Buch lesen: «But The One Who»

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INTRODUCTION

My name is Job Mothiba, I am a Christian and believe in God not because my parents told me to, not because the church told me to, but because I have experienced how awesome He truly is in my life. Sometimes people throw you out of their lives just as they did with *Jonah out of the boat when you confess to having failed them. You may feel swallowed up by your own mistakes, in sin and expelled from God’s purpose as it would seem when Jonah was in the belly of the whale. However, when you confess to God that you have failed and repent, even the very belly of death as with the belly of the whale becomes a bus to your destination.

This is so as seen in the *book of Jonah when the whale spat him out at the very place God had originally commanded him to go and share His will, even though he rebelliously sailed in the opposite direction. Just like that, right out of the mess, death, disappointment, failure and sin, God will use even apparent death to spit you into your purpose. However, do not forget then and there that your purpose like that of Jonah to Nineveh is to share God’s will and testify of His Mercy, Love and Grace.

But, it is not always in the fish’s belly where God has to wrestle with you to have His way. Sometimes the best way to convince someone he is wrong is to let him have his way. No wonder now I am willing and prepared to walk with Him until the end, as the Bible says:

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“…but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved”

(Matthew 24:13) ———————

I have done many mistakes and failed many times in life but I am still moving forward trying to make myself better. Hence, most people who are successful, have done more than study the successes of others, at some point you have to get up and do the work yourself. I have learned that things that seem bigger than life at the beginning, settles down after a while and become part of the norm.

It seems bigger because it is new and, is something different but, it does lose its gloss and appeal over time. Moreover, sometimes God does not give you something you want, not because you do not deserve it but, you need to walk more closely with Him, because He has more in store for you. So, if you are ever given an opportunity to do something different, do not be afraid. Just be yourself and give what comes natural not forgetting that the life journey and lessons are never over until we take out last breath.

Hence, in this walk of life we ought to be an example for the lost, provide nourishment to the hungry, hope to the hopeless while preparing ourselves to learn from our mistakes, and always try to be better than the person we were the day before.

The one thing you must know as a Christian is that the life of the unbeliever next door, the homeless and orphans are in our hands in the sense that God caused you to succeed for someone else to have a better life through you. The unbelievers need your words and testimony about Jesus Christ to change their ways. The homeless need your help to trust God again and the orphans need the mother and father’s love from you. Just know that, it is by the grace of God, which made you who you are today. It was very easier to be one of them but, God chose you as a vessel to reach out to them. Let the mind that is in Christ be in you. Just as He said: “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40)

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“Smart men walked on the moon, daring men walked on the ocean floor,

but wise men walk with God.”

- Leonard Ravenhill

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In your walk with Christ you might get green or red lights. Sometimes even a detour. But, until the road ends, stay on the course with God. Your job is not to be *Jesus. Your job is to believe, depend on, and submit to Jesus working in and through you. So, all the adversity, challenges, and bumps in the road, are often the first signs that great things are about to happen. And when things do not work out the way you hoped, trust that God has something greater in store. For it is all part of His plan for you to make you prosper not to harm you, to give you hope and future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

If you want to be all God wants you to be expect the opposition. Some people would not understand your journey. Some might even judge and be unkind. But, they are not walking in your shoes on a daily basis. Iris not an easy road to walk; it is not an easy field to glean. But, God sees you and He knows how hard you are trying. You are doing the best you can with what you have to deal with. He is proud of you. He is doing something amazing and beautiful with your life. Hold your head up. For, those who look up to the Lord are radiant and they never covered in shame. Do not take on false guilt, negative labels, or condemnation by spectators. You are God’s blood bought. So, be strong in the Lord.

Being strong does not mean you have to stay and fight all the battles and petty arguments that come your way. It means you do not have to stay and respond to rude remarks. Do not retort by throwing insults back at them. It is what they want. True strength is being adult enough to walk away from the nonsense with your head held high. For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15)

In fact as long as you live, you will be thrown off course, you will fall, and you will fail. It happens to the best, often. It will be tough at times. It will take time. It will require dedication and sacrifice. But at the end it will be worth it. Thus, almost everybody in the Bible whoever did something great had someone that was plotting against them. Even the best of the best struggled with plateaus, get frustrated, felt insecure, and wondered why they have to do it but they did it anyway. You also can make it. For God has promised that, “Even when you are old, I will take care of you, even when you have grey hair, I will carry you. I made you and I will support you; I will carry you and rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4)

If you really have your eyes open, you would see that all moments are key moments with God. Even in the moments of highest happiness and deepest misery you still need God. You may not know how much you need Him. For anyone who has ever known God has known Him perhaps better in the dark than anywhere else, because it is in the dark where He seems to visit most often.

So, if you never encountered the circumstances of life you would never know what it feels like to have victory at the end and when it matters. You also, can still find meaning even in the depths of despair, for she or he who survives the dark night with God’s glory becomes a better man because we are designed to live in God’s presence. The moment men try living out of that Holy atmosphere death takes hold and the curse reigns. Whatever you are going through now, is nothing compared to God’s Glory that will be revealed in you. (Romans 8:18)

So, no matter how much you try to push God off for the world, you know deep in your heart that it is wrong. It is time to make up your mind.The essence of sin is not that we want bad things but it is that we want things too badly no matter what it takes. Often what seem to be our deepest desires are really just our loudest desires. To discover your real desire, look at what you spend time thinking about when no one is looking. Learn to listen to God’s heart which is in His Word and do His will. For, “…this world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:17)

Sometimes, there are really some complicated things in life that nobody can help you decide, but God. So get rid of the idea that you do not need Him. God does not want to only be your Father. He also wants to be your best friend. Tell Him your thoughts, secrets, cares, fears etc. Not only is He a great listener, but also the greatest adviser, comforter, and a healer. Hence, we all need someone we can confide in, get prayer and advice from, to be comforted. However, the real comfort comes through knowing Jesus.

When you are willing to surrender all every facet of your life to Him greater possibilities begin to manifest in your daily experience. Be all in or get all out. There is no halfway. Things will not get any better until you stop denying the truth “Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.“(John 14:6)

You just have to believe with all your heart that God is able and live in this confidence no matter how dark and heavy it looks, rest in the full assurance that He will deliver you. There is a tremendous release from cares and burdens when you take all to God in prayer. “Cast thy burdens upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee..! (Psalm 55:4)

Do not let your worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with Him. The same God who created life in you can be trusted with it. Even the Bible never once says, “figure it out”. But, over and over it says, “Trust God”. He is definitely the One who will reset and restore you, picking you up and placing you upon the rock and establish your going.

The best thing is that no matter how long you have travelled in the wrong direction, you can always turn back. Your life will never be measured by one or two events, but it will be measured by grace. So, stop beating yourself up for a mistake that anyone can make. For you are never always right, nor are you always wrong. Just do not look back when you know you should not, do not stress over things that do not matter and do not worry about things you cannot control. God has something better that you cannot fully see right now.

Make a decision to repent. Since repenting is the last thing most us want to do and that is why many never get round to it, until we are surrounded by troubles. We all have skeletons in our closet, so enter your prayer closet *lekunutung le Morena and confess each one to God. For, He is faithful and just. He gives life in place of death. He makes those just who are unjust, forgives those who deserve to be punished, and favours those who deserve no favour.

Thus, if you have a desire for Him in your heart right now, that alone is evidence that He is communicating with you. Do not harden your heart. Make things right with God before it is too late. “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near…turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on you. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.“(Isaiah 57:6-7)

He *The King of Kings… has already extended an invitation to you, to come boldly at the throne of grace. Take advantage of this awesome privilege. “Come now, let us settle the matter,“says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

So, regardless to where you worship, it is my prayer that you arrive with great expectation in your heart. Expect the presence of God to show up and show out. Determine in your heart that you will not leave a place the same way you have entered in. For God is waiting patiently for you with unconditional love to come to Him. Yes, you. He is waiting for you as He waited patiently while Noah was building his boat.(1 Pet 3:20)

But, that does not mean you have all the time in the world. For tomorrow is not promised. One thing is for certain, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. It is not a matter of “if” but, “when”. At the end of the day we all got to go, death is not the end it is the beginning of forever Heaven or hell.

Life truly is short; you have no clue when this ride will end. Never say “that would not happen to me.” life has a funny way of proving us wrong. We often do not like to think about it, nobody likes to talk about what is real but, this really could be our last day to live. Do not wait until you are at a funeral to figure out you need to get it together, today is the day because tomorrow is not promised. As the Scripture says, “Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.” (Psalm 103:13)

But, that should not frighten us because Jesus has promised that He will give eternal life to all those who put their faith in Him. (John 10:28)

You only live once is literally a false statement. You live every day, you only die once. So, you are bound to make some mistakes as you live. Just because you have made mistakes it does not mean you are one. Hence, they say life is about choices and decisions, do your best to make the right ones. We all miss it time and time again, and that is okay if you learn from the wrong ones. However, you cannot litter negativity everywhere and then wonder why you have got a trashy life. Face the truth in prayer. Do not keep living in denial and, do not ever let your environment affect or keep you from choosing what you know in your spirit and heart is right or in line with His word.

When the word points out your mistakes do not harden your heart and stiffen your neck, know God’s voice for yourself and when you hear it; “Harden not your heart…“(Psalm 95: 8).Confess your faults to God and your change will come. When God steps in, the devil steps out. Because He lives you can face tomorrow. Choose to live a redeemed life. The Potter never throws the clay away, no matter how messed up it is. He just patiently shapes the clay into something better.

You will receive the power in you to overcome anything that life throws at you. If life knocks you down you can use the same power to pull yourself up again and continue on, for there is nothing as powerful as a made up mind. There is no person, situation, or circumstance can stand on your way or define who you are, if you made up your mind to follow the Lord.

The instant you say,” Jesus I want to turn from my old ways and follow You all the days of my life”. The Holy Spirit will take over. The same power that resurrected Jesus from death will be in you. He would do the *Mighty Works through you. Just as Jesus said in His word “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

Perhaps, many of your friends and associates are not prepared or willing to go with God as far as you will. So, in order for you to be able to move up you will need to move on. Do not allow your mood to determine your movement. Your purpose is pushing you forward, and therefore you cannot afford to be held back. You have to make up your mind whether you want God’s will or their will.

For life is like an elevator, sometimes on the way up you have to stop to let some people off. Because if you live your life the way it is designed to be lived, everything and everybody cannot go with you. Otherwise you are not going to make it. Even when you do not know what to do, you can stand out from the crowd and be successful simply by not following the masses. These are the same things that would hold you back,especially if you think and act like everybody.

When things are not adding up in your life, begin subtracting. Life gets a lot simpler when you clear the clutter that makes it complicated. Too many things are unnecessary, why are you carrying them around. The more we walk in wisdom the less we have to go around pretending to be happy. It is easy to blame others for drama and trauma. However, if you realise you invited everything and everyone in your life you will start living your life without a lot of stuff.

Sometimes you need to be by yourself, silent, alone, listening to the wind, feel the sun and appreciate that you are alive. Moreover, you need to be alone, in order to find out who you really are and what you really want. Because you can do anything in life you want to do, but you cannot do everything. The juggling of too many things brings a greater likelihood of dropping them all. It is not that you cannot have it all; you just cannot have it all at exactly the same time, prioritise, and get focused. Do not let your focus be derailed from what it important to what is urgent. Avoid confusion. For, “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Though it is great knowing that under any circumstance, I have good people in my life. But, if the people in your circle are not aiming for “better” it might be time to get a new circle. If “they” are not trying to live better, do better, and become better why do you have them in your circle. Sometimes you just have to tell people what you feel because feelings are meant to be set free, not kept locked away inside our heart. But, if you constantly have to tell someone the same exact thing about how you feel and they do not change it, understand they do not respect you. However, if everyone in your circle is a “yes man or ma’am…” you have “no real” friends. People are social; many will eat and drink with you, and still try to hurt you.

Know your enemies. In fact life will be a lot easier when you realize that everyone cannot be your best friend. Your circle gets smaller the closer you are to Christ. Some will dislike you just for who you are and what God has placed on your life. You will be rejected and have to standalone at times because you refuse to compromise. But, the Bible says: “…the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

When it comes to friends, it is always been quality over quantity.I will take a few close friends over wasting my time trying to please everyone. For a friend who understands your tears are much more valuable than a lot of friends who only know your smile. Hence, everyone who is in your circle is not in your corner, you better know the difference. Because not everything and everyone you see is what it or they appear to be. Just be careful about who you open up to.

Friends are those rare people who ask how we are, and then wait to hear the answer. Someone helping you is not always your friend. And someone opposing you is not always your enemy. The people who normally make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most. So, do not be a friend when it is convenient be a friend just because you care for the other person.

Just because you cared even when they neglected you, Someone was watching. Nothing you have ever given has gone unnoticed. Every sacrifice you have made, God has seen it. He knows how to bring justice to your life. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. It might not have happened in the past, but God is still on the throne. It will happen in your future. “This is what the LORD says: Stop your crying, and wipe away your tears. You will be rewarded for your work, declares the LORD…!” (Jeremiah 31:16)

The truth is no one in this world is rich enough to have no need of friends. Those people who can sense the sorrow behind your smile, the love behind your anger, and the meaning behind your silence are your true friends in life. As much as friends are easy to find and easy to lose, real friends are the hardest to find and hardest to lose. I am talking about those people who never left you despite knowing your flaws; they have been with you through your ups and downs and somehow still inspire you to be a better person. Being a true friend means caring about someone enough to not give up on them even when they have given up on themselves.

It is not about who hurt you and broke you down, it is about who was always there and made you smile again. However just because someone said they will always be there for you, does not mean you can take them for granted. Learn to value and appreciate them because true value is not in what you have in life, but rather who you have in life. Sometimes you never know the real value of something or someone until it becomes a memory. So, if you value your friends thank God for them now, because they were His idea and crafted by His hand, to add value to your life. Precious friends are a gift from God. “A man with many friends can still be ruined,but a true friend sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

Sometimes God often leads us through very lonely roads, just to teach us to make Him the focus of our lives. Do not panic when you are on that road. When you feel empty, deserted, and lonely, it is time to get even closer to God, do not force companionship. Be still, He is there with you, always. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

He has resolution for your pain, a cause for your struggle and a compensation for your faithfulness. He saw you when you were awake at around 3 am, enveloped in sheets of terrible thoughts while sobbing into your pillow. He cares. God hears and answers all prayers, but His answer is not always “yes”. It may be “wait”, or “I have something better for you.” So, “…Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7).