Important things in life

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2″ in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Ofcourse, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes." "Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your Church, your Ministry, your family, your partner, your health, your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter - like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar,first," he continued "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks.The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that areimportant to you. Pray everyday to God, give thanks for what He has done, Love every one and Pay attention to the things which are around you.Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter.

Trust Lord

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." ~ Psalm 118:8

God never told us to trust people! He told us to trust Him, and love people! It is vitally important that we know the difference. No matter what life may deal, we can stand tall, knowing that God has purposed our lives, and because He has spoken into our spirits, we can keep faith that His Word will not return void. No matter what comes our way, we still have joy! Watch the confidence and trust in Psalms 118:17, "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord."

You may find you are not mentally, physically, emotionally, materially, or spiritually in the place you thought you would be! You had envisioned that life had more in store for you, and number one would be your spot! You had high hopes and big dreams! You dreamed your marriage would last, your children would grow up, and be model Christians, your business would be booming, your home would be nicer, your car would be newer, your paychecks would be bigger, and life would be better. You had aspirations of reaching the pinnacle of success and happiness. Yet, you look at the reality of it all, and find that life has not panned out quite the way you had planned. Life, its circumstances, and situations, has done a number on you, and in the midst of all of it, your dreams are now lying on the floor of your yesterdays.

Many cry and pray, but never really think that it is going to get any better! We adjust our dreams to accommodate our today, and stop pushing for more, figuring it's better to accept the status-quo than to press toward a mark that seems beyond our ability to reach. We quit mid-stream, mid-struggle, and start looking for the nearest bench on which to park ourselves, as we watch time and life pass us by.

I am here to tell somebody, "Don't throw in the towel, just yet!" It may appear all hope is gone, that everyone else is finishing the race without you, but it ain't over, my Friend! I must confess I have really struggled with this! No matter what is going on around you, the final point I want to make is that when it's all said and done, God has the last word! Put your trust and confidence in Him! You can count on Him!

Funeral of a Dead Church…………

A new pastor in Topeka, Kansas, USA, spent the first four days making personal visits to each of his prospective congregation inviting them to come to his inaugural services. The following Sunday the church was all but empty. Accordingly, the pastor placed a notice in the local newspapers, stating that, because the church was dead, it was everyone's duty to give it a decent Christian burial. The funeral would be held the following Sunday afternoon. Morbidly curious, a large crowd turned out for the 'funeral'. In front of the pulpit they saw a closed coffin which was covered in flowers. After the priest had delivered the eulogy, he opened the coffin and invited his congregation to come forward and pay their final respects to their dead church. Filled with curiosity as to what would represent the corpse of a 'dead church', all the people eagerly lined up to look in the coffin. Each 'mourner' peeped into the coffin then quickly turned away with a guilty. In the coffin, tilted at the correct angle, was a large mirror.

Are one among them?

Pray, Aim High & Stay Focused………..

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree. As he went further, he saw a large wild “Tom” turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, “Pray first, aim high and stay focused.” However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice said again to him, “I said ‘Pray, Aim high and Stay focused.” So, the man decided to listen to God’s voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a deer and a turkey to eat for his family. The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God. Pray first before you do anything, Aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, “the past.” Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can bear. Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor. Wait be still and patient, keep God first and everything else will follow.

Keep yourself happy

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ~ Psalm 16:11


Are there people in your life that you cannot make happy? News Flash! You are not responsible for their happiness. While we should be givers, we should not allow others to control us. Learn to set boundaries in your relationships, so you can be all God intended you to be. The happiest people on earth are the ones content with God being in charge of their lives. There are times when our joy is not full, but in God's presence, there is always fullness of joy. To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances. To seek Him is the greatest adventure. To find Him is the greatest human achievement.

Certain powers steal joy! One of them is, "the power of the emptiers." The emptiers allow you to fill their cups, and they empty them on the ground, wasting the contents. Every day they celebrate a wasted life! If you asked them, "How are you?" They would reply, "All is not well." Moreover, if you asked, "Why," they would begin their list of life's tragedies with a detailed "pain and hurt" routine. Few people talk about how well their eyes are seeing, their ears are hearing, their nose is smelling, their taste buds are tasting, or their stomach is digesting. Their emphasis is on what is wrong with them, not what is right! The words coming out of people's mouths determine their happiness and future.

Some folks love to talk about injustices, and how they have been mistreated! No one understands them and their circumstances. Have you ever heard someone say, "I give all the credit for being a failure to myself?" Emptiers justify their lack of victory, lack of finances, losses, and failures!

Victors boast on the power of God! They talk about their expectation of God's provision. I am not saying it is going to be "a piece of cake." It is not going to be easy! Ask any Five-Star General! No war is easy! Victory is the goal, no other plan, no other option! To enter the victory circle, it will cost you the way you have thought all your life. You will have to make up your mind to change your old patterns of thinking. You can do it! God has given you the power of choice -- Choose victory!

Life is good

"If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies." ~ 1 Peter 1:10

While shopping, recently, I saw a cap with the words "Life is good" written across the front! It caught my attention so strongly that I had to purchase it. As I became the new owner of this novelty cap, somehow, it brought to me a thought of joy and happiness that has captivated my mind. As I researched this slogan, I found the cap was created by a New England based apparel and accessories brand, best known for its optimistic apparel. In 1989 brothers, Bert and John Jacobs began this company, by selling T-shirts out of an old van at colleges and street fairs along the East Coast of America.

Are you seeking the "good-life" of our culture or the "good-life" that God offers? The good life that God offers involves having: 1.) The right attitude. 2.) The right response. 3.) The right standard, and 4.) The right incentive! Following these principles for successful living will produce a hope in you that no enemy could ever possibly steal out of your heart. The hope that God has given to each of us can fill us with joy even in the worst of circumstances!

Just think of the new life God has given to us! With that new life comes a new hope we never had prior to accepting Christ as our Lord. Hope is the eager, confident expectation of the life to come! Our hope is "living!" It's a hope based on the resurrection of Christ, because Christ is living. C. S. Lewis said, "Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose."

Life is good, because we have spiritual protection! The picture of our protection is that of a fortress. We are inside! Outside, the evil-forces are assaulting us. Nevertheless, on the perimeter is the overwhelming force of "the power of God." Daily, We have to  pray for divine protection for our family and for ourself and, if there is any evil plot that is set against us, we should ask God to send His warring angels to terminate that plan. God Almighty, Himself, is the One who protects us! You see, my Friend, knowing that God is for you, with you, and in you brings security and peace of mind that will cause you to declare. . . "Life is good!"

God's Patience.............

1 Timothy 1:12-16 If God were impatient, we would all experience immediate wrath for sin. Imagine living in constant fear of doing something wrong! Fortunately for mankind, His patience is great. One reason that the Lord shows mercy is because He knows we have a fallen nature. Just as a toddler has to learn obedience, God's children also must learn to walk in His ways. He takes pleasure in watching us do what is right; therefore, He allows us time and room for mistakes. Paul appreciated God's patience. His life demonstrated that because the Father is slow to anger, unbelievers have a much greater opportunity for salvation (1 Tim. 1:16). In Romans 2:4, the apostle affirms that our heavenly Father's kindness and mercy lead to repentance. But in the following verse, he warns those with stubborn hearts that they will experience judgment and consequence. In other words, the warning is that God's patience will at some point run out if someone continuously sins against Him. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel repeatedly experienced this painful truth. The people turned away from the Lord and did evil in His sight by worshiping idols. God patiently tolerated their waywardness so that they would return to Him, but eventually, He withdrew His protection until they'd cry out and return to Him. Is there sin in your life that you haven't confessed? Be thankful that God has been slow to anger. And be wise: do not test the limits of His patience

HOPE AND FAITH

Hope is a firm expectation, which makes you have confidence in someone or something! The synonym of hope is trust or confidence. That hope and expectation is reflected in every word that comes out of your mouth. It is impossible to speak gloom and doom, and walk in hope! Your words will always give it away as to what you really believe in your heart. You might say one thing, when you are attempting to impress your church friends, or the Pastor. However, in times when an unexpected event takes place, or you are "caught off-guard," your words will reflect what you really believe.


Faith, on the other hand, is a firm conviction in the accomplishment of something; the confidence that one's expectation will be met or fulfilled soon! "Without faith, it is impossible to even please God!" Remember, God rewards them "who diligently seek Him." As you diligently seek Him and hold fast to your confession, you will rise up higher, and see the victory and blessing the Lord has in store for you. When you step out and ask for God's favor, His blessings, and His increase, you are activating your faith. Talk to Him; He has been waiting for you!

A New thing

Behold I am about to do a new thing in you my child. And it shall be new only in that it will be a way that you have not walked before. But yet it shall be in line with what you have sought me for and desired of me for a long time. And as you continue to set your heart on me, and look to me alone as your source, I will work on your behalf to produce the very desires of your heart. For you have cried out to me so many times, and you have wondered if I was there and whether I heard your prayers.


I always hear your prayers. And when you place your trust completely in me, and rely completely on me alone to do these things for you, then I will move myself on your behalf. For as my people trust me and cling to me and rely on me alone, I shall respond to their needs. And as you delight yourself in me alone and look to me alone as your joy, I shall fill your heart with gladness.

And I will not only provide the things that you need, but as one that wants to display their love to another, I will also pour out upon you the things you desire. For my heart yearns to give you all things. And when your desire is for me and not for the satisfaction that things bring, then my heart yearns to pour out big things upon you. I delight to do even beyond the things that you have asked me for. Because only then can I fully display my abundant love for you. Only then can I show you that my love is greater than the love of man.