CHANGE IS NEEDFUL.

Matthew 9:17 - Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”(NIV)

Mark 2:22 - And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”(NIV)

Luke 5:37 - And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.(NIV)

The scripture reiterated above is one a lot of us would have come across while reading the bible. That it was mentioned in all 3 gospels of the New Testament emphasizes its importance. As a young believer I didn’t really understand what Jesus was talking about her. New wine in old wineskins? I was confused. But I later got to understand by the Hoy Spirit what exactly this meant. And over years I have listened to teachings as well explaining the disadvantage of pouring new wine in old wineskins.

A lot of us trust God for one breakthrough or the other. Show me a true believer and I will show you someone who is “believing” God to come through for her in one way or the other. But a lot of times after God has heard and answered our prayers we don’t see it. Truth is a lot of times the change lies with us. You cannot keep asking for God to play His part and you fail to play yours! But God loves me and will give me my heart’s desires” someone says. True that, and He has but what about your own part of the deal?

 God said He has given us new song. What an awesome word. But to my knowledge it also means there was a song there before being sung that has now been replaced! So were you singing before? Have you stopped singing because the manifestation hasn’t come? Have you begun to sing the new song? Let me break it down for you – if you are one of those who refuse to sow and thinks “I don’t even have enough”, how do you expect to reap? If you are one who is always complaining about everything – from your husband to the transport system to the country to the weather – Complain!! Complain!!! How will you see the good that God is already doing? Most likely you won’t because you are waiting for a WOW testimony but fail to praise Him while He is working it out. You miss out!

How about you with that bad character that you have refused to change? At work you are meant to serve customers but you treat them like “shit” simply because it’s not your business and they will pay you at the end of the month anyway. No X-factor on your job! You hiss and roll your eyes at customers and then you pray for God to bless you at work? If He does, what will you end up doing? Punching them? It’s not just about asking God to change your situation so you can shine. What about showing God how ready you are by adapting change in areas where you fall short?

Old wineskins refer to old worn out containers that cannot take in fresh wine. They are not fit in any way. Just as you need to do way with some of the old ways you do things. A wise person once said you can’t keep doing same things and expecting a different result. You have to change. You need to change.

Someone needs to praise God more.
Someone needs to fast and pray more.
Someone needs to bridle their tongue.
Someone needs to change their mindset.
Someone needs a complete character overhaul.

Find what it is you need to change and effect the change through the Holy Spirit working in you. If you ask for His help sincerely, He will help you. And then you will begin to see those long awaited miracles. Be all about change. God will NOT pour NEW WINE into OLD WINESKINS!

Shalom. By Deby Okoh

YOU WILL NOT BE LEFT BEHIND AS OTHERS CELEBRATE

"After this, there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years"(John 5:1-5). That is the Focal Scripture of Streams of Joy Devotional Today.
In Today's Focal Scripture, Jesus took a trip to Jerusalem at a time when there was a feast of the Jews. Ordinarily, a feast is indicative of celebration; a feast is synonymous with good news, Joy and gladness. So, Jesus went to Jerusalem at a time when everyone was meant to be celebrating; He went to Jerusalem when everyone was meant to be basking in goodnews.

Notice that when Jesus arrived at Jerusalem, He noticed the sick man at the Pool of Bethesda; He noticed a man who was not feasting or celebrating like others. He noticed a man whose life was devoid of good news. This man wasn't celebrating when others were celebrating.
Notice carefully, when Jesus noticed the man that was not celebrating, He healed him and put a smile on his face. Jesus saw a man that was not rejoicing, and He made the man rejoice. He noticed a man who had no testimony, and He gave the man a testimony. Others may have started celebrating before this man, but in a matter of time, Jesus gave him an uncommon celebration!
Friend, God says, you will have a reason to celebrate. You will not be left behind as others celebrate. You will not be forgotten as others receive their good news. You will get your own testimony. You shall have your own celebration. You will have a cause to smile. You will receive your own healing, promotion, provision, Increase, spouse etc.

Don't get depressed when others celebrate; the same God who made them celebrate, any moment from now, will also make you celebrate. Start learning your best dances now. You will dance, shout, laugh and praise very soon.

Pray with me, "Lord, I praise you because very soon you will give me many reasons to celebrate in Jesus name".

PATIENCE

I always marvel when I see how patience is gradually fizzling out in our world today. We want everything ‘sharp-sharp’ even answers to our prayers and the truth is you cannot put God under undue pressure, He will not bulge because Ecclesiastes 3:11 says: He makes everything beautiful in His own time (note not our time).

I love Habakkuk 2:1, I will climb up to my watch tower and stand at my guard-post. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how He will answer my complaint.

Did we notice the word ‘wait’? Being patient involves waiting. The truth is waiting may not be easy but that is the only option to get what we need not what we want.

Let us consider the story of Ruth. Ruth had it really rough losing her father-in-law, husband and brother-in-law in quick succession. It was a very trying time for her. When her mother-in-law, Naomi decided to return to her home town, Ruth and her sister-in-law followed her. Along the way and after much persuasion from Naomi, Orpah turned back from following Naomi. Ruth was patient and decided that come what may, I will wait….

After Ruth 1:14 – And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi, Orpah’s name was never mentioned again.

Another side to patience aside waiting is following instructions, Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions to the letter when she decided to go out to look for what they will eat. Whatever Naomi told Ruth to do, she will obey and do just that.

Let us look at Ruth 3:1-6
One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Now do as I tell you – take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” I will do everything you say, “Ruth replied. So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.

Before long, Ruth’s patience paid off in Ruth 4:13 – So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and give birth to a son.

The truth is patience always pays off at the long run.

I don’t know that thing you have believed God for ever since 2013 began and it seems God is really slow and your patience is running out, I want to encourage you this morning to top-up your patience because He always makes everything beautiful in His own time. It might seem slow, the wait might seem long, the instructions may seem difficult but it always worth is at the end of the day. Just like a pregnant woman, who knows that she has to carry the baby for 9 months in her womb, and then she gets to the 5th month and says she wants the baby out at that moment, your guess is as good as mine because what she will get will not be a good sight but if she tells herself to enjoy the wait and obey the instructions, at the end of 9 months, she will be glad and excited at the result because she was patient enough.

Dear friend, please don’t throw in the towel yet, it might seem rough now, weeping might have endured all through the past months but I am very sure that joy is coming soonest for you, there is a ray of light at the end of that tunnel.
Hold on, embrace patience, enjoy the wait, follow the instructions and your testimony is sure.

Shalom! By Onome Oyedokun

Mafia Going to Assassinate Pope Francis in Response to His Anti-Corruption Sermons

The Mafia is considering a lethal strike on Pope Francis, a senior prosecutor in Italy's crime-torn deep South has warned.

The pontiff's life is in danger because his desire to sweep away corruption in 'a total clean-up' is making organised criminal groups "nervous", the deputy chief prosecutor of Reggio Calabria, Nicola Gratteri, claimed.
Since Francis took office in April, he has made it clear that he intends to rid the Holy See of its corrupt ways and clean up the notorious Vatican bank, long used by money launderers.

He immediately dispatched the chairman of the IOR bank Gotti Tedeschi and subsequently forced his own number two Cardinal Bertone, who had been accused of corruption, into retirement.

In one of his first sermons as Pope he took aim at the mafia calling on them to repent for "exploiting and enslaving people".
And earlier this week in his most impassioned sermon to date, the pontiff said that officials who took bribes should be "tied to a rock and thrown in the sea".

Dr Gratteri said the members of the Calabrian Ndrangheta mafia are concerned by Pope Francis's crusade against corruption, "wearing his iron crucifix, as he rails against worldly goods and plans a total clean up".

He told the Italian newspaper: "Those that are in the financial arms of the mafia are concerned by Pope Francis, yes.

 

Those who until now have been feeding off the wealth and power that comes directly from the Church are agitated and nervous."

Pope Francis speaks to Archbishop Georg Ganswein as he arrives in St. Peter's Square

He added: "Papa Bergoglio is dismantling the centres of economic power in the Vatican. If the bosses could take him down they would not hesitate."
The prosecutor admitted that the mafia would not necessarily be capable of such a strike, with the Vatican security services some of the best in the world.

"I do not know if organised criminal gangs are in a position to do something, but they are certainly considering it. It's a dangerous time for Pope Francis."
In recent years, the Ndrangheta, based in Calabria, the "toe" of Italy, has become the largest, richest and most feared of the country's three main criminal organisations.

Specialising in cocaine trafficking, the Ndrangheta controls some 80 percent of the market in Europe and has invested its profits in northern Italy, Germany and the US.
They have forged links with terrorist organisations worldwide and the drug cartels of South America.

Meanwhile, according to the 14th annual survey from the Global Language Monitor, a Texas-based company that tracks top talkers on the web, the Pope is now the most talked-about person on the planet.More people are chatting about the Pope online than Edward Snowden, Kate Middleton and Miley Cyrus.The organisation based its analysis on English-language blogs, social media and 275,000 electronic and online news media.Besides being the Internet's top name, the Pope's Twitter handle @Pontifex was the fourth most talked about word in 2013.

Source: Dailymail

CORRUPT SHOULD BE TIED TO ROCK AND THROWN INTO THE SEA-POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis has delivered a fiery sermon against corruption, quoting a passage from the Bible in which Jesus said some sinners deserves to be tied to a rock and thrown into the sea.

Pope Francis gives fire-and-brimstone sermon, saying the corrupt should be tied to a rock and thrown into the sea

In one of his strongest-worded homilies since he was elected in March, the Argentinean pontiff said Christians who lead “a double life” by giving money to the Church while stealing from the state are sinners who deserve to be punished.

Quoting from the Gospel of St Luke in the New Testament, he said “Jesus says: It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea.”
While he did not allude directly to corruption within the Catholic Church, his remarks come just days after a scandal erupted inside an ancient religious order linked to the Vatican, and as he forges ahead with a determined effort to root out cronyism within the Holy See and financial irregularities in the scandal-tainted Vatican bank.

WHAT EVERY DAD SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEIR DAUGHTER

There are three key things every dad should know about their daughter

Last week I was dropping my daughter off for a birthday party. As I was leaving, a man stopped me asking for direction.  He was standing with one of my daughter’s school friends. Immediately recognizing her, I put my hand out and introduced myself, explaining that our daughters sit together at lunch often.  
His reaction was sarcastic as he gave his daughter a sideways glance. I didn’t fully catch what he said, but whatever it was it didn’t honor
his daughter in any way. Looking at her, I could tell this was not abnormal behavior. I’ll be honest: I wanted to punch him.

 It’s challenging to articulate the influence a father has on a little girl—how much of his attitude and actions toward her can determine her future relationships. I remember how much stock I placed in what my dad thought of me. I remember how much I wanted him to be proud of me. To affirm me, To show me my value.

 I remember how he would brag about me on the sidelines of the soccer field. How he would tell me I’m beautiful. How he would hug me so hard I couldn’t breathe. How often he reminded me as a teenager, “Never date a boy you wouldn’t marry.” (What a way to narrow the playing field!)
Dad’s, don’t lose sight of the impact you have today on your daughter’s future.  Here are three things I encourage you to focus on:

1. Affirm Her: She looks to you for affirmation, encouragement and guidance. As she grows through puberty—especially as she grows through puberty—she needs your voice reminding her she is beautiful, valuable and worthy of love. If she can learn to believe you, then she’ll believe her future husband when he tells her the same things.

2. Set the Standard: Be the husband you want her to have one day. Enough said. Is it difficult? Yes. Does it mean sacrifice? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes. I watch my husband daily making changes to be a better husband and dad. He’s amazing. He demonstrates for our daughter the kind of man he wants her to marry one day.

3. Talk about the Standard: Talk about the future. As you “imagine the end” and think about the man you hope she marries, talk about it! Let her know what you expect. Set the bar. She’ll do everything she can to jump over it.

Let me level with you, dad. The more you affirm her today, the less she’ll seek affirmation in some teenage boy later.
By GINA MCCLAIN

ANTI-GAY PASTOR ARRIVES TO PREACH IN NEW ZEALAND(Pastor Adeboye)

A Nigerian pastor known for his controversial views on homosexuality has arrived to preach in Auckland. Petitions have been launched in various countries to keep Enoch Adeboye out, following comments he made linking gay marriage with the end of the human race.

He arrived here in style on a private jet, which he says is part of his job.

"Being a general overseer is a very heavy responsibility," he says. "You have to think of what is the most efficient way you can do this job."

As the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, he visits millions of followers in 174 countries.

A petition tried to stop Mr Adeboye from going to Australia, and there are concerns about his presence here.

 "We've got strong concerns about him coming and him preaching about his view on homophobia," says Rawa Karetai of Rainbow Wellington.

Mr Adeboye has come under fire for his view on same-sex marriage, which he says could endanger humanity and goes against God's will.

"He made man and he made a woman so that they can be together so they can produce children and the human race can continue," he says. "If we disobey that aspect of God's commandment then the human race becomes an endangered species."

 He fears that if there are too many same-sex couples, eventually humans will stop procreating.

"It takes just simple common sense to know that if we stop producing children the human race will be extinct within the next 100 years and definitely God will not want that," he says.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in New Zealand for almost three months, and Rainbow Wellington believes his views are out of touch with modern Kiwis.

 "A minority of people will agree with the pastor's view of marriage, but we think that the majority of New Zealanders accept that being queer is okay and queer marriage is fine as well," says Mr Karetai.

Despite the controversy, Mr Adeboye still attracts a crowd - tomorrow he'll address an assembly of around 2500

Source: 3 NEWS