Prayer for new week

Jesus Christ had to touch the blind man from Bethsaida a second time before the man could see clearly (Mark 8:25). As you start this new week, I pray that God will give you a second touch in any area of your life where you need clarity of vision for direction in Jesus name. Stay blessed.J

Happy New Week from us ASB-World. 

Recipe: BAKED POTATO RECIPES THAT ARE SIMPLY YUMMY

If you love baked potatoes then it is the time to take a new spin on your old recipe. For that take a look at these yummy recipes below:
source:stylishboard.com

Willful Disobedience

TEXT: Ezekiel 22:1-12

Key Verse: “In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 22:12).

A watchful, dutiful mother looked out of the window on the snow covered driveway. She saw her seven year old son Danny sled into the street. She called him into the house and reprimanded him, saying, “I’ve told you never to sled into the street! You will have to stay in the house for the rest of the day!” Throughout the day, Danny heard the laughter of happy neighbourhood children as they romped and sledded on the snow. When the day was almost gone, Danny pleaded, “Can’t I go out now mum?” Mother relented. She bundled him up warmly. As Danny dashed toward the door, mother warned, “Remember what I told you about going into the street, stay in the yard”. These were the last words Danny ever heard his mother speak. Five minutes later Danny was dead. He was crushed by a car when he sledded into the street. Obedience could have saved Danny’s life.

The children of Israel were like this defiant child who eventually strayed into his destruction. Sundry acts of rebellion which include immoral lifestyle, idol worship, shedding of innocent blood, greed and extortion from the less privileged, and catalogue of many other crimes as were mentioned in the text are dangerous to a believer’s spiritual health! The day of forsaking God can be very devastating. Departure from God will lead men into defilement, as the case is in the passage of today.

Israel became a laughing stock because of sin. Unfortunately for them, they ran from security into insecurity. They had no understanding to discern the danger that is imminent. The world is in darkness today because of departure from God’s standard of holiness.

God is gracious however to those who come into His redemption plan through the death and vicarious sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. The solution to the problem of the world is in returning to God sincerely through repentance. The word of God says “If thou will return, return unto me: if thou shalt put away thine abomination out of my sight, then shalt thou not be removed” (Jeremiah 4:1).

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Repentance is the key to restoration.

Stubbornness Kills

TEXT: Deuteronomy 21:18-23

Key Verse: “And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear” (Deuteronomy 21:20,21).

Among the most detestable vices before God are stubbornness and rebellion. In fact, God equates rebellion and stubbornness to witchcraft and idolatry, respectively. Not surprisingly, both are punishable by death in the Old Testament, and in the new dispensation, they lead to eternal separation from God. But these misconducts are so common today, that many people no longer see them as God does.

Whatever our attitude is to stubbornness and rebellion in this age of permissiveness and liberty, God is unrepentant in His disdain for such misconducts. They are so serious that He commanded the Israelites that if a man had a rebellious, disobedient or stubborn son, the onus was on his parents to report him to the authorities. They were to lay out in detail, the offences of their son. They would also inform the elders if their son was a glutton and a drunkard. In other words, that he was disorderly, and therefore, a threat to the rest of the society. His offences confirmed, the elders of the city were to pass the sentence of death on the offending person. The entire people of the city would stone him to death, and in so doing, put away that evil from their community, “and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”

Don’t let anyone deceive you: rebellion and stubbornness are deadly sins. They make you look down on everyone else, including your parents; disregard good counsel; think of yourself more highly than you should; and arrogate to yourself powers that belong to God. When you lead such a disorderly lifestyle, you pose a threat to the orderly functioning of the society. You are therefore, not qualified to continue to inhabit the community of decent, law-abiding, and peaceful persons.

Children who are stubborn to their parents would invariably be shortening their life-span, as they draw on themselves a curse from the Lord. Other persons who rebel against constituted authorities, whether at home, the society or church, would eventually be visited by the long arm of the civil or spiritual laws. Either way, death awaits such offenders. The only option out is to forsake wicked ways, ask the Lord for pardon, and begin a new life of righteousness, submission and humility.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Rebellion puts one on danger list.

Relationsip: 8 Things You’re Doing for Women Other Than Your Wife

"Is it possible that I could be doing certain things for the women I encounter each day, but I'm not

doing them for my wife?"

The short answer is YES, but let's talk more about the reasons why this might be happening.

You don't need to read this article to know that marriage relationships are typically very strong at the beginning. The feeling of fresh love is in the air, the desire for intimacy is strong and the overall feelings from each spouse are mutual.

That's old news for most of us.

But here's where it gets interesting. Here's where the true challenge comes up in marriage. Ready?

Time. As time passes, things happen, stories unfold and the relationship takes its hits. Most couples can expect this, but few know what's actually happening or, worse, how to resolve it.

Here are 3 reasons why men start to take a back seat in their marriage and forget what is most important:

1. Routine. Routines in marriage are going to happen. It's inevitable. But the couples that are aware of it are the ones who have the best chance of survival. As time goes on and routines take more and more shape, it's important to not forget what is important to each spouse and take action in those areas often.

2. Assumptions. We all know the saying about assumptions, so I won't go there, but it does hold true. Newly married couples love to do wonderful things for their spouse, but after a few years, those things tend to fade.

Assumptions are different than routines. An assumption means you know what would be nice to do for your spouse and then assume they don't need it. Or assume that doing it last week was enough. What we need to do is assume that the love tank is always going dry and therefore always needs to be filled up!

3. A rough past. Rough circumstances in a marriage can be the worst effect of all. Routines can be adjusted, assumptions can take place because of a lack of understanding or communication, but a rough past can put a large "STOP" sign in front of any nice gestures to your spouse.

In other words, you know what your spouse needs, but you refuse to give it to them. Too many past issues have come up and too many are unresolved.

All of these scenarios can be resolved, but they can have some major negative effects in the meantime. One of the worst effects is doing things for other women that you won't do for your wife anymore, either by choice or simple neglect.

Because of the issues mentioned above, here are 8 things you might be doing for women other than your wife:

Let me also insert here that doing these things for other women is not wrong, because we should always strive to be respectful to all women. The issue is when you are treating other women better than you are treating your wife. Your wife should be getting this kind of treatment first and foremost.

1. Holding the door open. You may call it old-school or cliche, but holding the door open for your wife will mean a lot to her. Don't just step up when you see a stranger coming or a co-worker in need; make sure your wife gets even better treatment.

2. Thanking them for their help or services. It might be easy to thank the nice woman at the checkout line or even affirm a co-worker for their help, but your wife also needs to know her help is noticed and appreciated! Pay attention to what your wife does for you and speak up in thankfulness more often.

3. Valuing their choices and opinions. You may not always agree with your wife's choices or opinions, but as her husband, you need to take more effort in understanding why she might be making those decisions. Think about some recent conversations with other women. We're you more likely to agree or disagree with them? Be honest.

4. Admiring their beauty. When you are away from your wife, are you able to keep your eyes and heart in check? When you see an attractive woman, are you more likely to look away or look in places that you shouldn't? Those answers are for you, but I want you to consider why you don't look at your wife that way. Why isn't she your standard? Make her your standard of physical and emotional beauty, and you might have an easier time when you're not around her.

5. Thinking before you speak. When I'm at work and I need to approach a woman, I tend to think about my choice of words before I speak. And not only that, but I tend to choose my words more carefully during conversation. Is this the case with your wife? Strive to be a mature husband who thinks before he speaks.

6. Honestly listening. Staying in line with No. 5, listening skills are a must for a great marriage. Think about the last time you were with friends. Were you more likely to be rude and not engage in listening to the conversations? Or were you listening intently so that you would be part of the group. Well, make sure your wife is part of the group. Make sure you are paying attention to her words and responding to them, and not just waiting for your turn to talk.

7. Smiling. Yes, smiling. Around friends or even co-workers, I can find myself keeping a consistent smile on my face. Not to look weird, but to make the other person feel welcomed and comfortable. Do you do this around your wife? Think about keeping a smile on your face the next time you have a regular conversation with her. When she asks why you're smiling, tell her how much you love her!

8. Having fun. If I happen to be in a situation where I start running into the same woman day after day or week after week, I can start to get comfortable with her. Even if I don't know her, it becomes easy to say hi and then add some little jokes here or there. It seems harmless, but it starts to matter if you're doing it for them and not your wife. A good marriage can handle a little bit of joking and teasing (within reason). Have fun with your wife again this week.

Dig deep and make sure you are not treating other women better than your wife. Make sure your wife is getting the attention she needs from you. Take action this week.

Question: Which one of these steps do you need to take action on in your own marriage today?

source: Manturity

Self Appraisal

A little boy went into a drug store, reached for a soda carton and pulled it over to the telephone.

He climbed onto the carton so that he could reach the buttons on the phone and proceeded to punch in seven digits (phone number).

The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation:

Boy : "Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?

Woman : (at the other end of the phone line) "I already have someone to cut my lawn."

Boy : "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price of the person who cuts your lawn now."

Woman : I'm very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting my lawn.

Boy : (with more perseverance) "Lady, I'll even sweep your curb and your sidewalk, so, on Sunday you will have the prettiest lawn in all of Palm beach , Florida ."

Woman : No, thank you.

With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the receiver. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy.

Store Owner : "Son... I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job."

Boy : "No thanks,

Store Owner : But you were really pleading for one.

Boy : No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!"

This is what we call "Self Appraisal"....!!

Reflection:

Self appraisal or evaluation is important at any stage in your life. In today’s world, most organizations use self appraisal for any project and services they have in place.

It is an important part of being committed to lifelong learning – the understanding that you will never complete your learning journey and grab every opportunity to learn new skills.

More and more workplaces now encourage their staff to be committed to lifelong learning, offering learning skills through formal and informal pathways.

Some of the questions you could, for example, ask yourself practically are:

• How much effort did you put into the assignment and how long did it take you?

• Where do you think you did very well and where do you think you could do better?

• What could you do to improve?

• What are the most important things you have learned from the assignment?

Inspirational Quotes by Dr. Myles Munroe (RIP).

• “The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.”

• “Solid character will reflect itself in consistent behavior, while poor character will seek to hide behind deceptive words and actions.”

• “Healthy relationships should always begin at the spiritual and intellectual levels - the levels of purpose, motivation, interests, dreams, and personality.”

• People generally fall into one of three groups: the few who make things happen, the many who watch things happen, and the overwhelming majority who has no notion of what happens. Every person is either a creator of fact or a creature of circumstance. He either puts color into his environment, or, like a chameleon, takes color from his environment.”

• When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable”

• “A wedding is an event, but marriage is a life.”

• We are a sum total of what we have learned from all who have taught us, both great and small.”

• “You must decide if you are going to rob the world or bless it with the rich, valuable, potent, untapped resources locked away within you.”

• The poorest man in the world is a man without a dream.

• The graveyard is the richest place on the surface of the earth because there you will see the books that were not published, ideas that were not harnessed, songs that were not sung, and drama pieces that were never acted.

• Circumstances and crises are God's tools to move you into your purpose and the maximizing of your potential.

• Your ability is your responsibility.

• Blessings are never given solely for the benefit of the one who receives them.

• When you have two totally opposite and separate visions within one home, what you really have is division, which leads to divorce.

• Crises are life's wake up call.

• Retirement is never a concept in the minds of world changer.

• The real you is the work you are born to do.