Songs in the Night

Job asked, "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs  in the night?" - Job 35:10 (NIV).


I have read how Ludwig von Beethoven, one of the world's greatest musicians, was born into a musical  family in Germany.


By the age of eleven he was already composing his  own music and conducting an orchestra. In his late  teens he went to Vienna for further study. There he  reached fame, though not fortune.


According to the story, one evening when Beethoven  visited in a cobbler's house, he noticed that the  young lady at the piano was blind, so he offered  to play the piece for her. He did so for her for
more than an hour and while he did, darkness fell  and the lone candle in the room had gone out.


Outside in the night sky the moon shone brightly  and sent its radiant beams glistening into the room  where Beethoven sat playing beautiful music. He was  so inspired by the appreciation of his music by the  young lady and the beauty of the atmosphere in the
room that he composed his famous "Moonlight Sonata."


Do you ever feel that your dreams have been  shattered and you feel all alone in the darkness  of despair? I certainly have. However, when our  life is committed to Christ, it's in these "dark  nights of the  soul" that God is working in us to  give us more understanding of life and compassion  for others and, in time, will bring back  "beautiful music" into our life.

At The Table Of The Lord

"Incline your ear, and hear my words, and apply your heart to my teaching. - Proverbs 22:17. (NRSV). 

What did the writer of Proverbs have in his mind when recording these words? Why should we read them today? Why should we hear them and place them in our hearts?


It seems that God was using the writer of Proverbs to encourage us to read his Word and apply its principles in our daily lives. In our darkest skies, God gives us opportunities to read what he has said, which will help us to get through our hard times and understand more about what is happening to us. Numerous are the ways God tugs at our heartstrings. We might be hard of hearing, or our hearts unreceptive to the wisdom of these words. But unwillingness on our part does not lessen God's concern towards His creation. He invites us to turn to Him in time of trial. He invites us to open our hearts to his teaching.


Think of it this way: from a kitchen come the aromas of good home cooking, those tantalizing smells that make the palates jump. We rush to the table to receive, enjoy, and be satisfied. Now let's look at God's Word as a great table filled with rich foods and wonderful aromas. God invites us to his table. We rush to be satisfied eternally, to be fed forever, and to be filled with teachings of eternal value for each situation in our lives here and now. He invites to walk and talk and sup with him at his table. God grant that each of us will be successful in answering God's invitation, and being part of his great plan.

The Pilot Who Ignored the Warning

"When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said." - Exodus 8:15 (NIV). 

I have read how, "In the mid 1980s, an Avianca Airlines jet crashed in the mountains of Spain. Investigators reviewing the incident made a startling discovery. Recordings from the black box revealed that several minutes prior to impact, a computer-synthesized voice from the plane's automatic warning system told the flight crew on repeated occasion to 'Pull up!' The pilot, evidently thinking that the system was not functioning properly, switched the system off. Minutes later they plowed into the ground killing passengers as well as crew."

It may be true that "all roads lead to Rome" even if part of the way is via the ocean, but it is not true that all religions lead to God

and Heaven. When we decide to not listen to what God says about life beyond death, or deem that his Word is incorrect, and make our own rules or decide for ourselves as to what qualifies one for entering God's heaven, we place ourselves above God and become a god unto ourselves—and are on a direct course for a lost eternity, separated from God and all that is godly and good, in what the Bible calls hell.

Jesus made it very clear when he said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through me.John 14:6 (NIV). And God's Word makes it very clear that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV).

Just as imperative that pilots listen to their plane's warning system so is it that we listen to God's "warning system" as found in his Word, the Bible.

Perfectionism

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." - Matthew 5:48 (NIV). And "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." - Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV). 

All the Member wants to know about perfectionism and asks, "Is it healthy and mature, or is it a sickness and a form of immaturity?"


Perfectionism is a compulsive behavior where one is under bondage seeking to gain approval from others and to prove to him or herself that he/she is a  good/perfect person. It comes mostly from early childhood training and, unfortunately, from some churches where people are taught that they can achieve sinless perfection. This is a heavy and impossible burden for anyone to carry.  As John said, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." - 1 John 1:8 (NIV).


The fact is that we—including Christians—live in and are a part of this broken, sinful and imperfect world, and will not be freed from our sin nature and imperfections until we go to heaven. And while the Bible encourages us to always do our best, it never implies perfection this side of eternity. In fact, where the Bible says, "Be perfect," the word can be  equally translated "complete" or "mature." What God wants is that we grow towards completeness (wholeness) and maturity and that we learn to be satisfied when we know we have done our best.


Perfectionists are not born. They are made. For instance, say Johnnie gets five A's in his school  exams and one B, what does his mother and/or father say? "How come you didn't get all A's?" And this is the way Johnnie grows up. No matter what he does and how well he does it, it is never quite good enough. He can never please his parent/s and forever drives himself in a vain attempt to win their approval. Our society tends to confirm the teaching that our worth depends  on our performance—by getting good grades, being a great athlete, getting promoted at work, by being physically attractive, and so on. 


As an adult he still feels that what he does is still never quite good enough. When he projects this attitude on to others, he can ruin his relationships, as his wife and kids can never please him. He feels that same way towards God—that he can never please him either. So he lives in a  constant state of inner turmoil and can be very difficult to live with.


So what can he do to overcome this bondage?


First, he needs to acknowledge the fact that he learned this negative mind conditioning—and admit that it is neurotic. It is only as he admits this can even God help him to overcome. While this conditioning was not his fault, it is imperative that he accepts full responsibility for what he now becomes and not stay stuck by playing the blame–game. To blame others and/or say, "This is the way I am," is often a handy excuse not to grow up.


Second, with God's help and the help of a trusted friend and/or counselor he will need to reprogram his feelings to learn that he doesn't have to be perfect or do anything to be loved and accepted just as he is—the way God loves and accepts us all. In time (and it does take considerable time), when loved and accepted unconditionally, he can learn that his worth as a person is never dependent on his performance, but on the fact that he is who he is and not what he does. In doing so, he can also learn to grasp the fact that God loves and accepts him for who he is and that he doesn't have to keep striving to be perfect and earn love and acceptance.


To reprogram his feelings will be extremely liberating from a life of compulsion and bondage. As Jesus said, "You will know [experience] the truth and the truth will set you free." - John 8:32 (NIV).

Adam and the Madam Ant

"Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise!" - (Proverbs 6:6, NLT). 

Adam Ant and his wife, Madam Ant, were busily sorting and stacking their storehouse of corn, kernel by kernel, one winter. Along came a grasshopper.


"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ant," the grasshopper said. He would have doffed his hat, but of course grasshoppers don't wear hats. "I noticed you working so hard this fine winter day, and I wondered if you might be able to spare a few kernels of corn." The grasshopper cleared his throat and added, "I would be most grateful, for I am simply starving."


Adam and Madam Ant, who had kept working while the grasshopper addressed them, stopped working for a moment.


"Why do you not have a storehouse of corn like ours?" Adam asked.


The grasshopper smiled sheepishly. "Well, you see, I spend my summers singing beautifully in the grass. I had no time to work."


Adam and Madam Ant nodded knowingly.


"I see," said Adam. "If you spend your summers singing, you should not expect to spend your winters eating." And with that, Adam and Madam Ant returned to their work, leaving the grasshopper to regret his laziness.


That story, based on a famous fable, illustrates the fact that work is better than laziness. A willingness to work is a virtue, and a person who is not willing to work should not be admired, but pitied or despised. As the Bible says, "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise! Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson:


A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber" (Proverbs 6:6-11, NLT).


The person who works hard--whether it's at school, at home, or in a job--is worthy of respect and admiration, because the Bible makes it clear that working well and working hard is right and good.


Review: Compare the following translations of Proverbs 6:6; which version do you like best, and why?


"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise" (KJV)


"Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy fellow. Learn from their ways and be wise" (TLB)


"Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise!" (NLT).


Reflect: Who is the hardest working person you know? Do you admire him or her? If so, why? If not, why not? Which do you resemble most (in your work habits): an ant, a grasshopper, a snail, or a dead skunk in the middle of the road? Why?


Reinforce: Keep your eyes open today for someone who is working hard, and take a moment to thank that person for his or her example of hard work.


Remember: "Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry" (Proverbs 19:15, NIV).

How is your prayer life?

How is your prayer life? Is prayer your first response for all thoughts and encounters in your life? If not,we need to examine why not! 

Matthew-6:5-15- “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.  “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Matthew 7: 7-12 -  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who  knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Luke 3:21 - "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened."

Luke 5:16 - " But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

Luke 6:12 - "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God."


Luke 9:18 - "And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”

Luke 9:28 - "About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray."

Luke 11:1 - "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Luke 23:46 - Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

 John 15:4-5 - Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Romans 8: 18-30 - I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that  the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to son-ship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

 James 5:13-18 - Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Have you ever thought through why you do not spend more time with God? What aspects of your time and commitment hold you back from prayer? Most of us do not have the kind of prayer life we should have; in my experience, most people give up because either they do not know how to pray or they do not understand the significance of prayer. Others may have prayer lives but they are not godly or effectual prayers; these tend to be the prayers with only the self-interests or personal agendas in mind. We may know about prayer, but is our understanding and practice lined up to Christ as Lord, or to what we want? One might presume that a Christian in a church automatically knows how and why to pray, but few are ever taught the power, relevance, and importance of prayer. Therefore, we go on presumptions and perhaps even model our prayers after someone else, not from what God has communicated to us. 

The purpose of prayer is not just to get what we want; it is lining ourselves up with His thoughts, ways, and precepts. The focus of our prayers is Christ, His work, and His impact on you, your family, and the world. This is what the Lord’s Prayer is about (Luke 11:1-4). The main theme of prayer is our vital connection with God as Lord and Savior, and His empowering us for all we do in life. He is sovereign; He directs our lives as well as the rest of the universe, so we must get in tune with Him. We must lean on and dwell in Him so we are infused with His Way rather than clouded and distracted by our ways or the ways of the world.

If prayer is our connection with God, then to ignore prayer means we are trying to put God out of our lives. When we misuse prayer, we are usurping God’s authority and missing out on His best for us. We are treating God like a pet, giving Him the time and affection when it is convenient for us, when it fits our needs, concerns, and occasion. God must come first and prayer helps us make this happen. Prayer is one of, if not the most quintessential important aspect of the Christian life. Prayer needs to be number one for the serious Christian to whom Jesus is not merely Savior but also LORD. However, to make entreaty (deep prayer) with God our first priority, we must first receive His redemptive work through the power of the Spirit. Once we have received His amazing gift, and His work is transforming and renewing us (Rom. 12:1-3), prayer becomes our response to Him, and helps us continually commune His Work within us.

Do we truly understand the power, significance, and eminence of prayer? If not, why not? What is in the way of prayer being more momentous in our lives? We need to ask ourselves, what has happened in my life and how am I responding in prayer to my connection to God? What will it take to become more of a person who has “heartfelt prayer” at my core; what will it take for me to be a “prayer warrior,” whose life goal is to make Christ first in all things? The prerequisite to this type of effective, prayer warrior prayer is consistency and growth in our prayers. In conjunction, we learn about prayer and life in general from spending time with Him and His Word, and by continually growing in that prayer life. We also become better equipped to handle all that comes our way.

Prayer helps us see the great expectations He has for us, but this insight does not come  about all at once. As with any growth, it is gradual. Prayer is something that does not just happen overnight; it is like planting a seed that geminates, grows, matures, and then produces its fruit. The seed alone does not produce the fruit; it is only after its growth and development from its time in the sun, the water and fertilizer, and its care and cultivation that brings about its bountiful harvest. It is the same with our growth in Christ! Prayer develops as we consistently obey Christ. It is watered by the fertilizer of His Word. The care and cultivation comes from effective, godly teachers. Our nurturing and learning feeds our roots in Him. If we negate our cultivation of prayer, we are negating Christ in our life and the result will be a very slow growth, perhaps even retardation in our spiritual formation. Prayer needs attention and constant tending for effectual growth.

Prayer helps create more of itself. Prayer begets more prayer and that begets greater  spiritual formation. When our prayers are not just self-focused but engage others as well, our Christian walk becomes deeper, more relevant, and heartfelt. Heartfelt prayer is the sense of passion and urgency that needs to come before progress can take place. This is where prayer becomes more real and transfers into an authentic connection with God, not just regarding Him as a vending machine for meeting our desires.

Our prayer life grows when we plow the field and plant the seed so it can grow. We must plow away the weeds of our selfishness along with the things in life that distract and obstruct us. This must take place to bring more nourishment into our soilfrom His presence, so the seeds of our faith can grow into the mustard tree of maturity and service. We have to know God and His Word first; then we will know the importance of worship and faith development that fuels our prayer that in turns fuels our worship of God and connection with others.

Prayer is reciprocal, as it needs to be a perennial and continual attitude that begets a perpetual, continuous, constant action; thus, prayer is a ceaseless relationship we have with God and that echoes in eternity. Prayer begets our character and maturity and, in turn, our character and maturity help spur on our prayer life. Learning about God and worshiping Him brings us closer to His presence and makes our prayers deeper and more alive.

Passion that honors Christ synergizes our prayer life; it forms from our realization of who He is and what He has done for us. Passion increases  prayer from explorations, curiosity, or perhaps a selfish mindset, to a vigorous lifestyle. Prayer becomes more continual and effective as we build on our growing relationship in Him. Thus, the characteristics of knowing Christ, worshiping Him, learning more about Him, and practicing prayer through the work of the Holy Spirit fuel the growth of our prayer life. Then those characteristics back flow to cause each one of them to work synergistically better.

Consequently, as our prayer life grows, so does our worship and learning of Christ. As our relationship grows, our gifts and skills grow, our meaning and purpose in life grows, and so forth (2 Peter 1:5-9). Therefore, more prayer will cause us to be more passionate, have deeper worship experiences, become better leaders, develop more knowledge, maturity, and character, and become better servants and friends.

Questions to Ponder

Read Luke 3:21; 5:16, remember, Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. How is your prayer life? Is prayer your first response for all thoughts and encounters in your life? If not, we need to examine why not!

Have you ever thought through why you do not spend more time with God? What aspects of your time and commitment hold you back from prayer? How can you better understand and practice Prayer? Why is prayer not about what we want? Why would people think it is? The purpose of prayer is not just to get what we want, so what is the reason we are to pray? How can prayer help you be lined up to Christ as Lord? Read Luke 11:1-4. The focus of our prayers is Christ, His work? How will this improve your spiritual life? How does His impact on you affect your impact on your family, and the world? (This is what the Lord’s Prayer is about).

Do you truly understand the power, significance, and eminence of prayer? If not, why not? What is in the way of prayer being more momentous in our lives? How  can you better respond in prayer to your connection to God? What will it take to become more of a person who has “heartfelt prayer” at your core? What will it take for you to be a “prayer warrior,” whose life goal is to make Christ first in all things? The prerequisite to this type of effective, prayer... How will you make this so in your personal life and in your church? How will prayer help your growth in Christ? What are you going to do about your prayer life now? How does the practice of prayer build much heartier relationships with others? How can you improve your prayer life? Can you think of a specific area in your life where prayer needs to be more manifested? If so, how can you make this so? 

You can Answer these Question above and write them down on the little cute blank note provided on the side here. Print the blank note and write down your thoughts or the answers for the questions above or you can use this blank note to write down your daily thoughts and paste in your diary or stack it in a file. Every time you want to be encouraged you can go back to your file and read those positive thoughts that you have jotted down. You can even write few nice words on this blank note and Share it with your friends and family too so they can treasure it as a gift from you. Another thing You can do is Print  a bunch of these blank notes and do an activity with your kids and their friends to write nice things about each others and share. God bless you all. :)

PRAY about Every thing! ♥

How Are You Treating God?

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. - John 10:10.


As parents, we love to see our children happy. We try our best to give them 'the best' we can. Sometimes, this means a sacrifice. We may give them something we want them to have and give up something we really need. We love our children and want to supply them with the best of clothes, education, and other things that we can afford.


Parents understand the thoughts behind giving your best. But, children haven't been there before, and sometimes don't really appreciate what a parent is trying to do. In fact, a child may be given exactly what he or she has asked for, and still not appreciate it. I've seen children get a gift for their birthday that they have yearned for, but, when they have it in their possession, it doesn't mean that much anymore. They just put it aside and use something else they already have. That's the way it is with clothes with teenagers, too. Buy them nice clothes, and they will hang them in the back of the closet and never touch them. Buy them t-shirts or baggy jeans, and they will wear them everywhere, if you let them. As parents, this lack of appreciation bothers us.


Can you imagine how God must feel? He gave us Jesus, whose blood was shed for all our sins. Yet, we trample over His Word, as if to say, 'that's not a Word for today.'


We sit around belly-aching, saying "we're having a tough time", "I don't know why this is happening", "Guess that's my lot in life", etc. Remember those words? God isn't in those words. When we speak the Word, we are honoring God.  But, when we speak doubt and unbelief, we are hurting God as as our children hurt us when they show no appreciation of the gifts we give them.


God tells us He would have 'Christ dwell in our hearts in faith'. [Ephesians 3:17] But, when words of unbelief and doubt flow from our mouth, that isn't faith. We should have the Word within us, speaking it in faith. And, when the devil puts those thoughts in our mind, we should be  ready to counteract those thoughts with the WORD, which is Truth! [John 17:17]


Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: - 1 Peter 5:8.