It Is Not For You to Know

"It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:7-8)

Often, we want to know all the details about what God is going to do in our lives, at what time, when, etcetera, etcetera. But the Bible says "It is not for you to know...but WHEN". Brethren, we can be assured that God will surely come through for us by that statement "but when". We don't know when. But it will surely come to pass. Have faith!

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time;

But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

Because it will surely come,

It will not tarry." 

(Habakkuk 2:3)

Lessons From John

It's been a while but I'm back to share some lessons I've learnt from the Book of John. 

John 1

v.12-13: "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." 

What I got from these verses is that until we believe, then we are not in line with God's will. It seems obvious to a Christian but it was emphasised just that little bit more when I read these verses. When we believe, our existence becomes solely for the will of God - we're not an accident or here because our parents wanted children but we are born of God; born of His will. No one is an accident. But this can only be realized and appreciated when we BELIEVE. Believe what? Believe in Jesus as Lord. Verse 12 says 'we have the right to become...' It's like, now we have the right to fulfill our purpose and destiny because now we are in His will as children of God.

John 2

v.4: "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come." 

John constantly says that Jesus left where He was, or where there were certain crowds because His hour had not yet come. He was sensitive to times and seasons and to His time and His season. Ecclessiastes 3:11 says "He has made everything beautiful in its time." It shows that it's so important to be sensitive to the time and season you are in. Key lesson!

v.16 "To those who sold doves He said, 'Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a market!' " 

My study Bible summarises the explanation for this verse quite nicely:  
'God's temple was being misused by people who had turned it into a marketplace. They had forgotten, didn't care, that God's house is a place of worship, not a place for making profit. Our attitude toward church is wrong if we see it as a place for personal contacts or business advantage. Make sure you attend church to worship God.'  

John 3

v.34 "For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit."

So no matter how much of the Holy Spirit we ask for, there's always more of Him to be given to us! Glory!

John 6

v.26-27 "Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

People were looking for Jesus not because of the miracles He performed but simply because the miracle brought food which they ate, enjoyed and were full. They were pursuing Jesus for that temporary pleasure. They wanted to have their stomachs filled and that was all. We shouldn't just seek God for temporary things. Seek Him for what will last, like more of His Spirit, like desiring the gifts of the Spirit...

John 9 

v.2 "His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' "

This shows that some illness, diseases or health conditions are caused by sin.

v. 11 "...He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."

So it was after his obedience that he received his sight. His miracle was predicated on his obedience! Disobedience can delay our miracle!

TO BE CONTINUED...

Sweet Holy Spirit

For too long, we have ignored the Holy Spirit. I know I have.

When Jesus finished His work here on earth, He said, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counsellor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever-" (John 14:16, AMP).

Just dwell on that for a second...

Jesus did not leave us comfortless on His return to glory. He did not leave us as orphans (- such love)! When God said I will never leave you nor forsake you, He meant it. (See Hebrews 13:5.)  

So, why do we choose to live as orphans? We have the Holy Spirit with us - forever! But we must have a hunger for Him in order to receive a fresh dose of Him everyday. We have to practice His presence (acknowledge Him daily) and not go on with our lives as if He does not exist.

I thank God for the great awakening that has hit us. What I mean is, at my church, we are currently experiencing a mighty move of the Holy Spirit. He is reviving us once again, breathing on us afresh, reminding us that we cannot do anything apart from Him.

This is such a crucial season. We are in the midst of a revival. We have to cut out all the junk that we allow to infiltrate our lives: the music we listen to, the programmes we watch, gossiping, entertaining nonsense. Even taking offense at what people say or do can grieve the Holy Spirit. It's not possible be completely sinless - yes, but that's why grace abounds. And with that grace, we must separate ourselves, on purpose, from all this junk for the sake of the Holy Spirit who is holy.

Today's blog post is to me as well as to you. There are things I've written here that very much apply to me. Truth is, I'm hungry for more of the Holy Spirit. We sing this song "There must be more than this, Spirit of God we wait for you." And it's true. In this Christian walk, there must be more than this; there is more than this!

I sincerely hope that this has stirred up a desire in your spirit for more of the most Holy Spirit. I plan to do more posts on the Holy Spirit soon, since there are a few more things I wanted to say. But for now... 

...I'd like to leave you with some websites and links that are all about the great Azusa Street Revival, where the Holy Spirit swept across a place in America. I tell you, mighty, unimaginable things happened. Find out here:

• http://www.revival-library.org/pensketches/am_pentecostals/seymourazusa.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRcxcv7TWBc&list=PLiOYrPH-cxJT-XssZ9v9g5S5Xi9ZIkz6s
• http://www.azusastreet.org/AzusaStreetTestimonies.htm
• http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/199904/026_azusa.cfm

Identity Crisis?

Recently I learnt that Jacob, in the Bible, had an identity crisis. I discovered that the name 'Jacob' actually means 'deceitful'  and we see from Scripture that Jacob fulfilled this. An example is when He deceived his father into thinking that he was Esau so that he (Jacob) would receive the blessing instead. (Genesis 27)

Jacob needed his identity changed. This happened when he met God and 'wrestled' with Him. God changed his name that day to 'Israel' meaning 'prince with God'. The Lord said from this day you will no longer be called Jacob, but will be called Israel. God changed his name. He was transformed. I would like to believe that this change also transformed his thinking. Jacob was no longer called 'deceitful' but was called 'prince with God'. So instead of the constant reminder of being a deceiver, Jacob would now have that reassurance that he is a prince with God. His mind would be renewed everyday with the knowledge that he has been changed and has been given a fresh, new  identity in God. 

Do you have an identity crisis? Maybe you even think of yourself as 'A deceiver' like Jacob, or as 'a failure' or as 'a mistake'.

Ask God to change your identity today.

Because the truth is that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

You are precious in God's sight. Isaiah 43:3

You are even made in God's image! Genesis 1:27

Change My Identity!

'Oh Lord this is me

I’m asking you to 

please 

change my identity;

I wanna be more like you

I’m asking you to 

please 

change my identity!'

These lyrics are from one of my favourite songs called Identity, by James Fortune & FIYA. I've had this song on repeat because lately, I have had such a need to want to be changed. As God's Word is issued out from the pulpit anytime I am in church, I become more and more hungry for the things of God. I want to give more of myself to God and receive more of Him. 

Problem is, what often happens is that the flesh gets in the way. My mind gets filled with other things and before I know it, I'm caught up in my own world - again.

This can happen a lot to us believers. We have a desire to want to draw closer to God in our walk with Him but we don't fully allow Him to have pre-eminence in our lives. He should consume our thought-life but it's so easy to just get 'caught up'. 

Romans 12:2 NLT : - 

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

God's Word in Romans is asking us to separate ourselves from worldly behaviours. Allow God to change us by changing our thought patterns and our worldly ways of thinking, which includes getting 'caught up' in our own world of worries, desires and what have you. 

One definition of the word 'identify' is 'to associate with'. So, in a sense, thinking like the world means you identify with the world or you associate yourself with the world. If you think like the world, you buy into its ideas, it's expectations and it's 'will' for you life. For example, the world wants you to think that it's alright to fornicate. Continuously thinking this worldly thought will eventually lead you to putting this thought into action. In this way, you have 'identified' yourself with the world. The Bible is telling us to change our thinking. Think godly thoughts. That way, you identify more with God. See: 'then you will know God's will for you'. You identify - "associate with" God! You fall in sync with His will for ya. You and God agree on something! The will for your life :D

Once our minds and thoughts are transformed, it creates the space needed for us to know God's will for our daily lives, and that pleases God!

#ChangeMyIdentity

I Wanna Make You Smile!

(Text in the speech bubble says: 'I wanna make you smile!')

Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."

On Sunday, my pastor preached about the Wonders of Praise. As I sat there, taking it all in, I knew this message was for me, as well as for many others. Recently, I've just been zoning out, focusing on other things, when I'm supposed to be praising! 

It's so easy to stand in church during Praise and Worship and just sing the song because you like it or dance because the beat is 'infectious'. I mean, who doesn't like music, right? Music makes you happy, music makes you feel good, etc. But in God's presence, it's a dangerous thing to do. We were created to praise Him - and that's irrespective of how we feel by the way. Praising and worshiping God should emulate out of our love for God. So whether we feel like it or not, He still deserves all the glory - period.  Nothing else should matter when we are in His presence. He is of the highest importance in absolutely everything anyway!

There's this one line in this song that I love: 
'I wanna make you smile' [- Smile/Better Is One Day by Jonathan Nelson].

So whilst Pastor was preaching, I was thinking to myself, how am I going to make God smile? I'm sure I displease Him everyday with my carnal thinking, daily sinning and what have you... so how can my praise and worship, with all this flesh, make God smile?

Thank God for fellow Christians! A Christian brother shared with me that when you're praising and worshiping God, just let all else GO! Just rest in His presence and shift your focus back to Him; get back to that place (where it's just you and God)! It's not as if I didn't know this before but how he explained it just really made me realise my self-centredness in the whole thing. It's supposed to be all about God and I've made it all about me. If I really want to 'make God smile', I've gotta separate myself from everything and let 'Jesus be the centre of it all'! 

Colossians 1:18 "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."

Let Jesus have preeminence in our lives, in our praise and worship and in everything we do. 'Cause I don't know about you, but I wanna make God smile!

#IWannaMakeYouSmile

Testimony Tuesdays

Testimony Time!
(Click on this image for a clearer view)

Hey everyone!

These are some old posts I shared on Facebook a few months ago. I thought I'd put them on my blog so I don't lose them. It seemed that every Tuesday I'd have a testimony - 'small' ones, but the Bible teaches us to be thankful in all things :)  Check 'em out: 

March 25, 2014:

As it seems to be every Tuesday, I experience some extra touch of God's travelling mercies. 

Running early: 

I left my house early today. Well, on time. But I'm supposed to go in extra early today. From my bus stop to the station is about 20 mins. But I prayed that I would get to the station in 13 minutes; I prayed for a 13 minute miracle. Why 13mins? 

Well yesterday, I needed to get off the bus in exactly 13 mins to make my train. I dared God in prayer to let it be so and He actually did it, to the letter, or should I say, to the number! So, why not pray that same prayer today, right? After all, I was practically in the same situation as I was yesterday.

So here I am on the train. God got me here in 13 mins again. I'm chilled and early. Did I mention that today's train is extra special? The interior is more luxurious than the train I usually get 

#ThisKindGodO #TestimonyTuesday

March 18, 2014:

Funny enough, I always seem to have a testimony about my journeys on Tuesdays...

Nyame te ase:

5 hours sleep. No breakfast. Then the rush. For once, I wasn't running desperately late like the last time. No need to catch the train. 

One problem. This journey wasn't going to be relaxed. I still had revision cards to complete for my 09:00 session. I honestly did try to do all this before but life just got in the way. Being overly busy stole the time I needed to complete this work. Not to mention that I'd slept at 1am today, completing other work.

The struggle is real.

So there I was on the bus, writing like a madman, attempting to produce something presentable, something that's of worth.

By God's grace, I did it. I actually did it.

I completed the task!

I got to my session to see a note on the door saying that my tutor was not in. Was I mad? Yes! How can I rush like this only to have this notice slapped in my face?

After bursting with complaints and moans with my peers, I whispered to myself "Anyways, Nyame te ase" - meaning 'Anyways, God understands'. He knows why. He knows that I have even more stuff to do when I get home. And knows that I need to catch up on sleep. And food. And work.

So instead of complaining, though this stings, I will be grateful. Thank you Jesus. I have no lessons today. YOU made a way.

#WuTeAse #TestimonyTuesday

March 4, 2014:

God has a sense of humour!

Running late: 

I prayed that my 08:43 train will delay by two minutes just so that I can catch it and be on time for my destination. It turns out that I still would have missed that train. I am running to the train station all out of breath hoping to now catch the 08:51 train. I get to the station to find out that my 08:43 delayed by not just 2 minutes, but by 8 minutes. I am now sitting on that delayed 08:43 train. Favour be? #TinsLykDis #ExtendedGrace #TestimonyTuesday