Tattoos and Piercings

Rev. Joseph Opare, the founder of TVC (The Victorious Church in UK gave a very simple and balanced explaination on tattoos and piercing in the biblical point of view. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we have to honour what God has created. Even to keep our body healthy by eating right and exercising, we are taking care of what God has entrusted to each of us.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

We are a steward to manage our physical body? That sounds weird but it's true nonetheless. God does not want us to be careless with our being, just as Jesus illustrate about our Father's watchful care: "you are of more value than many sparrows" (Matt. 10:31). If God is concerned about the tiny sparrow, how much greater must His concern be for man, who is immeasurably greater in value than the sparrow!

Knowing how much God loves us, the least we can do is to try make Him happy. Trying does not mean effortless nor it is being in a 'que sera sera' attitude but doing a conscious effort in pleasing the One who gave His all so that we might enter into eternity with Him.

Wait Upon The Lord

I heard this song in Kay's blog which I follow and who is also one of my fellow readers of my blog. Thanks Kay for this song. It's encouraging to hear God's words in a song with a melody that can soothe the raging soul. I want to share this website that expounds more on 'waiting upon the Lord', click The Godly Man to read and understand more.

Our Heavenly Silversmith

Share with you an email that I received. Be Bless!

Malachi 3:3 says:
'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up.He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.'
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy --when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

'Life is like a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.

You Are My Strength

God is the strength of my heart,
Without Him I can do nothing of worth,
He and I will never be apart,
He is the One who formed my birth.

His grace is sufficient for me,
No matter where I've been,
Or where I'm going to be,
Acceptance will always be found in Him.
~Written by Yours Truly

Stop, Look, Listen

This morning I was reminded once again of this very common verse in
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Last night I saw that verse on a cover of Our Daily Journey and also this morning when I opened this email from Kenneth Copeland Higher Fitness Monthly Prayer which I had received two days ago. These words seems to stand out to me for a few days and I have ignored it so today I resubmit all my desires, worries and burdens unto God.
The scariest part about trusting God is when you can't hear Him clearly and confusion starts to creep in. There are just so many voices that become noises to our mind. At the same time I know I should be dwelling in God's Word more to clear my mind of things that are not right. So today I would like to encourage you to let go of your worries and let God take His rightful place in your decision making. So STOP, LOOK to HIM and LISTEN to His voice that will lead us in the right path. And then obedience is the last choice we have to make.

Hold On

This was written for a special friend years back. Just sharing it here. It is called HOLD ON

You inspire me to do what's right,
Teaching ways, no one else care to tell me,
Helping me not to lose my sight,
Bringing truths that can set me free.

Hold on, darling, hold on to Jesus,
He knows what you are going through,
Though you think you are in pieces,
Jesus is there to put it all back; His Words are true.

Paused To Ponder

Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying, ‘Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?’ Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.’ Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,’ says the Lord. - Haggai 1:3-8.

Read this verse for my devotion and it made me paused to ponder on the relationship I have with God and the priority that I should have in living my life for His glory and pleasure. A nudge from the Holy Spirit awakens my spirit man. Empty words filled my mouth but a circling storyboard of my walk with My Father fills my mind. Nothing more that I can express in writing at this moment, till then....... God Bless!

You'll Come by Hillsong

This song reminds me of their earlier title 'Touching Heaven Changing Earth'. Powerful statement that shows us the transmission of power from the One above to His children on earth to make a difference for Him and through Him.
Christ rule and reign on earth and in heaven and one day He'll come again. Be prepared, watch and pray. Be blessed!
Watch and sing with them.

Morning Devotion

I read this verse this morning and I pray as you read this, you too will continue to pursue Him and take your rest in Him. Lie down in the green pasture that He has provided for you and me and be restored.
Job 11:13, 15, 18

" If you devote your heart to Him and stretch out your hands to him...
then you will lift up your face without shame;
you will stand firm and without fear...
You will be secure, because there is hope;
you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

My Jehovah Jireh

A prayer was made as I placed my tithes in the offering bag, letting go the 10% of my salary and was left with less than RM20 to carry through another ten days before my paycheck. A year back I borrowed a relatively large sum of money from a friend and have not return the debt eversince. This year I felt an urgency of returning what I owe but finances was not making it possible for me. But little did I know that God has set this blessed answered prayer on its way to me. One morning I received a phone call that I will be receiving an amount that was the exact amount to what I have owed and God blessed me another 33% more on top of it just for me. Immediately I knew He, my Jehovah Jireh provided a way for me to repay my debts. That was my huge splash of grace which overwhelmed my heart and I want to give Him the honor and glory.

I would like to proclaim His sovereignty and awesomeness of His majesty through this song - The Revelation Song sung by Kari Jobe. How God of Miracles work in His own special way. Thank you Jesus. Enjoy this song.

Open My Eyes

My prayer and song unto the Lord today. "O Lord, open my eyes to see your glory, not to forget Your sacrifice on the cross, open my heart to know your love and be closer to You. Waiting on Your voice to lead me to the path You want me to be in. In quietness I submit myself to You, Lord take over. I worship You only, my Father, my Saviour.

Saviour of my soul
I worship You as God alone
Greater love has made a way to You

I could not forget
The moment I in faith confessed
For my sin You died and rose again

I believe every word You say
Father God with all my heart I sing

Open my eyes
I want to see Your glory Your glory Lord
I open my heart
I want to be closer closer to You

Here I am again
I find my strength in drawing near
You have heard the desperate cry in me

And as I wait on You my God
I'll know the voice of truth
In quietness I am in awe
And as I worship You my Lord
I understand the cross
The sacrifice of God

JESUS

But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 (NAS)

A well drawn picture of Jesus with the children. How nice to be in His presence.

Just as David says "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Psalms 84:10

This expression speaks of the depth and experiential love that David has for God. 'Rather be a doorkeeper'- though thats the lowest place in the house of God based on this picture spoken but it is compared to be better than the highest position among the godless. Almost like saying it is God's wrath is better than the devil's temptations. Sometimes words alone just cannot explain the meaning of it.
The close relationship and proximity births out the longing for His presence. And a desire to please God above all else. David has the greatest poetic expressions, songs and proclaimations of his love towards His loving Father. That is the kind of love we should strive for in our relationship with our Father God.

Our God is An Awesome God

Truly there is no words to describe the awesomeness of our God but we can express in our worship to Him in self abandonment and love. God wants our heart of worship, He is our audience and there should be no one above Him. Worship Him with this song and give Him your all.

1 Corinthians 15:58

1 Corinthians 15:58 (Amplified Bible)
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].

Paul spurs us to move forward with God's work no matter what mountains we have to climb.Last Sunday, the preaching was on sense of 'Taste' and it was expounded that there are many times a lot of bad experiences leaves us a bitter taste and it curbs us from doing what we should for God. That is true and reality often stings, probably to make us aware that we should not stay in that bitter past forever, for God made us more than conquerors through Christ who loves us.

Paul in 1 Corinthian speaks on steadfast - fixing on Jesus and trusting in Him. And then 'immovable' - that our faith will not be shaken at all cost and not wavering in our commitment to God. The word 'abounding' in Greek is 'perisseuo' means 'abundantly furnished'.In other words "exceeding a fixed number or measure," "over-and- above.". We are actually asked to do more exceedingly if not most likely we will stagnate in our service for God. Work for the Lord is not only confined to just serving as a usher and worship leader in church, it also includes work of giving to the poor, encouraging a weary brother, visiting the sick and etcetera.

Let us not forget what we do for God is never in vain, although others might not see the number of dishes you wash after cell group each Friday or vacuuming the floor to make the house clean for your family. Cleanliness need to be maintained, same goes for our work for the Lord so that dirts of laziness and complacency will not remained for long.

Get wiser!

"Our richness in life depends on how much we practice the wisdom God gives us."

Read Proverbs 9 here
9:10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.(NLT)

9:12 If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

Be Angry But Don't Blow It

I'm currently re-reading this book.Excellent reading.We all have anger issues occasionally, something that is inevitable. What we hope to achieve is to not sin in anger and Lisa Bevere, the author of this book brings you insights of how to manage our anger successfully.It is practical and realistic especially when the author shares her testimony, how she cries out to God and found the help she needs. If you would like to have a preview of the book before purchasing CLICK HERE

One Touch

Be blessed and know there is a God who heals all sicknesses. Nothing is impossible for Him if we believe. He is our Jehovah Rapha, God our healer. Jesus bore the stripes for us that we could overcome sicknesses. The song is based on the story of a woman who had that faith in Jesus to heal her 12 years of disease. This woman with the issue of blood was spoken in three books in the bible which I have placed the extracts below.

43And a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years [a]and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed by anyone,44Came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood ceased.45And Jesus said, Who is it who touched Me? When all were denying it, Peter [b]and those who were with him said, Master, the multitudes surround You and press You on every side!46But Jesus said, Someone did touch Me; for I perceived that [healing] power has gone forth from Me.47And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling, and, falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people for what reason she had touched Him and how she had been instantly cured. (LUKE 8:43-47(Amplified Bible)).

25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her, ‘Take heart, daughter,’ He said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed from that moment”(MAR 5:25-34(NLT).

20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." 22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.(MATT 9:20-22 (NIV)).

A Plaque of His Promise

I received a gift plaque from someone close to my heart, to remind me that God will always be with me. It's always comforting when someone tells us they will never leave us and their love is for eternity. Even more when I know my Father in heaven is never going to leave me. I imagined when I have to go through a dying stage in the future, these words are the words that will comfort me and I pray that God's tangible love will see me through as I walk towards eternity with Him.

Let's not think of that day just yet. Presently we need to be sure of God's promises. What God says, It is. In our daily walk with Him, we need to have faith in what He wants to do in and through our lives,therefore yielding to His will knowing that whatever happens, He is in control. And He will see us through everything from broken relationship,financial difficulties, betrayal, and even through deaths of loved ones. He is Jehovah Shammah, the Eternal God who is with us.

We may not understand everything that happens in our life but as we learn to depend on Him, we will see His Word sustaining and strengthening us, His love expelling all fears and we will conquer the darts of the evil one, overcome our fleshly desires and live victoriously.All glory to God.

It's You

Years ago, my friends and I traveled by bus to a 24hours worship and prayer meeting at Tabernacle of David, KL. It was an awesome time praising and worshiping God together with an assemble of people who are hungry for God. Banners, tambourines, ribbons and shofar were all played beautifully unto the Lord.I came to know the pastor's daughter Michelle and she was kind to give my two other friends and I,a CD of her youth group's new album Beyond. Thank you Michelle. The one song that has always touched my heart is the song It's You. It's that feeling that you know it's God in you and He is filling you with His joy and love that makes you connect with the song. I love to lead the church with this song when we are deep in worship. In the link that I gave, its a new version of the song. Melody is still the same.

Its You
When I feel my heart soar,
When I feel my spirit lifted up,
I know, its You.
When I feel it bubbling over,
When I feel such joy I can't explain
I know, its You.

It's You, my Jesus I know it's You,
You've come to set me free,
I lift my hands in worship to Your Name,
It's You, my Lord I know it's You,
Your presence is in this place,
I bow in Your name.

When I feel so clean and new,
When I feel like soaring high above,
I know it's You
When I feel such healing inside,
When I feel Your love surrounding me,
I know it's You.

Jesus Takes The Wheel

This song sung by Carrie Underwood (American Idol winner) speaks about a woman who has gone through a hard year and nearly met her death but God allowed the situation to turn into a triumphant moment, His daughter returned to Him and she had another chance in life to make things better for her and her family. She started to depend on God again starting by confessing she needed Him.

There are times when we acknowledge who God is but we do not give Him the full access to every part of our life. So often we don't realise or sense the conviction on how precious we are to God that we take matters in our own hands thinking it's for our best interest. What about God's point of view? Who do we look to for guidance? Just my ponderings as I listened to this song.



She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy
With the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low, on faith and gasoline
It'd been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention
She was going way too fast
And before she knew it she was spinning
On a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was so scared, she threw her hands up in the air

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel

It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat
Sleeping like a rock
And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said I'm sorry for the way, I've been living my life
I know I've got to change, so from now on tonight

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
Just give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
Oh Jesus take the wheel

Ohh I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
Just from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel
Oh, take it, take it from me
Oh whaaaa ooooh......

Beautiful Children Worship

It's wonderful to see children lift their hands in worship unto the Lord. As they do, I believe they will experience more of God's love and grow in the knowledge of Him. A simple believing heart will bring them closer to their Father in heaven.

Enjoy this song Jesus loves me from Hillsong Kids.

The Ancient Path

This entry is in respond to my previous post on Jeremiah 6:16.My ponderings and wonderings has brought me to this old song of Tom Inglis from the album 'We are One'. The road of a believer is not always without a bump or potholes and it can be narrow and winding but nevertheless rewarding. We are victors and co-heirs with Christ,for He has overcome sin and death, giving us hope and strength to finish the race with our heads held high. I hope this song ministers to you and brings you to the ancient path, the path which God has wonderfully landscaped for you.Be blessed as I'm also blessed!

Jeremiah 6:16

Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)
16 This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'

I read this verse this morning and it stirred an inquisitive spirit in me to question more on what it is speaking to me. The words that struck out IS
'STAND' - to be still before the Lord
'LOOK' - to consider,observe and study the ways
'ASK' - to ask God of the best option

I looked up further on 'ANCIENT PATHS' and it speaks of ways of life walked by our spiritual fathers of the past.Example when we want to learn something new, we seek teachers who has experience and have the knowledge to show us what is the best way to learn. Likewise it also mean quoting a preacher "God has prescribed for us to walk as found in God’s Word in the Scripture. They are, simply put, “God’s will for us.”

Consequently we will find rest for our souls. I believe in each of our life, we seek peace in all we do. But as much as we know what is right to do, there are times we just don't do it. Just like Romans 7:15 says, I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.. Thank God for His patience, grace and kindness to us.

God-thinking vs Man-thinking

Word Of God Speaks

How hungry are we for God's Word in our life?
How much do we know of the power of His Word?
Who speaks in our heart daily?
Whose voice do we obey?
What does His voice sounds like?
What does He want us to do?
When must we listen to Him?
When do we spend time listening?
Why do we have to listen to Him?
Why do we need to know everything?

John 1:1
[ The Word Became Flesh ] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Luke 11:28
He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Psalm 18:30
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him

Proverb16:9

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.(Proverbs 16:9, NIV)

Many of us thinks that when we have an objective, a plan and if we really work towards it, we will fulfill it. This verse speaks otherwise, we may plan a thousand steps to reach a goal but if God has another destiny for us, there will be strife and incongruencies in our spirit. The deeper we are with our Father, the clearer our vision will be as His for our life. It is a journey of learning and God is faithful to see us through. He is the Author and finisher of our faith.

The two meaning that i have written below shows the distinction between plan and determine therefore showing God's sovereignty. I hold on to this verse as a reminder of who I am in Christ and in seeking His will for my life.

Plan
1. A scheme, program, or method worked out beforehand for the accomplishment of an objective
2. A proposed or tentative project or course of action: had no plans for the evening.
3. A systematic arrangement of elements or important parts; a configuration or outline: a seating plan; the plan of a story.

Determine
1. To decide or settle (a dispute, for example) conclusively and authoritatively.
2. To establish or ascertain definitely, as after consideration, investigation, or calculation.
3.To cause (someone) to come to a conclusion or resolution.
4. To give direction to

"He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered" (Proverbs 28:25,26).

"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" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

Prayer for Accidents

Drove out to the junction and I took a stop, didn’t know why my eyes was following the bike that just passed me but after that I saw him lost his balance and fell to a field nearby. I was not sure if he knocked any rocks as I know there is a hole of some kind over at the hedges. Another biker came down to help, the driver that apparently knocked him came down as well but did a sign of hand to show the public that it is the biker’s fault.
Whatever it was, it didn’t matter to me, I uttered a prayer that the casualty will be alive and that he will not die because of an accident. I do not know what the will of God for this man is but I know I had to pray anyway. It has been a practice for me whenever I see an accident, I pray for the soul and God’s miracle upon that life.So all I hope is not to see a death report in tomorrow’s newspaper. I have had my share of accidents throughout my life but God saved me miraculously a few times leaving no scar or painful injury when it could have been death for me. God is sovereign no matter what the crisis may appear.

SUCCESS

S = Sense of direction
U = Understand the times and the seasons
C = Committed to what you do
C = Compassion - Love God, others and yourself
E = Enthusiastic and be bold
S = Servanthood (like Elisha)
S = Staying power (sustain)

Unknown author

Success is not measured by the wealth we have but by the quality of our life. The joy that is from within supersedes all the temporal happiness the world could give. Being confident in what God wants us to do takes away the fear of what the future holds for us therefore we need to dig deeper into the Word of God and stay rooted in.

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”- Isaiah 40:31

Proverbs 26:20-23

Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. What dainty morsels rumors are--but they sink deep into one's heart. Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a common clay pot. (Prov 26:20-23 NLT)

The verse says it all. To mind our own business, yet to care for the right reasons. The addition and subtraction of one's words can cause many upheavals whether or not by intention or just plain gullibility. Prevention is better than patching up burnt holes in this case. You never know how long it will take to heal a wound, a scar caused by careless words. Only God can do the mighty healing.

He Knows My Name ( I Have A Maker )

Be encouraged by the One who knitted you together in your mother's womb. It's never by mistake, not by chance and He loves you. The road may be hard to travel, trudging along with bags of losses and hurts but know that there is always a morning after the night. It is always time to let God take the wheel, and I hope now is your time. The best is yet to come, the latter will be greater and brighter. May this song speak to your heart and know God knows your name and loves you!
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,before you were born I set you apart;

Peace of God

His peace transcends all understanding,
Unfathomable but real to the core,
His peace floods the raging seas,
Sweet grace pours out evermore,
His peace captures the worries,
Gone with the passing wind,
His peace brings us to a new tomorrow,
The peace of God reigns in me.

Revelation 3:15-16

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth

Whenever I read this passage, I start to wonder how much of being lukewarm can one be till God gets angry. We all know God have a holy anger against sin. God is also a God of love who gave His only Son Jesus so we can have eternal life and a relationship with Him.
Through this hyperbole(verse above), God shows me how much I have to be in tune with His word to know the temperature of my walk with Him. Being complacent can bring a person a whole lot of problems and before we know it , we can't get out of the hot soup.I came across this story about an experiment on a frog and it gives me a good reminder that we can never outsmart God thinking we know best (human wisdom). Sometimes when we don't mend the small hole in our shirt, it gets bigger and soon it will become too ugly to mend anymore. And we probably wouldn't want to wear it anymore.
God in His graciousness allows us to make mistakes and come out from it. Just remember to come out before it gets too hot.

A FROG
Bill Coors, chairman of the Coors beer company, says there's a psychology experiment, which, he hastens to add, isn't done anymore because it isn't very nice. You start with a frog and two buckets of water. One bucket contains cold water, the other hot. Put the frog in the cold water, and it doesn't do much, but in the hot water, it jumps around and makes quite a fuss. Then put the frog in the cold water, and put the water over a low flame. The frog sits there, quietly, until it is cooked. The change happens gradually, the frog doesn't sense it, and the frog dies. Coors says too many people are like that frog: They do not sense change in the environment until it is too late.

DON'T QUIT!

DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong as they sometime will
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill

When funds are low and debts are high
And instead of a smile you have a sigh

When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest in God's love and never quit

Life can be strange with its turns and twists
And many a failed man have turned away
When with God's help he'd have won the day.

Never give up though the pace seems slow
For you may succeed with another go

Success is the failure turned inside out
The silver line in the cloud of doubt

You never can tell how close you are
The goal may be near when it seems so far

So turn to the Lord and when you're hardest hit
Put your trust in Him and never quit

Beautiful Saviour - PlanetShakers

A song that speaks about who God is, giving Him all the glory and praises from the heart. Worship Him with this song, it's incredible just proclaiming who he is and declaring our love for Jesus.


Jesus, Beautiful Saviour,
God of all Majesty,
Risen king,
Lamb of God,
Holy and righteous,
Blessed redeemer,
Bright morning star

All the heavens shout your praise,
All creation bow to worship You

How wonderful, how beautiful,
Name above every name, exalted high
How wonderful, how beautiful,
Jesus your name, name above every name, Jesus

I will sing forever, Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you

Psalm 37:4

The literal translation from the Hebrew text reads: “And put your pleasure upon the Lord, that He may give to you the requests of your heart.

Delight from elook dictionary means [noun] a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction; Delight is obvious and overflowing with passion for His Word, His principles and the character of Jesus. It does not come from religious acts but simply finding satisfaction in the Lord and His ways.
When we are passionate about His word and living it out loud, the will of God is executed in our lives and in other words, His desires becomes our desires. We would be sensitive to know what is good for ourselves and our request will be granted according to His will.

Read the whole chapter of Psalm 37

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

It's hard trying to be strong when we don't hear from God. Many times we need answers to bring us security. When signs are not showing and everything is blurred with too many 'noises' and 'voices' be it our own, the devil, others, what do we do? We need to run to our Author and Finisher of our faith, He alone knows what the future holds, He is the one who knows us better than we know ourselves. There is absolutely no point in worrying, it adds more frown and lines to our face not to mention maybe gray hairs.

God will answer or show the way when the time is right. Waiting teaches patience, patience begets humility, humility is a character of Jesus. When God make us wait, it's always for a good reason. The sheep knows his Shepherd's voice. I'm talking aloud to myself "Don't let the noises drown the most pertinent voice in our life, His Voice"

Failing Forward by John Maxwell

Recommended reading: thumbs up! Reality: everything we read that is good is futile if we don't apply the right things at the right time. On the contrary, what we read will be in our brain's database and when situations crop up, we may just know what to use.

This book is about surviving a fall, regaining your stand and heading forward. There is no such thing as giving up. This book will inspire you to look for opportunities instead of waiting for one to land at your feet. Making things happen no matter how small it might be, taking every problem as a stepping stone for something better. There are a lot of testimonies and lessons you can learn from real life experiences written in this book.

John Maxwell is one of my favorite author and this is one of his best. My first John Maxwell reading is The Winning Attitude and that has helped shape my thoughts on building character in line with the word of God. Bless young readers with this book. It will do wonders.

Proverbs 19:23

The fear of the Lord leads to life:
Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.


It dawns upon me how true that the fear of the Lord has guided me towards life - life that is of substance. The fear of the Lord is not a guilt-driven, squimmish, terrorizing kind of feeling but of reverence and respect to who God is and His Word. When we respect someone, we honor the person's words and our Great God is one who keeps His Word and His promises are yes and amen.
Many times i see His hand upon my life or those around me and I'm amazed at the way He moves in different situations. As a child, when my mother taught me not to do certain bad things and when I listened and obeyed, there is a value added to my life. It does not makes me dumber instead I become wiser. So it is with obeying God's Word.
This verse further defines the fear of the Lord - "Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Life as a Christian is not always a bed of roses or a total absence of trouble when we fear the Lord. "Untouched by trouble" means there is nothing that God would allow us to go through without giving us the strength to overcome it. Unless we refuse His help as God gives us a right to choose. Sometimes we are deceived by the evil one that when we face hardships, we are hopeless, we should give up. When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, honoring His words, there is a power within to take us through it and over it. Evil, troubles, destructions may come, but no weapon against us will prosper. I have learned to set my mind upon Him though it may be difficult most of the times but God is always faithful and ever-present to lead me back to the right path.

Can You Stand To Be Blessed by TD Jakes

The words inscribed in this book springs a fountain of truth and wisdom. We all have a destiny that God place in our heart, a journey that is full with challenges, ambiguity, falls and rises but in all this God holds our future.

All of us who are a child of God are blessed and we as co-heirs with Christ enjoys an abundant life even life on earth and to the rest of our eternity in heaven.
As TD Jakes said in this book " We often spend hours in prayer trying to convince God that He should bless what we are trying to accomplish. What we need to do is spend hours in prayer for God to reveal His purpose. When we do what God has ordained to be done, we are blessed because God's plan is already blessed."

AMEN to that.

PREVIEW THIS BOOK

Splashes Of Grace

The title of this blog was inspired by this letter below and therefore the birth of this blog. How a trickle, a splash, or a river of God's grace does for us each day if we were to look out for them. It's everywhere and within our lives. No matter what mountains we face or valleys we are in, there is a silver lining in the dark clouds called grace, the grace of God. It was never meant to be taken for granted but to strengthen us, and it will overflow to the people around us.I thank God for a wonderful article i received from All Worship inspirational email.

SPLASHES OF GRACE

(Note: This is a letter that one of AllWorship's readers wrote to a close friend who was going through a very difficult time.)

My dear friend,

How are you, sweetie? I wanted to share an adventure with you that the girls and I had last week.

We were walking down by the water in the gully behind our house, when suddenly, a doe came crashing through the woods, headed directly towards us! It was so wild! She came to a skidding stop on her knees, right into a rotten
tree stump that was directly in front of me.

I could have reached out and touched her! She fell over on her side, jumped to her feet and ran off in the opposite direction. It was hard to tell who was more startled - the doe, or us!

Pretty awesome, huh? I felt like it was a gift from God, the experience as well as not getting slammed by a terrified, frantic 100-pound deer! I call these kinds of experiences "splashes of grace", because they are evidence to me of God's love and grace towards me, and they come unexpectedly, usually at times when I really need them. I have learned to keep my eyes open for them. They are easy to miss.

But in really hard times, when these "splashes" happen, they provide moments of joy and wonder, and when we are in pain all the time, even a few minutes of happiness can make the difference between making it and not!

For a second, while the deer is crashing towards me or the pansy petals are soft against my face or the brilliant red cardinal is lighting up my dull winter backyard or the chocolate is melting in my mouth or the smell of patchouli is steaming up from my bath...for a second I am not the hurting one, the sick one, the broken, wounded one...for a second, I am simply a beloved child of God receiving a splash of His love, meant especially for me.

I know that you are hurting badly, and I cannot imagine what turmoil and pain you are going through. I am praying that you will receive splashes of grace to equal your need, that God will provide moments of wonder just for you, to remind you of your true and eternal identity.

There is no question that, for now, you are broken and wounded. But that part of who you are is a layer, not the whole thing, and it will be peeled off in time, to reveal who you have always been, and still are and always will be...a beloved child of God, the daughter of the King, a citizen of Heaven, spotless and pure before the throne of your Father, God.

Splashes of grace poke through the layer of pain to reveal who you really are. Who you are when you are staring in awe at the prettiest flower you ever saw, or tasting the best cheesecake in existence, or melting under the butterfly kisses of a toddler...that's who you are. Splashes of grace help us remember, when the pain has stolen all memory of better days. They are God's way of bringing us to ourselves, when we think that we'll never be anything other than broken and crushed.
And most importantly, they are God's way of bringing us to Himself.

In days when most of our contact with Him consists of anguished questions and agonizingly desperate pleas for help, splashes of grace are God's way of scooping us into His arms and saying "Look, daughter...do you see it? A butterfly, just for you! Isn't it lovely? Look at it's wings. Aren't they soft? Amazing, isn't it?"

Splashes of grace are you and God looking out on the wonder of creation for a moment, in a way that allows you both to respond to what you are seeing freely, unhampered by the struggle that you are in. It may only last a moment. But what a moment!

Dearest friend, look for them. Maybe you already have been. In the darkest place, God is. And where God is, splashes of grace happen. I love you, precious child of the King.

--Kelly Stevenson