Christianity is moral

It is in our moral standing that we are able to stand than our oral testimony

God Is Love

I recalled God's grace on my life and i Just didnt know what to do. Oh I am so unworthy to gain any favours from God!!!!

Work on the ReLationship aspect...

On one Sunday, I did not attend church, well, as i do most of the time. In the kombi that I boarded to take me into town, I sat besides a young man, whom, when i first entered turned to his friends to say "Maureen is back" and the guys at the back started making the same retort. I thank God for i did not react. Inside of me I thought of just telling him

"I am no Maureen!"

As they talked some more, they started talking about some Pastor and I asked them if he was from AFM- that was the beginning of the next conversation.

He asked me if I was coming from church, and I told him no. i told him I had woken up feeling really tired and weak, that i did not go to church.

His next question was how come I was strong enough to get into town now, when I had failed to go to church?

Strong question, but one I responded to as " Because I dont have any church to go to, I am still looking around"

He didnt say anything afterwards, but I continued, why did you go to church?

He said that this Sunday, they had decided to do their own fellowship as people with dissabilities. I had not even noticed!!!

He said they felt happy and were comfortable, with no feeling of stigma around them or any discrimination. All they were able to do was share the word and praise God!

It dawned on me how insensitive the other members could have been, but I was inspired by their desire to praise God even without the larger church. Well I didn't get to ask which church...

If anything, I am just a christian, with or with no Church. That doesnt have to change.

The reason why emphasis even in church should be on relationship as opposed to religion, is how we conduct ourselves as Christians outside of our churches. We act so badly that people do not even understand the essence of your going to church, or claims of being a christian.

In one of the conversations with a friend of mine, He said Why is it that people act in so terrible ways and yet they do not want to be found out? I acknowledge, but I also would like to believe it is an issue of church doctrines.

What do I mean?

I told a bethren once that "With your drinking, God wants you more. Don't judge yourself, just go to church"

You see, people believe that God wants perfect people, but thats not true, I mean, Jesus himself said "Why do you call me good, ONLY God is good!"( Matthew 19 v 16-17)

So, go before the Lord in your weakness, and he will strengthen you. Go before God in your drinking, and God's word will transform you. The bible tells me ".....Be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind". This only comes through the word of God.

Moral standards might have been set, but how faithful are we to follow them?

Societal standards have been put up, but whose standards are we going to live in?

Churches have laid out doctrine after doctrine, but they forget the best words are found in the bible.

Whose report are we going to believe?

Is it the church that is expecting too much from humans. I believe those who attend church are not only people of commission, but people who want to understand the belief, or those who are forced to attend church, or those who seek to have people at their funerals, or in search of a wife, or husband, companionship or juicy gossip.

The churches are infested with people who want a clean edge of sinning without people suspecting.

A religion is boring,...A relationship, exciting, for no one knows what's around the corner, or what will emerge from underneath. It has surprises and it has expectations. It has its ups and it has its downs, it has laughter, with its share of tears, it has its hopes and it has its fears, but in a relationship, there is always faith, trust and conviction for a desired end.

So, build a relationship with God and all things will fall into place. .."Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all will be added unto you.."

I WENT THROUGH THIS ARTICLE AND IT, IN A VERY ILLUSTRIOUS WAY EXPLAINS WHAT I MEAN BY SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS OPPOSED TO PURSUING RELIGIOUS IDEALS...I HOPE YOU FIND IT HELPFUL TOO....

What is Religion versus Relationship

Religion versus Relationship is a concept that is used within the church to separate the people who go through the motions of "church" and the people who actually experience a full Relationship with Christ and bear fruit that advances the kingdom. There is a great misconception that is causing confusion among people with their perception of God. Many people are starting to come to realize that you cannot experience the fullness of a Christian lead life by just going through the steps of Religion. These steps include but are not limited to:

• Going to church when you feel like it
  
• Not reading the bible
  
• Being holy only on Wednesday and Sunday
  
• Not applying what the preacher says to their lives
  
• Not participating in ministry

People are starting to realize that you must have a Relationship with God in order to receive the many promises that are in the bible, you have to apply what it is in the bible and not just go by what you hear in church or from people who don't know Jesus. Remember revelation knowledge is what is revealed from God and in order to hear from God you have to know what His voice sounds like. You have to have aRelationship with Him and know that through His word He reveals Himself to His people. Here are some examples of Religion versusRelationship.

Religion will keep you satisfied right where you are.

Relationship will have you searching for more of Jesus because you know that the more anointing you have in your life the more you can help others and the more your life will prosper.

Religion will have you accept things without questioning or searching for the truth.

Relationship will have you looking for the truth. Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. So therefore you will always search for the truth.which is Jesus.

Religion will have you wondering why you are not fulfilled and why things are the way they are and why you cannot change them.

Relationship will have you searching for ways to change your situation and since you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, you will learn how to let God change your situations through you.

Religion will teach you that the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) is a dance people do in church.

Relationship will let you know that the Holy Spirit is the most important asset to your Christian walk and is the source of your power. The same power Jesus used to defeat death, heal people, cast out demons and do every miracle in the bible.

Religion will teach you that Satan is powerful and you cannot defeat him.

Relationship will let you know that through the power of the Holy Spirit in you, you can defeat Satan, the same way Jesus did.

Religion will teach you that you are not as good a Christian as others such as ministers, pastors, church elders and famous people in the bible.

Relationship will let you know that the same Holy Spirit that is in them is in you and you have access to the same anointing they do.

Religion will teach you how to know of God.

Relationship will let you know how to know God.

Religion will keep you under a religious glass ceiling where you supposedly are a lowly sinner and cannot reach greatness.

Relationship will let you know that you are the righteousness of God and you are a co-heir to His kingdom. Through the power of the Holy Spirit He has given you the ability to do greater thing than Jesus did.

Religion will teach you that you need to dress a certain way to come to church.

Relationship will let you know that Jesus wants you to come as you are. It's not how you look on the outside that Jesus is concerned with, He wants to change you from the inside out.

Religion will teach you that God works in mysterious ways and no one knows the ways of the Lord.

Relationship will let you know that according to I Corinthians 2:10 says "But it was to us that God revealed these things by His spirit. For His spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets." NLT

Religion will teach you that you can't tell God how you really feel because He only wants to hear good things.

Relationship will let you know that you can talk to God because He is your friend and you can let Him know when you are upset and He will reveal to you that He will never leave you nor forsake you and through all situations He is with you and will bring you out.

Religion will teach you that just listening to the sermon and not reading the bible is ok.

Relationship will have you searching for more of God through his word and will also let you know that the more you know Jesus then the more power you have to live a spirit filled Christian life. Knowledge and power and knowledge is the word of God.

Religion will teach you that coming to church is "enough".

Relationship will let you know that God continuously wants more of you and in order to receive the fullness of the anointing, blessing and promises God has for His people, you have to do more then just fill the pews.

Religion will teach you that your spirit and soul are the same.

Relationship will teach you that you are a spirit, with a soul living in a body. Your body is your earth suit so that you can exist here. Your soul is your mind, will, intellect, emotion and imagination. You are a spirit and that is how you communicate with God.

Religion will teach you that the main people of the bible were so special that they did things that you could not do.

Relationship will teach you that the main people of the bible were anointed by the Holy Spirit and that is the same Holy Spirit that you have inside you. So therefore you can do even greater things then they did.

Religion will teach you that Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are three different people.

Relationship will teach you that Jesus, God and the Holy spirit are three different manifestations of the same God.

Religion will teach you that you should not expect God to bless you, you should hope that he blesses you.

Relationship will teach you to have a spirit of expectancy. The more you know Jesus, the more you will learn that He wants to bless you, He wants to empower you, He wants to anoint you so that you can show people that through Jesus you are a powerful person of God.

Religion will teach you that God does not want you to be rich or prosperous because money makes people evil.

Relationship will teach you that one of the reasons Jesus came was so that we could live more abundantly and when money is in the hands of God's people then they will use it for God's kingdom.

Reflections.....

Sometimes, we give ourselves time, or do we ever give ourselves time to look into the spiritual mirror?

Well, there are those times when I do look into that mirror and i wonder, does my physical self speak anything of my spiritual being?

From the way I dress, eat, speak, walk, interract?

Each time I am confronted by the reality that half the time my physical being does not correspond with the desires of the spiritual.

However, I am glad that i do take time to make a reflection, because through this, I can work on making me a better somebody.

a friend of mine, through his own reflections of what had happened on a particular day, sent me a message on my phone that "each moment is a potential to make us better or worse people".

I thought that was deep!

So I have decided to make each day a day for growth. You see, we do take our small actions for granted but once we make these small excuses, we might get used to them and forget that its wrong.

The thoughts of Paul really did strike me the other day. It is one chapter when Paul looks into the spiritual mirror and sees the inadequacies presented by the physical well-being.

It was a point that he saw the reflections of his life in comparison with the Spiritual well-being. What he believed in and what he was striving to achieve in his life. In as much as he was proclaiming the omnipotence and greatness of god, he still had to look at himself to see if what he was speaking was what he was living by.

I now realise what he was talking about. I now understand were he was coming from.

Even Christians of today need to do that. It is only after an evaluation that we are able to grow, both spiritually and physically.

Here is the Chapter that did strike me on reflections;-

Romans 7 (King James Version)

1Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

5For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

7What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

14For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

16If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

The irony of life

I am going through a book called “When God doesn’t make sense” by Dr James Dobson, and I tell you I have felt my spirits lifted. Somehow, the concepts he brings to life are not only true, but they are real. I have never felt so compelled to re-visit my faith, my beliefs and my everyday life.

You see, there are moments as humans were we have failed God. We have managed to do everything that God doesn’t represent.

In times when we have all things, we honor and praise God. But when we are faced with a challenge, we start to backslide. Or rather, when we have nothing we honour and praise God sincerely, but the moment we are blessed, we lose our focus, and we cut ourselves from the vine.

In an article I wrote sometime back “Angry with God?” I was exploring the possibility that I could be angry with God because of the ways I have acted. I might not necessarily be the most immoral person around, and I might not have committed murder, but the idea of staying away from everything God represents is not only disastrous, but it is the most hollowing feeling one gets to carry for a long time. I might be one privileged person who has had to live in this realization that it is either we trust in God no matter the circumstances or we fall into our doom and gloom. Our actions thereof may show that we are angry with God.

On my way from Mavingo to Harare on 3 October 2009

Our life is one puzzle that we could never comprehend. God did not just make us, he made us. He took his time to consult and say “let us make a man in our own image”. with everything else, he merely commanded, but with man, he made.

I can imagine God on his knees, really molding the dagga on the ground, designing this glorious creature saying “wow, this has got to be the final and most important creature”

I can imagine the love, the passion and even the excitement that God had when he was making the first man. I can imagine the pride he had, such that he took his own breath, and breathed life into this clay he had molded. I can imagine God with the brown clay in his hands, sticking on his fingers and getting all dirty, saying this creature is just magnificent. It is a replica of me!

I remember when my brother’s wife was in labour. She held my hand and said “auntie, please pray for me”. The pain in her voice pained me so much a tear dropped.

As I walked out and tried to talk to the nurses to check on her, I was just feeling I should be here.

But at this clinic, one could not be with his wife during birth, and had to wait until the next visiting hour to see her.

I remember her mother seated outside the clinic, waiting for that one hour to come so she could be by her daughter’s side.

It was this love that kept the mother there even from outside, it was this love that I felt compelled to contact even my pastor to pray for her with me, it was this love that my brother dropped a tear when he heard the child was now out. It was this love that made me jump when my brother’s wife called and said “Kabuda tete” (she has come out)

I am imagining, our human joy, our love, as imperfect as it is, compelling us to stick with her in spirit and trying to think of God at this particular moment, when his mould was shaping up. When he had finished, looked at the mould, washed his hands, stood back awhile and scrutinized his making, went back to fix this and that, stand back again and nodded.

I can imagine the love, excitement and passion God had when his hands were now clay-free and he was there and saying “this is it”.

He breathed his breath into this clay, and it came about alive. Imagine the joy!!!

He is God, but he has love.

He is God, but he is liberal

He is God, he is jealous, but he is tolerant

He is God and he is amazing.

Anyway, going through this book by Dr Dobson made me realize that God loves us so much that he allows certain things to happen to us not because he wants to see us cry, but because he wants to see us strong, convicted, convinced and determined.

He does not want to see the pain, but he knows, after birth, we shall all rejoice.

We shall shed a tear of joy.

So, do not think God has forsaken you when events look sour, he is there. The pain you are having, he is feeling it too. But sticking to him brings ultimate joy, which earthly pain can not surpass.

Trust in the Lord all the time. Jesus died not because he wanted, but because it was God’s will.

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” John 15 v. 13

So be true to God, as he is true to you….

THIS THOUGHT STRUCK ME EARLIER WHEN I WAS JUST STARING AT THIS MACHINE IN THIS OTHERWISE EMPTY ROOM DOING A BIT OF VIDEO EDITING..

There is a feeling that I carry
A feeling inexplicable
A feeling one is concerned so much about
A feeling that just makes me too conscious of what I do
A feeling hardly visible

I have felt like this
And I have prayed about it
But the more I look deep, the more confused I get
I thought I would sink, but only God knows I keep afloat
I thought I would faint, but the closer I get to faint, the more vitalized I feel
The thought of dying comes through,
But the strength of life gets through

The idea of sinking comes up
But the momentous swim comes through

The more I trudge along,
The more the darkness closes in
As I chase after the light, which looks but miles afar
As I run forward, the less the light I see
The nearer the light seems, the furthest it is from within reach
And to think I thought it was easy

To think I thought it was all for me
To think I thought I could comprehend all
To think I thought I could fight it off and win,

Oh how disillusioned I have been
How lost I feel now
But the weaker I grow, the stronger I become
The vaguer it becomes, the clearer it becomes
The more painful it gets, the more rewarding it feels
The more confusing it is, the more my eyes see
The more my ears learn, the more my heart discerns

Why all has to happen in an opposite way?
It never ceases to boggle my mind
How enchanting life is,
How mesmerizing life is,
How ‘lifeful’ life is

Oh, the irony of life….

The rate at which we lie...

The tongue...the tongue...the tongue...

Well, this is one subject we all hear about, but few of us take time to really listen to what the meaning really is.

You see, what James explains in Chapter 3 is what all of us intend not to hear. Or if we do read about it, we think the message is for someone else.

4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.

The tongue is a very small part of our body, but it is when we are able to tame our tongue that we are able to tame the whole body.

5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

When I look into our everyday life, we have made lying a habit. Each time we are faced with challenges where we end up lying about certain things.

I have asked and tried to calculate Rate at which I Lie in a Day and it has been alarming. I have decided to ask myself a question, why lie when you can say the truth?

We have our reasons and excuses though.

The more we do it, the more it becomes a habit and the more we lie.

This time, I want to challenge myself and you too, to spend a day without lying about a thing and see how you feel...

The moments I give in to lying, I can't stop thinking how much someone else might be lying to me too.

Remember the golden rule: do unto others what you want them to do unto you.

I don't want to be lied to, but I do not have to lie to anyone either.

Besides, if you tell the truth, you don't have loose ends, you are not afraid to walk wherever you want because you haven't lied to anyone about anything.

With the advent of cell phones, people get to lie about their locations and what have you. we tell people we are not around, we tell people we are at some place, we tell people so many different things from what we are doing or have done.

I bet you, there is hard work in lying. It is quite an effort.

WAIT TILL YOU GET INTO AN AWKWARD SITUATION.

This other brother of mine did just that. Telling some guy whom he owed money that he was at a funeral and will be getting back into town in two days time. He was busy in his statements that he had not realised that the friend was just in the car behind him.When the guy told him so, he was so embarrassed but had to face the guy to tell him the truth- I don't have money to give you yet...

You see, it saves us the pain if we say the truth. The pain to the person we are lying to and the pain to ourselves as we will continue to cook up more lies.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.

The bible says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. But sometimes, we speak good with our mouth but when we are away from those friends of ours, church members, pastors, brethren etc, we allow our tongues to spill vitriol.

It is about time that we stop lying to ourselves. It is about time that we put our energy in speaking the truth, so help me God.

It is about time that what we act, speak and do, goes beyond the people we know and interact with. It has to spread to every person and we have to act what we testify, no matter the change of environment.

So speak life, truth and honesty to every person you meet, no matter how difficult it is, that way, we know what we are missing and we become accountable for what we do or set out to do.

Let us try to speak the truth for he that is in us, is TRUTH.

Father we want to thank you for the gift of talking that you gave us. Lord we pray that through our knowledge of you and through your word, we be able to tame our tongues that they may speak that which is truthful for you are Holy Lord. Thank you for continuously reminding us how much we need to guard against the devil through our mouth for life and death lies in its power. Father, burn our mouth that we may speak the truth always, all for the Glory and Honour of your name, In Jesus name, Amen..

Y. Mashie

Only believe: God has a Plan for you

I will tell you what inspires me. I will tell you how I go about certain things. I will tell you how life is lived through.

Look around, what do you see.

You look at your self and you see the ugly duckling. You are the odd one out.

Its okay. I have felt this way for quite some time now. But after a lot of self introspection and turning back to the faith I so trust, I found out there was more to it than meets the eye. There is more to you than you can ever imagine.

I remember the story of Joseph...

Joseph was a chosen one of God and he found favour in the eyes of his father. But this did not go down very well with his brothers.

Genesis Chapter 37 vs 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

5And Joseph dreamed a dream and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

7For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

8And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

9And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

Joseph had a dream, just like you. But he did not allow the comments of everyone else pull him down. He had to face all the schemes. in fact they said

27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

Now, to an ordinary eye like ours, this is the worst kind of conspiracy that can happen to us. We would decide to kill ourselves. If we were good and evil were done unto us, we would turn and become bad, we work hard to prove the people who despise us wrong- You do not have to prove anything to anyone.

However, Joseph might have had these moments of questioning God but he did not lose his focus. He remained good all the same. He trusted and believed in the vision God had given him.

I remember the story of David. David was that shepherd whose entire time was spent in the fields with the sheep. David was that boy, who when Samuel the prophet came was called in after the prophet had insisted.

I Samuel 16 vs 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

You see, David was the annointed one of god though Jesse his father did not think so. I am inspired by these two young people. They are so in common with me, maybe with you too.

You feel like life has not been treating you well?

David did not begin like a King. He began like a shepherd. He did not walk into the battle field and kill goliath, he killed a lion and a bear as training.

What I am saying is that God does not put you in situations that do not have a meaning in your life.

God does not make you pass through pains that do not add anything to your life.

When you go through certain things in your life, be happy. The Bible says in Phillipians, In all things do without grumbling or murmuring, but in all things give thanks and praise unto the Lord.

We do not take these words and use them in our lives. We think they are mere illustrations of how people in those days lived. But No! God is talking to you right now, wherever you are. God is telling you you have the potential, you have the training and you have the favour.

I even remember the story of Jesus. He was born of a woman and lived through life, not because he could not have fallen from heaven with shining clothes and an army of angels, but so he could live the life that we live.

People argue that even the best preacher is one who went through rough patches in their lives. People say a person who has lived through pains in life is better positioned to advise another. It is generally agreed that 'muzivi wenzira yeparuware ndiye mufambi wayo' (loosely translated, one who knows the way through a thicket is he who has been through it)

Jesus lived life just like all of us. He was even not listened to because he was a child whose father was a carpenter. He was not listened to. People despised him because of the circumstances of his birth. People did not believe who he was because of his background.

But he did not need to shake the heavens for him to prove who he was. He merely lived his humble life and at the end, when he was dying, after fulfilling his mission, did those who despised him believe who he was.

So, you don't need to prove anything to anyone. You owe your life to him who created you. Thus, all honor and glory need to be channeled back to him, and live life in your right way.

Joseph became the most feared man on all earth and just below Pharoah in title. He had been thrown into jail, accused wrongly, his brothers had forgoten about him, BUT..

His God was faithful. His dream came to PASS...

David had to serve under Saul for a while, playing the harp. He was still that shepherd who was not looked at and considered as great. Even his father felt he had to take food to his braver brothers who were in battle, BUT.....

God had another plan. He used this platform to elevate the young man. He was to be the next KING of Israel.

God trains us.

God shows us what we are to be, all we have to do is trust and obey.

A friend of mine once said " partial obedience is disobedience....."

Your Faith in God and your obedience to him is what matters.


Lord, thank you for giving us your word, for your word is binding. Lord you say in your word that if we shall ask anything in your name, you are faithful that you will give us. Lord I want to thank you for your truth, which you continue to show us. Teach us Lord to hold fast to your word and trust that all you have said you will do, shall come to pass. Thank you Lord, In jesus mighty name, Amen...

Y. Mashie

Angry with God?

You see, each time I sit to reflect on my life, I find that there is a huge gap. I will say that I have not been the worst person to live on earth, morally that is.

But my relationship with God has been rather stagant. One of my pastors once told me "You are angry with God".

This was the most shocking statement but one i have had to ponder on for some time.

It is not the statement, but the thought that I could be angry with God.

I have tried to sit down and think why I, a mortal, would be angry with my creator?

You see, it is not about being really 'angry' as in shouting at him and stuff, but it is the behavioural traits.

I was just going through the paces and thinking exactly how I could have been angry.

This is what I figured;

I had a great relationship with God that not talking to him was torturous. I could actually feel weak. It is like when you love someone, you just want to keep in constant touch with them so that you know how they are doing, what they have eaten, down to the littlest thing they did. And this was not happening.

I was miles and miles away from God and this was making me scared.

God has laid foundations for you. He has built the walls for you. He has done everything, but you are not stepping in.

I want that relationship back. I want to walk with God. I want God to guide my feet, just as he did, Joseph before me. Just as he did David before me. Just as he did Elija, before me. I want God to take the first step.

I want to feel his closeness.

When i look back, i feel i have indeed taken for granted his love and my closeness to him. I took it as a normal thing to be that close.

It is.

But the devil is watching, and he would like you to be that close to him as well. It is in these times when we relax that the devil moves in.

I am convinced that thats what happened. A lot of things began to happen. I became weary. I lost touch and eventually, I lost interest even in praising God.

This is the worst thing that happens in a christian's life. You should never allow yourself to be led into such.

It is important for one to take stock of where you are at.

This moment, take a look into your life and take stock of were you are. The more you reflect, the more you learn.

Heavenly father, thank you for giving me an opportunity to look into my life. thank you for exposing me to your love, for nothing can surpas this love. Thank you for your guidance. Thank you for your word, for it is by this that we live. Father continue to guide us through your holy spirit and your son. In Jesus name, Amen.

Y Mashie

I hate hate, bitterness and resentfulness, so help me Lord.

I have gone through sad chapters in my life
I have done things I should not have done.
I have said words I shouldn't have said
I have played games i should never have played.
And I have made compromises i should not have made
But I have done these things and they are a part of me.

When I look into my future,
I see happiness, peace, joy and laughter.
I see love, love profound.
I see light....

I know i have to pass through dark phases.
But these won't stop me from going forward.
The dark I have passed is better than that which awaits me.
But by the same confidence, I shall face that darkness.

I know the light of the Lord shines over me.
I am going through paces that should see me through what i shall face tomorrow.

The Lord is my source of hope.
I dont want to live with bitterness.
There is no way i will heap whats been heaped on me.
Onto my children, Lord help me....

I will not live in pain and bitterness, in hatred and resentment
For Jesus Christ went through even worse situations, just for me to be free.

I have gone through all that i have, so that i may face the future with confidence.

The Lord tells me to be of good cheer
For he overcame the world.

All these that i see, are to expose me to know that which is in the world.
For tomorrow, i have to live through it all
Only difference is, i will be doing it right.

Should i be bitter? Should I be angry?
By no means!!
For the word of God tells me, if my brother sins against me, i should forgive him seven times seventeen times.
This merely means, each and every time.

If I forgive them, I forgive myself too.
And i take responsibility for my action.
If God be for me, who can be against me???

Oh Lord. thank you for this exposure for by the exposure comes knowledge.
Being forwarned, is to be forearmed.
it is only you that can save me from the wretchedness of the world.
Help me not to develop bitterness in my heart.
Instead, allow love to grow inside of me, just as you have taught us through your son Jesus Christ.
In Jesus name, Amen....

Y. Mashie

Things aren't always what they seem!!!!

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, 'Things aren't always what they seem.'

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.

Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused.

The second family had little but was willing to; share everything, and you let the cow die.

'Things aren't always what they seem,' the older angel replied.

'When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, Inoticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. '

'Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem.'

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until some time later..

Some people come into our lives and quickly go..

Some people become friends and stay awhile... leaving beautiful footprints on our hearts and we are never quite the same because we have made a good friend!!

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow a mystery.

Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present!

I think this is special...live and savor every moment... This is not a dress rehearsal!

Anonymous.

GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD

Lk 17:15-16 (NKJV)And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.The story of ten lepers who were healed by the Lord Jesus demonstrates the impotence of giving thanks unto the Lord. Ten lepers were healed but only one came back to give thanks to Jesus in appreciation if his healing. The others did not find it necessary to come and thank the Lord.One very important duty of a Christian is to give thanks to God for what he does for us.

1Chr 16:8 (NKJV)Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!

There are four elements of true thanksgiving:
(1) remembering what God has done, (2) telling others about it, (3) showing God’s glory to others, and (4) offering gifts of self, time, and resources.

If you are truly thankful, your life will show it.God warns us that in the last days people will be unthankful, boastful, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. This describes the prevailing attitude among Christians today.

2Ti 3:2 (NKJV)For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.

Do you take time to thank God always in your life? Do you appreciate Him for his blessings in your life? Being thankful is an attitude of the heart- it comes from deep inside a person. Change your mind set and attitude of your heart to become a thankful person. Never forget to thank Him.

If you find you cannot be thankful, you are taking too many things for granted. You have made a wrong assumption that you deserved everything you have. Refuse to take the Lord for granted or His name in vain. Reject this perverse ungrateful spirit in the world today where people make demands for a welfare state where everything is provided free to every citizen.

Have you noticed that when you thank someone for what they have done you encourage them to do more -for you. When you thank God you are preparing yourself for more blessings. There is so much to thank God for your life, your health, family, husband, wife, children, your job, etc.

Thank God for even things people take for granted such as clothing, food, shelter, loved ones. When you see a blind man you will begin to appreciate God’s gift of sight, when you see a cripple in a wheelchair, you learn to appreciate God for the gift of legs.

Thanksgiving is the beginning of praise and worship, which in turn brings the presence of God in your life. Do not be fooled God hears every word thanking Him for His mighty deeds. If you have had the experience of helping someone and they did not thank you then you will know what I mean. You will be less inclined to give them anything else again in future.

When you are unthankful you stop God blessing your life. You deny yourself future blessings. Failure to give thanks is a sign that you despise your gifts. You are saying my gift is not good enough. Don’t discourage God by your unthankfulness. Change your attitude today start to be thankful even for the small mundane things in life. You will begin to see God doing bigger things in your life.

You will notice a big change in year life. God is not mocked even in the area of thanksgiving.

GIVE THANKS UNTO TO THE LORD ALWAYS AND YOU WILL SEE BLESSINGS COMING TO YOU!

Stanley Zengeya.

Story of her life

I have noticed that some people are negative- minded. If they make a comment, they choose to see the negative rather than the positive. I have discovered that such people either grew up in an environment where they were told they will never make it or they were made to believe they would never make it.

It is a phsychological fight that takes place.

I remember a story i was once told. A woman with so much bitterness, that even after the tormenting years, she has failed to accept the change. She is so engrossed in her past that even when she sits down, one notices the pain in her eyes and even the strain in her body language. Given an opportunity to speak, she says she is only here physically, but the inner her has gone far away.


This is her story......

Mary, she got married at eighteen- she was pregnant already in 1984. Her boyfriend married her, but did not manage to pay all the dowry.

She has lived a lifetime of struggle from her narrations.

She told me one of the days of how terrible her years into marriage were.

"I was made to watch the fields 24/7 in case baboons eat the mealies. I was given the outer field so that i am watching the fields. I was married into this home, but even those who wanted to rent some of the fields, were given inner ones. I was pregnant, but all the time i was at the fields. I had to be herding the cattle, i had to be watching the fields, but i was still a wife. My husband was in the city trying to get a job, which he did".

She is all tears all the while. She continues...

"When my husband brought back groceries, my mother-in-law would take them and give me a meagre share. She never gave me soap, so i had to wash my baby's napkins in the river with the sand. Nobody ever felt pity for me".

She tells me she used to go to be woken up as early as 2am to go to the vlei. During those days, she said, there were no boreholes and the vlei usually took time to fill with water. In fact, many people went there earlier for them to get water earlier too. Unfortunately for her, her in-laws did not appreciate this. Despite the fact that the vlei was a good distance away from her home, the in-laws did not assist her in any way. In fact, the water she would bring, they used it for bathing. Each one would take a 20 pitre container for their bath, and yet she needed to carry a single 20 litre container each time. Not just that, they did not want to help her with the child. If she left the baby at home, if the baby cries, it will eventually quieten down with no attention given to it. She said, on many occasions, she has had to make those trips with the baby strapped on her back.

" No one wanted anything to do with me. I was abused by every one. No one regarded me as anything. I was a mere slave".

She wipes a tear...

I can see she is in deep pain. She now has four children two of whom have families of their own. She keeps saying "if this man had told me he doesnt love me, i would have moved on with my life".

You see, she has not been able to forgive this man. She lives in a four roomed cottage, built of durawall material, and she feels betrayed. If the man had dedicated his energy to his family alone, they would have built a house. She complains that she stays "muchikwere" and yet her husband could have afforded to build a home.

She is a hardworking woman, but she has haboured a lot of bitterness in her, she works for her upkeep. She is no longer concerned about building the house. All she waits is for the man to tell her its over and then she can start all over again.

"He can do what he wants, but not to do what he wants with me!" she said.

She has given up on her life.


I dont blame her. She has grown up to develop so much resentfulness on the family that was supposed to protect her.

She continued to get heaps of insults even from her husband's brothers when she now lived in the city. She says they used to get to her house and demand anything that was in the house saying it was their brother's. They would tell her it was their brother who was working so everything was his and theirs.

She was not regarded as anything. Even up to now, she says....

I looked at her as she looked down. Her physical appearance has moulded itself to portray the self pity she has felt all these years. she regretts everything- well probably except her children, but she regrets having lived her entire life with a man bent on betraying her.

She looked up "Ndarwadziwa vasikana" (I am in so much pain).

"I never thought things would turn up like this. Even my body aches because of the abuse I went through in my early marriage years, I am a nobody. I am nothing. Nobody sees me as anybody".

She looks into a distance and the eyes penetrate deep into thought as she does self retrospection.

"My children had to go through rough times because my husband's brothers had to go to school, but not once have they respected me. If I were another woman, i would have refused to allow my children to suffer for my husband's relatives. But I understood family and the need to assist a family member. I allowed myself and my children to suffer for ungrateful people. If only i knew...."

She looked at me. I could feel her pain. I could see the feel of deceipt all over her face. That is what she has been able to exude this whole while I sat down with her.

Sometimes we don't know what we are getting ourselves into unless we are in it.

But it is not about what you go through. It is about how you handle it that matters at the end of the day.

This is the story of a woman whose pains have affected her so much she refuse to hear of God.

She told me "God has forgoten about me. In fact, he has left me to make my own decisions"

This is how bad she feels. She feels betrayed by her husband that even God has 'betrayed her'

I pray that this woman finds it in her heart to forgive her husband and everyone who did anything to hurt her. I call out to my christian friends to please hold hands together and remember this woman in your prayers. Even the word of God does not make any sense to her anymore.

Pray for her to remember that God is still with her. She only need to strecth her hands forth, and he is there. Help pray for her so that her heart might slowly open up and GiVE GOD A CHANCE....

I know there are many of you who feel overwhelmed because of situations in your lives, but do take heart, for God is faithful.

Remember that woman who bled for more than 12 years? she was now tired of her situation but she believed when she heard of Jesus. She believed so much that she felt if only she 'could touch the hem of his garment', she would be healed.

Such is her situation, and yours too, but do take heart and above all believe. If you believe, you will receive.

Hebrews 11 vs 1 "Now faith is the assuarance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen".

Nomatter the situation, God is watcing. Call to him and he will answer.

Dear God, thank you for giving us your son as a sign of your love to us. Thank you for giving us your word as a book of promise. Lord you have given us promises, which promises you have always kept. Please give us a forgiving heart so that when the winds of the devil come, we are able to withstand. Lord help us run away from the vulnerability the devil exposes us to. Thank you for your love for it gives us the strength to face life. Father, nourish us in Jesus mighty name, Amen...,.

Y. Mashie

The Humble shall be Exalted

It is important for people to realise were their potential lie in. Who can stand on a mountain and claim to own everything? Who can stand on a podium and claim to know everything?

Even Jesus refused to be called good.

The problem we have is we want to own everything, we want to know everything and we want to be called 'the great'. We want to get praises all the time. We want to be given a pat in the back always. For so long we have given ourselves an elevated position and we have felt 'great' about it.

Should people point fingers at us, we flount and show off what we have. Should people look like they have interest in you, we act as though we were immortal.

Somebody once said "but even the rich die and get buried just like poor people do". But who care about what happens when one is dead. Its amazing how we have taken our lives to be bigger than anything else.

But...

Have we ever thought of how much difference we would make into just one life by giving? Imagine you stop boasting about all that you have, and just give a part of what you have. Some wise words say "there is greater Joy in giving than in receiving"

Its amazing how we mistake God's grace to our 'wisdom'. We have all that we have, not that we are wise but because we are God's children.

Well, others give, but they want to act like angels in the sight of many. They want to publicise what they give to people. They want everyone to know what they have given and to whom. They want to be given 'glory'.

But greater joy comes when one gives from the heart. Greater joy comes when one does things and knows all things belong to God. We are just mortal beings with no power. Our lives lie in the hands of a supreme leader.

Let us humble ourselves before the Lord and he will lift us up......

Y. Mashie