Tag: God

In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, but not the sustainer, of the universe. In pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, there is an absence of belief in God. In agnosticism, the existence of God is deemed unknown or unknowable.

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Have Church While Cooking Your Sunday Roast

The digital age is great, but has it taken over? In this blog, I discuss whether it's a positive thing for the Church and Christian organisations to go digital.

The digital age is great, but has it taken over? In this blog, I discuss whether it’s a positive thing for the Church and Christian organisations to go digital.

So, I attended the Premier Digital Conference on Saturday 3rd November in London. For those of you who are not familiar with this event, it’s an event to help the Christian community take advantage of all the opportunities brought about by our digital age. Their aim is to ‘inspire with what is possible, equip with new ideas and skills and connect you with people and organisations that can help you achieve your aims’.

As you can imagine, as a virtual ministry assistant, this was an amazing event for me, and it proved to be just that”¦”¦.

To me, this event really brought to question, whether Churches, and Christian businesses were now becoming in tune with the digital age.

Why do Christian organisations, more specifically, Churches, find it so difficult to move with the times and become more digital / virtual?

Is it because Christianity is all about community, communication, being present with one another?

In today’s age, we now have Church apps where you can download your Church sermon, or Church newsletter; Bible verses posted on Facebook or Instagram, view Church sermons from YouTube while on the go. We have so many online Churches. A lot of Churches aspire to get their Church online. So, do less people now physically attend Church now that there are so many online Churches? You could now literally have Church while cooking your Sunday roast! Will it eventually get to a point where there will be no physical Churches, and everyone will be at home in their families, or worse, on their own listening to their Church sermon online?

 Of course, the flip side of this is that tens of thousands of people can easily hear the word of God. People who may not have usually attended Church can just tune in to hear what it’s all about. People who are house bound can experience Church in their homes.

As a virtual assistant, I’m all for the digital age. Most of my work and interactions with Churches, pastors, Church leaders are done digitally, and it works well. But it is very slow to catch on. In times of such great change, it is important to take the positives of the digital age. We can reach so many people in different cities, countries and even continents. We can work and bring together a vast amount of different ideas from different cultures and generations.

Nevertheless, we must not lose our human connections. We must not forget what Christianity is about. Loving your neighbour, helping and supporting each other and working together.

As a Christian community, we must be known to not only love Jesus Christ, but to also love one another, and to live in fellowship with one another. When the world sees this, our light will ‘shine before others, that they may see”¦ our good deeds and glorify”¦ our Father in heaven’. (Matthew 5:16)

 We need to find a happy medium where we have an option to connect virtually and digitally, but also not loose touch of our human contact.

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They Kept the Faith

faith

In my mind today, I’m pretty rattled. In all truth the past few weeks have been full of grief. A classmate and former student of mine started their new chapter in heaven. This earthly life is one of many questions and uncertainties. Keeping the faith is so hard when sadness is all around. My prayers lately are “God help me keep the faith. I know I’m but a wretched sinner myself and do not deserve all the good that you give me. Just use me as part of your plan and please forgive my mean words, thoughts, and actions.” Yes, we all have chinks in our character, me especially.
This morning I read about Peter and Paul. It helped to remind me that all is not lost. We all remember Peter’s big declarations, “Lord, I could never deny you!” Then the old cock crows and he is scared and his faith is shaken. In these tough times, I feel Peter’s pain. I know you do, too. Then after the resurrection he tells Peter to tend and feed his sheep. He understands our two big W’s: weakness and wretchedness.
Then we have the Persecutor Saul/Paul. He was super wretched. He was responsible for many deaths of early Christians. God took his sight so he could be able to see the real truth and meaning of life. He became one of the best vehicles for spreading truth and light into our muddled world. The letters of Paul never fail to ignite my heart.
I want to think that today our lives are the worst they’ve ever been. People dying of cancer too soon, brokenness of families, suffering children, and rampant addictions coupled with ignorance make me want to just give up. Toss it all away and just take care of my family and forget all of the nuts out there. My faith just wavers some days like it has the past few weeks. I want to be like Peter and run or roll away in my wheelchair. I make myself pick up my devotional, Bible, and spiritual reading and whisper prayers “God help me. God protect my loved ones. God help me. The world is getting to me. Please hear me. Let me be a light. Don’t let me give up. Help me understand that this life is not all that we have. Thank you for listening.” Your Wretched & Weary Gal Sal

Amen

I keep the faith. Why? It’s all we really have. The world has always been a mess and will continue to be so because humans are broken. Here’s the objective kids: In keeping the Faith, doing good deeds, and creating a culture of love, we win the race. We finish well. Each of our little lives matter in the big picture. I’m trying hard not to give up. Don’t ever give up and walk with me by Faith and not by sight.

Sal the Rolling by Faith Gal

Sarah Anderson Alley
Dedicated to:

Kelly Jo Blair Hicks

Teresa Hughes Milligan
Quote of the Day:

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

Mother Teresa
“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.”

Rabindranath Tagore
“Our last earthly breath is the beginning of happily ever after.”

Sarah Anderson Alley

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Fear Not

Fear Not

“Fear not . . .”  Isaiah 43:1

“Fear not” – words that make us stand a little straighter and feel a little stronger.  “Fear not,” (and words of a similar context) are found in the Bible more than a hundred times.[1]  We’re taught that fear and faith cannot coexist.  A fearful saint is not a faithful saint. But if you – like me – find yourself in a tumultuous situation, that contrast between the two extremes is a very real and present tension.  Like the father in Mark 9, we find ourselves pleading – “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (v. 24).  Over and over I pray: “God, I know You’ve got this.  I know you are faithful.  I know You will never leave me nor forsake me.  But I’m scared God.  I don’t want to be.  I’m trying not to be.  But I am.”  And He understands.  He doesn’t chide or rebuke me – He just gives me reasons not to fear.

Fear not . . . for God has heard (Gen. 21:18)

Fear not for I am with you (Gen. 26:24) (My favorite)

Do not be afraid, the Lord will fight for you (Deut. 3:22)

Do not be afraid . . . for the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6)

Fear not; I will help you (Isa. 41:13)

Today, at the suggestion of my sister-in-love, I’ve been meditating in Isaiah 43 and found some incredible words of hope that fit my life perfectly:

“This is what the Lord says – He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters” (v. 16); “I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (v. 19).

At this moment I am both drowning in the sea and wandering through a desert.  Seems as odd as faith mingled with fear but let me explain.  My emotions seem like an overflowing river, thoughts rushing this way and that, pulling me under and threatening to take my very breath.  For a split second I come up for air – “I believe!”  In the next the waves crash over my head again – “But I am afraid!”  God promises to make a way – a path through the waters of fearful thoughts and discouragement that threaten to drown me.  He promises dry ground to cross over to the other side.

Yet I am in the desert where nothing grows and all seems lost – walking through a season of drought.  Health issues.  Disability.  Unemployment.   Multiple applications with no nibbles.  Interviews with “no thank you.”  Watching the funds dwindle as the provisions dry up.  The reality of what we’re facing beats down like the scorching sun as we wander looking for an oasis.  God promises to make a way here too – to provide streams in this wasteland .  Mind you not to drown us like the sea, but to refresh and restore us.

He meets our needs for rescue and refreshing.  He gives us dry ground and cool springs.  He never fails to notice us wherever we are – even when we’re in two places at once.  Oh, my drowning, wandering friend – let me throw you a lifeline of hope.  You don’t have to fear because God hears you, He is with you, He fights for you, He will never leave nor forsake you, and He promises to help you.  He knows where you are right now, and He knows what you need right here.  He will make a way.

 

[1] The NIV records some 110 references; other translations will have a slightly different word count.  Despite how good is sounds, there are actually not 365 “Fear not” verses.

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Smartphones are paving way for the Antichrist, says head of Russian church

Russia Orthodox leader: The internet is the tool of the Antichrist

In a bold statement on Monday of Orthodox Christmas, Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, warned his congregants about putting too much trust in their smartphone. What spiritual leaders term “external forces” can track and control smartphone users where “location, interests, and fears” have been collected from their devices, a media report explained.

People’s dependence on smartphones and modern technology could bring about the coming of the Antichrist, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has warned. 

Speaking to Russian state TV, Patriarch Kirill said smartphone users should be careful when using the “worldwide web of gadgets” because it represented “an opportunity to gain global control over mankind”. “The Antichrist is the person who will be at the head of the worldwide web, controlling all of humankind,” he said.

“The Antichrist is the person who will be at the head of the worldwide web, controlling all of humankind,” he said. 

Kirill said he was not against technology, only wary of the possibilities generated. “Control from one point is a sign of the coming of the Antichrist,” Kirill told government-run television network, according to the Moscow Times.

“The Antichrist is the personality who will be the world leader who controls all mankind. Thus, the structure itself presents a danger, ” he told television interviewers. He stated, “if we don’t want to approach the apocalypse, there shouldn’t be a single center (control and access).”

Worldwide Problems

The explosive growth of smart phones used on our earth is mind blowing. An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide will use a smartphone by the end of 2019 according to research on the Statista website. And the latest statistical patterns do not show a decline. By 2020, according to emarketer.com, the smartphone user base will number 4.78 billion people, more than half the earth’s population. Whether people buy smartphones or not will depend on many factors, some of which might be budget problems. Some people who can’t afford to buy a device may be forced into using one because they follow their peers. There is also a question concerning the environment: Making a smartphone involves mining, and uses a number of precious metals that are in hard to reach places on the planet. Extracting these materials can damage large areas of land and place people – who live nearby in physical danger. Other environmental problems include spills of toxic chemicals and disruption to the planet’s ecosystem.

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – NOVEMBER 11: (AFP-OUT) Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill looks on during his meeting with Israel’s President Shimon Peres on November 11, 2012 at the President’s residence in Jerusalem, Israel. This is Kirill’s first visit to Israel since becoming head of the church in 2009. (Photo by Sebastian Scheiner-Pool/Getty Images)

Kirill’s TV appearance on Monday came two days after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was granted independence from the Russian Orthodox Church– a split that has been described as the largest in the Orthodox Christianity since the Orthodox church became independent from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054.

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The Son of God?

The Son of God?

As Christians we always talk about Jesus being the “Son of God” but I don’t think that we do a good job of helping others understand what this means, in fact, I have known many Christians who struggle to articulate the truth that Jesus is the “Son of God”.  For this reason, I want to take a moment and clarify this concept in order to add a layer of depth to our faith.  I will do so very quickly so as not to complicate an already difficult topic.

The short and sweet of it is this:  The phrase “Son of God” or “God’s One and Only Son” is not referring to Jesus being a child of God as a result of his sexual interaction with a spiritual female in heaven.  It is important to know that our Mormon friends believe this to be case, which is different from Evangelical Christianity and its belief that Jesus Christ is completely equal with the Father and that they have always existed together as One.  Jesus may have (certainly was) been born on earth from a human woman, but he was never born in heaven–He just was.  The truth is that it means Jesus is the perfect mirror reflection of God the Father.  When we see Jesus we see God the Father and we see the Holy Spirit.  This is the relationship that is described.  The verse that does the best job in clarifying the topic is this:

Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

When you read the Gospel of John it becomes very evident that the Jews, who stated that they believed in God the Father, truly did not believe in the One true God because they did not believe that Jesus was equal with Him.  When they saw Jesus they did not see God; they saw only a man (The Son of Man).  But those who believe in the One true God see the Father when they see Jesus.

We see the conflict in John 10:31-33, which reads:

Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?” “We aren’t stoning You for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because You–being a man–make Yourself God.”

What they refused to believe was that they were looking at the image of Father God when they looked upon the person of Jesus of Christ.  It would have been OK for Jesus to claim to be a prophet, or even a perfect human being perhaps, but not God in Flesh.  Or some religions are OK if you believe that Jesus is literally a son of God,  one of many gods, but not equal with God in every way.

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Give and Get More this Christmas Season

Give and Get More this Christmas Season

The holiday season is when most people spend and do a lot. From statistics and survey results, we know that this is a global trend. Summary data just from 8 countries covering a 10-year period revealed the top spot belonging to Canada with the U.S. taking second place.

December is the biggest month of shopping. People are buying stuff. People are getting stuff. People are going places. People are cleaning up, cooking up, setting-up parties, and more. It’s busy, busy, busy. It’s things, things, things. It’s activities, activities, activities. The Christian family (especially the parents) needs to be careful not to allow themselves to be molded into this kind of Christmas culture. Young ones need to grow with a proper understanding of the meaning of Christmas. They must grow with more meaningful experiences and memories of spending Christmas and New Year holidays.

So, how can we give and get more during the Christmas Season?

  1. Instead of buying for people, “do” more for them. Let help be your gift. That will be more memorable. Ask friends and family who are nearby (and those at home), “What can I do for you this Christmas?” and let that be your gift. Maybe mow someone’s lawn or do some laundry and clean-up. Babysit kids or pets so a couple can go out on an unhurried date.
  2. Prioritize meaning and purpose over price and aesthetics. Give better gifts. These don’t need to be expensive. People don’t need more mugs, shirts, or shoes. How about short meditational books that give spiritual benefit? How about worship music CDs? How about a simple cup of coffee and meaningful chat?
  3. Prioritize time together with your most important relationships. Parties and meetings will be everywhere but time with your spouse, kids, siblings, and parents are most important. You won’t be together forever. Build stronger relationships with them while you can. Put time towards improving primary relationships.
  4. Choose simple over effort-consuming plans. It’s nice to plan for Christmas activities. It’s nice to want the best time for your family. Many times though, preparations suck the life out of you. By the time you are able to sit down and eat, no one is in the mood. It’s because tempers were lost and levels of frustration are high. Someone was late. Some food wasn’t cooked enough (or cooked too much). Think how much better it would be to just have minimal cooking and more enjoyment. Save your energy. Save your focus and joy. Eliminate the unnecessary tasks and go straight down to the business of just enjoying time together.
  5. Worship and remain worshipful. Christmas is not a once-a-year thing. It happened once but it changed everything for you and me. He’s done great things for us and He’s still accomplishing great things for us, in us, and through us today. Include Him in the festivities. Make time to be still in His presence. Worship as a family. Worship in solitude.

Steer your heart and mind away from the current trend of materialism. Pursue intangible and more meaningful ways to celebrate the birth of Christ. That is how you give and get more this Christmas season.

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What It Really Means to Be ‘Desperate for God’

When we mention the word “desperation”, one could think it connects to something negative or unpleasant. American author Henry David Thoreau once said that “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” Here, we may think he means that death comes with man still holding onto unfulfilled dreams and longings. And such is often the case, for to be desperate is to “have a great need or desire for something. Desperation is a craving, a longing. It is a thirst and an ache for an urgent need.

When it comes to the Christian life, desperation is essential to a growing and deepening faith, relationship with, and experience of God. It is a most positive condition. Those who have just begun a relationship with God may have this insatiable desire for more understanding and experience of God in his life. However, time has a way of desensitizing (numbing) the heart and mind. One can get cozy in the faith and practice of religiosity that spiritual matters start to feel ordinary, routinary, obligatory, or mundane.

The child of God must remain desperate; desperate for God’s companionship and desperate to keep getting to know His Person. There is always more to discover of God. There is always more to understand of His dealings with you and the world around you.

So how do we remain desperate for God? Here are 2 ways:

Long for His presence.

Indeed, we should firstly “seek the Giver, before the gifts.” In Psalm 42 we see the psalmist’s heart longing after God. He sings, “As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

In Psalm 63:1, David sings, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

Have you yearned for God as the body scorched with heat and exhaustion screams for water? Have you felt this need to search for God and to experience more of Him, especially in the midst of great trial or need? God is pleased with this kind of yearning. In fact, He desires it. Acts 17 says that God’s workings are “so that that they (man) should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us”.

Long for Him today and experience Him respond to you in a wonderful and satisfying way. Seek for His hand in your life. Be sensitive to how He is guiding you and working out the details of your life. These may not immediately be clear but sooner if not later, clarity comes to those who pay attention. Matthew 7 says that he who seeks will find that which He seeks for.

Long for His Word.

There is no growth and strength without God’s Word. You cannot grow in knowledge and experience of God without guidance and revelation from His very Words. Scriptures reveal who God is. In its pages we glimpse God’s person and character. In its pages we get insight into what His purposes are for His children.

Scriptures show us all the good things we should pursue and immerse ourselves in. From Scriptures we find wisdom to thrive in this life and enjoy it. From Scriptures we find out how to delight ourselves in God. We learn what pleases Him and we learn what brings lasting pleasure in our very lives.

Long for His Word today. Feed from His Word and find nourishment. As you can hardly get by one day without food, don’t go a day without taking His Word in. Job 23:12 says, “I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” 1 Peter 2:2 says, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.”

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Did Slain Missionary John Chau Do More Harm Than Good?

While other youngsters were probably occupied with games, gadgets, and hanging out with friends, John Chau’s thoughts veered into doing missions. Reports say it was way back in high school that he learned about the North Sentinel people being the most isolated worldwide and from that time grew a focused desire to reach those unreached people of the sAndaman Islands for Christ. And he prepared himself well. Friends and colleagues say he trained himself physically and mentally. He studied linguistics and acquired survival skills. In 2017, he joined All Nations and trained as a missionary at its Kansas City headquarters.

News broke out that the body of 26-year old John was seen dragged across the beach and buried after the indigenous people slew him by bows and arrows. This was reportedly witnessed by the very fishermen who ferried him by boat during this illegal visit to the island. An overflow of mixed views began to surface. A few saw him as a martyr, even a modern-day Jim Elliott.  Some, however, condemned him for his so-called “irresponsible”, “disrespectful”, and “illegal” (by virtue of The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Act of 1956) action of invading the prohibited island of North Sentinel. Some saw it as a selfless act; others thought it idiotic, ignorant, or an unhealthy obsession. My heart goes out to the family he’s left behind for they are left to deal with all the negative press even while they mourn the death of their loved one.

We should hope that after all these negativity dies down and John Chau’s life and death becomes “old news”, that in the aftermath, he had not done more harm than good to the cause of Christ and to the work of the church. If there is to be any benefit; churches, mission organizations, and all believers should note all that we can learn from this unfortunate incident.

Consider legalities and consequences.

Jim Elliott and John Chau had the same desire, took on the same mission, and died in a similar way. All that God allowed Jim and his companions (and consequently their wives) to experience were documented and widely circulated even to this present day. From their lives we glean inspiration to boldly persist in Kingdom work. From their lives we also draw wisdom to work towards pursuing Kingdom work in more effective and safer ways.

In Jim’s time, there were no laws in place which prevented them from landing on the shores of Ecuador. They didn’t break any laws. John did and many are capitalizing on this. Can you do wrong in order to do right? Heroes like Corrie Ten Boom broke the law to do good but the laws they broke were morally wrong and broken in the first place. I honor the heart John had to reach the North Sentinel Islanders for Jesus Christ. However, in setting foot on prohibited ground, authorities brought issues of preservation and health safety against him. Fear was raised that he could have brought communicable diseases that may endanger the survival of these indigenous folks who for thousands of years have aggressively closed themselves off from civilization.

Consider cost and benefit ratios.

Most mission boards today recommend and train missionaries to touch base with locals first, to make initial connections, and to slowly integrate themselves into the community before even beginning to start evangelizing. Mission efforts today naturally begins with charitable helps to show people in a practical way that one is sincere. Even in one’s country, among your own people, it’s a rare thing to see someone immediately warming up to you when you immediately and bluntly just share the Gospel with them. Effective witnessing now more often necessitates forged relationships and a clear means of communication. No matter how hard you desire to share the Gospel with someone, if you are not communicating on a level of understanding, all your efforts are futile. The purpose is for them to be enlightened. The purpose is not to just speak Gospel truths. The chief and end purpose is for salvation to take place.

John had been perceived as ignorant for his efforts to declare the Gospel to a people who do not understand a word of what He was saying. Some writers accuse him of having a “white savior” complex or of following a religious tactic of proselyting by colonialization that’s been practiced for centuries. Again, I admire his heart for wanting them to hear about our Savior. I do not dare to make judgments whether he did a sensible evaluation of the fruitfulness and benefit to this endeavor as I am not privy to all the circumstances and developments that came about along the way as he planned and executed this mission trip. What I take from all this is that in all our endeavors, we really need to make a careful count of the cost and to explore better means to accomplishing our goals and purposes.

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A Change Is Gonna Come: Give Me That Old-Time Religion 15 Essential Gospel Hymns

Worship is in an extremely important component of the Christian life. As Christians, our whole lives should be a living sacrifice of worship to God, but undoubtedly, praise and thanksgiving through song play a big role (just look at Psalms). With the rise of Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) in the last 50 years or so, the previous popular choice for corporate worship time, hymns, have become less prominent in some circles.

The best Southern gospel songs are among the most beloved and enduring tunes in all of gospel music. You don’t have to be religious to be affected by the power of gospel music. After all, it influenced soul and R&B music – along with rock’n’roll legends the likes of Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones – and even Bob Dylan tried his hand at writing bona fide gospel songs.

What we need in the churches is the Holy Ghost and fire. We need what the old time saints had. That old time religion.   More than anything else they had a dedication to God. When they prayed you knew that God was there.

There have been times that I thought I couldn’t last for long
But now I think I’m able to carry on
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will

Follow our Forever Gospel playlist for more of the most uplifting music you’ll ever hear.

 

[waveplayer ids=”17012,17013,17014,17015,17016,17017,17018,17019,17020,17023,17024,17025″]

 

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The Name I Cherish Emmanuel: There Is Indeed No Other Name!

The Name I Cherish: Emmanuel

The Bible refers to Jesus by several titles or names, each one meaningful and significant. His name, “Immanuel”, appears less than 5 times in the whole of Scriptures. The title appears in Isaiah Chapter 7 and 8, and in Matthew 1:23 as an exact quote of Isaiah 7:14. The Word unleashed deep revelation when it revealed Jesus as Emmanuel. It means God with us. Jesus is God with us. I cherish this particular name for all the significance it bears.

God’s Abiding Presence

In the Old Covenant, God’s Spirit came and went. He stirred and enabled His people for His purposes but He had to depart whenever there was transgression. The curtain that excluded the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple was a reminder that there was a limit to our access of God; not that He wanted to but because man’s sin and imperfection made it impossible.

In the New Covenant, the Redeemed who place their faith in the atoning work of Christ enjoy full, continual, and straight access to God the Father. Sin will never separate us from the love of God. We will be subject to His loving discipline, but we are condemned no more. For the saved, there will never be a life without Christ. We will never be alone. Deut. 31:6. Matthew 28:20.

God’s Kinship

Our Maker, our Lord and Master; our Father, our Brother and Friend. God never wants a distant relationship or one that is based on fear or superiority. He longs to draw us to Himself. He longs for us to search for Him and know Him. (Acts 17:27).

From Romans 8:26 we know that God the Holy Spirit aids us in our weakness and prays for us intelligently. From Matthew 11:28-30 we know that Jesus is always there to bring enlightenment and increase our capacity for handling the challenges of life. From Psalm 46 we know that God is our “Person”, our reliable, go-to aide who will support and shield us in times of trouble and danger.

God’s Special Favor

God’s saving grace rests upon people who come to receive this grace through faith. 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is not willing that anyone should perish. But not all will choose to believe. Not all will accept Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. We pray God’s Kingdom and Salvation on all of mankind but not everyone believes, not everyone accepts God’s call to repentance and total faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. But for those who believe, God’s unmerited favor keeps on falling and falling. We can never outgive God. He will always be more good and more generous even when He withholds certain things He deems unfit for us to receive at the time.

God’s Partnership

The world sometimes depicts Him as a puppeteer or an uninvolved spectator but God is far from that. He does not lord His good and perfect will over our lives but He does not amuse Himself with spectating our affairs. God’s eyes are on us and His Godhead is always working things out for our good. We live in a broken world where unfavorable things happen. Thankfully, in this broken world, God’s eyes run throughout the entirety of the land, ready to support those whose hearts are committed to Him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) May we never believe the lies of the Evil One. May our faith never wane. May we never doubt the identity and sincerity of our loving Father.

All the praises and love to Jesus. ❤ Thank you for loving us even though we aren’t worth it.

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Holiday Stress: How to Smile and Endure

What Do Others See?

Holiday stress is a thing, so don’t act like you’ve had it all together up to now.

Holiday stress grows from things that are supposed to be joyful: Putting up the Christmas tree, the lights (eh…) and peppermint everything! But we know that’s not the case. In fact, we stress ourselves out. We usually end up doing one of the following:

  • 1. Stressing out about the bills. We’re shifting to minimum payments on EVERYTHING. Then we stress out about January while it’s still December.
  • 2. Not enough money for the gifts you want to buy. We don’t want to come up short on our Christmas shopping goals.
  • 3. Getting the house “Christmas ready”. The house isn’t where you want it, and it’s making you mad. In fact, you’re ready to quit and the first week in December hasn’t passed yet.

Here’s what I want you to do: I want you to start your day off with Jesus Christ. I want you to take out some time early in the morning when everyone is sleep and do some reading. I want you to spend some time with Jesus. It’s his season, not Santa’s. Consider this text: Psalm 121 verses 1-2 which reads,  “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth…”  Jesus commands us not to worry because he’s the great provider (Matthew 6:31-32). We can trust God’s words because they are forever (Luke 21:33).

Next, to combat that holiday stress, I want you to write your Christmas list to God. Have some faith.  Do you know that Jesus told us that we should ask him for the things we need? He stands by waiting for us to come to him! He knows what you’re trying to do. He knows how you feel this time of year. He wants you to bring your burdens him! (Matthew 21:22). The last thing you should be doing is trying to get it on your own.

Finally, accept God’s response. Maybe it wasn’t meant for your son or daughter to receive that fancy phone this season. Maybe that money needed to go to something else. Whatever the gift, no matter the reason you have or don’t have it, accept the outcome and thank the Lord for what he has provided. Don’t add to your holiday stress by stressing out on a day meant to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior!

Remember, you serve a big God who does so much for you and everyone else. He tends to the environment, he heals the land we use and cleans the air we breathe. It’s important to know that if he can do all these things, he can provide for your Christmas needs (Job 38).

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God Is Preparing You for Great Things so Leave What You Are Doing and Let Us Pray

God is preparing you for great things

God puts dreams in our hearts and writes a destiny over our lives. And if we trust Him enough to take Him at His word, we will find ourselves on a journey toward the fulfillment of that dream.

Unfortunately, the path that takes us to the promise is always wrought with thickets and thorns. Nothing worth having ever comes easy or without opposition. Storms will come, lions will roar, and our fears will be confronted. God allows the path to be difficult because He intends on refining us and preparing us for our place of promise. He is intent on extracting from us, that which our enemy would love to leverage against us.

Almighty Father, creator of Heaven and earth and everything in between, We humbly come before you with thanks giving in our hearts, asking for your never ending mercy. We lift your name on high, above any name that has ever existed, our father and creator, we ask you to bless, protect and to pour your supernatural favor upon us, our children, spouses and friends. God we ask you today for divine intervention in our lives, we ask for your touch in all areas of our lives, be it a new job, promotion, freedom from debt, rebuilding of our relationships with our spouses and friends. Father any situation you touch, we believe it can never remain the same. Father in heaven, let your will be done in our lives as your decision in our lives is the best and will always be the best, please send double portions anointing and blessings in the quickest time to the person reading this as your name is being worshiped and glorified by multitudes In the name of your only son, our personal Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!

God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favour. If you believe, share it. If you don’t believe, close it. God closes doors no man can open and God opens doors no man can close.

 

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The Deeper Meaning of Advent Can’t Be Ignored

The Deeper Meaning of Advent Can't Be Ignored

Starry lights. Tangled tinsel. Glorious ornaments. Crowded malls and an Amazon hangover for sure. Welcome to the Christmas season as carols and favorite tunes are heard forevermore.

We have to dig deep to muddle through the crazies that could easily ensue. ‘Tis the season of Christmas…let’s not forget what it really is for.  

Today kicks-off the season of Advent. Take a moment to savor what it means. Advent is a time to prepare our hearts for the greatest arrival of all time.  God in person. Deity comes. The birth of Jesus reveals God’s plan.

I want to encourage you to linger on this truth. God has come to earth to save mankind, inviting you to know Him intimately. To think that God Almighty loves us so is beyond our comprehension.

God loves you on your worst day. He loves you when life gets messy. He loves you when all hope seems lost. He loves you when you stray. He loves you when you don’t deserve it…when you seek things other than Him. He loves you when you plot through life blas or emphatically insist that things go your way.

We serve a God whose love was so great that He made a way for us to know Him. He came to earth as a babe….JESUS is His name. He knows you deeply and personally. He knows everything about you.

“Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7

He knows your deepest hurts and pains. Your sorrows and your worries. He knows the sin you try to hide, or wallow in at night. He sees and hears you all the time. There is no escaping. And in the midst of all of this, He came…He came so you would know Him.

And so, this Advent season I encourage you to get to know Jesus. Seek Him. Pursue Him. May you discover His realness.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Ps. 19:1

How do you prepare for Advent? What sets this season apart?

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The Best Way to Share Your Faith Is to Show, Not Tell

SEE THE WEARY TRAVELER TOILING OVER THE HOT SAND OF THE DESERT, WITH NO SHELTER TO PROTECT HIM FROM THE RAYS OF THE TROPICAL SUN. HIS WATER SUPPLY FAILS, AND HE HAS NOTHING WITH WHICH TO SLAKE HIS BURNING THIRST. HIS TONGUE BECOMES SWOLLEN; HE STAGGERS LIKE A DRUNKEN MAN. VISIONS OF HOME AND FRIENDS PASS BEFORE HIS MIND AS HE BELIEVES HIMSELF READY TO PERISH. SUDDENLY HE SEES IN THE DISTANCE, RISING OUT OF THE DREARY SANDY WASTE, A PALM TREE, GREEN AND FLOURISHING. HOPE QUICKENS HIS PULSES; HE PRESSES ON, KNOWING THAT THAT WHICH GIVES VIGOR AND FRESHNESS TO THE PALM TREE WILL COOL HIS FEVERED BLOOD AND GIVE HIM RENEWED LIFE.

AS IS THE PALM TREE IN THE DESERT—A GUIDE AND CONSOLATION TO THE FAINTING TRAVELER—SO THE CHRISTIAN IS TO BE IN THE WORLD. HE IS TO GUIDE WEARY SOULS, FULL OF UNREST, AND READY TO PERISH IN THE DESERT OF SIN, TO THE LIVING WATER. HE IS TO POINT HIS FELLOW MEN TO HIM WHO GIVES TO ALL THE INVITATION, “IF ANY MAN THIRST, LET HIM COME UNTO ME, AND DRINK.”

“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

The sky may be as brass, the burning sand may beat about the palm tree’s roots and pile itself about its trunk; yet the tree lives on, fresh and vigorous. Remove the sand, and you discover the secret of its life; its roots strike down deep into waters hidden in the earth.

Thus it is with the Christian. His life is hid with Christ in God. Jesus is to him a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life. His faith, like the rootlets of the palm tree, penetrates beneath the things that are seen, drawing life from the Fountain of life. And amid all the corruption of the world he is true and loyal to God. The sweet influence of Christ’s righteousness surrounds him.

The faces of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven. They are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of God has begun. They have Christ’s joy, the joy of being a blessing to humanity. They have the honor of being accepted for the Master’s use; they are trusted to do His work in His name.

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3 Ways to Make Life Count – One Ordinary Life Lived Well Can Make a BIG Difference

Unsatisfied

James 4:14 speaks about the shortness of life. He says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” This is a reality all men are aware of. We experience new life around us in many forms and we experience the passing of it as well. Friends and family come and they leave. Some at a ripe old age, others at a sudden and unexpectedly short while.

With this in mind, Ecclesiastes 3 gives great thoughts about how to make life count. Here is what King Solomon has to say:

“I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful

and to do good as long as they live;

also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—

this is God’s gift to man.”

(Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)

From the passage we gather the following ways to make life count:

  1. Choose Joy.

In John 15, Jesus Himself teaches us how to find joy. It is in staying connected with Him, keeping His words, and walking in love. There can only be lasting and overcoming joy when we stay intimate with our God. The world can only satisfy for a limited time. In good and hard times, it is only in God that our soul finds rest, renewal, and zest for living.

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you

and that your joy may be complete.”

(John 15:11)

  1. Do Good.

To do good is a profitable deed. In doing good, both the giver and the recipient benefit from the act. Both feel good; both feel the edification. To do good is to bestow something positive and beneficial on someone. However, at times, doing good may require us to withhold the bestowing especially when there is repeated abuse or when you need to stop a person from taking advantage of you. In the withholding, you set an erring person aright. Proverbs 3:27 gives us a good guideline on to whom and when to exercise goodness. It says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

  1. Take Pleasure in Your Labors.

Our Creator God set this example at the very beginning of the Bible. He immersed Himself in creative work and rested on the seventh day to appreciate His handiwork. In talking about Labor Day, Caroline Picard said “Enjoy a well-deserved day-off by honoring the time and effort you’ve put in all year long.” That is well on point. There is a time for putting in the efforts and there is a time for ceasing to strive in order to rest, reflect, and renew oneself. Remember that our jobs are there to help us manage the needs of day to day living. But our job is not life itself. We don’t live for our job. It is a necessary tool that helps us meet obligations and attain personal enjoyments. Work is there to help us better minister to our family.   It is not there to encroach on time and efforts we need to allot for family bonding.

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This Boy Performs “Amazing Grace” And It’s All Kinds of Heaven on Earth – Gospel Phenomenon!

 

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Alleluia Alleluia
For our Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia Alleluia
For our Load God Almighty reigns
Alleluia
Holy Holy
Are You Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy
Holy
Are You Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
Amen
Songwriters: Michael W. Smith

 

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

Songwriters: John Newton

 

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