count your blessings one by one

Accept with gratitude everything that God allows into your life,
whether it's from a friend or an enemy.
It is to remind you of your need of humbling.
He that humbles himself shall be exalted.
Humble yourself...only you can humble yourself.
God cannot humble you; nobody can humble you.
And then God'll give you more grace; He'll exalt you in due time.

"Learn of Me, for I'm meek and lowly in heart,
and you'll find rest for your soul."
Learn meekness from the Lord, and find rest for your soul.

Every good thing comes by the grace of God.
This realization will help you to be grateful people.
God's looking for such people so He can bless for it pleases Him.
Ingratitude comes from selfishness, and we see selfishness
in Christians who look unhappy.

Because they're forgetful people who could not count their blessings,
like what the Isrealites did in the wilderness.
They forget very fast and take many things for granted,
even the grace and mercy of God.
Like the Isrealites, they keep asking for onions and garlics.
Salvation is not enough; they want luxury, wishing to be back in Egypt.

They begin to develop an attitude of complaining,
thereby opening the door for the devil to enter to cause harm.
(Fear opens the door and to wrong thinking.)
Wrong thinking makes you take stupid, destructive actions that can destroy.

All started from an attitude of ungratefulness.
Be always grateful for the simple things in life, even your breath,
so that God can bless you even more.
The secret to blessing and favour of God is gratefulness.
Therefore be grateful and thankful for every single thing, day by day.

an attitude of thanksgiving

"Do not worry or be anxious, but in every circumstance, in everything....
give thanks to God in your prayers to Him." (Philppians 4:6)

The solution to worry is not prayer but thanksgiving.
When we come to God in prayer because of a need or worry,
God wants us to be thankful and grateful for what He has already done for us.
If your heart is right and thankful, it pleases God to give you even more.

God does not want an act of prayer or an act of thanksgiving.
God wants an attitude of thanksgiving in our hearts,
even before we pray or say anything.
God sees the heart.

Most people stress on the asking...just keep asking until you get what you want.
But if God sees unthankfulness and an ungrateful heart,
your prayers are displeasing to Him.

If my daughter asks me for Apple doughnuts, and I know her heart is grateful,
is it easy for me to say no?
From the way she asks, you can tell whether she's grateful or not.
When you know her heart is right and grateful, you'll love to give her more
to see her happy.

When a son asks for bread, does the father gives a stone?
Or asks for a fish and the father gives a scorpion?
Whether I meet my daughter's request or not, it's for her good and her future.
Which is more important...her selfish request or her future?

A person with a thankful and a grateful heart is not a selfish person.
God treasures a thankful heart, 
an attitude of gratitude for the things already given.
It pleases God to give even more.

Gratitude

Gratitude makes us grateful even for the past, for the storms we went through,
and for the hard times we'll never forget.
We are where we are today by the grace and mercy of God.
Like Joseph, gratefulness brings peace for today and a vision for tomorrow.
Gratefulness turns anger into humility;
it turns dissatisfaction into satisfaction; it turns enough into more than enough.
Gratitude turns chaos into order, confusion into clarity.

It's common to see Christians doing the right things, reading the bibles, pray and give tithes,
and also give time and efforts to the cause of Christ,
but their lives of obedience often fail to acknowledge the fresh touches from God,
and to say a simple thank you for them.
It's easy to get lost in the discipline of obedience.
Human nature does not lend itself to gratitude.
It lends itself to complaining.

God desires a thankful people, and hates a murmuring, grumbling,
fault-finding, complaining people.
This was the attitude of Isreal during the 40 years in the wilderness.
God called it unbelief. (Fear of the future is also unbelief.)

God's covenant is that we believe and trust in Him;
then He'll keep His covenant promises to us...to protect, to provide,
and to work things out for good to those who love Him.
Only through belief and trust can there be joy and peace.
Our ways, our intelligence, our plans, our visions and our efforts alone
cannot bring this joy and peace.

When the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptian army,
they celebrated and praised the Lord.
But soon out in the desert, with hard walking in the sun,
and thirsty without water to drink, they began to murmur....

"Because they were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?
Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt saying...
"Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve
the Egytians than we should die in the wilderness." Exodus 14:11

"Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt,
when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full!
For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
Exudus 16:3

They were thinking of the onions and garlics and meat in Egypt;
they wished they were back in Egypt.
There's a purpose God brought them out into the wilderness....to test them.

"God has led you in the wilderness these 40 years,
that He might humble you, testing you,
to know what was in your heart,
whether you would keep His commandments or not." (Deuteronomy 8:2)

We all face hard times in our lives, one time or another.
Often we're not aware we are ungrateful people,
and we like to justify ourselves.
And through events in our lives, or through other people, we face afflictions and persecutions.
It's difficult to see blessings in afflictions, because it's painful.
But nothing happens by chance.
It's put there for us to test us,
and to bless us by making us stronger spiritually.
Unless you're blessed spiritually, you cannot be blessed in the physical.

But you ask...how can blessings be painful?
Because we suffer hurts and much pain, and also loss of peace and happiness.
Blessing does come with pain...like it did to Joseph, through slavery and prison.
God knew what He was bringing Joseph through,
and God also knows what He's doing when He allows you to go through hard times.
Afflictions are working out God's purpose in our lives.
Afflictions will expose our self-will and pride in us, our attitude of ungratefulness.
God, in His infinite wisdom and foreknowledge, allows things to come into our lives,
because God wants to know what's in our hearts,
and God is working things out for our destiny.

Are you the grateful kind of a person?
The people who see you everyday....friends, family and co-workers...
would they say you're a grateful or a grumpy kind of a person?
They've watched your face as the boss handed you yet another unexpected project to do.
They've heard your reaction to the waiter, when your order is long waitng.

A grumpy attitude can evolve quickly and quietly into a sour character.
You unknowingly become one of those people, no one wants to be around,
because you're always in protest.
Never happy with the way things are, you keep complaining
about the way things could be or should be.

If this sounds like your life, it's time to let them go.
But how? This is how.
"Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."
Because the meek has power,
power to exercise self-control, not complaining in less favourable cirmcumstanses,
power to overlook insults or provocation,
power to bless those who curse you,
power to wait patiently and thankfully accept everything that happened
as a part of God's infinite plan and purpose.

Meekness is the foudation for an attitude of thankfulness.
Obedience is not all that God wants from you. It's not enough.
If God wants obedience , He could create a race of robots.
But God wants you to choose, to pause in your obedience to Him,
and to run back to Him with an open expression of heartfelt appreciation and thankfulness
for all that He has done in your life.


God's seeking a heart that's grateful, an attitude of gratitude.
"In everything, give thanks for this is the will of God."

the sacrifice of God

What causes sin? Self-exaltation & pride.
This was the sin of the angels who fell. Pride and self-seeking changed them from
bright & beautiful angels into dark, ugly & rotten-smelling demons,
whose destinies are in the dark, smelly, cold, desolate place called hell.

Man's life since Adam's fall, is made of self-love, self-will & self-pleasing.
Self is the idol he serves...the cause of all sin & misery found in this world.

"But now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself." (Hebrews 9:26)

So "through the eternal Spirit, (Jesus) offered Himself without spot to God,
to purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." (Hebrews 9:14)

Your sin, my sin, the sins of all who have ever lived, and yet to live,
came on Jesus through the eternal Spirit.

"By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14)
...that completely perfect all who put their faith in the sacrifice.

But our appropriation of it, our sanctification is a progressive one,
receiving more and more of God,
and further and further away from sin and the world.

Jesus came to be our Saviour by delivering us from self,
so that we live no longer to ourselves.
Jesus humbled Himself, took the form of a servant and even to death on a cross.

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

"Come unto Me. Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls."

In order to find rest, what is the main thing to have?
Meekness... a willingness to learn, and to be meek.
This is the way to be blessed.

Jesus subjected Himself to the will of God, and sacrificed Himself for the glory of God.
Because He humbled Himself even unto death, God highly exalted Him

We too must come to the place where the Lamb is.
The Lamb will lead us to the living water;
He'll perfect the salvation begun in us.
We'll share in the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Your fellowship with the Lamb is fellowship in His sacrifice,
in His meekness, in His power and in His victory.
The denial of self,
and fellowship with the death of the Lamb
is our hope into eternal life and salvation.

"The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom
and strength and honour and glory and blessing."

"You're worthy to take the scroll and to open its seal, because you were slain,
and with Your blood you purchased men for God." (Revelation 5:9)

Be thankful in all circumstances; be grateful people

"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess. 5:18)

"..singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;always giving thanks for all things
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, the Father." (Ephesians 5:20)

"..singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. and whatever you do in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
(Colossians 3:16,17)

" at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God...
suddenly there was a great earthquake.." (Acts 16:25,26)

In the end times, ingratitude will characterise many people.
People in general will become more wicked and less grateful.

"For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers,
disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy." (2Tim. 3:1,2)
"although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful,
but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21)

People will complain about their circumstances, hoping for some "lucky break" to help him.
With big ego, he thanks himself for who he is, thinking that everthing comes from his own efforts.
The thankless person despises the idea of grace.

It is sad to see Christians who always seem to be stressed out, dissatisfied, depressed,
and unhappy about their circumstances.
Are we giving thanks to God everyday for His grace?

"God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything,
you may have an abundance for every good deed." (2Corinthians 9:8)

As Vonette Bright said,"When we express thanksgiving and gratitude to God,
peace flooded our hearts, and He provided the solution. My dear, always be thankful...
especially in crisis. God can turn your tragedy to triumph, discord to harmony,
and defeat to victory."

In the Old Testament (Lev. 3:1-17; 7:11-36), thank offerings and peace offerings
were to remind God's people of their need to be thankful to God.
They would bring a sheaf of grain and some oil and wine as thank offerings.
These were symbols of the Lord's provision, a reminder to thank Him
for His grace and mercy in supplying all they have.

Devotionals

1) It must be God's way.
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day (Genesis 32:24)

As we look back over our own journey in life, we see that a lot of the way had been our way,
and that the end of our way is the beginning of God's way and the deep things of God.
How slow we are to see that God has a better way.
Yes, the glory is never so wonderful as when we are helplesss and have given up our ways,
and when God has His way.

Jacob and his mother devised an evil plan to obtain the family blessing from Isaac which belonged to Esau.
"Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob" (Genesis 27:41)

So Jacob had to flee to another land, and the Lord was gracious to him.
On the way to his mother's family at Haran, Jacob had an encounter with God,
which changed his life.
He called the place Bethel, which means the place of prayer.
God planned a ladder and the angels that Jacob would see.
God's plans of grace were not frustrated by the carnal workings of Jacob's mind.
So God revealed Himself to Jacob, saying,
"I am with you, and I will keep you whereever you go, and I will bring you back again to this land. I will not leave you. I will do that which I have spoken to you of." (Genesis 28:15)

Jacob remembered God's mercy and grace.
From the time Jacob saw the vision of the ladder and the angels,
he had 21 years of wandering, fighting and struggling.
He had deceived to get his birthright, to get his cattle.
And God was faithful to His promise all those years.
Later, God brought him right back to this same place.
It did not matter how Jacob had wandered.
God swore to him and brought him back.

How marvelous God meets us in our distresses.
When the cry comes from broken hearts, then God comes.
How many times have you tried and failed?
Let God comes; God in His mercy, never fails.

As Jacob returned to the land from where he fled, he was afraid.
God had met him 21 years before when he left home empty-handed.
He wanted to be alone with God.
His wives, children, sheep, oxen, asses and camels had crossed over the brook Jabok.
The Lord saw his need and came down and met with him.
The Lord wrestled with the deceiver, breaking him, changing him, transforming him.
Jacob was brought to a place of absolute weakness. He was broken before God.
And there alone in prayer before God, lean in soul and poor in spirit, he met with God.
He had to get rid of a lot of things in his life if he were to succeed in life.
All his life, it had been I! I! I!
Hour after hour passed, and he wrestled all night alone with God.
At daybreak,the angel said, "Let me go."
Jacob knew that if God left without blessing him, he could not meet Esau.
He must have favour with God.

Likewise you cannot meet the terrible things in life without God's blessing.
We too, as we pray to God alone, we will be broken and changed and trasnformed.
All care and strife is at an end.
We are occupied too much with the things of time and sense.
We need to give God time if we are to receive revelations, for God to deal with us.
We need to get past all the thoughts of earthly matters that crowd in so rapidly.
We must be serious and intense enough for God to bless us.
We must be hot for Christ. Victory is ours if we are earnest enough.
We must never let go, whatever you're seeking...revelation, direction, need.
If darkness covers you, if you're in confusion...never let go,
but hold fast to the Lord, your God.
After God has changed us, He gives us power to prevail.

Our own plans lead us so often into disaster.
In our human planning, we may experience blessings of a kind,
but we also undergo trials, hardships and barrennes
that God would have kept from us, if we had followed His way.
There's a way that seems good, but the end of that way is death,
but God has His very best for each of His own.
There is a good; there is a better; but God has a best for us.
It is a better thing if it is not our plan but God's plan.

It is the goodness of the Lord that leads us to repentance.
Many things happen in our lives to show us how depraved we are by nature,
but when the veil is lifted, we see how merciful and tender God is.
How wonderful it is to be where God is.

Seek the Lord with a humble heart;
Seek Him on your knees and pray.
Worship Him with truthfulness and in spirit.
He is your everything.
Do not stray away from Him.
Without God, life is meaningless and empty.

My eyes look to the hills -
from whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord.


2)With God all things are possible

"All things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23)
"If you have faith as a mustard seed...nothing will be impossible for you." (Luke 17:6)
"The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (Luke 18:27)

With men, not all things are possible, but with God, all things are possible.
A good many Christians are living a low life, a life of failure and of sin,
instead of rest and victory.
We need to check our lives, our hearts...any areas not right with God, any unforgiveness, any bitterness.
Is there a lack of humility, a lack of submission, a lack of surrender to God's will?
Are you broken before God?

The angel said to Mary, "With God, nothing shall be impossible."
We worship an Almighty God; our God is a big God.
"I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know."
Abraham knew that God who had promised was able to perform.

We must not try to be God ourselves, but let God be God.
We must not try to work things out ourselves, but le God works through us.
Allow God to work things out.
So we say to ourselves:
"I can do nothing on my own. God'll do all things through me, both to will and to do.
The things which're impossible with men are possible with God."
Therefore wait upon God; trust God in all things.
Lean not on thy own understanding.
All around you, you see sin and sorrow,
but remember, Christ is on the throne.
Like Abraham, be strong in faith, because you know
that God who had promised is able to perform.

Sometimes a situation seems so hopeless, and a cry so futile, so helpless;
yet this is what God looks for to demonstrate His loving care and power
and His powerful hand of protection.
God hears the cry of the heart...a cry that can bring freedom or healing,
a cry that brings help in a moment of grave danger,
a cry that brings a clear direction in a season of deep perplexity.
There is a need to cry out.
A father hears the cries of his children.

Through an honest cry of the heart, the father whose son was demon-possessed,
received a demonstration of God's power.
"the father of the child cried out and said with tears,
"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

In our moment of fear, anxiety or trouble, to experience God's deliverance and protection
is simply to believe and cry out,
like the woman with the issue of blood.



3) What a little faith can do.

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed...and nothing shall be impossible unto you"
(Mathew 17:20)
When the Samaritan woman heard Jesus talking about the living water,
she must be thinking, "Is this man ok?"
And Jesus had taken the trouble to go through Samaria just to talk to her.
Then Jesus gave her a word, saying, "Go, call thy husband, and come hither."
And immediately faith came in and made all the difference.
"The woman then left her water-pot, and went her way into the city,
and said to the men, 'Come, see a man, who told me all things that I ever did:
is not this the Christ?....
And many of the Samaritans of the city believed on Him for the saying of the woman."
. (John 4:16,28,29,39)
"it is impossible to please God without faith."
"And faith comes by hearing the Word."

The woman with the haemorrhage believed the word about Jesus.
Her faith and desperation and the cry of her heart
drove her through the crowd of men, just to touch Jesus.
What made her so sure that she will be healed?
Faith. What a little faith can do.

As Smith Wigglesworth said, "Only believe."
"Woman, your faith has healed you; go in peace."
There was restoration of health, and also peace within.
God wants so much to restore us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
"thy soul prosper, even thy health."

But because the soil is too shallow,
or the birds came to steal them,
the seed does not grow, but was choked
and prevented to grow in faith.

We need to pray in the Holy Spirit, to come into His presence.
"building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
keeping yourselves in the love of God,
looking for the Lord's mercy unto eternal life."

As we walk with Him, we'll realise how close He is with us.
He'll protect us from the schemes of the evil one.
We need to cling unto Him.
But the Lord also wants us to be strong,
for one day we shall reign with Him if we faint not.

So the Lord is also saying....
"Fear not. Be meek but not weak.
I have given you power over the devils.
Therefore speak with authourity.



4) Be uncommon for God

As we go through our journey in life, we are bound to face crossroads,
and tough decisions that we have to make.
How do we choose? How do we decide?

One thing is for sure : do not make hasty decisions, out of your own desires and thoughts.
Our ways are not as wise as God's ways.
Our thoughts and desires are not righteous as those of God.
Hastiness only leads to poverty and sin.
"The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone good
who is hasty surely to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5)
"Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
and he sins who hastens with his feet." (Proverbs 19:2

Instead we must trust in God, knowing that He's always there to light our path.
Our good future is in God's hand.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
The poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angels encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Do not let your own thinking or doubts hinder you from believing what God says to you.
As you do His will for your life, and please Him,
and live an uncommon life that pleases Him,
God will bless you many times over,as you obey Him and love Him,
and He'll turn everything around for your good,
even turning around every evil that man has for you, into something good.

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
Surely good and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." (Psalm 23:4-6)

The blessings and favours of God shall follow you,
if you would only put your trust and faith in God.
Everything happens according to God's will and perfect timing.

Keeping up our faith as believers is not an easy task, for it requires great strength and courage.
There are so many mountains, so many storms & fires in our lives, that we have to go through.
But God will never let us down, and never to forsake us.
Miracles only happen at the peak of a storm; when everything seems so impossible;
when there is no hope, no light, no future.
God is the light; He will light our paths, but only at His perfect time and will.

God has a perfect plan for our lives, but it is up to us to unfold it,
and walk in it, believing in the impossible,
and being uncommon & separated from the world.

The LORD is saying to you :

Know that I am with you at ALL times.
There is no other person in the world who can HELP you beside Me.
It is not easy to TRUST someone whom you cannot see.
The WORLD will reject you when you serve Me,
for you're the SALT of the world; you do not BELONG to this world.
Thank Me for everything you have now; express your love for Me.
THIS life you're living now is temporary;
but is your life after this eternal? Is it guaranteed?
Salvation is not a ticket to heaven, but it's a head-start to your life with Me.
It is how much you LONG for Me that'll determine
My grace & mercy & favour upon you.
Do not take things for GRANTED, but know WHO's the maker of the heavens and the earth.

Trust in Me in everything; let Me guide you step by step.
Do not run ahead of me, but always be CALM in your spirit,
so that you can hear My small, still voice in you,
and ask wisdom from Me, as regards the decisions you're to make.


Lean unto Me, and not on your own strength,
for only by My grace & mercy,
can you overcome your difficulties that you're facing.
I AM the only true light that can lighten your path,
and SHOW you the way.
You're the salt of the earth; be a history-maker by making a difference
in your life that'll glorify My Name.
It's not enough just to be a believer and be lukewarmth,
because then you're neither hot nor cold.
Know that you're a child of the living God,
a God who's full of compassion, love and warmth,
a God who's caring, and who had died on the cross for you,
a God who suffered through pain and agony for the sins of the world.


Know that My grace is sufficient for you,
and My mercy is new every morning.

What are you to do?
Carry on to walk in faith and unity, undying passion,
even daring to sacrifice your very own life for Me if need to,
never holding back anything back from Me, like Abraham did.
If you give your 100% to Me, I'll do the same for you.


As for strength, knowledge, money and so on,
know that I ,the Lord your God, am in control.
I AM the Almighty. Never DOUBT My power and My PROMISES.


I AM a just God. What you sow is what you reap.
Therefore in every aspect of your life,
stay righteous and loyal to Me, from giving tithes on time,
to serving Me in the church with respect,
to loving your family, and guiding them in My ways.


How hard are you trying to please Me, to do My will?
to share the Gospel, to live a righteous life?


Where is your heart? Is it beating with the My love?
Is your heart beat My heart beat ?


You must be one with me.
You must put your entire life in My hand, and depend on Me totally.
Love Me more each day, and as you walk with Me,
grow in intimacy with Me. Amen.


5) When others disappoint

"As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12)

Christian life is a journey, and we need God's strength and guidance along the way.

Paul said in Phlippians 4:11 - "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."
Paul wrote those words while in prison, his plans disrupted and his future uncertain.
He had learned to see disappointment and failure frm God's perspective,
and to trust the future into His hands. May this be true of us.
When life turns against you, may this prayer be yours :
"Show me Your ways, O LORD, teach me Your paths." (Psalm 25:4)

You may have said this to yourself: "Life would be great if it weren't for other people."
This is not true, because no man is an island.
We are made for companionship. God knows we need others,
and our greatest joys often come from our relationships.
God declared, "It's not good for man to be alone."(Genesis 2:18),and so God created Eve.

Nevertheless, no area of human life is so full of difficulties and heartaches as relationships.
Someone asks, "Why is life so difficult?" "People."
People can be selfless and kind, but they can also be difficult, stubborn, ego-driven, mean,
thoughtless, selfish, manipulative - the list goes on.
Nor is the problem just other people; it is also ourselves.

Why can't we seem to get along with each other?
We each want our own way. We usually think only of ourselves.
"If that person would just do things my way, we could get along!"
"What causes fights and quarrels mong you? Don't they come from your desires that
battle within you?" (James 4:1)

This is why simply changing the circumstances seldom solves anything.
One married woman said, "We thought if we moved to a pleasant area and built a
beautiful house, we'd be happy, but all we did was take our problems with us."

Our deepest problems are within ourselves...our our hearts and minds.
We need to seek God to change our mind-set and our hearts' desires.
Jesus said, "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,
theft, false testimony, slander." (Matthew 15:19)
Our old sinful nature still lives within us, and constantly tries to assert itself.
Only the Holy Spirit can subdue our old nature and overcome it with God's love.

Friendship...is it important?

Do you agree with me that building good friendship is important?
Friendship with your husband, wife, children, parents, friends, teachers
and with God....is it important?

Why is it important?
It's because good friendship affects our own happiness...
friendship with others, friendship with God.

How to build this friendship?
Building friendship is like buiding a house.
A house needs a strong foundation. The same with friendship.
This foundation needs the help of God.
It requires of us to develop a good, strong character,
with honesty, faithfulness and ability to persevere.
That is, it takes a lot of sacrifices,
for what you sow is what you reap.

Remember Jesus said in Matthew 7: 34-27: -
24 - Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I'll liken him to
a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 - and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and the house did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 - But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 - and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Why is honesty important?
With falsehood and dishonesty, we cannot develop friendship.

Why is faithfulness important?
Unfaithfulness is the cause of breakdown of many friendships.

Perseverance is needed to make honesty and faithfulness work.
We need to keep going, because obstacles will surely come.

On our own, we're weak.
So we need the strength that comes from a close friendship with God.
Only God can provide that foundation.
We can overcome, because God is with us.
When we cry out our sins to God, we'll find peace & confidence within us.
We can have joy in spite of the circumstances.

Without true commitment, friendships cannot last;
marriages cannot be strong.
We're to accept each person as he or she is,
to build each other up,
to speak words that build up.
We are to be as Jesus is to us.

Jesus is committed to our every need....every hurt, every hunger.
He's faithful to see us through.
He's committed to develop the best in us.
He became poor that we might be rich.
He died that we might live.

Getting along with someone involves not only doing things to strengthen,
but also avoiding things that hurt.
Set a guard over my mouth. O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. (Psalm 141:3)
How many marriages and friendships have been destroyed
because of criticism that get out of control?
because of gossip or a word spoken thoughtlessly or in anger?
A harsh word can't be taken back;
no apology can fully repair its damage.

"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire,and is itself set on fire by hell." (James 3:6)
These indeed are strong words, but they're true.

Like Jesus before Pilate, sometimes it's best to keep silent or talk less,
especially when our words are filled with anger; they can only make things worse.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (Ephesians 4:29)

Remember that no relationship is completely smooth.
The closer the relationship, the deeper is the hurt.
Unforgiven hurts are the greatest source of destruction to a relationship.
If a hurt is allowed to grow, it deepens and becomes a barrier to good relationship.
Even if a person is fully justified in feeling hurt, nothing but harm can result
if that hurt remains unforgiven.

Any hurt, no matter how small it might seem, needs forgiveness.
If we refuse to forgive, that relationship will break down.
When someone hurts us, the instinct is to strike back....
but when we do, we not only destroy any possibility of reconciliation,
but also we allow anger and hate to control us.
We become a captive to the past, poisoned by bitterness all those years,
bitterness or anger becoming part of our identity,
making it difficult to get rid of them.
We can't change the past;
we can only seek God's forgiveness for what we did wrong.
But when God has forgiven us, shouldn't we also forgive others?
Don't let the past hold you captive any longer;
it's time to lay your bitterness & resentment at the foot of the Cross.
Jesus said,"If the Son sets you free, you'll be free indeed" (John 8:36)

We must always be ready to forgive, yet never demanding forgiveness for ourselves.
Forgiveness is the way to respond to the imperfections of others.
The heart attitude to deal with the failures of others is important.
Getting things roughly right comes before
getting things exactly right...we need to learn patience.
We need to forgive, correct, not demand and move on.
This is the right attitude.
We all fall short; none is perfect.
Sometimes we made mistakes that could have been avoided.
We have to forgive others, and also ourselves, and move on.

The key to love, forgiveness and patience is God's grace to you.
Grace is the currency of all true relationships.
Grace enable us to accept others as they are.
It's through intimacy with God that grace abounds.
God's grace abounds in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

How can you love someone who had mistreated you?
Try to see your enemy as God does.
Christ also died for the person, who is also hurting.
People who strike out at others are like wounded animals...
they know they're in pain, but they resist attempts to relieve that pain.
By resisting against those who wish to help them,
they bring more pain upon themselves.
The reason is pride, which gets in the way.
True love submits and is willing to sacrifice for another's sake.

Colossians 3:13
"Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges.
Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

Let this command to forgive ring loud in our hearts,
and let the healing power of forgiveness flow freely in our lives.

maturity

2Peter3:18

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."


God's goal for us is not conversion but maturity, to become more like Christ.
Becoming a Christian is the work of a moment; being a Christian is the work of a lifetime.
The Christian life is not smooth going,
because only through storms and temptations can your faith grows stronger.

Jesus warned us against welcoming the Word of God, but then allowing it to wither or be choked out by the cares of this world, like seeds planted among rocks or thorns. Instead we should be like "those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."
Crops take time to mature, with lots of work and care.
If we ignore the gardens of our souls, we'll be spiritually weak.

Philippians2:15 - We are to"become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation."
2 Corinthians 3:18 - We...are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Only in heaven will this fully happen, for then
"we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."(1 John 3:2)

A sign of maturity is an increasing love for others.
When Christ is formed in you, the love of God in you also increases.
To be like Christ is have Christ becoming Lord of every area of your life.
Christ becomes Lord of your character, of your actions, of your attitudes.
Instead are you negative and critical? arrogant and impatient? filled with anxiety and worry?
lazy and undisciplined? undependable and irresponsible? domineering and harsh?

If our lives do not reflect Christ, why should people believe us.
1 Timothy 6:11 - flee from all this (evil), and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Galatians 5:22-23 - The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

These 9 characteristics are marks of maturity.
You're a matured Christian if you have these characteristics.
Only as you abide in the vine and His words, can you grow,
and the pruning by The Father will make you more fruitful.
But if you try on your own, all your futile efforts will result in a total crop failure.
The level of your character is the measure of your maturity,
a character that brings pleasure and glory to God.
You can only love others to the extent that God loves you.
It's God's kindness that leads you to repentance(Romans 2:4),
but so often we fail to respond to others befitting this kindness shown to us.
Even when we're faithless, God remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

But if your spiritual life is dry and barren, begin by praying -
Search me, O God, and know my heart..see if there's any offensive way in me.(psalm 139:23)
Ask God to show you any area of your life where sin still rules, and then repent of it.

Although God's Spirit is in you, your old nature is still alive.
So everyday a battle rages in your heart, between your will and God's will.
Your old nature strives to gain the upper hand and control you.
So if you're weak, you lose the battle, and you reflect the unbelieving world.
The mark of immaturity is when your flesh gains the upper hand.

This is why Jesus said -
"If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow Me." (Luke 9:23)
Our old nature - our selfishness, evil desires, wrong attitudes habits - must die.
Colosians 3:5 - put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.

For you have been crucified with Christ, and you no longer live.
You've turned away from wrong thoughts and deceitful desires,
and you've replaced them with Christ's thoughts and godly desires,
which are good and pure.
You've put off your old self (corrupted by deceitful desires),
and you've put on the new self,
created to be like Christ in true righteousness and holiness.

To see the mighty working of the Holy Spirit in transforming you,
you must move from repentance and submission into obedience and trust.
You obey because you love the Lord, your God.
God leads you by His Word and Spirit.
Only as you prayed, meditate on His Word,
and sought the Spirit and the godly advice of others,
can you find the path you should walk in,
confirmed by the small still voice of God in you.
Seek to be filled with th Holy Spirit daily,
and obey His Word and trust in Him.
Learn to live and walk in the Spirit,
having crucified your flesh with its passions and desires.
Guard your thoughts, emotions, and actions
so you won't give the enemy a foothold (1Peter 1:5-7).

How am I to pray?

I know prayer is important. How can I make prayer a part of my daily life?
Let me give you 6 guidelines.

1) First, have the right attitude.
We will only pray when we realise how dependent we are on God,
and we realise we can trust Him to hear our prayers, and to answer them according to His will.

There're people, who never think about God, and suddenly one day they find themselves in a crisis
that's far beyond themselves to handle,
and for the first time in their lives, they begin to pray and cry out for help.

Let's look at Acts 27. Imagine that you were one of the people on that ship, and as verse 20 says,
"Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up."
Most probably at this time, you'll be kneeling down to pray for your life.
At this hour of your life, all your pride and self-sufficiency would have gone by now. Now you feel a dependency on an Almighty God, you never felt before. Because before, there was no such need. And Matthew 5:3 says:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"
That is to say that when you felt a dependency on God, you're blessed. "Poor in spirit" means you're dependent on God. And this is the 1st of all the other beattitudes; the 1st leading to the rest of the beattitudes. This is the right attitude you must have in order to make prayer a part of your daily life.
How can you pray when you don't believe you need God's help?
The Bible reminds us that
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (1Peter5:5)
Prideful, self-sufficient people will never pray.

2) Second, with brokenness

One of the most difficult things for any person to see clearly is his own sin.
Through humility, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us our sin,
so that we can confess it, repent of it and be set free,
so that God can bless us after the hindrance is removed.
Then the Holy Spirit will give insight into His word, His plans and purposes,
and guide us gently and confirm our hearts, giving assurance.

Through our weakness, God pours His power into us,
for we know not how to pray as we ought to pray.
"if My people will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways."
"a broken and a contrite spirit I will not despise."
Through prayer also comes a spirit of brokenness.
Prayer in God's presence will change us.
If we continue to walk in His presence, we'll remain broken and humble.
To live like this is to walk in honesty; we learn to lose face. We let our pride go.
The Holy Spirit will cause us to be open and frank, with humility before God.

If we're broken and contrite before God, He gives us more grace.
Success is based on the grace of God.
How do we get more grace?....
by being broken in humility before God.
Therefore the secret to success in prayer is brokenness.
It was God's grace that made Joseph successful, and favour from the king toward Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 1: 4,11
-I wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before God
-O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant,
and let Your servant prosper this day.
Through prayer, Nehemiah knew the mind of God, and he was able to stand firm,
and was able to be in control of the circumstances around him.

As you pray, there arise a new attitude of violence against your flesh and pride,
and you learn how to walk gently with the Holy Spirit,
to allow God to complete His divine work in our lives.


3) Third, with godly fear

Prayer is not just talking with God;
it's a deep, reverent submission to Him.
Through prayer, we come to know the intentions of the father heart of God.

When we come to God in prayer, what is the attitude of our hearts?
God reads our hearts as we pray....
is your heart in oneness with God?
is there reverent submission with godly fear?
is there singleness of mind to hear the still small voice of God in you?
is your heart receptive to His guidance?
Jeremiah 29:11-13
"I know the thoughts I think toward you, to give you a future and a hope.
Then you'll call upon Me, and go and pray to Me, and I'll listen to you.
And you'll seek Me and find Me,
when you search for Me with all your heart;
I'll be found by you."

Jesus prayed and He was heard because of His godly fear,
beause of the submissive attitude of His heart.
Hebrews 5: 7-10
"who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him, who was able to save Him frm death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the authour of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek."


4) Fourth, without fear but with boldness and confidence

When you pray, "Lord, give me safe journey home, which is 10 miles away. Keep me safe from road accidents" Do you think you're praying with faith?
Then how should you pray?
"Lord, help me to be humble, giving way to other cars. Help me not to be impatient, but wait patiently and move with common sense." or
"Lord, even if a big Tsunami were to come and destroy everything there is, I know Lord, if my time is not up, I will still be standing upright, just as You said to Paul, "Do not be afraid; you must stand before Caesar."

Deaths and disasters do not happen by chance;
they happen due to a reason, and for a reason.
Nothing happens by chance.
For God, there's no such thing as a coincidence.
You were born here on this earth not by chance either.
God knew you since you were in your mother's womb,
till the day you die.
Everything happens according to God's will and perfect timing.

5) Fifth, with unwavering faith

We're to pray with unwavering faith, believing that God hears our prayers, also that God will
answer them, in His timing, with His methods,
and for our eternal benefit, and for His glory.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see."(Hebrews 11)

When we pray, think of the greatness of God. See Him for the mighty God He is.
God created all things....the heavens and the earth.
He moves mountains and calms seas.
As you pray in the face of a spiritual attack, set your mind on the vastness of God's power.
In the face of fear, He gives us boldness.
"God has given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."(2Tim 1:7)
He has power over death.
He gives us an eternal home in heaven.

6) Sixth, According to God's will

God is more interested in us knowing His will and obeying His
than just "saying our prayers."
What God wants is a heart obedient to His will.
Cry out with deep concerns of your heart,
and allow God to bring understanding, strength and comfort into your lives.
Know the heart of God; know His will.
Our prayers are often self-centred, outside the will of God.
God is committed to His loving plans and purposes for us.
God always has eternity in mind.

Prayer is not just for the purpose of getting God to help us,
but of getting our hearts and minds in line with God's will.
Through prayer, we receive wisdom for our lives.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
God desires to instruct us in the way we should go.

Proverbs 3:5,6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on thy own understanding;
in all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He'll make your paths straight."
If we lean on our own understanding, our hearts and minds can be full of the cares of this world.
Prayer is the secret to live without anxious thoughts.
But many people of the world try to do all things by themselves....
so they have stomach ulcers, heart attacks, insomnia and depression.
On the other hand, prayer produces spiritual understanding, even physical health.

Prayer gives us greater discernment, so that we're able to see what others cannot see.
Prayer helps us to hear the still, small voice in us,
hearing God speaking to us in our hearts,
sometimes giving a small warning,
and a word can change everything, making all the difference.


God's purposes are much larger than all our needs and requests.
The plans of God are beyond our imaginations, more than we can ever imagine.
Often we do not see the whole picture;
we ask for things that are unwise or even wrong.
God knows what is best for us.
God not only is working in us, but also working around us,
and often God guides us through our circumstances.

Jesus's prayer was heard because of His godly fear

Hebrews5:7-10:
in the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to God, who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His godly fear; though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek".

Jesus always seek the Father's heart.
Because of godly fear, and reverent submission to God's will,
and the submissive attitude of His heart,
and yielding fully His life to the Father's will,
Jesus's prayer was heard.

Jesus knew the Father's love.
John 6:57
"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father,
so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."
Jesus lives because of the Father, and prayer was His lifeline.
The loving presence of God is His very life.
Beause of this love, Jesus prayed with strong emotions, with loud cries and tears(Heb 5:7).
Through prayer, Jesus prepared Himself to resist any temptation,
that could stand in the way of the Father's will.
Through prayer, He received strength to stay on the path of obedience.
Through prayer, His life was adjusted according to the Father's will.
This closeness kept Him safe.

Jesus said to the disciples,
"We ought always to pray and not to lose heart."

Jesus was one with the Father.
John 17:24: "The love with which You loved me may be in them, and I in them."
Is there oneness with the Lord as you pray?
If the Word of God is in your heart and mind,
and you spend time with the Father,
then you'll come to know His heart and will, as you pray.

Prayer is not just for the purpose of getting God to help you,
although there's nothing wrong to give Him a long list of petitions.
But are you listening? Because God is always speaking.
Are you hindered by pride and selfishness in your heart?
We often pray for our needs to be met, without considering God's eternal plans.
Allow God to open your understanding to His ways, truths and purposes. In the midst of a hurting and troubled world, do you maintain a singleness of mind to hear from the Father or do you tell God how you want Him to make you successful.

What is the one thing God wants fro you more than anything else?
obedience? dedication? prayers? time? service? fear of the LOrd? help the poor?
In one way or another, God asks for all these things.
But what does God want the most? What is His highest priority?
God desires our hearts.
Love thy God with all thy heart, all thy mind, all thy soul and all thy strength.

Through prayer, Jesus's life was patterned to the Father's will through daily adjustments.
john8:29: "I always do those things that please Him."
Jesus was obedient to the Father's will.
He learned obedience by the things He suffered.
He teaches us to pray, "Thy will be done; thy kingdom come."
In the Lord's Prayer, we see Jesus's heart for the Father's will.
In the Father's presence, His understanding was opened to what the Father was doing.
Through prayer, Jesus learned and prepared Himself to follow the Father's will, by adjusting His life to the Father's purposes. So Jesus always knew what to do and say, because He received instructions from the Father. Jesus prayed with godly fear and reverent submission. Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

In the same way, we also, by the things that we suffered,
and through the process of prayer with godly fear and reverent submission,
even with loud cries and tears, and obedience in the midst of suffering,
we are being perfected.
Prayer in our lives give the Father the opportunity to shape and change us
to His will and purpose,
so that God can accomplish His redemptive work in and through us.

power of prayer

Prayer has power. A person has more strength when he's at prayer.
Effective prayer is offered in faith.
When we're in a threatening situation, the normal tendency is to panic.
Many stories could be told of fear being replaced by calm through the power of prayer.
If we remain calm, placing faith in God and believing that we'll receive God's direction,
we'll eventually find the answer to our problem.

We all face challenges in life - physical, emotional and relationship challenges,
and at times we go through great pains.
But if you have confidence that God is in control, in charge of your life,
and that He'll help you through,
then your relationship with God is your strength.
And that relationship is grounded in prayer, if you are praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance.

Sometimes we try so hard to solve the problems of our health, our children, our business,
or our future that we become agitated or depressed.
psalm46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."
Prayer is more than a plea; it's a place where we must spend time if we are to learn its power.

As we face problems and personal suffering
, we must not forget that our prayers are subject to His will.
This takes the burden off us and gives it to the Lord.
His will is the best for us.
The difficulty is knowing the will of God.
We cannot find true peace outside the will of God.

Prayers that are selfish, vengeful, or mean are not in the will of God.
The answer from God can be yes or no or wait.
God'll not let us down in the hour of our need,
but God'll answer our prayer in His own way and time.
Most of the times, God does not give us what we ask for,
because God has a better plan which we do not know.

How are we to pray, in what manner? We can follow Jesus's pattern.
How did Jesus pray?
Jesus frequently prayed alone, setting Himself away from every distraction. So must we.
Jesus prayed with great earnestness, always seeking to do the Father's will.
His prayer was heard because of His godly fear.(Hebrews 5:7),
because of the submissive attitude of His heart.
He fully yielded His life to the Father's will. He always set His heart to obey the Father's wiill.
God also reads our hearts as we pray.
Jesus entered prayer with godly fear and reverent submission toward God's will.

God desires to reveal Himself to us and give us more and more of His presence and power
to bring about His plans and purposes earth.
The devil desires to keep us from having God's presence and power
actively at work in us to accomplish God's goals for mankind.

The devil knows the effectiveness of a righteous person who is praying with faith.
He'll send little thoughts into our minds to get us off track.
He does not want you to trust God's word in all situations.
He'll keep you busy or distracted so you don't pray or meditate on God's Word;
so that you'll become more anxious about things, more fearful of things,
some of which are unknown, making you think wrong thoughts;
so that you become a burden bearer, and because the responsibily is so great,
you don't want to be responsible for anything at all.

People with a heavy heart, experience weariness, too weary even to read the bible or pray,
no energy to get up, get dressed and go to church;
he is in a state of weakness; and the weaker he becomes,
the more he focus on himself...his needs, his failures.
In a weak state, it's easier for the fiery arrows to hit you.

A person strong in faith has great joy;
joy in turn produces great spiritual strength...the joy of theLord is my strength.
The person who prays has renewed energy and a zest for living.
Such a person feels strong and is eager to take on life's challenges.
Prayer helps one to trust the Father, to claim the promises of God,
to listen to God, and receive His wisdom.

Praying in the Spirit includes praying in tongues.
It means to pray under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It means to be sensitive to His promptings about what to pray, how to pray.
It means to obey the promptings to speak or act in specific ways at specific times.
Pray about those situations beyond the horizon of your life or the lives of others.
Pray for God to redeem them, change them and bless them.

As you pray in the face of a spiritual attack, set your mind on the vastness of God's power.
In the face of fear, God gives us boldness.

Through prayer, we have better understanding of God's word, greater discernment,
greater awareness of sin, and greater energy and strength.

if My people will humble themselves...

2Chronicles 7:14 :
"if My people will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

psalm51:1-6,10-11,16-17
1: 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 have I sinned and done evil.
5: I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin, my mother conceived me.
6: You desire truth in the inward parts,
and in the hidden part You will make me to know You.
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.
16: For You do not desire sacrifice.
17: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
a broken and a contrite heart....
these, O God, You will not despise.

Revelation3:16,18-21
16: Because you're lukewarm, I will vomit you out.
18: I counsel you to buy from Me GOLD refined in the FIRE, that you may be rich;
and white garments, that you may be clothed,
that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed;
and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
Therefore be zealous and repent.
20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21: To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His Throne.

The Lord is saying to you....

Know that I, the Lord your God, is indeed the Almighty God,
who created the heavens and the earth.
Repent from your old ways, and sin no more.
Obey the Holy Spirit and be convicted of your wrong doings.
Open your heart and ears to My still small voice in you,
because I am always speaking. Do not shut Me off.

Do not take My mercy and grace for granted. Do not test Me.
But repent before My presence, and humble yourself.
Go down on your knees and pray earnestly.
Straighten things out, if you've hurt someone else.

Know that I know your thoughts and your future.
Let not your mind be the devil's workshop,
but instead occupy yourself with righteous and holy acivities.

Do not look down on others, even your loved ones,
even though you think you're better.
But be more loving, more thoughtful...
among family members, church members and other people.
Remember no one is perfect; therefore judge not other people and find fault,
but be forgiving, merciful and gracious to one another.
Be slow to anger and judgement, or judgement shall come upon you.
Fear the Lord, your God, for I'm a jealous God.
And do not murmur or complain or chase after earthly things.

Be an overcomer over earthly things. How?
Pray and seek Me everyday.
Repent before the Lord, and be humble and be patient.
Know that I am always with you, through the storms and hardships.
Think positive; hope for good things. Stay holy and righteous.
Make sure there's peace and unity, even your own families.
Be after My heart.
Make sure your heart is clean, that I may dwell in you.
Do things not according to your heart's desire, but do things with My love.

The time is near. The last days are coming; be prepared.
Therefore guard your heart, that your name is in the Book of Life. ,

Do not let Me grieve over your sins.
Do not go astray; repent with My help and strength.
For I will never desert you.
And I'll not ask you of something you're not able to do.

Without true humility of heart and compassion and love in our characters,
all our worship and the preaching of the Word are in vain.
There's too much pride in our hearts; and we cannot see our own pride.
"anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see."

Repentance is more than just saying, "sorry". It also means, "I want to change for eternity."
Through our prayers and supplications, and submission and obedience in the midst of suffering,
with passionate cries and tears, and with godly fear, we shall be made perfect.
We shall be changed and shaped to God's will and purpose,
so that God can accomplish His redemptive through us.
We're to be made for greater works.

wait on the Lord

Isaiah 40:31 :
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not be faint.

God renews the strength of those are weary and exhausted, and who look to Him.
If we rely on God and exercise our faith, God can make us into people who're resilient.
There'll come times when we're too weak to run, walk or even too weak to crawl.
But the Spirit of God can give us wings of faith to help us fly.
Yes, you can fly, because the Spirit will carry and sustain you.
The Spirit has become the wind beneath your wings.

Yes we're running the race in order to win the prize.
We're running the marathon race; yet we're to remain calm.
We're moving and doing; yet we're to be still and know that He's Lord.
We're to stay still in the presence of God.
We're running with speed; yet our breathing remains calm, our focus steady.
If we're running the marathon, we cannot afford to get too excited,
because the anxiety will cut off the wind.
So we've to be calm, steady our course, get rid of our fears,
dwell not on the past or worry about the future.
And we lift up our heads,look ahead at Jesus and run with endurance.
And we'll find the wind of God's breath beneath our wings,
and we'll soar like an eagle beyond our own expectations.

We're to run with endurance, in a calm and steadfast way.
We relax in the midst of stress, as we run.
It is by faith. Faith gives power under control,
so that we can relax in the midst of all the stressful situations in life.
If we're to see victory, then our strength must be harnessed,
our vision must be focussed,
and our stride be steady.

do not be overloaded

The ship that Apostle Paul was in, on the way to Rome....on the 2nd day, the people on board threw all their cargos into the raging sea. The things that once seemed so important, may be the things that need to be unloaded...old habits, old hurts and memories, past failures and disappointments should all be thrown into the sea of God's forgetfulness, because we must move on.

Overloaded people fail.
Like an airplane, we can only carry a certain amount of weight. Or else how can we soar like the eagle? We all make mistakes in life; we all have regrets, but we must move beyond them. We must trim off the excesses, get rid of things and habits that hinder us. For many, their bags are too heavy, but they won't let them go.

Too often, our actions are dictated, not by our own sense of true purpose in life, but are dictated by a misguided need to please other people. We want to make others happy, and will do anything to win their approvals. We care so much about what others think. Although it's good to be concerned for others, if you're always looking for approval, you're not looking where you're going...you're going in the wrong direction.

Acts 5:29 : "We ought to obey God rather than men"
Therefore learn to let go, so that you can fly. Release yourself from the past, trim off the excess load, know your calling...your goal and purpose in life.

be still and know He's Lord....

To have God’s peace I must learn to be still, knowing that God is always working all things out for good to those whom He loved.  “Be still n know that I AM the Lord.”

God’s peace in us gives us rest n strength. Unless I have His peace, my mind is confused n I won’t be able to write this sermon. Every time I have peace, I can write; my mind is clear. I can hear ; I can think clearly. I seek His peace.  My heart must be right. I must seek peace with all men.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.

For God’s peace to reside in me, I must let go of all bitterness. I must forgive like Jesus forgave the soldiers.

To be prospered by God is to do His will. And Joseph did the Father's will in Potiphar's house, avoided the attention of the master's wife n went to prison without any bitterness. And God was with him n the Lord prospered him even while in prison. “Be still n know I AM the Lord.” Joseph was still n he walked in God’s will. And God worked all things out for good for Joseph. If Joseph despaired n moved ahead of God, it would be difficult for God to work all things out for good for Joseph. But Joseph was still n he trusted in God n in His time.

What was Joseph's secret? He walked in the will of the Lord. He was still. God’s peace remain in him. Joseph’s secret of success was he knew how to be still n allow God to work things out in God’s time n God’s will. Joseph was walking in God’s will n did not moved ahead of God out of anger, out of emotions or fear,  But was still n know that God is the Lord over all things, over all circumstances, over all sorrows, all his sadness, all the heartaches, all the tears he shed at night that only God knew.  He did responded with "a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye." “Be still n know that I AM Lord.” Amen.

Be still is not to move ahead of God, but to let His will be done.

God is always working things out for those whom He loved.

Imagine u are Joseph working for Potiphar, a fat old man, having many slaves working for him

Will u serve him faithfully or just eye-service?

Humble is not enough. Because we must be still and it is hard to be still.

Joseph not only was humble, but also he was still n serve Potiphar like he was serving God.

He was tempted by Potiphar’s wife n punished n put into prison as a rapist n criminal.

If I was Joseph, I would have cried out to God, “Lord this is unfair. I am faithful walking

in Your will, and this what I get.” I would have lost faith in God n get depressed in prison.

I would not be able to serve in prison like Joseph served.

It is easier to be humble, but harder to be still.

God can only truly bless us unless we learn to be still.

It is easier to move ahead out of fear n anxiety n walk in our own will.

To be still is not to fear but to trust in God’s will.

Joseph served Potiphar as a slave n was still.

Joseph served in prison as a prisoner n was still.

And God was working out things so that Joseph know that God is God.

Be still n know that I AM Lord.

“Peace I leave w u, my peace I give to u; not as the world gives do I give to u. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14.27

When u have Jesus’s peace, your heart is not troubled.

Your life will be free from regrets, anxieties, worries. This is Shalom.

You are healthy, strong, full of joy n peace.

Isaiah says : those who wait upon the lord shall mount up like eagle, run n not faint.

Because u have shalom

U have peace n god’s protection over u. protect your heart, your health, from war,

From demonic attacks, from headache, from hyperthyroidism, from high blood, from stress.

You are strong in body, emotions, mind, full of energy.

You shall walk n climb n not faint n get wearied.

You have the strength of a young man.

Life is beautiful when God is with you.

Always pray. Always seek God’s will for your life.

Do not walk in your own will, or in your own way.

Always seek the Lord; be humble. Seek His peace. Seek peace with all men. Be a peacemaker.

Only in God’s will can I be strong. Stay strong by doing things in His will.

Trust in the Lord in everything that I do.

Seek Him for advices and guidance, for His will to shine ever brighter in the darkest night.

Always pray. Tell God how weak I am. And also that I can do all things in Christ.

put peace and love first in everything. Work together as one, by tolerating one another.

Above all, put peace and love above everything else, by thinking positively of other people.

Listen to what the Lord says, and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

Know that the Lord hears all prayers, and is always by your side. Talk to Him in your quiet time, and build a relationship with Him.

Know that He's with you, even through the harshest times when even your heart begin to doubt.

But know this..even in your sleep and tiredness, He comes and looks after you, to protect and watch over you.

Instead Joseph did what Jesus did : pray for those who persecuted u. For we to love our physical enemy but not the spiritual enemy, for we wrestle not against flesh n blood. We leave justice in the hands of the Father.

If u want to stay in God's will so as to prosper, u must be still n not move in your own will, but let go the past n not stay bitter. Yes hate evil n love good. Love your physical enemy n rebuke the wicked angels n pray for those who persecuted u.

Like Jesus who opened not His mouth in retaliation nor was deceit found in His mouth. He humbled Himself n became obedient to the point of death. Therefore God highly exalted Him n given him the name above every name.

God will likewise prosper u if u love n seek peace n learn to be still n allow God to work all things for good, n know that God is God.  Your own brothers who betrayed u are not your real enemy. Let not hatred n bitterness rob u of God's blessings.

Always seek God with a humble heart. let His peace rest in u. let not things of the world control u

do not let them control your thinking but like Mary, sit at Jesus's feet  n come out from the world

so that God can show u the way

so that u can walk in His will so that God can bless u.

"A new commandment I give you...love one another"

This is the most blessed n joyful commandment. joyful because the reward is... you will rejoice.

Are you a fruitful tree?

The fruit of the Spirit is love........

Hebrews 12:12 "Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees. "

There are times when we grow so weary that we question whether we will be able to endure another day.

When one is suffering, whether physically because of body disease or injury or severe infection, or it is an emotional problem like broken-heart or great disappointment

even one day is hard to go by...the pain.

During the long, hard trial of Job, God said to Job,

"Gird up your loins and be a man" (Job 38:3)"Now prepare yourself like a man"

Yet God promises to give us sufficient strength for our days.

God's grace is sufficient, if we do not reject His grace n turn bitter.

if we come humbly n boldly to his throne of grace.

Have faith that God can make the hard things in life become sweet for us.

let his peace rule in our heart. joy comes in the morning. although it had been a very dark night.

Many Christians have been offended n they cried out, "It is not fair!" n they stumbled n rejected the grace of God.

so they do not have the grace of God to sustain them in their trials n adversities.

So they are not able to go through the fire with a sound mind, n so they cannot understand what is happening.

they become bitter.

We are all not perfect. Help each other to walk this journey, to run this race together.

We are all in the same journey together. We are tempted, fall, rise again.

Leave everything to God who will do the judging for He sees everything.

If Jesus responded to the soldiers torturing him with evil for evil, He cannot be our Savior.

to take away all our sins.

We need to let go. forgive. so as to be free.

God is faithful n just to forgive us if we confess.

Be merciful as God is merciful. He is your husband. Help him, so that next time he can help you or God can help you.

Examine yourselves. Examine your hearts.

Whatever that’s not right, let’s put it right w God.

Ask for forgiveness with a sincere n humble hearts.

God hears the cries of our hearts.

Let there be no hindrance in our prayers to God. N His blessings n protection over us.

For if we judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned w the world.

If there is any hatred n bitterness in our hearts, put it away by confessing it to the Lord n ask for His grace n mercy.

Let us come to the throne of grace with boldness n a clear conscience to seek strength in times of weakness.

come to His presence for refreshment n strength.

When everything is gone n there is no hope, wait upon the Lord

Psalm 27 :11-14

"Teach me Your way O Lord n lead me in the righteous path.

I would have despaired unless i had believed that i would see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living. Wait for the lord “

Be strong n let your heart take courage

To be strong n to be of good courage, we need to be refreshed n strengthened by God.

We hear ppl say, " In the presence of God there is joy, peace, comfort n strength."

This is true. But how to be in His presence? or manifested presence?

Remember God never leave us nor forsake us. He is always present. Omnipresent.

We must learn to be still n abide in Him, knowing that God is always in control

we serve a living God. make right with God.

"You shall love thy God w all your heart, soul, mind, strength.'

"You shall have no other god before me. Be still and know that I AM the Lord.

let nothing hinder our union w god so that God hears our prayer

is there anything not right in your heart..mayb something , some hurt cannot let go..as God forgives us, let us also forgive out of love

as we receive mercy, let us also be merciful to others.

without love, there is no holiness, no power to live the victorious life

without love, there is no true glory. he who knows love knows God, for God is love.

the source of glory is love.

Know that …

anger is weakness.  peace is strength.  ask for His peace.  ask for His grace to be strong

each morning u wake up. remember the Lord. grateful for each new day.

even for the air u breathe.  for the rain n sunshine.  for the good sleep u had

when u have peace. u can sleep well. sleep is a blessing.

the safest place is to be in God's will

always remember the greatness of God in your life.

Just keep doing what u r doing, only doing for the Lord

Do not turn to the right or to the left,

always looking unto the Lord

that He is your Master in everything.

n nothing can be taken for granted.

so make full use of your time

use it for God

please Him with your life

All the things we have on this earth are only of temporary value.

But everything we have with Christ is everlasting.

There's a great difference between the two.

Drink from the well that never runs dry.

seek comfort n protection from God.

Let Him cover you with His mighty wings.

soar n rise with Him above the storms

know that there's nothing to fear

for the Lord is by your side.

Love Him n you shall see how much He cares for u

Therefore keep your head high in your times of troubles,

and look up to God...where does my help come from?

Do not fear, for everything is under control, if you let God be God.

So rejoice everyday and give thanks to God.

Continue to stay strong in faith and cling on tight to Him.

We cannot find peace outside the will of God. Even as we face the storms and crisis and perplexities of life, when all hope is gone, when "the terrible storms raged unabated many days , until at last all hope was gone", and like Paul in Acts 27:23, we can say, "For there stood by me this night, an angel of the God to whom I belong, and to whom I serve, saying, "Do not be afraid. You must be brought before Ceasar."
Everything that happens, happens for a reason. When you get into a traffic jam that lasts for hours, do not fight against it. Patiently wait when it's time to move. This way, you find peace. You move in the will of God. You must allow God to move in, to take control. Your heart attitude must be right. Therefore be still, and know that God is in control.

2Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Right now, the temptation to move ahead of God is great, when the suddenness of this storm propels you to react out of desperation rather than faith. This will only leads you to poverty, and sin. But everything within you screams to do something.
Proverbs 21:5 "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty."
Proverbs 19:2 "Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, and he sins who hastens with his feet."
But by the mercy and grace of God, the Lord shows you that by jumping ship, you're only diving into the turbulent waters. So you cry you,"Lord, bring to a halt the furious thoughts racing in my head. Give me the presence of mind to be still and know that You are God."
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God."
Psalm 62:1-2 "Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved."
O Lord, I bring my thoughts, emotions, words, and my actions under Your control. Lead me by Your Spirit, and stop me before I move ahead of You. Please, Lord, quicken my spirit to hear Your voice, so that I can rest in Your assurance, that even the wind and the raging sea obey You. Open my eyes to see that You are as near to me in my turmoil, as You are to me when everything is at peace. I want to walk by faith, not by sight, regardless of the rising waves that surround me.
Lord God, You are my salvation. I will trust in You, and not be afraid, for You are in control.
Jesus said,"Father, I know you always hear me."
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Have you consistently seek God, believing that He hears you? As you seek to understand God's will for your life, God will lay His heart over your heart and mind; as you obey Him, you will abide in His love, and one with Him; your loud cries and tears will be heard, and His presence shall lead you; you shall pray ith confidence of heart, knowing that the Father hears.

There'll be times when you find yourself, crying out to the Lord, with deep concerns of heart as you follow Him, but you can be confident in the Father's love to hear and answer your prayers, as you submit your life to Him, even if you have to drink the cup like Jesus did. There should be a determination in our heartsto seek te Father's heart and will; the voice of God should be our source of joy, strength and hope.

Paul heard the angel sent to him by God, and he was assured and strengthened. Jesus heard the Father at the garden of Gethsemane."Abba, My Father, all things are possible with you; if it's possible, let this cup pass from me, but nevertheless, let your will be done."
As we listen and obey the voice of God, the Father will be able to fully accomplish His eternal purpose in us and through us. God always has eternity in mind. And greater works we shall do in His name. Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered (Hebrews5). So must we. He prayed with loud cries and tears. So must we. His prayer to the Father was heard because of His godly fear and reverent submission to the Father's will.
"And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him."(Hebrews 5:9). Through the process of continual prayer, submission and obedience in the midst of suffering, Jesus was made perfect. And God was able to fully accomplish His will through Jesus.

Prayer in our lives is purposed by God to change and shape us to His will and purpose, so that God can accomplish His redemptive work in and through us. May we allow God to adjust us as we pray. God is faithful to provide to those who call upon Him.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My srength is made perfect in weakness." When God says 'No", it is because of His perfect love and wisdom.The provisions of God are many, and they come in a multitude of ways.Therefore do not lose faith or lose heart, but continue to submit in prayer to God's will, and to believe the promises of God. In spite of the dark clouds, in spite the great storms and thunders, in spite the hopeless situations, even when there's no sheep in the pen, no cattle in the vine, we know that God is in control.

Father in heaven,

We want to come to you, to cast all our burdens unto You in prayer to You, not holding anything back from You.

Help us Lord, to live our lives according to Your will, and not according to other people's expectations of us. For You're the One who holds our future in Your hand. You're the hope we look to everyday, for You'll be with us throughout our whole lives.

Help us to draw close to You, for You alone understands all our disappointments, and You know everything there's to know. Help us to wait upon You, and renew our strength in You. Help us to feel Your every heart-beat, knowing deep down inside Your heart, You're filled with brokenness and sorrow for us. The moment we sin, it breaks Your heart. The moment we reject another person, we reject You.

Help us to always trust in You, following Your leading, and not to waver or go astray or lose our focus on You, but to always think about You, and dwell in Your presence and carry Your annointing. It is faith from a sincere heart that You look for...trust and loyalty from a sincere heart, not just faith by words or by thoughts.

Help us to humble before You, and be brought low, so that You can pour in, and pour in, into us, filling us with Your love, Your Spirit and power, and putting Your mind into ours.

If I continually keep my mind upon You, You will unfold things to me,
and if I obediently walk before You, and keep my heart pure and clean and holy and right,
You, O Lord, will always be lifting me higher and higher than I ever shall expect.