Keep on Growing!

As I attended church with my mom, which was mandatory, I learned that the way older Christians expected me to grow was to attend church, read my bible, and pray everyday. Over time I also learned the do's and don'ts of Christian life. I worked hard to accomplish this.
I am realizing now that growth in Christ is way more deeper than that. Yes, reading the Bible, praying and attending church does help in our growth, but my reason for doing these things will cause me to grow indeed, or not.
In 2 Timothy 3 : 16 & 17, it says,
16: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
17: God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Mein! I memorized this verse, but it was just that-memory. Head knowledge. It was explained to me, but I remember thinking that this was a good scripture to prove to an unbeliever that the Bible is true.
I never really dug into it, and allow Christ to mold me into that truth, or how to live that truth. I was never told that I needed to. It was just a quiet expectation that I would find out and do it. Like, how does the word correct me, and equip me? I was never taught this. Attending church weekly did so partially. I needed it in my life completely, and I found myself crying out to God to meet me in this when I thought I had it covered. Wishing that I knew all this when I was younger. So my journey with God took a sharp turn and I began to see that what I read in the bible happens in my life. Yes, my life. I no longer think to the back of my head- umm, I guess that's only in the bible days. I see it now. Hallelujah!
Join me as I share what He teaches me.

Are you Growing?

If you have been born again in Christ, are you growing? 
Your new birth is your beginning in Christ, not a one stop encounter with Christ. To remain in Him, to enjoy the abundant life He promised, you must grow.
How do you grow? Well, going to church faithfully every Sunday and any other day WILL NOT DO IT. Your church attendance needs to be more than checking in, warming a bench or chair, and checking out. It needs to be more than surviving the week until Sunday again when you feel close to God.
It must be a deliberate, spiritual choice to follow Christ for all eternity. Your focus must be on Christ. Any other focus will find you far from His way. 
Your growth focus must not be you getting bigger and more popular and well known. It is not how many good things you have done. It is also not the size of your ministry or church.  Then He (Jesus) said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways (deny yourself), take up your cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9 :23
You cannot follow Christ and ........ (this blank list is long). You must follow Christ alone.
I know! I know! The question pops up: "I no think God mi mean.....?"
Or
"I have needs, and rights!"
It popped up in my head too.
But, these are His requirements.
Are you willing and ready to trust Christ that all that you need will be added to you (Matthew 6:33) and follow Him? Always choosing to be obedient to Him? Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you in everything?
If you are not ready, you will not experience His abundant, peaceful and restful life. You will always struggle to make it.
Let Father God lead you and take care of you, and mold you and use you to get more people into His kingdom.
You ready? Let's go!

Are you Born Again for Sure?

Did you know or realize that Adam and Eve are the only two humans who knew what it is like to NOT be a sinner? Got your attention? Good!
Being born again for sure means restored connection with God as before the fall.
If you have been born again for sure, or consider yourself a Christian (which requires being born again), then consider this:
Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Romans 3 :24
God doesn't sees us as guilty or unrighteous anymore. In fact, He declares us as 'righteous' and 'not guilty'. He declares this. His word is final.
For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
Romans 5 :10
Our connection with God, which Adam and Eve enjoyed, has been restored through Christ death. Simple.
So, are you enjoying that unhindered fellowship with God?
Or are you still trying to become righteous before Him? This would be like living in your own house in God’s backyard, and hoping to enjoy all the benefits of living inside His house. You will not get everything.
Question:
Do you believe what God says?
If your answer is yes, then live like it. Not on your own, but through Christ.
If your answer is no, then you most likely are not born again. Come to God now. It is not too late yet.

Relationship vs Religion

I have come to realize over the years that being born again ( aka: being a Christian ) is to be in a relationship with God.
When Jesus was on earth, He ushered in a relationship. His invitations were always to come to Him and follow Him. He never once said " Come, let me tell you all that My Father told me, then go do it."
Yes, He sends us out to do what He calls us to do, but even in that, we must do it how and when He says, which can only be done by staying connected to Him.
Matthew 11: 28-30 says;
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Are you at rest? Rest deep in your soul?
Moment by moment, every day, I am finding Him to be true to His word of being humble and gentle. It shows in Him teaching me and molding me and yes, correcting me. It is called discipleship.
And, as my heart responds in obedience to Him, and allow the molding and correcting to take place in my life, I experience His rest so deeply, nothing can take it away.
And when those things pop up that threatens to take it away, because, well, the devil NEVER gives up, I have the grace and strength and boldness and courage to ignore and say "NO". With that same strength and boldness and courage, that I only get through Christ, I am able to keep focus on God's truth.
Are you tired of how your life is? Are you carrying a burden in your 'work for God?' He said His 'yoke is easy and His burden light right there in Mathew.
Come to Him and experience His rest today and always.

Trying vs. Doing

Psalm 23:1 says, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need"
I have been coming to find out with God's word, and everything He says, I either believe Him or I don't.
If I don't, it will show by how I live. I will have my plans in place. I will make sure I am secure financially. I will work hard to achieve my goals. I am in control of my life and therefore have to work hard and full time and sometimes over time to make sure our life goes how we plan it. I know no rest. And even on vacations it is hard to rest, because I have to still make sure that nothing is affecting my plans. And even if I am successful at gaining much riches, I have to always be on top of protecting it. Worrying about who could or might steal it. And for those of us who are poor, or life is a struggle to make ends meet, we feel forsaken and forgotten and sometimes give up.
Such life is void of peace and rest. It is filled with fear, endless thinking and strategies, controlling actions and thoughts, unable to trust, unable to rest, resentment, unforgivness, and the list goes on.
Many of us have mastered masking it. No one knows. They see a good and successful person that's happy.
If I believe Him, my life will also show it. I must believe all, not some or what I am comfortable believing. I must believe that I do have all I need in Christ who is my Shepherd.
Is He your Shepherd? Then you have all you need.
The following verses in Psalms 23 tells us what all we have in Him. Take some time and read and digest and believe Him. And then, ask Him to show you how to live His way. Stay close to Him.

Everything I Need?

Psalms 23:1, "The lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need."
Christ said of Himself that He is the good Shepherd. I can now join King David and say that He is truely my Shepherd.
I could have said that for many years now, but to believe that because He is my Shepherd I have all I need is a huge and overwhelming thought.
Is it really everything?  It sounds too good to be true.
However, the Holy Spirit gently repeated Christ's question, "do you believe this?"
Either I do believe or I don't. I can't be half way or unsure. Those are counted as unbelief by God.
With a pounding heart I chose to believe. I do have everything I need. I let the thought and truth sink in and penetrate my entire being.
"Teach me Lord to always rest in the fact that I have everything I need. May I never doubt You."
And as the days and weeks followed that moment, when the world's reality hit me hard, I clung to that truth with the repeated request,
"teach me Lord, keep me focus on You."
God has been faithful to keep me. Christ has been faithful to teach me. Holy Spirit has been faithful to guide me.
Do you believe this? Or you still want to walk your doubtful path.
Believe Christ today.

Excuses! Excuses!

It is amazing how much I see and hear excuses from people concerning God and His requirements for life. The  self justification using excuses is real and abundant. The excuses are also used to judge others, while at the same time, taking offense if others judge them. It saddens me to see so many people caught up in this.
How many times have I heard " lot a hypocrites deh da church" hence they don't want to go to church. Or they list what they don't like about the church or Christians and even God.
This bothered me so much. How else will they learn about God and living for Him?
It angered me when they go further and make fun of who God is based on their knowledge of Him from wrong teaching, and based on their experiences with the church.
I cannot deny the fact that the body of Christ has misrepresented Him over the years. That in itself frustrated me. It did come to a point where I was ashamed to hold my head up as a Christian because of all the accusing excusing darts fired my direction.
I remain a Christian however, because I was convinced that God’s way is the right way. I just didn't understand a lot of things and had problems myself with a lot of things, and I didn't know how to deal with the accusing excuses.
Then, God showed me that His offer is Himself. He showed me that I was missing where my focus should be-Him. He started to teach me, and correct me, restore me. I was able to face my personal 'problems' with God and truely seeing 'living for God' how He sees it.
I am now learning to meet His expectations of living for Him and living for Him His way. By His grace I am also learning to let go of my thinking and my knowledge, and my doctrine and my rules for me, and holding on to His.
I am now free of my own excuses. My shame to be a Christian is gone. I am proud to be associated with Christ by those around me. I am grateful and proud to belong to Christ.
But, most of all, I am confident and glad that I can share who God is based on what He says He is. Based on His word. I no longer shrink back.
The excuses will seem to justify you now, and you might enjoy pushing a Christian buttons by disrespecting God, but He will see that as your actions and hold you accountable. Also, you will answer to Him.
I challenge you, if you haven't already, to get your life right with God. Riding on the excuses will be useless when you have to answer to Him. He sees all and knows all. And while you might be able to fool the Christian you are torturing,  you cannot fool Him.
In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

Is being a Christian being Christ -like?

Recently, I have been reflecting a lot on my life as a Christian, and what all God has had to correct in my mind and heart the pass couple years. This road has been enlightening, challenging, difficult, painful, yet rewarding, peaceful and restful. Mega oxymoron right?
When I first gave my life to God, I became His child. I also became what is known as a Christian. I was told I must now live for God. This included reading my bible, going to church, being active in the church, praying a lot, and anything else my church fellowship said was the 'Christian' thing to do. In essence,  it was a "do this" "don't do that" kind of instructions. I became quite good at it.
However,  Christ did not call us to that. I am realizing now that being born again/becoming a Christian, was the first step. And, unfortunately, what should come after, was not really what I was told.
The second step is following Christ. Not a church denomination; or just making sure I pray everyday and read my bible; or making sure I meet all the imposed requirements from 'the church' so I am regarded as a 'good Christian' or truely born again, but Christ.
I must, immediately after my new birth, start following Christ and meeting His requirements daily to follow Him. This has been absent from my life for years.
See, I am realizing that there are more than one interpretation of 'following Christ'. There is Christ's interpretation, and then there are all the rest.
Since we should be following Christ, shouldn't we go by His interpretation? If not, then I think we will miss what He really means by following Him. We will also miss out on what He offers.
Christ offers Himself. If we have Him, we have everything, because He is the source. He offered Himself on the cross, but we will only reap the benifits of that if we accept Him. We must receive Christ Himself, not go to Him, get what we need and then run off. Our acceptance of Him does not stop when we first gave our lives to Him. It continues daily as we follow Him.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

New Year

A good new year's resolution - follow Christ. It is simpler than you think. It can, however, be challenging, and painful, but the rewards are more than worth it.
Jesus's requirements:
Matthew 16:24 (NLT)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Three things Christ requires of us if we are to follow Him.
*Deny ourselves/give up our own way
*Take up our individual cross
*Follow Him
Very simple. Very challenging. And sometimes very painful. We all must meet these requirements simultaneously and wholeheartedly. No half way, or one foot in/one foot out. We are either following Him or not. We can't be trying to follow Him, or planning to follow Him; we must follow Him.
How do we meet these high requirements?
Jesus said in Matthew 11: 29,
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
We don't have to try to follow Christ anymore. We simply become yoked with Him, and He will teach us every moment, every situation, everyday how to be like Him.
You get it? He stated His requirements, and provided the way to accomplish it.
Yoked with Him.
No other way is genuine.
Let me end with this, the 'rest for your souls' is real. You can feel it and bask in it 24/7.
Join me and become true followers of Christ.