OUR SIGN TO A LOST WORLD

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:22-24

Sometimes we may think, "If only I could perform a miracle for my friends, I know they would all become Christians." But I don't think that is true. Even when Jesus walked this earth and performed so many miracles - so many signs - so many still did not believe.

In fact, on one occasion, Jesus was present with Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, and people flocked to see them.

Lazarus was a living, breathing miracle man who had been dead and was alive again. So the leading priests wanted to kill Lazarus too (see John 12:10-11).

As a Christian, you are a miracle man or woman. You have a testimony of what God has done for you, and that is why people oppose and ridicule you.

As a follower of Jesus, you are a threat. Our sign to a lost world is Jesus crucified, risen again from the dead, and alive.

The apostle Paul said, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:1-2).

We don't need to add to this message or take away from it. We don't need to apologize for it. We just need to proclaim it.

Paul also said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Romans 1:16).

That word "power" speaks of explosive, dynamite power. There is explosive power in the message of Christ. This is our sign to a lost world.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to empower you to be a living testimony of His glory.

Scriptural Reading: I Corinthians 1:18-25

THE WORD IS ALIVE AND POWERFUL

My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Psalm 89:34

An unbelieving professor in a university, in speaking of the Bible, said that it was quite impossible in these days to believe in any book whose authorship is unknown.

He then wondered how any civilized person could still believe in the Bible.

In response, a Christian student asked if the compiler of the multiplication table was known. "No!" answered the professor.

The student countered, "Then, of course, you do not believe in it." "Oh yes," was the professor's reply, "1 believe in it because it works well." "So does the Bible," was the rejoinder from the student.

"I believe in it because it works". The skeptic professor had no answer to that. Yes, we believe the Bible because it works. But the Bible does not work because it has supernatural power in itself. No.

The Bible works because it is the Word of our supernatural God. God inspired people to write down His Word for us so that we can know His thoughts and walk in His ways.

For the Bible to work for you, you must:

Respect what it says. The Bible is the Word of God and so must be read with reverence. Its words are inspired by God.

• Understand what it says. Spend time to understand the historical and cultural context of the Bible and how it applies to you today.

• Believe what it says. Understanding must lead to faith. Faith is the force that releases the power of God.

• Apply what it says. When you dare to act on the demands of scripture, you will release God's supernatural power to work on your behalf.

Prayer: Lord, make Your word real to me and reveal Your power in my life.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 89:28-34

Recipes: DELICIOUS AND TEMPTING CHOCOLATE LASAGNA FOR YOU TO TRY

To make this scrumptious chocolate lasagna you will need oreos, cream cheese frosting, chocolate pudding, whipped cream frosting and chocolate chips. Start by crushing oreos in a ziplock bag. Then spread a layer of crushed oreos. After that spread a layer of cream cheese on top of oreos and make it smooth with a spoon or spatula. Pour chocolate pudding on its top. Again layer crushed oreos followed by a layer of whipped cream. Top the lasagna with chocolate chips and voila!

You can serve it in the form of parfaits or cupcakes too. This dessert is going to be loved by young and old both as it is super yummy.

Source:www.stylishboard.com

All things!

It was her daughter’s school professional day. Being a single mother of 2, it hasn’t been easy taking care of the children alone since her husband left her. Funmi tries her best to provide the basics and some extra for them but sometimes cash is tight. Like right now. The children have been asked to dress up in the outfit of whatever profession they wanted to be in future. Of course that meant she had to get her daughter a lawyer’s outfit as her 6 year old daughter has always said she wanted to be a lawyer. But the lady who was going to make that outfit said it would cost her N6,500! That was just too much for her! So she came up with an idea – dress up her daughter as a school teacher. She will wear that Sunday skirt suit her aunty bought for her and give her a notebook and pen to hold.

So on the day, pupils were asked to come out and talk about their professions. Out came the doctors, Lawyers, Engineers even Pilots. The parents cheered each child warmly. Then out came her daughter, she was alone because no one else taught to dress up their child as a teacher. As she stood taking about the benefits of being a teacher, all the teachers of the school cheered, came out and hugged her! Oh, and she got money from the Proprietor of the school, lots of it with cheers of “Yes, that is the most authentic profession” LOL. Needless to say, Funmi was one proud mama that day. Not only did her daughter end up looking good as a teacher, she ended up making as much as N6,000 from the money doled out to her by the proud teachers. No one could guess the reason why she was so dressed was because they had no money! And see how it all turned out!

That could have been a hypothetical story but the reality of it is God always work things out for our good. Sometimes when it looks bleak and hopeless, with no help in sight but have you noticed how those seemingly hopeless situations end up working on our behalf? You’re not sure? I dare you to take a stock of your life right now. Tell me you can’t see when God has turned the bad situation for your good. I can tell you that for me He always does. It may not be how I want it, or when I want it. It may not even be where I want it but one thing I know is He does it eventually.

Romans 8: 28 - And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. NKJV

The truth of that scripture resonates loudly – ALL THINGS! Not some, not few, not a handful. ALL. The reason we don’t take the words literally is because we forget the next part of the scripture – for those who love God. You see the problem is not God. He always stands true to His word. The problem is because we love God as humans and judge His faithfulness based on our love for Him. And because we operate as humans, we sometimes are out of love with Him and then judge ourselves based on this scripture.

I love God = All things work
I don’t love God = Not all things work

Seems logical right? But we forget the concluding part of that scripture – We are called according to His purpose. He called us, He chose us and therefore He is committed to us!

So on the days you feel ‘out of love’, remember He called you to Himself and loved you first. And that love propels you to love Him back. And for certain, ALL things WILL work together for YOUR GOOD, no matter how bad it is now. I believe that!

by sis Deby

THE BEST GIFT IN MARRIAGE

The best gift you can give to your spouse is to be involved in his/her pains. Never neglect her, feel what she feels and go along with whatever is disturbing her. By doing this, you are buying self-worth and emotional security as gifts
Being there when your spouse needs you speaks louder than a gift that can be held in one’s hand. In every important moment in your marriage, be together and share together. In your challenges in marriage the whole world may desert you and your spouse, but, never desert each other. The best gift for the moment is your availability.

You may send dozen of roses, but they will not speak as loud as your presence in the home. Sometimes in marriage, we communicate the message we do not intend. If your spouse lacks your presence, he/she may think you do not love him/her which may not be so. What are those things that distract your attention from home? Is it your job, Leisure activities, Spiritual activities, friends, in-laws, families, or your spouse’s character? Almost everything ever written on the subject of love indicates that at the heart of love is the spirit of giving and forgiveness.
Remember that your marriage is your first born, take good care of it.
May the GOD of heaven grant you the gift of joy, abundance, fruitfulness, peace of mind and eternal love in your marriage in JESUS name

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Enoch walked with God. Genesis 5:24

The true test of a person's spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the daily grind of everyday life when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening.

In the 1600s, there was a monk named Brother Lawrence who was a dishwasher in his monastery. He made a profound discovery that is true for every believer in the workplace today.

"For me the time of activity does not differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are calling together, calling for as many different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as when upon my knees at the blessed Sacrament."

You see, he found no urgency for retreats, because in the common task, he met the same God to love and worship as he did in the stillness of his closet. It is this kind of life that Jesus desires for each one of us.

Enoch was also a man that practiced the presence of God. The Bible does not give a detailed account of his life. All we know about him is that "He walked with God."

In fact, it says in Genesis 5:22 that Enoch walked with God 300 years! Wow! That is faithfulness!

What does it mean to practice the presence of God daily? It means we are constantly talking to our Heavenly Father about the issues in our day.

It means praying about things as they come up. It means stopping at a red light and praying for the person God brings to mind. It means singing a song in your car while you are sitting in traffic. That is practicing the presence of God.

Prayer. Thank the Lord for His ever abiding presence.

Scriptural Reading: Genesis 5:18-24

Commitment Is One Of The Essential Need For A Happy Marriage

My dad used to say there are two kinds of married people: those who are committed, and those who
probably ought to be.

 He was kidding, of course. “Commitment” is sort of the definition of marriage or at least it used to be, before people began looking at their wedding vows the way college football coaches look at their contracts.
I recently heard a divorce attorney say on the radio that “no one goes into a marriage thinking it will end.” Maybe not but a lot of people go into marriage thinking it COULD end, if “things don’t work out.”

And therein lies the problem: If you start with the assumption that marriage is impermanent, it’s very likely to be.

Why do so many people start with that assumption? Because they look around and see that it’s so. Half the people they know are divorced including, in many cases, their own parents. So what’s the big deal?

I’ll leave you to decide if you think it’s a big deal. But let’s assume you do, since you’re reading this column. If you truly want to have a long and happy marriage, you must put out of your mind the idea that you can always walk away.

You can’t. That’s what “commitment” means.

A good friend of mine was once asked by his wife that immortal question, “Why do you love me?” He replied, “Because I choose to.”

At first, she wasn’t exactly thrilled with that answer. She wanted him to say something more romantic, about how beautiful and wonderful she is. But eventually she came to see that he was exactly right. Marriage is ultimately about choosing each other not just on the day you get engaged or the day you say your vows, but every single day for the rest of your lives.
Even days you don’t feel like it. Especially days you don’t feel like it.

Note that I used the word “love” in my anecdote about commitment. That’s because, when it comes to marriage, love and commitment are essentially the same thing.

The classic mistake young people (and sometimes older people) make when they first get married is assuming the feelings of strong affection and s*xual desire they have for each other on that day in other words, what we normally call “love” will remain unchanged throughout their lives.

People who have been married a long time, however, know that such feelings tend to ebb and flow and thus form a poor basis for a lasting marriage. They also understand that you’re more likely to still feel those emotions, years into the marriage, if you continue to choose each other even on days when you don’t feel them.

In other words, most people believe that commitment follows love. But one of the secrets to a long and happy marriage is understanding that, in reality, true love follows undying commitment.