There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores.
They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. "You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "let me alone", but he only smiled, "Not yet." "Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said," and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I'm getting dizzy! I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.' Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, 'Not yet.' Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better,' I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.' Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.' Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself. And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.' 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you. MORAL: God knows what He's doing (for all of us). He is the Potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will. * "They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out from their
distress; He made the storm be still." Psalm 107:29 You have probably figured out that life is not free of challenges. Difficulties and even tragedies are to be expected. As a matter of fact, Jesus told His disciples, "Take courage. There are many storms in this life. But take heart, I have overcome the storms and the world." Whenever you face a storm, your first urge may be to scream, "Why?" Certain storms do come into our lives because of our own sin, but many storms occur when we're right in the middle of God's will. We're not doing anything wrong. We're doing what God wants us to do. Certainly, that was the case for the disciples. Jesus told them to get into the boat and row across the Sea of Galilee. They were obeying Jesus when they suddenly found themselves in a horrific storm. It was so bad they didn't even know if they'd survive. But here is the important message from that event - they did survive. With the help of Jesus, they did survive. Accept the fact that your life will not be a perfectly smooth ride. The road will sometimes have bumps and potholes and sharp turns. All roads do. Look upon these tragedies and difficulties as part of life. Turn to Jesus for guidance and He will be beside you as you ride out your storms. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4
Statistically, almost two thirds of all births in are illegitimate. That means that for almost two thirds of all children, their life begins without the presence of a father in the home. And, for those lucky few children who have a dad in residence, often, the light's just not on. Either he is passive in his leadership role with the children, or so involved in his career that he is essentially nonexistent in the home. Certainly, what we are seeing in our contemporary society is the crisis of the absentee dad. It is terrifying to think what this means to our children’s and nation's future. God's Word is clear that the father is to be the spiritual leader with a spirit of love for his wife and his children. This is not a dictatorial or authoritarian leadership, its Christ-centered servant leadership. It requires understanding of the fragile psyche of a child in the home that needs to be built up and not torn down. It means understanding the importance of discipline in the child's life. And it involves loving instruction, explaining what is right and wrong. The first step in being a good father - as with every other aspect of success - is simply showing up. Then, when we show up, let's move it up a notch to be the kind of dad God expects us to be. “See, I have tattooed your name upon my palm...” Isaiah 49:16 There are seasons in life when we feel like we’re forgotten. These are times when you feel like your life is just a routine, there’s no progress, no new doors are opening. Maybe you’ve been praying and hoping for that situation to change, but nothing is happening. It feels like God is on holiday. Maybe you’re in a abusive relationship, you don’t feel valuable anymore and you feel like God is punishing you somehow! Everybody around you is getting blessed, but you’re not getting anywhere. Your friends are getting married and you’re still single. Your colleague is promoted and you’re demoted. Your classmate is passing with flying colors and you’re still struggling with that same subject. Your neighbor has bought a new car and you’re still struggling to fix yours. Your friends are blessed with their 3rd child and you still can’t conceive. You have a smile on the outside but on the inside you’re empty and sad. It seems like nobody cares. God has sent me to let you know that He’s thinking about you. Infact He has “tattooed your name upon His palm” that’s how much He loves you. He sees every tears you shed in the midnight hour. He knows all about your disappointments. He remembers how people mistreated you. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. He’s busy preparing your comeback. People may forget you but God will never forget about you. People may hurt or betray you! People may dumb you at the time you need them the most, but hey, God is a friend that sticks to you closer than your own family. God has not forgotten about the years when you raised those kids alone. He has not forgotten about the time when you were wrongly accused. Just take time and watch children’s behavior. They never worry about what they’re going to eat or wear tomorrow. They always trust their parents so much that don’t expect to be disappointed. If we could have that same kind of child-like faith, and know that when things are not going well; our Father will come through for us. When God remembers you, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been that way, He’ll turning it around. Maybe your house or car, it’s about to be repossessed, you’re about to lose your spouse or your job. I want you to know that God remembers the plans He has about your life. He remembers the purpose why He brought you down here. He hasn’t forgotten about your destiny. Please don’t throw in the towel yet, don’t give up, don’t kill yourself. That sickness will not kill you. You won’t drown in those debts. Remember that there’s a God who knew you before you were born. He sees your tears. He knows how you’ve been mistreated. He knows about the mistakes you’ve done and the good thing is that; He hasn’t written you off. When God remembers you; it’s an assurance that helps it’s on the way. Just hang in there! God has “tattooed your name upon His palm.” Enjoy a fresh new beginning today, have a very Blessed week and continue to be a Prisoner of Hope! An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.
He would miss the pay cheque, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter finished his work the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter, he said, “my gift to you”. The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realise we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over we’d do it much differently. But we cannot go back You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. “Life is a do-it-yourself project, “someone has said : Your attitudes and the choices you make today, build the “house” you live in tomorrow. Build wisely! Work as if you don’t need the money. Learn as if you will live forever. Love as if you’ve never been hurt. Dance as if nobody is watching. A woman baked bread for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra bread on the Window-sill, for whosoever would take it away. Everyday, a hunch-back came and took away the bread. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" This went on, day after day. Everyday, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself... "Everyday this hunch-back utters this jingle! What does he mean? "One day, out of desperation, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunch-back," she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the bread she prepared for him! As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said. Immediately she threw the bread into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window- sill. As usual, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The hunch-back proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman. Everyday, as the woman placed the bread on the window-sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him... She prayed for his safe return. That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway... He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so hungry that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunch-back passed by. I begged of him for a small part of his food, and he was kind enough to give me whole bread. "As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!" "As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale and red. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned bread that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!
"Do good; Don't ever stop doing good, even if it's not appreciated at that time. If you like this, share it with others and I bet you, so many lives would be affected. Have a wonderful afternoon Remember, "Give, and it will be given to you... for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." A pastor asked a church-goer, "What are the two greatest problems in the world today?" The man answered, "I don't know; and, I don't care!" The pastor responded, "Then you have both problems!!" Ignorance and apathy produce a people who are uninformed and unconcerned. Sadly, there are many such people in today's society. And the Church seems to be trending on the same course. Our altar calls have netted many decisions, but produced few disciples. The Lord calls us to be His disciples. He deals with ignorance by telling us the truth, and He deals with apathy by telling the truth over and over and over again. Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Discipleship is not only the doorway into Truth, but also into the Freedom that Truth provides, and the Personal Responsibility, which Freedom requires. Truth, Freedom, and personal Responsibility ALWAYS go together. Responsible living is the fruit of Freedom; Freedom is the offspring of Truth. Jesus Christ has redeemed us and given us His Holy Spirit and knowledge of the Truth; so that from the inside out we would be a free and responsible people who are self-governed under God. In a day when many are eagerly looking to the Government to do something — the Lord is looking to US. We are the ones who can make the difference. We know the Truth, and therefore are a people of understanding. We have been set free, and therefore are a people of zeal. This is God's answer to ignorance and apathy. As followers of Jesus we must each take personal the words of our Lord, and conduct ourselves with wisdom and honor toward those around us. This will answer the ignorance and apathy of the world, and bring great glory to our Lord. A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all
circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes! One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty losing a finger. Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger." The slave replied only "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and he knows the "why" of all these things.What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!" Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave. Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human sacrifices. On the altar, ready to sacrifice the noble, a savage had found that the victim had not one of his fingers, and therefore was released. According to them: it was not so complete to be offered to the gods. Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that he received very affectionately. ' God was really good for me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: If God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail? ' - My King, if I had gone with you on this hunt, I would have been sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger. Therefore, remember: everything God does is perfect. HE is never wrong . Often we complain about life and things that happen to us apparently negative, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose. Every morning, offer your day to God. Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your feelings. And do not be afraid. God is never wrong! You know why this message is for you? I do not know, but God knows, because he never makes mistakes....... The path of God and his word is perfect, without impurities. IT is the way of all those who trust in him, as he says in 2 Samuel 22: 31 Surely the message arrived at the right moment. May God put in your heart the desire to send it to someone. Do not be ashamed to send it to the right person God knows, He knows why. God is never wrong!
Have you ever had a friend say sorry to you over and over, even after you’ve already forgiven them? It’s insulting. In repeatedly apologizing, they’re saying, “I’m not sure if you’ve really forgiven me; I still feel guilty.” In essence, they’re doubting your word.
Imagine how much more insulting it is to God! Psalm 103:12 says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Just think how far the east is from the west. It’s basically infinity—the two can never meet. So, imagine for a moment, you and your sins bound together. Then God comes and separates the two of you, sending your sin traveling to the west and you to the east. But maybe you haven’t truly let go of your guilt. Look what Jesus did: “Some people brought to Him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘Be encouraged, My child! Your sins are forgiven.’ But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, ‘That’s blasphemy! Does He think He’s God?’ Jesus knew what they were thinking, so He asked them, ‘Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.’ Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’ And the man jumped up and went home!” (Matthew 9:2-7). Now, say the newly-healed man went home with his mat and laid on it, continuing to live like he was still paralyzed. That’s what you might be doing with your sins! Jesus has said to you, “My child, be encouraged! Your sins are forgiven! Now get up and experience life in freedom!” But you can’t fully believe it, so you lay back down on your mat of paralysis and depression, missing out on what God has for you. I have been like that. But God is making this verse real to me: “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36). And He wants to make it real for you. Ask Him right now to help you truly know that your sins are forgiven. Ask Him to help you take up your mat and walk in the fulfilling life He has for you. There is so much He has planned for you to do! Today is the day for you to take up your mat and walk. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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