Merry Christmas

Christmas is the day Christ Jesus was born... the Messiah...


Merry Merry Christmas.. dun let all the commercial and all de worldly happenings cloud our hearts and our eyes to see the true meening of Christmas.




Christmas isn't Christmas till it happens in your heart

Somewhere deep inside you is where Christmas really starts
So give your heart to Jesus, you'll discover when you do
That it's Christmas, really Christmas for you

Jesus brings warmth like a winter fire
A light like a candle's glow
He's waiting now to come inside
As He did so long ago

Jesus brings gifts of truth and life
And makes them bloom and grow
So welcome Him with a song of joy
And when He comes you'll know

That Christmas really Christmas
Christmas really Christmas
Christmas really Christmas for you

Faith - Lesson 3 of 45 Result of Salvation

Raine Growth Journal: Faith - Lesson 2 Initiation into Salvation

recap
Lesson 1 - the meaning of Salvation.
That we are all sinful by nature. And is saved from sin through the death of Jesus Christ

Lesson 2 - Lesson 1 is about learning. Lesson 2 is about believing. Salvation belongs to those who believe in the Lord Jesus, " So the first step that must be taken to enter salvation is to believe in the Lord Jesus.


Lesson 3 - Result of Salvation

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "When anyone is joined to Christ, he is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come."

This change can be seen in several ways.

• Sometimes a person's attitude toward life changes from sad to happy, or perhaps he now loves someone he couldn't love before.
• There can also be physical transformations. Those who have been bound by habits such as alcoholism can be set free.

The Lord is powerful to make any changes necessary in the person who now believes on Him.

Being in the family of God is special. This is why you will hear Christians call each other "brother" or "sister." This is a way of saying, "We belong to the same family."

This verse came about to me today 2wise.
"Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it" (Hebrews 12:14).
it literary means...if you do not receive the Lord Jesus as your Saviour...you will not go to heaven when you pass away  REAL LIFE STORY http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/vod/SAF13v5_WS

REMEMBER: If your problem in life. is as big as a ship..


Never forget that your BLESSINGS are as Wide as the OCEAN!

God's WAY

Let Go

Yes, of course, you want to control so everything happens in just the way you want it. But at the end of the day, we control nothing, - it's all in God's hands, - has always been, and will always be. So, do what you can, and then let go, and let God handle the rest.

Surprise

i love surprises....

sometimes good things happen and pass us without us knowing. That's because we are so self absorb in de worldly things and worldly pleasure. (Well i'm referring to myself la) dun take at heart if u feel it too ;)

so i want to learn to see...learn to listen for the surprises God gives me everyday... because God is good all the time...and he is a giving God

So lets see... dis morning 30 Nov 2010 i had so much in hand to complete...so little time.
I had BC class at 7am RPM at 1045am
final touch up to the Christmas deco for this Sat 4 Dec 2010 launch
Payment Summary Report
Newsletter

i wouldn have completed all of this without God. So this was wat happen :-

As i least expected... no one showed up for BC class 7am (surprise)
so i had extra one hour in hand!!! Thank you for your timing God

Faith - Lesson 2 Initiation into Salvation

Acts 16:31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." So the first step that must be taken to enter salvation is to believe in the Lord Jesus.

In what way must we believe? Again the Bible has the answer. It says that we must accept Him as our Lord and Savior, and depend on Him to take us to heaven.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we must also turn from sin. We must repent and ask God, for Jesus' sake, to forgive us and make us clean. If we ask Him to do this, we must also trust that He does forgive and cleanse us. Remember I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing."

This acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior is done simply by talking to Him as you would to a friend. If you have never taken this step, just tell God that you want to accept the forgiveness He offers.

I'm sorry for my sin and ask Your forgiveness. Cleanse me and keep me from all wrong doing. I accept the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus who died for me.


Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”


- John 14:6

Faith ( lesson 1 of 45) Salvation

Are v curious and always asked questions like
Y things happen the way they happen.
Y do v sin? how can i be saved from sin?
What is Christianity really all about?
How does the Bible apply to my life?
Who is Jesus Christ?
how do i know there is a God? how do i know if he really exist?

How strong is your faith my fellow brothers and sisters?

If you want you can journey along with me while i find my faith...you can find yours too

"There are many roads to salvation and heaven. Sincerity is the key to reaching heaven. You may believe whatever you wish as long as you are sincere."


is that right? Is being sincere enough? Or can a person be sincerely mistaken?

The Bible is very clear in saying that freedom from sin comes only through Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:5 says, "He [Jesus Christ] loves us, and by his death he has freed us from our sins."

Acts 4:12 states: "Salvation is to be found through him [Christ] alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us."

So, in defining salvation we can say that it is pardon from sin, but we must add "through the death of Jesus Christ."

Who needs this salvation? Everyone has sinned and been sentenced to eternal death or separation from God.

Ezekiel 18:4 says, "The person who sins is the one who will die." And in Romans 3:23 we read, "Everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence." All mankind is in need of forgiveness of sin and pardon through Jesus Christ

Testimonies...real life testimonies

Jeff Markin: Back from the Dead, Reborn Into the Light

FAITH ISN'T THE ABSENCE OF DOUBTS. IT'S FOLLOWING GOD IN SPITE OF THEM!

Faith “According to your faith it will be done to you Matthew 9:29.”
Would you say that faith is an important issue? Yes, it is

How do I get more faith? How do I measure it? The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God. The Bible is God’s faith food. The more we get into God’s word, the Bible – the more our faith will develop.


Jesus said “According to your faith it will be done to you Matthew 9:29.” Jesus says faith is a choice. You get to choose how much God blesses your life.
If we refuse to believe that God will do something amazing in our lives and our faith community then guess what we will get – nothing.

"According to your faith be it done to you"

MAtthew 9:29 "According to your faith be it done to you"


"Lord, help me to draw near to you with confidence and trust in your saving power and mercy. Free me from doubt and unbelief that I may approach you confidently and pray boldly with expectant faith. Let your kingdom come and may your will be done in me."

Don't Let Limitations Limit Your Vision

Don't Let Limitations Limit Your Vision
by Rick Warren

"[Esther] won the king's favor and approval ... . So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen." Esther 2:17 (NIV)
"Sometimes what looks like a disaster in your life is part of a much bigger plan. But you will never fulfill your destiny if you are having a pity party. "

God will not only use your gifts to fulfill your destiny, he'll also use your limitations.

Let's look at Esther again. She had several big limitations that made her perfect for the role God wanted her to fulfill. She was an orphan adopted by Mordecai; she was a minority, a Jew living in a Persian country; and she was a single woman. A single woman in a male-dominated society had zero rights.

God used all of these things, along with the gifts of her beauty, brains, and personality, to fulfill her destiny. Think about it ... if she had been a married man, she wouldn't have become queen. And if she hadn't been a minority, she wouldn't have cared about the Jews and what was going to happen to them.

Sometimes what looks like a disaster in your life is part of a much bigger plan. But you will never fulfill your destiny if you are having a pity party.

A lot of people live their lives in resentment, always looking at people and saying, "Well it must be nice to be them." If you have that attitude you will never fulfill your destiny. We have to realize that the unpleasant obstacles in our life are often God-ordained opportunities to make a difference.

It's hard to see that when you're in pain. Look at Job. He was the wealthiest man in the world and then God allowed everything to be taken from him - his family, his wealth, his health.
Then, when Job starting asking God why, he was silent. Job said, "I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I turn to the south, but I cannot find him. But he knows where I am going ... Hi mind concerning me remains unchanged ... Whatever he wants to do, he does. So he will do for me all he has planned. He controls my destiny" (Job 23:9-10, 13-14 NLT).

We might be in a situation right now where everything is going wrong and you can't figure it out. But God knows. Nothing in your life is accidental. The pleasures and pains, the opportunities and obstacles, God can use it all. There is nothing God cannot use for good in your life if you'll give it to him.

Listen to God, not Your Doubts

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. Hebrews 11:7a (NLT)

I don't see what God's going to do in my life over the next ten years, but I'm certain he is at work. I'm trusting, I'm hopeful and I have faith in what God will do.



"Jesus, I want to listen to you, not the voices of doubt. I know that in the days ahead there will be people who will try to discourage me, but I want to listen to what you say just like Noah did. I want to do exactly what you tell me to do and I want to refuse to give up just because I feel like giving up. I want to hold onto the dream that you give me."

Raine Growth Journal: Reasons for Waiting - Lesson 3

Raine Growth Journal: Reasons for Waiting - Lesson 2

Now let’s look at our 3rd teacher - Peter.
Peter is going to teach us how God uses the ingredients of the wait to produce a miracle.

3. God uses the INGREDIENTS of the wait to produce a miracle.

God is going to use the ingredients of the wait as the recipe of a miracle. God used the ingredients of the long route Israelites took before entering the promised lands. He uses our obedience, patience, a changed heart, the tears we shed, and the crying out to God to create a miracle. He never wastes our hurts and waiting.

“On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, ‘Get up quickly’ And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, ‘Gird yourself and put on your sandals.’ And he did so. And he said to him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me’.” (Acts 12:6-8)

So we can see that the angel asked Peter to do the following, and Peter followed all of them

Get up quickly

Gird yourself

Put on your sandals
Wrap your cloak
Follow me

When we have heard about testimonies of miracles such as the blind can see, the sick ones get healed, we might think that miracles happened instantly. On the contrary, most of the miracles actually did not happen immediately. Miracles happen gradually and are in process like Peter’s situation. Peter didn’t know it was a miracle in motion while he was following the angel. Peter could have said no when the angel instructed him. If he had said no, the miracle wouldn’t have happened. But he obeyed God, and his obedience to the angel was used as part of the ingredients for the miracle of being rescued.

APPLICATION

We might be in the middle of a miracle now and we don’t even know.

If you are waiting now, sitting in a situation that is like a prison, remember that there is a reason for the wait. God might be refining you through your devotions, or any other areas in your heart. You might still have the tendencies to grumble, lose focus, quit or settle for less. But God is putting you in the wait to resolve these tendencies.

God is strengthening and refining my heart. He will take all these ingredients of the wait to create a miracle for me and to prepare me for the wonderful future He had designed for me. i know He never wastes any wait.

Waiting is not easy, but there is a reason – it is to strengthen and refine my hearts. I get upset sometimes while waiting, but God says dont be - He will refine me. He is not done with me.

I will stay faithful in Him and follow Him, there is a reason for the wait.

Reasons for Waiting - Lesson 2

http://raine-growthjournal.blogspot.com/2010/10/reasons-for-waiting.html
The wait has its OWN assignment

Our 2nd teacher - Naaman the Leper.
He was the captain of the army in Aram. Aram was allied with Israel at that time.
Naaman had leprosy and couldn’t find any way to be healed. His wife had an Israelite servant and this servant suggested that he see Elisha, a prophet of the Israelites, for healing. So Naaman took ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold as gifts to see Elisha for healing.
Elisha asked Naaman to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River and he would then be healed. Naaman became furious because he wanted Elisha to heal him instantly instead. But the servants who went with Naaman asked Naaman if he would have climbed the mountain if Elisha said that was the way to be healed. And Naaman said yes. So the servants showed Naaman that dipping seven times in the Jordan River was a lot easier, and convinced him to follow Elisha’s instruction. So Naaman agreed and went to Jordan and dipped himself for seven “boring” times. And something must have happened during the wait while Naaman was dipping himself in the Jordan River seven times.

2. God uses the wait to REFINE our hearts.

“Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” (2 Kin. 5:10)

Naaman might still have been grumbling when he dipped himself in the river the first and second times. But as he dipped himself further and got closer to the seventh time, his heart was being refined and humbled, and began to feel sorry for his earlier grumbling.
How many times have you experienced God putting you aside to wait? You might first grumble, but God will speak to you. Then your heart changes and you will just want to serve God regardless.

The scripture also said, “So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan … and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.” (2 Kin. 5:14)
Naaman was healed after his heart had been refined. There are times in our life that seem so boring, and you get angry and cry out to God. But God will refine your hearts and you will learn to be still with the wait. You will be fine even if a raise has not come yet, a promotion at work has not happened, or a resolution has not occurred. Healing starts while your hearts are being refined like Naaman.

The heart change often comes first - then the healing begins.

Reasons for Waiting

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Is. 40:31)

Reasons for waiting. I hate to wait?

People have said that we are the microwave generation, which means that we don’t wait; we just get what we want instantly. For example:

• when you are hungry, you put your food in the microwave oven and it will be warm in a minute.
• We go to the drive-through to order food instead of going inside.
• We can download songs and music from iTunes and it will be ready to play in seconds so that we don’t even need to go to the store nowadays.
• When we drive, we also watch see which lane has fewer cars and switch to that lane so as to get to our destinations faster!

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Is. 40:31)
Maybe God has a reason for us to wait and there is an assignment attached to the waiting that we need to do. Waiting is not a waste of time. If we don’t understand this, we will end up grumbling and being angry during our wait, and fail the assignment God has given us to do while we wait.

3 teachers from the Bible : Moses, Naaman the Leper, and Peter.

we learn from them the lessons and the reasons for waiting.

1st teacher - Moses.

Moses and the Israelites left Egypt and then waited 40 years in the wilderness to get into the Promised Land. The Israelites grumbled constantly during the wait. God took them out of Egypt instantly but made them wait for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. There was a reason. God was doing something in their hearts. Instead of taking them through the shortest route, God led them through the longest route because God used the wait to strengthen their hearts!

God uses the wait to STRENGTHEN our hearts.

We might be between jobs now or being put on hold in a relationship :( We might be waiting for something now and it seems like the waiting time is a waste, but it is not a waste because there is a reason to wait because God is using that wait to strengthen our hearts now.

As the Bible said, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, even though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” (Ex. 13:17) God took them through the longer route instead because their hearts were not ready. There would be tests like wars thrust upon the Israelites in the future and they would not be ready if they had taken the shortest route to reach the Promised Land. Therefore, God used the wait to strengthen them so that they would be ready for wars or any other future trials.

During the time of waiting, there are some tendencies that will surface. The first one is grumbling. We tend to grumble about our boss at work, grumble about us not being recognized at work, or not having a raise in our salary. And the second tendency is losing focus. We lose focus of us being Christian after the grumbling; then we forget about why God put us in the situation and forget to be God’s salt and light. The third tendency is to quit. We would just quit the situation because we are tired of waiting and our hearts wither. And the last is settling for less, and missing out on the wonderfulness God has for us in our future. But that is also why God put us into waiting periods - to resolve these tendencies that we have in our hearts.

We usually see the wait as a waste of time, and ask God to move things faster for us. But the waiting time is indeed not a waste as it has its own assignment from God! There is a reason to wait and it’s not an empty time. We have an assignment to do for God while waiting - to resolve our tendencies, and to build strengths and character in Him.

APPLICATION
God wants us to wait at times so that we are ready for the trials in our future. Without the wait, when the trials come, which could be unemployment, financial issues or sickness, our hearts will wither. That’s why God takes us through a time of waiting to strengthen our hearts.
Example: Running. Without training, my muscles would not have been strong enough to stand a real race, and I would not have developed the stamina and strength that I needed to run a race.

God put me to wait to give me strengths and character i need for my future. i will wait, and not do it my own way, for i will mess up what God has designed to be wonderful for me. i will plan and i will pray for guidance. but Thy will be done. i will not grumble or lose focus... i will not quit nor settle for less for i know God has the bestest of plan for me and my future

It is God's way or no way! He will give me strength and character for the wonderfulness He has prepared for me.
AMEN

Jesus changes water to wine

John 2: 1-11
Jesus Changes Water to Wine

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

There was a wedding ceremony... and half way thru the wedding ceremony, the wine finished. So Jesus' mother told Jesus that the wine was finish...this being said, because his mother believed that Jesus can take care of the situation.

Jesus then ordered the servants to fill the jars with water from the stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing. (not even drinking water) then serve them to the master of the banquet!!!

Summary

1. As servant, we must trust our master, Jesus.
2. The servant knew it was only water (not even drinking water) but they did as Jesus told.

Application

1. if we pour water in the jar and serve...it will and definately be water
2. but if we put our water in the hands of Jesus Christ our Savior...He will at his time turn water into wine
3. today i had a heavy heart when i woke up...even when i was in the house of the Lord...i felt my heart very heavy. during the worship service every song sung touched me in so many ways...jz couldn keep my tears...
4. in You Lord i will trust... my every need you will supply.

Whatever plans I have in mind, Lord I surrender them to You. I will do the best I can but in the end, let Your will be done. Amen

Your prayers have an impact

Your prayers have an impact
by Rick Warren

1 John 5:15 (GNT)
"God hears us whenever we ask Him and we know also that He gives us what we ask from Him."
Prayer can do whatever God can do. His resources are available to you. Twenty times in the New Testament it says, "Ask."

Do you ever wonder if prayer really works? You're praying about something and Satan whispers to you, "This is a waste of time. Forget it! Who do you think you are? What do you think you're doing? God is not listening. Don't waste your time."

Prayer works because God is in control. The basis of all miracles is God's sovereignty. Why does He do one and not another? Because God is in control. We have to trust His wisdom and His goodness.

Ephesians 3:20 says
"God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes."(LB)

Prayer can do whatever God can do. His resources are available to you. Twenty times in the New Testament it says, "Ask." It's encouraging to know that things that are out of my control are not out of God's. I may not be able to change a situation but I can pray and God can change it.

I know exactly what some of you are thinking right now. "If I can pray and ask God to change things and if God is really in control of everything, why don't I get everything I pray for?" Good question.

Here are three reasons:

1. God is not a genie. You don't put in a prayer, rub a thing and get whatever you want. If every prayer were answered we'd be spoiled brats. Do you give your children everything they ask for? I hope not. You know what's best for them. You can see the bigger picture. If you can see the bigger picture for your kids, how much bigger is the picture God can see?


2. Sometimes Christians pray in conflict. You get two Christians praying at the Super Bowl for different teams. Who's God going to answer? Obviously, God can't answer every prayer at the same time.
   But I think the real reason is this:


3. God knows what's best and you don't. If you think you do, that is very presumptuous. First John 5:14 tells us, "We are sure that He (God) hears us if we ask Him for anything that's according to His will."(GNT) Look at the phrase "according to His will." The attitude of your prayer needs to be: "Lord, this is my prayer request, but Thy will be done." That's what Jesus prayed, "Lord if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless let Thy will..." (Luke 22:42).

APPLICATON:
Does God answer all prayers?

I believe that God does indeed answer every prayer. It may not be the answer we are looking for, but He does answer in His own way and in His own time. Often we become impatient and expect fast results. Sometimes it may take a lifetime to get an answer. Therefore, praying and patience must go hand in hand—praying on a regular basis teaches patience and strengthens faith in God, no matter who you think of as God " so let thy will be done"

I trust in the Lord

Psalm 4:5 (New International Version)
Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.


The first psalm taught us that God has a plan.
His plan calls for happiness's for each of our lives. Happiness requires a completeness of ones soul, of ones self. The completeness of ones self is accomplished by means of doctrine, by means of learning doctrine, by means of understanding doctrine and growing up and making truth the central foundation of your life.

Bible doctrine is the key to your life.

Psalm two taught us that man has a plan and that God has a plan.
Men plans will all fail. Gods plan will succeed. Gods plan began in eternity past when one member of the trinity was assigned the title, Son of God. The plan centers around that person, the Son, who was to accomplish an eternal destiny for all who believe in Him. Rejection or indifference toward Gods plan is arrogance.

The soul is eternal, therefore the reasonable person will plan for the long term of his life (eternity), and not just the short term (this present life).


The third psalm taught us that the world is an enemy.
The world does not care for your best interest. The world inundates each person with enticements and unfairness to distract you from God and Gods plan. It is easy to get caught up in the activities of ones life and forget or ignore God, but then the world surrounds you with an almost infinite variety of enemies, most of which you would never recognize as enemies, friendly such as they are. Your own attitude can be your worst enemy.


The fourth psalm teaches us to stand in awe of God, doctrine, and the spiritual life that He alone offers. Conform to His teaching and plan, and your life will be beyond better, and beyond anything that the world can offer.


Therefore, offer the sacrifices of righteousness and trust in the Lord.

Our sacrifice comes in the form of a daily study for the purpose of learning and growing up in our spiritual life. Therefore today, our sacrifices in righteousness, means learning truth, or Gods word, in order to advance in our spiritual life, and bring ourselves into compliance with His will.

What you have not learned, you cannot know. What you do not know, then you cannot understand. Therefore, in order to come to an understanding and to wisdom, you must first learn, and to learn you must conduct yourself in a daily study of the scriptures

With study comes learning. With learning, comes understanding. With understanding comes trust. With trust comes faith. And the combination of all of these things brings Gods objective for you as stated in Psalm one, blessings.

Application
I want to know You more... i want to trust in You more...i will continue to learn and understand...trust and have faith in You my God

Deal With Your Anger

Deal With Your Anger - Now!
by Rick Warren

Ephesians 4:26 (NIV)
"Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry."

When you get angry, deal with it immediately, so the devil doesn't get a foothold in your life.
The above verse should be taken literally. When you go to bed at night, make sure your conscious is clear and there's no disharmony.
Why? God knows how dangerous and destructive anger is to our bodies. The anger gets inside of you and starts to eat you up.

Have you ever heard anybody say, "That really burns me up!" They're speaking the truth. It literally does that. Scientists have proven that when a person gets angry there is a definite biochemical change in their body. When you get angry it attacks your adrenal glands and shoots out all kinds of things in your body. Your palms start sweating, your temperature is raised, your blood sugar increases, your heart beat elevates, you get nervous, you get primed for action.
All of this is pent up inside of you and God says, "Don't get that all built up in your life and then try to go to sleep with it. It will eat on you."

God is explaining this for your own good. When you hold on to your anger it has a damaging effect upon your health. You can't sleep. You get high blood pressure. You get depressed - you can get all kinds of different illnesses.

Anger is dangerous to our lives. It's dangerous to us physically. It's dangerous to us socially -- it ruins relationships, it destroys homes. It's dangerous to us spiritually -- it affects our relationship with God.

That's what Paul goes on to say in
Ephesians 4:27(NIV)
"And do not give the devil a foothold."

APPLICATION
When you get angry, deal with it immediately, so the devil doesn't get a foothold in your life.

What do you fear..or What should you fear

Psalm 4:4
"Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still"

this verse came about to me 2wice.
1st in my facebook http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy
2nd thur my gmail http://www.purposedriven.com

God must really want me to read it not once but twice.
Understand it rather den jz reading it. Apply it thereafter!!!

To tremble
means to fear, to tremble, to quiver

Unfortunately far too many people do not stand in awe (or fear) of anything, except maybe the pleasures of life. To many people take life for granted and see nothing beyond this life. Seeing only that which lay ahead of them at the moment, whether todays work or tomorrows plans.

No one stops to consider Gods plan for their life, Gods objective for their life, Gods will for their life. The mere thought of God seems so abstruse and unreal, not to mention His plan.

But awe, the type that makes you tremble with total and absolute fear, is where you need to be. Have you never heard that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Does that mean nothing?

If you are disturbed to the point of trembling, by something, then you give way to respect for it, and you take it seriously.

Look at the world around you. You can lose your health, your job, your home, your possessions. You can lose everything is a heartbeat, and the world will care nothing for you. You can be talented, wealthy, beautiful or whatever. You can be insured with the best of coverages. But what good are those in the face of a robber, a single hailstone, a bit of food to choke on, a slippery footing?

And on the other hand, there are all the things that God offers to the mature believer, A charmed life, and protected life, and productive life, rewards beyond the imagination, things that boggle the mind as to be unimaginable. Can you lose them with little or no consideration?

And all it takes is a daily reading, a daily study. Little by little, your spiritual life will take shape and grow as God molds and forms you into the completed vessel of His choosing.

Do not sin
means to discontinue pursuing your life in the worldly sense, and begin and continue living your life in fellowship, pursuing your spiritual life.

Sin in your life dictates your carnal state, and confession is the ticket to getting back into fellowship.

Upon your bed, and be still
means simply when you are inactive, or in a state of rest, then pause to reflect about your life, your goals, what you are doing and where you are heading. Is it in accordance with Gods will, or are you oblivious to what God wants and are you concentrating on what you want instead? Ponder and consider your daily study. Reflect and absorb and learn.

What is your perception about life, about after you leave this life? Do you even have a clue, or do you even care? Or, do you presume that you are going to be alright in life and after this life, even without any interaction with God?

Summary
Gods plan continues right along without so much as a hiccup or skip, regardless of what you do or think. You can get on board with His plan, which is to your advantage, or you can continue along in the fog of life and lose.

Who sets and who is set apart

Psalm 4:3
Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.

Know
means to know with certainty. Not maybe, or we hope to know, or we wish, or perhaps. This means certainty. There is no guessing, no luck, no chance or randomness, but with a guarantee, this knowledge is certain.

The Lord has set apart
means to separate permanently, to distinguish as different
We have been separated out of this world, cut out of the world, made different from all that are in the world, through our faith in Christ, and through doctrine that we have learned and therefore, making a spiritual life in us, verses those who do not possess salvation and/or a spiritual life.

The godly
means properly, of a kind or pattern, good, holy.
The godly is the person who possess the attributes and characteristics within their soul, that God places in their soul, by means of the functioning spiritual life.
The spiritual life begins when the person believes in Christ. Being born again, means that you have a new birth into the spiritual realm that unbelievers do not have. That is the first separation.

The spiritual life then develops with growth as you learn doctrine through a daily study. Spiritual growth develops and builds within your soul, the norms and standards of the spiritual life. It constructs a temple, a fortress, a mansion within your soul.

the LORD will hear when I call to him
And God separates for Himself, not for the world, but for Himself, the spiritually mature person. That is the individual who is separated apart, distinguished from, made different according to the pattern of the spiritual life. It is the spiritually mature believer who is heard, and answered when prayer is offered to God.


http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy

The godly is he who study and learns and lives in fellowship with the LORD and daily application of doctrine of His word through the Bible
The spiritually mature person.


Application
daily worship...no matter where you are. Read His words. and most of all know that the Lord your God will hear you when you call for him

and i cry Holy Holy Holy is the Lamb

God Is a Capable Father

God Is a Capable Father by Rick Warren

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37 (NIV)
"God has unlimited resources, unlimited energy, unlimited knowledge, unlimited time. He says I can supply all of your needs. "

God can handle any situation you give Him. No problem is too tough for Him. Nothing is beyond His ability. But the first thing you've got to do is bring it to Him.
What's the decision you're facing this week? What's the mountain that needs to be moved? Cancer? Bankruptcy? Your kids having problems? Can't break a bad habit?
"... Nothing is impossible with God."

In Jeremiah 32:27 God says, "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (NIV) It is almost like God laying down the gauntlet saying, "I dare you. Think up a problem that I couldn't solve. Is anything too hard for me?"

Most of us, growing up, have said, "My daddy can do anything! My daddy can beat your daddy!" I really thought that. But, as I grew up, I began to have my eyes opened. I realized that when it came to my allowance, my dad had limited resources. When it came to advice, sometimes he was just guessing too. My guess was as good as his, because he was an imperfect father.
Ephesians 3:20 says, "God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes!" (LB) I have a pretty vivid imagination. I can think up some pretty big dreams. I can set some high goals. God says, "My son, you think up the greatest thing you think I could do in your life and I can beat that. I can top that." He is a capable Father.

What can I expect from my Father in heaven? "My God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 NIV) He has unlimited resources, unlimited energy, unlimited knowledge, unlimited time. He says I can supply all of your needs.
God says you're forgiven. He says he'll provide. He says we need not fear. To paraphrase the Bible, God says, "I'll take care of yesterday's failures, today's frustrations, and tomorrow's fears because I am a capable Father."

God Says You Are Capable by Rick Warren

It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began—to show his love and kindness to us through Christ. 2 Timothy 1:9 (TLB)

"Can you minister in a sales office? Yes, you can. Can you minister as an accountant? Yes, you can. Can you minister driving a truck? Sure!"

You have a right now to go directly to God; you have direct access. You don't have to pray through anybody else. You don't have to confess through anybody else. You don't have to go through anyone else to have fellowship with God. The Bible teaches that you have a direct line now.

In addition, God says you have been gifted for ministry to serve other people. Every Christian is a minister. That doesn’t mean every Christian is a pastor, rather minister. Anytime you're using your talents and gifts to help others you're ministering.

Notice the Bible verse above says, “He saved us for His holy work.” You are saved to serve. Why did God save you? So you could serve Him.

You may be thinking, “How do I know what my ministry is?” You look at your talents, your gifts, and your abilities. You look at how God shaped you. God wants you to use those talents and gifts to help other people. Every time you do that, that's called ministry: nothing fancy, scary or supernatural about it. It's just helping others.

Can you minister in a sales office? Yes, you can. Can you minister as an accountant? Yes, you can. Can you minister driving a truck? Sure! Anytime you're helping other people in His name, you're ministering.

Can u minister in a GYM?

We're all important; we're all necessary to do our part as we fit together.

Love is Time - Time is Love

The best use of life is love.
The best expression of love is time.
The best time to love is now.

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THE BEST USE OF LIFE IS LOVE
Love should be your top priority, primary objective, and greatest ambition. Love is not a good part of your life; it’s the most important part.
The Bible says, “Let love be your greatest aim.” It’s not enough to say, “One of the things I want in life is to be loving,” as if it’s in your top ten list.

Relationships must have priority in your life above everything else. Why?
Life without love is really worthless.
Paul makes this point: “No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”

Often we act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We talk about finding time for our children or making time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just a part of our lives along with many other tasks. But God says relationships are what life is all about.

Four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the other six deal with our relationships with people. But all ten are about relationships! Later, Jesus summarized what matters most to God in two statements: love God and love people. He said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart. . . . This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neiqhbor as yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
After learning to love God (worship), learning to love others is the second purpose of your life.

Relationships, not achievements or the acquisition of things, are what matters most in life. So why do we allow our relationships to get the short end of the stick? When our schedules become overloaded, we start skimming relationally, cutting back on giving the time, energy, and attention that loving relationships require. What’s most important to God is displaced by what’s urgent.

Busyness is a great enemy of relationships. We become preoccupied with making a living, doing our work, paying bills, and accomplishing goals as if these tasks are the point of life. They are not. The point of life is learning to love---God and people. Life minus love equals zero.

Love will last forever. Another reason God tells us to make love our top priority is that it is eternal: “These three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.”8Love leaves a legacy. How you treated other people, not your wealth or accomplishments, is the most enduring impact you can leave on earth. As Mother Teresa said, “It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters.” Love is the secret of a lasting heritage. I have been at the bedside of many people in their final moments, when they stand on the edge of eternity, and I have never heard anyone say, “Bring me my diplomas! I want to look at them one more time. Show me my awards, my medals, that gold watch I was given.” When life on earth is ending, people don’t surround themselves with objects. What we want around us is people---people we love and have relationships with.

In our final moments we all realize that relationships are what life is all about. Wisdom is learning that truth sooner rather than later. Don’t wait until you’re on your deathbed to figure out that nothing matters more.

We will be evaluated on our love. The third reason to make learning to love the goal of your life is that it is what we will be evaluated on in eternity. One of the ways God measures spiritual maturity is by the quality of your relationships. In heaven God won’t say, “Tell me about your career, your bank account, and your hobbies.” Instead he will review how you treated other people, particularly those in need.9 Jesus said the way to love him is to love his family and care for their practical needs: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

When you transfer into eternity, you will leave everything else behind. All you’re taking with you is your character. That’s why the Bible says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

Knowing this, I suggest that when you wake up every morning, you kneel by your bed, or sit on the edge of it, and pray this: “God whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people---because that’s what life is all about. I don’t want to waste this day.” Why should God give you another day if you’re going to waste it?

Devotion day 1 Jan 2010

S: Luke 1: 37
"For nothing is impossible with God."

O: Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. The Holy Spirit will came upon Mary, and the power of the Most High overshadow her. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

R: even a virgin can give birth to a child. What more can God not do.

E: Trust in the Lord and believe in Him. For there is nothing God cant do.