IT’S OURTHING

Hey friend,

Have you ever had an experience that made you question something you thought you had settled in your heart? I have been thinking about how easily one disappointing experience can influence the way we see things, even when we have so much history and evidence that should remind us otherwise.

Recently, something happened that got me thinking about this, particularly when it comes to our relationship with God. Sometimes, when things do not happen the way we hoped or expected, we can find ourselves questioning His love for us. We may not say it outright, but our disappointment can begin to shape how we see Him. Without even realising it, we start looking at God through the lens of what we are experiencing instead of remembering what He has already shown us.

It got me thinking about the cross and how important it is for us to keep returning to it, especially when life does not make sense.

It is important that we learn to read every situation by the cross, not apart from it.

When I say the cross, this is what I mean. The cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love for us, individually and personally. Think about it for a moment. As the Lord Jesus suffered and stumbled along the way to the cross, He had us in mind. When He was stricken, when the nails were driven into His hands and feet, you and I were on His mind. He was giving Himself for us. He knew the price He was paying, and He still went all the way.

Scripture tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. What a demonstration of love! Jesus declared, “It is finished.” Through Him, we have been made co-heirs with Christ, and everything pertaining to life and godliness has been made available to us in Him. God’s ultimate demonstration of love was giving us His Son, Jesus. Because of this, we can boldly declare that God loves us.

Now, here is where I am going with this.

I think it is unfair to judge God’s love for us based on our circumstances. I began to think about how easily we can judge our relationships with people based on one experience that did not go the way we wanted. I am not talking about a pattern of behaviour, but one experience. We can take all the good moments, the history we have shared and the love that has been shown to us, and allow one disappointing experience to change how we see the entire relationship.

Sadly, we can do the same with God.

When we face challenging seasons, it can become easy to think that God does not love us. We begin to interpret what is happening around us as evidence of how He feels about us, forgetting what He has already shown us through the cross.

This is where the enemy takes advantage of our thoughts. He amplifies the disappointment, promotes the lie and keeps presenting it until we begin to accept it as truth. Before we realise it, we are questioning the very love that God has already demonstrated to us. What a way to create distance between us and our Father!

The cross must remain our reference point, even when our experiences do not make sense.

God is for us, not against us. He is with us, and He fights for us. Imagine how much our perspective could change if we learned to view our situations through the lens of His love rather than allowing our situations to determine how we see His love.

The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father. His intentions towards His children are good. He has given us His very best in Christ, and we can trust His heart even when we do not understand what He is doing in a particular season.

Life becomes lighter when we settle this truth in our hearts: our circumstances do not determine whether our Father loves us. We may not always get the outcomes we desire. Things may not happen according to our timelines, and some experiences may leave us disappointed or confused. None of these things changes what God has already demonstrated through Jesus.

Think about it. If God did not withhold His own Son but gave Him up for us, why should we allow a difficult season to convince us that He does not care about us? We may not have every answer, but we have the cross. We have the greatest demonstration of His love, and we can return to it whenever our circumstances try to tell us otherwise.

Friend, let this encourage you today. The Lord loves you. Period.

His love for you does not diminish when you stumble. It does not change when life happens, when you make a bad decision or when things do not work out as you hoped. You may need to learn, grow, make adjustments or face the consequences of a decision, but you do not have to interpret these experiences as proof that God has stopped loving you.

He loves you. He is with you. His love has been demonstrated through Jesus, and your circumstances do not have the final say over that truth.

Because we are in Christ, we can face the realities of this world with a different perspective. We are not pretending that challenges do not exist. We are simply refusing to let them become a greater testimony to us than the cross. Through Him, we overcome the world, including its troubles, disappointments and uncertainties.

So, friend, the next time an experience leaves you questioning God’s love, return to the cross. Before you conclude that He has forgotten you, remember what He has already done for you. Before you allow disappointment to define your relationship with Him, remember the love that brought Jesus to the cross.

Read every situation by the cross, not apart from it.

Friend, you are deeply loved. 💜

Scriptures to Consider

• Romans 5:8

• John 19:30

• Romans 8:32

• Romans 8:37

• James 1:17

• 2 Peter 1:3

• 1 John 4:9–10

Hey friends,

As we continue learning about the churches in Revelation and what it means to be overcomers, we are moving from Pergamos to Thyatira. Our previous post focused on Pergamos and the danger of compromise. We will briefly revisit that church before looking more closely at Thyatira, where we see another danger believers must be careful about: tolerating false teaching and allowing influences that draw our hearts away from God.

These churches remind us that overcoming is not only about standing firm when we face opposition from outside. It is also about remaining faithful to the Lord when compromise begins to look acceptable, appealing, or even ‘spiritual’.

Pergamos: A Brief Recap

The church in Pergamos reminds us that compromise can gradually find its way into the life of the church. When pressure and persecution are no longer the main challenges, the temptation may shift towards becoming comfortable with the world and its values.

We are reminded that being part of the church does not mean every influence around us agrees with the Word of God. We must remain watchful and allow the Lord to examine our hearts, our beliefs, and the things we accept.

This brings us to Thyatira, where the issue was not simply the presence of wrong influences, but the fact that they were being tolerated.

The Church of Thyatira: The Danger of Tolerating False Teaching

In Revelation 2:18–29, Jesus addresses the church in Thyatira. He acknowledges their love, service, faith, patience, and works. Their works were increasing, which shows that there were commendable things happening among them. However, there was also something serious that needed to be corrected.

Jesus rebuked the church for tolerating the woman referred to as Jezebel, who was teaching and leading His servants into immorality and idolatry.

This is important for us to understand. The church can have love, faith, service, and visible activity while still allowing influences that are contrary to the truth of God’s Word. Good works do not remove the need for sound doctrine, and spiritual activity does not mean we should stop examining what we believe and practise.

The warning to Thyatira reminds us that we cannot measure everything by how appealing, popular, or successful it appears. We must ask whether it agrees with the Word of God.

The name Jezebel represents a corrupting influence that encourages God’s people to compromise. The lesson for us is not to become suspicious of everyone, but to be discerning. We should not tolerate teaching that leads people away from the Lord simply because it is attractive, influential, or presented in a way that appears spiritual.

We must learn to distinguish between what God has said and what people may want His Word to say.

The Word of the Lord Helps Us Separate the Soul from the Spirit

One of the important things we are learning as overcomers is the need to understand the difference between the soul and the spirit.

Our soul is connected to our thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires, and decisions. These are real parts of our human experience. God is not asking us to pretend that we do not have feelings or that our emotions do not exist. However, our feelings were never meant to become the final authority over our lives.

We are spirit beings, and our lives in Christ must not be governed solely by what we feel, what we think in the moment, or what our natural senses tell us. We must learn to live according to the truth of God’s Word.

Sometimes, what feels right may not agree with what God has said. Something may make us comfortable while leading us away from obedience. We may feel offended when corrected, yet the correction may be exactly what we need. We may also feel that something is right simply because it agrees with our desires. This is why we cannot depend on feelings alone to determine what is true.

Hebrews 4:12 explains that the Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, and able to divide soul and spirit. It also discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This shows us that the Word of the Lord does more than give us information. The Word  exposes what is happening within us. The Word helps us recognise when our decisions are being influenced by our emotions, personal desires, fears, or opinions rather than by the truth of God.

The Word helps us see the difference between what we feel and what God has said. It brings our inner thoughts and intentions into the light, corrects us when we are wrong, and teaches us to bring our lives into agreement with the Lord.

This is especially important when we consider the church of Thyatira. If we allow our feelings, personal preferences, or desire for acceptance to determine what we believe, we can gradually make room for things God has warned us against. We may begin to excuse what should be corrected simply because confronting it is uncomfortable.

The Word of God helps us recognise these things. It gives us a standard that is higher than our changing emotions and personal opinions.

Feelings Are Real, but the Word Is Our Standard

We all experience different emotions. There are times when we feel strong in faith, and there are times when we feel discouraged. There are moments when obedience feels easy and moments when it is difficult. Our feelings can change depending on what we are experiencing, but God’s Word remains true.

Learning to live by the Spirit means we do not allow every feeling to dictate our response. We learn to bring our thoughts, emotions, desires, and decisions before the Lord and allow His Word to guide us.

Romans 12:1–2 teaches us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we may prove what is good, acceptable, and perfect in the will of God.

Renewing our minds is part of this process. As we grow in the knowledge of God’s Word, our thinking is corrected and our understanding is shaped by His truth. We begin to recognise when the world is presenting something as acceptable that does not agree with the Lord.

Second Timothy 3:16–17 reminds us that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. The Word teaches us what is right, exposes what is wrong, corrects our direction, and trains us to live in a way that pleases God.

We  cannot separate spiritual growth from the Word of God. If we want to become mature believers, we must allow Scripture to shape how we think, what we accept, and how we live.

Overcoming the Spirit of Compromise

The message to Thyatira challenges us to examine what we have allowed to remain in our lives and in our understanding of the faith.

Compromise does not always begin with a deliberate decision to turn away from God. Sometimes, it begins when we repeatedly excuse something we know does not agree with His Word. It can grow when we value acceptance more than truth or when we allow personal desires to influence our understanding of what God has said.

Overcoming requires us to remain faithful to the Lord even when doing so challenges our feelings, preferences, relationships, or comfort. It means we are willing to be corrected by the Word rather than changing the Word to suit ourselves.

Jesus describes Himself in His message to Thyatira as the Son of God, with eyes like a flame of fire. This picture reminds us that He sees beyond outward appearances. He sees our works, our hearts, and the intentions behind what we do. Nothing is hidden from Him.

This should encourage us to live sincerely before the Lord. We do not have to pretend that everything within us is already perfect. We can bring our hearts before Him, receive His correction, and allow His Word to lead us into maturity.

Revelation 2 also speaks of the promise given to those who overcome. The call to overcome is a call to remain faithful to Christ, holding firmly to what He has given us rather than being drawn away by false teaching or compromise.

We are not overcoming by our own strength alone. Our victory is found in Christ. Ephesians 2:6 reminds us that God has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Our life in Him gives us a new position and a new perspective. We must learn to live from that truth rather than allowing the pressures and influences around us to define us.

As we grow in our understanding of who we are in Christ, we become better equipped to recognise what does not agree with Him. The Word renews our minds, separates what is soulish from what is spiritual, and helps us remain grounded in the truth.

What Are We Taking Away From This?

The church of Pergamos reminds us of the danger of compromise, while Thyatira warns us about tolerating false teaching and allowing influences that lead us away from God.

We are learning that the church can appear active and successful while still needing correction. We are also learning that love and service must be accompanied by faithfulness to the truth.

Most importantly, we must allow the Word of God to do its work in us. It helps us discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts and distinguish between the voice of our emotions and the truth of the Lord. Our feelings are part of our experience, but they must not take the place of God’s Word as our standard.

As overcomers, we are called to remain faithful to Jesus, reject compromise, and allow the truth to shape our lives. We grow as we receive correction, renew our minds, and learn to live according to who we are in Christ.

May we be people who do not merely hear the Word, but allow it to examine us, correct us, and lead us into a deeper walk with the Lord.

A Prayer

Father, thank You for Your Word and for the truth You have given us in Christ. Help us to recognise the things we may have tolerated that do not agree with Your will. Teach us to discern between our feelings and Your truth, and help us not to allow our emotions, desires, or the influence of the world to lead us away from You.
Let Your Word examine our hearts, renew our minds, and correct our steps. Give us the courage to reject compromise and remain faithful to You, even when it is difficult. Help us to grow in spiritual understanding and to live from our identity in Christ.

May our love, faith, service, and works be grounded in Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Check out the sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/live/9bXjwY3eYM4?si=jWXFg5IgnHiz1LdV

Scriptures to Consider

• Revelation 2:18–29
• Hebrews 4:12
• Romans 12:1–2
• 2 Timothy 3:16–17
• Ephesians 2:6
• 1 John 5:4

Hey friends,

We are back with another Gem, and this time, we are looking at the church of Pergamos and what it teaches us about compromise, worldliness and the importance of holding firmly to the Word of God.

If you remember, we have been exploring the churches in Revelation as part of the Overcomers series, looking at what it means to remain faithful to God and walk in obedience to Him. This week, we continue with Revelation 2, where we learn about the church of Pergamos, often referred to as the compromising church.

Now, let’s get right into it, shall we?

One thing that stands out to me is how easily we can begin to accommodate things that are contrary to God’s Word when we allow the standards of the world to influence our walk with Him. We are reminded that our faith must be built on what God has said, not on what the world considers acceptable.

The Church of Pergamos: When the Church Begins to Compromise

The church of Pergamos was commended by Jesus for holding firmly to His name, even in a place where Satan’s throne was. Despite the difficult environment in which they lived, they had not denied their faith. Yet, there was something Jesus had against them. They were tolerating teachings that were leading some of them into compromise.

Revelation 2:14–15 speaks about the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which were associated with practices that led God’s people into idolatry and sexual immorality.

This stood out to me because it is possible to hold on to certain aspects of our faith while gradually making room for things that contradict the Word of God. We may still identify as Christians, attend church and profess our love for Jesus, yet begin to accept ideas and practices that do not align with His truth.

Compromise does not always happen all at once. Sometimes, it begins with small decisions to overlook what God has said because something seems more convenient, appealing or acceptable to the people around us. Over time, these decisions can shape our convictions and influence how we live.

The question is not simply whether we believe in God, but whether we are willing to let His Word govern our choices.

This applies to every area of our lives, including our relationships, marriages, businesses, ministries and personal decisions. We cannot claim to be following God’s ways while consistently allowing worldly standards to determine how we live.

The Doctrine of Balaam: When We Exchange Truth for Personal Gain

Another important lesson from the church of Pergamos is the warning against the doctrine of Balaam.

In Revelation 2:14, Jesus rebukes the church for tolerating the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, leading them into idolatry and sexual immorality.

The account of Balaam in Numbers 22–25 shows the danger of allowing personal gain and ungodly desires to influence our relationship with God. Rather than remaining committed to God’s instructions, a person can begin to look for ways to satisfy personal interests, even when doing so means compromising the truth.

This makes me think about how easily our desires can influence our decisions when they are not submitted to God. We may know what Scripture says, yet choose a different path because it offers financial benefits, recognition, acceptance or some other personal advantage.

Compromise can show up in the way we conduct our businesses, the choices we make in relationships or the things we are willing to overlook to maintain a certain position. It can also happen when we use spiritual things for personal gain rather than serving God with a sincere heart.

The danger is that we can begin to justify our decisions until what we once knew to be wrong no longer troubles our conscience.

The church of Pergamos reminds us that we must be careful about what we tolerate, both in our lives and within the body of Christ. We cannot allow personal desires or the pressure to fit in to take precedence over God’s instructions.

The Word of God: Our Standard for Discernment

One of the most important lessons from the church of Pergamos is the importance of the Word of God in overcoming compromise.

In Revelation 2:12, Jesus introduces Himself to the church as the One who has the sharp two-edged sword. This imagery reminds us that God’s Word is not merely something we read for information or encouragement. It is the standard by which our beliefs, attitudes and actions must be examined.

Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God as living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. It is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

This means the Word does more than tell us what is right and wrong. It also exposes the things within us that may not be aligned with God’s will. It challenges our motives, corrects our thinking and reveals areas where we may have allowed compromise to take root.

Sometimes, we want the Word to comfort us without correcting us. We want it to affirm our decisions without questioning whether those decisions are pleasing to God. Yet, if we are going to grow in our walk with Him, we must be willing to receive His Word even when it confronts us.

For me, this is an important part of spiritual growth. We cannot properly identify compromise if we are not allowing Scripture to guide our understanding of God’s standards.

The more grounded we become in the Word, the better equipped we are to recognise teachings, attitudes and practices that lead us away from the truth. We learn to test what we hear, examine what we believe and make decisions that reflect our commitment to Christ.

This is why we must be intentional about studying Scripture for ourselves. We should not accept something simply because it sounds spiritual, is widely accepted or comes from someone we respect. We must examine it in the light of God’s Word.

We must not allow the world to shape our understanding of God’s truth. Instead, we must allow the Word of God to shape how we see and respond to the world.

The question I am taking away from this is: Am I allowing the Word of God to shape my convictions, or am I interpreting God’s Word through the standards of the world?

Overcoming the Spirit of Compromise

So, how do we overcome the spirit of compromise?

One of the most important steps is maintaining a consistent personal relationship with God through prayer and the study of His Word.

It is easy to focus on the visible aspects of our Christian lives while neglecting the private moments that sustain our faith. We can become occupied with church activities and responsibilities, yet fail to make room for personal communion with Him.

Our private walk with God matters. Prayer keeps us coming before Him in dependence, while the Word continually teaches us His ways and corrects our understanding. These are important parts of a life that is being shaped by God.

Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” (NKJV)

This scripture reminds us that the Word must become more than something we encounter occasionally. We must receive it, meditate on it and allow it to take root in our hearts. When God’s truth becomes established within us, it helps us recognise temptation and respond to situations with greater discernment.

We must also be willing to obey what we learn. Studying the Bible without allowing it to influence our decisions will not produce the transformation we desire. The goal is not simply to know more Scripture, but to become people whose lives reflect what God has said.

Overcoming compromise also requires the courage to stand by God’s truth when doing so is uncomfortable or unpopular. There will be times when obedience means choosing integrity over personal gain, holiness over temporary pleasure and God’s approval over the acceptance of people.

For me, this brings everything back to our willingness to remain under the authority of God’s Word. When we make room for His truth to correct us and guide our decisions, we become better equipped to resist the pressures that encourage us to compromise.

So, What Are We Taking Away From This?

The church of Pergamos reminds us that it is possible to remain faithful in some areas of our Christian walk while tolerating compromise in others. It challenges us to examine the standards guiding our decisions and consider whether we are allowing the world to influence what we believe.

The greatest lesson I am taking away is the importance of the Word of God. We need it to discern truth from error, examine our hearts and remain grounded in God’s ways. Without allowing Scripture to guide us, it becomes easier to accept ideas simply because they are popular, convenient or appealing to us.

We must be careful not to build our convictions around personal desires or the expectations of others. Our responsibility is to seek God’s truth and allow it to shape every area of our lives.

My prayer is that we will become more rooted in the Word of God, not only as people who read it, but as people who are willing to live by it. May we have hearts that are open to correction, the discernment to recognise compromise and the courage to remain faithful even when God’s standards differ from those of the world.

So, that is another Sunday Gem. Let’s keep learning, keep growing and, above all, keep allowing the Word of God to guide our walk with Him. Let’s see what He teaches us next.

Check out the sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/live/WlM72xV-CZM?si=DoD0hnLDdFZd2VSA

Scriptures to Consider

• Revelation 2:12–17
• Numbers 22–25
• Hebrews 4:12
• Psalm 119:9–11
• Romans 12:1–2
• 2 Timothy 3:16–17
• James 1:22–25

Hey friends,

As promised, we are back with the next Gem, and this time, we are getting into the things I have been learning about the churches of Ephesus and Smyrna.

If you remember, we started exploring the Overcomers series in the last post, looking at what it means to be an overcomer and how we are called to be faithful with what the Lord has entrusted to us. This week, we are going deeper into Revelation 2, where we get to learn about two of the churches John was instructed to write to: Ephesus and Smyrna.

Now, let’s get right into it, shall we?

The Church of Ephesus: Have We Left Our First Love?

The church of Ephesus was doing many things right. They laboured, tested those who claimed to be apostles and did not tolerate evil. They had a reputation for being doctrinally sound and committed to the work of the Lord. Yet, in the midst of all these good things, there was something they had lost. They had left their first love.

This stood out to me because it is possible to be busy doing the things of God while gradually losing the intimacy that should be at the centre of our relationship with Him. We can pray, serve, attend church, study the Word and take on responsibilities, yet find ourselves going through the motions without the same love and desire for the Lord.

The issue is not that these activities are wrong. The question is, what is driving them? Are we doing these things out of a genuine relationship with Jesus, or have they become routines we feel obligated to maintain?

It is possible to become so focused on getting things right, serving in church or fulfilling responsibilities that we forget the very One we are serving. We may continue to do the work, but our hearts are no longer as engaged as they once were.

What caught my attention was the call to remember, repent and return to our first works. Repentance, as explained in the message, involves a change of mind. It means recognising where we have shifted from the place of intimacy and deliberately returning to a mindset that keeps the Lord at the centre of our lives.

This is something we have to be intentional about. We cannot assume that intimacy with God will remain strong simply because we have been Christians for a long time or because we are involved in church activities. We have to keep making room for Him, seeking to know Him personally and allowing His presence to shape our everyday lives.

For me, this also challenges how we approach prayer. Prayer is not simply a list of requests we present to God before going about our day. It is an opportunity to commune with Him, share our hearts, listen and grow in our knowledge of who He is. The same applies to our work and daily responsibilities. We can learn to do everything as unto the Lord, keeping Him in our thoughts even in the ordinary moments of life.

There is a reason love matters so much in our walk with God. When love is the motivation, service becomes a response to the One who has first loved us. When we begin to operate only from duty, however, even good things can become burdensome. We may grow weary because we are trying to sustain the work without returning to the source of our love.

The question I am taking away from the church of Ephesus is this: Am I still doing what I do from a place of love for Jesus, or have I become more concerned with the work than with the One who called me?

The Church of Smyrna: The Beauty of Being Tried

The church of Smyrna presents another side of our walk with God. Unlike Ephesus, which was rebuked for leaving its first love, Smyrna was encouraged to remain faithful in the midst of suffering.

One of the things highlighted  was the connection between Smyrna and myrrh, a resin associated with fragrance that is obtained through a process of wounding or crushing. This gives us a picture of how seasons of affliction can be painful, yet God can use them to produce something valuable in our lives.

James 1:2–3 reminds us to count it all joy when we face different trials because the testing of our faith produces patience. First Peter 1:6–7 also speaks about our faith being tested through fire, with the genuineness of that faith being found more precious than gold.

This does not mean that suffering is pleasant or that we should pretend difficult seasons do not hurt. Rather, it reminds us that our trials do not have to be wasted. God can use them to refine us, strengthen our faith and reveal what our lives are truly built upon.

As we explored Smyrna, we were also reminded to examine the works we are building. Not everything we do in the name of God will necessarily stand the test of fire. Works motivated by the flesh, the desire for recognition or the need to be seen by people will not have the same lasting value as works rooted in the Spirit.

This made me think about the things we pursue in our walk with God. Are we seeking to please Him, or are we more concerned about how people perceive us? Are we remaining faithful because we love Him, or because we want the recognition that comes with being seen as faithful?

The church of Smyrna reminds us that our faith will be tested, but we must not allow the trials we face to turn us away from the Lord. We are called to remain faithful, trusting that He sees us even in the seasons when following Him comes at a cost.

So, What Are We Taking Away From This?

For me, these two churches bring us back to some important questions. Are we still growing in our love for Jesus? Have we become so occupied with serving Him that we have neglected our relationship with Him? When our faith is tested, are we willing to remain faithful and allow God to refine us?

The church of Ephesus reminds us that it is possible to do many things right and still need to return to our first love. Smyrna reminds us that following Jesus does not mean we will never experience affliction, but we must remain faithful even when the journey becomes difficult.

Both churches challenge us to examine our walk with God, not just by looking at what we do outwardly, but also by paying attention to the condition of our hearts. We must continue to nurture our relationship with Jesus and trust Him through every season, remembering that our walk with Him is not just about how we begin, but also about remaining faithful to the end.

My prayer is that we will not become so occupied with doing things for God that we forget to walk closely with Him. May our love for Jesus remain alive, may our faith stand firm through trials, and may we continue to grow in Him through every season of our lives.

So, that is another Sunday Gem. Let’s keep learning, keep growing and, above all, keep walking with the Lord. Let’s see what He teaches us next.

Check out the sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/live/_nUTCcZnqlc?si=DnL1eI4iCwbie8tK

Scriptures to Consider

• Revelation 1:19
• Revelation 2:1–11
• James 1:2–3
• 1 Peter 1:4–7

Hey friends,

I know I have been missing in action for a little while. The truth is, I have been trying to figure out how to digest all the things I have been learning over the past three weeks I have been away. There has been quite a lot to take in, and I wanted to give myself some time to process it all. Over the next few days, you will be seeing regular posts on Sunday Gems so we can catch up on everything I have been learning.

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

We have been learning about the Overcomers. Our key scriptures for this series are found in Revelation 2, where John is instructed to write to the churches about the things the Lord wants them to know. There is quite a lot to unpack, so for this first part, I want us to focus on what it actually means to be an overcomer.

Now, when we hear the word overcomer, we might immediately think about someone who has defeated an enemy, overcome a difficult situation or come out victorious after a battle. And while these things may be part of the picture, what I learnt is that overcoming is also about how we live our lives as believers and how faithfully we handle what the Lord has entrusted to us.

Overcoming is not just about being saved; it is also about how we live after we have been saved.

One of the things we explored was the idea of stewardship. Stewardship is one of those words we hear quite often in Christian circles, but I think it is important to understand what it really means. To be a steward is to be entrusted with something that belongs to someone else, and as believers, we have been entrusted with so much by the Lord.

Stewardship can be understood through four things: ownership, responsibility, accountability and rewards.

First, ownership. Everything belongs to God. Our lives, our gifts, our abilities, our time and even the opportunities we have are not things we can claim as though we created them ourselves. They have been given to us by the Lord, and recognising this should change the way we handle them.

Then there is responsibility. Even though everything belongs to God, He has given us the responsibility of doing something with what He has entrusted to us. It is not enough to acknowledge that we have received something from the Lord; we also have to be willing to use it according to His purpose.

Next is accountability. At some point, we will give an account of how we have lived and what we did with what we were given. And finally, there are rewards, which are connected to how faithfully we have carried out our responsibilities.

This made me think about how easy it can be to focus on what we have received from God without paying enough attention to what we are doing with it. We celebrate the gifts, the opportunities, the grace and the privileges, but are we also paying attention to the responsibility that comes with them?

And that brings me to the parable of the ten servants in Luke 19.

In this parable, the servants are each given a pound and instructed to occupy until their master returns. When the master returns, he asks them to give an account of what they have done with what he gave them.

One of the things we looked at was the difference between this parable and the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. While the servants in Matthew’s account receive different amounts according to their abilities, the parable in Luke 19 focuses on the fact that each servant received the same one pound.

The one pound was connected to what has been entrusted to every believer: the Gospel, the Spirit and the calling we have received in Christ. We may have different assignments and different capacities, but we have all received something that requires our faithfulness.

And I think that is worth thinking about.

Sometimes, we can get so caught up in comparing ourselves with other people that we forget to pay attention to what the Lord has placed in our own hands. We look at someone else’s gifts, opportunities, achievements or assignments and begin to wonder why our lives do not look the same. But the question is not necessarily whether we have received what someone else has received. The question is, what are we doing with what the Lord has given us?

We are all responsible for how we steward what has been entrusted to us.

Another part of the message that stood out to me was the difference between sonship and rewards.

When we become born again, we receive our place as children of God by grace. We do not earn our sonship by working hard enough, doing enough good deeds or proving ourselves worthy. It is a gift we receive through Christ, and we become heirs with Him.

However, there is a distinction between the inheritance we receive as God’s children and the rewards connected to how we live and serve Him.

Our sonship is received by grace, but our stewardship concerns what we do with the life, grace and calling we have received.

This is not about trying to earn God’s love or working to prove that we deserve to be His children. Rather, it is about recognising the privilege we have received and responding to it faithfully.

I think this is where the conversation becomes personal because it is possible to know that we belong to God and still not take seriously the responsibility that comes with belonging to Him. We can be grateful for the gift of salvation and yet become careless with the very life we have been called to live.

But the Lord has entrusted us with something, and our lives should reflect that we understand the value of what we have received.

We also explored controlling our emotions, drawing lessons from the life of Elijah. This reminded me that our emotions, as real and valid as they may be, cannot always be allowed to determine how we respond to life or whether we continue in what God has called us to do.

There will be moments when we feel tired, discouraged, overwhelmed or simply unable to keep going. There will be days when what we feel does not align with what we know the Lord has said. But we cannot allow every emotion we experience to take us away from our assignment.

This does not mean that we pretend we are not struggling or that we are never allowed to feel tired. It means that our feelings do not have to become the final authority over our lives. We can acknowledge what we feel, bring it before the Lord and still choose to trust Him and obey Him.

This brings me to what I think was one of the biggest takeaways from the message: the life of an overcomer is a life that keeps walking with the Lord.

Friend, we have to keep walking.

Life will happen. Things will not always go as planned. We will have moments when we feel like we have failed, moments when we stumble, moments when we struggle to understand what the Lord is doing and moments when the journey feels much harder than we expected.

But we must not allow these moments to make us give up on the Lord.

When we fall, we get back up. When we stumble, we rise again. When we become discouraged, we return to the One who gives us strength. We keep coming back to His Word, keep trusting Him and keep allowing Him to work in us.

WE DON’T QUIT. WE KEEP WALKING.

I think it is important to understand that overcoming does not mean that we never struggle, never fall or never have difficult seasons. It means that we do not surrender our walk with God because of those things. We do not allow our struggles to convince us that there is no point in continuing. We do not allow the things that happen along the way to make us forget the One we are walking with.

The Lord has given us His divine life, and we are learning to live from that life rather than allowing the limitations of our flesh and the pressures of the world to determine how we live.

We are also called to serve Him out of love and gratitude, not merely out of a sense of obligation. We learnt about being love slaves to Christ, and I found that idea quite beautiful. We serve Him because of who He is and because of what He has done for us. Our obedience becomes a response to His love, not an attempt to earn it.

As I think about what it means to be an overcomer, I keep coming back to this: the Lord has entrusted us with a life, a calling and a responsibility, and we must be faithful with what He has given us. We must learn to manage our emotions, remain accountable, serve Him out of love and refuse to be drawn away from Him by the things that happen along the way.

We keep walking when things are good, and we keep walking when things are difficult. We keep walking when we understand, and we keep walking when we are still trying to make sense of things. We keep walking when we feel strong, and we keep walking when we have to lean entirely on the strength of the Lord.

Because, friend, it is worth it.

Our walk with the Lord is worth it. The process is worth it. The obedience is worth it. The days when we have to choose Him again, even when it is difficult, are worth it.

So, whatever you do, don’t give up on your walk with the Lord. If you have stumbled, get back up. If you have become distracted, return to Him. If you have been walking through a difficult season, keep trusting Him.

We never stop walking. We never give up.

We keep our eyes on Jesus, remain faithful with what He has entrusted to us and keep going until the end.

So, that is my third Sunday Gem.

There is more to learn, more to understand and more of Christ to become, and I pray that as we continue this journey, the Lord will help us to be faithful stewards of everything He has placed in our hands.

Let’s see what the Lord teaches us next.

Check out the sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/live/LdszRr5biwk?si=DZj9qmSDqWXQ9LWc

Scriptures to Consider

Revelation 2
Luke 19
Matthew 25

Welcome to another episode of Sunday Gems.

Every Sunday is different because every time we encounter the Lord, there is something He wants to show us. There is a specific word, a specific lesson, a specific area where He wants to bring light. And like we established in the first Sunday Gem, everything the Lord will use to change our lives is found in His Word. So, if you are not already doing so, I want to encourage you to spend time in the Word of God every day. There is always something to learn, something to see and something to grow into.

Now, let’s dive in, shall we?

This week, we learned about the occupying army.
If you remember from last week, we established the church as an army. Well, this week, we went a little deeper, and I learnt that the Church is not just an army, but an occupying army.

Now, when you hear the word army, you might immediately think about soldiers going into battle, fighting and taking over territory. That is what we would describe as an invading army. An invading army enters a territory with the intention of fighting, conquering and taking over, and once its objective is achieved, it can leave.

An occupying army is different. An occupying army enters a territory and stays. Its responsibility is not simply to fight and conquer, but to maintain order, protect people, establish administration, build, serve and ensure that the systems of the government it represents remain in place.

And when I heard that, I began to see the Church a little differently.

The Church is an occupying army.

We have been commissioned to represent Christ here on earth. We are here to maintain the order and administration of God, to serve, to build, to protect, to restore and to represent our King in the places where He has positioned us while we wait for Him to return.

When I think about it this way, it changes how I see my everyday life.

The Church is not only what happens when we gather on Sunday. It is not only the building, the worship service, the sermon or the people we fellowship with. We are the Church, and we have been sent into different places to represent our King.

Your office can be your territory. Your school can be your territory. Your neighbourhood can be your territory. Your creative space can be your territory. Your business can be your territory. Wherever the Lord has positioned you, there is a responsibility attached to that position.

We are not just there to make money, build careers, achieve our personal goals and live comfortable lives. We have been sent there to protect, build and restore.

And honestly, I think this is one of those things that can make you look at your life differently.

One thing that really stood out to me is that as soldiers, we are not our own.
That sounds simple, but I think it is something we have to keep reminding ourselves of. If I am part of an occupying army, then I have been sent by someone. I belong to someone. I have a Commander.

The Bible tells us that we were bought with a price, which means that our lives are no longer simply about what we want, when we want it and how we want it. Our lives should carry the evidence that we belong to the Lord.

Our actions, our decisions, our relationships, our work and even the way we respond to the people around us should reflect the One who sent us.

Now, trust me, I know that sounds hard. Our wills can be very strong. Sometimes we do not understand what the Lord is doing, and sometimes, if we are being honest, we do not trust our Commander enough to simply follow His instructions.
But then I remember who our Commander is. The Lord made us, loved us and was willing to lay His life down for us. What kind of Commander does that? What kind of King humbles Himself and gives His life for the people He is leading?

Jesus did.

He did it willingly. He went to the cross, died for us and won the victory for us. So now, our responsibility is to follow His lead. And the beautiful thing is that He does not send us out and leave us to figure everything out by ourselves. He is in us, both to will and to do His good pleasure. He helps us do what He has called us to do. And I think that makes all the difference.

Another thing that really stood out to me was this idea of being compromised.
An occupying army becomes compromised when the soldiers begin listening to the people in the territory about the King they are supposed to represent, especially when those people do not know the King.
And I thought, hm. Because how often do we allow the opinions of people who do not know our King to determine how we live?
How often do we allow the culture around us to tell us what is normal, what is right, what is acceptable, what we should desire and even what our lives should look like, while forgetting that we have been sent by someone else?
When the occupying army starts taking its instructions from the citizens instead of the Commander, it becomes distracted from the reason it was sent in the first place.
And I think that is something worth paying attention to.

So, what does it actually look like to live as a soldier in this occupying army?

For me, one of the biggest things take is knowing God.
Purpose is not something I have to run around trying to discover by myself. As I come to know God, His character, His heart and His Word, I begin to understand what He wants me to do. The more I know the One who sent me, the more I understand the assignment.

Then there is accepting your post.
Every believer has a territory, a place where God has positioned them. Sometimes we are so busy looking for the next thing that we fail to recognise the assignment in the place we are already standing.
Maybe the office you complain about every day is part of your territory.
Maybe the people you interact with regularly are part of your assignment.
Maybe the industry you work in is a place where God wants you to represent Him.
Maybe the creative work you are doing is not just about the work itself but about the people you are meant to influence through it.

Wherever God has placed you, there is something He expects you to do there.

And that brings me to another part of the message that challenged me, responsibility over self interest.
As soldiers, the question is not always, “What do I want to do?” Sometimes the question is, “What does my Commander need done here?” What do the people around me need? What needs to be built? What needs to be protected? What needs to be restored? Who needs to be served?

That is a very different way of looking at life.

And finally, we are not meant to do this alone. There is accountability. There is authority. There is guidance. We are part of a body, and the Lord gives us shepherds and people who help us understand how to carry out the assignment He has given us.

Then came one of my favourite pictures from the message, the Good Samaritan.
The Good Samaritan found a man who had been beaten, wounded and left half dead on the roadside. He did not simply walk past him. He stopped. He dressed his wounds, took him to the inn, cared for him and made provision for his continued care.
And then, in a way, he went back and did it again.
That, to me, is such a beautiful picture of what the occupying army is meant to do.
We find people who have been wounded along the way. We help dress their wounds. We bring them to the inn, which represents the Church, where they can receive care, healing, teaching and growth. Then we go back out again and find someone else who needs to be served.

We are here to protect, build and restore. We are here to represent our King.
We are here until He returns.

Maybe that is the question I am taking away from this Sunday: What does it mean for me to be an occupying army officer in the place where God has positioned me?

Not just in church. Not just when I am surrounded by other believers. But in my everyday life, in my work, in my relationships, in the places I go and with the people I encounter.

If I really believe that I have been sent, then I have to start seeing my everyday life as part of the assignment.

So, that is my second Sunday Gem.

I am still learning, still thinking and still trying to understand what it means to live this out, but I think that is the beauty of this journey with the Lord. There is always more to learn, more to encounter, more to grow into and more of Christ to become.

Let’s see what the Lord teaches us next Sunday.

With Love,
Jaziel

Check out the sermon here:The Occupying Army

Scriptures to Consider

Luke 19:13
Ephesians 6:10–11
1 Corinthians 15:25–26
Joshua 10:24
2 Timothy 2:3

Hey friend 💜,

I know, I know, it’s been a while since I wrote something here, but well, let’s see what the Lord is doing in these times. (I apologize for the long read in advance. I know you missed me.😅)
I want to start a little series on this blog called Sunday Gems. At least, that is the name I came up with at 2:27pm on the 14th of September.

What is the plan for this series, one may ask? I am sure you are guessing it has something to do with church and, well, you guessed right. It has everything to do with church and what I am studying, learning and picking up along the way.

Let me give you a little introduction to me and church. I have always been a church girl, and a few years ago, when I moved away from my home city to Accra, it meant looking for a church, right? Then the Lord placed me and planted me at Ephesus Gatherings Worldwide and gave me Prophet Edem Julius-Cudjoe and Mrs. Deborah Julius-Cudjoe as my Pastors and Spiritual Parents. You know there is definitely more to this story, but this is what you get for now.

Anyway, the Ephesus family is a place where we learn and grow. My Pastor describes the local church like an army barracks, because an army barracks has hospitals, schools, restaurants and all these different things, and the whole idea is that you are trained and raised as a holistic person. That is how I see Ephesus, a place where we are being trained, raised and equipped to grow up and conquer the world for Christ.

With that short introduction out of the way, let me tell you a little more about this series. We are called as Christians to be a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden, and we are also called to be the salt of the earth, and one main idea that runs through both of these metaphors is influence. We are called to influence, we are called to be Christ’s influencers, and I have been thinking about this a lot, especially after a message that was preached at church recently, which I will probably be digesting here too. I found myself asking, what can I do to be an influence? What does it actually look like to influence the people around me for Christ? And somehow, this series was born.

So follow along as I share and digest with you some of the gems I pick up from church every week. I cannot promise exactly when I will be posting, but I will do my best to post before another Sunday comes around. Also, I will still be posting my regular Ourthing posts too.

Now, let’s dive into what I learned on Sunday, shall we?

When I was in university and even in recent times, I genuinely thought my SHS days were much more spiritual than my life at the time because I used to pray a lot, read my Bible a whole lot, go on love walks with the Lord and just spend so much time with Him. I used to feel sad when I thought about how my “spirituality” had gone down, and I would sometimes look back at that version of myself and almost wish I could go back to those days.

But something my Pastor said on Sunday really caught my attention. The Lord, through my Pastor, drew my attention to the fact that as believers, our path is supposed to shine brighter and brighter, and sometimes the enemy loves it when we remain in the past and glory in past victories and past encounters. There is something about constantly looking back at what God did yesterday that can make us miss what He is doing today and what He wants to do tomorrow.

The message was titled What to Do After an Encounter, and as I listened, one of the things I kept thinking about was the Word. Everything the Lord will do in our lives will be through His Word, because God is always speaking and His Word carries His thoughts, His nature, His instructions and His life. The devil also knows just how important the Word is, which is why he enjoys stealing it from us. He knows that if he can take the Word before it takes root in us, he can interfere with what that Word is meant to produce.

This is why I found the whole idea of information versus illumination so interesting. Sometimes we hear the Word and all we have received is information. We heard the message, we understood what was said and we can even repeat what the preacher said, but there is a difference between knowing something and having light come on inside you. Illumination is that moment when something you have heard suddenly becomes alive to you and you realise, “Ohhhh, this is what God is saying.” To move from information to illumination, there has to be a willingness to listen and listen again, to listen listeningly, as my Pastor put it, with our minds receptive and our attention given to what is being said, even to the point of writing things down as the message is coming.

And then there is the matter of brooding over the Word. I loved this picture because just like a hen sits on her eggs and stays there, keeping them warm until what is inside develops, there is a way we also have to sit on the Word we have received. We cannot hear something on Sunday and expect it to automatically transform us simply because we heard it once. We have to meditate on it, pray about it, fast, think about it, speak it and return to it until the seed of that Word begins to produce something in us. There has to be a deliberate process of allowing the Word to develop instead of allowing the distractions of everyday life to steal it away.

This also connected with the conversation around neuroplasticity and faith, because the way we continually expose our minds to the Word of God can begin to change the way we think. As we meditate on the truth of God’s Word, our thought patterns can be rewired, and we can begin to move away from old ways of thinking, old habits and even old patterns of sin. Sometimes we are asking God to change our behaviour when He is also trying to transform the way we think, because what happens in our minds eventually finds its way into our lives.

Then came what I found to be a very practical reminder, the 72 hour rule. The emphasis was on not allowing what we hear to sit untouched for days because there is so much happening around us that if we do not return to the Word we received, meditate on it and begin to apply it, the distractions of everyday life can easily steal it. This made me think about how often I have listened to a really powerful sermon on Sunday, felt convicted and excited about what God was saying, and then by Wednesday I can barely remember what the message was about. The Word was there, but I did not brood over it.

And I think this is something I am learning to do more intentionally. I am learning to make time to spend listening to the Word of God through messages that are preached, but also through spending time in the Bible for myself and actually thinking about what the Word says. I do not want to simply collect messages and sermons in my mind. I want the Word to become light to me, and I want that light to produce something in my life.

The more I think about it, the more I realise why the Word is so important. If the Lord is going to do something in my life, He will do it through His Word, and if the devil knows this, then it makes sense that one of the things he will try to do is steal the Word before it can take root. So I have to take seriously what God says. I have to protect what I hear, return to it, meditate on it and allow it to take root in me.

And maybe this is one of the biggest things I took from Sunday: an encounter is not the end. An encounter is an invitation to preparation, responsibility, growth and a deeper relationship with God. I cannot keep living on yesterday’s encounters when there is fresh Word, fresh light and fresh grace available for today.

My path is supposed to shine brighter and brighter.

There is more to learn, more to encounter, more to grow into and more of Christ to become.

So, that is my first Sunday Gem.

Let’s see what the Lord teaches us next Sunday.

(Ps: I am still thinking of other cool names for this series so don’t be surprised if the name changes…😅

With love,
Jaziel 💜

Check out the sermon here: WHAT TO DO AFTER AN ENCOUNTER

Scriptures to Consider

Matthew 24:45

Isaiah 55

Psalm 103:20

2 Corinthians 10:4–5

Matthew 13

Mark 4

Luke 8

Psalm 45:1

Isaiah 55:9–10

Hey friends,

This season gently calls us back to remembrance. To the moment God chose nearness.

Every time I sit with the story of Christ’s birth, I am undone by the humility of it all. That Jesus, fully God, agreed to enter humanity at its smallest point. From zygote to embryo.
From womb to baby. Limited. Dependent. Held.

He was born into conditions that made no sense for a King. A manger. A borrowed space. A childhood lived under threat. He grew, learned, waited, endured.

And knowing the end of the story, He still chose the Cross.
All of it. For love. For YOU.

As we remember His birth, may we not stop at the manger.
May we remember the love that carried Him from heaven to earth and from earth to the Cross.
And because of His finished work on the Cross, we now boldly come into relationship with our Father.
No fear. No veil. No distance. Just love.

What a gift. What a love.

Merry Christmas from itsOurthing.

Jesus still remains the reason for the season.

Scripture References
John 3:16
John 1:14
Philippians 2:6–8
Romans 5:8
Hebrews 4:16

On my way to watch a play recently, I took a bottle of water with me just in case I got thirsty.

Halfway through the ride, we got stuck under a traffic light. The Uber driver mentioned he wanted to buy water, but before he could, the light turned green and we had to move.

That’s when a small battle began inside me. Should I offer him my water and stay thirsty until I got back home from the production, or should I just keep it?

The Holy Spirit was on my case for a solid three minutes.
Eventually, I gave in and offered him my bottle, secretly hoping he would reject it because it wasn’t cold.
But he gladly accepted it and thanked me. I was a little bummed.

When I got to the amphitheatre, I was greeted with bottles of water for free. And for some reason, everyone kept asking if I needed more water even after I had already taken one.

It was a sweet trust moment for me.
I actually felt warm inside, like a hug.

It reminded me of that picture on social media where Jesus is asking a little girl to give Him her small teddy bear while He is holding a much much bigger one behind His back.

I realised that if I had not given my water away, I would have missed out on the free gift of water God had already prepared for me.

Most times we wrestle with obedience and listening to the Holy Spirit because we do not trust enough that His plans for us are far better than our own.

God has big things for us and He only asks that we trust Him with the little we have even when it feels like so much to let go of.

He always has a much bigger teddy bear waiting behind His back if only we will trust Him.

I am learning to trust Him daily and truly knowing Him comes from spending time with Him in His Word.

I hope this encourages you to spend time with Him too and to trust Him at His Word.
He always has much more to offer when you trust Him.

With love,
Jaziel 💜

Scriptures to Consider

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.