₦airaland Forum

Monday November 24, 2014

YOU’RE A ‘PRIEST’ AT WORK (2)

‘You are a…priesthood.’ 1 Peter 2:9 NIV

In his book Habits of the Heart, sociologist Robert N. Bellah describes three attitudes people have towards their work. The first group treats it as a job. When you do this, you see it strictly as a way to make money and pay the bills. Like the bumper sticker says, ‘I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.’ But if your main focus is on what you receive from your work, you’ll most likely come to resent it. The second group approaches work as a career. Here your motivation will be higher, but your focus is on advancement and prestige. That means, however, when your career isn’t going well it can feel like your self-worth is on the line. The third group sees their job as their calling. Now, logically speaking, if there’s a ‘calling’ there must be someone making the call, right? That someone is God. You’re not the ‘caller’, you’re the ‘call-ee’, and any work that has meaning, that can be a blessing to people, and fulfils His purposes, is a calling. A doctor or pastor might get sucked into treating work solely as a means of earning a good income, therefore they see it as just a job. On the other hand, a dustman may view what he does—making the world a cleaner place—as a calling. We’re not downgrading the importance of those who stand in pulpits and preach; we’re upgrading the importance of those who serve God forty hours a week in other jobs. The main thing is: when the job’s done well, both will hear the commendation, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ (Matthew 25:23 NIV).

Matthew 4: 18-20, Mathewt 16: 13-23, Matthew 26: 69-75, John 21: 15-19.

Sunday November 23, 2014

YOU’RE A ‘PRIEST’ AT WORK (1)

‘Be fruitful…multiply…and govern.’ Genesis 1:28 NLT

If you want to know God’s original intention for each of us, look at Adam. ‘God created human beings in his own image…Then God blessed them and said, ‘‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it’’’ (vv. 27-28 NLT). We were created to be productive, to multiply and to govern. And every profession known to man is encapsulated in those three words. A priest is one who represents God on behalf of others, and others on behalf of God. But in reality, that was the original description of all of us. We were made in God’s image to continue His work of making the earth flourish, and by our flourishing, give voice to the whole earth to praise God. All work was designed by God to be priestly work. It’s not just professional clergy or missionaries who are called by God, nor are they more pleasing or important to Him. Bible scholar N.T. Wright paints a wonderful image of this concept. Picture human beings as mirrors set at a 45-degree angle between heaven and earth. We were created to reflect God’s care and dominion of the earth, and reflect the worship and gratitude of creation back to God. This is what we do when we work. You have a calling. You are gifted. You are a priest. This isn’t just something that relates to volunteering at church. Your work is a primary place—maybe the primary place where your calling gets lived out. When you start seeing yourself as ‘ordained by God’ to do the job you do, it’ll put a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and add dignity to your work.

Genesis 7-9, John 12: 37-50, Psalm 102: 18-28, Proverb 30: 24-28.

22 NOVEMBER 2014

Getting Them Through the Teenage Years

‘Use wisdom and understanding to establish your home.’

Proverbs 24:3

When you’re the parent of a ‘teen in transition’, it’s important to find the right blend of correction, instruction, motivation and praise. Instead of focusing on behaviour you don’t want, praise and reward behaviour you want more of. If your child feels like you’re always ‘on their back’ instead of ‘on their team’ about how they dress, their friends, their music, etc., they’ll resist you at every turn. The Bible says about parenting: a) ‘Children, obey your parents’ (Ephesians 6:1 NKJV). b) ‘Don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them’ (Ephesians 6:4 TM). Use the carrot and stick approach. If you’re all ‘stick’ and no ‘carrot’ you’ll provoke them into rebelling, going undercover and cutting off communication. And if you grew up in a home where you were never praised or rewarded, you’ll have to work harder to break the cycle. Exploding at your teen just teaches them to handle their own anger explosively. Expect to be shocked and be prepared to respond constructively. If you take their mood swings and inconsistencies personally, you’ll end up reacting in ways you regret. Do you remember your own adolescence and how you felt about your parents’ opinions, tastes and rules? Mark Twain said: ‘When I was fourteen my dad was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have him around. But when I got to be twenty-one I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years!’ If you’re raising a teen, here are two Scriptures worth remembering: ‘Love never fails’ (1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV). ‘Use wisdom and understanding to establish your home.’

Isaiah 53-57, John 12:37-50, Psalm 102:18-28, Proverb 27:13-16

Praying for each other ! What a powerful weapon for upholding and strenghtening those who are weak and in dire need of Saviour's touch ....

Friday November 21, 2014

THREE THINGS WE OWE EACH OTHER

‘Encouraged…by…mutual faith.’ Romans 1:12 NKJV

Paul talks about three things we owe each other. Let’s look at them: 1) ‘Without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers’ (v. 9 NKJV). An unknown poet wrote, ‘I was a poor soul in the depth of despair, who climbed to the heights in answer to prayer.’ You can show no greater love and concern for someone than to say, ‘I’m praying for you,’ and do it! Prayer invites God into the situation and authorises the forces of heaven to go to work and bring change. 2) ‘I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established’ (v. 11 NKJV). What did Paul long for? The chance to strengthen his fellow believers, and he was willing to travel a long way at great personal risk to do it. When two people decide to recognise and nurture the God-given gifts in each other, not only are they blessed personally, everybody around them benefits too. 3) ‘That I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.’ Notice the words ‘encouraged’ and ‘mutual faith’. There are powerful dynamics at work here! First, we pray for one another. Second, we recognise and nurture God’s gifts in one another. Third, we unite our faith and focus on a shared goal. Jesus said: ‘If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them’ (Matthew 18:19-20 NKJV).


Genesis 1-3, John 12: 12-19, Psalm 102: 1-11, Proverbs 30: 18-20.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

STRESSED OUT ABOUT MONEY? (2)

'God has not given us a spirit of fear.’ 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

To overcome financial anxiety, you must: 1) Understand where your anxiety comes from. Unless your name is Bill Gates, the chances are that you’ll experience some degree of financial anxiety. But when fear becomes your fixed state of mind, something’s wrong; it’s time to unwrap the package. Fear can be hereditary, passed from generation to generation. And it can trap you in a cycle that’s hard to break. But you can break it! Gideon tore down the altar where his family had worshipped idols for generations—and they were angry with him when he did it (Judges 6:25-30). But Gideon knew that in order to win in life, he must trust in nobody but God. 2) Rise above your past failures. Have you made bad investments and now you’re afraid to take a risk? Are you hoarding as a hedge against future failure? Here’s the problem: nothing ventured, nothing gained! In football, the players who score the most goals are often the ones who miss the most chances. But they keep trying because if they don’t aim for the goal they can’t win. A barn filled with seed doesn’t produce a harvest. Furthermore, when the farmer plants his seed, drought and frost and pests can wipe him out. Yet if he doesn’t plant, failure is guaranteed. Getting the idea?
3) Anticipate God’s goodness. As you get older you become more risk-averse, more inclined to look for a safe harbour. That’s understandable, but you can’t let fear control your life. David wrote, ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’ (Psalms 23:6 NKJV). When God’s goodness is what you’re believing for—God’s goodness is what you’ll ‘surely’ get!

Ecclesiastes 9-12, John 12: 1-11, Psalm 76, Proverb 30: 15-17.

Wednesday November 19, 2014.

STRESSED OUT ABOUT MONEY? (1)

‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.’ Psalms 56:3 NKJV

The solution to financial worry isn’t necessarily having more money. Indeed, the more money you have, the more you have to lose. And the thought of losing it can cause you to worry more, not less. It’s a vicious circle. Trying to find security in money is like tying a boat to a dock; when a big enough storm comes along, the ropes will break and it’ll be swept away. So since we all wonder when the next economic storm will hit, what’s the answer? More rope? Stronger rope? Tighter knots? No—that just gives you knots in your stomach! For the next few days let’s look at some Bible answers to money worries: Tackle your fear head-on. The Psalmist said, ‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.’ Now, since David was a king, he probably didn’t worry a lot about money. But he did worry about his enemies stalking him, catching him off guard and killing him. We each have different areas of worry, and the ones that control us are called ‘core fears’. Sometimes you can keep them at bay; other times they control and consume you and make you act in ways you’re not proud of. Christian financial advisor Ron Blue says that for years he was trapped by the fear of not having enough money, or losing what he had. The people around him didn’t know it, but that’s what drove him. Today he’s a best-selling author and financial counsellor to multitudes. But to get there he had to confront his core fear, and trust more in God than he did in himself. And so will you.


Ecclesiastes 5-8, John 11: 38-57, Psalm 81, Proverbs 30: 11-14.

Tuesday November 18,2014.

ARE YOU BEARING FRUIT?
‘He came seeking fruit on it and found none.’ Luke 13:6 NKJV

Jesus said: ‘A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’’ But he answered and said to him, ‘‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilise it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down’’’ (vv. 6-9 NKJV). How long have you been serving the Lord? What are the tangible ‘fruits’ of your service to Him? We’re not all capable of the same level of productivity. Jesus taught that some of us have thirtyfold potential, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold (Matthew13:. It’s your faith and your gifting that determine your level of productivity. For example, God doesn’t expect a ‘thirtyfolder’ to produce a sixtyfold harvest. He’s not an unreasonable taskmaster. But if this parable teaches us anything, it’s that God won’t let you just sit on your hands and do nothing. The words, ‘cut it down’, are a sobering reminder of this. God is patient. He will work with you year after year in an attempt to bring you to the place of spiritual maturity where you can fulfil the purpose for which He brought you into His kingdom. But if after all His efforts you refuse to produce fruit, He will go elsewhere and find what He’s looking for. The main thing is, in the end, God’s purposes will be fulfilled!


Ecclesiates 1-4, John 11: 28- 37, Psalm 50, Prov 30: 7-10.

Friday November 14, 2014.

RELEASE YOURSELF FROM BITTERNESS (1)

‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger.’ Ephesians 4:31 NIV

Anger is often the product of frustrated expectations. We expect something, and when we don’t get it we end up disappointed and angry. And our anger leads to a dysfunctional personal, spiritual and relational lifestyle. Frustrated expectations are often rooted in early experiences with our parents, siblings and authority figures. Perhaps our needs for love, acceptance, security and significance were never met; then later we experienced broken commitments in marriage, business and friendships. Ultimately, smouldering anger becomes a weapon in our arsenal, threatening to hurt everything and everybody we care about. We become bitter people—avoided, excluded and lonely. God instructs us to ‘get rid of all bitterness’, so that ‘no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many’ (Hebrews 12:15 NIV). How do we obey His command? 1) By accepting and acting on His Word. Without a Scriptural foundation, old emotions will repeatedly undermine your efforts to overcome them. ‘Get rid of all bitterness’ is an order that implies the promise of success when you obey it. 2) By choosing to be released from bitterness. Choice isn’t an emotion, and it doesn’t require an emotional response. God won’t control your emotions, but neither will He let them influence Him. Believing God’s Word and making the choice to obey it always results in success. So start strengthening your will and your faith. How? By choosing to obey God in spite of your feelings! Practise this every day until it becomes a lifestyle. Then instead of being mastered by your moods, you’ll find yourself ‘reigning in life’ (Romans 5:17), no longer controlled by your negative emotions.

Romans 9: 17- 11: 36, John 10: 22-42, Psalm 83: 9-18, Prov 29: 23-27

Thursday November 13, 2014.

WHEN THE ANSWER ISN’T WHAT YOU WANT

‘A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of satan to buffet me.’
2 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV

Paul isn’t referring to the kind of ‘thorn’ you find on rosebushes, but a sharp, pointed stake that inflicts pain. And the word ‘buffet’ means ‘to render blow after blow after blow’. This makes his next statement all the more amazing: ‘I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in…touch with my limitations…I…begged God to remove it. Three times…then He told me, “My grace is…all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” Once I heard that…I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift…Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer…I just let Christ take over!’ (vv. 7-10 TM). Paul responded to his thorny situations by doing six things: 1) Admitting he needed God’s strength. 2) Asking, even begging, for God’s help. 3) Accepting the answer when God said, ‘No.’ 4) Appreciating it as ‘a gift’. 5) Acting with confidence and continuing to fulfil his mission. 6) Acknowledging that the problem allowed God to work through him. When the driving force within Paul had been redirected by God, he wrote: ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20 NIV). Paul’s will had been taken to the cross and crucified. Now he operated in the will of God and no longer questioned the path or the price. That’s the place God wants to bring you to!

Romans 7: 1 - 9:16, John 10: 11-21, Psalm 83: 1-8, Proverbs 29: 19-22.

Tuesday November 11, 2014

IS THERE ‘JUNK’ IN YOUR LIFE?

‘Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares.’ Hebrews 12:1 NKJV

Picture a big ship being worked on in dry dock. Beneath the waterline is all the ‘junk’ it has picked up during its voyages. Nobody can see it, but an experienced captain can feel it because his ship lacks the ‘oomph’ it once had. As a result, companies complain that it takes too long to get goods for their customers, and the ship’s owners are unhappy because it hurts profit margin in a competitive market. The effort required to remove the ‘junk’ is back-breaking and time-consuming, but there’s no other way to do it. Finally, after months of hard work the dry dock is flooded with water, the gates open, and the big vessel heads out to sea and back into the profit column. Writing to the believers at Corinth, Paul says, ‘Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves’ (2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV). Let’s be honest; it’s easier to examine your neighbour than to examine yourself, or to talk about what you once accomplished rather than what you’re accomplishing now. Are you slowing down? Are you losing spiritual momentum? Are you in the profit or loss column? You’ll find the answer under the waterline where only God and you can see. Carelessness, a critical spirit, compromise, conformity to the world, and coldness of heart: that’s the ‘junk’ that builds up and slows you down. These are the subtle sins you must deal with in order to be everything God called you to be and enjoy the blessings He has in store for you.

Romans 1: 1-3:20, John 9: 24-41, Psalm 99, Proverb 29:

The greatest knowledge is knowing His will for our lives and the greatest fulfilment is living His will here on earth !

Have a blessed week ahead !

November 10, 2014.

RECOGNISING AND WALKING IN GOD’S WILL (5)

‘I seek not to please Myself but Him who sent Me.’ John 5:30 NIV

When the light turns green, go! If you’re in sales, it’s crucial to know when to close the deal. Beginners often lose sales by ‘overselling’. They present their product and demonstrate how it meets their client’s needs. It’s priced right and the customer is ready to purchase, but the novice keeps on ‘selling’ until the customer becomes suspicious of his pitch and he loses the sale. Knowing when to ‘close’ is essential. Accurate aim is important, but you must know when to pull the trigger. Trust the steps you’ve taken and move forward; otherwise you’ll get stuck in a cycle of second-guessing. At some point in your search for God’s will, you must take that decisive and often intimidating next step. All your studying, praying, discussing, researching, checking and rechecking are fruitless if you don’t act. All the faith in the world will fail you if you stop short of doing something (James 2:17-18). Here’s a last-minute test: 1) Have you submitted your will to God? 2) Are you faithfully serving where He appointed you? 3) Are you willing to do what He reveals? 4) Have you received and believed the Spirit’s promptings? 5) Are you trusting in His power to fulfil His directions? How did you do? Did you pass? Then it’s time to move forward! Don’t wait until you feel fearless. Take that first, fearful step. Act your way into boldness, and fear will lose its ability to control or paralyse you. When the light turns green, God’s resources are available for your assignment. Now’s the time to move!

Job 1, Job 2:7-10, Job 40: 1-5, Job 42: 7-17.

Sunday November 9, 2014.

RECOGNISING AND WALKING IN GOD’S WILL (4)

‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.’ Colossians 3:15 NIV

Don’t drive through the red light. Timing is important when you’re seeking to know God’s will. Wait until He opens the door, because ‘what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open’ (Revelation 3:7 NIV). Impatience, or acting independently of God, or ‘rushing in where angels fear to tread’ will get you into trouble. God doesn’t ask for your opinion, He asks for your obedience. Red lights are part of His strategy. A closed door is as important as an open door when God’s in control. He closed the doors to Paul at Asia and Bithynia, then opened the door for him at Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10). Heed the umpire’s call. The Holy Spirit’s role is vital; He alone knows God’s mind and takes the guesswork out of the search. Jesus said, ‘When…the Spirit of truth…comes, He will guide you into all the truth…He will disclose to you what is to come’ (John 16:13 NAS). Develop a heightened sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s promptings by consulting Him on small issues. Remember, you don’t have to be an authority on theology; you’re already fully qualified! The Bible says, ‘The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them’ (Romans 8:14 NCV). He will bring a deep peace to your heart once He gets you on track. ‘Let the peace…from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds]’ (Colossians 3:15 AMP). Let God’s peace in your heart ‘make the calls’ all along the way. That way you’ll never go wrong.

Isaiah 63-66, John 9: 13-23, Psalm 115, Proverb 29: 7-10.

Saturday November 8, 2014

RECOGNISING AND WALKING IN GOD’S WILL (3)

‘This is God’s will for you.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

Pray that you may know God’s will. Strive to live in an attitude of prayer. ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will’
(vv. 16-18 NIV). Rejoicing, praying continually, and giving thanks puts you in the active hub of God’s will. If you only pray when you’re desperate for answers, your receptors will be rusty and your impressions nebulous at best. Regular communication with God sharpens your senses and fine-tunes your ability to distinguish His voice from all the rest. ‘Teach me to do Your will…my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground’ (Psalms 143:10 NIV). Seek God, and He will smooth the path for you. Receive the counsel of others for confirmation, not necessarily direction. Paul said, ‘When God…called me…I did not consult any man’ (Galatians 1:15-16 NIV). Only embrace other people’s advice when it agrees with God’s Word and the Spirit’s promptings. Friends can be a source of confirmation, but not necessarily revelation. Even your own experiences and impressions aren’t enough to discern God’s will unless they line up with His Word. Peter did this on Christ’s transfiguration. ‘We were there on the holy mountain with Him…We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard…The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time’
(2 Peter 1:18-19 TM). Paul’s converts at Berea received his teachings enthusiastically, but they also checked them against the written Word of God (Acts 17:11). That’s always a good policy.


Isaiah 58-62, John 9: 1-12, Psalm 15, Prov 29: 4-6.

Thank God it's Friday !

Friday November 7, 2014

RECOGNISING AND WALKING IN GOD’S WILL (2)

‘The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.’ Romans 8:6 NIV

Choose a spiritual, not a carnal mindset. Carnality is at the core of our unregenerate nature, and it lives on in us even after we become Christians. Its gravitational pull is always away from God toward self-centred living. The Bible says, ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be’
(v. 7 NKJV). The carnal mind makes us suspicious, sceptical, self-promoting, and spiritually blind to God’s will. Being spiritually-minded means centring your choices around God’s Word and the Spirit’s prompting. And the good news is, ‘You…are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit, if you have the Spirit of God living in you’ (v. 9 NLT). Giving in to the flesh isn’t inevitable. You get to decide whether the flesh or the Spirit guides you! Peter, in a spiritual mindset, received a revelation of Jesus’ deity. ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied ‘This was not revealed to you by man [flesh], but by My Father’ (Matthew 16:16-17 NIV). Shortly afterward, Jesus confided to His disciples the dreadful means of His death. And in a moment of well-meaning but misguided carnality, Peter refused to accept it. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to You!’ (v. 22 NIV). A carnal mindset is an invitation to satan. So Jesus told Peter, ‘Get behind Me, satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but…of men’ (v. 23 NIV). So keep your mind spiritually focused and ready to do God’s will.

Isaiah 53-57, John 8:42-59, Psalm 123, Proverb 29:1-3

Thursday November 6,2014.

RECOGNISING AND WALKING IN GOD’S WILL (1)

‘Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.’
Proverbs 3:6 NLT

Nothing matters more than recognising and walking in God’s will. When you don’t know His will, it can be a real source of insecurity. Knowing you’re walking in His will enables you to rise above the challenges life throws at you. The question is: does God intend us to know His will? If not, why bother searching? Let His Word settle the issue once and for all: ‘Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.’ There’s no vagueness there! ‘The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives’ (Psalms 37:23 NLT). God will address even your smallest concern. So what do you need to discern it? Let’s consider some practical Bible principles: There’s no room for two wills. If you want God’s will, you must be prepared to surrender your own will. Jesus said, ‘As I listen to the Father, I make My judgments. My judgments are right because I don’t try to do what I want but what the One who sent Me wants’ (John 5:30 GWT). Wills frequently clash, so there are choices you must make, and maintain, if you want to walk in obedience to God (Matthew 26:39). Begin your search by surrendering your will; then focus your heart and mind on God and His enlightening Word. Once you accept that He is the leader and you are the follower, it’s a lot easier to say, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O…God…Thy law is within my heart’ (Psalms 40:8 KJV).


Isaiah 49-52, John 8: 31-41, Psalm 30, Proverb 28: 25-28.

What is venue for a programme got to do with this thread . I guess front page craziness !

Wednesday November 5, 2014.

MASTER

‘Master…because you say so, I will.’ Luke 5:5 NIV

The disciples were overwhelmed by a sense of failure: ‘We have toiled all night and caught nothing’ (v. 5 NKJV). Look at them, washing their nets—the last thing fishermen do before they pack up and head for home. And that’s when Jesus showed up! He waits until you’ve reached the end of your rope, then He steps in. Why? Because as long as you think you can solve the problem on your own, you won’t reach for Him. Do you feel overwhelmed by failure today? Are you saying, ‘Lord, I tried so hard, but look at my marriage, my finances, my career. I’ve been mistreated and overlooked. Perhaps they’re right about me; maybe I’m not supposed to be blessed.’ No, Jesus can turn your situation around if you’ll go to Him and say what Peter said: ‘Master…because you say so, I will.’ Obedience, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense, is what leads to blessing. Notice what happened next: ‘They caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break’ (v. 6 NIV). On the other side of your decision to obey God waits a blessing so great that it’ll also touch the lives of those around you. One word changed everything—‘Master’. It’s an expression of worship. It’s an acknowledgment that He’s in control of the circumstances you’re facing. Master over weakness. Master over fear. Master over lack. Go ahead and say it: ‘Master, take control of things. Better still, take control of me.’ Jesus had bigger things in mind for the disciples. After this miracle we read, ‘They…left everything and followed Him’ (v. 11 NIV).

Isaiah 45-48, John 8: 21-30, Psalm 86, Proverb 28: 21-24.

Tuesday November 4, 2014.

LIVE FOR GOD UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH

With long life will I satisfy Him.’ Psalms 91:16 NKJV

WHEN ASKED, ‘How do you grow old so gracefully?’ Alexandre Dumas replied, ‘Because I give all my time to it.’ If you’re over fifty, let your age be measured by your spiritual progress instead of a date on the calendar. How would you like to have these words engraved on your headstone? ‘Enoch lived…365 years. Enoch walked …with God; then he was no more, because God took him away’ (Genesis 5:23-24 NIV). Picture this: Enoch goes for a walk with God and when they reach a certain point, God says, ‘It’s closer to My house than yours, so just come home with Me.’ Like an old oak tree, a mature Christian’s roots have weathered life’s storms. But don’t take your wisdom to the grave with you; share it with people who’ll listen. And those who are wise will listen, because they recognise the foolishness of paying twice for the same information. Don’t retire—refocus. Victor Hugo once said, ‘Forty is old age to youth, fifty is youth to old age.’ With God, availability, not age, is what counts. The Bible says: ‘There was…a prophetess, Anna…she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them (Mary and Joseph with the Christ child) at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all’ (Luke 2:36-38 NIV). The world respects ex-generals and ex-presidents, but not ex-Christians. A respected character actor said, ‘As we grow older we must discipline ourselves to continue expanding, broadening, learning, keeping our minds active and open.’ So live for God until your last breath.

Isaiah 42-44, John 8 : 1-20, Psalm 96, Proverb 28 : 17-20.

Thank God for daily revealing His minds to us . Have a wonderful and hitch free week ahead !

The Word For Today
Monday November 3, 2014

CONFRONT YOUR FEAR (2)

‘Not in human wisdom but in the power of God.’ 1 Corinthians 2:5

One of the greatest breakthroughs in modern psychology is the Law of Reversibility. It works like this: when you feel a certain way, you act accordingly. And when you don’t feel like doing something, but you do it anyway, that same dynamic creates the feeling consistent with your actions. Dallas Willard put it like this: ‘You can live opposite of what you profess, but you can’t live opposite of what you believe. Invariably what you believe is revealed by what you do.’ Because fear is a learned response, it can be unlearned. There are two kinds of courage. The first kind calls for action. President Andrew Jackson said, ‘Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in. One man with courage makes a majority.’ The second kind calls for patience: the tenacity to keep persevering after you’ve done your best and before you’ve seen results. Often the difference between a hero and a coward is that a hero hangs in there five minutes longer! When you run from intimidating situations, fear multiplies until eventually it controls your life. But when you tackle your problems head-on, ‘not in human wisdom but in the power of God’, your confidence rises until you reach a point where you’re no longer controlled by fear. William Cowper wrote: ‘God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head.’

Acts 9: 1-19, 2 Cor 11: 21-33, 2 Cor 12: 7-10, Phil 3: 4-14.

November 2, 2014.

CONFRONT YOUR FEAR

‘Don’t be afraid…I am with you.’ Isaiah 41:10 NLT

There are different kinds of fear. There’s the kind that warns you to stay away from fire. There’s the kind that cultivates respect for God (Psalms 2:11). Oswald Chambers said, ‘When you fear God, you don’t have to fear anything else.’ There’s fear that makes you feel helpless; sometimes it’s rooted in parental criticism or a bully’s threats, and although it’s groundless, it still haunts you. There’s the fear of failing, which if left unchallenged becomes the father of failure. Job said, ‘What I feared has come upon me’ (Job 3:25 NIV). There’s fear of the unknown where your imagination runs amok. What if you never meet the ‘right person’, or you lose your job, or the biopsy confirms the worst? Over and over in His Word God says, ‘Don’t be afraid…I am with you.’ Paul Tournier notes: ‘Life and faith always insist on moving on—and I cannot move forward without leaving something behind. The trapeze artist must let go of one trapeze at precisely the right moment and hover in the void before grabbing the other. Faith calls us out of our comfort zone…to learn new skills and minister in different ways.’ But we get uptight. We think, ‘What if God asks me to do something I can’t do?’ or ‘I don’t have the strength, wisdom, or faith.’ If you were relying on your own resources, you’d be in trouble. But the fact is, ‘God…knew you and chose you’ (1 Peter 1:2 NLT). Every time you meet a new challenge He strengthens you by proving that He not only supplies the tools, but is responsible for the outcome.

Isaiah 38-41, John 7: 45-53, Psalm 9, Proverb 28: 13-16

"The most powerful thing you can do is pray! And when you join with a prayer partner, your potential is awesome "

The line above is what most believers are missing . The power,potentials and possibilities we get when we go on our knees . Nothing moves God's hands to act like aggressive prayers of His saints !

October 31, 2014

THE POWER OF PRAYER

Pray without ceasing 1 Thessa 5:17

When the Bible says, ‘Pray without ceasing,’ that means pray every day, not just periodically or when you’re in trouble. ‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much’ (James 5:16 NKJV). The word ‘fervent’ means passionate, persistent and determined. It’s not the number of our prayers, how many they are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they may be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they may be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the logic of our prayers, how argumentative they may be; nor the method of our prayers, how orderly they may be; nor even the theology of our prayers, how good the doctrine is, that God responds to. Fervency of spirit is what ‘avails much’. The most powerful thing you can do is pray! And when you join with a prayer partner, your potential is awesome. ‘If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that [you] ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven’ (Matthew 18:19 NKJV). It works like this: the less you pray, the less you want to pray; the more you pray, the more you want to pray. Nothing will motivate you to pray like answered prayer. But you can’t start with the answer; you’ve got to start with the prayer! Here’s a fact of life: we only keep doing what rewards us. So the key to building a great prayer life is to pray until you get answers. Think how deeply rooted doubt can become in our hearts when we’re actually surprised to find our prayers answered! So pray in faith and expect God to answer!


Deuteronomy 18: 9-18, Daniel 2, Isaiah 47: 5-15, Acts 16: 16-34.

October 30, 2014

THREE ALL-IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

‘Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get.’ Ephesians 5:15-16

Following a plan is like using a GPS device (Global Positioning System). If it knows where you are, you tell it where you want to go, and it creates a personalised road map. The difference between a GPS and you is you have to create all your own turn-by-turn directions. Mark Twain said, ‘The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting the first one.’ To reach your destination you must ask yourself three questions: 1) What’s my present position? It’s impossible to ignore the reality of where you are right now and still be successful. The former CEO of General Electric observed, ‘Strategic management is trying to understand where you will sit in tomorrow’s world, not where you hope to sit; it’s assessing where you want to be, and where you can be.’ 2) What’s my desired destination? Write down what your dream will look like when you’ve achieved it. Henry J. Kaiser, founder of Kaiser-Permanente health care system, said, ‘The evidence is overwhelming that you cannot begin to achieve your best unless you have some aim in life.’ 3) What are the in-between steps? Don’t expect them to be quick or easy. Creativity is messy. It’s far from an exact science. But unless you know where you want to go and identify the steps that will get you there, ten years from now you’ll still be where you are today. So the word for you today is: ‘Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get.’


Isaiah 30-33, John 7: 14-24, Psalm 104: 1-23, Proverb 28: 5-8.

25 OCTOBER 2014

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Be Tenacious

‘But none of these things move me.’

Acts 20:24

25 October 2014

Paul writes: ‘The Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy’ (vv. 23-24 NKJV). Dr. John Maxwell says one day when he was discouraged and tempted to quit, he took out a dictionary and looked up the word ‘quit’. After spending a few minutes considering that option, in a symbolic act of defiance he took out his scissors and cut the word right out of his dictionary. It didn’t make his problems go away, but it sure did strengthen his resolve. When every avenue looks like a dead end and you feel as if you’ve exhausted every possibility—you haven’t. There are always other ways, other options, other opportunities. Even if you don’t see them right now, they are there. So don’t give up. Former heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey once said, ‘A champion is one who gets back up when he can’t.’ People who reach their goal keep going when they think they can’t. They’re tenacious, and as a result they keep moving closer to their goal day by day. Some days they may be moving only a few inches at a time, but they’re moving forward. They believe in their God-given destiny, they believe in themselves, and they say so. Now, saying you believe in yourself won’t guarantee your success, but saying you don’t believe in yourself will guarantee your failure. The truth is you’re not alone, God is with you. ‘He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak’ (Isaiah 40:29 NIV). So be tenacious!        

 
Exodus 16-18, John 6:52-71, Psalm 127, Proverb 24:19-22