102. IS GOD REALLY TRUE? Find out! Acts 14:17.

Do you truly believe there is a real God who made all things. Including you? If you’re answer is yes, then your blessed. On the other hand if you don’t really believe in God, or you don’t know, or your not sure, try to make an eye, an ear or a brain from nothing, or try to make a flower that can produce nectar that can be collected by bees and transformed into honey which can be eaten by us. We breathe in oxygen that is released by trees, then we breath out carbon dioxide giving the trees what they need for their survival. Brilliant eh! Now, since Atheists believe all those things came into being without an intelligent, guiding power – that there was no “mind” behind creation – imagine having your brain removed and then being asked to create a new one. Perhaps that’s why the majority of people in a “Newsweek” poll said “Yes” they do believe in God. So what about the three to five per cent who claim to be Atheists? Are they just smarter than the rest of us or are they missing some apparent evidence. An Atheist is defined as someone who does not believe in God. But since it is impossible to prove scientifically that something doesn’t exist, Atheists can’t know for sure that there is no God. Their view is based solely on the lack of evidence. However, believing there is no God doesn’t mean that one doesn’t exist. The Bible says (Acts 14: 17) “He never left them without evidence of Himself and His goodness. For instance, He sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” The evidence is all around us. God’s existence can be proved. And you can have a personal relationship with Him. Imagine a human skull evolving with all the right holes and sockets in it, in just the right places. Then, as one author writes, “By accident came along the brain, it then interconnected to two eyes, two ears, one nose, skin, blood, all nerves, mouth, teeth, tongue, salivary glands and taste-buds connected to the neck. And a body with heart, lungs, liver, kidneys in both male and female genders, with complex, complementary reproductive systems – and a similar system which takes place throughout the animal kingdom. Atheists believe something can bring its self in to being from nothing, and given enough time, complex systems can be constructed by chance through random, unguided developments. The Bible says in (Hebrews 3:4) “Every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.” Now if the first man to walk on the moon discovered a Coke can lying around up there, would it be sensible to think it evolved over millions of years? Or would he know the can was devised and constructed, and therefore someone must have been there and left it there earlier? But don’t the most intelligent people like great scientists believe God didn’t create the world? You ask? No! Albert Einstein, perhaps the world’s greatest scientist said “The deeper one penetrates into nature’s secrets, The greater becomes one’s respect for God.” And Sir Isaac Newton said, “The most beautiful system of the Sun, planets and comets, could only proceed from the council and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being.” Yes, there is a God. And one day you and I will stand before him. Are you ready for that event? If not, you can be, by putting your trust in Jesus Christ today. It is said “there are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see. Richard Dawkins, a well known Atheist, said,”It is absolutely safe to say that, if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane.” But the truth is, most great scientific minds from the past – Brilliant men who founded and developed key disciplines of science – were creationists. Eg (!) physics; Newton, Faraday, Maxwell, Kelvin. (2) Chemistry; Boyle, Dalton, Pascal and Ramsay. (3) Biology; Ray, Pasteur, Mendel, Linnaeus. (4) Geology; Seteno, Woodward, Agassiz, Brewster, (5) Astronomy; Kepler, Maunder, Galileo and Henschel. Were these men Ignorant, stupid or insane? Sir Isaac Newton discovered the composition of light, deduced the laws of motion, invented calculus, computed the speed of sound, and defined universal gravitation – while believing our universe “Could only proceed from the council and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being.” In a 2007 A Newsweek magazine, survey, 78 per cent of those polled attributed creation to God, while 13 per cent believed in naturalistic evolution. Don’t be intimidated by non-believers. Push back! The Bible says in (Romans 1:16-20). they know the truth about God, because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, there is a God, and He wants you to have a personal relationship with Him, and give you all the blessings you will ever need to get through this life and take you to be with Him in Heaven for all eternity. Don’t be drawn away from the truth by nonsensical theories from. people who just want to take you away from believing in God. You and I know very well in your heart that there is a God who loves and cares for us, who sent His only beloved Son to die for your sins and mine, so that we can enter into a heavenly eternity of love, joy and everlasting peace with Him and all His followers. Look at the alternative in your Bible, Jesus spoke twice as much about Hell as He did about Heaven. Why? To warn us of the dangers and pitfalls Satan is setting-up to stop us from going to Heaven and taking advantage of what he forfeited by his rebellion against God. No! Don’t fall into the same trap and give the devil victory over your Soul. The best way to find out if something is true or not, is through experiencing it. I have done that several times, and am fully convinced without a shadow of a doubt that there is a God who created this Universe and everything in it, and that He has left us with the Scriptures as a testimony to His very real existence. The Father loves you, Jesus died for you, and the Holy Spirit will guide you through God’s Word to keep your Faith secure in the One True God and Creator of the Universe. Thank you for reading The Truth about God and His Creation. The Word says “If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us”. So make it a practise (no matter how tired you are, or whether you feel like it or not, or even if you’ve sinned or feel unworthy or angry with God. Just do this,) read at least one chapter of Scripture each day, I promise you, a year from now you will not be the same person because you have been faithful to the God of all faithfulness. May His Choicest blessings be Yours. Phaline. -------------------------

101 GOD IS LOOKING FOR FRUIT. John 15:16

When Jesus Said “I chose you,” Do you ever wonder why? Can I suggest; Seeing as He knows everything, He knows each of our potential and when He made that choice, it was for a purpose. “That you might bare much fruit. And fruit that will last.” see the above Scripture. Now, when Jesus is talking about fruit, we all know, He is not talking about apples and pears, or dates and figs etc. Likewise, When He is talking about throwing a mountain into the sea, or camels going through the eyes of needles etc. We need to understand, Jesus was talking figuratively, He was using earthly or physical concepts to explain a spiritual principal. You will notice He, Jesus, laced many of such teachings with “What is impossible for man is possible for God.” After all, no normal person contemplates throwing mountains around, or trying to push camels anywhere, let alone through the eyes of needles. Or even expect fruit from a tree out of season. No, that doesn’t make sense, Nor was Jesus here to entertain us with His miracles, but to show us the way to Heaven through complete Faith and trust in God. Jesus was saying, in (Matthew 11) “There is nothing I cannot or will not do for you if you have enough faith to ask the Father for it, and more importantly believe in your heart I can and will do it for you.” In (Matthew11 24) we read “I tell you, you can pray for anything and if you believe that you have received it. It will be yours. But when you are praying, FIRST forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in Heaven will forgive your sins too.. As I see it, Jesus gave three conditions, Whole hearted Believing, Whole hearted Receiving and Whole hearted forgiving. For a committed Christian, approaching the presence of God these are always the three essential requirements of a Holy God. And He demands nothing less from His children. If we have unforgiven sin in our hearts we are unholy, therefore there’s no point in approaching God. He even turned away from His own Son when Jesus took on Himself our sins at the cross of Calvary. In many of His healings, you will have noticed that Jesus forgave the sins of the recipient prior to the miracle, Why? So they could appear sinless before God. That’s why Jesus said “FIRST forgive anyone who has sinned against you.” So, When we want to approach God for anything, we, like David in (Psalm 51:10-12) need to approach Him with a penitent and clean heart. It's not just a good practise to take a bit of time before approaching God, but an absolute necessity to examine our hearts, our minds and motivations . It’s imperative to receive the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and through Him, both you and the recipient can come before the throne of God. and receive what you are asking for and His miraculous blessings. When Jesus said, in (John 15:16) ’I chose you... that you might...bear fruit – fruit that will last’ He was saying spend your life in pursuit of that which will have lasting significance and eternal value!’ What does He mean by “Fruit”? The fruit of The Spirit which is found in Galatians 5:22-23) Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance, Kindness Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control. Those nine qualities or “Fruit” describe and identify the nature of a true Christian, So strive for them, and you will shine out as a real follower of Jesus Christ. Fortunately, we are not left to produce this kind of fruit by self-effort. No, Jesus said (John:15-5 ‘I am the True Vine and my father is the gardener, He cuts off every branch in me that does not bear fruit. While every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful... No branch can bear fruit by its self, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit, unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’ You may be asking yourself,’What must I do to become more fruitful? Read (John 15:1-2 and 4-5) Here Jesus likens Himself to a grapevine. And His Father to a gardener. He spoke to people of the day with examples from their daily lives, in this case a vineyard and a grapevine. He said to the people crowding around Him ‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener,” If you are not bearing fruit, you need to look at which vine you are attached to, in other words, don’t claim to be a Christian and do your own thing., because pretty soon The Gardener will cut you off. You see, no one can live with Jesus and not bear fruit.” He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful “That sounds like a no-win situation, but read on; ...”No branch can bear fruit by its self; it must remain in the vine (Jesus). Neither can you bear much fruit unless you remain in me, I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you WILL bear much fruit;’ So if you want to be more fruitful, draw closer to Jesus, make Him the Lord of your life... How?.… By cultivating Deep, strong spiritual roots. (Jeremiah 17:7-8) tells us ,”Blessed are those who trust in the Lord… They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by...heat or worried by...months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.’ It will be automatic. You will be known as a lovely person and God will trust you with His children because you have the Fruit of the Spirit of God who will lead you and them closer to Jesus. This Scripture gives you the reason why you need deep spiritual roots; to make it through the rough times – of heat and drought. The more time you spend with Jesus, the closer you will get to God. So follow The Spirit and get close to Jesus. Solomon said in (Proverbs 12:3) No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.’ It’s when seasons of adversity hit your life that you discover what or who you are rooted to; either God’s strength or merely your own. When the Bible speaks of heat, it’s speaking of the pressures of life. When it speaks of drought it’s talking about seasons of crises and lack. What’s the answer? Having roots that reach deep into the water. Now what is the result? They never stop producing fruit’ Because of their roots. The Giant Redwoods of Northern California can withstand major forest fires. If you were to measure the roots of a large Oak tree you would find they stretch out for several hundred miles, that’s why they are stable in the storms. And you can be too when Christ makes His home in your heart, as you trust in Him your roots will grow down into His love and keep you strong… you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Ephesians 3:16-19) You must have deep spiritual roots if you are going to make it through the dry spells of life. Anyone can make it through a day or two of dry spells, but what about seasons of grief, stress, lack of finances, illness and adversity? Whatever your life is rooted to is what you will draw your strength from. (Psalm 1: 2-4) says ‘They delight in the law of the Lord, Meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff scattered by the wind.’ So pray “Lord root me deep in you.” In the parable of the Sower, Jesus said the seed fell into four different types of soil; three of which were choked by three different types of weeds, 1. Worry, you become so preoccupied with everyday cares that you take your eyes off Jesus, 2. Riches, Making Money and buying so much stuff that you don’t have time for the Lord and 3. pleasures, which can keep you from growing in spiritual maturity. Pursuing the good life, can choke out our spiritual growth. It’s fine to have a good time, but you need to keep your priorities in check If you have time to sit and Worry, Think about Money Matters or your Next Pleasure, I suggest, you make time ( about twenty minutes a day) to sit and weed your spiritual garden, quietly relaxing with Jesus and your Bible. You’ll be surprised how therapeutic that can be!! If the weeds in your garden are stopping you from bearing fruit, it’s time to stop talking about it and start taking action!! What does God want in your life? (John 15;8) tells us “More Fruit”. To achieve this we need to submit to pruning, Why? In (John 15;2) we read “He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops” Pruning entails cutting off deadwood and cutting back live branches, any gardener will tell you, both are necessary to stimulate growth. Our Father God does the same with us. Maybe God is working on you, and you can understand the deadwood, but when He starts on some of the good things, (Live branches) You are asking God, Why are you doing this to me? I have committed my business to you and it’s going down the tubes Or, I’ve committed my health to you and I’m in hospital, or I’m tithing regularly and going bankrupt. you are wondering why. and you don’t understand. Hang in there,These things are not pleasant, but are absolutely necessary for your better growth and productivity in the Kingdom. Yes it can be perplexing, puzzling and even frustrating. No discipline is pleasant, but later it will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace. You’re being pruned for greater fruitfulness. And that is what the Father is looking for. Now, Go back to Galatians 5:22-23. make a list of the fruits as listed there and put it on your fridge, recite them out loud everyday and pretty soon you will know them off by heart, and be able to call them to mind as required. That, with a prayer for Holy Spirit assist can be part of your daily communication and medication on His Word.. Thank you for reading these thoughts on Fruitfulness. Our Heavenly Father will bless with an abundant harvest anyone who yields to His pruning. God bless Phaline.

100. WE ALL NEED DISCERNMENT 1 Kings 3:9

In to-days world, “Discernment” is a very important asset or gifting from God. We all, (especially those of us who are in God’s Kingdom) need to be on the right track. And Discernment will tell you: Where you are at, Where you are going, Why you are going there, When it is time to move on. and How you are to get where God is leading you. If we don’t have the right answer to these questions in life, we will probably go with the crowed, and I’m sorry to say, most of the crowed are not going in the right direction to receive God’s discernment, leading and blessings; therefore will forfeit their right to the heavenly crown that awaits those who believe in The Lord Jesus Christ and His saving Grace. It is important to understand this “Discernment” Like all God’s gifts is inter-dependent. Our Faith in God can only be measured by how much trust we have in Him. Our love for God can only be measured by how much we are prepared to sacrifice for Him. Our discernment or understanding of God is measured by Our knowledge of Him. we have to study the hand-book. To know His requirements which are in The Scriptures” (God’s hand book) That’s why we are constantly being urged to “Read our Bibles.” so that we can learn, live and teach God’s Word, Many of this world’s Academia, both civil and religious organisations also countries, Governments and civil authorities have an agenda contrary to God’s Word, Will and way. I firmly believe, unless we pray constantly, and get God’s take on Discerning God’s Word and His agenda, many of us will be swept along with much of the crowed. Who are being Satan-led into everlasting darkness. This is not dramatics!, but the truth, Satan is smart, he has been around a long time, he knows The Scriptures far better than you or I, he also knows his time is short, and his greatest ambition is to get as many of God’s people as he possibly can to follow him to the pit of Hell. So be prepared, look to God’s Word, pray for and get “Discernment.” Especially when you are attracted by speakers on TV or other media outlets who profess to know “The Word” check them out with your Pastor or a Senior members of your church. There are a number of sharks and Charlestons out there. Who are only interested in extracting your money from you and don’t care about your relationship with God or your eternal destiny.. So be warned and beware.!!! In (1 Kings 3:5) We read , “The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream... and said, ‘Ask, what shall I give you’ Solomon answered, “Give… your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may “Discern between good and evil” Next we read (3:10) “the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.” But God wasn’t finished talking to Solomon. Because we read in the same chapter (3:13) ‘For I have also given you what you have not asked for, both riches and honour, so that there will not be anyone like you among the kings all of your days’ “Discernment” made Solomon one of the greatest kings that ruled in Israel. You have probably heard the saying, “Go with your gut feeling” Management consultant Robert Heller says:’Never ignore a gut feeling, but never believe that it’s enough’. Discernment doesn’t rely on intuition alone, nor does it rely solely on intellect or experience. We are told in (Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” There are two kinds of discernment: Natural discernment, and Spiritual discernment One can fail you, - the other wont. When Natural discernment can’t take you a step further, Spiritual discernment enables you to keep going with Faith and Confidence in God. James tells us how to recognise the difference; see (James 3:17) The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocrisy.’ When you have a decision to make, go very carefully through those recommendations by James, and get a positive answer to ALL of them before taking your final step. Yes, it may take a bit longer and be a bit drawn out, but, you have honoured God by doing things His way and He will bless, direct and be with you for doing so. Never leave God out of your decision making!! In 1815 before the Battle of Waterloo, the French General Napoleon Bonaparte, made the worst decision of His life, when at breakfast that morning, he told his Generals that the English were bad soldiers and he’d have them cleaned-up by lunchtime. Well we all know what happened there. William Orton President of “Western Union” refused an offer from Alexander Graham Bell to purchase the patents for the first telephone, and lost millions of Dollars. A month before Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in 1975 He was advised to hire a bodyguard which he refused. All these men had one thing in common, “Lack of Discernment” and it cost them dearly. When it comes to seeing life’s opportunities and solving its problems we all need Discernment. It enables us to see what others don’t. If you can see the root cause of the problem, you have a much better chance of solving it. That means when you stay in the area of your core gifting your Discernment will be stronger. So if you want to tap into your Discernment potential, work from the areas of your strength. But do more pray for “Discernment”. It’s one of the nine gifts of the Spirit offered to us in Scripture ((1 Corinthians 12:7-10) Some of Israel’s greatest battles were won when David was King, and when we study the make-up of his army, we read in (1Chronicles 12:32) “The sons of Issichar had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do”. Discernment enables you to see doors of opportunity where others only see brick walls. It will save you from pitfalls and show you what you ought to do . - So pray for “Discernment”. Thank you for reading these thoughts on seeking God for “Discernment” it stands right beside knowledge,Wisdom and Understanding they are inter-dependent and very closely connected. We need all these especially when making serious decisions. Trust our God and Saviour, who gives His gifts generously to those who ask. God Bless us all. Phaline

99 Coping With CRISES God’s Way. Psalm 42-3.

How we handle a crisis determines how we come out of it. Here are five suggestion by Doctor Jeffrey Rossman to help us to understand and come out stronger. (1) Acknowledge your feelings. King David said in the above Psalm “When my spirit was overwhelmed...you knew my path” God already knows how you feel, so stifling your emotions just saps your energy and leaves you tense, depressed and slows down the healing process. (2.) Confide in someone. This doesn’t mean pouring your heart out to everyone; It means opening up to those who love and care about you. The Bible says (Proverbs 17:17 ) “A friend always loves, and a brother is born to share trouble” Numerous studies confirm the power of social support to help us stay healthy through crisies. (3. Start a journal or a blog. Writing about a traumatic event is a way of letting it out. It minimises your chances of becoming sick or depressed. The more you write, the more your negative responses to the memory diminish. (4.) Refuse to play the blame game; by saying “It’s the other person’s fault” or “The Doctor butchered the procedure or “The Boss never gave me a chance.” Blame-shifting makes others responsible for your pain, and more often than not, it results in lingering grudges that prolong your misery. Let go of toxic bitterness and judgements, stop feeling like a doormat; you can forgive while taking steps to make yourself less vulnerable next time. (5.) Forgive yourself; Here’s a surprise- You are human! Acknowledge you’ve made a mistake. Ask God for forgiveness, then forgive yourself and move on. God’s word says in (Isaiah 43:25 ) “When He forgives, He remembers your sins no more.” So neither should you. When you find yourself in a crisis, having the right attitude makes all the difference. Dr. Jeffrey Rossman continues by offering these further 6 steps to the right attitude; (1.) Look for a way to find meaning. Resilient people use their experience to help others. ‘(God) comforts us every time we have trouble, So when others have trouble, we can comfort them” see (Corinthians 1:4). (2.) Examine your priorities In (Psalm 90:12) We read:”Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” How would you most like to spend your time differently? Who would you like to spend that time with? Now think, how can you use your strengths in the service of what is important to you? If you had only a year to live, what conversations would you want to have? What kind of person would you want to be? (3.) Believe you can bounce back. A crucial aspect of resilience is yourself, the bounce is having faith in your ability to cope. Even if you have the practical skills to deal with the issue at hand, unless you believe in your emotional ability, you will waiver. (4.) Get moving. Physical exercise boosts your energy and mood. It reinforces your ability to take charge of your health and well-being. (5.) Step out of your comfort zone. Keep… Growing in knowledge and understanding. (Philippians 1:9) Learn a new language or computer programme, Begin a new project at home or at work. Embracing the unfamiliar strengthens your confidence and capacity to handle new situations. The more you require of yourself the more resilient you will become. (6.) clear the weeds choking your optimism. When you start thinking pessimistic or cynical thoughts step back and reframe your perspective by looking for concrete steps to solve the problem. Remember, Crisies (For the most part) are just short-lived seasons, Here today and gone tomorrow. And time is a great healer, I don’t want to minimise “crises” Nor do I want to overstate the gravity of some of them. God is in charge, and whatever He’s doing or allowing, is part of His Will and plan for us at this present time. So instead of asking God to remove us or change the situation we find ourselves in; we need to say”Show me Father God how You can be honoured and glorified as You take me through this Crises”. Submission to the Will of God always brings fruitful results.. Thank you for reading these few words on “Dealing with Crises” We all have “Crisies” come into our lives from time to time, and sometimes I wonder if God allows them to see just how much we really do rely on and truly trust Him!! He has never let me down yet and I know He never will. My moto is “Trust & Obey” Let it be yours too. Try it, Mean it, Do it! It works! God Bless. Phaline.. ---------------------------

98. Discovering Your Vision. Jeremiah 23:16.

You don’t get to decide God’s purpose for your life. You have to discover it. “How?” you may ask Through prayer. God says in *Jeremiah 29:11) I know the plans I have for you…” Your parents may have planned your future and life, but God has His own plans for your life. Right now, you may be overwhelmed with problems, but God only, knows your potential so ask Him to show you how your potential and how His will can be achieved through your obedience. David’s family didn’t think he would amount to much. But where they saw a shepherd boy, God saw a King. Looking back, David wrote; (Psalm 139:16-18) You saw me before I was born. Everyday of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me…I can’t even count them;They outnumber the grains of sand!... And when I wake up, You are still with me.” You are unique - and so are God’s plans for you. It’s encouraging to listen and to read stories of great achievers and think “If they can do it, so can I! However, the secret is to learn from others without trying to duplicate them. It’s not enough to have a good idea; It must be the Wil of God. You don’t get to decide what your vision will be; You discover it by seeking God for direction. His Word says He will give that to you; (Isaiah 30:21) “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘this is the way walk in it, whenever you turn to the right or the left” And that is the way you know it’s from the mouth of The Lord. Prior to His encounter with Christ, Paul believed he was doing God’s will by imprisoning and beating-up Christians. But when he discovered his true calling, it was in a dramatic way. (Acts 9:3-6) As he journeyed and came near Damascus, suddenly a light from Heaven shone around him, and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying ”Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting me?” and he said “Who are you Lord? The Lord replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. It’s hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished said ‘Lord, what do you want me to do.’ The Lord said to him “Arise and go into the city. And you will be told what you must do” That day, his ministry began; A ministry that was destined to change the world! And as his life neared its end, he could say: (Acts 26:19) “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” If you want to say similar words at the end of your life, seek God’s vision for it. Your vision must not be born out of a need to impress other people, or even to be like them. You and I are called to do God’s Will, not our own or someone else’s. In Hosea (5:11) we read; “Ephraim was oppressed and broken in judgement, because he willingly walked by human precept” Our vision must be the result of divine guidance and not ‘human precept.’ You must be able to pray, ‘Lord, You gave me this vision, And I’m trusting you for what I need, to make it happen.’ The Apostle John writes (1John 5:14) “This is the confidence we have in Him, That if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ”Perhaps you think; ‘I haven’t been to Bible Collage, I don’t know the Word well enough, In fact, I haven’t been a Christian very long, so why would God trust me with a vision?’ Don’t think that way, God chooses whoever He wants to. Mother Teresa was scrubbing the convent floors when God first spoke to her and gave her a visions and look what she achieved for God!! And the Bible says in (Acts 9;10-12) There was a certain disciple in Damascus. named Ananias; and to him The Lord said in a vision: ‘Ananias’ and he answered, “Here I am Lord’ then The Lord said ’Arise, go to the street called straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, behold, he is praying. and in a vision he has seen a man called Ananias coming and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” And Ananias went his way and entered the house;And laying his hands on Saul he said, brother Saul, The Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight. At once; he arose and was baptised. After eating some food he was strengthened.” Now, who exactly was Ananias? The right man in the right place at the right time with the right attitude! And God used him to lead the apostle Paul to Christ. Pretty impressive eh? But what’s interesting here is this; After that Ananias is never mentioned again in Scripture. Bottom line here is;- He was a “nobody” who played a key role in God’s plan and if God gave Ananias a vision and used him greatly. He can and will use you too. So be that right person in the right place at the right time. And keep the right attitude. God will use you. When G od wants to change the status quo, He often starts by giving someone a vision. That seemingly small episode is what changed a centuries-old racial barrier and had the Gentiles hear the gospel for the first time. Did you know, you can be a Christian and still be prejudiced? Indeed you can be a believer and be biased. against people you don’t really know or understand, because you’ve spent your life avoiding them and making judgements about them. Jesus told His disciples in (Matthew 24:14) “This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in ALL the world as a witness to ALL the nations, and then the end will come.” Now, Peter was present when He said this and either he wasn’t listening, or he didn’t like what he heard. Back then the divide between Jews and Gentiles was full of mistrust and suspicion; The Jews considered the gentiles as “Unclean” But God told Peter to go to the house of Cornelius, a gentile, and preach the Gospel, this person Peter considered to be ‘unclean.’ This would not have gone down well with Peter, But, God told Peter to go and he was obedient to the vision. Sometimes, obeying a vision can be difficult, but when you do, great things happen. Prejudice is a product of a closed mind it is contempt prior to honest investigation. It is pride that must be humbled. So how did God change Peter’s heart? Not with one, but with two different visions. God gave Cornelius a vision in which He told him, to Invite a Jewish preacher named Peter into his home to preach the gospel. While at the same time, He gave Peter a vision .” in which He told him, “If I accept someone, “Don’t you dare reject them” The fact is, when God wants to change things, He starts the process by giving someone a vision – And that someone could very-well be you! The Word of God says in (Proverbs 29:18) ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Here is an example of what is meant by that proverb;- From 1923 till 1955, Robert Woodruff presided over the Cocoa-Cola company wanted the beverage to be made available to every American serviceman around the world for just 5 cents, no matter how much it cost the company. That was a bold goal. But it was modest compared to the big picture which he saw in his minds eye. In fact, he desperately wanted everyone to taste Cocoa-Cola. Observe three things (1) Vision starts within. When you look inside yourself, What do you see? You can’t buy, beg or borrow a vision, you must look within and draw on your own innate gifts and desires. What is it that you feel passionate about? You are thinking and praying constantly about? What are you willing to sacrifice everything for? Your most persistent desire will point you toward your destiny. (2) vision draws on your history. Moses grew up in the comfort of Pharaoh’s palace hearing the cries of Hebrew slaves. It was that experience which prepared him to lead the Exodus. Vision isn’t some mystical quality that materialises out of a vacuum, it’s interwoven with your past and the history of the people around you. If your vision is born of God, it wont just benefit you, it will benefit others too. (3) Vision attracts resources. One of the hallmarks of vision is that it acts like a magnet – attracting, challenging and uniting people. It rallies financial and other resources, and the greater the vision the greater potential winners it must attract. The more challenging the vision, the harder the participants will fight to achieve it. Think seriously about those three points. Pray and ask God to show and help you recognise the vision He has for your life, as big or as small as it might be and be willing to follow His leading. Then you too will be able to say “I never neglected the vision.” Thank you for reading this word on achieving your vision, don’t be afraid to go for it. Keep The Lord at the Helm with constant prayer, and watch Him work for you. God Bless and keep you in His care. Phaline. -------------------------