The Day God Run..!

Jesus told many parables, many of which are the most powerful and wonderful real life stories ever told by any man who ever lived and would ever probably live!

God ran! Yes He did and JESUS told His disciples a very touching story, likening it to God and Man. This story is often known as the the PARABLE of the Prodigal Son.

He was the youngest of the two children, yet he would not work to make a living but wanted to make a life out of his father's estate. He asked his father to give him the portion of the property that fell to him. What great impatience! Some fathers would have disowned any child who dared ask for his share of the property, here in Africa and in many other parts of the world as it is believed that the share of a person's property came mostly after the owner was dead and had stated how the property would be shared either by way of a will or in the presence of witnesses.

His willing, patient and loving father gave him what he asked for. In great haste, he left the father's presence and went into a far country where he spent his living wildly. Jesus spoke about the prodigal son in this manner...

"And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything.
 But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger!
 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."' Luke 15:14-19


What great pity! The son of a rich man now reduced to the state of a servant. What a shock! Feeding swine was an abomination in his country where he came from and was raised as they regarded swine as unclean animals with whom they have no relationship. It was the lowest point he could have gone as a Jew and son of a rich man who had a lot of treasure! How oft we are compelled to do things that would not have been done but for the current situation in which we find ourselves!
Coming back to his senses, the young man who had spent his share of the property began to miss home. He missed the food especially and thought to himself "How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger!" . Challenges, difficult times and trials are to bring us back to God not away from Him. The challenge of hunger in which this man found himself made him reminisce the good times he had in his father's house!

His father, who would have been offended at the sight of his son for his behaviour did something spectacular. It is recorded...
"But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him". Luke 15:20

The Father is God. He is  the creator of the universe and has all things- in fact, HE did all things. He gave us all things and wanted us to draw close to Him yet our sins pushed Him far away us. The Father had all the time been waiting in earnest expectation for the day the son would return and at the sight of the prodigal son, he ran, embraced him, and kissed the son over and over again! What a Father!

 Just like the youngest son, (usually known as the prodigal son) God is ready to run just to come to your rescue. Even though you think you don't deserve to be the son anymore, He is ready to restore you. Amazingly, He would forgive you even if you have murdered, fornicated, or stolen before. See what He says in Jeremiah 31:3 "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee".

"But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran,..."
God is ready to run, indeed He is running to you. Are you willing to come home?
1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness". 

Speak to God today!

Nowhere to Hide

READ: Genesis 3:6-13,22-24

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. —Revelation 1:5

I smelled something burning, so I hurried to the kitchen. Nothing was on the stove or in the oven. I followed my nose through the house. From room to room I went, eventually ending up downstairs. My nose led me to my office and then to my desk. I peeked beneath it and there, peering back at me with big eyes pleading for help, was Maggie, our dog, our very “fragrant” dog. What smelled like something burning when I was upstairs, now had the distinct odor of skunk. Maggie had gone to the farthest corner of our house to escape the foul smell, but she couldn’t get away from herself. Maggie’s dilemma brought to mind the many times I have tried to run away from unpleasant circumstances only to discover that the problem was not the situation I was in but me. Since Adam and Eve hid after sinning (Gen. 3:8), we’ve all followed their example. We run away from situations thinking we can escape the unpleasantness—only to discover that the unpleasantness is us. The only way to escape ourselves is to stop hiding, acknowledge our waywardness, and let Jesus wash us clean (Rev. 1:5). I am grateful that when we do sin, Jesus is willing togive us a brand-new start. —Julie Ackerman Link
From the wondrous cross on Calvary
Flows the stream that still avails,
Cleansing hearts and bringing victory
Through that love which never fails.
—Elliott
Sin’s contamination requires the Savior’s cleansing.

Credit: Our Daily Bread 2012

STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS

WHY DID GOD SAY TO PAUL "My strength is made perfect in weakness"

Paul had a physical problem that was at odds with his dynamic personality and his drive to accomplish things he wanted to accomplish for his Lord. Many believe that Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was a vision problem that had been caused by his Damascus Road conversion experience. Paul, however, seemed to sense strongly that his ongoing problem was aggravated by one of Satan's demons sent to "buffet him."

Still, God assured Paul that the apostle's weakness allowed the Lord to use him in His service to the maximum extent. Somehow, the heavenly Father turned the Apostle's "weakness" into a tremendous strength Paul realized that his infirmity kept him humble before the Lord and his fellow man. Foolish pride of self-achievement was thus eliminated. He depended totally on the Lord, and God did not let him down. God's Word tells His children to "Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time"(1 Pet. 5:6). Paul could say, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power
of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9). The apostle said further: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).

Paul's experience was recorded in God's Word, in part, to show God's children that it is God who gives true strength of Christian character.

Credit: www.raptureready.com

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Did You say "No"?

READ: Genesis 3:1-7
Of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil you shall not eat. —
Genesis 2:17

“Okay, here are the rules,” Marty
said. “You can do whatever you
want, wherever you want, whenever
you want until someone tells you
no.”
Those were our instructions on our
first visit to our friends’ lake house.
Marty and his wife, Lynn, who enjoy
entertaining, give their guests lots of
freedom to enjoy themselves. When
we noticed the sailboat next to the
paddleboat next to the pontoon
boat, we knew we were in for a fun
afternoon.
Marty told us no only once—when
he saw that we were about to feed
the swans that swam up next to us.
He knew that if the birds were fed
once, they would become aggressive
if they didn’t get fed the next time.
Adam and Eve lived in the most
beautiful locale, and they too had
lots of freedom. However, when God
said no, they resisted (Gen. 3). He
told them not to eat from a certain
tree, but they thought they knew
better.
Adam and Eve would have kept good
company with a lot of us. Sometimes
we can’t understand why our
heavenly Father says no. When that
happens, He can help us to adjust
our thinking. We need to realize that
even as He denies us, He’s saying to
our hearts, “You can trust Me. I
know what is best.” —Cindy Hess
Kasper
I may not always understand
The way that You may lead,
But, Lord, in faith I’ll clasp Your
hand
And trust You for each need. —Dean
God may deny our request, but He
will never disappoint our trust.
Credit: Our Daily  Bread

Picture showing Eve and the Serpent. (Credit: ubdavid.org)

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Lessons from the Painter

Painting is an art that beautifies
immediately whatever the paint is
applied to. Walls, cars and even
furniture sparkle when paint is applied
on them.

A picture of a man painting. Credit: www.theguardian.com

Oftentimes, we as mortals paint
ourselves to look and feel great. This
gives us a sense of being and make us
stand out- we are easily identified in
certain quarters by them- our social
status, number and class of friends,
our jobs, financial standing, cars. These
easily become our trademark. What
paint are you identified with?
A visit to the painter's workstation
brought certain things to light and I'd
love to share them with you.
A man once was painting a wall in my
neighborhood. On reaching where he was, I paused to admire the wall. How beautiful the wall looked. The paint was just right. Just then I saw another gentleman at the other side which had already been painted, smearing a whitish substance on the wall. I gaped and was appalled. I expressed what I saw to the painter and he just smiled.
'That substance is a filler which is used
to fill in the cracks in the wall', he explained. I asked why the filler was not used before the painting. He said though the filler is sometimes used before painting, the cracks in the wall become more visible after the paint has been applied.

Everyone has a problem in life. These can be compared to the cracks in the wall. Though we might have painted our lives, the cracks are even worse. We need a filler to fill in the cracks. Only Jesus can fill those cracks. The Holy Spirit of God, when He dwells in you takes over and fill you to make your life more beautiful. By showing up, the crack is telling the painter 'I've got some problems you've to fix'. 'Not every crack shows, some show later. The filling of the cracks prevents further damage to the wall', the painter said to me. Truly, the confession of the crack in the wall calls the attention of the painter. In 1John 1:9, we have an assurance of
being cleansed from all unrighteousness only if we confess. The painter of lives- Jesus is ready to fill us up. Talk to Him today!

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From Saul of Tarsus to PAUL, A BONDSERVANT

Saul's encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus
Credit: 220lily.wordpress.com

Paul's conversion story is told in the
ninth chapter of Acts. He is mentioned
in much of the New Testament. Paul,
otherwise known as Saul, was a
devoted and educated Jew. He actually
persecuted Christians. His conversion
was remarkable. On a journey to
Damascus to Paul was blinded by a
bright light from heaven. He fell to the
ground and heard the voice of Jesus. Jesus asked Paul why he was persecuting him. Paul lost his sight from the bright light. Jesus told him to get up and go into the city for further instruction. Once in the city he went to the house of Judas where he would regain his sight and be baptized. It was at this point where he began to go by the name of Paul and not Saul. This was the beginning of Paul's conversion. From here he would start preaching God's word. Paul was a very important person in the spread of Christianity and he played an important part of the early church. He was considered the apostle to the Gentiles.

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Christ in YOU!

When Jesus Christ lives in you, His life is lived through you. You do not live for yourself by yourself but Christ lives in you. He gives you a new identify and then that's when His glory is seen in you. His glory is not temporary,  it is permanent
It goes beyond this world. It transcends time into eternity.
Some people boast in the glory of beauty, wealth and treasures. What do you boast in? I would rather boast in the knowledge that the King of glory dwells in me and through me exudes His glory.
Just like the Apostle Paul, I also confess I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20.
Who do you live for?

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BONDED & MARKED!

Bonded And Marked

Exodus 21:2-6 - If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only

the man shall go free. But if the servant declares, "I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free," then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. (NIV)

In Old Testament times, the servant who was loved by his master and who loved his master in turn was marked for life. Wherever he appeared, he was known, by the mark of the awl, to be bonded by love forever to his master, his wife, and his children. He was known a
s a bondservant.

More than a thousand years after the Old Testament bondservant law was first written, the apostle Paul, in his letters to the Romans, to the Philippians, and to Titus, introduces himself as a bondservant of Jesus Christ or of God. For example, "Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God ..." (Romans 1:1 NKJV).

Paul considered his relationship of love with his Master, Jesus Christ, to be as permanent as the bondservant's was with his master. Paul wrote, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NIV).

The same voluntary and permanent love relationship continues today between Christians and their Master, Jesus Christ. And just as the Hebrew bondservant was given a permanent mark to seal the relationship with his master, so Christians are given a mark, a mark that they bear for life: the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Because we bear the mark of Christ's Holy Spirit, those who know us recognize us as persons attached to Jesus Christ for life. As such, we are challenged to allow God's love -- the fruit of Holy Spirit -- to flow through us to all those we encounter.
- Willy Skyper

God's Dirty Hands

1
GOD’S DIRTY HANDS

“¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:…” Genesis 1:26 (KJV)

In this day and age, things have become very different from the days of our parents and grandparents. They often refer to their days as “the good old days”. Imagine how good those days were when they had no televisions, good drinking water or electricity. There were not many roads as there are now and one had to go certain places to make phone calls which depended on whether the information would reach the right person on time. EMS, DHL, Western Union money transfer and other services that make life easier were non existence. Technology has been far advanced that many things are done more quickly. Robots and automated machines have become the order of the day doing the work men would have done some years ago.

God in creating the world called everything in to existence. Everything He created was without His hands. He spoke all things into being yet in creating man, God had to make His hands dirty. In Genesis 1:26, God the Father had to confer with the Son and the Holy Spirit. He said “let us”. In all of creation, God did not have to confer; He just had to speak them into being. All that He created was good at the end of each day but the Bible records that on the sixth day, God saw that His creation on the sixth day was “very good”. This means of all God’s creation, YOU are very good!



“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”.  Genesis 2:7(KJV)



God made His hands dirty, and excelled in doing so that His work for that day was described as very good. He did not use levers, machines or robots to do this work. That work He did is YOU. Don’t look over your shoulder; it’s you I’m talking about. God, in creating the first man that would eventually lead Him into making several million copies made a very special dedication to use His hands, make them dirty and not to command it into existence. You are special to God, created in His image and likeness – the reason why He had to confer, use His hands, give you special abilities and not use machines or robots!

Of all God’s creations, Man is the only creature in whom God breathed the breath of life into. He could have given His breath to the birds, fishes, lions or hippos but He chose to give it out to you. Wow! What a wonder! In giving you His breath, God has put His Spirit into you has given you the ability to commune with Him. Man is also the only creature with an intellect – the ability to think, reason, and understand. Now, that specialty!

Just like during creation, God is ready now, more than ever before to avail His services to you and make His hands even dirtier.

Jesus, the Son of God is another way God dirtied not only hands but also provided a means by which man could get closer to Him and regain his lost position which he lost to the devil in the garden of Eden. No wonder Jesus is described as the second Adam.

Jesus could have come to save cows, goats, lions or sheep but He chose to save MAN – you and me. This shows how important YOU are to God, who only did not create MAN with His hands from the dust of the earth, but also gave Man the breath of life with which he became a living soul. GREAT, isn’t it?

No matter what situation you are in, it does not matter what you have done or been through; God has been interested in you and is STILL interested in you because you posses divine breath. That breath with which you became a living soul belongs to God. The uniqueness that you posses; the one which makes you so special, which makes you look different and think differently is for God. In fact, the material which you admire so much – your BODY belongs to God. Interestingly, that’s what made God make His hands dirty. He had to scoop some of the dust, mix it in the right proportions, mould your body- the shape of your nose, ears, lips and head to make sure you looked perfect. Amazingly, He threw the mould away just after creating you. That’s what makes you so special to the extent that there is no one on the surface of the earth with the same fingerprint, physical, psychological and emotional framework like you. You are a special piece of work; created, moulded, shaped, designed and crafted and your mould used for no one else.

Remember, God loves you and would always make His hands dirty for you!

The Ant Invasion

Have you ever had ants invade your room, making it hard for you to have easy access?
I will never forget the lessons I learnt the day ants invaded my room one night. It was a long night and so I woke up at dawn and just as i got out if the bed, I felt ants creeping and climbing up my legs! You could imagine what I did!

God uses the ant to teach us some important truths and gives us an example of how we could succeed.

In Proverbs 6:6-8 (KJV), God speaks through Solomon saying:
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:  Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

That night, I'm very sure that there was something that drew them - some food the ants could harvest and use. Even without a supervisor, guide or ruler, they are able to discipline themselves to work and moved in a straight line with everyone knowing and doing what was required of them to make them achieve their aim. Most importantly, they gather and have more in abundance for the rainy days.

Everyone has something important they act sluggishly about - you know and can remember some now.

Like the ants, let's us invade into the many untapped potentials, skills and talents and opportunities God has given us and do all we can to succeed in that pursuit. A sluggish attitude would only bring more poverty, unfulfilled dreams and regret.

Let's learn from the ant, God bless you.