Prayer for new week

This month, God will level every mountain of opposition. He will fight your battles and give you rest round about. Expect unusual open doors. Expect victory on every side. It is your month of supernatural triumph in Jesus name. 

You will encounter love that's genuine, true and pure, even if you have been hated, you will become everyone's delight. Your expectations for greatness shall come in double portion. 

Happy New Week from us ASB-World. 

Relationship: 7 Lies the Enemy Tries to Sell You About Marriage

I've come to realize that there are a lot of lies out there about marriage that people are not only believing, but also are embracing.

Here are 7 lies about marriage:

Lie No. 1: Marriage is a contract. If we accept this lie, we think that marriage is a mere transaction. That it's an "I'll do this, only if you do that" kind of relationship. And, "If you don't do that, I'm terminating the contract."

I have shared previously that "Marriage was never meant to be a contract to be broken, but a covenant to be cherished.  [There] is the clear difference between a covenant and a contract ... In a nutshell, a contract is all about what you get. A covenant is all about what you give."

Lie No. 2: Marriage is an outdated institution. If we accept this lie, we are saying that this God-ordained institution established since the beginning of mankind and intended to last while mankind is on this earth can be set aside and disregarded by the whim of man. The institution of marriage may be under attack, but it is still unchanging.

Lie No. 3: Marriage is a 50-50 partnership. If we accept this lie, we excuse ourselves from putting our 100 percent into the relationship. We will constantly be comparing our efforts against our spouses and questioning who does more in the relationship. In such a scenario, husbands and wives may even find themselves keeping a marital scorecard of who spends more, disciplines more, does the dishes more, cleans more or works more. Marriage is a 100 percent-100 percent, give it all you've got relationship.

Lie No. 4: Marriage will end the battle with lust. If we accept this lie, we set ourselves up for disappointment and failure. Most struggles we bring into a marriage are not solved by marriage, but rather in marriage.

Lie No. 5: Marriage will fix my problems and make me happy. If we accept this lie, we put unrealistic pressure on our spouse to fulfill us and take care of all our problems. Marriage should bring happiness and satisfaction. Spouses can help one another to work through issues, but our spouse can never be the be-all and end-all of our lives. Only God can.

Lie No. 6: Marriage is about what I can get from my spouse. If we accept this lie, we will crush our spouse with our selfishness. When our marriage is focused on giving, instead of getting, it's more rewarding and enriching. Love is all about giving.

Lie No. 7: Marriage shouldn't be hard work. If we accept this lie, we misunderstand the true nature of man and marriage. Because we humans are inherently selfish, husbands and wives must constantly work against that nature and seek to give to rather than to get from their spouse.

Donald Trump once said about working on a marriage: "Well if you have to work at it then maybe it's not worth having. I have to work at everything else in my life. I have to work at my work. I just think a marriage should be easy, not hard."

Actually, we do have to work at marriage, and it is worth having. Like most other things in life, when we really work on our marriage, it only gets better and better.

What are other lies about marriage? Have you ever believed any of the above lies?

Mark Merrill

ARE YOU A DISCIPLE?

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. - Luke 14:33

Are you a disciple? Just because you are a Christian doesn't necessarily mean that you are a disciple.

Every disciple is a believer, but not every believer is a disciple. Jesus gave us the definition of a disciple in Luke 14.

Three times in this passage, He said that if we do not do these things, we cannot be His disciples.

First, Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple" (verse 26).

A statement like that is shocking, but let's understand what Jesus was saying. He obviously was not telling us to hate in the traditional sense.

Rather, Jesus was saying that your love for God should be so strong, so intense, that all other loves would pale in comparison.
Second, Jesus said, "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (verse 27).

If you want to live life to its fullest, then you must deny yourself and put Christ first. You take your goals, desires, dreams, and aspirations, and you present them to God. And ultimately you will discover that God's plans for you are always the best.

Last, Jesus said, "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it? . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple" (verses 28, 33).

You must count the cost to follow Jesus. Yes, it costs to follow Jesus. But it costs more not to follow Him. Jesus called us to go and make disciples. But it takes one to make one.

Prayer: Lord, make me a true disciple.

Scriptural Reading: Luke 14:25-35

Happy New Month and Workers' Day

Happy new month of May, this month of may will bring to you and family favour and grace, the hand of God will be upon you.

Happy new month and workers' day

THROUGH THE FIRE

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. - Isaiah 43:2

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three Jewish teenagers who walked with God in the midst of a godless society.

When King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and carried away captives to Babylon, he singled out Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for royal service.

The king was grooming them to be leaders in the kingdom of Babylon, and they were being schooled in all the ways of that twisted, idolatrous culture.

One day, Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden statue of himself and commanded everyone in his kingdom to bow down before it and worship.

The penalty for disregarding the king's order was death. So all of the people obediently fell before this image — except for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

The outraged king called them into his presence and gave them one more chance to bow down. But they told him, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty" (Daniel 3:17).

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tied up and thrown into the furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual, as ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar.

But as the king watched, he saw not three but four men in the furnace, free and walking around. King Nebuchadnezzar saw the Son of God walking with them through the fire. And Jesus will walk with you through your fire.

He will walk with you through your hardships. We are never alone in life. That is the message from Genesis to Revelation. He has said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt 28:20).

Prayer: Thank You Lord, for Your assurance never to leave me nor forsake me.

Scriptural Reading: Isaiah 43:1-5

Way to nourish your body's vital gland

Living Foods. They're foods that are alive raw (not cooked) and filled with life. They're also called raw foods or live foods.

You can plant them, pick them, sprout them or simply eat them. In each case you get life! That's because life comes from life. These foods are your "true north," your path home to health in a jungle of dietary havoc, contaminated food and abounding confusion about what and how to eat.

Good health is the result of consuming whole, unprocessed, clean food with a large percentage of that being raw and alive. These foods are chock-full of nutrients, water and fiber that flush away toxins, waste and "sludge" from our cells and intercellular fluids.

They help us prevent disease. They alkalize our bodies and help us restore our pH balance. And they give our cells vital light rays of energy to help them communicate more effectively.

Since your thyroid is a key gland that's tied to every other system in your body, it needs to work flawlessly. When it's out of balance, you're out of balance. If you have a number of the symptoms of low thyroid, chances are that you could benefit by working on your thyroid health by eating more living foods.

Some foods boost thyroid function, which makes them perfect for treating hypothyroidism, while others suppress thyroid function, which can help people with hyperthyroidism. And there are certain foods that are best avoided by anyone who is concerned about having a healthy thyroid gland and overall good health.

The following raw foods are among the most helpful for restoring thyroid balance whether you have an underactive or overactive thyroid:

• Fresh raw vegetable juices
• Low-sugar fruit, especially lemons, limes, cranberries and other berries, and green apples
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Seaweed for its rich iodine content (for hypothyroid)
• Chlorophyll-rich green juices such as watercress, collards, chard, kale, kohlrabi

Leaves, beet greens and parsley (vary the cruciferous greens with other non-cruciferous greens, such as lettuce, beet greens, watercress and spinach, if you have hypothyroidism)

source: charismamag.com

BEWARE OF WRONG MOTIVES

But Peter replied, "May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God." - Acts 8:20-21

In the book of Acts, we read about a man named Simon, who was a sorcerer, an occultist. He had a lot of people under his influence when the apostle Philip came along, preaching the gospel in Samaria.

As people were coming to faith and miracles were being performed, Simon realized that he had to change his racket.

So we read in Acts 8:13 that Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip everywhere and was astonished by the great miracles he saw.

When the apostles heard what was happening in Samaria, they sent Peter and John there. And so Simon approached the apostles and offered them money because he saw God's power working through them and wanted to buy it.

But Peter told him, "May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.

Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin" (Acts 8:20-23).

Simon showed by his actions that he never was a believer. Yes, he was baptized. (And if you are a Christian, you ought to be baptized.) But just because someone is baptized doesn't necessarily mean he or she is a Christian.

This shows us that people can be in a godly place, around godly people, and not have it affect them in the right way.

As it has been said, the same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay. The grace of Jesus Christ, if it does not convert a person, plunges him or her into deeper darkness.

The purpose of our Christian call is not for grabbing material possessions but service to the Kingdom of God. So check your motives!

Prayer: Lord, create in me a clean heart.

Scriptural Reading: Acts 8:20-9-25