MORE than conquerors

"Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves- regret for the past and fear of the future." Fulton Oursler

This is the day that the Lord has made and we must rejoice and be glad in it. October 31st is traditionally celebrated by many as Halloween. Though this costume party event was probably well intentioned by its founders in the Celtic culture it has become celebratory of death and fear. Many well intentioned Christians also participate in this event and allow their children to go out "tricker treating" for candy.
However, it is my opinion as a Christian and a believer of the Word of God that we must be reminded that the enemy is cunning and will use subtle means to distract and discourage us thereby causing us to lose our way in the faith. Jesus says "I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly." Abundant life has been given to us and we need not be afraid of our past, our future, nor for death. Jesus has conquered death and the grave so that we can be assured of the promise of abundant life. This promise is not just for when we die. But it is for the life that we are living RIGHT NOW. So TODAY remember that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus and NOTHING will be able to separate you from his love.


ROMANS 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

"I Will Never Leave You"........He PROMISED!

There's an old song that came to mind today which reminded me of my frailty before an omnipotent, all powerful God that calls me friend. The chorus of the song I mentioned says "I can’t even walk without you holding my hand". I remember when my oldest daughter began walking and started taking her first steps of independence and would sometimes fall down in the process. It was unnerving for me at first because I wanted to be there and prevent the bumps and the bruises. But I soon realized that those occurrences were necessary for her to be physically and emotionally conditioned to deal with difficulty. Moreover, during the process I stood right there ensuring that she was not exposed to any real danger; and should any arise I was prepared and well able to defend her cause. Likewise, God allows us to experience the bruises and the growing pains of life even though he is standing close by. This he does to build our faith and trust in him. Rest assured today that he is not only present, but he is quite able to defend your cause should a situation arise. He is Jehovah Shammah, the one who is there. Remember his promise--"I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”

Which race are you running?

I was fortunate enough to be at a conference this past week at which the theme was "Pursuing The Incorruptible Prize".  The messages and the theme stirred much feelings in me and of course brought me to a comtemplative place.  Certain questions started to arise, for example: Am I running the spiritual race?, Am I chasing Christ?, What are my goals?, Am I training or watching the others train?  After much thought and some tears I came to the understanding that being a "bystander" in life means that I am not running the race.  A bystander does not just mean doing nothing while life is passing, it also means barely participating and making excuses for the outcome of "little work".  Some of us feel that if we do just enough and squeak by in life unnoticed that will be alright. Be very careful, as the word of God reminds us that everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training but they do it for a temporal prize, however our race is for an everlasting crown.  Live your life to its fullest potential, smile a lot, love hard, bear fruit, sweat profusely, grit your teeth, and most importantly live like the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is at the finish line because guess what, He is.


^{1 Corinthians 9: 24} Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. ²⁵ And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

The Greatest Fight of All Time

People fight for and defend what they love. People will stand up for what they believe. They will fiercely defend their ideologies, beliefs and creeds even though their systems of belief may be deemed toxic and a detriment to a peaceful coexistence. Fighting for the one you love and defending the values one hold dear is a natural born instinct.
The faith that was "once delivered to the saints" according to the Apostle Jude is one such precious and priceless commodity. This faith that was secured by the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for all those who would believe is one worth fighting for. In fact, its worth living for and dying for. This faith is not rule driven, its not religion, it is relationship. The Apostle Jude states with unequivocal fervor that the believer must "contend for the faith". This statement is a strong indication that the believer will face challenges, encounter opposition and be tossed with various kinds of turmoil and inner struggle. Yet through it all we must be resolved to hold our ground. Though we experience opposition from without and turmoil from within we must be on guard in identifying the real enemy. Our fight is not against any human element or counterpart. Instead , we battle a fearsome evil and wicked adversary in the spiritual realm. Are you willing to fight for this faith? I am willing to fight for this faith. Moreover, should the defense of the gospel require my life I am ready to lay it down.
If I may, let me quote the secular music artist Dido who sung in her song "White Flag" quote "I will go down with this ship, i wont put my hands up and surrender. There will be no white flag above my door; I'm in love (with my Savior) and always will be."
"This ship" for me is the old ship of Zion, the church, the body of Christ. Of whom Jesus said "And the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." Stand firm and fight for this faith!

Jude 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was necessary for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints

Tomorrow May Never Come

Got plans for tomorrow? Recently I've been reminiscing about my high school years and had the opportunity to work in that same setting again. As I observed the students at a local high school and even engaged a few of them in conversation, it dawned on me that so much of our focus is gazed toward the future that we sometimes neglect to live in the moment. The dominant consensus among the students was a preoccupation towards leaving high school and going to college. Now I'm not knocking being prepared for the future nor am I making light of setting goals. However, what I am saying is that we must be mindful that tomorrow is not promised to any of us and that we must put our "best foot forward" in living out our "today". I was a very good student in college, but as I reflect I am convinced that I could have been a better student in high school. There were some missed opportunities. Though I have no regrets, it is a helpful reminder in the present to remind myself to live out my best "today". Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 "Take no thought for tomorrow, sufficient are the challenges of today." Life is a race against time. Time is the arch-enemy of NOW. So capture the moment, seize "today" because tomorrow may never come. Have a great weekend!

Seeing Christ in the storm

I am back! Thanks for following the JiKJiL blog as I hope that you'll be inspired by the word of God in strengthening your faith in Christ.



Have you ever encountered a sudden, unexpected storm (i.e a snowstorm, rainstorm, windstorm or a tornado)? What was your immediate reaction? Do you recall how you handled it? Storms can bring with them much disaster and can disrupt the routine of daily life. However, there are other types of storms that can affect our lives and wreak havoc. Some of these are spiritual, emotional and psychological storms, just to name a few. Unwelcoming as they often times are, storms serve their purpose. It is very important for us to identify the origin and purpose of the storms in our life before we get "bent out of shape". The common tendency for believers is to "pray away" and rebuke the storms that they encounter without identifying its origin or purpose. It is true that nothing happens in the life of the believer by accident. This is so because Paul writes in Romans chapter 8 that "All things work together for good to those who are the called according to his purpose." Therefore, even the storms in our lives have a purpose; and it is in these storms that our characters are formed and strengthened as God unveils his purpose and design for each of us.
In the book of Matthew Chapter 14 the disciples encountered a storm as they were traveling to "the other side". During this journey they encountered a storm that nearly tore their boat to shreds. Does that sound like a situation or experience that you had to go through? Well, not only did the storm (the wind and water from the sea) nearly destroy their boat, but they were also afraid and were not able to identify Jesus walking on the water as he approached their boat.
It is important to identify within the storms that we encounter the lesson that Christ wants us to see and learn. In every problem that we face, in every disappointment and difficulty that we encounter our prayer must be-- "Lord, show me Jesus". When we are able to see Jesus in the midst of our storm all our fears will be relieved. Jesus is able to "walk" on the very source of our trouble and brings "peace" to our situation. Are you in a storm right now? Do not doubt, just look for Jesus.

Matthew 14:32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

TRUE HAPPINESS IS.......

Happiness? What is it? Can it be truly achieved? Everyone if asked can reflect on a moment in their life where there was a joyous occasion being celebrated that made them feel excited. Most times this excitement and euphoria is short lived and we find ourselves looking for the "next thing", the next event to replicate this feeling all over again. But what if I told you that you could experience an unrelenting, unquenchable, never-ending state of happiness. Would you want it? So much of what we think about, the things we like or dislike, what we buy or don't buy is so heavily influenced by western culture and the media. However, if we were to stop and think independently of the cultural influences and bombardment of our commercialized existence I believe that a new perspective could be gained.

During this past week I spent a lot of time with my family playing with the children, talking and laughing with my wife about the silliest stuff and just enjoying the simple things like breakfast by the window. And what I discovered is that true happiness is an appreciation for wherever you find yourself. It is a sense of gratitude and contentment for being able to just breathe. Unfortunately, it is a sad reality for many who think that the ultimate value and worth of their life is based on the accumulation of material possessions.

On the contrary, many of us have witnessed countless people whose wealth and status did not help them achieve happiness; but instead their lives were destroyed with all types of illicit behavior and the quest for more. In Luke 12:15 Jesus discloses a similar truth to two quarreling brothers. He says "A mans life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions".

True happiness is being content. Without Christ we will always be seeking the "next thing" in the pursuit of happiness; but will always find that "next thing" lacking. Remember, "Godliness with contentment is great gain". True happiness is only a thought away. Find an appreciation for those who are around you and for the material possessions that you already have. If it's a house then paint it or move around the furniture. Spend some time washing your own car if you have one. Take yourself for an early morning walk, breathe a breath of fresh air and thank God for your legs. Laugh at yourself and share the joke with someone you love. You'll be well on your way to finding true happiness.

Psalm 40:4 Happy is the man that trust in the Lord.