WHAT THOUGHTS CAN DO

From the beginning of humanity, an invisible war has been waged, a war which is invisible. The results, however, are visible anywhere we look. We are talking about the battle of the mind, where billions of people right now are fighting a war without even realising it! How? As they contemplate every thought that goes against God’s Word, that is, thoughts of fear, revenge, doubt, etc…

The Bible teaches us that every thought that is not based on His Word is mathematically certain to lead to destruction and loss. For example, there are people who believe that plotting evil against your neighbour is not something bad, but something normal, necessary for survival, one might say. Others think about where to have fun after work all day long…

𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟒:𝟖: “𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞—𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲—𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬”.

Just because your mind has the ability to think, doesn’t mean that everything it thinks is right! You need God’s Word to act as a filter in your mind so that you know the origin of your thoughts. If you don’t feed your mind with His Word, then the devil will feed your thoughts, thoughts that will lead you to unwanted situations.

We therefore understand that our thoughts are not to be taken lightly, because they have the capacity to bring blessings or deny blessings. Therefore, begin to meditate on the Word of God consciously, and you will find that you will gain an independent mind, making yourself fit to be used by God!

𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: “Lord, I realise that life is a battlefield where only the serious minded are victorious. Help me, Father, to reject every thought that is not based on Your Word, so that I too may become an overcomer! In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.”

#𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬#𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫#𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝

GRACEFULLY AGING!

Many adults struggle with the idea that they will grow old at some point. The fact that our body becomes weaker and weaker over time, leads them to despair. As a result, as the years pass by, they gradually give up on life. However, for those who are united with Jesus Christ, aging creates more hope than fear, as they know that growing older is a blessing! As we grow older, we gain invaluable experience, knowledge, wisdom and we also become a source of inspiration for younger generations!

We cannot control how easy or difficult our old age will be, but with steadfast faith in God’s unchanging love and care for us, we will face our “golden years” with courage and anticipation! 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝟒𝟔:𝟒 “𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐞, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮; 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮”. No matter how advanced our years are, the Lord has promised that he will not abandon us. His grace enables us to grow old in peace, knowing that aging is the path that leads us to His glory!

When God called Moses to free the people of Israel from Egypt, He knew very well that Moses was 80 years old. This proves when God sees you, He sees something else that everyone ignores and that’s why God gave him the strength to carry out the mission He had assigned to him! Age is just a number. Since the Lord has already mapped out the plan of our lives from the moment He placed us in our mother’s womb, all that remains is to trust Him and move forward with Him throughout the years of our lives. That is the only way we can have the physical and spiritual strength to carry out our own personal mission from God successfully for His glory.

🙏𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: “Lord Jesus Christ, give me strength, physical and mental, to face the trials of each day with courage, give me the grace to walk according to Your will all the days of my life, in Your Almighty name I pray, Amen”.

#Aging #Grace

WALK THROUGH YOUR FEARS

As Christians, our lives should depend on God’s Word because it is the final authority. One word may speak today and another may speak tomorrow, but God sends each of them straight into our lives. It takes the spiritually minded to focus on God’s Word in the midst of life’s calamities. We often act more like God’s enemies than His friends when we cannot see beyond our immediate situation. As Christians, even when we don’t see immediate results for our prayers, we must remain assured of God’s ultimate promise.

Abraham had genuine faith. Genuine faith finds encouragement in that which is discouraging. God’s Word is real, authentic and forceful; it searches us and finds us. When you take God’s Word to heart and truly make it a part of you, it will, by its very nature, change you. Once you doubt your Guard, your zeal to pray, your dependence upon God and your communion with Him will reduce. Remember that when you run out of rope, it is time to grab at faith. And the work of faith is not a risk but a sure and practical act. We must walk through our fears and discouragements by looking at them as life lessons. When discouragement comes, don’t stop; just dig deep and fight it through. When fear hits, speed up the attack. When your battle is getting tougher, you are getting closer to your breakthrough — and your solution is just a moment away.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to know You the more and to know Your will for me. In Jesus Christ’s name, I pray! Amen!

THE WISEST CHOICE!

In most religions and spiritual traditions around the world, God is considered the highest power and the creator of heaven and earth. However, in the modern society we live in today, various “gods” have taken this position… Gods like technology, science and career! But can all of the above fill the void left by the lack of spiritual life and relationship with the True God? In the book of 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝟒𝟖:𝟏𝟐, God’s Word states: “𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛, 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥, 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝: 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐞; 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭”.

God in Ηis Word speaks clearly to us about the role Ηe should have in our lives. However, we all have the right to choose. Thus, whether we replace the role of God in our lives with various carnal pleasures that the world offers is entirely up to us. This is because, the choices we make determine whether we are children of God or children of satan… Every day, we come into contact with tempting things and pleasures that can very easily make us leave God aside, however, the decision still remains ours. God is willing to give us everything we need to live for Him, as long as we are also willing to follow him 100%. What will you choose?

🙏𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: “Lord Jesus Christ, help me to walk in Your ways and follow Your works. Help me to always have You in the main position of my heart and never be tempted to replace You with the vanities of this world – in the name of Jesus Christ, amen!”

#WiseChoice #Decision

You Have A Role To Play

God has kept you until now for a purpose known to Him alone. This is why your being alive today suggests that you will achieve your goal. However, you have a role to play. The Bible says that when you seek anything for the salvation of your soul, whatever you receive will come with the peace of God. When you know that beyond your present situation is joy, you will have the strength to stand. It is only upon God’s strength that we can go forth, marching towards the throne He has set for us, but we have a role to play.

We must learn to put Christ in His proper place because when a person believes, he will no longer worry. Faith brings in restfulness. It reminds us that our sins are forgiven, therefore we have nothing to be worried about or hunted by. Faith is a lifestyle of trusting in God for what is next. As Christians, we need to see our situation as a builder of faith. It is the divine opportunity of today that leads us to the mystery of tomorrow. The success of your life depends on your role. When you believe, you will appreciate and recognise the unseen hand of God that controls the affairs of men. The biggest decision in life is what you do with the instructions of Jesus Christ today. Make a heart decision in the present to benefit of the grace you need for tomorrow.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to always follow your instructions in everything I do, in Jesus’ name! Amen!

YOUR HEART NEEDS FORGIVENESS!

There are not a few who believe that by being indifferent and ignoring those who have hurt them, they are free from the burden of bitterness and unforgiveness… Indifference is not forgiveness, but can be seen as a kind of reaction in cases of deep insult and injustice. However, as children of God, we are taught that we should love those who hurt us and give countless opportunities to those who wrong us. In fact, Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:14, knowing how fragile human relationships are and wanting to teach us that forgiving others is not an option, but a necessary condition to receive God’s Divine forgiveness, emphasised: “𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮”.

Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has happened, it does not mean that you sweep the dirt under the rug. It’s an awareness that no one is perfect! Forgiveness is knowing that your heart is the place where God dwells, and if you choose to pollute it with things like unforgiveness, the only one who gets hurt is you. If you believe that your heart, the house of God, is more valuable than your ego and your pride, you have a role to play today! Being indifferent and ignoring a person does not mean that your heart is free, because only forgiveness brings true freedom! Are you ready to let go of the past and move forward? If so, pray with these words:

🙏𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: Lord Jesus Christ, I know that the condition of my heart before you is far more important than any offense and any bitterness. Lord, I refuse to be offended in order not to offend You and I refuse to hold unforgiveness in me because I need Your forgiveness. Give me the strength to be able to forgive those who hurt me. Help me to overcome the trap of the devil and overcome evil with good – in the name of Jesus Christ, amen!

#Forgiveness #Heart

RESIST TEMPTATION

“How did I succumb to temptation? Why did I not stand for what I believe? How come did I not remain pure in a tempting environment? How did I allow this to happen?”. These are some of the questions that go through our minds every time the devil tempts us. We forget our relationship with God and that temptation is the presence of evil, causing us to fall into sin! But why do we find it so difficult to resist sin?

The Word of God, in 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟏𝟎:𝟏𝟑, states: “𝐍𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥; 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭”.

Undeniably, when you have a relationship with the Heavenly Father, no temptation will be able to bring you down, because you will stand on what the Almighty God says and not on what your fleshly desires and pleasures ask of you! It becomes absolutely clear that if you aim at your spiritual growth and not at what the world offers you, even if satan comes to tempt you, you will be able to say, “No” to sin and, “Yes” to the righteousness of God! If you are not out for material and political gains but to do God’s work, you will overcome your temptation.

Therefore, learn to aim at God’s work, and not at material and political gains, and you will see that you will be able to resist temptation, you will be able to remain pure in a sinful world, and then the sky will be your limit!

🙏𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: “Lord, from today, your work is
my goal. I know that as I keep my focus on you I won’t fall into the net of temptation, amen!”

#Resist #Temptation

GOSSIPING – AN INSIDIOUS SIN!

So-called social commentary, or simply gossip, is one of the most insidious sins we commit. It is something we hate in other people, but we do not react when we find ourselves falling into this trap. We often take part in a conversation and it is not easy to distinguish whether it is a simple conversation or gossip. So, we simply and easily get carried away and as a result, we sin without even realising it! Relationships as well as years of friendships have been destroyed because of this sinful habit, which many of us consider innocent social commentary.

𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝟑𝟗:𝟏: “𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, ‘𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐢𝐧; 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝'”. Negative commentary, in order to joke at someone’s expense, spreading assumptions about the lives of others without their knowledge or approval, accusations, in order to share our pain with someone familiar to us, and spreading confidential information to a person who is not concerned with a particular matter, are some forms of gossip that cause anger, bitterness and pain, while they also damage human relationships. The Word of God contains several references to gossip, babbling, and even punishment as a consequence of meddling in other people’s affairs. The words we utter unnecessarily, even if we repent, can still negatively affect a person, so, we should be very careful when we speak.

As a child of God, you must remember that your words have the ability to attract or drive people away from you. So, we must be careful with our words so that we avoid the sinful act of gossiping. Moreover, by gossiping, we waste valuable time and energy that could be channelled into something productive. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the example to follow. While He was healing the sick, some people accused Him, but He, instead of speaking bad about them, prayed. Let us surrender our weaknesses to the Lord and pray that He will become a strength in them.

🙏 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: “Lord Jesus Christ, give me the grace not to sin before You in my words, thoughts or actions. Help me Father, that I may not babble, and fall into the trap of needless, sinful chatter – in Your Almighty name I pray, amen.”

#Gossip #Sin

THE ONLY IMPERISHABLE TREASURE

Man tends to act as if he is going to live forever, and thus, many times he spends his days on earth consumed with acquiring money or other material possessions. The Word of God, however, teaches us that the blessings of the world enrich the body temporarily; the blessings of Christ enrich the soul for eternity.

For a person who is not relying on Jesus Christ and His sufficiency, a time will come in his life when he will be unsatisfied and will try to fill his inner emptiness, either through entertainment or buying goods for himself in order to depress his feeling of discontentment. Undoubtedly, we all know that all material goods are temporary and subject to the ravages of time. In fact, the wisest king who passed in the history of mankind, Solomon, after trying all the goods, pleasures, wealth, and glory that one can taste in this life, concluded that everything, except keeping God’s commandments, is in vain.

In one simple but so instructive phrase, the Word of God in 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟔:𝟐𝟏 states: “𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨.” Your treasure can be anything you love to an extraordinary degree, such as your spouse, your children or your job, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, it is only a matter of time before the cares and blessings of this world distract you from the Giver of our blessings if we are not focused on Him constantly. We must not forget that the only thing that will live forever is our soul, our spirit.

What is it that has the main position in your heart? If you replace every worldly desire in your heart with what God desires and give Jesus Christ His rightful place in your life, then you will enjoy true joy, peace, and contentment.

🙏 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: “Lord Jesus Christ, expose every hidden sinful desire I may have and fill me with Your Spirit, so that I may desire to serve You and please You through my faith in You, in Your holy name I pray, amen.”

#Treasure #Soul

MIRROR YOUR LOVE FOR CHRIST ON OTHERS

Trusting and obeying God’s Word is the only way to be happy in Jesus. Christ asks us to obey God’s Word by loving our neighbour as ourselves. He didn’t say, “Love only Christians”, but “Love your neighbour as yourself”. Who is your neighbour? Your neighbour could be your friend, your enemy or those who don’t share the same faith with you. The Bible commands you to love them all.

The Book of John 13:34 – 35 tells us that our love for others is an expression of Christ’s love for us. For as He loves us, so we are to love others. The love Christ has for us is what gives us the enablement to love others. Without His love and without Him loving us, we have no love to love. His love for you is meant to be expressed in your everyday living. This means that you are loved to love others, blessed to bless others, and saved to save others.

Mirror Christ’s love for you on others. Is your life a reflection of Christ’s love for others? Have you done good to change the bad you see? Hear Jesus saying to you today, “What you do to the least of your brothers, that you do unto Me”. Jesus is telling you to love without expectation today.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to love enough to overlook the mistakes of others.