Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
In his opening address he said,
"We can't keep Christians from going to church."
"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."
"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with
their saviour."
"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is
broken."
"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish
dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a
relationship with Jesus Christ.."
"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:
"Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that
vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable
schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to
work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their
empty lifestyles."
"Keep them from spending time with their children."
"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape
from the pressures of work!"
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small
voice."
"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive."
To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home
and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays
non-biblical music constantly."
"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."
"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with billboards."
"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs,
sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free
products, services and false hopes.."
"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their
husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and
they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "
"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
"Give them headaches too! "
"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin
to look elsewhere."
"That will fragment their families quickly!"
"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children
the real meaning of Christmas."
"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection
and power over sin and death."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."
"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."
"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation.
Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and
movies instead."
"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"
"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip
and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."
"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek
power from Jesus."
"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their
health and family for the good of the cause."
"It will work!"
"It will work!"
It was quite a plan!
The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians
everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
Having little time for their God or their families.
Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?
You be the judge!!!!!
Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
Sunday Recap - 21st May 2006
APPRECIATION
By: Bro. Michael Lee
Today many lack of appreciation which causes families, relationships to fall apart. Even many find it difficult to come to church because of the lack of appreciation.
What is appreciation? (Oxford Dictionary)
To understand and enjoy fully in a right way.
To be thankful for.
To let become in value.
First we need to know how to appreciate God before we appreciate one another. When we appreciate God we:
1. Give thanks and praise (Ps. 100:4)
2. Honor Him (Pro. 3:9-10) – Gratitude is a God Honoring attitude.
3. Remember Him (Ps.103:2-5). Holy Communion for us to always remember all the benefits of God. Exo.32:1-14 – The people of Israel were spared because Moses remembers not only the Lord but also His words. But the people perished because they could not remember the Lord their God (Deut 8:19).
When we don’t appreciate God, we will fail to give Him thanks and fail to understand and enjoy Him fully in the right way which eventually causes us to be:
1. Running on empty – no vision lost and confused in life.
2. Burning bridges – become murderers, bitter, cause strife & quarrels.
3. Dissatisfied – become critical, negative & grumblers.
4. An abuser – We abuse one another and ourselves. (Rom.1:20-32)
In short, when we have lost the ability to appreciate, we open the doors to elements like: fear, pride, anger, greed, lust, unforgiveness and success. (Lk.8:37-40; I Sam 11 & Lk.17:11-19).
Let us be contented with what we have and what we are in Christ; and continue to appreciate God and one another always!
Friday, May 19, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
Daily Encounter with ACTS
How to Fight Fair, Part III
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1, NIV). "Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil" (Ephesians 4:26-27,NLT).
The sixth point in resolving conflict is: stick to the subject at hand. Oh boy, when people stuff their negative feelings and sit on their hurt and anger, look out! They will eventually either implode (turn their emotions inward and get sick), or explode. And it may be the "smallest" little thing that triggers the explosion, so beware. They may also go back to unresolved grievances from decades ago! To resolve conflicts, it is imperative to deal only with the issue at hand. Period! The other issues can be discussed at a different time.
Seventh, give up the right to always be right. People who have a compulsion to always be right tend to be insecure and immature. Be willing to say, "I was wrong. I apologize." As the Apostle Paul points out, we are not only to speak the truth in love but also to grow up and mature in all areas of our Christianlife.5 That includes humility and respect for others and their viewpoints.
Eighth, as the Bible also teaches, "Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil."6 That means to resolve conflicts and angry feelings as quickly as possible. When we resolve do this, the devil loses his foothold.
Ninth, speak softly. Most of us tend to raise our voices when we are upset. Research has shown that one effective way to handle yellers is to speak softly.This tends to make them lean forward and speak more softly so they can hear what you are saying. Yelling begets yelling! As Michel de Montaigne said, "He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak." The Bible says, "A soft answer turns away wrath but grievous words stir up hostility."7
Tenth, pray. Pray first about yourself. One of the most powerful prayers I ever learned to pray was whenI was at wits' end in a seemingly never-ending conflict. In utter frustration I literally begged God to face me with the truth of what I was contributingto this seemingly impossible situation. Within two weeks I saw my hopeless co-dependency (even though I hadn't even heard of the word at the time).
Once I saw the reality of what I was contributing, I knew what I could do and was able to resolve my part in the conflict. I wish I had learned to pray this prayer years before--even in Sunday School. Had I done so, I could have saved myself years of needless pain and frustration.
Next, pray together. When two people are willing to face the truth about themselves, accept responsibility for their part in the conflict, and pray accordingly, there are not too many conflicts that can't be resolved. Remember, "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."8
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in every conflict situation in which I find myself please help me to see exactly what I am contributing--whether it be positive or negative--and always take responsibility for what I think, feel, say and do. And help me to learn to be Christ-like at all times. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1, NIV). "Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil" (Ephesians 4:26-27,NLT).
The sixth point in resolving conflict is: stick to the subject at hand. Oh boy, when people stuff their negative feelings and sit on their hurt and anger, look out! They will eventually either implode (turn their emotions inward and get sick), or explode. And it may be the "smallest" little thing that triggers the explosion, so beware. They may also go back to unresolved grievances from decades ago! To resolve conflicts, it is imperative to deal only with the issue at hand. Period! The other issues can be discussed at a different time.
Seventh, give up the right to always be right. People who have a compulsion to always be right tend to be insecure and immature. Be willing to say, "I was wrong. I apologize." As the Apostle Paul points out, we are not only to speak the truth in love but also to grow up and mature in all areas of our Christianlife.5 That includes humility and respect for others and their viewpoints.
Eighth, as the Bible also teaches, "Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil."6 That means to resolve conflicts and angry feelings as quickly as possible. When we resolve do this, the devil loses his foothold.
Ninth, speak softly. Most of us tend to raise our voices when we are upset. Research has shown that one effective way to handle yellers is to speak softly.This tends to make them lean forward and speak more softly so they can hear what you are saying. Yelling begets yelling! As Michel de Montaigne said, "He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak." The Bible says, "A soft answer turns away wrath but grievous words stir up hostility."7
Tenth, pray. Pray first about yourself. One of the most powerful prayers I ever learned to pray was whenI was at wits' end in a seemingly never-ending conflict. In utter frustration I literally begged God to face me with the truth of what I was contributingto this seemingly impossible situation. Within two weeks I saw my hopeless co-dependency (even though I hadn't even heard of the word at the time).
Once I saw the reality of what I was contributing, I knew what I could do and was able to resolve my part in the conflict. I wish I had learned to pray this prayer years before--even in Sunday School. Had I done so, I could have saved myself years of needless pain and frustration.
Next, pray together. When two people are willing to face the truth about themselves, accept responsibility for their part in the conflict, and pray accordingly, there are not too many conflicts that can't be resolved. Remember, "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."8
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in every conflict situation in which I find myself please help me to see exactly what I am contributing--whether it be positive or negative--and always take responsibility for what I think, feel, say and do. And help me to learn to be Christ-like at all times. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
Daily Encounter with ACTS
1. How to Fight Fair, Part II
"But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus,'And who is my neighbor?'" (Luke 10:29, NIV).
Author John Powell expressed this attitude poignantly when he said, "We defend our dishonesty [denying and not sharing our true feelings] on the grounds that it may hurt another person, and then, having rationalized our phoniness into nobility, we settle for superficial relationships."2
In continuing our series on resolving conflict the fourth point is to use "I" messages. That is, instead of saying, "You make me mad," or "You really hurt my feelings," say words to this effect. "When you say (or do) things like thus and so, I feel hurt and/or angry, and I need to talk to you about it." This helps you take responsibility for your feelings and avoid blaming others. Many of us are like the lawyer in theBible who, "wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'"3 This was when Jesus told him that the greatest commandment was to love God and your neighbor as yourself.
Blaming others blocks resolution. As difficult as it may be, I need to admit that nobody causes my hurtfeelings or makes me angry without my permission. Asmy colleague Dr. Narramore puts it, "The other person is responsible for their action. We are responsiblefor our reaction!"
For instance, if I had a perfect self-concept--which I don't have--my feelings would rarely be hurt. What the other person said or did wouldn't upset me. But if I feel inferior or have low self-esteem, I will be easily wounded and/or angered. To the degree I overreact, however, that is my problem--not theirs.
Overreactions happen when unresolved issues or wounds from our past are triggered. So the more I have resolved my issues from the past, the less I will overreact when negative things happen to me. This isn't to say that we won't get our feelings hurt or that we shouldn't feel angry at times, but we need to learn how to react in the right manner at the right time in the right proportion to what has happened, not in proportion to our hypersensitivity.
Fifth. Working with several hundred divorced people over the past decade, I have found that the majority blame their former spouse for the breakup of their marriage without taking a serious look at what they contributed. Conflicts can only be resolved and we can only grow when both parties acknowledge their contribution to the problem or misunderstanding. Yes, it is true, some people are belligerent, dogmatic, and abusive. Even the Bible implies that some people are impossible to get along with.4 But even then there is something we can do. It may be standing up for ourselves--that is, overcoming our overly passive or overly dependent, or super-sensitive style by saying,"No more--enough is enough," and exercising toughlove. In every situation there is always some responsibility we can exercise. To be concluded ...
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in every conflict situation please help me to be non-defensive, quit playing the blame-game, and see how in any way I mightbe overreacting and use this as a motivation to grow and become a more loving, understanding and mature adult. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
"But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus,'And who is my neighbor?'" (Luke 10:29, NIV).
Author John Powell expressed this attitude poignantly when he said, "We defend our dishonesty [denying and not sharing our true feelings] on the grounds that it may hurt another person, and then, having rationalized our phoniness into nobility, we settle for superficial relationships."2
In continuing our series on resolving conflict the fourth point is to use "I" messages. That is, instead of saying, "You make me mad," or "You really hurt my feelings," say words to this effect. "When you say (or do) things like thus and so, I feel hurt and/or angry, and I need to talk to you about it." This helps you take responsibility for your feelings and avoid blaming others. Many of us are like the lawyer in theBible who, "wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'"3 This was when Jesus told him that the greatest commandment was to love God and your neighbor as yourself.
Blaming others blocks resolution. As difficult as it may be, I need to admit that nobody causes my hurtfeelings or makes me angry without my permission. Asmy colleague Dr. Narramore puts it, "The other person is responsible for their action. We are responsiblefor our reaction!"
For instance, if I had a perfect self-concept--which I don't have--my feelings would rarely be hurt. What the other person said or did wouldn't upset me. But if I feel inferior or have low self-esteem, I will be easily wounded and/or angered. To the degree I overreact, however, that is my problem--not theirs.
Overreactions happen when unresolved issues or wounds from our past are triggered. So the more I have resolved my issues from the past, the less I will overreact when negative things happen to me. This isn't to say that we won't get our feelings hurt or that we shouldn't feel angry at times, but we need to learn how to react in the right manner at the right time in the right proportion to what has happened, not in proportion to our hypersensitivity.
Fifth. Working with several hundred divorced people over the past decade, I have found that the majority blame their former spouse for the breakup of their marriage without taking a serious look at what they contributed. Conflicts can only be resolved and we can only grow when both parties acknowledge their contribution to the problem or misunderstanding. Yes, it is true, some people are belligerent, dogmatic, and abusive. Even the Bible implies that some people are impossible to get along with.4 But even then there is something we can do. It may be standing up for ourselves--that is, overcoming our overly passive or overly dependent, or super-sensitive style by saying,"No more--enough is enough," and exercising toughlove. In every situation there is always some responsibility we can exercise. To be concluded ...
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in every conflict situation please help me to be non-defensive, quit playing the blame-game, and see how in any way I mightbe overreacting and use this as a motivation to grow and become a more loving, understanding and mature adult. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
Daily Encounter with ACTS
How to Fight Fair, Part I
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18, NIV).
I recall hearing the pastor of a large church, when celebrating his twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, declare that he and his wife had never had a conflict.I didn't believe him. Wherever there are two people, there will always be some conflict, misunderstanding, or difference of opinion. About the only way to live without ever having an open conflict is to live in isolation as a hermit or have one partner become a doormat who chooses "peace at any price." But neither of these is actually conflict free. The conflicts have just gone underground or escaped.
Handled creatively, conflicts and disagreements can lead to growth and increased mutual understanding. But to make differences of opinions productive we need to learn to disagree agreeably, and to value the other person's perspective in the process. So how do we dothis?
First, and foremost, listen...listen...listen--not only with our ears, but even more so with our hearts. We need to hear what other people are really saying--not just what we think they are saying. We need to listen to their feelings as well as their thoughts. Good communication and conflict resolution requires listening beneath the other person's words to their sometimes hidden emotions and unspoken needs orwishes.
Careful listening ensures that we won't distort what the other person is trying to say. This is necessary because we each tend to interpret messages through our own lenses. If we are extremely sensitive to criticism, for example, we may interpret our spouse's potentially helpful suggestion as a criticism. The more our seeing and hearing "lenses" are distorted by our problems, the more likely we are to twist the messages people are giving us to try to make them match our perception of reality.
Second, always strive to speak the truth in love. Remember that "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."1We, too, need to precede truth with grace; that is, to always give loving, gracious acceptance. Some of us are long at speaking the truth but short on listening and short on loving. Unless we speak from a point of sensitive caring, people will not feel safe enough to share openly. They will hide or become angry ordefensive. And unless they can share their thoughtsand feelings there can be no resolution.
Third, we need to be aware of our own true thoughts and feelings. If we feel angry, for example, it willbe important to acknowledge our anger. But we should also be aware of what feelings and thoughts lay beneath our anger. Anger, for example, often covers anxiety or fear. Instead of being aware of our fear, we get angry. That feels safer. But it only makes matters worse.
Other times we use anger to stop others from getting close because we fear intimacy. Equally destructive, we deny our feelings altogether and pretend to be something we are not. Each of these reactions prevents conflict resolution. Unresolved conflicts create resentment and festering resentment breaks many relationships.To be continued ....
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, whenever I am in a conflict situation please give me a listening and understanding heart so I will always hear and give consideration to the others person's point of view and not be deafened by my own need to defend myself nor blinded by my own self-interest. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18, NIV).
I recall hearing the pastor of a large church, when celebrating his twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, declare that he and his wife had never had a conflict.I didn't believe him. Wherever there are two people, there will always be some conflict, misunderstanding, or difference of opinion. About the only way to live without ever having an open conflict is to live in isolation as a hermit or have one partner become a doormat who chooses "peace at any price." But neither of these is actually conflict free. The conflicts have just gone underground or escaped.
Handled creatively, conflicts and disagreements can lead to growth and increased mutual understanding. But to make differences of opinions productive we need to learn to disagree agreeably, and to value the other person's perspective in the process. So how do we dothis?
First, and foremost, listen...listen...listen--not only with our ears, but even more so with our hearts. We need to hear what other people are really saying--not just what we think they are saying. We need to listen to their feelings as well as their thoughts. Good communication and conflict resolution requires listening beneath the other person's words to their sometimes hidden emotions and unspoken needs orwishes.
Careful listening ensures that we won't distort what the other person is trying to say. This is necessary because we each tend to interpret messages through our own lenses. If we are extremely sensitive to criticism, for example, we may interpret our spouse's potentially helpful suggestion as a criticism. The more our seeing and hearing "lenses" are distorted by our problems, the more likely we are to twist the messages people are giving us to try to make them match our perception of reality.
Second, always strive to speak the truth in love. Remember that "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."1We, too, need to precede truth with grace; that is, to always give loving, gracious acceptance. Some of us are long at speaking the truth but short on listening and short on loving. Unless we speak from a point of sensitive caring, people will not feel safe enough to share openly. They will hide or become angry ordefensive. And unless they can share their thoughtsand feelings there can be no resolution.
Third, we need to be aware of our own true thoughts and feelings. If we feel angry, for example, it willbe important to acknowledge our anger. But we should also be aware of what feelings and thoughts lay beneath our anger. Anger, for example, often covers anxiety or fear. Instead of being aware of our fear, we get angry. That feels safer. But it only makes matters worse.
Other times we use anger to stop others from getting close because we fear intimacy. Equally destructive, we deny our feelings altogether and pretend to be something we are not. Each of these reactions prevents conflict resolution. Unresolved conflicts create resentment and festering resentment breaks many relationships.To be continued ....
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, whenever I am in a conflict situation please give me a listening and understanding heart so I will always hear and give consideration to the others person's point of view and not be deafened by my own need to defend myself nor blinded by my own self-interest. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Sunday Re-cap - 7th May 2006
Knowing God Personally (Ps. 46:1, 10 & Exodus 3:14-15; 33:11-17)
by. Ps Abel Phillips
Moses asked God who He was and got a peculiar answer. God said, "Say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' . . . This is My name forever" (Exodus 3:14-15).
Jesus put flesh on God's bare-boned answer to Moses' question, "Who are You?" Jesus left heaven to show us what it means to bear His Father's name. He told His disciples, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). He also said, "I am the bread of life" (6:48), "the light of the world" (8:12), "the good shepherd" (10:11), and "the resurrection and the life" (11:25). In Revelation, Jesus declared, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (22:13). And He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). Jesus the Word of God (Jn.1:1).Jesus is the image of the invisible God. —Colossians 1:15
Exodus 33:11-17
God made known His ways to Moses. He made known His acts, or His works, to the children of Israel. Moses knew God in a way the rest of the people didn't. The rest of the people saw the works of God, but Moses knew the ways of God and God intimately.
Most Christians would prefer to see God perform mighty miracles rather than to have fellowship with Him and learn His ways.
The Benefits of knowing our God Personally or Intimately
1. To Know God Intimately Is the Way of Rest
- God says He will provide rest to those who know Him intimately. Verse 14 says, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."
2. To Know God Intimately Is the Way of Stability
-Knowing God also provides stability. Israel, who only saw what God did, was fickle. If we don't know God intimately, we'll not be a stable Christian. We'll be just like Israel was. We'll blow hot and cold.
3. To Know God Intimately Is the Way of Necessity
Not only is knowing God a good thing; it is a necessity. (Exodus 33:1-3) When God said "…I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff-necked people: lest I consume thee in the way," and Moses replied, "God, if you're not going, I'm not going."
Conclusion:
We will only know Him by communion with Him face to face. That's what a quiet time is all about. We can’t know God if we don't spend time with Him.
by. Ps Abel Phillips
Moses asked God who He was and got a peculiar answer. God said, "Say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' . . . This is My name forever" (Exodus 3:14-15).
Jesus put flesh on God's bare-boned answer to Moses' question, "Who are You?" Jesus left heaven to show us what it means to bear His Father's name. He told His disciples, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). He also said, "I am the bread of life" (6:48), "the light of the world" (8:12), "the good shepherd" (10:11), and "the resurrection and the life" (11:25). In Revelation, Jesus declared, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (22:13). And He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). Jesus the Word of God (Jn.1:1).Jesus is the image of the invisible God. —Colossians 1:15
Exodus 33:11-17
God made known His ways to Moses. He made known His acts, or His works, to the children of Israel. Moses knew God in a way the rest of the people didn't. The rest of the people saw the works of God, but Moses knew the ways of God and God intimately.
Most Christians would prefer to see God perform mighty miracles rather than to have fellowship with Him and learn His ways.
The Benefits of knowing our God Personally or Intimately
1. To Know God Intimately Is the Way of Rest
- God says He will provide rest to those who know Him intimately. Verse 14 says, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."
2. To Know God Intimately Is the Way of Stability
-Knowing God also provides stability. Israel, who only saw what God did, was fickle. If we don't know God intimately, we'll not be a stable Christian. We'll be just like Israel was. We'll blow hot and cold.
3. To Know God Intimately Is the Way of Necessity
Not only is knowing God a good thing; it is a necessity. (Exodus 33:1-3) When God said "…I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff-necked people: lest I consume thee in the way," and Moses replied, "God, if you're not going, I'm not going."
Conclusion:
We will only know Him by communion with Him face to face. That's what a quiet time is all about. We can’t know God if we don't spend time with Him.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)