RESTITUTION

RESTITUTION

Restitution

Restitution is a biblical concept, and it’s consistent throughout the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, for example, we’re told that, “A thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft. If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession … he must pay back double. If a man grazes his livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in another man’s field, he must make restitution from the best of his own field or vineyard. If a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution. . . If a man borrows an animal from his neighbour and it is injured or dies . . . he must make restitution” (Exodus 22:1-14)

It doesn’t have to be outright theft in order for restitution to be in order.

The Scripture in Leviticus 6:2-5 goes on to explain a number of scenarios regarding ill-gotten gain.  It doesn’t have to be outright theft in order for restitution to be in order.  After explaining several examples of scenarios that require restitution, it says, “… when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, or whatever it was they swore falsely about.  They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner …” (Leviticus 6:4-5)

In the passage of Exodus 22:1-14, we can see that God takes making restitution so seriously that He would even command someone to sell themselves into slavery in order to accomplish the restitution.  Mind you, God is not an advocate of slavery.  But clearly He sees needed restitution as being more important to our spiritual wholeness than our civil freedom.  That’s how God wants us to set our priorities. In many ways, restitution is about repairing our earthly relationships in order to honour our heavenly Father.

In the passage of Leviticus 6:4-5 which explains the restitution was to be made on the same day that the guilty one would bring his sacrifice before the Lord.  So it was that making amends with whomever we’ve wronged is just as important as making peace with God.  Similarly, Jesus told us in Matthew 5:23-24, “… if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift (of worship to the Lord). This “brother” could be someone you have harmed in your own family, or it could be a biblical neighbour (ie anyone you encounter) that you need to reconcile your relationship with.

We understand this passage in Matthew to have very serious implications.  It’s telling us that God doesn’t want our worship if we have any relationships in our life which need reconciling and for which we have not made our best effort to be reconciled in.  This would of course include restitution for ill-gotten financial gain.  Said differently, if you aren’t willing to make it right and haven’t put your best effort into making it right … you have no business worshipping the Lord.

In Luke 19, we have the story of Jesus visiting Zacchaeus’ home.  Now Zacchaeus was known as an evil man who cheated others, took bribes, etc.  But he had taken his stand for Christ and made a public confession right there.  And he committed to repay his ill-gotten gain by giving fully half of all his possessions to the poor.  Additionally, he committed to make specific restitution to parties he had wronged by paying them back four times the amount he’d gained from cheating them.

The same result of repentance is expected for anyone who truly knows Christ today. Genuine repentance leads to a desire to do whatever we can humanly do to right the wrongs in our past.  When someone becomes a Christian, he will have a desire born of deep conviction from the Holy Spirit to do what’s right.

How to make restitution

But restitution, like other fruits of the Spirit, is a result of our salvation.  It is never a requirement in order to gain salvation.

I’m sure some of our readers may be thinking of situations where the one doing the repenting has spent the money or for whatever other reason just doesn’t have the means to “do right” in the eyes of the Lord.  There are some crimes and sins for which there can be no adequate or sufficient restitution. But in such instances, a true Christian will demonstrate his or her repentance by giving sacrificially to accomplish as much restitution as is humanly possible.  But restitution, like other fruits of the Spirit, is a result of our salvation.  It is never a requirement in order to gain salvation.

Now you pointed out that you had taken bribes from companies and not individuals.  You need to know that the inability to identify the injured party or make restitution to them directly does not let you off the hook.  Even if you wronged someone who is now dead, you would owe them restitution in the Lord’s eyes.  In Numbers 5:7-8, God tells us that the one who has ill-gotten gain, “… must confess the sin he has committed.  He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged. But if that person (is not alive and) has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belong to the Lord and must be given to the priest …”  So if you cannot find the injured party or their heirs and successors, you owe the restitution to the Lord.  In that case, you would take it to your church and make a donation with the explanation that it is not part of your regular tithes and offerings, but rather is restitution required by the Lord.

Why make restitution?

Finally, there are two more verses that I will cite to help guide your thinking.  I believe, dear brother, as I said in the beginning, that you have a difficult choice to make here.  Certainly you as a human can choose to ignore God’s command that you make restitution.  You’ve already said the ill-gotten gain is tied up in non-cash or other illiquid assets.  Let me assure you that it will be worth your trouble to liquidate them or even donate the non-cash asset in order to accomplish your restitution.  (If you’d like, we can help you take account of your assets and decide what to do with them.)

So Maxwell, my brother in Christ, if you should choose to ignore this conviction that the Holy Spirit has placed on your heart — your children and their heirs will suffer for it.  (Job 20:10)

In the book of Job, we are told that a man who does not make amends places a curse on his own children.  It says they will beg from the poor, being worse off than the poor.  Why?  Because his own hands were required to give back the ill-gotten gain.  So Maxwell, my brother in Christ, if you should choose to ignore this conviction that the Holy Spirit has placed on your heart — your children and their heirs will suffer for it.  (Job 20:10)  Additionally Proverbs 14:9, tells us that, “Fools mock at making amends for sin, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.”  So it will be the children of a fool who suffer because he or she failed to obey the Lord and make amends for their ill-gotten gains in life.

My dear brother in Christ, I sense that you have a very tender and sincere heart.  And I realize that what I’ve just written you is not easy to hear (or read).  So let me take you back to where we started, in Galatians 6:1 which speaks of the brother who is caught in sin (that’s you, Maxwell).  It says that we who are spiritual (that’s me and other spiritual leaders God may have placed in your life) are to gently restore you.  That means that we stand with you, we pray for you, we encourage you to do right, we challenge you and we celebrate your obedience.  Said differently, you should get others who are more spiritually mature than you involved in the discussion about this repentance that you are about to undertake.  Get godly advice and seek the wisdom of the Lord from His people to help you make the decisions that need to be made.

FASTING

Prayer And Fasting

Prayer and Fasting - A Definition
Prayer and fasting is defined as voluntarily going without food in order to focus on prayer and fellowship with God. Prayer and fasting often go hand in hand, but this is not always the case. You can pray without fasting, and fast without prayer. It is when these two activities are combined and dedicated to God's glory that they reach their full effectiveness. Having a dedicated time of prayer and fasting is not a way of manipulating God into doing what you desire. Rather, it is simply forcing yourself to focus and rely on God for the strength, provision, and wisdom you need.

and Fasting - What the Bible Says
The Old Testament law specifically required prayer and fasting for only one occasion, which was the Day of Atonement. This custom became known as "the day of fasting" (Jeremiah 36:6) or "the Fast" (Acts 27:9). Moses fasted during the 40 days and 40 nights he was on Mount Sinai receiving the law from God (Exodus 34:28). King Jehoshaphat called for a fast in all Israel when they were about to be attacked by the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chronicles 20:3). In response to Jonah's preaching, the men of Nineveh fasted and put on sackcloth (Jonah 3:5). Prayer and fasting was often done in times of distress or trouble. David fasted when he learned that Saul and Jonathan had been killed (2 Samuel 1:12). Nehemiah had a time of prayer and fasting upon learning that Jerusalem was still in ruins (Nehemiah 1:4). Darius, the king of Persia, fasted all night after he was forced to put Daniel in the den of lions (Daniel 6:18).

Prayer and fasting also occurs in the New Testament. Anna "worshipped night and day, fasting and praying" at the Temple (Luke 2:37). John the Baptist taught his disciples to fast (Mark 2:18). Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before His temptation by Satan (Matthew 4:2). The church of Antioch fasted (Acts 13:2) and sent Paul and Barnabas off on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:3). Paul and Barnabas spent time in prayer and fasting for the appointment of elders in the churches (Acts 14:23).

Prayer and Fasting - Required or Recommended?
The Word of God does not specifically command believers to spend time in prayer and fasting. At the same time, prayer and fasting is definitely something we should be doing. Far too often, though, the focus of prayer and fasting is on abstaining from food. Instead, the purpose of Christian fasting should be to take our eyes off the things of this world and focus our thoughts on God. Fasting should always be limited to a set time because not eating for extended periods can be damaging to the body. Fasting is not a method of punishing our bodies and it is not be used as a "dieting method" either. We are not to spend time in prayer and fasting in order to lose weight, but rather to gain a deeper fellowship with God.

By taking our eyes off the things of this world through prayer and biblical fasting, we can focus better on Christ. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, "When you fast, do not look sober as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Prayer and Fasting - What Does it Accomplish?
Spending time in prayer and fasting is not automatically effective in accomplishing the desires of those who fast. Fasting or no fasting, God only promises to answer our prayers when we ask according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." In the prophet Isaiah's time, the people grumbled that they had fasted, yet God did not answer in the way they wanted (Isaiah 58:3-4). Isaiah responded by proclaiming that the external show of fasting and prayer, without the proper heart attitude, was futile (Isaiah 58:5-9).

How can you know if you are praying and fasting according to God's will? Are you praying and fasting for things that honor and glorify God? Does the Bible clearly reveal that it is God's will for you? If we are asking for something that is not honouring to God or not God's will for our lives, God will not give what we ask for, whether we fast or not. How can we know God's will? God promises to give us wisdom when we ask. James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Learn More about Prayer!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? - We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.

What is your response?

Yes, today I am deciding to follow Jesus

Yes, I am already a follower of Jesus

I still have questions

RESISITING TEMPTATION

 

                       RESISITING TEMPTATION

Each one of us have certain sins that are particularly troubling to us. Every Christian faces temptation, and the devil is very good at finding our weakest points and seducing us with them, whether that be sexual sin, sins of anger, jealousy, covetousness, laziness, pride, insecurity, worry, or any others. It’s important to make a distinction between temptation and sin. Temptation can lead to sin. However, Jesus never sinned and yet experienced every temptation we do (Heb. 4:15). Therefore one of the ways to battle sin is to know how to resist temptation.

1. Pray as Jesus taught, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13).

When the disciples kept succumbing to sleep while Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told them to “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matt. 26:41). Apart from God, we have no hope of resisting temptation. This is why humble prayer must be our constant companion. Praying as Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer that God would “lead us not into temptation” is praying for our deliverance from even facing temptation. Praying with others is also a great way to help you keep in the practice of prayer. Another way is to ask trusted friends and counselors for prayer for protection from specific besetting sins.

2. Know yourself well.

As the phrase from The Art of War goes, “Know your enemy.” Knowing the enemy is a crucial aspect of any battle. In the Christian life, we have many enemies, one of which is our old corrupt nature that lingers within us (Rom. 7:21-23; Eph. 4:22).

It may seem odd, but we must make a study of ourselves. Personality, circumstances, disposition, and life experiences are all factors that can make us more susceptible to certain kinds of temptations. How can we be on guard for something unless we know what we are looking for?

3. Learn to recognize temptation.

Temptation is, well, tempting. It presents something to us as pleasant, true, or both. We want to give in because it presents something to us that pulls on our desires and presents us with something that seems good.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (James 1:14-16)

The problem is that in the moment of temptation, we might not at first recognize that what is before us leads to sin. We can combat this by learning to recognize temptation when it comes along. We can also prevent it by filling ourselves with the things God tells us in his Word are good and fruitful things (1 Tim. 6:11). We need to faithfully sit under the teaching of the Word so we can get better and better at discerning when we are being tempted.

4. Take preventative action.

If you know certain situations will bring you into temptation (going to a bar, going online by yourself, watching certain movies, being around certain people, etc) take preventative action and avoid those things. Like Joseph who fled from Pother's wife when she tried to seduce him, we must sometimes simply run away or avoid the things that tempt us.

5. Quote Scripture to yourself.

When Jesus was tempted by the devil, the devil quoted the Bible to Jesus hoping to trick him by sounding good and pious. Jesus’ response was to quote Scripture right back at the devil, showing the devil’s twisted and wrongful use of God’s own words (Matt. 4:5-7). The Word is also called the “sword of the Spirit” by Paul (Eph. 6:17), and we can use it to battle those things that tempt us.

6. Rest.

We are more susceptible to temptation when we are exhausted. When we are tired we are weakened and so more vulnerable to the deceptions of the devil. Rest is very important for our spirituality, and we must be extra vigilant when are tired, asking the Lord for extra strength to resist temptation.

7. Remember there is always a way of escape.

God never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can take but always provides us with a way out.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Cor. 10:13)

He also gives us himself without limit to call upon his strength for resistance and endurance. “God has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Josh. 1:5; Heb. 13:5). He also gives us his church, a community of fellow fighters, to help us in our battles. We need to take full advantage of these resources God provides so that we can effectively turn away from sin and be filled more and more with the goodness and grace of God.

KINGDOM PRINCIPLES

KINGDOM PRINCIPLES

The kingdom of God includes many principles (standards) that when carefully considered and lived out will produce the benefits of living in the kingdom. A principle is “a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behaviour…”

The king’s responsibility is the benevolence of his subjects or his kingdom’s citizens. The level at which each citizen is taken care of is highly dependent upon their desire and ability to live out the principles of the kingdom. Living out the principles of the kingdom means putting forth some effort to seek and attain the benefits offered. These 5 principles are not an exhaustive list but are instead a sprinkling of the standards God has set in place for us to live out an abundant, kingdom-centered life on earth. They are the principles of Promise, Patience, Praise, Provision, and Power.

#1) The Principle of Promise says all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). Everything is established, created, authored, and completed through Jesus, from the beginning of time (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3). We should learn to trust God, trust His Word and trust His promises.

#2) The Principle of Patience, established and displayed at the beginning of time though God’s process of creation, is a virtue and a characteristic of God (Galatians 5:22). God carefully crafted and skillfully put everything in its place, one by one, patiently creating order from disorder. Even throughout the historic, biblical account of Israel, God displays and teaches patience and demonstrates that “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)

#3) The Principle of Praise teaches us that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). God’s promise to never abandon us is catapulted in our praise and thanksgiving to Him. The walls of the fortified city of Jericho fell down at the sound of praise (Joshua 6:20). Paul and Silas caused the walls of the jail to shake free when they committed themselves to prayer and praise (Acts 16:25) When we praise God, the burdens of life are lifted and we, who were bound, are loosed and set free.

#4) The Principle of Provision says that when we put God first in our lives, He is faithful to provide all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). It is rooted in the Law of the Harvest as defined in Luke 6:38. Our willingness to give determines our provision. If we sow the Word of God into our lives we will reap its rewards, spiritually and naturally. God loves it when we are willing to give up something for Him. And, He never uses something of yours without returning it in abundance. And, my God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches I glory in Christ Jesus.

#5) The Principle of Power says the ability (power) to live and act according to God’s will for your life can only be done through the influence (power) of the Holy Spirit. It’s in Him that we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28). And, God can do exceedingly abundantly above everything that we can ask or think according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20). If you want to prosper in life, get the power of God in you first.

These 5 kingdom principles and others are rooted in Matthew 6:33 — “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added.” If we’d live these 5 Principles of the Kingdom of God, we’d know the abundant life given to us by Christ. We’d live out our days as the Kings He’s called us to be. We’d be able to speak those things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17). We’d be able to manifest, in our lives, the results of the Kingdom of God.

HOW TO LOVE LIKE JESUS.

HOW TO LOVE LIKE JESUS 
By Ekpo Bassey Jacob.

To love like Jesus, we need to understand a simple truth. We cannot live the Christian life on our own.

Sooner or later, in the midst of our frustration, we come to the conclusion that we're doing something wrong. It's not working. Our best efforts just don't cut it.

I’ve learned a couple things so far in my life with Jesus. I’ve learned that Jesus pursues me in love, that he uses circumstances to shape me—even that he talks with me regularly (whether I’m listening or not!).

These lessons—and many more—have greatly impacted my spiritual life, and they have greatly affected the way I treat those around me. Ultimately, I’ve learned that my actions reveal a lot about what I believe about love.

FAITH

                                                       

FAITH

To have faith we also have to obey God. Our inner attitude does not define faith alone. (James 2:17) “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:19-24) “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that- and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the alter? And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” A person is justified by deeds only by man; because man cannot see our faith. Our faith is justified by God. Our deeds do not save us, but they are the evidence to our saving faith. If we could save ourselves by deeds, Jesus has not done any help for us. Faith saves us and faith alone. (Ephesians 2:1-2) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The disciples had great faith and sometimes we desire to have faith like them. Since we have not seen Jesus and still believe we have greater faith. “Because you have seen me you have believed, blessed are those who have not yet seen but still believe.” (John 20: 29) People that have seen Jesus and believe will not be punished, but that the people that have not seen Jesus and still believe are blessed. By having faith and believing in God we will have everlasting life. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”(John 20:31)

HOW TO GET FAITH?

To get faith we have to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and we will get the gift of faith and have life in his name. Faith can also come through the message through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17) Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Sometimes we will have a problem believing that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God and that he died on the cross for our sins. We should then, fill are selves with God’s word and meditate it with our heart. To do this we should read the Bible. We will soon realize that Jesus “is the way the truth and the life.”(John 14:6) Once we become a Christian and have great faith, we can compare our life to what it used to be without God and we can see that the struggles were harder when we did not have God leading us through them.

We know that our faith will not always stay at the same level. (2 Thessalonians 1:3) “because your faith is growing more and more.” We can pray, study the Bible, go to church, and serve God. These things will not give us faith, but they can help us grow in our faith. We should always continue to praise the lord as a sacrifice! (Hebrews 13:15) We should “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.” This will also help us grow in Faith.

Sometimes we get caught spending all of our time shopping, cooking, and even work. This will consume all of our thoughts and God will be slowly pushed out of our lives, then when we have a problem we will go to God and use him to help us with our problems but we will never think to give thanks to him. You should spend most of your time reading the bible, praying to God, and thanking him for everything he has given us. Jesus died on the cross for us and has given us some very great things; the least we could do is thank him for the stuff he has given us and praise him with all we have.

If we have done some really bad things in our life and don’t think that God would ever forgive us or even love us anymore, think again! God will always love us and forgive us, no matter what we have done. We could be the ones not honoring our mother and father or have even murdered someone, but they are both sins, both having consequences. Everybody sins and if we just ask for forgiveness and believe, we will have everlasting life and your journey with the Lord will continue in the right direction.

When we accept God into your heart, our life will not be perfect. It does have great things that come with it though! If we have struggles in our life that you think will never go away, we can pray to God and he will help us through it. When a problem comes up and we have nothing left, we can always count on God to be there for us! God is the one that we will always need and the one that will always love us! To know God will always forgive and love us, should give us the courage to love and forgive our enemies.

If we are striving to go in the right direction and want to live our life praising, and serving God, the door will always be open. To ask Jesus Christ to be in our life is easy but it will be the biggest decision we will make in our whole entire life. God has led me to do many things that will help his kingdom grow and they were things I never thought of doing, but through faith I did it and I was rewarded. Faith is a big thing in everyone’s life, I encourage everyone to go out and do the thing that God is calling you to do. This thing might be very hard to understand or you might not trust that he will get you through it but God has a plan for us and he will guide us through it and reward us for what we have done. We need to use faith and trust in God as we take these steps into the right journey.

DOUBTS

Doubts are when we are sceptical about something or have undecided feelings. Doubts can come running in our life at a bolting speed, and will compete with everything for are attention. Sometimes we can be drowning in doubt until something reassures us of our faith. (Proverbs 3:5) “Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” If we are a true Christians and human beings, we will experience doubts. We have not seen Jesus therefore we will have doubt. There will be a point when we hit something that will make us decide between faith and doubt. This will help us grow in Faith.

In the Bible there were people that had not believed in Jesus until they had seen him. Thomas did not believe the other eleven disciples when they had said (John 20:25, 27) “we have seen the Lord.” Thomas said “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” Jesus then came in through the locked doors and said “Peace be with you! Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Doubts aren’t always a bad thing though. Doubts can help guide us through our journey with God. When we have doubts we might not think that we will still have everlasting life in Heaven, but doubts can help us have greater faith in the long run. When we doubt we will ask more questions to find out everything we want to know. We will learn why God is the answer and why the other theories have no way of being possible. We will also start reading the Bible more and going to church more so we reassure are faith. Doubts don’t mean you’re not a Christian or that you don’t have faith, it just means that you doubt because we believe in God and he is unseen! Doubts are normal in life. Its hard to build so much faith up of something that we have not seen and not knowing if it’s going to be true until we see it, but we need to believe and trust in the lord.

Have you ever got caught thinking “Maybe God isn’t real.” Or maybe “Is it to good to be true?” or “How could God have done this?” But the truth it is a great thing that God made this Universe. If we think about it God Is REAL because who could have made this Earth? Who could have made us? It had to be someone so great just like God.

Sometimes we even doubt because we have prayed and what we prayed did not go are way or we got hurt by a loved one dying. God disciplines us because he treats us as sons- everyone has had discipline. God disciplines us for our good, it is painful at the time but later you have a harvest of righteousness and peace for us if we are trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-13) “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet” so that the lame may not be disabled.”

Sometimes we will pray to God, testing him so that we can believe. We will tell him “God if you let me get a job promotion or get on the high school basketball team the next day then I will believe.” When that doesn’t happen it does not mean God is not real or doesn’t answer prayers, it just means that we want the job promotion or the high school basketball team more than we would love to believe in God. God is not a person that will hand us things when we so desire, but does answer our prayers. (Jeremiah 33:3) “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. ”He also promises to answer are prayers. (Isaiah 65:24) “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” Once we see beyond the image of God giving us what we wish for, his word promises we have confidence that we will receive anything we ask for. (1 John 3:21-22) “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.”

God is not a force that is just someplace. God is everywhere and he is a God that is personal with us and he is the spirit. He cares for us and he knows us all and even the number of hairs on our heads. (Luke 12:7) “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” It is easier to realize that God is real when you know that he is not a fairy-tale or a force; he is the spirit.

THE END

Life is an experience of living. We have two lives. One is where we are born from a human being on Earth and the other is when we die we will be born again and we will be sent to Heaven to be with God. Here on Earth we have troubles mentally, physically, spiritually, and many other ways, but in Heaven it is perfect. (Revelation 4:1-3) Heaven is where God lives. It is where God is on his throne and is the full and complete expression of God’s kingship. Heaven has no pain, sorrow, deaths, crying, or sadness.

In the Bible there is not a lot of information on Heaven is going to look or be, we just know that it will be a perfect place! We can only imagine what Heaven will be like, but God has way better plans then we could ever come up with, or even imagine. If we saw a mansion we would deliberate that the houses in Heaven will be three times as big, but that is not what they will be like because it would not be superior enough. Heaven is a reward for those who overcome everything in the life we are living. (Revelation 3:21) “Heaven offers rewards for those who overcome in this life.” To get to Heaven we don’t just live life, we have to believe in God as were living! (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

One of the many immense things about Heaven is there is never a time when God runs out of rooms. (John 14:2) “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.” God does not send only the best people, that have greater faith, or the ones that have done better things, he will send everyone to Heaven that believes in him.

TIME

                      




       LIFE IS MADE UP OF TIME [Ekpo Bassey Jacob]

“If I could, I would stand on a busy corner, hat in hand and beg people to throw me all their wasted time” – Bernard Berenson

Time in the inexplicable raw material for everything. Anything you want out of life will only be gotten through the currency of time. Of all the resources we have, time is the most expensive. Time is primary, scarce, perishable resource and control base for all human activities on earth. Life is made up of time, don’t waste it. Your time is like a precious jewel which must be guarded well.

Do you know that the Richest, the most educated, the most celebrated people in your society and indeed the world do not possess more of this precious commodity than you?

Everybody is allocated 24 hours a day. Some people simple know how to maximize and use every second to their advantage. They know that to waste time is to waste life as such anything that seeks to steal and waste their time is considered an enemy and treated so.

Time is as valuable as water is to desert. The proper use of your time is what will take you to your destiny. Jim Rohn said “time is more valuable than money. You can get more money but you cant get more time.

               Unlike money, time cannot be stored, stolen, counterfeited, recovered, borrowed or printed. Once its is wasted, it is wasted forever. The wise use of your time can earn you respect, dignity and honour. You can enjoy good health, have friends and build healthy relationships.

            Through the proper use of time, you can acquire wealth, become more knowledgeable, better skilled and increase your value. Don’t waste, it is suicidal. Youn canot build an enduring legacy without it. To grow old does not mean you have truly lived because some old peopled cannot count their years while mourning in regrets. Every accomplishment is a product of the proper use of time.

            You can live 24 hours a day if you choose to. Make every second count. Your destiny is hidden in it. Those who kill time abort destinies and that’s a tragedy. Time is more than money. Time is life. Use it wisely, don’t waste it. Time lost can never be regained.