“And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.” Mark 14:3-9
Many of us cannot preach or teach or become missionaries but we can still do something for the Lord. The woman with the alabaster box could not do any of the things mentioned but yet Jesus said that she had done what she could by thanking Him the way she did. Timely appreciation is very important especially in relation to the wonderful things God does for us. When you meet people who are not grateful, you get a bad feeling. Do not become someone who is ungrateful for what is done in your life.
Sometimes, we do not appreciate people until they are dead and gone. What is the point of appreciating such a person when they are gone? Why not appreciate them while they are alive and can receive your thanks? We must learn to appreciate people in time. In the church, God gives us shepherds and pastors. We must learn to appreciate them properly and with something precious! Realize that in the Bible, Judas believed that the oil was wasted on Jesus! It is only a Judas who will not appreciate or want their pastor to be appreciated. Many men of God are criticized when anything good is done for them. Learn to appreciate you pastor in private and in public. If you do not celebrate and honor those placed in your life, you will also never be honored.
It is the duty of people who are taught to appreciate the people who are teaching them. Galatians 6:6 says that “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things”. If somebody ministers to you it is your duty to bless them. This is not me speaking but the Bible tells us what is our rightful duty. Through your prophet prosperity will come to you (Hosea 12:13). You will go higher as you listen to the prophet that God has given to you. Naaman the Syrian was healed by the prophet. A prophet is an agent of healing, prosperity, salvation, breakthroughs, abundance and all the good things God has for you. You will never miss your blessing if you honor him. I see us all honoring our pastors and shepherds.
Blessings!
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Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Monday, 16 February 2015
THINGS HOPED FOR
We all as Christians are hoping for things and God is going to bless us with those things we are hoping for.”Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.” – Hebrews 11:1-2
When you come into this life, you find out that we all come in here hoping for so many things. I do not know of anyone who does not hope for certain things. Even pastors have things they hope for and dream about. When Jesus said He was here to heal the broken hearted it is because many people do not experience the things they hope for in this life. The disappointment, disillusionment and discouragement of what life really is breaks the heart and the hope. The Bible says that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). When it is clear that your hope is not only deferred but also cancelled your heart is not only sick but also broken. You have no idea how much the mind affects your ability to do well. It affects us all so much that we sometimes do not realize how much of an effect discouragement has on us. You see that many grown ups are cooler. It is not that they are naturally cool but the things they have experienced in their life has dropped them lower and lower. When people have had one relationship with a boy, you see that their hope is so fixed on the love. You see that there is something in girls that makes them hope for a great love deep in the soul which is often not met through life. You can ask those who are married and many times they will tell you that it is not how they imagined it to be.
Now God in His mercy has saved us and we are going to live victorious lives as Christians. Now how are you going to live a victorious life? You are going to need some spiritual powers of some sort to help you live victoriously in this earth so that in the end you can also have the victory and not just discouragement. If you are going to become an overcoming person, the victory is going to come to you through faith (1 John 5:4). The victory that overcomes this world is not education. That is why the richest people will still come to men of faith at the end of their life. No matter who you are, there comes a time no matter what you have and who you are, it is only the person of faith who has an answer in life. The richest man on earth with the most wives, most girlfriends, most houses and everything tells us that the conclusion of the whole matter is to “fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
I see us living victorious Christian lives because we have faith that overcomes the world.
Blessings!
When you come into this life, you find out that we all come in here hoping for so many things. I do not know of anyone who does not hope for certain things. Even pastors have things they hope for and dream about. When Jesus said He was here to heal the broken hearted it is because many people do not experience the things they hope for in this life. The disappointment, disillusionment and discouragement of what life really is breaks the heart and the hope. The Bible says that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). When it is clear that your hope is not only deferred but also cancelled your heart is not only sick but also broken. You have no idea how much the mind affects your ability to do well. It affects us all so much that we sometimes do not realize how much of an effect discouragement has on us. You see that many grown ups are cooler. It is not that they are naturally cool but the things they have experienced in their life has dropped them lower and lower. When people have had one relationship with a boy, you see that their hope is so fixed on the love. You see that there is something in girls that makes them hope for a great love deep in the soul which is often not met through life. You can ask those who are married and many times they will tell you that it is not how they imagined it to be.
Now God in His mercy has saved us and we are going to live victorious lives as Christians. Now how are you going to live a victorious life? You are going to need some spiritual powers of some sort to help you live victoriously in this earth so that in the end you can also have the victory and not just discouragement. If you are going to become an overcoming person, the victory is going to come to you through faith (1 John 5:4). The victory that overcomes this world is not education. That is why the richest people will still come to men of faith at the end of their life. No matter who you are, there comes a time no matter what you have and who you are, it is only the person of faith who has an answer in life. The richest man on earth with the most wives, most girlfriends, most houses and everything tells us that the conclusion of the whole matter is to “fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
I see us living victorious Christian lives because we have faith that overcomes the world.
Blessings!
WHAT KIND OF FAITH DO YOU HAVE
mark 10:46-50
Blind Bartimeus have great faith to overcome his blindness. His blindness didn't prevent him from receiving his sight.
His desperation drew the attention of God to move towards him.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HOW DESPERTE ARE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When Bartimeus heard that Jesus was near, he lifted up his voice and began to cry aloud, "Jesus, Jesus, have mercy upon me!"
When Jesus heard the blind man crying out, he stood still. And when he saw him, he said to his friends, "Bring the man to me."
When Bartimeus heard these words, he threw aside his cloak, springing forward toward the center of the road, while those near by guided him to Jesus.
Addressing Bartimeus, Jesus said: "What do you want me to do for you?" Then answered the blind man, "I would have my sight restored." And when Jesus heard this request and saw his faith, he said: "You shall receive your sight; go your way; your faith has made you whole." Immediately he received his sight, and he remained near Jesus, glorifying God, and then he went before the multitude declaring to all how his sight had been restored in Jericho.
Blind Bartimeus have great faith to overcome his blindness. His blindness didn't prevent him from receiving his sight.
His desperation drew the attention of God to move towards him.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HOW DESPERTE ARE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When Jesus heard the blind man crying out, he stood still. And when he saw him, he said to his friends, "Bring the man to me."
When Bartimeus heard these words, he threw aside his cloak, springing forward toward the center of the road, while those near by guided him to Jesus.
Addressing Bartimeus, Jesus said: "What do you want me to do for you?" Then answered the blind man, "I would have my sight restored." And when Jesus heard this request and saw his faith, he said: "You shall receive your sight; go your way; your faith has made you whole." Immediately he received his sight, and he remained near Jesus, glorifying God, and then he went before the multitude declaring to all how his sight had been restored in Jericho.
Monday, 26 January 2015
11 Ways to Fight Bad Breath Naturally
What’s even more humiliating and socially unacceptable than the remains of a spinach salad speckled across a toothy grin? Yes, it’s bad breath.Halitosis. A foul odor emanating from the mouth. It’s not a medical emergency, of course, but some 25 to 30 percent of the world’s population suffer with this distressing problem.
The origins of bad breath are not mysterious: dental cavities, gum disease, poor oral hygiene, coated tongue (a white or yellow coating on the tongue, usually due to inflammation) are among the most common. Hundreds of bacteria live in our mouths and some of them—on the tongue or below the gumline or in pockets created by gum disease between gums and teeth, for example—create sulfurous smells. Other causes may include malnutrition (fat breakdown gives your breath a fruity odor), uncontrolled diabetes, and dry mouth (saliva has an antimicrobial effect). Infections such as sore throat or sinusitis, or intestinal disorders, such as heartburn, ulcers, and lactose intolerance, also result in bad breath.
Bad breath can be intermittent as well. Food and drink, such as garlic, onions, coffee, and alcohol, can temporarily cause bad breath. Smokers also suffer from it. Whatever the cause, treatment involves correcting the underlying disorder—and/or perhaps trying a few easy solutions from 500 TIME-TESTED HOME REMEDIES AND THE SCIENCE BEHIND THEM.
Here are 11 ways to fight bad breath:
- If you wear dentures, remove them at night and clean to get rid of bacterial buildup from food and drink.
- Drink plenty of water and swish cool water around in your mouth. This is especially helpful to freshen “morning breath.”
- Brush after every meal and floss, preferably twice a day.
- Replace your toothbrush every two to three months.
- Arrange regular dental checkups and cleanings.
- Scrape your tongue each morning with a tongue scraper or spoon to decrease the bacteria, fungi, and dead cells that can cause odor. Hold the tip of the tongue with gauze to pull it forward in order to clean the back of the tongue.
- Chew a handful of cloves, fennel seeds, or aniseeds. Their antiseptic qualities help fight halitosis-causing bacteria.
- Chew a piece of lemon or orange rind for a mouth- freshening burst of flavor. (Wash the rind thoroughly first.) The citric acid will stimulate the salivary glands—and fight bad breath.
- Chew a fresh sprig of parsley, basil, mint, or cilantro. The chlorophyll in these green plants neutralizes odors.
- Try a 30-second mouthwash rinse that is alcohol-free (unike many off-the-shelf products). Mix a cup of water with a teaspoon of baking soda (which changes the pH level and fights odor in the mouth) and a few drops of antimicrobial peppermint essential oil. Don’t swallow it! (Yields several rinses.)
CRUNCH IT
Raw crunchy foods clean the teeth. Apples contain pectin, which helps control food odors and promotes saliva production. Cinnamon is antimicrobial. Active cultures in yogurt help reduce odor-causing bacteria in the mouth.
1 cup apple chunks
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup diced celery
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup crushed walnuts
3 to 5 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
Ground cinnamon
PREPARATION AND USE: Mix the apple, carrot, celery, cranberries, and walnuts together in a large bowl. Add yogurt by the tablespoon to moisten the mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon. (Serves two.)
Save Your Breath!
What Costs You Nothing, Yet Changes Everything!
Did you know that most people talk to themselves? You talk to yourself don’t you? People engage in self-talk all the time. You see people talking to themselves as they walk down the street or as they drive in their car. They talk to themself when they are intently working on something. They talk to themselves when they are frustrated or mad. Athletes talk to themselves as they are focusing on their next effort and achievement. People that engage in public speaking or performing talk to themselves before they hit their stage. I could go on and on but the bottom line is this, people instinctively talk to themselves.
If we talk to ourselves all the time anyway, why not speak words that will benefit us and others? Why not talk the promises of God? Why not profess them over our life? Why not profess who we are in Christ? Why not talk to ourselves about God and how awesome He is? Why not talk about the victory that He will lead us to in every situation? Does that sound crazy? It’s not! It’s simply an exchange of negative words, for Christ-centered words!
Most people do the opposite. They talk unbelief and cursing over themselves. Maybe you’ve heard others or yourself say things like:
“I just know I am going to get laid off.”
“They’ll probably ask me to take a pay cut.”
“It’s flu season, I always seem to catch the flu.”
“I’ll catch a cold. I get one every year.”
“We are never going to have enough money to get a bigger house.”
“This country is going down the tubes.”
“I’ll never find the right person to marry.”
“I’ll never be any good at this.”
“Why can’t I get this? Why am I are so dense?”
This ki
nd of derogatory self-talk is common. People talk to themselves like this every day. They instinctively self-talk speaking doubt and negative expectation over their life.
Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Since the majority of all people admit to self talk, why not turn it to our advantage? Why not build ourselves up rather than speak destructive words that do affect our heart and mind and perpetuate discouragement. We are motivated to talk to ourselves instinctively so why not just put God’s promises and words in our mouth and speak faith-filled edifying words?
Psalm 33:6 (NIV) reminds us that God used His Word to create. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) reminds us “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Become more purposeful in the words you speak over yourself and others in your self-talk. Either talk with God or talk to yourself about His love and promises to you! Fill your mouth with faith-filled words that carry good expectation. Speak words of thanksgiving knowing God is always with you and despite circumstances is there to help you! It doesn’t cost you anything but will change everything! And you already do the self-talk thing, so make it work for you! Use it to build you up! Not reinforce discouragement!
Say or pray, Heavenly Father, I thank you that your Word says you have given me the mind of Christ. I thank you that I have your thoughts and your ways within me. You said you give wisdom liberally to those who ask. I ask you and thank you for your wisdom operating in my life. I thank you that your word says that because I love and obey you, you bless everything I put my hand to. I love you and praise you for blessing all I do today. I praise you that your word is working to create everything that is good and beautiful for my life. I thank you for your promise saying You would withhold no good thing from those that love you. I am blessed to be a blessing today and I praise you for it!
Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
If we talk to ourselves all the time anyway, why not speak words that will benefit us and others? Why not talk the promises of God? Why not profess them over our life? Why not profess who we are in Christ? Why not talk to ourselves about God and how awesome He is? Why not talk about the victory that He will lead us to in every situation? Does that sound crazy? It’s not! It’s simply an exchange of negative words, for Christ-centered words!
Most people do the opposite. They talk unbelief and cursing over themselves. Maybe you’ve heard others or yourself say things like:
“I just know I am going to get laid off.”
“They’ll probably ask me to take a pay cut.”
“It’s flu season, I always seem to catch the flu.”
“I’ll catch a cold. I get one every year.”
“We are never going to have enough money to get a bigger house.”
“This country is going down the tubes.”
“I’ll never find the right person to marry.”
“I’ll never be any good at this.”
“Why can’t I get this? Why am I are so dense?”
This ki
nd of derogatory self-talk is common. People talk to themselves like this every day. They instinctively self-talk speaking doubt and negative expectation over their life.Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Since the majority of all people admit to self talk, why not turn it to our advantage? Why not build ourselves up rather than speak destructive words that do affect our heart and mind and perpetuate discouragement. We are motivated to talk to ourselves instinctively so why not just put God’s promises and words in our mouth and speak faith-filled edifying words?
Psalm 33:6 (NIV) reminds us that God used His Word to create. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) reminds us “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Become more purposeful in the words you speak over yourself and others in your self-talk. Either talk with God or talk to yourself about His love and promises to you! Fill your mouth with faith-filled words that carry good expectation. Speak words of thanksgiving knowing God is always with you and despite circumstances is there to help you! It doesn’t cost you anything but will change everything! And you already do the self-talk thing, so make it work for you! Use it to build you up! Not reinforce discouragement!
Say or pray, Heavenly Father, I thank you that your Word says you have given me the mind of Christ. I thank you that I have your thoughts and your ways within me. You said you give wisdom liberally to those who ask. I ask you and thank you for your wisdom operating in my life. I thank you that your word says that because I love and obey you, you bless everything I put my hand to. I love you and praise you for blessing all I do today. I praise you that your word is working to create everything that is good and beautiful for my life. I thank you for your promise saying You would withhold no good thing from those that love you. I am blessed to be a blessing today and I praise you for it!
Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Rejected by Your Family Because You Love Jesus?
If you are anything like me, you have relatives that do not know Jesus personally as their Lord and Savior. They do not know if they’d go to Heaven if they died today. And hopefully, you are praying for their salvation. I talk to people all the time who are praying for their loved ones to come to know Jesus and accept Him personally as their Savior. If you are fervently praying for yours, that’s good! You know why? Because God uses those prayers to access the lives of those you are praying for, to work in the background of their lives. Because of your prayers, touches of His influence and love show up in their lives. They may or may not notice immediately, but eventually they get a clue that Jesus is trying to reach them.
In the book of Genesis, we read the story of Joseph. His brothers were jealous of him and hated him. They did terrible things to him including selling him into slavery. After being a slave for 14 years, God exalted Joseph into a place of ruling authority, second to only Pharaoh. Joseph became the second most powerful man in the world. God used that position to save Joseph’s family.
That day eventually came. The world was experiencing famine. Joseph’s brothers heard there was food in Egypt. They went there and eventually met the man in charge–the man who would save their life–Joseph! Most people in Joseph’s shoes would have sought revenge. Not Joseph! He cried with thanksgiving to God for making this all work out. His heart was amazing! Joseph told his brothers he held no ill will toward them for mistreating him. He had always believed that what the devil meant for evil God would turn for good. In Gen 45:7 Joseph said, “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” Joseph is declaring how God was working in the background of his life and the lives of his brothers to bring them to a point where they would be able to see God’s mighty hand working in their life. That day had come and now they could love God like Joseph did. The one they hated was used to save their lives and help them know God. And he could because he prayed all those years for them and never let bitterness take root in his heart knowing that God would work it out. This is one of the greatest lessons in the Bible.
If you’ve ever been rejected by your family because of your faith in the Lord, then you know it’s not an easy thing. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” We care about what our loved ones think of us. When they think we are fanatical because of our love for the Lord, that hurts and feels like rejection. We can’t change that but we can turn that rejection into an opportunity to pray for them with the consistency, trust, and determination that Joseph did. We can have great faith that God will work mightily in the background of their lives. We can pray that they will come to a place where they hunger to know God and where their spiritual eyes are opened to know God personally and intimately through Jesus.
The Apostle Paul taught us to pray this in Ephesians 1:18 & 3:18 (NLT) “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand… And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is…”
It was a long hard 14 year journey before Joseph’s brothers finally understood God as Joseph did. That’s a long time to feel rejected. Your loved ones may treat you unfairly. They may not want you around. They may mock you behind your back. They may all talk about you in ways that hurt. But if they do, don’t get offended. Don’t let rejection cause you to quit on them. Joseph kept his heart right and you can too!
Not a day goes by without me praying for the salvation of all my family. I have great faith that because I know God is working through my prayers. I can only say so much. Sometimes they need to hear from others. It blesses me greatly to know God sends others to share the love of Jesus with them. I have heard many stories from my family and relatives that affirm this truth! I always smile because I know that God is always reaching out to them. One day they’ll see it and take the lifeline. They won’t just know about Jesus. They will know and personally receive Jesus as their Savior. They will know that they have eternal life as His promise of grace–not by their efforts of trying to be good enough to earn their way. So, have tenacity for a lifetime. Have great faith that God is working through your prayers. He is!
James 5:16 (NLT) “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results”
In His Love,
That day eventually came. The world was experiencing famine. Joseph’s brothers heard there was food in Egypt. They went there and eventually met the man in charge–the man who would save their life–Joseph! Most people in Joseph’s shoes would have sought revenge. Not Joseph! He cried with thanksgiving to God for making this all work out. His heart was amazing! Joseph told his brothers he held no ill will toward them for mistreating him. He had always believed that what the devil meant for evil God would turn for good. In Gen 45:7 Joseph said, “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” Joseph is declaring how God was working in the background of his life and the lives of his brothers to bring them to a point where they would be able to see God’s mighty hand working in their life. That day had come and now they could love God like Joseph did. The one they hated was used to save their lives and help them know God. And he could because he prayed all those years for them and never let bitterness take root in his heart knowing that God would work it out. This is one of the greatest lessons in the Bible.
If you’ve ever been rejected by your family because of your faith in the Lord, then you know it’s not an easy thing. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” We care about what our loved ones think of us. When they think we are fanatical because of our love for the Lord, that hurts and feels like rejection. We can’t change that but we can turn that rejection into an opportunity to pray for them with the consistency, trust, and determination that Joseph did. We can have great faith that God will work mightily in the background of their lives. We can pray that they will come to a place where they hunger to know God and where their spiritual eyes are opened to know God personally and intimately through Jesus.The Apostle Paul taught us to pray this in Ephesians 1:18 & 3:18 (NLT) “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand… And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is…”
It was a long hard 14 year journey before Joseph’s brothers finally understood God as Joseph did. That’s a long time to feel rejected. Your loved ones may treat you unfairly. They may not want you around. They may mock you behind your back. They may all talk about you in ways that hurt. But if they do, don’t get offended. Don’t let rejection cause you to quit on them. Joseph kept his heart right and you can too!
Not a day goes by without me praying for the salvation of all my family. I have great faith that because I know God is working through my prayers. I can only say so much. Sometimes they need to hear from others. It blesses me greatly to know God sends others to share the love of Jesus with them. I have heard many stories from my family and relatives that affirm this truth! I always smile because I know that God is always reaching out to them. One day they’ll see it and take the lifeline. They won’t just know about Jesus. They will know and personally receive Jesus as their Savior. They will know that they have eternal life as His promise of grace–not by their efforts of trying to be good enough to earn their way. So, have tenacity for a lifetime. Have great faith that God is working through your prayers. He is!James 5:16 (NLT) “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results”
In His Love,
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
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