Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which
the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God
said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Genesis 3:1
The enemy of our souls never seems to make a direct frontal attack. In
this verse, we see that he begins his assault by approaching the woman
God got from Adam’s rib. If you must defeat a two-person team, you
rarely begin with an assault on the stronger or the senior member. You
tackle the junior or the smaller member first, hoping to divide and
conquer. This technique began with satan in the Garden.
His first device is to question God’s Word in a subtle way: “Hath God
said…?” The devil always works to introduce doubt, but usually he
does it so smoothly that you may not even recognize it at first. The Hebrew word for subtle means cunning, crafty and smooth. Notice that he
asks questions, planting doubt in our hearts and minds: Is this really
God’s way? Did He really mean what He said? Does it have to be only
this way? What do you think God really meant?
It is no accident that satan asked Eve this question. He wasn’t
interested in Eve’s answer; he was interested in planning his own
answer in Eve’s mind.
Father,
Your Word remains true and faithful, even in the fact of satan’s
attacks. I choose to listen only to You and to plant Your Words in my
heart and mind so that I can live blameless before You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
John 9:7 says: “And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” Here Jesus made clay and put it on the blind man’s eyes. Then He sent him to the pool to wash. What a miracle when the man saw! Jesus wants all of us to allow Him to apply the truth to our eyes so that we may see God’s perfect will, and that we may see how we should walk and what sin is. God wants us to see the path of righteousness and the path of destruction and sin, so that when we encounter sin we stay away from it. It’s not that God is trying to keep us from joy, but He’s trying to keep us from being cursed. He’s trying to keep us from having the devil lord it over us. And He’s trying to keep us from an eternal hell.
When God opens your eyes and shows you the path of righteousness and His will, then like the blind man you must go and do it. When you do, the world sees that you are a prized disciple. Today, if you know to do right, do it. What you know is wrong, refuse it. You are anointed of God, and empowered by the Holy Ghost. You can do all things. The Holy Ghost will help you mortify the deeds of your flesh, so stand strong; don’t cave in. Resist the devil, and he will flee.
Wash your eyes!
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which
he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day
Moses said, “Remember God, because He’s the one who gave you the
ability, the supernatural power to eat and be full and to build goodly
houses. Everything happened because of the power that God gave you for the purpose of receiving wealth.” Notice that this power is a gift from
God.
Some people misunderstand this prosperity message, thinking that you
give in order to receive. However, you must understand that the main
purpose or motivation for giving is love. When you give out of love,
God will give the gift of His power to you out of His love.
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The law of the Spirit that brings life made me free from the law that brings sin and death
Romans 8:3
The cross did what sacrificed lambs could not do. It erased our sins, not for a year, but for eternity. The cross did what man could not do. It granted us the right to talk with, love, and even live with God.
You can’t do that by yourself. I don’t care how many worship services you attend or good deeds you do, your goodness is insufficient . . . That’s why we need a saviour.
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
“Then stand in the sanctuary at the place appointed for your family division and help the families assigned to you as they bring their offerings to the Temple.” NKJV
Part of being a disciple of Jesus is helping others become disciples as well. When we read the word, we should be ready to share what we’ve learned with our friends and family. When we see God answer prayers, we have a great opportunity to display the goodness of God to others. Even when we walk through difficult situations we can look for others to help disciple since, one day, they could be in that same situation.
Each moment in life can be a discipleship moment, for ourselves as well as others. This week, look for chances to disciple someone. Discipleship does not necessarily mean sitting in a classroom but can simply be a conversation or even an action. As we look for these moments, be ready for God to act. There are many believers who are wondering what the next step in the walk with Christ may be, and you may have the answer.
Matthew 28:19 ” Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Life Lesson: We should be helping others in their walk with the Lord.
Dear God,
Make me a bold disciple. Father, I desire to serve others, love my enemies and give my all to You. I ask that You would give me opportunities to make more disciples for Your kingdom. In those moments, give me the wisdom needed to push someone closer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a jeho ukřižování (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced
Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
-Revelation 1:7
I love sunrises and sunsets. When I behold the magnificent spectrum of colours spreading
across the sky, it is a feast for my eyes that warms my heart. Yet, with each sunrise
or sunset, I cannot help but wonder what it will look like when Christ returns.
Revelation says that, “Every eye will see Him.” That means everyone. Everyone! I
know on that day I will be rejoicing because Christ has returned, but I also have
a feeling that my heart will ache for some people I didn’t get to know better.
The neighbor I was too scared to talk with about Jesus. The one I was afraid would
laugh at me for my faith.
I won’t sugarcoat it – doing the work that Jesus has called us to can be hard at
times. You open yourself up to criticism and ridicule. And that only grows when
you say “yes” to full-time ministry because, when times are tough, you take public
blows from a crowded field of second guessers. Yet, what drives me each morning
to continue to do God‘s work is picturing the look on my neighbor’s face when Christ
returns, a look that says, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Perhaps you never thought you could be God’s instrument of change in someone else’s
life. Oh, how wrong you are. Today, you can choose be the ambulance driver that
brings someone you know to the Master Physician, God Almighty.
Lord Jesus, show me the person You want me to introduce to You today. In Jesus’
name, I pray. Amen.
Name loved ones and acquaintances who need to know more about Jesus. How will you
model for them the love of Christ today?
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Deutsch: Mutter Teresa (26.8.1919-5.9.1997); 1986 bei einer Pro-life-Kundgebung auf dem Bonner Münsterplatz English: Mother Teresa of Calcutta (26.8.1919-5.9.1997); at a pro-life meeting in 1986 in Bonn, Germany (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mother Teresa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
.C. Immediately the top leaders of the most powerful country in the world, along with the other esteemed guests, rose to their feet and applauded. Many had tears in their eyes.
The wife of a United States Senator later said, “She looked so tiny and out-of-place in her blue-and-white habit, old gray sweater, and sandals that had obviously carried her many miles. I was struck with the contrast. I thought, ‘Lord, this frail woman has more power than I see in the Halls of Congress. She reflects Jesus everywhere she goes, and everyone is strangely moved.'”
Mother Teresa never owned anything; she never held up her fist to demand rights for herself. Yet she was raised to a pinnacle of recognition for her work with the destitute and dying in Calcutta, India. A shining example of selflessness, she proved the power of God’s love to transform people and touch a starved world.
This is real power, and, unlike that of the world, it confounds the wise and humbles the mighty. It is the power of God working through ordinary men and women for His glory.
When we are filled with His Spirit, we have that same power inside of us. But He wants us to be vessels of His mission. Then people will not see us, but will see Him in us. Like Mother Teresa, we will display a power the world does not know. But His Spirit working in us will draw others to Himself.
Your View of God Really Matters …
When people look at you, who do they see? Jesus or you? The only way people will ever see Jesus in you is if you focus on Him. It’s not enough to act right. You must focus right. Today focus on Jesus, and allow His Spirit to live through you.
Because God is all powerful, He can help us with anything.
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a jeho ukřižování (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Got a Dime to Spare? God did not spare His Son Jesus Christ out of love for you
Written by Sheila Schuller Coleman
“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also
with Him graciously give us all things?” -Romans 8:32
When I walk out of a store or restaurant, I am frequently stopped by those who ask,
“Got a dime to spare?” Because I’m wary of giving money to those who might use it to purchase unhealthy substances holding them hostage, I often purchase them a meal,
instead, or hand them a bag of peanuts with one of our “Hope Centre” cards stapled
to it. I encourage them to come on Monday for a hot meal, inspiration and encouragement,
a free haircut, and help with clothes, resumes, and substance abuse counselling.
At one recent Monday Meal, I met a man I’ll call “Rich” who came up to me and said,
“Pastor Sheila, I am your resident atheist.”
“Really? Well, I have good news for you, Rich. God believes in you even if you don’t
believe in Him. He loves you even if you don’t love Him.”
“I’ve told God that I’d believe in Him if I could see Him.'”
“Rich, take a look around. See Amanda over there cutting hair? See Hilda behind
the table serving the food? See Harold by the racks handing out the clothes? You
are seeing God in action through each one of them.”
Two weeks later when I ran into Rich again, he said, “Sheila, the word on the street
is that you love us.”
“Well, that’s true. But most importantly, God loves you.”
“I’m beginning to believe that.”
So, let’s look at that question, “Got a dime you can spare?” I’d like to challenge
you and ask you, “Got a life you can spare?”
God, who did not spare the life of his Son, asks us to give our lives to Him and
to serve Him – like Amanda, like Hilda, like Harold, like so many others who are
giving their lives to say through words and works, “God loves you and so do I!”
Lord, when I am tempted to think You would withhold a blessing or a deliverance
from me, I am reminded that You have promised that You will not withhold anything
I need – not even Your Son’s death on the cross. What more do I need? Thank You,
Lord! Forgive me, Lord! Amen.
God did not spare His Son out of love for you. How does that make you feel?
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him.” (1 John 3:5)
Do you strive to live a pure and holy life? What disciplines help you do that?
In the time of Jesus, there were religious experts called Pharisees. The highest value of life, in their view, was maintaining holiness—which, for them, meant not touching anything or anyone they might consider “unclean.” Holiness was a matter of staying on the defence socially, and avoiding certain people entirely.
What really bothered them about Jesus was the way He sought out “unclean” people—those with diseases, those with clear and unmistakable sin in their lives. Wasn’t He forfeiting His personal purity by associating with lowly individuals? It seemed an outrage! Yet Jesus led history’s holiest life even while seeking out those who needed to see and touch true purity. And in Him, they touched it. Perhaps one of the great secrets of holiness is that it can’t be hoarded.
Life demands a certain balance. We don’t want to spend time with those who can pull us down; we want to steer clear of temptation. But our holy God wants us to share true purity with those who desperately need it. He wants us to bring healing and hope, just as His Son did.
Your View of God Really Matters …
We are a reflection of God’s pure light to an unclean world. How will your light touch the darkness of another life today? Don’t hoard your light.
Because God is holy, I will live a holy life in an unclean world!
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Stained glass at St John the Baptist’s Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus’ description of himself “I am the Good Shepherd” (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it
Micah 2:1-2
“Woe to those who devise iniquity, and work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.” NKJV
In the verse above, we see those in power taking advantage of the people. The world believes that it is acceptable to take advantage of others for gain of position or authority. If you are a leader in the workplace, do you take advantage of the system to benefit yourself? Friend, let me make this more personal. Do you take advantage of your family, friends or co-workers for your benefit? When we get to know a person, we know how to set them off or manipulate them for what we want. That is ungodly and God does not bless the unbiblical practices of deception.
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” NKJV
Even in times when it seems there is no other option but to bend the truth for your benefit, God provides a way out. Taking responsibility for your actions is an important characteristic of a Godly disciple. God will always honour you when you take responsibility for your mistakes, even when it’s difficult. Live out the Biblical model that God entrusted to you in regards to your relationships even when it doesn’t make sense.
In the end, it comes down to your making a decision about Jesus. How far will you follow Jesus in your relationships? Until it gets inconvenient – uncomfortable – what about when it becomes painful? Are you willing to follow the Biblical model all the way? What will you decide? Gain for yourself or lay your life down for the sake of the Gospel?
Life Lesson: One characteristic of a Godly leader is to do what is Biblical even when it causes personal hardship.
Dear Father:
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for continuing to do a work in my life. You have called me to live a disciple’s life, and I choose to honour You in living out the model You have set before me. Lord, when things get tough and I mess up, empower me with courage and strength to live out Your Truth and encourage others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!
Worldwide Prayer Haven 