I apologise for not posting over that last few days, I attended an event and for the last few days felt quite down and depressed. I’m now looking at getting back on the horse so to speak and moving forward.
I thought this was informative. Thanks to my friend Shirley for sharing
UCB Word For Today:
6th Jan 2015
WHEN FATIGUE THREATENS YOU (part 1)
‘God… told his people… “Let the weary rest.”‘ Isaiah 28:12
Ruth Haley Barton coined the phrase ‘dangerous tiredness’. Its symptoms include: 1) Irritability/hypersensitivity. Things that wouldn’t normally bother you, like another motorist cutting you up or a friend’s irritating habits, put you on edge. 2) Restlessness. A vague sense that something isn’t right… you feel like running away… you’re exhausted, but you can’t fall asleep. 3) Compulsive overworking. Checking emails late into the evening… the inability to unplug completely and go on holiday… struggling to enjoy uninterrupted family time. 4) Emotional numbness. You don’t ‘feel’ anything, good or bad, and you’re afraid if you did you’d be overwhelmed. 5) Escapist Behaviour. Compulsive eating, drinking, overspending, watching TV, pornography, surfing the Internet. You lack the will to exercise, connect with friends, pursue a hobby, or read a good book. Feeling disconnected from your calling. You go through the motions of ministry without any real sense of who you are and what God called you to do. You’re at the mercy of other people’s expectations and your own inner compulsions because you’ve no internal plumb line against which to measure these demands. Neglecting yourself physically. You’ve no time to eat right, take a walk, get enough sleep and do everyday things like washing the car or picking up the laundry. 6) Hoarding your energy. You’re afraid people will drain the last of your resources, so you withdraw to conserve what you have left. Letting your spiritual habits slip. Things that would normally energise you and you know are good for you, like praying, reading, keeping a diary and self-examination, feel like burdens. If any of this sounds familiar, the chances are you’ve hit a wall. It’s time to pay attention, talk to God, and reorder your priorities.
7th Jan 2015
WHEN FATIGUE THREATENS YOU (part 2)
‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ Psalms 46:10
When you’re running on fumes, instead of berating yourself for failed attempts at ‘spirituality’, one writer says it’s time to ‘tie a tourniquet on the wound of busyness… [or] we’ll bleed a spiritual death. Doing more, and doing it faster, isn’t taking us to a place of peace. The distraction is nothing more than a momentary escape. Sooner or later we have to stop… Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When we’re forced to be still the magnitude of the weight we carry becomes enormous, the loneliness unbearable. We think momentum keeps us from thinking… from feeling… from knowing sooner or later we have to stop.’ When you need to be spiritually restored, go to the throne, not the phone! No matter how good your friends are, they can’t meet your need like God can. Jesus said, ‘Come to Me… and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28 NIV). Consider it His personal RSVP to talk to Him and tell Him how you feel, like a child talks to a loving parent who can help them. Designate a special place to be alone with God, and discipline yourself to go there often. And don’t just tell Him what you need; listen for what He’s trying to tell you. Don’t be in a hurry to get back into the rat race; stay in God’s presence until you understand that the burdens you’re carrying were never meant to be shouldered alone. The most important thing: we find time for what we consider important, so get your priorities straight and ‘seek first His kingdom’ (Matthew 6:33 NIV). When you ‘come near to God… He will come near to you’ (James 4:8 NIV).
8th Jan 2015
WHEN FATIGUE THREATENS YOU (part 3)
‘They exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”‘ Mark 1:37
Brenda Jank identifies guilt as the driving force behind much of our weariness: ‘Every guilt-driven “Yes” means a “No” to something important. Every day holds twenty-four hours, and as gifted as we are at multi-tasking, there are concrete limits to what we can get done in any given day… We routinely neglect the top priorities of our lives. We’re irritable and impatient with those we love. We forfeit our need for sleep. We pass through many days oblivious to the presence of God.’ Can you recognise these things in yourself? When word got out that Jesus had healed Peter’s mother-in-law, a crowd gathered and He ministered to them late into the night. Early the next morning when He slipped away to a quiet place to pray, the disciples went looking for Him. ‘When they found Him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”‘ But note Jesus’ response: ‘Let us go somewhere else.’ He chose to be Spirit-led, not guilt-driven. Before assuming you’ve been called to meet every need that arises, it’s okay to say, ‘Let me pray about it and get back to you.’ Then pray, listen carefully and make your decision based on how you answer this question: Will saying ‘yes’ to this request mean having to say ‘no’ to something else that’s important? It’s essential to recognise what you’ve been called to do for the season of life you’re in; it takes honesty, humility and courage to take a consistent line. When you face a situation you know will put you on overload, even if you’re willing to pay the price, are you willing to commit your family to pay the price with you? Think about it.
French Attack
Were to start? There has been such a terrible loss of life. Three men killed so many people, in cold blood. My pr ayers and thoughts are not only with those who are injured and critically ill in hospital but also with those who are family and friends of those injured and killed.
“Lord, you are creator of all things in heaven and earth, we are so sinful. We do not deserve your love, mercy or grace, yet you give it freely. I thank you for this. I bring before you the injured and ask that you will heal them completely, and show them through this healing and this cowardly act that you are God Supreme, that you love them and have them in your loving arms. Be with those who have died, through their deaths bring justice and bring those who are family and friends who have been affected by this to your bosom and bring them to know you as their Lord and Saviour. The men who have caused this, bring them to justice. Show them that what they have done in taking lives is not acceptable and bring them also to know you as their true Lord and Saviour. In your name we ask this. Amen”
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UCB Word For Today:
05 Jan 2015
IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON
‘You will forget your trouble… as water gone by.’ Job 11:16
No matter how bad things look, always remember the words, ‘it came to pass’, not ‘to stay’. Life doesn’t stand still; there will always be challenges. Don’t let them destroy your confidence; instead, use them as opportunities to grow. Once you’ve grown in the areas where God thinks you need additional maturity, the season you’re in will pass. Nothing lasts forever. Although it’s hard to believe at the time, ‘You will forget your trouble and remember it… as water gone by.’ One author writes: ‘To forget isn’t to develop amnesia. It’s to reach a place where the misery is pulled from the memory like poison is removed from an insect bite. Once it’s gone, healing is inevitable. The memory will become as “water gone by”. When the water that’s flowing around your ankles today passes, you’ll never see it again.’ Kristin Armstrong says: ‘When someone died in Old Testament times, those who were in mourning marked their faces with ashes. They allotted a specified season, after which they scrubbed up and moved on. How much healthier is that than our society? We put on make-up, or a happy or stoic face, and prohibit people from having compassion and respecting the limits of where we are. We’re so busy hiding, we’re buried under ashes on the inside. God will call us to arise and shine when our light has come (Isaiah 60:1). Ask Him to set your time limit, and be ready to wash your face.’ Then move on.
UCB Word For Today:
04 Jan 2015
YOU MUST EXERCISE FAITH
‘He couldn’t do any miracles among them… And He was amazed at their unbelief.’ Mark 6:5-6
God answers prayer in a manner directly related to our level of faith. ‘According to your faith be it unto you’ (Matthew 9:29 KJV). Yet sometimes in spite of our doubts and human reasoning, He comes through for us anyway. The believers praying for Peter’s release from prison were amazed when he suddenly appeared on their doorstep (Acts 12). When Jesus returned to His home town and began to teach in the local synagogue, the people were amazed by His wisdom. Because He lacked formal education and credentials they wrote Him off as ‘just a carpenter’ (Mark 6:3 NLT). And the result? ‘Because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them.’ Question: How often does your unbelief tie God’s hands? The truth is: a) sometimes our faith is so weak that we don’t expect Him to answer at all; b) we fail to pray with confidence; c) we don’t prepare ourselves for what He wants to do for us. You can’t ask God for forgiveness, then continue to live under condemnation over sins He has put under the blood. Or pray about your financial situation, then worry yourself sick about how He’s going to meet your needs. You can choose to live by your feelings, or in a way that reflects total trust in God. The Bible says, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He… is a rewarder’ (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV). So you must exercise faith
UCB Word For Today:
02 Jan 2015
YOU’RE NAMED IN GOD’S WILL (part 1)
‘The word… which can… give you an inheritance.’ Acts 20:32
Linda Knox was in her eighties when she died of malnutrition in her Chicago apartment. Apparently she’d lost her sight, and her mind had failed. Among her belongings they found the equivalent of ?102,000 in uncashed cheques, ?113,000 in works of art, ?240,000 in jewels, and ?31,000 in antiques. In all, she had an estate worth ?492,000–yet she died alone in poverty. And what’s worse, she’d drawn up a will leaving these things to friends and family members. But she never filed it with the courts and it was never executed, so her beneficiaries were unaware of their inheritance. There’s a lesson here for you. When Christ died and went back to heaven, He left a will. And you are named in it! You say, ‘Where can I find a copy?’ In His Word! You’re an ‘[heir] of God and a [co-heir] with Christ’ (Romans 8:17 NKJV). Once that truth gets down into your soul, your attitude toward reading the Bible will be revolutionised. Instead of spending mindless hours watching TV or surfing the Internet, you’ll start meditating ‘day and night’ in the Scriptures. As a result, you’ll start to ‘prosper in all that you do’ (Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:2-3). Now you can understand why David said, ‘I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love… The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver’ (Psalms 119:47, 72 NKJV). Peter wrote: ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for life… He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature’ (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV). What more could you ask for?
03 Jan 2015
YOU’RE NAMED IN GOD’S WILL (part 2)
‘The word… which can… give you an inheritance.’ Acts 20:32
Someone’s last will and testament lets you know what you have inherited. In the Old Testament the benefits were rich, but the conditions proved too restrictive. So God gave us a New Testament. But instead of laws that are virtually impossible to keep, this ‘testament’ is based on grace: favour you don’t deserve, can’t earn and don’t have to work for because it’s given freely. And when you discover you are personally named in this ‘testament’, reading the Bible becomes a real source of joy. You start asking, ‘What’s in God’s will for me? What’s my rightful inheritance?’ You realise your salvation, as glorious as it is, is just the starting point. Suddenly the idea of searching the Scriptures, standing on the Scriptures and speaking the Scriptures in every situation no longer feels like a duty, but a delight. When you pray according to Scripture, it’s like going to the bank of heaven and saying, ‘This cheque is made out to me. It’s issued and endorsed by Christ, and I’d like to cash it.’ You have two options: You can live a Christian life and die without ever having accessed your account because you never discovered your inheritance and the benefits of God’s will for you. Or you can pray: ‘Father, Christ’s last will and testament names me personally. It says that all my needs will be met, my steps will be directed, my sicknesses will be healed, and that I don’t have to fear satan because You gave me power over him’ (Luke 10:19). Now can you see why satan doesn’t want you reading your Bible?
UCB Word For Today:
01 Jan 2015
GET TO KNOW GOD THIS YEAR
‘Let him… boast… that he understands and knows Me.’ Jeremiah 9:24
God says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me’ (vv. 23-24 NIV). The truth is, if you don’t know God it doesn’t matter how much money you have in your bank account, or what diplomas hang on your wall, or what position you hold in the company. Until you have a relationship with God, you haven’t really begun to live! And part of getting to know Him is learning the truth about yourself. After witnessing the miracle-working power of Christ, Peter acknowledged, ‘I am a sinful man!’ (Luke 5:8 NIV). When the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, he cried, ‘Woe is me!’ (Isaiah 6:5 NKJV). But God doesn’t tell you the truth about yourself and then leave you that way. No, like a good doctor, He tells you you’re sick so that you can get the proper treatment. And the proper treatment for sin is salvation through the blood of Jesus. You will never know God until you are related to Him through Jesus Christ. So if you’ve never accepted Him as your Saviour, start this New Year by praying: ‘Lord, I repent and turn from my sin. I place my life in Your hands, trusting You as my Lord and Saviour. By faith I receive the gift of eternal life. Starting today, I ask You to lead and guide me and fulfil Your will through me. In Jesus’ name I pray: Amen.’ Happy New Year!
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year to all my Followers, thank you for your kind words. Here is to a new year and lots of Blessing to everyone.
BobOnLife 