Discernment can be developed

We live in a fast-paced world that demands instant results. For many people, waiting has become a lost art. God’s way of maturing us in our faith is quite different. The character qualities that He values take time to develop.

Discernment is a trait that does not come instantaneously. Rather, it is cultivated by saturating the heart and mind with Scripture. The transcendent Lord of the universe wants to share His thinking with us through His Word. What could be more important or valuable in life than having the capacity to know the mind of God?

Our lives are filled with situations that require discernment. Sometimes we can be so busy trying to find the will of God and direction for our next step that we fail to hear His voice. He is calling us to come to Him and spend some quiet, unhurried time absorbing the truth of His Word. After listening to the Lord, we can begin applying what we have learned. Only as we put His Word into practice in our lives will we have our “senses trained to discern good and evil” (v. 14).

The Scriptures open our eyes to see all of our experiences from God’s perspective so that we can make wise choices.

Our challenge for today and every day is to make it a priority to spend time with the Lord in His Word. We may have to reorganize our schedule or wake up earlier. But it’s worth the effort—discernment and wisdom await us if we put into practice the truths we absorb each day.

You are not a believer!

A disciple or believer is one who receives instruction from another and is persuaded of the truth or reality of some doctrine, person, or thing. Do you think that in all the years Jesus ministered He had only 12 disciples?

Jesus asked his disciples to do four things that churches and other training institutions rarely do. He asked them to abandon everything, to immerse themselves into a life of constant ministry, to depend on God and no one else for their resources, and to live in community.
In John 6:66, by their reactions to this radical command we can reduce Jesus’ followers into four categories:
1) The Curious
Curious disciples followed Jesus in fascination. They were intrigued by what He said. But when Jesus said to them, "Unless you are willing to affirm My total lordship in your life you cannot be My disciple or enter My Kingdom." Not willing to make a full commitment to Christ, "...many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him" (Jn. 6:66).
2) The Committed
In contrast, the Twelve showed that they were more than just followers: When Jesus asked them, "Will ye also go away?" Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Jn. 6:67-69). In other words, Peter said, "We're not the kind of disciples who are just curious; we're the kind who are committed. We know that You speak the truth."
3) The Convinced
These were the disciples who were intellectually convinced. Nicodemus is a classic illustration: Having listened to what Jesus said, and having seen what He did, Nicodemus came to Him by night and said, "You must be from God." He was intellectually convinced, but he didn't believe in Christ in the fullest sense then because he didn't forsake all to follow Him.
4) The Clandestine
There were some disciples like Joseph of Arimathea, who kept their belief a secret.
Which category would you classify yourself in? Why? There is a progression in the stages of discipleship. Which do you think occurs first? According to the parable of the sower, why do you think one cannot remain an intellectually convinced or a clandestine believer for very long? What will a committed believer give evidence of in his life? (Mt. 5:3-12; 13:23; Jn. 8:31) If you are not yet a committed believer, what is preventing you from being one? Find out if you don't know and make the necessary changes. If you are one, help someone you know who is in one of the other three categories to become more spiritually mature.

Can't Trust God?

Are you currently facing a trial? What do think God may be teaching you through it? Do you think He may just be trying to get your attention so that you can depend more upon Him?
Every test that you have experienced is the kind that every person on this earth faces sometime or the other. It’s neither unique nor is your situation different from another. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 to confirm this. In the same verse, you can see that God keeps His promises and will not allow you to be tested beyond your limits of endurance. Not only will you be given the strength to endure it while it lasts, He’ll also show you a way out.
Commit yourself to trusting Him in the situation at hand, realizing that the test you are experiencing has been made just for you. Have there been times when you faced a crisis that showed you didn't fully believe that Jesus cared about you or was able to help you. Mull over the expressions of God's love and power in Ps. 103:2-6; Jn. 17:10; 1 Jn. 4:8-19; and Jer. 32:17; Eph. 1:18-21; and 3:20.

The God I serve is ALL POWERFUL!!

This is long, but take your time. You may need a few days to fully digest this meal. It’s as much as I can remember of Pastors sermon on the Sunday before last:
What is the power that God has?
The Lord has the power to recreate the earth and reverse the curse. And I believe Jesus came to show us that power. He came into the world to declare that He is God the Son and that He has the power to bring the Kingdom of God to a cursed earth. He came to show that He is the promised King and Messiah who could give back sovereignty to man by restoring the earth and eliminating sin.
Mathew 8 and 9 are a series of miracles that portray Jesus’ authority and power. The miracles were foretastes of Kingdom power. When Jesus healed the sick, He was giving a preview of a glorious Kingdom where there would be no sickness. When He raised the dead, He was giving a preview of a glorious Kingdom where there would be no dying. When He calmed the waves on the sea, He was previewing a glorious Kingdom where natural elements would never be out of control. When He cast out demons, He was previewing a Kingdom where there would be no demonic activity at all. When He spoke the truth, He was previewing a Kingdom where there would be no lies but only truth. When He manifested His holiness, He was previewing a Kingdom where there would be only righteousness. Everything He did declared to man, "I am the One who can reverse the curse, and restore sovereignty to man in a glorified eternal Kingdom."
Who is given the Power of God?
All authority in both heaven and earth has been given to Christ.
Luke 10:18-20 18He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Satan, the unemployed, jobless choirboy that he is, has no power to operate in the heavenly realms anymore. So he tries to make on earth-his dominion-HELL.
Jesus says to us though, “ I’m giving YOU authority over him.”The Greek word used here in the original biblical manuscript for authority is Exusia or delegated authority.
Jesus had the exusia to forgive sin, heal sickness and cast out demons. We, his followers have been given the very same exusia to preach, teach, heal and deliver (Mark 3:15.)
In other words, with exusia we can overcome the power of the enemy.
The Greek word for power here is dunamis. It signifies exploding power that manifests or is visible. The manifested or visible dunamis of Satan (sickness, debt, death, evil practices, harmful things ) can be overcome by our exusia. An example to further clarify this:
At a traffic junction, a heavy laden lorry hurtles towards the busy epicenter. The traffic police at the centre may be thin and scrawny. But he’s in his uniform and in the right place at the right time. The lorry can kill the policeman if required. Yet, it STOPS when he shows the STOP board.
The lorry’s dunamis was overcome by the policeman’s exusia.
Jesus can give you both Exusia and Dunamis. Exusia is the right to use our Dunamis, or might.
As a child of God, you are given both authority and power over Satan’s.
Eph 6:10, “10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power,” reminds you to exercise the power you have been given and at the same time you are also called to remember that you are shielded by His power as well. 1 Peter 1:5 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

The God I serve is POWERFUL!!

This is long, but take your time. You may need a few days to fully digest this meal. It’s as much as I can remember of Pastors sermon on the Sunday before last:
What is the power that God has?
The Lord has the power to recreate the earth and reverse the curse. And I believe Jesus came to show us that power. He came into the world to declare that He is God the Son and that He has the power to bring the Kingdom of God to a cursed earth. He came to show that He is the promised King and Messiah who could give back sovereignty to man by restoring the earth and eliminating sin.
Mathew 8 and 9 are a series of miracles that portray Jesus’ authority and power. The miracles were foretastes of Kingdom power. When Jesus healed the sick, He was giving a preview of a glorious Kingdom where there would be no sickness. When He raised the dead, He was giving a preview of a glorious Kingdom where there would be no dying. When He calmed the waves on the sea, He was previewing a glorious Kingdom where natural elements would never be out of control. When He cast out demons, He was previewing a Kingdom where there would be no demonic activity at all. When He spoke the truth, He was previewing a Kingdom where there would be no lies but only truth. When He manifested His holiness, He was previewing a Kingdom where there would be only righteousness. Everything He did declared to man, "I am the One who can reverse the curse, and restore sovereignty to man in a glorified eternal Kingdom."
Who is given the Power of God?
All authority in both heaven and earth has been given to Christ.
Luke 10:18-20 18He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Satan, the unemployed, jobless choirboy that he is, has no power to operate in the heavenly realms anymore. So he tries to make on earth-his dominion-HELL.
Jesus says to us though, “ I’m giving YOU authority over him.”The Greek word used here in the original biblical manuscript for authority is Exusia or delegated authority.
Jesus had the exusia to forgive sin, heal sickness and cast out demons. We, his followers have been given the very same exusia to preach, teach, heal and deliver (Mark 3:15.)
In other words, with exusia we can overcome the power of the enemy.
The Greek word for power here is dunamis. It signifies exploding power that manifests or is visible. The manifested or visible dunamis of Satan (sickness, debt, death, evil practices, harmful things ) can be overcome by our exusia. An example to further clarify this:
At a traffic junction, a heavy laden lorry hurtles towards the busy epicenter. The traffic police at the centre may be thin and scrawny. But he’s in his uniform and in the right place at the right time. The lorry can kill the policeman if required. Yet, it STOPS when he shows the STOP board.
The lorry’s dunamis was overcome by the policeman’s exusia.
Jesus can give you both Exusia and Dunamis. Exusia is the right to use our Dunamis, or might.
As a child of God, you are given both authority and power over Satan’s.
Eph 6:10, “10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power,” reminds you to exercise the power you have been given and at the same time you are also called to remember that you are shielded by His power as well. 1 Peter 1:5 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

The Gospel Exusia

Our Exusia has never been rescinded (John 14:12). Powerless ministries become powerful on discovering the exusia power of the name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:18 18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
In the above verse, the message of the Cross is the Gospel and wholly about Jesus. Jesus is the Wisdom and Power of God. To those who accept the power of the Cross is given the Power of God.
When you share the Gospel, you are allowing the power of Jesus to manifest in the person you are ministering THRU which he is saved. It’s the power of God that acts on his willing accepting heart to save him from everlasting death.
So by sharing the gospel you are given the very same authority.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 tells us that there is power in the Good News. The gospel can break any shackles. Only the fullness of the Power of God can be the remedy for the illness of the world.

Stormy Nights

There are two ways God could go about clearing the storm currently raging in your life:
Sometimes the Lord calms the storm.
Othertimes, He lets the storm rage and calms His child.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace,which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His Peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (No, I didn't come up with something so profound..that wud be Philippians 4:6-7)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirirt. Rom15:13

Don't Despair!

If the situation seems beyond repair and you are convinced by the world that prayer isn't going to get you anywhere...not even fasting and prayer, then this post is intended for you...

The purpose of prayer is not to change God,but to allow God to change us.It is to discover and do God's will,not to obligate Him to do ours. The purpose of prayer is that God's splendour will be displayed on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Rock On, Triune!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but to me as I grow in intimacy with the Triune, I can see they all have different personalities.

The Father I relate to is, to my mind, an elderly person, with a big forehead and white hair combed back. No long white beard or any facial hair. Tall and strong with an iron grip. (yea, his handshakes hurt!)

The Son I would see like my Elder Brother. Loving and has all the liberties I would give an elder brother in chastising me. Watches out for me and makes sure I don’t get into unnecessary trouble. The first person I would run to when I’m in trouble. He will get me straight with my Father. Both the Father and Son share the family resemblance in stature. Both are quiet and generally calm in their ways. Slow to anger, but when angry watch out!

The Holy Spirit- Wow! He’s different altogether. I see Him as quick to move, extremely fast in His actions. The Mover and Shaker of today’s times. He’s here and there and everywhere all the time. Never still-quite hyperactive in today’s parenting terms. Quite attractive and “with it”. Very Volatile and the best Army In Command as we launch Warfare. Slighter in stature but equally commanding in Presence.

What I’m coming to say is: The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are not just influences or Power or an unseen presence. All three of them are PERSONS. Any one who knows and feels and wills is a person. Would you say you are who you are because of how you look or what physical traits you have? No, I am who I am coz of the way I think, act, know, feel and desire.

This is where most people go wrong. They think they need to channel this “UNSEEN POWER” to use according to their will. But No! Remember you are made to suit and fulfil His (Their)Purpose. Not vice versa!

Get to know them personally. I love getting to know each of them personally and I love being part of the family. With these strong men around, how could I, weak lil’ me, possibly not be in for a mollycoddle? :D

Turn Right Here- Shortcuts to Blessings

Here’s the shortest route to a life filled with blessings- Fish men!

The primary call Jesus gave was the Great Commission. We are all meant to be Fishers of Men. It’s our greatest wealth. Paul in Romans 15:16 says each new soul you win to Christ is a crown that you can adorn. It’s an offering God finds acceptable.

The Power of God

In the world’s eyes, power and strength usually brings to mind Rambo or the six or eight packs so favorite of today’s action heroes. In the Bible however, we most often see that tasks requiring strength and might are not accomplished through the force of an army or the muscular power and physical stamina of workmen but through the empowering Spirit of God.

It’s indeed very encouraging to note that the supremacy of God’s power is most often seen in the ways he accomplishes His purposes through mere jars of clay like you and me. We are made mighty because he has infused us with His Power (Exusia and Dunamis).

If you are about to succumb to discouragement, remember your God has the ability to grace and empower your human soul. His might and power is seen through all that he has accomplished thru the weak and insignificant. Examples abound. The Babe in the manger, the motley crew of twelve, a timid Gideon, Shamgar, a melancholy Jeremiah.

All they had in common was a childlike faith and trust and faith in Him. You will accomplish all He has called you to do.

The Power of God

In the world’s eyes, power and strength usually brings to mind Rambo or the six or eight packs so favorite of today’s action heroes. In the Bible however, we most often see that tasks requiring strength and might are not accomplished through the force of an army or the muscular power and physical stamina of workmen but through the empowering Spirit of God.

It’s indeed very encouraging to note that the supremacy of God’s power is most often seen in the ways he accomplishes His purposes through mere jars of clay like you and me. We are made mighty because he has infused us with His Power (Exusia and Dunamis).

If you are about to succumb to discouragement, remember your God has the ability to grace and empower your human soul. His might and power is seen through all that he has accomplished thru the weak and insignificant. Examples abound. The Babe in the manger, the motley crew of twelve, a timid Gideon, Shamgar, a melancholy Jeremiah.

All they had in common was a childlike faith and trust and faith in Him. You will accomplish all He has called you to do.

Why me,Lord?

Ok, all hands up those of you who have asked this at least once! I have news for you people - even Jesus did this! He knew He has sent to earth fwith a single purpose.Yet hours before the ultimate act of obedience, He asked His Father," Why me? Do I really have to do this? ( Matt 26:39)

Consider the scenario of guy yappin' away on his mobile while navigating heavy traffic. A lady jaywalks. He loses control of his vehicle and rams into a crowd of pedestrians. She made a poor choice. He made the wrong choice of time to be on his phone. Either way, people hurt all over. The ripple effect...
Bad stuff can also happen coz we live in a world that isn't perfect.

So are you telling me that either way I'm a goner??

Not by a long way! There's Someone who has promised to stick with you thru thick and thin. Read it all over again in Matt:28:20.You can count on Him anytime. Bad things are bound to happen on earth.That's the way of the world.

But keep in mind, there are no tears or sadness in Heaven. He will wipe away your tears. Don't we,loving parents, go out of our way to comfort and console a crying child? Do we not wrap them in our arms until the pain subsides? Are we above and better than our creator at Godly parenting? (Read Psalm 56:8, Rev 21:14,Matt 5:4)

For those of you still singing the chorus at the pity party-Two wrongs do not make a right. Learn to ask for His decision before consulting self. Even Jesus did this. The world is most often wrong.

On Stormy Seas

If you are wondering why God let's bad things happen to us, remember
1) Satan—despite his incredibly cunning intelligence, cleverness, and power—is still only a puppet in God's hand to bring about His purpose. We see this clearly in the Book of Job. God is far more powerful than Satan. Though Satan boasts about His power on us (and that too because we let him!), God's power and might is far greater over Satan.

2) You don't have to keep paying for your mistakes all the time. Making a mistake is bad, but not repenting or confessing the same is WORSE! Confess your sins, rest assured Jesus has forgiven you. He has paid up all your debts in full, past present and future. But remember you got to confess( Don't confess wholesale... -if you don't know EXACTLY what you need to be forgiven for,you probably don't deserve to be forgiven. Once you are forgiven doesnt mean you DON'T have to live with eth consequences. You Do! But remain calm, God's going to take your burden and change it into a blessing! Not just for you, but for many others.

Afterword on afterword on Jealousy

Ok, in today’s QT I realized I actually subject myself to the invasion of the green monster. I committed a sin, a grievous one--” helping myself to something that wasn’t really mine in the first place. Fooled myself into thinking its acceptable coz hey! God helps only those who help themselves.

By sinning, I left the door wide open for satan and his little imps to come and reign in my life making it a miserable couple of days.

Talk about being masochistic!
Be on guard, he’s craftier than you think.

Falling prey…..

In Revelations 12:10 we see, satan stands before God “accusing our brethren day and night” so that they too like him will not have access to redemptive grace and mercy.

We have to take care that he doesn’t use us as his agents on earth. To the degree of access he has to us, he will use us as his agents to sow discord among brothers. Ever since there were two brothers on earth, he has used this, his most effective and deadly tactic.

This especially true when it comes to judging our brothers and sisters in Christ. In Philippians 2, Paul writes, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." We are implored to esteem others as better than ourselves, not as worse!

Have you stopped to wonder why we are so quick to believe the worst about someone? Why Else? Because it makes us feel better about ourselves. That goes against what God wants for us- unity.

Unity does not just increase our spiritual authority. It multiplies it!

We are so much stronger when we are together; the enemy knows this. That's why he likes to plant the seeds of doubt and dissension and watch us flounder as we try to see just how many fingers we can point at everyone but ourselves. All because we let one negative thought creep in. Have I completely learned my lesson? No. And I probably never will... after all, I'm not perfect.

But God has been teaching me four things over and over these past few days:
1. It doesn't matter in the light of eternity,
2. He's got it all under control anyway,
3. It's not my job to fix everyone's problems, and
4. Let it go!

Attn Crows: Do Not Trespass!

Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brothers, 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."

When life’s billows blow, our thought life hitchhikes through terrain it wasn’t meant to go. The verse above is the hitchhikers map back home!

And whether you are man or woman, it is sure difficult to follow this map ( See? This is why you got to consult the Bible in getting directions!)

I don't know about you, but every day I fight a war with myself inside my mind- it's easy for our thoughts to get away from us. We have to endeavor to guard our thoughts at all times. When we dwell on negative thoughts that creep in, we end up going places we never intended to be, somewhere we weren't meant to go.

So don’t let the crows (negative thoughts) nest in your head!

The Favor of Men

Galatians 1:10
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Take a moment here and ask yourself, "Who am I trying to please?"

Many of us strive for man's approval without even realizing it. There's nothing wrong with doing your best, but it's the motivations behind your actions that counts. A Christian cliché goes "What's popular is not always right, and what's right is not always popular." And it is true..

Let's face it: we all know what we're doing wrong in our lives. And we're the only ones who can change that. Before you do anything, "Who am I doing this for?"

If you are fooling yourself and the rest of church with “Mock Psychology” know that people around us may see a "do-gooder", but God looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).

Enlisted In His Service!

Yup! I did it! I have now officially enlisted as one of the Air Force in God’s Army. :)

One of my main reasons for that would be that there is possibly nothing that can so radically change the church, and the lives of individual believers, than having our criticisms changed into intercession.

If you read Isaiah 58:8,9, you see that this addiction to criticism could be the church’s biggest malady. “That church doesn’t share our convictions, This church has a different agenda from ours”…the list goes on….

While its true many churches today have other agendas besides the Lord Jesus, remember that all you are required to do as a believer is to

1) Matt 6:33-Seek First the Kingdom
2) John 3:5 - Be Born again of Water and Spirit
3) Matt 28:20-The Great Commission

Ignore criticism. Turn it into intercession.

Wheat and Weeds

In Matthew 13:24-30, we read the Parable of Tares . Here, the Kingdom of heaven is compared to a field of wheat and weeds.

The wheat in this parable are the believers and God is the Sower. The devil comes in the night to plant the weeds-thoughts and practices that distract us from being true wheat.

As wheat, it is not our job to point out the weeds in our field. Our only responsibilty is to grow as tall as we can and bear as much fruit for the Sower. I know I needed to hear that. I am one of those people who tends to be a litttle too self-righteous sometimes. I see people not conducting themselves "in a manner worthy of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27), and I am so quick to judge. But guess what? I'm not the harvester, so I have no right to pluck the weeds. It's not even my business to find out whether they are truly wheat or weeds. I am here to glorify the Father and Him alone.

Pay attention to v 30: Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.

That's right! Ignore the weeds and concentrate on becoming strong wheat.

Following thru on your decision…

Today’s world can subtly pressurize us into turning away from our decisions. Everything is presented so seductively… as innocent as a sheep…But a wolf is still a wolf.
Making the right decisions include a commitment to follow through. Even if others try to convince us to deviate from our decisions, we should remain firm.

Our children do not realize the possible long-term effects of their small, daily choices and fail to comprehend they do not have as much control over the consequences of their choices as they think they do. Once they open the door a crack, Satan can get a foot in and once his foot is in, he can enter and even move in. Train children to look ahead.

The Ripple Effect....

Every decision we make has consequences that ripple out like a stone in pool. Not only are there earthly repercussions but also eternal consequences. The consequences may not play out just in our lives but also in another’s.

Many of these decisions may seem trivial; some of them are serious; a few of them are monumental. Ultimately, they are eternal in their consequences. Getting out of a small but bad decision is very hard— harder than it seems. But each decision tends to lead to other, harder choices. Even decisions like going to a party, getting an education, selecting an occupation , buying shoes that look good (but pinch terribly),hanging out with a wrong crowd coz they make usu look good… it’s not major decisions alone that have eternal consequences.!

How do we take a decision then? How do you teach our children to make a choice that doesn’t hurt them eternally? They must know what to do and when to do it when each decision presents itself.
We need to prepare ourselves and the time to make choices is before we find ourselves in the situation. It’s easier to choose when our emotions aren’t involved and the consequences don’t yet exist. Making some basic decisions early in life will free us from making a lot of troublesome day-to-day decisions later. For example, if we have already decided to live by the Word, we will not have to decide whether we should accept a cigarette or an alcoholic beverage when it is offered to us.

Remember that making no decision at all could be just as deadly as making the wrong decision. When we choose not to witness, either thru word or actions, we are accountable eternally. When you see something wrong happening in church and you do not object to it, or even harbor under the misconception that the elders of the church know better, realize you too will be held accountable. Test everything against the Word. Seek only His Kingdom. Everything else will follow.

JUDGE not…lest ye be judged!

The first rule of parenthood works in spiritual context as well. Do Not Compare! Comparisons are meaningless unless the mirror is Christ.

……if you are still prone to judging, well know you’ll be tested against the same measure you dole out!