John 8:7

Recently I have come to a realisation; when we listen to the news, read the newspaper or other forms of media we hear stories of crimes. Whether it is war crimes, murder, rape, violence, etc we automatically judge the perpetrator and think that they deserve this or that, we have in mind what a fair punishment is. I am guilty, when I see what has happened to the victim I put myself in their shoes and think I have the right to judge as they do not deserve to go through that. Even when you know the whole story, which by the way nobody ever knows the whole story and what that person has gone through, you do not get to judge.

We are not the only people guilty of that, back a long time ago in John a woman was caught in the act of adultery, back in the days when that is an act that could be punished by being stoned to death. It is a more physical example compared to today, but the response that Jesus gave immediately stopped everyone. He said, "Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7b) I can imagine at that moment everyone standing there thinking about their sins, gazing at each other, slowly putting stones on the ground and walking away. Applying that to today instead of thinking how the perpetrator deserves to be punished, commenting on websites about the crime or even writing hate mail. Remember that we are not worthy to judge other sinners, you do not get to pick up that stone.

Yes, what they have done might be horrible and maybe something should be done about it, but the justice system is run by humans, it is never going to be perfect and please everybody. God is the judge, we will never understand how God works and he doesn’t have to explain to us how he is taking care of things, but we must trust that he is fair and just. God is a God of Holy, he cannot stand sin, he is not just going to turn a blind eye to sin. In the story of the woman who committed adultery, after everyone left Jesus said to her "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:11)

Seek Me with all your heart

I have written so many drafts on different topics that I am passionate about, but haven't brought myself to post on this blog because none of the post seems good enough. But today I am posting this even if it's not perfect, because this is important news for everyone to hear.

A lot of my friends tells me that they don’t know why God is not talking to them, I have that question as well and I have been exploring the reasons behind it, is it because we are not good enough Christians? Is God real? When you can't feel God or connected to God it is hard to do what he ask us to, you don’t know why you are doing these things for. But once you encounter God, he opens your eyes, you will see it as a privilege to even be able to praise Him, let alone share the good news with others. But the big question is, how do I encounter God?

I am a very emotional person, but I like to look strong in front of others. It has been a while since God touched deep in my heart and brought tears to my eyes in Sunday service. Tonight I let my tears flow, I felt something in my heart as I opened my heart to Jesus. It was not because of the songs the band were leading, it was my heart that really seeks God that let Him into me.

I let Him into parts of my life that I never want anyone to see, I confessed my sins first. God is Holy, He dislikes sins, so the first step to get closer to God, we have to get rid these sinful parts of our life. To repent, we promise that we never want to go there anymore. "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. - Philippians 4: 8"

Then praise Him, He has forgiven your sins. With all your heart, sing praises to Him, shout praises. Worship Him, no greater love can exist. Most importantly, Seek HIM with ALL your HEART. Why would he answer you and come to you if you didn’t even knock on Him door? "YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART. - Jeremiah 29 : 13" Until you have given everything in your life to God and ask Him to guard you through your life, don’t give up on God. Walk the journey with God, carry the kingdom with you wherever you go. You will live differently, your eyes will be open to see what is truly important in God's eyes, you will do everything to give glory to God's kingdom.
I hope this has encouraged you to have a personal relationship with God, where he is the one driving your life, not the earthly things. Ask Him what are the changes you need to make, trust Him, live in Him. Don’t wait until you think you are perfect or have your life sorted, now is the time.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find ; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receivers; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. - Matthew 7:7-8"

Strength and weaknesses

I seem to always write my blog on a Sunday, maybe it's the day that God talks to me when I search for Him. Today we went to a church in Napier, I didn't really think much of it at first, I have a bad habit of judging other churches that I have not been to. Normally I do not get moved or touched by sermons that I do not think it's from God directly speaking to me, just like today's sermon. It was on integrating your strength and character, I sat there taking sermon notes like I always do. It was just another normal sermon that talks about how God love and accept us no matter what we are good at or how much we have achieved, something that I have heard for so many Sundays, a message that was part of my life growing up. Little did I know it was a sermon God planned for me and was going to change my life with it, change my view on my life. The pass few nights when I was trying to sleep, I finally had time to take a break from studying and worry about my future and what I am called to do with my life. I am so scared that what I am studying is not actually for me, I am making goals up for myself that is not from God. Another problem is that I am not good at anything, today I finally noticed I have been comparing my weakness with other people's strength. God has given me my owe gifts and abilities, I just have to find them and use them to serve others. You are never going to be good at everything, that's why there are other humans in the world, for us to work together to create a community. God has given us different gifts, some may seem bigger than others, but it doesn't mean God love you less. Love yourself for who you are and accept yourself, a poem someone shared with me call the plum, its goes like this:
"You can learn that you cannot be loved by all people
You can be the finest PLUM in the world,
RIPE – JUICY – SUCCULENT
And offer yourself to all.
However you must remember there will always be people who do not like plums.
You can learn to understand that if you are the world’s finest plum,
And someone you like does not like plums
You have a choice of becoming a banana.
However, you need to be warned that if you choose to become a banana,
You will be a second-rate banana,
However, you can always be the best plum.
You need to understand that if you choose to be a second-rate banana,
There will always be people who do not like bananas,
Furthermore, you can spend your life trying to become the best banana (which is impossible if you are a plum),
Or: You can seek again to be the
BEST PLUM!!"
You do not need to do great things and achieve goals for God to love you, or to earn God's grace. He loves you for who you are and what you can do even before you understand you and love yourself. One of the things I am learning at the moment is to love myself for who I am, in order to do that I have to understand how God loves me even with my faults and weaknesses. God bless, go well :)

Fight Back!

Don't let them win. When you get a grade that you don't want, when someone break your heart, when friends push you away, when there are haters in your life. Fight back! You study harder, you live life to the full. God didn't promise an easy life, but he promised to get you through because he is going to be holding your hand. Learn from things that's happened and improve, do something about it, complaining is going to get you no where. Don't give up just because something doesn't go according to your plan, it might seen huge at the time, but it's not. You can get through it, normally I will quote some bible verses. But today I want to leave you with the lyrics from the "Fight song" by Rachel Platten. Believe in yourself, God made you to fight through hard times in life. Be brave, God gives His hardest battles to His bravest soldiers.

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
but I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep
Everybody's worried about me
In too deep
Say I'm in too deep
And it's been two years
I miss my home
But there's a fire burning in my bones
And I still believe
Yeah I still believe

And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

A lot of fight left in me

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
but I can make an explosion

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

Now I've still got a lot of fight left in me

A promise from God 25/4/2015

Decide what is it that you want. Write it down, make a plan. And work on it, EVERY SINGLE DAY. It is hard to focus on what you have planned to do; how many times have you plan to study and end up watching TV for the whole day? How many years have you set yourself goals and end up not following through with it? It happens to everyone, but we have to learn endurance, and discipline yourself. Because after when you don’t follow through with your plans, you are the one that always end up suffering, you disappoints yourself.

If you find that you have no motivation to do something, or that you can't carry on. Remember that as a Christian you live as an example to others and whatever you are doing you do it is to give glory to God. In work, in study, everywhere. "so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1: 10-12) I find that I am not good at working hard on things I want to success on, I always take the easy way out, doing the bare minimum. In the Bible there are lots of verses mocking lazy people and saying that they will get nothing. "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." (Proverbs 13:4)

Working hard and towards something is important but what happens when God close doors on things you have plan for your life? Sometimes when you are working towards your goal and you are so focus on it, suddenly God say STOP, THIS IS NOT THE WAY. What do we do then? When we make plans we want to success in it, we want God to approve and help us towards it. We pray and believe that God is on our side, but look at the goals you made for yourself. Do they clash with God's plan? Do they please the Lord? Is that want God has plan for you?

At one point in my life I thought I had it all figured out, I knew what degree I want, I knew what job I want, who I want to marry, what my dream house look like etc.... But God said STOP. I thought I knew what was best for me, but I was containing myself to a life that I thought was the best for me. God said that there are so much more in me that he wants to use and so many other people's heart he wants me to touch (not literally). What I find the hardest is that I am not in control any more, God is my pilot now.

This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:5-8)

There is an message that God told me today, God has a plan for everyone of us, He is never too early or too late. He never breaks His promises to us, put your faith in Him.

Sorry to everyone who is reading this, it is a bit of a mess. God bless!

Run wild, Live free, Love strong

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me." (Philippians 1: 21-26)

Everyone live for something, things happen for a reason. One question I ask all the time: What is the purpose in me on earth? As a Christian I know that after I die I will be going to heaven, where there will be no pain, no tears and no sin. I want to go there now, a place where I can spend the rest of my life worshipping God and live in a perfect place. Who doesn't want that? But it also gives me great joy seeing a positive change in people's lives, how can I let God use me to change that world to a better place, how can I live like Jesus?

In the pass few weeks I have been rethinking about my life and how I am serving God with my life. When we sing worship songs on Sundays, do we mean it? Is Jesus actually the centre of your life? Will you actually follow wherever He goes? Is it time we step out and do something to change the world? I have found what I am passionate about and felt God telling me it is time to act on it. If you ask me how do you know what God is calling you to do, my answer will be pray and talk to Him, the more you spend time with him and let yourself grow in Him, the easier it will be for you to recognise his voice and His calling for you. When you hear what God is calling you to do, don't let things in life to stop you, don't make excuses for yourself.

I am a person that wants to plan my whole life for myself, I know what I want and I will try to make it work MY WAY. At the moment I am learning to trust God with my life, I am learning to enjoy not knowing what's ahead with the knowledge that God has already got my whole life in his hand and that He will guide me through it. The only thing I need to do is trust, when you stress and worry about everything you are not trusting God.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 6-7)

Once you have trusted God with your life, the next step is to step out and serve God, listen to Him and see where He is leading you. Everybody is alive for a reason, Go Run wild, live free, love strong.

Pressing on toward the Goal

Getting up in the morning, get on my bike, sit through lectures, bike home (fighting through the headwind), do pre reading and sleep. Then repeat five days a week. After three years you come out with a massive loan, why do we do it? On that cold winter Monday morning what will get you out of bed to turn up to lectures? That Friday night when all your friends are hanging out but you have an exam the next day, what will keep your focus on study? Dear friends, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE. Most of us are studying for a reason, you must be working towards a goal, if not FIND IT, otherwise it's going to get hard.
No one can achieve something great without working hard, let me encourage you to look at your goal during those times when you want to give up, remind yourself why you are doing this. When you look back at those times, you will know it's worth it, your endurance will pay off.

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
And of course I am not going to end there. Yes in our lives it is very important to work hard to study, to get the degree we want the job that we want, with that supporting a family. YES it is very important, BUT let us not forget the REAL GOAL for us in this life. Paul wrote to Christians in Philippi, keep your eyes on the heavenly prize. Live like Christ. It's hard to tell the whole truth, it's hard to love those who hurt you. When we are here and now living in a sinful world, but like getting up in the morning and going to lectures, it's worth it for the prize. In our old age can we say that: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8)