Nov 05 2020
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Get through it the right way.

By Sodwana Bay

It so important to understand why God has chosen this path for you, and not too get stuck with the circumstances around you. Like when Peter was called to step out of the boat – true to his character Peter responded to the call. So, with us we also sometime unwilling sign up for life’s challenges; simply by just being willing to live. When God moves – we need to learn how to follow. Although, we do not know where – why and how; we need to comprehend Gods extreme obsession with us. Like a good Father our God will not take us into harm; if He knows we can’t handle it, he won’t take us there. So, if you in it – You will get through it! The Israelite’s had a 40 Day journey from Egypt to paradise which turned into a 40 year roaming nightmare. I don’t think that was Gods intention or dream for his people. The same with us – God only wants the best… We might not understand things now; when we are in the crux of things it’s not so easy to be happy or smile. It sucks! Why do you think God had the Cloud and Fire? Firstly, the Cloud and Fire was there to show His people His physical nearness. These two signs represented God as whole… Secondly, the Fire and Cloud taught them to blindly follow without any questions – no matter what. When the Cloud or Fire moved they had to blindly pack up camp and move. They did not know where to next or for how long. All they knew was – We must Go!   [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PLXQ9CQLR4uYtVqU1TnevAGCh2YUtgBnFb&layout=gallery[/embedyt]   It is in these troubled times of uprooting us when our dear Father wants to teach us the most important lesson of all… God is always Good and God will never leave us! He is crazy in love with us… Our God is faithful till the end!!!  

Sep 13 2018
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Daily Devotional – Are You Knocking on Dead Wood?

By Sodwana Bay

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 I love mornings. One of my favorite pastimes is sitting in the backyard with a steaming cup of coffee, listening to the delightful chorus of singing birds. Recently, a persistent knocking caught my attention. A wooden utility pole is situated near the corner of my yard. On top, a woodpecker was pounding on the dead wood for all it was worth. Woodpeckers primarily eat bugs in living trees. I was curious why it was wasting time banging its head on dead wood, so I did some research. I discovered that, while there are various reasons, the best explanation is that they simply don’t know any better. To them, a tree is a tree is a tree. Have you ever watched someone (or been someone) looking for fulfillment in the same old, dead places? Some poor choices are obvious. Such as drugs, alcohol, promiscuous sex, gambling, being a workaholic, etc. I am ashamed to admit I’ve traveled many of these roads. They all lure us with the same bait: the possibility of reward. It might be hitting the jackpot, chasing a drug high, or another career achievement. However, in the end, the satisfaction, if any, is short-lived. And the price we pay is often too high. “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” Proverbs 14:12 NLT But before we judge, even the “do-gooders” can be susceptible. Many turn to “religion” – which is just another dead tree. Religion in and of itself, with its “good deeds and religious works,” also leads to empty promises. Personal self-fulfillment simply cannot be satisfied with external activities, no matter how noble. Without transformation on the inside, these efforts quickly become exhausting. What about you? What dead wood have you been beating your head against? Have you taken a close look at what’s really on the other side? I can assure you there is nothing but lies, empty promises, death, and dust. Deep down, most of us desire the same things. We all long for purpose, unconditional love, and acceptance. These desires are healthy and good. We know this because God placed them within each of us. But He did this so that we would reach out to Him. He is the only One who can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. So let’s stop chasing the world with its lies and empty promises. Let us run to our heavenly Father and surrender our hopes and dreams to Him. In turn, He will begin to transform us on the inside, satisfying our hearts to overflowing with His peace, presence, and love. Then, we can finally stop pounding our head against the wall. “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 NASB Copyright © August 2017 Shadia Hrichi, used with permission.

Mar 10 2016
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To go His way…

By Sodwana Bay

One of the most effective temptations Satan uses against Christians who want to do what is right is to try to get them to go their own way rather than obeying God. It is not necessary for him to get us to commit sinful acts. If he can convince us to rely on our own judgment, it will not be long before we are completely off track, for our judgment cannot be trusted. The Lord is not looking for people to go their own way, but to go His way.   Many people who study the times say that there isn’t much we can trust today. Andy Crouch put it this way in Christianity Today: The emptiness under our feet is promises that were not kept and never will be—promises to balance the budget, to attend our violin recital, to have and to hold from this day forward, to teach us the difference between good and evil. “Promises that were not kept and never will be”: those are haunting words. Who can you trust today? Scandals in both of the major political parties shatter our trust in the truthfulness of elected officials. In almost every area of life—the government, family, and church—promises have been broken. The story of Elijah doesn’t teach us to trust everyone, but it doesn’t tell us to trust no one. Elijah trusted God so much so that he said to the king, “You go your way; I’ll go God’s way.” The background of 1 Kings is a dark time in the history of God’s people. Ahab was king in Israel, and he was the most evil king the nation had ever had. His wife, Jezebel, was, perhaps, even worse. The nation had turned away from God and begun worshiping a false, pagan god called Baal, with rituals that mixed sexual aggression and perversion with horrible cruelty and violence. God brought light in those dark times through a man named Elijah, a prophet. In the Bible, a prophet does not primarily foretell the future, but is a man to whom God speaks personally and reveals his will for his people. Elijah appears in 1 Kings 17:1 without much introduction. He is described simply as Elijah the Tishbite. We don’t know anything of significance about Tishbe, but we know that Elijah’s name is significant. It means, “Yahweh is my God.” Elijah’s name itself was a challenge to the worship of false gods even before he announced his message. God’s way is the way of truth. The structure of Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 17 clearly highlights the main point we are to learn from his life. There are four separate movements in 1 Kings 17. The first scene unfolds as Elijah moves from the palace of Ahab to the brook in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan River (verses 1-6). The second scene takes us from the brook to the city of Zarephath where Elijah meets a widow (verses 7-14). The third scene takes place day after day within the widow’s home as God provides for their needs (verses 15-16). And the fourth scene takes place within the widow’s home when sickness strikes the widow’s son and Elijah heals him through prayer (verses 17-24). What binds all four of these scenes together is not just the activity of Elijah but also the truth of the Word of God. In the first scene, verse 2 introduces a change in the story by saying, “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah.” In the second scene, verse 8 moves the storyline forward again by saying, “Then the word of the LORD came to him.” In the third scene, verse 16 says, “For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.” The key to the purpose of the whole passage is saved for the last line in the chapter, when the truth is placed in the concluding speech of the deeply grateful widow: “Then the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.’” God speaks in various ways in the story of Elijah. First, God speaks about his judgment on sin. “There will be no rain,” he says. What we see in the story of Jesus is that judgment of sin is such an irrevocable part of the character and perfect nature of God, that God himself has to come into our world in Jesus to take the judgment for us. We all deserve the drought, the withdrawal of God’s blessing, and the absence of life-giving grace. But Jesus suffered the drought and damnation for us. Second, God speaks through Elijah about a life of trust and obedience. Elijah lived it partially, but Jesus lived it perfectly. He listened to God the Father; he did what God told him to do; he overcame every obstacle because he trusted and obeyed perfectly. He did that not just as an example, but as our savior who wins the battle for us. If you submit to Christ as your Lord and Savior, then his obedience becomes your obedience. God considers you righteous because of Christ’s obedience. Finally, God reveals his faithfulness to his promises. God fed Elijah with ravens and raised Jesus from the dead, because he promised to do so. The whole story of the life, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus shows us how far God is willing to go to demonstrate his love and to fulfill his promises. God uses surprising means to meet human needs. Just as he used unclean birds to sustain life, so he will use an unjust crucifixion to bring redemption. Jesus shows us the awesome heart of the God who speaks through the prophets and calls us all to trust in him. God does what he promises to do. That’s the message of the Bible. There is a simple pattern in verses 3…

Mar 01 2016
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Ministry distributing tens of thousands of Bibles in China where there’s a ‘thirst to learn more about Jesus’

By Sodwana Bay

Even though Christians are heavily persecuted in China, there has been a steady increase of Christianity in the country over the years. In fact, the ministry Bibles for China believes China is slowly shaping up to be one of the world’s most Christian nations. Bibles for China has been distributing Bibles in the Asian country for almost five years now, and they have already handed out tens of thousands of Bibles. Just last December, they were able to distribute 10,000 Bibles. “Constantly, we hear (the people) say to us, ‘This Bible will touch a generation for Christ because it will be shared with family and their families,’” Bibles for China’s Wendell Rovenstine told Mission News Network. “We feel sowing God’s Word in the interior part of China opens up a great opportunity for God to move.” Bibles for China plans to expand its mission by training local pastors to help spread God’s Good News. During their upcoming mission trip to China, the ministry’s representatives will be staying “one day longer with a pastor that is prepared and equipped.” “We have power point presentations that they can work from. The pastor is spending a day of just giving leadership principles from God’s Word,” shared Rovenstine. Bibles for China says there is a “thirst among the Chinese to learn more about Jesus Christ and develop a deeper relationship with Him.” This is why the ministry’s leaders are planning to raise enough funds to enable them to distribute Bibles written in China’s primary language, Mandarin. They said they have already partnered with 28 ministry organisations from different countries to achieve this goal. “He’s provided. We just thank Him and thank our partners that are going to Bibles for China’s website and accepting the leadership of the Lord to do what He calls them to do,” said Rovenstine.

Feb 22 2016
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Don’t believe everything you hear…

By Sodwana Bay

My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world. 1 John 4:1 MSG

Feb 18 2016
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Random Acts of Kindness Day and the refugee crisis

By Sodwana Bay

It seems as if every day is a different international awareness day of some sort. But, Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th February) is surely one that Christians can readily get involved in. Although, there is nothing random about the reasoning behind acting kind when it comes to Christianity. Kindness is an attribute that Jesus exhibited throughout his life and a characteristic that he taught his followers to adopt (John 13:34-35). As Christians, we endeavour to be more like Christ – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12-14). And we seek opportunities to show others kindness because we recognise the incomparable love and kindness that God has shown each and everyone of us. But, despite being aware of Christ’s example, we can all identify occasions where we could have been kinder. And sometimes, if we get caught up in the busy nature of our lives or overwhelmed by the amount and extent of suffering in the world, finding more ways to show kindness can be challenging. The current refugee crisis has captured the attention of Christians around the globe. But with such a wide-reaching tragedy which affects countless individuals, how can we extend kindness to refugees? Donate If your church is collecting donations for refugees, this is a straightforward way to contribute. Although money and material donations are essential in helping refugees, time is also an incredibly valuable gift. Donating your time to help with anything from teaching English classes to assisting with the completion of legal documents, is another way in which you can help. Pray There is great power in prayer so it makes sense that we can often feel a great need to pray when we feel powerless. Why not add a section on the current plight of refugees into your next prayer? Petition Christian charities and organisations are regularly campaigning for the government to change laws to lessen the plight of refugees and asylum seekers, but they need their supporters to add their voices to truly be heard. This is a relatively simple way to show kindness, but it can be very effective. It can also lead to a better understanding of the situation. It’s not just refugees and asylum seekers that can benefit from acts of kindness, the examples above could also be adapted to help the homeless, the elderly and anyone in need.