PUSH

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room was filled with light and the Saviour appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day.

For many years, he toiled from sun up to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man’s weary mind: “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.” Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. “Why kill myself over this?” he thought. “I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough.”

And that is what he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

“Lord,” he said, “I have laboured long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimetre. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

The Lord responded compassionately, “My son, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push, and now you come to me, with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so?

“Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition, you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. I, my son, will now move the rock.”

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves the mountains.

Author Unknown

Meditation: 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 faint. – Isaiah 40:31

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Alchemy of God

by D. James Kennedy

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

Have you ever had a rock and wished you could change it into a diamond?

Years ago, before the advent of chemistry, a science called alchemy existed, and alchemists had a similar passion: Finding a way to transform worthless metals into gold. Of course, they never succeeded. But God is the master alchemist. He has a passion for taking all things and working them for good.

Charles Spurgeon tells about one man who had complete faith that God would work everything for his good. During the reign of Queen Mary I of England, this man was captured for preaching the gospel.

He received the sentence of being burned alive at the stake in London. When he heard the sentence, he said, “Well, never mind. God will work all things together for my good. I don’t know how, but He will.”

On his way to London, the guards treated the man roughly. In fact, they even threw him down to the ground, and in doing so, they broke his leg. Then they mocked the man, saying, “Well, tell us how this will work together for your good.”

He said, “I don’t know, but it will.”

Before they could continue their trip, the guards had to take time to put the man’s leg into a splint. Because of this delay, the group arrived in London a day later than the guards had planned. But the night before they arrived, Queen Mary died, and Elizabeth had taken the throne.

Instead of burning the man at the stake, Elizabeth pardoned him. So, although his broken leg was a bad thing, God used it for his good, saving his life through the delay it caused.

Do circumstances often seem to work in opposition to your expectations? Do you sometimes despair of any good coming from your situation? Remember that God is in charge. He sees the big picture; He knows the future. He controls all things, and He loves you more than you can imagine.

Through your experiences, He’ll shape you, transforming you into the best person you can be. Trust Him and even thank Him for situations that seem bad, because He works all things together for your good.

May God, the mighty Alchemist, transform the lead of our lives into gold.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Perfect Mistake

My Mother’s father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at its height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. “It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. “But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top!”

The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that.”

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, “Thank you God for not allowing my car to start this morning.” He may have been saving your life from a car accident. “Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me lose my glasses; I’m sure they’ll be put to good use or there is a lesson to be learned.”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Best Gifts This Season

Author Unknown

To a Friend, Loyalty

To an Enemy, Forgiveness

To your Boss, Service

To your Child, A good example

To your Father, Honor

To your Mother, Gratitude and Devotion

To your Spouse, Love and Faithfulness

To Yourself, Respect

To All Men, Charity

To God, Your Life!

Meditation: Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:29-31

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Signs of Inner Peace

Author Unknown

* A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

* An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

* A loss of interest in judging self.* A loss of interest in judging other people.

* A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

* A loss of interest in conflict.

* A loss of ability to worry (this is a very serious symptom).

* Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

* Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

* Frequent attacks of smiling.

* An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

* An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Meditation: For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “…In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” – Isaiah 30:15

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Birth of Jesus

– Author KNOWN!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria). And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on
whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to the one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2: 1-20 NIV)

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

One on the Wall

Author Unknown

I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighbouring town of Venice (Italy), the city of lights and water. As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us. He called the waiter and placed his order saying, ‘Two cups of coffee, one here, one on the wall.’

We heard this strange order with interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. As soon as he left, the waiter pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, ‘A Cup of Coffee’.

While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had the two cups of coffee, but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, ‘A Cup of Coffee’.

It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left. After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. While we were enjoying our coffee, a poorly dressed man entered. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, ‘One cup of coffee from the wall’.

The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying.

We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the dustbin.

Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears.

Ponder upon the need of what this man wanted. He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem. He has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him. He only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.

Probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see will be our wall of good deeds on the Day of Judgement. This is what is Charity when you give from one hand and the other hand does not know about it. May God help us to spend for the poor and the needy.

Meditation: Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. – Matthew 6:2-4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Situations that Require Silence

Author Unknown

As the adage goes; ‘silence is golden’, the following is a list of 20 situations where it is better to be silent:

1. Be silent – in the heat of anger.

2. Be silent – when you don’t have all the facts.

3. Be silent – when you haven’t verified the story.

4. Be silent – if your words will offend a weaker person.

5. Be silent – when it is time to listen.

6. Be silent – when you are tempted to make light of holy things.

7. Be silent – when you are tempted to joke about sin.

8. Be silent – if you would be ashamed of your words later.

9. Be silent – if your words would convey the wrong impression.

10. Be silent – if the issue is none of your business.

11. Be silent – when you are tempted to tell an outright lie.

12. Be silent – if your words will damage someone else’s reputation.

13. Be silent – if your words will damage a friendship.

14. Be silent – when you are feeling critical.

15. Be silent – if you can’t say it without screaming.

16. Be silent – if your words will be a poor reflection of the Lord or your friends and family.

17. Be silent – if you may have to eat your words later.

18. Be silent – if you have already said it more than one time.

19. Be silent – when you are tempted to flatter a wicked person.

20. Be silent – when you are supposed to be working instead.

Meditation: Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles. – Proverbs 21:23

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Big Picture

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
– Proverbs 3:5

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when, suddenly his room filled with light and the Saviour appeared. The Lord told the man He had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day.

For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man’s weary mind: “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.”

Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. “Why kill myself over this?” he thought. “I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough.” And that was what he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

“Lord,” he said, “I have laboured long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimetre. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

The Lord responded compassionately, “My son, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never did I mentio

n to you that I expected you to move the rock. Your task was to push, and now you come to me, with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so?

“Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscular, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition, you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.

“Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient, push, exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock.”

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves the mountains.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

If You’ve Ever Been in Love

Author Unknown

If You’ve Ever Been In Love…

Think back (for some of you this will take longer than others) to when you met that man/woman that you just knew would be the one. Remember when you realized/admitted to yourself that you loved him/her. Now, remember how much you wanted to act like you were in a movie, and yell to everyone in the football stadium “I love (fill in the name)!” You told family and friends how perfect he was. You told your boys how she was just what you were looking for.

Well, I told the LORD I loved Him today. And He said to me, “How much do you love me? You haven’t told anyone how good I’ve been to you. You haven’t shared how perfect my love is. You haven’t spread the good news that I am always there to listen to your problems. You haven’t told your family how I helped you pay your bills when you didn’t have a high paying job, or how I got you a better one. You didn’t tell your boys how I took away that addiction that would have cost you not only your job, but that woman that was just what you were looking for. So how much do you really love me?”

So, I said I would share with my friends and family (for starters) just how wonderful, perfect, understanding, patient, loving, unselfish, considerate and forgiving God really is. He has blessed me with a family that loves me and friends that I can confide in. But, even more than that, He has saved me from a destruction I couldn’t even see coming. He gave to me the peace of knowing Him and He has never broken a promise. Truly, He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I stand in my stadium today to yell to you all “I love The LORD!”

When the Doors are Closed Against You

Author Unknown

We need to learn to praise the Lord as much for a closed door as we do an open door. The reason God closes doors is because He has not prepared anything over there for us. If he didn’t close the wrong door, we would never find the right door.

God directs our path through the closing and opening of doors. Once a door closes, it forces you to change your course. Another door closes, it forces you to change your course again. Then, finally, you find the open door and you walk right into your blessing.

The Lord directs our paths through the opening and closing of doors, but instead of praising him for the closed door (which keeps us out of trouble); we get upset because we “judge by the appearances.”

You have an ever-present help in the time of trouble that is always standing guard. Because He walks ahead of you, He can spot trouble down the road and set up a roadblock or detour accordingly. But through our lack of wisdom, we try to tear down the roadblocks or push aside the detour sign.

Then the minute we get into trouble, we start crying, “Lord, how could You have done this to me?”

We have got to realize that the closed door can be a blessing. Didn’t He say that no good thing would He withhold from them that love Him?

If you get terminated from your job, praise God for the new opportunities that will manifest themselves: it might be another job, it might be school.

If that man or woman won’t return your call, it might not be them, it might be the Lord setting up a roadblock (just let it go).

We can sometimes trap ourselves in doubt and discouragement through judging by appearances. Be grateful for the many times our Father has closed doors to us just to open them in the most unexpected places.

The Lord won’t always say in spoken words: “Go to the left, now to the right…” sometimes He will just close the doors that are wrong for you.

Meditation: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Purpose: Sent to Deliver the Kingdom

One of the reasons Jesus came to earth was to introduce the kingdom of God to humankind. After the fall in the Garden of Eden, humans lost several privileges, among them the struggle-free existence and royalty that God had originally intended us to maintain. But God did not desire this to remain so; that was why He initiated the process of restoring humans to the exalted pedestal He had destined for us, so that we can reign as kings on earth. For this reason Jesus came; to pitch a new world order to us.

The kingdom of God offers the promises of all that man lost in the Garden of Eden, and more. But, unlike before when we would have been birthed into it by default, God would not force anyone to accept it. He thereafter made it a matter of personal choice. The decision to subscribe to it has to be made by each individual; proxy is not allowed.

As it is, the kingdom of heaven has already come to men with the coming, teachings, death, resurrection and eventual ascension of Jesus Christ. But subscribing to it is principally dependent on your willingness to accept it, by accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour; your adopting a paradigm shift in tandem; and your living in manners that affirm your new status.

Just as Jesus came to deliver the lost glories of the kingdom of God to us, some individuals around are similarly called to do so. People with this calling usually have unusual insights about the kingdom of God, and their dissertation on it always leaves the hearers with a lifted spirit and better understanding of what the kingdom is all about. People with this calling have an unusual sense of security and they live above the everyday struggles that humans generally grapple with. Those are parts of the perks that come with the mandate.

If you know any of such persons who proclaim the truth of the kingdom of God, please listen to them (Acts 16:17).

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Force of Prayer

Author Unknown

I’m so busy that I spend the first three hours of my day praying – Martin Luther king

It was reported that 10 years after the death of EW Kenyon, nobody could come close to his war room (prayer closest). The devil has no business with men on the altar who have no prayer life.

A lady once said to me, “Ceph! I’ve lost the fire of prayer.” I said to her, “Go down on your knees right now and start praying.” She said, “I’m about going out for business.” Then I said to her, “This is the problem, God is not first!”

The devil may never attack a Christian’s study life, but would do all to stop the praying Christian.

Prayer is not the vehicle for the change, prayer is the Change. Everything will remain at rest until an external force acts on it, that external force is the force of prayer. I can change the decisions of the king, I can turn the hand of the clock, I can change your opinion if I can pray.

Demons will have an upper hand in our societies, our homes, our churches and even our finances when we don’t pray.

Quoters of the word will agree with me that there are impossibilities despite their depth of God’s word and it’s so because there is no prayer life. The Lord said to me, “Ceph the secret of a successful ministry is first prayer.”

We can’t lead the people to His presence until we come out from His presence. Prayer is the greater work. Men on knees; destines on feet. To a reasonable and high degree, the success or failures of a man are traceable to the degree of his prayer life.

Whosoever asks, receives. They don’t receive because they don’t ask. Men ought always to pray.

Meditation: Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. – Luke 18:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Wisdom of A Child

– Author Unknown

My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in Cub Scouts only a short time. During one of his meetings he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give all to “dad”.

That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. Dad was not receptive to doing things with his son. But Gilbert tried. Dad read the paper and scoffed at the idea of making a pine wood derby car with his young, eager son. The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed.

Finally, mom stepped in to see if I could figure this all out. The project began. Having no carpentry skills, I decided it would be best if I simply read the directions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. I read aloud the measurements, the rules of what we could do and what we couldn’t do.

Within days his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car. A little lopsided, but looking great (at least through the eyes of mom). Gilbert had not seen any of the other kids’ cars and was feeling pretty proud of his “Blue Lightning”, the pride that comes with knowing you did something on your own.

Then the big night came. With his blue pinewood derby in his hand and pride in his heart, we headed to the big race. Once there my little boy’s pride turned to humility. Gilbert’s car was obviously the only car made entirely on his own. All the other cars were a father-son partnership, with cool paint jobs and sleek body styles made for speed.

A few of the boys giggled as they looked at Gilbert’s lopsided, wobbly, unattractive vehicle. To add to the humility, Gilbert was the only boy without a man at his side. A couple of the boys who were from single parent homes at least had an uncle or grandfather by their side, Gilbert had “mom”.

As the race began, it was done in elimination fashion. You kept racing as long as you were the winner. One by one, the cars raced down the finely sanded ramp. Finally, it was between Gilbert and the sleekest, fastest looking car there. As the last race was about to begin, my wide-eyed, shy eight year old ask if they could stop the race for a minute, because he wanted to pray. The race stopped.

Gilbert went to his knees clutching his funny looking block of wood between his hands. With a wrinkled brow, he set to converse with his Father. He prayed in earnest for a very long minute and a half. Then he stood, smile on his face and announced, “Okay, I am ready.”

As the crowd cheered, a boy named Tommy stood with his father as their car sped down the ramp. Gilbert stood with his Father within his heart and watched his block of wood wobble down the ramp with surprisingly great speed and rushed over the finish line a fraction of a second before Tommy’s car!

Gilbert leaped into the air with a loud “Thank You” as the crowd roared in approval. The Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand and asked the obvious question, “So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?”

To which my young son answered, “Oh, no sir. That wouldn’t be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I wouldn’t cry when I lost.”

Children seem to have a wisdom far beyond us. Gilbert didn’t ask God to win the race, he didn’t ask God to fix the outcome. Gilbert asked God to give him strength in the outcome. When Gilbert first saw the other cars he didn’t cry out to God, “No fair, they had a father’s help!” No, he went to his Father for strength. Perhaps, we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to rig the race, to make us number one, or too much time asking God to remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God’s strength to get through the struggle. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Gilbert’s simple prayer spoke volumes to those present that night. He never doubted that God would indeed answer his request. He didn’t pray to win, thus hurt someone else, he prayed that God supply the grace to lose with dignity. Gilbert, by his stopping the race to speak to his Father also showed the crowd that he wasn’t there without a “dad”, but His Father was most definitely there with him. Yes, Gilbert walked away a winner that night, with his Father at his side.

May we all learn to pray this way.

Meditation: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ – Jeremiah 33:3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!