I’m sitting in Casablanca, Morocco. The airport is packed, so many different languages, people arguing. Oh how I wish for peace after a long frustrating day. What about you do you need peace in your life? Are you feeling frustrated, hopeless or like things are beyond your control? That was me today, nothing seemed to be going according to plan. Everywhere I turned seemed to be blocked. Even God appeared to be distant.
Here’s is how things began to turn in my favour. I asked myself these questions, “what do I have my mind set on? And what am I thinking about – is it positive or negative?” If you are focused solely on your circumstances, or how impossible everything is, it’s going to affect your peace level and maybe even the outcome. But when you keep your mind stayed on God and what He can do, when you get your mind going in the right direction, then you are setting yourself up for peace and spiritual success. Then things will change in your favour, that’s what happened to me. Hallelujah!!!
Today, you may be going through difficulty; you may be in overwhelming circumstances in your life; however, God still promises you peace in the midst of the storm. He promises that He will preserve you when you call on Him. Choose to keep your mind focused on the Father. Be empowered by meditating on His Word. Find peace today by putting your trust and hope in Him.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV)
Pray With Me
Yahweh, thank You for peace that passes understanding. It was a blanket of comfort to my heart, mind and emotions today. Father, help me change my thinking when things are going bad. God, I choose to keep my mind stayed on You, and I thank You for ordering my steps today and always, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
This past weekend I ministered to inmates at a prison in the UK. Many of them were lifers and had committed some horrible crimes. God reminded me to let them know that Jesus came to break the curse of sin, shame and condemnation in our lives. He came so that we could see things the way God sees them. Do you know how God sees you? He sees you as valuable. He sees you as strong. He sees you as capable, talented and trustworthy.
Condemnation is a loss of value. It’s the accusing voice of the enemy that says, “you’re not good enough”¦you’ll never be good enough…you’re a failure.” Condemnation is never from God. The Bible tells us there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. When you embrace and declare God’s truth in your life, you activate His power to overcome the voice of condemnation.
Today, no matter how you may be feeling, get up and declare that the Greater One lives in you. Declare that you are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Declare that He loves you and has called you according to His purpose. Choose to see yourself as valuable, the way God sees you. Embrace His truth so that you can overcome condemnation from yourself and others, and live in victory all the days of your life!
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
(Romans 8:1, NKJV)
Pray With Me Yahweh, thank You for setting me free from condemnation. Hallelujah! Father, thank You for believing in me and filling me with Your vision for my life. God please take away my guilt and shame, help me to see my life the way You see it – free from condemnation, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Yesterday I ministered to over 200 inmates – many are repeat offenders. One young man said “I keep making the same mistakes. Oftentimes, I’ve blown it so many times. I‘ve had so many setbacks. I don’t see how I could ever get to where God wants me to be.”
Can I remind you, our mistakes aren’t that powerful. Our mistakes aren’t too big for our God. He’s not up in the heavens shaking His head saying, “I never dreamed they would do that. They’ve ruined My plan.” No, God knows every mistake we would ever make. He knows every wrong turn, and He’s already prepared a new route for us. He already has your escape figured out.
Today, God knows the end from the beginning. If you’ve made some mistakes, the good news is that He has already planned a way to get you back on track! Just come to Him with an open and humble heart. Let Him wash you clean and make you new again. Your mistakes aren’t bigger than your God. He loves you and has an awesome plan for your life!
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
(Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV)
Pray With Me Yahweh, thank You for loving me and accepting me beyond all of my mistakes. Father, thank You that the blood of Jesus cleanses me of every sinful mistake and makes me new. God, beginning today, I will consistently remind myself that my God is bigger than my mistakes and my problems. God, have Your way as I submit every area of my life to You, in Jesus’ Name! Amen. …
We spend a lot of time finding the right source to get the answers we need.
It’s a process of elimination until we finally realize that we’re in the right place, just talking to the wrong person or people. It’s like a puzzle: We have all the right pieces around us, but only one fits the place where we are starting the journey to complete the puzzle.
This was the case for me recently. I headed to the local hardware store to replace a broken piece on my trimmer. The first person to help me wasn’t really that helpful. We looked for the replacement part, couldn’t find it, and he decided to remove a part from a demo and give it to me. Was it the part? Yes. But I didn’t want it that way. I think he figured he was giving me a hookup when it was really stealing. I couldn’t walk out of the store with it. I placed the piece back on the shelf as he walked away, and I purchased another piece.
That piece didn’t fit either. Sigh. We returned to the store and asked for help again. Here comes the manager. I explained to him what I was looking for and in a few seconds, he showed me exactly where it was! I was stunned. The previous employee was standing right in front of it and neither of us saw it!
What was my error?
I only considered ONE source and when that failed, I didn’t seek out another source. In the Bible, Proverbs 15: 22 states, “…Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors, they are established.” The text explains that without the assistance, we’re going to be frustrated, but with multiple sources, we have more chances at achieving our goals.
If you’re wondering why you haven’t found answers to your problems it might be because you’re simply talking to the wrong people! Or the wrong Christians! We’re all part of the Body of Christ, but we all serve different purposes! (1 Cor. 12) So how do we complete our puzzle?
1. Pray over your problem. Ask God to send you the right person to help you.
2. Keep asking questions. God loves it when you come to him FIRST before going solo. Sometimes it’s a process to get you where you need to be but you learn a lesson along the way.
3. Remain calm, don’t get frustrated. The moment your emotions take hold you’re going to make mistakes. Keep a sound mind so that you can hear God’s instructions.
In the end, I did get the piece and finished my yard work. Remember, it begins with Christ, and he will get you where you need to be if you trust him.
One of the most frustrating things since becoming a Christian is when I pray from my heart and nothing happens. Sometimes, people get discouraged in life because things didn’t turn out the way they hoped on the first try. Maybe they put energy into a relationship, but it didn’t work out. They tried that new business venture, but they are still struggling with their finances.
Now they think it’s never going to happen. But one thing we have to learn is that God honours perseverance. On the way to your “yes” you may encounter some “no’s.” You may encounter some closed doors, but that doesn’t mean it’s the final answer. It just means “keep going.”
Today, rest assured if God promised it, He’s going to bring it to pass. Through faith and patience, we inherit God’s promises. This is where patience comes in; this is where perseverance comes in. This is where trust comes in. Just because you don’t see things happen right away, doesn’t mean you should quit. No, instead, rise up and press forward. Keep believing, keep hoping, keep enduring and keep asking, because our God is always faithful to His Word!
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
(Matthew 7:7, NLT)
Pray With Me Yahweh, thank You for being a faithful God. Father, I believe Your Word and trust Your promises. Please remove my frustration when it seems like You’re deaf to my request. I won’t stop asking, I will keep standing, keep believing and keep asking with patience and perseverance, knowing that I will receive what You have promised, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Growing up in the UK, when people bought something new, we used to say that they were trying to “keep up with the Jones’s (trying to compete with your neighbours).” It’s easy to be tempted to go through life competing with everyone around us. When we see someone who’s more talented, better looking or has more gifts, instead of running our race and being comfortable with who we are, oftentimes we feel inferior and think, “I’ve got to catch up to my neighbours and friends.” The problem with this unhealthy competition is that it’s a never-ending cycle.
Did you know there will always be someone ahead of you? But it’s very freeing when you realise, “I’m not in a competition.” I don’t have to have as big a house as my neighbour to feel good about myself. I don’t have to keep up with my co-worker. I don’t have to be a certain size. No, I understand that I’m not in competition with my friend, my neighbour or my co-worker.
Today, say to yourself “I’m going to be the best me that I can possibly be, I’m going to run my own race, I’m going to stay in my lane, I will not compete with anyone.” Now, that’s an attitude God can work with. When you focus on being who God made you to be, that’s when you’ll rise up higher, and position yourself for every spiritual blessing He has in store for you!
“”¦let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”¦”
(Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV)
Pray With Me Yahweh, I humbly come to You giving You all that I am. Father, help me keep my eyes on You and no one else. Please work on my heart and mind, so I will learn to stay in my lane and run my own race. God, I want You to be my only focus. I want to be free from competition today, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Romans 10:17 says that faith grows as we read and study His Word. Faith, in turn, produces patience, and when we allow patience to have its perfect work in us, we will lack no good thing. God wants you to be perfect and complete, living in His abundance, and lacking nothing on this earth.
Now, that may seem like a stretch from where you are today, but in an instant, things can turn around. God has set up a system of blessing for you, and it starts with His Word. The Bible says that God has given each of us a measure of faith. We all have faith, and it’s up to us to develop it through the Holy Ghost.
Today, no matter where you are in the process of life, keep moving forward by reading and hearing God’s Word. God’s Word is alive. God’s Word will heal your heart and restore your soul. God’s Word will produce patience in your life so that you can move forward, being complete and lacking nothing all the days of your life!
“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
(James 1:3-4, NKJV)
Pray With Me Yahweh, thank You for Your Word which lights my path and directs my way. Thank You for its healing power. Thank You for the restoration it brings. I choose to put You first. I choose to meditate on Your Word, knowing that it will increase my faith and bring me patience. God, place Your Word in my mind so I can move forward, lacking nothing, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
God make me over? This question I believe can be a clarion call for most Believers in Christ. It is this type question we ask God when we truly see who and what we really are.
The Prophet Isaiah said it like this in chapter 6 of Isaiah:
So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5 NKJV
Isaiah saw who he really was on the inside. He looked at God and then with a pure and holy eye looked at himself and came to the conclusion that he was nowhere near that man he thought he was.
I believe God’s work must first start within if we are to be effective in other areas of our lives. I think that this is an universal principle. Whether you are in church, at home or at work change must start within in order to impact your surroundings. We must practice what the scripture says, “Pick up our cross and follow Jesus.”
God wants his work to truly start with us first and then change a generation. However, oftentimes, we look to change others before we clean up the mess in our own lives.
The greatest opportunity for change and progress starts with the man and in the mirror. The brightest light in the room will truly illuminate when the shade is removed and the true essence of light can shine.
We must become the change that we want others to be. The greatest thing about changing ourselves is that, if anyone else doesn’t follow its okay. You are your greatest priority apart from God.
We can’t become good friends, spouses, employees or servants if we are not willing to put in the time becoming and being those things we want to see in others.
If we want to preach godliness we must practice godliness in secret and in the open we won’t have to pretend. We would just be godly because we have put in the time to change.
So be the change you would like the world to see snd I guarentee some one will be awakened by your light.
Challenges and obstacles are normal in this life. During these difficult seasons, we have a choice. We can get negative and discouraged and talk about how things are not going to work out, or we can flip the script and go into praise and thanksgiving mode, which opens the door for God to move on our behalf.
“I’ll have a better attitude as soon as I get over this health issue.” Or “I’ll give God praise when I get through these tough times.” That’s not faith. As long as you’re negative, discouraged and focused on your problems, it limits what God can do in your life. Faith says, you’ve got to praise God in advance, and then the breakthrough will come. Flip the script, change your focus, and watch things change in your favour. Praise always precedes victory.
Today, flip the negative script, stop dwelling on the wrong things and focusing in the wrong direction, go into a season of praise and thanksgiving, which will confuse the enemy and the negative people in your life. Begin to declare that God is good. Declare that He is faithful. Declare His praises and open the door to victory! Hallelujah!
“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines”¦yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18, NKJV)
Pray With Me Yahweh, today I humbly come before You, asking You to give me Your Spirit, so I can flip the script in my life, not focusing on the negative, but lifting You up and magnifying Your Holy Name. God, I will praise You at all times, despite the negative influences around me, for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life. I bless You and honour You for Your goodness, in Jesus’ Name! Amen
The notion of so-called postcode wars may have slipped from the headlines recently but the territorial divisions continue to exert a powerful influence on the lives of thousands of young Londoners.
This lady gives her thoughts on Knife Crime in the UK. We salute this woman for speaking out! The passion in her voice is intense.
Guns, Gangs and Postcode Wars
The youth culture seems to be falling apart at the moment. We’ve seen a real sea change over the past few years, with a significant increase in the number of people who have been injured, in the number of injuries sustained per person, and the severity of those injuries.
The more deprived the area, the more they try to assert control over the one thing they can lay claim to: the streets. Concepts such as hood passes and stripes may seem alien to anyone over 21 but are considered normal by an entire generation.
Politicians need to get their act together and pour money into this right now. Tomorrow is too late. Parents also need to take responsibility.
Gang-related organised crime in the United Kingdom is concentrated around the cities of London, Manchester and Liverpool and regionally across the West Midlands region, south coast and northern England, according to the Serious Organised Crime Agency. With regards to street gangs the cities identified as having the most serious gang problems, which also accounted for 65% of firearm homicides in England and Wales, were London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. Glasgow in Scotland also has a historical gang culture with the city having as many teenage gangs as London, which had six times the population, in 2008.
In the early part of the 20th century, the cities of Leeds, Bristol, Bradford (including Keighley) and Nottingham all commanded headlines pertaining to street gangs and suffered their share of high-profile firearms murders. Sheffield, which has a long history of gangs traced back to the 1920s in the book “The Sheffield Gang Wars”, along with Leicester is one of numerous urban centres seen to have an emerging or re-emerging gang problem.
On 28 November 2007, a major offensive against gun crime by gangs in Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Manchester led to 118 arrests. More than 1,000 police officers were involved in the raids. Not all of the 118 arrests were gun related; others were linked to drugs, prostitution and other crimes. Home SecretaryJacqui Smith said it showed the police could “fight back against gangs”.
THE WORDS ON OUR STREETS Irrespective of who uses it and for what purpose, street slang is constantly evolving. Words in common parlance five years ago like “buff” (good-looking) are now deemed antediluvian, replaced by newer terms such as “chug”, “peak” and “wavey”. “Skadoosh”, a personal favourite, is a relative newcomer.
Bang – punch Bare – a lot Bate – obvious Blud – friend Booky – suspicious Butters – ugly Chug – good-looking Dutty – nasty Fam – friends Gallis – womaniser Gased – talking nonsense Gem – fool Ghost – to be frequently absent Greezy – bad Junge – whore Liccle – small Marga – extremely skinny Moist – no ratings, silly, naff Murk – attack Nang – good Peak – used to highlight an eventful situation Peng – good-looking Shank – stab Shower – cool, good Skadoosh – goodbye Skettel – loose woman Slipping – to be caught off-guard Swag – crap Tekkers – technique Wallad – idiot Wavey – high or drunk
Albinism is the “congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration in a person, animal or plant, resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink eyes in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish and other small invertebrates as well.”Varied use and interpretation of the terms mean that written reports of albinistic animals can be difficult to verify.
For ages, Judith had a feeling that she would struggle to become pregnant. There wasn’t a medical explanation for this — it was simply a niggling fear.
She and her husband struggled to believe they would ever become parents after years went by without her becoming pregnant. “I found myself getting anxious and desperate,” Judith first wrote on Love What Matters.
“The fear remained no matter how hard I tried to stay positive. However, Eight years down the line, my husband and I decided to go for our second round of IVF. The first of which failed, as well as other various procedures and fertility treatments. Every ultrasound visit after that was horror”
Judith
The couple could hardly contain their joy when that second round of IVF proved successful.
Judith was carrying twins — a boy, Kamis, and a girl, Kachi.
It felt remarkable that after all these years, their aspirations and dreams of a family were about to be real.
However, mum’s joy quickly turned to horror as doctors broke the news that Kachi was “at risk and might not make it”. “Every ultrasound visit after that was a nightmare as Kachi was far behind in growth whiles Kamsi did great.
“Finally, at 37 weeks, I had to be induced immediately because I was told that Kachi had stopped growing..” After the birth Nurses let Judith hold her daughter briefly before she was whisked to the NICU.
“The first time I saw her, I wondered if the nurse was handing me my baby, or someone else’s,” Judith said. “I waited a few seconds for someone to tell me there was a mix-up?” “Soon the joy of seeing them both healthy surpassed any other feeling at that instant.”
“How did I get black and white twins?”
Several days later Judith and her husband were told that their baby girl had albinism.
“I loved my princess like every mother would love her baby but worried about her condition,” Judith said.
“I worried about her future, how society would treat her, how she’ll be accepted.
“Gradually, worry turned to sadness and I started questioning “I envied other black babies and thought, ‘Why me? Why was I the one to have an albino baby?’
“How did I get black and white twins?”
“I threw the braille sheets in the garbage”
Unfortunately, medical professionals were quick to affirm Judith’s worst fears and told her that Kachi would struggle to see and would likely need to learn to read braille.
“I couldn’t imagine Kachi reading with braille and threw the braille sheets in the garbage.” She said
“She’s so smart and has a strong personality. She knows what she wants and will always go for it. “I always tell her how beautiful she is, because she really is.
“I’m not sure she`s aware of her uniqueness at the moment, but eventually she’ll know.”
“It’s my responsibility to educate her and teach her to love herself no matter what.
Albinism
Albinism affects the production of melanin, the pigment that colours skin, hair and eyes. It’s a lifelong condition, but it doesn’t get worse over time.
People with albinism have a reduced amount of melanin, or no melanin at all. This can affect their colouring and their eyesight.
Albinism is caused by faulty genes that a child inherits from their parents.
Symptoms of albinism
Hair and skin colour
People with albinism often have white or very light blonde hair, although some have brown or ginger hair. The exact colour depends on how much melanin their body produces.
Very pale skin that burns easily in the sun and doesn’t usually tan is also typical of albinism.
Eye colour
Someone with albinism can have pale blue, grey or brown eyes. Eye colour depends on the type of albinism and the amount of melanin. People from ethnic groups with darker pigmentation tend to have darker coloured eyes.
Eye problems
The reduced amount of melanin can also cause other eye problems. This is because melanin is involved in the development of the retina, the thin layer of cells at the back of the eye.
astigmatism — where the cornea (clear layer at the front of the eye) isn’t perfectly curved or the lens is an abnormal shape, causing blurred vision
photophobia — where the eyes are sensitive to light
nystagmus — where the eyes move involuntarily from side to side, causing reduced vision; you don’t see the world as “wobbling” because your brain adapts to your eye movement
squint — where the eyes point in different directions
Some young children with albinism may appear clumsy because problems with their eyesight can make it difficult for them to perform certain movements, such as picking up an object. This should improve as they get older.
How albinism is inherited
The two main types of albinism are:
oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) — the most common type, affecting the skin, hair and eyes
ocular albinism (OA) — a rarer type that mainly affects the eyes
Autosomal recessive inheritance
In most cases, including all types of OCA and some types of OA, albinism is passed on in an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means a child has to inherit two copies of the faulty gene (one from each parent) to have the condition.
If both parents carry the gene, there’s a 1 in 4 chance that their child will have albinism and a 1 in 2 chance that their child will be a carrier. Carriers don’t have albinism but can pass on the faulty gene.
X-linked inheritance
Some types of OA are passed on in an X-linked inheritance pattern. This pattern affects boys and girls differently: girls who inherit the faulty gene become carriers and boys who inherit the faulty gene will get albinism.
When a mother is a carrier of an X-linked type of albinism, each of her daughters has a 1 in 2 chance of becoming a carrier and each of her sons has a 1 in 2 chance of having albinism.
When a father has an X-linked type of albinism, his daughters will become carriers, and his sons won’t have albinism and won’t be carriers.
If you have a history of albinism in your family or you have a child with the condition, you may want to talk to your GP about getting a referral for genetic counselling.
A genetic counsellor provides information, support and advice about genetic conditions. For example, you can discuss with them how you inherited albinism and the chances of passing it on.
Albinism is usually obvious from a baby’s appearance when they’re born. Your baby’s hair, skin and eyes may be examined to look for signs of missing pigment.
As albinism can cause a number of eye problems, your baby may be referred to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) for tests to check for conditions such as nystagmus, squint and astigmatism.
Electrodiagnostic testing is also sometimes used to help diagnose albinism. This is where small electrodes are stuck to the scalp to test the connections of the eyes to the part of the brain that controls vision.
With gun and knife crime high, with kids as young as 8 carrying drugs across the country, things are out of control right now. Our country, and across the entire world, are experiencing wide-spread devastation like never before seen in history. Some places are too hot, others too cold. Floods, diseases, and brokenness seems to be affecting all. The world needs prayer at this time.
We may not have all the answers about the world’s situation, but we can set our hearts and minds on what we do know. What we know is that God is faithful. What we know is that He is our Deliverer. What we know is that we can trust in Him. He is our hope, He is our peace, and He will carry us through. He promises that no matter what you we be facing, He will empower us to walk through it and overcome.
Today, when you don’t understand, when you don’t have answers, when you are in your darkest hour, God is your light of hope. God will bring restoration and order to your life again. Whether you’re in a storm, or experiencing another type of “trouble,” call on Him. He will deliver you, and in return, you will bring honour and praise to Him.
“…call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour Me.”
(Psalm 50:15, NIV)
Pray With Me Yahweh, today I’m calling on You. Father, I trust that even in my personal darkness, and in the world’s darkest hours, You are my light of hope. God, give me Your peace that passes understanding. Bring order and restoration to my life. Heal this land of crime, abuse and natural devastation as Your people call upon You, in Jesus’ Name! Amen. …
And right now white people are really frightened. If you don't understand the destruction of Planned Parenthood offices and you don't understand the wall that we're going to build on the southern border of the United States. You haven't read the book The Birth Death by Ben Wattenberg then Wattenberg was a brilliant Jewish man who was a member of the American Enterprise Institute and he wrote a book the first paragraph of which says. The main problem confronting the United States today is that there isnt enough white babies being born in this country. He was an adviser to presidents of the United States he wrote the book in 1987. He says there if we don't change this and change it rapidly white people will lose their numerical majority in this country and this will no longer be a white man's land. Now I'm not misrepresenting misrepresenting this I'm telling you exactly almost exactly what he says. He says there are three things we can do to solve this. Number one we could pay women to have babies as they had been doing in Western European nations for years. Then he says and these are his words not mine. Unfortunately we would have to pay women of all colors to have babies so we don't want to do that. He says the second thing we could do is increase the number of legal immigrants that are allowed into this country every year. Then once again he says unfortunately the vast majority of those waiting to come to this country today are people of color.
So we don't want to do that. The third thing he says and white men women had better pay attention to this. Sixty percent of the fetuses that are aborted every year are white. If we could keep that 60 percent alive that would solve our birth dearth. Does that sound like racism to you. Can you talk a little bit about the trauma associated with the trauma associated with it. One of the main traumas is it tells white people that they are superior because of the lack of melanin in their skin and then they find out suddenly that we've got a black president that's traumatic. That's where the trauma is living a lie. Finding out the truth is traumatic finding out now recently that within 30 years white people will be in the new miracle minority in this country is going to be traumatic. White people are scared to death right now particularly white males. They're scared to death that they are going to lose their power in the future and they are. But if you want to get ready for the future if you want to be treated well in the future treat others well in the present. What we do in the present constructs the future we call the Japanese and you'll pardon me but this is what we call them slant eyed little yellow.
We didn't say that about the Germans. After the war we rebuilt Germany and Japan and we get along beautifully with the Japanese. That was in 1945 that we finally won that war. How many how many years ago was that figure that out quickly. I'm not a math person but you're not a math person but you know it wasn't that far and it didn't take 50 years for us to have peace with the Japanese and the Germans even though even though we dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. The Japanese hadn't killed 10 million people. Nowhere near that. We didn't drop any bombs on Germany because any any atomic bombs on Germany they were a different kind of people. We couldn't afford to do that. We killed how many Japanese people with two atomic bombs. And they for Davis. You want to talk about forgiveness. You want to talk about changing this thing. I cannot understand how Japanese people can stand the sight of any of us and yet they do. I cannot understand why black people who have been subjected to the ugliness that they've been subjected to in this country can get up every morning and go to work among us and not be absolutely furious. And I don't understand why we allow white people to behave the way they do. I don't understand that. And my third graders after they've gone through the exercise couldn't understand it and wouldn't tolerate it.
And when they went up to junior high and a junior high teacher used the N word. One of my bullet. My former student said if you're gonna use that word I'm going to go out in the hall until you stop using it as we don't use that word in this school. I was a sixth seventh grader who told his teacher off when we have enough students who are willing to confront people who are making racist sexist just homophobic statements we're going to be better off. We have got to stop tolerating the intolerable if it's intolerable for my black cousins and every black person on this earth that's one of my cousins. It was intolerable for them. It's intolerable for me. I will not tolerate it. I will not tolerate it. That is not that I am required not to tolerate that kind of treatment for the people who are related to me. And that's every person on the face of the earth. If your ignorance is such that you mistreat somebody because of your ignorance about the color of their skin don't do it around me. Number one. I've been threatened with death lots of times. Now I say go for it fool. My husband died four years ago. Being with him would not be a bad thing for me. That is not the worst thing that can happen to you living a worthless useless life is much worse than dying.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good alcoholic drink, but as I’ve got older I’d rather savour the taste of a good cider with friends than throwing it down my neck. Back in Freshers, the aim of a night out was to get completely drunk. The idea of spending money was all aimed on a night out at university. As the years have progressed, I don’t really go on many nights out. Getting drunk and having a hangover the next day doesn’t sound very appealing to me anymore.
For many of us, alcohol seems to be the solution of many problems. The amount of times I’ve heard or seen on social media, “I need a stiff drink after that,” or the act of having a full bottle of wine after a bad day at work, is not uncommon. Many, including myself in the past, have had a drink to take pain away, putting hope in a bottle rather than Jesus Himself.
A few weeks ago, was the Christian holiday of Pentecost. And for those who don’t know what happens on this day, it is a celebration of the Holy Spirit filling a room with a strong wind. When that strong wind had come, all the people in the room saw tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues and languages, just as the Spirit enabled them. The Holy Spirit is an amazing being and its really hard to explain, as it is the most indescribable thing to ever happen to you. I love Holy Spirit moments. When I speak to my friends who are not Christians, who ask questions, they can get behind Jesus – He is a man, a physical thing; they can sort of get behind there being a God – a divine being guiding you through your life; but when it comes to the Holy Spirit – they’re like “Woah, I’ve got to stop you there!” It’s a concept that many people can’t get there heads around.
Being Drunk On The Spirit
A lot of you are probably thinking right now, so where is this going? What’s the link between bad life decisions of being drunk and the filling of the Holy Spirit? Well, the Bible talks very strongly about this link in Ephesians 5:18:
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (NIV)
I find this Bible verse incredible. I feel like this verse is saying that you should feel the same high from the Holy Spirit as you do when you are drunk. Being in a room filled with tons of people, who are each filled with the Holy Spirit is an incredible sight and to someone from the outside looking in, you would presume that everyone is completely drunk. People supposedly speaking gobbledegook (tongues), collapsing on the floor, uncontrollable laughing and crying. I admit I have the gift of tongues, I’ve had it for about 6-7 months now and honestly, it’s so amazing. Personally, I’ve never felt anything that makes you so happy or takes all your pain away than a glass of the Holy Spirit and a bottle of Jesus.
There are parallels between the two; we tend to see being drunk as a bad thing and we really don’t want it to happen to us in church. But here, God want us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and feel the gifts that it can give us. But, compared to alcohol, the Spirit gives you no sickness, doesn’t cause you to make stupid decisions, doesn’t lead to crime and definitely doesn’t give you a hangover the morning after, instead it makes you feel relaxed and helps you to know that the presence of God is always there with you.
There’s always that feeling of alcohol being a want not a need. Instead we should be needing the Holy Spirit not wanting it. We shouldn’t be able to go through our week, without needing God to be with us. For a lot people, alcohol is what they worship, a mini god to them. It’s so easy to get hold of and it’s pretty cheap. But do you know what is easier to find, is completely accessible and absolutely free? The Holy Spirit. There for when you need Him, not as a last resort or a temporary want.
The Holy Spirit – Way Better Than a Cheap Night Out
Faith is a
beautiful virtue to have. By it, we believe in our Saviour and are saved from
the sentence of death. However, to be fruitful in our walk with Christ, we have
to add several other qualities to it that will keep us from becoming lukewarm,
stagnant, and lazy.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2 Peter 1:5-8?
Virtue
I see this as moral
excellence, modesty, and purity. Never compromise your moral values, they are
the first to warn you against temptation.
Knowledge
Delve deeper into
our faith, into the Word of GOD that is perfect in every way. It is essential
to know that which is lawful and unlawful for us, to understand moral wisdom.
It is also our responsibility to know of the many wonderful promises GOD has
given to us and to hold onto them when fiery trials come our way.
Temperance
Self-control is
vital in every aspect of life, or we would likely see more chaos in the world
today (although we are slowly descending into madness). We have the spirit of a
sound mind (2 Tim 1:7), therefore there is no excuse for us not to be in
control of our desires, and passions that often lead to a mighty fall into
temptation.
Patience
We all need this in
bucket loads, don’t we? Steadfastness, constancy, and endurance all come to
mind when I hear this word. We are patient when we are not swerved from our
faith, our GOD-given purpose even amid trials and sufferings. We must be
patient in the little things (like waiting for water to boil!), to bigger things
(waiting for the salvation of Lost loved ones).
Godliness
Think reverence and
respect, piety towards GOD. We must be holy as GOD is holy (1 Pet 1:16). We
must be deliberate in our decision to obey GOD’S Words fully, being careful to
neither look back or to the side where temptation always awaits us.
Brotherly
Kindness
This is the love of
brothers or sisters, the love which Christians have for each other as family.
We may have different nationalities, backgrounds, and languages, but we are all
connected by Jesus. We have His Spirit in us that connects us beyond blood
relations, making our bond firm and everlasting. It is only right that we have
love for each other as we are going to spend eternity with together!
Charity
A love feast sums
up this word quite well. Affection, goodwill towards one another, helpfulness,
generosity- think of every good thing that we can offer each other, and do it
with a pureness of heart.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2 Peter 1:8-9?
As the End draws
near, let us give this last leg of the race everything that we have. Run like
one who wants to win, not one who wishes to come second place (FYI, there is no
second place, only hell). The Crown of Life is at the finish line, and as we
already know how this race ends, we had better be confident of our calling that
nothing can deter us from sticking fast to Jesus.
I believe that
the King James Bible (KJV) is the most reliable source of GOD’S Word, providing
the best translation from languages used during Biblical times (Greek, Hebrew,
Aramaic) into English.Other translations have
omitted key passages and meanings, therefore I urge everyone to study the KJV.
They provoked Him to anger at the waters of Meribah, So that it went hard with Moses on their account; Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, Moses spoke recklessly with his lips
Righteous anger never causes you to step out in your own emotions. It is very hard to discern between yours and God’s because God inhabits and is a very part of our emotions to begin with. That is why many people find themselves doing evil and saying that God told them to do it.
Here is Moses, falling into that emotional trap too. He just had enough of these whining people who never looked to God, were never thankful and were never satisfied or content. Their inability to learn, to grow and to know God was unquestionably the hardest thing for Moses to take. Remember, right at this time they were getting very close to entering the promised land – and they still were not ready spiritually to do so (Numbers 11:1-9); (Philippians 2:12-16).
I wish I could tell you that righteous anger is pure – but I cannot. Too many examples in the Bible where righteous anger included killing someone, creating chaos and lots of shouting and pointing fingers and calling people out. In other words, they were very angry.
Do you ever wonder why certain TV evangelists (I point them out because they are the most obvious — they are on TV) and certain radio personalities on Christian stations “judge” other Christians in “righteous” anger? Want to know why their anger is righteous? They believe they are righteous and have the “right” and “authority” to judge because of their own holiness.
This is where I can tell you most assuredly – if your anger stems from your own concept of holiness, purity and righteousness before God – you are not acting in righteous anger. If you think you are something special, God’s gift to humanity – you will not act in righteous anger. Moses lost himself. He declared himself to be the one – and in that one moment when he thought it was all about him, he failed His God and stood alone realizing his anger was not one from the Lord but from his own sinful nature.
The Holy Spirit is offended when we declare ourselves speaking for the presence of God and we are not. The Holy Spirit is offered as our counsellor in these matters. Allow Him to serve you and invite Him to search your heart. I am sure that you will find that your anger will turn to tears as you see the incredible sin and pride that He will find in just a few moments of time that live right inside you. Then you will know the difference between righteous anger and your own. Then our discernment will serve us well as we hear His voice and know that He is or is not calling us to action with righteous anger.
Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
