Forgive me, I’m human!

Greetings from my lodgings in Earls Court, where I am holed up for a few days, trying to collect my thoughts, sleep uninterrupted (by my thoughts) for a few days, and just breathe air that isn’t disturbed by fuel scarcity, PHCN, or expensive data.

I went to church on Sunday, and guess who the Minister for the day was? Pastor Brian Houston! The man himself! No way! I was ecstatic! The title of his message is the title of this post (centered on temptation), and I hope it brings hope, light, and encouragement to you like it did for me!

James 1: 12-15 (and we read The Message version)

¹² Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

^13-15 Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

There is no shortage of ways we can or are tempted for the sole reason that we are human. For every temptation, there is a pain/pleasure route that presents as options and determines if we have pleasure or pain at the end.

1 John 2: 16

Hebrews 4:5

12 things about temptation

1. Temptation is a control freak and a manipulator. Romans 7: 18 – 20
2. Temptation targets our weaknesses and our most vulnerable seasons
3. Temptation reasons like a seasoned academic or an articulate debater. That’s why there will always be a ‘justification’ for sin. 2 Corinthians 3. Our thoughts lead to Imaginations, which lead to High things (or arguments in favor of the sin) which lead to it taking a Stronghold.
4. Temptation rationalizes the irrational and defends the indefensible
5. Temptation’s seduction is as masterful as its abandonment is stunning.
6. Temptation promises like a friend and disappoints like an enemy.
7. It is overwhelmingly self-indulgent and has no regard/thought for the people you love and respect
8. Temptation is a mocker – mocking God’s plans and desires for us
9. Temptation will inevitably come round for another round

• Temptation magnifies the immediate and clouds the permanent or the eternal.
• Temptation blinds you to wisdom and opens us up to folly. Proverbs chapters 1 through 9.

James 1:5

Here’s the thing though – we cannot beat temptation through fear but by the love of Christ. Understanding God’s love for us and His sacrifice on our behalf and living our lives to show Him our love is a great tool to triumph over temptations.

1 John 5:2

Temptations are rooted in our desires or passions but the truth is not all desires/passions are bad. So how about not killing them but repurposing/refocusing them? How about consciously focusing on God and things of God? There won’t be much room for anything else.

So, a few things

1. Don’t go there in your mind.
2. Don’t underestimate the power of our friends on us – sometimes we need to cut some people out of our lives because they help create a conducive environment for sin to thrive.

I was thoroughly blessed by that word, and it is my hope that this has encouraged you. Another thing during the service that touched me was the encouragement we got before we gave our offerings and I will attempt to share that with you.

The pastor read from Luke 15 (the story of the prodigal son) and talked through how sometimes it is our sacrifices in church that pave the way for others. So, the Prodigal Son had stuff to come back to because others continuously labored. So, when next you’re putting an offering in church, cleaning, or serving in some unit or the other, have it at the back of your mind that your service is preparing the way for someone else to come to Jesus.

 

Have a fabulous rest of the week (fuel, electricity scarcity notwithstanding)!

Light, love, and God’s many blessings!

*Written on the 10th of May.

All-in worship: Sunday at Hillsongs! Whoop!

First time at Hillsongs in a couple weeks, and I was there early! Like, proper early, 15 or 20 minutes before! Was good to sit in front and catch my breath before worship started. I’d missed this!

Dan preached today, and it was so lovely to listen to a young person share the word with so much enthusiasm and excitement! Don’t get me wrong o, I love Pastor Gary James Clark, but there’s something about a young person flawlessly using scenarios around you to put that Word of God into you!

Dan taught on ‘All-in worship’, and our scripture was taken from Romans 11:26. Bibles and notepads out people? May God bless the study of His word, amen!

What is worship?  It is admiration, glorification, or adoration for something/someone, in this case, God. Everyone worships something, guys do the Premier League, ladies do Justin Bieber. But, we were created to worship only one person: God. Only Him.

Most of the problems we see today are because of the ‘i’ in the word ‘sin’. ‘I’, meaning ‘me’, ‘myself’; people the world over are poor because leaders choose to satisfy ‘me’, rather than cater to their people.

Hebrews 10:1-4

Everyday we see the power of God at work because Jesus died for us 2000 years ago. We respond to that with our worship. Who do you worship?

[Photo credit – worshipmatters.com]

How do we worship? Worship is a lifestyle, laying everything we are and do at the foot of Jesus. It is not music; even though music is an expression of our worship, it is a lot more than singing and dancing in church.

Every single day, we have the opportunity to give God worship (or not), reflect HIm through the things we do, think, or say. If we think of our daily lives as total worship to God, we would act so differently!

Note that we always sacrifice something for anything we worship. If you worship

• Alcohol – you sacrifice your liver, family, relations, etc. and you gain zilch
• Food – you sacrifice cholesterol levels, health, finances, etc. and you gain nada
• God – you sacrifice anything, lose nothing, but gain everything!

[Photo credit: lifechangingworship.com]

What happens when you worship? Romans 12:1-2

We transform into the image and likeness of God. John 4:23-24. Integrity is the person you are when no one is looking. Worship has to do with our spirits, our hearts, so don’t get hooked on style.

We’ve moved from hymns to contemporary, who knows the form worship will take 10, 20 years from now? It’s not about sticking to a form or culture of it, it’s about including the next person, adapting your worship/lifestyle so you can lead others to a place where they want to worship with you.

Bonus – how do you become a worship leader? Point people to Jesus using your words and your actions. Without the best voice, killer dance moves or skills with instruments, you can lead people to Jesus, and that’s the best form of worship.

Have a fabulous week!!! Merry Christmas in advance!

Related articles

• Worship Bites- “Christ is the Cornerstone” (gracestartshere.wordpress.com)
• Zone of Worship (sheldonumc.wordpress.com)
• Hillsong (campaignsandcrusades.wordpress.com)

 

House, hotel, or ceremony; how do you approach His house?

Two weeks ago I was in a service at Hillsongs, Dominion Theatre and the Pastor was talking about our attitude to the house of God and how it determines the way we behave in and outside it.

He started by saying that “Jesus came as He did, so we can come as we are”. He explained that by today’s standards, Jesus entrance was controversial. Agreed? So His mother ‘immaculately conceived’ Him, and just when we thought this holy seed would be born in the best hospital, with the best doctors around at the time, he had to go get born in a manger! On hay! The King of Kings, ruler of the entire universe, born where donkeys sleep?

But it was for a purpose. Being born under those circumstances means that regardless of where your life is at the moment, His door is open, wide open, and you can come just as you are. Hallelujah!

Ok, back to the house. When you go to a hotel (and I love sleeping in hotels, the more luxurious the better), you can afford to throw the used towels about, not make your bed, leave plates in the room or by the door, pretty much do as you please. Right?

That’s because you know that soon as you go out and come back, the place would have been returned to pristine condition, ready for you to wreck again.

When you’re a guest at a ceremony (wedding, christening, graduation, whatever) you come dressed nicely expecting to be served. The most some of us expect to do is walk to the buffet table and help ourselves to the food. We may bring a gift (or not) but again, we have no responsibility whatsoever. Right?

When you’re at your home though, you cook. You clean, you mow the lawn, and you tend the garden. You run errands for your parents/guardians; and if you’ve got siblings you cater to them as well. In return your mother doesn’t hang you out on the clothesline! Lol! Seriously though, in return you partake of the ‘blessings of the house’. You have a family you love who love you back, a place to sleep, your needs taken care of, etc. You accept them, you have emotional, spiritual, and financial support when you need it, the works!

Same thing with the house of God. If we approach it like were attending a ceremony, or laying over at a hotel, we won’t fully partake of the blessings God has people who have made camp in. Remember Psalm 91:1. It says he that “dwelleth”, not visiteth, droppeth in, or stoppeth by  for a bit under the shadow of the Almighty (ignore the spellings, focus on the message *smile*).

Bottom line my darling people, get involved! Go all in! How can you serve? How can you add to the service? What team in the throne of God will be blessed by your gift?

Think about it, and enjoy the end of a super productive week!

Related articles

• Southern Hospitality (anointedplace.wordpress.com)
• The Kingdom of God (joequatronejr.wordpress.com)
• Fulfilling Prophecy (charitygcsblog.wordpress.com)
• Triumphal Prophecy (jesusworshipper.wordpress.com)
• Hillsong Untied (gisellemartinezf.wordpress.com)