Tag Archives: Lord

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

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!

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Our Loving God is always near

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Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a jeho ukřižování (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our loving God is always near—forever by our side

READ: John 20:19-29

Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” —John 20:26

At our church we often sing the beautiful song by Ron and Carol Harris: “In This Very Room.” It begins, “In this very room there’s quite enough love for one like me.” This song reminds me that although there is great encouragement in gathering with other Christians for worship, the important thing is that Christ is present. But it goes beyond that. He is with us not just at church but in every room of our lives.

I wonder where you’re reading this—a kitchen, a coffee shop, a prison cell, a military post? Perhaps you’re in a hospital or a courtroom. It may be a room that reflects everything that’s right in your life or a place that represents all that’s wrong. And you might be afraid.

In the aftermath of the awful reality of Jesus’ crucifixion, His followers met in a familiar room. John records that “when the doors were shut [locked] where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20:19). A week later it happened again when Jesus entered through locked doors to bring peace through His presence (vv.26-29).

Wherever you are today, “There’s quite enough hope and quite enough power to chase away any gloom, for Jesus, Lord Jesus, is in this very room.” —David McCasland

When in the midst of life with its problems,
Bent with our toil and burdens we bear;
Wonderful thought and deep consolation:
Jesus is always there. —Lillenas

Our loving God is always near—forever by our side.

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!

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Own Up to Guilt

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

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)

Own Up to Guilt

And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman,
What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, “The serpent
beguiled me, and I did eat.”
Genesis 3:12, 13
Where sin is concerned, there is no difference between men and women.
Both are equally quick to pass off their guilt. This, too, is a
favourite tactic the enemy uses against believers. God is always
interested in honest confession, repentance and complete forgiveness,
but satan only wants us to point the finger in endless blame games that
combine guilt and shame with the sins of being a false witness and
judging one another.

Once God heard what Adam and Eve had to say, He dealt with each party
to the sin one by one. In Genesis 3:15, God began His judgment with the
father of lies and spoke prophetically that satan’s head would be
bruised by Eve’s seed (God’s seed in Jesus Christ). He told the devil
what was coming, but since satan has been stripped of his anointing, he
has also been stripped of his ability to receive revelation. He heard
what God said but didn’t have the revelation to fully understand the
plans of God.

Woman was deceived, but man made a wrong decision knowingly. Eve’s
error took womankind down a step in the social order and in physical
safety and comfort until Jesus restored her to her original position.
Adam’s sin took all mankind-male and female-straight to the grave. Once
again, it took the Son of God Himself to bring us to a glorious
resurrection.

Prayer for Today

Father,
You know me inside and out-You know everything about me. Thank You for
looking at me with love and forgiveness and for bringing Your truth and
light into all areas of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Think on These Things

Genesis 4:10-12
2 Samuel 12:9-12

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!

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He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

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)

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 NIV

Religious rule-keeping can sap your strength. It’s endless. There is always another class to attend, Sabbath to obey, Ramadan to observe. No prison is as endless as the prison of perfection. Her inmates find work but they never find peace. How could they? They never know when they are finished.

Christ . . . fulfilled the law for you. Bid farewell to the burden of religion . . . God pledges to help those who stop trying to help themselves.

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!

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Remember the Lord Your God; for He is the One that gave you power to get wealth

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Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a jeho ukřižování (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember the Lord Your God; for He is the One that gave you power to get wealth

Get the Root!


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
Deuteronomy 8:18

Notice that God has not promised to give you wealth. God’s covenant
promise is to give you the power to get the wealth. You can’t focus on
the fruit and not the root!

If you have just the money and not the power to get the money, you’re
going to be broke when the money runs out. The fruit is good, but if
you want the fruit, you have to get the root. The root is the power!
The root is the blessing! The root is the grace! When you get the
power, the wealth comes. If you don’t get the power, you’re not going
to get the wealth—at least not God’s way.

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!

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Glorify God in your body and Spirit

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

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)

Glorify God in your body & spirit

1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

Just think about it, we understand “one in flesh” so let “one in spirit” sink in. We know our bodies are the temple (dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit. That is why it’s important to keep ourselves pure and clean, because God is Holy! “We were bought at a price, therefore GLORIFY GOD in your body & spirit, which is God’s.”

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

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!

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A Loving Father

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Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A LOVING FATHER

Matthew 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

MATTHEW 6:9-13

Although God was referred to as “our Father” 13 times in the Old Testament, Jesus’ frequent use of this title brought a whole new understanding of our relationship with God. Jesus referred to God as His father over 150 times, and He spoke of God as being our father 30 times. This infuriated the religious Jews of Jesus’ day who considered it blasphemy to call God their father, because they understood that to mean they were equal with God (Jn. 5:17-18).

This title has become so common in the church today that we, many times, don’t perceive its real significance. The revelation that we are instructed to call God “our Father” reveals the kind, gentle, loving nature of our God (1 Jn. 4:8). Paul amplifies this by using the term “Abba Father” (Rom. 8:15), which is an affectionate term that a young child would use for his father, corresponding to our English word, “daddy.”

We are being instructed here to recognize our relationship with God and praise Him for it. It’s a relationship that goes beyond any human relationship we could ever have here on this earth. It’s a relationship of belonging to a father, who loves us because we are His. Run to Him, drop all pretence and formality, and call Him “Daddy.”

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!

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In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you

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In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

John 14:2, NIV

How often I have dashed home from church to get things ready for guests I have invited to lunch! I want to get the ice in the glasses, take the roast out of the oven while I pop the rolls in, make the gravy, steam the broccoli, and generally get things organized so that when my guests walk through the door everything is prepared for their enjoyment. I want them to know by the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen, and the elegant setting of the table, and the sideboard laden with dishes brimming with steaming food that they are expected and they are welcome.

In John 14:2, Jesus was telling His disciples that He was going to dash Home to get things ready for them so when they walked through the door they would know they were expected, they were welcome, and His home was theirs to enjoy!

Blessings

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!

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He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

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)

He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death. —James 5:20

READ: Proverbs 4:10-19

The Dalton brothers were infamous outlaws during the late 1800s in the US. They started out on the right side of the law as officers. But then they followed a gradual descent into crime and became known for bank and train robberies. Their day of reckoning came when they tried to hold up two banks at once. Hearing of the robberies, the townspeople armed themselves and began to fire on the Dalton Gang. When the smoke cleared, Emmett Dalton was the sole survivor.

After serving 15 years in the penitentiary, Emmett was pardoned and set free. While in prison, he had come to see the error of his ways. So when he was released, he wanted to deter young people from a life of crime. Drawing from his own experience, Emmett wrote and starred in a film about the Dalton Gang in which he showed the folly of being an outlaw. In many ways, Emmett’s film was telling others: “Do not enter the path of the wicked” (Prov. 4:14).

In a similar way, when we have sinned but have genuinely repented and experienced God’s forgiveness, we can tell our own story. We can encourage others not to make the same mistakes we have made. James wrote, “He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death” (5:20). —Dennis Fisher

If others learn from our mistakes,
And it saves them from the pain
That we ourselves experienced—
Then it wasn’t all in vain. —Sper

When we learn from our mistakes, we are less likely to repeat them.

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!

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The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him

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The Lord our God is merciful and     forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.
Daniel 9:9

 

You Are Forgiven

Are you haunted by past sins? Perhaps Satan, the accuser, keeps reminding     you of mistakes you’ve made in your life. If so, rebuke him right now with     the truth that you, as a believer in Jesus Christ, have been forgiven.

Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. Instead, turn to the Word of God and     read about Paul, who calls himself the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).     In the book of Acts, a man named Saul was persecuting the church. He gave     his consent to the martyrdom of Stephen and travelled around hunting     believers of the Way and punishing them. After Saul met Jesus, however, he     gave his life completely over to the Lord and became Paul, the apostle who     wrote much of the New Testament.

Paul could have wallowed in despair over his past sins, but he didn’t-he     knew the only way to be effective in ministry was to accept God’s Word as     truth and stand on His promise.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my     people, who are called by my name, will…turn from their wicked ways, then     will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin.” You are     forgiven.

Put the past behind you and walk in that truth today.

Further Reading

  • Acts 8-9
  • Colossians 2:13
  • 1 John 1:9

    • God Bless

     

    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!
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    Abide in Christ Jesus

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    Fresh off the vine

    Fresh off the vine (Photo credit: Amy V. Miller)

    Abide in Christ Jesus

    John 15:5 says: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”

    Jesus is the very source of our being. We exist in Him. He is the vine, and we are the branches. God has sent Him forth so that we might live through Him, so that we might be born again, grow, and bear fruit. Jesus is with us. We are in Him, and He is our source in life. He is the source of our love, wisdom, counsel, and strength. He is moving and giving, providing and supplying for our lives. He is making our lives fruitful. If we will simply abide in Him, stay connected, and live by the Word – that life-source that He came to give us – then we will be fruitful in every area of life.

    Don’t live in yesterday!

    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!

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    When you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand has just done

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    Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

    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)

    When you give alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand has just done

    Matthew 6:1, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

    MATTHEW 6:1-4

    The motive behind our gift is more important than the gift itself. Paul said if he gave all of his goods to feed the poor, or if he made the ultimate sacrifice of giving his own life for someone else, and wasn’t motivated by love, his gift would profit him nothing (1 Cor. 13:3).

    Many Christians give faithfully but never see the hundredfold return that the Lord promised because of wrong motives (Mk. 10:29-30). Paul said God loves a cheerful giver – not one who gives grudgingly or out of debt (2 Cor. 9:7).

    Jesus gave us the key to purifying our motives in this same teaching. He said, “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth” (Mt. 6:3). Giving in a manner in which you will not receive recognition for your gifts will guarantee that your motives are right and grant you the true joy that comes through selfless giving (Acts 20:24).

    Ask the Lord to show you an opportunity today to give a kind word or a helping hand to someone who will not be able to repay you and others will never know about it. This could be a motorist in a traffic jam, a co-worker, a spouse, a child who won’t even notice your kind deed, or any number of other people. Opportunities are all around us.

     

    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!

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    The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it

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    The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow
    with it
    Proverbs 10:22

    Sometimes the word blessing in the Bible refers to “material
    possessions,” but not in this Scripture. In this case, God is talking
    about an endowed power from God that produces prosperity and success. He is not talking about a car, a house, or some material resource. The
    blessing is the power that God clothes you with in order to make you
    rich. One version puts it this way: The blessing of the Lord it brings
    wealth (NIV).

    So, once again, power is involved in wealth coming your way. Wealth
    recognizes a God-like ability in your life to which it is attracted.

     

    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!

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    When we see death, we see disaster. When Jesus sees death, He sees deliverance!

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    Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

    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)

     

    For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven…2 Corinthians 5:1-2

    When I was a young boy, summers consisted of afternoons on the baseball diamond and meals at Mom’s dinner table. But Mom had a rule: dirty, sweaty boys could never eat at the table. “Go clean up and change your clothes if you want to eat!” And in my mind, a bath and a clean shirt were a small price to pay for a good meal!

    From God’s perspective, death is a small price to pay for the privilege of sitting at his table. He said “This body that can be destroyed must clothe itself with something that can never be destroyed.”

    God is even more insistent than my mom was! To sit at His table, a change of clothing must also occur. We must die in order for our body to be exchanged for a new one.

    When we see death, we see disaster. When Jesus sees death, he sees deliverance!

     

    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!

     

     

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    A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps

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    Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

    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)

    A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps

    Finding Something New in Something Old

    Written by Jim Coleman

    “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” -Proverbs 16:9

    Twenty years ago, my father needed a stint placed in one of the arteries of his
    heart. My father was thin, and so am I. The fact that his heart needed attention
    got my attention, so I decided immediately to get my heart, and general health,
    in better shape. I started a jogging routine every other morning, early – about
    6 a.m. for 30 minutes. My goal has been to get my heart rate to at least 120 beats
    per minute and keep it there for the entire 30 minutes. I’ve always managed to run
    about 2-12 to 3 miles within this time period.

    One morning last December, I knew I had to get up especially early to have breakfast
    with a friend. I didn’t want to awaken at 5:30 a.m., so I decided to jog the night
    before. I was in for a treat. It was Christmas time, so when I began my run at 9:30
    p.m., many of the homes I usually ran past in the rising morning sun had their Christmas
    lights on!

    It was beautiful! What a delightful surprise…house after house after house…lights,
    lights, lights…in all different arrangements…some all white, others sparkling
    with many colours. I saw inflated Santas, reindeer, elves. I saw twinkling palm trees,
    Christmas trains, Christmas packages, and Nativity scenes. I had blast!

    I found my thoughts and eyes dancing, and before I knew it, my run was over – the
    time had gone by much faster than usual because my soul had been absorbed in the
    splendour of all the magnificent Christmas lights.

    I confess that I do have the habit of falling into routine. I think most people
    would say that I’m fairly predicable…probably all of us are in some way or another.
    However, there’s tremendous joy in discovering new pleasures – sometimes even in
    old places.

    Our glorious and gracious God created the Universe. We live within a single solar
    system of that Universe, on a planet that fortunately has various levels of predictability
    – “routine” aspects – that we all depend upon. For instance, the sun comes up every
    morning and sets every evening. Yet, God in His wonderful plan for you and me provides
    variations on this theme…through the seasons of the year…the rising and setting
    of the moon…various weather conditions…etc. Variables within predictability
    – God is good, God is wise, and YOU are made in His image! How exciting!

    What routines have you established in your life? You depend on these routines; we
    all do. We each have an individual way of approaching our activities, our relationships,
    and our acquisition of knowledge. This is what makes you unique from all of the
    other millions of persons in the world around you. But, what surprises, what new
    discoveries await you by altering your routine just a bit – or even a lot? How
    could you let the Lord direct your steps more today?

    PRAYER:

    Lord, thank You. Thank You for all that You’ve created that I can predictably depend
    upon. Thank You, too, for all of the wonderful variables. You are glorious in all
    ways. I praise You. Amen.

    Have you ever thought about varying your routine to embrace new and exciting possibilities?
    Are you willing even to think about it? To try it?

    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!

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    At peace with God

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    Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

    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 capture of Christ (detail)

    The capture of Christ (detail) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    At peace with God

     

    Acts 12:6

    “And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.”
    NKJV

    How often do you allow the troubles of life to steal your peace? Do you replay events over and over in your mind wishing you had done something differently, and sometimes even allow bad events to set the tone for the rest of your day? I am reminded of a story about a man who while on his way to work had a flat tire. When he finally got to work, his secretary asked him how he was doing. Through clenched teeth he said, “Terrible! I had a flat tire.” He walked into his office, slammed the door, threw the chair back from his desk, and picked up a phone to speak harshly to an employee. At lunch, the waiter at the restaurant asked him how he was doing and he responded, “Terrible! I had a flat tire this morning!” Later that evening when he got home his wife asked him how his day went and he said, “It was terrible! I had a flat tire this morning!” That one event shaped his entire day and not only that, his bad attitude affected everyone he came across.

    In Acts chapter 12, we see James had been killed by Herod and Peter was imprisoned. Although Peter was probably about to be executed, he was sleeping! Now as far as ‘bad days’ go, I’d rank his pretty high on the list, yet Peter is comfortable and peaceful enough to sleep. Peter was at peace in the Lord as we should be. No matter what the circumstance.

    Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NKJV

    No matter what trial or tribulation you are facing, know that there will be a day when you will be free from it. It may not be until you are with the Lord in Heaven, but you will be free from it. Be at peace, Christian! You have an awesome promise to look forward to…

    Rev 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” NKJV

    Life Lesson: Through Jesus, you may have peace.

    Dear Father,
    Thank You for sending Your only Son, Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Thank You for the promise that one day, You will wipe the tears from my eyes and there will be no more death, sorrow or crying. Thank You that I can have peace through Jesus, no matter what trial or difficulties I am experiencing. Please forgive me for the times when I have surrendered my peace to a situation or problem and help me to live for You every day. 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!

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    God is Love

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    Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

    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)

    God is love.

    “This is real love – not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

    If you had to summarize God in only one word, what would that word be?

    Steve Henning waited fifty-seven years to hear a single word. As a baby, he had contracted spinal meningitis. Since penicillin was being saved for the war effort in 1943, he received no treatment and fell deaf. In 2001, however, a new surgical procedure was developed. The doctors implanted a device in Steve’s ear, but then the waiting game began. The device could only be activated when the swelling went down—and that took six weeks.

    When the moment of truth came, the doctors activated the cochlear implant. Steve’s wife was invited to say something, to see if her husband could hear it. She leaned toward him and gently said, “I love you.” A great smile came across his face. The first sound he heard was the affirmation of love.

    It is a lesson worth remembering as we talk about God to those who do not know Him. The first and most important words should be affirmations of His love. It’s a beautiful, desirable message that helps the spiritually deaf to hear God saying, “I love you.”

    Your View of God Really Matters …

    One of God’s most amazing characteristics is His love. It is the most powerful and irresistible force in the universe. Learn to communicate His love as you represent Him to a world that is desperate for genuine love.

    What More Does God Say

    Psalm 103:13; Ephesians 2:4-9

    Because God is love, I will tell others how much He loves them!

    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!

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    God is good

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    Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

    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)

    God is Good

     

    READ: Matthew 19:16-26

    [Jesus said,] “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” —Matthew 19:17

    When someone asks, “How are you?” it has become common for the response to be, “I’m good.” When we say this, we are really saying, “I’m well” or “I’m doing fine,” speaking of our general well-being and not our character. I have answered with that response more times than I can count, but lately it has begun to bother me. Because, whether we realize it or not, we are saying something specific when we use the word good.

    Jesus once encountered a wealthy young man who called Him “Good Teacher” (Matt. 19:16). The young man was right, for Jesus is both good (completely perfect) and the Teacher. He is the only One who can truly make that claim.

    The Lord, however, challenged the man to think about what he was saying in using that term good. “So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments’” (v.17). Jesus wanted the man to understand that the assertion he was making needed to be taken seriously. Jesus can be called “good” because He is God.

    Next time someone asks you, “How are you?” it is great to be able to say, “I’m well.” But remember, only Jesus is good. —Bill Crowder

    Eternal with the Father, One,
    Is Jesus Christ, His own dear Son;
    In Him God’s fullness we can see,
    For Jesus Christ is deity. —D. De Haan

    God is great and God is good, but without Him we are neither.

     

    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!

     

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    Daddy, I need to hear your voice

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    Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

    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)

    Daddy, I Need to Hear Your Voice

    by Simon T. Bailey

    Women have two problems with men. (I can almost hear a few ladies saying, “only
    two?” with a smirk.) The two key issues are that, as men, we don’t talk and rarely
    listen. When we do talk it is all about us, and when we listen we have selective
    hearing. Well, this couldn’t be farther from the truth in this next instance.
    My father recently had to have surgery and I decided to fly up to Buffalo, New York
    to be with him. I won’t bore you with the details, but he made it through with flying
    colours. Thank goodness. On the day prior to his discharge, we were just sitting
    in the hospital room when all of a sudden my father started talking to me.
    It was way deeper than sports, weather, politics, or the economy. Someone or something
    turned on a faucet inside of him and for the next three hours we had one of the
    most meaningful dialogues I have ever experienced in my life. My Daddy did more
    than communicate, he connected with me. He looked me in the eyes and gave me an
    oral history of our family for the last 100 years.

    Now, my Dad is a man’s man. I have never seen him break down, but he broke down
    twice while talking to me about leaving Jamaica to come to America at 19 years of
    age as a migrant worker picking oranges in Florida. Then he went to Perry, NY along
    with another migrant worker to pick up apples. You would think that I would know
    this history, but I didn’t. I’ve been working since I was 12 years old and really
    didn’t know my family.

    Some might say, perhaps you need to go and see a shrink. It’s all good. I am okay.
    This is just one of those moments that caught this “A-type control freak” personality
    of mine by surprise.

    What is so amazing about this is that for the last twenty-five years, since leaving
    Buffalo, NY to carve out my own path, I have talked to my parents just about every
    Sunday evening. Our conversations are short, sweet and unemotional. I know for
    some that this might be TMI (Too Much Information), but I have been waiting for
    the last twenty-five years for my father to peel back the layers of his masculinity
    and be emotionally available. Is it a sign of weakness? Hardly. I believe it’s a
    sign of strength.

    Those three hours of talking, listening, and sharing with my Pops left me speechless.
    I know you find that hard to believe. Me, speechless? I had to get up and walk
    around the hospital to clear my mind. In those three hours, he filled in so many
    blanks. He told me that when I was 7 years old I would say that I would write a
    book. He told me what he saw in me. He closed the loop in sharing what was in our
    family DNA. He told me that my Grandfather, his father, was a brilliant man with
    a sharp mind. I never met my Grandfather; I wish I could have. A part of me has
    always sensed that there was a missing piece to my life’s puzzle. My Dad’s talking
    to me helped me understand why I have a such free, cavalier, and often independent
    spirit. It’s because of him.

    He filled in the blanks and in an instant built a bridge from the past to the present.
    The most touching moment was on the ride home from the hospital as I sat in the
    back seat with my Dad. I was reminiscing with arrows of emotions shooting through
    me wondering, “did my Daddy ever hold my hand when I was growing up?” I am sure
    he did. Nevertheless this 40+ year-old man reached over and grabbed my Daddy’s hand.
    I don’t know why I did but I could hear Luther Vandross singing in the symphony
    hall of my soul – Dance with my father.

    For fifteen minutes during the ride home, I held my 70 year-old father’s hand and
    I got it. It clicked. As a father of two incredible children, I realized the heavy
    sense of responsibility I have to help them uncover their purpose and identity.

    When we arrived home, I made sure that my Pops was okay. He turned to me and said,
    “Son, I am so glad that you came.” In that moment, my Dad hugged me with his words.
    WOW! I didn’t know that I needed to know that my visit really mattered to him.
    He then did what was most profound … my Daddy put his hand on my shoulder and
    closed his eyes and started talking to God. It was like he was a friend of God.
    He said, “God, thank you for Simon. Please watch over him and his family. Keep
    him in all of his ways.” My Daddy talked to God about me. As a result, I know everything
    is going to be just fine.

    I stood frozen and leaned over this 5’7”, 140 lb. giant of man and kissed him on
    his forehead. I said to myself, “That’s my Daddy. He doesn’t belong to anyone else.
    That’s my Daddy. That’s my friend.” I don’t know how much time my Dad has here
    on earth. But one thing is for sure, if he should depart Earth, I know beyond a
    shadow of doubt that he loves me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to know, that I mattered
    to him.

    Please my friend, do not go to your grave without talking to those who matter the most to you.

    Be real. Be authentic. Put your truth on the table about how you are really doing.
    I can promise you that when you do your life will make a significant shift. Thank
    you for letting me bend your ear.

     

    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!

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    Jesus is with You

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    Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

    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)

    Jesus is with You

    Matthew 9:24 says: “He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn.”

    Are you like the people around Jesus in this story? He was entering the home of Jairus, a desperate man whose daughter had just died. There was no hope in man in this situation, but Jairus hoped in God. His family was helpless, and they were at the end of what they could do when Jesus said, “Give place, for she’s not dead.” In other words, “Give place; it’s not hopeless. Give place, for I am here. Give place; nothing is impossible if you believe Me.”

    Often we think that our circumstance is beyond hope. We find it hard to see how Jesus could take the worst-case scenario and make it new. But Jesus is the master of rebuilding, the master of recreating, the master of healing, the master of repair, and the master of new beginnings. Wherever you are today, no matter what you are going through, lift up your eyes because your redemption does not come from man, and it does not come from you, but it comes from Jesus Christ.

    He is there with you now!

    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!

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