Who's in Charge of Your Life?

Then Samuel said, "Is the LORD as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices as he would be with your obedience? To follow instructions is better than to sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams."

In life sometimes we make decisions without even considering what God says. This usually brings us to the place where God deals with us to reconsider what we have done. Many times we press on and endure and try to make things work when we know in our heart of hearts what we should be doing. The obstacle of our pride can be in the way of our obedience to God. King Saul had a similar problem in the book of 1 Samuel. He had let becoming king go to his head and forgot who put him there. He was more concerned with what a king should do rather than obeying the Lord. He may have seemed just and right in people's eyes but his disobedience cost him the throne. The opposite of that was Abraham. He was obedient and put his trust in God and God provided what he needed. Saul wanted to be in the drivers seat of his life while Abraham yielded to the will of God. As we know Abraham's seed lives on today while Saul's was cut off forever. What is it in your life today that you are in the drivers seat of and not letting God have the say but your own mindset, your way of doing things or even fear have control over. Anything you put before God you will lose anyway. (learned this the hard way before) and anything He has not ordained should not be in your life in the first place. We must humble ourselves and obey what God wants because He knows what we need even more than we do. We settle for what we can see. We need to hold on to what God says and obey and see it manifest in our lives. So I ask who's in charge of your life?

Embrace It!

Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.


James 1: 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.



It's great when we sign up for it but when we enter it we sometimes want to retract our prayers. Who really loves going through tough stuff. I like it when you're on the other side of it and it's over. But it seems that when we get away from our focus that these things that happen are designed to us draw us closer to Him. I say this a lot "Everybody points out Judas but few are there when you bare your cross like John". The truth is outside of the compassion Christ has placed in us we as humans left to our own nature are selfish and self seeking creatures. We try to care the best way we know how but there is a limit. Even when somebody has gone the extra mile for us if we don't understand what God placed in us through His Son we only have sympathy (which is a emotional exchange, a pat on the back then we move on with our lives). We don't know like when Jesus touched the women at the well it will affect an entire city. We don't go through things for ourselves but so that this life, this hope that is placed in us can be demonstrated by action. Jesus told the disciples to follow me. Jesus only did what the father told Him to do and created a movement that still rocks the world today. But He had to go the garden, the trials, the abuse and the cross. This is the part of the Christian walk that is not easy and many of us don't understand. He was hated because what He preached and lived rock "the political and religious boat" of the time. It challenged dead tradition and introduced the new covenant. It angered the rulers and religious leaders of the day. Imagine if Jesus said I have no sin and man is on His own. We would be in bad shape. No Jesus exampled what we should do in these situations. Even when we were enemies of God Jesus died for us. He was MOVED with compassion. He bore His cross that led to the glorious resurrection. Let's embrace this cross in our life. It may even baffle the "disciples" in our life but when the dust clears the greater plan of God will shine through.



-Shamik

Behold The Dreamer

We all have dreams and aspirations. When we know God gives us a dream we don't know what road it will take us down. Joseph experienced this dilemma. When he had his dream it made his brothers jealous. At the time he didn't even know how it would happen. But sharing his dream set off a chain of events that wasn't pleasant but necessary for his dream to become reality. When God gives you a dream He knows what he has placed in you to fulfill it. At this stage since it is in raw undeveloped form others can't see it and suggest for you to do things that they think you are good at. Do not fall for this. Even though standing for your dream may get you thrown into a pit it's important that you don't let it go. Don't get discouraged when people ask you to articulate it and they don't understand. It's not for them to understand, yet. The pit is an unpleasant place of uncertainty. Joseph's brothers wanted to murder him but one stood up hoping to return him to his father. Finally the others just sold him into slavery. Joseph eventually was sold to Potiphar. He found favor and prospered and was put in charge. But this was not the dream or the promise. He was still a slave. We having survived the pit might want to get comfortable here because even though we are in a strange land thing are good and pleasant. But before we get too comfortable God will send Potiphar's wife. Our world get turned around because we are not yet where we need to be. We have a choice like Joseph to be faithful to God and the dream He has given us or compromise and sin to maintain our comfort and keep what we have. Many of us sell out the dream for power, prestige and position. We lose sight of who we serve and serve other things for self promotion. We literally sell out to things that are well below what god has planned for us because we get comfortable somewhere. For those who press the next stop is prison even though we are completely innocent. In prison Joseph even had favor and was in authority. His gift for interpreting dreams was working for others but it seemed He was doomed to rot in jail. This is where the temptation to just give up comes into play. It seems to everyone in the world you made the wrong choice. Potiphar has condemned you and it seems nobody can help you. You fell abandoned and deserted. This is a time of humbling to realize that God is in control and not ourselves. It's a hard but necessary step in the process. This is where we learn, humility, compassion and forgiveness. When we are here we are on the brink of blessing and fulfilling what god has purposed us for. Finally God causes something to happen that we are remembered. We prepare ourselves to meet the King. Finally the gift God placed in us is revealed and we are put where God wants us to be to fulfill His purpose and plan. The last step was the dream being fulfilled and everything being restored to it's place. Joseph saved his family going through the entire ordeal and wasn't teased about his dream anymore. He wasn't vengeful but grateful that regardless the circumstances that he had to endure. There was a plan that God had set in motion that was beyond what he and his brothers had even imagined. Be encouraged that your present suffering will not be able to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in you through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let's Just Be Honest

Jesus said His words are spirit. We know words have the power to create and destroy. Even if you don't hear the words from a person when you finally do hear them they still have the effect of a Mike Tyson punch in your gut. That feeling is rejection. I grew up feeling that way. Joseph felt that way from his brothers words and eventually their actions were a culmination of what was in their hearts. Yes this is when then "honeymoon period" is over and the true thoughts of the heart are revealed. These words create distance. I even seen people who have spoken these thing wonder why somebody has distanced themselves. Let's be honest we think because something is said "behind closed doors" or in our inner circle that they will not effect anything. Not true. That's one reason God is going to make us account for every idle word. (I myself being very verbal have a lot to account for.) If we are only as good as our word we are all in trouble. God doesn't edit our conversations for our benefit (though I wished it worked that way). Our private words lead to public action just like Joseph's brothers. A problem with what we speak is how we believe or think. We belittle people and think we are better than them. A true leader know a follower is 50% of what they are so a sense responsibility is in place. A true leader disciples while other so-called leaders use. You can tell the difference once the "honeymoon period" is over. A lack of concern for God's people lets us be flippant with our words. We are truly only concerned with us and ours only. True we can only do so much for others but most of us do nothing. Our contempt will always surface giving what i call a "red flag" of warning. We need not sow it. But also to protect ourselves we must look to God for acceptance and what we need and see people as vessels who can miss it. If we had it all together we wouldn't need Jesus would we?

If God Doesn't Say It Why Do We Do It?

The older I get the less I get. I wonder how many people among the living are also among the thinking. Much of the information we share with each other is regurgitated rhetoric from some source we "trust". Even Biblical doctrine has sadly become heavily based on this. The myth of tolerance only get the majority view heard and takes that a the norm without proof. The suggestion of personal study as the Bible recommends has fallen to the wayside as the microwave society takes another opinion as their own. This to me has made it frustrating as in the "so-called church" you see souls get moved away as a priority. If a person of a certain look, culture, race or social background comes into a house of worship they are an inconvenience rather than an opportunity to show God's Eternal Life. If they are welcomed the other problem is that they have so much doctrinally shoved down their throats that they run in fear. They are babes and need to be weaned. The culprit is church being a success by numbers of people not in developing successful people. I always felt learning how to live the Christian practically has been missing when training a new believer. Don't get me wrong there are churches getting it done. Not as much as there used to be sadly. Heavy revelations are good but for those starting out they need to know about the gift God gave them. Discipleship is key but has to been done properly if you expect those new disciples to make more. One key problem is that people don't know the basics of the faith. Most ministries teach off of their drives and forget to give the basics. Leaving these disciples open to be pulled by any wind of doctrine because they just don't know. Another reason this is done is selfishness. If you don't have a heart for others you won't do things for them that won't benefit you. But Christ lived that way. This fact to me is the most scariest. There are people who ask why i don't just cut people completely off because of something that was done or perceive done. I always answer why should I? What gives me the right? I know what gives other the right. They are on the throne of their lives and don't see the damage done to The body of Christ by such behavior. Just because you don't stay connected and God moves someone gives no right to cut them off or drag them through the mud with your mouth and actions. Words separate once spoken and even if never verbalized though the parties the weight of them not repented for are a weight between relationships. Most relationship just go on that way. These couldn't exist if we taught the basics of Eternal Life to our new believers. I personally believe if we can't agree on the foundational things agreement concerning anything else will never be possible.

Seeing What God Wants

I am thoroughly convinced that if people understood God in the way scripture shows Him the would be slow to give their synopsis of what they perceive. There are moments when we are not hearing from the Holy Spirit and we move on what we think, would do or how we see a situation. My friend reminded me of something I said a few months ago. I basically said you can't make an elbow a knee. Yes they both bend and do similar things but an elbow on your leg would be out of place and wouldn't work right. I learned to be careful before I speak now. Being a very passionate and emotional person who takes things to heart I must be careful not to engage in things too much that God didn't call me to war in. I've found God raises up people for certain tasks and sometime those things are not your heart. The problem is that we get so passionate and sold out that we want everyone to see what God has called us to do that way. Not going to happen. Does it mean they don't believe in it or support you? Of course not. That's a childish mentality. Remember when you would go to do something wrong when you were a child? You didn't want to do it alone. You would convince and bagger your friends until they went. As Christian adults we shouldn't do that we should find people who want to go with us then we will have people who stay the course because they're heart is in it. There are many things I have the ability to do, then there are things I love to do. Put me behind an instrument, soundboard, training or working with kids and youth then I'm in the zone. Try to make me do things that I can do but don't love I become frustrated and lash out. The problem is that we see a gift or talent in somebody we want to fit them into our call and plans or ride their coattail. Instead we need to ask God what did you create them to do. When I pick people to train I always ask God to show me the hidden ability not developed or mentored yet and then go from there. Needs are real but putting somebody where they won't thrive can be detrimental to not only their gift but Christian walk. Using somebody but no caring what God has for them can birth bitterness. (I have ben there a few times and refused to do it again.) When God shows me something I want to know is it time or should I just start preparing in this season. Timing in life is pivotal. I believe we want somebody who can come into the church and go gung ho instead of training what God has already placed in the house. We wear somebody out physically and mentally and wonder what happened because we did not even watch over who God put in our care. I usually find that when youth are active in a church they fill gaps that lack but most churches don't invest in their future. We need to step back and ask God what to do with what He has placed in our hands and be responsible for it.

You Know What Happens When You Assume...

It's one of those things in life where people size you up and they believe they know your motives in life. We all experience this on a day to day basis. But a conversation with someone I deeply respect gave me some personal insight. We all thing we are some sort of gurus in our own mind and for the most part people equate how why someone is doing something on the way they think. This causes problems. I remember years ago trying to tell someone the truth but their reaction and actions showed they didn't believe me because of an idea stuck in their head. Basically for me this taught me to learn to listen and quiet my mind to what I think. The Bible clearly tells us only God knows the heart and though He might reveal something to us it's only a piece of the puzzle. Most of the problems would be avoided if people would be able to honestly communicate. The majority of people I dealt with in life like to sweep things under the rug and not deal with them. This usually causes an unexpected reaction of some sort that could have been avoided. Even if there is communication we have to try to avoid "translation" (trying to decipher instead of listing to what's communicated) or assumption. If we really trust the person even though it doesn't make sense to our train of though we should try to understand what's going on with them as much as we can. (Granted these tips are for people who want real relationships and not superficial ones.) A relationship like a marriage is work and must be cultivated. Everything else is just a facade that will fall apart as soon as somebody doesn't get what they want from you. My best relationships have survived distance, drastic life changes and trials of life. They are usually based on who you are and not what you do.

-Shamik