To the Christians who argue we should focus more on Jesus and less on Kony

Jesus is glorified when we call for justice in this world.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8

It’s not about the campaign. Maybe you disagree with the ‘trendy’ nature of this, or with Invisible Children..I don’t know. But consider this: if you opt out of this campaign for the right reasons, then you need to be loving the LRA victims by praying for them, financially supporting the organisations that do rehabilitation work in Uganda, and raise awareness about this anyway. And when I say pray, I don’t mean ‘quickly arrow pray’. I mean get down on your knees, and intercede, calling on God to reveal Himself to Uganda and the rest of Africa again as the God of Justice that He is.

There is no other way for Jesus to be made known to this world, no other way to shine as His witnesses in 2012, if you do not do what the LORD requires of you: to do JUSTICE, to love KINDNESS, and to walk HUMBLY with your God.

‎”I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4

At times our faith is weak. But know that GOD will increase it, know that if your desire is for Him, know that it pleases Him to intercede for others, as He DESIRES for them to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. If our faith is weak, then let us not trust in our own ability to comprehend the weight of what we’re asking for. Let us trust in His Word, let us trust in its faithfulness. This earth will fall away but His Word will remain. Trust in the strength of His Word.

bible reading plans

I’m thinking about using a Bible reading plan to read through the Bible in one year. I know the cons of using such a plan; I know the danger of it becoming legalistic - but I feel challenged. I’m 22 and I’ve still never read through the whole of the Bible. I want to know more about the Word of God, and I want to dig deep into the Scriptures.

What Bible plan are you planning to use in 2012? What plans have you used in the past? Did you like them? Why or why not?

You’re the God of this city

Jesus said:

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:11-14

Brothers and sisters, do you realise how powerful a weapon prayer is? It is our attack on the battlefield against Satan’s desire to hold people back from freedom. 

Do you realise that, as followers of the LORD on this side of Christ’s victory on the cross, that we are purposed to do even greater things than the miracles Christ had performed? For He purposed us, and empowered us by the Holy Spirit, to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. As a people who declares to be “Christians”, followers of Christ, are you obeying His Word? When you see the state of the city that you live in, does your heart break? For Christ’s heart broke for His city.

And as a people declaring to trust in His promises, do you trust that He can answer prayer? Because God can, and does answer bold prayer.

Here is one incredible example of the church asking the Father for big things in Christ’s Name. This prayer is answered for it is in line with the will of God to see more and more come to life.

 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord,who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,^[a] said by the Holy Spirit,

    “‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
   and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
   and the rulers were gathered together,
   against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand andyour plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servantsto continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

- Acts 4:23-31

Christ came to preach good news to the poor, proclaim liberty for the captives, recover the sight of the blind, set at liberty those who are oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. 

Are you witnesses to this? 

Body of  Christ, are you doing what Christ did, following His command? Are you preaching good news to the poor? Are you proclaiming liberty for all those who are held captive by and oppressed by government, or their family, or their addiction, or their brokenness, or their greed? Are you recovering the sight of those who are spiritually blind?

It’s a big mission.

But it is God’s will for His body to be alive and moving, and He will empower you with His Spirit.

Pray for greater things to be done in your city, because Jesus is not just the LORD of Christians. He is LORD of all, and one day every knee will bow at His Name. Pray for revival. Body of Christ, proclaim that your LORD is risen, and call those who are spiritually dead to come awake and rise up from the grave.

Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city! We believe; we believe in You God 

O, Lord Jesus

I am so unworthy of Your presence.

I squandered the gifts You gave me. I rebelled in what I thought was freedom, but it was only death. And I gained a reputation. O, Jesus, I gained a reputation. And I was known. They knew what kind of woman I was. They knew that I was a sinner. Even the world knew. I wasn’t dirty just by the church’s standards - I was dirty beyond the world’s standards. 

And I heard. I knew that You were there and so I came. I came with an alabastar jar of perfume. I didn’t deserve to even see Your face, so I stood behind You. And I wept. O, my Lord, I wept. And those tears of brokenness and repentance flowed like a river to Your feet. I knew my failure. I knew. I fell to my knees. I was so undeserving even of this, my Lord. I was undeserving of the privilege to be on  the ground behind you, where I couldn’t see Your eyes, weeping onto Your precious feet. I wiped them dry with my hair and I poured out the fragrance of my alabastar jar. You deserve so much more than this. You deserve so much more than some perfume from a sinful woman.

And You turned to me. You turned to me and You said it out loud so that the rest of the world around me could hear. You told me: Your sins are forgiven. You declared it. My many sins have been forgiven. My many stains have been washed clean. For those who have been forgiven much, love much. O Lord, open my eyes. Open my eyes to see how wretched my sin is, that I may know the depth of Your forgiveness and overflow in praise, in a fragrance of praise pleasing to You.

O, beloved, do it all for the glory of God

O, beloved - why are we so caught up in this world? Why are we so worried about earthly things? Why do we indulge in momentary pleasures? Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we shall await a Saviour, the LORD Jesus Christ!

O, beloved - why are we forgetting? Why are we forgetting that the day will come as a thief in the night? Why do we allow ourselves to become distracted from the hope of His return? Why are we so easily seduced, when we know that it is on that day when we will appear with him in glory?

O, beloved - why are we so confused? We have been raised with Christ, far above the things of this earth. Set your hearts on the things of above, for that is where Christ is seated. Let go. Let go of the things of this world, for they lead to death, and cling to the hope that is to come. Cling to the cross and remember that you have put on your new selves.

O, beloved - let yourselves be renewed. Let yourselves be renewed in knowledge of the LORD and moulded into the image of your Creator. You were made to be a reflection of God. Be restored.

O, beloved - clothe yourselves. You are His chosen. You are holy and dearly loved. Clothe yourselves in love and all that it binds together. Be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Bear with one another, for the LORD has been patient with you. You are members of one body, and you have been called to His peace, a peace that the world cannot understand.

O, beloved - let the word of Christ dwell in you. Let it dwell in you richly. Let it dwell and grow and blossom into teaching and rebuking and encouraging as we run together in this race. Meditate on it day and night and let it bear its fruit. Let it direct you in wisdom as it sheds light on your path. Let it steer you into songs of praise, let it tune your heart to sing a melody to the LORD. Let its promises spark an overflow of gratitude to Christ.

O, beloved - give glory to Christ. Whatever you do, be it word or deed, do it in His Name. Do it all for the glory of God.

your life will not make sense until you realise you were made for a purpose

We were created to worship. We were created to lift His Name in all that we do. We were made to adore Him. We were made to know the King of Kings, to bring Him glory; to love and be loved by Him.

There have been Christians before and around me who have learned to realise His presence no matter where they are. Their focus on serving the King is so real, that their work is no less worship before the throne than their time of prayer. I long for that to be true for me, and I invite Him to open my eyes to see Him throughout my day. I was made to worship the eternal God of the universe, the great I AM, with every breath. May I never reserve Him for Sundays, or for mornings, or for moments before I sleep.

Oh Spirit, fix my eyes on Christ. Flood my soul with this truth, that in all that I do I live out my purpose. To Jesus be glory and honour and praise.