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.

Thoughts On A Boiled Egg

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:17. (NIV).


One day recently, an egg I had boiled for my breakfast evoked my sense of awe. I wondered how anyone could behold the perfection of its shape, the beauty of its construction, and the promise of life within, and yet fail to see the hand of God the Creator at work.


The shell is so thin, yet of a consistent, precise thickness that protects the new life, or the nutritious food within. Yet it is only when the shell is broken from within by the emerging chick, or purposely broken from without to feed and sustain life, that its true value and usefulness can be appreciated. If left untouched, it eventually spoils and is cast aside.


The hatching chick must crack open the shell to enter its new world. I also need to break the resistance of my human self- sufficient "shell" by acknowledging my fallen nature and by inviting God's Holy Spirit into my heart to change me from within, so that I can enter the new world of His Spirit. God stands at the door of our
hearts, awaiting our response. Inviting God's Holy Spirit into our hearts is a matter of choice, for God Himself gave us the gift of free will.


An egg needs to be fertilized in order to become a living creature.Likewise, through the mysterious power of God's Holy Spirit at work within me, I can become a new creature. With the Holy Spirit's help the gifts and skills God has graciously bestowed upon each of us may then be used in His service.


Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. - Psalms. 51:17. (NIV)

REQUIREMENTS OF ENTRY

What are the requirements of entry into the kingdom of God?



(John 3:5) Jesus answered , "I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." What did Jesus mean? Let us examine a few possibilities.



(A) SINNERS PRAYER: (Luke 18:13-14) ..."God, have mercy on me a sinner." I tell you this man, rather than the other, went home JUSTIFIED before God.



Question: Was, Jesus announcing the requirements to enter the kingdom of God?



(B) GENEROSITY and RESTITUTION: (Luke 19:8-9) ..."Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, " Today SALVATION has come to this house...



Question: Was,Jesus announcing the requirements to enter the kingdom of God?



(C) THE FAITH OF FRIENDS: (Mark 2:5) When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son your sins are FORGIVEN."



Question: Was, Jesus announcing the requirements to enter the kingdom of God?



(D) ASKED TO BE REMEMBERED: (Luke 23:42-43)....remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in PARADISE."



Question: Was, Jesus announcing the requirements to enter the kingdom of God?



When Jesus forgave sinner's was it valid? Yes, absolutely. When Jesus was on earth he had the authority to forgive sins: see (Luke 5:24) However after his death the new covenant was in force. (Heb 9:15-18)...a will is in force only when somebody has died...When Jesus died the requirements of entry were implemented.



When was the kingdom to arrive ? Soon ! (Mark 9:1) And he said unto them, I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."



The kingdom of God (that is the church on earth) came with power on the day of Pentecost (Acts Chapter 2). Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of God (Matthew 16:19) Peter used the keys on the day of Pentecost.



Peter preached Jesus and told them what to do... (Acts 2:38)FAITH-REPENTANCE-WATER IMMERSION. That was Peter's ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.



(Acts 2:47) ...And the Lord added daily to their number those being saved.



"GOD'S KINGDOM HERE ON EARTH"

Write your plans in pencil, but give God the eraser~

Today, I saw a facebook post from a new friend of mine from across the globe. He said this " Write your plans in pencil, but give God the eraser, because He will remove the wrong, by replacing it with the best for you." Did you get that? Make all the plans you want, right down to every minute if you want...but write them down in pencil.

You can shave those pencils down to nubs if you want, writing down all every single plan you have for your entire life, BUT, give the Lord the eraser, because He is the one with the final say in your life and mine, whether we want to admit that or not. He is the one with the master plan, not us.

IF, you have the guts to put your faith and trust in Him and do exactly that what the Lord says by seeking His will for your life, everything will turn out just like it's supposed to for you. But, really, how many of us have faith like that? It's hard to put all your marbles in one basket as the saying goes, right? But when your basket is held by the Great I AM, it's an OK thing, don't you think? I strive to have faith like that each day, but I'm human and it's hard. But that is what I want to do and that is what I strive to do, each and every day. I want to embrace the Lord and all of His promises for my life.         

                                                         The Promise by Morgan Weistling

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is from Jeremiah 29:11 and it goes like this:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

There it is, pure and simple and easy to understand for any one of us. He knows the plans He has for us, he wants to prosper us, He wants to give us hope and a future. What else could we want? What other questions could we have? He states it in the simplest of forms for even a child to understand. If you belong to Him, He wants to watch over you. He wants you to have a prosperous life. He doesn't want harm to come to you. He wants to give you hope.

What in the world could anyone of us ever want that didn't include those 4 words. Plan, prosper, hope and future. Pretty much sums it up, don't you think? Sometimes people say they don't understand the Bible. That it's too complicated. Parts of the Old Testament can get tedious at times, (even I can admit that) but then you come across a knock your sock off kind of verse like Jeremiah 29:11 ~~ He brings you right back down to earth. Anyone can understand the simplicity of that wonderful statement, right?

The key thing though, is our acceptance of that verse. Do we trust the Lord enough to know that He has our back (as they say in the great movie "The Blind Side")? No matter what happens, He will be there to come to our rescue? No matter how we mess up, He'll be there; there is no doubt about that, if you trust and believe.

Life can get really messy. The older I get, the more I realize what a profoundly true statement that is. When we get in trouble, and we will, it's just a matter of when, not if; do we know where to go to get our strength until the storm passes? Psalm 46:1 says"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." I say hold on to that verse with all your might and with everything in you.

                                                        Homeward Bound by Peter Ellenshaw

So that when trouble hits; you can RUN...not walk, out of the storm. Do not pass go, just sprint as fast as you can to the one that can really give you help and give you strength. Pick up your Bible and fall into the arms of Jesus. Go Home. He will never let you down. He will erase all of the bad plans that have fallen apart, and replace them with brand spanking new and more important ones, just the way He wants them. He's got your back and always has~~ if you'll just let Him in.

So, remember, go ahead and dream. Go ahead and make your plans. But write them in pencil, and don't forget to give to eraser to the Creator of the Universe, just where it should be! He holds Our World and the Universe in His Hands. Your simple plans are a piece of cake for him. Trust and Obey, for there's no other way!

                                                            Peace on Earth by Greg Olsen

My verses for today are in Red.

Are you in a preparation to cross the river of Jordan and take over Jericho ?

When people of Israel waited in the banks of the Jordan, they had a growing awareness of the human impossibility of what God was asking them to do. The nation must have wondered what Joshua was working out in this interim period. They certainly couldn't swim across the river. They couldn't build enough boats or rafts to transport almost two million people, women and children, across to the other side.

For forty years they had also cultivated deep fears about the Canaanite inhabitants of the land and people had been trying to imagine what lay beyond that river. In addition, God intentionally brought them to the Jordan at the time of year when the river was swollen by the spring rains and by the melting snows from the Lebanon mountains to show His power of deliverance.

It was at this time, when the people were faced with tremendous difficulties and they knew that they were at the end of their resources, that God would be able to show his power. There must have been a lot of conflicting thoughts going through the minds of the people waiting through those three days, just as there are for us when we're faced with our own inadequacy and impotence to have any effect whatsoever on circumstances.

God bless you abundantly and make you a blessing to so many across the globe.