I don't normally do this but I just thought this may be a light persuasion in the right direction for those who are inclined to put weight on chain e-mails they receive.
"A man woke up early in order to have his morning devotion (prayer) in the lords house (church).He got dressed, set on his way to the lord¢s house (church). On his way to the church, the man fell and his clothes got dirty. He got up, brushed himself up, and headed home.
At home, he changed his clothes, and was, again, on his way to the lord¢s house. On his way to the church, he fell again and at the same spot! He, again, got up, brushed himself off and headed home. At home he, once again, changed his cloths and was on his way to the lords house (church).
On his way to the church, he met a man holding a lamp. He asked the man of his identity and the man replied 'I saw you fall twice on your way to the church, so I brought a lamp so I can light your way. The first man thanked him profusely and the two went on their way to the church. Once at the church, the first man asked the man with the lamp to come in and pray with him. The second man refused. The first man asked him a couple more times and, again, the answer was the same. The first man asked him why he did not wish to come in and pray.
The man replied, 'I am Satan'. The man was shocked at this reply. Satan went on to explain, 'I saw you on your way to the Church and it was I who made you fall. When you went home, cleaned yourself and went back on your way to the church, God forgave all of your sins. I made you fall a second time, and even that did not encourage you to stay home, but rather, you went back on your way to Church. Because of that, God forgave all the sins of the people of your household. I was afraid if I made you fall one more time, then God will forgive the sins of the people of your village, so I made sure that you reached the house of God (Church) safely.' So do not let Satan benefit from his actions.
Do not put off the good you intended to do."
Of course there isn't a do this and I'll give you that relationship when it comes to Christianity, but it makes a difference when we pray for whatever we want and also when we overcome the physical barriers in the flesh that keep us from coming close to God.
So next time you feel you ought to pray for someone or something, do so, you will win the spiritual battle for your time.
Daily walks
It's come to my attention that what Frank Perreti was talking about in This Present Darkness is very true about the spiritual realm.
Seriously, look at what you go thru each week
Take an acquiatance and see what they also go thru that same week
Take someone you barely know such as on the net and read whta they've gome thru the same week
Voila!
Same stuff really
When they rejoice, so do you
When they feel defeated, so do you
When they want a break thru, so do you
When they feel the world's unfair, so do you
Need I say more?
In the spiritual realm the forces around us are manily the ones w
Seriously, look at what you go thru each week
Take an acquiatance and see what they also go thru that same week
Take someone you barely know such as on the net and read whta they've gome thru the same week
Voila!
Same stuff really
When they rejoice, so do you
When they feel defeated, so do you
When they want a break thru, so do you
When they feel the world's unfair, so do you
Need I say more?
In the spiritual realm the forces around us are manily the ones w
Reflections on energy
Sometimes I sit and just think over what’s been happening in my life
I like taking a step back and ask “did I do the best I could have done? Wasn’t I selfish? Did I not hurt someone?”
It helps me with tomorrow and maintaining relationships
Many a time I’ve stopped mid-way in doing something becoz I’ve just asked myself “do I really need to do that? Will it change anything for the better?”
If not, then sometimes I stop
When I don’t stop I ask myself why I did that
Sounds confusing……..
Even I sometimes wonder at what I say
At times I’m guarded and don’t say what I truly believe in for fear of starting an argument
The times I say what I feel amazing revelations usually come up
Recently it’s emerged that it’s different from what people expected of me
It’s not that radical but I’m asking myself “am I changing?”
This word keeps coming to my mind when I try to explain something
LAZY
I refuse that I’m lazy coz I’m not
The frequency with which it’s coming to my mind is just too much for me to ignore
Maybe, just maybe, there are things I’m ignoring
Maybe there are things I’m taking for granted
I really need to home in on this word
It’s really bugging me
Indolent, lethargic, apathetic- I don’t like such words being associated with ME!
I like taking a step back and ask “did I do the best I could have done? Wasn’t I selfish? Did I not hurt someone?”
It helps me with tomorrow and maintaining relationships
Many a time I’ve stopped mid-way in doing something becoz I’ve just asked myself “do I really need to do that? Will it change anything for the better?”
If not, then sometimes I stop
When I don’t stop I ask myself why I did that
Sounds confusing……..
Even I sometimes wonder at what I say
At times I’m guarded and don’t say what I truly believe in for fear of starting an argument
The times I say what I feel amazing revelations usually come up
Recently it’s emerged that it’s different from what people expected of me
It’s not that radical but I’m asking myself “am I changing?”
This word keeps coming to my mind when I try to explain something
LAZY
I refuse that I’m lazy coz I’m not
The frequency with which it’s coming to my mind is just too much for me to ignore
Maybe, just maybe, there are things I’m ignoring
Maybe there are things I’m taking for granted
I really need to home in on this word
It’s really bugging me
Indolent, lethargic, apathetic- I don’t like such words being associated with ME!
The Widow's Mite
I love words- to some extent. I was flabbergasted to say the least after finding out what I just did. This is one topic I’d kept for emergency sermons or lessons in case I was ever called upon. But until today I have not used it.
It all comes together to make sense this stuff called chances.
I’ve just read this article by ADDISON G. WRIGHT, S.S. and I agree with his view. It’s common that many illustrations from Jesus’ time have been taken out of context or just misinterpreted for the sake of ensuring adherence to church policy and ensuring the church id well funded. In such stuff the message takes time to get to us-BUT it still does as no one Word goes and does not come back having done something in spite of what context it’s used. In many cases the twisting of the Word and fine tuning of parables sends one on a study vigil and eureka! -they get the correct message like I’ve just done.
Giving has been twisted so much that we grow up thinking that we should give a certain proportion of what we have and not that we should only give if we want to. True! There’s no sense in giving a gift out of obligation and think something’s going to happen becoz of that gift. We’ve become so programmed about giving at church that we seldom pray over our gifts or even know why we give except that we’ve been instructed to. I believe it’s becoz of this that many of us have difficulty in giving outside of the church. We were brought up to be kind and generous when we can afford it. We were not brought up to have concern over why someone cannot give as much as we can or why they don’t have anything to give. We just expect them to give from the little they have.
NO!
We are the ones who are meant to go and give to those with just the two mites and not expect them to be able to give from just the two mites they have! I pray as many people as possible will come thru such revelation so that we stop taking from those without in the name of giving instead of us giving to them.
"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 CORINTHIANS 9:7
It all comes together to make sense this stuff called chances.
I’ve just read this article by ADDISON G. WRIGHT, S.S. and I agree with his view. It’s common that many illustrations from Jesus’ time have been taken out of context or just misinterpreted for the sake of ensuring adherence to church policy and ensuring the church id well funded. In such stuff the message takes time to get to us-BUT it still does as no one Word goes and does not come back having done something in spite of what context it’s used. In many cases the twisting of the Word and fine tuning of parables sends one on a study vigil and eureka! -they get the correct message like I’ve just done.
Giving has been twisted so much that we grow up thinking that we should give a certain proportion of what we have and not that we should only give if we want to. True! There’s no sense in giving a gift out of obligation and think something’s going to happen becoz of that gift. We’ve become so programmed about giving at church that we seldom pray over our gifts or even know why we give except that we’ve been instructed to. I believe it’s becoz of this that many of us have difficulty in giving outside of the church. We were brought up to be kind and generous when we can afford it. We were not brought up to have concern over why someone cannot give as much as we can or why they don’t have anything to give. We just expect them to give from the little they have.
NO!
We are the ones who are meant to go and give to those with just the two mites and not expect them to be able to give from just the two mites they have! I pray as many people as possible will come thru such revelation so that we stop taking from those without in the name of giving instead of us giving to them.
"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 CORINTHIANS 9:7
One step at a time
"Hurry up and wait
So close, but so far away
Everything that you've always dreamed of
Close enough for you to taste
But you just can't touch
You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting
We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rushIt's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time
You believe and you doubt
You're confused, you got it all figured out
Everything that you wished for
Could be yours, should be yours, would be yours
If they only knewYou wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting
When you can't wait any longer
But there's no end in sight
It's the faith that makes you stronger
The only way you get there
Is one step at a time
Take one step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time"
So close, but so far away
Everything that you've always dreamed of
Close enough for you to taste
But you just can't touch
You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting
We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rushIt's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time
You believe and you doubt
You're confused, you got it all figured out
Everything that you wished for
Could be yours, should be yours, would be yours
If they only knewYou wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting
When you can't wait any longer
But there's no end in sight
It's the faith that makes you stronger
The only way you get there
Is one step at a time
Take one step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time"
Selection
I was reading the way Isaac got his wife
His father is the one who’d said where his wife should come from
A messenger was sent to look for that wife
His brief was to get a wife if he’d be allowed to
If not, then he’d come back without one
It seemed a daunting task
Getting someone a wife
To make his job easier the messenger did what we seldom think of in such cases
He relied not on his own understanding but asked for God for help
He needed God to confirm for him if he’d found the right person for Isaac
In His hands………..
His father is the one who’d said where his wife should come from
A messenger was sent to look for that wife
His brief was to get a wife if he’d be allowed to
If not, then he’d come back without one
It seemed a daunting task
Getting someone a wife
To make his job easier the messenger did what we seldom think of in such cases
He relied not on his own understanding but asked for God for help
He needed God to confirm for him if he’d found the right person for Isaac
In His hands………..
Quote, unquote
Our whole life is taken up with anxiety for personal security, with preparations for living, so that we really never live at all.- Leo Tolstoy
I love reading people’s quotes. I seldom try to find out the context they spoke or who they were. Rather, I apply them to the present and make my own jazz about it. Here Tolstoy isn’t far from the mark about life as we see it, know it and live it. We plan, plan, plan, review, test and sometimes we abandon plans and never get to take off the plans left coz there’s just not enough time for execution coz we’re dead by the time we want to start. That’s not to say we needn’t plan or review- we just need to live as we do what we do in life. Sometimes we get to be so anxious about what might happen we don’t even start and never get to know what would have happened yet we spent days pondering at possibilities.
The word test just brought to mind a title that came when I was offline. There’s a poster I pass by at work quite a lot. It’s on safety and simply says “Don’t trust. Test.”
Applicable to life isn’t it? I think it’s very appropriate when it comes to relationships that’ll result in marriage. After, all it’s a pit we’re going to be in for the rest of our life so why shouldn’t we test. We fall in love and we get to trust our life partner. But when should we let go of our instincts when it comes to trusting them? I totally agree with TDJ on his post on junk.
I believe everything I come across is for a reason after all "Wrong turns are as important as right turns. More important sometimes. " - Richard Bach
I love reading people’s quotes. I seldom try to find out the context they spoke or who they were. Rather, I apply them to the present and make my own jazz about it. Here Tolstoy isn’t far from the mark about life as we see it, know it and live it. We plan, plan, plan, review, test and sometimes we abandon plans and never get to take off the plans left coz there’s just not enough time for execution coz we’re dead by the time we want to start. That’s not to say we needn’t plan or review- we just need to live as we do what we do in life. Sometimes we get to be so anxious about what might happen we don’t even start and never get to know what would have happened yet we spent days pondering at possibilities.
The word test just brought to mind a title that came when I was offline. There’s a poster I pass by at work quite a lot. It’s on safety and simply says “Don’t trust. Test.”
Applicable to life isn’t it? I think it’s very appropriate when it comes to relationships that’ll result in marriage. After, all it’s a pit we’re going to be in for the rest of our life so why shouldn’t we test. We fall in love and we get to trust our life partner. But when should we let go of our instincts when it comes to trusting them? I totally agree with TDJ on his post on junk.
I believe everything I come across is for a reason after all "Wrong turns are as important as right turns. More important sometimes. " - Richard Bach
Just wait
Ever wondered how many hairs u have on your head?
Try counting just a square centimetre of your hair.
Tedious isn’t it?
Now how many times do we brood over things we have zilch control over?
There’s a lovely book I read called lilies of the field and it just brought some thoughts into perspective
How much are we really in control of?
How many angels have we missed?
How many chances to help have we ignored?
How many times have we felt guilty at not having offered to help when we could have?
I’ve been touched a number of times when someone comes out of the blue and starts chatting to me about my life or their’s –without prompting
We are not that much in control when you look at it all
We should just put on our faith caps and listen.
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
Try counting just a square centimetre of your hair.
Tedious isn’t it?
Now how many times do we brood over things we have zilch control over?
There’s a lovely book I read called lilies of the field and it just brought some thoughts into perspective
How much are we really in control of?
How many angels have we missed?
How many chances to help have we ignored?
How many times have we felt guilty at not having offered to help when we could have?
I’ve been touched a number of times when someone comes out of the blue and starts chatting to me about my life or their’s –without prompting
We are not that much in control when you look at it all
We should just put on our faith caps and listen.
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
Open book
This may seem like overdoing something but when there’s a cause why not?
The life we lead may truly be the only example of a Christian someone knows at close range
Do we ever stop and think about the repercussions if any of our actions?
We may be the reason that someone decided not to be Christian
Because of the way we handle relationships
Because of the way we treat others
Because of the way we use our power
Because of the way we dress
Because of the outlook we have on life
It may seem a tall order but when we call ourselves Christian what do we really mean?
Should people see us the way we want them?
Are they meant to ask before they conclude?
Are they meant to understand that it’s a stressful life?
Are they meant to understand that it’s at work so some of the Christian stuff is not important?
Are they meant to buy the idea that work is a place for work and not religion?
Let’s pull up our socks and start walking the walk and be someone’s reason to be follow the Christian faith
The life we lead may truly be the only example of a Christian someone knows at close range
Do we ever stop and think about the repercussions if any of our actions?
We may be the reason that someone decided not to be Christian
Because of the way we handle relationships
Because of the way we treat others
Because of the way we use our power
Because of the way we dress
Because of the outlook we have on life
It may seem a tall order but when we call ourselves Christian what do we really mean?
Should people see us the way we want them?
Are they meant to ask before they conclude?
Are they meant to understand that it’s a stressful life?
Are they meant to understand that it’s at work so some of the Christian stuff is not important?
Are they meant to buy the idea that work is a place for work and not religion?
Let’s pull up our socks and start walking the walk and be someone’s reason to be follow the Christian faith
Bandaged to heal
My heart’s been broken a number of times
My heart’s been bruised
My heart’s been in the fire
My heart’s been rejected
My heart’s not at all protected
My heart’s mended remarkably well for such a tempestuous affair called life
When I sit back and reflect
How else could I have ridden this storm?
How else could I have known what I know?
I had to let it be
I had to risk rejection
I had to experience the hurt,
I had to experience the pain
Without knowing the hurt and the pain how else could I know love?
With a closed heart I wouldn’t get hurt, neither would I know love
I cannot close it off due to this heartache
It too will pass
It’s big a risk, I risk ridicule
It’s a risk I’m willing to always take
Otherwise how am I to really know life in its abundance?
My heart’s been bruised
My heart’s been in the fire
My heart’s been rejected
My heart’s not at all protected
My heart’s mended remarkably well for such a tempestuous affair called life
When I sit back and reflect
How else could I have ridden this storm?
How else could I have known what I know?
I had to let it be
I had to risk rejection
I had to experience the hurt,
I had to experience the pain
Without knowing the hurt and the pain how else could I know love?
With a closed heart I wouldn’t get hurt, neither would I know love
I cannot close it off due to this heartache
It too will pass
It’s big a risk, I risk ridicule
It’s a risk I’m willing to always take
Otherwise how am I to really know life in its abundance?
As clear as mud
My thoughts get muddled up
It’s been happening quite a lot recently
I’ve got an inkling I know why. I’m expecting
I’m expecting good news
I’m expecting a change
So why the mud?
I’ve been lazy.
As of now I relinquish that flag
I noticed I’ve been saying it quite a lot
I almost got to the point of owning it
It’s one of those things I guess
But not for me
I know better
And so I act
Back to life
It’s been happening quite a lot recently
I’ve got an inkling I know why. I’m expecting
I’m expecting good news
I’m expecting a change
So why the mud?
I’ve been lazy.
As of now I relinquish that flag
I noticed I’ve been saying it quite a lot
I almost got to the point of owning it
It’s one of those things I guess
But not for me
I know better
And so I act
Back to life
