Feedasheep

It’s 6:25am and I awoke thinking of the reason I decided to blog. It started when I began experiencing fear: the earthquakes happening so frequently in unlikely places, the horrendous crimes, the state of the economy and worse of all, the apathy of many. Christians say we shouldn’t fear because the Bible says so, but how can you shut off fear because the Bible says so?

Fear taught me to look up; it showed me that I needed to get closer to God.
But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Luke 25:5)

We are told not to be afraid of physical death. This is hard for me because I don’t even like being pinched. But God wants me to understand that I cannot cultivate the resistance to this fear on my own. I need to rely on Him for that. Here is where asking comes into play again.
I need the Holy Spirit like I’ve never needed Him before. I just need to ask for Him.

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)

Jesus compares the Holy Spirit to a good gift. Wow. How many of us realise how precious it is to have the Holy Spirit just for the asking?

I have to confess again about this ‘fear’ I’ve been experiencing. I’ve noticed that when God’s people did great things for Him, they would get many threats from the enemy. Elijah ran into a cave to hide from Jezebel, John the Baptist was thrown into prison and…you know what happened to him. Then there’s that verse:

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2 Tim 3:12)

It seems to me that the closer we get to God, the more we get attention from a certain set of beings. I’ve heard it said many times, “If everything is hunky dory for you, you need to check yourself out.” (my version ). But God has not left us defenceless. We have so much power…spiritual power; we just have to ask for the ‘weapons’ for this kind of warfare. (look up Eph 6:10-18 as well)

 27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. (Matt 10:27-29)

Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without God’s will. In other words, God is still in control. Why He allows suffering is another blog. We just need to go on spreading His love and truths no matter what.

But it seems to me that fearing now is better than fearing later, because later will be too late. Those who start to fear later will be like the people described in this next verse:
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:26,27)

That’s when it will be too late. So, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not a bad thing to fear now…we just ought to use it as a catalyst to get even closer to Christ.

I was just putting my daughter to sleep when the thought came to me, “ I really want to be a good mom…”. I remember praying a lot about this. Then this verse entered my mind:
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matt 6:33 NASB)
‘These things’.
I’ve heard this verse used many times when referring to tactile things…house, job, a mate etc. Don’t get me wrong! It isn’t bad to want material things; it isn’t bad at all to desire a spouse. However, somehow, my mind settled on spiritual things…seeking spiritual things.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)
I use to be very impulsive growing up. When my dad said ‘A’ I quickly responded with ‘B’. I didn’t realise how bad it was until one day, (a much older Zelinda), a colleague at work said to me, “you’re very impulsive.” I remembered right away NOT wanting to be like that. I tried. But I still was; and next to that was intolerance.
This was totally evident in Cuba where I studied. I was impulsive and intolerant with my classmates, with strangers on the bus (that bus situation use to get on my very last nerve), and most of all, with myself. I just kept making the same mistake and remembered being very miserable about it. I use to beat-up myself about my attitude. I just wanted to overcome those negative attitudinal traits.
I would ask God to wake me up to pray because somehow I knew that a relationship with Him would do it. He would wake me up alright, but I used to be ever so tired and would say, “Sorry God, I’m just too tired, I know you understand.” I would say this on my knees then crawl back into bed. I must say that looking back, God did His part, all the time. I stopped asking Him to wake me up because I knew that He would and I didn’t want to stand Him up over and over again; He is too Holy and so High for that!!
As I laid next to my daughter, I realised that I am changing every day. I still see the impulsivity and intolerance, however, there is a Grace that precedes and I have more time to choose the right attitude.
Growing in Christ is what I seek after. I know that by looking to Him, everyday, changes will be made in me…good changes.
For the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against Such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22,23)
I desire all that Lord…

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6)
I tell my friends that I love not knowing what to do, then, I can totally depend on God to have His way in the situation I’m in. Having lots of options complicates my life sometimes, because after pursuing one option which doesn’t work out, I can’t help but to think about the others I could have chosen. Should I have…? Maybe if I had…
I remember meeting a young man one summer. As I shook his hand, I felt something strange, like energy pouring into my chest. (Strange I know) After that encounter, I felt certain that something kind of special happened to me. I met the same young man at Church and he asked me out. I was looking forward to our date. That evening the phone rang. I told my friend excitedly about what was going on. She replied, “Girl, you sound so excited, we better pray.”
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. (Matt 18:19)
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (Matt 7:7)
My friend said that if this guy was God’s will for me, then we would go out that night, if not, forget about it. I said that I agreed with the prayer. Well hey, I was sure that we were going to go out, but the guy never even called me! That night was terrible. I couldn’t fall asleep. I felt like I was being attacked, it was an experience unlike any I’ve ever had before. Finally, I heard this voice say, “This young man has broken this young lady’s heart, we must heal her.” Then I saw three of what looked like boomerangs being thrown in the direction of my chest; the same area where I felt the strange sort of power on my first meeting the young man. I came to the conclusion that whatever I had encountered was evil. (OK, I know you’re thinking, “what?????”)
To make a long story short, the next year I stupidly found myself in the company with the same guy and had an even worse spiritual experience. As bad as it all was, and as foolish as I was, I’m glad that I can share this with others.
The moral here is sure; I should have listened in the first place.
Listen. No matter the situation you are in, ask God what to do. Go cold turkey. Pray with someone who you know loves Jesus. Agree on something and go for it. Even though you may want to go through with your plans, it is ALWAYS best to do what God says. Stop and pray before pursuing something or someone. Stop wondering what to do about a matter. Put it to God who is never shady.

Hello there! So glad you made it. I just want you to be blessed…

Valdi