IT IS TIME FORGET THE PAST & CELEBRATE A NEW BEGINNING

As the New Year stands before us, like a new chapter in a book, waiting to be written by God on our lives, it is important we must turn the old pages and give it all to Him. That way we allow Him to give us a brand new start.

 

God knows that we need many new beginnings. And that is the reason He took the whole of eternity and broke it down into incremental pieces of 24 hours period that we know as a “day”. Then every 365 days we start a whole new year. There is also a new season four times every year. So many chances for a new start. But always, every 24 hours, the sun sets and rises again with a new dawn – another chance at a new beginning.

And very surely some blunder and absurdities have no doubt crept in. Get rid of them and forget them as soon as you can but make sure that to take the lesson learned and move on because tomorrow is a new day. Do not waste a moment of today on the rottenness of yesterday.

 

Keep on doing the same old things and expect a different result is next to impossible. So, first and foremost in our endeavour to bring closure to the old and begin the new right is to make sure every area of your life – gifts, talents, work, triumphs, everything is dedicated to Him. If we dedicate everything to God for His purposes, then it is guaranteed that everything would turn out for good.

May your days be painted in gold. May your life be filled with diamonds. May the stars shine bright on your world. May God’s special favors & blessings be upon you. Happy New Year 2015 !

DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU SUFFER?

The Bible says that sufferings is one of the means of God to turn our attention towards Him. Who can ever find a human being without suffering ?  The big truth is that how we  deal with it is going to affect our lives in a big way  - for our good or for the worst.  Let's see here how suffering affect us:

Suffering is helpful when	Suffering is harmful when
We turn to God for understanding, endurance and deliverance	We become hardened and reject God
We ask important questions we might not take time to think about it in our normal routine	We refuse to ask questions and miss any lesson that might for good for us
We are prepared by it to identify with and comfort others who suffer	We allow it to make us self-centred and selfish
We are open to being helped by others who are obeying God	We withdraw from the help others can give
We are ready to learn from the trustworthy God	We are ready to learn from the trustworthy God
WE realize we can identify with what Christ suffered on the cross for us	We accuse God of being unjust and perhaps lead others to reject Him.
We are insightful to the amount of suffering in the world	We refuse to open to any changes in our lives

Do you know Job’s greatest test was not the pain, but he did not know why he was suffering !

Our greatest test may be that we must trust God’s goodness even though we don’t understand why our lives are going a certain way. So what suffering has to say in our lives?

Get to learn to trust in God who is good and not in the goodness of life!

DO YOU HAVE A FLIGHT PLAN?

Airline pilots do this on every flight. They set their course. If they are going to go from London to Berlin, they file a flight plan. Once they set their course, they know they will only go to Berlin. However, if you don’t have a course, you will land in any city that looks enticing. But if you set your mind and your flight plan , then you are not tempted to land in Paris or Amsterdam.

In life, if you don’t know where you are going, any road will be tempting. Probably you may have had tried many roads only to see the dead ends. The important thing to take note here is that God has set our course of destiny – our flight plan before we came to being in this world.  So, if any one of us see ourselves in a dead end, it is very clear that we have distracted course that is not set for us. But no need to worry . When you mess up , what you do ? Do you beat yourself up? No! Renew your mind.

Set your mind to follow God’s ways , even amidst obstacles and once you commit to focusing on God rather than your strength & strongholds you will see your life gets much simpler because you will know what to say ‘No’ to, and what to say ‘Yes’ to.

Do you know why some people have a weak faith? It is because they have not yet decided what is truly important!
 

MIRACLE IN THE MAKING

Probably many of us are looking for a miracle right at this moment – To improve in health or in finances , To get out of a difficult situation , To fix up broken relationships or To have a changeover but all we want is instant miracles. And when things we pray for don’t happen, we get disappointed. The enlightening here is that miracles will happen for those who believe but not in the way we presume it but in a way how God has planned it.

 

Let’s have a look at the anatomy of a miracle . Some miracles happen in flash but I want to tell you about the kinds of miracles that changes lives, changes destinies, or change people’s future. Often these miracles take place over a period of time. They are more like a process taking on the form of a season rather than a second. These kinds of miracles require our utmost cooperation and its fulfilment depends on our partnership.

 

God puts these miracles in slow motion so that we can actually examine the components of a miracle and thus better understand the ways of God in order to cooperate with Him.

 

In the book of Acts 12:7-11 , we see Peter was thrown into prison for spreading the gospel. And while was being kept in prison, the people were praying fervently. Then on the very night before King Herod was about to bring Peter out, accuse him, and most probably put him to death, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers chained to these guards and there were guards by the door watching over the prison. But suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and light shone in the cell. He struck peter’s side and roused him to get up quickly . The chains fell off his hands. The Angel said to him to put on his sandals and coat and follow him. Peter went out and continued to follow him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself and they went out along one street and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter came to his senses, he realized God has sent forth His angel and rescued him.

 

Peter didn’t realize he was in the midst of a miracle. God slowed down this miracle in order to allow time for it to come to pass. It took time for the angel to hit him in the side, rouse him , and say get up. It took time for Peter to put on his sandals, his clothes, coat, and follow the angels pass the guards. It is when Peter gets to the gate and turns around that he realizes he was walking in the midst of a miracle all along.

 

An obvious miracle took place but wasn’t an instant one. You may be walking in the midst of a miracle right now and like Peter may not even realize it. Your destiny, future, family, children, job, or finances could be a miracle in the making. You may not see the end of it yet and may not know how long it will take to get to the iron gates but if you follow Him even through potential opposition and danger, you will realize the miracle God has for your life.

 

You may be walking in the midst of a miracle in the making. Cooperate with Him all the way to the gate!

 

God's Simulator

Have you ever wondered how the huge aircrafts are piloted by just two people, a pilot and a co-pilot? And while flying how does the pilot manage all the challenges& difficult situations? When airlines induct a pilot, they train him thoroughly in a simulator to manage any situations.

 

A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies. The pilot will see, hear & feel like a real aircraft and is designed to present the pilot with a variety of potential problems so that they will be able to handle any emergency in the future.

 

First the pilot is tested with simple challenges, which eventually build up to catastrophic situations. The pilots are given more difficult problems only when they have mastered the previous ones. The result is that when the pilots have completed their courses, they are prepared to handle any problem that comes their way. This is similar to God’s method of working with us. He trains us in different simulators.

What is success for you?

People have been striving for success all along their life, and tn the process many achieve Success but others are not so fortunate. The meaning of success comes in many forms and has many definition depends on what you are searching for in life.

 

But, does the success achieved by successful people around the world is of the same kind?

 

If we start narrowing down the understanding of success going by the explanation of succesful people , three kinds of success would come to the fore.

 

Let's explore it briefly

 

1. Success as per your own understanding - Self doctrine

This is the kind of success in which you achieve what you have determined to and accomplish it following your own planned method. Here you give importance to your own opinion about success.

How do we react to hardship???

When troubles engulf us, we plead with God for relief from suffering, for healing of disease, for comfort, for strength, and for the supply of our needs. Such petitions are certainly legitimate, and we should bring them to the Father. We may or may not get the answers to all our prayers straight away.

But the big question that is posed today in front of each one of us is that “Do we remain thankful to God in all situations of life no matter what happens to us? We better ask this question to ourselves.

But the plain fact reminds us here is that most often we are not. As long as we see the sunshine around us, we offer our sacrifice of praises and thanks to God and rejoice in His good mercies. But when we see the sun goes down and darkness shed its shadows around us, the rejoicing often becomes a matter of questioning the sovereignty of the almighty God.

BETTER WITH AGE!

Some people are obsessed with physical fitness – daily workouts, dieting, vitamins, organic food – in spite of the fact that our bodies keep ticking away in inevitable decline.

 

In our twenties and thirties we think we are invincible, but in the decades that follow, the eyesight starts to go, then the knees, then the mind. Let’s face the reality.

 

And while it is true that the older we get the worse we get physically, it doesn’t have to be that way spiritually. Believe it or not it is possible to get better with age!

 

Many of us fear aging with all the trouble it brings. But when we are gradually stripped of everything that props us up –whether health, wealth, independence, dignity, and beauty – we are left with more and more of God above all of the them So, no matter how old you are, it’s not too late to dig deep in God’s word and invest more and more time in your spiritual well –being. You will see the payoffs, now and later. The older you get, the better you can!

 

So the mantra is: To get better with age, get spiritually fit.

 

If you find the article interesting & useful, please share it with others. Your comments are welcome too.

GLORIFYING GOD IN WHATEVER YOU DO !!!

Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God or serve God  is by becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible men or women. Alas! how many would be shut out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this were the case....

God is glorified by our serving Him in our proper vocations.... Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the gospel to noblest ends. In the Bible, you will find the most menial forms of labour connected either with most daring deeds of faith, or with persons whose lives have been illustrious for holiness.

Therefore be not discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made your position, or your work, abide in that, unless you are quite sure that he calls you to something else. Let your first care be to glorify God to the utmost of your power where you are. Fill your present sphere to His praise, and if He needs you in another He will show it to you.

 

Here are five ways to do all for the glory of God:

 

• By being thankful in whatever you do.
• By understanding that the Lord is more important than whatever you do.
• By keeping others in mind in whatever you do.
• By being self-controlled and disciplined in whatever you do.
• By serving in the strength the Lord supplies.

Blessings - Daniel Johnson
 

TO WAIT IS TO INHERIT

We live in a fast pace world that we want everything to happen instantly. That goes for our problems as well. We want it solved NOW!

Dear Friend, Have you been confronted with problems lately and have tried every problem-solving techniques to see none of them have worked? OR

Have sought people for advice to know that hasn’t worked either?

You may be looking at every side of the problem but solution seems nowhere in sight. What do you do now?

Adversity - A blessing in disguise!

 

Can adversity be a blessing in disguise?

It may be yes or no depends on how one respond to it. Yes it requires great strength of character and vision to overcome adversities and find the divine grace that lies beyond. It’s the overcoming of the obstacles in our lives that builds character in us. That’s why God doesn’t make our lives a cake walk, even though He could.

It is when we’re going through adversity that our own weakness is revealed. Our adversity brings out God’s best work in us.

TROUBLED MARRIAGE?

At the outset, i would thank my dearest sister, Cynthia LeGrone (B.S graduate in Marriage & Family Life Studies) for sharing this wonderful message with me. I believe it inspired many and i'm sure you will also reap the blessings as you read it through.

Not to knock the single person none the least, because we all lived the single life, prior to our marriages.

However: With marriage being the institution of a procreative unit, I find that it carries a great umbrella of responsibilities. Responsibilities that many times go un-rewarded by the members of the unit within the cycle of our lives.

You may now be wondering where it is that I'm headed. Well, let me say it like this:

When two people are joined together as one, it can many times create a colossal of confusion in the early stages of the relationship, especially if the marriage was un-evenly yoked.

GIFT OF CLOSURE !!!

In order for God to write a new chapter on your life, you must turn the old pages and give it all to Him. That way you allow Him to give you a brand new start and that is the gift of closure.

God took the whole of eternity and broke it down into incremental pieces of 24 hours period that we know as a “day”. Then every 365 days we start a whole new year. There is also a new season four times every year. So many chances for a new start. But always, every 24 hours, the sun sets and rises again with a new dawn – another chance at a new beginning. God knows that we need many new beginnings.

THE IDEAL WOMAN

This is a study based on God's blueprint for the ideal women as set forth in the Bible in Proverbs 31.

Society seems to imply that a woman’s worth is found in her physical beauty. Others assume that the ideal woman in the Bible is retiring, docile and entirely domesticated. This is however very contrary to how an ideal woman is perceived in the Bible.

The book of proverbs presents a portrait of an ideal woman who is a total contradiction of the woman portrayed in the silver screen as something attractive and desirable. This woman is full of character, wisdom, compassion and has many skills that she uses for the betterment of her family. This woman is an excellent wife and mother.

THE HOMING INSTINCT !!!

Homing is the inherent ability of an animal or bird to navigate towards an original location through unfamiliar areas. This location may be either a home territory, or a breeding spot.

The salmon fish fights the gushing rivers to return to the very place where he was born. Birds do it, bees do it — and so do rats and cats. Nature is full of the homing instincts, and no surprise – THERE IS ONE IN MAN TOO.

Something within the spiritual nature of every human tells him that he is not really at home in this world. He may not understand the impulse that stirs within him, but he suspects the physical birth and death cycle with its three meals a day- on the job- and back to bed routine is not all that is planned for him. Perhaps he does not know how to explain it, but down deep inside he feels, “There must be more to life than this!”

WHERE ARE YOU HIDING YOURSELF ???

The hiding place is a secret place, a private place or a place of refuge. It is a place we run to when we are hurting, overwhelmed or feeling faint. It is the place we run to when we are being mistreated or persecuted, when we are in great need or when we feel we just cannot take it anymore.  

Some of us use ALCOHOL as our hiding place. Some use DRUGS and others TELEVISION or INTERNET. Some just depressed and pull the covers up over their head.

Even children do have their hiding places. When they get upset or afraid of something they go hiding behind the doors.

There are a lot of people out there hiding from a lot of things.

Dear friend, you may be leading a life marked with many upsets and disturbing domestic situations and might have taken refuge in your own secret hiding places of this world. But how long will you keep lurking in your hiding place? Have you ever given thought of coming out of this predicament?

The good news is that instead of looking to the world to hide us, God wants us to find our hiding place in HIM.

God has a secret place where we can dwell in peace & safety. The secret place is the place of rest in God, a place of peace and comfort in Him.

This secret place is a spiritual place where WORRY VANISHES & PEACE REIGNS. It is the place of God’s presence. When we spend time in praying and seeking God and dwelling in His presence, we are in His secret place.

When we have problems or in trouble, God wants us to take refuge in Him alone. He wants us to run to Him. He does not want us just to visit Him once in a while or run to Him when we feel overwhelmed; He wants us to dwell under the shadow of His wings, to abide there, to live there.

When we do that, we remain stable & fixed because no foe can withstand the power of the Almighty.

If we remain in that place, life is going to be more comfortable. Instead of worrying about our problems, we will be resting in God.

Where will you decide to hide ???

LAW OF THE SEED !!!

If we take a look at an apple tree there might be five hundred apples on the tree and each apple has ten seeds. That's a lot of seeds!

We might ask, "Why would you need so many seeds to grow just a few more apple trees?"

Well, here nature has something to teach us here.

It's telling us: “Not all seeds grow. In life, most seeds never grow”.

So, if you really want to make something happen, you better try more than once."

This might mean:

You might meet a hundred acquaintances just to find one special friend.

You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job.

And you'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, one car, one insurance policy, or a business idea.

When we understand the "Law of the Seed", we don't get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims. We learn how to deal with things that happen to us.

Laws of nature are not things to take personally. We just need to understand them and work with them.

In short, Successful people fail more often. But they plant more seeds.

When things are beyond your control, here's something that you must NOT DO so as to avoid misery in your life:

You must not decide how you think the world SHOULD be.

You must not make rules for how everyone SHOULD behave.

Then, when the world doesn't obey your rules, you get angry!

That's what miserable people do!

On the other hand, you might expect:

Friends SHOULD return favours.

People SHOULD appreciate you.

Planes SHOULD arrive on time.

Everyone SHOULD be honest.

Your husband or best friend SHOULD remember your birthday.

These expectations may sound reasonable. But often, these things won't happen!

So you end up frustrated and disappointed.

There's a better strategy:

Demand less, and instead, have preferences!

For things that are beyond your control, tell yourself:

"I would prefer this, but if that happens, it’s OK too!"

This is really a change in mindset. It is a shift in attitude, and it gives you more peace of mind.

You prefer that people are polite ... but when they are rude, it doesn't ruin your day. You prefer sunshine ... but if it rains, it is ok too!

To become happier, we either need to change the world, or change our thinking.

It is easier to change our Thinking!

So, the bottom line is …….

It is not the problem that is the issue, but rather it is your ATTITUDE attending to the problem that is the problem.

It's not WHAT HAPPENS to you that determine your happiness. But its HOW YOU THINK about what happens to you!

BEAUTY IS SKIN DEEP !!!

We live in an age where people are becoming addicted to fashion, and glamor.

Fashion, cosmetics and gymn industries are becoming multi-million dollar corporations. People are willing to spend a great amount and undergo painful operations in the hope of achieving a beautiful face and an attractive body. They want to halt the aging process through many beauty treatments. It seems no one wants to grow old gracefully!

Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart. It seems to say that man and God are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to appearance.

When people judge by outward appearance, they may overlook quality individuals who lack the particular physical qualities society currently admires. Appearance does not reveal what people are really like or what their true value is.

Someone said, “What man finds important, God finds insignificant. What man thinks is the secret to happiness, God knows is the answer to misery”.

Dear friends, let us remember that the secret of true beauty lies not in undergoing beauty treatments and making one look gorgeous and glamorous.

Proverbs 31: 30 says, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

A woman’s TRUE beauty INCREASES with years.

The following are quotes from Audrey Hepburn when she was asked to share her beauty secrets:

For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness.

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others.

For a slim figure, always share your food with the hungry.

To have beautiful hair, let a little boy or girl stroke it at least once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.

Well, Beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God’s sight.

So, Let us beautify our souls with the virtues that please God instead of transforming our external appearance according to wordly standards.

Dear Friend, You are UNIQUE! God loves you the way HE MADE YOU, and you’re BEAUTIFUL in HIS EYES.

TIME MATTERS !!!

We often think about how we're going to spend our MONEY, but how much consideration do we give to how we might usefully spend our TIME.

 

The fact that we talk about 'SPENDING' time is no accident. It's available in copius quantities - to be considered, enjoyed and finally spent. All those months and days and seconds-and it's free. A WHOLE LIFE IS WORTH TO SQUANDER OR SPEND WISELY ???

Time is as much of a resource as money, equally available to the rich and poor. Though i suspect most of us don't give the spending of it anything like as much consideration as the spending of our money. It sort of goes. Little bits get frittered away; evenings evaporate, weekends come and go with good intentions never realized. AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU'RE OLDER THAN YOU WANT TO BE AND THE THINGS YOU INTENDED NEVER HAPPENED.

 
Scarily, EVERY SECOND IS A CHOICE. Defer something and the choice is made.Trouble is, though, you can't save it up for later. NOT A SINGLE SECOND CAN BE BANKED, STORED UP OR PUT INTO A PENSION PLAN. IT'S GOT TO BE LIVED NOW.

Nor do you know exactly how much of it you have to play around within ultimate terms. YOU MAY HAVE ANOTHER 60 YEARS - OR ANOTHER 60 MINUTES.

That's why the psalmist said:' Teach us to number our days aright.' (Psalms 90:12).

The psalm says that as we number our days, we're to 'GAIN A HEART OF WISDOM'. We are to make wise decisions about TIME. We're to learn what matters.We're to increase in godly wisdom,valuing what God values. That means spending our time as He wants us to.

It's a lot easier to GIVE MONEY than to GIVE TIME.

TIME costs a lot to me. It uses up part of my life. Yes, TIME does matters to me. What about you ???

THAT'S GOD!

Have you ever felt the desire to do something special for someone you love?             

THAT’S GOD

 who is speaking to you.

Have you ever felt the sadness and the loneliness of someone who approaches and stands beside you?

THAT’S GOD

who has chosen you.

Have you ever thought of someone who is very dear to you and have not seen for a long time, and suddenly that person unexpectedly appears?

THAT’S GOD

For there is nothing that ever happens by chance!

Have you ever received something marvellous for which you did not ask?

THAT’S GOD

who knows all the secrets which you keep well hidden in your heart.

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation for which there seemed to be no apparent solution, and then ‘in the twinkling of an eye’ the answer became as clear as daylight?

THAT’S GOD

who unceasingly takes our problems into his hands and helps us solve them.

Have you ever felt an immense sadness in your soul, and then suddenly, as if your inner self was infused with love, an inexplicable sense of peace enveloped your entire being?

THAT’S GOD

who consoles you in his arms and gives you peace.

Have you ever felt tired of life to the point of wanting to die, and then suddenly you were able to find the courage and the resolve to continue your journey full of vigour and hope?

THAT’S GOD

He is always there beside you, lovingly accompanying you every step of the way on your life’s journey.

Dear friend, you are of infinite value in His eyes. Everything goes better when  GOD TAKES THE LEAD!

Let us share with everyone the GREAT LOVE GOD HAS FOR US.