Tag: Jesus

Daily ponder: In times of trials

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The past two year has been the most difficult of the most, maybe you have experienced a salary cut, a job loss, a business, loss someone. Maybe the bills are piling up and the debts is just growing and provisions seems no-where in sight.

These are moments of trials, I have been reading through revelations and it was prophesied there that God’s people will go through extreme persecutions and hardship. What should we do when we do when we are in times of trial and even worse.

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

Revelation 14:12

We are called to remain faithful to Jesus to the end.

Nobody in the right mind would actually like to pursue a life of suffering and pain. We are actually inclined to live a life in pursuit of convenience and happiness. But life is not like that. It is an illusion, the Bible is clear that there will be trials and tribulations, many faithful men and women to the Lord died a tragic death continually professing faith to Christ. We are called to be faithful to the end to Jesus because we know that this time on earth is only temporary and eternity is set before us. Dead has not sting on those who believe and put their faith on Christ.

We are called to patient endurance.

In the middle of suffering and pain, we normally express “How long oh Lord I must suffer” the very same lines as King David expressed in the book of Psalms. It is okay to express to the Lord our grievances, but no matter what it our clear picture of who He is and His promises that will keep us on the journey of patient enduring. We can be patient knowing we have a promised keeper with us. We have a faithful God that is beyond what this physical life and the is the hope we have in Him. I am no seeker of a reward, but it is who promises it and desires to give it to those who remain faithful to the end.

Friend, If you are reading this. Thank you! It is my prayer that this thought of the day, spoke well to your soul. There is no such thing as an accident, everything happens weather we accept this or not. As you come across this blog of mine, this might be for you or a person you know. God bless your heart and your whole being!

Where do you lean on?

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Daily Ponder: #022

I don’t understand, I have given my best, I have tried to do all that is possible on my end but things don’t seem to be moving in the expected direction. I felt trap and frustrated.

As I battle through these emotions earlier, I got reminded of proverbs 3:5-6. Lean not one your own understanding, I was trying to grasp the events but I couldn’t. But I got reminded to trust in the lord and bring into submission that weighs my heart.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Things may not make sense at the moment, nor in the coming days but I can trust the Lord that this too is His will. This is an opportunity to lean on him all the more, to trust in Him. This is a growing opportunity, to grow in trusting Him and His words.

His ways are perfect, It’s tried and tested. I have experienced that and there will always be moments in my life I need to go back to that. In trusting Him, I submit in His Lordship and His leadership, He knows best for me.

Submission may not be easy for you. Trusting may have been the hardest, But He isn’t human. He is beyond compared. He knows and He listens. He will always have the better plans, nor directions.

Not sharing is a form of isolation.

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Daily Ponder: #020

This caught my attention while watching doom patrol, while the context of this is for the team to open up and have conversations, It resounded in me as well as I work with a team and this applies as well in life key relationships. Here are some of my thoughts and would love you hear what you think about it as well.

Un-intentional isolation

Sometimes we aren’t really aware we are keeping it to ourself. In most cases you might have been so used to it, it’s doesn’t bother to share.

Intentional Isolation

Most often this happens out of fear, fear of being known, being rejected, being seen as something else, fear of being seen as weak. But it can also be out of pride, selfishness and arrogance.

To share is to be vulnerable.

To be vulnerable is never easy, it is never comfortable. Vulnerability is a strength and sign of humility.

The strength of working relationship is trust, foundational in teams and personal lives. It also takes wisdom in communicating but never the less, we must gather the strength to speak up when needed specially opening up areas in our lives that we may invite others to come and help, provide advise and assistance.

Daily Ponder: #019

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Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Revelation 3:19 NIV

As I went through the Book of Revelations today at chapter 3 verse 9. I was reminded of how love operate in our lives and in our community.

Love does not tolerate what is wrong, rather out of love it addresses issues that does not please the other. In this case, the issues was that the people of faith in laodica was neither cold or hot. this is where the rebuke came from. Hence an invitation to repentance.

Love invites us to change that leads to repentance. Godly love will always bring the best in us that transforms us to Christ-likeness. Biblically we are to transform into the character of Christ.

Repentance is also a fruit of love, because of it’s genuine intention and motivation that springs from a revelation of God.

Daily Ponder : The Love you have lost

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#018

 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Revelation 2:4-5 NIV

The Love you had first

One of the interpretation is that Ephesus had lost its early love for Christ. Another interpretation is that Ephesian believers had lost its love for one another and needed to revive compassionate works they did at first. Many interpreters think both are in view, since love for christ and love for one another is related.

ESV STUDY BIBLE COMMENTARY

My thoughts:

Our tendency to lost our love for Christ, over theological knowledge and wisdom is one of the many battle a Christian has to weight in and check our hearts carefully. We can be passionately zealous for the mission, for the ministry, for evangelism, public ministry and have a heart so far from Christ is a pity.

On another extreme, we have lost grace towards fellow believers on their failings, shortcomings and probably their convictions aren’t satisfying enough on our eyes. The community becomes dry of love when to much driven on working and no loving relationship exist.

Our love for Christ, over flows in our relationships and community. We will always be in a heart check, knowing our sinful tendency, But praise be to God for His grace in our lives that enables us to repent and go back to our first love. Jesus Christ.

Daily Ponder: #017

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But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Jude 20–21 NIV

The best antidote to the lies of this world is by building up our most holy faith. Build is the key word. This entails labor on our end, the discipline and effort, the humility and a hear that desires God more than anything else.

Build the faith, not out of obligation but rather out of the revelation of the underserved grace, mercy and love. Build the faith because we cherish it the most.

Praying in the Holy Spirit does not mean talking to God about our agendas but rather in a sense praying in harmony with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27 NIV

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6:18 NIV

Daily Ponder: #016 The leader who cared

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I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3 JOHN 4 NIV

The past few days I took time ponder in the book of John ( 1-3 John). Theologians say that it is more likely the apostle John who wrote it. But definitely the author of this book in a an elder of the church.

Going through the pages the past few days, I felt it was a father and a friend communicating. It is evident with how the author addresses the recipients. “My dear children, or My Friend.”

It made me appreciate His leadership, He was loving and blunt about the truth that the believers may walk in truth that honors God. He gave practical advise in living out the faith, in showing love and how to Honor God.

He reminded the people to go back to the beginning ( the Gospel ) and never fails to mention about the truth. ( Jesus ) John 3:14 Jesus is the way, the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through Him. He was never silent about these things.

As he mentions these lines. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” John see the believers as sons and daughters, as his children and family. It reminds me as well of the joy of seeing the students I have help before to walk in the way of Christ. Is is indeed a joy to see.

What an awesome leader John is, We need leaders like him. Thank God for His life and being use by God.

Daily Ponder #015 The truth

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Because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

2 John 2-3 NIV

Because of the truth,

The word truth is prominent in John’s greetings, perhaps because early Christians saw themselves as being in close communion with Jesus, who called himself the truth ( John 14:6 I am the way, the truth and the life..)

Which lives / abides in us and with us forever…

The gospel that unites lives in us and is a shared faith among believers, not just a personal conviction.

with us in truth and love.

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

Jesus is the truth. His truth liberates, transforms, brings life, brings healing, brings joy. His truth is done and finish, He died for you and me that we may be save from our sinful selves, bring salvation in us. His truth comes with His love. A love that that is so powerful it enables us to love as He does.

May you come to terms with His truth and His love.

Daily Ponder: We love because

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#013 May these words speaks loudly in your life.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

1 John 4:9 NIV

 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins

1 John 4:10 NIV

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:12 NIV

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 

1 John 4:15 NIV

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18 NIV

We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

Daily Ponder: #009 Questions

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Have you ever prayed for the love of God to be manifested? To be felt by you? While you may know mentally that you are loved and accepted it may seem that the heart yearns for it to be felt. It may feel empty.

Have you ever consider taking time to reflect how God uses people to fill that love? That God causes people to move or do acts of caring for you?

Have you been vulnerable and the people with you responded with grace and love?

Have you ever made a list of all the possible good you are experiencing despite the present challenges?

These things we need to ask ourselves, these thing we need to ponder. How is the love of God manifested in your life?

Do we have him in a box? In our set of expectations? Because these can possibly blind us from seeing how He is manifesting His love and care?

What else can hinder? Would it be possible we are nurturing anger, bitterness and un-forgiveness? how much more is greed and pride?

If we truly desire to experience His love, it takes a humble heart to ask for it, have it His way and show the potential hinderances and act on obedience.

While there are situations of extreme, while you might be in, it can never negate the presence of His Love.

Sometimes, We are more hard on ourselves… the subconscious words we accept and say to ourselves. This can be “I am are not worthy”, ” I am a bad person”, ” I am filthy” “I am ugly”. and so many more self declarations.

Whatever it may be, My prayer for you is that 2022 will be your year of knowing more and experiencing the love of God in Christ.