129. EXAMINE YOUR VALUES. Proverbs 11:3.

Are your values based on Scripture, or are they based on your emotions? Are they based on God’s Integrity or on your feelings? Are they based on God’s Truth or on people’s or public opinion? We need to think about this very seriously and perhaps re-evaluate some of our ideas. Here are some values to live by that are based on God’s Word. (1) The Sovereignty of God:- When and what God has said regarding anything has His seal on it, there are no loopholes, excuses or exceptions .(Psalm139:16) “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.” We can rest in the knowledge that God has the last word on everything that concerns us. In fact according to the previous Psalm (v 8) We have an ordered destiny. When we know this, we know we don’t have to try and manipulate people or circumstances to our advantage, we simply have to walk through the doors God opens, and be at peace with doors He closes, knowing He has our best interest at heart. (2) Truth and Reliability:- Live and walk in truth (Proverbs 11:3) says “The Integrity of the upright guides them.” As you walk in truth you will experience God’s peace because you will know, you have done the right thing in His sight. Truth is not only being honest and not telling lies, but ensuring that what you do say is the truth. In other words, you make your word your bond. Truth stands alone, if it needs enhancing, excusing or minimising it ceases being the truth. Truth is straight forward and concise. (Psalm15:4) says that one of the traits of a person who abides in God’s presence and does His will, that person Keeps his promises even when it hurts. (3) Humility:- (proverbs15:33) “Humility precedes Honour” Humility is not a sense of worthlessness: It’s an acceptance of our God-given strengths and God-allowed limitations. Our strengths should not make us arrogant and our weaknesses should not make us apprehensive, for God has promised in (2 Corinthians 12:9) “My Grace is all you need, My Power works best in weakness.” (4) Equality:- (Romans 2:11) says “God doesn’t have any favourites.” In God’s eyes, no person is more important than another. Not one! Some have received more access to the things the world, offers, or achieved more education, or been called to higher ranks of responsibility. But in God’s eyes, no one is innately better. Note this, “At the foot of the Cross, the ground is level”, that is where we all must approach God. As sinners in need of Salvation. So no matter what position, achievements, accolades and trophies of honour we may have received in life, God expects you and me to treat everyone with the same love, honour and respect. (5) Generosity:- Our primary motive for generosity should always be to glorify God, and acknowledge Him for His generosity towards us, and if we do that, He has promised us a reward. Jesus said (Luke 6:38) “Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over… The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. You see, “Others don’t determine what you receive back, Even God doesn’t determine it; In fact,You do! The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. You are never more like God than when you give, and give generously. Because that’s what He does, and you can never surpass Him at giving. The truth is, if you are generous to others,You have no reason to be anxious about not having enough. (6) Integrity:-What would you say was the single most important characteristic of a person who wanted to be successful and make a difference in this world, some would say intelligence, After all knowledge is power in numerous ways. Others would say intensity, that spirit of conquest and passion that becomes contagious. Others say it’s insight, the ability to clarify and perceive certain issues. The Bible says, In (Proverbs 10:9) “He who walks with Integrity, walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known” the most important quality in success is Integrity. Eventually we all get known by our integrity or lack of it, because either way, it becomes part of our character, (who we are), and we all establish our depth of relationships with people according to their character (principles, values and ethics). If they are similar to ours the relationship flourishes. If not it fades. We have all known people along life’s road, who possess extraordinary intelligence, but no Integrity, and they are no longer in the race. Others with great intensity and passion but little integrity (Blown about by the wind) gone the same way. The same result is true of people-pleasers who will sacrifice their God-given insights and principles just to stay in the gang. The thesaurus equates integrity with such words as Honesty, completeness, and incorruptibility. Integrity begins in your private world. That part of you that’s known only to God and yourself; Then it shows up in your personal world, the part of you that you reveal to a small circle of intimate family members and possibly a few friends. After that comes your professional world, here people know you by your product, Your work ethic or your skill set. And they all ask the same question. “Can I trust you” Finally Your Integrity shows up in your public world. So here’s the question. Do you have integrity? Here are six ingredients which are always found in lasting success. (1) Information:- If you don’t stay informed, you’ll be left behind. (2) Intuition; This is sometimes referred to as “know in your knower”. (3) Initiative; This is when you are willing to step out in Faith and act on what you know Intuitively. (4) Intentionally;- This is when you are willing to set specific goals and timelines for reaching them. (5) Intensity;- This calls for more than starting power, it requires staying power.. (6) Integrity;-This is the glue that holds the previous five things in place, and it’s rooted in that private life you develop alone with God. We hear Architects, Engineers and builders say “This building structural integrity” What do they mean? That the public beauty of a tall building relies on it’s private, unseen foundation that is dug deep into the earth and solidly constructed. It’s that hidden life of that building that brings structural integrity to the building. Likewise the hidden life of a fruit tree – the unseen root system that digs deep into the earth that produces those beautiful juicy fruit. And so it is with you and me. Integrity must be rooted in your private life. Don’t wait until you are in he public arena before paying attention to your integrity. For then it will be too late. Your talent may bring you success, but it takes character to protect and maintain that success . The truth is than when your integrity is rooted in your private world, it is reflected in your personal world, your professional world and your public world. Integrity is the foundation on which our faith in God stands. God Himself stands on the Integrity of His name. Because God is Truth and His Word is Truth, He has given us His Word to build our value system upon. And if we follow and obey it we will inherit the Kingdom of God on that great and wonderful day. Thank you for reading this rather lengthy piece, but I do think It’s Important for Christians to understand God’s thinking on the gifts He has given us, of which Integrity is one. I believe God will be with us more tangibly as we recognise and take up the gifts He so gracefully and generously offers us. God Bless Phaline ---------------------------

128. DEVELOPING PATIENCE Proverbs 16:32

The Bible says that when you pray, God can answer instantly. But nowhere in scripture are you offered instant patience. Patience is a quality of character, and character is built over a life time of walking with God through good times and bad. One Bible teacher says patience is just “Faith taking its time”!! Here’s how God develops patience in us; (1) By Interruptions.:- You sit down to dinner and your phone rings. You are in the shower and someone comes to the door. Your working to meet a deadline and visitors arrive. It is said that when Brahms was writing his famous Lullaby, he encountered so many interruptions, it took him seven years to complete his composition. And someone joked, “When you’re writing a Lullaby, you need all those interruptions to keep you from falling asleep at the piano!! (2) By Delays;- We don’t want to wait. We have a microwave mindset – We want what we want - in a few seconds. We want fast food, quick cook pasta and instant coffee. We are like the man who prayed “Lord give me patience and Lord I want it right now.” (3) Irritations;- Long queues, Lost keys, Late planes, Phone calls, Cold food, Flat tyres, Occupied bathrooms, Traffic jams… , the list goes on. Do you know that 90 percent of heart attack sufferer's have the hurried type 0f personality? The Bible says in (Proverbs 19:2) “A person in a hurry makes mistakes.” We speak of the patience of Job, who said in (14:14) “All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.” Pray about it, exercise patience, and be confident in God. Patience begins by changing how you view some things. When you’re impatient, You have a narrow perspective, All you see is yourself, your needs, your goals, your schedules and your desires and the way people are messing up your life. Basically, the root of impatience is selfishness. Try to see things from the other person’s point of view. If you want to succeed in marriage, try to see things from your partners point of view, success as a parent will be a great deal easier if you try to see things from your child's point of view, Business success is achieved when managers look at their customers point of view, Employers have a deal less staff problems when they listen to their employee’s gripes, you don’t necessarily have to always comply, but you do need to listen. Try to discover why the other person feels like they do. If you don’t deal with irritations and interruptions, you wont develop patience. If you are living under the Christian banner, you must accept the truth that God is directing your steps, and that real trust doesn’t require explanation. In (Proverbs 20:24) we read “The Lord directs our steps so why try to understand everything along the way” Patience is a mark of maturity. When babies don’t get what they want instantly, they get upset. Ask yourself, How far am I along the way of achieving patience? Maturity includes the ability to wait. Or teach you to live with delayed gratification. In (Proverbs 14:29) we read “A person of understanding and wisdom who learns to see life from another’s (or God’s) point of view is able to be patient. So pray and ask God to give you a new perspective on life, situations and people. Here are a couple more things one needs to do to develop patience. (1) Develop a sense of humour (Proverbs 14:30) says “A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life.” and Scientific studies reveal that people who laugh a lot, live longer lives. And humour is a stress dissolver, it’s an antidote to apprehension, it’s a tranquilliser without any nasty side effects, it’s a shock absorber for the pot-holes of life. Someone once asked President Abraham Lincoln how he handled the tensions of the Civil War, He answered “If it hadn’t been for laughter, I wouldn't have made it.” When you can laugh at it, you can live with it. And besides, if you learn to laugh at your problems you will never run out of things to laugh at!! Think about that. (2) Deepen your love:. (1 Corinthians 13:4) Paul writes “Love is very patient) That means, when you are impatient, you are being unloving. When you love somebody, that means you are concerned about their wishes, distress, needs and point of view – not just your own; When you are filled with love, almost nothing can provoke you to anger or impatience. On the other hand, when you are lacking in love, impatience and anger are lurking at the door. Under pressure we are all very vulnerable and whatever is inside will come out. So Apply (Ephesians 4:2) “Deepen your love and be patient making allowances for each other and their faults because of your love” And one more thought here; When you learn to love people who irritate you, you are taking a weapon out of Satan’s hand that he can’t use against you any more. The world often admires and even condones impatience, and treats it as an attribute, rather than a “character dent” with words like “She doesn’t suffer fools gladly” or “Be careful, he has a short fuse.” The Christian should be able to say to him or her self “Hang on, take a deep breath and count to ten.” Today pray, “Lord make me a more patient person for the sake of your Holy name.” One of a Christian’s characteristics is P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E. You will notice in listing the fruit of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22) Patience comes right after peace. Why? Because when you have peace in your heart, practically nothing can cause you to feel impatient. But these qualities are the fruit of the Spirit, not the effort of the flesh. You can’t psych yourself up and say, “I’m going to be patient if it kills me.” If it is the genuine fruit of the Spirit, you will have genuine inner peace, and certain circumstances wont bother you the way they used to. Why? Because you are depending and listening to that little voice from the Lord. Patience is a kind of faith. It says, I trust God. I believe He is bigger than this problem. I believe He has His hand in these irritations and can use them in my life for good. Frustration says, “Why did this happen?” Faith says, “God what do you want me to learn here.?” Abraham was 100 years old when his second son Isaac was born. That’s a long time to be patient. The toughest time of waiting is when you are in a hurry, and God isn’t. It’s hard to be patient when you are waiting for an answer to prayer; For God to change your financial conditions, or your health problems, or your family failures and fall-outs or that relative who always seems to rub you up the wrong way. But, Being patient is not only the evidence of your faith, but also the test of your faith. It’s at such times that God whispers in your ear, (Psalm 46:10) “Be still and know that I am God.” In other words, He is saying “I’m in control, working on a better plan for your good. Trust me.” Thank you for reading these thoughts on “Developing Patience,” Most people don’t know or realise they are impatient and satan wants them to stay that way, why? Because it’s a spiritual problem that is often the bases of sin (Pride, anger, selfishness etc.) in our lives. Therefore must be eradicated spiritually, we all suffer from impatience from time to time, occasionally or even regularly. However, if we are too proud or arrogant to recognise and admit our faults in this area, we will never deal with impatience. Remember this... IT WILL become a stumbling block in your life, And stumbling blocks restrict growth and prevent us from getting close to Christ So deal with it. Take it to …. Jesus. God Bless, Phaline.

127. YOU ARE CHRIST’S AMBASSADOR 2 Corinthians 5:20

Your job in the Kingdom of God is that of an ‘Ambassador’ It’s a privilege and a responsibility! So let’s look at some of the qualities required to be an Ambassador. He/she must be a citizen of the country you represent, and (Philippians 3:20) says ’We are citizens of Heaven’ When John was exiled on the island of Patmos he wrote the last book of the Bible “Revelation” In this book God reviled His Holiness, His power and His Glory to John. I believe He gave John an insight into the Heavenly Kingdom. Also His requirements from us, via the seven churches (Revelation 1: 9-10) “On the Lord’s day I was in the spirit. “That is telling us that he was representing us before God He “John” was in the Spirit. Physically on earth, but Spiritually in heaven, the place of his citizenship. Receiving orders, information and instructions from God; which he was to pass on to the seven churches, to the rest of the Disciples and also to the world at large. That is you and I, John knew that it wasn’t where he was that mattered, but whose he was. He was our representative to God, Just as he was God’s representative to us. As Ambassadors we are all required to understand the necessity of knowing Who, why and how we represent our Leader, Our King and our God. Your witness, your speech and your life might be the only Bible many people will ever read. From your lips they will receive the only Gospel they may ever hear. And your attitude may do more to win them than all your arguments, knowledge and sermons.\ Before He was crucified, Jesus prayed this prayer for His Disciples; (John 17:15-18) “I do not pray that you should take them out of this world, But that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your Word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” We really need to personalise that prayer, The Son of God was praying to His Father for you to be His personal representative. Doesn’t that tell you something about Christ’s eagerness to have a special relationship with you? It blows my mind to think about it!! Before an Ambassador is appointed, he/she goes through the most intense scrutiny and screening imaginable Their moral integrity, their financial interactions their family life, and work records, their every word and action comes under the microscope. Shouldn’t it be more so for the Ambassadors of the King of Kings? Never forget whose side you are on. Never forget what Kingdom you belong to and Never forget who you represent. You are Christ’s Ambassador. About 15 years ago, people’s ideas about being Ambassadors were radically altered when the United States Ambassador to Libya was murdered by terrorists. It takes a special person to be an Ambassador in a combat zone. And that’s exactly what we are in. Paul writes in (Ephesians 6:10-18. “Let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. Put on all the armour of God so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. So put on all the armour that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, You will still be standing firm Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist and let God’s justice protect your heart like armour around your chest. Your desire to tell the Good News about peace should be like running shoes on your feet. Let your Faith be like a shield of protection, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Let god’s saving power be like your Helmet, or mindset and for a sward use God’s Word, His message that comes from the Holy Spirit. Never stop praying, especially for others who are under attack. Pray by the power of the Spirit, stay awake and alert.” As an Ambassador of Christ, your first loyalty must be to Him in ALL your dealings. You may say “That’s a High standard.” Yes, it’s a high calling. See (Philippians 3:14) But it’s the most rewarding life you can ever hope to live. So let’s recap. As an Ambassador, you must have the following qualifications and characteristics; (1) Be a citizen of the country you represent. (Philippians 3:20), Our citizenship is in Heaven. (2) That your character and conduct must reflect the highest values of your country. That Our God may make you worthy of His calling (2Thesolonians 1:11). (3)You must be equipped for the job. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them” “1 Corinthians 12;4) (4) You must be loyal to your country. There are two more qualifications. (5) An Ambassador must be an effective communicator; The best Ambassadors are bilingual: They speak and understand the language of those around them? Can you do that? In order to have the right answer, you must understand... the question, the questioner and where they are coming from. The Bible says, in (1peter 3;15-16) “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.” Note the words “always be ready.” (6) An Ambassador must be a good diplomat. Ambassadors are most effective when they are appealing as they go about their work. You wouldn’t want someone representing your country who was arrogant and abrasive in dealing with others. Jesus said in (John 13:35) “By this shall all men know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”So what is our message? The Gospel: And our Strategy is love! We are therefore Christ”s Ambassadors as though God were making His appeal through us via (2 Corinthians 5:20) “We implore you on Christ’s behalf be reconciled to God.” And wasn’t that Peter’s response after the Disciples received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the people asked them ”What shall we do? Peter replied “Repent and be Baptised.”….. Read (Acts 2:38-40). Thank you for reading how to be an Ambassador for God’s Kingdom. Take advantage of it, it carries many blessings. God Bless Phaline.

126.DO YOU NEED MOTIVATION? Psalm 100:3

From time to time, for one reason or another, we all get a bit down and need a dose of motivation. And to day I am going to use the “Palm tree” to motivate us. The Palm, is one of the most resilient of trees. In fact I’d not be surprised if God created the Palm specifically to be an example for us to observe and take a lesson from it, a bit like a parable. See what you think!! (1). You can cut the Palm tree, but you can’t kill it! The minerals and nutrients most trees need to survive are found on the surface, just beneath the bark, so, when you cut them, they die. But not so with the Palm tree. Its life comes from within, so it flourishes, even under attack. Read: (2 Corinthians 4:7) “We have this treasure in jars of clay” How wonderful! even though the earthen vessel on the outside, may be cut and wounded, the treasure inside is secure and beyond the enemy’s reach. (2) The Palm tree will bend, but it wont brake, Tropical winds can blow most trees down, but not the Palm. The stronger the winds, the further it bends, - sometimes even touching the ground. Yet when the storm is over, it straightens up again and is actually stronger in that place where it had been bent. What a picture! We were made to bend, but not brake, because in (Colossians 1:11) God’s glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure all kinds of attacks, you may bend and bow, but later will return to your full strength and stature if you stay grounded in Christ. (3) The Palm tree’s depth always exceeds it’s height! While the roots of the average plant goes only a few feet into the ground, the palm tree’s roots can go down hundreds of metres in search of water. In Psalm (42:1) David says “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you.” So keep digging go a little deeper each day, working on your own connection to God and you will never be…uprooted... barren or blown down. Inside you there is a battle going on between your flourishing self – The person you were created to be – and your languishing self. Your languishing self feels uneasy and discontent. You may be drawn to bad habits or things designed to temporarily anaesthetise pain. Your thoughts will automatically drift to fear and anger. And Learning doesn’t seem worthwhile, you find you are thinking about yourself most of the time. Whereas, (flourishing, thriving, blossoming and prospering are all taking place (1) in your spirit. You sense you are beginning to receive ideas and energy from an outside source. And you are… In fact, you are being empowered by God’s Spirit. We talk about being inspired which literally means “God breathed” God breaths into you; You are coming alive, and starting to feel you have a purpose in life. (2). In your mind. Your thoughts are marked by joy and peace. You have a desire to love and to learn. You are literally being transformed by (Romans12:2) ‘the renewing of your mind’ (3) In due time, You will wake each day with a sense of excitement, and you begin to realise, you are never too young to flourish. Mozart was composing brilliant music at the age of just five years old. Paul told Timothy, ( 1Timothy 4:12) “Never let anyone look down on you because you are young. You also realise you are never too old to flourish. Grandma Moses was 69 when she took up painting, and artist Marc Chagall did some of his best work in his 90s. I’m almost 90. and started doing my best and most rewarding work for The Lord 3 years ago. When God puts His finger on you, age, ability or worthiness doesn’t come into it, all that He requires is our cooperation and willingness to do His Will. It’s humbling to acknowledge you can”t be anything you want to be, or do what you used to do, but once you accept that, and seek to maximise what God has created you to be, you start flourishing. Why is that? Because you know beyond any doubt that you are living in God’s Will. Is there any better place to be?. Here are two more areas in which God created you to flourish. (1) Your relationships, Relationally your languishing self is often troubled. Are you undisciplined with what you say, sometimes reverting to sarcasm, gossip and or flattery. Do you isolate yourself, or dominate, or do you attack. Whereas, your flourishing self would rather seek to bless others and energise you to the point where you are able to disclose your thoughts and feelings in a way that invites openness with others. Are you quick to admit your own mistakes and freely forgive others. (2) Your experiences: God is growing you because He wants to use you in His plans of redeeming His world; That’s why you find Him changing your experiences. Your flourishing self has a desire to contribute. You live with a sense of calling, indeed, your inner longing is to become all that you were meant to be, a tiny echo of God’s longing to begin the new creation. The rabbis spoke of this as ”tikkun olam” to repair the world. Focussed on yourself, Your life is as small as a grain of wheat. Given to God, however, it’s as if that grain has been planted in rich soil, growing into a part of a much bigger project. Let’s read what Jesus Himself had to say on the subject (John 12:24-25) “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its’ death will produce many more kernels – a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their lives in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for all eternity.” Thank you for reading these few words on having a flourishing life. I hope I have provided you with a bit of motivation to turn your life over to Jesus. Only He has the answer to all your questions. Only He could pay the ultimate price for your soul. Only He could open the gates of Heaven to you. And He has done it all just for you. So come to Him today, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. God Bless Phaline.

125. GOD IS CALLING YOU.

You may not think so, or even want to think about it right now. But it may be in your best interest to at least consider it. In Romans1:1 we read “Paul was called to be an Apostle.” How did that happen? God reached into Paul’s background, and found some very useful things there. They weren’t all spiritual things, some were academic and some cultural Now, if you or I were given the task of selecting one of the Pillars of this new church, we certainly would have struck Paul from the list of potential prospects, on the grounds of his intense hatred for Christians. However, God in His wisdom could see Paul’s unique qualifications and potential. he was a Pharisee, well versed in Jewish law, so was his father before him, so He had been well trained as to what was expected of him not only in Pharisaical circles, but throughout Jewish Israel, he understood the Scriptures and also the mindset of those who would oppose him with spiritual blindness which gave him a deep compassion for the lost. God used both the good and bad experiences in Paul’s life. And He can do the same for you! Think about it; When God looked for a man to be an early leader in His church, someone to write down the theology of His church, to debate with the other religious leaders of the day who would argue against this new-found church, to advance the cause of Christ in academic and social arenas, to carry the message of the Gospel all the way from the lowest person on the street to the throne of Caesar. God found a man who had the necessary attributes and qualifications – And that man was Paul. This is how God works – First, He seeks you out, then He prepares you, next, He positions you, only then will He empower you to do what He knows you can do most effectively. Obeying the call of God, is the most satisfying way you will be happy in this world and subsequently reap heaven’s benefits in the next. All because you heeded God’s call. So think about it. Is God calling you? Is he preparing you? Is He positioning you? Is He empowering you? Your highest level of Joy, satisfaction and and fulfilment in this life is when you surrender to Him and say “Yes” to Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah (1:5) we read, “I Sanctified you; I Ordained you” The word Sanctified means “to be set apart for the exclusive use of”. The word Ordained means “Ordered according to a plan.” Two things to know here are; God doesn’t waste anything He created, and He doesn’t waste anyone He can use, but you have a free will and He needs your permission to use it for His purposes. Before you were saved, God permitted experiences in your life, both good and bad, that were equipping you for what He had in mind for you. That includes who your parents were, the places they came from, where you were born, lived and educated, the number of years you spent in school, the jobs you held and the training you received. It also includes things God put inside you at the time of your birth. Even though some of those things may have seemed to have worked against you while you were growing up. Do you tend to hold on to ideas like a pit-bull? God can use that. Do you enjoy poring through books and research? God can use that. Are you quick to confront, excited to run right at the enemy? God can use that? Do you enjoy caring for children or the elderly, or nursing the sick, God can use that. To day you may feel you are in the wrong place, doing the wrong things, with the wrong people. You may be wondering how are you going to dig yourself out of the hole you have got yourself in to, or turn your life around?. And truthfully,.. the answer may be that you can’t. But God can! He makes miracles out of mistakes. So give Him the things in your life that aren’t so good, The things you’re not proud of, and say, Lord, “Here they are, I wish my life was different, but it’s not. I wish I could change it, but I can’t. Then allow God to go to work in your life. Trust Him. I did! It works, and doesn’t hurt. God wants you to do His Will, but you will never reach the place of spiritual maturity in which you’re ‘Satan-free’ You can overcome him, but you can’t eliminate hm. Look at Peter. He had only one gear; ‘Overdrive’ He was always in the middle of everything that was going on, but he wasn’t always on top of everything that was going on. The man who ended up leading the church, first denied even knowing or being a disciple of Jesus, Not just once, but three times. Pretty shocking eh! But look how he grew!! Nothing about us surprises God. He doesn’t call you and then say “I hope you’re the right person for the job.” No; Jesus told Peter (Luke 22;31-32) “Satan has asked to sift...you as wheat. but I have prayed for you...that your faith may not fail.” Isn’t that an amazing revelation? Even when you don’t know how to pray for yourself, Jesus is praying for you. The writer of Hebrews (7:25) tells us He always lives to make intercession for them” Jesus told Peter, (Luke22-32) “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Out of the mess you find yourself in to day, a ministry can come to others. Not only can God turn your life around, He can use you to turn the lives of others around as well. And one more thing: God isn’t apt to think you’re worth ‘nothing’ if you aren’t doing something right in the first place. Sifting is a method of purifying, or straining out the debris and refining the remainder. That means there has to be something worth salvaging in your life at present. God is calling you. Don’t waste another moment, surrender your life to Him now and allow Him to show you what it is. Thank you for reading these few words regarding God’s call on your life. It’s worth remembering, we are here only once for a very short time and for a very good reason. ...To full-fill His Will. And to help us attain this, He sent us His Holy Spirit, so that we can confidently say,“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil.4:!3. God bless Phaline.