The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places

When Jesus saw a great crowd coming towards him, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. His compassion extended further into their immediate physical need – hunger. So he asked his disciples to provide them with bread. Jesus always taught his disciples by example. Through this incident Jesus teaches us:

1. Our ministry must flow out of our compassion for the lost souls.
2. We must not restrict our ministry to teaching the Word and healing the sick.
3. Our areas of ministry must never be controlled, limited by financial constraints (Mt 14. 14-21, Mk 6.33-44, Jn 6.5-13)

The Disciples' answer to Jesus' command to feed the crowd is another interesting point. While in Matthew 14:17 we read their reply, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”, in John 6.9 we read, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (Emphasis is mine)

Jesus obviously wanted his disciples to take him also into consideration. It wasn’t just ‘five loaves, and two fish’. He wanted them to say, “We have five loaves, two fish…and you Jesus!” Standing next to the disciples was the solution to their problems…but they didn’t consider him as part of the answer. They stopped their count at the five loaves, and two fish and worried!

How about us? Are we any different? If not, let us determine today to stop wondering, second guessing and worrying over our problems. Let us remember His words and promises and stand on them.
He said :
· Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Luke 11:19 NIV)
· If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. (John 15:7 NIV)
· What ever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24 NIV)

Pray:
Lord, I cast the whole of my cares [all my anxieties, all my worries, all my concerns, once and for all] on you … (I Peter 5:7)

Biggest Sin?

Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit convicts guilty men and women of sin "because they do not believe in Me." (John 16:9) On that final day, it will not so much be the sin question as it will be the Son in question. All sins can be dealt with and forgiven if we believe in Jesus.

When Disappointment runs into Disappointment

Often we assume that once we have surrendered our lives to Jesus, our lives will begin to flow smoothly. This belief gets reinforced as we see around us how God prospers and blesses others believers very. We hear repeatedly how children of God walk in blessings and are urged to expect nothing but the very best. But for many years I struggled with all the things that was going wrong in my life. Don’t get me wrong. I was aware of God’s mercy in my life and gratefull for the same. But far too many things were wrong and remained so, and I struggled to reconcile my understanding of God with my experience. read more

Don't Wait, It Might be Too Late

According to Jesus, giving and receiving works opposite to what we naturally think. We think, “Once I receive, I will start giving.” However, Jesus always said, “Give and you will receive. Be faithful with the little you have and I will give you more.”

What are some of the ways in which we can encourage ourselves to give more freely?

Misfits of Yesteryears

Abraham was old, • Jacob was insecure, • Leah was unattractive, • Joseph was abused, • Moses stuttered, • Gideon was poor, • Samson was codependent,• Rahab was immoral, • David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, • Elijah was suicidal, • Jeremiah was depressed, • Jonah was reluctant, • Naomi was a widow, • John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, • Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, • Martha worried a lot, • The Samaritan woman had several failed marriages,• Zacchaeus was unpopular, • Thomas had doubts, • Paul had poor health, and • Timothy was timid.

What's your qualification?

Forgotten by All

Have you ever wondered, “Why did he/ she/they forget me?” In Genesis 40 we read about Joseph, son of Jacob. The life of Joseph in Egypt was never smooth as a slave and away from his father and brothers and native place. He was afflicted mentally, emotionally and physically. He himself says when Ephraim, his second son was born, “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction” (41:52). read more of this

101% = ?

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.


If:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the Love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%


Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

"I Want to Die, Take My Life, God" The Three F(s) of Depression

Can you name any three men who became so depressed that they asked God to take his life?
Answer: Moses, Elijah, and Jonah.

Each of them got depressed, but for different reasons; depression is always a symptom of a deeper problem.Depression is meant to get your attention; it shouts something is wrong! The real problem is not how you feel, but the cause of those feelings. Here are three of the most common causes of depression.

1. Fatigue (Moses’ problem): When you try to maintain a hectic pace week after week in spite of physical and emotional exhaustion, you set yourself up for depression. Or, if you try to play God, attempting to control everything and everyone around you, depression will eventually catch up with you. In Moses’ case, the solution was to learn to delegate (Numbers 11:10–17).
2. Fear (Elijah’s problem): Whenever you swallow your anxieties, your body keeps score. Instead of focusing on your depression, ask, “What is it that I’m afraid of? What’s got me worried?” Resolve the worry and your blues will vanish, if that’s the cause. In Elijah’s situation, the antidote was to trust God to handle things out of his control (1 Kings 19:1–18).
3. Frustration (Jonah’s problem): When you don’t see a purpose behind the events of your life, when it all seems so arbitrary or hopeless or unfair, then depression strikes. Life without meaning and significance is depressing. That’s why God’s solution to Jonah’s depression was to help him see the bigger picture. Perspective is a powerful cure. When Jonah finally understood God’s purpose for his life, his depression faded.

Courtesy: Purpose Driven Connection

Not Geographical but Relational

‘And YHWH called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9
This question, so routinely overlooked, is THE question of our existence. “Where are you?” God asks each of us. It is the first question of existence.

The Hebrew word here is ‘ayyeh’; not a word about location but a word about relationship. God is not asking our geographical position. He is asking each of us why we are not alongside Him where we belong. Why aren’t we right beside Him? You and I must answer God. Where are we?

What would life be like if God were not in search of us? Would anything really matter? Qohelet (The Teacher), author of Ecclesiastes, describes the reality of life without God’s question. All is emptiness, emptiness. What difference does it make if I succeed or fail, if I am rich or poor, a genius or a dunce. Death swallows everything. I cease to be and memory of my being passes into the darkness of time. I return to the dust. Better I was never born than to live knowing that my life means nothing at all.

But if God searches for me, everything changes. If I am the object of divine concern, if God truly expects me to be a partner with Him in His grand scheme, then my being matters. It is not for nothing. I matter because I matter to God. Now I can seek my own meaning because His meaning finds me.

Unless you have answered the question, you have no idea where you are. The answer must be directed to God for He is the one asking. The answer is: “Hineni.” “Here I am, Lord. What would you have me do?”

Someone!

• Someone has to tell an unsaved friend how to accept Christ as Savior before he does it.
• Someone has to “be a friend” to an indifferent non-attender before he will get the church-going habit.
• Someone has to “pick up” and bring people who prefer not to “break the church barrier” alone.
• Someone has to forgive an enemy before God’s Spirit can work properly in a Christian fellowship.
• Someone has to pray that the unsaved will be responsive to the urgings of God’s Spirit.
• Someone has to be loyal to the services so that the church can be a real spiritual lighthouse in the community.
• Then I realized I was “Someone.”

courtesy of Greg Grant

Let's Chuck the Monster Out

This is a sequel to my earlier post 'The Monster is Within Us'. To get rid of jealousy from our lives today, we need to follow certain practical steps :

First, acknowledge that jealousy exists in your life. Be honest with yourself

Second, admit that you are in conflict with God. This is an important step. It will prevent you from considering jealousy as "normal" or "acceptable" behavior.

Third, thank and praise God for what He's doing in the other person's life.

The fourth step may seem impossible. Do something nice for the person --even if you don't feel like it—it will start to short-circuit the negative feelings you have.

Fifth, ask the Lord to show you how He views that individual. This will cause us to look beyond our own perspective and view the other person as someone valuable to God.

Sixth, refocus your attention on what God is doing in your life. His plans for you are just as big and important as His plans for the person you envy.

Seventh, adopt a Psalm 37:4 mindset. “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart”. When you truly delight yourself in God and trust Him to bless you according to His will, you'll no longer feel a need for jealousy in your life. Then contentment will replace envy and dissatisfaction.

Moses, my name is I Am

God has many names in the Bible that describes His character and attributes. In the same way that someone named “Tom” might also be called “father” or “husband” or “the boss,” God has names that describe Him and His relationship with His people.

During the Old Testament times, the Hebrews considered the Hebrew name for “God” so holy that they wouldn’t even pronounce it. So, when God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and sent Him to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity, Moses asked God, “Who should I say sent me?” After all, He couldn’t breathe the name of God in public. God replied by saying, “Moses, my name is I Am.” (Exodus 3:14, NIV) In other words, “I am anything and everything you need. I am your joy. I am your peace. I am your strength. I am your health. I am your way to freedom. I am whatever you need.”

The Monster Is Within Us

Ever come face to face with the green-eyed monster called jealousy at some point in your life? Was it a spiritual attack? Did the Enemy make you covetous? Was someone or something working to make you resentful?

The answer is, 'NO'. Jealousy actually springs from within us, even though we might try to pass the buck. For example, we may say, "Well, they shouldn't have that. They don't deserve it. I'm perfectly justified in feeling this way."

Do you see what is actually going on here? We are not only feeling envious of someone, but we're also saying that our jealousy is the other person's fault! That's simply not true. We are hundred percent responsible for our own feelings of envy.

Jealousy is a product of the flesh. In the Bible, it is listed among such sins as idolatry, immorality, drunkenness, and sorcery. These sins are described as "earthly, natural, demonic" (Gal. 5:17-21; James 3:15).

Envious feelings can lead to unhealthy comparison of one's own success to someone else's. That pattern can grow into a unhealthy competition which could result in full-blown fear and resentment. What a horrible way to live!

Though jealousy is a common emotion, it has no place in a believer's life. So we need to look objectively at our heart motives. Are you plagued with an attitude of jealousy from time to time? Lay your honest feelings out before the Lord, and ask Him to cleanse you of this sinful attitude.

God who comes looking for You

Ever since our first parents disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, man goes thru life naked and exposed to the wiles and mischief of the evil one. We are in urgent need of a cover and protection. Our sin is never large enough to keep Him away. Read more

Mature in your Faith

Want to grow in your faith? Read this ..

Aramaic demonic spirit

• The New Testament contains 2,084 verses dealing with money and finance.
• Sixteen of Jesus' thirty-eight parables deal with money.
  

The reason Jesus spoke so much about money was because He was always trying to see where a person's loyalty was. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:21). Jesus said a person could not serve two masters. Instead, he will love one and hate the other - Matt 6:24.

Many people incorrectly believe money is synonymous with mammon. Mammon is an Aramaic demonic spirit that was worshipped as a false god by the Philistines.

Mammon desires to be worshipped, have influence, and control of peoples' lives through the use of money. Money is simply the instrument by which mammon seeks to have power.

Any spirit that opposes God seeks to influence people through deception. It wants to gain loyalty and love without you knowledge. The primary lie behind the spirit of mammon is that money contains power. It encourages people to place disproportionate value on money because of the power it has to influence and control others.

The symptoms of being controlled by the spirit of mammon are revealed when we allow our activities to be governed by the amount of money we have instead of God alone. It makes us believe one's provision is one’s employer, spouse, investments, or other cash sources. So, when we allow money to rule the choices we make, we have yielded to the spirit of mammon. This in turn leads to other problems as Paul wrote to Timothy: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Tim 6:10)
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Old Tricks, New Presentation

The schemes of the Enemy have not changed. He still whispers lies and twists Truth to convince us that :

a) God cannot be trusted and

b) His ways are not the best.

In every temptation, there is a deception about the character and motive of God, plus an attractive promise of a better way.

The world is filled with voices that vie for our attention and influence our thoughts and actions. Consciously begin to compare them to what the Scripture says about God and His ways.
Remembering what God says in the Bible is our safeguard against deception and temptation.

Daily devotions won't protect us if they're quickly forgotten during the day. Follow Christ's example: be ready with truth in your mind and on your tongue whenever temptation strikes (Matt. 4:1-11). Seek and expect the help of the Holy Spirit to keep you alert with the Word.