whenever troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy


May God help me!

May God help me! (Photo credit: radiant guy)

Whenever troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy

(James 1:2)

Have you ever looked upon trouble as a time for joy? This is not foolishness but the deepest kind of wisdom. This joyful perspective is the very key to persevering and growing in wisdom during times of affliction.

It has been said that we as Christians are like tea bags: we are not much good until we have gone through a bit of hot water. When the temperature rises, we learn something about ourselves and about God. We find out that we need a little seasoning, and that He is steadfast and faithful in our trials. Can you trust God? I must tell you that you can, but your faith will never be real until you are forced, through circumstances, to place all your trust in Him.

When I was sick and told there was no hope of recovery God filled me with His peace. In fact, after I received the news that the world would consider terrible God actually gave me some of the greatest opportunities I have ever encountered. I had more time to devote to my books and to numerous other projects that I could not have done in my previous busy schedule.

Our loving God is so creative and resourceful. Where we see limitations, He sees unlimited opportunity. He finds great joy in bringing the greatest miracles from the harshest conditions.

Are you going through a time of trouble? Your view of God will determine whether you also experience real joy and peace in the midst of your pain. If you really believe in your heart that God is faithful, then you can trust Him to give you His joy and peace just as He promised.

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

Never give up


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Never give up

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good (Ecclesiastes 11:6).

There are people, who perhaps started out on a business venture that seemed profitable and were excited about it at the initial stage, however, two or three months down the line, challenges set in and it didn’t seem like the venture was making as much progress as they’d expected and as a result they gave up the business. They should have stayed with it!

Possibly, you’re in a similar situation today; you’re at the verge of giving up something you started. My counsel to you is, stay with it and believe in your progress! Keep at it, and don’t give up. The Bible says, “…whatsoever you do shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3). Notice it didn’t say “some of the things you do shall prosper”, but all! Praise God. The hand of God is upon that idea, job or business of yours and will cause it to make progress and move forward. If you believe this, then you won’t give up, irrespective of the seemingly unprofitable circumstances.

If you find yourself experiencing challenges in any area of your job or business for instance, go back to the Word of God. It says, “In all labour there is profit.”  Whatever the challenges are, the Word of God will show you what to do. Even if you had mismanaged the business, there’s the appropriate Word from God to teach you how to be a better manager. Remember, God’s Word remains the best book on success and prosperity.

Therefore, in everything you do, never give up hope. Only make certain to follow God’s Word and practise what it says. That way, your progress, advancement, success, and profiting will not only appear to all but will be unending. Hallelujah!

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

For When You Feel Alone


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For When You Feel Alone By Samantha Evilsizer

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” John 15:9-10 (ESV)

Miss Emma‘s wrinkled hands cupped my chin—her palm a reservoir for my tears. I walked down the hallways saying tearless goodbyes to 119 other residents, and yet my farewell with her released a levy of emotions.

The scattered pieces of my heart felt like they were blown about by the scurrying of nurses’ footsteps and doctors’ orders resounding off the walls of the nursing home.

It felt wrong to leave her alone, forsaken in this dark place.

Her family, or lack thereof, had rendered her anchorless; adrift in the lonely sea of a 120 bed facility. A drab place where my Activities Department team and I were brought in to dispel the dreariness. My job at “The Brick” would have been more bleak if not for Miss Emma and a few others.

I didn’t allow many details of this place to sink in further than the surface of my heart. Stories repeated ten times each day rolled off my back. Routines of medicine and meals and the wandering of hallways became mundane tasks. Yet one name, one person, chiseled deep into my heart: Miss Emma.

I perched on the edge of our goodbye, on the edge of her bed, hesitant to leave her. “Who’ll sit in the sunshine with you? Who’ll listen? Who’ll sing hymns with you?”

Worry wrung my heart. Visions of Miss Emma, alone … lonely … made my jaw tense and ache with pain for her. A square punch by sadness will do that to a girl.

But not her. Beautiful brown saucers brimmed with confidence. I waded in the refreshing waters of her eyes, rich pools of wisdom.

“I’ll be fine sugar … I’m never alone. Don’t you realize the One who created the sun sits with me? He listens always, hearing my prayers and needs. His presence is in the very praises we sing to Him. Child, we’re never alone.”

Tucked away from the world, Miss Emma changed mine. She lived tightly knit to the Vine. Abided in Jesus’ love through His Word and worship and prayer. Miss Emma dwelled in this truth:

Christ beside me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me. ~St. Patrick

Though abandoned by her earthly family, she rested in the knowledge that her Heavenly Father never would leave her. Indeed, He made a home in her so she could nestle in Him.

Her solid assurance lifted my chin, calmed my heart. The strength she found in the truth that Christ never leaves us left a lasting impression on me. I began looking for ways He was with me: by giving me the wisdom to hold my tongue, or helping me sleep at night, or steadying me when anxious.

Might we find hope in Him today as well? Curl up in His love by writing a Scripture verse on our heart. Lean into God‘s sure presence through lifting our voice in praise. Abide in His peace with a time of prayer … sharing and listening.

Christ is within us, before us, behind us. And as Miss Emma so confidently knew, He will never leave or forsake us. We’re never alone.

Dear Lord, thank You for calling us Your children. And for making a home within us, so we may rest secure in You. Because You are our dwelling place, we are never alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

Do you believe in miracles?


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Do you believe in miracles?

We serve a God of miracles. A miracle is the supernatural intervention of God in the problems of our lives. By believing in the power of God, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

At some point in our lives, we will either be forced to live in the potential of our faith in God, or with the consequences of our doubts.

“Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” Mark 9:23

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

Is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior bad for your business?


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Is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior bad for your business?

The whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

Matthew 8:34

You would think that after the miracle of casting out demons from two men who had violently oppressed them, the people in the area would have said, “Jesus, You are the man! We love what you did! Now we can go back to the cemetery and pay our respects to our loved ones and put flowers on their graves. We wouldn’t even go near there before. These guys were scary. Thank you, Lord, for coming to our community.” But that is not what happened. Instead, they wanted Him to go away. Why? It was because Jesus was bad for business.

Jesus had cast the demons out of the men and into a herd of swine that went over a cliff. I don’t know if those who kept the herd were Jewish, because if they were, this was not an acceptable thing to be doing. They had been making money off the pigs, and there was no more bringing home the bacon for them. It was the end of that story. So they thought, we don’t like this. This is bad for our economy. Go away.

For some people, Jesus is bad for their business. It is typically the kind of business that preys on human suffering—even contributes to it. And if you have discovered that Jesus is bad for your business, then you need to get another job.

In the region of the Gadarenes, the people realized that Jesus wasn’t good for what they did, and therefore, they wanted Him to go away. Matthew’s Gospel tells us, “The whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region” (Matthew 8:34). So guess what Jesus did? He left.

Jesus won’t force His way into anyone’s life, including yours. Have you invited Him in?

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

What a Savior we have in Christ Jesus


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What a Savior we have in Christ Jesus!

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:11-12, NKJV

God left His throne at the center of the universe. He set aside His glory, and He humbled Himself as He took on human flesh.

He came to His own – those whom He had created for Himself – but they didn’t receive Him.

They contradicted His Word.

They challenged His authority.

They denied His claims.

They questioned His motives.

They mocked His power.

They rejected His Person.

And God in Christ submitted Himself to their slapping, spitting, mocking, taunting, flogging, and stripping then allowed them to nail Him to a cross where He gave His own life as a sacrifice for their sin. And mine. And yours. His own death satisfied His own judgment for sin, and we are saved. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

The Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)


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The Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Given us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!

 

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

 

 

God is present everywhere. God Is Our true security


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God is present everywhere. God Is Our true security

This is My command—be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9)

At times this life can be very lonely and terrifying. We may have many friends, relatives, or a loving spouse, but ultimately we still must face our problems on our own. No one can take our place. No one can be with us at all times. No one, except for One—God! He is present everywhere.

Because God is always present, we never have to wonder first thing in the morning: Is God here in this room, and is He willing to start the day with me? We do not have to ask ourselves: Will God be with me tonight—even when I’m asleep? We never have to worry: Will God be with me tomorrow when I undertake a difficult task?

God is our ever-present friend. In joy, heartache, temptation, and peace, God is there.

Right now, wherever you are, think about a specific moment in the past week when you needed to know that God was with you. Did you have confidence that He truly was present?

 

 

 

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

God is faithful to do what He says


May God help me!

May God help me! (Photo credit: radiant guy)

God is faithful to do what He says

The Time Will Come
“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she
should be delivered.”
Luke 2:6 (KJV)
As Mary readied herself to deliver Jesus, she probably continued to ponder the things
that God had spoken to her.  You may also be rehearsing God’s Words spoken to you
as you wait for them to come to pass in your life.  God is faithful to do what He
says.
Stay hooked up to God, so when the time comes you will be ready. That means you
will have to go the distance and endure the changes that will take place within
you.  No matter what, your expectation has to remain constant.  When the days are
accomplished, the things that have been promised to you will come to pass.  Shout
now and set the stage for that delivery.  Your time will come! Amen!

 

 

 

 

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – (Romans 3:23)


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For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – (Romans 3:23)

 

 

 

 

“Good” People by Greg Laurie

Not long ago I was a guest on a morning television show. We were having a nice chat when, near the end of the program, the host dropped a bombshell. He said, “Greg, I have a question for you. You believe that most of the world is non-Christian and that because of that, they are going to burn in hell for all eternity. What kind of loving God would ever create such a scenario? Is that like a petty boss that some people have created, not understanding God?”

I had about two minutes to respond to that question. But after the show ended and the cameras stopped rolling, our conversation continued. He went on to ask me about good people and how a God of love could allow good people to face judgment.

I pointed out that we have to define what “good” is. It seems as though we have a sliding scale of good. Everyone seems to believe they are good. They are always the moral center of their universe. They immediately give themselves a free pass, but other people aren’t as good as they are. The problem is that we have conflicting views regarding what is good.

So how do we determine what good is? We all have the answer, and it is found in the Bible. God says, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

This doesn’t mean there aren’t good people in a broad sense; it means there is no one good enough to get to heaven on their own merit. That is where the judgment of God comes in if we reject His offer of forgiveness.

It is not about being the nicest person or the kindest person. It is about being a forgiven person. That is who will be in heaven: forgiven people.

 

 

 

 

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD 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!

May the grace the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen!