith plays a big role..
Believing in a God we don't c and in things that are unseen knowing fully well The God of Breakthrough will be with us through the good and the bad, and even when He's silent, we still believe. That is a great step of faith and it's the beginning of many victories.


Keep believing!

Stand Out!

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15


In a time when the nation was confused on which god to serve despite all The Living God has done for them, Joshua and his family stood out, and not only did he decide to serve God, he turned ppl's hearts towards him.


In our case, It might be about taking right decisions, or taking certain actions. They say if u can't beat them, join them. But it ain't that way, b4 u join them, ask yourself if they stand for God, even if u are the only one standing for Him, know that u stand in the right place.


At the end of the day, it ain't about the crowd, it's about individual, be that person who makes a diff for Christ's Glory.

Work!!!

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 18:18


I don't know how many things we have actually bounded on earth and how many we have loosed in heaven. As God's children, He has given us so much power that we don't even realize it cos we are so content with the comfortable, we are ready to settle for things that don't exert us, we want easy prayers n we like the "idea of faith" without working towards it.


We are called to be intercessors, how can we stand on behalf of others when we can't even stand for ourself. Yea, it's good to have others agreeing with us but we should agree with us first.


Remember, You can do anything u wanna do cos The Great n Mighty lives inside of you, but u gotta work towards it. Faith without work is dead.

Let Him

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
Proverbs 16:9


You may make plans, but no matter how solid and perfect those plans are, as long as it has no God element in it, it's bound to end in disaster.
But when we take a Lil step towards God's plan for us, everything ends right, it doesn't mean the road will be smooth, in fact, it's gonna be as bumpy as possible, the bumpier it is, the more awesome the end will be, and we can be rest assured God will take care of us cos He's the one in charge.
Also, it doesn't mean we should not make plans, it just means we should consult God all the way, He should never be left out in anything we do, He's the only one who can turn our thoughts into reality.


Trust in Him and let Him be the author of your life.

Be Steadfast

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1 corinthians 15:58

Nothing we do for God is in vain and He sees all that we do, and all counts in His sight. We should never get tired of doing things for His glory and His alone. Also our motive behind everything we do counts.
God does not only see our works, He sees our hearts. We should not do things only because we want something from Him, but when we do things selflessly asking nothing of Him, He knows that which our hearts desires and He'll def do it.

Be ye steadfast in the work of the Father and He'll never disappoint.

Commit to Him!

Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Proverbs 16:3


We all have certain fears and worries for either the future or the present..
We worry from the Lil things like food, money, clothing; things that we may or may not need, to the big things like how will our future be, jobs, family, spouse, children... None of these things are in our hands and none can be made right by worrying, else we can commit things in the Hands of God who make all things right, He's the Only One who can make that which we desire come true as long as it's His will..


Why worry when u can Pray, Cast all your burdens upon the Lord.

The Way

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6


We know there are no shortcuts to the Father, there is only one way no matter if other ways look a lil like it or look like it has more prospect than it, And this way is Jesus.


Even though we know the truth, we sometimes don't let it set us free, we are sometimes so obsessed in getting there, that we don't mind what turning we take as long as it leads us there.
But God doesn't work that way, we can only take one way regardless of how many other leads there..


Remember, "The means justifies the end" and not the other way round. Stay on the right path and Remain blessed!

No Shortcuts!

And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
Genesis 21:11


Before God's promise came in Gen 18, Sarah thought she could help God in Gen 16 by giving her slave as a concubine to her husband, and 14yrs later God made the promise to Sarah.
Maybe it would have come sooner if she didn't try to help God, we may never know, but she regretted her action which I'm sure she thought was the best thing at the time.


We are just like her, we sometimes feel we need sth now or never. It ain't always the way we want, doing things our way just prolong the process, there are no shortcuts to God's, it's a narrow and long road, Be ready to travel it no matter how diff cos at the end, you will arrive at God's appointed time, going your way or taking shortcuts only prolong the journey.


Always tell yourself, "just one more step". Keep believing!

Is there Anything too Hard?

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
Genesis 21:6


When God promised Abraham that Sarah will conceive in Gen 18, she laughed, a laughter of un-believe and God asked her, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?"


God is asking us the same question today, Is there anything too hard for Him to do, He might not even have promised, but cos we are His sheep, He'll take care of all that concerns us, and if He promised, just cos it's taking longer than we expected, we think He's changed His minds, No! He never changes. He'll do whatever He promised to do, only if we'll exercise a Lil more patience and believe.


Sarah felt bad for laughing, and she laughed again when the promise was fulfilled, a laughter of Joy, and all that heard laughed with Her.


There is nothing too hard for the Lord, just Believe

Go God's Way

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5


As long as we don't go God's way, things will not turn out as it should, The world says "The end justify the means" But we say "The means justify the end". We may not even go through a bad road, but as long as it is not the road God wants us to take, any problem we face, we face on our own.


Doing things God's way does not mean it will be faster, neither will it be problem free but we are guaranteed that He'll be with us through it all and the end is def gonna be a glorious one.


It's time to stop thinking we are so wise and are capable of directing our lives, give it over to God and let him take reign over it, Trust Him cos He's the Only One who never fails and never disappoints.

The Good Shepherd

And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
Ezekiel 34:28


Verses 1-10 of this chapter talks about the shepherds of Israel, how badly the sheep are treated and how they are neglected in times of need.
From verse 11, it talks about God as the good shepherd and how He's going to keep the sheep from harm and protect them.


How wonderful does it feel for us to know God is our shepherd and He's always fighting on our behalf, He's always working to keep us safe and satisfy us, He never forsake us and as long as we stay rooted in him, He ensures us a perfect end no matter how difficult it might be in between. He's the All sufficient God, what better shepherd could we ask for. He's the only Good Shepherd. Praise Him!

Ask HIm!

I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
Micah 7:9


The first step to being forgiven is for us to first acknowledge our sins. If we don't think we did anything wrong then how can we ask for forgiveness.
Not only did Micah believe God for forgiveness for Israel, He also believed God will make things right and show them the right path.


When we ask God for forgiveness, we should be ready to take His correction and reproof knowing He does everything with love and He will also place us back on the right path. We can't hide from God cos He knows all things, but He wants us to take that step of asking, our asking alone, is a step of faith. He's the only one who forgive all sins. Ask Him!

What do u desire

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Psalm 27:4


I'm sure if we were asked what we desire of the Lord, we could think of tons and tons of things we want from Him, first. I'm not saying it's bad to want something from Him, in fact, He encourages us to be expectant in His presence, but I think we are easily disappointed when we don't get what we want from Him because we tend to concentrate more on what He can give and not on Him.
A relationship with God is not all about receiving, it's also about giving Him our lives, making Him our first priority and our most sought after desire.
He who desires the Lord shall never want for nothing else cos God will fill him and overflow him.
So what do u desire?

Pray

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
1 chronicles 4:10


The whole chapter 4 talks about the descendant of Judah, and jabez story seems to be the only one kinda outta place cos it doesn't say who is father was or his siblings... And I think his name was included cos of the diff he made by Praying..


This is someone whose name itself means pain, but he stepped out in faith and prayed a prayer which we all love so much, a prayer that made a difference in his life...


We can also change what ever unpleasant situation we are in regardless of it's origination just by praying. Prayer changes all things if only we will believe in it's power.
Why worry when u can pray and it's never over till u give up. So hold on and never stop praying. God bless.

Longing for God

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 42:11


Psalm 42 speaks about longing for God, even when the psalmist was discourage, when he couldn't find God and when ppl around him taunted him about his faith, He never stopped longing for God, and instead of dwelling on his desertion, he chose to concentrate on the good things God did for him and the good time he had in His presence.


We don't have to dwell on past glory, but whenever we feel we are alone or forsaken, we can remember all the good things God did for us and believe He'll do more great things.
I love the story of the man who told the most difficult times in his lives was when he saw only one set of footprints and thought that was when God left him, But God told "That was when I carried you".
At times we might not know what God is up to but we need to remind ourselves that He is always working on our behalf.