A God Adventure cbn.com | Saturday, March 25, 2017 By Terry Meeuwsen
What is a God Adventure? Joining God in an adventure that He initiates; that is so beyond your ability that you can’t accomplish it or succeed unless God moves in a powerful way. It’s trusting God when you don’t know the end result – when you can’t see tomorrow. Is it scary? You bet! However, my desire for the adventure exceeded my fear of the unknown.
Jesus said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Not just idle words – it’s a promise! (Hebrews 13:5) He also said He would NEVER ask us to do anything He wouldn’t equip us for.
When my husband, Andy, and I felt God was calling us to adopt three sisters from Ukraine a couple of years ago, we felt wholly inadequate – we were too old, it cost too much, we already had four kids and we knew nothing about them,… and the list went on and on. Yet, deep in our hearts was a longing to jump in and see what God would do. We didn’t do it haphazardly – we prayed, we talked, we prayed, we talked some more, we listened to what God was saying to us… in our quiet time, through His Word and through trusted family and friends. We looked for signs of God’s confirmation. And, we tried to do it with an open hand.
One of the easiest traps to fall into is grabbing hold of God’s plan and making it our own. Then we’re not on a God adventure anymore – we are controlling something we’ve decided to do for God… instead of joining Him in what He is already doing and allowing Him to supply our needs and steer the boat. There’s a big difference!
Where are you at today? Is God stirring up a longing in your heart? Maybe you’ve already had a dream or you have a clear sense of something He’s invited you to join Him in. Has fear been holding you back? A negative attitude? Someone else’s negative attitude? A sense of inadequacy? Today – decide to trade your status quo for a real, live, life-changing, circumstance rearranging, character building God-adventure. Our lives are not defined by the abilities we have, but by the choices we make! So – are you ready to jump into the deep end of the pool? You know our lives are never quite as safe as we think they are. So jump in and trust God. It’s never too late to embark on a God-adventure.
What the Enemy Intends for Evil, God Will Use for Good crosswalk.com | Friday, March 17, 2017 By Debbie McDaniel
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Genesis 50:20
At just 16 yrs. of age, St. Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and taken from his British homeland to Ireland where he was sold into slavery. He worked in the fields as a shepherd for 6 years under terribly harsh conditions, until God miraculously provided a way of escape for him to flee. As difficult as that time must have been, it was during those lonely years of enslavement, where he faced hunger, freezing temperatures, and pain, that he met with God, and found deep closeness in His Presence through prayer and meditation.
Who would have ever dreamed how God would turn around this tragedy for good?
After months back at home, recuperating and seeking direction for his future plans, St. Patrick felt strongly led to go back to Ireland. He knew God had brought him there for a purpose and he was burdened to share Christ with a lost nation.
History tells us that thousands were saved. Revival broke out among this pagan people, lives were changed, as many came to know Christ as Lord and Savior.
Though God is not the author of evil in our world, and though often He does choose to shelter and protect us from the evil attacks of the enemy on our lives, sometimes…He takes us straight through dark seasons. And it’s never to leave us there for no purpose. He will always have purpose and hope through what we may experience, however difficult it may be. He will always be faithful to bring greater good.
Both the lives of St. Patrick and Joseph in the Bible remind us of this truth. Sold into slavery, held captive, and imprisoned, yet set free for the “saving of many lives.”
If you find yourself in a difficult season right now, find encouragement through this reminder: God will turn it around for good. Somehow. He is faithful to His Word, and He is crazy about you. He will see you through, don’t ever doubt it. You will step out to the other side of the darkness. And who knows, but that many lives may be affected for the kingdom’s sake, because of your difficult season of struggle.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Sometimes the most difficult times we walk through can feel like captivity to our hearts and minds. If you find yourself there today, be assured that God is with you and leading you through. Even if you can’t see the how the whole story will unfold, His plans for us are good, He gives hope and purpose. Choose to thank Him today that He will turn your struggle around for good. Pray that He will use it as a blessing in your life and for many others to know of His power and great love.
Further Reading:: Jeremiah 29:11 : Romans 8:28 : Psalms 84:11
ASK AND RECEIVE (kayannan@gmail.com/024 642 5541) | Friday, March 10, 2017 By Rev. K. Essibrey-Annan
“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...So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets"(Mat 7:7-12).
Take notice that, Jesus started a discourse on asking and receiving, and made a categorical statement that, evil fathers know how to give good gifts to their children. How much more will our Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him. Then He concluded, thus "therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them..." This means that, Whatever we want God to do for us, we must first of all, do the same for those we come into contact with.
As we cultivate the habit of meeting others' needs, we are positioning ourselves to receive from God. John 15:7 says "if you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." This means, knowing the word and praying according to the will of God (1 John 5:14-15). Beloved, before we bring any request before God, let's first search the scripture and be sure it is in line with the will of God.
Scripture makes it clear, thus "delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4). What then is the desire of your heart? A sport car, a house by the sea, a company, a PhD qualification? The key is to delight in the work of God and He will surprise you by granting your heart desire.
While in Lent, let us take time off to study the Word of God, pray in line with the Word, delight ourselves in the work of God and our requests will be granted.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word and the assurance that my needs and wants will be answered if I pray according to your will and show love to others. I pray to avail myself for your help, Holy Spirit, to play my part; in Jesus' name I have prayed. Amen.
Further Studies
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15)
Learn From Mistakes dailymanna.dclm.org | Friday, March 03, 2017 By Deper Christian Life Ministry
EZEKIEL 23:22-36
Key Verse: "Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side" (Ezekiel 23:22).
Many times, what get people into trouble are not big, but little things. They omit to do what is right. They indulge in little careless or reckless acts, including those they knew spelt disaster for other people. With the passage of time, they become self-confident in their ability to tackle issues their own way.
They dismiss pointers in their own lives, to things that caused misfortune for others, on the hollow belief that, ‘it cannot happen to me’. In the process, they seal their own misfortune. Aholibah or Judah in Israel, had witnessed judgment that came on Samaria (or Aholah) for turning away from God and embracing the nations that did not know the Lord.
They were shipped into exile. Instead of learning from God’s retribution on evil nation, Judah became more sinful before God. They connived, formed alliance with heathen nations, exposed their treasure to them and served their idols. God paid them in their coins: He turned their new friends against them who plundered their wealth and exposed them to shame, humiliation and disgrace. It is only reasonable to learn from the mistakes of other people and avoid things that brought them down.
Where we find that the pursuit of power, wealth and pleasure took them away from God, we must flee from such. The lives of those around us who fell out with God should be a lesson to us to shun their ways. Anything that will lull our minds in sinful enjoyment must be avoided. We must not wait to taste the judgment of God. Anything we must do to live right before God and avoid His rod of punishment, must be done now.
Thought for the day: Sin is deceptive and deadly, and those that toy with it have bitter tales to tell.
