You Are Not Alone

“As a prophet of God, Elisha knew he needed help and that he was never alone. But as Elisha and his servant slept, the king of Aram sent horses and chariots and a strong force to confront them; they literally surrounded them and the entire city. The king was angry that Elisha always seemed to know their next move and was able to warn the Israelites of possible attack. Elisha’s servant had woken up early only to see this vast army. Terrified, overwhelmed and isolated, he ran back inside to tell Elisha. But Elisha was unmoved. He was calm and confident. He didn’t panic as his servant hid in fear.

Even though the situation looked impossible, he knew something that his servant didn’t—they were not alone! Elisha told his servant to relax. He said, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). Then Elisha prayed that God would open his servant’s eyes to see a whole new reality—the spiritual realm where the battles are really won and lost. The servant’s eyes were opened and for the first time he could see what Elisha saw all along—the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire. This was God’s army.

Many times in life we feel alone. But we are never alone. In fact, not only are God’s angels present, but His Spirit also lives in us to guide and teach and comfort.

Jesus never leaves us. On this journey of life, you are never alone.”

“Relax. Just like Elisha did. You find that people who are not walking with the Lord in this life tend to panic much more easily. When the economy takes a bad turn and drops their 401k into a 201k, they curse, weep and worry themselves into a frenzy when, really, all they need to do is look to the Lord. When the Lord is for you, who can really be against you? Faith. Obedience. Relationship. These are the things He asks of us. And know that even though you may not see it, those who are with us are more than those who are against us.”

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Excerpt From: Peña, Jimmy. “PrayFit.” Regal From Gospel Light. iBooks. 

Did I Marry The Wrong Person (Gen 24-25)

Do you ever have hard days in your marriage and wonder if you married the wrong person? Perhaps your spouse has failed to meet your expectations or completely changed into a person you do not recognize. Then what?

Today, we are covering the reading from  Genesis 24 & 25.  We see a beautiful love story as God orchestrates the finding of Rebekah to marry Isaac.

Abraham’s servant is sent to the city of Nahor. These are the words of the servant:

“Let the young woman to who I shall say ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camel’ – let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac.” Genesis 24:14

Before the servant had finished speaking – beautiful Rebekah appears and fulfills his words!

Boom – just like that we have a love connection!

And off to the father and brother of Rebekah the servant goes, asking for her hand in marriage.  The request is granted and not a day passes and Rebekah is whisked away to a new land.  Now watch this marriage as it takes place.

Genesis 24:64-67

64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Match made in heaven right?  Well, almost.

I mean it was clearly orchestrated sovereignly by God.  Rebekah had a beautiful trusting spirit that led her to leave her own family, at the drop of a hat, and marry Issac.  And all seems well until…the kids show up.

First, we see in Genesis 25, Rebekah is barren.  Once again, God’s chosen people are being forced to depend upon God for the opening of their womb.  After Isaac’s prayer, Rebekah conceives with twins. But her pregnancy doesn’t seem normal as the children are wrestling IN HER WOMB!  Bah!

Can you imagine?  And she inquires of the Lord why and He answers in Genesis 25:23:

And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”

This was a prophecy of what was to come.  Esau and Jacob would be born and Jacob would steal Esau’s blessing.

And here’s the kicker, Isaac favored Esau over Jacob and Rebekah favored Jacob over Esau.  This laid the grown work for marital issues.

Rebekah orchestrated a plan to deceive her own husband and trick him into giving the birthright to her favorite son.

Deception. Manipulation.  Failed expectations.

In Genesis 27:33, we see how Isaac responds to Rebekah’s trickery:

 33 Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”

Uh Oh – a match made in heaven?  I’m thinking that’s not how Isaac is feeling right about now.  But he did not marry the wrong person. We know clearly from how their marriage began, this was definitely the wife Isaac was to have.

Often times, marriage begins in wedded bliss but as the years pass on and conflict arises we can look at the person we married and think – what have I done?  I hear so many stories of women saying, he’s not who I thought I married or I married the wrong person – can I get out?

Marriage is hard.  As I read the true stories of Godly men and women in the Bible, I see that their marriages were a struggle too.  I see the pain and suffering that sin inside the marriage causes. I see flawed heroes in need of the same grace of Jesus as we need in our marriages today.

May we remember that no man – no matter how Godly he appears at the start – is perfect.  Stress and selfishness and sin can creep into all marriages. None of us are immune to the effects of sin.  Conflicts in marriage do not mean we married the wrong person.

Let’s commit ourselves once again to the man we vowed before God and man, to love to the end.

Commit to work through the hard things and give grace for his short-comings.

Remember that our husbands are married to us – sinners. We fail them sometimes too and we need their grace in those moments.

Written by Courtney for women living well

Posted by Kachi

Disciple your kids or Satanists and the World will

What is your child learning?

We need to know and care about what our children are learning.

Don't be too busy for them, an investment in your child's spiritual growth  would be more valuable to you and to them in this life and in the next. Besides if you don't teach them about God, someone else who doesn't have the same faith or the evil world would teach them. Devil is awake, he is not sleeping. We make out time to do other things during the days that are not as valuable. 

If you are taking this warning lightly, here is just a quick glimpse of the reality of our world today - World magazine has recently covered a story where Satanists are threatening to share their "educational materials" to distribute at a Florida school: 

"On Religious Freedom Day in January, faith-based groups have been giving Bibles to public school students in Florida. In response, atheists and agnostics distributed their literature as well, and now The Satanic Temple says it will do the same. 

An activity book prompting kids to color a “study filled with satanic literature” and to connect the dots making an inverted pentagram is one of the items listed under “religious literature for schools” on the group’s website."

This is no joke, folks.

Times have changed and we need to be serious about discipling our children for the Lord. 

An activity book prompting kids to color a “study filled with satanic literature” and to connect the dots making an inverted pentagram is one of the items listed under “religious literature for schools” on the group’s website.

The Satanic Temple does not “promote a belief in a personal Satan” but sees Satan as a symbol of “the Eternal Rebel,” according to its website. It made the news earlier this year for its effort to establish a satanic statue next to the Ten Commandments at the Oklahoma State Capitol. This month, it announced its latest effort to counter Christianity in the public forum with supposedly kid-friendly materials.

We as Parents need to wake up, if we don't devil will snatch your kids from you 

Written by kachi

Hopeful Mondays

“Luke 5:5-11”

“Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” (Luke 5:5 CEVDCUS06)

“Peter would know about Mondays.

Well, he would have known how you feel on Mondays. In our Luke 5 passage of Scripture, he’s just come home after working an all-nighter, and he’s tired. Add to that the fact that he has nothing to show for his labor and you could say he’s short on funds and maybe shorter on patience. The last thing he wants to do is turn the boat around and head back out. But in this passage, that’s exactly what Jesus asks him to do.

“Master, we worked all night and caught nothing, but if you say so, I’ll lower the nets,” he says to Jesus, who is standing on the shore.

Thankfully, Peter had more discipline than optimism, because he ended up catching more than fish.

Do you feel like you are in Peter’s boat? Is your week ahead looking more like a shallow lake than a sea of opportunity? Are you heading back to the same job, the same boss, the same staff, knowing that what lies ahead is much of the same? Well, do what Peter did. Try the other side of the boat. Try a different approach, a different style. And as you cast your line of work into the week, take a backward glance at the shore to see Jesus grinning at today’s success.

Let’s turn the boat around and catch the week by surprise, shall we?

—Peña”

Excerpt From: Peña, Jimmy. “PrayFit.” Regal From Gospel Light. 

Posted by Kachi

8 Ways to React When You’re Offended By Other Christians

When Martha complained to Jesus about Mary on His first visit to Bethany, Mary could have chosen to be offended by her sister. But there is no indication that she felt that way. She also could have taken offense when Judas and the disciples protested against her act of extravagant worship. But again, there is no indication that she did.

Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the pain that was inflicted upon Mary in both situations. Here was a woman who loved her Lord with all her heart, and she was unfairly criticized for it. Not by her enemies, but once by her sister and another time by some of the Lord’s own disciples.

It reminds me of the old adage, “No good deed shall go unpunished.”

The words of Elbert Hubbard come to mind: “To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.”

In both cases, Mary never opened her mouth to defend herself or her actions. In silence, she entrusted the matter to her Lord. And in both instances, Jesus rose to her defense.

Point: there will always be some Christians who will undermine and denigrate your good actions.

T. Austin-Sparks once wrote, “If you get upset, offended, and go off and sulk, and nurse your grievance, you will die.”

With that in mind, here are eight things I’ve learned about being offended by others:

(1)   Christians will hurt your feelings

Because of the fall, this will happen. Sometimes a person acts with malicious intent, desiring to hurt you because they don’t like you or they’ve chosen to be offended by you. Other times they will hurt you without realizing it.

I’m sure that when the other disciples chimed in with Judas’ complaint, they weren’t trying to hurt Mary. It was just the result of fleshly judgment.

(2) When others hurt you, your spiritual maturity will be revealed

You will discover how real your relationship with Jesus Christ is when your feelings get hurt. You can be the greatest speaker, the greatest worshipper, or the greatest evangelist, but when your feelings are hurt, what you do at that moment and afterward will reveal the reality of your relationship with Jesus.

People have one of two reactions when their feelings get hurt: they deal with it before the Lord, or they destroy others.

Mary left it in the hands of Christ.

(3) God intends to use mistreatments for our good

Recall the mistreatment that Joseph endured at the hands of his own brothers. Joseph took it from the hand of God, saying, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”

Remember King David when Abishai cursed him? David chose not to kill his detractor, but instead he saw the persecution in light of God’s sovereign hand.

To paraphrase Romans 8:28, everything that comes into our lives, whether good or evil, first passed through the hands of a sovereign, loving God before it got to us. And He uses it for our good.

Once you make peace with God’s sovereignty and His ability to write straight with crooked lines, the more at peace you will be with those who mistreat you. While God is not the author of confusion or evil, He seeks to use all things for our transformation.

When Jesus defended Mary, He transformed her act into an immortal example of what real worship entails. Her example was such that we’re still talking about it two thousand years later.

(4) Christians often get offended by reading into words and actions

This usually happens when a person is oversensitive and thinskinned. In my experience, this makes up most cases in which a Christian takes offense at another believer.

As a group, Christians are the most easily offended people in the world when we should be the least. While Mary was mistreated twice, she didn’t take offense.

(5) Christians often get offended with a person when they believe false accusations against them

Wise and discerning Christians who have been around the block ignore gossip that puts other believers in a bad light. In fact, in the eyes of the wise and discerning believer, any statement that has a defamatory tone is discredited out of the gate.

When wise and discerning believers are concerned about someone, they go straight to the person privately as Jesus taught us to do, asking questions rather than making allegations.

Some Christians, however, never think to do this. Instead, they readily believe slanderous allegations about a sister or brother in Christ without ever going to that person first.

The question “How would I want to be treated if someone were saying these things about me?” never seems to occur to them. The life of Jesus Christ always leads us to live that question. The flesh always leads us in the opposite direction.

Remember, Satan is the slanderer (that’s what “Devil” means), and he uses gossip to destroy relationships. That’s why the Bible says that believing gossip separates close friends and that one of the seven things the Lord hates is “sowing seeds of discord among brethren.”

(6) What you do with a hurt is a choice you make

You can choose to be offended and make a friend out of your hurt, feed it, take it out for daily walks, cuddle it, and protect it until it destroys you and others. A root of bitterness, if allowed to live, will defile many and prove destructive to your own spirit.

You can also choose to be offended and retaliate actively or passively.

Or you can choose to live by Christ and bring your hurt to God. Sometimes the Lord will lead you to go to the person and talk to them in a gracious manner, seeking reconciliation.

Other times He will lead you to forebear it, take it to the cross, let it go, and move on. “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”

Sometimes He will show you that you’ve completely misinterpreted the actions of another.

In cases of repeated abuse, which I’m not addressing in this section, getting others involved is often wise and necessary.

Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you should enable that person to commit a crime or continue to devastate the lives of others.

(7) To be offended by a child of God is to be offended by God

When Jesus began preaching in His hometown of Nazareth, He offended His neighbors. They stumbled over Him and rejected who He really was.

When you choose to take offense at another Christian, you are rejecting who they are in Christ. Thus it affects your relationship with Jesus, whether you realize it or not. Why?

Because Christ and His body are connected, so “if you’ve done it to the least of these my brethren, you’ve done it unto Me.”

Again, I’m not equating being offended with being hurt.

(8) You can live free from offense

This doesn’t mean that you will never be hurt. Nor does it mean that you will never be angry. Jesus got angry. Remember His temple tantrum? Paul said, “Be angry and sin not. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.”

Anger is a normal human emotion when someone abuses you or abuses someone you care about. But what you do with your anger determines whether or not it is sin.

In addition, we should always be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” The Lord has called us to the high road of living without offense. And He has given us both the power and the will to do His good pleasure in this area.

Written by Frank Viola

Posted by Kachi

The Purpose of Life What is the real purpose of life?

What is the REAL purpose of life? Why are we here on this earth?

James 4:14 For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Our life is short, so short in fact that the Bible says it is even as a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Lets ask ourselves, if the average lifespan of a human is 70 years, what is this compared to 50,000 years in heaven, or 10,000,000 years with Jesus, but as we know, in heaven there are no time limits, it is for eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Our life now, when compared with forever in heaven, is truly just a small time.

Consider for a moment... Jesus, The all powerful all knowing one, who at his voice, the heavens were made and all the host of them, He is the only source of life. Contemplate this, that Jesus had everything, He could not have had more honour, he had all riches, All good things were His. God created this earth in its perfection, the plants, the birds and fish, all the creeping beasts and humanity were created by Him.

But, we chose to follow deception rather than truth, to follow death rather than life. Now according to the law of God, man must die, there seemed no alternative. Disobedience to the law of God demanded the penalty, death. But God had a plan, and in his great love he sent his Son Jesus, to our world. Imagine, the almost infinite humiliation that Jesus felt to put off his kingly robes and to experience the life of a human on this earth! Jesus, because of his infinite love toward us, suffered death for our sins, yes for my sins and for your sins, He paid the penalty, so that we could receive His reward, the gift of eternal life.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

How did man become living? The Lord God breathed into him the breathe of life and man became a living soul. Does this mean that God gave our first parents the breath of life and then left us to our own devices? Do we, today, just continue the life-cycle independently of God? The Bible says;

Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

This is an amazing fact, that, as the almighty God gave breath and life to Job (long after Adam had been given life) So He continues to do the same to this present day.

The physical organism of man is under the supervision of God, but it is not like a clock, which is set in operation, and must go of itself. The heart beats, pulse succeeds pulse, breath succeeds breath, but the entire being is under the supervision of God. "Ye are God's husbandry; ye are God's building." In God we live, and move, and have our being. Each heartbeat, each breath, is the inspiration of Him who breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life--the inspiration of the ever-present God, the great I AM.-- E.G.White R.H., Nov. 8, 1898.

God inspires each breath we breathe and if He were to neglect us only for a few seconds we would cease to live! We are totally dependent on God for breath and life. Paul sums it up very accurately in Acts 17:28

For in him we live, and move, and have our being...

So, if our lives are very short even as a vapour when compared with forever in heaven, if Jesus, the all powerful all knowing God and creator, came from heaven and became human, to pay the penalty.... the death penalty for your sin and my sin, if we are, now at this moment being given breath and life from God, what should our purpose be in life?

Truly when we see the great love of God for us, and contemplate the great plan of redemption, our only words will be praise and glory to God, and from this we will truly love all our fellow man. Think on the words of Paul, as he drew closer to Christ, he truly found that there was nothing in this world that is better than living for Christ.

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

He realized that to have life, means to have Christ, and to die with Christ is gain in comparison to living without Him.

May our purpose be to live wholly and unreservedly for Christ as we reflect on what He has done for us.

Written- by Emmanuel Higgins

Posted by Kachi

How Much Are You Worth

Do you sometimes feel worthless? Or, at times, have you been slighted or treated as though you were of little value?

Should we value some people more/less than others?

And how should we set a value upon each other?

Let's open the Bible and find some answers.

Remember to pray and ask God to give us wisdom before we read His word.

How much does God care for us? And how much does He value us?

Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

God cares for his creation (the sparrows in this case) so much! In fact not even one sparrow dies and falls on the ground without God noticing it. But to us sparrows seem so small and worthless, in fact in the Bible times two sparrows were sold for a farthing (less then one cent)!

If God values the sparrows so much, how much does He care for, and value us? Are not we of more value than many sparrows? Yes! In fact, God knows so much about us that even every hair on our head is numbered!

But how much are you and I truly worth? And what value should we place upon each other?

Often we'll look at the work someone is doing, and if they're doing a poor job, perhaps always making mistakes, then we view that person as of little value.

But is this the correct way of seeing value in someone?

In a friendship, if one person is not showing kindness, sympathy or love to the other, is it because they don't really value or appreciate that person as they should?

Think about it, if we truly saw the value of people as God does, would we still treat each other the way we do?

What value does God place upon us? Remember the verse we read earlier.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." Think of it, not one of these little brown sparrows that are caroling forth their praises to God will fall to the ground without the notice of the heavenly Father. Not one of these little brown sparrows that the boys so ruthlessly kill, drops to the ground but his eye marks its fall. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." If God cares for a sparrow that has no soul, how will he care for the purchase of the blood of Christ? One soul is worth more than all the world. For one soul Jesus would have passed through the agony of Calvary that that one might be saved in his kingdom. "Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." {RH, May 3, 1892 par. 8}

And this is the key to seeing and understanding the value of you and me and all other people in the world, that is, to see our value in light of what Jesus did to save us!

Isaiah 13:12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

God says that he will make a man, that is you and me, more precious than fine gold! (Ophir was a place famous for its gold). And truly, when we look at the greatness of the price paid to save us it is much, much more precious than gold!

How much Jesus loves us! Think about how Jesus, the great powerful Creator, became a man and walked among us, and then was crucified in the hands of those He had created!! And He did it because he loved and valued us so much, that He wanted to save us from our sins! So are we not of far greater value than anything in this world?

The worth of a human soul can be estimated only by the light reflected from the cross of Calvary. ... It was the joy set before Christ in accomplishing so great salvation, that led him to submit to shame, agony, and death. How do all the treasures and the glories of earth sink into insignificance when compared with the value of a human soul! {ST, February 16, 1882 par. 17}

Lets remember how much we are of value in God's eyes! And remember to be kind and loving to all the people in this world because of what Jesus has done for us, and the great worth He has place on us all.

Written by Emmanuel Higgins

Posted by Kachi

Dating

             

 

What kind of person should you date?

Date someone with a good attitude. It's in the Bible, Romans 15:5-6, TLB. "May God who gives patience, steadiness, and encouragement help you to live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ toward the other."

 

Date someone who encourages you and is supportive. It's in the Bible, Philippians 2:1-2, TLB. "Is there any such thing as Christians cheering each other up? Do you love me enough to want to help me? Does it mean anything to you that we are brothers in the Lord, sharing the same Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic at all? Then make me truly happy by loving each other, working together with one heart and mind and purpose.

 

II Timothy 2:22, TLB. "Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. Have faith and love, and enjoy the companionship of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts."

 

It is unwise to date someone who doesn't love God. It's in the Bible, II Corinthians 6:14-15, TLB. "Don't be teamed with those who do not love the Lord, for what do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can light live with darkness? And what harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a Christian be a partner with one who doesn't believe?" Amos 3:3, NKJV says, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"

 

Don't date someone who claims to be a Christian but doesn't live it. It's in the Bible, I Corinthians 5:11, TLB. "What I meant was that you are not to keep company with anyone who claims to be a brother Christian but indulges in sexual sins, or is greedy, or is a swindler, or worships idols, or is a drunkard, or abusive. Don't even eat lunch with such a person."

 

Avoid dating people who have a bad temper. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 22:24, TLB. "Keep away from angry, short-tempered men, lest you learn to be like them and endanger your soul."

 

Don't date a lazy Christian. It's in the Bible, II Thessalonians 3:6, TLB. "Now here is a command, dear brothers, given in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ by his authority: Stay away from any Christian who spends his days in laziness and does not follow the ideal of hard work we set up for you."

 

Inner beauty counts the most. It's in the Bible, I Peter 3:4, TLB. "Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious to God."

 

In a dating relationship don't be exclusive—care about others too. It's in the Bible, Philippians 2:4, TLB. "Don't just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing."

 

Let the relationship progress step by step. It's in the Bible, II Peter 1:6-7, TLB. "Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply."

 

What to avoid on dates. It's in the Bible, Romans 13:13, TLB. "Be decent and true in everything you do so that all can approve your behaviour. Don't spend your time in wild parties and getting drunk or in adultery and lust, or fighting, or jealousy."

 

Dating should not include a sexual relationship. It's in the Bible, I Corinthians 6:13,18, TLB. "But sexual sin is never right: our bodies were not made for that, but for the Lord…That is why I say to run from sex sin. No other sin affects the body as this one does. When you sin this sin it is against your own body."

 

Keep yourself pure. It's in the Bible, I John 3:3, TLB. "And everyone who really believes this will try to stay pure because Christ is pure."

 

To keep from hurting ourselves, sexual desires and activities must be placed under Christ's control. It's in the Bible, I Thessalonians 4:3-5, TLB. "For God wants you to be holy and pure and to keep clear of all sexual sin so that each of you will marry in holiness and honor—not in lustful passion as the heathen do, in their ignorance of God and his ways."

 

If you have already gone too far physically, what should you do?

 

First, acknowledge your sin. It's in the Bible, Psalm 51:2-4, TLB. "Oh, wash me, cleanse me from this guilt. Let me be pure again. For I admit my shameful deed—it haunts me day and night."

 

Second, Ask forgiveness for your sin—God says you can start over again. It's in the Bible, Psalm 51:7-12, TLB. "Sprinkle me with the cleansing blood and I shall be clean again. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. And after You have punished me, give me back my joy again. Don't keep looking at my sins—erase them from Your sight. Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Don't toss me aside, banished forever from Your presence. Don't take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You."

 

Third, Believe that God has indeed forgiven you and quit feeling guilty. It's in the Bible, Psalm 32:1-6, TLB. "What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record. There was a time when I wouldn't admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night Your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to You and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, 'I will confess them to the Lord.' And You forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him if he does. You are my hiding place from every storm of life; You even keep me from getting into trouble! You surround me with songs of victory."

 

God has a mate for you. It's in the Bible, Genesis 2:18, TLB. "And the Lord God said, 'It isnot good for man to be alone; I will make a companion for him, a helper suited to his needs.'"

 

Ask the Lord for a mate. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 19:14, TLB. "A father can give his sons homes and riches, but only the Lord can give them understanding wives."

 

God will give you your heart's desires. It's in the Bible, Psalm 37:4 and Matthew 6:8, TLB. "Be delighted with the Lord. Then He will give you all your heart's desires." "Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask Him!"

 

 

Source:

Bibleinfo.com

Life in The Womb

When conception occurs, all the God-designed instructions of what the person will be are set; sex, eye color, physical attributes, intelligence, gifts.  By the second week, the baby attaches and burrows into the wall of his/her mother’s womb. Within the next week, blood vessels and sex cells form.  The foundations for the brain, spinal column and nervous system are established.

The baby’s heart beat can be heard at one month in the womb. Eyes, ears and lungs begin developing.  Tiny arms and legs and a baby’s face develop over the next seven days, and the blood now pumps separately from the mother. Tiny fingers and toes and the division of the brain into three parts for emotional and language, hearing and seeing develop. Seven more days and brain activity is detectable, 99% of the muscles are present and milk teeth form.

By the eighth week, the baby begins to move in the mother’s womb.  Every organ is present, and the skull, elbows and knees begin to form.  If prodded at nine weeks, the baby’s eyes and hands will close. Genitalia become evident and muscular movement begins.  By ten weeks, the baby has fingerprints uniquely his/her own identification, and nerve and muscle connections have tripled.

The baby practices “breathing” and facial expressions at eleven weeks. (Who says a baby can’t smile?)

By the third month, the baby can swallow and feel and respond to skin stimulation. The baby can feel pain.

From the third month on, he or she grows, but all that was necessary for this new life was established at conception.  God is the giver of life, each child a gift from Him.

Think about this!