The Emperor's friend.
Was there a time in your life you did some thing or anything to please anyone? A friend, sibling, a parent, a colleague, for fear of loosing the relationship or gaining favor. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we will agree that we've all done so and do so daily, weather it's giving in to a spouses demand, a child's plea, putting up with the unreasonable request of a sibling or nasty attitude of a friend.
I believe that whatever we tolerate we allow or give permission to continue, regardless of our intention and in allowing or tolerating unreasonable behavior we crucify something else, our ability to excise control, decent behavior, integrity, honesty and all that's good .
We may not know it and may think we are doing the right thing by caving in therefore avoiding conflict, but what we are doing is giving our seal of approval for bad behaviour to continue.
In John 19, we see this behaviour in
Pilate. He was reluctant to crucify Jesus, but he was not ready to lose the friendship of the emperor. Choosing rather to crucify all that's good and true. yes it was part of God's grand plan, but God's plan would still have come to pass had he decided to do the tight thing.
While Pilate's act was part of God's plan, and we can see the result today. can we say that of our actions or inability to take a stand?if it's part of God's plan, can we point to one positive outcome as a result of our action.
What's the effect on us, others, in allowing and encouraging bad behavior?
You may remain the emperor's friend, but lose your integrity. if you fail to take a stand.
So i urge you to be bold and take a stand against all that's evil, if that means losing a friend, sibling, colleague, or anybody else, (all some form of emperor) because an emperor is an important person, so be it.
But remember evil trives when good refuses to flourish.
So i urge you straight from my heart is this piece encouraging you to flourish, grow, be decisive, daring without demanding,
Firm without being incorrigible
Helpful without being proud
Bold without being boastful.
Active without being awful.
Caring without being spiteful.
Remain bless as you decide whose side you want to be on.
25 June 2011
6 June 2011
Have faith and Trust God.
One of the things that affects our faith is our constant questioning of God. Why God, why, when God, when.
We need to get to the point where we stop questioning and start to trust unreservedly. Because we don’t live by explanations but by holding on to the promises of God, through faith, believing it will come to pass in our life.
I have come to learn that there is no such thing as trusting without waiting, we have to trust God with the when and the how and forget about the why.
According to Joyce Meyers, it is important to remain hopeful as long as you are alive, through the toughest days of your existence, if you don’t give up hope, you will enjoy everyday life.
She also says that any time, we want something so bad that we absolutely cannot be happy without it, we probably want it more that we should.
That’s actually what lust is about. Not just a sexual desire, it is wanting anything too much. If God is first in my life, I don’t have to let what I want destroy my joy.
I will just go on believing that God knows the desires of my heart and will bring it to pass in HIS time.
We have to get outside of our little box of issues, problems, disappointments, delays, obstacles, sadness and say to God what I really want is you.
Give me the grace to be happy without the things I am looking for, after all he said his grace is sufficient for us and that with him comes all that we are looking for, (blessed be God who has given us all things to enjoy in Christ Jesus), so the secret is to be in Christ first. So seeking him first guarantees us all things. Yes it may not come when you want it, but he’s on time.
Our joy comes from being in the perfect will of God, not from having a job, because we want one,
Having a spouse, because we want one
Having a home, because we want one, the list is endless.
It is living in his purpose and will as stated in His word.
Only then can we know that we are justified, if we live by faith.
So Straight from my heart is this piece to encourage you that as you embark on this journey towards trusting God implicitly, may you live each day in joy, taking your place in the city of praise.
Setbacks may occur, brought on to pull you down, but though the clouds gather, it may not always pour down with rain, the clouds may roll back to make way for the glorious sunshine of his grace and even when the rain does pour, perhaps with its droplets are showers of blessings.
Let the drops refresh you and renew you for the next season.
We need to get to the point where we stop questioning and start to trust unreservedly. Because we don’t live by explanations but by holding on to the promises of God, through faith, believing it will come to pass in our life.
I have come to learn that there is no such thing as trusting without waiting, we have to trust God with the when and the how and forget about the why.
According to Joyce Meyers, it is important to remain hopeful as long as you are alive, through the toughest days of your existence, if you don’t give up hope, you will enjoy everyday life.
She also says that any time, we want something so bad that we absolutely cannot be happy without it, we probably want it more that we should.
That’s actually what lust is about. Not just a sexual desire, it is wanting anything too much. If God is first in my life, I don’t have to let what I want destroy my joy.
I will just go on believing that God knows the desires of my heart and will bring it to pass in HIS time.
We have to get outside of our little box of issues, problems, disappointments, delays, obstacles, sadness and say to God what I really want is you.
Give me the grace to be happy without the things I am looking for, after all he said his grace is sufficient for us and that with him comes all that we are looking for, (blessed be God who has given us all things to enjoy in Christ Jesus), so the secret is to be in Christ first. So seeking him first guarantees us all things. Yes it may not come when you want it, but he’s on time.
Our joy comes from being in the perfect will of God, not from having a job, because we want one,
Having a spouse, because we want one
Having a home, because we want one, the list is endless.
It is living in his purpose and will as stated in His word.
Only then can we know that we are justified, if we live by faith.
So Straight from my heart is this piece to encourage you that as you embark on this journey towards trusting God implicitly, may you live each day in joy, taking your place in the city of praise.
Setbacks may occur, brought on to pull you down, but though the clouds gather, it may not always pour down with rain, the clouds may roll back to make way for the glorious sunshine of his grace and even when the rain does pour, perhaps with its droplets are showers of blessings.
Let the drops refresh you and renew you for the next season.
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