BECOMING A MASTER OF GOOD

Romans 16:19-20 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to WISE ABOUT WHAT IS GOOD, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will SOON crush Satan under your feet.

Yesterday, as I walked the short distance to pick my daughter from kindergarten, the words of Romans 16:19-20 started flowing out of my mouth in form of a song we used to sing many years ago in my home church back in Kenya. Yes, God has been teaching me a great truth of late. Oh….and this is after what has been a tough season of going through the FLOODWATERS and THE FIRE.

Psalm 66:10-12 For you, O God tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through FIRE and WATER, but you brought us to A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE.

And yes, while we were going through the battle, we couldn’t understand why things were happening as they were. No, not until things had cleared up….and now, as I stand at the other side, God is saying to me.

WEAK FAITH: WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN IT?

Romans 14:1 Accept him WHOSE FAITH IS WEAK, without passing judgment on disputable matters.

I have a CONFESSION TO MAKE. So here, I come! As a person of strong faith, I find myself often dealing impatiently with a person who has weak faith. Yes, with the knowledge and wisdom God has granted me, at times, I find I want to forcefully turn it over to the one of weak faith….hoping that they will pick up the mantle to become GREAT FAITH WARRIORS. But, God has proved me wrong again and again.

God has been teaching me this:

FAITH IS PERSONAL and even when it is cooperative, it doesn’t mean it is ENOUGH. If one person has great faith and another in their midst has weaker faith, added together it does not equal average faith. In the hearing of the Word, where faith springs from, does not mean that the hearers of the word will hear the same thing at the same time to warrant the same kind of respond.

WARNING: SHE COMES WITH FAVOR

Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a GOOD THING and receives FAVOR FROM THE LORD.

I guess every country has its own traditions when it comes to the wedding cards. But back at home, in Kenya, my native country, we have this expectation that on the wedding card there is always a scripture verse chosen by the couple to-be, as their wedding motto. Of the many wedding cards I have come across, I did notice that many couples chose the above scripture for their new marriage covenant. And for many reasons than not, I DO LOVE THIS SCRIPTURE VERSE. For one, it is a scripture more husband-directed than wife. Secondly, its a scripture that comes with two sure declarations from the Lord: A GOOD THING AND FAVOR.

A wife is a GOOD THING….because she is a gift from God to man.

Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is NOT GOOD for man to be alone. I will make a HELPER suitable for him.”

A wife is GOOD THING….because she came from man.

Genesis 2:22 Then the Lord God made woman from the rib he had taken OUT OF THE MAN, and he brought her to the man.

MY HEART IS SOBER

Psalm 131:1-2 My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I HAVE STILLED AND QUIETEN MY SOUL; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Let me say here. I DO NOT HAVE A CLUE WHAT AWAITS ME TOMORROW….but that doesn’t bother me. You see, my family and I are in the process of preparing to move elsewhere. If anything, we ought to be up and tight trying to figure out how things will play out in the coming weeks and months. If anything, I ought to be pushing and shoving…and putting my agenda before God, asking that things should be as rosy and merry and yes, as smooth sailing as it would be possible. But no. The opposite has in fact, happened. Suddenly, even though I cannot tell why, I AM UNCONCERNED ABOUT THE DETAILS. I AM UNMOVED AT THE REPORT. Instead, MY HEART IS SOBER. I sleep like a baby; my day play out as if nothing is about to change in our lives; my family functions as normal as it has over the last five years.
And yes, my heart, OUR HEARTS ARE SOBER. We are steadfast because WE ARE ESTABLISHED IN HIM.

FIGHT FOR THE LOVE YOU CAN KEEP

Psalm 46:4-5 There is a river whose streams MAKES GLAD the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

Two years ago, the bathroom in our rented house went under a major renovation. Of course, while the renovation was underway, our lives for one month were also turned upside down. But…at last, after waiting albeit impatiently, the revolution in our bathroom was more than our expectation. In exchange for black wall tiles and a PVC floor, now we had white stained wall and floor tiles and yes, in place of the shower, we got a bathtub. YES, A BEAUTIFUL BATHTUB. To crown it all, my husband bought us sweet scented candles and bathtub herbs to go with the newness of our bathroom!

Then the day came for me to test our new bathtub. With the tub filled almost to the brim, I jumped into the water and covered myself under the foams as my eyes closed into a relaxed manner. The dim lighting from the candles with its sweet smell fragrance made everything look even more perfect. As I lay there, without a care in the world, I heard these words as clear as noonday. ‘YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.’ Suddenly, my eyes popped opened, a little stranded at what I heard because I knew why the Lord had put those words in my heart.

I HAVE SEEN YOUR WIDOW’S OFFERING

Luke 21:1-4 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a POOR WIDOW put in two VERY SMALL COPPER COINS. ‘I tell you THE TRUTH,” he said “this poor widow has put MORE THAN ALL THE OTHERS. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she OUT OF HER POVERTY put in all she had to live on.”

It is just but a little over 6 months since I started this blog. This morning, as my hands were busy doing the dishes, my mind was also busy wandering here and there. How I had managed to keep up with the pace of posting is only by the GRACE OF GOD. And yes, partly because of a blogger friend, Elaine Davenport, who stood by me…urging me on. A month or so before I started this blog, someone I had thought of as a friend suddenly turned their back on me and my family….and caused us much harm. If she had stopped there, maybe it would have been different. But no, she took it upon herself…to cause damage on relationships I had established with others…whom she had come to know through my friendship with her. And after all the pain and heartache she had caused, I forgave her….and moved on.

But…I was not the same person. Then again, two weeks later, after I ventured into the blogging world, another painful blow happened to me. But this time, even though it was as painful as the first one, I refused to be shaken. No…I had nothing except CHRIST to hold on to! And each day, despite the battle within…I kept writing. I kept giving….more than I had. I kept going…believing, hoping against hope. Some days, I had wings, but most, my hands felt feeble and weak. I never stopped. I don’t know why, but I kept going!

THE ANOINTING THIEF

Acts 8:18-20 When Simon saw that the SPIRIT was given at the laying on of the APOSTLES’ HANDS, he offered them money and said, ‘GIVE ME ALSO THIS ABILITY so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you can buy the GIFT OF GOD WITH MONEY!

You may or may not have encountered an Anointing thief. I am talking about the HOLY SPIRIT anointing. Let me explain. Counterfeit anointing…is something that is almost as old as the world itself. Even during the time of Pharaoh’s dreams in Egypt.

Genesis 41:7-8 …Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream. In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the MAGICIANS and WISE MEN of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no-one could interpret them for him.

And long before Jesus had come on earth, God had given these instructions to the children of Israel regarding the ANOINTING THIEVES.

Leviticus 19:27, 31…”Do not practise DIVINATION OR SORCERY. Do not turn to MEDIUMS or seek out SPIRITISTS, for you will be defiled by them, I am the Lord, your God.

INFIDELITY IN MARRIAGE

Matthew 5:27 ‘You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman LUSTFULLY has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Let me start here with a true story. Many years ago, when I was a baby Christian, there was a couple who I really admired and looked up to. From outside, their marriage looked so beautiful and genuine and of course, naturally I wanted to have what they had; A marriage built on love, tenderness and a quiet respect. Then one day, my innocence was brutally violated when I found out that he, the husband was having an affair with his wife’s best friend. For days and weeks, I pondered as my heart ached if to tell her what I knew or not. Without the courage to face her, I cut and ran. Oh…you have to forgive me…but that’s what I did! Hoping against hope, I prayed privately for their marriage to find a common ground for healing and restoration but it was never to be. Many years down the road, the marriage came to an END, a very painful end!

And while I still have no answer to the question if I should have intervened then or not, I know that Jesus did intervene in the issue of INFIDELITY. No…he did not give us a foundation for divorce or how we should deal with others infidelity…but rather, when He spoke about adultery, He was addressing the married couples. You see, until you are married…or you are single dealing with a married person, you might not think much about infidelity. INFIDELITY in marriage as Jesus puts it, starts not as we know it…that is, the actual bed act…but rather with A LOOK….yes, THAT LOOK!

A COVENANT OF WORDS

Isaiah 59:21 “As for me, this is MY COVENANT WITH THEM,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, and MY WORDS that I have put in your mouth will not DEPART from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants, from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

“Words…words, words. I don’t need words. I want to feel, I want to touch, I want to see.” These were my friend’s words as I took time to talk to her about God and why I believe in Him. ‘Why should I put my trust on Someone who is not tangible?’ she argued out her case. And at best, even though I couldn’t be able to give her what she wanted…eventually, she did confess this. ‘Even though I cannot see God…I feel Him in the air…and I want to reach out and touch Him. But HIS AURA is here with us…thanks to your words! And right there and then, I realized that she had made her own confession…not in a faith that is tangible, but a faith that comes through hearing…and hearing the Word of God.

In many aspects of life…many people have become hard of hearing. If one cannot hear, then words have no meaning to them. And when words lack meaning…they are not repeated and when they are not repeated…they are not passed on. When they are not passed on…then a generation raises up which has no connection with the past generation. Then…history repeats itself.

A CALL FOR WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

Daniel 12:10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are WISE WILL UNDERSTAND.

We are living in the last days. Let me say it again. WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS. But let me stop at this. I am continually surprised at the foolishness of the intelligent….yes, of the intellectually intelligent! The one who has the ability to forecast almost about everything EXTERNAL, yet has no slightest clue about the forecast of the INTERNAL. Then there comes a time where the explanation of the external cannot bring relieve to the need of the internal. I saw it last week in my country, Poland. People reaching out for answers after the presidential plane crash. But instead of finding relief, I saw the multiplying of questions which seemed to lack any conclusive answers.

But now more than ever, I see a deep truth from the book of Daniel

But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the TIME OF THE END. MANY WILL GO HERE AND THERE TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE. Daniel 12:4

Instead of reaching out for WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING, I see people reaching out for