Happy New Year :)

Quote for the day

When God is involved, anything can happen. 

Be open. 

When God is involved, anything can happen. 

Be open. 

Stay that way. 

God has a beautiful way of bringing good vibrations out of broken chords. 

( by Charles Swindoll)

Quote for the day

When prayers go up, blessings come down.

Give them all to Jesus

This is a lovely song...

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.
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Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows?

Are you tired of spinning round and round?

Wrap up all those shattered dreams of your life

And at the feet of Jesus, lay them down.

Give them all, give them all
Give them all to Jesus 

Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys 

Give them all, give them all
Give them all to Jesus 

And He will turn your sorrows into joy.

He never said you only see sunshine

He never said there would be no rain

He only promised a heart full of singing

About the very thing that once brought pain.

Exhaust Forgiveness?

Read: Luke 22:7-38

I had a listener call my radio show recently. “I’ve been a Christian for 5 years, but I haven’t always lived like one,” she said anxiously. “I want to know, does there come a time when God won’t forgive us anymore?” I recounted the following story to her: Jesus had arranged a secret location to eat the Passover dinner with His disciples—something He’d been “very eager” to share with them (Luke 22:7-38). Very eager? Just think about whom He ate dinner with and what would soon happen.

In a few short moments Jesus announced that someone sitting at the table would betray Him (vv.21-22). He already knew that Judas was the hired hit man (vv.3-6). Would you feel “eager” to dine with your assassin?

On hearing this news, the disciples didn’t grow concerned for their Friend’s safety; no, they started discussing who the betrayer could be (v.23). The conversation fragmented further as they argued about which of them would be the “greatest” (vv.24-27).Before the dinner was finished, these same friends frustrated and misunderstood Jesus—with disastrous results (vv.49-50). Jesus also broke the news of Peter’s betrayal (vv.33-34).

Immediately following dinner, Judas would betray Jesus (vv.47-48), Peter would disown Him (vv.54-62), the others would abandon Him (Mark 14:50), and Jesus would be crucified. Jesus knew the evil the evening held, yet He was still “very eager” to share it with His disciples. It was to these flawed friends that He gave His kingdom (Luke 22:28-30).

Can you exhaust the forgiveness of God? my caller asked. Not a chance, I replied. Leave your life of sin but don’t doubt the grace of Jesus. If He welcomes flawed friends like His disciples into His kingdom, He’s got a place for us too.

( by Sheridan Voysey)

Read Romans 8:38-39 to remind yourself of the depths of God’s love. Read 1 John 1:9 for guidance on dealing with sin.

Quote for the day

Promises, though they be for a time seemingly delayed, cannot be finally frustrated....

The heart of God is not turned though His face be hid; 

And prayers are not flung back, though they be not instantly answered.

( by Timothy Cruso)

The Joy of Giving

Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money. We can communicate this joy simply: with a smile, a kind gesture, a little help, forgiveness. And the joy we give will certainly come back to us. Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives. - Pope Benedict XVI

The Joy of Giving…

Reggie’s brother gave him an automobile as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve Reggie came out of his office, and saw a street urchin admiring his shiny new car.

"Is this your car, Mister?" he asked. 

Reggie nodded in affirmation, "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was surprised. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated. Reggie knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like the one Reggie has. But what the lad said was far beyond Reggie’s expectation.

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." 

For a few seconds words failed Reggie and then he impulsively added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

"Oh yes, I'd love that." 

After a short ride, the boy turned towards Reggie. His eyes were glowing and he said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Reggie smiled a little. He thought he understood what the lad wanted. He wanted to show it off to his neighbours that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Reggie was wrong again.

"Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. In a little while Reggie heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little brother who was physically challenged. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm going to give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about." 

Reggie got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. His brother whose eyes were gleaming with joy climbed in beside him and the three of them embarked on a memorable holiday ride. 

That Christmas Eve, Reggie learned what Jesus meant when he said: "It is more blessed to give, than to receive..."

Have a JOY-filled CHRISTMAS!

( by Irma Raymond)

The Man Who Almost Missed Christmas…

Celebrate the feast of Christmas every day, even every moment in the interior temple of your spirit, remaining like a baby in the bosom of the heavenly Father, where you will be reborn each moment in the Divine Word, Jesus Christ.

- Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

The Man Who Almost Missed Christmas…

"His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly." Matthew 1:18-19

In the Bible there is a man who almost missed Christmas.

It wasn't because he was distracted with holiday parties, visiting relatives or completing his shopping list. He wasn't stranded in an airport or battling a flu bug. He just couldn't see how his current circumstances were part of God's plan for his life.

Joseph was engaged to be married to Mary, a young woman chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. In their culture, an engagement was every bit as binding as the marriage ceremony. So when Mary returned home from spending three months out of town and told Joseph she was pregnant, all he could think of was to divorce her quietly.

Joseph knew they hadn't been intimate - he was careful with their purity. Mary's growing belly would give him every reason to believe she'd been unfaithful. And it wasn't just him who would assume so. Everyone in their home town probably knew Mary had been out of town for months, without him.

Law dictated she be stoned to death for being unfaithful to her fiancé. Instead, Joseph planned to quietly end their engagement and say nothing about the unexpected pregnancy. He was a man of integrity.

But Joseph was also a man who didn't fully understand God's plan, and he almost missed being part of it.

Although scripture doesn't tell us for sure, Mary had likely explained to Joseph how the Holy Spirit came to her and placed this baby in her womb. From his perspective, this was a situation to be escaped rather than accepted as something straight from the hand of God.

Scripture explains what happened next: "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins'" (Matt 1:20-21).

What at first looked like a huge problem, a troubling circumstance, a total reputation-wrecker to Joseph, turned out to be the most glorious thing in his life when seen from God's perspective.

From this new viewpoint, Joseph saw what an honour it was to bear this burden. What a thrill to raise and know God's own Son!

While we may not get an angel visitation, we can pause and consider this same possibility in our lives. There have been many instances when my circumstances seemed like a detour, or even destruction, of my plans. At those times I can't imagine God bringing anything good out of what just seems like trouble.

But the story of Joseph brings me hope. It reminds me that God's ways aren't my ways. And sometimes in our greatest difficulties we find our greatest opportunities and blessed responsibilities.

Joseph was given the honor of naming the baby Jesus - the very same name we call on today for help. Had Joseph walked away, divorcing Mary quietly, he would've missed it.

He would have missed Christmas. And he would have missed the life-defining lesson that God's plans aren't always logical in human eyes, but they can always be trusted.

Is there a problem you are facing today? Is it possible this could be part of God's plans for you?

Dear Lord, thank You for Jesus. And thank You that Your plans for us are plans for good and not for evil - to give us a future and a hope. I trust You today with my life and my circumstances. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

( by Rachel Olsen)

Quote for the day

Faith is not believing that God can, it is knowing that He will. 

Sharing the Joy of Christmas

As Christmas is round the corner, we've been been busy doing the rounds for Carols singing for the past one week. We are a team of about 15 people and there is a Santa Claus - Albin, my neighbour. 

Albin works part-time for an IT company in our locality. He approached his boss to allow for his absence during the Carols week. His boss agreed on one condition - that we sing for them one of these days :)

Today, we concluded the Carols singing. True to our word, we visited Albin's office. We didn't know what to expect as we've never sung for a non-family audience before, also many of them wouldn't be Christians. 

We entered the office, and they all stood up to welcome us. Their faces bore an expectant look. We sang  songs and read the Bible. Finally, we wished them all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And 'Santa' went about distributing sweets to his colleagues! They in turn, treated us like how the families we visit usually do. 

When we left the place, his boss thanked us all for the wonderful experience. No, we had to thank him for the wonderful time we all had. It was a blessed experience and a truly fulfilling one! Somehow, within the context of Christmas, we met unexpected people whom we wouldn't have got a chance to meet otherwise and shared with them the joy of Christmas :) 

Quote for the day

The vinedresser is never nearer the branches then when he is pruning them.

( by David Jeremiah)

The 'W' in Christmas

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on non-essential obligations – extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a 6-year-old. For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s “Winter Pageant.”

I didn't have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as “Christmas,” I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son’s class rose to sing, “Christmas Love” I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snow-caps upon their heads. Those in the front row – center stage – held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing “C is for Christmas,” a child would hold up the letter C. Then, “H is for Happy,” and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, “Christmas Love.”

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down - totally unaware her letter “M” appeared as a “W”. The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her “W”. Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

“C H R I S T W A S L O V E”

And, I believe, He still is.

Amazed in His presence…. humbled by His love. Have a blessed Christmas season.

( taken from turnbacktogod.com)

Quote for the day

The army of Israel looked at Goliath through the eyes of man and said he's too big to beat. David looked at him through the eyes of God and said he's too big to miss!

( by Wally Carter)

Faith in the famine

Read: 1 Kings 17:2-16

During the time period of the Kings, Israel didn’t forsake God, but they mixed faith in Him with faith in gods of fertility and rain. Perhaps they were thinking: It can’t hurt to ask a few more gods for a bountiful harvest, right?

Amid that spiritually dark landscape, one person stood out because of his different approach. The prophet Elijah stood strong in faith even though, as James reminds us, he “was as human as we are” (5:17).

In 1 Kings 17, Elijah literally trusted God for his next meal, living out (Matthew 6:31-33): “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

Famine was in the air. How would Elijah find food? But Elijah didn’t need to worry. For the Lord said, “Hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food” (1 Kings 17:3-4). Kerith Brook was a seasonal stream that supplied water only during the winter rains. Surely, the water supply wouldn’t last through the drought of Elijah’s day. And ravens? They were considered to be unclean creatures! (Leviticus 11:13-15). Yet, despite that, we read: “Elijah did as the Lord told him” (1 Kings 17:5).

Elijah showed us that we can live by faith, for God is faithful. Every day the ravens brought him food; and every day the grain and oil was replenished—just as God had promised. Like Elijah, let’s follow God by faith today.

( by Poh Fang)

Bible verse for today

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?

(Romans 8:32).

Quote for the day

Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservations.

( by Elton Trueblood)

Quote for the day

God answers ‘KNEE-MAIL’ without fail.

A Social Network Christmas

I happened to watch this video on 'A Social Network Christmas' today...

Its simply lovely!

This is the link to it  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reMq5fM874k&feature=share

Quote for the day

Lord, I am tired of reminding You of Your promises everyday!
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They are so many in number :)
And yet, You keep them, every one of them!!!

Our Greatest Need...

The Love of God and of this world
can never be together in one soul,
but whichever is stronger puts out the other
that thus it may openly be known
who is this world’s lover and who Christ’s follower.
-Blessed Richard Rolle

(Read: Matthew 4:18-22)

Choose God’s Love today.

Our Greatest Need…

If our greatest need had been information
God would have sent us an educator

If our greatest need had been technology
God would have sent us a scientist

If our greatest need would have been money
God would have sent us an economist

If our greatest need would have been pleasure
God would have sent us an entertainer

But our greatest need was redemption
So God sent us an all-sufficient Saviour.

Have a Blessed expreience of God's Love this Advent!

( by Irma Raymond)

Quote for the day

God has a time for everything, a perfect schedule.
He is never too soon, never too late.
The WHEN of His will, is as important as the WHAT and the HOW.

( by Richard C. Halverson)

God who keeps His promises

“Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant."  (1 Kings 8:56)

In short, God is telling us, "Every word of every promise that I have made will come to pass". 

God is not a man that He should lie. Every promise that He has made will come to pass because He is faithful to do all that He has said that He will do. In a world of broken promises and disappointing authority figures, it is easy to become cynical and distrusting. Our negative life experiences with people can cause us to mistrust God in the same way. 

In today's promise, we are reminded that God keeps His promises. All of them. We may not understand His ways at times, but He is always true to His Word. Trust is a huge part of the foundation of our faith. If we struggle to trust Him, we will struggle to believe what He says is true. 

My prayer today is that God will restore childlike trust to each of our hearts in increasing measure so that we will have every confidence that every promise that our Papa makes will come to pass!

( taken from 365promises.com)

Oops!

Read Matthew 7:24-27

In late 2010, a commercial airline copilot had one major oops moment. While the lead pilot had left the cockpit for a break, his clumsy crewman knocked the control column forward as he attempted to adjust his seat. The jet, which had been cruising at 37,000 feet, instantly nosedived more than 2,000 feet. The pilot managed to return to the cockpit, but then faced a struggle with the panicked copilot who wouldn't release his grip on the controls. The tug-of-war resulted in the plane plummeting another 5,000 feet. Finally, the captain returned the aircraft to normal flight mode, much to the relief of 113 terrified passengers!

Like that foolish flyer, we can also behave in ways that place us—and others—in danger. Jesus described a “foolish” builder in Matthew 7. Instead of constructing his home on “bedrock” (v.25), the guy chose a fool-friendly foundation—sand. Not a good idea, for when the wind and rains of a fierce storm hit the house, it “[collapsed] with a mighty crash” (v.27).

This teaching, the finale of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, called people to leave their foolish ways behind and to follow Him. He knew that the “storm,” a picture of God’s future judgment (Jeremiah 23:19; Ezekiel 1:4), would lay bare each person’s spiritual state. It would reveal whether or not they had chosen to follow God (Matthew 6:33), submit to His will (7:21), and walk with Him in obedience and righteousness (7:22-23).

You and I might claim to be believers in Jesus—to have our lives built on the Rock. But if our words and actions deny what He teaches as we foolishly push forward into sin and reckless living, we’re headed for a major spiritual nosedive.

Release your grip on foolish ways and turn over the control of your life to Jesus, and begin soaring with Him!

( by Tom Felten)

Quote for the day

We can't allow tough times to cause us to offer God second-rate worship and offerings.

( by Tom Felten)

Bible verse for today

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:29,31)

Bible verse for today

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

(Psalm 34:8)

Quote for the day

Often times God demonstrates His faithfulness in adversity by providing for us what we need to survive. He does not change our painful circumstances....
......... He sustains us through them.

( by Charles Stanley)

Why Pray?

Taking time alone with God

to think, pray, reflect & talk things over

will result in a happier & wiser you.

Read: Matthew 7: 24-27

Be WISE today!

Why Pray?

“The prayer of the righteous is powerful.” James 5:16

Why pray?

Because nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer, except....

that which lies outside the will of God.

You'll never know...

how many people have been strengthened because you asked God to encourage them.

Or healed because you stood with them in faith.

Or how many spiritual runaways have come home because you prayed for their souls.

None of us will ever know the true results of our prayers this side of heaven,

but we know this:

God's kingdom on earth is established by those who pray.

Through prayer we're invited into a relationship with God 

- a relationship that involves both talking and listening.

Prayer is "talking with God about what we are doing together".

In addition to all the other work that gets done through prayer, the greatest work of all is

the knitting together of our hearts with the heart of God.

Many a person on their deathbed

has regretted their obsession with work, money, pleasure and power.

But have you ever heard of anyone who regretted spending too much time in prayer?

No!!

Where there is much prayer, there's much love.

G. Ashton Oldham says,

"Prayer does not consist in battering the walls of heaven

for personal benefit or the success of our plans.

Rather, it's the committing of ourselves to carrying out God's purposes.

It is a telephone call to headquarters for orders.

It's not bending God's will to ours, but our will to His.

In prayer we tap reservoirs of spiritual power whereby

God can find fuller entrance into the hearts of men."

So Why pray?

That's why!

May YOU have the Grace to find Time to PRAY today!

( by Irma Raymond)