Genesis 19:26 - "But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."
What does it mean to be led? What does it mean to trust God in that He will never leave nor forsake you? What does it mean to hear from God, move according to divine instruction and to keep on walking without looking back?
One may find it easy to answer these questions but I think that genunine, yet humble, self-examination is imperative when it comes to addressing the issue at hand.
In order to prevent the possible risk of any pots calling kettles black, I will use my own experiences as the sample for this analysis.
Like some of you, many of my prayers have consisted of clumsy declarations such as 'Lead me Lord; I will follow You Lord; Order my steps in Your Word Lord' - yada, yada, yada....but I have been forced to question my own supplication and ask: am I even ALLOWING Him to lead me?
I will be the first one that is bold enough to say no. Yes, I confess that I haven't allowed His leadership to bring me into my destiny nor have I fully submitted myself to being LED into His promises.
On numerous occasions, God has shown me situations, blessings and even trials that I must walk into by faith.
In the beginning, it looks okay as it is dressed up by this pretty little dress called 'Novelty' but then that dress starts to gain its expected wear and tear so eventually, the time comes for that tired old thing to be thrown out with the rest of the trash. After that you are practically left naked by the resistance from the enemy, in search of something new to wear but no, we have to continue persevering in our nakedness. For those of you that don't know, the concept of being naked is more than most would think; nakedness represents vulnerability (hence why immediately after realising they were naked, Adam and Eve hid themselves - see Genesis 2-3).
Now back to being naked. So once we come to realisation that we are in this vulnerable state, we panic as it doesn't help that we are now expected to persist on this journey, as well as fight a few enemies here and there, in our naked form. This means that we are subject to grazes, cuts, wounds, bruises, gashes - you name it! It causes us to cry out to God asking for the return of that cotton soft dress called 'Novelty'...sometimes it sounds a little bit like this: 'Lord, why can't it be like how it was before? I don't like it the way it is now! I want the old way back!'.
This is what Lot's wife did. Despite seeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (which was basically her the final chapter past being closed, she looked back one last time, causing her to become this pillar of salt and thus failing to enter into the new promise that God had prepared for her.
Again to save the whole pot and kettle name calling possibility from rearing its head, I will use myself as an example. I have often been instructed by God to obey His commands and step out in faith, in order to recieve a new thing or be used in a greater capacity but as soon I catch a glimpse of my own vulnerability in the situation, my first reaction is to run in the opposite direction; to the way things were - stress free, pain free and trust free.
My aim in all of this is that I, and anyone else who may identify with this post, will hurry to The Physician - Jesus -, accept the true diagnosis of our condition and desperately seek the cure for this disease that causes us to miss out time and time again on the things that God has in store for us.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Double Dare
Take a trip back into the times of childhood and see if you can remember when you would challenge your peers to do things that were perceived as adventurous,scary or risky. The common sentence would often begin 'I double dare you...' and would always result in a squeamish girl, wincing at the sight of a muddy garden worm in the grasp of her hand or a bravado acting boy climbing to the highest branch of the tallest tree in the garden. If we were the ones being challenged, a feeling of apprehension would overwhelm us but this was soon followed by a feeling of obligation to your reputation, as well as a sense of curiosity. We were eventually lead to rising up to the challenge. Those were the days eh?!
You may be trying to work out why on earth she is bringing up such an irrelevant memory so let me explain. Following an earlier conversation with an unsaved friend that had called to seek counsel from me. In no time, it turned into another episode of me being a witness of The Gospel and ministering to her spirit. However, I also discovered through her that many people are walking around choosing not to accept Christ's gift of salvation, simply because they are scared. Now you may be asking what it is that I suggest that people are actually scared of, so in a nutshell, I will show you:
1. Some people are scared of all things spiritual: because they have not seen nor heard the things of God, they are scared to allow themselves to be exposed to spirituality.
2. Some people are holding onto the things of the world: money, relationships, material possessions etc...these are the things that people idolise and actually live for whilst failing to realise that they can not leave this earth with them, neither will they bring true contentment.
3. Some people are scared to trust someone that is neither tangible or visible - It's like being pushed backwards whilst being told to trust and have faith by allowing yourself to fall into loving arms. Some people are reluctant to let themselves fall if they cannot see or touch the person that is meant to save them.
There many other reasons for people turning their back on Jesus but the ones mentioned are the common reasons that I hear from people all the time. However, this is worrying so I want you to ask yourself this: Imagine living through a life of struggles, hurt, deprivation, neglect, rejection, abuse and demonic torment, after which you die and end up being sent to hell for the REST OF ETERNITY because you chose to ignore Jesus and His gift of everlasting life...wow; what an tragic, yet unnecessary end to your story. As harsh as it sounds, that is what is going to happen if you die without truly accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. And for all those that believe in the misconception that 'If you do good things all your life, God ain't gonna send you to tell just because you didn't accept Jesus' or 'You don't need to go to church to say you are a Christian or better still, you're going to Heaven'; do not kid yourself because that will not happen in a million years. Sorry to disappoint you but can you imagine inviting someone to your house for over eighty years and they refuse to acknowledge you or the fact that you allowed your only son to be sacrificed for their sins, after which they expect to live in your house when they feel like it - the audacity! Personally, I don't think it is wise to waste such an opportunity so this is my challenge to you:
I double dare you...no, let me start again...I TRIPLE dare you to ask (continually until you begin to see results) The Lord this: God, if you be God and if Your promises are real, then please reveal Your Glory to me and show me just how real You are by giving me a divine miracle sent from Heaven.
I challenged my unsaved friend to do the same thing and guess what she said? No because she knew that God would show her in an instance.
Keep seeking
Effie :)
You may be trying to work out why on earth she is bringing up such an irrelevant memory so let me explain. Following an earlier conversation with an unsaved friend that had called to seek counsel from me. In no time, it turned into another episode of me being a witness of The Gospel and ministering to her spirit. However, I also discovered through her that many people are walking around choosing not to accept Christ's gift of salvation, simply because they are scared. Now you may be asking what it is that I suggest that people are actually scared of, so in a nutshell, I will show you:
1. Some people are scared of all things spiritual: because they have not seen nor heard the things of God, they are scared to allow themselves to be exposed to spirituality.
2. Some people are holding onto the things of the world: money, relationships, material possessions etc...these are the things that people idolise and actually live for whilst failing to realise that they can not leave this earth with them, neither will they bring true contentment.
3. Some people are scared to trust someone that is neither tangible or visible - It's like being pushed backwards whilst being told to trust and have faith by allowing yourself to fall into loving arms. Some people are reluctant to let themselves fall if they cannot see or touch the person that is meant to save them.
There many other reasons for people turning their back on Jesus but the ones mentioned are the common reasons that I hear from people all the time. However, this is worrying so I want you to ask yourself this: Imagine living through a life of struggles, hurt, deprivation, neglect, rejection, abuse and demonic torment, after which you die and end up being sent to hell for the REST OF ETERNITY because you chose to ignore Jesus and His gift of everlasting life...wow; what an tragic, yet unnecessary end to your story. As harsh as it sounds, that is what is going to happen if you die without truly accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. And for all those that believe in the misconception that 'If you do good things all your life, God ain't gonna send you to tell just because you didn't accept Jesus' or 'You don't need to go to church to say you are a Christian or better still, you're going to Heaven'; do not kid yourself because that will not happen in a million years. Sorry to disappoint you but can you imagine inviting someone to your house for over eighty years and they refuse to acknowledge you or the fact that you allowed your only son to be sacrificed for their sins, after which they expect to live in your house when they feel like it - the audacity! Personally, I don't think it is wise to waste such an opportunity so this is my challenge to you:
I double dare you...no, let me start again...I TRIPLE dare you to ask (continually until you begin to see results) The Lord this: God, if you be God and if Your promises are real, then please reveal Your Glory to me and show me just how real You are by giving me a divine miracle sent from Heaven.
I challenged my unsaved friend to do the same thing and guess what she said? No because she knew that God would show her in an instance.
Keep seeking
Effie :)
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Borrowed Time
Do we believe that time is really 'on our side'?
Do we really comprehend the fact that time literally 'waits on no man'?
It was God who created time, which means He is in control of all time so technically speaking, it is impossible to carry out our assigned tasks in our 'own time' if it is not our time to begin with. This would also explain the reason why we are always 'running out of time'...
This may seem similar to a riddle but it really isn't...it's just a 'matter of time' until you get the full revelation of this blog. However, I encourage my readers to embrace each moment of the time that you are given and use it productively, creatively and responsibly, in order to 'make the most' of your time.
Keep Seeking
Effie :)
Do we really comprehend the fact that time literally 'waits on no man'?
It was God who created time, which means He is in control of all time so technically speaking, it is impossible to carry out our assigned tasks in our 'own time' if it is not our time to begin with. This would also explain the reason why we are always 'running out of time'...
This may seem similar to a riddle but it really isn't...it's just a 'matter of time' until you get the full revelation of this blog. However, I encourage my readers to embrace each moment of the time that you are given and use it productively, creatively and responsibly, in order to 'make the most' of your time.
Keep Seeking
Effie :)
De La Vine
De La Vine simply means 'Of The Vine'. In the book of John 15:5, Jesus states: I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing - AMPLIFIED VERSION. We are all of 'The Vine', who is Jesus and it is our duty to God to 'bear fruit', which means produce all of the things that God deems to be 'fruit'. By providing good works that can be served to others, we can be productive in Christ Jesus.
De La Vine is a fresh, funky and rising gospel act that is soon to bless the nations. The band currently consists of two female vocalists, Jay Marsh and Effie Jaye, from South London and caters to the spirits of God's people. Their sound has a nu-school Gospel neo-soul/jazz feel to it. At the moment, they are looking for some talented, gifted and ANOINTED musicians (sax, keyboards, bass guitar, electric & acoustic guitar, trumpet - WHATEVER) who are PASSIONATE about Gospel music, & are willing to be used as God's vessels in order to deliver this new sound.
For all of you that are interested in seizing this divine opportunity, please send your details to my email address, which should be displayed on this page!!!
De La Vine is a fresh, funky and rising gospel act that is soon to bless the nations. The band currently consists of two female vocalists, Jay Marsh and Effie Jaye, from South London and caters to the spirits of God's people. Their sound has a nu-school Gospel neo-soul/jazz feel to it. At the moment, they are looking for some talented, gifted and ANOINTED musicians (sax, keyboards, bass guitar, electric & acoustic guitar, trumpet - WHATEVER) who are PASSIONATE about Gospel music, & are willing to be used as God's vessels in order to deliver this new sound.
For all of you that are interested in seizing this divine opportunity, please send your details to my email address, which should be displayed on this page!!!
Testimony #1
If I remember correctly, it was on the damp afternoon of Sunday 31st August 2008 that I was formerly acquainted with God. Prior to this, we had many brief encounters, where which I would always sadly shun His abundant love for the sake of superficiality. And that is what I call it; superficiality. Alcohol, cigarettes, profanity, secular music, that demonic thing called ‘astrology’, weed, 'raving' in sweaty nightclubs with violent drug dealers and fornicators (which I was also) and this so-called love for 'money-making thugs', who really did not care about me, just my female genitalia. Yes, it was all superficiality.
As terrible as it all sounds now, it baffles me to think that I was shunning my Saviour’s unconditional, merciful and glorious love for this broken person called ‘me’. Even though I was born into a family that although were disadvantaged in terms of financial wealth, had a spiritual calling on their lives (My family consists of three reverends, a church secretary, and a church mother, as well as numerous God-fearing individuals so if that isn’t a sign, then I don’t know what it is!), I still struggled to comprehend this concept of ‘God’. I had an adequate level of knowledge for someone who was not ‘saved’ but I was stubborn to accept that God’s way is the only way. I was looking for a peaceful, stress-free life filled with nothing but love and joy; something that can never be discovered in this world we call ‘Life’. However, one day I came to the conclusion that I was not sufficiently equipped to fight against the oppression, I was not skilful enough for this battle and I had no choice but to surrender to HIS will.
There is a great misconception about Christianity, as society immediately perceives Christians to be judgemental and always ‘pointing the finger’ at the sins of the world. I would like to stress however, that sometimes even Christians themselves are caught up in this whirlwind of a stereotype but I’m here to set the record straight: being a Christian doesn’t mean we look down at others and scream ‘I perfect and you’re not!’; it means we are bold enough to admit that ‘Hey, I have issues and I sin too but I can’t fix things on my own so I’m seeking God’s help’. For the bible says in the book of Proverbs 24:16 – ‘For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity’ and the song also goes ‘For a saint is just a sinner who fell down’.
I pray that whoever is reading this first attempt of blog writing, that you are moved and encouraged by these words. I also pray that if you haven’t already done so, that you will begin to let God govern your life and guide you into all the good things that your heart desires…only God has the keys that gain access to your blessings.
Continue to seek Him.
Effie :)
As terrible as it all sounds now, it baffles me to think that I was shunning my Saviour’s unconditional, merciful and glorious love for this broken person called ‘me’. Even though I was born into a family that although were disadvantaged in terms of financial wealth, had a spiritual calling on their lives (My family consists of three reverends, a church secretary, and a church mother, as well as numerous God-fearing individuals so if that isn’t a sign, then I don’t know what it is!), I still struggled to comprehend this concept of ‘God’. I had an adequate level of knowledge for someone who was not ‘saved’ but I was stubborn to accept that God’s way is the only way. I was looking for a peaceful, stress-free life filled with nothing but love and joy; something that can never be discovered in this world we call ‘Life’. However, one day I came to the conclusion that I was not sufficiently equipped to fight against the oppression, I was not skilful enough for this battle and I had no choice but to surrender to HIS will.
There is a great misconception about Christianity, as society immediately perceives Christians to be judgemental and always ‘pointing the finger’ at the sins of the world. I would like to stress however, that sometimes even Christians themselves are caught up in this whirlwind of a stereotype but I’m here to set the record straight: being a Christian doesn’t mean we look down at others and scream ‘I perfect and you’re not!’; it means we are bold enough to admit that ‘Hey, I have issues and I sin too but I can’t fix things on my own so I’m seeking God’s help’. For the bible says in the book of Proverbs 24:16 – ‘For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity’ and the song also goes ‘For a saint is just a sinner who fell down’.
I pray that whoever is reading this first attempt of blog writing, that you are moved and encouraged by these words. I also pray that if you haven’t already done so, that you will begin to let God govern your life and guide you into all the good things that your heart desires…only God has the keys that gain access to your blessings.
Continue to seek Him.
Effie :)
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