How God's Power Flows To & Through Us

Reinhard Bonnke is a man of God I truly admire. His simple faith in God's calling upon his life and how as a man he obeyed the calling is something we can learn from. In each age God has set forth forerunners of faith, through whom God demonstrates His faithfulness in His Words. God enacts the verses from the Bible in the lives of people who put their faith in God's power line!

Be blessed in watching him explain Faith as he understands and be empowered in your own walk of faith with God even as I was.

You are more Precious than stuff!

"13 [Now] before the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and ^[a]to the highest degree.

² So [it was] during supper, Satan having already put the thought of betraying Jesus in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son,³ [That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God..."John 13:1-3[AMP]

The one repetitive phrase that caught my attention here is this "Jesus was fully aware". He was aware of each and every thing He would have to endure to retrieve His own, the people fearfully and wonderfully made in His own image.

God knew since the beginning of time, we (humans) could never save ourselves in our own strength and He devised a grand plan, with Himself right in the center of it, taking in all the punishment and bringing us all His goodness. 

Remember this always. God foreknew, what was in it for Him! Now we must realize whats in this for us, the price He paid is something we can never ever pay Him back! 

 Imagine the God of all Universe, could have used any payment for our sins, for the earth and everything in it belongs to Him after all, but He chose Himself to be the payment for us. I have always marveled at this thought that God could have dissolved everything and started from scratch. Now how hard could that be for God? 

Yet, He chose to save! How great His love for us. Oh yes, if you never have contemplated this, you must!

You are a very very costly treasure God chose to save! You are very precious in His sight!

So if we're wondering if God will provide the other stuff in our life, we are making His sacrifice seem small!

Romans 8:32[AMP]

He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?

Confronting Condemnation

She grabbed her robes and ran. The angry self-righteous crowd followed her, screaming condemnation, so as to make a public spectacle of her secret shame. No one thought of the men who were probably with her as she was caught red handed in her guilt. This would make a great case to trump the theology of the Man Who was roaming their streets, claiming to be God's Own Son. This Man, Jesus was changing lives and bringing freedom to the ones who were in their grasp of condemnation. The signs of healings, deliverances and dead people being raised were sure confirmation of His claims. This, they thought, was their chance for a show-down.

"4 Teacher, they said, this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery.5 Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such [women—offenders] shall be stoned to death. But what do You say [to do with her—what is Your sentence]?" John 8:4-5 [Amplified Bible]

Their eyes might have glistened as they awaited His reply.

"7 He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7 [Amplified Bible]

With these words, NO ONE stood a chance to raise a finger at the woman. Every condemning voice rendered silent.

Turning to the woman, "... Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more."

The only One who could condemn her - did not.

If you believe in the death and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ as a payment for your sins - then stop guilt and condemnation from ruling your life.

"13 And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature), [God] brought to life together with [Christ], having [freely] forgiven us all our transgressions,

14 Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared [j]completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.

15 [God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]." Colossians 2:13-15[Amplified Bible]

The enemy has no weapon and no document against you. Don't believe his lies that condemn and strike our hearts with fear. These are decoys, bringing us into inaction for the purposes of Christ. This is what the enemy wants! Inaction, being afraid to be like Jesus, changing lives of people around you through your talents, your gifts which God has purposefully placed in you.

"Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]." Hebrew 4:16[Amplified Bible]

Let us be and do everything God called us to do!

You Smell Like Jesus!

John 12:3 [AMP]"Mary took a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard [a rare perfume] that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."

What woman does not treasure her perfume and her hair. These are perhaps the most dearly loved possessions a woman can have. Yet, Mary pours out a pound of her most expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair. People in the room are disgruntled at such a show of wastefulness. It was worth a year's wages you see!
While this did not make sense to the people in the room, it meant so much more to Mary and her Master, Jesus. For her, compared to Jesus, the perfume was like water. For her, Jesus' glory far outweighed the glory of her hair. What Jesus had done for her and her family could not be compared to these base things. She demonstrated unashamedly to this crowd, that her most valuable possessions are of no value when compared to Jesus. An act of great humility and gratitude. When Judas raised his voice against her, "Jesus said, Let her alone. It was [intended] that she should keep it for the time of My preparation for burial. [She has kept it that she might have it for the time of My [a]embalming.]" (John 12:7 [AMP]) No one else in the room could appreciate this, but Jesus knew Mary's heart and He received it wholeheartedly.
Likewise, in our lives, when we bring our most expensive offerings to worship Jesus, it may not make sense to the people around us. They would perhaps have us use our talents, our gifts on another recognizable noble cause. But Jesus approves that one act, that moves our heart in obedience to God's will and intentions. Notice what Jesus said about Mary's act - "it was intended". It is intended in God's grand plan, that you do the outrageous acts of worship for Jesus.  It will not make sense to people that you would walk away from a lucrative deal, a great fortune, a stage performance to serve in a place of humility, but in God's plan there is greater glory.
Now imagine this with me. As Mary worshiped Jesus with perfume, the fragrance filled her house. Later, when Mary would follow Jesus into Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, people would turn around and say to her - "Hey! You smell like Jesus!" Yes, your act of worship, that God has intended for you since the beginning of time, has the power to fill your home with fragrance, to anoint your head with scent and become an aroma pleasing to God.

Made in His Image!

We are an incredible creation. The biggest and most amazing characteristic we have is this : We are made in the image of God.

Genesis 1:26(AMP)

God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.

Have you been praying for a loved one who does not know Jesus? Has it been a very long time and there seems to be no evidence of any change in the horizon? Take heart God has a way to let them know that they belong to Him!

Yesterday, as I was praying for my loved ones, I kept hearing this in my heart, "You are all made in His(God's) image, and the more you allow Jesus to be seen in and through you, they will know Me. They will see Me in you and begin to recognize themselves."

I argued with this thought saying, "But they don't know you. They have only known you as just another god like the thousands they already follow. How will they recognize that Jesus loves them and that they really do belong to God? That when I pray for them, it is truly You Who blesses them. How will they know that it is You who is working in their lives? " The Holy Spirit said, "They will know because they are all created in the image of God and when you show them by being the living breathing, walking mirror of God's Word they will recognize themselves as they really are!"

When I started ruminating on this thought, my jaw dropped! I was filled with awe as I began to understand slowly. That when I see myself in the mirror, I know what I look like.  Even when there are many others who stand by my side and I can see their reflection in the mirror, I know what I look like. I know by looking at my hair whether it needs fixing, whether my lips need more color, whether I need a shower! I do not look at someone else's mirror image and try to fix my makeup! I know what I look like! As simple as that.

The key is "They don't know Who they look like, for they have never been shown the mirror of God's Word!"

Let us pray that God would help us in being this mirror - walking, living, breathing demonstrating amazing mirror of the Word of God, so people can look at + through us and see Jesus and the more they look they will begin to recognize their image - the image of God their Creator! They will  be awakened from their lies and dementia and find out how beautifully and wonderfully they have been made. A masterpiece creation of their Father in heaven! Let us continue praying that God's family be restored to Him!

1 Corinthians 13:12

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹² For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as ^[a]in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand ^[b]fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been ^[c]fully and clearly known and understood [^[d]by God].

Jesus Christ never Fails!

When I was growing up we had a wall clock where my dad had placed a sticker that said "Jesus Christ never fails!"  I would not have known then, at 5years old, the impact of what that statement means.

I still have so many things to write about that God has done for me and my family, NOT because I am a terrific believer....but because my Living God is an Awesome and Loving God. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt not because they were wonderful believing people, but because He loved them dearly and His compassion fails not.

While we were away from America we had our stuff packed up in a rental garage for nearly 2 years and we worried especially for the car housed in there. We thought we had to be gone for 3 months but it had been more than a year and increasing still. We were disheartened and thought we'd have to throw away all our stuff when we return, but just about the time of our return drawing near, maybe 6months before we returned, I kept getting this verse spring up in my heart

Deuteronomy 29:5

I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out upon you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet.

So I began praying about it and it started becoming more like a statement rather than a question in my mind. Slowly, we began praying about it as a family and felt led to pray for God to do this for us too. When we returned and opened up the storage - it was exactly as the day we had packed it and placed it in there. WE DID NOT HAVE TO THROW AWAY A SINGLE THING ya and the car battery had to be replaced but before it went in for its overdue servicing it did start but my hubby was not ready to take it out on the streets without a full checkup.

When God is leading you and you are following His pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, no matter how faltering your walk just get up and keep going, He cares even for the most tiniest detail of your travel with Him. So follow Him, look to Him, ask of Him, make Him your source of provision. Jesus Christ Never fails!!!

Hearing from God

God speaks to us in spontaneous spiritual thoughts in our mind especially when we are being still and waiting to hear from Him!

This is how my Bible Study works. I open the Bible, pray and ask God to come talk to me through His Word and then I wait with my diary and my pen. As I read the Bible I wait for insights and then I am drawn to some words more than others and I begin to read, soon I am immersed in what I am reading and time is no matter anymore. There God speaks and I write!

How do you hear from God?

Long Haul and Stretching Exercises

The last few months have been times of amazing fellowship with my Living God and this week I am feeling dry as a bone. No wind, no warmth, no goosebumps but then are those the only ways God will make His Presence known to me? Did you ever feel this way?

Well, so today in the midst of one of these dull days, I asked God (almost engulfed in hopelessness of a seemingly unchanging powerless  physical surrounding) like so...

  "God would you please change my situation, you know I worry and I need stuff for surviving on this planet. You know I need  would like to know because I know I have read in Your letter to me that You do have plans for me, plans to prosper me and plans to give me a hope and a future. Also I have read that You have created me for such a time as this and I am being fashioned by Your hands to become a powerful weapon where You have desired to launch me. Therefore, knowing all this wonderful outline of what You have for me and being that it clearly involves me, it would be great if I could somehow know when and where abouts are these wonderful things going to happen? It would be really nice of You to let me know immediately what I must do and how everything is going to work out.    -Yours very patiently - KB"

 So then after a while I am intensely multitasking - doing the dishes, screaming at my kids "eat fast!" contemplating my next move for this terrific talented life of mine, making a list of things/stuff to google to market myself and possibly stumble upon a brilliant idea which will take over the world by storm and I am almost an overnight sensation etc.

Then I hear/feel a still small voice in my head say "Don't settle for Ishmael because Isaac is coming!".

"Yes Lord, that was a great sermon I heard on the internet about the glory days  ahead for Your church, Your bride whom You are restoring to her complete and radiant beauty. You are always awesome in all Your works Lord!" I respond in my heart.

"Well I do not mean to do that only for the Body of Christ, My Church, but every single individual that comprises My Bride, each one of you and it implies to you too!" He pressed on.

"Your thoughts toward me are beautiful Lord! I am so honored that You remembered me!" I respond in humility, which now comes gently into my heart, after my vehement display of tantrums within my soul subside.

"But I have never forgotten you, you have been on my mind since the inception of this earth, hope you will one day realize that my child." He reminded me.

That was that.

I carried on with my work pondering over the little heart-to-heart I had with my Father in Heaven.I remembered, for Abram it was a very very very intense and long haul until he got to see his promise come to pass. It was so very long and the odds of him ever becoming Abraham as God had promised him seemed so far fetched, that he probably decided he should do something about it himself. So he prepared for himself his Ishmael, to get to where God would have him be. It was almost the same thing right!

Or look at Joseph, God gave him an amazing dream, he was overjoyed to the point that he thought he was living his dream already, but he had to get into the long haul to get to see his dream come true also.

Then I thought to myself, well these guys in the Bible were all in it not just for being blessed by God but also being transformed in their inner beings to be able not only to receive but also be enabled to manage, this great and humongous blessing God had in store for them. This meant that their hearts, their soul, their spirit, their character all had to be stretched and molded to be able to handle this immense treasure of a life from God!

So take courage my heart and my friends, what you think is a slow process and ever such a drag on your life is actually a good thing. Would you imagine if we were expecting a baby and the baby comes out the very next day of conception? Oh the baby would not survive and neither would the mother! So the stretching is a good and gradual thing. I am so very grateful for that, because it means when I am stretched to be able to handle God's blessing coming my way, I will also be able to retain my blessing and it will not be short lived like the ones the world has to offer! Or the ones that I make by myself. Also when the people of God came out on the other side of this stretching exercise they were much fitter for the job and the blessing that covered them actually stretched way out beyond their lives  - for Abraham it stretched over ALL generations to come on this entire planet and for Joseph it stretched to the generations of Israel and especially his family, in their time of famine and trouble.

Now that is a great life! That which can be of such blessing so it keeps giving for generations to come. I'd like that, wouldn't you?

He Could Have....but...

You know, the more I am reading and studying about the Tabernacle I am discovering what an AWESOME and BIG our God our Creator is. So much so that I cannot shed this thought off my head; we know we(man) messed up real bad, God could have wiped us all with a mere thought on His mind and started anew (He makes all things new) but He is a God -A God Who IS LOVE.

The book of 1John says God is Love, this means He is not full of love, He Himself is love. There is never a time or a moment when His love diminishes because God never increases nor decreases He is constant, unchanging- As thou hast been thou forever wilt be, Great is Thy faithfulness O God our Father!-

In His immense LOVE God decided let me not wipe man from the face of this earth for all the sin and evil they will do (He knows the end from the beginning), I know full well what they will do and how intensely evil they will become but I am going to give them a chance to KNOW ME!

How beautiful is His thoughts toward us. He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us plans to give us a hope and a future.

Lets come back to God and find out for ourselves how wonderful He is- Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you for He has loved you with an everlasting LOVE!

God is A Spiritual Being

SPIRITUAL BEING 

• John 4:24 God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality). 

I have learned that we are made up of three components - Body, Soul and Spirit. However Man is essentially (primarily) a spiritual being even though we have a Body and Soul(Mind) because we were also made in the image and likeness of God. Genesis 1:27

Body-Our physical self, subject to physical, visible hurt, pain, bruise, damage.
Soul - Our mind - where emotions are generated, good and bad, ability to feel, can move us to do the right or wrong actions.
Spirit-Our spirit-I believe this is where eternity is planted in our being as Ecclesiastes 3:11   says

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. This is what can connect with God our Creator. Most of us have ourselves completely confused between soul and spirit. We've mixed them up. We do soulish stuff and think we're being spiritual. One way to distinguish them is this - Spiritual actions need supernatural empowerment and are everlasting! Only God alone can satisfy our Spiritual needs. 

At any given point in life we are driven by one of the above driving forces.
Body-What should I eat? What should I wear? etc.
Soul-What do I feel like doing? Tasks that satisfy our feelings!
Spirit-Direction that comes from God and only comes when we have fellowship with our Creator!

What has been driving you lately?

Knowing God

These few days I have in my heart to find out about this God for whom my ancestors(great grandfather's parents I guess) gave up their idols. I have felt His feelings towards me being of love, kindness, gentleness and forgiving. I want to know Him as to who is He.
After an intense show of power and might from God on behalf of the Israelites, do you know what Moses asked God for? In Exodus 33:18  "...Moses said, I beseech You, show me Your glory." Glory when used as a noun means- something that is a source of honor, fame, or admiration.
Being with the Lord through so much, Moses still wanted to know God's glory and he was granted a glimpse of it. He did not ask amiss for he had seen God's actions, all that God can do, but he wanted to know the Person doing those things, the source, the origin. Too many times we are content with God's actions in our life, healing, protection, deliverance, guidance, salvation, love...etc. and we never stop to ask Who are You God? Its like we have a best friend only because he or she has money, fame, power, giving us gifts, talented but we never really try and find out the heart of our friend, in that case what kind of a friend are we? So let me get on this adventure to find out from His Word Who God is!

God's Composition

• FIRE 
• Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 
• Hebrews 12:29 For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.

• LIGHT  
• 1 John 1:5 And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way].
• SPIRITUAL BEING 
  • John 4:24 God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality). 
   
• LOVE  
• 1 John 4:8 He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. 
• 1 John 4:16 And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.

God's Nature 

•  MERCIFUL 
• Deuteronomy 4:31For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not fail you or destroy you or forget the covenant of your fathers, which He swore to them. 
• 2 Chronicles 30:9 For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn away His face from you if you return to Him. 
• Psalm 116:5 Gracious is the Lord, and [rigidly] righteous; yes, our God is merciful. 

• MIGHTY
• Deuteronomy 10:17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe. 
• Job 36:5 Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.

• FAITHFUL
• 1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 
• 1 Corinthians 10:13 For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently. 
• 2 Corinthians 1:18 As surely as God is trustworthy and faithful and means what He says, our speech and message to you have not been Yes [that might mean] No.
• AGELESS
• Job 36:26 Behold, God is great, and we know Him not! The number of His years is unsearchable. 
•  HOLY
• Psalm 99:9
  Extol the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy!
   

God's actions toward us

• OUR REFUGE 
•   Psalm 62:8 Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 
• Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever. 
• Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destroy! 
• Psalm 46:1 [ Psalm 46 ] [ To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah, set to treble voices. A song. ] God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

• DEFENSE 
• Psalm 59:17 Unto You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my Defense, my Fortress, and High Tower, the God Who shows me mercy and steadfast love.  
• Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! [ For the Chief Musician; with my stringed instruments. ]
• Psalm 59:9 O my Strength, I will watch and give heed to You and sing praises; for God is my Defense (my Protector and High Tower). 
•  2 Samuel 22:33 God is my strong Fortress; He guides the blameless in His way and sets him free.
• Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 

• FIGHTER/WARRIOR 
• Deuteronomy 20:4 For the Lord your God is He Who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you.

• HELPER 
• Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 
• Psalm 54:4 Behold, God is my helper and ally; the Lord is my upholder and is with them who uphold my life.

•  RIGHTEOUS JUDGE 
• Psalm 7:11 God is a righteous Judge, yes, a God Who is indignant every day. 
• Psalm 75:7 But God is the Judge! He puts down one and lifts up another.

•  GOD of any manmade gods AND KING of kings 
• Psalm 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. 
• Psalm 74:12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

Do you know God? or What about God do you know and what intrigues you about Him?

New Living Translation Giveaway

A new year and a new Bible now thats a good beginning.

If you need to have a new way to look at the words you read from the Word of God you could try New Living Translation Bible. There is a giveaway happening right now on Facebook.

Check out the giveaway here!

God Bless

Easy Returns

I have been doing some wonderful Bible Studies by some amazing women of God. Oh how I wish I could be like them.

In the last few months I had the opportunity to learn from two of Beth Moore's studies
-Inheritance
-Revelations

Recently I have been studying the book of Jonah, from Priscilla Shirer. She is so simple in her speech and yet so emphatic in her delivery of the message from the Word of God, it is awesome! Through this study, which I initially miss-classified as "may not be applicable to me but good to know study" , I discovered, I am oh so similar to Jonah that its not even funny! Yet I have learned some very very precious lessons from this book as taught by Priscilla Shirer, that I know I will NEVER forget this study, EVER.

One beautiful lesson I gleaned from the study of Jonah is as follows:
When we are wandering away from God, or have wandered far away from Him and kinda presume that it would be impossible for God to save me at all. Or that, I am way to undignified/immoral/filthy /far gone from God to be saved. I cannot return to God now, its too late. You know even at that place where you are, at that seemingly infinite mental distance from God, He is able to find and reconcile you to Him. God is so awesome and amazing that when He has sought you and found you, like the parable of the lost sheep, He will not make you walk back home. ^"5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home." Luke 15:5-6
How beautiful it is that you are carried on God's shoulders as He finds you. When Jonah had run away, in the opposite direction of his calling and realized he should have rather obeyed, God had made his return easy too, by providing the giant fish.

Dear friend, no matter how impossibly out of reach you may think you are from God, He is seeking you out, wherever you are. He loves you so much that when He has found you, He will carry you on His shoulders and bring you home. Stop running and let Loving Jesus find you wherever you are, in whatever situation you are, no matter what reason you have for your distance from him. Be it disobedience or just plain having lost direction and wandered away, Jesus is seeking you out. Its easier to return to Him, than staying lost.

Coming Back To It

Praise Him from Whom all blessings flow!

It is wonderful when God reminds us gently that, even though we asked and forgot, He still remembered our request. I had made a prayer request for my husband 2 years ago and now things are stirring in our lives. Good things of course. While talking to my mom on a closure of this new work stuff in our lives, the Holy Spirit began reminding me of a request I had made nearly 2 years back and had not re-asked that request ever. That prayer is answered.

How wonderful and awesome it is to know that we have a Living God, who has not forgotten us and our prayers, even when we have made the request to Him, but only once! He has taken my request seriously and worked on it, on my behalf. This gives me a reason to believe and treasure the unchanging fact that Jesus Loves Me, He hears my prayers and He answers them in His time. This gives me the hope and unwavering assurance, that the prayers I pray now for the salvation of my loved ones is also in queue to be answered soon!

Thank you dear Lord Jesus!

The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews

Life is such, that one needs some heart mending from time to time, thats what led me to choose this book.

A true story set in history, during the World War. A story of forgiveness. How can one forgive when one meets face to face with the one who hurt you? Its a story of a war-widowed American woman and an almost dead German soldier washed ashore. Their paths cross and their lies the story of the Heart Mender. The woman must choose whether she would save the life of this enemy soldier or let him die.

We all get hurt and sometimes our hearts carry the pain throughout our lives even if we don't want it to. This story is about the deeper hurts, those that are not easy to wipe away or that don't heal easy. If thats something you're dealing with, you might want to read this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

An Army of Ordinary People by Felicity Dale

Its great to read amazing Bible stories from the Bible. The parting of the Red Sea, God coming down and transforming ordinary people's lives. Miracles in the desert. Reading of healing in the New Testament and everything God wanted us to know about Him and His immense love toward His creation.

What makes this book a special read is that it brings Biblical stories to reality. Where God is applied to real life. Nothing is distant, far or ancient about the stories in "An Army of Ordinary People" by Felicity Dale, they're all contemporary. You could be a simple grocery store owner and then God comes into your life and your life begins to impact lives of people around you, just when you make contact with the living life of Jesus Christ Himself. We can picture that and soon you'll find yourself saying, "I can do that" or "This could be me!" This book can make you aware of God given potential in the life of a believer, who's just willing to follow God's directions no matter how mundane it sounds. Felicity carries us into a journey into the lives of these very ordinary people we meet day-to-day and perhaps would never imagine they could amount to anything, but they are being enabled by God as His agents to reach out to people right in their neighbourhood, some not even leaving the very compound and areas where they live. God is using them right where they are. Now I know, I can totally be a stay-at-home mom and still God can use me to impact people around me, right where I am.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, in exchange for my unbiased review. I am not being paid for this review.

Why Am I Afraid?

Wouldn't you know, God is listening to my prayers. It can get scary when you put your heart out there in prayer and then when you've done saying "Let thy will be done!" you wish you could have held onto that 'free will' of yours a little while longer.

So why am I afraid? I am afraid because my prayer has been answered, the prayer which I did faithfully and diligently and sincerely prayed and it did make me free from being afraid of anything at all because I prayed knowing full well that my Living Lord Jesus is in control of my life. He has plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans for a hope and a future. Then why did I feel afraid. The prayer I am talking about is the one I prayed while writing my previous post.

The prayer was something like this...""Oh change me Lord Oh change me, forevermore, to shine for You, send me where I ought to be, not where I like to be. Bring people in my life, the ones I try to avoid for the sake of my comfort levels, the ones You want me to be with. Help me with Your guidance to do EXACTLY as You would have me do."
Amen."

In keeping with His faithfulness God sent toward me people that I must be with, the kind of people with whom I would have loved to kill time when I was unsaved by His unchanging grace. People who were like me, in my past. I was afraid- would they drag me down to where I came from? Those dirty jokes I laughed at, those discussions, those stuffs I was washed away from? I was afraid. I was so afraid that I desperately wanted to get attached to some Bible Study group which would meet 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day so I would not have time to spend with 'these people' God had brought into my life. I tried my best to make a way to attend the women's fellowship which meets at church every Wednesday, it was un-go-able. I thought I should go for a Saturday Bible Study that happens at my friend's home, well that happens once a month, un-go-able. What could I do with so many free days and evenings in my hands, I contemplated. Sure enough God says, I must invite them over for lunch or dinner! Yea I still haven't found courage in my heart to do so. I did invite my church friends to come but somehow they all rain-checked on me.

Hopefully I will courageously invite 'these people' the coming weekend and I know for sure they will come. In any case who am I to stand against the force of Love Himself, He who died for them too. Was I any better when someone opened their home and shared Jesus' love for me? Lets get uncomfortable, and bring comfort through Jesus into the lives of people who really need Him.

Are you willing to open doors to someone you wouldn't rather invite?

EDIT UPDATE: They are coming!! Here's the beginning of an adventure with God!

If I Could Ask God Anything Awesome Bible Answers for Curious Kids! By Kathryn Slattery

A review of "If I Could Ask God Anything - Awesome Bible Answers for Curious Kids!" By Kathryn Slattery
"If I Could Ask God Anything", is a book attempting to tackle the many questions a child learning about Jesus might ask. Believe you me, the book has a LOT of questions covered. There are simple ones like "What did Jesus wear?" and tougher ones, almost theological like "What is trinity?"

I liked the book, for the way in which Kathryn has tried to answer the questions as per its seriousness. Some questions I would have found a bit difficult in communicating with kids is explained with an example a child might have seen or experienced. I am talking of kids who are at least 5years and older.However, an adult could also use the book as a help book to answer the questions in an effective manner, when they're at a loss of words perhaps.

What I missed in the book, though non-essential I think, are pictures, as is prevalent in children's books.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Not a Casual Thing

^"24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

I believe the Lord has been tugging at my heart to determine, how seriously I take my connection with Him. The books that have crossed my path these recent days have been turning the mirror onto me, to check who I see in the mirror. Bits of the old me, my hands, my head, my heart are still visible in the image in the mirror. I am not yet made transparent with Jesus, so that people around me will see Jesus in me. I am so translucent and in some places so opaque, you can see ugly bits of me in me, no wonder there is no real impact from my life on others. Just a camouflage of Christianity, nothing real that can cause people to want the change in me.

The above verse asks of me to remember Jesus' body that was bruised and battered for me and precious blood that was shed for me. What have I done with that? Nothing, at least nothing of much significance. What do I remember, with the remembrance of Him on the cross? At communion do I see the pretty soft white wafer and the sweet tasting grape juice? Is my Jesus still at the cross, helpless, dying or is the Jesus in me, changing lives of people around, in Words and in deeds.

"Oh change me Lord Oh change me, forevermore, to shine for You, send me where I ought to be, not where I like to be. Bring people in my life, the ones I try to avoid for the sake of my comfort levels, the ones You want me to be with. Help me with Your guidance to do EXACTLY as You would have me do."
Amen.

Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go By Lucille O'Neal

Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go By Lucille O'Neal, is an autobiography by Shaquille O'Neal's mother.

As is typical with autobiographies of famous personalities, I expected a rags to riches kind of a story and how 'events' changed their life. However with this book, Lucille shares her most inmost feelings, the errors she made and how she dealt with them in order to make sure her life would face upward and not down. I liked the easy to read presentation of the book and the conversational style of the writing. It almost felt like she was talking to me, in my head as I read. She makes the reader feel her emotions, the good, the bad, the ugly. It truly portrays her mental journey from mental welfare to mental health.That makes this book different from other autobiographies I have read which would be devoid of feelings.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”