Beads of Life

Luke teaches us

2011-09-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

LUKE 12:35-40

Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! ³⁹ But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Expanding on Vs 35:

Be dressed (let your loins stay girded) à you have to put on garments, you have to get ready and you need to spend time getting ready. You have to dress appropriately for the occasion. There is an event to look forward to. How do you prepare and what do you wear?

You have to prepare your mind for action (1 peter 1:3). Now the things in the mind are as a result of your thoughts so you gotta align your thoughts with what you want to do.(romans 12:2, philippians 4:8)

Then you have to put on the breast plate of righteousness and belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14). There is a call to holiness and purity, to walk in integrity. Live a life that pleases God and strive to be Holy as He is Holy. Let the things you speak be edifying.

Ready for service (ready for action) à now this is the occasion for which you are getting ready. It is a very active phase and for action you need energy, you need to be in good shape (eyesight, knowledge, battle tactics and strategy, muscle strength ...they all need to be on point)

So therefore you need to have your lamps shining à we need light to illuminate the darkness, to be able to see cos the Son of Man is coming like a thief in the night. You need to be able to tell your own fellow soldier from the enemy. You need to know where to step, light illuminates your path. This light is the Word of God (psalm 119:105). It will energise you and give you the most up-to-date and specific information you need for action!

The lamp will not give out light if it is not filled. This then means that we need to fill our lamps with oil. The Oil is the Spirit of God. We need to be close to him, ready to act on his every word. Walking in the spirit will come through praying the spirit and diligently studying the word of God. We must become best friends with Him. Now if we are wise, we will fill our lamps way before He comes! (Matthew 25:7) that way we have stored up enough to get through the darkness ahead.

So be ready, Pray and Keep watch (Matthew 25:13). Don’t be caught sleeping i.e don’t slack in your spiritual life, you must be on the ball continuously so you are not caught off guard. The devil is not sleeping so why should we? He is Looking for whom he many devour, He is looking for a point of weakness in you. If you give him a little loophole, he is going to take full control of you and oppress you. Now you choose...Staying awake to wait for the Master who is coming to show you Love or satisfying your flesh and sleeping to meet an end of oppression?

...The love of God is like the ocean,you can see its beginning, but not the end. :-)

Demolition

2011-04-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Crunch.Crunch. The sound of my soles against the scattered debris. I manage to make it to the entrance of the house. The Door; hanging on a half broken hinge joint covered in scars from years of insult. Meticulously, I lift it aside making a way for entry. I come to an old lounge; fraying curtains and tattered carpets. Everything is worn out. The carpet is blood stained; evidence of repeated violence, hatred and injury. The curtains are blacked out completely; no light getting through into the home. In the far corner of the room, there is a wilting green plant. It’s seen the repercussions of years without water, sunshine or nutrients. Adjacent to the plant pot is a little white door. The golden door knob seems to be the only source of light in the house, resting against a nice sanded and white coloured door. If I didn’t know where I was, I would say that the door was brand new! It stood out in a house that was falling apart. Curiosity beckoned out to me, drawing me in a step at a time.

An empty room lay before me. Clean and spotless except for the cobwebs hanging from the corners of the ceiling. A chair sat in the middle of it. This was no ordinary chair, it looked like it belonged to someone of high prestige – like a throne made ready for a king. The head rest made with gold, encrusted with diamonds. The arm rests were purely gold, shaped into two lions. But something was still odd about the room. Black bin bags were lined behind the chair containing all sorts of junk: magazines, time tables, old phones, letters and an endless display of items.

“Miss! We are about to bring the house down!!” a very loud voice yelled behind me.

My search through this room came to a sudden halt as I ran through the house making a quick exit. I tried to find the Construction worker that had just alerted me but smoke was everywhere. I was semi-blinded and the smell of toxic fumes made my eyes water. Through the fog, I saw the silhouette of a man. Machines were rearing up to go; drills were poking away at the ground.

“Why is the house being broken down?” I shouted through the noise

“Because the owner finally accepted that it’s time for a renovation.” He stated calmly, with a sort of smile that expressed his contentment with the decision.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What? What was that all about? I hear you ask. Let me explain the metaphors in the short story above. We are all born with a vacuum in our hearts. If you think of the keyhole on your door, it’s a certain shape right? You have a key designed to fit that hole perfectly which then opens it. It’s the same idea with this vacuum in our hearts. We have a hole that is God-shaped. That’s just the architecture of us human beings. This is a truth that many people don’t know till they’ve tried to fill it with a million other things. A triangular block is never gonna fit into a circular hole. That space is designed for God and He does want to fill it but often we clog it up with other things.

The little room with the white door and golden knob can be liked to vacuum in our hearts for God. If we fill it in with Junk, We displace God from his place. A room embellished with cobwebs is not fit for king, I mean really; it’s not even fit for anyone. I’m sure you would go into house that was liked that, it’s just too creepy and it shows it’s dirty and unkept.

The Little room in the story was however in a process of being cleaned out. It was clean apart from the cobwebs and bin bags. Some of the items in the bag exemplify some of the things that can take fill up our minds leaving no room for God. You can read an awful lot of junk in magazine which triggers a chain of thoughts that will probably lead you to carry out the wrong action. Timetables: we can be so busy with school, jobs or just what we have to do in the day that we are stressed up and tied down.

Letters: our conversations with people. What are we saying? Are the things coming out of our mouths pure, holy and of good report? [Philippians 4:8]. And how much time are we spending on facebook, twitter, skype, on the phone and so on?...do we talk and talk till we are so tired that we can’t say hello to God in the day?

I’m not even trying to point a finger here cos I’m included. I know how many times I’ve been on the phone for soo long that when I get off, I’m too tired to read my bible or pray so I just end up sleeping.

But we all through processes where we are cleaning out that room. We start off on the journey fine but somewhere along the line we trip up and fall. Hey! We are not perfect. The most important things is that we don’t stay down but get up and continue on the journey. You may have to clean out that space for God several times but each time confess your faith knowing who you are in Christ. You have been set free!

The green wilted plant – the Holy spirit. Who is he and what does He do? He breathes life into you [Genesis 2:7]. I like to think of him as a compass or for the very modern minds, a ‘sat-nav!’ He gives directions, guiding you into the TRUTH [John 16:13] and He reveals to us the mind of God. If you knew what God thought about what you were doing and where you are going, you’re pretty much sorted don’t you think? You wouldn’t have to second guess anything ‘cos you know His thoughts exactly.

But How does He speak to you tho? Your conscience mainly! He makes the Word of God LIVING hence why we say The Living bible. The Word of God is able to divide your soul and spirit, it can penetrate the heart; it can CHANGE you! It’s that sharp! [Hebrews 4:12]

There’s also your spirit Man which needs to grow and be nourished as well. That’s why you need to constantly read the Bible. Think of what not eating for a week could do to you. Yet often, we find ourselves not reading the Bible for days and weeks. Just Like the plant, it will start to wilt if it didn’t receive nutrients. It needs light, it needs oxygen. Ever read the bible and just felt on top of the world? Maybe because you’ve read something that’s just dispelled a dark cloud of fear and all of a sudden you can see the light and feel its warmth. It’s a breath of fresh air!

Coming back to the appearance of the house, we notice that the door is not shut properly ‘cos it’s nearly broken. It’s also got a lot of marks in it. Think of this as your heart. A half closed door would have a loop hole where anything could just be let through. And maybe it’s like that for some of us. Life never quite goes the way we plan or expect. We may have suffered from lies and betrayal, bruised by hurtful words, shattered by loss and pain and in the end we are left with scars to show for it. But it’s not the end. There is a God who can heal. He has got so much skill; like the master Cardiac surgeon he can give you a new heart. The scars may remain just as a reminder of where you’ve been and how you have progressed but without the pain. You’ll have a completely new attitude!

The black curtains represent where we are holding grudges and hardened our hearts. Unforgiveness prevents a lot of good things from reaching you. It’s the only poison that kills the giver as opposed to the receiver. It does nothing for you! It takes you further from God, you’re constantly on so-pissed.com and people want to avoid you for that; it’s like you carry a negative energy with you. Now, I’m not saying it’s easy to forgive. Trust me, it’s hard but that’s why you need God’s help to do it. Ask Him to help you and you’ll be amazed when you notice one day that no longer feel anger towards a certain person. :-)

And for the gruesome bit…not really! Lol. Blood stained carpets – our sins that warrant Jesus’s blood to be shed. So we’ve all done wrong…yeah, not a surprise. The famous saying goes “to err is human!”. We all individually struggle with different things. It’s a constant battle really. We sometimes do the things that we don’t want to do, Uncle Paul even confirms with me on this: [Romans 7:19]. We’ve probably been in that place where you confess the same sin over and over again.

I’m not in anyway saying it’s ok to do wrong, nah…it really ain’t! however when you do, please don’t just sit there and cry and feel sorry for yourself. Maybe you feel terrible and make yourself feel guilty but really? Does it work?... Don’t focus on it, it’s not gonna help you. You should focus on Jesus instead. If you spend more time confessing your faith – confessing that God empowers your life – you’ll need less time confessing your sins. We are no longer slaves to sin and through Christ we can do all things!

Ephesians 4:23 – be made new in the attitude of your minds. You make something new by renovation. Renovation is a process, it doesn’t just happen overnight. The Bible is the plumb-line for our lives. It tells us if we are a straight, integral structure or if we are skewed and about to fall off the foundation. We can evaluate our choices, decisions, thoughts and actions against the truth of God’s word.

God wants to begin that process with you today. You may Know Him already but you feel you’ve been off track lately or you may not know Him at all. IN any case, He is waiting with arms open wide to welcome you home. He wants to demolish the lies you have believed for so long, the old values you have held onto and the beliefs that have shaped your behaviour this far.

With the power of His word, He will change your mind. Every action starts with a thought. A change in your mind, will affect the way you think and therefore impact on the way you act! Once the demolition is complete, He’ll begin to renovate your life.

We all want to change, we all want to be better people. But at times it feels like you’ve come to the end of your rope. You just don’t know what to do from here and your life feels out of control. But there’s Hope! We have hope in Christ [1 Timothy 1:1] The fact that God sent a saviour means we need one. He wouldn’t just waste energy or effort on things that are unnecessary.

The question now is: Would you accept His invitation? Are you willing to allow this renovation take place in your life?

...The love of God is like the ocean,you can see its beginning, but not the end. :-)

In the Cave

2010-08-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

We all go through Hard times. It energises some of us and propels us forward while it paralyses others and stops them in their tracks! Imagine you've been a high achiever all your school days, you graduated with a 1st class degree, you now got a good job. You have a good friendship network, and you're preparing to get married soon. All of a sudden, life turns on you. Everything that used to go well doesn't anymore.

There's someone who can relate to this in the Bible - David!

David had everything going for him. Samuel anointed him to be king; he defeated Goliath; Saul chose him as a musician and warrior; the army loved him and wrote songs about him. THEN his life fell apart. He lost his job and his marriage failed; Samuel his old mentor died; his best friend Jonathan couldn't help him, and Saul's soldiers hounded him until he had to hide in a cave.

At some point we all do time in the cave! It's where you end up when all your earthly supports are gone. It's where you learn important things about yourself that you can't learn anywhere else. It's where God does some of His best work in moulding you into the likeness of Christ.

It's where your worst inadequacies confirm that you're out of your depth, and where God sends His power to flow through your weakness.

When David prayed, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living,' he had no way of knowing there was a crown in his future, or that he wasn't going to die in hiding. For all he knew, this cave he was in right now might be as good as it gets.

When you're in a situation you can't fix, can't change and can't escape, trust God! Trust God! Trust God! As long as your sense of security is tied solely to your success, it'll always be fragile. But when you know that God is with you even at your lowest point, you can handle the cave and come out stronger!

- Adapted from UCB Word for you today

It's in the Cave, where the mirky waters threatens to swallow us and the echoes of silence haunt us; where the ropes of loneliness and starvation tie us down and the darkness completely obscures our visison...it is there and then that we need to Completey TRUST God, taking refuge in Him.

Psalm 142: 5 - I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."

...The love of God is like the ocean,you can see its beginning, but not the end. :-)

It's all in The BOOK

2010-08-02T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Greatest Book ever written. It's Author is the Almighty omniscient God. With only 66 books - 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament - it covers all situations in Life. Yet somehow, we never manage to ever 'finish' reading it.

You could read the Bible for a lifetime and not 'scratch the surface'.

There's no other book Like it. Here's an excerpt from 'UCB Word for you Today':

"There's an aura the Bible generates that no other book does. Martin Luther said, 'The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.' Try laying a newspaper on your table at a restaurant and no one will give you a second look. But lay your Bible on it and they'll stare at you, watch you chew your food, and maybe even take a note of your licence plate when you get into your car. That's because the Bible creates a sense of God's presence that forces a reaction in the hearts of men and women.

We are changed as we read it. Our core values are altered, peace enters our spirit, joy wells up within our heart. 'The Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us to what we really are' (Hebrews 4:12 )."

"...but the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you". 1 Peter 1:25

The Word Is Alive and when it goes out it stands; it has to accomplish something so it would not return back to God void. The answers you need are in your Bible, so make it part of your everyday life. It's our manual for daily living, it's all in The Book! We just need to make time to study it. Now i don't mean a quick glance while you're in a hurry to get somewhere. you need in-depth studying, pondering on what you have read, searching the scriptures ... You need understanding!

Acts 17:11 "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

...The love of God is like the ocean,you can see its beginning, but not the end. :-)

James Says II

2010-07-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Carrying on with my previous Post on the lessons from James 1, i'll just be talking about the other half of the chapter that has to do with acting on the word of God.

Verse 19-20 of James 1 advises that "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, /for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires".

This here, is a key basic message for use in relationships. It's all about communication, anger only complicates things. We have 2 ears to listen and just 1 mouth to use in speaking so we should listen twice as much as we talk. Notice it also says be SLOW to speak and become angry.

Everytime, somebody says something that annoys you, notice how your anger soars to a 100% and you utter some harsh words without even thinking about it; almost like a reflex action. You need to spend time listening and processing your thoughts so you don't say things that will rip someone to pieces. Words tend to be ingrained in our hearts and minds, they cannot be taken back.

James goes on to say that we should " get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you". further on in the passage, we can not do this by only listening to the Word of God --> that's just deceit! deceit to ourselves.

The bible says study to show yourself approved of God. By default, we are sinful beings and evil desires that are part of our nature lead to sin. So therefore we need to train our minds how to think and what to think on. As a man thinks in his heart so is he. What you think is what you become!.

The Word of God keeps us from sin, as David rightly said in Psalm 119:11 "your word have I hidden in my heart that I may Not sin Against you". When there is something good stored in our hearts, we can then compare our actions against what's been saved as our standard to determine if it's right or wrong. That way we'll always be on track.

Philippians 4:8 " whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things". The things which meet these criteria are all found in the Word of God so we need to study it, meditate on it... Let it become a part of you! Live and breathe the Word.

Now let's talk a bit about controlling your tongue! the tongue is a sensitive yet strong organ, used to prepare food for chewing and swallowing, it's primary function is taste and more importantly it forms our speech.

The Bible says life and death are in the power of the tongue - Proverbs 18:21

We need to be careful what we say. like i said before, the words you speak can make or break someone. On a more serious note, it can make the difference between you improving your life and you tearing your life down.

With your mouth, you can speak things in to existence as though they already existed. So even when the sky is dark and grey and there seems to be no way ahead of you, still speak positively! Afterall, what you're seeing is NOT what you WANT to see. (i hope. :p)

Anger is another thing that makes us spiral out of control and just say the next thing that pops into our heads. Now check yourself, If you are always so angry that nothing can contain you or you don't just know why you get so mad at times...Know it's not of God, something is definitely not right. God is love and as a christian you should display the fruits of the Spirit which include LOVE and Self Control. So if these two are missing, then you need to go on a self - exploratory journey with Jesus.

If I choose to speak positively but I think differently in my heart, is that OK?

In James 1:7 -8 it says that a double-minded man should not expect to receive anything from God.

David also says in psalm 19:14 "let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight O Lord" Not only should our words be right before God but our heart has to be int he right condition too. Remember in Genesis when Sarah laughed. she didn't actually laugh out loud, She did so in her heart but God saw it. God sees our heart so it always has to be in check!

A few closing words: Remember that the Bible is our spiritual food. We need to feed on it everyday pretty much in the same way as you would eat regular food daily. Use the Word of God as a mirror , checking your life is in line with it.

'Man shall not live by bread alone' was what Jesus said to Satan when He was tempted. This statement suggests that if we don't live by the Word, we are dying. Of course you're not going all wrinkly and running out of breath; it's not a physical death but a spiritual death.

Rightly divide the Word of God. Get it into manageable chunks that is easy for you to learn. It doesn't have to be a boring read you know, dig deeper and you'll find interesting things that you may have missed even after reading that verse a million times!

The times we are in calls for seriousness with the Bible! We need the WORD a lot more than our own experiences. The Devil knows a lot more than we do, do not be deceived into thinking otherwise!

Stay Blessed!

...The love of God is like the ocean,you can see its beginning, but not the end. :-)

James says

2010-07-06T05:09:00.000-07:00

Some of you will remember the game 'Simon says' where whatever was said according to "Simon" had to be done. Now we're just gonna put a spin on that and call this James says.
Rather than being a game, we're gonna take lessons from the Book of James in the Bible. Hopefully we'll be acting out what it says! Let's go.

James 1 talks a lot about faith and how it develops in 'trials and tribulations'. It also talks about God's Word i.e. the Holy Bible and advises us to not only listen but to act on the word that we hear.

According to Hebrews 11:1 "... faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". So now imagine you're standing on a broken bridge at point A, there's a gulf below you and thick looming fog in front of you. your vision is slightly obscured and you cannot see the other end of the broken bridge, point B. however you know that the other end of that bridge does exist.

If we translate that to mean that point A is where you are now (in life, in your career, in your education, in your relationships) and point B is where you hope to be then faith can be seen as that connecting rope that links the two points!
The only thing that connects you here and now to what is ahead which you have no clue about is your faith.

Faith is important because without it we cannot please God. But what does it do for our friends? our brothers and sisters? Faith reproduces hope in others. The Little things about your journey is important to someone else. The testimony you share at the end is great and it will encourage someone out there but it only shows them the finished the result.

When you tell them your 'faith-story', detailing every challenge in the journey, people start to nod their head with you saying "I can identify with that" or "if he could do that then it means I can do it too" or "If she could get through that then there's hope for me, I'm gonna reach for the light at the end of the tunnel".

"But is it ok to just sit there and do nothing since I have faith?" I hear you ask.
The answer is NO. The Bible says that faith without works is dead. For example, you can have faith that you are gonna ace your exam but you also gotta put the work in by studying for it! Faith admits that 'I'm not meant to understand things like God does so I leave it all up to HIM'

Faith says I'm seeking God first even though i'm worried about this and that. it says Let your will be done First!. We have to trust God that He is faithful to complete the work He began In us.

We also have to recognise that when God does not give us something, He has greater plans. He's taking you to a higher level. One thing that I have found is that God doesn't do things in stages...it's not like climbing stairs, going a step at a time. No. You may find that He could lift you from the bottom of the stairs and place you midway to the top.

That's something that depends on how long we've spent kneeling in His presence, building our relationship with him and allowing Him to chisel away our rotten, roughened edges.

Our relationship with Him is personal and Through various experiences Our faith is strengthened. Things happen for a reason, but a lot of the time we are so caught up in our feelings about the pain, the loss, the impact that we don't see outside the box. Seek for a reason.

Maybe you're where you are because of someone or something. You may Plan to go through a certain route but God takes you through a different one because He wants you to encourage somebody that day.
Ever thought of the friends you have and how you came to know them? Imagine if you weren't where you where that day, you probably would have never become friends!

"The testing of your faith brings about perseverance.Let your perseverance grow that you may be perfect and complete needing nothing - James 1:3-4"

...The love of God is like the ocean,you can see its beginning, but not the end. :-)

The Church: a building vs. people

2010-06-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

[To those of you who may not know this, the church is not a brick building but WE are the CHURCHES]. - Mali music Cry out loud

The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of people.

Ironic how people usually respond with ‘I go to this Church or that church’ when asked the question “what church do you attend?” Obviously from their answer, it is clear that they are identifying with a building.
Romans 16:5 “Likewise greet the church that is in their house…..” Paul refers to the church in their house - not a church building, but a body of believers.

Ephesians 1:22-23. The church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head.

So now what is the purpose of the Church?

Last time I sat to think and look carefully, all I saw was:
• A church where People were concerned about the numbers in the church, wanting the church to grow but going about it in the wrong way. The members are NOT projects, they are people so if they are nurtured properly maybe they’ll stick around.
• Churches being compared, saying who played music the best or who had more numbers, which church looked the nicest
• Church politics; this lady can’t be choir leader ‘cos she’s knew or I have more ‘holy spirit’ than she does
• Animosity; Sheila hates the pastors wife (may I add for no reason!) or Lisa does not talk to Ben because xyz happened
• Individual focused; we only care about what ‘I’ am going through that we fail to see that the Mrs Jones hasn’t been coming to church because her child is ill. Instead we judge.
• Very judgemental – the ‘elders’ look down on single mothers or the brother who drinks. Sometimes we are so blinded by self righteousness that we fail to see those who are broken and are in desperate need of help. They are probably in church ‘cos they need your help but instead you pour judgement on their head! :-(

BUT why? How has the Church – The Body of Christ – gone from caring, loving, teaching and encouraging it’s members and trying to get sinners saved TO a place of pretence??

Like the video above says, the Church is YOU! We make the church. People out there are watching us, watching our lives, seeing how we behave. They are looking for something different, something that makes us so called ‘Christians’ stand out. Our lives are open books that people read daily! We ought to be a mirror to reflect the life of Jesus Christ but sadly when people look into the mirror of some of our lives’, they see things that equate their situation or make it worse.
Now tell me, if you had a bike that could get you to work just in time and bring you back home everyday although you had to pump the tyres every morning, would you trade it for one that’s in the same condition but in a different colour? Would you exchange it for one that looks very pretty but doesn’t even move? Of course NOT, you wouldn’t!

This is how it is with those who are lost in the world and The church. Christians are being watched. People don’t see anything different in our lives so they think why should I come to church? Why should I become a Christian?

We are doing them a great injustice by not letting our light shine. The fact that we have Christ or claim to have Him, should make all the difference in our lives! 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

The Church is important, because God does not save people in isolation. God most often reaches us through other people. An important part of what needs to be restored is our relationship with other people.

Mother Theresa's statements about seeing God in the poor are just one example of a more general Christian principle. Because a large part of our problem is self-centeredness, a large part of the remedy is to learn to depend upon other people, to represent Christ to them and allow Christ to speak to us through them.

The Church is also the group with which we worship; the people we worship with. As such it has the responsibility to preach the Word of God and to administrator the sacraments [the foundational things that make us Christians e.g Holy Communion, baptism, Child dedication/Christening, marriage e.t.c]. These are critical elements in maintaining our fellowship with God and each other.

The Church also has a responsibility to encourage its members to make spiritual progress, and to show their Christian faith by their behaviour and their good works. This responsibility includes correcting others in Love. We need to be careful about carrying this out as it is very, very easy for Church discipline to lead to self-righteousness and intolerance.

I was reading the Word for You today and here’s what it says:

"People come to church looking for light and warmth! They want to know we care. Good preaching and music may bring them in, but relationships that nurture will keep them coming back. You can feel lonely in a crowd, even one that preaches love and has a 'greet your neighbour' moment in every service.
If we kept 10% of those who came through our church doors we'd be in constant growth mode.”

We can’t expect everyone to be friendly. People bring with them the wounds of their past, the struggles of their present, and the unspoken anxieties of their future. People have their baggage so we gotta be friendly first!

“What they want to know is, 'Will you love me as I am, even if I don't fit your mould and change as quickly as you'd like me to?' Often our rigid structure keeps that from happening. Pastor, if your greatest concern on Monday is 'how many people did we have in church yesterday?' check your heart. You may be more concerned with your own image than meeting people's needs. Jesus told His disciples, '...I have called you friends...' John 15:15. Many people are shy, distrusting, and relationally impaired. Our mandate is to make 'friends' out of them, not just bench warmers and financial contributors. The Scripture says, 'Bear one another's burdens...' Galatians 6:2 because a burden shared is a burden lightened.

Many of those who come to church aren't looking for profound answers, they just want to feel cared for.
When that happens they open up to God's love and miracles take place.”

In summary, The church is not a building or a denomination. It is the people and as The body of Christ we should be able to apply the principles of 1 Corinthians 12: encouraging, teaching, and building one another up in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the place where we show LOVE and Care for one another; where we meet the needs of the needy just like Jesus would have done if He was here in His physical body.

...The love of God is like the ocean,you can see its beginning, but not the end. :-)

Crucifixion - The Doctor's perspective

2010-04-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

What is the Crucifixion??....

.....Well Here's how a doctor describes it....

"As He slowly sags down...on the nails in the wrists, excruciating pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain; the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid stretching torment, He places the full weight on the nails through his feet. Again He feels the agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of the feet. As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain.

With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath...hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber.

Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over; the loss of tissue fluids reaches a critical level; the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues; the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air.

He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissue...finally He can allow his body to die."

The Bible records it as concisely as possible in these words: 'And the crucified Him..... - Mark 15:24'

....How great the Father's love for us?...

He showed His love by acting it out on the cross. Thank You Jesus.

Happy Easter! Hope you Feel the Love of Christ and Share it also.. Stay renewed!

...The love of God is like the ocean,you can see its beginning, but not the end. :-)

Self Control

2010-01-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

People with self control:

Master their moods - a lot of the things that gets done in the world is accomplished by people who do the right thing even though they don't feel like it!

"A person without self control is like a city with broken down walls - Proverbs 25:28"

Watch their words - they put their mouths in gear before taking off.

"Be careful what you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself - Proverbs 13: 3"

Restrain their reactions - can you withstand a lot without losing your cool?

"If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it - Proverbs 19:11"

Stick to their schedule

- determine how you'll spend your time or else others will spend it for you. "be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise -making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil - Ephesians 5:15-16"

Manage their money - they learn to live on less than they make and invest the difference. your budget should tell your money where to go rather than you wondering where it went!

"In the house of the wise are stores of choice foods and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has- Proverbs 21:20"

Maintain their health - with healthy body, you can attain greater heights and live to enjoy your achievements. "Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body - 1 Thessalonians 4:4"

...It takes more than just will power to have long lasting self control; It takes a power greater than yourself... "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control - 2 Timothy 1:7"

.."All things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

Unforgettable to God

2009-12-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Bible repeatedly says to "serve the Lord with all your heart". God wants you to serve Him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve Him and others.

One characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness: whenever you do what God has wired you to to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives Perfection.
In serving God with all your heart, you are obeying Him. Obedience is better than sacrfice and your obedience willl go down in His books!

To make a mark with God, you also have to please Him. And you can only please Him by faith. Faith is having confidence in God.
When you victoriously exude your anticipation of miracles, God is pleasured and you will be remembered for the pleasure you created.

Don't settle for achieving the "good life", because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn't satisfy. You can have a lot to live on and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for the "better life" -- Serving God in a way that expresses your heart.

Figure out what you love to do- that which God gave you a heart for and then do it for His Glory!

Have a Splendid New year!!...Expect Great things from God.

Romans 12: 6-11 "We have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If a man's gift is prphesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith............Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord"

.."All things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

Between Egypt and Canaan

2009-12-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

The road of life is a very long one. Between where you came from (Egypt) and where you are going to (Canaan), there will be temptations. You will always be in a new environment where there are many choices: to speak that profane language, to lie at work and cheat your boss, to just blend in with the crowd!

The thing is you just gotta stand out! The bible reminds you not to take on the customs of the Canaan you are going to! Their rules should not rule your life....
...rather, look to your amkeer in Heaven..Follow his rules, live by his law...let the word of God be your number one prophet!

Be alert for temptations and traps, do not conform to the world's standards.

The reward is that you will live- live victoriusly!!

Leveticus 18:3 -5 " you must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep my decress and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord"

.."All things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

Dating

2009-11-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

Coming from an African Background, I have found that Parents refuse you from going into any relationship at all because obviously they think it will end in sexual morality but what if you really like someone and you want to just have that person thinking of you and you thinking of them?

A lot of my friends have been baffled at this no dating rule because if you don't date someone, how do you get to know them and choose the right lifetime partner?

But also there is the mentality that going out with too many guys cheapens you and makes you the less preferred choice for marriage.

What does the bible actually say about dating?
Is there an age range that determines your suitability to date?

What does abstinence involve? (obviously sex before marriage is A NO-NO but then the other little things people do..does that contribute to sin or is it ok?)

People need to know what is right and what is wrong and at the moment people are living in grey zones....

I hope God shed light on this topic for us all.

Do comment and share your own thoughts as to what you think The Christian stance is on this!

God bless.

.."All things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

Will the Real Christianity please stand up!?

2009-10-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10lue7bhcK0

Stay blessed all!

.."All things are possible with God." - Mark 10:27

Fully armoured for battle

2009-10-03T03:26:00.000-07:00

There was a great uproar, in the valley of the Great Depression. One young soldier, covered in metal from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet, stood ready for battle. Today was one of many wars.

The moment of silence that elapsed between the two armies seemed eternal. The war horses, some grey and others black, mimicked the gloom of this unfortunate day.

Lloyd Baxter's heart was racing. The adrenaline flowing rapidly through every blood vessel in his body. He was ready.

That morning was like every other. He expected to go to battle and return home with the spoil; an honour to serve his country. The commander of the opposing army yelled: 'Attack!'
Lloyd and his infantry of soldiers charged into battle.

The clanking of swords to the puffs of men's breath could be heard across the vast land of the valley. Lloyd turned around and with such great force overthrew an oncoming soldier from his horse. He did not anticipate the attacker from his rear. In that split second, He felt a tear in his heart muscle. An arrow had narrowly missed the metal breastplate and landed in the slit in the middle instead.

This was the day...It was not expected...Lloyd Baxter did not anticipate it...he was not prepared for what caused His death that day.

..............................................
My pastor keeps saying that if the devil were to come to us in person and show himself as the devil, we would all not follwo him. We would not be tricked at all.
But the devil is a cunning serpent and we need the FULL armour of God to be able to identify his tricks!

Working downwards from head to toe:

For Defence

Helmet of Salvation- In a war, you need to protect your head. Your brain stays inside the head and this controls a lot of the things that happen in the body. carry your salvation on your head. remember that you are saved and are a child of God so if the enemy reminds you of your past, show him your helmet! use the authority that Christ has given you through salvation.

Breatsplate of righteousness - this potects your chest. When your chest has a lot of mucus which is sticky, it can easily become infected.this leads to lots of chest problems. With the breatplate of righteousness, you are having a clean start. You are to be holy as Christ is Holy. Going with a clear conscience means that the devil cannot accuse you of anything.

Shield of faith - faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the substance of things not yet seen. When you have faith in God, you will win every battle. trust Him, depend on him for victory and watch Him devour the enemy for your sake. The shield si there to protect yor heart from every arrow of fear the devil may throw your way!

Belt of truth - Belts are worn around the waist to support an item of clothing. When you go in truth, God supports you and the truth will set you free from every trap the enemy has set.

Gospel of peace - your feet have to be quick to spread the gospel around. It is a commandment given in th great commission and doing your assignment will expempt you from being held accountable.See to it that your brother, sister, neighbour or colleague has heard the gospel and/or is saved!

for offence (to be on the attacking side)

Sword of the spirirt (Word of God) - It's one thing to read the bible and another to memorise what is written within it. The cover of the Bible is not important, it's the words that are written inside that matters! learn a memory verse everyday if possible, those are the bullets you would use to shoot the devil when he shows up.

Peparation is the key! be ready always and stand firm.

May God empower us all to do just that.Amen!

"Put on the full armour of God so that you can fight against the devil's evil tricks" - Ephesians 6:11

The Lord is good all the time!

Thinking G-hopper style

2009-07-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

The grasshopper is a small insect which feeds mostly on leaves. It is so small that in comparison to the rest of the world it is insignificant.
The story written in Numbers 13 tells of the 12 men, each from one of the tribes of Israel, that were sent to check out the land of Canaan. Apart from Caleb and Joshua, all the others talked about how huge a task it was to overcome the giants in that city and take over the land. Caleb and Joshua on the other hand thought that they could overcome it.
This story gave birth to the term: 'grasshopper mentality' which means seeing yourself as though you were very insignificant, having a negative self-image and a low self-esteem.

Self image is the mental picture you create about yourself.
Thinking too small or having a grasshopper mentality is a sin. It is saying to God that His power is too small, that he is not able to do all things. We have the mind of the Christ and we were made in His image and likeness therefore we should see ourselves as Christ sees us. He has placed us a little above the Angels and has made us joint heirs to the throne...does that sound like someone who is insignificant?

The world should not see you by your history but by your destiny. The way you think affects who you become. Stinking thinking focuses on the things that can't be done rather than those that can be done~ it focuses on the negative reports rather than on your capabilities~ it causes you to exaggerate the situation and magnify the problem rather than see the bigness of your God.

The grasshopper mentality gives rise to

short-sighted vision - this occurs when you tend to settle for ordinary when you can be extra-ordinary! You have to see obstacles as opportunities and walls as open doors. Never think that you have to become the mistake you made in the past. God can separate what you did from who you are...and he has forgiven you for what you did, so let it go and move on.
doubt - this is split into worry, fear and apathy. Worrying about the things you cannot change does not help change it. Fear is an avenue for the devil to torment you when there really is no need for it and apathy is the sin of not expecting anything. Faith is the father of expectation and without faith it is impossible to please God! Don't expect to be at the same place in your relationship with God few years from now, expect more!!

Numbers 13: 31 - But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are."

If you can conceive that thought or idea then you can certainly achieve it. You are the image of God so see yourself through God's eyes. Think like the Prince or princess that God designed you to be and not like a Grasshopper!

The Lord is good all the time!

Shalom

2009-07-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

It is a word that Jewish people use to greet one each other. Shalom means peace, well-being and wholeness. This is used more commonly to mean peace....

What is peace? is it the gesture made with the fingers or the anti-nuclear symbol?

Is the peace that a white dove now signifies?

Peace is: freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity. ~ silence; stillness. ~ cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension.

This peace is the peace you get when the Lord is your shepherd

.....when you lie down in green pastures

.....when you walk by still waters

.....when His goodness restores your soul

.....when the love of the lord overshadows every seed of doubt

....when the enemy reminds you of your past and you remind him of his future

......knowing that when you take a step towards God, he takes one million steps towards you

.....knowing that even when you are going to a place you have never been before, he is with you

.....knowing that if He has promised it, He will never fail to accomplish it.

....knowing that after your tough labour, He can and will give you rest.

Your Heavenly father is called Jehovah-Shalom, that is 'The Lors is my peace'. The assurance is that God lives up to His name.

Jesus is the prince of peace, If you know Him then you peace!

"John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. "

The Lord is good all the time!

A lineage of grace

2009-07-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

It is a wonder how God chooses his people- the people he desires to use and work with to achieve His plans. So far from the study of the Bible all the people used by God have one thing in common: They all Lack PERFECTION!
At the start of their journey with God they are mere commoners but throughout their journey, they strive to reach perfection. The reason God is able to use us despite our backgrounds, our past and our sins is because of this thing called GRACE.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Take a look at the lives of these people and the lessons learnt from them:

Tamar (Genesis 38) -You may have been cheated but that is not the end.
Also if you believe in a loving God, He will turn your mourning into joy!

Rahab (Joshua 2 & 6) - Your past may have been messed up but God can give you a better future If you believe in Him.

Ruth (Ruth)- Be humble..Humility will open doors for you before Kings!
When you give up on your will and stop worrying about tomorrow, God will honour you.
Choose to help those who do not have over those that have.

Bathsheba ( 2 Samuel 11 & 12)- There should be absolutely no reason to commit adultery.
Every sin can be forgiven but cannot escape punishment.

Mary (Matthew 1)- God will honour you if you choose to bear the shame for HIM!

Then there's people like Paul.When He was still called Saul, he persecuted the Christians and there was a lot of blood on his hands.From the moment of his divine appointment with God, He never for once turned back..He allowed himself to be used of God always and He accepted God's forgiveness!.

Grace is abundantly available for you, you just have to take it and accept it.
Use it but don't misuse it!

The Lord is good all the time!

Spiritual Growth

2009-06-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

It had been 20 weeks, she could feel those tiny energetic feet kicking around. By 36 weeks, she knew there was definitely life in her; that baby was growing and soon it would outgrow the little accommodation it temporarily occupied and be ready to embrace the bigger world.

Growth is associated with changing phases; from one stage to another. Christians ought to grow too.

There's conception:this is the stage that results from intimacy between two people. There has to be a relationship between you and God.His love for you is clear but the question we need to ask ourselves is, how much do I love HIM?

You would spend time with someone you loved right?..then it should be exactly the same with God- spend time in prayer, meditate on His word, give Him your praise and worship Him!

Then next is forming: this occurs through the experiences you gain.Everything that happens to you, happens for a reason....God Knows exactly what you have you have to go through in order to produce the Character of Christ in you!

In Galatians 4:19, Paul writes " My little children, for whom I labour in birth again until Christ is formed in you"

...Paul was working hard, probably praying 24/7 for these people to ensure that they were Christ-like in the same way God will do whatever it takes to bring about the Character of Christ in you.

The final stage is pushing:When you commit to bringing forth what God has placed within you, you'll have to push against everything everybody ever did to you or said about you!God helps you to bring out that character but its up to you to push! You have to push against satanic attacks in all their form such as bad memories, low self esteem and feelings of worthlessness. The devil may have spent years pushing you aside, pulling you back and putting you down BUT today God is saying "I want to open you up, I want to empower you to give birth to what I've placed within you"

When a baby is born, everything in the family changes. The same is true for you. When you give birth to what God's placed within you, everything will be affected. God's blessings will overflow and touch every area of your existence..

The Lord is good all the time!

Listen to The Voice

2009-05-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hearing is one of the 5 major senses that we humans possess. We can listen to different sounds and voices. A lot of the time, we hear voices telling us we are not capable, voices that speak the negative. It's the voice of fear AND it doesn't play fair! It pulls the file on our past failures and preys on our deepest insecurities.

But there's another voice we can choose to listen to - God's! This voice speaks the Best things ever: "fear not, for i am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God.I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand- Isaiah 41:10"

To listen to this voice,we must really fine tune the station of our ears.The thing is all other sounds, noises and voices will still be in the background but attuning your ears to God's voice makes His voice louder than the rest.The reason being that you're so focused on what He is saying that nothing else matters.

To be successful in anything God call you to do, you must be sensitive to the Holy spirit within you and learn to recognise when He speaks to you through The Word.

When the pressure is on and you're tempted to move too quickly, He will say: "you shall not go out with haste..for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard- Isaiah 52:12"

When you're about to make a wrong turn or bad decision, He will remind you that: "In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps - Proverbs 16:9"

When you don't have the means to get the job done, He will whisper: "The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul in drought and strengthen your bones; you will be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail- Isaiah 58:11"

When you run out of answers and you don't know what to do, He will reassure you: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you and watch over you- Psalm 32:8"

When the load becomes too heavy to carry, you'll hear His voice saying: "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you, He will never let the righteous fall- Psalm 55:22"

Hearing God's voice may mean you have to sacrifice lesser things and tune out your voices, but you MUST do it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important than learning to recognise God's voice when He speaks to you.

The Lord is good all the time!

Joy of the Lord

2009-05-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

Some things make us sad while other things make us happy. However, the happiness we derive from the things of the world never seem to last.

One of the strategies the enemy uses to render a christian ineffective is to attack his/her joy!

When you're gloomy, it is difficult for your faith to work and produce results.Without that joy bubbling in you, the strength- spiritual energy to WIN in the market places of life won't be there.

The Bible says in Isaiah 12:3 it says that" therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation". Your faith prevails in an atmosphere of Joy! And if with joy, you draw water out of the well, it means that you will enjoy the benefits of Salvation.
Salvation is an all-encompassing word that refers to all the benefits that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ made available to the believer: Divine health, peace, prosperity, success and everything that is consistent with the glory-life.

There is joy that comes from the inner man.This kind of joy transcends physical circumstances; it's permanent and will keep a person strong and alive. That's why the bible says in Proverbs 17:22 " a happy heart is like good medicine but a broken spirit dries up the bones"

The Joy of the Lord is your strength so in the absence of Joy there is weakness! We have to therefore 'Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4)'.
Don't let anything steal our joy 'cos that's where your strength lies. It's only in an atmosphere of joy that the Holy Spirit can function and move mightily on your behalf.

Learn to laugh the enemy to scorn in the face of staggering oppositions!

".......the joy of the LORD is your strength- Nehemiah 8:10"

The Lord is good all the time!

Dishonouring God

2009-05-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

God has said that he will never share his glory with anybody.In addition, He said that man cannot have two masters, choose God or choose watever else (but obviously it would be a very good choice if you choose God!).

In 1Samuel 4, The Israelites went into battle with the Philistines. At the beginning, 4000 soldiers died.They Isrealites realised that they needed God so they brought the ark to the 'Hebrew camp'. However, the result was a shock: 30,000 more Israelite soldiers went down!!

Among the deceased were Eli's sons: Hophni and Phinehas.

Further in the story, we see that Eli died and Phinehas's wife also died. These two last deaths were strange because they occured when these individuals heard that the Lord's ark had been taken away.

There are important lessons here:

1. Tracking back to 1Samuel 2, we see that Hophni and Phinehas disrespected the offerings brought to God and God decided to take action. He said he would cut off the priesthood from Eli's family..(that explains their death. It also explains why Eli was not shocked at the news 'cos he knew what was coming, it was only a matter of time before it happend).Honour God with you words, actions and thoughts!

2. The total number of people that lost their lives was 34,004.This was all because of just 2 people! It tells us that In the body of Christ we are all one.The bible says that when a part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers. So we need to pray for each other.When you don't see someone in church for an 'eternity', pray for them 'cos if they are sinning, it might affect you!

3. The Isrealites knew they needed God to win.(they didn't in this case because God wanted his word concerning Hophnin and Phinehas to be fulfilled.).When you are in a tight corner and there's no way out, don't go asking people for solutions because "the arm of flesh will fail you" but rather go on your knees and seek God. He is "your present help in time of trouble"

4. In the old Testament days, It was certain that once you dishonour God you would die! But today, we live in a time of grace. We have a choice because Jesus dies for us. So if you choose life, you WILL have life and have it Abundantly!

The Lord is good all the time!

Appreciation

2009-04-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Eleanor went to bed at 11.00pm forgetting to turn the cooker off.The fire burned through out the night but the house didn't go ablaze.She woke up in the morning in a hurry upset that she didn't have time to eat..(i mean really? she couldn't even thank God for the miracle, for the protection from death, for the safe and sound sleep?)

Mike walked through the dark alleys of his neighbourhood on his way home.When he got home, he was angry at how much work he had to do and how there wasn't enough time to do this and that..(but he forgot that in the nearby alley, John got stabbed 7 times in the chest. A tab that led to the internal bleeding of his heart and ended in death)

Mary was always busy with her kids. She never had time to pray or thank God for even giving them to her.( Meanwhile her friend Josephine, was constantly complaining about her son doing drugs and smoking.she could never sleep at night because she never knew where her daughter was)

............................................................................................

We are who we are because the I AM made us so. We were made to give glory to God.All our worries were already taken on the cross by Jesus. So when we come to him, we should praise him and know that are burdens are on the shoulders of Jesus.

Be free in His presence! praise Him like you know. Bow before him, raise your hands, raise your voice in songs (no matter how bad you think you sound.lol)

It's the attitude that counts.When your heart is geared towards worshipping Him and praising Him, then you show your appreciation!

"you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body"- 1 Corinthians 6:20

The Lord is good all the time!

Happy easter

2009-04-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! hope you are having a wonderful Easter break.
I had a post for today but I've posted it on another blog and to avoid confusion, i would be grateful if you can view it here: http://www.poemspeaks.blogspot.com/

Celebrate HIS resurrection, remembering the unconditional love and the live that resulted from his death!

Love to all,
The poet's voice~~~

The Lord is good all the time!

The Great Exchange

2009-04-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

I exchange my weakness for his strength.
I exchange my weakness for his power.
I exchange my darkness for his light; my problems for his solution. I exchange my borders for his freedom.
I exchange my frustrations fro his peace.
I excahnge my turmoil for his calm; my hopes for his promises.
I exchange my afflictions for his knowledge; my doubt for his assurance.
I exchange my nothingness for his awesomeness.
I exchange the temporal for the eternal
I exchange the impossible for the possible!

.."who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.- 1Peter2:24"

The Lord is good all the time!

Protection - My bodyguard= God

2009-04-08T05:46:00.000-07:00

‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’- Matthew 4:6

Light the darkness

2009-04-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

The excitement, the adrenalin pumping.....the concert was getting better and better but suddenly, the lights go out.

It's pitch black and there seems no way out of this enclosed room.

The singer gives a weird order: everyone turn on you phones, let it light up this place!

One by one, lights came on and the darkness was lifted.

......................................................................................................................................

We need light in every area of our life.

I pray that God lifts the darkness of kidnap, of death, of sickness, of divorce and every evil thing that currently exists on our land!

May his love light our darkness.Amen.

The Lord is good all the time!

Crossing over

2009-03-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Crossing over is a song by Damita Haddon which i listened to recently and it ministered to me.Here is a snippet of the lyrics:

I never would have thought in a million years
Today would be the day that I would face my fears
I be looking down the corridors of a dark hall
Wondering how I lost it all
Done my back up against the wall

I can feel the air and it’s getting thin
And my eyes are getting dim
Find myself struggling to save my life
It’s too late ‘cause I see the light
I don’t have the strength anymore to fight

Even though I resurrect up on my feet
Everyday I’m dying so willingly
The more I learn to give up my selfish ways
Gotta get back to you the great
Serve you for the rest of my days

“Crossing Over” tells of a life in turmoil that has reached a breaking point and has no other choice but to surrender to God. Sometimes, we just struggle and struggle and keep struggling with life until we can fight no more. But why should it be that way when we can let go and let GOD!

We gotta get Back to God- the Great one, The Almighty, bearing in mind that to HIM are struggles are tiny and appear so insignificant before HIM.
Why be on the side battling with life, when you can be on the side where you sit and watch Him battle for you?

My message to you today is this: Cross over to the side of Jehovah!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.-Matthew 11.28"

The Lord is good all the time!

Light

2009-03-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

Far out in the Desert, high on a mountain peak...Alone in the desolate countryside.

Only in places like these can we sense the impct of a single star.

The brightest star aside our Sun is Sirius which is estimated to be 8.6 light-years from earth.

Amid the clutter of artificial hlow, Sirius is only dimly visible.Yet even though it is billions of miles away, it can penetrate darkness when seen against a purely black sky.

Then, add other stars. One by one, the impact accumulates and the light in the sky beocmes brighter. We are able to see clearly.

Light has an amazing impact. Light changes everything- our emotions, attitudes, the atmosphere, our perceptions andhow we view the world and events. When we are surrounded by light, we see more clearly and make better decisions.

But the absence of light- darkness- has the opposite effect. Darkness hided things. It blinds us!

It creates the illusion that our actions are invisible and that no one is watching. In darkness, we're more susceptible to temptation and it's harder to find our way.

Without Christ, we are all in spiritual darkness. but God has called His people out of darkness and into His marvelous light..We are called to shine that light and be a blessing for others.

Remember that you are the light of the world. People around you are living in darkness but you have what you need.

Let your light shine.

Join other believers to fulfill the Great Commission and beam light even more brightly to impact lives for Christ!

The Lord is good all the time!

Delayed blessings are dangerous

2009-02-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

I Samuel 1 tells us about the story of Elkanah and his wives Peninnah and Hannah.

Penninah had children and Hannah didn't however Elkanah loved Hannah more.
Penninah teased Hannah, never allowing an opportunity to hurt hannah slip by.

...BUT that drove Hannah to pray to the Lord!

The things I learnt from this are:

God Blessd hannah with only one Child but that one child became famous...Did u ever hear of penninah's children? but you heard of prophet Samuel right?

God blesses you in his own time, to bring glory to His name

God shows what He can do - He's all powerful, Almighty!

Delayed blessings bring you back to God; you acknowledge that you wouldn't have done it without him.

You learn to place great value on your blessing

You build your faith and patience

when you wait for so long and still remain in Him, you show your trust and prove your love for Him.

The success of the wicked is short-lived. Sometimes, it may be hard to believe this but he who laughs last, laughs best.Delayed blessings are dangerous to those who are teasing and mocking you right now, to those who think you are believing in God who is powerless, to those who think you are crazy for having faith for this long.

Delayed blessings to you, means a double blessing!!

The Lord is good all the time!

Who is this Man?

2009-02-14T03:38:00.000-08:00

At 12yrs old, He was teaching The Word to the congregation with the wisdom of His elders.

-he was a man who could calm every storm, no matter how violent.
-he could heal any disease, no matter how deadly.
-and he could solve any problem, no matter how complex.

This man is Jesus, our Lord!

He is with us as we go through our personal crises, emotional roller coasters or times of political turmoil and financial turbulence. He is with us and He never worries. He remained calm even when the fierce storm shook seasoned fishermen.
Jesus can simply speak a word and bring about complete restoration, healing and Peace. He can provide for our needs, no matter how things may be shaking all around us.

"They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!- Mark 4:41"
............................................................................................
* I remembered a song that was sang in church when i was younger. "It went: what manner of man is Jesus ?, hallelujah. He made the blind to see, hallelujah".

I started to think of the many things Jesus did in his time. I'm sure you will agree that all those things were pretty unusual. When God works, he works in mysterious ways to bring glory to his name*

The Lord is good all the time!

Purpose of life

2009-02-08T10:09:00.001-08:00

* I received this email from a firend and i thought I'll share it because it touched me and made a lot of sense.I sincerely apologise for the length though. happy reading!*

Rick Warren is the person President elect Barak Obama has chosen to give the prayer at the inaugural ceremony on Jan 20th. No matter what faith you are, this is worth reading.
You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales.

This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:People ask me, what is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body but not the end of me.I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes , or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, When the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know you more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That’s why we're called hum an beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

The Lord is good all the time!

In His arms

2009-02-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

It is night, dark outside.
In all their grandeur, the stars shine
twinkling brilliantly against the panoramic sky.
Nature follows me up and I must lie
down to sleep.
My energy dips;
The physical body is weak.

The soft pillow cushions my head.
The abstract world embraces my dream.
Drifting away to a world of orange and red
In his arms, I sleep…I sleep.

I see Angels gather, singing His praises
and the Host of heaven bowing in reverence.
Then Jesus looks down at His loved one,
ensuring my full protection.

Whilst in the real world,
my heart repletes with peace
and joy; joy like I’ve never known
as I sleep in His arms.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul - Psalm 23:1-3"

* There are some days I'm absolutely stressed and things are not going so well but the only thing I can cling onto is God's peace.I wrote this to thank him for the provision of his peace.I don't know what i would do without it.

The Lord is good all the time!

Thought attack!

2009-02-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

Nineteen year-old Liu Shih-Kun was an esteemed concert pianist in China until the cultural revolution banned all things of Western influnece. refusing to renounce his beloved music, Liu was deemed an enemy of the people, beaten and imprisoned.

There he languished in a tiny cell with no books, no paper and worst of all; no piano! Six years later, for propaganda reasons, he was asked to play in Beijing with the Philadelphia Orchestra. After years without an instrument to practice on, he performed brilliantly. Eighteen months later when he was finally released, he again played flawlessly. That Liu survived is remarkable, that his hands continued to move as if they'd never stopped playing is amazing.

His secret?.. stripped of everything musical, for seven and a half years, Liu disciplined himself to shut out negative thoughts and practice hour after hour on an imaginary piano.

.....................................................................

We often don't realise the extent to which our thinking contributes to our mental aguish. The earlier you stop the thought attacks, the easier it is to pull yourself together and get back on track. While the concept is simple, it's not easy to implement.

You can freeze out harmful thinking by capturing every thought and making it obedient to Christ. Your thoughts have power, to win over them you must submit to Christ and control what you allow your mind to dewll on.

Its the First day of a new month in the new year.
Some of us might have had a great start but for others, that may not have been the case.
It's not to late to start over. It's still early on in the new year, so change your mentality.
2009 is still the year you declared it to be even if things are not going so well right now.

Don't let your thoughts attack you.
Let Christ control your thoughts, you and your circumstances!

" ......And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ- 2 Corinthians 10:5"

The Lord is good all the time!

While you wait

2009-01-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of waiting to do in this world we live in.

..At the banks, we have to wait,
..On the phone to your internet service provider you have to wait,
And when that stomach of your is growling like, guess what? you still have to wait for the food to cook.

Waiting is part of God's process. Surprisingly, waiting does not always have to be a bad thing.
God prepares you for the road ahead during your time of waiting.
You might need to develop patience for the new job he's giving you so you're still living with that irritating flat mate while waiting for a new appartment.(but honestly i would hate to be in that position.In case anyone reading this post is, well may God's grace be with you oooo)

While you wait, draw closer to God
While you wait, seek his face
While you wait, read the word
While you wait, renew your strength
While you wait, DON'T wait IN VAIN!

"But those who wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength- Isaiah 40:31"

The Lord is good all the time!

Christianity: It's about others not you.

2009-01-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

Taylor was walking out one night, strolling in the neighbourhood and enjoying the evening breeze when suddenly he heard a gunshot. His heart started racing, beads of sweat formed around his forehead and then he heard footsteps...closer, louder, faster.

The gang was closing in on him faster than he could run. Out of the dark, a fist came down heavy on his right cheek, then another on his stomach and finally one to his face. The last thing Taylor remember was darkness and then he fell to the ground.

The Vicar of New testament church woke up the next morning on his way to the church to teach that sermon on Being a Christian. On His way, he Left his cross pendant.

'I put it here' he thought to himself while searching under his pillow.It was as his was about to go out, he saw the little cross shining on the kitchen table. He was 20 minutes late and he hurried down the street. Few blocks away there appeared to be a log in the way. He moved closer to the object out of curiosity and soon discovered it was a body. He tapped the person and shook him a bit. He saw the person's chest move up and down so he could tell the person was still alive.
'I better be on my way before the person awakes and asks me for help' and with that he took off to church.

Mr Danladi lived two houses away form Taylor.The night before he had visited him but left when no one answered the door.On his way to work, he saw the body as he stood on his front step and ran towards it.

He saw the face and fear and compassion overtook him

"Taylor! Taylor, look at me" he screamed "open your eyes.God, help your child. They say you are merciful". He tried to bring Taylor to consciousness and then he called the police and ambulance.

In the waiting room, Mr Danladi was pacing around, worrying. He had rang the secretary earlier to inform her he would not be coming in to work that day.
The doctor came to see Him and informed him that Taylor would have died if he had stayed longer out on the streets. Taylor had sustained injuries to some vital organs including his occipital lobe and his vision was affected slightly.

...............................................................................................

This story is my attempt at retelling the story of the Good Samaritan as it would apply in our world today.Mr Danladi was not even a Christian yet he helped saved Taylor's life. The vicar who knows what it means to be a christian didn't want to carry the burden of another person.

Jesus went about doing good.If he had somewhere to go and people stopped him for healing, He would heal them and then carry on his journey.
This is the example we should follow.To serve God, we should serve others.

Do not be wary of doing good because in time you'll see the rewards.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.- James 1:27"

The Lord is good all the time!

Alive or living abundantly?

2009-01-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

Walking dead bodies.That's what a lot of people are.

Physically and biologically, they are breathing and undergoing metabolic processes but they are empty inside. An ever insatiable void runs through them; every vein and artery, every arteriole and tubule...emptiness abounds...

Man was once one with God, after all we were made in HIS image and likeness.

Man journeyed life with God and God was his constant best friend. There were no secrets between them.However, man placed sin above God. sin became man's friend and God was pushed to the bench; to the sidelines. HE no longer mattered!

Life came to a stop...sin encouraged man to please his flesh.The spirit of man, the only part that was in tune with God gradually died and the connection to heaven was lost.

You see at this point, man was still alive but spiritually dead.

God tried to reach Man but sin was in the way like a basketball player defending his oponent from making a clear shot. Sin was in control of man, it had a clear and loud voice which drowned out that still small voice of God every time HE called. Man was lost forever.

Where there's a will, there's a way.God's so loving and merciful that HE decided to send HIS only son to save us from sin that we might live abundantly!

Now at this point of redemption, man was alive and living abundantly. He had life to the full.

Why be just alive when you can be alive and living ?!

.....The choice is yours.....

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.- John 10:10"

The Lord is good all the time!

Have faith

2009-01-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

Putting it quite simplistically,

...Faith is jumping off a cliff, knowing that God will catch you or give you wings to fly but either way He'll stop you from reaching the ground below unaided!....

*Look at the picture closely, do you see the hand of God?

He lives in you
He lives in me
He watches over
Everything we see
.....Have Faith! - Diana Ross

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."- Matthew 17:20

The Lord is good all the time!

'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.'

2009-01-17T10:29:00.001-08:00

'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.'

This is a slogan which is part of an atheist campaign which is hoping to take off in London and spread to other cities in the UK.The atheist posters are the idea of the British Humanist Association (BHA) and have been supported by prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins.

The creator of the advert, Ariane Sherine, says it is a counter campaign to one run on buses in June 2008 which had Bible quotes on them such as ‘Jesus died for your sins’ and a URL for a web site which included statements saying that ‘All non Christians would burn in hell for eternity in a lake of fire’.
So she decided to design an advert with a positive message which said the opposite.

........................................................................................
The advert is surely a wake up call to all believers. If this is not a sign of the end-times, I don't know what is. The devil has made it clear that we are in a war and he will do everyhting in his power to frustrate us Christians. However, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! we have overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word our testimony.

We will not be shaken...There IS a GOD!

‘There IS a God!’, for it is this realisation which frees us from worry and leads to real joy."
Christians get up and fight, raise your voices in prayer against the plans of the enemy!

There is a God!!

The Lord is good all the time!

what are you doing for God?

2009-01-17T10:25:00.001-08:00

The Book of Ecclesiastes goes :there is a time for everything
everything has its special season
it's unfortunate that we christian soldiers
have 24 hours just like the unbelievers
yet we stay down and watch the time go by
nothing has been done; from the break of dawn till night.
the harvest is plenty yet the labourers are few
but are they really few or just lazy?
we listen to what she or he or they say
but What does God say?
are you listening or busy making excuses?
we have faith coupled with boldness
from the Holy Spirit.
we have been given authority over everything on earth
yet the cares of this life has choked The Word out of our life
and we neglect the eternal kingdom
where we truly belong,
where our names are written in the book of life.
I ask YOU: what are you doing for God?

........................................................................................
last month, I was reading the book of Revelations and I cried when i finished.
There are so many souls out there that are dying spiritually...they are lost, and we Christians have to find them and share the gift of salvation with them.The bible says that He who wins souls is wise.

It Got me thinking about what I can do.Not everyone has to be an evangelist or a pastor but we can all contribute in our own little way.
You can start by praying for your friends or people you know who are not Christians. Pray that they give their lives to Christ.
You can share your testimony with someone..your miracle might just be the evidence that they have been looking for that Jesus is alive!

In my church, we've been praying for revival, in the UK especially and God is doing wonders.
No one is too small, the little you know is enough for God to use to touch someone's life.

Whatever it is, just do something for God!
God bless you.

The Lord is good all the time!

I was there and I AM still there

2009-01-03T05:57:00.000-08:00

As you move further into the new year, be strong and hold on.
Walk with Jesus and not ahead of him.
Remember that when you cried, HE was there
when you were sad, He made you happy.
He was there to see you through it all
He was there when your friends walked out on you
and He IS there when You don't know what to do
He was there.
It was Him. It was me. It was Jesus.

He is asking you to walk with him this year and seek his face!

Matthew 28: 20 "....And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The Lord is good all the time!

A new year is born...2009

2008-12-31T06:13:00.000-08:00

For 9 months, a woman carries her unborn child. But on the 9th month, on that day and in that hour the contractions begin. The child is restless, it wants to be free!
Some hours later, the young one is born.

2009 is a new year, its a new beginning. For years there's a lot I've asked God for and I've seen some happen. But there's that one thing that i have asked and I believe that this new year is the year of DELIVERY!

Whatever you have hoped for , believe that it will be delivered unto you in 2009!

Every new year is a time to start over, a clean page has been placed before you. This year you have to draw closer to God more than ever. REKINDLE the spark in your relationship with him.
The world needs Jesus more than ever, HE is our rock and without him we have no foundation, we can't stand!
Let your prayer be a 'God-what-can-I-do-for-you-today?' list rather than a 'God-can-you-do-this-for-me?' list.

Revelations 21:5 - He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

In starting over, remember to PERSEVERE.
Winners never quit and quitters never win so which are you going to be?
Always move on, never stop and give up. Each day push yourself a little bit further.
When the going gets tough and you feel you can't move on, that's a sign to go on your knees in prayer and tap into God's divine strength!

Finally Shed the excess Weight. (I don't mean that literally but it's not a bad idea to get exercising). I heard a Pastor preaching on this and the main point was that some relationships are toxic to you. they are pulling you back and keeping you from where you need to be. if you are in a relationship ( and i use this term loosely) where your dream is not CELEBRATED but suppressed...My God, you need to run away as quick as you can!

Look at this like this: an athlete is running a 100m race with 20 other athletes. All of them have trained hard and are very good. But this athlete strongly DESIRES to win yet he carries all the trophies he has won from previous races.
Its obvious that he is going to lose. The baggage is just too heavy!

That brings me to another thing- THE PAST. The past is one of the weights you have to shed this year.If you keep looking at the past, how do you expect to grab the future?

Let 2009 be the year of your success STORY!!
Happy New year to al you wonderful people.
God bless.
The Poet's voice~~~

The Lord is good all the time!

The meaning of CHRISTMAS

2008-12-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

C- Christ

John 3:16 - for God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son sop that whoever believes in hi may not be lost but have eternal life.

Christmas is Jesus Christ honoured and magnified in our hearts and lives.

H- Happiness

Luke 2:10 - then the angel said to them “do not be afraid, I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people.”

Happiness goes deep; it reaches the heart of man. This joy is found in Jesus Christ.

R- Redemption

Galatians 4:4-5 – but when the right time came, God sent his son who was born of a woman and lived under the law. God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law so we could become his children

Christ came to save us from sin. That is why He was born into this world. He came to provide us with life and hope

I- Illumination

Isaiah 9:6-7 - A child has been born to us, God has given a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name is wonderful counsellor, powerful god, father who lives for ever, prince of peace.

Power and peace will be in his kingdom and continue to grow forever. He will rule as king on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom. He will make it strong by ruling with justice and from now on and forever. The lord all-powerful will do this because of his strong love for his people.

It is a time of illumination as we realize that Christ is the Son of God. A light has been lit, we have a father who can do all things!

S- Sacrifice Matthew 1:21 - And she will; give birth to a son, and you will name him JESUS because he will save his people from their sins.

To save lost humanity from sin demanded a blood sacrifice. Christ came to give Himself as that sacrifice that all who believe in Him might be eternally saved.

T- Triumph
Isaiah 26:3 – You lord, give true peace to those who depend on you because they trust you.

When we know Christ, we have the peace within, and what a mighty triumph this is over the afflictions and sorrows of life. There is great triumph in the message of Christmas, the result being the peace of God which passes all understanding. Christmas reminds us of the overwhelming victory wrought by Jesus Christ.

M- Mission

Luke 19:10 - that the Son of Man came to find lost people and save them

Christmas embodies the mission of the coming of the Son of God to provide salvation for all. What a thrill to know Christ!

A- Assurance

Micah 5:2 - But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah, from you will come one who will rule Israel for me. He comes from very old times, from days long ago.

The prophecy of the little baby who was born into this world at Christmas was for him to become the ruler of the world. He will return to do this, not as a little baby rather He will be King of kings, and Lord of lords.

S- Submission

John 3:30, He must become greater, and I must become less important.

Christmas should be a time when every believer recommits his life to the control of Christ

***Merry Christmas**
with love,
The Poet's Voice~~~

The Lord is good all the time!

On this day of Christmas..

2008-12-25T05:55:00.001-08:00

And on this Day of Christmas......Make room in your hearts for the King born today.

From me, have a lovely Christmas, filled with Love and Joy!

**MeRrY ChRiStMaS**

~~The poet's Voice~~

The Lord is good all the time!

7 Wisdom Keys

2008-12-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

"Wisdom is the principal thing- Proverbs 4:7"

Everything we are pursuing is a product of wisdom

1.What you can tolerate you cannot change- you must hate the present to qualify for the future.

2.What you respect you will attract- to have respect for something is to value that thing. The things you don’t respect will move away from you.

3.What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. - Bless someone and go to God for the harvest. if you pay someone back because of what they’ve done for you then you’re limited by their ability and timing but Gods blessing has no limit.

4.The secret if your future is hidden in your daily routine. - if you succeed, it will be because of a habit.

5.Your rewards in life are decided by the kind of problems you are willing to solve for others. You will only be remembered in life for two things, the problems you create and the ones you solve.

6.If you insist on taking something God did not give you, he will take something he gave you. If you take back the tithe (10%), he will take back the 90%. Returning the tithe is acknowledging you have a debt because you owe everything to God and cannot repay the debt.

7.An uncommon seed will create an uncommon harvest. A seed is anything that has value; that can create more. Time, love, mercy-these are all seeds. Sow a seed today!

~Dr Mike Murdock

The Lord is good all the time!

Dear God....Thank you for now

2008-12-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

Dear God,

I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears ; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; I am thanking you right now. I am thanking you because I am alive. I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties. I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles. I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.

I'm thanking you because FATHER, YOU haven't given up on me.

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song- Psalm 28:7"

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It's so easy to forget what God has done or is doing because things are not happening or things don't seem as you would expect them to be. you know what, God is just so good, and he's good all the time. Just continue to THANK HIM!

The Lord is good all the time!

Is your straight road really straight?

2008-11-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

Sefiat just finished secondary school. It was a breath of fresh air to have completed secondary education but then there was a major decision to be made.

“What do I study? Where do I apply?”

Time was running fast. Weeks were turning into months and the pressure to make a decision increased by the hour. Advices from here and there only made her more confused. Deep down in here heart she wanted to study French at university but that reason so she could say she held a degree. The other thing was nursing but her ego stepped in the way. She had been told nursing was a ‘dumping ground’ for those not good enough to study medicine and she felt she was better than a ‘dumping ground’!

She went to God in prayer. The revelation from here changed her life for good.
She dreamt: she and her friend stood in front of two roads. One went straight ahead in front of her and the other had steps going underground and then steps coming upwards at the other end.

“The straight road is always the quickest” she thought.
Being the one to choose first, she chose the straight road while her friend Bukky chose the underground route.

Sefiat had not gotten far in her journey when she heard Bukky calling afar “Sefiat where are you? I’ve reached the other end. Where are you?”
By the time Sefiat had got to the middle of the road there were a series of obstacles that blocked here road. She could hear Bukky calling her but couldn’t see her.

When she woke up, she knew what God was telling her.
Sefiat went on to do nursing which she didn’t regret because the knowledge she gained helped her to nurse her children when they were ill rather than waiting for a doctor or admitting them in a hospital.
She remembered her mother telling her that if she studied French, she would use money from the house she rented out to fund her education.
But a year later her mom’s house got burnt down. Of course that meant no money was available.
………………………………………………………...............................

Sefiat thought doing French at university was a fast and easy road to gaining a degree, But God made her think again.

God is faithful! Every Christian will come to a point in their life when they have to accept what God wills and let go of their own. It’s going to be hard but in the future when you look back, you’ll realise that the road you thought was straight wasn’t. The road which is truly straight is the road God chooses for you.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose - Romans 8:28"

The Lord is good all the time!

Early Morning Praise

2008-11-23T11:36:00.000-08:00

As the dawn breaks and the sun rises in the morning,
I lift my hands to the heavens and sing my praises to the Lord most high. For his power and majesty reigns supreme.

El Roi, you O LORD are the king of all creation.
Adonai, the head overall, I worship you
You are and have been so good to me.
El Olam, the everlasting God, there is none like you.
Yahweh Tsidkenu, the righteous God, I thank you because you are ever faithful.
You remain the same now and forever more.
Yahweh Shammah, My God who is present always. In the midst of the storm you are there waiting for me to climb up into your arms and feel your heart beat; so I can rest assured that you are bigger than every storm.
Jehovah Jireh, My one and only provider. With all my heart I give thanks for you are more than able to supply my needs according to your riches in Glory.
You are my ROCK and as I stand on you, I will not be shaken by waves of the raging waters.
Attiq Yomin, the ancient of days, all wisdom belong to you. I thank you because you will direct my steps in this new day!

Blessed be your name.
Good morning father, Good morning LORD!

"From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.- Psalm 113:3"

The Lord is good all the time!

My testimony

2008-11-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

As a little girl, i had many dreams. Every time I dreamt, alongside I saw how far i was from achieving that dream.the thing is I was never afraid to dream.I had no idea how i was going to achieve it but I knew with God all things are possible!

I always wanted to be a doctor and I wanted the get the best medical training possible.

2005 found me making the journey from Nigeria to the UK. New country, new lifestyle...I was thrown into the confusion while in the middle of high school.

I gradually picked myself up.Thank God for friends who are secret 'helpers'.

School was my biggest problem yet.I was finding my subjects difficult and no matter the effort i put in, I wasn't getting results. Frustration crept into my life.I was hating life and hating myself.

I tried my best and I prayed. Exams came and went and I forgot all about it 'till the 14th of August when i called my school for results.

I don't remember anything worse than these words: 'you got a C in Chemistry'. At that moment, it was like an arrow pierced my heart.

I'm sure you're wondering what on earth I'm talking about but I'll explain. Ever since I could comprehend words, i wanted to be a doctor. Moving to the UK didn't change that dream. The passion moved with me!

To get into medical school, you must have at least grades AAB or AAA in 3 sciences. One of those A grades must be in chemistry( this is what most medical schools say). All the places I applied to required an A grade in chemistry and i was 2 grades below!!!

So basically I was the kind of candidate that the university would have immediately thrown away my application form once they saw the results.

I felt like the road had ended for me.I thought all doors would have closed by now.

My daily routine became: cry for breakfast, worry for lunch and cry for dinner.

My teacher was disappointed and i realised that he had lost all hope in me( like its my fault that he cannot teach properly..LOL).Only bad news came my way.

I didn't really know how to fix the situation because i was kinda confident for that exam and i couldn't picture where i had gone wrong (but obviously i went wrong somewhere if i 'failed' rite?)

I was angry and bitter but nevertheless I dived into my books once more.That helped a bit but made me more stressed and exhausted each day.One day my Mum said to me "you can read all you like but without God, it could end up in vain".

I then realised that all along, I'd been trying to do it my way and wanting God to take sides with me when He should have been in control.

I don't remember how many times how i came to God crying m eyes out.No one really understood how i felt but God did. My pastor told me once that my tears would only show the devil that he's won.

I went from PRAYER to PRAISE.things got tougher but i chose to believe the report of the Lord.

The month of November was declared a month of changing levels and with that prophetic declaration came the answers to my prayers.

I have letters inviting me to the interviews of a couple of universities which i am looking forward to.

.................................................................................................

We all have different experiences, our miracles and our testimony's. This is mine.

The top ten things that i can tell you are that:

~Miracles are real

~You will have your testimony

~God is not asleep

~Believe the report of the Lord

~Let God take full control

~The voices of evil will rise up when you are destined for greatness

~Without faith it is impossible to please God

~ Nothing is too great for God to handle

~ Prayer is the master key

~Praise is a prayer that will always work

"With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God-Mark 10:26-28"

The Lord is good all the time!

Have you given God your all?

2008-11-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

An unemployed graduate woke up one morning and checked his pocket. All he had left was $10. He decided to use it to buy food and then wait for death as he was too proud to go begging. He was frustrated as he could find no job, and nobody was ready to help him. He bought food and as he sat down to eat, an o ld man and two little children came along and asked him to help them with food as they had not eaten for almost a week.

He looked at them. They were so lean that he could see their bones coming out. Their eyes had gone into the socket. With the last bit of compassion he had, he gave them the food. The old man and children prayed that God would bless and prosper him and then gave him a very old coin. The young graduate said to them 'you need the prayer more than I do'.

With no money, no job, no food, the young graduate went under the bridge to rest and wait for death. As he was about to go to sleep, he saw an old newspaper on the ground. He picked it up, and suddenly he saw an advertisement for people with old coins to come to a certain address. He decided to go there with the old coin the old man gave him. On getting to the place, he gave the proprietor the coin. The proprietor screamed, brought out a big book and showed the young graduate a photograph. This same old coin was worth 3 million dollars. The young graduate was overjoyed as the proprietor gave him a bank draft for 3 million dollars.

Within an hour, he collected the Bank Draft an d went in search of the old man and little children. By the time he got to where he left them eating, they had gone. He asked the owner of the canteen if he knew them. He said no but they left a note for you. He quickly opened the note thinking it would lead him to find them.

This is what the note said: 'You gave us your all and we have rewarded you back with the coin,' signed God the Father, The Son and The Ho ly Ghost. 1 Kings 17:10-16; Matthew 11:28-30

Have you given all to Jesus Christ? If you haven't, do so today and he will surprise you.

REMAIN BLESSED!

The Lord is good all the time!

Shape up! ..The teacup tells its story

2008-11-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

I wasn't always like this. let me tell you my story:

I used to be a hard,cold lump of clay when one day the potter picked me up and said " i could do something with this". He started to gradually put pressure on me and change my shape.

Out of shock, i asked "what are you doing? That hurts. Stop!!" but he said "not yet" then he put me on a wheel and began to spin me around until I shouted, "let me off". Again he replied "Not yet". Then he shaped me into a cup and put me into a hot oven. I cried so hard "let me out of here!" but again he replied calmly "Not yet".

When he took me out, i thought surely his work must be done now but you wouldn't belive what happened next. He painted me and put me back in the oven!
I struggled and cried saying "I can't stand this, pelase let me out!" But he said "not yet".

Finally he took me out of the oven and set me on a shelf where i thought he had forgoten me.
Oh here comes the best part; One day he took me off the shelf and held me up before a mirror. I just couldn't believe my eyes. I had become a beautiful teacup that everyone wanted to buy.

And guess what...I AM still that teacup that everyone wants to buy!!

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There are things going on in your life that you don't understand.The pain, the pressure, the hardship, sometimes you just wonder what exactly they are there for. When you finally get to the place that God wants you to be, you'll realse that He has been making you into a vesssel He can use, bless and use to bless others. So Allow God to mould you..Get into shape!

"...We are the clay and you our Potter..." - Isaiah 64:8

The Lord is good all the time!

Embracing the moment

2008-10-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

We all have moments..some of them we love and some we absolutely hate.

Moments add up and over time they build a picture of our life.The ups and downs become a cycle in life - today you might be in your 'up' phase, tomorrow might be different.

Some moments are just just difficult to embrace and get your arms around.With others we fail to realise the moment because we are so caught up in our own thing, trying to figure out how to calm our stress.

But you don't have to figure out each moment of life on your own. When you come to a dark time, you can out your hands in Jesus hands and walk through it together.

HIS goodness is ever there for you because HE has given you the light you need for whatever step you're on.

~Don't be scared to go through 'life'

~Don't be afraid of the darkness in front of you

~Don't be afraid of what you might find at the other end of the tunnel

JESUS + YOU = VICTORY

"In the day when i cried out, you answered me and made me bold with strength in my soul- Psalm 138:3"

The Lord is good all the time!

The word of God

2008-10-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

When a word comes forth, it comes from something living. A dead person doesn't speak, when you hear a command or request it comes from a person; a living person.

According to John 1:1-3, the word lived from the beginning.

The word of God:

~is the most powerful force

~when God speaks his word, things happen

~never fails! - HIS word cannot return to him void. the word must accomplish its goal when it is sent out.

~God works out his purpose through his word

The WORD Of GOD is LIFE

"In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God........In him, there was life and that life was the light for all people" John 1: 1, 4.

The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword.

The word of God:

~ evaluates

~names things

~separates good from bad

~gives authority

~responds to loneliness

The Word of God is the only true Prophet...let The Word be your standard for any decisions and judgement..let The Word be your standard in everything!!.

The Lord is good all the time!

what are you worth?

2008-10-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Walking through the orphanage in north New Delhi, India...Jesse felt his heart soften for the children he saw.he was filled with emotion, his eyes were watering.

Everyone else saw deprived children who may not have a future but he saw the value and the worth God had placed in this children..

Across that big empty hall in the midst of all the faces, little Mark sat with his legs crossed and face buried in his hands. Jesse felt an urge to go and talk to the kid.

"I'm tired of living this life, no one cares. i don't have a mother or a father, the carer does what she has to do to get paid. I'm alone in the world.i wish i could be so many things, i wish i could do so many things but i cannot achieve my dream"

Jesse reached out and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders..he felt Mark's pain
" You're worth much, much more because Jesus loves you and HE let his son die for you so you are priceless! he cares about you and you can still achieve your dreams with his help"

.........................................................................................................

so many times in this life, i have come across people who feel like giving up just because they think no one cares or they are not worth anything to anyone...but hey did you ever wonder that every other human being might just be feeling the same as you?

Today is Jesus is reaching out to you and telling you that you are unique, made in his image and likeness; you are important!!

we are not perfect and a lot of the time we look for comfort in the wrong places...we are priceless because of the blood of the lamb! start living up to your self-worth.

God cares about you and he has plans for you.

"yes, many people are invited, but only a few are chosen" - Matthew 1:14

The Lord is good all the time!

Speak Life and Praise God

2008-10-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Elisse sat there is the dark corner of her room, hands folded and head buried in her lap.

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and hit her grey trousers like bullets.her eyes were blood-shot red. Her final exams were coming up soon and she was buried up to her neck in piles of work.

Recently she'd been working in vain.She had been so busy that she hardly had time for herself or for her God. The day would begin with a "thank you lord for waking up this morning, please give me favour as I go out" and would end with a snore rather than a prayer.

And it began to seem like all her opened doors were gradually closing.

She was losing strength and there just wasn't enough hours in the day to accomplish all she would have wanted to.

3 months ago, she was knocked down by her results and that's when this 'workaholic spiral' started.She'd worked hard for months just trying to make sure that history does not repeat itself during her final exams.What will happen if the world collapsed on her again?

through her sadness, she heard a voice. "Praise me Elisse, speak life to your situation so I can act on it". in the midst of her tears, she saw hope!

why Have you left me till now?" she asked God

"My child, i have never left you nor forsaken you....let my name be praised.Remember it's not by your strength"

I hope my words and thoughts please you.Lord you are my rock, The one who saves me- Psalm 19:14

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I don't know if there's someone out there who just feels like life is a burden right now. You feel as though the moment you solve on problem another one is next in line waiting to blow up at you doorstep. but there's hope!

you might feel too depressed to Praise God but actually that's the only way you get out of that depression. Speak life to your circumstances.

you might have been applying for a job for the past 6months and still there's no vacancy..continue to Praise God and thank him for already giving you that job (and continue applying of course).

you might be buried in school work like Elisse but make that time to Pray and seek God for his guidance. You'd be surprised how you'd suddenly discover you have reservoirs of strength and your time management is just too 'hot'!

wipe those tears from your eyes, speak life and Praise God!

The Lord is good all the time!

Getting Past your past

2008-10-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

When God determines your future, he doesn’t consult your past. Actually, he has already determined your future and according to Jeremiah 29:11, he has good plans for you; to give you a future and a hope.
You might think to yourself that right now your life is ‘hell on earth’, it’s a dead-end BUT God has said that your future has hope…
God knew what your life would be like even before you were formed in the womb but he still promised you a bright future.

So your past doesn’t matter one bit!!

Peter was a fisherman with a temper and some anti-social tendencies however, God filled him with so much spiritual power that when he preached, multitudes came to Christ.
Look at someone who you might relate to better: Abraham Lincoln
He lost several elections before finally becoming one of America’s greatest presidents.

You can’t seize your future while you’re obsessing over your past.
Learn from it and let it go.
Nobody starts out being good everything…if that were the case you would never learn anything.

“..Do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

The Lord is good all the time!

Learn from the spider [2]- use your God-given sense of discernment

2008-10-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

The spider may have eight eyes, yet many spiders can barely see. What makes it an avid hunter is obviously not the eyes but the sensitivity in the hair follicles on its legs which can discern everything around it!

The message here is that you can discern more with your spirit than you can see with your eyes.

“…But you have been anointed by the Holy one and you all know” (1 John 2:20)

God will let you know things that you can neither prove nor explain. He gives inside information to those who seek to glorify him. You have great power; stop living beneath your spiritual privilege.

How many times have your eyes told you that you’re not gonna make it, but your spirit kept saying ‘everything will be alright’?
The spirit of God within can see further than your natural eyes can. The spirit of discernment can only be got when you remain in HIM.

Start walking in discernment…Stay close to God and he will show you things to come.

The Lord is good all the time!

Learn from the spider [1]- everything you need is within you

2008-10-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Everything a spider needs to survive and succeed in life, God put within it. Swipe it with a broom and before it hits the ground, its fall is broken. It just reaches inside, releases another protein-filled silk thread and slides down, finds a safe place and comes back stronger and builds a new web.

Of course it’s just the same with you. You may not be able to spin a web everything you need, God has placed within you.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness...he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature” (2 Peter1:3-4)

God has given us everything we need and has made us participate in his divine nature. Your future is not determined by who you know or don’t, who likes you or who doesn’t. The power to fulfil your destiny is within YOU!

Life may have knocked you down but it hasn’t knocked you out. What’s at work within you will triumph over what’s at work around you.
Stand on God’s word, draw on your faith and hold on, as long as you still have what God put within you, you can make it.

The Lord is good all the time!

Its the little things we should appreciate..it could be a package for something BIGGER!!

2008-10-04T23:42:00.000-07:00

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His fathertold him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat Disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound BIBLE, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a BIBLE?", and stormed out of the house, leaving the BIBLE. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business.

He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a Telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new BIBLE, just as he had left it years ago.

With tears, he opened the BIBLE and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse. As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the BIBLE.

It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for...

IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKED THE WAY YOU WANT IT, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS BETTER PACKED THAT WAY! ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS; THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO ATTACHMENTS!

The Lord is good all the time!

Your troubles are stepping stones

2008-10-04T03:09:00.000-07:00

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.
The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway;
it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him.
They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.
Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal,
he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey
stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

The important lesson here is that Life is going to shovel dirt on you; all kinds of dirt.
The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.
Each of our troubles is a stepping stone.
We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less from people but more from God.

The Lord is good all the time!

A Word of Encouragement

2008-09-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence.....'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you .' Something good will happen to you today.

'Pray Without Ceasing'

'Gentleness requires tremendous strength. Gentleness is having the power not to react when everything about the circumstances says you should. Gentleness is the beginning of learning what love is all about! (Shale Paul in The Warrior Within)'

God Bless.

The Lord is good all the time!

Wash Day

2008-07-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

Monday Wash Day

Lord,help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity,

so I may serve youwith perfect humility through the week ahead.

Tuesday Ironing Day

Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles

of prejudice I have collected through the years

so that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday Mending Day

O God, help me mend my ways

so I will not set a bad example for others.

Thursday Cleaning Day

Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults

I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday Shopping Day

O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal

happiness for myself and all others in need of love.

Saturday Cooking Day

Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it

with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday The Lord's Day

O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart so I

may spend the day and the rest of my life in your presence

.'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind ofbattle.' have a blessed day!

The Lord is good all the time!

TEMPTATION- when you're weak, back down!

2008-06-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

let your flesh know who's in charge. look for ways to say 'no' to yourself everyday. if you do, you'll be able to do it when it really counts.

Jenny knows her weakness is anger and she tries to control it but sometimes it's just overwhelming she has to excuse herself and take a walk to calm down. Afterall, it is better than getting into trouble.

As Christians, Tom and Dan shared the same sexual values.Both believed it was important to wait until marriage to have sex.however their attitude to sex differed.

tom would often say "no problem! that can't happen to me.i can wait"

"well, it's a problem for me" Dan would say. " i know it could happen to me"

Convinced of his ability to resist, Tom played with the danger of becoming sexually involved with a series of steady girlfriends but Dan , realising his own weakness, just went out with a group of friends and never got too serious with any girl.

Tom and Dan usually met once a week to pray and read the Bible. One day, as tom read aloud, Dan heard Tom's voice crack. Looking up, he saw Tom wiping tears away from his eyes.

After a while, tom spoke :"I've really Blown it!, i suppose i was only fooling myself by thinking i was too strong to be so weak."

the things is temptation will always come but as 1Corinthians 10: 13 says"...But you can trust God who will not let you get tempted more than you can stand". The point of temptation is not for you to fall but for you to develop a stronger character as a result of saying 'NO' and controlling yourself!

in 1Corinthians 6:12 Paul says: "Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything"

Master yourself! one lustful stare can land you in sexual sin. Attraction to the opposite sex has always existed and will always exist but what you do with that attraction counts.. when the pressure is too much, look away before evil thoughts start brewing in your mind!

Don't put yourself in compromising situations. Pride is the ultimate destroyer. Don't think you're too strong to be weak..you'd be surprised how quickly you can fall.

Master yourself and overcome that temptation!

The Lord is good all the time!

GOSSIP- trend or treachery, fashion or vice?

2008-06-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

There's always that itch to talk about what Sally did today or what's going on in Ian's home; but did you ever stop to think that maybe if you talk to that person rather than about them, you just might be able to help.... you know, the perfect solution to the problem?

There is a saying "the deepest wounds in life come not from swords but words". If you don't believe it, look at the wounded walking; they're all around you!

Are you yourself still struggling with the hurtful words of an insensitive parent, a school teacher, a friend or a boss?

Proverbs 18:21 'The tongue has the power of life and death'....what you say can make a life changing difference.Your words can heal or they can be that knife that digs deep into the heart, cutting open a fresh wound.

Words when spoken are like feathers dispersed in the wind, they cannot be retrieved. You CAN'T take them back! your thoughts do not necessarily have to be uttered all the time. if you have to speak, speak only the positive- don't destroy a great friendship because that's exactly what GOSSIP would do!

Remember: Proverbs 12:18 "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing".

Are you a gossip? Mend your ways!

The Lord is good all the time!

JUST FOR TODAY

2008-06-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a song by India Arie the other day and the words ministered to me.

the song goes: 'just for today, i will not worry

what tomorrow will bring'.

In Matthew 6:25-34, it says "do not worry about your life......Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?....do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow wil worry about itself".

As christians we live a life of faith. we move through life blind-folded and when we come to the edge of a cliff, it's either God gives us the wings to fly or there's something down there for us to land on- Now that's faith!

you know what; you don't know tomorrow but God does!

He not only knows tomorrow but he knows the day after and the weeks and months following that too.

so when you find yourself wondering praise Him. praise is an expression of your faith!

further into India Arie's song, it says:

'.....i just do my best,

put one foot in front of theother

keep on miving forward

let God do the rest.'

we all have a purpose beut one thing is for certain- if you don't move, you won't know what that purpise is and definitely won't get it fulfilled. you've got to put God in control, listen to that small still voice and you'll be led day by day, a step at a time.

life is a mystery, embrace it, enjoy it and take your directions from God!.

The Lord is good all the time!

PROTECT YOUR FOUNDATION

2008-06-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

Acts 20:31 " Be on your guard"

When the foundation crumbles even the most expensive house will fall. Thank God for our spiritual foundations.

Today there’s a lot of flaky stuff being pedaled in the name of truth. But when you examine it closely it’s a teaspoon of truth in an ocean of error. Anytime you take the scripture out of context, you end up with a pretext (a reason for doing as you please!). So, What are you supposed to do?” Do what the Bereans did. “They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). the teachings the Bereans put under the searchlight of Scripture were Paul’s!

No leader, regardless of the size of their following is beyond such scrutiny. Indeed, godly leaders welcome it. Anytime someone claims special revelation from God that does not line up with Scripture – run in the opposite direction. This may sounds a little harsh. So is surgery but it ‘ll save your life.

Does God have more to say to us? Absolutely. When you take your last breath you still won’t know it all. And does God have better strategies for reaching others with His Word? Yes. And we must embrace them if we’re to reap the final harvest before the Lord of the harvest returns, but never at the cost of God’s eternal, unchanging Word. And that’s the message Paul
was proclaiming: “From your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!
…Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up” (Acts 20:30-32).

The Lord is good all the time!

GO IN PEACE!

2008-06-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

Luke 7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “because you believe, you are saved from your sins. Go in peace”. Life without Christ is full of crisis. We must have heard this many times but it is TRUE!

In luke 7, the woman with the alabaster jar came to cry at Jesus feet, she wiped his feet with her hair and rubbed it with perfume. She must have been going through a lot. The chaos in her life must have been overwhelming and getting out of hand and then she met Jesus. He forgave her sins and told her to go in peace.

It must have been a relief for all her burdens to be dropped at his feet and for her to gain peace.Sometimes we see people worrying, crying about their situation, becoming frightened and starting to panic…but because you know Christ you will be CALM.

You have peace; you know that he is control and that everything will be alright. You have exchanged your worries, crisis and chaos for peace and God is in charge now. This can only be true when you are born again.

If you haven’t given your life to Christ, what are you waiting for?Give your life to Christ today and experience inner peace. it is about time you made that exchange.

Pray this prayer:

dear Lord Jesus I come to you today as a sinner.

I know I have sinned and I ask fo your forgiveness.

I don’t want to live this chaotic life anymore; I want to experience your peace.

Take full control of y life, I want to be saved.

Thank you that I am now born again. Amen

If you are already born again, Praise and thank God that you are able to receive this peace!

The Lord is good all the time!

SOME ENCOURAGEMENT

2008-06-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

Judges 7:10-11 God told Gideon, “If you are afraid…go down to the
camp…and listen to what they are saying…you will be
encouraged”.
God sent Gideon down to the enemy camp to hear what they were saying – to encourage him! When he arrived a soldier was telling a friend about his dream, “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent…collapsed.
His friend responded, ‘this can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon…God has given…the whole camp into his hands.’ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God” (Jdg 7:13-15).
When you need encouragement – listen to what your critics are saying! It’s a class for your enrichment. You’re making a difference and doing what God has sent you to, otherwise they wouldn’t even notice you. Let their attack strengthen your faith and sharpen your
focus but don’t be afraid. You must be doing something right to warrant this much attention! You can never be defeated.

QUOTES
Promote yourself, but do not demote another. -Israel Salanter

Sow good services; sweet remembrances will grow them. -Madame de Stael

One must be poor to know the luxury of giving. -George Eliot

True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost. - Charles Caleb Colton

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.- Anais Nin

The Lord is good all the time!

THE FOUR BLESSED LOOKS!

2008-05-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hey, There is a lot to learn from this piece, enjoy.

The FOURblessed looks:
1. Look back and thank God.
2. Look forward and trust God.
3. Look around and serve God.
4. Look within and find God!

I asked God,'How do I get the best out of life?'
God said, 'Face your past without regrets, handle your present with confidence, and prepare for the futurewithout fear!
'Without God, our week is: Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday,Thirstday, Fightday, Shatterday and Sinday.
So, allow Him to be with you every day!' Life is short, so forgive quickly. Believe slowly. Lovetruly. Laugh uncontrollably. Never regret anything that makes you happy. Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life. Have a blessed day today!!

The Lord is good all the time!

YOU WILL SEE AMAZING THINGS!

2008-05-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Luke 5:26 “All the people were completely amazed and began to praise God. They were filled with much respect and said ‘today, we have seen amazing things!”

Simon peter had had a very bad day. He tried catching fish but to no avail. Suddenly he receives an instruction from Jesus to cast his net into the sea. Imagine that! After being at sea all day trying just to catch a couple of finish; you are on the verge of giving up and going home and then somebody comes and tells you to give it one more go. You might be thinking – why should I listen to this person, after all I have been here all day and nothing has worked so what makes this one go special?
But because of that single act of obedience and faith, the Bible says that they caught so much fish that their boat almost sunk!That’s impressive.Now if that doesn’t impress you, then listen to this. A paralyzed man who had never walked in his life was brought to Jesus.He never knew the feeling of what is was like to use his feet; to put those feet on the ground and move them one after the other. However the day came when he was instructed to stand up, take his mat and go home! He went home praising God.

So dear brothers and sisters, you will see amazing things too! The people then are as good as the people now, God is cooking something BIG that will leave you amazed. Remember to have faith and think BIG, you will surely see amazing things in your life.
Remain Blessed.

QUOTES
There are only two ways to love your life, one is as though nothing is a miracle and the other is as though everything is a miracle- Albert Einstein

A smiling face is half the meal. - Latvian Proverb

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.-Walter Winchell

The Lord is good all the time!

NETWORKING

2008-05-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4:16 “Each part…helps the other parts grow.”
Next time you’re walking in the woods, imagine what’s taking place under your feet. As the roots of trees come into contact with one another they form an underground support system. One has access to water, another to nutrients, another to sunlight, etc. A networking is taking place that strengthens them all.
This is what Paul had in mind: “[Under His direction], the whole body is fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
As we network, we must be conscious of the following:
(1) Mercy. “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Col 3:13). What motivates us to show mercy to others? God’s mercy to us. You’ll never be asked to forgive someone else more than God has already forgiven you.
(2) Understanding. “Be sympathetic …kind…gentle and patient” (Col 3:12). Sympathy meets two fundamental human needs we all have: the need to be understood and the need to have our feelings validated. The problem is we’re in such a hurry to fix people that we don’t have time to sympathize with them. We’re too preoccupied with our own hurts. Self-pity dries up sympathy for others.
(3) Encouragement. “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Ro 1:12). All of us are strengthened in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us.
So today, practice networking!

QUOTES
Desire, ask, believe, receive. -Stella Terrill Mann

Whatever God's dream about man may be, it seems certain it cannot come true unless man cooperates. -Stella Terrill Mann

If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory. -William Hazlit

Hope doesn't come from calculating whether the good news is winning out over the bad. It's simply a choice to take action. -Anna Lappe

Hope is the thing with feathersThat perches in the soul.And sings the tuneWithout the words,and never stops at all. -Emily Dickinson

The Lord is good all the time!

THE BATTLE IS THE LORDS!

2008-05-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 17:47 “The battle is the Lord’s.”
The instant he went out to fight Goliath, David began to declare victory saying, “You come against me with sword and spear…but I come against you in the name of the Lord…[He] will hand you over to me…and the whole world will know…there is a God in Israel…for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (I Sa 17:45-47).
Nobody around him seemed to have figured God into the equation, butDavid talked about nothing else. He saw what they didn’t and refused to acknowledge what they did. Why?
Because he knew that the God he served was bigger than the giant he faced. If you’re in a seemingly hopeless situation where there appears to be no way out, begin to focus on God’s power. When you focus on the enemy you stumble, but when you focus on God the enemy stumbles.

You’ll never win if you fight in your own strength; God’s already “given you authority…over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall…harm you” (Lk 10:19). Paul writes, “Put on God’s [coat ofArmour]…that you may be able successfully to stand against [all] the strategies…of the devil” (Eph 6:11). But your coat of armor won’t protect you if you leave it hanging in the closet. You’ve got to put it on! Three things Satan can’t withstand are: God'sWord, Christ’s Blood, and the Name of Jesus. When you use them you’ll bring him down every time – just likeDavid toppled Goliath!

QUOTES
The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along lines of excellence. -John F. Kennedy

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it. -Pearl Buck

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were. -Cherie Carter-Scott

A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory. -Arthur Golden

God, I don’t have great faith, but I can be faithful. My belief in you may be seasonal, but my faithfulness will not. I will follow in the way of Christ. I will act as though my life and the lives of others matter. I will love. I have no greater gift to offer than my life. Take it.- Anonymous

The Lord is good all the time!

GOD WILL BRING YOU THROUGH!

2008-04-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Acts 27:14 - “There arose against [us]…Euroclydon.”
Euroclydon! It’s the only storm named in Scripture. It means “typhoon,” and Paul had to sail through it to reach his destiny. Observe:
(1) To reach your goal you’ll have to go through storms. “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved” (Acts 27:20). There will be days when you’ll wonder how you’re going to make it. But by God’s grace you will!
(2) Storms reveal how well you know God. “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul,’” (Acts 27:23-24). It’s the tough times that reveal the strength of your God-connection.
(3) God can make a success out of a shipwreck. Notice some important things in this story:

(a) Sometimes you’ll have to throw personal belongings overboard (See Acts 27:18).
(b) In spite of your best efforts you’ll occasionally run aground (See Acts 27:26).
(c) You must remember what God told you and stand on it (See Acts 27:25).

(4) Often the worst thing that could have happened turns out for the best.God used this shipwreck to reach Malta with the Gospel. And notice what happened to Paul and his traveling companions as they left that island: “They honored us…and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed” (Acts 28:10).
Stop worrying, God will provide what you need in ways that amaze you. If you’re His child you’re not the victim of circumstances. Your future is not in the hands of people, it’s in the hands of God. And what He owns, He takes care of!

QUOTES
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity –Albert Einstein

life is like riding a bicycle. to keep your balance, you need to keep moving. - Albert Einstein

Examine what is said, not him who speaks. - Arab Proverb

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. -Chinese Proverb

He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever. -Chinese Proverb
The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. -Chinese Proverb

The Lord is good all the time!

WHY PRAY?

2008-04-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

JAMES 5:16 “THE PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS POWERFUL.”
Why pray? Because nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer, except that which lies outside the will ofGod. You’ll never know how many people have been strengthened because you asked God to encourage them, Healed because you stood with them in faith. None of us will ever know the true results of our prayers this side of heaven, but we know this: God’s kingdom on earth is established by those who pray.
Through prayer we’re invited into a relationship with God – a relationship that involves both talking and listening. Prayer is “talking with God about what we are doing together” as Dallas Willard puts it. In addition to all the other work that gets done through prayer, the greatest work of all is the knitting Together of our hearts with the heart of God. Many a person on their deathbed has regretted their obsession with work, money, pleasure and power.
But have you ever heard of anyone who regretted spending too much time in prayer? Prayer is the committing of ourselves to carrying outGod’s purposes. It is a telephone call to headquarters for orders. It’s not bending God’s will to ours, but our will to His. In prayer we tap reservoirs of spiritual power whereby God can find fuller entrance into the hearts of men.”
Why pray? That’s why!

QUOTES

Do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends. -Czech Proverb

It is wise to apply the oil of refined politeness to the mechanisms of friendship.-Colette

Laughter is an instant vacation-Milton Berle

When you have given nothing, ask for nothing.-Albanian Proverb

I dream, therefore I become. -Cheryl Renée Grossman

There will always be a part, and always a very large part of every community, that have no care but for themselves, and whose care for themselves reaches little further than impatience of immediate pain, and eagerness for the nearest good. -Samuel Johnson

The Lord is good all the time!

GOD GOES BEYOND YOUR PHYSICAL CIRCUMSTANCE

2008-04-19T02:56:00.000-07:00

Luke 1:37- “For with God nothing shall be impossible”
How many times have wanted something so bad and we have prayed and prayed for years and still there’s no reply. The next thing obviously is to lose hope and give up.
When you look up at the sky at night, we see the awesome wonder of God. There may be millions of stars that are so incredibly far away they appear to be just one pinpoint of light.Most of space is vast emptiness with no stars or planets. The earth’s place in the universe may be comparable to the place occupied by a grain of sound in our world.
Awe-inspiring, isn’t it?
So now imagine The God that created this wonder and think what he can do about your circumstance. Zechariah and Elizabeth were a couple with no children even till their old age.But at that old age, they had a child but not just any child. They bore john the Baptist
So we may ask…what was God doing all those years?.
HE was preparing a miracle so great that will surpass their expectation.We need to believe and have faith that what we are going through does not place a limitation on who we are destined to be.
Remember that blessed are those who believe.~it doesn’t matter how long it takes,
It doesn’t matter what your circumstances are
When God has scheduled a miracle for you, it WILL DEFINITELY come to pass!
People may be ashamed of you now but the LORD will take away that shame.
If HE promises to do something, HE will NEVER fail!!

QUOTES
"What we truly and earnestly aspire to be, that in some sense we are. The mere aspiration, by changing the frame of the mind, for the moment realises itself." -Mrs. Jameson

"God has never ceased to be the one true aim of all right human aspirations." -Vinet

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why".-Eddie Cantor

The Lord is good all the time!

FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER!

2008-04-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Psalm 122:1- “I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the LORD”
Every believer needs to fellowship with other believer to gain support, help, to feel loved and have a sense of belonging in the body of Christ.
And where is better for fellowship than the church?
When you are at church worshipping and praising God, you forget all your troubles. All your burdens drift away and everything is laid down at the feet of Christ. A sensation of joy comes over you.
Most of the time, we become happy just seeing other brothers and sisters that care a lot about us.We need our fellow Christians frequently so we are not easily led astray by the enemy. Remember that the enemy is walking to and fro over the earth seeking whom he may devour. DON’T LET THAT PERSON BE YOU!.
Together, we are more powerful and stand a better chance of defeating the enemy.
Don’t be left out, fellowship today.

QUOTES

"People underestimate their capacity for change. There is never a right time to do a difficult thing. A leader's job is to help people have vision of their potential". -John Porter

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us". -Wilma Rudolph

"If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential - for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never". -Soren Kierkegaard

"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err".- Ghandi

The Lord is good all the time!

IN ALL THINGS GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD!!!!

2008-04-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

Psalm 136:1- “give thanks to the lord for HE is good and HIS faithfulness endures forever”
Sometimes in life, things don’t go our way as this will be the case most of the time. However, some of us are so short-sighted that we don’t even realise the Master is planning something even bigger than. In every situation, no matter how bad, we always have something to be grateful for.
Should we despair over the damaged care or be grateful that we survived an accident?
Should we grumble and complain when we are reprimanded or should we be thankful that we have people that care so much as to correct us?
Should we be angry and bitter when calamity befalls us towards a God who has already worked a way out before hand?
Ask God for a heart of gratitude today…..
A heart of Gratitude will attract God’s unending chain of favour!!!

QUOTES

“not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted”
- Albert Einstein

“one man enthusiasm for 30 minutes, another for 30 days, but it is the man that has it for 30 years who makes a success of his life.”- Edward B. Butler

“this is the best day the world has ever seen.tomorrow will be better”- R. A. Campbell

"Nine requisites for contented living: Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough to support your needs. Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others. Faith enough to make real the things of God. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future". -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If we cannot live so as to be happy, let us least live so as to deserve it. - Immanuel Hermann Fichte

Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time. - Georgia O'Keeffe