GO TO SLEEP!

I have been studying Acts chapter 12 for a while now and God has taught me great lessons, part of which I would love to share with my sisters today.
“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night, Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers, and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by Him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands” – Acts 12:6-7

The above scriptures gives an insight into the situation of Apostle Peter who was on death row, he had just few hours more to live and there was no way of escape. 
Hummm……..A man on death row, chained between two well-armed soldiers and yet he could sleep? Imagine the pains from previous beatings, how was he able to sleep in such a miserable and helpless situation? 
Sometimes the situations of our lives keeps us in captivity, chained and limited, you can’t show up where your friends are, you are kept away from your in-laws, relations and even from social gatherings because you have unpleasant story that you cannot share. Your situation shuts your mouth and you cannot sing the Lord’s song because you consider yourself to be in a strange land (Psa. 137:1-4).
Peter could sleep in the midst of his challenges because he knew the one in charge of his life was not sleeping. The God that watches over you does not sleep nor slumber and that is why He said “be still and know that I am God” (Psa. 46:10).
Sleeping in the midst of storm is not a sign of weakness or hopelessness, it is a demonstration of trust in God. Peter had peace because his heart was fixed on God. Is your heart fixed on God?
Isaiah 26:3……”You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (NKJV)

As you relax and allow God to step into your situation, you will come out triumphantly before you know it. Peter suddenly came to himself (Acts 12:11), meaning he was not really aware God had brought him out until he got to the city. God did not only deliver him from the soldiers, he was also freed from the prison; that is victory without a fight! God’s time to help is usually when the situation is extreme so that His name will be honored.

Are you having sleepless nights over that issue? ……..Go to sleep!
Are you losing your appetite already? …………………Go get some food!
Are you feeling intimidated? …………………………..Get out of that!
Is God doing anything at all? .......................................... Yes He is!

God is bringing you out today as you rest in Him. Angels will attend to you as you “Go to sleep”! 
Sisters, God does not sleep nor slumber, remember, when you are down to nothing, God is up to something. By sis Ibidun.

Prayer for new week

For someone reading this, I decree that every evil plan of the enemies against your life and that of your family members shall return back to the sender in Jesus name! It will backfire and boomerang. Again, anyone who dares to plan your downfall and death shall be exposed and disgraced in Jesus name.

The Almighty God will fill every emptiness in your life with overflowing blessings. You shall no longer live in fear of the unknown. God is preparing you to replace some people who are at the helms of affairs in this nation. From a servant, you will become a master. God will restore hope to you. What appears hopeless shall soon get tremendous solutions. Instead of being harmed, you will enjoy divine protection and open heavens in Jesus mighty name.J

Happy New Week from us ASB-World.

DELAY IS NEVER DENIAL!

Have you been hoping for a change of story?

Has a particular issue consistently made it to your yearly prayer requests?

Have you been believing God for a promotion or progress in your career and it seems like it will never happen?

Have you been praying for a life partner and all relationships keep coming to an abrupt end?

Have you been waiting for the fruit of the womb and it seems barrenness has found a footing in your home?

I have good news for you. A delay in your testimony does not deny that there will ever be a testimony.

One thing I have discovered about this our great God is when it seems as if He is delaying, be rest assured He is coming in a big way.

Let us look at some scenarios that He came in a big way in the Bible:

In the case of Abraham and Sarah - we were not told how long they had been married but childbearing was very delayed, it was so delayed that they had both given up hope of ever having a child of their own. Sarah had reached menopause but when God came, it was in a big way. They didn't just have a son but a son of promise. Today, we refer to God as the God of ISAAC (Genesis 18:10-15; 21:1-6)

Joseph had several dreams and instead of situations to work towards the fulfillment of the dreams, it was as if it will never be but after the delay, he ended up a prime minister in a foreign land (Genesis 37:5-10; 39,40; 41:1-44)

The woman with the issue of the blood, she had hoped and sought for her healing. We were even told she had spent all her money. The healing that was delayed for 12 years located her and we read about her story today in the Bible (Luke 8:43-48)

The story of Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, they told Jesus as soon as Lazarus took ill but we were told that Jesus stayed back. They thought that Jesus' delay has denied them of ever seeing their brother again but on the contrary they received their brother back alive after 4 whole days in the grave (John 11:1-45)

The man at the pool of Bethesda hoped for his healing but each day seems as though he would never be healed because he had no one to help him to the pool on time but after 38 years of delay, the healing that seemed denied came. As a matter of importance, He was the only one healed out of the many that were sick there ( John 5:2-9)

By now, I expect your faith to come alive, don't close that case yet, it may seem as if God has forgotten you and you may have even written that issue off, I am led to tell you today that our dependable and reliable God is coming in a big way for you.

If you are sick or challenged in your health, you will not only be healed but you will be made whole.

You are believing God for a husband, you will not just be married but be joyfully married.

You are believing God for a child, my God will give you double for your trouble and shame.

Tell yourself, though it tarries, I will wait for it because my God will come through for me in a big way in Jesus' Name, Amen! 

by sis onome

A Boy tied to bus stop highlights struggle for disabled Read!

Mumbai (AFP) - The nine-year-old boy dressed in blue lay listlessly on the pavement in the scorching Mumbai summer afternoon, his ankle tethered with rope to a bus stop, unheeded by pedestrians strolling past.

Lakhan Kale cannot hear or speak and suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, so his grandmother and carer tied him up to keep him safe while she went to work, selling toys and flower garlands on the city's roadsides.

"What else can I do? He can't talk, so how will he tell anyone if he gets lost?" said homeless Sakhubai Kale, 66, who raised Lakhan on the street by the bus stop shaded by the hanging roots of a banyan tree.

Lakhan's father died several years ago and his mother walked out on the family, his grandmother told AFP.

A photograph of him tied up appeared in a local newspaper this week, sparking concerns among charities and the police, and he has since been taken into care at a government-run institution.

But activists say his plight on the streets comes as little surprise in India, where those with disabilities face daily stigma and discrimination and a lack of facilities to assist them.

Kale said Lakhan "tends to wander off" and that there was no one else to stop him walking into traffic while she and her 12-year-old granddaughter, Rekha, were out making a living.

At night she would tie him to her own leg as they slept on the pavement so she would know if he tried to walk away.

"I am a single old woman. Nobody paid attention to me until the newspaper report," she said.

"He was in a special school, but they sent him back."

Social worker Meena Mutha has since managed to place Lakhan in a state-run south Mumbai home, which takes in a range of needy children from the disabled to the destitute.

"Residental homes are very, very few. There's a major need for the government to do something, a social responsibility to provide residential centres for children like Lakhan," said Mutha, a trustee at the Manav Foundation helping people with mental illness.

She said government-run centres that put together children with different needs did not always have the range of facilities required.

"They don't have the infrastructure, the staff," said Mutha. Conversely, non-government organisations "have expertise, but not the space," she said, highlighting the squeeze on land in the densely-packed city.

Across India, the 40 to 60 million people with disabilities often face similar struggles to get the help they need, activists say.

"There's no collective responsibility. You have a disabled child, you look after it," said Varsha Hooja, chief executive at ADAPT, another charity working with disabled young adults and children.

- No state support -

Hooja said she had seen other cases of parents locking up children with disabilities while they go to work.

"The state gives no support," she said.

A long-awaited bill was introduced into the Indian parliament in February aiming to give disabled people equal rights -- including access to education, employment and legal redress against discrimination -- but it has yet to be passed.

Lawyer Rajive Raturi was on the committee that began drafting the bill five years ago, and said the Congress party-led government which has just lost power had pushed through a "complete dilution" of the original, especially on sections regarding women and children with disabilities.

Raturi, who handles disability cases at the Human Rights Law Network, said he hoped the new parliament elected this month, dominated by incoming prime minister Narendra Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, would "listen to the stakeholders and then make a decision".

"We can't change attitudes with an act but if the bill has the right provisions, people will think twice," he said.

Back by the Mumbai bus stop, Kale squatted on the pavement drinking chai and eating bread on the morning after bidding a tearful goodbye to her grandson.

She was hopeful she would get to see him regularly once she acquired an official identity card that would allow her to visit the centre.

"I am very happy," she said. "What else would I want other than for him to be looked after?"

source:news.yahoo.com

EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2

It is clear from scripture that some Christians today don't have God's provision, healing, or blessing in their lives because they have not asked for it.

That is not to say that God will give us everything we ask for. Yes, sometimes what we ask for at a particular time may not be what the Lord wants us to have.

However, the Bible says, "You do not have because you do not ask". As the old hymn says, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saints upon their knees."

The devil doesn't want you to pray. He will do everything he can to keep you from it, because he is afraid of the power that can be exercised through prayer.

He whispers, "Don't pray. Try this. Try that. You are not worthy to pray. God won't hear your prayers." He will do anything to keep you from approaching the throne of God.

Some Christians pray only as a last resort, when everything else fails, after they've called all their friends and all their relatives.

When no one can help them, they say, "What else can I do? All I can do now is pray."

Prayer should not be a last resort. It should be the first thing we do. Prayer is a privilege that is given to the child of God. God wants to hear from you today.

He wants to intervene in your life and turn around that negative situation. So pray with fervour. Pray with energy. Pray continually.
He hears and He will come to your aid.

Prayer: Father, I will call upon You always because You hear me always and do great and mighty things for me.

Scriptural Reading: James 4:1-6

Try this dessert: Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Sandwich

Ingredients

·  1/2 cup brown sugar

·  1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

·  1 cup mascarpone cheese

·  1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced

·  10 slices pound cake or challah bread

·  cherries (to skewer)

Preparations:

Combine butter, brown sugar and pineapple juice in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 2 minutes. Reserve half for brushing on fresh pineapple. Mix the other half into mascarpone cheese.

Heat grill to medium heat. Place pineapple rings on grill. Grill both sides for 1 minute each or until warmed through, then brush with brown sugar mixture. Grill quickly on each side. Clean grill, then quickly grill cake. Brush each piece with sweetened mascarpone and place grilled pineapple in the middle.

Top with a cherry skewer to serve.

By The Chew's site.

Wife Must Submit, and So Must the Husband! Read

In marriage, God requires us to submit to Him first and then to each other. For those whom this truth

irritates, this post is specifically for you. Now that I have your attention, let's ask some questions.

In the many marriage conferences I have attended over the last few years, I always hear about the longstanding debate where the wife must submit to her husband. This, of course, always brings up some tension, mainly among the ladies in the crowd. The men nod their heads, of course, but are quickly sustained. 

I also hear a lot of confusion on this topic with couples who are struggling in their marriage. Typically, the husband is trying to drive home the point that she must submit to him, not even knowing where it's written or how to actually define it, and the wife will naturally fight against his wishes, she, again, not knowing the rules on submission or love. So what are the rules?

What Does the Dictionary Say?

• Submit: "to give over or yield to the power or authority of another"
• Love: "a profoundly tender and passionate affection for another person"
• Respect: "to hold in esteem or honor"

These definitions sound like the type of relationship we all need to have with Jesus. Agreed? Now, what about our marriages?

What does the Bible say about submission and love?

The standard for this information can be found in Ephesians 5:21-33. The big verse that stands out for wives and submission is verse 22: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord." The next big verse that stands out is verse 24, which says, "Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."

The big verse that stands out for the husbands and love is verse 25: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her." The next big one is verse 28: "In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."

These verses bring up the exact points that wives are to submit to their husbands and husbands are to love their wives. Note that their is no hierarchy mentioned here in these verses. There are different roles mentioned, but they are equal. This might be the key point.

To put these verses in a better perspective, I made this infographic below to help you understand those Scriptures. Review the graphic and then review your marriage and relationship with Jesus. What are you waiting for?

 

The infographic helped me understand the connections between our roles in marriage and our roles in our relationship with Jesus. All at the same level, the wife must submit to her husband just as the church submits to Jesus, and the husband must love his wife just as Jesus loves the church. Do you agree with this graphic? Expand on your thoughts in the comments.

Is that it? Are husbands exempt from any form of submission?

Absolutely not. In fact, if you read all of the verses in the Ephesians passage above you, would see that the first verse says, "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Another hot verse on submission can be found in James 4:7, which reads, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

These verses make it clear that both men and women, married or not, must learn how to submit to God. If you take the initiative to be submissive to God and understand what it means, you will be able to better apply the principles in your own relationship or marriage. Starting to make sense?

So, what is the bottom line? It's simple: Both spouses must learn the details on submission and love. Jesus sets the example for us in the Scriptures, and you must learn to live them out in your own marriage.

In the case of submission, yes, the wives must learn how to submit to their husbands according to the Scripture. But in the same sense and on the same level, husbands must learn how to love their wives according to the Scripture.

If you are personally living out the principles in your walk with Jesus, it will be much easier to live out these principles in your own marriage. As we are all the body of Christ, we are all one flesh. As a married couple, we are and have become one flesh.

So, here's your challenge:

• Husbands, ask your wife today how you can love her better.
• Wives, ask your husband today how you can submit to or respect him better.

What aspect of love or submission do you struggle with in your own marriage? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

by Manturity