I was listening to a worship playlist on Youtube whilst cleaning my room last week Sunday. Suddenly, a song came on called ‘Miracles.’ I had never heard it before but was immediately captivated by the chorus;
“I believe in you. I believe in you. You’re the God of miracles.”
I never paid much attention to it and continued to clean, and that was pretty much the end of that.
It’s now three days later and again I can hear the title of this song in my head. Even though I am working on my writing today (notice the same pattern of working and listening to worship music again,) but this time I stopped and listened. Clearly, God is speaking something through this song and I decided to turn aside and listen to Him.
When something catches your attention it is important that you stop, assess and proceed accordingly. You must identify if it is a distraction or if someone is trying to tell you something.
Just listening to the lyrics of this song, I began to well up inside. I could feel the song taking on a new meaning within me; something was being revealed.
In this version of the song I was listening to, Pastor Bill Johnson mentioned that one of the sons of the house wrote it; his child had died and this is the song that rose from him.
I stopped listening (quickly researched who it was) and found their version of the song online.
And that’s when it hit me; the question, “What is your confession of faith?” I could hear it clearly.
Chris and Alyssa Quilala wrote this song after the loss of their child. Regardless of the circumstance they were in, this was their confession of faith: “I believe in you. I believe in you. You’re the God of miracles.” Their revelation of God did not change.
Upon reflection and sharing this understanding with my mom, there were another two times when a worship song had done this to me and I have not realised:
Reckless Love (Cory Asbury) – he wrote this song based upon God going after the lost sheep (Luke 15) – finding the one. That God’s love for us is reckless, it will come after us in ways we cannot fathom. He puts Himself out there hoping we’d, in return, give that love back to Him.
2. Raise a Hallelujah (Jonathan Helser) – written in the fight for a young child’s life. The father of the child sent the message and when Jonathan read it he could feel a giant of unbelief step in and question losing the child. But out of Jonathan’s gut he raised this song.
Do you see it now? SONGS OF REVELATION. God is showing me that these songs are captivating me because they are songs of revelation… they reveal HIM.
This is what I wrote down:
What is your confession of faith?
What is it that you believe?
What do you proclaim in times of darkness?
The power of worship is inevitable.
What and who do you worship?
What and who you worship is your confession.
What you confess, you worship – be it good or bad.
Songs of revelation open up a new dimension of worship. When you are going through anything, you must listen to your confession… this will become your song of revelation. The thing you will cling to and the thing you will keep singing – declaring.
I’ve become lost in my films again people! This time it’s Me Before You (stunning book and screenplay written by Jojo Moyes and film directed by Thea Sharrock). Such a beautiful, realism romance story – a real tear-jerker. I really wish I could get lost in this element… can you feel the “but” coming? BUT, I actually learned something quite interesting in such a short space of time. Whether I have fully accepted and processed it is another story, but I want to share the thought with you. I ask you this simple question;
Have you died in your past?
Come and take a walk with me…
The above question was internally posed to me when I had suddenly become drawn to a specific scene of the film. Towards the end, whilst on the beach at night, Louise pours her heart out about how she feels and what the future can hold for herself and William.
Louise sharing her heart with Will
“Listen, I know this is not how you would have chosen it, but I can make you happy.” – Louise
Lou was so happy because she thought she changed Will’s decision to live. It was in this moment when the question began to knock hard on the door of my heart. Will said;
Will telling Louise “no.”
“No, no Clark. I get that this could be a good life, but it’s not my life. It’s not even close. You never saw me before. I loved my life. I really loved it…” – Will
No matter how much life had changed for Will; for the better in the last six months, he still wanted to end his life. I want us to remove Will’s story and replace it with our own, our own life. Again, I ask you; “Have you died in your past?”
Will could not face the fact that his life had changed because he died in his old life. After his accident, Will became a different person due to circumstances. He missed the life he used to live and who he used to be in that life. I know I’m not the only person in the world to think “gosh, I miss my past.” We all have our “I miss…” moments. Times when we think about something from our past: a trip or holiday, friends and family where relationships have changed, jobs or career choices, when we made a stupid decision, when we danced or sung, when we had a favourite film or television programme, when we cried in the bathroom, when we got drunk or smoked, when we went clubbing; etc. We’re only human, we miss things from time-to-time, it’s normal. Missing a part of our past is not a problem, but if you have died in that past moment, there is a problem as your present is infected and your future is being affected.
I want you to understand that there is a difference between dying in your past and dying to your past.
Dying in your past is when a situation or circumstance has affected you so much that you cannot let go and you died with it. When something similar presents itself, you react the same as you did before or become numb because you never really dealt with it. It means you died in the past and are not; or struggling, to live in the present. You haven’t let go.
Dying to your past is accepting that a situation or circumstance changed you, but when it presents itself in the present, you respond differently because you accepted and began, or did deal with it. It means you are or have moved on.
For Will, it was a motorbike accident leaving him disabled from the neck down with other health problems, that caused him to not see a better future outside of his past. He just couldn’t see anymore, no matter how good his present had become and great his future really was. I ask you another question; “What was your accident?”
What crippled you? (metaphorically speaking). What is it that has left you dying? What was the situation, circumstance or person that left you dead? What past moment can you not see beyond? This could be mentally, spiritually, physically or emotionally. We are all individuals and our accidents will be different to each of us. Rhetorical questions are always the most uncomfortable because if you let yourself speak to yourself, you find out what is really inside of you, what you really believe and think.
Thinking of your own story, do not be afraid to find life again in your present. Your future can be great if you will die to your past and not die in your past. Miss the memories and don’t die in them. If you have, I’m here to let you know that there is a different way. You can live again! It might be hard but there is always hope. Ask yourself the rhetorical questions above and ultimately answer the title of this blog post. Find good, wise counsel in people. Seek good advice and find life again. Take baby steps that build heart again, encourage you to see and live again. IT IS POSSIBLE!
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Even though Will chose not to live, in the last six months of his life he actually lived in the present moment. He changed Lou’s future even though he couldn’t change his own. The film shows that you can live if you will just go through the process of being changed, coming out of your past and seeing life; not death, in your future NO MATTER what the circumstances or situations.
Be free from your past, awake in your present and alive for your future.
Dreams are ‘a succession of images, thoughts or emotions passing through the mind during sleep’. I want to speak about the dreams that are connected to our desires which have either been able to make it to the surface or have been locked away due to circumstances and wounded emotions.
Dreams when made reality awake the soul of a man. You begin to become alive on the inside. This could be the start of your business, your dream job or career, starting your own family, getting married, believing that there is a special person for you to grow old with for the rest of your life, owning your own house or car; the list continues. We are meant to live out those things which bring us to life.
Dreams dependent upon the context of our desires are meant to be lived out. Not all our desires are good or beneficial to us. They can sometimes be a warped thought, negative emotion from experiences or poor judgments. We dream of many things and these different dreams are categorised. When we dream not all of what we see should be birthed, that’s why context, understanding and wisdom are always needed.
One of the biggest enemies of dreams are FAILURE. Failure produces disappointment, which zaps our emotions and sends us into a mental spiral. Before you know it fear, depression, anxiety and stress start knocking on your door asking to be let in and if enough disappointment is in you, you will let them in.
Unsuccessful attempts or non-performance due to not even trying can turn our dreams into nightmares. That which once captivated our hearts and brought life now bring pain and death. The failure to accomplish a dream can leave a person deprived. We lose our joy and life begins to leak from within us.
Sometimes we can find strength to pick the dream up and start again. We start revving the engine and as we are about to pull off another hit befalls our dream. Just like a boxer in the ring when caught off guard, we are hit by an unforeseen blow. This blow strikes at our very core. After finding the faith and courage to try and accomplish what first did not work out, takes its toll more than it did the first time. Even after this more knocks can come to the same dream, desire.
After a certain amount of knock backs, just like the boxer in the ring, we get to the point of K.O. We struggle to uplift the dream. We become fearful of trying again. This time we may have no fight left. The battle to just pick up this dream again is too much for us, never mind actually giving life to it.
Failure is a very common human problem. It hits our mind through our circumstances and once it takes root it begins to pick away at our hearts.
Some people allow failure to strengthen them and they find the energy to keep pursuing their dreams. Whatever comes against them does not seem to phase them, it only makes them stronger. Unfortunately many of us do not and we give them up.
It is hard to break through to a failed mindset as the impact of the unmet desires can crush a person’s heart. When you believe and pursue something with all you have and it does not work out, it is a painful experience of which we do not always want to re-live. Dreams only seem make believe as any attempt to achieve them becomes thwarted. It is the same for if we do not even let our dreams take flight due to other people, situations or even our own unbelief.
An antidote for failure is HOPE.
When your dreams have been met with nothing but opposition then it can be hard to dream again. To believe and step out again can be very challenging. Today choose to re-question your thoughts of failure.
Close your eyes and dare to dream again. Dare to believe again. Find the strength to give your dream another go. Don’t let fantasy steal your reality if you know it is achievable.
Let the right relationships fuel you with encouragement and support. Let the Internet be your oyster and find all the help and advice you can. Refuse to give up on your dream.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12
Spiderman 3 is one of the best movies you will ever watch, Spidey fan or no Spidey fan; you’ll like it. Not only does Marvel take you on a journey of a masked figurine fighting to keep the streets clean and rid the city of its somewhat un-natural menacing villains but also on a lesson of unforgiveness.
We have all been introduced to the ungodly beauty of unforgiveness, the bitter sister of truth. Unforgiveness is like a human’s moral high ground, the little thing in life we can control all on our own; the decision to forgive a person of their wrongs or hold it against them due to its impact on us as individuals or even sometimes with-held information we may or may not have. Venom is a beautiful demonstration of unforgiveness.
We all, if not most of us, know the introduction of the Venom character in the Spiderman 3 movie. Peter Parker has rejected the healing process of dealing with the death of his uncle. When we refuse to get delivered and healed from things of the past they eventually grow within us; unforgiveness in the case of Peter Parker. To avoid too much of a spoiler alert for those who have not seen this movie, we see Peter Parker’s heartache and pain directly affect his alter ego side, Spiderman. Peter’s unforgiveness opened up a portal for Venom in Spiderman’s life.
Venom from Spiderman
Venom is a liquid life form from another planet which requires a host to bond with in order to survive. Venom is pretty much humanities symbol of unforgiveness. Unforgiveness acts as a substance in which requires a person’s permission in order for it to survive and reproduce; reproduce its ugly family of hate, bitterness, resentment, rage, anger… basically anything that kills life. The longer you hold onto it, the shorter life becomes.
Peter Parker’s unforgiveness and refusal to find out the complete truth and receive healing allowed Venom to survive. The ugly family of unforgiveness allowed Peter to feel somewhat control and justification to act out all cruel emotions. Unforgiveness never produces or allows you to produce anything good, it is incapable of producing life; only death. Peter Parker enjoyed feeling everything that forgiveness would not dare allow him to feel, to think everything that forgiveness would not allow him to think; even act. Forgiveness justifies you acting on the wrongs of others because of hurt.
Unforgiveness even changes physical appearance, a person’s countenance. Spiderman’s suit turned black from red. Life with unforgiveness is fun but short. You can act, think, feel and treat anything and anyone without any regard and take great satisfaction in it, not truly knowing you are its slave and it controls you, not you it.
Sometimes we may be ignorant to the fact that we carry unforgiveness and should check ourselves for anything in our life if need be but if we are not ignorant of it, we have a problem.
Unforgiveness only needs to find one root issue, the problem is we have many. Once it finds one root, it finds others. Unforgiveness becomes stronger and stronger because it finds other roots and creates other roots. Peter was angry not only with his uncle’s death but also his friend Harry Osborn, Mary Jane his on/off girlfriend, work and work colleagues, etc. Unforgiveness had a field day with Peter Parker. All it took was one trigger, one gate and bam there it goes.
Unforgiveness in Peter eventually re-attacked Mary Jane, on purpose. However this was Peter’s wake up call. He realised truth; Venom was not helping him or Spiderman but actually killing them.
There is a time and place for everything. The season of unforgiveness was now over for Peter Parker. He had to get rid of Venom by choosing to forgive.
Healing must take place after deliverance. Forgiving not only those who wronged you but those who you wronged and forgiving yourself. Peter Parker and Spiderman turned back into what he was before unforgiveness took over his life; his true self.
My point is that regardless of the pain, trouble, heart ache, rage and anger fuelled emotions and hate people put you through and can often make you become; choose to forgive them. Don’t let Venom aka unforgiveness take your life and kill you. Resist Venom.
Also checkout the movie Hannibal Rising for a great lesson on Unforgiveness. All monsters come from somewhere.
I have been heavily thinking about the word ‘abort’ recently- simply meaning to cut something short; not let it run its complete course for some reason. Life is filled with many challenges and circumstances, whether this be just thrown at us by life or because of our own decisions, behaviours or choices. We all face and handle them differently, some better than others but either way we all have an end outcome. This is where the word ‘abort’ comes into place; we can sometimes face challenges, circumstances or situations which cause us to mentally and emotionally; then following these through physically by aborting the situation. In other words we give up, not getting to the end of the circumstance. I am not saying that we all do this but what I am saying is that it does happen… we give up and do not see things through to the end.
A great example of this happening is Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars. I am a fan of the Star Wars movies because they are very good at expressing an empathetic reality of the world I live in today and that I can personally relate to. Let me show you what I mean by looking into Anakin’s character from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Anakin was a promise, he was the ‘chosen’ one to bring about a stronger, better future. He was to be trained to beat the dark side once and for all. Others had their reservations but it was written, destined that Anakin was the answer they were looking for. Without giving away the storyline too much, especially for those who have not seen it, Anakin hits a challenge face on. Challenges come in different forms to everyone, they are presented to people differently but Anakins’ came in a personal form shown to him in a dream, or what he would class in today’s society as a nightmare.
Suddenly this chosen one, this destined Jedi that would change everything for the better found himself in a situation where his decisions and actions changed everything, especially his written future. Anakin’s emotions came into play due to his situation and like most of us his emotions ran high and got the best of him. Anakin re-wrote his own history and destiny but due to his circumstance and emotions taking over, he pressed the abort button on his life and its due course.
For those who have seen this particular Star Wars film (III) then you know the ending, with relation to my blog Anakin aborted his mission and destiny due to his challenge, situation… he aborted his future. Some of you may say that Anakin’s original destiny was not meant to be because it changed and that everything happens for a reason, but I think that it is safe to say that his abort happened as what he became due to circumstance, desire and emotion was NOT what he was destined to be.
We have all been or are yet to be in Anakin’s shoes. When times get tough we either roll with it or run; pretty much ‘survival of the fittest‘ and ‘fight or flight’ theories coined by Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer. We either face things head on or not at all. No one is perfect but sometimes it can be easier to abort something rather than ride out the situation until the end. Everyone’s situations are different and are handled differently as we all face different things. There is no right or wrong way but we must use wisdom, courage and strength when facing circumstances in order to get a better and more fruitful result.
Galations 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (ESV)
Ephesians 6:10-12
And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. (MSG Version).
Whether you read the Bible or not these principles are relatable. When we do good and do not see its fruits we can often get encouraged to stop doing good… aborting the mission of doing good because the situation or circumstance has not shown any good fruit. Whether you believe in Satan or not we understand that we must generally in life be able to stand against anything that it throws at us. This could be by protecting our families, looking to good fruitful friendships or relationships in general, building finances in our savings accounts for future investment and many other things but we understand to protect ourselves against things which we can forsee. In the last scripture we can again relate to keeping ourselves on the right track in life, staying focussed on goals, having a discernment or that incline of the right, wrong or fakes in life amongst other things. Do not just think that because you do not know Jesus that Biblical truths can not apply to you or that you can not relate to them. They do and will help.
So what is my point? My point is that be very careful when facing a situation that you do not abort it too soon. All that is needed is permission. Take these examples for example;
Matthew 4:1-11
Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: “Since you are God’s Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.”Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.” For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, “Since you are God’s Son, jump.” The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: “He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone.” Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: “Don’t you dare test the Lord your God.” For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, “They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they’re yours.” Jesus’ refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!” He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.” The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’ needs. (MSG Version).
Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness… all he needed was Jesus’ permission and for him to give in, give up rather than resist the temptation until the end.
Another great example is Zeus in Clash of the Titans. Hades wanted revenge and hid this motive under the camouflage of suggesting to Zeus that the Kracken be released so the humans would start worshipping the gods again. Zeus’s response even though wise counsel said do not do as Hades suggested was (watch the below video clip);
Both Satan and Hades used the same methods; temptation through suggestion by playing at the hearts of Jesus and Zeus through what they needed due to the present situation they were in. See how easy it is? Jesus did not give in and rode out the battle until the end result. Zeus on the other hand pressed the abort button.
Do you see how easy it is to press the abort button? Consequences of the abort button can be fatal. They not only change you but the whole world around you. If you have pressed the abort button on things in your life, I encourage you to look back and see if it was the right decision and if not then try and find a way of making an amends. Learn from Jesus; not from Zeus or Anakin.
This is not really a blog post per say like my others but really just a thought for the day. This thought came to my mind suddenly and I wish to share it with you. Before everyone starts wondering where I am going with comparing God to Forrest Gump just give me a moment and let me show you what I mean.
This film is about a good hearted but slow man, Forrest Gump, who sits on a bench and shares his life story in which he has seemed to have embarked upon, being personally involved with most major events in history during the last half of the 20th Century.
Revelations 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (English Standard Version)
The above scripture simply implies that God is waiting to come into a persons life, he is waiting for them to open up their heart and life to him so he can come in and be with that person. The seat next to Forrest Gump was always empty and once filled he shared his life with them, a lot like God does when he is invited into someone’s life. When we meet with God it is like no other encounter or communication that we have ever had or experienced before. He graciously shares all with us. Everything about himself, his Word (the Bible) and life itself. We become enlightened and gain understanding of things that we never knew before, we start life again as if we have just taken our first breath of life again.
God is a lot like Forrest Gump because he is always there, waiting for us; he never leaves. God is not mentally or physically like Forrest Gump and does not have the exact same stories but their characteristics are the same. Forrest Gump never leaves the bench until his story is finished, he keeps speaking regardless of who is sitting on the bench. God is the same; waiting for us to come to him so he can share his story with us and ours with him, no matter who we are (Acts 10:34-35). He wants to share every little detail and build an intimate eternal relationship with us individually.
Psalm 91: 14-16
Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him. I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.
John 3:16
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life. (International Standard Version).
It is great to hear others testimonies and personal experiences with God. It is great to hear people tell you about Jesus and what he did for all humanity (died on the cross to take away all the sins- wrong doings- of humanity and resurrected on the third day. Allowing man to return back to God by relationship through Jesus). God clearly loves us and always has regardless of what we have done, do and will do. We can not just hear about God from others, we must know him for ourselves. We must have our own personal revelation of what he did for us and who he is to us. The best part of this is that he wants to share himself with us. He wants to tell us about himself, he wants to tell us his story.
Man (universal context) disappoints and lets each other down. God is the opposite, he is always there because that is who he is, it is his nature; character.
Joshua 1:5
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (King James Version)
Sometimes we all need to be reminded that God is not like man and that he never leaves us. Our situations and the world around us may make us feel like God is nowhere to be seen but just like Forrest Gump never stops sharing his story, neither does God; his arms are wide open.
Luke 15:11-32
Then he said, there was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again. But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time. All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound. The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!. His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!. (The Message Version).
Be encouraged and regardless of whether you know God or not that he is there, you just have to reach out or as in Forrest Gump; just sit on the bench and there he will be waiting for you and ready to share his story with you through his son Jesus.
Impressional Imprint 