Sunday, March 29, 2009

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage

Something to think about!















Awesome!! We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize
it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we can't.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine, after the rain....

Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;
But God's always ready, to answer your call....

He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
a word from His lips, can calm every fear...

Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, dawn's early light...

The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
to give you His grace, and send you His love...

==

A friend sent this to me...

Blessings to all!
CJ

Virtuous women are weak--like fragile ornaments, right?

A Reflection of the Lord

Leslie Basham: Virtuous women are weak--like fragile ornaments, right? Here's Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: The world has it all wrong. The godly woman is a strong woman. She is able. She is valiant. She is a woman of valor, strong character, lots of skills and a heart full of compassion.

Leslie Basham: This is Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss for Wednesday, March 5th. We've distorted what the Bible has to say about virtue. Virtuous women are not doormats. They're pillars. They support what is right and godly. That's the kind of woman God describes in His Word, especially in Proverbs 31. She is counter-cultural. Here's Nancy.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: We're looking at what one commentator has called "a looking glass for ladies," Proverbs 31. Matthew Henry, that commentator, said, "We should desire to look into and to dress ourselves by it."

We've been reminding each other that even though this lengthy, detailed description can seem overwhelming and intimidating to those of us who still have feet of clay and are not yet glorified, yet we ought to be encouraged. We know that as women of God--if we're allowing God to work in our lives--He is making us into this kind of woman who reflects the beauty and the image of the Lord Jesus, for indeed it really is His portrait that we're looking at here. We're seeing His heart, His character, His beauty in this picture.

So we pick up at verse 10 and we read that very familiar verse: "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies." Who can find a virtuous wife? Some of your translations say, "An excellent wife." Some of them say, "A wife of noble character."

That word virtuous or excellent has to do with strength. It's often translated army or wealth. It's talking about a woman of moral strength--a woman whose character is strong. A woman who has godly character is a strong woman.

The world would have us think that a godly woman is a weak woman, who just gets run over and she never has any opinions, never has any thoughts, never says anything. She just meekly smiles and looks up adoringly into her husband's eyes. She has no brains, no abilities. This is how the world would caricature the godly woman.

But the world has it all wrong. The godly woman is a strong woman. She is able. She is valiant. She is a woman of valor. She is a woman of strong character and lots of skills and a heart full of compassion.

Now the New King James Version that I just read says, "This is a virtuous wife." But the word translated wife there in some of your translations reads woman. That's also an acceptable translation. We're reading here about a woman who happens to be a wife. It becomes obvious as we see her described. But the word translated wife or woman here is just a word for female.

I want to point that out because this passage is not just for married women, although as we'll see this woman is in fact obviously married. But whether married or single, you and I can be excellent, virtuous women.

Now if you are married, let me point out that this woman is a wife before she is a mother. You say, "Well, duh. That's obvious." But you know, it's not "duh" today. Those of you who have a husband and children know how easily you can be a mother before you're a wife. I don't mean chronologically, but I mean in terms of priority and what consumes your time and your effort and your energy.

But it's important, I think, that we notice in this passage that her relationship with her husband is what is highlighted first. The children come later; Not only in order but in order of priority. Her most important human relationship is with her husband.

Now those who come from a more feminist way of thinking don't particularly like this emphasis on her husband. The thinking of our world is that women should not have to be identified in terms of their role as a wife or as a mother--not identified as related to their husband or their children.

But I want you to notice that here is a woman who delights to be a wife. She does have her own personality, her own gifts and her own strengths, but she is inseparably bound as one to her husband. She is not ashamed of that. She is not embarrassed to be his wife. She is not embarrassed to have her achievements stated in those terms.

One of the things I so appreciate about my mother is that she has always loved being Mrs. Arthur DeMoss. My dad has been with the Lord for now 22 years or more. She was married to him for 22 years before he went to heaven. She loved it then; she loves it now.

Now she has her own name. Her name happens also to be Nancy. She also delights to be known as Mrs. Arthur DeMoss. She delights to be known as my mother and the mother of her seven children. It's a quality of a woman of virtue that she appreciates being known in connection with her God-given roles as a wife or as a mother.

As we read through this passage over the next days and weeks, we're going to see that this woman has a strength of character that produces certain other strengths in her life. Her abilities, her habits, her lifestyle flow out of this strength of character--this virtue, this excellence that characterizes this woman.

Remember that this passage is the words of King Lemuel recalling the words that his mother taught him when he was a young prince. His mother taught him, "Son, this is what to look for in a wife. Look for strength of character and heart and walk with God."

You'll notice what is absent from this description largely, and that is physical traits. We're seeing the priority here in selecting a mate. You need to be teaching this to your sons--to look for a woman who has a heart for God.

Now there is no sin in her being physically beautiful. But if that is the primary thing that attracts him to his wife-to-be, this passage is going to tell us that beauty will not last. It won't last till old age, and it may not last till then. She may get in a car accident and have her face disfigured. What will you have then in your wife? Will you have a woman of character, the kind of character that endures?


I got a voice mail last week from a man who listens to Revive Our Hearts. He identified himself as a single male. It was such a gracious, sweet-spirited voice mail that he sent. He said, "Thank you for Revive Our Hearts. God has been teaching me through this program the importance of choosing a wife who is godly, of looking for a woman with godly character."

When we think about being an excellent or a virtuous woman, a woman of great spiritual strength and character, there is a sense in which that is a past accomplishment. When we become a child of God, we are in Christ. As God sees us, we are perfect. We have the righteousness of Christ. The challenge here is to live out the reality of who you are in Christ.

But then there's a present, ongoing sense that we are becoming this kind of woman. It's progressive. It's the outworking and the development of what God has already put in our hearts if we are children of God, cultivating who and what we are in Christ.

Then--and this is what really encourages me--there is a yet future sense when it comes to being an excellent woman, a virtuous woman. That's what we can look forward to. It's that final, completed state where we are glorified, we are sanctified, we are perfect, we are mature. As we're in process, we can look forward and know that God is making us into that kind of woman.

So as we contemplate this picture, this portrait of a virtuous woman, remember there is a sense in which this already is you, if you're a child of God. If you have Christ in you, God has made you perfect positionally in His sight--positionally in Christ. Because of your position in Christ, you have that righteousness.

Then commit yourself to the process of saying, "Lord, I want You day after day--today--to be working out in my life the reality of what You have done for me through the cross and the Gospel of Christ. I am becoming this kind of woman. It is a process."

So that's why when you fall, when you blow it, when you get discouraged about your seeming lack of progress, you can pick yourself up and go on by God's grace, knowing that this is a process. There is growth involved here. That's okay.

So as you read this passage, don't give up. Say, "Yes! I'm in process. This is what God is making me." Look forward. The Scripture says, "The righteous man falls down seven times"--sometimes I think that may be in a day or even an hour. He falls down seven times, and what does he do? He gets up again each time.

So you say, "I've blown it." Well, get up. Repent. Get new grace and go on.
==

Blessings to all!
CJ

Saturday, March 28, 2009

"It's OK to Quit"

Motivational Speaker - Veraunda Jackson


1. Quit arguing with people about the same old foolishness! Respect their position and keep it moving!

2. Quit telling people your secrets when you know they are not going to keep them! And if you keep telling them, then quit getting mad when they tell your secrets!

3. Quit trying to pull people on your journey who don't want to travel with you. Either they believe in you and value you...or they don't!

4. Quit complaining about things you can't and won't change!

5. Quit gossiping about other people! Minding our own business should be a full time job!

6. Quit blaming each other for things that in the big picture aren't going to matter three weeks from now! Talk solutions...and then implement them!

7. Quit eating things you know are not good for you! If you can't quit...eat smaller portions!

8. Quit buying things when we know we can't afford them! If you don't have self control, then quit going to the stores! Quit charging things, especially when you don't NEED them!

9. Quit staying in unhealthy relationships! It is not okay for people to verbally or physically abuse you! So quit lying to yourself! It is not okay to stay in the marriage for the children! Ask them and they will tell you that they really would prefer to see you happy and that the misery you and your spouse/partner are living with is affecting them!

10. Quit letting family members rope you into the drama! -Start telling them you don't want to hear it! Quit spreading the drama! Quit calling other relatives and telling them about your cousin or aunt! Go back to #5 minding your own business should be enough to keep you busy!

11. Quit trying to change people! IT DOESN'T WORK! Quit cussing people out when you know that they are just being the miserable and jealous people that they are!

12. Quit the job you hate! Start pursuing your passion. Find the job that fuels your passion BEFORE you quit!

13. Quit volunteering for things that you aren't getting any personal fulfillment from anymore! Quit volunteering for things and then failing to follow through with your commitment!

14. Quit listening to the naysayers! Quit watching the depressing news if you are going to live in the doom and gloom of it all!

15. Quit making excuses about why you are where you are or why you can't do what you want to do!

16. Quit waiting on others to give you the answers...and start finding the answers for yourself! If what you are doing isn't working for you...then quit it!

17. Quit settling and start making your dreams a reality!- Quit being afraid and START LIVING YOUR LIFE! CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT! If you want something different than what you have had in the past...you must quit doing what you have done before and DO something different! JUST QUIT IT ...... and START DOING something to create the experience you want!


"Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy and kindness."


==
Blessings to all!
CJ

A Call to Repentance

Luke 13:1-9 (New Living Translation)

1. About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3. Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5. No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

6. Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’

8. “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”

==
Wow! What a warning! I believe America should repent for attempting to take the creator (GOD) of everything out of the very thing he created. He provides the very breath each of us takes… Jesus made it plain, if we repent of our wrong, and then turn to God, He will forgive all the bad we have done, and restore us as if nothing happened. What a mighty God we serve!

Now! If we fail to turn to God, Jesus provides a different view. He told a story about a man who planted a fig tree, and came again and again to see if there was any fruit, but he was always disappointed. God keep giving us chance after chance to see if we will produce fruit… meaning, the fruit of love, kindness, mercy and many other God given gifts.

The sad truth is, after God see all the selfishness, greed, the I did it attitudes, He see that we are not worthy to continue in this life, so He give the most painful command of all (He love us so much that He sent His only Son “JESUS” to die for all)… Cut it down!

I believe America’s wrong doing has arrived in the heart of God, and He is about to give the command… Cut it down! We (America) need to get in contact with God, repent and He is faithful to forgive all our wrong.


==
Blessings to all!
CJ

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Parable of the Rich Fool

==
When a crowd of many thousands had gathered to hear Jesus speak… He gave many golden nuggets to guide us through life while on earth.
==

Luke 12:13 - 21 (New International Version)


13. Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

14. Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15. Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

16. And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

18. "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

20. "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

21. "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

==
The Bible clearly states to store up treasures in heaven where it will reap a great harvest forever. When we learn that everything we obtain belong to God the Father, then we will be willing to allow Him to instruct how it is to be used.

Just remember no one but God knows what tomorrow holds; it’s better to be willing to let go and let God. Meaning, if God place someone in your path or on your mind to bless (meet a need), just do it! Be willing to part with some of what God blessed you with for a greater good.

Believe it or not God is watching each of us to see if after we have been blessed, we will in turn be a blessing.
==

Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.


Give God what's right -- not what's left.

Blessings to all!
CJ

Monday, March 23, 2009

Bananas -- very interesting!

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

==
Blessings to all!
CJ

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Let It Out: The Reasons We Cry

By Allison Ford

Crying is an emotional reaction that’s completely unique to humans. Our capacity for complex thoughts and feelings means that we can cry whether we’re overwhelmed with any emotion—happiness, despair, or fear—but not everyone cries the same way or for the same reasons. Some people break into tears at the drop of a hat; others remain stony-faced even when confronted with great tragedy or pain. Understanding the impulse to cry isn’t always easy, but understanding the psychological and evolutionary reasons we do it is even more complicated.

Sad or Hurt, Same Response
All tears are comprised mainly of water, oil, and mucous and are produced in the lachrymal glands near the eyes. Made of the same stuff, we actually have three different kinds of tears: basal, which protect and moisten our eyes; reflex, which flush irritants and foreign objects from our eyes; and emotional tears, which are produced in response to strong emotions or pain. The body automatically produces basal and reflex tears, but emotional tears are only ones produced by the process we think of as crying. Emotional tears have been shown to contain higher levels of certain hormones like prolactin, which is associated with breastfeeding and milk production, and manganese, which helps regulate our moods.

Emotion and pain are both processed in the limbic system, the area of the brain that also processes memories, our senses, and behavior. Humans can cry whether we’re in emotional pain or physical pain, and regardless of the stimulus, the tears are the same. Because of this lack of differentiation, some researchers believe that the body can’t really distinguish between emotional and physical pain at all. Even though the mind knows the difference between a broken heart and a stubbed toe, the body generates the same response to both.

Crying—The Body’s Pressure Valve
Although the mechanisms of crying are not yet fully understood, the presence of hormones seems to indicate that shedding emotional tears is a way for our bodies to restore equilibrium. When we experience any kind of heightened emotion—grief, jubilation, anger, or pain—hormones surge through our bodies. Once they’ve built up, the body needs a way to release them and crying may be one way it equalizes itself.

Confirming the conventional wisdom, a study at the University of Florida found that most test subjects reported that their mood improved after a bout of crying. Despite high levels of anxiety and increased heart rates in response to stress, many of the criers eventually report feeling calmer and more relaxed than the non-criers, and those that showed the most benefit were those who received some kind of social support while they were crying.

Some research shows that people who cry in response to stress, pain, or emotion are generally healthier than those who don’t. It’s widely known that keeping emotions pent up contributes to stress levels, which in turn can cause headaches, heart disease, depression, hair loss, and a host of other physical maladies. Crying in order to alleviate stress may be one of the body’s ways of protecting itself.

Nature vs. Nurture
So why do some people cry at the drop of a hat and some never seem to shed a tear? By the time we reach adulthood, women cry on average of sixty-four times per year, but men cry only seventeen times. It might be a result of the hormones, especially prolactin, which directly affects puberty, breastfeeding, and childbirth. Women have 60 percent more of it than men. Dr. William Frey, in his book, Crying: The Mystery of Tears, suggests that prolactin and its interaction with the endocrine system may be the reason that some women are more emotionally volatile than men.

Up until the time when children start school, boys and girls cry at about equal rates. It’s only after then that boys start crying far less. Scientists have yet to determine whether societal pressure forces boys to stifle their tears or whether it’s hormones that ramp up crying once girls hit puberty. However, it’s interesting to note that in old age, when men and women’s hormones equalize again, women begin to cry less and men begin to cry more.

An Evolutionary Adaptation
Could it be that women are evolutionarily programmed to cry more often? Deep down, are we just damsels in distress?

Crying is the first form of communication for humans. During the first few months of life, babies don’t produce emotional tears; their crying is purely a social signal to relate their vulnerability to caretakers. From an evolutionary perspective, crying might work the same way in adults. A study from the University of Texas at Arlington found that when women cry during arguments with men, they were more likely to reach a resolution to their conflict. In arguments where the woman did not cry, the conflicts escalated, suggesting that for women, crying is a valuable tactic that lets people know that the crier needs attention and support.

Even with other women, crying can be a signal that we need help. The University of Texas study found that after watching a film clip of a woman crying, female test subjects felt emotionally closer to the woman. The researchers theorized that this demonstrated women’s biological need for social support networks.

People who cry more than normal may have learned over time that it’s a simple and effective method of getting what they want. However, crying louder and longer isn’t necessarily the best strategy for getting attention. Many evolutionary biologists believe that crying is ineffective when it isn’t genuine. Crying too often is like “crying wolf”; eventually it fails to elicit the right response from others. If someone is known to be prone to fits of tears, other people may take those tears less seriously than the tears of someone not normally disposed to crying.

The science behind crying is imprecise and inconclusive and although there are many promising theories about why, when, and how we cry, plenty of questions remain. When it comes to crying, only one thing is clear—if it makes you feel better, then go ahead and cry your eyes out.

==

Blessings to all!
CJ

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The greatest Commandment of All?

Matthew 22:34 - 40 (New King James Version)

34. But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37. Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40. On these two commandments hang all the Law.

==

To know how to truly love one must get to know Him who is love. God is love, and those who connect to Him will show love.

Jesus took the Ten Commandments and placed them in two. Not to take any of them away… Five of the Ten Commandments are between God and man; the remaining five are between man and his or her fellow man or woman. That’s why Jesus said to love God first (this will cover the first five commandments), second to love your neighbor as yourself (this will cover the remaining five commandments).

Note… the Ten Commandments are still relevant today.

Blessings to all!
CJ

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The Potter and the Clay

Jeremiah 18:1 - 11 (New Living Translation)

1 The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

5 Then the LORD gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 7 If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, 8 but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. 9 And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.

11 “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘this is what the LORD says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.”

==
WOW! This is a lesson for all to learn. The Creator of a thing, i.e. person, place or anything else that is created is in the power of the one who created them. Our God in the above text gave Jeremiah a real life lesson on the power of “the Potter and the Clay.” God is our Potter… we the people are the Clay… He can do whatever He desire with us because He designed us. Our attitude can and will direct God’s decision when it comes to each of our lives.

It’s better to obey God and live a fulfilling life rather than disobey and receive His wrath. God said Heaven and Earth may pass away, but His Word will remain forever.

Blessings to all!
CJ

Monday, March 09, 2009

Help for the helpless

2 Kings 5 (New Living Translation)

The Healing of Naaman

1 The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.

2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. 3 One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”

4 So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. 5 “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.”

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”

8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!

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When God give directions… He commands that all steps be followed. As we read with Naaman, when Elisha (the man of God) gave directions on how to become clean, Naaman quickly injected his plan into the God given plan. Remember… when God is involved, He is in charge… His way or no way!

When you are the one in need stop telling people how to help and just allow them to help. A good approach would be… tell God all about it first, and then allow Him to send the help. He is an on time God!

Blessings to all!
CJ

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

The Prayer of Jesus

John 17 (New Living Translation)

1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

6 “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

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I know it’s hard for people in the world (non Christian’s) to believe that our God sent His Son (Jesus), and He died on the cross for all humanity, but this is where Faith comes into play.

The bible according to Romans 10:9-10 say… If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.


Blessings to all!
CJ

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Giving to the Needy

Matthew 6:1 - 4 (New Living Translation)

1. “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

2. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth; they have received all the reward they will ever get.

3. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

4. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

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When we give to anyone in NEED it should always occur in secret, and our God will award us openly. As the Word has already stated, if you make this known to everyone... you have received your reward. It’s that simple.

Blessings to all!
CJ

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Will you HELP?

Proverbs 3:27 - 35 (New Living Translation)

27. Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.
28. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”
29. Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you.
30. Don’t pick a fight without reason, when no one has done you harm.
31. Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways.
32. Such wicked people are detestable to the LORD, but he offers his friendship to the godly.
33. The LORD curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright.
34. The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble.
35. The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame!
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Remember this, if we hold on to the stuff (items other people NEED)… they cross our paths and we see the NEED, we are instructed to HELP. Notice I said NEED… there are many people who WANT things that we are NOT obligated to render.

God blessed each of us to be a blessing. All that we are allowed to obtain (Jobs, homes, vehicles and many other items) are given to see how we will respond. The Word of God says… “When it’s in your power to help… HELP”

Our God seems to be making adjustments pointing us back to the basics. He is speaking clearly... Help someone who you know that is in need, and watch God blow your mind with blessings.


Blessings to all!
CJ