God

Be thankful for what you have got

English: Scroll of the Psalms

English: Scroll of the Psalms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

O, give thanks to the Lord, for He is gracious!

For His mercy endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

3 And gathered out of the lands,

From the east and from the west,

From the north and from the south.

4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;

They found no city to dwell in.

5 Hungry and thirsty,

Their soul fainted in them.

6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He delivered them out of their distresses.

7 And He led them forth by the right way,

That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

And for His marvellous works to the children of men!

9 For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:1-9).

The key to living in a loving state is to be thankful for what you have. Most of us take life for granted and fail to appreciate the gifts we have been given by our heavenly father. The next time you feel a little down take a few minutes to think about how miraculous and how blessed your life is. There is so much to be thankful for.

In her book, “the 10 second Kiss” Ellen Kreidman, Ph.D. asks a the following thought-provoking questions which I find particularly compelling.

Are you breathing on your own? There are people at this moment who need a respirator to help them breathe.

When you got up this morning, were you able to hear the alarm go off? Could you hear the birds singing, the wind blowing, the heat or air-conditioning going on? There are people who are deaf and can’t do that.

Are you able to talk? Can you scream, whisper or sing a song? There are people who will never be able to use their vocal cords.

Look around you. Can you see the clouds, the blue sky, the grass, and flowers and trees? There are people who see only darkness. They are blind and cannot see nature’s beauty.

How about your legs? Can you walk, skip, jump, hop and crawl? There are people who are confined to a wheelchair for the rest of their lives.

Did you have enough money to buy food today? One-third of the world’s population will go to bed hungry tonight.

Do you have a home to live in? All over the world, there are men, women and children who are homeless.

Do you have bills to pay? That means someone was willing to trust you enough to give you a product or service in advance of getting paid. There are many people who have no credit and cannot get anything without cash their hands.

Do you have a savings account? That means you were able to put some extra money away for a rainy day. There are so many people who do not have enough money to get through today.

How to reap the benefits of God’s leadership in your life?

Icon of Jesus Christ

Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A college professor laid out his teaching philosophy on the first day of class: “If you allow me, I will teach you as much as I can in these few short weeks, but if you defy me, I guarantee that you will learn nothing. You will not like everything I tell you, but if you follow my instructions, you will leave these class much better thinkers than when you came in.”

The professor was a task master who demanded perfection from his students. Many students who were too lazy to put forth the actual effort, lost interest and complained about the strict grading and disparaging comments. The few extremely dedicated ones, found their professor to be one of the finest they ever had, and they valued his opinion above all others. This man helped them become better than they thought possible.

God offers us the same deal. If we are open to His leadership, He will help us achieve our full potential. However, if we resist His help, we can never hope to achieve that goal. Wise men and women get to be smart by listening and trying to improve themselves. They are never satisfied with whom they are today, but they always look forward to what they can become tomorrow. Proverbs 9:9 say it best: “Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;  teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.”

So Let no one deceive himself brethren. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Therefore, let no one boast in men. For all things are God’s: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are God’s. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:18-23).

Guillain Barre Syndrome was the thorn that brought me to Jesus

Every person who came in contact with Jesus Christ has a story to tell. The apostle Paul had his experience (then Saul) while on his way to Damascus to persecute the Church. I had mine in the St. Francis Hospital, in Hartford, Connecticut.”And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul why persecutes thou me? And he said, “who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, “I am Jesus, who thou persecutes; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” And Paul trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou has me to do? And the Lord said unto him, “Arise! Go into the city, and someone will thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:3-6).

Many of us grew up in Christian homes, where the gospel was taught very early in our lives. Still, some of us grew up in homes where the gospel was never mentioned at all.

I grew up in what I would call; a semi-Christian home. My mom was a praying woman, and Dad was a dreamer. I never saw my dad in church, but that did not stop Mom from indoctrinating me and my brother with the gospel of Jesus Christ. She made sure we knew all the popular church songs and Bible stories. Each week she would drill the Sunday School Golden Text into our heads, and when called upon, the Golden text was to be recited without error.

Mom was truly fired up for Jesus, but she never allowed her children to know Jesus Christ for themselves. She completely ignored the simple fact about Christianity: To be a follower of Christ, everyone has to have an awakening and a personal contact with Christ. Each of us must have our own Damascus road experience. Without that experience, you are doomed to fail because the moment you decided to follow Christ your enemies increased a 100 fold.

I never had a personal contact with Jesus as a young child. I was merely following Mom’s orders. It was not until I was stricken with a very dangerous autoimmune disease called Guillain Barre Syndrome. (That’s what the doctors told me, but years later I discovered that I was poisoned). I thought I was going to die. The enemy had me cornered, and the doctors who were attending to me had never treated anyone for this disease before. I had no place to turn to, so I called upon the Church and Jesus Christ–Jehovah Rapha.

The church came and prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and prayed for my deliverance. Today I am rejoicing in the Lord, completely healed and delivered from Guillain Barre Syndrome:

I can truthfully confess that prayer works. My God is ever faithful. Whatever he says, he will do.”Oh Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me” (“Psalms 30:2). I am now a new person and a true follower of Jesus Christ.

What does Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount means to you?

The Sermon of the Beatitudes (1886-96) by Jame...

The Sermon of the Beatitudes (1886-96) by James Tissot from the series The Life of Christ, Brooklyn Museum (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: Is the greatest sermon ever preached. The Lord’s Prayer, the beatitudes, and the golden rule are in this sermon.

Jesus delivered this sermon on a mountain near Capernaum. There is some dispute whether Jesus sat while delivering the Sermon on the Mount. Sitting asserts authority, so rabbi’s often sat while teaching.

The Sermon on the Mount is in the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of Matthew. You can read the entire sermon here: http://www.biblepath.com/beatitudes.html. It’s divided into 5 sections listed below:

Beatitudes – Teachings that begin with “blessed.” These were meant to comfort suffering believers.

New laws – Contrasts the Old Law of Moses with the new law of Christ.
Lord’s Prayer – Instructions on prayer. Jesus also teaches the proper motives for fasting and offering gifts.

Money – Christian attitudes concerning the use of money. Reasons to avoid worry.

Warnings – Dangers of false teachers and hypocrisy. Jesus also presents the parable of the wise and foolish builders.

Eight Champions Of Motherhood In The Bible

Eight mothers in the Bible played key roles in the coming of Jesus Christ. None of them was perfect, yet each showed strong faith in God. God, in turn, rewarded them for their confidence in him.

These mothers lived in an age when women were often treated as second class citizens, yet God appreciated their true worth, just as he does today. Motherhood is one of life’s highest callings. Learn how these eight mothers in the Bible put their hope in the God of the Impossible, and how he proved that such hope is always well-placed.

Eight mothers in the Bible played key roles in the coming of Jesus Christ. None of them was perfect, yet each showed strong faith in God. God, in turn, rewarded them for their confidence in him.

These mothers lived in an age when women were often treated as second class citizens, yet God appreciated their true worth, just as he does today. Motherhood is one of life’s highest callings. Learn how these eight mothers in the Bible put their hope in the God of the Impossible, and how he proved that such hope is always well-placed.

Eve – Mother of All the Living

Eve was the first woman and the first mother. Without a single role model or mentor, she paved the maternal way to become “Mother of All the Living.” She and her mate Adam lived in Paradise, but they spoiled it by listening to Satan instead of God. Eve suffered terrible grief when her son Cain murdered his brother Abel, yet despite these tragedies, Eve went on to fulfill her part in God’s plan of populating the Earth.

Learn more about Eve …

Sarah – Wife of Abraham

Sarah was one of the most important women in the Bible. She was the wife of Abraham, which made her the mother of the nation of Israel. Yet Sarah was barren. She conceived through a miracle in spite of her old age. Sarah was a good wife, a loyal helper and builder with Abraham. Her faith serves as a shining example for every person who has to wait on God to act.

Learn more about Sarah …

Rebekah – Wife of Isaac

Rebekah, like her mother-in-law Sarah, was barren. When her husbandIsaac prayed for her, God opened Rebekah’s womb and she conceived and gave birth to twin sons, Esau and Jacob. During an age when women were typically submissive, Rebekah was quite assertive. At times Rebekah took matters into her own hands. Sometimes that worked out, but it also resulted in disastrous consequences.

Learn more about Rebekah …

Jochebed – Mother of Moses

Jochebed, the mother of Moses, is one of the underappreciated mothers in the Bible, yet she also showed tremendous faith in God. To avoid the mass slaughter of Hebrew boys, she set her baby adrift in the Nile River, hoping someone would find him and raise him. God so worked that her baby was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. Jochebed even became her own son’s nurse. God used Moses mightily, to free the Hebrew people from their 400 year bondage of slavery and take them to the promised land. Although little is written about Jochebed in the Bible, her story speaks powerfully to mothers of today.

Learn more about Jochebed …

Hannah – Mother of Samuel the Prophet

Hannah’s story is one of the most touching in the entire Bible. Like several other mothers in the Bible, she knew what it meant to suffer long years of barrenness. In Hannah’s case she was cruelly taunted by her husband’s other wife. But Hannah never gave up on God. Finally her heartfelt prayers were answered. She gave birth to a son, Samuel, then did something entirely selfless to honor her promise to God. God favored Hannah with five more children, bringing great blessing to her life.

Learn more about Hannah …

Bathsheba – Wife of David

Bathsheba was the object of King David‘s lust. David even arranged to have her husband Uriah the Hittite killed to get him out of the way. God was so displeased with David’s actions that he struck dead the baby from that union. In spite of heartbreaking circumstances, Bathsheba remained loyal to David. Their next son, Solomon, was loved by God and grew up to become Israel’s greatest king. From David’s line would come Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. And Bathsheba would have the distinguished honor of being one of only five women listed in Messiah’s ancestry.

Learn more about Bathsheba …

Elizabeth – Mother of John the Baptist

Barren in her old age, Elizabeth was another of the miracle mothers in the Bible. She conceived and gave birth to a son. She and her husband named him John, as an angel had instructed. Like Hannah before her, she dedicated her son to God, and like Hannah’s son, he also became a great prophet, John the Baptist. Elizabeth’s joy was complete when her relative Mary visited her, pregnant with the future Savior of the World.

Learn more about Elizabeth …

Mary – Mother of Jesus

Mary was the most honored mother in the Bible, the human mother of Jesus, who saved the world from its sins. Although she was only a young, humble peasant, Mary accepted God’s will for her life. She suffered enormous shame and pain, yet never doubted her Son for a moment. Mary stands as highly favored by God, a shining example of obedience and submission to the Father’s will.

Learn more about Mary …