Unfulfilled Expectations From God
‘For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’ Jer.29:11
When it comes to God, you have to understand that God is God. With us, being human beings, we think that if we are able to get certain people to think certain things about us then we are sorted out. In other words, the most important thing in your life is not what your neighbor thinks about you. Too many people Read the rest of this entry
Hurting People
‘Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent’ Psalm 4:4
If you dig deep into people’s lives, you will discover that unfulfilled expectations are the root cause of the anger, bitterness, and resentment they so passionately express. When you trace unhappiness and frustration, you usually will find unfulfilled expectations at the roots. A man comes back home Read the rest of this entry
Baggage
‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life’ Prov.13:12.
Baggage is a particularly interesting aspect of life. It is almost impossible to travel without carrying baggage. Some people travel with scarcely any baggage while others especially cannot afford the luxury of traveling light. Sometimes you pack your bags yourself and at other times people pack for you. The reality Read the rest of this entry
Face To Face IV
‘Don’t store up treasures here on earth… Store your treasures in Heaven… Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be’
How have I been greedy and how can I be generous? We must get rid of the ‘get all you can and can all you get mentality’. You cannot have things in your wardrobe that are gathering dust when there are people who need those things. If you have cloths that you have to be reminded about, then the truth is that Read the rest of this entry
Face To Face III
‘Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received… Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress’ 1 Timothy 4:14-15
Where have I been lazy and how can I change? This also ties into wasting time at work, doing everything else but the work you are being paid to do. Some people actually steal into their cars during office hours for a nap, then come and pretend to be busy. And as soon as it is lunch time, they are off again. You Read the rest of this entry
Face To Face II
‘Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer…’ 1 Cor. 7:5
How have I defrauded and what should I pay? You get paid to work but instead you spend the time your employer is paying for playing games on your computer. Every day at work, you are on facebook checking for what is not missing when you are supposed to be working. Others spend the entire time at Read the rest of this entry
Face To Face I
‘Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham’ Luke 19:9
Over the next few days we will be facing some questions that help us identify areas where we need to restitute. By now, you must have heard the Lord point out a few things to you relating to restitution. However, if you are still a little unsure, hopefully by the time we are done, things will be clearer. What have I taken that I need to give back? You might want to spend the entire day going over this question in Read the rest of this entry
Worth The Pain
‘In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation’ 1 Pet.5:10
There is no doubt that restituting may prove to be a very difficult process. In certain cases, some people will be required to face people they have lied to or cheated in the past. You may actually have to dodge a bullet or two. However, it is God’s purposes that must be priority at all times. If this means anything to you, then you will want to set things right. Restitution does not save you but if you are saved you will be Read the rest of this entry
True or False
‘Then Jesus… said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord’, she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more’. John 8:10-11
The grace that doesn’t change us is not the grace of God. God’s grace is powerful enough to change your life completely. A classic example is the story of the woman caught in adultery that was brought before Jesus [John8:1-12]. The world sought to condemn her but Jesus’ response to her was grace. Regardless of what she had done in the past, Jesus’ response was not to accuse her but to accept her. However, there Read the rest of this entry
Not Penance
‘Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’ Luke 19:8
Zacchaeus was appointed as tax collector over his fellow Jews because he was greedy. He was content to extort the people, settle his employers [the Romans] and keep the rest for himself. But Zacchaeus met with Jesus and accepted Jesus as the Lord of his life. Even when people hate you, Jesus doesn’t hate you. It is as though, Jesus loves the people everybody seems to hate. Thank God He still does. And Zacchaeus’ Read the rest of this entry
