I have in my hands two boxes
Which God gave me to hold He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black, And all your joys in the gold." I heeded His words, and in the two boxes Both my joys and sorrows I store But though the gold became heavier each day The black was as light as before With curiosity, I opened the black I wanted to find out why And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole Which my sorrows had fallen out by I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud, "I wonder where my sorrows could be." He smiled a gentle smile at me. "My child, they're all here with me." I asked, "God, why give me the boxes, Why the gold, and the black with the hole?" "My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, the black is for you to let go." We should consider all of our friends a blessing. Send this to a friend today just to let them know that you are thinking of them. Jesus Christ is present in every single book of the Bible.
God’s precious Word has both the Old Testament and the New Testament .. In the Old Testament Jesus is miraculously concealed and in the New Testament Jesus Christ is magnificently revealed. .. GOD’S WORD .. As God’s children there is no doubt that the Bible is our absolute life-life .. but as we spend time meditating in God’s Word, how much do we really know about this priceless treasure and the life-changing Truth it carries ? .. THE BOOK OF FIRST CHRONICLES : .. GOD IS FAITHFUL .. First Chronicles is a book that is simply overflowing with the most beautiful accounts of God's unwavering faithfulness towards His children. God is faithful to you, and as you read First Chronicles may you be encouraged to forever remain faithful to Him !! The book of First Chronicles is exactly that .. A Chronicle .. An account of the life of King David. The first nine chapters chronicle the family line of the godly King David, and the remaining twenty chapters tell the story of his righteous reign over God's people. FAITHFULNESS .. GOD'S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS PEOPLE .. this is the very precious theme of First Chronicles. God continues to call on us to be faithful and He strongly advises us against unfaithfulness .. God's faithfulness to us guarantees His blessings in our lives and that is why God is so passionate about faithfulness. As you spend time in First Chronicles, you will read the story of when David brings the ark back to Jerusalem. Now the ark is a symbol of God's presence and as we read this ancient story, we are reminded of just how desperately we require the perfect presence of God in each and every area of our lives today. God never wants you to under-estimate the power of faithfulness and the book of First Chronicles holds the lesson that faithfulness has rewards, while unfaithfulness will lead us into trouble. The God we serve is an awesome Father, and thankfully for us when we are unfaithful God always, always, always takes us back because of His unconditional love and mercy .. however we will often still face the consequences of breaking our fellowship with God. Let First Chronicles send waves of encouragement through every fiber of your being .. You remain steadfast and faithful to God in every situation in your life !! DON'T YOU EVER FORGET THAT GOD IS FOREVER FAITHFUL TO YOU !! Your Father is always near you .. He is always watching over you .. and He wants nothing but the absolute best for you .. YOUR FATHER LOVES YOU !! You read the story of the arks return to Jerusalem, and as you do please consider all the various aspects of your life .. Your family .. Your Work .. Your friendships .. Your home .. Your spiritual life .. Your entertainment .. Your hobbies .. Your finances .. and all of the other things that concern you .. and then pray and ask God to increase His perfect presence more and more into your life. .. JESUS CHRIST .. In First Chronicles He remains .. Our Reigning King The LORD made Solomon extremely powerful, as all Israel could see. The people of Israel gave him royal honor like no king of Israel before him. 1 Chronicles 29 : 25 Advice to Andrew Jackson by his Mother
In 1781 Andrew Jackson, then 14 years of age, enlisted in the American army, was captured and thrown into prison where he had smallpox. His mother Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, through exchange arranged for his release and nursed him back to health. Responding to an urgent appeal, she left him to go to Charleston to nurse some sick neighbors who were confined there on a British hospital ship. This errand of mercy cost her life. She caught yellow fever and died. Almost her last words to her young son were: "Andrew, if I should not see you again, I wish you to remember and treasure up some things I have already said to you; in this world you will have to make your own way. To do that you must have friends. You can make friends by being honest and you can keep them by being steadfast. You must keep in mind that friends worth having will in the long run expect as much from you as they give to you. To forget a obligation or to be ungrateful for a kindness is a base crime – not merely a fault or a sin but an actual crime. Men guilty of it sooner or later must suffer the penalty. In personal conduct, be always polite but never obsequious. None will respect you more than you respect yourself. Avoid quarrels as long as you can without yielding to imposition. But sustain your manhood always. Never bring a suit in law for assault and battery or for defamation. The law offers no remedy for such outrages that can satisfy the feelings of a true man. Never wound the feelings of others. Never brook wanton outrage upon your own feelings. If ever you have to vindicate your feelings or defend your honor, do it calmly. If angry at first, wait till your wrath cools before you proceed." Do you treasure words of wisdom from your mom? Call and tell her how much you love and appreciate her. She was, your very first friend. His followers went to him and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We will drown!" Jesus answered, "Why are you afraid?" Mat 8:25-26
Read this verse: "Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God'" (Mat 14:33 NIV). After the storm, [the disciples] worshiped him. They had never, as a group, done that before. Never. Check it out. Open your Bible. Search for a time when the disciples corporately praised him. You won't find it. You won't find them worshiping when he heals the leper. Forgives the adulteress. Preaches to the masses. They were willing to follow. Willing to leave family. Willing to cast out demons. Willing to be in the army. But only after the incident on the sea did they worship him. Why? Simple. This time they were the ones who were saved. In the Eye of the Storm (by: Max Lucado) JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If God had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. When you want to talk, He'll listen. He could live anywhere in the universe and yet He chose our heart. And that Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem? Face it friend, He's crazy about you! If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land” (Isaiah 1:19, NIV)
Is there something in your life that you know God is asking you to do, but you just haven’t done it yet? Maybe He’s asking you to reach out to someone or let go of an addiction in your life. Maybe He’s asking you to make a commitment that you just haven’t gotten around to yet or sow a special seed. You may not fully understand why He’s asking you to do it, but know this: God is for your good. He wants to give you the best of the land. He longs to pour out His blessing and favor upon you, but you have to do your part. You have to open your heart and choose to be willing and obedient because obedience opens the door for Him to move in your life. Today, ask the Lord to give you an obedient heart. Ask Him to show you what adjustments you need to make in your life. As you submit your ways to Him and choose obedience, you will walk in His will. You will experience God's best and live the good life that He has prearranged for you Lord I pray that you bless everybody that reads this prayer today Lord I pray that we experience Your Power, Your Presence , Your Protection , Your Purpose , Your Provision and Your Peace. Jesus We pray this in Your Mighty Name Amen
" ARE YOU PREPARED TO LOOK VULNERABLE IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD "
I have sinned against you, especially you. I have done what you consider evil. So you hand down justice when you speak, and you are blameless when you judge. PSALMS 51 : 4 ARE YOU MAKING THE MISTAKE OF TRYING TO COVER UP EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE NOT .. BY PUTTING ON FALSE MASKS AND DRESSING UP IN SUPERFICIAL, FAKE, ARMOUR ? .. So you might not be the biggest .. You might not be the strongest .. You might not be the tallest .. You might not be the fastest .. You might not be the smartest .. Stop focusing on all the things that you " might not be " .. stop presenting a superficial, false you to the world around you .. the world does not need to see anymore superficial .. it is time for the supernatural to shine through you. Now is the time to stand tall as the chosen child of God that you are, and proclaim to the world that .. yes I have weaknesses .. yes I have faults .. yes I am vulnerable .. but don't let that fool you .. There is a lot of things that I am not, but the one thing I know for sure that I am .. is lethal .. I am lethal in my passion and in my determination to be a great ambassador and to serve God the very best I can with every fiber of my being. Lets take a moment to look at the profiles of two very well-known men from the Bible .. Saul and David. Saul .. Saul was a man that was anointed by God to be king .. and if we imagine what a king should look like, then Saul was the best candidate for the job. His outward appearance was exactly what we would expect .. he was big .. he was tough .. he had a strong presence that surrounded him .. his body was covered with the finest armour that sparkled in the afternoon sun .. and he carried the highest quality weapons on his side. Yes .. Saul did have a few weaknesses in his character .. but they were rooted on the inside of him .. they were not outwardly visible. David .. Poor little David, the shepherd boy .. he looked rough, irresponsible, a careless teenager, who really had nothing better to do with his time than sit in the fields all day long and keep an eye on the sheep .. David was a small boy .. he was not big and strong .. he did not have any shining armour to put on .. and his weapon, well that was nothing to brag about .. it was rather second-rate and not quite up to scratch .. after all it was just an old, worn out shepherds slingshot. Yes .. David also had a few weaknesses in his character .. but they were all outward .. they were not rooted on the inside of him. OK so why is the comparison between these two men important to us ? .. Looking at Saul and David .. you can clearly see that these two men were worlds apart. Saul was the king, he was mighty and strong, he had power, he had strength, he had armies, he had the best armour and weapons .. outwardly King Saul appeared to have it all. Then we have David who's naked, ordinary, humble appearance was so plain. Looking at David we would think he was an extremely vulnerable, weak, unfit young man .. outwardly David really had nothing going for him at all. Now this is why these two men can teach us a very valuable lesson ..Saul .. He was a selfish, arrogant, self-righteous king and because he was inwardly weak he spent most of his time hiding behind all the superficial armour .. BUT .. you can not and will not defeat your enemies if you remain hiding behind a superficial, fake life. David .. He was a modest, natural, real, down-to-earth shepherd boy and because he was outwardly weak, he knew where to find his source of strength .. David always, always, always turned to God first .. Always !! No matter what people thought about David, he stood firmly on the foundation of his relationship with God .. God was David's first love and when David got down on his knees to pray, it did not matter " what he did not have " because even his most stubborn critics were left speechless and in awe of his openness with God, and the passion and dedication he had for serving and loving God .. no matter what the cost. STOP .. Stop hiding the precious person that God created you to be .. Stop allowing the world to look at you and dictate what you are and what you are not .. You be the very best you that you can be .. be vulnerable .. be passionate .. be dedicated .. with God in your life as your Father and your best friend .. YOU WILL BE LETHAL !! PEACE ON THE OUTSIDE COMES FROM KNOWING GOD ON THE INSIDE If we're completely honest, we all came into our marriages with
unrealistic expectations, which eventually took us by surprise. Even though this can be both disappointing and frustrating, we don't have to continually live that way. To help us work through these issues, in this Marriage Message, we're providing some practical advice, which we found in the book, "Marriage -- Clues for the Clueless," published by Barbour Publishing. Please prayerfully consider the following: FOUR PROFOUND LAWS ABOUT EXPECTATIONS: 1. We ALL have them about everything (from books to movies, from holidays, to how we spend our days off). 2. The degree to which reality fails to measure up to our expectations, is the degree to which we will feel disappointed. 3. Repeated disappointments may lead to disenchantment, despair, or even disgust. 4. These first three laws are especially at work in marriage. A FEW OF THE MAIN AREAS ABOUT WHICH MARRIED COUPLES HAVE EXPECTATIONS: -Intimate Issues - Spending Patterns - Holidays - Time with Family - Vacations - Exercise - Use of Free Time - Communication Habits/Styles - Diet - Hobbies - Shopping - Clothes - Sleep Habits - Pets - Time Apart - Socializing - Children (how many, discipline, etc.) - Decorating - Finances (giving, saving, investing) - Roles (as a husband or wife) - Entertainment Are any of these areas ones that you've had conflicts over? Well, marital expectations are generally subconscious and seldom verbalized, so that, for example, HE comes into the marriage "assuming" that the husband and wife go to bed together at 10 o'clock. (After all, this is what his mother and father did.) Meanwhile SHE is envisioning that they will stay up late and if she isn't tired at the same time he is, she can stay up later. (Because this is what was modeled for her as she was growing up.) Do you see the potential for disappointment or conflict? WHAT CAN COUPLES DO TO MINIMIZE THE DISAPPOINTMENT? 1. Talk about your expectations. The ideal time to clarify expectations is before marriage. It's really helpful to know (prior to saying, "I do") that, while your heart is set on five or six kids, your beloved is expecting maybe one (& only if that one can come with a low-maintenance guarantee.) However, every couple (even after the wedding) is wise to make a list like the one above and work through it together. And that leads to the next important step. 2. Compromise. If SHE wants to hang the giant cat picture over the living room sofa, but HE was expecting many motif-like heads of slain animals, clearly both sides need to give a little. Stubbornness will get you nowhere. Well, actually, it will get you lots of places... they're just not places a couple needs to go. 3. Do away with unrealistic expectations. If you're both schoolteachers (and thus, like all educators, vastly underpaid) it's probably not realistic to expect that you and your spouse will be able to spend each summer at your own private villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Be a bit more reasonable. Lower your sights a tad. If you're really careful and creative, you might be able to afford an annual camping trip to some national park. 4. Learn the difference between hoping for something and demanding something. Example: While at the office Dave catches a whiff of perfume. Somehow (and scientists are not sure how this happens since this is such a rare phenomenon among men) this scent causes Dave to envision an intimate evening with his wife Dianne. As he mulls over the prospect in his mind, he moves subtly from, "Man, that sure would be romantic!" to "By golly, I'm going for it tonight!" Now Dave has an expectations (perhaps even a demanding spirit). What happens now if he gets home and Diane has a headache? 5. Learn the art of contentment. Be appreciative for what you've got. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Those with long "wish lists" tend to be the unhappiest people. The Apostle Paul gives us the picture of what a Christ-follower's attitude should be in Philippians 4:11-12 where he says, "For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." 6. Be accepting. Romans 15:7 encourages us to accept one another, just as Christ has accepted us. It's wise to apply this principle when discussing expectations with your spouse. Yeah, his expectation of "no leftovers ever" is a bit extreme. But so is your expectation that he never be a minute late anywhere. ....................................... Now would be a good time begin the process of looking at areas in your marriage, where you've encountered conflict (tackling Keep in mind that it's not just what you've lived through, but what you've "learned through" that is important. We challenge you to apply what was presented above to build relationship bridges, rather than the growing walls of contention you've lived with in the past. Prayerfully do this with the Holy Spirit as your Wonderful Counselor, and like us, you will stand amazed! "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!" (Romans 15:5-6) Cindy and Steve Wright P.S. If you think of others who may benefit from these weekly messages, please forward this to them and encourage them to subscribe to this FREE ministry. To subscribe, go to http://tinyurl.com/2a89yf, click on the message groups that you want, fill in the necessary information and click on "Submit". Every week we add new articles to our web site, www.marriagemissions.com, so visit often because you'll find other helpful marriage information. If you don't have access to the internet, you can send an e-mail to [email protected] and write "Subscribe to Marriage Messages" in the subject line. Jeremia 31:25 For I will fully satisfy the weary soul and I will replenish every languisshing and sorrowful person.
Take up Gods promise of refreshment He cares for you. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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