A Man of Full of God's Grace and Authority

Friday, May 9, I was asked to translate for a visiting speaker for a local pastors' seminar. Since I really enjoy translating and since I want to help out with the pastors' group when ever I can, I agreed.

It was quite an experience and an awesome blessing. The man I was translating for was Emma Okorie, founder of Living Word Ministries - Nigeria. I translated during the morning and was super tired... Having to listen very closely because of his distint accent and having to also translate was definantely taxing, but it well worth the effort. The morning session dealt with Honoring the Call on Your life and the afternoon was about Apostolic Government and the Church.

Wow. I've been around the bush a few times in these past 40+ of being in the church; I've heard and read a lot of things regarding apostles and apostolic ministry, but this was the best.

Walk in the grace God has given with a humble heart, a servants attitude and an intimate relation with Him were the central theme in his message. I know I've heard the same on various occasions before, but I could tell he was real, a true man of the LORD. God's grace and authority were on him. It was so good and God was speaking to me so much that a few times I almost had to stop translating to soak it all in.

I was blessed, challenged and encouraged.

If for no other reason, God sent Emma Okorie to Nicaragua for me. Thank you Lord.

Wisemen

"No wise man ever wished to be younger." - Jonathan Swift

step by step

"I used to try and take things in leaps and bounds. Now I've realized it's got to be step by step." - Tommy Bolin

power to change

 "When you blame others, you give up your power to change." - Robert Anthony

The Worst of Failures

"Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure." - George Edward Woodberry

This quote reminded me of a couple experiences I've had. While living in Managua I felt I should do some teaching and support of worship ministries in Bluefields on the "Atlantic coast, but I never did because I never had the money. How wrong I was! Later God challenged me as he let me know that it wasn't that the worship seminars never materialized because I didn't have the money. The reality of the situation was that I never had the money because I never followed through with the worship seminars. Mmmmm.

A few years later, as I began to perceive the need to do a series of praise, worship and prayer meetings in 8 different cities of Nicaragua, I remembered the situation with Bluefields and God's response to my excuse. For this ministry project I needed a very large sum of money and I needed it fast. I decided that I was not going to fail by not trying. I was going to go for it and if it resulted in defeat, at least I was going to have tried. I wasn't going "to die" lying down.

We were not defeated, but even if we had not been able to achieve the complete project we wouldn't have been failures, because we had walked with God and we had connected with His grace and purpose. As George Woodberry said, "Not to have tried is the true failure." The end of the story is that all of the time, the money, and the participants came together and the whole project, Proyecto Josafat, was a God moment. All the needs were met and we visited eight cities in the four corners of Nicaragua. People were touched and we impacted the history of Nicaragua.

God is waiting for his sons and daughters to move by faith, step out of the boat and walk on the water. I am sure that if more of us would take this risk there would be fewer and fewer failures in the Christian world. Instead, we would see the true Kingdom of Heaven advance in greater and more spectacular ways because nothing is to hard for the LORD.

Pigs and Kats (it’s a new breed)

Pigs really enjoy a dirty, filthy mud-hole filled with tasty, succulent three day old garbage to eat and satisfy their hunger. Some people think that those little piggies are so “cute” and make fine pets. Well, all washed, perfumed, and shined up with a pink or blue ribbon tied around the neck, they may be publicly presentable, but they are still pigs. They are waiting the chance to return to their dirty mud-hole.

Other people would choose a respectable domesticed animal, like a kat for a pet. Yes, the kat is a clean animal without the habit of looking for trashed out dirty places to live in. It always lands on his feet, is affectionate and dependent on his owner. I believe it makes a much better pet. (Obviously this will be debated according to your own personal experiences and bias.)

When we were without Jesus we were so much like the pigs mentioned. We were constantly looking for our own mud hole of pride, rebellion, sex, drugs, alcohol, and hate. Or maybe we preferred self-sufficiency, independence, self-righteousness and good works. Still, the truth of the matter is, all this way of thinking and living stinks. Yes, and sin, at least for a time, is so enjoyable that the putrid smell of egoism, rebellion, selfishness or self-righteousness doesn’t even register in our minds. We were just a bunch of pigs. Oink, oink.

The good news is that we are now new creations in Christ Jesus, sons and daughters of God, righteous and holy before Him in Christ Jesus. We are being transformed in to His image. Now when we sin we may enjoy it in the moment, but the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts and quickly we say, “Uck! Something stinks like pigs around here!” Like the respectable cat we get cleaned up a fast as possible. We do not enjoy lying around in and wallowing in a stinky, smelly sloppy, slimy mud hole of sin. By God’s mercy and grace we have been changed. We quickly go to 1 John 1:9 and receive forgiveness and cleansing of all our unrighteousness.

Yes, we have been translated from darkness to light; we have been transformed from old to new. We are no longer pigs in Satan’s kingdom of darkness and sin. Now we are sons of God in the kingdom of His dear Son and we are enjoying the blessing of living powered by the Holy Spirit in His mercy and grace.

God Calls

There is none that seeks/searches for God. Romans 3:11

God searches for us. He, by his grace and love, has placed the "desire for Him" in our being. Therefore, even the "hunger" or desire or seeking God on our part actually starts with Him, not with us. Our looking for God is a response to his kindness, patience, longsuffering, love and mercy (Romans 2:4).

It's not that mankind wants to find God. It's God who wants to save, redeem and rescue mankind.

Let's respond to his kindness and grace!