Oh the Awesome Power of the Super Mantle!

Today we are going to find out about Elijah's Mantle and the Super Mantle and the link between the Mantles and Bethel, Jericho and Jordan. We have to know this before we know how to use the Mantle which we have received and if we are even using it.

We who have read the Old Testament know that Elijah was a great prophet of God who did many exploits for God's kingdom through the power of God's Spirit. He was the prophet of all prophets and he was the only other human being who was taken up into heaven with his body, soul and spirit in a fiery chariot, other than Enoch.

We know that when he was taken up to heaven, he gave his mantle to Elisha who received a double portion of Elijah's annointing with that mantle and Elisha began doing greater exploits, than Elijah did, for God .

Here, we might envy Elisha, but let me tell you that we do not have to, cause we have received a super mantle which is greater than Elijah's.

I will first explain how Elisha received Elijah's mantle and then lead you into the secret of our super mantle. Tarry with me awhile longer and you will know what I mean.

Elisha knew that Elijah was going to be taken up, therefore he did not want to let him out of his sight. (Read 2 Kings chapter 2). He followed Elijah wherever the Lord sent him. Elijah was sent to three places by the Lord just before his homegoing and before going to each place he asked Elisha to stay behind but Elisha, not wanting to let him out of his sight, tagged along.

The first place, God led him to, was Bethel, next Jericho and the last was Jordan. After which, Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted from him before he departed to heaven. Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah's anointing. Note that he did not ask for the mantle of Elijah. He knew that Elijah operated in God's power. Therefore he asked for the double portion of the anointing which was on Elijah, but what he received was Elijah's mantle which carried the double portion of his anointing.

How do we know that Elisha trusted in God's power and not in the power of the mantle? When we read further into 2 Kings 2:13-14 NIV
'Elisha then picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. [14] He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.' Yes the water divided into two, just as it did when Elijah struck it earlier. Elisha asked to see the power of the God of Elijah and not the power of the mantle. Thus we know that Elisha depended on God's power.

Now before we go on, let us explore the significance of the three places where God led Elijah, where Elisha tagged along. We need to have a proper understanding of the Old Testament before we go on to the New Testament. We need to read and explore both, hand in hand.

Bethel : - Bethel is where Jacob received supernatural knowledge of God's power, where he wrestled with God and where his eyes were opened to see supernatural celestial visions when he saw the angels of God ascending and descending.

Jericho :- Jericho was a city fortified with extremely humongous strong walls which could only be destroyed by obedience and faith in God. It is the very place where Joshua and the Israelites learnt to patiently obey and trust wholly on God.

Jordan :- Jordan was the river which Joshua crossed, leading the Israelites, before the destruction of the walls of Jericho. It is a place which signifies the transition from the old life to the new life; from spiritual death to life in God. In fact it is a type of baptism. (Later in the New Testament we see John the Baptist baptizing people in the very river of Jordan.)

Now Elisha who went with Elijah to all these three places, first at Bethel, would have received supernatural knowledge of the precepts  of God and anointing where his eyes were to be opened to see Elijah going up to heaven in the fiery chariot. Next at Jericho, he would have received supernatural anointing to have faith in God's power to destroy the supernatural evil fortresses of the evil one. Finally at Jordan when he crossed it with Elijah, he would have supernaturally died to himself and became alive in God, ready to receive his double anointing. I would say that Elisha was being trained in the school of the Holy Spirit with Elijah as his guide.

When Elisha asked for the double portion of anointing this is what Elijah said, “What you are asking me for, is very difficult, yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

Only after the supernatural encounters at the three places could Elisha see Elijah being taken to heaven and receive the double portion of anointing. He had to have his spiritual eyes opened, he had to develop obedience, patience and faith in God's power and he had to die to his own desires before he could receive his double anointing.

We too, the baptized Christians, have received a mantle which is far more superior than Elijah's. Why do I say that? It is because Elijah's mantle was visible but the one we have received is invisible. Elijah's mantle carried a double portion of his  annointing but this other mantle carries immeasurable and inexhaustible annointing and power of the victorious, resurrected Christ. It is the 'Cloak of the Righteousness' of Christ Jesus. We cannot see it but we put it on, in faith.

In John 14:12 AMP, Jesus told his apostles, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."

Yes, Jesus gave us not only a double portion but an immesurable and unending portion of His anointing. We will be able to do greater things than Jesus did, whenever we put on this super mantle and by having an unshakable, steadfast faith in Him.

Unlike Elisha, the apostles and we believers must go through the Jordan experience first before we receive Christ's mantle of Righteousness. Then we need to go through the Bethel and Jericho experiences to have our faith strengthened and to have an intimate relationship with Jesus.

First the apostles were baptised in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. They died to their sins and received the supernatural grace of God. Then Jesus called them to Himself to show them the Way. That was their Jordan experience. Although Jesus empowered them to heal the sick while He was still with them, they received their mantle from Christ only much later, after Christ resurrected and ascended into heaven, but they could only use it after their Bethel and Jericho experiences.

We believers, met Christ at Jordan when we accepted Him as our Saviour during our baptism. That was when we died to ourselves and received new life in Christ Jesus. That was our Jordan experience. We received Christ's mantle of Righteousness immediately at our acceptance of Christ. But we  will only be able to operate effectively under the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ after our Bethel and Jericho experiences.

Next, Jesus kept His apostles with Him all the time, teaching them about the things of God and opening up their eyes of understanding to understand God's ways and precepts. They had the closest encounter with Christ. That was their Bethel experience.

We believers likewise must read God's Word daily, praise and worship Him and walk very closely with Jesus to have our eyes of understanding opened so that we can see the visions of God, feel His heartbeat, hear His still small voice and understand what exploits He would have us do for the advancement of His Kingdom here on earth. In short, it is our quiet time with Him.This would be our Bethel experience.

Finally, Jesus built up the faith of the apostles by assuring them that He will send a Counsellor who will counsel, comfort and teach them and us, who will believe in Him through them. He gave them strict orders to wait patiently for the Counsellor and sent Him as promised. The apostles were obedient and waited patiently upon the Lord in faith and thus received the Holy Spirit and His power to destroy the supernatural enemy's strong towers. That was their Jericho experience. Immediately after this experience, they went out boldly, clothed in the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ, winning numerous souls.

Likewise we too must be open to receive God's Spirit and obediently and patiently wait upon Him in faith, before we can put on the Righteousness of Christ to boldly stand before the Father and to courageously do spiritual warfare and win souls for Christ. This would be our Jericho experience.

Why did Elisha want the double anointing? To do greater works than Elijah for God. To stand in the gap for the people.

In the Old Testament times not all were worthy to stand before God to represent the people. Only the High priest and selected prophets who had the Spirit of God upon them, could stand in the gap for the people. If anyone other than the high priest were to enter the holy of holies, he would be struck dead immediately. Even the prophets could not enter the holy of holies but they could stand before God in their spirits and intercede for the people, because the Spirit of God was upon them.

Why do we need the Mantle of the Righteousness of Christ? We too need the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ to enter the holy of holies, to stand in the gap for the people.

The bible says, "We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and that we are not worthy to stand before Him. But again the bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV, that 'God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.'

Therefore in the New Covenant times all baptised Christians have the right to stand before the all powerful, Almighty God, only when we are clothed in the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ. Thus every believer can come freely into the holy of holies countless number of times every single day without having the fear of being struck dead.

But sadly today, even when given that special privilege to enter the holy of holies, not many believers are grabbing the opportunity to do so. They do not recognise the power of that mantle. If only every believer used it, most people would have been saved by now.

Elisha knew the power of God which was represented through the mantle of Elijah. Because he knew it, he was able to operate in the double portion of Elijah's anointing with confidence and steadfsst faith in Yahweh, 

Likewise, do we know what power the mantle of the Righteousness of Christ holds for us? If only we know and believe that there is no power greater than the power in the blood of Christ, and know and believe that we have been clothed with the Righteousness of Christ, we would daily enter boldly into the holy of holies to stand in the gap for our families, the people of our nation and the nations of the world and do mighty supernatural exploits for God's Kingdom on earth.

Shalom
Mary Augustine

I vs God!

We know that the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness &  Self Control.

We also know that as Christians, the Fruit of the Spirit has to be outwardly manifested in us so that Christ can be glorified in us.

Therefore we try our best to manifest, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness &  self control in our lives and we end up getting frustrated. The more we try the more we mess up and we fail miserably.

Some of us might succeed in manifesting some of the fruits in our lives but again we end up wondering why people are not attracted to Christ through us.

Then again we notice people of other faiths manifesting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness &  self control in their lives and we wonder, what is the difference between us and them and  how Christianity differs from other religions!

Now if you have a strawberry and I have a strawberry it doesn't matter which strawberry is accepted by the seeker because both are strawberries and they are the same. That is the same principle explained by the people of the world today. "There are many paths to the One God," they claim.

But this morning during my personal devotion, God showed me a brightly shining sparkling, golden fruit and told me that when the Fruit of the Spirit is manifested in me, it would sparkle and shine like gold and Christ will be glorified in me. For that to happen I must stop trying and let God take over completely.

That made sense to me. That is how we will be different from someone of a different faith. That is how souls with be attracted to Christ instead of us. When you have a strawberry and I have a sparkling golden strawberry, it would make more sense for the seeker to accept the golden strawberry, for with it he can become rich.This is how more and more seekers will be attracted to the golden strawberries which we hold. 

Christ taught us by example to forgive countless number of times. He taught us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. He taught us to show the other cheek when someone slaps us. He taught us to go the extra mile while helping others.

Only when we truly accept Christ as our Saviour and let Him be the Lord and Master of our lives, can the Fruit of the Spirit be manifested in us and Christ can be glorified through us. Only when we surrender completely to the Will of the Father as Christ did and only when we crucify our ego on the cross and only when we ask the Father to burn all that is not of Christ within us, can we glorify Christ in our thoughts, speech and behaviour.

We must stop trying and let God take over completely. Christ will then be glorified in all His splendour and Glory before all men. That is when we believers will be able to win souls for God's Kingdom.

(Below, I humbly tried to replicate the fruit God showed me, but I  know I did not do any justice to what He showed me because the fruit in my vision was so bright and shining and so golden,  like a million cut mirrors and diamonds embedded on the fruit and it was pouring out God's glory in it's fullest essence.)

~Mary Augustine~

Anger Management -Part 1

It is so sad to see how people hurt someone in anger, without realising that they are belittling them in front of others. How anger blinds their eyes. How anger transforms loving, kind people into people without feelings, that they hurl all sorts of hurtful, hateful, demeaning, derogatory words at someone and then still feel justified.

What is it that makes her/him to act this way? Well I think it is the deep rooted hurt in her/him. Something that is deeply rooted in her/his  memory. Something that has wounded her/him so deeply. It also could be her/his upbringing and the words she/he has heard others use while reprimanding others.

So everytime a similar incident occurs or everytime a similar topic is spoken, it triggers her/his memory and all hell breaks loose. It could also be our own faults which causes that person to be angry.

Therefore in order to avoid such conflicts we must never bring up such topics before that person, if we know what triggers her/him. If it had been our fault, we must immediately ask for forgiveness and try never to hurt her/him again.

Secondly, we must never get angry with that person, although it is a natural human tendency to get hurt or feel insulted or feel misunderstood by her/him. Although we may feel that way, we must be in control of our feelings and pray during such moments.

Only the Holy Spirit can breathe new life into us and that person to heal all hurts, memories and all inner wounds. Surrender to God. We must first ask forgiveness from God and repent for our faults. Then forgive that person wholeheartedly for hurting us and then pray for deep inner healing for that person and for ourselves. God works miracles in Jesus' name. Trust Him.

Mary Augustine

Blessings from God's Word to be spoken over our children daily.

Blessings to be spoken over our children daily.   
The Word of God is a double edged sword and if we speak these blessings taken from God's Word over our children daily God will set them apart from the others and bless them mightily and they will be protected 24/7.

My child, __________
You are victorious in Christ, because the moment you hurt God, you repent and run back to Him seeking forgiveness. You also forgive freely and unconditionally in Christ, all who hurt you without harboring negative thoughts about them. You are able to love unconditionally as Christ loves and see everyone through the eyes of Christ. You therefore now are a saint, set apart for God. You have received forgiveness for all your sins, past, present and future, and therefore, there is no condemnation for you from God- and can never be!
(Luke 11:4; Hebrews 10:10,14-18; Romans 8:1)

My child, ___________
You are now a brand new creature in Christ Jesus. You have died to your old self & you have been made brand new. Therefore you are now able to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4-7)

My child, ___________
You are now a part of God's Kingdom of Light. You are now seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, above all the power of the evil one and his demonic forces.
(Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 1:19-23; 2:4-6)

My child, ___________
You are accepted in Jesus the Beloved, just as you are - because God chose you for Himself before the foundation of the world. You have been washed clean by the blood of Christ the Lamb and are clothed with the righteousness of Christ Jesus. You have been adopted as God's dear child through Christ and are sealed by, filled with and anointed by His Holy Spirit, Who guarantees that you will live with God forever.
(Revelation 22:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:3-14)

My child, ___________
Your past and its consequences have been erased by the blood of Christ, for you have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and you repent everytime you hurt God and run back into His arms. Your sovereign God promises that He will cause everything in your life for good. You have been transformed into Christlikeness, into His image by the renewing of your mind and by contemplating the Lord's glory daily.
(Romans 8:28-30; Romans 12:2;
2 Corinthians 3:18)

My child, ___________
Jesus has won victory over, sin, Satan, sickness and death for you, therefore you are healed by His stripes, you cannot and will not die before God's appointed time for your home going. Jesus holds the keys to hell and death. You will fight the good fight, keep the faith, run the race, set before you, with Christ and will complete your earthly race victoriously and when you die, you will be peaceful and found in favour with God, and you will be immediately absent from this body and be present with the Lord Jesus, Who will award you with the crown of righteousness on that day.
(Revelation 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:8-9; 2 Timothy 4:7-8)

My child, ___________
You have been made whole, healthy and prosperous in Christ.You can come boldly into His presence, to His throne and find His mercy, unearned favor and help in the time of your need. I see you doing this now. God has supplied all your needs in abundance according to His riches through Christ Jesus your Lord. His storehouses have plenty and you are receiving from Him all you need and more right now because you have no other gods (idols) before you, you love and honour God and walk in His ways obeying all His commands. You honour your parents and respect and obey your authorities. No eye has seen, no ear has heard & no one's heart has ever imagined all the things that God has prepared for you who love Him.
(Hebrews 4:16; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23; Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19; Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 2:9;)

My child, ___________
I speak all the above promises over your life and declare & decree that God has put His fire (hedge) of protection around you. I declare & decree that you are covered by the blood of Christ. I declare & decree that you are walking under God's umbrella of protection. I declare & decree that you are resisting the devil and every temptation set before you and therefore the devil is fleeing away from you. I declare & decree that you are infilled by the Holy Spirit and His anointing overflows from you and touches and blesses all those you come in contact with. I declare & decree that no weapon formed against you will ever prosper. I declare & decree that God's army of angels stand guard around you always and fight all your battles for you. I declare & decree that all your bondages are broken and all the blessings, finances, honour, health and every good that you lost are restored back to you. I declare & decree that you are receiving your breakthroughs swiftly in Christ Jesus. I declare and decree that there will be open doors of opportunities for your future, you will walk through the right door through the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the right job,  for you to be joined with the right life partner, for godly friends and more blessings. I declare and decree that God has put his cherubims with flaming swords before every door which you must not enter through and shut tightly those doors forever. I declare and decree that you will obey the Lord and will not force through the shut doors. I declare and decree that the Lord has removed all friends who lead you away from Christ, those who bring destruction into your future and those who give you wrong advice.
I declare and decree that your spiritual eyes and ears have been open to God's vision for your future and to hear God's still small voice speaking to you. I declare & decree that you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness and therefore God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions. I declare & decree that God's Holy Spirit hovers over you and breathes His life into you and births the new life of Christ in you, bringing you to higher order, keeping your spirit alive in Him and in tune with Him, 24/7. I declare & decree that the Lord has prepared a table before you in the presence  of your enemies and He anoints your head with oil and your cup overflows with heavenly blessings. This is your heritage in our Lord Jesus. I pray this in Jesus' mighty name, receive it for you on your behalf and seal it with the precious blood of Jesus. Amen.

Be blessed as you bless your children.
(Mary Augustine)

Why this Urgency now?

Luke 10: 1-7   Jesus had a core group with Him all the time; the twelve apostles who were Hs inner circle of friends and chiefs of all disciples. Then He also trained the 72, and sent them two by two on a hands on mission trip. 

His reason for sending them ahead of Himself :- 

the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

He knew and told them exactly to whom He was sending them to :- 

He was sending them as lambs among wolves. He knew they would be ridiculed and persecuted. He knew that many will not listen to them and instead ignore them. He sent them inspite of all these

His instructions to them :- 

Luke 10:4-11 NIV

[4] Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. [5] “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ [6] If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. [7] Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. [8] “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. [9] Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ [10] But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, [11] ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’

Let us examine verse four. Why did Jesus tell them not to take a purse, bag or sandals with them? Jesus did not tell them, "Do not wear sandals!" but "Do not take sandals along." Obviously they had to wear a pair of sandals so as not to hurt their feet. 

In today's context, when we take money with us we will be distracted from our mission and we will want to apportion some of the time, meant for mission activities and evangelising, to do shopping. Then if we have a bag with us our concentration will be on what we can take back home from there as collector's items. Things that we cannot get in our country. Finally if we had an extra pair of shoes, we would not think twice but would happily travel  from place to place, which Jesus did not want them to do. Look at verse 7. There Jesus told them not to move around from house to house. He actually wanted them to stay put in one place and do what He instructed them to do and tell them that the Kingdom of God is near. He wanted them to stay with those they reached out to and ensure that they were spiritually growing, to help to build up their faith and not just heal and move off to another location and leave the poor ones with more questions in their minds. It will be another classic case of church planting but zero growth.

Then going back to verse 4, Jesus told them not to greet anyone on the road. Why did He say that? Was He telling them to be rude and arrogant? In the first place, why did Jesus send them out? He did not send them on a holiday or for site seeing. His main purpose was to tell people that the Kingdom of God is near. When your loved one is in trouble and if you are on your way to rescue him or her, would you stop on your way to talk to anyone? Would you stop to chat with them or tell them hi and bye? No you wouldn't. You would rush to rescue your loved one from danger. Here, the mission Jesus was sending them for is far more important. They were sent out to warn and save souls from eternal death.  Therefore He did not want them to talk to anyone and waste time. He wanted them to be focused; to stay on task.

Who were the seventy two? Before sending them out Jesus  would surely have empowered them just as we see in chapter 9 verse 1-6. It was the same scenario then. Jesus empowered the 12 apostles and sent them out two by two, to cure diseases, to heal the sick, drive out demons and to tell them that God's Kingdom was at hand. He gave them the same instructions, to stay in one place. These seventy two, could have been those whom the twelve stayed with and reached out to. Each pair would have stayed with a small community of twelve or more and  cured diseases, healed the sick, driven out demons and told them that God's Kingdom was at hand, and they would have helped the community to grow in faith, to repent of their sins and prepare for God's Kingdom. Thus we get the figure of seventy two.  How can we be sure that Jesus empowered the seventy two? Look at verse 19.  Here when the seventy two came back and told Jesus how the demons fled when they mentioned Jesus' name, Jesus told them, " I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you!"  Wow! What a revelation we have and that from the mouth of the Son of God Himself.

Then the bible in Luke 10:1 says that He sent them out ahead of Him, to every town and place He was about to go. Jesus was about to go to the very places He sent them to, later on. Why did Jesus need them to go before Him to heal the sick, to cure diseases, to drive out demons and to tell them that the Kingdom of God is at hand, if He Himself was going to go there? Couldn't He, as the Son of God done all these by Himself? Yes, He could have, but Jesus was not only God and man but He was also a dedicated and practical teacher. He wanted His disciples to gain confidence in God and in themselves, that they can do all things with God's power, when He was not physically with them. Moreover, He had the most important task of teaching His core group all that was needed to make them leaders of the Church after His resurrection and accession. He had the task of preparing them for what was to come, His crucification. Therefore obviously He needed the seventy two just as He needs us, believers, now to prepare the world for His second coming. 

Notice that Jesus cursed Capernaum , Chorazin and Bethsaida in verses 12 to 15. It was because the Jews there were living in compromise. Archaeological evidences  (http://www.wordofgodtoday.com/cursed-city-chorazin/)   prove that in their Synagogues were embedded the  statue of Medussa and other pagan symbols and idols. Jesus had been preaching there most of the time but the people refused to let go of their ways and repent. Just like in His days, people are still living in sin and compromise in our days all around the world. Now it is getting worse with the global internet age. 

Later on in Luke 17:26-37 Jesus would tell of how the situation in the world would be when He returns again. People would be so preoccupied with their own career advancements, merry making, their compromises and their affairs, just like in the days of Noah and Lot, that they would  have no time for God. It is happening now already. People are unconsciously becoming the slaves of the media, internet and their devices such as smart phones and tablet PC's

When Jesus Himself tells us that 'The Kingdom of God is at hand!' we better believe it. He sent the seventy two out with an urgency and with the same urgency He behooves us now to warn the world to let go of its compromises and turn to Him. 

Traditionally speaking the Jewish bridegroom will go and see his wife to be, pay the bridal price to secure her and after that will go back to make preparations to bring her to his house. After making all the preparations to receive her, the groom will not delay in coming. That was the URGENCY which Jesus was signalling. 

Yes, He, Jesus is the bridegroom. We the believers (the church) are His bride. When He came to the world to turn all men (and women and children) unto Him ( and away from the devil)  He wanted to get this message across...that He would pay the price for our sins on the cross, resurrect,  ascend into heaven and prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3 NIV "My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.") and He is coming quickly to bring us to His house. Who Other than the Bridegroom Who paid the heavy price on the cross to redeem us has the authority to claim us? No one else. Jesus will not tarry.Therefore the time is NOW! Repent and believe in Jesus. He is coming soon to take us home. 

Jesus said, "I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me!" (John14:6) Jesus is not a liar. No one on this earth has ever made that bold statement. Check it out if you doubt.

Our duty as believers is to warn people and save them from spiritual death. We need to move with the same urgency. We have been empowered and we need to use the authority given to us by Christ. Let him who has ear, hear and act...act fast...Because Jesus IS coming SOON! Sooner than you think. 

Mary Augustine

(Poem) A Soul's Journey into Maturity!

Why are you sad?
Oh my soul?
What I gave
I did not receive!
(Expectations)

Why are you sad?
Oh my soul?
Expectation's the culprit!
Robbed me of Joy!
(Realisation)

Why are you sad?
Oh my soul?
It is me, my Ego!
Robbed me of Peace !
(Conviction)

Why are you sad?
Oh my soul?
I have not given
My best to my Lord !
(Remorse)

Why are you sad?
Oh my soul?
My Saviour gave me Himself
Nothing have I done to deserve His love !
(Repentance)

Why aren't you sad?
Oh my soul?
With Him in me
I have all I need!
(Complete Surrender)

Help!!! My Washing Machine Cooked My Clothes!

I woke up one day, quickly  threw my clothes into the washer and turned on the machine. Then I opened the door of my refrigerator, pulled out a casserole of spaghetti and put it in the microwave oven to heat it up. I started to get ready to go for my economics lecture. Two minutes later I opened the door of the microwave and to my  dismay I  saw soap suds bubbling out. Then I smelt something burning and I  turned to see smoke coming out of my washer. I frantically ran towards it and opened it to find my priced clothes being cooked and burnt. That was  too much for me to take in so I grabbed my bag and left the house.

Next I  ran to my family doctor as I was feeling stressed and confused and instead of treating me, my doctor started giving me a lecture on economics. Feeling disillusioned I went to my  college and upon entering the lecture theatre I saw a long line queuing up in front of my lecturer's desk. My jaws dropped upon seeing my lecturer checking each person with a stethoscope and treating their symptoms.  "Everyone and everything has gone insane," I screamed.  No one and nothing seemed to be doing what they or it was meant to do! 

Does the scenario seem familiar to you? Is it not the same with us my dear brother and sister? Don't we act the same way too? As human beings we are in charge of the vegetation and creatures of the world. Are we doing our part to protect our environment? As Christians we are instructed by Christ to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us and to go the extra mile for others. Are we doing what Christ asked us to do? 

Instead of praying for those who persecute us, instead of blessing those who curse us and instead of doing good to those who hate us, we go about harbouring bitter thoughts about them and group together to talk negatively about what they did. Thus we vent our frustrations but are we doing what we were called to do? Don't we behave like the washer which cooked the clothes?  Why do we complain and gripe so much? Can we turn the night to day or a strand of white hair to black or turn the negative situation around by doing all that? No my friends, not at all. In fact things would only get worse and people would grow apart by our actions, speech and behaviour. We will be championing divisions instead of unity.

Let us reflect for a moment... With us around, are people at ease or are they uptight and uneasy? With us around do they feel peaceful? With us being there in their presence for sometime are they motivated to change for the better or for worse? Yes they may have been in the wrong. Yes they may have done grievous things to hurt us or our community. Yes they may be much older than us or much younger than us but that does not give us the prerogative to act negatively or vehemently; that does not give us the right to accuse them and pass unfair judgement against them. Whoever we may be, we have to obey authority and be submissive to those God has placed above us. They are answerable to God for guiding us.

In the presence of sunlight, wet clothes dry up. In the presence of radiation light, bad cells die. In the same way in our presence, all those who are around us must change and become more like Christ...that is if we have the full measure of Christ dwelling within us. 

If we have Christ dwelling fully in us we will be firm yet loving. We will correct others with love and compassion. We will reprimand when the need arises but after that we will in no way shun them nor cause them to feel little or lower than us but will embrace them with the unconditional love of Christ and we will pray ceaselessly for them. Even in praying, many pray that their will must be done instead of God's will. That is the wrong way of praying. We need to seek God's heart and know that just as He speaks to us and through us, God can  speak to them and through them and therefore we need to also humble ourselves before God and others. A high and mighty attitude is the first step towards a great 'Humpty Dumpty' fall. Many marriages, families and organisations have been sadly divided due to this 'Higher than Thou' attitude. 

There is no age limit to do what is asked of us by Christ. "Anyone who has not sinned throw the first stone," said Jesus...But now I tell you, "Anyone who has the full measure of Christ in you, forgive first, love unconditionally first and pray for those who rebel, for those who curse you and persecute you, first!" 

In John 13:35 Jesus says, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have (genuine, unconditional) love for one another."

Here are 7 important questions we need to ask ourselves:-

1. Am I doing what I was created to do?

2. (If you are a Christian) As a Christian am I fulfilling the 'Great Commission' of Christ?

    (If you aren't a Christian) As a human being am I working towards building a close relationship with God my Creator?

3. Am I a blessing to those around me?

4. Am I inspiring others to be what they were created to be?

5. Am I touching lives and moulding positive character traits in others?

6. Am I working towards leaving a legacy behind for others to emulate?

7. Is my life pleasing to God?

Let us make the first move to pray, to forgive, to love and to embrace. The Holy Spirit will make the changes we expect to see in our family, in our children, in our spouse, in our leaders, in our subordinates and in our organisation... Let me now go and check on  my washer and my microwave oven...ha ha...

Mary Augustine