Hi there.
It's been a while. I've been away battling with the devil and as expected, he didn't win. He never does because the great warrior is always by my side, so I'm still up and standing, anchored by Gods grace. Our strength and sufficiency is in God therefore, He will always give us the victory, Amen.
So, here's the topic that's been cooking in my heart for a while now...actually, there are 2 topics, lol. The other one "Are you Stinking Yet" (Lol) will be my next article, if that idiot, Lucifer doesn't throw another clog in my wheel! *sigh* I really hate satan!
With Ebola flexing it's deadly viral muscles all over the place, the once latent fear of it is now becoming an epidemic itself. Although Nigeria for instance, where the disease appeared to be out of control for a while, has now been declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization, there is still an air of paranoid fear all around. Perhaps, with good reason as the virus is still very much present and remains undefeated in other affected countries. In the light of this, I've observed with interest that the attitude of many, myself included, in dealing with the killer disease, does not point to a fearless trust in the promises of God concerning divine protection.
Many churches now have Ebola as a top priority on their prayer points list. Diligent and fervent prayers are rendered against the continued longevity of this disease, while everyone is armed with their hand sanitizers and other DIY improvised Hazmat-ish protective gears, lol. Well, 'why not you ask'. After all, who wants to die. Faith does not dictate that we become careless and not take precautions. So even as we declare Isaiah 54:17 that "NO WEAPON formed against us shall prosper..." and Psalm 91: 3 that the Lord shall "surely deliver us from the SNARE OF THE FOWLER and the DEADLY PESTILENCE", we continue to use our hand sanitisers et al, although we're not even in the high risk zone. Just like paranoid little me living in the UK, but sanitizing even her home door knobs, to mention just one of my OCD's, lol.
It is indeed a paradox situation we find ourselves in sometimes as practicing Christians. We want to exercise the fullness of our faith and trust in Gods promises of divine protection, without having to fall back on our own plan B. But we think this is not always possible. Some people even find the concept of having a plan B ready all the time, to be very necessary and indispensable if you don't want to be seen as unserious and not desperate enough for an answer.
To underscore this point, they quote the popular biblical verse that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20) to justify their having to resort to other options while trusting God for an answer to a problem. (No, I don't quote any scriptures, this is NOT all about me, Iol), While there are others who believe that a true born-again believer should never have a plan B ie, no medication, no surgery, no blood transfusion or IVF and in line with my topic, no hand sanitisers, no bleach sprays, no hand shaking and no hugging of anyone from high, medium or low risk zones.
Fearful Faith?
Recently, I was accused of being a faithless being and called paranoid for implementing some of these life preserving precautions, lol. Don't worry, I wasn't walking about wearing a HAZMAT suit, lol, in case you were trying to picture me in that. I was just being cautioned that I was too focused on feeding my fear and not my faith...all because I sanitized the car door handle of a car I was about to enter and the owner, not even a hot born-again Christian, told me I had serious fear issues. LOL. Really? He should see me with my bleach sprays all over the house. LOL. Okay, okay I admit I need prayers in this area. Just pray for me and don't judge me. At least I'm honest about it and not acting like I've conquered all my fears and weaknesses.
Anyway, I found his observations and comments very amusing but troubling at the same time. It got me thinking about my faith. Is it True faith or fearful faith? I pray about every single thing and believe it's settled, yet like many others, I find myself thinking that there's still SOMETHING I need to do, extra measures I NEED to take.
Where does absolute faith start?
My true story of paranoia
Sometime last week, I had a 10.00am appointment with a client requiring immigration advice, but had to dismiss her shortly afterwards, after what I would call a harrowing experience.
From the moment she arrived for her appointment Iooking unusually poorly and frail, I immediately heard alarm bells go off in my head. (don't blame me).
When I now, very concerned, asked her why she looked so gaunt and where she'd been all this while, since she hadn't responded to any of my emails asking to postpone her appointment, she said she had been in Nigeria attending a wedding.
Ehn?!? (I heard my inner voice scream)
I then unconsciously moved myself a few inches (maybe even meters ) away from her. I can't really remember anymore. All I know is that, my mind was now calculating all sorts of ways to end this potentially life threatening visitation.
When she now said she had been running a fever since she returned....bla bla bla.... (which was then all I heard after she mentioned "running a fever..."), I lost all concentration and started praying in silent tongues!!
'Ah! Lord have mercy on me please!'
'Who did I offend like this?!? '
'Why me?'
'Is this the end?'
Were some of the thoughts now doing a marathon race in my head. And then....THEN she sneezed!! (Lawd no!!!)
A loud unprotected sneeze too. A light mist of all unfathomable creatures of the lethal kind, must have filled the small airspace encompassing us both, (I imagined in despair now)
That was it for me! I immediately stopped talking, held my breath (not to breathe in any more of whatever lethal aliens she may have released) and just started vigorously pointing her towards the door. She sat there looking at me wondering what I meant.
I didn't even realize at that time that I was now standing at the other end of the office. My body must have moved itself to that corner without my conscious effort, lol.
I just kept pointing to the door and when she didn't get it, I couldn't hold my breath in any longer so I quickly ran out of the room. Once outside, I exhaled and just as I was about to gather myself and thoughts together and plan my next move, I heard her footsteps behind me so I ran into the toilet.
To cut an already long story short, I had to tell her behind the safety of the toilet door, that I had suddenly developed diarrhoea and would call her to reschedule another appointment. She sympathized with me and left.
I later came out, after wrapping my nose and and mouth with toilet paper and went back into the office to open the windows. I then went ahead to empty the entire bottle of my hand sanitiser, sanitizing EVERY SINGLE THING in the office.
I called her on the phone an hour later to apologize for my behaviour, and, for peace of mind sake, find out exactly what her ailment was. She said she had been to the GP and was diagnosed with early pregnancy symptoms and influenza owing to change of weather. Really? I thought to myself doubting her story. I wish I could run my own tests on her.
Anyway, afterwards, I started praying and declaring that I'm covered by the blood of Jesus and that, no weapon formed against me shall prosper in Jesus name. Immediately I finished praying, I felt calm and peaceful again and then decided to read some online news. And would you believe it, the 1st 5 articles were all on Ebola!
Aaarrggh!! This Ebola is slowly becoming an enigma and as long as an understanding of the disease eludes doctors and even the CDC experts, I will consider it air-borne, water-borne, land-borne, saliva-borne, everything borne!! LOL.
Better safe than sorry.
There is a huge conflict between the word of God and our human understanding of it, the latter being sometimes sponsored by a manipulative spirit of religion. Although we as Christians tend and choose to misunderstand, misinterpret, misquote and misapply the word of God, it doesn't invalidate the power or purpose of that word. This is because as long as we apply our faith, whatever God has purposed to happen, will happen at His time, in His way and on His terms regardless of how we twist, squeeze or constrict the word to suit our understanding. Also, If God says faith without works is dead, then He means just that. There must be a corresponding action agreeing with your faith.
So does that mean that any action we decide take in the course of standing in faith and waiting on God for an answer, is acceptable to Him? Of course not! If we start to plough a sinful path all in a bid to hurry God up or 'support' Him while WAITING on the fulfillment or manifestation of a promise, then we're *on a long thing, lol. Sinful actions when undertaken purportedly under the umbrella of faith, will not promote the will of God for your life or testify of His goodness because the root of that action is not in faith. It is merely a personal decision hurriedly coated with faith. Remember Abraham and Sarah's overzealous unsolicited help in engaging the surrogate services of Haggai (Genesis 16). Such action should not be mistaken with what I call corresponding needful actions which are actions that operate hand in hand with faith and prayer. My friend calls it a divinely approved plan B, lol.
Great faith or little faith,
There are spiritual laws rules and principles that govern our spiritual life here on earth and there is a defined role we must all play and specifications that each of us must follow in order to overcome in life, albeit according to the measure of faith given us. Romans 12:3 confirms that we all have been given a measure of faith by God that is specific to our situation and sufficient for our existence. We then hear Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith in Hebrews 12:2, telling us in Luke 17:6 that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can even command a tree to be uprooted and it would obey us.
So it is safe to believe that irrespective of the faith capacity we possess, there should be a corresponding action. For some with great and radical faith, their corresponding action when believing for a healing may be to just pray over a glass of water with some drops of anointing oil and ingest that alone while standing in faith. For others with little faith, it could be that they pray over their medication and believe in the great healer to breathe over the tablets before ingesting them. Either way with great or little faith, the Lord will honor your faith if the corresponding action is rooted in faith. The woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9:22 performed an action rooted in faith.
God in Modern Science
So, if we decide to take an Aspirin for that blinding headache after praying over it and thanking God for his healing power, it is not a sinful or faithless action. The bible tells us in Psalm 24:1 that our great healer made heaven and earth and all in it. Therefore he gave and allowed man the wisdom for inventions of modern science and technology that should help improve the quality of a persons life.
Seriously, it's time we opened our hearts to Gods many ways of dealing with our life issues, health or otherwise. Religious ignorance in itself is a deadly sin that has killed many. Talk about drowning and waiting for God to come down physically to your rescue, when he has sent boats, ships or even planes to save you.
God is everywhere and we can only discover Him if and when we open our hearts to the many possible ways he manifests Himself to us. He is the ultimate healer despite all the magnificence of modern science.
Okay. I'm done for now. I hope somebody is blessed by this today.
Muchos Lovos (my fake spanish for much love, lol)
Stay blessed.
LC
* making futile efforts
It's been a while. I've been away battling with the devil and as expected, he didn't win. He never does because the great warrior is always by my side, so I'm still up and standing, anchored by Gods grace. Our strength and sufficiency is in God therefore, He will always give us the victory, Amen.
So, here's the topic that's been cooking in my heart for a while now...actually, there are 2 topics, lol. The other one "Are you Stinking Yet" (Lol) will be my next article, if that idiot, Lucifer doesn't throw another clog in my wheel! *sigh* I really hate satan!
With Ebola flexing it's deadly viral muscles all over the place, the once latent fear of it is now becoming an epidemic itself. Although Nigeria for instance, where the disease appeared to be out of control for a while, has now been declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization, there is still an air of paranoid fear all around. Perhaps, with good reason as the virus is still very much present and remains undefeated in other affected countries. In the light of this, I've observed with interest that the attitude of many, myself included, in dealing with the killer disease, does not point to a fearless trust in the promises of God concerning divine protection.
Many churches now have Ebola as a top priority on their prayer points list. Diligent and fervent prayers are rendered against the continued longevity of this disease, while everyone is armed with their hand sanitizers and other DIY improvised Hazmat-ish protective gears, lol. Well, 'why not you ask'. After all, who wants to die. Faith does not dictate that we become careless and not take precautions. So even as we declare Isaiah 54:17 that "NO WEAPON formed against us shall prosper..." and Psalm 91: 3 that the Lord shall "surely deliver us from the SNARE OF THE FOWLER and the DEADLY PESTILENCE", we continue to use our hand sanitisers et al, although we're not even in the high risk zone. Just like paranoid little me living in the UK, but sanitizing even her home door knobs, to mention just one of my OCD's, lol.
It is indeed a paradox situation we find ourselves in sometimes as practicing Christians. We want to exercise the fullness of our faith and trust in Gods promises of divine protection, without having to fall back on our own plan B. But we think this is not always possible. Some people even find the concept of having a plan B ready all the time, to be very necessary and indispensable if you don't want to be seen as unserious and not desperate enough for an answer.
To underscore this point, they quote the popular biblical verse that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20) to justify their having to resort to other options while trusting God for an answer to a problem. (No, I don't quote any scriptures, this is NOT all about me, Iol), While there are others who believe that a true born-again believer should never have a plan B ie, no medication, no surgery, no blood transfusion or IVF and in line with my topic, no hand sanitisers, no bleach sprays, no hand shaking and no hugging of anyone from high, medium or low risk zones.
Fearful Faith?
Recently, I was accused of being a faithless being and called paranoid for implementing some of these life preserving precautions, lol. Don't worry, I wasn't walking about wearing a HAZMAT suit, lol, in case you were trying to picture me in that. I was just being cautioned that I was too focused on feeding my fear and not my faith...all because I sanitized the car door handle of a car I was about to enter and the owner, not even a hot born-again Christian, told me I had serious fear issues. LOL. Really? He should see me with my bleach sprays all over the house. LOL. Okay, okay I admit I need prayers in this area. Just pray for me and don't judge me. At least I'm honest about it and not acting like I've conquered all my fears and weaknesses.
Anyway, I found his observations and comments very amusing but troubling at the same time. It got me thinking about my faith. Is it True faith or fearful faith? I pray about every single thing and believe it's settled, yet like many others, I find myself thinking that there's still SOMETHING I need to do, extra measures I NEED to take.
Where does absolute faith start?
My true story of paranoia
Sometime last week, I had a 10.00am appointment with a client requiring immigration advice, but had to dismiss her shortly afterwards, after what I would call a harrowing experience.
From the moment she arrived for her appointment Iooking unusually poorly and frail, I immediately heard alarm bells go off in my head. (don't blame me).
When I now, very concerned, asked her why she looked so gaunt and where she'd been all this while, since she hadn't responded to any of my emails asking to postpone her appointment, she said she had been in Nigeria attending a wedding.
Ehn?!? (I heard my inner voice scream)
I then unconsciously moved myself a few inches (maybe even meters ) away from her. I can't really remember anymore. All I know is that, my mind was now calculating all sorts of ways to end this potentially life threatening visitation.
When she now said she had been running a fever since she returned....bla bla bla.... (which was then all I heard after she mentioned "running a fever..."), I lost all concentration and started praying in silent tongues!!
'Ah! Lord have mercy on me please!'
'Who did I offend like this?!? '
'Why me?'
'Is this the end?'
Were some of the thoughts now doing a marathon race in my head. And then....THEN she sneezed!! (Lawd no!!!)
A loud unprotected sneeze too. A light mist of all unfathomable creatures of the lethal kind, must have filled the small airspace encompassing us both, (I imagined in despair now)
That was it for me! I immediately stopped talking, held my breath (not to breathe in any more of whatever lethal aliens she may have released) and just started vigorously pointing her towards the door. She sat there looking at me wondering what I meant.
I didn't even realize at that time that I was now standing at the other end of the office. My body must have moved itself to that corner without my conscious effort, lol.
I just kept pointing to the door and when she didn't get it, I couldn't hold my breath in any longer so I quickly ran out of the room. Once outside, I exhaled and just as I was about to gather myself and thoughts together and plan my next move, I heard her footsteps behind me so I ran into the toilet.
To cut an already long story short, I had to tell her behind the safety of the toilet door, that I had suddenly developed diarrhoea and would call her to reschedule another appointment. She sympathized with me and left.
I later came out, after wrapping my nose and and mouth with toilet paper and went back into the office to open the windows. I then went ahead to empty the entire bottle of my hand sanitiser, sanitizing EVERY SINGLE THING in the office.
I called her on the phone an hour later to apologize for my behaviour, and, for peace of mind sake, find out exactly what her ailment was. She said she had been to the GP and was diagnosed with early pregnancy symptoms and influenza owing to change of weather. Really? I thought to myself doubting her story. I wish I could run my own tests on her.
Anyway, afterwards, I started praying and declaring that I'm covered by the blood of Jesus and that, no weapon formed against me shall prosper in Jesus name. Immediately I finished praying, I felt calm and peaceful again and then decided to read some online news. And would you believe it, the 1st 5 articles were all on Ebola!
Aaarrggh!! This Ebola is slowly becoming an enigma and as long as an understanding of the disease eludes doctors and even the CDC experts, I will consider it air-borne, water-borne, land-borne, saliva-borne, everything borne!! LOL.
Better safe than sorry.
There is a huge conflict between the word of God and our human understanding of it, the latter being sometimes sponsored by a manipulative spirit of religion. Although we as Christians tend and choose to misunderstand, misinterpret, misquote and misapply the word of God, it doesn't invalidate the power or purpose of that word. This is because as long as we apply our faith, whatever God has purposed to happen, will happen at His time, in His way and on His terms regardless of how we twist, squeeze or constrict the word to suit our understanding. Also, If God says faith without works is dead, then He means just that. There must be a corresponding action agreeing with your faith.
So does that mean that any action we decide take in the course of standing in faith and waiting on God for an answer, is acceptable to Him? Of course not! If we start to plough a sinful path all in a bid to hurry God up or 'support' Him while WAITING on the fulfillment or manifestation of a promise, then we're *on a long thing, lol. Sinful actions when undertaken purportedly under the umbrella of faith, will not promote the will of God for your life or testify of His goodness because the root of that action is not in faith. It is merely a personal decision hurriedly coated with faith. Remember Abraham and Sarah's overzealous unsolicited help in engaging the surrogate services of Haggai (Genesis 16). Such action should not be mistaken with what I call corresponding needful actions which are actions that operate hand in hand with faith and prayer. My friend calls it a divinely approved plan B, lol.
Great faith or little faith,
There are spiritual laws rules and principles that govern our spiritual life here on earth and there is a defined role we must all play and specifications that each of us must follow in order to overcome in life, albeit according to the measure of faith given us. Romans 12:3 confirms that we all have been given a measure of faith by God that is specific to our situation and sufficient for our existence. We then hear Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith in Hebrews 12:2, telling us in Luke 17:6 that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can even command a tree to be uprooted and it would obey us.
So it is safe to believe that irrespective of the faith capacity we possess, there should be a corresponding action. For some with great and radical faith, their corresponding action when believing for a healing may be to just pray over a glass of water with some drops of anointing oil and ingest that alone while standing in faith. For others with little faith, it could be that they pray over their medication and believe in the great healer to breathe over the tablets before ingesting them. Either way with great or little faith, the Lord will honor your faith if the corresponding action is rooted in faith. The woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9:22 performed an action rooted in faith.
God in Modern Science
So, if we decide to take an Aspirin for that blinding headache after praying over it and thanking God for his healing power, it is not a sinful or faithless action. The bible tells us in Psalm 24:1 that our great healer made heaven and earth and all in it. Therefore he gave and allowed man the wisdom for inventions of modern science and technology that should help improve the quality of a persons life.
Seriously, it's time we opened our hearts to Gods many ways of dealing with our life issues, health or otherwise. Religious ignorance in itself is a deadly sin that has killed many. Talk about drowning and waiting for God to come down physically to your rescue, when he has sent boats, ships or even planes to save you.
God is everywhere and we can only discover Him if and when we open our hearts to the many possible ways he manifests Himself to us. He is the ultimate healer despite all the magnificence of modern science.
Okay. I'm done for now. I hope somebody is blessed by this today.
Muchos Lovos (my fake spanish for much love, lol)
Stay blessed.
LC
* making futile efforts