Some things when said can easily be made light of depending on whoÂ’s speaking, the one to whom the words are being addressed or the context in which the words are spoken. It could also be that weÂ’ve heard certain words so often that we can play them down. The words for our FF run such a risk. Yet I invite you to take these words and for one moment do not undermine what theyÂ’re calling upon you to do. Our FF for today is ENJOY YOUR LIFE.
When one hears these words the first thought that may enter the mind is to live in such a manner as to satisfy the desires of the flesh with no reference to the reality of God. To be told to ENJOY YOUR LIFE could possibly then be seen as an invitation to a hedonistic, pleasure seeking, self-indulgent and self-seeking kind of life where itÂ’s all about you and very little about God or others for that matter. It subscribes to the philosophy once it feels good to me even if others are hurt by it, then IÂ’m going to still ENJOY myself. That is not what I mean when I say ENJOY YOUR LIFE.
Our FF today to ENJOY YOUR LIFE is an invitation to
Embrace the
Now which
Jesus
Offers
You.
Each moment of each day is a ‘now’ moment. Real ENJOYment of LIFE means living in the present. There’s nothing that can be done about yesterday to correct it. Tomorrow is still a dream that we can look forward to with great expectation. So what we do have is ‘now’. To ENJOY YOUR LIFE is to make the most of the ‘now’ which God in Christ offers you.
To really ENJOY YOUR LIFE is to acknowledge that LIFE first and foremost is a gift from God. Real joy in life is found when our lives are surrendered to the will of the One who is the Author, Giver and Sustainer of life. The wise King Solomon concluded that seeking to ENJOY YOUR LIFE by filling it with everything other than God is ‘like chasing after the wind’ (Ecclesiastes 2:11). It leaves you empty. If today for some reason your life is weighed down by the cares of this world and you’re empty and lacking in real joy, Jesus extends this invitation to come to him for his yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:29).
To ENJOY YOUR LIFE also calls for us to live simply and remove much of the clutter from our lives that we think we need in order to ENJOY life. The words of Jesus are again applicable when he asserts that a person’s life cannot be measured by the things he/she possesses. That which is seen is temporal – quickly fading away. But that which cannot be seen is eternal – lasting forever. To ENJOY YOUR LIFE why not begin by receiving the gift of Eternal Life which is what Jesus offers right ‘now’?
Till next Friday, God’s willing, I urge you to ENJOY YOUR LIFE – Embrace the Now which Jesus Offers You for now is the acceptable time…now is the day of salvation. Receive the gift of salvation and eternal life offered ‘now’ and then you’ll be able to truly ENJOY YOUR LIFE.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=35
‘Jesus says, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth”.’ John 17:17
Jesus was praying for his followers in what is known as his high-priestly prayer. He acknowledged that whilst they were in the world, they did not belong to the world. He therefore prayed to his Father: ‘Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth.’ (TEV)
Continue reading "Total Consecration"
Last Friday, I was counted among the hundreds whose lives were disrupted by the industrial action of LIATÂ’s pilots. A flight that normally takes 4 hours was finally completed in 30 hours. So my apologies for FF on a Tuesday.
If you think about it everything in life has some sort of ORDER. There is a specific arrangement, position or place to just about everything. When we board a plane we do so in ORDER. When we go to the bank we wait our turn and in ORDER we move forward in line to the teller. In our families we are each born in a particular ORDER - first, second or last. There is also a natural ORDER in creation as the principles of sowing and reaping and the laws of gravity are followed. For our FF today I invite us to reflect on DIVINE ORDER.
First off, letÂ’s establish that DIVINE ORDER does not always make sense to the natural mind. It calls for us to see and function not according to our natural senses but according to the workings of the Spirit of God. If weÂ’re not open to the leading of GodÂ’s Spirit we can miss what God is doing as our lives are guided by GodÂ’s DIVINE ORDER. Consider how DIVINE ORDER works in the lives of GodÂ’s servants:
DIVINE ORDER placed Rebekah at a well resulting in her becoming IsaacÂ’s wife.
DIVINE ORDER chose Jacob over Esau to receive the blessing of the first born.
DIVINE ORDER placed Moses in a river saving his life so that he grew up in PharaohÂ’s house.
DIVINE ORDER chose David to be anointed King over Israel over JesseÂ’s other sons.
DIVINE ORDER chose Solomon over DavidÂ’s other sons to build a temple unto God.
DIVINE ORDER chose Mary and Joseph as the family unit to parent the Son of God.
We are sometimes dumbfounded and amazed when we see how GodÂ’s DIVINE ORDER works. If nothing else we come to understand, often times only in hindsight that even though GodÂ’s DIVINE ORDER seems not to be in synch with our own human ORDER, His Sovereign will is unfolding. Our response is not to derail GodÂ’s DIVINE ORDER but to gladly and patiently surrender everything and every part of our beings that is out of ORDER to be put in ORDER that is DIVINE ORDER.
Rest assured that even though our lives may seem to be chaotic at times and constantly shifting from one direction to another that God is at work bringing DIVINE ORDER into our lives. Consider too that God may also be not only bringing DIVINE ORDER into our lives but also is divinely ordering our lives so that we are next in line to accomplish something great for God.
Till next Friday, GodÂ’s willing, consider how our lives will take a whole new direction as we allow the DIVINE ORDER of God to determine the course of our lives.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=35
‘Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.’ Ps.98:4
As we today mark Moravian Music Sunday we are called to sing praises unto the Lord. This is often the encouragement as we recognize how good God has been. The Psalm begins by saying: ‘O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things.’ This seems to be the response of God’s people throughout time. On several occasions when they saw the goodness and greatness of God they burst into songs of praise. This was true of Moses, Miriam and the children of Israel following their escape from the Egyptians across the Red Sea. They sang, ‘I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.’ (Exod.15:1, 21) It was true of Deborah and Barak when they sang in praise to God following their defeat of Sisera and his army. (see Judges 5:1-3 ff) It was true of Mary in the Magnificat after she learnt of the honour God had bestowed upon her in choosing her as the mother of Jesus. (Luke 1:46-55)
Continue reading "Break Forth into Song"
Everybody loves a good sleep. It refreshes the body and revives the mind. In fact some people love sleep so much that if you try to wake them up theyÂ’ll get mad with you. It takes forever to awaken them and even when theyÂ’re up they may not be fully awake. For our FF for today, I challenge us to BE WIDE AWAKE.
To BE WIDE AWAKE is to be fully conscious and alert; it is to be aware of all thatÂ’s happening around you; it is to be mindful and cognizant of what you are doing and also what others are doing; it is to be attentive even to the small details. To not BE WIDE AWAKE can be deadly. Ask someone who has fallen asleep while driving and have lived to tell the story. Plus we miss so much when weÂ’re asleep at the time when we should BE WIDE AWAKE. Ask the spouse whoÂ’s speaking to his/her partner and he/she falls asleep in the middle of the conversation or the student whoÂ’s sleeping instead of taking notes in class.
Sleep is necessary but we dare not be asleep at a time when we should BE WIDE AWAKE. Today more than ever Christians who have fallen asleep must realize that this is the time to BE WIDE AWAKE. HereÂ’s why.
Same sex marriage is now acceptable in some societies, we need to BE WIDE AWAKE.
The worldÂ’s economic system is in shambles, itÂ’s time to BE WIDE AWAKE.
Among Christians sin is no longer grievous itÂ’s time to BE WIDE AWAKE.
In the Church our members are not becoming disciples, we need to BE WIDE AWAKE.
When pastors do not tend the flock but feed on them, itÂ’s time to BE WIDE AWAKE.
Gang violence is causing our communities to be fearful, we need to BE WIDE AWAKE.
Even in our personal lives and our walk with God, there are times in the journey where we too fall asleep. We drop our guard. Our spiritual senses become numb to the Holy SpiritÂ’s promptings. We expose ourselves to the attack of the devil. WeÂ’re sleeping when we should be watching and following. If this continues, it is only a matter of time before we crash our lives all because we were sleeping when we should have been WIDE AWAKE.
Till next Friday, if for some reason you have fallen asleep I pray that today the Holy Spirit will shake you from your slumber. ItÂ’s time for the people of God to BE WIDE AWAKE and represent God to a world that is in need of the Gospel of Christ. Wake up! Now is not the time to be sleeping! ThereÂ’s too much harvesting to be done so BE WIDE AWAKE.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=35
Jesus says, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” John 15:4
A vine has been described as a climbing or trailing plant which requires special support for upward growth. It none-the-less bears the basic features of botanical systems in general. It therefore has a main stem or trunk to which are attached the subsidiary branches. These all gain their sustenance through the root from the nutrients of the soil.
Continue reading "Abiding In The Vine"
Over the next few weeks, on high schools, colleges and universities campuses, the graduating class of 2009 will be moving on to another level. Some will be heading into the world of work while others will be moving on to further studies. Whatever the level of graduation, each person will undoubtedly give CREDIT to the key persons in their lives who would have contributed to their success. In the midst of CREDIT giving and acknowledgement I invite us today to focus on this thought: GIVE CREDIT TO GOD.
To give CREDIT to someone or something is to assign praise and recognition to that which is being credited. It is to give thanks and glory. To give CREDIT is to pay tribute to. Now we know that there are people in our lives to whom we must give CREDIT. With MotherÂ’s Day coming up this Sunday, we all will give CREDIT to our mothers or the women of influence in our lives. Hopefully we will do so with as much excitement in a monthÂ’s time when itÂ’s FatherÂ’s Day.
Some find it easier to give CREDIT to another human being than to God. To GIVE CREDIT TO GOD fully calls for us to be humble enough to recognize that we did not do it all by ourselves. It speaks of being God-reliant instead of self-sufficient; of not knowing everything and so having to trust God for some things; of being weak and needing God’s strength. When we GIVE CREDIT TO GOD we are in essence admitting to this truth… ‘had it not been for God.’ It is a ‘but God’ moment where we pronounce for all to hear: I am WHERE I am and WHO I am today only because of God. So I GIVE CREDIT TO GOD.
When we GIVE CREDIT TO GOD we are constantly testifying about the way God is working in our lives and have worked in times past. It could be in great or small ways. So we ought to GIVE CREDIT TO GOD when we expected one result but something else happened. Like when
A broken family and marriage was heading for destruction - God intervened.
You realize you havenÂ’t lost your mind with all that came your way - God was shielding you.
You thought of giving up but you kept hoping for a miracle - God showed up.
Your pain was too much and you wished life would soon end - God gave you back your joy.
YouÂ’re disappointed with life, feeling you should have been further ahead - GodÂ’s not done yet.
We donÂ’t always get what we expect and praise God, neither do we get what we truly deserve. But whatever we receive GIVE CREDIT TO GOD! So today thank God for your mother, father, family, mistakes, pains, visions, dreams, joy, sickness, healthÂ…ALL! For when you and I GIVE CREDIT TO GOD then we can truly declare that God allows everything in our lives to work together for our good and to bring about GodÂ’s purpose in us. With that attitude then we will have no problem to GIVE CREDIT TO GOD.
Till next Friday, GodÂ’s willing, continue giving thanks and praise because of what God is doing in your life even if you canÂ’t fully understand it. Still GIVE CREDIT TO GOD! It stirs our faith and becomes a powerful testimony to the unbeliever whoÂ’s looking to see the Christ in us.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=35
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
Have you ever considered what it really means to have Jesus as your shepherd and to be a sheep within his fold? A shepherd cares for the sheep, waters and feeds them, binds up their wounds, carries them when they are weak or wounded, and responds to their cries. Knowing them well, he is able to tell when something has gone wrong amongst them. He spends time soothing their fears. His crook guides them away from danger and pulls them back to safety. All this and more is Jesus to us as our Shepherd.
Continue reading "Our Good Shepherd "
Have you ever found yourself in an embarrassing position where youÂ’ve run into a former high school class mate that you have not seen in over 20 years and you both didnÂ’t RECOGNIZE each other? ItÂ’s been such a long time that youÂ’ve been out of touch and havenÂ’t seen or communicated with each other for years. Your teenage features have long disappeared and youÂ’re both now 20 years older. The same would not be true however, for someone that youÂ’ve stayed in touch with over the years. I invite us today then to ponder this thought: RECOGNIZE THE LORD.
To RECOGNIZE is to know, to be able to identify, to acknowledge, to make out or distinguish either a person or place. To RECOGNIZE one must be familiar with or be aware of. It calls for some measure of intimacy achieved through constant contact. A husband will RECOGNIZE his wife in the crowd. A child will RECOGNIZE her fatherÂ’s voice on the phone. We immediately RECOGNIZE that with which we have become very familiar. On the contrary, distance, separation and detachment will cause us not to RECOGNIZE someone even if we might have known before.
Ask yourself, when I look at whatÂ’s happening in my life and where I am right now and where IÂ’m heading can I say that in the midst of it all I can RECOGNIZE THE LORD? I may have more questions than answers but can I still testify that I RECOGNIZE THE LORD is at work perfecting his purpose in me? Am I living in such a way that others look at me and because of how I live they can say I RECOGNIZE THE LORD in you?
I’ll be the first to admit that it is not always easy to RECOGNIZE THE LORD not because you don’t know the Lord but because the Lord may choose to work in a way that is unpredicted and through people we least expect. The Lord does move in ‘mysterious ways…His wonders to perform.’ Because God is infinite, the Lord may manifest himself in our lives in a way that we’ve never seen before. Surprise!! So we must never be so presumptuous as to predict how the Lord will work. If we do, we risk not being able to RECOGNIZE THE LORD when He appears.
Today in addition to global economic crisis the world is also dealing with a health crisis. People are genuinely searching and yearning for God. When God became Man, the then world did not RECOGNIZE Him. He wasnÂ’t what they expected. Today people still donÂ’t RECOGNIZE THE LORD at work in their lives. The truth is some have been blinded and others are looking in the wrong direction. But if your eyes have been opened and you can RECOGNIZE THE LORD, then God has called you to so engage the world so that they too will have what you have: a confident testimony in which one can declare I RECOGNIZE THE LORD.
Till next Friday, GodÂ’s willing, I pray that you and I will be able to continually RECOGNIZE THE LORD even when HeÂ’s surprises us. When we stay connected then we will RECOGNIZE THE LORD even if he shows up unexpectedly or in a manner weÂ’ve never before experienced. So then we seek to RECOGNIZE THE LORD not just by His work in our lives but because we know His character, His nature and His voice.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=35