Your Condition Is Not Your Conclusion by Tj Tshepang Jan Manyaka

Your Condition Is Not Your Conclusion - By Tshepang Jan Manyaka

      A friend of mine called me and said “Tj, I am in a lot of mess and I don’t think I am going to make it through this storm”, (Paused for while) my answer was “don’t let what you going through define the outcome of what you going through, you define the outcome by your attitude towards what you going through.”

         I was also directed to the scripture James 1:2-3 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” I have shared a series sermon on the book of James and more specifically on this verse but the way I saw it lately just astound me. The impression I got from this verse is thus “We in our situations, conditions, or circumstance for a season and also for a reason” sometimes it feels like what we going through is forever and no reason for what we going through. But that is a lie from the enemy because James clearly states that “when you find yourself in various predicament, know that it is for the testing of your faith, and your faith producing a fruit” (paraphrased). Predicament are not there to kill you but to benefit your faith but that will be determined by whom you direct your faith to when storms comes. 

      The book of Romans also highlights this , Romans 8:28” And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Paul here also communicates the same concept that we all go through predicaments for a season and a reason and they all work together for good.

As I read these verses (Romans 8:28/James1:2-3 ), I realized also that MY CONDITION IS NOT MY CONCLUSION, There is something out of the storms we going through, It is either we grow strong in them or weak and timid in them. I  READ a very powerful story in the book of John 5: 1-6 about a man who was an invalid (paralyzed) for thirty eight years, I loved these following verses “Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. ⁵ One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

      Verse (6a) “when Jesus saw him” See we don’t serve a blind God but we serve a God that sees and able to work with us in our conditions.

Verse (6b) “and knew that he already been there a long time” nobody told Jesus what this man was going through and how long he has been in this condition. He knows what we going through and definitely knows how long we been through our storm, and he is asking us a simple question that needs a yes or no from us, the question He asked the invalid guy; “ Do you want to be healed/well?”  Its God desire to see us well, what is going to be your answer? God is asking us if we want to be well in our condition, He wants to walk with us in our condition, He wants to be there with us… Jesus was saying to this invalid man I know you have been in this condition for a long time(season) but the is reason for your season, it’s for me(God) to display my glory. 

Three Kind of People- By Tj Tshepang Jan Manyaka

Three kinds of people - bY Tj Tshepang Jan Manyaka

- People who are in a situation
- Those who about to get into a situation
- Those who about to get out of a situation
What I have realized with these three groups is that it affects all of us, we all somehow go through these stages, no matter the status, race or religion you believe in. Sometimes we don’t understand why we find ourselves in a “SITUATION”-(A set of circumstance/condition in which one finds oneself IN), some we intentionaly find ourselves in them some are unintentional.
But I just want to encourage someone today and say to you “YOUR CONDTION, SITUATION, OR CIRCUMSTANCE IS NOT YOUR CONCLUSION”

And you might be at your work place, @home , @school and saying “ Tj you don’t understand what I am going through, I am overwhelmed by what I am going through, you have it all going accordingly for you” But let me break it down to you I might not understand, actually I don’t have to because I sometimes find myself chocked by what I am going through as well,,, but I am so glad I have He who is bigger than what I am going through and He promised that He will deliver me from what I am going through.

My friend you see if you can only believe God like a little child believes in his father, doubting your doubt than doubting your faith in God who has everything under control. The problem is thus we fail God when we insist on shouldering our burdens instead of giving them to the Lord. Only God can deliver us, and He wants us to know that. In every situation, He wants us to first humble ourselves and then throw off the cares and worries the devil tries to lay on us. It is possible-in fact, it’s an order. I want to encourage you to place yourself totally into God’s hands and allow Him to be the Manager of your life.

#meditating verses for the week (1 Peter 5:6-7/ 2 Corinthians 12:9)

Prayer:
- Dear heavenly Father, I thank you. Even before the problems come, You have told me how to defeat situations I find myself in. You have also given me your own example of defeating circumstances. In your name, Lord Jesus, teach me to humble myself and to cast all my cares and concerns on you. AMEN!