Power In The Word

TEXT: JEREMIAH 23:23-32

KEY VERSE: “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29).

An Indian found a tract that dwelt on salvation through Jesus Christ. It spoke of the endless eternity of woe that awaited those who neglect the message. The Indian took the paper to the toilet; but as he read it, he could no longer use it to clean himself. He took the tract home and at the end of the day, God used the message in it to save him and his household. Eventually they established a couple of Bible-believing churches in India.

The bane of the success and achievement of the disloyal prophets in our text is their refusal to acknowledge the potency of the word of God. They ignored the word of God and instead fed the people with lies and dreams that originate from their rebellious minds: they effectively used their lies and false dreams to divert the hearts of their hearers away from God (verses 26,27).

We should avoid the danger of falling into the same trap today. There are many preachers today who have relegated the word of God to the background. They, instead, elevated dreams, prophecies and other unscriptural practices in their preaching. No wonder then that there are many churches but righteousness and holy living is fading out in an alarming rate. No assembly can be favoured by God when the word of God is not given the right place. The hardened heart of sinners can only be broken by the power of the word.

God wants us to embrace the “wheat” of the word of God and reject the “chaff” (dreams and visions) of modern day pleasure-seeking preachers. The power to deliver from sin and to keep us rapturable can only be found where the word of God is faithfully preached and lived out.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is sovereign power in God’s word.

This Woman Had Her Face Photoshopped In Over 25 Countries To Examine Global Beauty Standards

Esther Honig, a freelance journalist based out of Kansas City, sent an unaltered photograph of herself to more than 40 Photoshop aficionados around the world. “Make me beautiful,” she said, hoping to bring to light how standards of beauty differ across various cultures.

The project, titled Before & After, originally came to Honig while she was working as a social media manager for a small startup. Her boss introduced her to Fiverr, an international freelancing website where anyone can hire freelancers from around the globe to complete almost any task imaginable. While browsing the site, Honig realized the prevalence of those offering Photoshop skills. “It immediately occurred to me that in this pool of workers, each individual likely had an aesthetic preference particular to their own culture,” Honig told BuzzFeed. Thus, the idea for Before & After was born.

Working with freelancers in over 25 countries, Honig expected that the images would differ from country to country, but was herself caught off guard by just how drastically some of the images were altered. “Seeing some jobs for the first time made me shriek… Other times images, like the one from Morocco, took my breath away because they were far more insightful than I could have expected,” Honig said.

To be sure, the images Honig has collected so far are interesting as individual images, a unique portrait of the standards of beauty in each country. However, when taken in totality, the project becomes much more striking, an interesting launching point into a global conversation about unattainable beauty standards around the world. “What I’ve learned from the project is this: Photoshop [may] allow us to achieve our unobtainable standards of beauty, but when we compare those standards on a global scale, achieving the ideal remains all the more illusive.”

Below are the photographs that Honig has collected thus far. Note: Some countries have multiple images from different artists. Honig continues her project on her website.

Source; www.buzzfeed.com

YOU ARE SO SPECIAL

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1

What you believe about yourself your self-esteem, your sense f value, your sense of worth sets the limits for your life. 
We can see ourselves from different points of view.

• We can see ourselves as the world sees us: this makes us slaves of other people.

• We can see ourselves as we see ourselves: this can make us either arrogant or timid.

• We can see ourselves the way God sees us: this frees us to be the best we can be. When we see ourselves the way God sees us, it enables us to live our lives the way God created us to be.

The problem that many people have today is they don't really even like themselves. They constantly focus on their faults and shortcomings and then wonder why they don't enjoy life or have any enthusiasm or why their relationships aren't working.

Understand that you cannot be negative toward yourself and expect to live a positive, faith-filled life.

In order to love yourself so that you can love others, you first of all accept that God loves you unconditionally. That thought will liberate you from any sense of inferiority or arrogance.

It focuses your identity on God and not on what you have or do not have. If you'll get your thinking corrected and start thinking like a beloved child of the Most High God, who is crowned with favour, you'll be amazed at what will happen.

You will rise from the life of a loser to the life of a winner in Christ. When you allow thoughts of acceptance and love fill your heart and mind, it will spill over onto the people around you.

As you live and love the way God intends, you will find peace, joy, and victory.

Prayer: Thank You Heavenly Father, for loving me without reservation.

Scriptural Reading: 1 John 3:1-3

Haters are not outside, Enemies are not strangers!

Haters are not outside, enemies are not strangers. This is a post I read somewhere on facebook. We naturally have two sets of people, those that believe everybody is the enemy and those who believe otherwise. Each believes the other set is too extreme. Today's passage is about an enemy who was not a stranger, who was In-fact a blood relative, a son, a most loved son!
2 Sam 15 : 1-6.
Absalom didn't just create an uprising against his dad, he planned it for years. He strategized and worked towards his goal. All through what was to bring the a-shame, disgrace, defeat, death of his dad, David remained ignorant of the plan that was sure to end him I'm sure many can identify with this.
 I know when your trusted confidants are the ones plotting against you and you remain in their midst unaware. There is nothing we can do to eliminate such people from around us totally, as the bible says the heart of man is desperately wicked, and there is a saying in literature that says there is no art that knows the heart of man. How then do we keep safe in the light of this? David had an informant, even among the plenty people that decamped to Absalom's side. Who is your informant? 

Who tells you of secret things to come? Who do you depend on in the camp of the enemy to let you in on plans against you?vs 13. David developed a strategy immediately, the strategy was to remove himself to a safe place together with his household which included his servants, i.e protection of life was urgent. What happens to you in time of trouble? Do you fall apart? Weep endlessly? Complain to people who've got no solution? Or take immediate action to protect yourself and your household. He personally monitored those who crossed over to safety with him
 vs 19-22. He placed people in strategic places to ensure he was kept up to date with the activities of his enemy. He prayed, he placed a mole in the camp of the enemy. Who is your mole? All those who remained faithful to David Sid not start being faithful that day of trouble, he had earned their loyalty over time before then. What is your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Would you just call on him out of the blues on the day of trouble? Would you even understand how he speaks when you've not accustomed yourself to hearing? David refused to be distracted by opposition on his way to safety, he still hoped in God, he never lost hope, even though he was removing himself from danger. His prayer became answered, Ahitophel's counsel was turned into foolishness and God gave David victory. What happens to you when it seems the gates have been opened to your oppositions? Stop weeping, take action, prayerfully bring yourself to safety, don't loose hope in God, you will win this battle.
By Dunni

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: THE VALUE OF TIME

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400.

It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.
What would you do?

Draw out every cent, of course!!

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you.

Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.

There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow”. You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success!

The clock is running. Make the most of today.

To realize the value of one year, ask a student who has failed his final exam.

To realize the value of one month, ask the parent of a premature baby.

To realize the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of one day, ask a daily wage laborer who has a large family to feed.

To realize the value of one hour, ask lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of one minute, ask a person who has missed the train, the bus, or a plane.

To realize the value of one second, ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of one millisecond, ask the person who has won a silver medal at the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.

VALUE YOUR TIME!!!

"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)"

This is dedicated to anyone going through one storms/problems or the other listen to this song specially the lyrics and be bless. see the video below:




"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)"

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

[6x]
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

THE JOY OF THE LORD

And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 1 John 1:4 

It is tragic to go through life with a stone face.

The enemy has convinced too many into thinking that they need to be always sombre and serious in order to be a Christian. Don't fall for that trick.

God wants you to be joyful and happy.
In fact, He prescribes laughter as a medicine for our souls. "The joy of the Lord is our strength." It is God's great prescription for living a long, healthy, and happy life.

Recent studies have shown that a joyful disposition boosts the body's immune system, reduces stress, reduces the risk of heart attack, and even acts as a natural tranquilizer. Those are health benefits everyone needs.

The "medicine" of laughter is within everyone, but you may need to start taking it before it works in your life.

It is important to note that the joy of the Lord is not simply bursting into laughter because you heard a funny joke. Neither is it a fake pretense at being happy or giggling senselessly.

The joy of the Lord has a spiritual source. It is produced by the Holy Spirit and is produced from within our hearts by Him.

Because it is supernatural in nature, it cannot be controlled by our circumstances.

Four factors influence our joy:

• Our salvation. We are joyful because our sins are forgiven, and our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

• Our security. We are joyful because we know that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We are safe in Him.

• Our service. We are joyful because we allow the Holy Spirit to use us to touch other people's lives. Our lives are useful.

Most importantly, we are joyful because of our earnest expectation of the glory of God when Jesus Christ comes.

Prayer: Joyful, joyful we adore You Lord of glory, Lord of love.

Scriptural Reading: 1 John 1:1-4