Clothe Yourself With Humility

Clothe yourself with humility,

Don’t try to take first place.

For God opposes all the proud,

But gives the humble grace.

Humble yourself beneath God’s hand,

Someday He’ll lift you high.

Cast your anxiety on Him,

His care will never die.

Be self-controlled and on alert,

Satan is prowling round.

He’s like a lion seeking prey;

Stand firm and don’t give ground.

Stand firm and steadfast in the faith;

You’re not alone in trial.

Your Christian brothers round the earth

Suffer like you a while.

The God of grace will see you through;

Someday His face you’ll see.

You’ll share the glory of His Son

For all eternity.

And after you have suffered here,

God will remove your care.

He’ll make you strong, steadfast, and firm;

His be the power fore’er!

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Ask God Not Google!

Key Verse: ‘…in Him we live, and move, and have our being.’ (Acts 17:28)

George Washington Carver, an agricultural chemist who discovered three hundred uses for peanuts, shared these observations about God:

‘As a very small boy exploring the almost virgin woods of the old Carver place, I had the impression someone had just been there ahead of me. Things were so orderly, so clean, so harmoniously beautiful. A few years later in these same woods… I was practically overwhelmed with the sense of some great presence.

‘Not only had someone been there, someone was there… Years later when I read in the Scriptures, “…in Him we live, and move, and have our being,” I knew what the writer meant. Never since have I been without the consciousness of the Creator speaking to me… the out-doors have been to me more and more a great cathedral in which God could be continuously spoken to and heard from…

Man, who needed a purpose, a mission to keep him alive, had one. He could be… God’s co-worker… My purpose alone must be God’s purpose – to increase the welfare and happiness of His people… Why then, should we, who believe in Christ, be so surprised at what God can do with a willing man in a laboratory?’

In 1921, Carver spoke before the United States House of Representatives. The chairman asked, ‘Dr. Carver, how did you learn all these things?’ He answered, ‘From an old book.’ The chairman asked, ‘What book?’ Carver replied, ‘The Bible.’ The chairman inquired, ‘Does the Bible talk about peanuts?’ Carver replied, ‘No sir, but it tells about the God who made the peanuts. I asked Him to show me what to do with the peanuts and He did.’

Are you confused as to what to do with your life? Do you have a dream and can’t figure out how to make it come true? Or do you need a creative idea to succeed? If it’s solution you require to plunge into your breakthrough, ask God and not Google.

We are always prompt to search the internet for answers even for the minutest of issues that affect us. You will be surprised to see someone asking Google for ‘how to overcome anger’ or ‘ways to make money in recession’, etc. when Deuteronomy 8:18 says it all: ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth…’

It is, however, not wrong to search the internet for insightful business ideas and learn productive strategies of successful people. But we must also remember that ‘A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven’ (John 3:27), and that ‘every good and perfect gift is from above…’ (James 1:17).

God is ever willing to grant us the desires of our hearts. We just have to ‘ask and it shall be given unto you… For everyone that asks receives… Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? ... if ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matthew 7:7-11).

Let Google always play the second fiddle; ask God today and you shall by faith receive in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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How To Overcome Perfectionism

Text: Philippians 4:8

Be honest, have you ever met a perfectionist who was truly happy? I bet you’ll say no, because when things must always ‘be in a certain way’, life becomes miserable, and this is because life itself is constantly changing.

As they say, ‘the most constant thing in life is change’ and as a result, you shouldn’t expect something to always be or be done in a particular way at all times. For example, as soon as you solve one problem, another comes along. Instead on dwelling on their blessings and being grateful for what has been achieved, perfectionists focus on what’s wrong and why they need to fix it.

It may be a job they did that was less than perfect, a few pounds they need to lose, or even a disorganized wardrobe. Or it could be someone else’s imperfections: the way they live their life, how they behave, the way they look, or how they talk and walk, and so on. Perfectionists are never satisfied.

The truth is, constantly dwelling on flaws – your own or someone else’s – makes it impossible to be grateful. And gratitude is at the core of happiness. For clarity’s sake, we are not talking about striving to be better. Not being complacent, wanting to see how things can change from bad to good and to see how things can be done better is a good thing. But we are talking about obsessing over what’s wrong.

There’ll always be a better way to do something, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life the way it is right now. So what’s the cure for perfectionism? It starts with the realization that nothing is ever perfect. And though we may strive for things to be done appropriately, we mustn’t ignore the fact that even the best of us makes mistakes.

As such, you must catch yourself before you fall into the trap of insisting that things must always be done differently (perfectly) from how they are. Stop and remind yourself that, in the absence of your judgment, everything will work out just fine.

Apostle Paul says, ‘…in all things God works for the good of those who love him…’ (Romans 8:28). Did you get the message? Apostle Paul was simply saying God is in control; and it is okay for you to let go.

Instead of focusing on the negative, ‘think about the things that are good and worthy of praise’. For every feat achieved in whatever you do, be grateful. Though it may not be the best you had expected, things can only get better with a heart open to change, to learn and open to seeing the brighter side of things.

Choose to only see the positives in everything around you, and when you do, you will begin to discover how wonderful life is.

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No Compromise!

Text: James 4:4; 1 John 2:15

No compromise with evil shall be our battle cry,

For God and right must conquer, and sin and wrong must die;

Unflinching we are standing, uncompromisingly,

Beneath the flag of holiness forever we will be.

No compromise, no compromise,

This shall be our battle cry,

For God and right we will boldly fight,

We will keep the standard high.

No compromise with error, for Bible truth we stand,

Let none remove the landmarks erected by God’s hand.

With loyalty our watchword and faith in Christ our stay,

We’ll bravely storm the forts of sin and thro’ Him win the day.

No compromise with worldliness, no yielding to the wrong,

No lowering the standard that’s stood thro’ ages long;

With Jesus as our leader, His Spirit as our guide,

We’ll firmly stand for righteousness whatever may betide.

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Believing Is Seeing!

Text: Matthew 21:21-22; James 1:6

“If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). Jesus was telling us that before we can see the supernatural happen we must first believe in the possibility of it.

When the Holy Spirit came with power upon the first generation of Christians, it was, at least in part, because they expected to see God’s power revealed. They had seen it before, and they would settle for nothing less. A mudpack in a blind man’s eyes is not supposed to return his sight, but it did! Five loaves and two small fishes are not enough to feed five thousand hungry people, but they were! Dead people do not come alive again, but they did!

All these things and more they had seen at the hands of the One who told them, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do” (John 14:12). They expected Christ to keep His word and He did.

Do we really believe this today? Do you believe it? Have your expectations of Jesus and His power been dimmed somehow? Have you filed them away in the dark, dusty corner of what used to be? Will you be satisfied with less than those who passed the message of Christ along to you?

What do you believe about God’s ability to transform lives today? These are questions each of us must answer. For I tell you that we experience no greater manifestation of His power than we are willing to believe, nay, expect. Whether we think Christ can and will, or cannot and will not, we will always be right. “…be it unto you according to your faith and believe.”

Our expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies. From the world’s perspective ‘seeing is believing’, but as Christians, you first have to ‘believe it to see it’ or rather, you can and will only see God’s power transforming your circumstances when you eventually bring yourself to believe in Him and His word.

Finally brethren, our expectations largely determine our future experience. However, “…it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:15-16).

*** By Robert Leslie Holmes | The Breath of Abundant Life ***

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Love Works When Nothing Else Will

Key Verse: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” Ephesians 2:25

After many years of marriage, Sam decided to divorce his wife. The reasons he gave his counselor were: ‘She’s not attractive, she’s not interesting, she’s overweight, and she’s a poor housekeeper.’

So the counselor gave him this suggestion: ‘Starting today, I want you to go home and treat your wife like a goddess. Start doing everything in your power to please her. Listen intently when she talks about her problems. Help around the house and take her out to dinner at the weekend. I want you to literally pretend that she is a goddess. Then after two months of this wonderful new behavior, pack your bags and leave. That should get her attention!

Sam agreed it was a great idea and decided to implement it. He took his wife away on romantic weekends and read poetry to her every night. After two months the counselor called and asked, ‘Sam, did you file for divorce? Are you looking forward to being a bachelor again?’

Sam replied, ‘Are you kidding? I am married to a goddess. I have never been happier in my life. I’d never leave my wife in a million years. In fact, I’m discovering new, wonderful things about her every single day. Divorce? Not an option!’

The Bible says, ‘…A man reaps what he sows (Galatians 6:7). And when Sam changed his strategy and started sowing seeds of love, he reaped a marriage he never dreamed possible. This isn’t peculiar to only men and husbands. Wives too should embrace a loving strategy to win their husbands' hearts and save their marriages.

Nothing truly is beyond the power of love. Love conquers all and when nothing else works, love will. Do you think this same strategy Sam employed in his home could possibly work for you? Why not give it a try and see what happens? Besides, you have got nothing to lose and chances are you and your spouse will love the results.

Let love reign in your heart and home. Show it daily in deeds and truth, and not just in words (1 John 3:18). Couples must learn to forgive and understand each other. And when God remains at the center of the home, no arrow of divorce from the Devil can prevail.

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Blest, Blest Forever

Only a little while, sowing and reaping,

Only a little while, our vigil keeping;

Then we shall gather home, no more to sever,

Clasped in eternal love, blest, blest forever.

Only a little while, heartbreak and sorrow,

Dark though the night may be, cloudless the morrow;

Only a little while, Earth ties to sever,

Then in our Father land, blest, blest forever.

Only a little while, shadow and sadness,

Then in eternity sunshine and gladness;

Only a little while, then o'er the river,

Home, rest and victor palm, life, joy forever.

*** Written by Fanny Crosby ***

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Praise: Therein Lies Your Victory

Text: Psalm 50:14-15, 23; 2 Chronicles 20:21-22

It is natural to praise God when something good happens or when everything is rosy, but it takes real sacrifice to offer praise when you have a tough problem. Then, you don’t feel like it because you are weary or you feel like God let you down. You think He is distant from you, or does not really care about what is troubling you when life has just dealt you some painful blows.

Well, here is what makes a big difference! Praising God in the time of adversity, though not a natural response, is a sure path to victory. I encourage you to praise God always, whatever your situation, because there is power in praise; therein lies your victory.

Praise invites God’s presence and paves the way for His power to be displayed in your life. King Jehoshaphat understood this quite well, and deployed the weapon of praise in the war between Judah and the combined forces of the Ammonites, Moabites and Mount Seir.

As Judah raised her voice in praise, “The Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another” (2 Chronicles 20:22-23).When you’re confronted with situations beyond your power and ability, sing praises to God, and He will pull you through.

The apostle Paul also experienced the power of praise in his life and ministry. When he was locked up in a Philippians jail with his companion, Silas, and throbbing with pain from the severe beating they had received from the jailors, he looked away from his predicament and praised God earnestly. God miraculously released him and Silas by opening all the prison doors through earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison (Acts 16:23-26). Miracle happens when you praise God.

Praise passed your battle over to God. It helps you place your trust in God and look away from your problem. It also makes you remember God’s great acts of the past in your life and leaves no room for you to complain and be negative. Praise lifts your faith. You cannot sincerely praise God and remain despondent and doubtful of His ability to pull you through your circumstance. As you praise God, your spirit is lifted, your anxiety dissipated, and your nerves calmed.

However, you cannot truly praise God or experience the wonders of praise except you accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. That means, you must confess your sins to God, ask Him to forgive you, repent of those sins, believe in Jesus, and live by the Word of God.

Praise is a potent weapon in the hand of a Christian and the pathway to victory. So, when next you are confronted with a situation that is beyond you, praise God just as Jehoshaphat, the people of Judah, Paul and Silas did when they had a tough problem. He will give you the victory you deserve.

*** Written by Pastor W.F. Kumuyi | DCLM Women Mirror ***

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The Cause Of Worry And Anxiety

Text: Mark 4:40; Matthew 8:26-27

Each time our Lord Jesus rebuked His disciples for lack of faith or for little faith, it was because they refused to consider and think logically (Matthew 8:23-26; Mark 4:35-40; Matthew 14:28-31; 16:6-11). The very cause of worry and anxiety is littleness of faith or the lack of it, and the reason for the littleness or lack of faith is the absence of proper consideration or logical thinking.

"Consider the lilies ... O ye of little faith." Our failure to consider the acts of God - His care for creatures of time, things that exist today, and are forgotten tomorrow - is the major cause of our worry and anxiety. We have both earthly dignity and eternal destiny; we have an existence beyond this life which the lilies of the field do not have. And "... if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? "

If God has done the seemingly insignificant thing, will He not do the supremely important thing? If God cares for creatures of no value, will He not care for new creatures of eternal value? If God protects and provides for unclean creatures (Matthew 6:26; 10:29-31; Job 38:41; Deuteronomy 14:12,14,19), will He not protect and provide for new clean creatures who are cleansed by the blood of His only begotten Son? Consider the acts of God and think logically on the actions and kindness of God; then, you will have faith in God. Faith will banish fear, worry and anxiety.

1.            UNNECESSARY ANXIETY OF SONS WITH LITTLE FAITH

Matthew 6:28,30; Luke 12:28; Deuteronomy 8:3,4; Nehemiah 9:21; Luke 22:35; Matthew 16:7-11; Luke 8:25; 1 Timothy 6:6-8; Luke 24:17,25; John 3:12.

"And why take ye thought for raiment? " Our Lord asks, why are you worried and anxious for clothing? Is not the body more than raiment? If God has given us our body and is feeding the body, keeping it in good health, will He not also clothe the body? If He has appointed our diet and responsibility which can only be done in a body that is appropriately clothed or dressed, will He not provide adequate and appropriate clothes for us?

Dressing is not an end by itself; it is to clothe us so we can fulfill the purpose of living. God has ordained that purpose of living. The purpose for each life on earth is important to God. That purpose must be our central concern. Dressing is not our only or main purpose of living. We are not living for the purpose of dressing; we are dressing to fulfill the purpose of living. And He who has ordained the purpose of living will supply all that is needed to fulfill the purpose.

Only unbelief or little faith can doubt that but "Consider." When we consider what God considers, little faith will give way to lively faith in our hearts and we will know and believe that He will supply all our needs to fulfill the divinely appointed purpose.

2.            UNNOTICED APPAREL OF SOLOMON AND LILIES' FRAILTY

Matthew 6:28-30; 1 Kings 4:29-31,34; 10:4-9; 2 Chronicles 9:22-24; James 1:10,11: Luke 12:27,28; Acts 12:20-23; Proverbs 4:5-9; Deuteronomy 22:5; Zephaniah 1:8; 1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:3,4.

In the Scriptural account and record concerning Solomon, his apparel or clothing was not noticed as much as his wisdom and riches (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31). Physical appearance and adornment were not his consuming passion. He did not have inordinate desire or carnal concern for clothing. Adequate and proper clothing is necessary but clothing without wisdom would not have helped to fulfill his calling as a king.

Solomon's mind was not set on fashion or dressing. His great request was for wisdom. "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great " (2 Chronicles 1:10). Physical beauty is but skin-deep and the most adorned body soon loses its appeal in a few short years. The fulfilment of life's great purpose should be our highest desire.

We are also to "consider the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven." When we behold the beauty of lilies, flowers and the grass, we often forget that their loveliness quickly vanishes. Consider the frailty of the grass and remember that its destiny is the oven. Instead of being so worried and anxious about transient beauty and loveliness that soon vanish away and are forgotten, let's follow and desire "the beauty of holiness", the beauty that fadeth not away (1 Peter 1:24; 1 Chronicles 16:29).

3.            UNFAILING ASSURANCE OF SAINTS WITH LIVELY FAITH

Matthew 6:30; Luke 12:28,29; Isaiah 44:21; 49:15,16; Luke 12:6,7; Psalms 37:3-11,16-19,25-31; 84:11,12; Philippians 4:6,19; Matthew 6:8,32,33; Romans 8:32.

"O ye of little faith." Little faith creates anxiety, lively faith conquers anxiety. Little faith breeds worry, lively faith banishes worry. Little faith produces fear, lively faith prevents fear. Little faith makes us panic, lively faith makes us peaceful. Little faith fills us with cares; lively faith fills us with calm. With little faith comes anxiety and vexation of spirit, with lively faith comes assurance and victory in our soul.

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? " He will clothe us. He will not clothe us with strange apparel or forbidden dresses, He will clothe us appropriately. Will He not feed us? He will feed us. He will not feed us with "unclean" meat or "meats offered to idols" (Acts 15:29), but He will feed us with proper and appropriate food. Will He not heal our body and make us strong? He will heal us. He will not heal us with traditional and satanic powers of darkness. He will heal us in His own appointed way.

Lively faith does not doubt God. We always draw near unto God "with a true heart in full assurance of faith", knowing that "He is faithful that promised" (Hebrews 10:22,23).

*** Culled from Pastor W.F. Kumuyi Bible Study | Deeper Christian Life Ministry ***

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Must I Go And Empty-Handed?

Text: Proverbs 11:30, Daniel 12:3

Must I go, and empty-handed,

Thus my dear Redeemer meet?

Not one day of service give Him,

Lay no trophy at His feet?

Must I go, and empty-handed?

Must I meet my Saviour so?

Not one soul with which to greet Him;

Must I empty-handed go?

Not at death I shrink nor falter,

For my Saviour saves me now;

But to meet Him empty-handed,

Thoughts of that now cloud my brow.

O the years in sinning wasted,

Could I but recall them now,

I would give them to my Saviour,

To His will I'll gladly bow.

O ye saints, arouse, be earnest,

Up and work while yet 'tis day;

Ere the night of death o'er take thee,

Strive for souls while still you may.

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