David Jeremiah tells about the group of men gathered one Saturday morning to help paint a friend's large, two-story home. Toward the end of the day when the job was almost complete, a small bit of trim, which actually could not be seen from the ground, remained unpainted. One of the men said, "Since nobody can see that piece of trim, I guess we don't need to paint it."
"Not true," said another of the crew as he went for a ladder. "God sees it."
The difference in the two approaches is the difference between working man's way and working God's way; working in light of the end of the day versus working in light of the end of life; working for immediate rewards versus working for ultimate rewards. It's easy to get confused about who we really work for in this life. We go to work and interact with a human boss who makes the rules and signs the checks. We may face him at the end of the day; but at the end of the age, we will come face to face with the ultimate "Boss," God Himself. What we got away with on the job will be made known, and what went unrewarded will be paid in full.
The best way to get high marks on our final "employee review" is to picture God as our employer each day.]
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
Guiding into the way of peace
Thursday, March 31
Thursday, March 17
How God Reveals His Will To Us
How God Reveals His Will To Us
"Did not our heart burn within us" - Luke 24:32 NKJV
Look at the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and you'll discover how God speaks to us and gives us direction. They thought they'd seen the death of Jesus and His movement. Fearful and disillusioned, they packed their bags and headed for home, when suddenly Jesus appeared to them. How does the Lord reveal His will to us? The simplicity of the process may surprise you. First, through others. The travellers' first mistake was to disregard the words of their fellow disciples. '... Today some women among us amazed us. Early this morning they went to the tomb, but they did not find his body there. They came and told us... Jesus was alive!' (Luke 24:22-23 NCV). God still works that way. He still speaks to us through others. That's why you need to attend church regularly and build relationships that strengthen you. Second, through Scripture. '... Starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures' (v. 27 NCV). Their second mistake was disregarding the Word of God and listening to their fears. Are you doing that? God still speaks through His Word; the answers you need are in your Bible. Third, through our heart's desire. 'They said to each other, "It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us."... ' God reveals His will to us by giving us a burning desire. What fuels and focuses you? Singles? The inner city? Untouched nations? Forgotten orphans? Whatever it is - heed the fire within you!
The Word for Today and scripture citations are copyright.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
"Did not our heart burn within us" - Luke 24:32 NKJV
Look at the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and you'll discover how God speaks to us and gives us direction. They thought they'd seen the death of Jesus and His movement. Fearful and disillusioned, they packed their bags and headed for home, when suddenly Jesus appeared to them. How does the Lord reveal His will to us? The simplicity of the process may surprise you. First, through others. The travellers' first mistake was to disregard the words of their fellow disciples. '... Today some women among us amazed us. Early this morning they went to the tomb, but they did not find his body there. They came and told us... Jesus was alive!' (Luke 24:22-23 NCV). God still works that way. He still speaks to us through others. That's why you need to attend church regularly and build relationships that strengthen you. Second, through Scripture. '... Starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures' (v. 27 NCV). Their second mistake was disregarding the Word of God and listening to their fears. Are you doing that? God still speaks through His Word; the answers you need are in your Bible. Third, through our heart's desire. 'They said to each other, "It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us."... ' God reveals His will to us by giving us a burning desire. What fuels and focuses you? Singles? The inner city? Untouched nations? Forgotten orphans? Whatever it is - heed the fire within you!
The Word for Today and scripture citations are copyright.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
Monday, March 7
Purpose and Direction
Former Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice once told graduates of the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson that they have a responsibility to be "optimistic" in their lives.
"I first learned this lesson from hearing stories about my paternal grandfather," she said. "Grandfather Rice was a poor farmer's son in Eutaw, Alabama. One day, he decided to get book-learning. So he asked, in the language of the day, where a colored man could go to school.
"They said that a little Presbyterian school, Stillman College, was only about 50 miles away. So he saved up his cotton to pay for the first year's tuition. After the first year, he ran out of cotton and he needed a way to pay. My grandfather asked the school administrators how those other boys were staying in school, and he was told that they had what was called a scholarship.
"They said, 'If you want to be a Presbyterian minister, you could have a scholarship, too.' My grandfather said, 'That's just what I had in mind.'"
The moral of the story, she said: "In America, it is not about where you are coming from, but where you are going."
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
"I first learned this lesson from hearing stories about my paternal grandfather," she said. "Grandfather Rice was a poor farmer's son in Eutaw, Alabama. One day, he decided to get book-learning. So he asked, in the language of the day, where a colored man could go to school.
"They said that a little Presbyterian school, Stillman College, was only about 50 miles away. So he saved up his cotton to pay for the first year's tuition. After the first year, he ran out of cotton and he needed a way to pay. My grandfather asked the school administrators how those other boys were staying in school, and he was told that they had what was called a scholarship.
"They said, 'If you want to be a Presbyterian minister, you could have a scholarship, too.' My grandfather said, 'That's just what I had in mind.'"
The moral of the story, she said: "In America, it is not about where you are coming from, but where you are going."
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
What You Learn In A Crisis
"Why are we sitting here until we die?" - 2 Kings 7:3 NKJV
The armies of Syria had besieged Samaria and the people were dying of starvation. Four lepers, whose disease forced them to live outside the city walls, had got used to living on scraps of bread people threw over the wall each day. But now no more scraps were coming their way. So they said to themselves, '... "Why are we sitting here until we die?"' So they took action. '... They rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians... to their surprise no one was there. For the Lord had caused... the Syrians to hear... the noise of a great army... Therefore they arose and fled... and left... their tents, their horses, and their donkeys... these lepers... went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing... Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent... let us go and tell the king's household"' (2 Kings 7:5-9 NKJV). This story teaches us three important truths. First, that crisis becomes our friend when it moves us to take action. Only when we're sick and tired of being sick and tired, will things begin to change for the better. Second, that - once we take a step of faith - God will move on our behalf. The only thing that can limit Him is our doubt, our stubbornness and our complacency. His Word says, '... Therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you... ' (
Isaiah 30:18 KJV). Finally, it teaches us that when God blesses us, we can't keep it to ourselves. Others need what God has given us, and we must get it to them - on time.
The Word for Today and scripture citations are copyright.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
The armies of Syria had besieged Samaria and the people were dying of starvation. Four lepers, whose disease forced them to live outside the city walls, had got used to living on scraps of bread people threw over the wall each day. But now no more scraps were coming their way. So they said to themselves, '... "Why are we sitting here until we die?"' So they took action. '... They rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians... to their surprise no one was there. For the Lord had caused... the Syrians to hear... the noise of a great army... Therefore they arose and fled... and left... their tents, their horses, and their donkeys... these lepers... went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing... Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent... let us go and tell the king's household"' (2 Kings 7:5-9 NKJV). This story teaches us three important truths. First, that crisis becomes our friend when it moves us to take action. Only when we're sick and tired of being sick and tired, will things begin to change for the better. Second, that - once we take a step of faith - God will move on our behalf. The only thing that can limit Him is our doubt, our stubbornness and our complacency. His Word says, '... Therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you... ' (
Isaiah 30:18 KJV). Finally, it teaches us that when God blesses us, we can't keep it to ourselves. Others need what God has given us, and we must get it to them - on time.
The Word for Today and scripture citations are copyright.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)