Inner Peace, Continued

In this post, I want to continue on the topic of inner peace and its fruit. Let’s look at Matthew 14 again.

About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” ²⁷But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” ²⁸Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” ²⁹“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. ³¹Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
Matthew 14:25-31 NLT

Peter’s focus on Christ and faith in Him resulted in a miracle that was not possible if he had done the logical thing and stayed in the boat. The wind and waves that created the storm which was intended by the enemy to harm the disciples became the platform that Peter walked on. The very thing that wanted to take his life was forced to carry him to Jesus. Isn’t that beautiful?

As believers in Christ, I believe we are called to step out in faith in circumstances that would normally be perilous. The storms of life that come at us can and should be used to bring us closer to Jesus, not destroy us.

I had a vision a few months back in which I saw many interwoven golden lines. They connected people and events together and represented God’s intricate plan for everyone. I saw that it was all connected. Then I saw the enemy try to destroy God’s connections. However, each time he moved something out of place, God moved two or three new things into place to compensate, making it even better than before. So the enemy was wasting his time touching anything, and I saw that the more the enemy touched God’s plans, the better it became for believers.

This is confirmed in scripture; God will always use everything in our lives to draw us closer to him when we love Him and are walking in His will. (Romans 8:28)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28 NLT

Yet sadly, we will not get to this place if we are cowering with fear “in the boat” with other people. God is calling you to greater things, and it’s up to you to step out in faith and fix your eyes on Him.

There seems to be a common thought that many people have, including Christians, which sounds something like: “I need to know what’s going on in the world to know how to deal with it”. However, respectfully I don’t see how this lines up with scripture. God didn’t tell the Israelites to think about how many ways they could die in the wilderness. He asked them to trust Him. As it turned out, it was their focus on the carnal (things of this world) that kept leading them astray. Time after time God performed miracles for His chosen people, but they kept forgetting the miracles past and started to complain about a new problem. Because of their lack of faith in God, they were refused His promised rest. Hebrews 3 and 4 put this very clearly.

That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. ⁹There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. ¹⁰So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ ¹¹So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
Hebrews 3:7-11 NLT

The Israelites tested God in the wilderness despite seeing miracles for forty years. They had a habit of seeing what was wrong – no water, no food, hostile nations, etc. instead of focusing on God who always provided a solution. This habit of testing God was attributed to unbelief. And it is written that without faith it is impossible to please God.

So it is clear that focusing on the troubles and worries of the world can lead to unbelief if left long enough. And if God became angry with His chosen people, will He not be angry with gentiles who do not listen to His voice? Therefore it is crucial we fix our eyes on Jesus and stop looking at the circumstances around us.

Where is Jesus calling you right now? What is he whispering to you in the secret place? Be obedient to Him, and watch Him perform miracles in your life. There is a promise from Jesus I want to leave with you.

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
John 14:21 NLT

Jesus promises that those who obey His commandments will be loved by Him and will see Him!

Walking in Power

Following my last post, I want to continue from the foundation of asking God for more revelation. If you missed it, here’s the summary: God wants your vision to be expanded and to know the true power you possess through him. It’s a good thing to ask (pray to) him for visions, dreams and encounters so that you may more fully know him and walk in greater understanding and authority.

Now, assuming you are praying this theme regularly, we can continue. When you see a vision of something, or are given a revelation, you are now in a position to do something about it! Lean into the Holy Spirit and seek his wisdom; Pray fervently so you may know his plans and purpose for the situation. When you receive the answer, you are now in a position that cannot fail because:

You know what is currently happening (through the vision / dream / encounter / word of knowledge)
You know what God’s will is (through the Holy Spirit)
You are in a position to move in His will
He has promised that when you ask anything according to his will, it will be done (it cannot fail!)

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. ¹⁵And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.
1 John 5:14-15 NLT

This promise from 1 John is so powerful that I cannot stop thinking about it! I know that when I am moving in the Father’s will, I am the most effective.

For example, a few weeks back I was at a prayer and discipleship meeting. I had a desire in my heart to pray for a woman there who had positively impacted me. I asked the Father if I could pray for her, and I felt the inclination in my gut that it would go well. Although I wasn’t 100% certain on the success, I took my chances and asked to pray with her after the meeting. Well! It was so powerful that we were standing there crying for at least twenty minutes! I got many words of knowledge from Holy Spirit and shared them with her. The power of God was so strong that my legs started to give way and were shaking. After the fact, we had no desire for coffee or cake, but just soaked in the presence of our wonderful Father.

Sometimes you don’t need an audible voice of God to know what he wants. For me in this circumstance, I had a desire in my heart and a “gut feeling” that led me. I knew it was God’s will to bless this woman because it is alway’s God’s will to build up believers (Hebrews 10).

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. ²⁵And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

When you are operating inside of the will of the Father, you cannot fail. You will see mountains move and many great things take place. On the other hand, if you don’t act, you won’t see things happen. I want to say this in love, but the reality is that the Bible was only written by people who acted.

Ask the Lord to show you the impact he wants you to have in the world around you. Hold onto the vision he gives you and keep seeking to fulfil it more and more each day through his power and anointing.

Through everything, ensure your heart attitude stays right before God. We are not rewarded for results the same way we are rewarded for having the right heart. For example, if I was to save a million souls with corrupt intent (let’s say for the sake of argument I wanted to build an empire for myself), I would be rewarded with nothing, because my works would be burned up on the great judgement day. But, if I was to only save one soul my whole life and live completely obedient to my Father, I would have a great reward.

But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
1 Corinthians 3:13 NLT

Therefore, if we are not judged by outcome, but instead by our heart attitude and obedience to Christ, we can be free from the expectations of people. We don’t have to focus on the output or outcome, but rather, focus on the process within, specifically the heart.

I want to encourage you to walk in the power and authority that God has available while not being concerned with outward appearances. Let our loving Father take care of the details. This may seem counter-intuitive after reading the first part of this post, but it’s important to see both sides of the coin together. We are to walk in power and faith, but also to leave it to God to sort out the details.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

Ask, Seek, Knock

Ask the Father to do a deep work in you; Not for the sake of boasting, but so you may live a more empowered life!

A couple of years ago, I started praying to our Father for encounters, dreams, and visions. I wanted to experience these things so I could have a greater understanding of what God was doing in and around me. I wasn’t entirely convinced that it could – or would – happen. However, I have now come to realise that it’s a good thing to want more than the status quo.

Our Father wants us to get curious and ask him about things! Ask him for guidance and deliverance. Ask him to open your eyes to his way of seeing things. Paul prayed in this way for the Ephesians, with the intent of them having a greater understanding of who God is, and how his power is working in us who believe!

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
Ephesians 1:16-19 ESV

The intent of these prayers is to lead you toward a place of greater understanding of God, and ultimately, living a life of more power and glory. If you seek dreams, visions and encounters for the sake of boasting, you will not handle them well. That attitude of pride could lead to causing other believers to stumble. We are to bring others unto Christ, not unto ourselves. This topic is looked at in 2 Corinthians 5. Here is part of it in verses 19 and 20:

that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[c] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 ESV

Having said this about pride, I don’t want you to think you shouldn’t desire or ask for greater revelations of God as Father Son and Spirit. It is highly beneficial to see the greatness and power of God.

You will not be able to live in the fullness God has for you if you resist him and his gifts. Peter refused Jesus washing his feet, likely because he felt uncomfortable with it. However, Jesus spoke sternly to him to assure him it must be so:

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” ⁸Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
John 13:3-8 ESV

There is a place for these revelations, and having a heart that is humble and hungry is a perfect recipe for God to open your eyes to these things. After all, Jesus was recorded as saying:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 ESV

I want to encourage you to make this a topic of prayer until you see God start to open your eyes and expand your vision. Encounters with him are open and accessible to everyone!

The Holy Spirit as a Helper

There was a time this year when I was at the end of myself. I had cried until I had nothing left to cry. I felt hopeless and weak, wishing I could disappear from all my problems. It was late at night and I was in my bed, laying there helplessly. I prayed for strength and fell asleep. In the morning, I woke with a spring in my step! I felt the presence of God inside of me and I had a strength and determination about me! It was like chalk and cheese comparing the morning to the night before.

I realised that day that God deeply cares for me and sees me in my weakness, helping me when I cannot help myself. The Holy Spirit taught me to trust in him, even when everything seems unlikely, even impossible. The Bible explains some of the Holy Spirit’s characteristics in John 14 and Romans 8:

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
John 14:26 NLT

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
Romans 8:26 NLT

The Holy Spirit will often remind us of truths we already know of, but don’t understand in our heart. I have found that when I read something, it doesn’t stick with me until it lands in my heart. Getting something from my head to my heart is hard by myself, but with the “helper”, the Holy Spirit, I am reminded of the truths in God’s word at crucial times when I need it most.

The best part of all is how the Holy Spirit is given to us permanently, and lives inside of us. I often hear him speak like a still small voice of wisdom. He always lifts me up when I am down, and always encourages me when I am weak. In the morning after my night of despair, I felt the presence of God so powerfully! The Holy Spirit truly lives inside of us as 1 Corinthians 6 says:

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
1 Corinthians 6:19

I want to encourage you to listen to him when you are feeling low. He truly cares about you and will help in times of trouble. The Bible promises this, and when God says something, he will be sure to fulfill his word.

Have a great week!

Sharing the Faith

I am currently reading through 1 Peter, and I love the following verses from chapter 3. 1 Peter 3:15-17 ‘Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!‘

The way to preach the gospel is not always from a pulpit, but rather by showing others a holy and pure life. This shifts the responsibility of sharing Christianity with unbelievers from the pastor to every Christian. I love that we are all meant to be a part of God’s plan. There is no one too small or insignificant to participate.

We are called to live a life that cannot be mocked or criticized, even by non-Christians. To live this way, I know I need God’s help. I can’t live this life on my own. I think this is God’s intention. No one can live this kind of life on their own, so there must be something or someone helping them. (God) 🙂 I have heard a few testimonies of Christians who came to the faith because they were challenged by Christians who didn’t smoke, drink or do drugs and who were always happy. They were challenged by the way Christians lived, and found God because of it. When my time on earth is over, I want to meet people who were challenged by the life I lived. Do you want to challenge others too?

We know that we are called to live a life that cannot be mocked or criticized, but what are some practical things to do that show this kind of life? 1 Peter 4:7-11 sheds some light on this. ‘The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.‘

By praying earnestly, showing deep love, cheerfully sharing and using our gifts, we are living for God. The lifestyle God wants you and me to live doesn’t sound complicated; The difficulty is living faithfully day after day. If you are already living in this way, keep going! If you aren’t, don’t worry; start now. It’s important to remember that life isn’t a sprint – it’s a marathon. Consistency is how we win.

Living with Christ as the Foundation

When reading 1 Peter 2, I came across some verses that talk of Christ as an example. My attention was drawn to verses 4 – 9 which say ‘ You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honour. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honour, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Yes, you who trust him recognize the honour God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.‘

You and I get to live with Christ as the foundation of our faith. His example goes before us to show us how to live. I am so thankful for the privilege of living after Christ came to earth! His example shows us how to live in many different ways. He taught to obey authority and pray for them. His life also taught us that sometimes suffering is necessary to fulfil God’s will. Jesus died for us because His Father in heaven wanted to save all people. The greatest gift in the history of the world came at a great price.

Now that Jesus has come, we are called to live the way He did, devoting our lives to doing good and suffering through persecution. The calling isn’t to find persecution, but to live the way God called without compromising if hardship comes. Although this calling is hard at times, it is far greater to live for God than to live for pleasure, as many people do. The troubles the world faces are many and often have no remedy. I can attest to this because before I lived as a Christian I was living for myself, only seeking pleasure. The problem was that pleasure couldn’t satisfy the desire inside me. It always wanted more. After putting my faith in God and living for Him rather than myself, I stopped pursuing pleasure and started to find purpose again. I actually overcame depression!

If you find yourself going around in circles in life, consider surrendering yourself to God and His will. When you live in His purpose, it fills you and satisfies the desire that seems to never end. In a word, you find contentment. You are content with much or little, rich or poor, free or slave. You are so free in yourself because you now belong to God.

Moving Past Doubts

A little while ago, I was upset with someone. They didn’t treat me the way I wanted to be treated, and I felt hurt. When I was alone in my bedroom feeling sorry for myself, I had a thought to read my journal. I found the document on my MacBook and started reading. My journal is short – only a handful of pages. However, in those few pages I had written thoughts about the same people in my life. The funny part? My anxious thoughts about them a few months ago were the same ones I was experiencing now. I started laughing because I knew what happened after I wrote in the journal. Without saying anything, they had made it all right again. It was all just a misunderstanding on my part.

1 Corinthians 13:7 says ‘Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.‘ This verse affirms the need to never give up and endure through every circumstance. In my mind, I had the right to be upset, but if I had followed the Bible, I would have assumed the best instead and saved myself the pain.

Have you had doubts about someone? Have you been let down by someone you love? Write down your thoughts and feelings in a few sentences every-so-often (once per week is ideal). When you worry later, you may find that reading your past thoughts and feelings show you how to proceed.

I want to give another example. I get very annoyed when I arrange a time to catch up with someone and they cancel last-minute or say they can’t make it without giving me a time that works. I feel like I’m stabbing in the dark simply trying to see them. When this happened to me a few months ago, I was quite upset. A few days ago it happened again with the same person, and the identical feelings came to me. After reading my journal I realized this person was not upset with me or avoiding seeing me. This friend was busy, nothing more.

Big problems become small ones when brought into perspective. I recommend journalling if you sometimes have doubts. It is simple to do and very effective at clearing your mind.

The Pursuit of Acceptance, or the Pursuit of God?

Today I have been challenged by the scripture found in Isaiah 53:1-6 ‘Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.‘

Jesus spent His time on earth not for Himself, but sinners. He was despised and hated during His ministry. What hit me hard was how the Son of God came to earth and was misunderstood. If God’s own Son wasn’t liked and didn’t care to be liked, why am I so concerned with what other people think of me?

If I am to live for God and not myself, I will need to re-focus myself on Him. It seems so easy to get caught up in what the world defines as success, but to put that aside and look like a fool may be necessary to obey God. How far will you go to pursue God rather than acceptance of other people? This challenges me, because often my motives aren’t right. I love social media because it’s a platform that can be used to get even more acceptance from friends. Does a follower of Christ even need social media? I deleted Instagram because I do not have the self-control to use it in a healthy way. I have kept a Facebook account, but I wonder if I should delete that too. In any case, I will be judging my motives very closely the next few days. I want to be in the pursuit of God, not the pursuit of acceptance from people.

Increase Your Love for Other People

Lately, I have been thinking about the presence of God and His love. When I set aside time alone with God and start praying, I almost always feel peace and a feeling of being at rest. The longer I pray, the greater the feelings get. After an hour or so, I start to feel peace and contentment so strongly that I usually can’t hold back tears. I am not one to cry, but I often do when I pray. I believe that prayer brings me closer to God. The closer I am to God, the more love I have for other people.

I have often heard it said that ‘To love others, you need to learn to love yourself first!’ This statement sounds right, but in my experience, it does the exact opposite. The more I think about myself, the more I feel insecure, afraid and impatient with other people. I believe that God teaches a way of life that goes against the culture you and I live in today. I strongly believe that to love others, you must love God first. How do you love God? Submit to Him in prayer, and He will give you so much love for others that you CANNOT HELP but share it!

Matthew 22:34-40 says ‘But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”‘

So, based on this verse, by loving God first and loving your neighbour second, you should love yourself… last? I believe so. Okay, then where did this idea of self-love come from? I believe it comes from selfishness, not God.

God showed us how to love. Jesus stripped Himself of all power to come to earth in the form of a man, then proceeded to serve others for the duration of His time on earth. In his early Thirties, He died on a cross for sins He did not commit. Are you keen on being sentenced to death for a crime you did not commit… at the age of 32?! I know I’m not. At no point did Jesus teach His disciples to ‘love themselves so they could love others’. He taught them to pray. He even gave them a whole prayer to pray, word for word.

If you want to love others the way Jesus taught, learn to pray. If you already pray, add some more time to your praying each day. God LOVES to hear you and me pray and will come closer to us to listen. I love that about Him.

Have you experienced powerful prayer? Let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear your story! 🙂

Generosity: Consistent Giving

Growing up in a low-income family taught me to be careful with money. I had a lot of respect for money because it was so difficult to get. When I was ten years old, I was earning $2 for each hour of work. It was a struggle to save money because I could only do chores around the house to make money, and the rate was meagre. However, I managed to save several hundred dollars, which I used to buy large Lego sets!

As I grew older, I continued to focus on myself. I carefully saved money again, but by the time I turned nineteen, I lost all my savings. It was when I had no money and rent to pay that I hit rock bottom. I had been relying on my strength to provide up until this point. I was nineteen with nothing to my name and in a bad financial state. I had to change my mindset.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 says ‘As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.’

I was ‘setting my hope on the uncertainty of riches’, which didn’t pay off. It is in generosity that treasure is stored up in heaven and a future secured. Thankfully, the story gets better. I learned to start being generous in small ways. With time I got better and faithful to His word, God provided a fantastic job and working arrangement, which paid more than double what I was earning beforehand! A life of generosity is the best life to live.