All posts tagged: faith

Momentum


Momentum is “force or speed of movement, the impetus gained by a moving object.” It is often described by taking into account the force that can stop it. On the other hand it is very difficult to explain the exact formula that brings momentum in a person’s life. But when a person gets momentum, nothing in the world can stop them. Now, this does not mean there will be no opposition, nor does it mean one will not come under attack from various forces. But when your career, business, ministry, church gets momentum – wherever and however it might have started – nothing will be able to stop you. Unless you stop yourself! The bible say, “from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it (NIV). Let’s un-pack that verse: 1. From the days of John until now – a non-stop momentum 2. The kingdom has been forcefully advancing – kingdom momentum 3. Forceful (violent) men lay hold of – a go getter momentum Nothing throughout the centuries have been …

How to Excel in Pleasing God


In this first letter to the Thessalonians Paul begins in chapter 1:4 by recounting how the gospel – preached with the Holy Spirit’s power and full conviction – had touched and transformed the lives of many. This transformation was so plain to Paul that he declared in 1 Thess. 2:1 that “our coming to you was not in vain” and how in 1 Thess. 1:9, “they had turned from idols to the living God.” He calls them imitators of God in 1 Thess. 1:6, and boasted about how their testimony had gone forth not only in their immediate surroundings, but also to far away places (1 Thess. 1:8). Paul also called them his hope and joy, the crown of exultation, and glory (1 Thess. 2:19, 20),  and broke out in ecstatic praise when he got news that they were doing great in their walk with the Lord even though he had not visited to impart what he thought they were lacking in their walk with the Lord. Even after hearing how great they were doing – Paul still continued to pray for them to increase and abound in their walk with the Lord. He admonished …

Encourage thyself in the Lord Monday


And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Sam. 30:6 KJV There is going to come a time in your life when the world around you will seem to be caving in. Your closest friends, trusted colleagues and faithful brothers and sisters will all turn their backs on you. There is going to come a time in your life, when all hell will break loose over you. You will be hard-pressed from every side, and your enemy will seem to have  gained the upper hand or advantage over you. And of course, Mondays will come around once a week to remind you that you are in a dead-end job, and nothing’s working. When that happens, you need to lay hands on yourself and encourage yourself in the Lord. So, listen to this song and tell yourself the following: God is still on His …

How to resist and defeat Cultural Pressures


We are exposed on every side to cultural pressures. Between the two temptations of escapism and conformism, the latter is more common—that is, accommodation to the prevailing culture. We are exposed to cultural pressures incompatible with the Lordship of Jesus Christ, which, nevertheless, are demanding from us a capitulation that we are not prepared to give. And if we do capitulate to the pressures of society around us, then we compromise our integrity, we blunt our testimony, and we suffocate our spiritual life. What are the pressures of our culture to which we are forbidden to conform? What are the contemporary trends which threaten to envelop and engulf the church and against which we need to be on guard? I have selected three. I’m sure there are many more we could discuss, but these three are very important. First there is the challenge of pluralism: the church is called to be a community of truth. Second there is the challenge of materialism: the church is called to be a community of pilgrimage. Third there is the challenge of moral relativism: the …

Prayer Knows No Bounds


Faith, and hope, and patience and all the strong, beautiful, vital forces of piety are withered and dead in a prayerless life. The life of the individual believer, his personal salvation, and personal Christian graces have their being, bloom, and fruitage in prayer. God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. They outlive the lives of those who uttered them. Prayer is of transcendent importance. Prayer is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work. Praying hearts and hands only can do God’s work. Prayer succeeds when all else fails. Prayer honors God, acknowledges His being, exalts His power, adores His providence, secures His aid. Prayer puts God’s work in His hands-and keeps it there. Prayer is our most formidable weapon, the thing which makes all else we do efficient. It is hard to wait and press and pray, and hear no voice, but stay till God answers. The possibilities of prayer are found in its allying itself with the purposes of God, for God’s purposes and man’s praying are the combination of all potent and omnipotent …

7 Livingstones


1. “God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours.” 2. “All that I am I owe to Jesus Christ, revealed to me in His divine Book.” 3. “I will go anywhere, provided it be forward.” 4. “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.” 5. “Nothing earthly will make me give up my work in despair.” 6. “There is one safe and happy place, and that is in the will of God.” 7. “I will place no value on anything I have or may have except to the kingdom of Christ. ” _______________________ 7 Quotes from David Livingstone

Ono = Oh No! I am not coming down!


ONO = Oh No! Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Have you ever noticed, when you finally make up your mind to obey God, live for Him, follow the Spirit’s lead, that’s when all hell suddenly breaks loose against you? I have come to realize that when you focus on living for God and doing His work, the enemy seeks relentlessly to get you off track. This the case with Nehemiah the governor and rebuilder of the wall of Jerusalem. He and his compatriots were knee-deep in fulfilling the work the Lord had given them. But to get them of track Sanballat and Gehsem decided to throw everything, every trick in the book, to get them off track. Our enemy also, would use all the dirty tricks in the his books to take us out of the game, slow us down, …