Are you living a self-centred or a Christ-centred life?

 Hello Readers & Followers,

Happy Monday! How are you doing? How was your weekend? This week's article is an opportunity for us to reflect on our lives. Are we living a self-centred or a Christ-centred life? 

Someone who is self-centred is mostly concerned with his or her own wants and needs, and hardly thinks about other people's needs. In Philippians 2:4, God said, "let each of you look out not only for his or her own interests but also for the interests of others." This suggests that a life that only thinks about one's own interests is a self-centred life which does not come from God. It's time for us to reflect on how our actions or our inaction could be deemed as self-centredness. Would you like to pause and reflect? 

A self-centred life becomes frustrated when things do not go their way, the individual tends to blame others for their actions. A self-centred person gives excuses as to why it is okay for them not to help others that are in need. 

A self-centred life hardly has empathy for others neither do they show concerns for others. It is always about their own wants, needs and achievements. They rationalise why God's way of doing things cannot be applied in some circumstances and how their own wisdom is better. Perhaps you can see a few self-centred traits in your life? Or something you had previously done? I have good news for you! God's desire is to help, support, strengthen and guide you in living a Christ-centred life. 

What does it mean to live a Christ-centred life? I will be discussing it next week Monday. Keep an eye on my blog. 

If you have been blessed by this post, please share it with your friends. 

Enjoy the rest of your week. See you again on Monday.

Mysses Lafunky.

God Gives Specific Instructions for Victory

 Hello Readers & Followers,

How are you doing? Feel free to share this post with others if you have been blessed by it.

Do you remember the account of David and King Jehoshaphat? One thing that was featured in the life of David is that he frequently sought the Lord's direction and counsel when he faced a trial and the Lord graciously gave him a clear and definite answer of how to pursue his enemies (You should study the book of 1 Samuel 23, 1 Samuel 30, 2 Samuel 2, 2 Samuel 5, and many more).

David and Jehoshaphat had to undertake different tasks to be granted victory. The Lord sent Jahaziel to Jehoshaphat to instruct him on how the battle will be won. Jehoshaphat followed the counsel by gathering people to praise God with loud voices and they matched out in front of the army.

The Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated (Read 2 Chronicles 20) while David had to literally pursue his enemies.

Finally, we need to keep seeking God's counsel and guidance. You do not need to copy God's specific counsel for other people. God gives us specific instructions for victory.

Enjoy your day!

Mysses Lafunky!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving America!

15 Powerful lessons from the life of Esther

Hello Readers & Followers,

How is your new week going? I hope you were able to rest during the weekend.  Today, I will be sharing some of the lessons that I have learned from the life of Esther. 

1) Esther was also known as Hadassah (Esther 2:7). The name Esther means star. She epitomised a star.

2) Esther exemplified the greatest commandment of love, similar to our Lord Jesus Christ. In Esther's words, she said: "I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I die, I die." Esther 4:16 

3) Esther knew the power of fasting and prayer. She applied the spiritual principle of fasting and prayer by asking her people to fast before she visited the king's palace. The fasting showed her total dependence on God (Esther 4:16). 

4) Esther was patient in the place of fasting. She waited until the fasting had taken place before she went to the king (Esther 4:17). 

Who was Jael? Lessons from the life of Jael

 Hello Readers  & Followers,

How is your week going? I would like to share some powerful lessons from the life of Jael in the bible. Jael's story can be found in the book of Judges 4. 

Who was Jael?

Jael was married to Heber, the Kenite. She was used by God to kill the commander of Jabin's army (Sisera). She killed a commander. Wow! This was a woman without a title, she was not famous neither was she known by everyone. However, she fulfilled God's purpose for her life. 

Let me explain a bit more about what was happening at the time. 

Children of Israel did things that the Lord saw as evil

It was recorded in Judges 4 that the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan. The commander of the Canaanite army was Sisera.  Jabin, Sisera, and his leadership team were cruel to the children of Israel for twenty years. A whole twenty years! It must have been a horrible time for them. The children of Israel cried out to the Lord for help and the Lord had a plan to deliver them. 

Deborah and Barak

Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth, a  prophetess and a judge in Israel who God gave leadership abilities, was judging Israel at that time. Deborah spoke to Barak (the commander of the Israelite army) and told him that God wanted him to deploy troops to fight Sisera (the commander of the Canaanite army) and victory will be granted to the children of Israel. Was Barak keen to deploy troops to fight Sisera? No, he was hesitant to go to battle without Deborah, which showed a lack of trust in what the Lord had said or perhaps he was very anxious given that the Canaanites were powerful and cruel? Barak said something to Deborah.

Barak told Deborah that: "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go! (Judges 4:8)" Deborah declared a prophetic word, she said to Barak that she will go with him but there will be no glory for Barak in the journey that he was taking, for the Lord will grant victory over Sisera into the hand of a woman. It is to be noted that the name of the woman was not mentioned when the declaration was made (Judges 4:9). 

The Battle

Barak gathered all his chariots, and Deborah went up with him to fight Sisera and his chariots. When Sisera noticed that they were losing, he fled for his life. He fled to Jael's tent.

Victory was granted 

Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the Kenite, for there was peace between the Kenite and the Canaanite. Sisera must have concluded that he was going to be safe at Jael's tent. However, he got it wrong. God had a plan to kill him since he was an enemy of God's children.

Sisera told Jael that if any man comes and inquires about him, she should say he was not there. Jael concealed him with a blanket and offered him a jug of milk, a sign of hospitality. Sisera was tired and fell asleep. Jael made use of this opportunity, she took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to kill him, so Sisera died. 

Barak turned up at Jael's tent, asking for Sisera. Jael said to him: "Come, I will show you the man whom you're after, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple." (Judges 4:22).

Lessons from the life of Jael

1) Jael fulfilled purpose even though she did not have a title neither was she holding an office (a position of authority).

2) Jael acted on the opportunity that the Lord had given her even when it did not make sense. She did not overanalyse it, she did not overthink it. She acted even when she may have been afraid.

3) Jael used what she had in her hands to fulfil God's plan for her life.

4) Jael trusted the Lord and the prophetic declaration by Deborah came to pass. The Lord used her to grant victory over Sisera. 

5) Jael did not have followers neither was she popular before she fulfilled God's purpose. 

6) Jael played a role in God's kingdom work. Likewise, Deborah, the chariots, and Barack played a role in fulfilling God's work. We all have a role to play in God's work.

7) Never underestimate women. God can use women. 

Can you think of any other lessons from the life of Jael?

I hope you have been blessed by this post. If you have been blessed, please share this post with your friends. 

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Mysses Lafunky.

Don't Be Afraid, God is with YOU

Dear Readers & Followers,

How are you doing? How was your weekend? I hope you had a lovely weekend. I would like to share a bible story with you. It was a real incident that happened a long time ago. This bible story can be found in the book of Numbers 21. Let me give you a quick overview of it.

It was recorded in the bible that God's people were afraid because poisonous snakes were biting some of them. However, it is to be noted that God did not leave His children alone, He did something about the poisonous snakes after Moses had prayed to God about it. God told Moses to make a metal snake and put it on top of a pole and people with snakebites could look at the metal snake, then God would heal them. Moses followed God's instructions and God healed them. This is a reminder for you to know that when you are afraid, God is with you, He will show you that He is with you. 

So, do not be afraid, God is with you. 

Finally, with everything that is going on in the world, I would like to encourage you as God's children to keep praying for God to offer us solutions to what is happening in the world. Just as Moses prayed and God taught him how to stop the poisonous snakes from biting some of His people, He is still able to give us solutions that would lead to the healing of our nation. 

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God said if my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. God said, "if my people". This means God is wanting His children to keep seeking His face on behalf of our nation. We need to continue to pray and we must never stop praying. In the place of prayer, the Lord will strengthen us and will heal our land. 

Have a lovely week!

Mysses Lafunky.

Courageous Peace of God

 Hello Readers & Followers,

It's a new month. How are you doing? Are you feeling overwhelmed by everything that is happening in the world? Are you fearful about the future? Or could it be the news that is making you fearful? Or could it be your health? Are you doubting whether God is in charge of the whole world?  Whatever your worries, I have good news for you. I believe God's Word will strengthen you. God said because you belong to Christ Jesus, He will bless you with the peace that no one can completely understand. How amazing is that? In fact, Jesus Christ said in John 14:27  (TPT):

" I leave the gift of peace with you - my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don't yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts - instead, be courageous!"

If you are still feeling anxious, Jesus Christ said that you should pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you (1 Peter 5:7 TPT). God knows that you and I will have situations that will lead us to worrying. He is expecting us to share our feelings with Him.

I would like to say a prayer for you. I pray the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Prayer

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give me peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with me (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

Have a lovely week!

Mysses Lafunky.