92. Give To Be Financially Secure. Psalm 37:21

When you have truly learned, absorbed and taken on board this lesson you will be well on your way to having a relationship with God similar to that which Abraham, Joseph, Mary Magdalene and The Apostles had with Jesus their God. Our desire for financial security can discourage us from giving. Because each dollar we give away feels like it’s no longer available for our protection. But in reality, the opposite is true. Your sense of security and freedom actually increases when you give, because your giving is in reality a declaration that your security rests some place other than the bank or your own earning capacity. Giving is an act of confidence in God, and it’s the only way to overcome financial insecurity. Think of all the things in life over which you have little or no control. Illness, accidents, loss of job, economic conditions, floods, earthquakes etc. No wonder people are insecure! They live bound, fenced and boarded by insecurity. The Bible says “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”(Proverbs 11:24-25) To the rational mind it sounds counter-intuitive, but to the kingdom mind it makes good sense. Paul writes; “A few seeds make a small harvest, but a lot of seeds make a large harvest.” think about it this way, if you and your neighbour both were planting a lawn, and you were skimpy with the seed, while your neighbour was lavish with his seed, you would get a patchy, thin lawn. It all depended on how generously each of you scattered your seed. Generosity always brings a bigger harvest. Paul says each of you must make up your own mind as to how much you give. But don’t feel sorry that you must give, also don’t feel you are forced to give. God loves people who give generously from their hearts with genuine love, if genuine love is not there, you are better off not giving at all. (a.) Because it’s giving under perceived compulsion, and (b.) You will think God doesn’t love you or will punish you if you don’t. Neither of those can or will happen, but you probably wont get the rewards attached to genuine, generosity. “God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have enough to do all kinds of good things for others” says Paul (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). If you give generously. In your hand a dollar will never be worth more than a dollar. But when you sow it into God’s Kingdom, it begins a harvest you can reap when you have a need. Giving is truly the key to financial success. Remember, God wont ask you for what you don’t have, but sometimes He will ask you for the thing you really want to keep. Why? To see if there is anything you value or depend on more than Him Abraham was tested like nobody else! But he passed the test and was blessed. Imagine God says to you “Take now your son, your only son… whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you”(Genesis 22:2). Can you envision the questions that would swirl through your mind? Little wonder why Abraham was called the “Friend of God” (James 2:23).And spiritual Father of those who believe (Romans 4:L11) And when that test was over, God said this; “Because you have done this thing, and not withheld...your only son… I will bless you and...multiply your descendents as the stars of Heaven and as the sand is on the seashore. And in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:16-18) So what is God asking of you? Are you wrestling with it? Are you withholding what He wants, or are you all in? Isaac was the hardest seed Abraham ever had to sow. But that seed produced a harvest of blessing greater than anything Abraham ever thought possible. When you say yes to God, you will experience a whole new level of blessing to your life. Try it and see. In (Romans 8:32) The Bible says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things.” One author gives this analogy. Suppose a man comes across a child being beaten up by a gang of thugs. He dashes into the mob, rescues the boy and takes him to hospital where the youngster is nursed back to health. He learns the child is an orphan; he pays for the treatment and adopts him as his own. Gives him his name and takes him home. One night months later the Father hears his son sobbing into his pillow. He goes to him and asks about the tears. “I’m worried daddy about tomorrow, Where will I get food to eat? How am I going to buy cloths to stay warm? And where will I sleep?” The Father was sad and rightfully troubled, “Haven’t I shown you? Don’t you understand? I risked my life to save you, I gave my money to treat you, you wear my name I’ve called you my son. Would I do all that and then not meet your needs?” Be honest now think, did God do all that, so you would fret? Would He teach you to walk just to watch you fall? Would He be nailed to that cross for your sins and then disregard your prayers? Come on! Is Scripture teasing us when it says in (Psalm 91:11) “He has put His Angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go.” You know better, don’t you?... So stop worrying and stand securely on His promise that “He will graciously give us all things.” Our attitude in giving plays a big part in exercising our faith. When we give with the thought of helping others and pleasing God. Then, when God blesses us with gifts, He reminds us that because we gave and blessed others, now He is blessing us; and this helps to deepen our relationship with Him and hear His voice more clearly, why? Because one more barrier to our relationship with Him has been lifted. We are saying to God “I put nothing before you In my life, not even my money.” Slowly you will learn to be completely dependant on God and His security for your life. That is a wonderfully freeing experience. Because you will lack nothing, yet have everything. One day will you wish you had given more. The film “Schindler’s List” Tells of one man’s efforts to make the most of a desperate situation. As the director of a munitions factory in Poland. Oscar Schindler used his position to save many Jewish lives, by employing them in his factory, thus rescuing them from the gas chambers. However keeping them employed was costly, little by little he liquidated his personal property to keep his business afloat. At the end of the story the Nazis are defeated, and the full impact of Schindler”s efforts is revealed. As the dead are counted and the living stagger back to freedom. In one scene, Kneeling by the railway tracks that had carried thousands to their deaths, Schindler had a startling realisation he could have saved a few more! Overwhelmed with regret, he remembers keeping the few personal assets he still owned. If only he’d have known when the war would end, he would have done more. Now it was too late. Oscar schindler is credited with saving more Jews in World War 11 than any other single person. But interestingly all he could think of was what he didn’t do. He wished he had done more. A powerful lesson in Schindler’s story is this:- Even joyful givers will look back and wish they had done more, there are also others who gave less than they could have, or who never gave at all. Imagine their thoughts as they stand before God, giving an account of how they used their resources to be rewarded accordingly. “God loves a cheerful giver” So perhaps we should ask God to show us how much and where to give, also to make us cheerful givers. Thank you for reading How financial security can and will be achieved when we sow our finances into God’s Kingdom. Please talk to Him about this very important subject. Asking for the guidance of The Holy Spirit Always remembering Almighty God is never outdone in generosity. God Bless our giving. Phaline.

91. 4 KEYS TO ANSWERED PRAYER. Psalm 37:8.

Just as the right key opens the right door, there are Scriptural principles that act as keys in prayer; Let us take a look at them.. 1. FAITH, In the book of Hebrews (11:6) we read “Without Faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that He rewards everyone who searches for Him” God doesn’t necessarily respond to your need. Look around and you will see that everyone of us have unmet needs. So what does God respond to? Your Faith! But beware; Satan will fill your mind with doubts. And when he does, you need to examine your heart and see what it says. You can believe God’s word in your heart, even when your mind questions it. So stand on what’s in your heart , instead of what’s in your head. Sometimes doubts begin with distraction. When you are distracted from God’s promises, you start to doubt. And that makes you focus more and more on your problem and your faith begins to waver and get less and less. When that happens, you have to refocus like a laser on God’s promises and just merely glance at your problem, don’t try to deny it just don’t give it undue attention According to James (1:6-8) “When you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect The Lord to give you anything at all.” Stay anchored to God’s Word and don’t drift all over the place especially when your circumstances begin to change. 2. KNOWING GOD’S WILL: John writes; (John 5:14-15) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him”. Now, one of the surest ways of knowing you are praying according to His will, is to pray according to His word. Use the Scriptures to back-up what you are praying for. Say “Lord, You promised in your Word and I am believing you for it.” Sometimes there are things we want to pray for, but we are not sure whether those things are God’s will for us or not, in that case we need to ask God to give it to us only if it is His will for us, and to help us to be satisfied with His decision. Saint Augustine prayed “Lord grant that I may do Thy will as if it were my will, so that You may do my will, as if it were Thy will.” D. L. Moody put it this way: “Spread your petition before God, and say “Thy Will, not mine, be done.” The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let Him choose for me. There will be times you will have to wait, because God’s timing is part of His will, be patient it will happen. You may not see it yet, but God has promised and it’s on the way. Now, remember if He doesn’t give you what you asked for, He will give you something better when and while you walk in faith and keep a good attitude 3. RIGHT MOTIVES: The reason you pray is much more important than the words you say, The reason is the why behind the what. Having a pure heart that loves God and loves people is always acceptable to the Lord. On the other hand, selfishness, revenge and manipulation are unacceptable to God, also control, jealousy and pride are unacceptable to Him, and praying to win the lottery isn’t acceptable to him either, in fact anything that is selfishly based or motivated is not acceptable. Somebody once asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night. He thought about it for a second then replied “No, some nights I don’t need anything.” Does that sound familiar? Think about it! The first and foremost reason for praying is to develop an intimate relationship with God. To achieve that, I personally believe, we must be in constant communication with Him. prayer is the fuel that maintains that communication and relationship through every hour of every day, How long do you think your marriage would last if you only came home to collect your clean laundry, or a home cooked meal and a little loving, not long eh! The same principal applies to prayer. Jesus said in (John 15:7) “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.” Take note of that little word (IF) that whole verse is predicated on it. If you focus on abiding in Christ, you will get a response to your request. If you don’t Your expectations may be flawed. God will go as far as you want with you, because he knows that without Him we can do nothing, that’s why He must be the silent listener included in our every conversation and the unseen guest at our every meal. That’s what a prayer relationship with God is all about, there should be no place in your life where you can’t take Him, no friends or acquaintances that don’t know that you belong to Him and will not be part of anything that is contrary to His will. James writes in chapter 4, verse 3 “Your prayers are not answered, because you pray just for selfish reasons” The truth is we are innately self centred, that’s why we need to purify our hearts on a regular bases – which calls for the examining of our motives. That may be painful at first, but you must do it if you want to see your prayers answered. 4. BOLDNESS: Boldness at least in this case, isn’t arrogance, presumption or a sense of entitlement. It’s confidence in who you are in Christ. Paul writes in (Hebrews 4:16) Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy and we will find His grace to help us when we need it most.” As God’s redeemed child you have the right to approach Him at anytime. Understand that and it will enables you to overcome Satan’s attempts to make you feel unworthy, It will removes your natural inclination to say, “I know God can do it, but it’s hard to believe God will do it for me.” That’s how we all think when we feel unworthy. But the wonderful truth is – Jesus has made you and me worthy, see (1 Colossians 12)! Note also “We will find grace to help us when we need it most.” And grace is simply undeserved favour. That means God will give you what you don’t deserve when you are confident enough to ask Him for it, plus, you are asking in Jesus name not your own. By doing so you are presenting to the Father all that Jesus is, not all that you are. And here is another thought: When you have hidden sin in your heart, you are unable to pray with confidence, Unconfessed sin, locks you in and shuts God out; see (Psalm 66:18). But the Good News is, when you ask God to reveal your sin, He will, and when He does, you must deal with it if you want to keep the lines of communication open. If God reminds you of a situation when you didn’t do the right thing, Don’t try to sweep it under the rug, acknowledge it and receive His forgiveness and then you can pray with confidence. Thank you for reading these thoughts on “Answered Prayer”. God does answer prayer. This is achievable and can be done. My family, even my parents family and siblings can testify to the many, many miracles God has performed for us through prayer. We have survived 2 World Wars, a huge famine, the break-up of our berth country and being brought safely to a new land, where a fifth generation is now flourishing. And all that by abiding in Him through Faith and trusting prayer. Thank you Lord. God Bless. Phaline.

90. WHEN WE DIE. Job 14:14.

After AD 616, The first Christian Missionaries came to the courts of King Edwin in Northumbria in England. When they presented the Gospel. The King listened; then consulted his advisors. One Nobleman said; “Life is like a banquet hall. Inside is light, and warm with feasting, but outside is cold and dark. A sparrow flies in through a window at one end...and out through a window at the other end. That’s what life is like. At birth we emerge from the unknown, and for a while we are here...reasonably comfortable and happy, but then we fly out into the cold...dark … unknown future. Can this new religion … lighten that darkness for us.?” We who believe in the resurrection can answer, “YES!” a faulty heartbeat, a malignant cell or tragic accident can end life as we know it. But that’s not the end. And unless you believe that, here is what you are left with, from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (15:17-20) ”And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith has nothing to it, you are still guilty of your sins. And those in Christ who have already died are lost. If our hope in Christ is for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone else in the world. But Christ has truly been raised from the dead – the first one and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised. For the believer, the end of life on earth is the beginning of a Glorious life with Christ in Heaven. When you die, you simply leave a lesser form of life, and enter a greater one. Consider the first law of thermodynamics; neither energy, (Like your soul or spirit) nor matter, (as in your body) can be destroyed. They can be transformed into other forms, but they can’t be annihilated. Burris Jenkins said it this way; “No single atom in creation can go out of existence, according to the scientists, it only changes in form. We cannot burn up anything, we can only change its state from solid to a gaseous state. Neither is any energy or force ever destroyed; It is only changed from one form to another.” If a person ceases to exist, they will be the one thing in the world that does. So when you die, what happens? The Bible says; “For we know if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building, from God, a house not made with human hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed but further clothed. That mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, Who also has given us His Spirit as a guarantee In (2 Corinthians 5:1-5) if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed but further clothed. That mortality may be swallowed up by life. Think of it like this; Your last day on earth, will be your best day ever! How awesome is that. In (Philippians1:22-23.) Paul tells us “If I continue to live in this life, my work will produce more results. I don’t know which I would prefer. I find it hard to choose between the two. I would like to leave this life and be with Christ. That’s by far the better choice.” So no matter how difficult or blessed your life is here and now, your best days are ahead; days without end, experiencing the joys of Heaven. So make sure your ready when your time comes. The Bible says in (Hebrews 2 14-15)” we are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, Who had power over death. But He also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying.” Theologian Adolf van Harnack said- “Christ’s grave was the birthplace of an indestructible belief that death is vanquished and there is life eternal. It is useless to cite Plato… It is also useless to point to the Persian religion and the ideas and literature of later Judaism. All that would have perished, but the certainty of the resurrection and of a life eternal which is bound up with the grave in Joseph’s garden has not perished, and on the conviction that Jesus lives we still base those hopes of citizenship in an “Eternal City,” which makes our earthly life worth living and tolerable. He delivered them “who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage” Good News: You don’t have to be in bondage to the fear of death! Dr. Simon Greenleaf, The royal professor of law at Harvard And is one of the world’s leading authorities on legal evidence shone the searchlight of his knowledge on the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and revealed every thread of that evidence to the most probing critique . And when he did, He concluded that the evidence was so tremendous that in any unbiased courtroom on earth, it would be proclaimed a Historical fact. Dr. Elisabeth Kebler Ross a leading authority on death and dying, along with Dr. Raymond Moody jr. two well-known psychiatrists, examined the case histories of over 500 people who came back to life after being pronounced dead by their Physicians. Their research will convince anyone with an open mind. The people in the study described either a location of beauty, marvel, joy and peace, or they described something dreadfully horrific, And although their bodies were real, They reported floating outside them. after being confirmed “dead”, Some who were blind were able to see, they talked about people who came into the room what they looked like and what they did when they got there. Yet when these people were brought back, the ones who were blind could no longer see. In his book “Life After life” Dr. Moody writes;- “A doctor told me of his experience in attending a man who had been confirmed dead. He succeeded in resuscitating the man who then sued the doctor for bringing him back into this miserable existence from the glory he had experienced. One woman, describing her experience after she had suffered a respiratory arrest, the doctors trying to resuscitate her were pounding on her body while she was over them, looking down, and saying, “Leave me alone” The apostle Paul explains why. In (2 Corinthians 5:1-2) “For we know, If this earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in Heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead by our heavenly dwelling. So Rejoice, Be glad and Happy. when you die you will actually come to life, The New Real Life that lasts forever. Praise and Glory to Our God. Thank you for reading these thoughts on “When We Die.” We all have an appointment with our Creator, none of us knows How, when or where that will take place. So be a good scout and “Be Prepared”. See you there, God Bless. Phaline.

89. HOW GOD CHANGES US. 2 Timothy 3;16.

Question 1; What do you need changed in your life? Answer:Your understanding about God?, Who He is, and what He can do for you. In these areas of your life - Your mindset, your attitude, your understanding towards God and or people, Your behaviour or habits and sensitivity toward others etc. Question 2. ;Why do you think you need changing? Do you feel inadequate, misinformed or unacceptable?, Do you have a physical, mental or emotional need or disability that makes you feel you’re not good enough? That is simply not true, God loves everyone the same, He has no favourites, He made you and me the way we are for a very special purpose, we have to find out what that purpose is, and carry it out to the best of our ability. How? Whatever we want to do or achieve in life we have to work at it “Butcher, Baker or Candlestick maker” whatever it is, we have to work at it and the harder we work the bigger the dividends. The Spiritual life is no different. “But I’m not a student” you say, Okay, There are many ways to reach for God and stay in contact with Him. Instead of taking out your phone and listening or watching something that may or may not satisfy you, take five or ten minutes and spend it talking or listening to God. You can reach Him through Christian Radio and TV, or just sitting on your own at home or on a park bench or beach thinking of Him and His creation. Do you play an instrument, join a Christian group, attend a Scripture study or youth group. God can speak to you through anything, just sit quietly in His presence and if you are really serious about changing your life (no matter what you have done or how many times you have drifted away, He will show you the road to take, He doesn’t love you more than He loves me, or the other way around. No! His very identity is love. Whatever He does, His primary motivation is love. So, forget about your perception of people’s opinion about you and carry on reading, maybe I can help. Whatever your answer to question 2 may be, You obviously want to know more about this God/Man and get a deeper understanding of your own about Him. And why He has gone to such lengths to make you His friend, his follower in fact His very own The only true answers to all these questions and many more are in the Bible you are carrying around with you Over the last fifty years of listening to people, I have heard several reasons why people feel inferior, out-of-step or inadequate they just accept their lot in life and live with it. No questions asked. However, that is not God’s answer; He said “If you seek me with all your heart, you WILL find me” and I firmly believe that is the answer to all the above questions which are written in His Word. “The Scriptures.” So, stop thinking about what you can’t do and feeling sorry for yourself, (That is a tool of Satan to make you think you are of no value) accept who you are, and concentrate on what you can do (the gifts you are blessed with) whether you are tall or short, dumb or clever, black or white, blind deaf etc. God made you and me for a particular purpose with all our lumps and bumps for His glory. So talk to Him about your problems and His giftings ; Because He made us all in His own image, for His purpose and Glory.. One of the greatest, simplest and best ways God teaches us is through His Word. And the Bible tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true” to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong, and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.(2Timothy 3;16). The story is told of a converted cannibal from the South-sea Islands. He was sitting under a tree by a large pot reading his Bible when an anthropologist approached him and asked “What are you doing?” The native replied “I’m reading the Bible” The anthropologist scoffed and said “Don’t you know that modern, civilized man has rejected that book, it’s nothing but a pack of rubbish, you shouldn’t waste your time reading it.” The cannibal looked him over from head to toe and slowly replied “Sir, if it weren’t for this book – you’d be in this pot by now!” instead of that Antelope !! The Word of God had changed his -life and his appetite. If you are serious about changing your life, you have to get serious about The Bible. You have to read it, study it, memorise it, meditate on it, speak it and apply it. “But, my faith is weak” you say. Are you reading your Bible regularly? Are you studying it? Are you memorising it? No! Then how do you expect your faith to grow? The Bible says”Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17) The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us more like the Son of God. Your eternity (forever) depends on this. Life is not a game, One day we all have to die and end up in one of two places. Have you made that choice? Don’t say things like “I’m a good person, I help other people, and do lots of good things for God, I don’t steel or lie, I go to church and give money to good causes and help where needed. All those are good things to do, but, what is the point of doing all those good things for a God that you hardly know.. What God wants is for you and me to know, love and have a personal relationship with Him. Acknowledging Him daily with humble thanksgiving for what He has done for us, by giving His only Son to take on human flesh, to show us the way and take our place on that Cross for the sins we’ve committed. Why? Because nobody else in all of creation would have been good enough to pay the price our sins deserved. That is what you and I are worth to God, “The very life of His own Son, and why I implore you to get serious about God and His Son Jesus Christ . Another way God changes us is through circumstances. C. S. Lewis said, “Pain insists on being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures… but shouts to us in our pain.” The J. B. Phillips translation of (Romans 8:28-29) reads; “To those who love God, who are called according to His plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. God… chose them to bear the family likeness of His Son.” Nothing can come into your life without your heavenly Father’s permission; it must be “father filtered” The interesting thing about how God uses circumstances as their source makes no difference to Him. Also we often bring problems on ourselves. Sometimes they are caused by others. Sometimes the enemy causes things to happen to us. The source is irrelevant. God said,”I will make it fit into my plan for your life, to make you like Jesus Christ. That means there is no circumstance from which we can’t learn if we maintain the right attitude. Why did Solomon say, in (Proverbs 20:30) “A good beating cleanses away wickedness, such a beating will cleanse the innermost being” Because we only change when our fear of change surpasses our pain. If you want to become more like Jesus, think about this, “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things He suffered. (Hebrews 5:8) If God used the challenges, conflicts and circumstances of life to prepare His Son for His destiny, wont He do the same in our lives? So instead of trying to escape our circumstances, Learn from them and grow stronger. Someone once wisely said, “You are not what you think your are, but you are what you think.” Lasting change always begins with new thinking. How do you become a Christian?… By repenting of your sin, and selfishness and placing your trust in Christ. The Greek word for repentance is ‘metanoia’ and it means to change the direction of your mind. We are not changed by willpower, but by the transforming power of God’s Word when we use it to renew our minds each day. The Bible clearly teaches that the way you think is determined by the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act. So if you want to change your actions,, you have to return to the source and change the way you think. At times you may act resentfully. Why? Because you feel resentful. And do you know why you feel resentful? Because you are thinking resentful thoughts. The same is true of anger, worry, lust, and other destructive thought patterns. Thank You first of all for realising, understanding and accepting that like all of us who have a sincere heart for Christ, need and indeed long for.- a change that will bring about in us a depth of relationship with The Son of God that few are able to achieve. So aim to be more like Jesus. Not always easy, but every step in that direction is a winning one, and you will see God change you into something beautiful and good. As we live in His presence, His Holiness and His love I pray God’s Holy Spirit will draw us all into that place where we can say with Paul, “It’s no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me” God Bless Phaline.

88.ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT IT? - 2 Corinthians 10:5.

When speaking or listening to people does your attitude and conversation automatically turn to God’s Word or opinion on the matter being discussed?. In other words is your conversation both in content and in general; fenced, guided and kept under the control of the sincere truth of Scripture, or are you prone to bending, diluting, rephrasing and in some cases, even putting your own spin on it? Here is an example of what I mean,:-- In (2 Kings 13;18-19.) Elisha the Prophet speaking to Israel’s king Johoash “Pick up the arrows and hit the ground with them” Johoash grabbed the arrows and hit the ground three times, and then stopped. Elisha became angry with the King...”If you had hit the ground five or six times you would completely drive out the Syrians. Now you will only defeat them three times.” Elisha had given Jehoash the king of Israel, a plan from God for not only defeating his enemies but eliminating them permanently as a future threat. But the plan depended on two important factors, Being fully obedient and being passionate about it. Jehoash passed the first, but failed the second test. He was obedient to what the Prophet told him to do, but he didn’t go far enough and didn’t put his heart and soul into it. In short he settled for less than what God had planned for him. Maybe he was tired or distracted… or perhaps he didn’t listen properly to the instructions..or thought token obedience would be as effective as wholehearted obedience to God’s Word. The Bible doesn’t tell us, but this much we do know, he forfeited God’s best because he wasn’t passionate enough Don’t miss the lesson here. It’s not enough just to say, “I’ve obeyed The Lord.” You must obey Him wholeheartedly; otherwise,you can end up compromising your future and failing to experience the fulness of what He has planned for you. Paul Bottom-lines this when writing in (1 Timothy 4:15) Meditate on these things, give yourself entirely to them” In other words, when God tells you to do something, be passionate (enthusiastic, Zealous) about it. In Psalm 39:3-4) David wrote, “I felt a fire burning inside, and the more I thought, the more it burned, until at last I said; “Please Lord, show me my future.” Passion is like fire unless you feed and stoke it up, it will die. Question; On a scale of one to ten, How wholehearted are you about serving The Lord? Before you answer, think about these Scriptures; (Deuteronomy 6:5) “Love The Lord with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul and with ALL your strength”. (Psalm119:2) Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with ALL their hearts.” (Proverbs 3:5) Trust The Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Jeremiah 29:13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with ALL your heart.” (2Timothy 1:6) Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.” (Luke 8:39.) “Return home and tell how much God has done for you. So the man went away and told ALL over town what Jesus had done for him(.“ (1Corinthians 14:12) “Since you are eager for gifts of The Spirit try to excel in those that build up the church. “To this end I strenuously contend with ALL the energy Christ so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:29.)” and “Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14) All those Scriptures can be reduced to one sentence; Be passionate about what God has called you to do. The enemy of passion is indifference; Very often we go through the motions, but our focus is broken by other things. It’s not that we have said No to God, It’s that we haven’t said a resounding YES! In The Old Testament account (2 Chronicles 25:2) King Amaziah ‘did what was right in the eyes of The Lord, but not wholeheartedly. Think about this:- At what point does the passion leave a marriage? It doesn’t happen overnight. It happens when we neglect and take each other for granted. Maybe you think your lack of zeal is no big deal. Think again! Jeremiah (48:10) warns about a curse on anyone who is lax (Negligent, slack or slipshod) in doing The Lord’s work.’ You may ask how does that happen? The Bible answers that question in ( Acts 28:27) “This people’s heart has become calloused; They hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes. The word calloused depicts a steady build-up of hard dead skin on the soles of your feet until you can’t walk properly or without pain. Note what Jesus told the first and last two churches in the book of Revelation (1) I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation (2:4-5) (2) I know your deeds, That you are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm...I am about to spit you out of my mouth” Revelation (3:15-16). With those thoughts in mind it might pay for us to think about being passionate standing up and declaring what we believe instead of being lax, indifferent and saying nothing. Thank you for reading these thoughts on being Passionate about God and the business that truly matter to Him. Yes, our Salvation is guaranteed through Christ’s saving blood. But, to gain the promised rewards of eternity we are dependent on God’s perfect love, mercy and grace. which we need to understand, emulate and extend with a passion to others who so desperately need Him. This will only happen when we stand up, move out of our various comfort zones and open our mouths to tell people how much God loves them and how much He has done for them. Jesus said, “He who stands up for me in this world, I will stand up for him in the presence of my Father in Heaven.” Who better to have standing up for you when the time comes. Like me, I’m sure you would rather be judged by and with God’s perfect love and mercy than by and with God’s perfect justice, So, if you are wise, you will resolve to be more passionate about sharing Jesus with friends, family and acquaintances. God bless and help us all. Phaline.. ----------------------------

87. MONITORING YOUR MIND. 1Corinthians 10:5.

Desires of the flesh and desires of the Spirit are both subject to the mind, that’s why our minds constantly need monitoring. There is nothing wrong with most of our desires, but, if not kept under control these desires can very easily lead to lusts like greed, covetousness, theft, alcoholism, sexual immorality etc. Paul tells us in the above Scripture to “Take every thought captive.” that is - before it takes captive of you. Which means you must do this when it first enters your mind. Why? because when you entertain a thought you empower it, and - make no mistake, it WILL overcome you. That’s what opens the door of your mind to Satan and let’s face it, he has had much more experience and practise at this sort of thing than any of us have. In James 4:7 we read “Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” On your own you don’t have the power to resist Satan, so don’t even try it! But the moment you call on God and submit your will to Him, you will be more than a match for Satan, such is the power of your God, nothing or nobody can stand before Him. You are the only one who has control over your mind. And you are the only one who can decide who you give that control to, The Spirit of God, or to Satan the Liar. The choice is yours alone. In (Romans 8:6) we read “The mind governed by the flesh is Death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” When a thought keeps turning over and over in your mind, Ask yourself “In what direction is this thought leading me? Is it towards spiritual death, or towards life and peace?” Think about it, You don’t buy insurance after a storm has flattened your home, if you are wise, you get it before the storm comes; So instead of failing and saying “I will never be any different” Look back and ask yourself, “What was I thinking that led to my failure? Was I in the wrong company, or the wrong place, or in the wrong mindset? Have I been reading God’s Word and praying regularly? Have I built my life around people who strengthen me? In the long run, monitoring your mind pays great dividends! We all have a natural mindset, but for the committed Christian, that mindset should be based on Biblical ethics, principals and values. which means that everything that passes through your mind goes through what I call a spiritual filter; which is held in place through prayer and a reading of at least one chapter of your Bible each day. Stop doing that and your filter will soon be redundant and fade away! Just think, what would happen to your body if you didn’t shower or brush your teeth daily. As much as your body needs attention, your soul needs it even more, filtered or unfiltered! You are destined to live on after death, that is, to live forever. So the question is not whether we will live or not, rather – the question should be where and who with, in Heaven with your Lord and Saviour, or in hell with Satan and his demons. Now, That’s worth a thought or two. In (1Corinthians 2:-14-16.) we read “The person without The Spirit does not accept the things that come from The Spirit of God… and cannot understand them because they are (Spiritually) discerned ...but we have the mind of Christ.” For you to have the mind of Christ, you have to invite The Spirit of God into your life? If you haven’t done so yet, I suggest you read (John 3:3-21). In this Scripture Jesus emphatically tells us that unless we are born again of water AND the Holy Spirit we cannot see or enter the Kingdom of God. You will be unable to fully accept or understand the Scripture I have just quoted. So, if you want the mind of Christ I urge you to speak to your Pastor or a Spirit-filled member of your church about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the power of God that He can and will bring in to your life. As you programme your life in accordance with God’s word and consciously submit yourself to do His Will everyday, He will plant His thoughts in your mind. That is what is meant by having the mind of Christ. Just ponder that thought for a moment and thank God that He is prepared to trust you with His very thoughts. What a wonderful God we serve! Here is an example of God putting thoughts in your mind. Someone criticises you and your feelings get hurt, The Lord says to you, “Yes, your feelings are hurt, but part of it is just wounded vanity, we can deal with that, I love you despite all your baggage. Your standing with me isn’t at risk. The person who criticised you may see a flaw. But nobody thinks you’re perfect anyway and it’s better not to have to pretend. Here’s a chance to grow, use it. Even though there are elements of pain in these kinds of thoughts, instead of paralysing you, they can energise you. They are true but they give you ground to stand on. And you realise that if you can keep your mind centred on them, the right feelings and actions are more likely to flow from them. Now you are starting to live out the promise. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you. Because He trusts in you.”(Isaiah 26:3) Instead of focusing on your critics, learn to focus on God, on your spiritual growth, and on what you can learn from the experience. Thank you for reading these thoughts on “Monitoring our minds” As our eyes are the windows of our Soul, so I believe the mind is the path to our Eternal Destiny; which God Himself lights up through His Word and stretches out before us as we travel the road He has planned for each of us to take while we follow Him. May He Bless our minds today. Phaline.

86. TURN YOUR LOSS INTO GAIN Judges 11.

In the above Scripture you will find Jephthah the illegitimate son of a man called Giliad. His mother was a prostitute. Jephthah grew-up in the household of Giliad’s other legitimate sons who later chased him away. Saying to him “You will not get any of our father’s inheritance.” (Judges 11:2) So he ended up living in a cave. While there, he gathered a band of misfits and rebels together trained and developed them into a great army and when the Ammonites threatened Israel, the Elders turned to him for help. But Jephthah said to them. “Aren’t you the ones who hated me and turned me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now that you are in trouble?” (You will always come across fare weather friends, and although one doesn’t need to be rude and refuse to help them, it’s wise to let them know that in spite of their attitude and guilt towards you, as a “Christian” you are prepared to help them. The Elders replied, “Because we need you, If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead”. Sometimes a piece of ‘Humble Pie’ and acknowledged guilt along with restitution makes forgiveness a little easier and more valid. and can produce great dividends. Not only did Jephthah gain the victory, he’s named with honour alongside people like Abraham, Moses and David. His life is rich with lessons. And here’s one of the important ones Never be put down by rejection, it can very easily be part of God’s plan for your life at this stage, think of Joseph and his brothers! God might just want to see where and to whom you turn when rejection comes your way. Jephthah was rejected because of circumstances beyond his control, Remember his mother was a prostitute so he was illegitimate. But instead of growing bitter, he moved on and did something good with his life. Perhaps You have been rejected because you were too young, too old, too dumb or too intelligent, pretty, ugly, or poor or privileged, attractive or unattractive, male or female, black or white. etc. By God’s Grace Jephthah took an ugly situation and turned it into a beautiful one. And if you turn your situation over to God today, that same grace is available to you. When Israel’s leaders turned to Jephthah for help they were in distress and wanted “to use” him. So in essence this is what he replied to them. “Let’s get a proper understanding of what this relationship with you is going to mean” At that point he negotiated with them and ended up in a top leadership position. When your trust has been violated, you need to forgive. By doing so you set yourself free. But you must exercise wisdom in how to move forward. God doesn’t expect you to put yourself in a position to be hurt again. Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the guy who went to the Doctor with a severe burn on his right ear. The man explained “I was watching TV while doing the ironing when the phone rang, and I picked up the iron instead of the phone.” Puzzled, the doctor asked but how did you get the other burn on your left ear?” The man exclaimed, “Because they called back.”da! Bottom line, when you’ve been burned by someone, be careful about putting yourself in a position where you can be burned by them over and over again. Forgiveness must be immediate. God demands it, and you are better off for doing so. However, trust must be earned Your offender must show the fruit of repentance – consistent behaviour that gives evidence that he or she has had a change of heart. In Matthew (3:8) Jesus said, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. We all need these two things. Grace and Wisdom. Grace to extend to others the same forgiveness that God has extended to us Wisdom means, Knowing what kind of relationship you can have with that person in the future. The same people who declared Jephthah “persona non grata” were the same people who turned to him for help when they were threatened by a powerful enemy. So here’s lesson one; Other people don’t determine your future, God does! The Israelites were living in slavery when God made them this promise in Jeremiah (29:11) “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord they are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” So you can be sure God’s plan for you will prevail over every other plan for you. Now lesson 2: A unity walk requires unity talk In Judges (1:12) we read:- Jepthah embraced the new relationship. And then sent messengers to the Ammonite king with this question, “What do you have against me that you have attacked my country”. Note the words “me and my country” He put the hurts of the past behind him and fully embraced the cause. One author puts it this way, “He was ready to walk in unity” and a unity walk requires unity talk. You will be surprised at the impact unity talk will have on your attitude and relationships. You will find yourself less critical of others once you make such “team talk” a habit. That doesn’t mean you will always see eye-to-eye on every issue, it just means the cause and the vision you share are greater than your differences of thought and opinion. In Ephesians (4:3) Scripture tells us :- (Make every effort (means You have to work at it) to be united in the Spirit (not necessarily in opinion) Binding yourselves together with peace.” Thank you for reading how to turn your “Loss into Gain.” Peace among the people of God has a High priority on the list of Spiritual Gifts. It is also one of the first words Christ spoke when addressing His friends after The Resurrection. “Peace be with you” If peace is missing or disturbed in our relationships, we know Satan is at work trying to delete, destroy or even kill our Community. Don’t let that happen. Pray daily for the Peace of The Spirit of God to reign over our Hearts, our homes, our Communities and our Country. God bless. Phaline