"GODLY" but Fruitless?

Dear Reader,

GOD WANTS YOU TO BE FRUITFUL. May you be blessed by today's post. 

Mark 11:12-14 – “The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus felt hungry. He noticed a fig tree a little way off that was in full leaf, so he went over to see if he could find any figs on it. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.”

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jimerwin/2015/05/13/mark-11-12-26-living-a-fruitful-life/

          The first thought that came to my head when I read this verse was this: “What do people see when they come close to me?” Often times, I might have the “appearance” of godliness but in all truth, I am empty and unfruitful when Jesus saw the fig tree in full lead, He had an expectation, and this expectation was to find fruit to eat. But when He came closer, there was NO FRUIT. I can imagine the disappointment He must have felt. Are people disappointed when they come close to me? Do they regret establishing a relationship with me? Do they come with an expectation to “eat” from my life only to find nothing?

          People should be able to eat from my life. My life must be filled with God’s Word. I must not be busy adorning my outside looks with religiousity while falling short of having a life that can benefit and lead others to Jesus. Jesus hates unfruitfulness. He doesn’t take it lightly when I am not bearing fruit, when I am not feeding others, pouring into their lives or bringing souls to the kingdom. I have been created to be fruitful and not just to ‘look’ fruitful. My Christian life should have substance. Jesus cursed the tree that was unfruitful. I must be careful not to incur upon myself the judgement of God because of my failure to be unfruitful.

          When I am fruitful, I must be fruitful in season and out of season. God wants me to ALWAYS be fruitful. Yes, the Bible says it was too early in the season for figs, but research also shows that when a fig is of fruit bearing age, it will always have both leaves and fruit in spring (when the story was said to have happened). The fruit may not be ripe (meaning not in season), but there should be a presence of fruit.

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          I have been placed strategically at this point in my life to nourish a life with the Word of God in me. That is why the Word of God must always be at the tip of my tongue to encourage, admonish and counsel. People are yearning to know God. They are hungry for the truth; for freedom; for satisfaction. Only Jesus can grant them all that. Will my life be a place of encounter and nourishment for such people?

Dear God,

It is Your desire that I be fruitful at all times. When people are attracted to me, may they not be disappointed by what they see when they come close. In Jesus’ name I have prayed. Amen.

#selah

In Christ,

Shanpepe

God's Word Can Be Trusted!

Dear Reader,

Have you ever felt discouraged? Do you currently feel like God's Word is failing in your life? Do not give up! No matter how long it takes, God's Word WILL be fulfilled in your life. 

Psalm 12:6 – “The words of the Lord are pure words. They are like silver that has been made pure seven times in a stove of earth.”

When something is purified, it can stand the test of time. I mean, why wont it, when it has been passed through intense fire and still survived? It is often said that fire is the ultimate test of a thing. This is true because whatever does not survive is burnt to ashes. Silver or Gold are things everyone loves to handle, but the process it goes through is not funny! It must be passed through fire in order for the impurities inside it to be taken out before it is finally pronounced as pure. And as we all know, original silver or gold do not fade no matter the time. It is a ‘die-with-me’ kind of material. That is indeed why people go to great lengths to be in possession of it.

In this passage, God’s Words are likened to silver that has been purified 7 times over.

Wow.

What does this mean for me?

This means that God’s Words are true, reliable, pure, and can stand the test of time. This means that I can trust His Word and I can rely on it. This means that even when I am facing difficulty even in my own “furnace,” I can hold onto the promises of God to sustain me and take me through the difficult moment. This also means that when my trials are over, no matter how long it takes. God will fulfill His purpose and promises towards me. Therefore, when I am facing challenges, I must not hesitate to pray God’s Word back to Him. It is not that He has forgotten, it is that we believe in His Word and know that He will honor it. Man’s words/promises may fail, in fact, they WILL fail, but God’s Word will NEVER fail. His Word is Yes, and Amen.

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“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

What promises has God made to you over the years? He will fulfill His promise to you! 

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“And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken by the Lord would be fulfilled. (Luke 1:45)

“Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” (Joshua 21:45)

“Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 12:28)

“The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”” (Jeremiah 1:12)

“…For You have magnified Your Word above all Your name.” (Psalm 138:2) 

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#selah

I hope you have been blessed.

In Christ, 

Shanpepe. 

JESUS; Our First and Last Bus Stop

Dear Reader,

Today I will be sharing with you some truths learned from the story in Mark 2:1-12. I hope you are blessed. 

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Mark 2:1-12 (Emphasis on verses 5 & 11) - “1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!””

     This is the story of the paralyzed man that Jesus healed as a result of the faith of his friends who let him down through the roof the room where Jesus was teaching. Vs 5 & 11 stand out to me most especially because of the weight of truth in them.

Truth 1: The first thing Jesus did was to forgive the man’s sins when he was brought to him. Why? Why didn’t Jesus deal with the visible issue that was staring everyone in the face? (The paralysis) From this I learned that God values my spiritual health over the physical and therefore He often deals with my spiritual needs before attending to my physical needs. Not that He doesn’t value my physical health. He does. But the salvation of my soul comes first. After all, this body will perish.

Truth 2: My faith moves God to work. Vs 5 states that it was when Jesus saw the faith of the friends that He began His work in the paralyzed man’s life. faith, even as little as a mustard seed is powerful. Faith moves God to work. FAITH TRIGGERS OUR MIRACLES!

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Truth 3: Jesus is the only solution to the physical and spiritual needs of my friends, family and myself. He alone has the power to heal and to forgive sin most importantly (vs 10). Doctors may try to meet health needs, other humans may try to meet financial and other needs, but ONLY Jesus can solve the needs of the heart, soul, and spirit.

Truth 4: Am I bringing my friends and family to Jesus? The 4 men who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus knew that his solution could only be found in and with Jesus Christ. And so, they went to such great lengths (passing him through the roof) just so Jesus Christ could minister to their friend. To what lengths have I gone to bring others to Jesus? Have I even made an effort to bring them to Jesus? Will I have souls to greet Him with on the last day? I must point others to Jesus for their solutions and not to man. Jesus should be the first and last bus stop.

ONLY Jesus can restore completely; physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and otherwise. He is the most powerful being in heaven and earth. Hallelujah.  

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#selah

In Christ,

Shanpepe

What is Your Calling?

Dear Reader,

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Have you been called to teach children? To cater to the less privileged? To work with teenagers? To raise awareness for a cause? To go to the mission field? WHAT IS YOUR CALLING?

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things you will never stumble,…” (2 Peter 2:10)

“…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Ephesians 4:1)

Both verses talk about my calling.

Who has called me?

To what life have I been called to?

Why must I be sure of my calling?

All these are questions that arose in my heart after reading both verses.

Who has called me? JESUS has called me. He has called me because He has a purpose and plan for my life that I can only fulfill when I have answered His call. He cannot force His plans and purposes for me, on me.

To what life have I been called? In Ephesians 4:2, there are listed some characteristics that I must possess which are proof of the life I have been called to. Some of them are humility, gentleness, patience and bearing with others in love. These are the characteristics of the life that God has called me to. And these are not characters that just anyone can possess. Only through the help of the Holy Spirit can I exhibit such qualities. This also means that the calling I have received is not a trivial one. It demands a change from my nature of sin, to a new life of Jesus that is uncommon in this world of sin and perversion. My life must match my calling. If I claim to be called of God, then my lifestyle must prove that indeed, I am of God. What man claims to be a soldier yet is timid, fearful and lazy?

Why must I be sure of my calling? I must be sure of my calling so that I will remain strong and steadfast. I must do all I can to confirm my calling and election as the Bible says. For me, this means that I must make every effort to know for a fact what God wants me to do with my life, what purpose He has for me, what ministries He has called me to and how exactly He wants to use my life for His glory. This means that I must desire a sense of understanding so I know what God wants/demands of me. When I know what God’s will and purpose for me is, I will not be confused. Neither will I travel the wrong path for my life which will be filled with unnecessary obstacles (I do not mean there will be no obstacles) because I am on the wrong path and have no understanding on how to navigate it. This is where I will stumble, and woefully.

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When I am walking in purpose and understanding, I will be able to navigate my path of travel very accurately. Therefore, I must desire to really know my calling and when I do, I must strive to live a life worthy of that calling. I must be careful not to try and fit myself into someone else’s calling. God has a special plan and purpose for me that I will fit perfectly into like a puzzle piece. All I need to do is to ask Him to reveal my purpose to me and help me live it.

Dear Lord,

Help me to live a life of purpose. Grant me understanding of the calling You have given me. I cast aside every distraction, pride, selfishness and other things that would keep me from entering into all that you have for me. Help me to forgo the past and begin to live for You from this moment. Show me if what I am doing now is what I am supposed to be doing. If it is not, then please realign my life to Your will and purpose. Please show me clearly what gifts and talents You have placed in me and how I can use them for You. May my life count for eternity.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen. 

In Christ,

Shanpepe

God Remembers Seeds

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 – “Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.”

    Generosity is an investment. And what does an investment do? It yields returns for the investor. What is generosity? In my simplest way of putting git, it means giving freely, without expecting anything in return. This is how NIV puts it: “Cast your bread among the waters…”

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    For some of us, it is so difficult to share what we have with others. We cannot bear to let go of the ‘little’ we have or the ‘much’ we have for another to benefit. But do you know that when you give to others you are actually doing yourself a favor? You may think that you are the one sacrificing your money or material things for another but the Bible says that “your gifts will return to you later.”

How? You may ask. The answer is simple.

What goes around, comes around.

What you sow, you will reap.

Do unto others what you want them to do to you.

Get it now?

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    When we give to others, God remembers and when we also need to be given, our gifts make a way of provision for us. Verse two teaches another great lesson. We must not be afraid to give. No. Give recklessly! You do not know where your gift would get to. You do not know who will be helped by your gift. You do not know the risks that life before you.

YOUR GENEROSITY IS AN INVESTMENT.

    And from what I know, investments are usually made for rainy days abi? People invest in order to have something to fall back on a rainy day. This is also applicable here. I must learn to give freely to others because it is really for my own benefit.

GOD REMEMBERS SEEDS.

    God never forgets the sacrifices that His children make for the sake of others. He remembers seeds and honors them.

Give and it will come back to you.

#selah

In Christ,

Shanpepe

FFN - Fine For Nothing!!!

Proverbs 11:22 – “A woman who is beautiful but lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.” (NLT)

“Beauty in a woman without good judgement is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.” (GNB)

Dear Reader,

     I have been pondering on this verse for a while now, particularly because my mom keeps hammering that I must learn to be discreet with money. I can hear her voice saying, “Christine you must learn to be discreet with money oh…” I love the way the Good News Bible puts the verse. “A woman without good judgement…” What is good judgement? This has to do with being able to make right and proper choices, thinking through the consequences of my actions and acting upon wisdom. This means that I must be able to weigh my decisions before I take them. I must be guided by the Holy Spirit in making decision so that I will make the right decisions based on God’s wisdom.

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     When I lack good judgement or discretion, I will live and act carelessly without “want of care” as the law would put it; recklessly. And the Bible likens a woman; in fact, a beautiful woman who lacks discretion to a gold ring in a pig’s snout. What?! Like realy?! First off, this means that beauty is not the ultimate oh. You can be fine and foolish at the same time. As a dear friend of mine would say, you can just be FFN (Fine For Nothing!!!). This is critical because we all know that gold is precious. Now, why on earth would I take gold and put it in a pig’s snout? Like really?! What a waste! A pig’s snout is what it uses to sort out rubbish and garbage oh. Yuck! What a devaluation of such a priceless jewel. This means that I must be careful not to lose my position and identity because of a lack of discretion. I am such a valuable and priceless jewel, but if I lack good judgement, it will lead to poor choices which will lead to wrong destinations (pig’s snout) and also a loss of my identity!

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     Outward beauty is not enough. Good judgement is what keeps me in my place of value. I must also remember that “Beauty is fleeting…” (Proverbs 31) A pig will not value a gold ring because it does not know its worth. Ladies!!! Don’t be a woman who lacks good judgement. Poor judgement will lead to poor decisions and for us ladies, we will end up in relationships with ‘pigs’ who don’t know out value and who will trample and devalue us. Beware of such relationships! I (You) deserve more because I am (You are) of great value to God.

Dear God,

Help me to be a woman of good judgement in every area of my life. May I not fall into the hands of a ‘pig’. Amen.

#selah

I do hope you have been blessed.

In Christ,

Shanpepe

The Wise vs. The Foolish Woman

Proverbs 14:1 = “A wise woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears her down with her own hands.”

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 This verse brings to mind that the preparation for my future begins now. Most importantly, the survival of my home depends on me as well. Most homes today are held together by women. This is not to say that the man plays no role. NO. It is just that if a home fails, blame it on the mother of the home. She is the mover and the shaker, the one who controls the powerhouse of the home. The Bible says it is a wise woman who builds her house. What is wisdom? To me, wisdom is the proper application of knowledge, and wisdom comes from God. The ability to apply the truths of God’s Word is what qualifies me as a wise woman. right now is my time of training, and I must not play about it because marriage/homemaking will be the true test of everything I am learning now.

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WILL I BE A WISE WOMAN WHO BUILDS HER HOUSE?

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  Or will I use my own hands to tear down my house? To build is more difficult than to tear town. A lazy person will never be willing to take the pains to build something that will last. A wise woman builds her house upon the Solid Rock, which is Jesus Christ.

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  The success of my home greatly rests on my shoulders. Make I no use my hand destroy my home in Jesus’ name, amen. Deliver me from the spirit of the foolish woman oh Lord. I am a wise woman and will build my home and not destroy it. 

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I hope you have been blessed.

Sincerely,

Ishanpepe.