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YOUR BREAKTHROUGH
By Adam Becker
Most of us have goals and dreams, most of us have things we would like to accomplish. We want to win and not be the loser, we want to be the head and not the tail. So often though in the game of life we do not feel like winners and things don’t look so good. Some people seem to have it really bad. It seems like things are stacked against them and they just can’t win. One thing after another happens to put them in a place of lack and despair.
This happens to many, but the truth is the story isn’t over till it’s over. Things may not look good now, but it can all change in an instant. In the Bible, we have the story of Joseph. Joseph was a dreamer and his problems started when he had a dream that meant he would rule over his brothers and father. As a result, his brothers sold him into slavery. While in slavery he was falsely accused of rape and thrown into prison. Then in prison through a dream interpretation, he was given the opportunity to interpret a puzzling dream the pharaoh had which he did correctly and was made 2nd in command of all the land of Egypt. In the end, he did rule over his brothers and father.
He started with a vision, we all have a vision, something we would like to see happen in life or that we would accomplish. But like Joseph, if your human the opposite of that vision will happen. He went from having the vision to be a ruler to being a slave. In slavery, he did the right thing when a married woman made advances toward him which caused her to get upset and falsely accuse him of rape and be thrown into prison. This also happens while we are living the opposite of our vision, we do the right thing and things only get worse. For a lot of us, it gets worse before it gets better. But notice it was the very troubling situation that Joseph found himself in that led to the opportunity to interpret the right persons dream which opened the door to interpret pharaoh’s dream. Sometimes our unpleasant circumstances can lead us to the very place we need to be at the right time to walk into our blessing.
I have seen this; it was through troubling circumstances in my own life that I have seen so much blessing come about. In the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” a father wanted to have a better life so he got a vision. When he went to put action to that vision everything went wrong. Near the end, things got worse before they got better and at one point, he found he and his child to be homeless. Everything turned around though, and he got his dream job and was blessed. These are troubling times we are in right now. Some people are not doing well and are living the opposite of their vision or what they would like to see in their life. But it’s not over yet, don’t call the fight till it is truly over!
After Joseph interpreted the first set of dreams while in prison the king’s cupbearer said he would remember him and help him out. But he forgot about Joseph and Joseph remained in prison for years. This happens all the time Sometimes something good will happen and someone will give us a glimmer of hope, maybe we help someone out but then they forget about us. It sucks but know that they may forget about us for now but there may come a day when they remember. At the right time, he remembered Joseph’s accurate dream interpretation and told the pharaoh which got him out of prison. At some point, we will be remembered.
Our breakthrough will come but all too often before breakthrough comes, we experience adversity and attacks. I usually know when I have adversity and a day where it just seems like I am being attacked that something good is just around the corner. I remember once I had stepped out in faith and was waiting for God to come through. But then a stranger threatened us and cursed us out on the phone for calling the wrong number. It just seemed like we were being attacked in so many circumstances and nothing was going right but then God came through and it set me on a course that changed my life forever. Or other times I would someone verbally attack me before church only to find that God had been planning a miracle for me in that church service. The greater the adversity the greater the breakthrough. If you are experiencing attacks and adversity know that your breakthrough is coming!
We choose how we want to respond to our circumstances. Do we want to lie down and die when things go south or do we want to walk in faith and know that we will see our vision come to pass? We will win in the end. Things are not going to take us out. We are overcomers and with God, on our side, we will be triumphant no matter how bad things may look. God is on your side and He will carry out His awesome plans for your life. Be blessed!
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Thank you, stay protected during this lockdown.
COVID-19 AN ATTACK!
The world is at it’s knees, stock markets are tumbling, nations are and moving into lockdown. What are we facing? How can we overcome? Here is an article I hope will sooth your nerves and talk to your spirit.
By
PROPHETS RUSS AND KITTY WALDEN
In recent days the COVID-19 situation has captured the attention of the world and caused concern in every sector of our society. In times like these, our faith is so important, and it is also essential to be armed with the facts. For everything that is reported in the news and by our governments, there is much that is not reported. We are not talking about information gleaned in some clandestine way but information that is readily available to the public if they would just take the time to arm themselves with accurate information rather than the spin other sources put on what is going on around us. One crucial example is a CDC report on a similar pandemic that most people didn’t realize was taking place even at the time.
What would you think if tomorrow morning you woke up to discover in the United States overnight there had been 60 million infections, 275,000 hospitalizations, and over 12,000 deaths? Imagine in the current climate, the level of panic and alarm that would create, yet, it has already happened, and most people don’t even remember it. I’m talking about the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. These were the statistics in the US alone:
60 Million Infections.
275,000 Hospitalizations.
12,000 Deaths.
All of this, much worse than COVID-19 today, yet even at the time, in 2009, there was no panic, no empty grocery shelves, no market crash, canceled flights, or travel restrictions. What is happening here? As of yesterday, in the US, there have only been 1675 infections and 41 deaths. What is the difference? In 2009 in the United States, one in five Americans were hospitalized with H1N1; still, there was no suggestion that hospitals were being overrun. Where were the news reports? The entirety of the H1N1 pandemic was barely a footnote on the network news. It is time to arm yourselves with the facts.
What are we to conclude regarding all of this? Many surmisings could be made, from vague generalizations to outright skullduggery and murky, clandestine plots, etc. Father’s Heart Ministry does not exist to promulgate such fanciful, paranoid ideas. What we are here to do is to speak the truth. The facts stated thus far did not come from a right-wing news agency or any politically-charged resource. The facts and figures herein cited are direct from the apolitical data gathering of the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control. The facts, not the rumor of COVID-19 compared to the H1N1 pandemic of 2009, by contrast, are absolutely minuscule yet look at what is happening now and what did not happen in 2009. Any level minded person capable of independent thought can only conclude that what borders on mass hysteria in the Western World may be real and actually taking place, but it does not take into consideration much worse pandemics in recent years that did not even remotely generate the kind of terror we see around us today.
What is causing all of this? Is it just a perfect storm of events and timing regarding such a thing taking place in an election year? That would be preferable to the unthinkable consideration that political operatives and powers-that-be in our culture actually want to create this kind of situation for their own disreputable ends. When you compare how various news organizations are reporting these events, the inconsistencies couldn’t be greater. Who do you trust? Where can we find the truth? The one overarching conclusion we can make in all of this is the fact of the inconsistent, negligent, and poison-laced narratives of the news organizations and other resources for whom the truth is only a lesser line item in a long list of priorities.
Where is the truth then? Where is our dependency as believers? In John 14:12, Jesus told His disciples:
[Jhn 14:6 KJV]
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Our truth is not something reported on the news. Our truth is a person, and His name is Jesus. In Luke 21:26, Jesus speaks of men’s hearts, failing them for fear of what they see coming upon the earth. We know that fear comes not from God but from Satan. In scripture, we see Satan as a serpent working to beguile the faithful. In Acts 16:16, there was a woman possessed with a spirit of divination who followed Paul. Did you know that the word “divination” is the Greek word “pythos?” This is where we get the word “python.” Pythons are constricting serpents who kill not with venom but by squeezing their victims not till they suffocate but till their hearts stop. That is the principality and the power that is holding the entire world in its grip right now – the spirit of python. As a result, what is happening? Everything is STOPPING. The economic heart of the business sector is stopping. Governments are stopping. Churches are stopping, and on and on it goes. How do we gain an understanding of all of this? Go to the word of God. Remember the words of Hebrews 4:12:
[Heb 4:12 KJV]
For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The word of God clearly exposes the spirit behind this pandemic of fear as the spirit of python and python manifests as it did with Paul in Acts 16 as a false prophecy. In Paul’s day, the damsel possessed with the spirit of divination operated out of the cave at Delphi. Today the spirit of divination is operating from the altar of the newscasts viewed in every home in the Western World. My counsel to you is to shake yourself and wake yourself from the mesmerism of the narrative of the world and return to the Rock of Christ from whence you sprang and to put your trust and keep your trust in Him during these trying times.
Why is fear running so unchecked in our society right now? Let’s remember the words of David in Psalm 19:9:
[Psa 19:9 KJV]
The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true [and] righteous altogether.
If the fear of the Lord is clean, the fear of anything else is unclean. If you are afraid, you are dealing with an unclean spirit. That is why the world right now has no defense against the fear that is running rampant in our streets. Think of the uncleanness, debauchery, perversion, lust, unbelief, depravity, and wantonness that characterizes the world and society around us. In the last few decades the nations of the West have completely abandoned their moorings and as a result, have been foaming out their shame all the while shaking their fist in God’s face. Thus in their uncleanness, when fear comes, they have no defense. What about you? Are you afraid? Fear is tantamount to spiritual pornography. You wouldn’t look at pornography to titillate your flesh. Why would you immerse yourself in the spiritual pornography of fear all around us?
What is the answer? There are 365 scriptures about fear in the Bible, one for every day of the year. Let’s consider just a few:
[2Ti 1:7 KJV]
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
[Rom 8:15 KJV]
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
[1Jo 4:18 KJV]
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
[Gen 15:1 KJV]
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.
[Deu 31:6 KJV]
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
[Isa 7:4 KJV]
And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted …
[Isa 35:4 KJV]
Say to them [that are] of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come [with] vengeance, [even] God [with] a recompence; he will come and save you.
[Isa 41:13 KJV]
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Conclusion
Let us remember the words of Jesus in Luke 10:19:
[Luk 10:19 KJV]
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Python is running unchecked through the earth right now, but Jesus has given you the power to put your foot on the serpent’s head, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. H1N1 shall not hurt you. COVID-19 shall not hurt you – by any means! How do you arm yourself? In our prayer regimen, Kitty and I for years have made the faith declaration as follows:
“Our bodies function in the perfection that God created it to function. In Jesus’ name, we forbid our bodies to be deceived by any virus or disease germ. Every virus or disease germ that touches our bodies dies instantly in the name of Jesus. We are strong and in good health. Our immune systems grow stronger day by day. We speak life to our immune systems, and we forbid confusion in our immune systems in any way.
The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead quickens our mortal bodies with the life and resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every cell of our bodies supports life and health abundantly. We are not weak; neither are we sickly, and we will not die before our time. The life of God flows in our veins quickening every cell of our body with life, with health and vitality to ward off every virus, every abberhant condition that is contrary to the perfect, vital and vibrant health that the Lord Jesus went to the Cross to make available.
We claim all the benefits of Calvary for our health and healing are 100 percent manifest in our bodies right now in the name of Jesus!”
In closing, is there anything else we need to know or do? Yes. Use wisdom. Safeguard your person and your loved ones. Take measured, common-sense steps to limit exposer as you would with any flu season. But keep your eyes on Christ and know you are under His loving and protective care.
SPIRITUAL TIME
Life can move forward or be hindered. Nations can advance spiritually or regress. God created. This was a specific time in which God did this, creation.
The word of God in Ecclesiastes 3:1 says:
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
God’s time cannot be stopped. That is what we deduce from this scripture. When it’s your season, He will give you. He knows time and created it, hence he understands it. This principle is still working today.
People have always been fighting for time, since time immemorial. This is because of the failure to understand seasons. Many lives and livelihoods have been lost unnecessarily due to this.
The Preacher, clearly states in the above mentioned scripture, that there is a time for everything. When we understand this, life becomes easier.
Let us know what Gods wants in our lives. In this way , we will understand his seasons
A MAN OF INTEGRITY
BY
BISHOP JAMES NDUNA
Man of integrity: A definition.
Daniel 6 speaks of Daniel, the prophet and King Darius’ preferment of him over others. We learn the following:
A man of integrity should be;
- A man of his word
- Faithful
- Says no to compromise
- Exercise loyalty to his spouse and principles
- Show proof by works that testify for themselves.
- Show Commitment to family and what he does. For example, have meetings with wife and family. Explaining to them his vision and progress thereof.
- Has authority over what he says. What you say, is what people see.
- Asks himself this question, does your family classify you with integrity?
In conclusion, we live in a world were man of principle, and their word, are getting scarcer and scarcer. Even in the church. This is a rallying call for us men to be filled with intergrity, in all our doings.
WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT
BY BRIAN N SIGAUKE
Studies have shown that most people are stuck in careers they do not like. The sad thing is that, by the time one realises this, time is gone and one is set in his/ her ways. It is important to know your interests early in life. But this is difficult for many. This article, hopefully, will help those in this predicament. I say this, because when you take a cursory look at the public education system, it is premised on academic excellence and not on individual talents.
The result is a focus on churning people for the traditional professions, which society puts as “cool” like; doctor, nurse, engineer and teacher. Failure to achieve this, you go to the second tier careers. For example, a failure to get into medicine will automatically mean studying pharmacy. Or failure at engineering leads one to become an artisan for instance. But the question to ask is; are you happy? What about those less gifted academically, what happens when they finish school? Even those gifted academically, but have a passion for the arts for example, what happens to them?
BENEFITS OF DISCOVERING YOUR PASSION
Doing what you are passionate about makes you happy and confident.
Apostle Paul, says in the book of Romans 1:16:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…”
Meaning that he was passionate about preaching the good news to sinners and happy when doing this. He was not ashamed of this because it was his passion, his calling. If it wasn’t his passion, we wouldn’t be reading his wonderful epistles today. He would probably have said; I am preaching for the salary or benefits.
Doing what you passionate about brings freedom, fulfilment and contentment.
1Samuel 16 introduces us to a young man named David. He was; a cunning instrument player, mighty valiant man, a man of war, and prudent in matters (1 Samuel 16:18). From these four key passions, it is clear why David was successful in life. He discovered himself early in life, and he had time to perfect his arts. These attributes brought him recognition from the King, which led to the further perfection of those skills.
Following your passion makes life less stressful and time is not wasted.
In the book of 2 Samuel, we learn of the story of Ahimaaz. He had a calling to become High priest. But he wanted to be a royal news carrier instead (2 Samuel 18:19-33). Joab, the army commander had Cushi, in this job, and hence he sent him to King David. But Ahimaaz, insisted because he was a fast sprinter. However, he was not skilled in conveying news. He got to the King first, as fate would have it, but he failed to relay the message. Cushi, though slower, gave the message concisely even though they had to wait for him. Just imagine the embarrassment Ahimaaz felt.
HOW DO YOU DISCOVER YOUR CALL
What incenses you the most?
Usually, the things that make you angry at how they are going or being run, point to your calling. You have this feeling that you can do better or correct the mistakes. I am anti-infanticide. I get angry when mothers dump new-born babies in pit-latrines. This shows that I am a humanitarian, a people person.
I also hate violence. So that makes it clear for me.
What do you like doing, repeatedly, without getting bored?
I love reading, I love books, and I love day dreaming, creating scenarios and stories in my head. I’m creative. This has made it clear to me that I am a writer. I have written and published two books, and blog regularly. All this came from imagining things in my head, observing and jotting them down. I am a story teller. David from 1 Samuel 16:18 was skilful lyre player. He did this daily in the wilderness with his sheep as audience. Today we are blessed by his Psalms, some of which he penned while shepherding his father’s sheep.
What inborn trait or skill do you have?
The painter of the Mona Lisa, a popular painting from the Italian renaissance era, Leonardo Da Vinci, was born a painter. It was inherent and not acquired. He painted, drew, and sculpted. Discover the skill you have. I am naturally expressive, hence teaching is easy for me.
Oliver Mtukudzi and Alick Macheso, found out at an early age, that they could make imitation guitars using 5 litre olivine cooking oil tins, and play skilfully. The rest is history.
Revelation
Some people are blessed because their calling is explicitly revealed to them. Ezekiel Guti, the founder of one of the biggest churches in Africa, Forward in Faith, had an angelic visitation. He had heard from his mother a story about sinners going to
Hell if they did not repent, and from that day, he was unsettled and he sort God. An angel told him to; “fear not and sin not,” which later became his motto. It was clear that he was called to ministry.
HOW DO YOU USE AND GROW YOUR CALLING
- Nurture it– skills grow and develop by practicing. Talent alone will not give you the cutting edge. Lionel Messi, is considered a “freak of nature,” thanks to his audacious talent. But, talent alone did not get him to the top. He still practices in order to hone his skills. Therefore, talent plus practice make you become the best.
- Research– make every effort to learn about your craft. This can be done through the following:
- Learning– This is where academic learning comes in. Enrol yourself into school, College, or University. If you want to be the best evangelist, go to Bible School. Be willing to learn new ideas.
- Follow similarly inclined people on social media e.g. If you are passionate about charity, follow influencers on social media who run charitable organisations.
- Join trade organisations– Become a member of a trade guild, association, society et cetera. If travelling is for you, join a travel group.
- Buy literature of interest– If you are passionate about creating wealth, buy books, magazines or get catalogues of how to become wealthy. Be a hungry reader.
- Find a mentor– A mentor is an experienced advisor and supporter who is usually older and more experienced. In other words, a mentor is a trainer who is senior and gives guidance and training to a junior colleague. This requires you to have a spirit of submission, and a teachable spirit.
- Be willing to lose in order to gain– Some forms of calling do not give you money. In other words, there is no money to be made, but it is you who loses money. For example, when you are doing humanitarian work or voluntary work, it is your pocket that works. What you derive from it is the satisfaction of having helped somebody.
- Save money/plan– If you are passionate about travelling, firstly, develop a saving culture. Your passion is expensive. Therefore, you have to save money for transport, travel agents, tour operators, hotels, meals and entertainment. Secondly, plan carefully. Where do you want to go, how much does it cost, can I afford it, and cultural asymmetry?
- Do it for the benefit of others as well– The Bible states in the book of 1 Peter 4:10;
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of god.”
Therefore, make sure that your calling is for the benefit of others too. If you are passionate about engineering, develop or design solutions for the betterment of society.
CONCLUSION
We have learned about the importance of knowing our calling in life, how to discover the calling and its maintenance and furtherance. Some have become billionaires, millionaires, comfortable, and or famous because of knowing their calling and developing these talents. However, some are yet to register any success or monetary gain. This is because they haven’t as yet discovered their true calling, and if they have, they haven’t been able to develop and harness their passions for their benefit. Or, simply, they are in line for a big breakthrough. It is just a question of time. Most importantly, your calling should give you satisfaction, peace and happiness. GOD BLESS!
SPIRITUAL EYES AND EARS: Part 2
Today I continue this interesting topic we started yesterday. A Christian without spiritual eyes and ears is as good as dead.
Why we need spiritual ears
1. They make us hear the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:9
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
When you possess the Holy Spirit, and he possesses you, you have an ear to hear, or an ear of understanding.
2. We tune in to Christ
A radio has frequencies in which we tune in to our favourite stations. Spiritual ears do just that.
Matthew 13:16-17
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
3. They bring obedience
Ears signify not only hearing and notice, but also obedience. Luke 11:28 says;
“But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”
4. Make us hear the word of God
Firstly, when the word is spoken by the preacher.
Deuteronomy 5:1
“And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.”
Secondly, when we read scripture.
2 Kings 23:2
“And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.”
Conclusion
If you cannot see God it is because you are not looking.
Hebrews 11:6
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Or you are not looking with a repentant heart of faith. We only see whatever it is that we are looking for.
Deuteronomy 4:29
“But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
HAVE A SPIRITUAL 2019!
SPIRITUAL EYES AND EARS: Part 1
Happy new year to you all! As we welcome 2019 with prayer and fastings, here are my thoughts on what we need to focus on as we pray.
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John4:24
God is a spirit. Therefore the things pertaining to Him are spiritual. We receive everything we require first in the spirit, and then it manifests in the physical.
The above scripture has three main lessons for us:
- We should not be mislead, by those who claim that for us to see God, or worship Him, we should dress in a certain way, worship at a certain place, eat or abstain from certain foods, or pay large sums of money to see a man of God for direction. Instead, one’s state of mind is the key in worshipping God.
- Phillipians 3:3 says; “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” We must depend upon God’s spirit for strength and assistance, laying our souls under His influences and operations. We must devote our own spirits to, and employ them in, the service of God.
- “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;” Romans 1:9 We must worship Him with fixedness of thought and a flame of affection, with all that is in us. Juxtaposed to this is the flesh. It is the corrupt nature and so to worship God with our spirits, is to worship Him with our graces.
Why we need spiritual eyes
I have come up with 7 reasons:
1. To see Jesus
John 9:39
“And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”
Luke 24:31;
“And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”
2.To see the need for redemption
When we see Jesus, we then appreciate his redemptive role in our lives. Which was to intentionally and designedly to give sight to those that were spiritually blind by his word. John 14:6 points at this.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 3:3 also mentions this.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
3. To enable the veil to fall
2 Corinthians 3:16
“Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.”
This veil covering our eyes is caused or brought about by sin. Sin blights our hearts and prevents us from seeing Jesus. As Ephesians 5:8 rightly mentions;
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
4. They are the keys to the heart
Spiritual eyes enable our hearts to be opened and exposed to Jesus. The inner man is aroused by suppressing the outer man.
Ephesians 1:18 teaches us this.
“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”
5. To enable us to see the glory of God
2 Kings 6:17
“And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
Hebrews 11:27 tells us of Moses;
“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”
6. Make us know who we are in Christ
1 Peter 2:9
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Therefore, the way you behave when you know that you are part of a royal family differs from viewing self as just a person.
7. They raise our faith
When we have them we see differently than canal eyes. Hebrews 11:24
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;” and verse 27 further adds;
Hebrews 11:27
“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”
Faith made him rise above fear.
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW…
LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD
Q:
What did Jesus mean when He said to let the dead bury the dead? I’ve heard it quoted many times, but it doesn’t make any sense. It must have a hidden meaning, but I’ve never heard anyone explain it.
A:
One day Jesus invited a man to follow Him and become His disciple—but the man refused. He said he would follow Jesus later, but first he wanted to go bury his father. Jesus responded, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22).
What did He mean by this? Jesus wasn’t saying that people who were physically dead should bury other dead people; as you say, that wouldn’t make sense. Instead He was speaking of those who were spiritually dead—those who were alive physically but dead toward God in their souls. We may be very strong and healthy physically, and yet be spiritually dead—which is far more serious.
To us Jesus’ words to this man might sound harsh—but that is because we don’t understand what the man was really saying. When someone in Jesus’ day said they wanted to go bury their father, it didn’t necessarily mean he was already dead. Instead they really were saying that they wanted to stay with their father until he died—something that might be years away. This man was simply looking for an excuse to avoid becoming Jesus’ disciple.
What keeps you from following Jesus as you should? Almost anything can come between us and God; the devil will make sure of that. But Jesus’ call has not changed: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Billy Graham
3 Communication Breakdowns You Can Fix Today
Communication is so important in a relationship. It’s the way we express our needs and wants to our partner. But sometimes, the message doesn’t get delivered because
a) It doesn’t get communicated
b) The way it gets communicated isn’t right
In today’s article I just want to focus on a few communication patterns
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Communication Breakdown 1: You don’t address the issue when it happens then blow up later over a minor issue and bring up EEEEEVERYTHING you don’t like in one conversation (flooding).
You may think you’re being patient by letting it go (and maybe you are!). But you can be patient and STILL have a calm conversation about it. The reality is, if it’s bothering you, it won’t get better with time. You have to just address it and resolve it.
When you flood your partner, it’s going to feel like an attack and their first reaction will be to defend themselves by a) blaming you or b) shutting you out completely. Neither of those helps the relationship. The best way to resolve an issue at its root is to focus on one issue at a time instead of throwing everything out in one conversation.
2. Communication Breakdown 2: The blame game.
This one is so common. Your partner tells you something they don’t like. You don’t even take time to think whether they have a valid point or not-you just get defensiveand find something wrong that they do. You figure “Shoot, you wanna bring that up? I got stuff on you to bring up too!”
Spoiler alert-no one wins the blame game. You’ll go back and forth, and the disagreement will get bigger because each person is getting more and more offended when stuff is brought back from the past.
Not only that, but it shows that your ego is more important to you than resolving issues. You’re not perfect; everyone has stuff they need to work on. Instead of getting offended when your partner points out your mistakes or flaws, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Your relationship, your love is the most important thing. Be open to making adjustments and growing for the sake of the bigger picture-loving your spouse.
3.Communication Breakdown 3: You shut down.
In this one, you simply don’t want to talk about it. Maybe you don’t know how to; it may feel uncomfortable or bring up memories and emotions you’d rather not deal with. So you act like it doesn’t exist. But that only gives the problem more power over you and your relationship. It becomes a weed that starts to suck the life out of the good, happy aspects of your relationship.
Stuff that doesn’t get repaired just gets more damaged. You may not see it at first. Your partner may do a great job of hiding their hurt and disappointment. But sooner or later, it will all come crashing down, because you didn’t want to talk about it and your partner got tired of pretending and waiting.
One of the reasons why people (especially men) find it so hard to communicate certain things is that communication requires VULNERABILITY. A lot of people are just not comfortable with the idea of letting someone see them in that light. Our society doesn’t make it better either. Men are expected to be “strong” and anything that involves admitting weakness (I have a problem with…..or I struggle with…..) is extremely difficult.
Someone has to take the first step in being vulnerable. Until a change is made, communication patterns will continue. The good news is, all you need to do is focus on making one small change at a time. Understanding the deeper desires behind the conflict will help you see your spouse’s vulnerability. Hopefully, in time, they’ll feel more comfortable being vulnerable during this conversation too.
Credit: AUTHENTIC INTIMACY
Christian Nuggets 