No condemnation 09/29/2010
 
John 8 : When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her... At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”No one, sir," she said. Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin."

As believers we all mess up often. None of us can say we are perfect. We live in a world full of temptation and can sometimes find ourselves in very compromising situations. So what should we do when we find ouselves drifting from what we know is the truth? I love the story of Jesus and the woman taken in adultery. This woman is a great example of how people who find themselves in compromising situations are treated. They are often judged instead helped. Galations 6:1 says, “if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently...” No one but Jesus followed this principal in Galations 6:1 when it came to the woman who was caught in sin. The people who dragged this young woman to the Master wanted her to be stoned to death. They were  religious on the outside but lacked compassion on the inside. As God’s children we have to be careful not to judge people who mess up because the truth is we all mess up. We also have to be watchful of those who want to condenm us when we sin. We must understand that there is no greater sin than the other. Of course, there is a difference between a believer who chooses to continue in sin and another who messes up at times but is quick to truly repent.  When we mess up, let us be like David and have the courage to truly repent. Just because we fall down doesn’t not mean that we have to stay down. We are told in John 1:9 that “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” As believers we should know that there is no sin that God cannot forgive.  He is always ready to forgive us and show us the right path.

Psalm 16:11

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
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Philippians 3: 13-14

Of course, my brothers, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize.

We all have a past. We all have done things that we regret and wish we hadn’t done. The apostle Paul (known as Saul before he became a Christian) was no exception. Before he met Christ he did some horrible things. He hated Christians. Acts 8:3 records, “But Saul tried to destroy the church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail.”

I am sure at times the apostle was tempted to feel guilty and ashamed because of what he did in the past. At times he must have asked himself “Why did I? How could I? But what we also know about Paul was that he really understood the forgiveness that comes from God. In one verse he says “but God had mercy on me for I did not know what I was doing.” His statement here reminds me of what Jesus said during his crucifixion. He said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

What is it that you still feel guilty about today? What is that one thing that you have not yet forgiven yourself? My dear friend, it is time to accept God’s forgiveness. Understand that when you made those mistakes, you did not know what you were doing because if you did know what you were doing, you wouldn’t have made those mistakes. Even if you knew what you were doing, it is still time to forgive yourself.  The enemy will not stop accusing because that’s his job but you don’t have to believe a word that he says, that’s your job.

God’s mercies are new every morning. Don’t let your yesterday rob you off your today. You can begin again. After you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, begin to read His word as often as you can and as you read it the old negative thoughts will be replaced with the new positive thoughts that only God can give.

It is my prayer that you press on towards your future and let go of the past. Listen to the apostle’s words and let them become a reality in your everyday life: “…the one thing I do however is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize.”
 
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As I was having my devotion not long ago for the first time I came across the story in 1 Kings Chapter 11. The story involves a young man called Jeroboam. The writer describes him as “an able young man.” We get the feeling that he was one hard-working young man. Probably his mum had taught him to be a tough laborer from an early age and for all we know his mother could have been a leprous as her name, Zeruah, translates. Zeruah later on became a widow and was most likely dependant on her son for provision. Jeroboam was working for Solomon when the King noticed how hard-working and capable the young man was, and it wasn’t long after before he got a promotion. Now there are a number of different lessons we can learn from the story of Jeroboam but in this article let’s talk about how God showed him favor. One of my favorite verses in the Bible says, “He raises up the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has then inherit a place of honor.”

You see when God gets ready to bless you or favor you; He will go out of His way to do it.  No man can stop Him. Later on King Solomon became threatened by Jeroboam’s future success and tried to kill him but he escaped and eventually took to the throne. We all know that God loved Solomon and had blessed him greatly during his life time but when it came to God blessing Jeroboam even Solomon could not get in the way. Solomon was anointed with great wisdom but God could not care less of his opinion when He wanted to raise up Jeroboam as King. I am also reminded of the story of David, who was also Solomon’s dad. When God was ready to bless him, not even his dad could stop the blessing. Matter of fact God went that extra mile to bless David. He was just a shepherd boy looking after his father’s sheep when the prophet arrived at Jess’s household. Even though his brothers tried to take his place God made sure that David himself was brought out to be anointed. Later on David sang to the LORD, “You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil (favor).” No matter where you are God can bless you and show you favor just like He did for David and Jeroboam.  The Bible says, “Let God be true, and every man a liar.” Beloved, it doesn’t matter who thinks you should not be favored. It doesn’t matter who dislikes you, when God gets ready to bless you, He will do just that. As you go about your duties expect God’s favor to show up. Another Bible verse says that God roams around the earth seeking someone to show his favor to. May you be the one to receive His favor.

 
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Most of the time the things that we fear the most never come true. Unfortunately Job’s case was different. In the book of Job 3:25, we hear him saying, “What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.” Before Satan went to present himself before God in the first chapter in the book of Job he had spotted a weakness in Job’s life and took advantage of it, fear. Do you realize that when you constantly live and walk in fear you open the door for the enemy to take advantage of you? He will see to it that you remain fearful and fretful everyday of your life. Make a habit of speaking the word of God to defeat fear. Anytime a fearful thought comes to your mind, simply open your mouth and remind the enemy that God is in total control of your life and because of that reason you don’t have to fear.  

I understand that we all struggle with fear from time to time and it is true that what you find fearful another person might consider silly or nothing to be afraid of.  I remember watching a TV show a few years ago and if I am remembering accurately there was a lady who was scared of foil paper but as for me I am so not scared of foil paper, matter of fact I love its texture and silver color.  Recognize your fears and this will help you to win over your fears more effectively. I know for me I used to fear being alone for the rest of my life. This was a big fear in my life for a couple of years and to be honest those fearful thoughts still come here and then but I never accept because I know that my God promises to give me the desires of my heart if I delight in Him (Ps 37:4). Since my early teen years I have always had a deep desire to one day get married and the enemy knows this desire of mine. All the time he would present fearful thoughts to me such as, “you will never get married and even if you do you will get a divorce not long after” or “your husband will cheat on you, all men do.” Before I knew any better I probably agreed with him but not anymore. I don’t believe his lies. I believe the word of my God. What He has said is certain to come to pass. It’s my prayer that you too begin to live a fear free life. Take each day at a time and often recall Philippians 4:6 when anxiety strikes.



Philippians 4:6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
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Psalm 91:5-7 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 
Dear friends, fear is a waste of time. I know this from experience. I used to fear also. I was afraid that my circumstances wouldn’t turn out exactly how I wanted them to. Little did I know that I was simply wasting my time and not trusting my God who is in control of my life at all times. He knows the end from the beginning but I don’t.  He is all powerful but I am not. He is all knowing but I know only that which He chooses to reveal to me. As long as you are fearful about any area of your life, you are not at rest; you are full of anxiety and worry. No matter what you are doing at the back of your mind you are constantly thinking about how everything is going to work out. If you and I really trust God as we say we do, we would not fear at all. The temptation to fear will always come but we never have to give in. Are you asking, why? Because God is in control. However our circumstances turn out, good or bad, He will make them work for our good. Psalm 103:19 is a great verse to ponder on. It says, “The LORD has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.” Aren’t you glad God is control of everything and man is not?

 Anywhere, I learned not to fear through a couple events that took place in my life. Looking back now these were not really big events at all but at the time I took them very seriously. I guess I had my magnifying glasses on. The first even that comes to mind was when I was in a foreign land and I had to have some blood tests. To my surprise the nurse quickly transferred me to some specialists and my battle with fear began. For days I waited for the phone call that would let me know if I needed further treatment or not. I was so afraid. I thought of the worst possible outcomes. What if I had this disease they were thinking I had? Thankfully everything was well when the results came back. Jehovah-Rapha (the God who heals) had everything under control. I have often wondered, “What if the results didn’t come back positive?” The truth is God would have still been in control. The mistake most people make is they think God is only in control when good things happen. When the bad come, God couldn’t be in control they think but this could not be anymore further from the truth. As I was waiting for my results from the blood tests I was full of fear and worry yet that did not change the outcome. It was already predestined. Jesus asked, “Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?” The answer is of course not. Today I am challenging you not to fear. You have no reason to fear. You have a God who is in control of all things. According to Psalm 91:5, “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” In the next article we will continue to talk about fear. Until then keep on meditating on Psalm 91:5.
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How many times do we judge others? I am not talking about judging their sin; I am talking about judging the individuals who commit the sin. I believe today that God wants us to come to a point where we stop judging people. In Matthew 7, Jesus clearly said, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” When we judge each other we are acting as hypocrites because we do the same things we judge other people for doing. 

If we are going to really enjoy our lives we need to begin to mind our own business. Somebody once said, “We judge others by their actions but we judge ourselves by our intentions” and what an honest statement that is. When we wrong God or others we can find every reason on the planet to justify ourselves but when others wrong God or us, we hear statements like “she did it on purpose”, or “you see, I told you she was a fake.” Life is too short to focus on what others are doing wrong. Why don’t you choose to focus on your own life & decisions and experience the freedom that comes from knowing that you are not responsible for other people’s actions? You are only responsible for your own. The Bible says, “Each man reaps what he sows.” Focus on sowing to the spirit and you will reap eternal life. When you see your neighbor stumbling in the Christian faith, why don’t you lift them up in prayer. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful.” We are commanded to love, and not to judge.

 
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A lot of us find it hard to say “No”. We almost hate ourselves after we have just uttered those two words, especially to people who are so sweet to us or to those we admire the most. If you are like most women you want to please others. After all we want others to please us but I have learned that it is essential for anyone who wants to live for God to have to learn to say “no”. Yes it’s difficult to refuse others even when we know it’s the right the thing to do deep down in our hearts but it can be done.

Imagine a guy comes up to you with the intention of dating you. You pick up the signs from the very start. You know you are not interested in him but you don’t want to hurt his feelings so when he finally get the courage to ask you out you don’t say “no” but you don’t say “yes” either. You play the hide and seek game simply because you don’t want to hurt his feelings. I have come to realize that this is what most of us as women do. We have not learnt or been taught to say no so we cover up our true emotions for the sake of “peace.” I believe God wants us to come to a point where we are honest, not only with ourselves but with others as well. In this article we will learn how to politely and gently say no to those guys who are interested in us but for some reason we are not interested in involving ourselves with them. It could be that the guy is not your type, you are not ready for a serious relationship or you are already involved in another romantic relationship.

First of all, we must realize that it is not a sin to say no. The verse in proverbs 1 says “do not go along with them. Do not set foot on their paths…” In this chapter the father is warning his son. He is teaching him that he must say no to evil things or people. He also says, “Do not give in to them (talking about sinful men).” Ladies, when an ungodly man approaches you, you have every right to say “no” politely so that he will see your gentleness which was also in our Savior. This might also cause him to repent. Bear in mind that our godly qualities can lead others to change their way of thinking and living.

A lot of us do not say no to wrong relationships because we fear loss. We are afraid that we will miss God. “What if he is the one, what if God wants to change him through our relationship? We ask ourselves. But don’t fall into this trap. If he is the one for you, God will see to it that you get him. When you say no to wrong relationships, you are positioning yourself to receive God’s best. I remember when I started dating at the age of sixteen. Different men would approach me, asking for my telephone number and if I wasn’t interested I would get very upset and annoyed. Sometimes I would not answer some of the men back and if I did it was to let them know that I wasn’t interested. There was nothing wrong with me not being interested in them. The problem was I didn’t let them know in a way that was Christ-like. Instead of refusing them politely and I would come across as rude. It wasn’t until years later that I realized I was wrong. Now when a guy approaches me I will even talk to him for a while and at the right time let him know that I am not looking to be in a relationship with him or at the moment. At this the guy’s response is usually an understanding one.

What about those guys who don’t know how to take ‘no’ for an answer? You are not responsible for someone else’s response. You are only responsible for your own. If you say no to a guy but he keeps pressuring you to say “yes”, it’s time to be firm and trust me he will soon or later leave you alone.

People who don’t know how to say no to wrong relationships always end up paying for the price. They end up miserable because they are hooked to people whom they dislike. If you want to live in true liberty learn to say no when you have to. Its okay, you are allowed to say so.
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Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut. -Revelation 3:8

Do you know that when God opens a door for you, no one can shut it? Most of the time we fight against people and situations that are acting against us but the bible says in Ephesians 6:12 “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Today I want to encourage you to stop fighting against people, they are not your enemies but Satan is. He uses people as mere tools to steak, kill and destroy. When you truly understand this, you can forgive freely and treat your enemies kindly because now you understand that we do not fight against human beings but against the evil powers of Satan. That’s why God says pray for your enemies because when we do, chains are broken and everything against us has to bow down to the name of Jesus.

When God wants you to have something, not a human being can stop that thing from coming to pass in your life. If he wants you to have a certain job, no interviewer can stop you from having that job even if you don’t speak eloquently or possess the highest degree in your field. If that man is the one for you, God will cause him to return to you. He might have been gone for years but God works on the behalf of those who wait for him (Isaiah 64:4).

Listen to me: When God opens a door for you, no one can shut it. The only person who can shut it is you when you begin to walk in unforgiveness, hatred, and bitterness etc. When we walk in such a manner, we give the enemy an opportunity to work against us in our lives. The bible says “do not give the devil an opportunity” in Ephesians 4:27.

Revelation 3:8 says “I know you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name”. God understands when we have little strength, that’s why Isaiah 40: 29 says, “He gives strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak.” Revelation 3:10 says, “Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Woman of God, I encourage you to hold on in doing right so that you may win and not allow the enemy to steal your crown. “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap of we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9.
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“As a child lies quietly in its mother’s arms, so my heart is quiet within me.” Psalm 131:2

Sometime during the last couple of weeks, I came across Psalm 131:2 (see above) for the first time. When I read it, my soul was greatly encouraged. Like Martha and like most of us, I was worried and distracted by many things (Luke 10:41). Even though I knew I was safe in my Father’s arms, I was acting totally the opposite. As I was travelling recently, a mother who had a six-month old baby named Ivan sat next to me. There were many other unoccupied seats on the coach but I believe God ordered her steps to sit next to me just so I could understand what it means to lie in His arms and share it with his women who might be feeling just as I was, worried, anxious and fearful.

Guess what, as long as his mum was holding him, baby Ivan never cried or feared at all. A couple of times I even said to his mum ‘he is a good boy’. This baby was content and at peace. It was like he knew that as long as his mum was with him, nothing by any means could harm him. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says to us ‘nothing will harm you’. The other thing that I realized was that I could not take Ivan from his mother’s arms without her permission. If I wanted to hold him, I had to ask his mum first. Doesn’t this remind you of a similar story that happened in the book of Job? When Satan wanted to go after Job, he had to go and ask for God’s permission first, without God’s permission; Satan could do nothing to Job. Satan only began to attack Job after God had said to him, ‘All right, everything he has is in your power (Job 1:12).’

I am saying nothing touches our lives without God’s permission. If it happens to us, God has allowed it. We see the heartache and pain but God sees the end result. He sees our situations making us stronger and better. He sees our tests turning into testimonies. It’s a great thing that baby Ivan never cried once during our trip but do you know what would have happened if he had wept? His mum would have comforted him, not out of embarrassment but out of pure love. God is also our greatest comforter during our trials and tribulations. Revelation 21:4 says ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.’ God is your loving Father and he is concerned about you. What concerns you also concerns him.

You are more than safe in your Father’s arms. Even when you don’t feel safe, you are still safe in his loving arms. Without his permission, the enemy cannot do anything to harm you. Psalm 127:2 says 'The Lord gives sleep to those he loves.' God loves you and wants to give you sleep (rest during your tests). I am reminded of baby Ivan who for almost two hours slept comfortably in his mother’s arms. She never complained but just held him with great, intense love.

No matter what you are facing today, the God of the day is still God in the night. While you sleep, he is working behind the scenes; he is working out your situation for your good and for his glory. He loves you so much and wants you to be content and at peace in his arms, not moved by the storms of life. When the winds blow hard, he wants you to remain still, knowing that he is in control. You are never alone.Your Father has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'
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Waiting for God to bring you a mate for life can be quite challenging. I know most Christians would like us to pretend that everything is neat and sweet but the truth is if you ask most Christians who are single, they will tell you there is nothing fun about being single, especially when you have this deep desire inside of you to share your life with someone. I thought to myself the other day, It’s much easier for a married person to say to a single person ‘girl, you don’t need a man, all you need is Jesus’ and this is very true, as a single person you are complete in Christ. You are never really alone (John 16:32). I cannot think of a greater Comforter than the Holy Spirit. He is truly a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

However, it was God himself who said “It’s is not good for a man to be alone.” Did you know that the first thing God looked at and named not good was to be alone? This goes on to explain why there are so many dating sites for Christians and why so many God-lovers are faithful members of them. There is nothing wrong with joining dating sites for but you do have to be aware of the consequences. Ecclesiastes 3 says, “There is a time for everything.”If this is true, we can also agree there is a time for being single and a time for being united.

If you have a strong desire to get married, you need not to feel guilty. God has put that desire in you and it’s not a sin.1 Corinthians 6:7 says, “Each one has a special gift, another one that gift.” God has given to some the gift of singleness and to some the gift of marriage. Listen to this fun statement that I came across recently; I believe you will shout a big amen after you hear it, just like I did. It goes like this “I thank God for the gift of singleness; unfortunately it’s not my taste so I want to return it in exchange for a spouse.” Isn’t this how most Christian singles think? They agree that singleness is a gift yet they prefer the other present called ‘marriage’ and this is allowed.

I am on your side and I really do want God to bless you with a great spouse but I believe that as long you are still waiting for that one special person, you should make the best out of your singleness. I have said this in the past and I will say it again, get to know yourself, develop your character and your relationship with God, find out your calling, and develop your gifts and talents. Don’t just sit around doing nothing, you are complete as a single person and believe it or not but if you dislike being single, you will also dislike being married because when you get married, you bring everything that you are and have to the marriage. If you are discontent and lonely, you will bring take that into the marriage.
When married couples warn us to enjoy our singleness, we usually just tilt our heads to the side and not take them seriously but I strongly believe they are right when they encourage us to enjoy our time alone, after all they are speaking from experience and not out of jealousy but somehow telling a person who has never been married to be content being single is as hard as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle (Matt 19:24). Ever since we were little girls, we have held on to this picture in our minds of our Prince charming and knight in shining armour coming to our rescue. Now it’s really difficult for us to let that image go as it might cause us to even feel like there is nothing else left to live for but the devil is a liar. There is much more to your life than waiting for a life partner.

So, what am I saying in this article? I am saying that there is nothing wrong with having a great desire to want to get married but that desire should not overcome the need for things to be done right. We should be patient enough to wait on God’s time without losing hope.

The search of a life partner begins on your knees. When you fight your battles on your knees, you never lose. You do not search for a life partner first and then bring him to God. The other way round is wiser, you talk to God first and then when you think you have found ‘Mr Right’, you ask God if it is best for you to court that person. He will give you the answer that you need. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you.” There are some people who have met someone they liked first and then asked God if it was his will and this is okay for you do not always know when you will meet your life partner.

Allow Psalm 131:2 to minister to you in your time of singleness: “I am content and at peace. As a child lies quietly in its mother’s arms, so my heart is quiet within me.”

Your time is coming.
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