iPray Fridays: That your faith may not fail

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22: 31 -32

The beautiful thing about God's word is the way a verse or passage you have read so many times can literally just jump off the page at you as if seeing it for the very first time. I had that experience this morning with the Scripture above. Later on in this same chapter, Peter is tested and he does fail...yet Jesus said he would pray for him that his faith may not fail. This means there is a difference between making a mistake (failing) and your faith failing. 


I don't know how it is that we become conditioned to believe that hard times and the challenges of life have to do with God punishing us. I must admit that in recent times I have been pondering on my understanding of who God is and how He relates with His children. Sometimes the God I see in the Bible is different from the God I have been taught about. Satan is the enemy, he wants to sift us as wheat..I just realised something as I write...wheat must be sifted to separate the chaff from the grain...it is uncomfortable but then how do we know that we know what we think we know if we aren't tested (I hope that makes sense)? 


Sometimes we find the sifting process too hard or too difficult or too long and somewhere our faith fails...we don't believe what we used to believe, we don't trust who we used to trust. However today like Jesus I pray that our faith does not fail, that we hold on through the sifting process. That even though like Peter we fail...the seed of faith on the inside of us remains viable and like a mustard seed no matter how tiny it is under the right conditions it will germinate and become a mighty tree. Most importantly, when we turn back to the right path we must share our story and encourage our brethren back to the Ancient paths.


Selah.


Let's pray together. Click comments.

Faithful to believe!

This song has been in my head all week. Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief! Amen.

Byron Cage: Faithful to Believe

Excuse me! Your faith is showing..

In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

This post's title is an adaptation of a slightly embarrassing story that occurred when quite a number of years ago. I remember looking wistfully at my mum and older sister when they were dressing up because in my eyes they had reached the 'advanced' stages of wearing more interesting undergarments than my plain white vest. Lol! Anyway I decided that I too was going to join the club by hook or crook and went to wear one of my mum's slips (dunno what you call them, the one that looks like a skirt) under my cloths. I felt good, was in my own cloud nine, until someone tapped me and said, "Excuse me, your slip is showing", that brought me back to earth quickly! Obviously my mum had a bigger waist so my pretty skirt had somehow slipped down a bit and created a second hemline for my clothes. Lol, I don't even remember what made me think of this but it got me thinking that in that situation, something that was to remain on the inside had somehow made an appearance on the outside, that which should have been hidden was now exposed.

This is true of ourselves as individuals and believers, who we are on the inside will eventually show up. So, if you were to look within what would you see and vice versa. Would what you see match up to my claim about myself or would it be a facade. I can't remember where I got a quote that says, who you are screams so loudly in my ears, I can't hear what you're saying. These days, I've been meditating on what it really means to be a believer, an uncompromising child of God in a compromising world. I look within and around me and if I'm a bit honest have become a bit disillusioned with the 'schizophrenic Christianity' syndrome, where I want to have it all. I want both God and the world, I nurture and nourish both my spirit and my flesh. Father, help me. Joshua told the Israelites to choose, choose whom they would serve but he made a decision, "as for me and my house we will serve the Lord". Father, this is my prayer today as well.

I recently had a minor disagreement with a friend of mine and I sensed the Holy Spirit telling me to accept the responsibility to patch things up. Why me? I didn't do anything (or so I thought) but He made me understand that even though I may not be in the wrong, I'm the one who 'claims' to read the Bible, who 'lives' according to Scripture, who goes to church, who knows that love is kind, love forgives, love takes the higher way even when it means swallowing some pride. He said "your faith is showing, what does it look like"? In every altercation you have and especially with unbelievers, it is your responsibility to work towards conflict resolution because you have me and you have the word. Hmm.

Who we are shows up one way or the other, usually on the days of adversity. I may say I love you but you'll know for sure on the day you need me! When a grape is crushed, blood does not come out. Our faith is showing, when we are crushed, what comes forth? A glass filled with dirty water is placed on a table, the table is hit, water is spilt, lo and behold what has spilled out is clean water! Not so!

Heavenly Father, I lift my hands to you, I lift my heart to you. Help me to live for you and when my faith shows, let it be in consonance with your truth in Jesus name. Sometimes, the most effective evangelism is the way we live our lives, winning them over without words!

So what are you showing?

Selah!

Contending for the faith

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to CONTEND FOR THE FAITH that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and DENY Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord Jude 3-4


For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But YOU, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2nd Timothy 4:3-5

In recent times, I've been having interesting conversations about faith, religion, God, veritas (truth), The Bible amongst other topics; both with people who share my faith and those that don't. I am aware that there are people who don't believe in the existence of God or Jesus Christ, the Bible or tenets of the Christian faith, whilst I don't agree with them, I believe that we all have the right to either accept or reject GOD for it is within our right to choose, I also believe that all choices have consequences, we weigh what we believe those consequences to be and act accordingly.

However, the reason for this post is not to argue about the existence or in defence of God or truth but to remind and urge believers as Jude did a long time ago to contend for the faith. As I mused on my conversations, I realised how passionate the people I was discussing were in bringing me to their line of reasoning and understanding, I asked myself if I was also this passionate when it came to sharing the gospel, what I believe to be truth. Have I been contending for the faith? But what does it mean to contend for the faith? I believe it is what Peter asked us to do in 1st Peter 3:15

...Always be prepared to give an answer to EVERYONE who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with GENTLENESS and RESPECT.

To be able to do this, we as well need to know what our reason is as Paul encouraged Timothy

"....Warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" 2nd Timothy 2:14-16

I want to encourage us to stay in the word, deeply rooted in it, serving God faithfully, living our lives in such a way that we can even preach without words. Please remember that while we are contending for the faith and for what we believe, we are not fighting for God. I'm so grateful to believe in and serve a God who I don't have to fight for, He's very capable at handling things for Himself. I'll also encourage us to study the book of 2nd Timothy and 1,2 and 3rd John. We really need to be building ourselves up, we have been called to be the salt and the light, let's get to stepping.

An important note is that the way of God is the way of love. Ask God for the grace to walk in love, ask God for the strength to walk away from unprofitable arguments. It's not about having the last word but about saying what God has told you to say. He will use the 'foolish' things of this world to confound the wise. Sow your seed and ask the God of the harvest to do the rest.

It is well, keep contending.

Remain blessed and highly favoured. This remains our year of POSSIBILITIES.

A season of prayer; Day 9

A prayer for faith

Daddy, a new morning. 11 hours away from home and eight hours behind GMT but Lord you remain the same, you are God, here, there and everywhere. You speak all languages, your wisdom is infinite. I will continue to bless and praise your name because there is noone like you. Faithful are you O lord, mighty is your name. Be exalted O Lord, above the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth. My soul will magnify your name, my lips will rejoice and make music, my body shall dance for you are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. None can compare to you, indeed there is no one like you.

Faith is being SURE of what we hope for, being confident of things that we have not yet seen. Lord, it's taking you at your word, that if you said it, it will come to pass. Your word says that it is impossible to please you without faith. Daddy, I know this but some days my faith vanishes out of the window as I allow fear to overwhelm me. Fear of tomorrow, fear of the unknown, fear; the devils mirage that makes me stop. O Lord, help me in my unbelief, increase my faith O Lord. I choose to trust in your word. You said that blessed are those who believe without seeing, help me Lord to keep my spiritual eyes open that I may not be overwhelmed by what my natural eyes see. That I may know that although the issues I face daily are real, Lord many are those who are with me than those who are against me, that you are for me, that you are faithful concerning your promises in my life.

Lord, when I evaluate my life, I look at those things that I do not have, I compare where I sense You want me to be to where I actually am and I ask "Is it ever gonna happen?" . Like Sarah, sometimes I laugh with a tinge of bitterness and ask "How can this be" but you are a God who does not obey natural laws, your word says If I have faith like a mustard seed, I can command mountains. Lord, give me that faith that believes for the impossible. I want to walk on water, I want to prosper in famine. I want to confess those promises in your word, irrespective of what the situation looks like. I want to live by faith!

Our relationship is by faith for how does one believe in a God that one does not see with the natural eyes but Lord I have seen your work in my life and I thank you. Lord send people into my life who strengthen and encourage me in my faith so that in trials I will not be unsettled. Help me to stand firm in you and your word for your word is truth. Let every man be a liar, you alone be true. I receive all that you have for me in Jesus name.

Thank you Lord for faith, a renewed faith. In my life, do what you alone can do O Lord in Jesus name. Amen. 2008 continues to remain our year of UNCOMMON TESTIMONIES as we have faith in our God who gives us SUPERNATURAL SUCCESS.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1st Peter 1:6-8

Possibilities

im·pos·si·ble: not possible; unable to be, exist, happen, unable to be done, incapable of being true (Dictionary.com)

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

June is our month of POSSIBILITIES at KICC. All that has been impossible with man is now possible with God. Let us think about the challenges that are facing us right now, how big they seem, how immovable they appear to be and let us remember that we serve a GOD who is bigger and will make those impossible things become POSSIBLE!

It was supposed to be impossible to have a child at that age, ask Sarah and Elizabeth
It was supposed to be impossible to walk on water, ask Peter
It was supposed to be impossible for a dead girl to come back to life, ask Jairus's daughter
It was supposed to be impossible to be raised from the dead after burial, ask Lazarus
It was supposed to be impossible to feed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, ask those who partook of the meal
It was supposed to be impossible for him to walk again, ask the paralytic
It was supposed to be impossible for an 'immigrant'ex-con to become a Prime Minister, ask Joeseph
It was supposed to be impossible for water to turn to wine, ask the bridegroom at Cana
It is supposed to be impossible for that dream you have on the inside to be birthed into reality but is it really? I'm asking you!

The Bible is full of impossible situations turning around to become possible. We call them MIRACLES. That God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Let's exercise our faith muscles and dare to believe that those dreams He has given us will come to pass irrespective of how impossible they may seem in the realm of the natural. It is well.

2008 continues to remain our year of UNCOMMON testimonies. Keep me in your prayers.

Remain blessed and highly favoured

You've heard the word, so watcha gonna do about it??

I don't even know where that title came from, i was just spending some time reading the word and that statement dropped into my spirit. As believers in this age, we have access to the Word of God as it has never been before. We can listen to Christian radio, TV, podcast, we can watch a service live on the Internet. We have the Bible in so many translations, sizes and languages. This week my friend gave me the New Testament in Igbo sef ( o dikwa very wondrous..LOL!!) I think what the Holy Spirit was trying to say to me was that the issue was not necessarily the AVAILABILITY of the word but the USABILITY (sorry for poor grammar)of the word in my life.

We know so many things about the word of God. For example

It was there in the beginning (John 1:1)
It does not return empty but accomplishes His desire (Isaiah 55:11)
It is living and active (Hebrews 4:12)
It enables us to overcome (Revelation 12:11)
It has been exalted above all things (Psalm 138:2)
It is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105)

We know what the Word of God is and what it can accomplish in our lives, my question was then, why isn't my life always a true reflection of the Word of God? The answer I received was.....

First, there is the issue of timing. Joeseph received a word from God concerning his destiny, that it would be very great but his life at some points seemed to be in direct contrast to what he had heard. Psalm 105:17-19 (KJV)says until the time that his word came; the word of the Lord tried Him. Be encouraged that even when your physical eyes see something different from what you know in your spirit to be true, that the Lord makes all things beautiful in its time (Ecc 3:11).

A very fundamental issue however, is how we receive the word of God. This is how it came to me,

'Believer, have you become so accustomed to the Scriptures that you can already anticipate what will be preached when it is quoted? Do you know it all, have heard it all and seen it all? Believer, allow the Word to be fresh and renewed in your life on a daily basis. Be hungry for the word of God. I know you enjoy it but be so hungry for it, like air, something that it is impossible to live without'.

For the word to become fruitful in our lives (to become flesh John 1:14), it must fall on good soil. Remember the parable of the sower (Mark 4:3-20), the issue was not with the word (seed) but where the word fell. So you've heard the word, watcha gonna do about it? Will you be the roadside, allowing Satan to take the Word away from you? Or will you be a rocky place, not allowing the word to take root in you, just jumping up and down when you hear it? Or will you be in the category, I usually find myself in; the thorns...I hear the word but allow worry, fear, desire for other things and anxiety to choke the life out of it and I wonder why it hasn't produced anything in my life.

For the word to bear fruit, I must be good soil,I love the way Luke explained it (Luke 8:15, NIV). The good soil stands for a noble and good heart. An unrenewed heart cannot be good soil because it is full of things that choke the word of God. We are purified in the trials of life's adversities, like silver where impurities rise to the surface and are skimmed off until the refiner can clearly see His reflection, God places us in the fire of trials until anger bubbles up, until unforgiveness bubbles up, what about envy and jealousy? He continues until He can see His full reflection in us.

So now we are good soil, the word has been sown in us, we have heard the Word, what next? We must RETAIN it. Ponder on it, meditate on it, ask and reflect on what it means to you personally and how you can apply it in your life and situation. Note, you retain what you hear so be careful what you hear. Don't go to where the word is comfortable, go where the word is strong. You will only harvest what has been sown!

When we retain the word, we must also persevere in and for it. The devil is a master strategist and will come to try you. Like Jesus, overcome Him with 'It is written'(Matt 4:1-11). Persevere until the word of God comes to pass, until the intagible becomes tangible.

Hold on
Change is coming
The day is breaking
The night is passing away
with it's darkness
and it's tears
with it's uncertainties
the morning is coming
with it's light
and it's joy
with it's hope

You are blessed and highly favoured. Thanks for taking the time to read. 2008 continues to be our year of UNCOMMON TESTIMONIES.

Hold on

At least there is HOPE for a tree (Believer):if (she) is cut down (she) will SPROUT again, and (her) new shoots will not FAIL. (Her) roots may grow old in the ground and (her) stump die in the soil, YET at the scent of water, (she) will BUD and put forth shoots like a plant (Job 14:7-9, NIV)

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with SONGS OF JOY, carrying sheaves with Him (Psalm 126:6, NIV)Capitals and brackets mine

I wonder what would have happened if....

Noah did not build the ark because people were laughing at him (Hebrews 11:7)
Sarah had considered her age (Genesis 21:1-3)
Job decided he'd had enough (Job 14:14)
Joeseph had chosen not to interpret the butler's dream (Genesis 40:6-14)
Ruth had linked arms with Orpah and gone back to Moab (Ruth 1:16-17)
Esther did not take her petition before the king (Esther 4:15-16)
Elisha had turned back at the Jordan (2nd Kings 2:1-10)
Naaman refused to dip in the river (2nd Kings 5:10-14)
The Hebrew boys bowed to the idol (Daniel 3:16-18)
The woman with the issue of blood had not pressed through the crowd (Luke 8:42-48)
Jesus had turned back at the sight of the cross (Matthew 26:42, 27:46)

I also wonder what would have happened if

Martin Luther King had kept his dream to himself
Rosa Parks had stood up when asked
William Wilberforce had stopped presenting his bill to Commons
Thomas Edison had given up after the hundreth attempt

Most importantly, I wonder what will happen
If I and you do not GIVE UP today?
even when the odds seemed to be stacked against us

All the names mentioned above had genuine reasons to give up on their dreams or throw away their faith and belief because of the issues and obstacles they faced. Yet at the decisive moments of their lives, they decided to HOLD on because they knew the ONE in whom they had believed was faithful. Laurie Beth Jones in her wonderful book, Jesus in Blue Jeans terms this as 'not flinching at the critical moment'. We will all face such critical moments, some of us are facing them right now, so what will we decide to do? give up and throw in the towel or hold on a little bit longer. I love the Scripture above from Job, the Bible says at the scent of water, a tree will bud. In the Bible, water is symbolic of the word of God. The only way we can get that scent is to keep our eyes fixed on the Word of God. I'm not for a moment saying this is easy, it isn't. The Word is a source of encouragement, a source of power, it isn't natural to just keep confessing God's word when it seems to be totally opposite to what your eyes can see concerning your circumstance but that's what faith is about. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) says it's being SURE of what we HOPE for and CERTAIN of what we do not SEE. Do not be afraid for surely there will be an end to the issues that we face and our expectations shall never be cut off. All that we need is to hold on to God. His Word is true and if He has given you a word concerning something, He can never, never, never fail.

So please, keep holding on, sometimes it's that little extra that differentiates a 'breaking' from a breakthrough.

You are blessed and highly favoured. This continues to remain our year of UNCOMMON TESTIMONY.