Hello Friend,
Hope you have had a great week. I don’t know about you, but I have been so looking forward to a relaxing weekend; Praise God, it’s here! Doing anything interesting this weekend? Are there goals you want to accomplish successfully?
Listen now to find out how you can.
Have a great weekend!
Jeanie
Background Music by Yolanda Adams – I’m Gonna Be Ready
Hello Friend,
Today I am going to share with you one of my favourite songs – I’m gonna be ready by Yolanda Adams. Sit tight and read on.
Ready is a state of being structured together and complete; whole, having lived out a potential or realized an intended goal. Preparation is the training, groundwork and process that set you on the path of being ready.
Paul said in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on ….I push on …..I forge ahead….it’s really tough but I press on, very painful but I keep going”.
How did a man who was:
say, ’I still press on’. If it were you what would you say? What would you do? Would you quit or press on?
I could hear him say, I have survived the worst of times, why give up now? I need to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus got hold of me. There is purpose in all this, God’s got a plan, for surely there is an end; and my expectation shall not be cut off. Yolanda sings, for whatever comes… With you in control, I can’t go wrong ‘cause I always know….I’m gonna be ready.
I can’t quit till I fulfill his intended purpose for me. There are many cities to be evangelized and many souls yet to be saved… I press on!
Only a man of vision can say that. A man who understands his purpose. Do you know the reason why God has laid hold of you, the same reason you may be going through what you are in preparation for the time you are made manifest; the time you are ready!
Stop crying, stop murmuring, work with God, do your homework, and submit them on time. Because you see, there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: If you do well, won’t you be accepted? That’s what He told Esau – If you do well, will you not be lifted up? God is not some mean assessor who derives satisfaction in marking you down so you would fail. He wants your advancement; He takes pleasure in your prosperity. Talking about tests, how do you pass them, by preparing, isn’t it? Sometimes you don’t feel like it, but for the joy that is set before you, for that certificate that’ll read – Ready, you endure the pain and press on!
Don’t be a drop-out, persevere to the end, and be ready!
To download the audio version of this journal, click here. Learn more about Instrument of Praise at www.myspace.com/instrumentofpraises
I know I have not written you in a while, not because I haven’t received a word but due to various demands and responsibilities. However, I want to assure you that I will be bringing you ‘a word’ in no time. Meanwhile, you can visit my blog to read previous editions. Now, I want to share something very important with you.
About this time last year I participated in Feed the Widows Project, a vision that was given to a dear friend of mine. He fed several widows and it was a rare privilege to have been a part of that project. Nothing could be compared to the joy of seeing those women, who have been forsaken by the society and even the church cry for joy as they each received their aid. It was an amazing experience!
This year, he has received a mandate to clothe the widows and I am blessed I must say to be a part of it. James 1:27 says:
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Also, in 1 Timothy 5:3 Apostle Paul admonishes us to take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. You might be tempted to place an undue emphasis on the expression ‘who has no one else to care for her’ but I urge you to be the person who will bring joy and happiness to a widow by sowing a seed towards clothing them.
The book of 1 Timothy 5:5 gives a vivid description of this widow:
Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help.
Wouldn’t you rather be the person God wants to use to answer her prayers? I know you have good reasons to think this may not have come at the right time but it has come at God’s time which is the best time. You probably have been praying and asking God for a major breakthrough, sow this sacrificial seed towards the clothing of widows in Africa and see God work wonders for you!
You can contribute by cash or cheque. If neither of these payment methods is convenient for you, please contact me directly to send you alternative payment options via email or on +44 7904 510 986.
Please feel free to chip-in whatever you can, no matter how little. Any contribution will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you and God Bless.
Jeanie
On behalf of Christ Academy.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat… I needed clothes and you clothed me. Matthew 25:35a/36a
Last time, we discussed what it really means to be grounded and settled. Today, we’ll look focus on how we can actually do it. I pray you’re encouraged.
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6: 14-18
The devil is a schemer and one of his biggest schemes is to distort the truth. Jesus shed more light on this when he said:
“He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44b
Paul in the book of Ephesians highlights that you can however take your stand against his schemes with the whole armour of God, not a few bits. He writes:
Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13
There is an evil day! I slightly touched on this previously; you’re going to have times of combat, windy seasons and moments of pressure that’ll test your firmness. However, to withstand these, you need a protective covering, something that will safeguard you as well as ward off the strategies of the enemy to take you out – the whole armour of God. Let’s look at the first armour.
Belt of Truth: Long before belts were being used as accessories, they functioned to keep clothes in place. The belt of truth or girdle as referred to in other texts is designed to keep every part of the armour in its place, and to gird the soldier on every side. This is where everything hinges on hence the reason it is buckled securely around the waist.
Truth is information and a commodity highly sought for. The accumulation and assimilation of information is knowledge.
Jesus is referred to as “the truth.”
“I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth. Psalms 119:142
Both are intertwined. We can only claim that we know Jesus when we abide by the truth – his commandments. He alone is the truth in life and his law is equally the truth.
And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and The Truth is not in him. 1 John 2:3, 4
Before going to a warfront, Soldiers are often briefed with information and given instructions based on that. The briefing may include information on who their enemies are, where they are, their attack mechanisms, strategies, strengths and weaknesses.
Knowledge of the Truth will prevent one from being ignorant and negligent and shield them from being exposed to any kind of assault which could result in them being ‘knocked out’. With this knowledge, they are able to wage war more effectively. The Bible contains a lot of information about Jesus, The Truth and Satan, the schemer. Spend time in God’s Word and learn the truth!
Related Journals:
Stand Firm – Part 1
Gear Up!
However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Colossians 1:23
This is an encouraging word from Apostle Paul; be firmly established in the faith. Most people today are established but loosely, and this poses a danger of them being easily moved.
Ever heard of the slang ‘no shaking’ before? If you have, then you would understand it connotes a state of stability and intactness. When one is firm it means they are resistant to externally applied pressure. It could also mean they are constant; steadfast and securely fixed in place. Note, there is pressure but they are resistant to it. The King James Version of the Bible uses the word ‘grounded’ which really means deeply rooted.
Another word used in this passage is the word ‘established’ which means to be placed or settled in a secure position or condition; to be installed. We are admonished to be steadfast also, unwavering, unchanging and to be set in our ways. Do you see how this relates to choices? Please understand the context in which I am using this, change is a good thing and most times inevitable but if you are ever changing and inconsistent, that’s nothing to write home about.
The word ‘settled’ has been used in KJV and this suggests to me that there is a tendency for something to be deeply rooted and yet not firmly put into a desired position or place. For a moment, I want you to think agriculturally, the position of a seed although firmly rooted may have an effect on how it grows. Are you gaining something?
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Ephesians 4:14(NLT)
See? When you are grounded, it is impossible for you to be tossed and blown. Selah! The wind may blow, but you’ll stand firm in faith and not be moved. These are the last of the last days, God’s pouring out his spirit on all, and the mountain of the Lord’s house is being established the highest of all, but at the same time, scoffers are loose; many are falling away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of devils.
You need to stand firm in the faith, on that conviction you had of God being the creator and ruler of all things, a provider who can create an open door for you and not leave you destitute. Your belief in the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, your salvation, a deliverer who cares and is constantly saving you from trouble.
We’re going to delve deeper next time; I hope you have read a thing or two that you’ll walk away with. Stay Blessed.
Related Journal:
Stand Firm – Part 2
Gear Up!