LISTEN: Trials, when you switch the letters around, are just TRAILS that can lead you deeper towards God's favor and direction. The tranformation begins within, just like swtiching the word around #notmywordsbutHIS
James a.k.a. His Messenger
Monday, July 9, 2012
Skill + Strength = Success
"If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success." - Ecclesiastes 10:10
For much of my life, I've been a dull ax. A weapon God made to help break down the worlds barriers, but I allowed myself 2 get caught up, hence being dull & not spiritually sharp. God's strength, in me, is helping me see the light. As long as I stay close to Him, and allow Him 2 work in me, the SKILLZ He gave me will bring success. Enough for me to prosper so that I can help others do the same, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
James a.k.a. His Messenger
Don't burn your house down before you build it...
Don't burn your house down before you build it. First, chose the land (it's pre-paid and YOU ALREADY ARE APPROVED), then lay down the foundation (accepting Christ), then put up the 4 walls (love, courage, faith, obedience) and after that your roof will be His covering (protection/blessings). A house is only as strong as the nuts and bolts that hold it together. In this case, Knowledge and Wisdom are those nuts and bolts. #BUILD
Immersing ourselves in His presence, brings forth a glow...
There is no coincidence that when people travel to other countries, little by little they adapt to that country’s culture. If there long enough, they begin to talk, walk and maneuver like those of the native land. Adapting is natural for us. It’s a form of survival which has been built in our instinctive DNA. And if the place that we are in adds value to our character, personality and moral being, then adapting (through knowledge of the culture and its history) would naturally become important. We are all trying to get better, aren’t we?
I say this because I am learning more and more how being in God’s presence helps us become a reflection Him. Most importantly, love as He loves and stand firm against the evil powers and principalities (Ephesians 6:12) of the world as Jesus did when He walked the earth. Being in His presence by way of reading, praying, worship, fellowshipping with others, WILL help add value to our character, personality and moral being.
If I spend much of my time with someone who has a certain scent, let’s say flowers, eventually I am going to smell like flowers. On the flip side of that, if I spend much of my time at the garbage dump, sooner or later I’m going to smell like garbage. I totally believe that we should be out there in the world, having non-Christian friends, with the intent of sharing the Good News and potentially assisting the Lord in leading those Christ. Throughout our entire day (24 hours) we must be cloaked (physically and mentally) with the cloth of Christ. Let’s wrap ourselves in the threads of the very fabric that brought us our salvation, through fellowship with the Holy Spirit, the love of Jesus.
When Moses was on the mountain for 40 days/40 nights (no bread or water), while writing the commandments that God was giving Him, he came down from the mountain completely different. The scripture (Exodus 34:29) says, “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” Moses wasn’t even aware of this as he didn’t go up to the mountain with this glow. It came about as he spent consistent and dedicated time with the Lord. We are also able to receive this glow, given that we follow the same format. I’m not telling anyone to go 40 days without food or water, but I am encouraging devoted and dedicated time to God.
What I love the most was how they (the Israelites), saw the Lord in Moses and feared him. The very next verse reads, “When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.” What makes this line so powerful and beautiful is that the fear the Israelites had, was the same fear they showed when the Lord had attempted to speak to them, in Exodus 20:18 “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” It wasn’t Moses that they were truly afraid of, it was the presence of God, upon Moses, that scared them.
Friends, this world does not like us, as it hated Jesus. The enemy is here to steal, kill and destroy all that we have and do. His main purpose is to prevent us from living out the will of God in our lives, while trying to separate the union of the body of Christ. Ex: If he can have two believers arguing (even over biblical principle) then he’s winning. But TAKE COMFORT THAT THE BATTLE WAS WON 2000 YEARS AGO!
Let’s immerse ourselves in the presence of God. I am just now realizing the importance of this as I have been attacked lately. But prayer, reading and listening to Gospel music, along with the encouraging words of other believers, has allowed me to change my attitude and perspective on things. Considering how that is only done by the grace, mercy and power of the Lord, I can guarantee that the same will happen to you.
The key is not to be feared by others, but for others to see the Lord in us. This is done by the fruits that we display when faced with the world’s issues and the enemy’s attacks. Immersing yourself in the Lord will help you gain His character, therefore when we are faced with trial and tribulation, as the word guarantees (James 1), we will process it with the mind of Christ, react with the strength of Christ and speak with the authority of Christ. Those outside of the presence of God serve as punching bags to the enemy. Throughout the storm, they stand naked, wet and cold, without Hope or Faith in better days ahead, outside the protection of the one who loves them the most. I was one of those folks until I learned the power and grace of the Lord. I’m still learning and still seeking to immerse myself in Him, daily.
I pray that you all find this love note helpful while on your journey as the Lord put this on my heart for the sole purpose of encouraging others.
Peace 2 U,
James a.k.a. His Messenger
The Balloon and the Piñata
You know,
I was thinking about how a balloon symbolizes many of us in this world. Appealing to the eye on the outside but hollow on the inside. Many believers in Christ also have this issue as they look the part in, their outer shell, but when it comes to what's inside they, too, are hollow.
Then, I thought of how a piñata (mainly used for birthday parties) is the opposite. Piñatas, unlike balloons, are filled with "goodies" and they, too, are appealing to the eye (from the outside looking in). However, they have to be broken, or ripped, for others to enjoy what lies inside. Stick with me, there is a point to this. I'm going to go on the limb here and say that true Christ followers are more like piñatas. Filled with the God’s “goodie’s” or spiritual fruit (kindness, gentleness, love, peace, joy, self control) for the sole purpose of benefiting others (as a part of doing His will). Once our outer shell (flesh) is broken (just like a regular piñata) all who are around us can enjoy what is inside of us. God is breaking us in many ways, old habits, attitudes, mind sets and misconceptions in order to re-build us. His purpose for re-building us is so that we can nourish others with the fruit we bear. Consider it a re-construction phase. When a balloon is broken, or popped, no body benefits. Point is, take joy when others "beat you up" like a 7-yr old at his birthday party for God is allowing this to happen so that, once broken, the world can enjoy the fruits of the spirit that grow deep inside of you. Peace 2 U, James a.k.a. His Messenger |
Their are no shortcuts in life, according to God
If you feel like your journey towards fulfilling your destiny is taking longer than needed, I encourage you to allow the word of God, taken from the book of Exodus, to provide some comfort for you along the way. Many of us would love the chance to take the “easy” road in life to get to where we are going. Shortcuts are created all over the place to cut time and “speed up the process”. In life, the idea of escaping the “blood, sweat and tears” portion of our journey to success/living out our purpose is tempting to some. I often used to pray for the Lord to show me what He had planned for me. How easy would it be for God to just tell me what He wanted me to do for Him vs. me seeking the scripture, praying and developing my relationship with Him, consistently? I realized I was trying to take the easy way out. God is not in the business of allowing us to take shortcuts in life. He has given Himself the responsibility to work in and through us, until the end of time. The purpose of this is to make sure that our hearts are for Him and not for us.
I’m here to tell you that this theory, of shortcuts through life, is of the world as God did not intend for our journey to be this way. The purpose of our walk with Him is to allow Him to renew our minds and transform our hearts, which takes time. The above passage which highlights the beginning of the Exodus (God’s people being freed from slavery in Egypt and led to the promised land) shows 3 things:
1) God is always in the lead if, and when, we allow Him. As it says in verse 17 “God did not lead them along the road…” and 18 “So He led the people”. Even though God appointed Moses to take charge, He was still, and always is, in control. Amen! Don’t allow the pace of your race to dictate who is in charge. God is in as much control of your life as you allow Him to be.
2) God isn’t on a time schedule; He is more concerned with helping us develop a true heart for Him. “God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.” He could have taken them on the “easy” path towards the Promised Land, but He knew that trouble was ahead and that His people weren’t prepared to deal with it, as He intended them to. If you accepted Christ in your heart today, will you be able to carry out the responsibilities He has for you in 3 days? No. It’s a process and takes time.
God wants and wishes for us to get to the Promised Land, but He isn’t too concerned with the destination because it is already established and available for all who do what they must to get there. He is concerned with the journey, that’s where He gets His hands dirty in order to make us clean. We must unlearn the knowledge of the world and learn the knowledge of Christ. Who we are (in Christ) vs. How we’ve become (in the world) are 2 different perspectives. HOW we’ve become doesn’t define WHO we are.
3) God also showed much compassion and understanding for His children due to their lack of knowledge. He shows that same compassion and understanding towards us today. It almost seemed that He displayed the theory that, it isn’t about Him (although it His) but about taking His time to give His children what they need to succeed. “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.” According to that part of the scripture, God knew that His people weren’t ready to face war. WE ALL KNOW that the power of God is so strong that He can allow one chosen man to defeat an army of 10,000 men, Hallelujah! Even if all the Jews were to go back to Egypt, if one stayed, God could have provided him will all the power needed to face the war but that didn’t happen.
He didn’t want them to change their minds nor did He have a mentality of “whoever is ready and willing I will deal with them and whoever isn’t, they are on their own”. He purposely took them on the longer journey in order to properly prepare them for what they will encounter. In my humble opinion, I feel that this was a sign that the process/journey is more important than the destination. As stated earlier, the destination will not change…the Promised Land isn’t going anywhere. However, those who have the ability to call it home could miss out if they aren’t prepared for the road that lies ahead. In our natural minds, many of us would love to take shortcuts in life. But God knows that this will harm us more than we think it can help.
If you are feeling like your journey is taking long and that it doesn’t seem like things are getting any better, trust that God is in the lead. Trust that He isn’t in a rush, although the sooner the better as we have a duty to Him for the aid of others, and is patient with those who are willing to fully submit to Him. Lastly, trust that He understands what we are going through and has compassion for where we are in our present lives. Not that He will tolerate consistent deliberate disobedience, as he will discipline us accordingly, but He will have compassion for our lack of knowledge and provide all the tools needed for us to learn.
Again, if you feel that this course is never-ending or that it’s taking longer than “you think” it should take for you to reach the destination that God has prepared for you, understand that He is in control. He may be saving you from resulting to your old ways when things get too tough for us to handle. Continue to submit and allow Him to guide you. He is not going to take you down the shorter route if He knows that your heart isn’t fully committed to Him. The longer path is actually a blessing in disguise. Let’s appreciate the things that we may not understand as it is all a part of His plan.
Let the love of God be your path towards His grace and freedom, Amen.
James Oyola a.k.a His Messenger
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