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!
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Aug 27, 2014 | Christian Walk, Leadership
Almost every phone user today has the ubiquitous green and white WhatsApp icon on his home screen. With millions of users worldwide, this instant messaging application offers numerous benefits to its users, and one of which is the Group Chat.
Recently one of my friends created a WhatsApp group with 50 people across the globe who wanted to read Rick Warren’s best selling book Purpose Driven Life together over a period of 40 days and share what they learned with each other on a daily basis. Everyone was encouraged to give input, ask questions and finally see the biblical perspective. He also provided an incentive to those who were able to finish reading the book in that stipulated time!
I thought that was a wonderful way of utilizing the WhatsApp Group Chat function to add value to people’s lives.
However a word of caution: Group chats can be immensely annoying at times. And if you don’t take guard, they can drain you of your precious time and peace of mind. Below I thought of sharing some Dos and Don’ts of WhatsApp (or any other) group chats:
1. Don’t join every group that you are invited or added to
The more generic the group is, the more the possibility of unwanted messages, while the more specific a group is, the more the possibility of quality communication that you can benefit from. For example: Joining a ‘working mother’s’ group is always better than joining the ‘Woman’s’ group. Also before joining a group ask yourself – how will it edify me or what value can I add to others’ life through it.
If you are part of a group that sends teasing comments, lewd jokes or unnecessary forwards, it is better to excuse yourself out rather than allow your ears and eyes to be a place where others can dump their trash. And no, nobody will feel bad about it.
From time to time keep coming back to the motive behind creating the group and check whether you as a group admin or member are in line with it.
2. Do use it to encourage one another and build each other up
Use the group chat to speak life over those you are addressing. Build up rather than tear down. Pray for one another and aim to learn from each other’s successes and mistakes. A couple of good examples: One friend of mine has created a group called ICU (In Christ Unit) where members can share their urgent prayer requests and pray for one another. Another friend has a group called ‘Pastor’s Wives’ where women in the ministry can share and learn from each other’s lives.
3. Do not get personal
Don’t use chat groups as a medium to pass unnecessary comments or nit-pick one another. Of course you are free to disagree, but never disrespect. If there is something that you think may not interest other members of the group or may offend someone, share it in a personal WhatsApp chat rather than your common group.
4. Do use it to make a good habit or break a bad one
There is great power in creating habits and breaking habits when you’re surrounded by like minded people. And that’s what WhatsApp group can help you do. For instance if you are struggling to meditate on the Word of God daily, how about creating a group of people facing a similar struggle and then you can daily encourage one and another to break this cycle.
To quote from the bestselling book The Power of Habit: “There’s something really powerful about groups and shared experiences. People might be skeptical about their ability to change if they’re by themselves, but a group will convince them to suspend disbelief.”
5. Do be patient
Initially whenever a group is formed there will be a lot of pings, but be patient. After the initial excitement fades away, that’s when the conversations will become limited. Remember you are dealing with different people here. There will be some in the group who would frequently try to create conversations, while there will be some others who will be silent observers. If your purpose of creating the group is good, don’t give up, keep investing in it.
6. Do not keep pushing Forwards
Forwards are similar to uninvited advertisements and can be a big turn off in a group chat. Sadly many of us don’t even read the long messages we receive and we are quick to hit the forward button. Freely we receive, freely we give!
Limit your forwards to short inspirational videos and images, which have personally blessed you first. When it comes to plain text, make your stories brief and to the point because not all users in your group may have smart phones with reader friendly screens in which case your message may look like a big scroll of text. And please don’t convince others to “Send the message to 10 people to receive their blessing”.
7. Do not make it your master
Lastly, don’t allow WhatsApp to eat your quiet time with God or even the quality time you spend with your spouse and children. Make an effort to disconnect from WhatsApp during the day and even days together in a week. There are better things in life to do!
What is your experience in dealing with Group Chats? What annoys you the most and how do you handle it?
by Pastor Kim DSouza | Jun 13, 2014 | Christian Walk, Healing & Freedom
(By Pastor Derrick D’souza)
As a child I always used to love hearing my Mom tell me how much she loved me (I was the youngest sibling among five). I used to ask her the same question over and over again until I was confident she was not just saying it to make me happy. My simple question was Mom do you love me? And I normally asked it just after I messed up!
My Mom’s constant response was, “Son, I love you but I do not love the things you do!”
Almost always that response left me dejected and guilt ridden as I hated myself for not living up to the standard of my loving parents. I really do love my parents and oh how I wished I could have obeyed them fully. My sense of anger towards self was more because I did not want my parents to misunderstand my actions and use it as measurement of my love for them. This was primarily because the rest of my siblings were sober and nearly always made Mom and Dad proud. Hence just to make sure, I kept asking the question to see if there was a change in my Mom and Dad’s attitude towards me when I did wrong.
When I became a born again Christian, I began to feel the exact same emotions when I did wrong. The only difference here was that the negative feelings were compounded exponentially considering it was not Mom and Dad I was letting down, but God himself!!
I sought the Holy Spirit on this and He opened my eyes to some of the most beautiful verses in the Bible that has forever put to rest, every feeling of unrest and assured me that God’s love for me is not only more but much much more that I could ever imagine.
I call these “The How Much More Love Verses” . When God says ‘How much more’ you have got to use your imagination to understand what He is trying to say…. Please Meditate very closely on the below scriptures and you will be set free of every feeling of condemnation, guilt and sorrow in your walk with Jesus. I pray you will understand the full extent, God the Father, God the Son and the God the Holy Spirit went through to make sure you never feel unloved, lonely or condemned for a single second of your existence.
