iMeditate Mondays: A second chance

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, sir,” she said. "Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8:10-11

'Thank you for giving me a second chance, I wasn't sure you would but I'm glad you did'

Excerpt from an email to ZoeB

I came across a programme on BET a few days ago. There was a beautiful young woman, I can't even remember her name but she was sharing what I considered a testimony. She grew up in church, moved to a different state to further her career and then got pregnant. She was given a choice between her career or her baby and she chose to have her baby. She came back home to a small town to face the disappointment of her parents and the judgement of almost everyone else. 

There is wrong and right and there's nothing wrong with calling someone out on wrong behaviour. But I ask myself what is the point of kicking someone who is already down? My friend from school had a baby out of wedlock and she told me that some of her 'church' friends stopped speaking to her. How does that help? Where is our compassion? Love is both conviction and compassion...not condemnation. We all have done things we're not willing to share with the world. God knows we did it too and yet we are all products of a second chance. He says 'freely we have received, freely we should also give'. We should be the ones teaching the world about love and not the other way around! 

Back to the story, she said she cried every single day she was pregnant. Until her son was born. She said she talked to God and asked for His help. He gave her a second chance, she gave herself a second chance. Today she's walking in her destiny, beautiful and happy. Listening to her touched me deeply. One day we will all need a second chance, an opportunity to right a mistake we have made. To make things right, to get back on track. Will we receive it? Are we giving it?

I'm not advocating remaining in an environment that is detrimental to your sense of security. That's why is an iMeditate to take some time to think it through. I'm asking God to make my heart large enough to be a second chance giver. To see as He sees...beyond labels.

Meditations from ZoeB 4.2.11 on the couch..

iPray Fridays: Because you prayed

Because you prayed

God touched our weary bodies with His power

And gave us strength for many a trying hour

In which we might have faltered, had not you, 

our intercessors faithful been, and true

Charles B. Bowser

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16

Amazing things can happen in the lives because we prayed. Today's iPray is about praying for the needs of others. For standing in the gap and asking God to intervene in someone else's life. Pray for your family members, pray for your church, pray for your nation. Pray for Australia, pray for Egypt.

But I don't know how to pray for someone else? They don't look like they need prayer? Its funny that those who seemingly have everything going on ok are usually the ones who need prayer most. If you don't know what to say, ask God to meet them at their point of need. To remind them of His nearness. To open doors for them and ask the abundant favour of His life upon them. If they are married, pray over their marriages.

Job prayed for his friends and his circumstances turned around. Answers to our own prayers may be linked to us taking the time to commit someone else into the hands of their Heavenly Father. You can always pray for me that God gives me the strength to keep going : ).

Let's pray together. Click Comments!

iWorship Wednesdays: Bro Franklin

My sister shared this video with me sometime last week. I think I must have watched it over 50 times since then because I have watched it at least 5 times every day since then. Oh yes, at first I laughed because I think his dance steps are a bit funny. It wasn't condescending, for me he is a modern day David who is not going to allow people's opinions stop him from worshipping His God who is everything to Him.



Below is his testimony. Its part one of two and is also about ten minutes but if you have time please take time to watch it.





 Before becoming a Christian he danced well in the world. So now he has to dance to the King. We have our definitions of what 'appropriate' worship is. Sometimes we think some behaviour is distracting...and maybe it is. Bro Franklin has encouraged me to worship without abandon...whether in my seat or right in front of the altar. The only appropriate worship is that which is done in spirit and in truth. Sometimes that's the only gap between us and our breakthrough. There's no song today. Worship Him the way you know best.

iPray Fridays: I never expected

"I never expected to see your face and God has allowed me to see your children"

Genesis 48:11

'For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off' 

Proverbs 23:18

/ek-spek-tey-shuhn/ : a thing looked forward to, a prospect of future good or profit


Jacob was shown his son's robe with blood on it. He was told his son must be dead. It was true that it was his son's robe, the blood on it was as real as blood goes. No CSI in those days to test if the blood was human or not...but yet despite his 'good' evidence, his son was not dead. He never expected to see his son's face again...and yet God allowed him not only to see his son but his son's sons. 


Surely, there is an end and our expectation shall not be cut off in Jesus name. We all have expectations. We expect a salary from the boss at the end of the month, we expect service from the utility company when our bills are paid, most single people expect to get married, couples trying for a baby expect to get pregnant, pregnant couples expect to have a baby within a period of time. Its something that hasn't happened yet but we look forward to it happening. 


Jacob expected to see Joseph grow from a boy to a man and yet all he got was a blood stained robe, evidence to him that his expectation had been cut off and short. What is the evidence that you have before you today? The evidence that tells you that your expectation will be or has been cut short? Bring it before the altar in prayer today. Let those dreams live again, God always has a purpose and a plan. Joseph may be 'lost' in a strange man's land for 13 long years but your expectation shall not be cut short in Jesus name. Don't give up, stay praying! This just encouraged me.


Let's pray together! Click Comments!


ZoeB

iWorship Wednesdays: How deeply I need you...

need: a requirement, an obligation, a necessary duty

'Like the desert needs the rain,

Like the ocean needs the stream,

Like the morning needs the sun,'

This is a prayer to need Him. If His presence living in me is the breath I breathe then He is a requirement, an obligation and a necessary duty. Not like a chore but an essential part of survival. Lord, I need You to make sense of the senseless, to have hope in hopelessness, for light in darkness. I need You. I can't make it without You.