Prayer

I know my Redeemer lives

Bad things do happen to good people, but every time something serious happens to a good person the critics question their credibility. This is especially true if the person in question is a follower of Jesus Christ. Even fellow Christians who should know better are often the first ones jumping to a negative conclusion.I am here to urge you not to feel guilty if you are a Christian and going through tough times. It is not uncommon for God to order the suffering of an individual to prove to the adversary that he is upright and steadfast.

Maybe you have lost your job, your house is being foreclose, your credit cards are maxed out, the bills are piling up, and there is no end in sight. Regardless of your troubles hold on to God’s unchanging hand. Your current situation might be a test from God.

The Bible tells us about a man in the Land of Uz, named Job. (Read Job 1:1) Job was a man of substance, who was perfect and upright. He was a righteous man who feared God. He never did anything wrong, yet he suffered. Job lost everything he possessed, including his ten children. Further, he was stricken with a skin disease. His wife and some of his friends were adamant that his suffering was punishment from God. They encouraged him to curse God and die.

But Job was not a wishy-washy man of God. His faith was unshakable. The Bible says, in all his suffering, Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly. Job knew his earthly possession, including his family were gifts from God. After the death of his sons, he remarked, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

Job did not know his suffering was a test from God. However, he was confident he had not offended God. Therefore, he was certain that one day God would vindicate him when he stands before the Judgement Seat. Hence, he declared: “For I know that my redeemer lives and that he shall stand at the latter-day upon the earth” (Job 19:2 5).

In the end, God vindicated Job. His health returned, God blessed him with much more wealth than he ever had. His wife gave birth to ten more kids, and he lived for one hundred forty years afterwards. God rewarded Job for his faithfulness, and he will do the same for you and I.

Perception does not equal reality

002In our work environments, it is easy to hear—or speak—unkind things about managers, coworkers, customers, people in other departments as though it is indeed the truth, when, in fact, it is just a perception, and often it’s an incorrect perception. What harm is done to people’s careers, reputations and feelings because of these deadly opinions so freely expressed!
Have you noticed how easily we gravitate toward these negative opinions and perceptions—ours as well as those expressed to us by others? Our old nature just seems to love to hear and believe the worst. And yet, Christians should be just the opposite. When the love of God is spread in our hearts, our new nature will cause us to discount the unlovely things we hear.
First Corinthians 13:6 says that love—true agape love— does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. A child of God should have an unmistakable trademark of this kind of love, which doesn’t gleefully indulge in these careless expressions of unkind and negative opinions and perceptions, either in their own minds or from others.
Why don’t we simply make a decision to be skeptical of negative perceptions—other people’s perceptions expressed to us and our own perceptions formed in our minds?      Let’s ask God to give us discernment so that we can see past the flippant opinions expressed and understand the truth. When you find yourself forming a negative impression of others, stop and put yourself in their shoes; ask yourself if you really have adequate input to form this perception; become skeptical of your own opinions.
The Psalmist said, “I have resolved that my mouth will not sin” (Psalm 17:3). And he prayed, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). I try to visualize my mouth as having two guards on either side, carefully screening the words I’m getting ready to say.
Once I started to give my reactions and opinions about another organization, and that guard at the door of my lips quickly reminded me that my opinion was not needed, and it would not build anyone up or bring about any good. So, the words were screened before they came out. Join me in asking God to teach us to remember that our perceptions do not necessarily equal reality.

One rose will do

 

Hallelujah

Psalm 51 is a prayer of repentance. David prayed this prayer when the prophet Nathan went to him, after he had gone into Bathsheba.

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your loving-kindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

When Jesus is in your life heaven sounds sweet

Not many people grow old gracefully. Some folks are sunny throughout their lives. There are others who were sunny earlier on, but It seems the nearer they get to the end of their lives the less sunny they have become. Many of these folks have all the toys they have ever wanted, but for some strange reason they are not happy. These poor souls cannot carry on a conversation without barking and growling at the other person.

Over the last 10 years,  I have had to deal with at least one person per week who have displayed what I would like to call a “Nasty Disposition”. I used to get offended, but as the problem occur more and more, I realize it is not personal. It is who they have become, and they cannot do anything about it.

Hence, I thought about how cruel this world is. If we are not careful, it will chew us up and spit us out-leaving many miserable and aloof.

Therefore, I thank God for Jesus. He has the answer for every question and the solution for every problem. If I continue to hold on to the promises of God, and most importantly, His unchanging hand, then my life will be sunny to the end. Hopefully, my testimony then will be similar to one apostle gave at the end of his life: ” I have fought the good fight I have finished the race I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”(2 Timothy 4:7-8).

When you have Jesus in your life, heaven does sound sweet all the time.