by Pastor Kim DSouza | Feb 4, 2017 | Christian Walk, Identity & Calling
My God is Not a Dream Killer!
Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped…. Luke 7:14
It was all over. And they were carrying the coffin away. It was the coffin that carried a dead dream. It was the only dream left with the dreamer. She had conceived it in intimacy and spent years nurturing and guarding it with all that she could afford. All she had was this dream to live on. But alas, when the time came to see the dream into fruition, the dreamer encountered a rude shock. The dream got aborted before time.
How could this happen? Who was to be blamed? Why did the Giver gave me the dream if He had to snatch it away? She grappled with these thoughts.
But none had the answer. All she got was eyes of sympathy and words of doubt and ridicule.
It was now time for the dream to be carried away from the dreamer. It was broken, it was dead. And of no use.
Some dreams are just that – dreams, never meant to realise.
And they came to carry the dead dream away. But then Jesus entered the scene. He had to, for He is yet to deny a broken heart. He told the dreamer not to weep. Because weeping implies it’s all over. But hallelujiah, as long as Jesus is in the picture, it’s not all over yet.
He who has promised is faithful
And then, He touched that dead dream. It was the encounter of sorts. Death verses life. Hope versus disappointment. And all those that tried to carry the dream away from the dreamer had to halt!
Woohoo, the dream that all gave up on Rose Again!
Reminder
This is a Holy Spirit reminder for you who are reading this because I believe you are not on this page by chance.
Is there a dream or vision that God has planted in your heart? Does it seem that it will not come to pass? Are the circumstances or the people in your life carrying the dream away from you? Do not weep. Do not let go.
The God that I serve is not a dream- killer. Ask Joseph. Ask Abraham. In fact He is the one that is backing you up to see that dream into fruition. All your dream needs is an encounter with the Word of life and all those who are opposing it will have to stop in their tracks. And you will see your dream come alive!
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by Pastor Kim DSouza | Oct 21, 2016 | Christian Walk
Recently I was meditating on the Book of Ephesians when I came across this verse,
Ephesians 2:4 (NLT) …we were subject to God’s anger, BUT GOD is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much…..
As I was reading, these words “BUT GOD” just stood out of my Bible. Then I did a Google search on the verses with these words, and found that “But God” and its variants appear many times in the Bible. For instance see some of these below verses:
Genesis 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
1 Samuel 23:14
David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
Psalm 49:15
But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Wow, aren’t these scriptures beautiful?
To the left of BUT GOD, you will find discouragement, darkness and hopelessness, but to the right of these words you will find strength, hope and a reason to get up and run the race that God has called you for.
The world may say you are a loser, your people at work may look down upon you, may be you feel you are struggling to be a good parent to your children, may be you are worried for your future….BUT GOD is with you and He is working for your good.
Every time you see a BUT GOD scripture in your Bible circle it and start praising the Lord. Because that’s the game changer! As long as BUT GOD is there in your equation, your tables will turn in Jesus name! Hallelujah!
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Mar 9, 2016 | Christian Walk
Genesis 13:10 KJV
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord , like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Genesis 13:14 KJV
And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward…
It is so typical of man that when given an option to “select or choose”, man will use all his intellect and reasoning to make the best choice in the natural. As in the above case, because the land could not hold both of their livestock, Abraham asked Lot to choose which land he would prefer inhabiting so that he (Abraham) could go the other way and both could live in peace.
The Bible says “Lot lifted up his (natural) eyes and saw the well watered plains” and made his decision. What he did not see is what God was going to do to Sodom and Gomorrah which was the very place that Lot decided to pitch tent and make his aboard.
Now comes Abraham’s turn and guess who gives him direction to choose? The Bible says… And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look ….
Oh that blesses me beloved, here are 5 key points:
1. Be divinely led
As God’s children our lives are to be divinely led and not humanly explored. Man looks with his eyes. But God lifts up our eyes to see!
2. Expect God’s instruction
We can expect God’s instruction (long term/ short term) in our lives so we do not end up in places of Gods judgement.
3.You have the Holy Spirit!
God has placed on the inside His Spirit so that you do not make decisions in the flesh that may look rewarding in the short term but prove to be a loss in the long term.
4.Strategic positioning
God wants to position you strategically so that “many families and nations will be blessed by your obedience to His Word.”
5. Don’t compromise
Don’t live a life of compromise and settle in the plains of the yesterday’s ‘Edens’ but seek God to walk in His will today. The place He places you in may not look in the natural as a place of beauty but obedience to God will turn your desert place into an oasis of life to all!
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Feb 12, 2016 | Christian Walk, Leadership
It is impossible to live a life that is unaffected by other people. Your association/friends can take you closer to your God destiny or far away from it. Their attitudes and opinions, like pollen, blow into our lives, shaping our perspective and influencing our decisions.
The parable of weeds in Matthew 13:24-30 tells us about two types of seed: 1. Children of God (good seed) and 2. Sons of the evil one (weeds). Both were planted for one reason – to add influence. Many people do no realise the power of influence and therefore they are caught unawares by people who leave their seeds of slander, back biting, gripping, complaining, pride, gossiping, etc. They wake up one day all of a sudden and see their garden with all sorts of weeds that choke the Word of God in their lives.
Don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4).
The Bible also warns, Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ (1 Corinthians 15:33).
On the other hand, when one godly person’s life sharpens another’s, it’s a good thing (Proverbs 27:17). It yields a harvest of mature fruit over time.
Don’t compromise your destiny for company
One principle that I have learnt with bad company is that it is progressive. If you are not careful you will be moving down a slippery path that ends in shame, disgrace, worthlessness, loneliness and every evil work. Psalm 1 hints at the three progression stage of association that leads to sin: It first begins with standing (casually listening), then walking (intentional listening) and finally sitting (living) with wickedness.
I like what Pastor Steven Furtick says, “Don’t compromise your destiny for company.”
The Bible says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Proverbs 13:20).
I am not talking about associating with the world alone, but even in terms of believers who claim to walk with God.
Here are some guidelines about who you should stick to, or stay away from:
Stay away from:
1. Fools, or the know-it-alls, who are wise in their own eyes. (Proverbs 1:7)
2. Gossipers, grumblers, drunkards, immoral, boasters, hot tempered men (1 Corinthians 5:11), (Proverbs 22:24,25).
3. Those who cause quarrels and fights, backbiters, unsubmissive to authorities (Romans 16:17)
4. Those who are lovers of the world (James 4:3,4).
5. Those who are lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
Stick to:
1. Those who are wise. Not in the ways of the world, but in the knowledge of God’s Word (Proverbs 13:20).
2. Lovers of Jesus, those who boast in Jesus (1 Corinthians 8:3)
3. Visionaries, who have a vision for their lives, who have an action plan and who are pursuing it, who are not mere talkers, but doers. (Proverbs 29:18).
4. Those who are humble, hardworking and who never stop learning. (1 Peter 5:5)
5. Who correct and counsel you according to the Word of God (Proverbs 3:12)
I can think of a lot of examples in the Bible and in my life where I see people influenced or rather allowing themselves to be influenced by bad company and I can tell you that it will corrupt the good character (seed) placed in your life. It will always make the journey to your destiny harder, tougher, lengthier and you will also end up hurting many people along the way both family and friends. So watch out!
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Apr 2, 2015 | Christian Walk, Leadership
In the previous post, we addressed brokenness as a means to chasing God’s heart and in this post we will look at the heart of repentance.
God loves the heart that is quick to repent and runs after Him everytime it messes up.
Brokenness brings repentance, weeping, humility and sensitivity to the things of the Spirit.
David, tagged as the man after God’s heart fell terribly in his life. But everytime he broke God’s heart, he was always quick to repent and weep, almost shamelessly and publicly at times.
As soon as Nathan confronted David after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, David didn’t try and give excuses about his act, but in the immediate next verse we read, he repented (2 Samuel 12: 13). In another instance when he counted the fighting men in Israel against the will of God, soon the Bible says that he was conscience stricken and said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done.”
Every time David messed up, his heart wept in repentance unlike his predecessor Saul who was quick to give excuses.
But I did obey the Lord (1 Samuel 15:20)…..was Saul’s song.
And David was worried about pleasing the Lord in situations when no one saw, nor no one knew (1 Samuel 26:12).
David knew how to weep
When I was reading the account of David, I was amazed at how many times David wept. If fact no other Bible hero’s account has so many scriptures on weeping like him.
David wept the most…( 1 Samuel 20: 41); David wept aloud ( 1 Samuel 30:4); Mourned and wept (1 Samuel 1: 12); wept aloud ( 2 Samuel 3:32); David wept ( 2 Samuel 12:22); wept very bitterly ( 2 Samuel 13: 36); He went weeping ( 2 Samuel 15: 30); he went over the gateway and wept ( 2 Samuel 18:33); cried out aloud ( 2 Samuel 19:4).
Of course, he wept for different reasons and in different situations but his heart was always sensitive to the convictions of God.
Untiring Pursuit
I was talking to a man of God and he had this to say, “David actually messed up more than any average man. So then it was not his acts that made him a man after God’s own heart. It should certainly be his desire to please God even after messing up. After God’s own heart surely then refers to the untiring pursuit after His heart.”
A broken heart and a contrite spirit are the key attributes of a God chaser, and he doesn’t get bogged down by his folly in seeking God’s heart but chooses to run after Him no matter what.
In the concluding post of this – After Your Heart series, I will share with you a vision that God showed me, which I am sure will encourage you.
Meanwhile you can share your views on my above post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Mar 28, 2015 | Christian Walk, Leadership
In the previous post we learned about God’s desperate desire to reveal His heart to His children. Now the question is how do we on our part seek after Him? How do we become a man (or woman) after God’s heart?
Your brokenness is precious to God
I don’t have a long list of dos and don’ts for this, but here is what David, a man after God’s own heart, had to say in Psalms 51:17 –
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
God is yet to deny a broken and repentant heart! In other words, if you want to draw near to God’s heart, know that your brokenness and repentance will hold the key.
Isn’t it interesting? The biggest love story – between God and man – at one point ended up with brokenness and regret in Genesis 6:6, and that’s exactly where we find the Spirit of God leading us to.
Mind you, this brokenness and repentance is not to be thought of in the ways of the world – in fact it is something that the world may never understand.
Brokenness
Exodus 20:25 gives God’s clear instructions about making the altar of sacrifice for Him:
If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use.
Our heart is the altar of God. Sadly in pursuing God somewhere down the line we have allowed the world to chisel our altars. We have lived lives of compromise trying to ‘fit in’ our society, friends circle, and church setting.
“If I don’t lower God’s standards, I will not fit in the world.”
We are not content with the way our hearts have been created and all the time we are trying to show the world that we are similar to you. We have even abused the grace of God to please our flesh.
And then, we wonder why the fire of God is not falling on our sacrifices; Why signs and wonders stand so aloof from us; Why the Kingdom of God is all about talk and no power.
Beloved, you and I are not called to conform to the world but to be set apart for His glory.
I believe the pursuit of God’s heart begins with brokenness. Brokenness to realise how messed up we are, how adulterated our motives are.
Can you hear God’s heart as you read this : “Child, I don’t need you to chisel yourself. That will all be works. I need you to fall into my hands of grace, that I may shape you and break you so your heart becomes a reflection of mine.”
Oh, how we need brokenness!
