Pillar of cloud

Exodus 13 : 21 tells us that the Lord led the children of Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In our daily lives, the Holy Spirit is this pillar of cloud. It is a GIFT to the believer who trusts in HIM. It guides the children of God. When we are led by the Spirit, our lives will be characterized by the love, joy, peace and self-control. (Galatians 5 : 16 – 22).

Exodus 13 : 21

The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud
to lead the way.

(0429) 30 Nov 2007

Answering the call

Have you ever felt confused about God’s calling for your life?

Trials, difficulties, and disappointments are often the tools God uses to test and mold our faith.

When we ignore God’s will, we jeopardize HIS purpose because HE has a divine plan in mind. God knows what HE wants to accomplish and how to do it—something we cannot know until HE reveals it to us. There is grave danger when we assume responsibility and work without God’s approval. Acting on our own strength, we are limited by our finite understanding and ability.

It is when we experience trials and difficulties that we learn to trust God. Without such times of learning, the temptation to give up could become too appealing

When God calls you to do something, HE always makes HIS will clear. You may not know all the details, but you will know that HE has called you.

There is no need to worry about how you will accomplish the work HE has given you. God always equips those HE calls.

You may doubt that God has called you. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are called of God, and HE has a purpose for your life. You are HIS living testimony. Your faith can stir others to trust and obey HIS Word.

As you strive to heed God’s call, you may feel overwhelmed and want to give up. There were times when Moses wanted to give the responsibility of being Israel’s leader. However, when Moses felt discouraged, he cried out to God, and the Lord faithfully refreshed and encouraged him. Nothing this life holds can compare to God’s love and grace. Moses understood this and continued with the responsibility that God had given him.

Godly responsibility requires :
confidence in God;
courage to go forward even though the way may not be clear; and
commitment to Jesus Christ.

Be steadfast in your commitment to God.

God is with us—leading, guiding, reassuring, and reminding us of HIS intimate love and care at every turn.

Only by God’s strength can we do what He has called us to do. Take time to thank Him for loving you and calling you. God uses all who make themselves available to Him regardless of age. Are you prepared to answer His call?

(0428) 29 Nov 2007

Staying close to God helps us avoid life's roadblocks

What are parables ?

They are illustrations used to communicate important spiritual truths. They still work today as much as they ever have !! Jesus used parables to convey spiritual truths that are often difficult to grasp. Imagine that you are driving on a winding road in the country side. There was this bus in front of you, which obstructed your view ahead. You tried many times to pass this huge bus, but the winding road would not cooperate and you could not see well ahead that you need to ensure that the road was clear for you to overtake. Suddenly, the bus veered to the left to avoid an obstruction on the road. Unfortunately, you did not react quickly enough and hit the obstruction, causing great injury to yourself. This modern-day illustration stresses the importance of a close walk with Jesus.

The winding road represents life with all its twists and turns. Indeed, we never
really know what lies ahead in our lives, the trees that will block our way, but
we do know the one who does know; and if we choose to follow Him, we can avoid
much of the trouble that lies ahead.

Matthew 13:35

I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter what
has been hidden since the foundation of the world.

(0427) 28 Nov 2007

Virus and sins

Has your computer ever bogged you down ? Viruses are created maliciously and these virus creators want to make our lives miserable.

Sin resembles a computer virus. Satan wants to destroy our lives by infecting our minds. Just as we let the virus into our computers, we also let darkness into our lives. We let down our guard and hardly notice the sin that infects our minds.

By confessing our sins, study God’s Word and praying, we are building defences, like firewall, to safeguard our minds. With the help of the Spirit, we will keep our minds from becoming unwitting hosts for unwanted guests.

2 Corinthians 10 : 5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

(0426) 27 Nov 2007

Our stops and steps

Sometimes life demands that we weather a storm, or puts us to the test of the boredom. We may feel stuck. What we want most is just out of reach. In such situations, we only need to trust God for guidance. HE will eventually guide us to our desired haven.

Psalm 107 : 30

HE guides them to their desired haven

(0425) 26 Nov 2007

Favourite stories

As we read the Parable of the Lost Son, we are constantly reminded that at some point in our lives, we take the role of one of the three characters in the story. At times we are the disobedient child in need of repentance and forgiveness.At other times we are the big brother who wants to hold on to resentment and withhold forgiveness.As we mature, we become like the father, whose highest desire is to have all his children reconciled. Ask yourself,What is your role in this story ?Do you have the courage to repent and seek forgiveness ?Do you need the compassion to extend forgiveness ? God has given HIS children the ministry of reconciliation. Now, is the best time to start.

2 Corinthians 5 : 18

God … has given us the ministry of reconciliations

(0424) 25 Nov 2007

It is what HE says

In 1 Kings 13 we read of a man of God who performed miraculous sings at the altar in Bethel. But after this great victory, he took the word of another prophet to be the truth even though he knew it was contrary to what God had told him. His disobedience cost him his life. He was eaten by a lion. This story teaches us that God’s Word is superior to anyone else’s word. We must obey God’s Word as only God’s Word can always be relied on.

1 Kings 13 : 9
It was commanded me by the word of the LORD

(0423) 24 Nov 2007

Be reminded

In our daily busy lives we easily forget God and HIS passion for us. We forget that HE lives within and around us and loves us with eternal affection. It helps to have something to remind us of HIS presence. Look around you and you will notice some signs that remind us of God’s love. The blue sky, the green grass and leaves, the mountains and the seas. I like the colour green, it reminds of the green leaves around me, of God’s unfathomable love of man.

Numbers 15 : 38

Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their
garments …. and to put a blue thread in the tassels.

(0422) 23 Nov 2007

Live the supernatural life

Such statements may sound familiar to you “I have tried, but failed so many times; nothing seems to work.”“God doesn't hear my prayers” “I am tired of trying.”“ I've read the Bible, prayed, memorized Scripture, and gone to church. But there is no joy.” BUT do you ask yourself "you trust God for your salvation, but do not believe in HIS other promises concerning your rights as a child of God?" Romans 6 reminds us that every believer has available to him the mighty, supernatural power of the risen Christ. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the believer can live that supernatural life simply by claiming his rights through an act of his will. By faith, we can claim that sin no longer has control over us and that the mighty power of the resurrection is available as promised.

Romans 6 : 11

Even so, consider yourself to be dead to sin but
alive to God in Christ Jesus

(0421) 22 Nov 2007

Made perfect in weakness

God's grace is sufficient for you. His power is made perfect in weakness. You may be enjoying the prime of health, a bright student, a talented artist, or a gifted speaker. You may be feeling on top of the world. Suddenly, one day illness strikes you. On such a situation, remember that God’s grace and HIS written Word assures you that HE loves you. You will recover when you cling on to God’s strength. Always remember to focus on God’s irresistible care.

2 Corinthians 12 : 9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”

(0420) 21 Nov 2007

Praying in God's way

Prayer is an ongoing communication with the Father, which involves listening, speaking, and acting on what we hear.
God has promised to answer HIS children’s prayers, but HE often waits before responding. HE does so for many reasons.

Sometimes HE answers our first request
Many times it takes several petitions before HE responds.
In certain situations, we have to keep asking before God gives HIS answer.

Jesus calls us to a lifestyle of “asking, seeking, and knocking”

• God has to make us ready for what HE wants to give. We may have some attitudes or behaviors that are not right. (James 4:3) He will deal with them before HE gives us His response.

• God may use delays to test our faith or to deepen our relationship with HIM. When there is no response from HIM, HE wants us to keep seeking HIM and conversing with HIM

• God’s timetable often does not match ours. HE knows what HE wants to accomplish in our spiritual lives and in our relationship with HIM. We can trust that the time between our request and HIS reply will be put to good use by HIM.

LUKE 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' And the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

(0419) 20 Nov 2007

Circumstances beyond control

Do you often become discouraged and weary when circumstances appear to be out of your control ? You can be assured that God is in control and HE knows the whole story right from the start to the finish.

Proverbs 3 : 5 - 6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your path.

(0410) 19 Nov 2007

A painful task !!

Prayer of repentance is difficult. Sins that we refuse to confess or acknowledge is a barrier between us and God. It is painful to admit our bad attitudes, destructive behaviour and wrong reactions to God. But God has promised and we have a guarantee that regardless of the deeds we have done, if we confess, HE will forgive.

Psalm 66 : 18
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened

Proverbs 28 : 13
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy

1 John 1 : 9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness

(0409) 18 Nov 2007

Commitment

Total commitment is the commitment of our intellects, our emotions and our wills to do the will of God in every situation with faith that we can, as promised,trusting Him to help us to do whatever HE calls us to do

Psalm 37 : 5

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to
help you do it and He will

(0408) 17 Nov 2007

How to be motivated

There are times when our faith burns brightly, and there are times when our faith wavers under trials or doubt. The pages of the Bible are filled with incidences and stories offorgiveness of sins, healing touches, emotional restorations, renewals of faith……. Pages that talk on Jesus who address or rectify sins or setbackssigns and wonders that renew unwavering faiths All these miracles still challenge and encourage us today. Each of these miracles will be an anchor of faith and testimony, one that will inspire again and again.

Ephesians 3 : 20

He who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us

(0407) 16 Nov 2007

Be contented

We long for approval, possessions and position. We are never satisfied with what we have. We have this problem because we focus on what we lack rather than on what we have. We are discontented. Contentment is a choice and it is an ongoing process. We must learn to choose wisely.

1 Timothy 6 : 6

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

(0406) 15 Nov 2007

HE is in control

Jesus urges us to keep our minds filled with the idea of God’s control behind every thing.. We must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and a willingness to ask and seek Fill your mind with the idea that God is always there to help you. Armed with this idea that is formed so powerfully within you, we can go to God to get all difficulties and problems solved. Nothing happens in any particular unless God's will is behind it, therefore you can restin perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but an attitude of mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. "Ask, and it shall be given you."

Mathew 7 : 11

How much more shall your Father which is in heaven
give good things to them that ask Him?

(0405) 14 Nov 2007

Be still before HIM

It is difficult to find time to become still before God. The disturbance come from both outside influence and our inner selves. Our lives are filled with things that need to be done throughout the day and we have plans for days ahead.

To be still before God is to get ourselves replenished and renewed !! HE gives us strength, patience, love, sound mind and all the good things we so desperately need on a daily basis to continue living in today’s chaotic world.
Unless we remain still before God,
we cannot talk to and give Him all of ourselves amidst the disturbances around us
we will not be able to hear Him and what He wants to say to us. ?

Psalm 62 : 5
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope
comes from him

(0404) 13 Nov 2007

Sustained in silence

Lately have you experienced a rough patch in life?
Do you find it difficult to focus on your Bible study ?
Has it become hard for you to pray ?

When we endure such times, all we need to do is to lie still. Words are not necessary. God knows our needs and HIS mercy will hold us up (Psalm 94 : 18). We can trust HIM to carry us through that dark night of the soul and into the dawning light.

Psalm 94 : 19

In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.

(0440) 12 Dec 2007

Stand firm

The world tells us to compromise for our personal gain, but the Bible tells us to stand firm for our faith not matter what the world says. It is easy to compromise and conform. You are lonely if you stand alone but our faith tells us to be firm

1 Corinthians 16 : 13 - 14

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

(0403) 12 Nov 2007

Be faithful

We are thankful to God and always praise HIM for HIS faithfulness. We must also consider the fact that HE needs us to be faithful too. God needs people He can count on. He needs faithful and wise stewards He can trust. He needs faithful believers to team up with, to manifest Himself in the earth more than ever before.

Luke 12:42

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

(0402) 11 Nov 2007

Trust HIM

How can you be sure that you are saved ? It is not enough to ask Jesus to come to live within us and forgive our sins. We must believe that He will do exactly what He promised to do. By faith, we must be able to say, "I know that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead and that He will come into my life and change me if I ask Him to. I know that He will make me His child and never leave me because all of these are promises from God's holy, inspired Word. Therefore, I believe the promise of Ephesians 2:8,9 - that I attain salvation through trust in Christ." It is not enough to ask Christ into our lives; we must believe His promise, "For by grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8, NAS).

Ephesians 2 : 8 - 9

Because of His kindness you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it.

(0401) 10 Nov 2007

How to master a perfect skill

A person practices to improve his skills. He works hard, repeating the same motions over and over until they become what we would call "second nature" to him. Most of us understand how crucial that kind of training is in the physical realm. We know that you simply can not be a winner without it. We can train ourselves that same way where spiritual things are concerned? Hebrews 5:14 says we can train our senses to discern between good and evil. When you train, or practice, for something, you expose yourself daily to whatever it is you want to become. You practice it over and over until it becomes second nature to you. Spending time with God is "spirit" practice. As you do it diligently, your spirit will grow stronger and will start to overcome the habits of the flesh.

Titus 2:12

It [grace] has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world."

(0400) 09 Nov 2007

How to wait on HIM

Waiting on the Lord sounds easy. After all, we only have to pray and listen for His answer, right? In reality the process is unbearable. Believers must have faith, trusting in God even without knowing when or how He will resolve a situation. Faith cannot function without humility. We must submit to the Lord with the recognition that there is nothing we can do except pause until further instructions come. Believers need patience, which is not an inborn trait. It is a decision to remain calm and quiet in a difficult situation. Believers must have courage to make the choice to exercise patience. Fear of criticism is often the catalyst for believers to get out of God's will.

Psalm 27


(0399) 08 Nov 2007

Pray for others

When we pray we communicate with God.

What do we pray about ??

Do you just pray for yourself only ??

Do you also pray for others ??

Yes, we need to set aside a time for prayer of intercession. Jesus rhetorically asked, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27), yet tells us through James that, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). On the one hand, there is nothing we can do, but on the other hand, our All Powerful God is ready to work, in seemingly hopeless circumstances, when we pray. Prayer of intercession is intentional and time-consuming

1 Timothy 2 : 1

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.

(0398) 07 Nov 2007

Do not do it !!

You are living your life set before you, moving ahead with God’s blessing at every step of the way. Then suddenly, you hit an obstacle. It may be sickness or financial trouble, spiritual failure or family problems. But, regardless of the form it stops you cold. What do you do in such a situation ?Are you tempted to quit?Are you tempted to turn back in defeat ?

DO NOT DO IT

God will enable you to break through that obstacle and keep right on going. It is not easy to do it and it is tough. You have to push on through the tough times if you are ever going to have a breakthrough. You can do all things through Christ which strengthens you!

Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

(0397) 06 Nov 2007

Be patient

Waiting to see the real evidence of divine action is very frustrating. A person can spend days asking God for release from a stressful situation.A person can pray for weeks for a special gift Timing is important in the Christian life because God is orchestrating events to work for His children's good. In the meantime, He rewards those who remain constant in their vigil. If we run ahead of Him, we will miss out on developing spiritual endurance. Though God's Spirit remains with us, He will not provide strength for us to live outside His will. Waiting means times of fear, stress, or grief, which will weary us quickly unless we are depending on an eternal energy source. Those feelings may intensify our desire to push forward, but the Lord has promised protection and provision for our times of waiting. If we turn to Him in our hour of need, He will give us the tools to triumph. (Psalm 37:34, 39 - 40)

Isaiah 40:29 – 31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

(0396) 05 Nov 2007

Do not be deceived

Some people find it difficult to believe God's promises. This is because they have seen so many things in the natural world that seem to contradict them. they have seen faithful followers go broke. they have seen sick Christians fail to receive their healing. In reality, there is a deceiver at work in the world who is busily doing the same thing he has been doing ever since the Garden of Eden: tricking mankind into believing God's Word isn't true. After working on it for thousands of years, he is a master at it. The next time the deceiver tries to make things look as though God's Word is not going to work for you, to make it look like all hope is lost. Remember to ignore the appearances. believe the Word and refuse to doubt it.

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

(0395) 04 Nov 2007

Real happiness

To experience real happiness, you must obey the Word of God. No earthly honor or achievement can compare with the blessing and fulfillment that come from obeying the Word and Will of God. To obey the Word of God is knowing the Word of God. This implies reading, studying, meditating upon and even memorizing the Scriptures. If we neglect this duty, we are omitting a vitally important part of spiritual nurture, without which it is impossible to live a supernatural life. When we read God’s Word, it refreshes, cleanses, uplifts the heart and soul of each one of us. If we lack the discipline to read the Word, we must pray ceaselessly for the Holy Spirit to illumine its truths to our minds and apply them to our lives.

Luke 11 : 28

He replied, 'Yes, but even more blessed are all who
hear the Word of God and put it into practice'

(0394) 03 Nov 2007

Just believe

So much of our life as Christians depends on simple belief. Do we really trust God to do what He says He will do? If we truly believe God will do what He says, the wonderful blessing He promises will be ours. And that applies to every area of our lives - spiritual, physical, material. There is no circumstance or situation which is beyond the ability of God to control. The promises of God are both general and specific, so that they will meet the need of every heart and life.

Luke 1 : 45

You believed that God would do what He said; that is
why He has given you this wonderful blessing

(0393) 02 Nov 2007