God's blessings......

It's been a long time since I last updated this blog. I think it took this long due to a number of reasons. But I think the main reason would be the lack of inspiration.

Recently my strategy for devotions is to come back to Jesus, since He is my salvation, Lord and the ultimate example to follow.

Our mission

I've been reflecting on one of Jesus lasts prayer - John 17:1-25

Jesus prays for himself

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.

I really like this passage because it teaches me a few things about what it means to be a Christian. That eternal life is really just about knowing God, and doing what He wants us to do. By doing these things we bring glory to God.

This passage also speaks about how our mission is to be in the world, and get our hands dirty, to mix in with everyone, to love people, to bring change and to preach the gospel. Yet it also means we don't share in the same value system as everyone else, but live according to God's words and be holy.

What an amazing and yet challenging calling for us Christians, and it's a reminder for me that when I wake up every single day and leave the house, I am officially on duty. That I need to engage, to love, to preach and yet be holy at the same time.

Honor God

1 Samuel 2: 30

"Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.

Malachi 3: 6-12

"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

This passage is true for our church. Our congregation has really stepped up and given a portion of our finances to God especially for our building campaign. This has been very sacrificial but rewarding. And now our church is on the verge of having our own land! God is good. God is moving in our church and doing great things and we obey. I really feel that God wants me to continue to give my best to serve in church.

Over the years God has really challenged me to honor Him and put Him first. This is the case in all areas of my life including my finances. I remember hearing a sermon about money and God and how so much of what Jesus talked about had to do with money. The pastor would challenge us to give back God the finances that He deserved and to watch Him bless us in return.

I can say that God has indeed paid me back and honoured me in so many ways. I have a wonderful family who all love Jesus and 4 wonderful nephews and nieces, good health, good friends and a good job.

New relationship

Recently God has blessed me with a wonderful new relationship. I think I waited a long time for this. I remember praying a lot over the years and wondering when she would come into my life. I remember all the years of being single and trying to grow into a Godly man and to do my best to be patient.

Jen is truly a wonderful blessing, and a person who encourages and challenges me. I am so happy when I am with her. I really do believe that God has brought us together, at the right time and in the right season. She is beautiful and a young women who loves Jesus. I do hope that I am an encouragement to her.

I want to honor, encourage, support, love and protect her, and to be the man that I am supposed to be.

I can only thank God every time for bringing this girl into my life.

I do admit that it is all very new for me and I do pray that God will bless our relationship, and bring us closer together in every way, that God might be in the center of our relationship and might just affirm our relationship step by step.

I thank God so much for her and can say that our love is growing stronger for each other more and more.

I am truly looking forward to growing more and more in love, friendship and God together.