Drawing Near to God With Brokenness

Drawing Near to God With Brokenness

by | 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?

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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!

7 Dos and Don’ts of WhatsApp Group Chat

7 Dos and Don’ts of WhatsApp Group Chat

by | 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. 

Word of caution, Whatsapp chat

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?

A Letter to the People Pleaser

A Letter to the People Pleaser

by | Mar 28, 2014 | Christian Walk, Leadership

 

Dear People Pleaser,

I write this to you out of love and concern.

Time is running out faster than you can imagine, and if you are using bulk of your time trying to please people around you – that’s a sheer waste!

The very purpose you were created was to please your Creator. And it doesn’t matter what people think about you, because it was never about them. Don’t base your life on others’ approval of you for you are not what they say you are; you are what Jesus says you are – valued and accepted!

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions subdue the whispers of the Holy Spirit. Don’t let their words choke your God-given vision.

Again, don’t live for recognition or man’s empty applause. The more you expect from men, the more you will be disappointed, but the more you expect from God, the more you will be filled. You are weak if you are making flesh your strength (Jeremiah 17:5), instead choose to live by the Spirit.

photo(6)In your job, in your career, in your ministry, in your church, don’t run to win the favour of ‘Mr. Influence’.

That’s feeble.

Your source is not man, your source is God. And when you seek God’s favour, man’s favour follows suit.

If you are busy pleasing men, you are no longer worthy of Him (Galatians 1:10). Seek His heart, not the platform. Don’t strive to be popular, but day after day, strive to be more passionate about Jesus.

Not how I regard the position of men but whether I truly teach the way of God (Mark 12:14).

Not how many people I am able to please in my audience by what I say, but whether I live for the audience of my Jesus.

Not how many books or songs I am able to sell, but whether my words have power to sustain the weary (Isaiah 50:4).

Not how many friends or likes I have on Facebook, but how am I glorifying Jesus in there.

Not what cool gadget or hand phone I use, but how much have I invested in my inner self.

Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1). Because when you conform, you compromise.

You are not called to fit in the world, but to set yourself apart for God. So… love people unconditionally, but seek to please God and God alone.

Live to be a Jesus pleaser! Today let’s start afresh.

Learning alongside you…
Pastor Kim D’souza

The Incredible Power Behind Submission

The Incredible Power Behind Submission

by | Jan 15, 2014 | Christian Walk, Leadership

I was following my daily bible reading planner for 2014, when I stumbled upon a very important principle which will help you to grow in every area of your life.

I noticed that the word “Submit” was mentioned for the first time in the Bible in the story of Hagar and Ishmael. We all know the story of Hagar (Abraham’s wife’s maidservant) who was given to Abraham to bear him children since his wife Sarah was barren. However, Hagar began to despise her mistress once she knew she had conceived. Sarah ill-treated Hagar and she fled from her into the desert. God, however found Hagar and stated this “Go back to your mistress and submit to her” and then declared the future of this child in Genesis 16:12.

“He will be a wild donkey of a man; His hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him and he will live in hostility towards all his brothers”

I have never looked at this verse the way I have looked at this today. However, through my own experiences and from watching the life’s of others I have always seen the exact same outcome overshadow anyone who is in rebellion or who has not learnt the power of submission. The spiritual significance of this statement made by the angel of the Lord can be looked at in two ways:

(a) God was telling Hagar the future of this child and his destiny.

(b) God was spiritually speaking about the nature of the seed that one carries when there is no submission.

Dictionary meaning of submit

Webster’s revised unabridged dictionary has some really powerful meanings for the word “submit” which would help me make my point:

1) To yield, resign, or surrender to power, will, or authority

2) To yield one’s person to the power of another; to give up resistance; to surrender.

3) To yield one’s opinion to the opinion of authority of another; to be subject;

4) To be submissive or resigned, to yield without murmuring.

In true submission lies great strength

How many of us have been in a situation where you reasoned that running away from a problem was the best solution, yet you never had a peace in your heart about what you were going to do!!

The Bible teaches us that in true submission lies great strength. Jesus submitted to the father in reverent obedience and hence God exalted Him and gave Him the name above all names.

Five principles of submission

My dear friends, here are some lessons and blessings that can be yours if you will simply submit and seek God in your situation rather than run from it.

1.  If you are not seeing victory over specific strongholds, addictions, or bad habits in your life, you are not in submission to God and hence the devil has a foothold in your life or else he would have to flee. Submit yourselves to God and then resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

2. If you are having strife in your marriage then it could be because either one partner is not submissive or loving as Christ as it was meant to be (Ephesians 5:22, 25). Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. …….Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

3. If you are not prospering at your job then it could be very well that you have never submitted to the instruction of your superiors; or failed to walk with integrity of heart; or yield without murmuring to their instruction as you always found fault or had an opinion of your own!!

Colossians 3:22-24 says: Slaves, (employees) obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. This rule is paramount for success in every area of life even in the ministry that God has called you.

4.  If you are not pleasing God and growing in maturity in your walk and talk with God and man then it could be that you are still in control and have not surrendered to your life to the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:6-8 says: The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace….Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

5. Last but not the least, if your thoughts are always boring, sad, negative or give way to feelings of low self worth, then you are not submitting and practising the Word of God in your life. Isaiah 55:9: says “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Let’s begin this year with submitting to the things of God. You may have to submit with gritted teeth initially; however, I can bet you if you hang in there and have an attitude of submission God will raise you up!

Watch Out: 5 Signs of An Independent Spirit

Watch Out: 5 Signs of An Independent Spirit

by | Aug 17, 2013 | Leadership

 

An independent spirit is one that seeks self glory, operates in conceit and often is in rebellion to the authority established by God (and hence against the Word of God).  People with independent spirits are barriers to the works of the kingdom of God and can destroy marriages, churches, families and businesses. We need to constantly guard our hearts against it and ask the Holy Spirit to break the power of independent spirit within us, else it may drift us away from the purposes of God.

Here are five common signs of people with an independent spirit

1. They are never in complete obedience to the word of God and do only what they feel is right.
As a messenger of God, Samuel instructs king Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites and everything that belonged to them. (1 Samuel 15:3). However Saul spares the King of Amalekites and the best of the sheep, cattle, lambs etc and everything that was good. (1 Samuel 15:9). Saul was seeking the praise of his fellowmen than obeying God and allowed the independent spirit to take the better of him. Result? God rejects Saul as king.

 2. They are led by fleshly motives
Gehazi, the servant of prophet Elisha ran after Namaan to ‘get something from him’ , clearly in contrast to the nature of Elisha (2 Kings5:21-23). A man who walked so closely with God’s anointed allowed the flesh to lead. Gehazi’s end would have been very different, had he not allowed the independent spirit to take over.
Removing a Mask
3. They wear a mask of spirituality
People with independent spirits often base themselves on their partial knowledge of scripture and sometimes make erroneous doctrines out of it. What they do or say may seem spiritual, but often it is not. Because it is not based on the solid foundation of the Word of God, when they are tested they crumble and fall.

4.  They are in rebellion to the authority and will do a lot of things without telling them
Joab was one of Israel’s greatest warriors and the right hand of king David. However there were many occasions where  he displayed signs of an independent spirit. When David decided to make a peace treaty with Abner, Joab was not very happy about it for his personal reasons and kills Abner. (2Samuel 3). Again when David commanded his men to be gentle in the battle with his revolting son Absalom (2 Samuel 18:5), Joab shows no mercy and kills Absalom (2 Samuel 18: 14-15).

5. A hardened heart gives ground for the independent spirit to thrive
A hardened heart is one that lacks spiritual perception( Mark 8:17) and is not able to see and hear the things of God (Mark 8:18).  There may be various causes for this like continual living in sin, lack of word knowledge, bitterness, hurt etc. A hardened heart is the perfect breeding ground for an independent spirit. One way we can prevent our hearts from getting hardened is by always reminding ourselves of the works of God. Look at the psalms of David, he always found courage and strength when he reminded himself of the goodness of God.

Pray: Lord, break the independent spirit within me.