Suffering For Christ?

TEXT: MATTHEW 10:16-33

Key verse: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22).

The Lord Jesus Christ did not leave His disciples in any doubt about the perils in the way of their service. He repeatedly emphasised that persecutions and tribulations await those who stick-out their necks to testify on His behalf. He, however, provided a consolation for those who endure these harsh treatments: they would be rewarded in time and eternity.

As the Lord sent the disciples out on their first missionary journey, He made them know that the preaching of the good news of the kingdom of God would, of course, attract the indignation of the religious and the hypocrites, whose position would be severely threatened by the simplicity and antithetical message (to their position) of the gospel. Consequently, rebellion would be stirred up against the disciples. They would face rejection from siblings, dragged before the courts and convicted.

The gospel message is a necessary assault against the prevailing unjust and decadent world system. It must, therefore, be expected that the purveyors of the new life would be subjected to the worst forms of indignity, especially by those who benefit largely from the present earthly arrangement. Christians are not to be deterred by such cruel treatments. Indeed, they are to welcome such as underscoring the divine origin of their message.

Perhaps, as you daily serve the Lord, you encounter extremely difficult persecution. Perhaps also, as a result of this, you are contemplating abandoning your duty post to avoid more troubles. The call of God today is that you remain, because the abandonment of the work does not guarantee the cessation of troubles. You indeed run the grave risk of eternal rejection by the Lord, should you make a shipwreck of your ministry. A quitter never wins, while a winner never quits. Stick it out and be persuaded of God’s grace to pull you through.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The cross ultimately midwives the crown.

GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU HIS BEST

 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13

None of us wants to miss the blessings God has planned for us. If asked, we would say we want to receive every one of the gifts He desires to give us. However, because of the choices we make, we often miss our blessings.

Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years because they chose not to enter the Promised Land.

Though the Israelites were on the brink of tremendous blessing, the leaders forfeited the outpouring of God's goodness, not only for themselves but for the whole nation. (Numbers 13-14)

The Christian life is one of surrender and obedience, not independence and rebellion. To live such a life means bringing our choices to God and being prepared to accept His answers.

Remember, His way is always best because it comes out of the goodness of His character. To choose God's best also requires learning how to listen to Him.

Too many times, we present our requests and leave before giving God time to answer us. Part of listening is expecting God to speak from His Spirit to ours.

Although not audible, His communication can seem even louder than a voice. Having God's best starts with seeking God's way.

Prayer: Lord, help me surrender to Your will so that Your prosperity may come to me.

Scriptural Reading: Jeremiah 29:10-13

Raw ONION On Bottom Of The Feet To Take Away Illness

''During the night, I started feeling good. I mean really good! I felt tingly, like my blood was being cleansed (it was). It was so cool!
My bedroom smells like a casserole, but it was totally worth it!
*Here is the deal:
So last night Evan (11) was keeping everyone awake with his cough. I got up, went to the kitchen and sliced a purple, make me cry onion, at 3am. I got some snug socks and put it on the bottom of his feet. To boost my own immunity, I decided to try this too. During the rest of the night, I started feeling good. I mean really good! I felt tingly, like my blood was being cleansed. It was so cool!

This works in 2 ways.
1.) Onions are known to absorb toxins. In fact, during the days of the Plague in England, folks would keep chopped onions around to absorb toxins and clean the air. This helped protect them, against getting the plague.

NEVER SAVE AN ONION. It will absorb all the toxins in the air of your refrigerator. Eat that and you eat the toxins. Instead: Chop your left over onion, put it on a plate and keep it in your kitchen as a natural air purifier. I do this all the time! If someone is ill, place a chopped onion on the night stand, next to the bed. They'll be better in the morning. I placed the remaining onion, next to Evan last night.

Onions are toxin absorbers. Thus why they are great internal mops for the body. Eat plenty of onions!

2.) The onion and garlic families are anti-microbial and anti-bacterial. Placing them on the bottom of the foot gives them access to your internal organs through meridians in your body. The onion can be directly delivered. Transdermal delivery (on the skin) is one of the best delivery mechanisms, as it will bypass the stomach acids and go directly into the blood. The bottom of the feet and the forearm are great places to put high powered foods and essential oils into the body. Sliced garlic on the bottom of the feet will work nicely too.''
Source: healthdigeZt.com

Chocolate Stout Cake

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed soft pitted prunes (6 oz), chopped
3 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened or extra-bitter), chopped
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Garnish: confectioners sugar

Special equipment: an 8- by 3-inch ovenproof ring mold or a 6-cup-capacity bundt pan

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly brush ring pan with melted butter and chill 2 minutes, then butter again and chill while making batter.

2. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and remaining stick butter together in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

3. Beat together eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick, about 2 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in prune mixture until combined well. Spoon batter into ring mold and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into middle of cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

4. Cool cake in mold on a rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

Source:yahoo.com

"THE BRIDGE IS OUT! THE BRIDGE IS OUT!"

"THE BRIDGE IS OUT! THE BRIDGE IS OUT!" A preacher was driving home one night with his wife and two daughters in the car. It was raining and dark and because of the intensity of the rain he could hardly see past his headlights. On the way he had to drive over a huge bridge. There were signs posted all along the bridge that said "DO NOT PICK HITCH-HIKERS." There was an institute for the criminally insane near the base of the bridge and sometimes people would escape from it and try to hitch a ride.

On this particular night, as he turned his car on to the bridge, he had to drive exceptionally slow because he could hardly see the road. Somewhere near the top of the bridge a man suddenly appeared in the headlights. He was soaked, standing in the middle of the road with his shirt off frantically waving it over his head and screaming.
This preacher's wife began to say, "Oh please don't stop, try to drive around him!" But the man was unavoidable and there was nowhere for the car to go to miss him. So he had to stop the car and as soon as he did, the man slapped his hand down on the hood of the car and was screaming at the top of his lungs.
The preacher looked over at his wife and said to lock the door after him and not to unlock it until he returned. His family was now crying and pleading with him not to get out of the car. He opened the door and stepped outside...He was immediately soaked from the rain. As he approached the front of the car to grab the man, all of a sudden he could make out what the man was screaming, "THE BRIDGE IS OUT! THE BRIDGE IS OUT! A BUS LOAD OF KIDS JUST WENT OVER!" As these words registered in the pastor's mind, he looked back in the car at his wife and two daughters. He wrapped his arm around the man and wept in gratitude. The preacher stood there with the man for the next half-hour in the middle of the road, waving his jacket above his head screaming."THE BRIDGE IS OUT! THE BRIDGE IS OUT!"
For a lost and a dying world, "THE BRIDGE IS OUT!"
For a people heading to a Christless Eternity. "THE BRIDGE IS OUT!"
where are the men and the women who will stand in the middle of the road and forbid people to perish ?
HELL HAS OPENED IT'S MOUTH WIDE AND MANY ARE SPEEDING INTO IT
Where are those who will stand in the gap,
on the streets,
the highways and the byways
to forbid multitudes with the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST from going to such a horrible place ?
SPREAD THE GOSPEL
Lovely Thoughts For Lovely
People Just Like You.
Always Remember
JESUS Loves You . .....
Share this message to all your friends, both Saved and unsaved !
GOD BLESS YOU !

By Utomwen Isaac.

This Is What Happens In Your Body When You Drink a Coke

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? Because it gets you high. They removed the cocaine almost 100 years ago. Why? It was redundant.

In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor, allowing you to keep it down.
20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (And there’s plenty of that at this particular moment.)
40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate; your blood pressure rises; as a response, your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked, preventing drowsiness.
45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production, stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
60 minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium, and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolytes, and water.
60 minutes: As the rave inside you dies down, you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, evacuated all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like hydrating your system, or building strong bones and teeth.

If you can’t completely remove soft drinks from your diet then make sure you drink it in moderation. And if you’re trying to get your kids off this stuff, have them try this cool experiment.
Source: dailyhealthpost.com

HIS JOY IS YOUR STRENGTH

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. Psalm 63:5

When your alarm clock goes off in the morning, do you wish you could just stay in bed? Do your struggles and responsibilities weigh you down with frustration, boredom or hopelessness?

If these sentiments describe the way you feel about life, then you are not enjoying the fullness of life that Christ offers.

He is not only our Saviour but also our burden-bearer. God wants you to have a much better life - one that you enjoy!

Here's how you can put some joy into your life: Notice God's gifts, and thank Him for them. Make it a daily practice to thank God for each new day when you wake up from bed.

Throughout the day, keep your mind on the good things in your life for which you're grateful.

Don't forget to acknowledge basic blessings, such as your ability to breathe, eat or smile. Turn your worries into prayers.

Whenever a worry enters your mind, find a promise of God that responds to it and turn it into a pray point.

Know that worry can't accomplish anything good, but faith in the Lord has great power, since nothing is impossible with God.

Be specific as you share your concerns with God, and trust Him to answer your prayers in the right way at the right time.

Look for fulfilment in the right place. Stop looking for true and lasting satisfaction in the wrong places, such as through your work, personal pleasure, or accumulation of knowledge or material possessions.

Realize that only God can provide the fulfilment you seek. Make a strong relationship with Him your top priority. Look forward with great anticipation toward the coming of the Lord.

The greatest source of joy for the believer is the hope of the glory of God.

Prayer: Lord, I celebrate Your goodness in my life and thank You for Your mercies.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 63:1-11