Aim for your Well-being in 2015

Aim for your well being this year. Proverbs 3 describes in details how you can gain success, good health, good relationships, favor and well being. Happy 2015!!! Let this year be one with a big difference!

"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 

bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine.

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves as a father the son he delights in.

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,

for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,

preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.

Then you will go on your way in safety and your foot will not stumble.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.

Do not say to your neighbor “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”

when you already have it with you.

Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.

Do not accuse anyone for no reason- when they have done you no harm.

Do not envy the violent, or choose any of their ways.

For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.

The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.

He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame."

Proverbs 3

A year later...

I did not realize that time passes by so quickly! It's been a year since I wrote something. A whole year!! What have I been up to? Well, good news is that God has kept me this far! It has been an interesting year. Many ups, many downs and many middles. There are days I felt I could conquer the world, days I felt like a million bucks, days I felt like throwing in the towel and days that I thought I wouldn't make it. But here I am today, writing this. Isn't God good?!

God has truly kept me throughout 2013. This past Saturday, I attended a concert by Ziada - Zidi the Band and Adawnage band. I must say, it was more than awesome. It has been a while since I actually attended a concert! As we were singing, I looked back at the year and realized just how privileged I am. I welled up with gratitude to God. So much that He has blessed me with. So much that He has done this year. I certainly don't have everything I wish to have, but I have good things in my life. I have been blessed beyond measure. Many, many blessings that have carried me through the year. I am grateful!

Take a look back at 2013. What were the highlights? What were the lowlights? Do you need to forgive someone? Did you work hard? Can you do better? What will you do differently for 2014? Did you lose friends? Did you gain friends? Were you a better person?

Proverbs 3:1-4

The road ahead

"My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. 
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."

Purpose to keep God's word hidden in your heart as you go through the year 2014. If you feel like 2013 was full of many mistakes, purpose to make it right with God and move forward. The road ahead will definitely be made straight by the choices you make today!

Merry Christmas and have a Favor-Full Year 2014!!

Hopefully, 2014 will have a lot more of blogging!! ;-)

The Starting Point

"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1-2 NIV

I have been feeling like God has been distant. Yes, distant. It's like my prayers are ineffective and they do not reach God. Emptiness. Disappointment. Frustration. A deep desire to reach God and have Him quench my thirst. Nothing else seems to be able to satisfy this deep and great need in my life.

I have recalled moments where I have been so closely connected to God. Those have been great times of refreshing. I wonder how to go back to that place. A place where I hear God and know Him. My soul deeply searches and thirsts for the Lord, like a dear pants for streams of water.

So, question is where do I start? Where do you start?

Take time to pray Psalm 42. There is no formula to reconnect with God. Surrender yourself to God. Humbly ask Him to rescue you, to reach out to you. Ask him to search your heart and reveal the things that have taken His place in your life. Repent of those things; ask Him to forgive you and show you the right way. Take time to really look for Him. Pray, speak to Him, ask Him to show you where to start. The Starting Point.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14 NIV

Seek Him. Wait for Him. He will surely come.

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So what if...

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand - when I am awake, I am still with you." Psalm 139:13-18
"The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Alas, Sovereign Lord, "I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young. "But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord." Jeremiah 1:4-9

And the verses go on and on! Are there days you feel down, discouraged, like you don't matter, like your life has no meaning? I know I get those days. Days when the word failure is part of the vocabulary that is standing out in my mind. There are days I have felt lost and discouraged about many aspects of my life.  The verses above are very encouraging. A reminder that God is the one that made us the way we are, with our abilities and strengths. People may not come and tell you how precious you are, or how your service or contribution to the world around you is appreciated, or how very helpful you are. In fact, they may never notice you! But God does. God, who knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb, looked at you and was happy with the design he made of you!
I wonder how many people would still love you despite your lack of wealth, failures, faded beauty, and all that. Many people would actually look at what you don't have or what they think you should be and end up putting you down. I say, their opinion remains their opinion...but the one who created you, certainly knew what He was doing and made you just the way he wanted you to be! He knew what you would be good at, what your strengths will be and your weaknesses too! And he accepted and loved you anyway! So what if I am not what people want me to be like! So what if I am not the world's famous beauty queen! So what! God loves us and longs for us to conform to his standards! He sets the rules! :-) His word is our guiding principle, and we should conform to God's standards!

Therefore, live life honoring God  - who looks at you and sees a whole lot of preciousness, ability, potential and beauty!

May you be thoroughly blessed in the knowledge of how wide, long, high and deep is the love of God towards you - and all that He has made.

Amen.

Are you anxious? Worried?

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Oh wow! This is such a comforting verse. Truth is, we all have many things that trouble us. We worry about many, many things daily. Some are in our control, others are not. Some are easy to handle, others leave us helpless, and in despair. Well, God does care for us. And I mean He really cares for each one of us. Even the minute things, the mundane things concerning us- He is concerned about ALL of them.
When I read this verse, I opted to cast all my anxieties on him. And they are many! I have worried over many things and even cried over some. But knowing that God cares for me makes all the difference. I can face each day, knowing that God has heard my prayers, my silent cries and He will act according to His good purpose.

Let us have this confidence in our God. That as we cast our anxieties on Him, we will experience the joy and peace of knowing that a loving Father, will take care of those things that really trouble us. Amen.

Be Prepared!

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Matthew 24:3

I read this passage and Jesus Christ had a lot to say about the end times - the signs of the end of the age. Some of these are hard to grasp because somehow they look far-fetched. Truth is, we need to be prepared at all times. We need to be watchful. We need to be very alert at all times, because no one knows the day nor the hour of His coming.
This makes me think of the times we tell ourselves that we have time....to repent. That we do not have to repent now. Well, the time of repentance is now. The time of living the life that God commands is now. It would be very unfortunate to think we have plenty of time yet lose our souls. Being ready means that we are living as God commands, daily seeking Him to know what he expects of us and obeying him completely. Then and only then do we live free lives knowing that no matter the day or the hour that He comes, we will be ready. He explains this further using the parable of the ten virgins! How sad to be left out!

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Matthew 24:44

Blame Game

"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." Matthew 23:1-3 (NIV)

This is a very powerful scripture where Jesus Christ was speaking. While reading Matthew 23, the first three verses struck me. They describe what is happening today. Most of our pastors and elders in the Church are like what is described here. They have a place of authority, and they teach the Word of God - but they do not practice any of the teachings they teach. Some have even gone further and given wrong teachings! But what does Jesus say to address this issue?
He says that we MUST obey them. As Paul writes severally in scripture, that we should submit to authority - and even go ahead and pray for them. One may argue and say, "But what if their teaching is false?" Well, if it is false according to scripture, then follow God's Word on the matter/teaching. Do your research and ask God to show you the right way. And He will.
Jesus Christ also says that we should do what they say and not what they do. Many Christians have fallen because they blame their pastors for misleading them by example. Well, each individual will give an account of himself before the Lord. One cannot say, because my pastor committed adultery (for example), then I just did as he did. NO! The scripture is clear on what God expects of us and we cannot blame our church leaders for our mistakes.
This is an encouragement to us. That we follow the Lord, and if the church and its leadership is sinful, we have an opportunity to make the difference for ourselves - obeying the Lord and following His instructions to us.

Every day make a point of meeting with the Lord, that He may show you the right way. For these are evil days.

Be encouraged!

The Ultimate Comfort Zone

Many times we associate the term "Comfort Zone" with being complacent or being too comfortable to want to advance in anything. Today, I want to use this term differently.
When I think about a comfort zone, I think about a place of rest, a place of peace, a place of security. When I read Psalm 23, I get a feeling of comfort.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever." Psalm 23 (NIV)

 Powerful words! Words of security, of comfort, of encouragement, of protection, of sustenance, of complete freedom in the Lord! Reading through this prayer reassures me of God's love, comfort and ever present help. This is the ultimate place that anyone should aspire to be in. In the arms and care of the Most High God - who looks at us and really just wants to care for us. There are so many verses in scripture that remind us of God's comfort - the place where He calls us to let ourselves go, secure that He will not let us fall.
He is our Shepherd (he feeds us ,he watches over us, he keeps his eyes on us). He comforts us and gives us peace amidst confusing or trying times. He leads us to places of peace and rest. He leads us in paths of righteousness - this is powerful! And even though we face difficult troubles in life, He is there with us. He protects us from harm. He lifts us up when we are down. How great is our Father in Heaven!
How awesome are the promises of God. We thank Him. Everyday, remind yourself of what God says to you because indeed, He is the ultimate comforter.

Be peaceful, be protected, be guided in the arms of the Most High God. The Ultimate Comfort Zone!

What to do with my enemy?! Part 2

People

Now, we may consider some people as our enemies. How do you deal with such people? People who invoke feelings of hatred, insecurity, fear, and other emotions in you. Jesus Christ gave us a wonderful command and guideline to deal with such people.
Lets get practical: am sure you're wondering, are you really really serious about this? Well, I am. I know God is. He gave these guidelines, among others:
"On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Romans 12:20 (NIV)
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

Pray for them and be good to them. I know I have people in my life who invoke all the wrong emotions in my heart! But God speaks to me constantly reminding me that all I need to do, is pray for them and be good to them. And God takes care of the rest. God's commands are for our good and He means well by counseling us to love our enemies. And there is much joy in following God's command about this.
So, lets love our enemies!!! 

Satan

We have been given clear instructions on how to deal with the devil.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
We have got to be sober minded and alert at all times. The devil schemes and plots ways to destroy us. So we need to be aware and careful how we live.

Identify other enemies in your life, look up scriptures to address those kinds of enemies. Allow God to direct you and guide you!

Be blessed!

What to do with my enemy?! (Part One)

Who is an enemy?

According to Wikipedia, an enemy is a being that is seen as forcefully adverse or threatening. The term is usually used within the greater context of war, to denote an opposing group as a threat.

Who is YOUR enemy?

This could be an easy or a tough question to respond to. You may think of your enemy being an object or a person/living being.
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:2 (NIV)
We probably have the same lamentation when it comes to our enemies. Our enemies could be people, thoughts, attitudes or ways of living or ultimately Satan himself. Oppression, Depression, Discouragement, fear are some of the things that our enemies inflict upon us.

How then do we deal with the enemies around us?

It is generally hard to deal with enemies.God gives us some options in dealing with our enemies:
a. Thoughts:
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are told to take every thought captive. We must be aware of the destructive thoughts that plague us, and be able to discard them immediately. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We are also encouraged to replace those thoughts with good thoughts: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Think about the thoughts that currently plague your mind. Ask God to show you how to really be free of them so that you may live a fruitful life. In Part 2, we will cover dealing with our enemies- People.

Be blessed!

Is 'Good' and 'Right' worth it?

"Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun." Ecclesiastes 8:12-15  

Despite all the evil and bad things that happen to us, we are commended to continue fearing God and be reverent before him. I know we tend to wonder whether being good, or doing the right thing is ever worth it. This is because, whether we do good or not, evil will always happen. Many ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" The truth is, none of us is good! We all, at one point or other, fall short in some way. What the author of Ecclesiastes is telling us today is to keep fearing God. No matter what. To keep doing what is right and good because in the end it will go well with us. Life never makes sense! I mean, no one has ever figured out this life. But what we are commended to do is TO ENJOY LIFE! Enjoy the sun rise every morning. Enjoy the singing of birds. The gift of friendship. The gift of football matches between Arsenal and Manchester United where you can scream and shout and be merry! The gift of bridal showers, baby showers and weddings for the ladies! Enjoy the gift of a job if you have one - give your very best at work! Enjoy embarrassing moments - laugh at yourself once in a while! Make every moment of your life count. Encourage someone. Meet people. Be good. Do right. God sees!

"I love to think that  God appoints My portion day by day; Events of life are in His hand, And I would only say, Appoint them in Thine own good time, And in Thine own best way." A.L. Waring

Wisdom Search

"Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it." Ecclesiastes 7:11-12

Many are in search of wisdom. Many of us keep asking, "How can I become wise?" Others, ask, "What is the wise thing to do in this situation?" Well, search no more! "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.." Proverbs 1:7. That is where it all starts! Fearing the Lord! This means revering Him, obeying Him and listening to Him keenly. We can only get to know what God requires of us by listening to Him. This is done through reading and studying His word daily. How else can we know His standards? Well, make a point of reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the Word of God every so often. You will see amazing results!

Wisdom is being kind to someone even when they are rude just because God says so. Wisdom is praying for those who hurt you instead of revenging, because God says so. Wisdom is loving, especially when it is difficult to love, because God says so. Wisdom is giving a gentle answer, in the midst of qualms and quarrels, because God says so. There are many such wisdom nuggets in the word of God. I got my wisdom nuggets today from Eccelsiastes 7. And wow! I think i will do them, just because God says so! This is wisdom!

Be blessed y'all!

Men and Women 1

^"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. " Ephesians 5: 21-30 (New International Version)

 It is very interesting how men and women are so different! Wow! God made them so different and gave them same rules and different roles! Think about it: God has commanded each one of us to love our neighbour as ourselves, to be kind to one another and all. However, God has highlighted different roles of men and women in the context of marriage. Amazing! In the scripture above, both husbands and wives are called to submit to one another. Wives are called to be submissive to their husbands. Husbands are called to love their wives. Now, it doesn't mean that wives should not love their husbands! No! It means in your role as wife, remember to be submissive. And in your role as husband, remember to love sacrificially. Looking at how men and women are wired, one of a man's greatest need is respect and honor. Men love to be looked up to, to be respected, to be obeyed. When women fail to meet this need, the men lose their confidence and in turn  are hostile to their women. One of the woman's greatest need is to be loved. Somehow, women love to be loved. Anytime a man does not meet this need, the woman feels deprived and in turn can get very discouraged. Both men and women are called to love, but in the loving..husbands to love their wives sacrificially and wives to submit to their husbands! The home will be a better place once we fit into these roles and carry out other instructions given to us in the Word of God.

Get on loving!

Authority

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you."
Romans 13:1-3 (NIV)

This is a tough teaching I must say. Submitting to authority as God requires. What does it mean to submit to authority? And who is Authority anyway? Well, authority is anyone who has an administrative role over us or someone who exercises leadership over us. This could be an employer, a team leader or a mentor. It could also mean the president, the members of parliament and so on.
Submitting to authority means to yield to the authority that is above you. Meaning that you respect them, and really strive to do as you are told.
God's word clearly states that all authority is established by God and God expects us to respect and obey authority. Do you ever find yourself in conflict with your boss a lot? Then listen to him, he probably has a point. It is good to follow the rules and requirements set out by authority, then there will be no need to fear or to constantly feel like the radar is on you! Do the right thing always!

Blessings!

Transformed

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual (or reasonable) act of worship.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The only reasonable thing we can do when we think of what God has done for us-reconciling us to himself through Jesus Christ- is to offer ourselves to him wholly and totally. This is our spiritual act of worship. Offering ourselves to him means that we give ourselves entirely to him: our service is to be for him…everything we do or engage in should be for him.

As we offer our bodies, we are to be careful not to allow our lives/lifestyles to be shaped by the patterns (attitudes, thought processes, concerns, ways) of this world. It’s easy to let our lives be shaped by how the world thinks. I mean, we are in the world. We are influenced by it! It’s easy to do or think as the world does.

How can we avoid the patterns of this world? Well, God’s word. As we read, study, meditate on, listen to God’s word…it sinks into our minds and hearts such that we are able to do exactly what God wants us to do. It will be easy to know and distinguish the pattern of this world and what God thinks. As we engage ourselves daily in God’s word we are continuously transformed. Our thinking processes are changed. We begin to think as God wants us to think. God’s word shapes our thinking processes.

The key is to offer ourselves daily to God and to allow his word to transform us.

Loving God II

"Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" Deut 7:9 (KJV translation)

Loving God is easy, very easy indeed. All through life we look for someone we can fully rely on, someone who will guarantee us that they will be there for us no matter what, someone who will accept us just as we are, someone who will stick till the end. We look for promise keepers.
God's attributes are many, we cant possibly exhaust his character! Few of the ones mentioned in the above scripture include:

• Faithfulness
• he keeps his covenants, his agreements
• He is constantly merciful
• He is constantly Loving
• He is consistent

Faithfulness: steadfast in affection or allegiance, loyalty. God is faithful!! Steadfast in affection, always loyal to his covenant with his people. This is exactly what we human beings look for! Someone who will stick by us no matter what!!!
Merciful: forgiving, showing compassion. God is very compassionate. He will not overlook your suffering or your heart of repentance. He is moved by these. Many times we meet people we would categorize as mean, or without compassion! Ever found yourself asking yourself, "Why cant this person see that am suffering?" Well, God sees. He is moved.
Isn't this reason enough to trust and fully rely on God. He is exactly what we need, exactly what our hearts crave for. Love in its truest form! We, therefore can love God and obtain the blessings that come with it.

Choose today to enjoy loving God as He loves you!

Loving God

Matthew 22:37-38

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."

Loving the Lord is a beautiful thing. It is a life full of peace, joy and rest. Tough times will definitely come, but this love will keep us glued to Him with hope and faith.
To love God with All your heart, means being genuine about loving him and letting it come from the depths of your heart. Not out of being forced by your friends, your peers, your pastors etc. It should stem from the depths of your heart. This means that you must make a decision to love God from within. Loving God with our emotions is also not a bad thing! So do not be afraid of crying when praying, or laughing when God does something that makes you happy. Our thoughts are als0 a part of us. we should really love God with our thoughts. This means thinking the right thoughts, thoughts that please God.

John 14:21

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
Remember to obey the Lord in all you do. Obedience is a great key for God revealing himself to us! It is our expression of our love to God.

Be blessed!

Love..

"Love is patient, 
love is kind. 
It does not envy, 
it does not boast, 
it is not proud. 
It is not self-seeking, 
it is not easily angered, 
it keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil 
but rejoices with the truth. 
It always protects, 
always trusts, 
always hopes,  
always perseveres."

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Faith

'Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.'
'And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him'
Hebrews 11:1,6 (New International Version)

Faith..one of the easiest yet hardest things to comprehend and even do! Faith is believing. Believing then seeing. We should be able to believe in the promises of God, that what He promises in His word will come to pass in our lives. We must believe that God exists. We must believe that God loves us. We must believe that God's plans for us are for good and not evil. The hardest time to believe some of the things I have mentioned above is when we are facing trials, hard times, challenges or even when things are not going according to our plans. Trusting that God has the best in store for us despite everything, can be a task.

But I believe that practicing faith is a daily thing since we don't wake up one morning and we have faith!
 It grows daily. Day in day out we must decide that we are going to have faith in God and in His promises. Everyday, make a decision to really believe. Memorize a verse and every day believe it. And you will see it come to pass.

Faith Touches God's heart in a big way! It pleases Him. Are you looking for a way to please God? Your actions won't do..your Faith will definitely please him.

Amen

Afraid?

1 Timothy 1:7
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
(New Living Translation)

If you are God's child, there is no reason why you should be filled with fear. If you find yourself fearful, realize that it is not from God but from the enemy. The enemy's job description is to Steal, Kill and Destroy (John 10:10) To steal your joy, peace, confidence; To kill your morale, to destroy you! Therefore, anytime you feel fearful, intimidated, worried and timid, remember that this is not from God.
God has already given us the Spirit of Power(boldness, influence), of love and of self-discipline (other versions say sound mind). Instead, you should ask yourself, "Where has the Spirit of power, love and self-discipline disappeared to coz God has given them to me?"
We should be confident enough to know that God has our best interests at heart and he has good plans for us. We may pass through the waters, but he will safely bring us to the other side.
This should be our antidote for fear. That God has given us power, love and sound mind to live through each day.

Blessings!

Character Development..

^"But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires."
Galatians 5:22-24 (Amplified Bible)
If you want to assess your character, the above is a summary of what good character entails. Many times we focus so much on our outward appearance more than what is on the inside-which is of more importance. True test of character is whether we are loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, faithful, good, humble and self-controlled when the world around us is the opposite of these.When a collegue in your office seems to irritate you every waking minute, how do you react? When your spouse accuses you or rebukes you, how do you respond? Is it lovingly accepting your mistakes or honestly explaining yourself to them or do you give them silent treatment for days hoping that that is punishment enough for the mistakes done? When someone shoves you in the streets as you are walking, what is the first thing that comes out of your mouth? and many more instances!
Well, we should really evaluate ourselves and allow God to spread the love through us. Its not easy, but it is definately possible!! The world is a better place with alot more love in the air!
Blessings!

How do you keep your cool despite the un-cool around you?

Jeremiah 17:7-8
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fail to bear fruit."

Trust in the Lord always. He is as real as the trees you see and touch everyday. How do you trust him when every of your faculty screams for your attention and causes you to worry? Do your best and then leave the rest to Him. He will come through for you in amazing ways. When you surrender to Him, you will still be strong and will continue to bear fruit...at home, in the work place, in school, wherever! Infact, when you keep your cool, you'll find people telling you often, that you look like you don't have any problems. But only you and the Lord know better!
Trust Him today, and let His waters quench you with amazing rest and tranquility!

Be blessed!