Is it me or is it Him

Is it me or is it Him

“Prayer changes things”, we have all heard that profound statement. How about, “God told me that you are the one or to do something”? What happen after the prayer manifested or you where obedient to what God said and now you encounter some difficulties or challenges? So many questions and it seems we can go on for a lifetime without finding satisfactory answers.

Many believers approach to the Gospel with a false sense of reality. What do you think Christ meant when he said “Pick up your cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24) or “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and turns around is not fit for the kingdom” (Luke 9:62). There is WORK to be done and we are shying away from every opportunity to grow. To walk with Christ you will get dirty, you will go through battles, you will be engaged in warfare, you will experience seasons when it seems like you cannot get a break from challenges ect. The fact of the matter is that if you are a serious threat against the plans of the devil then you become a target.

Jesus said “If the world hates you remember they hated me first” (John 15:18-25), this means you are in good company if people you were once close to stop calling you, you don’t get invites to hang out, co-workers and family members start making up things about you or your spouse.  Christianity comes with a price and once you are able to take control of the inner struggles dealing with your mind (Mind Renewal) the easier your journey becomes. When you embrace each challenge as an opportunity to grow and to give the devil some blows then you will demonstrate the PEACE that Christ gives and count ALL things joy (James 1:1-4).

I am convinced that Christianity is not difficult, I am the one that is difficult because I feel the stretching of my flesh and the discomfort of been discipline, consistently doing the word without physical proof of instant results and been patient. When I take myself out of the way, God is able to accomplish a lot more. The limitation of growth is a lack of self disciple and a lack of trust that God knows more than I think (Isaiah 55:8-10). I encourage you to continue to walk the path that seems foolish to the world (1Corinth 1:27) because your Heavenly father has a plan to use your life to be light to a world that is in darkness. We are the salt and the light the world needs to find the Jesus Christ (Matt 5:13-14) Satan does not want you to be successful living the life your creator created you to live so he will go to extremes to distract you from the path God has set for you. I have good news for you, God will restore the years you have sown in darkness (Joel 2:25) and He will not take back the plans he has for your life (purpose of your life) according to (Romans 11:29).

By: Dean Brown

God is in love with Us

God is Love (1 John 4:8 & 16) and there is nothing we can do for God to love us anymore our less. He is one constant Love, never changing. His love is not based on our earthly merits, works or rituals. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. We may experience a period(s) of broken fellowship due to not accepting salvation, of operating in fear but during that time Gods love is still there. The Cross has a purpose and that purpose is salvation(Romans 5:8). Salvation is nothing missing; nothing broken; saving from harm; destruction; difficulty; failure; loosen from bondage of sin through Jesus, to name a few. Many things are embedded in this one act of love and we may live our entire lives without using many of the benefits of the cross.  

 I am guilty of allowing my experience with others and the way I handle my relationships to dictate my expectation from God. God is not like man and when I confine my expectation from God to the reasoning of my mind and past experiences then I am limiting my level of manifestation of God’s love in my life. I believe that part of the reason the body of Christ has not seen the level of signs and wonders in operation is due to our lack of understanding of God’s love for us. The bible says that if we, evil man (natural parents) knows how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does my heavenly father knows how to give good gifts to His children (Matt 7:11). Many people may take this as an insult when the bible refers to us as evil (born again) and heathen (unsaved) but God says the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) meaning we are not perfect and He is the only person good. When I think of my children and the things I want to provide for them, things I want to protect them from and the lifestyle and want to live before them then I compare that to my limited understanding of God’s love and find there is no comparison. God’s love cannot be fully understood by the natural mind and should not be compared to our natural love for each other because at some point we all have disappointed each other even thought it may not be intentional but God’s love never fails.

No man can boost about salvation because it is free and available for ALL. If you have been saved a day after your first birthday or when you were in your forties, God loves you the same. I struggle at times to remember how much God really loves me. Things he has done is for His sake and not mind (Psalm 103 8:17) Sin cannot stand before God and it does hurt Him to see His creation go astray because of sin and the ignorance of His grace, love and forgiveness. When we get more and more revelation of God’s love we will start shedding scales of sin and when we understand that been saved is God’s plan to make us who we really are before Adam sinned: to rule and have dominion over all things, then our words and expectations will experience change.

God loves us and he wants and deserve our best love. He is the only one who should get our worship, praise and devotion. If you have not allowed Jesus to be Lord of your life it is not too late. His return is not known and based on His character He operates suddenly so your time is now. Get to know God more intimately and allow His love to manifest in your life. Read Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 2:4-5 & 3:16-21

By Dean Brown

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