THE LORD IS YOUR SHEPHERD

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. - Psalm 23:4

In the Bible, valleys symbolize periods of hardship and suffering. The Psalmist evokes a particularly dangerous and painful image by referring to "the valley of the shadow of death".

In the midst of a poem meant to provide comfort and assurance is a cold reminder that spiritual valleys are inevitable.

But if we read only of green pastures and quiet waters, we miss the heart of Psalm 23 and a core truth about the believer's life. The valley verse contains a promise not found among the lovely first lines.

In hardship, believers discover "Thou art with me". God's unwavering presence becomes most obvious to us when we are vulnerable.

And along with our experience of His assurance and comfort comes the understanding that the Lord goes with us daily—even into the depths of our despair.

When people do not recognize His constancy, they turn to other coping methods, such as going to bars for a so-called "Happy Hour" or burying themselves in work.

But filled with the knowledge that God holds us no matter how deep or wide our "valley" is, we can release fear and endure suffering. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus protects and guides His lambs through trials.

Even in these low places, we cannot be snatched from Him. His rod beats away predators trying to drag away one of the flock.

And His staff's crooked neck pulls a wandering sheep back from the cliff 's edge.

Prayer: Thank You Lord, that You are with me even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 23:1-6

Prayer for new week

 The Almighty God who created you will surely provide for all your needs in a timely manner. Your life will not lose value. Though some people have seen you to be cheap and downtrodden, but as from today they will count themselves privileged to have known you! God will give you the grace to forgive all those who have offended you. You will not delay your own blessings due to malice in Jesus Name.

 I pray that may the Lord do for you, what will shock your enemies, may God promote you above your contemporaries. May God fight your hidden battles and grant you victory in every areas of your life. 

Happy New Week from us ASB-World. 

Some Ways to Mend Trust in a Relationship

Many relationship struggle tremendously because trust in their marriage/relationship has been breached.

People want to know how what needs to occur to have the foundation of trust restored in their relationship. While I'll specifically be addressing this issue in the context of marriage, the principles apply to all relationships.

Before a couple can start restoring trust in their marriage, there needs to be an admission of wrongdoing by the offending spouse, a sincere request for forgiveness and granting of forgiveness by the offended mate. I've addressed those issue in my past blogs on giving forgiveness and two personal stories for forgiveness: Corrie ten Boom and the family of Ed Thomas.

Do you need to rebuild trust in your relationship? If so, there are a few things you need to know.

First, notice that the word "rebuild" implies that a relationship has been torn down and needs to be established once again. Something you said or didn't say, did or didn't do to your spouse, child, relative or friend has adversely impacted your relationship with them.

Second, trust is not something that anyone owes you.  Trust must be earned. That means that you need to provide something to the other person in order for them to trust you once again. It is not something you just do one time, but rather need to display them consistently, day in and day out, over a period of time.

Third, in order to trust you, the other person must have complete confidence that from this day forward:

1. You are who you say you are. Your spouse needs to know that you are genuine and authentic...that you are the real deal. Whether you are with your family, friends or coworkers, your spouse needs to see that you are the same person wherever you are and whoever you are with. They need to see you living a consistent life. Your spouse needs to know that you are rock solid, not a person whose personality or behavior is constantly shifting.

Also, when you and your spouse got married, you promised to be there for each other "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health...till death us do part." You also committed to become "one flesh." That means the other person should be able to rely upon those promises—that you will not tear the marriage apart and that you will be there, as their husband or wife, no matter what happens.

2. You will always speak the truth. There are no such things as "little white lies" or "half truths." What you say is either true or it is not. Let me illustrate. If your wife asks you something simple like, "What have you been doing?" Don't just say, "Mowing the lawn." If you have also been watching television and checking emails, say so. Remember: Truth is the whole truth. To rebuild trust, speak truth in everything, big and small. Doing so will help build the other person's confidence in your trustworthiness.

Speaking truth also means not keeping secrets from your spouse. Whether it's a purchase you made, an addiction you have, an illness you're experiencing or where you've been, nothing should be kept from your spouse. A surprise party may be an exception! Sharing challenges, problems, and your emotions with your spouse may be difficult initially, but will help rebuild trust and ultimately intimacy in your relationship.

3. You will always do what you say you'll do. In simple terms, when you say you'll do something, the other person can check it off the list or take it to the bank. It's a done deal. If for some reason you are unable to do it, let the other person know immediately. Also the seeds of suspicion and distrust seem to germinate when the person working to rebuild the trust does unpredictable things. For example, if you are going to be unusually late coming home from work, tell your spouse and let him or her know why.

As you rebuild trust in your relationship, remember that one of the best things you can do is to ask the other person, "What can I do to earn your trust once again?" Then be sure to listen carefully and take action.source: charismamag.com

Devil Would Surely Flee if You Were Dangerously Awake

The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! (Romans 13:12, The Message)

A few years ago, in my quest to study the lioness, I read books and articles and watched DVDs, documentaries, and even YouTube clips in order to observe lionesses in different settings, stages, and interactions. One documentary followed the resettlement of two lionesses and one lion into a newly designated reserve in South Africa. After a particularly tense sequence, the narrator said something that got my attention: "There's nothing more dangerous than being in the presence of lions when they are fully awake."

The lioness is dangerous when she is fully awake.

What about us? What would happen if we were dangerous and fully awake?

Then and only then would we pose any threat to the darkness that holds so many around us captive.

As Romans 13:12 says, we must wake up, rise up, remember who we are, and confront the evil in this world with light. When you are awake to what God is doing, then you will know what you are to do. The time for lingering is over. It is time to be up and about. The alarm went off hours ago!

Far too many of us are discouraged, sedated, or sadly unaware of what's really going on in the world. Could this be because for far too long we have heard a tranquilizing, escapist gospel that motivates very few to save the lost?

We are not our own; we are God's. We're a holy people set apart for Him and His purposes. We are not some group of straggling, struggling, fatherless refugees who are overcome by sin and wondering if there is a God. We are the collective body of Christ, and as such we are destined for triumph, victory, and signs and wonders.

We are truly frightening to our enemy. He has done everything in his power to contain us. But God did not reveal Himself as limitless in order to limit us. Quite the contrary. He wants to put His heart within us.read here

How will you respond when you are fully, dangerously awake? Even now, what is stirring in your heart? Allow the Holy Spirit to awaken you to what He is doing. Only then will we walk in the purposes God has called us to.

Your fingers can reveal something about your personality?

Did you know that the length of your fingers can reveal something about your personality!?

Compare the length of the index finger and ring finger and see if it matches with some of your characteristics.

The image shows three types of finger lengths, marked A, B and C. Check your fingers and discover the meaning below.

A) They say that people in which the ring finger is longer than the index finger are very beautiful in appearance. They radiate with charm that others find irresistible. In addition, they are more aggressive and decisive and it is no problem for them to take a risk. The profession they usually have is: soldier, engineer, chess player and they are also successful in solving crosswords. Scientists have discovered that people with longer ring fingers earn more than people with shorter ring fingers.

B) People with shorter ring fingers than the index fingers have a great deal of self-confidence, they are full of them self and arrogant. They enjoy solitude and do not like to be disturbed in their free time. They are not the type of person who will take the first step when it comes to relationships, but they always accept and appreciate the attention they receive.

C) Persons in which the length of the ring finger and index finger are the same are peace loving, and feel uncomfortable when they find themselves in a conflict. They are well organized and try to get along with everybody. They are characterized by the fact that they tend to be faithful in a relationship, full of tenderness and caring toward their partners. read it here

WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. - Acts 4:13

In the book of Acts, we find some amazing stories of genuine, obedient followers of Jesus Christ, real, live Christians.

These were people who knew what it was to walk with Jesus—people who, before they even spoke a single word, had that certain perception about them, people who, because of their godly lifestyles, had in effect earned the right to preach the gospel because there was evidence in their lives. And it was said of them that they had been with Jesus.

Now that was not meant as a compliment, by the way. The statement wasn't even made by Christians. It was made by the authorities who had observed these Christ-followers.

This reminds us that God can use ordinary people. Most often we put the apostles on pedestals. We see them as one-dimensional characters. Yet the events of Acts took place over a 30-year period of time, so not every day had miracles.

Not every day had visions. Not every day had supernatural phenomenon. The first-century believers just went about their business from day to day.

Every day as Christians, we are out and about, doing our thing. Are people able to tell that we have been with Jesus?

Is there evidence to confirm it? Or, as it has been said, if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

It doesn't matter how many Bibles you own or how many Christian bumper stickers you have on your car.

The evidence I am talking about are results in your life - a change of character. This is what we see in the lives of the first-century Christians. They walked with God, and it showed in the way they lived.

Prayer: Lord, draw me closer and change my life.

Scriptural Reading: Acts 4:1-21

Are You Speaking Life or Death?

And by death I don’t neccesarily mean a physical death. It could be a death of a relationship, a career, a goal etc.

Are you a “Negative Nancy” or a “Positive Polly” ?

Being positive is a choice you make every day from the moment you wake up.  Some people are so negative, they don’t even recognize a blessing when it’s presented to them. 

You either look at your circumstance as an opportunity for growth or way to damnation.  You either accept defeat as your destiny or see it as a learning curve and make it your foundation to start over.

You either see your roadblock as a stumbling block or a stepping stone.  It all depends on how you view it. read here

The choices you make from the time you start the day shape your day and your life ultimately.

If you declare every day that surely goodness and mercy follows you all the days of your life, eventually you will start to look for life’s little blessings because that’s what you are expecting.

If you declare every day that you are worthless, you amount to nothing and you are a waste of space, then eventually you start to believe yourself. The same works in the reverse. If you declare victory, you are more than enough, and you have a unique gift to share with the world, eventually you will start to believe this also. 

For things happen twice, first in our minds and second in reality.

Things may not always go our way.  Disasters, heartbreaks, losses, and accidents happen.  They are inevitably parts of our lives.  But they are not the totality of life.  They do not define your destiny.  They don’t mean you are living a cursed life.  You can always learn from them and with God’s help, turn things around.  

You either speak life or death according to the words you speak, the beliefs you declare, and the things you do. 

So, Are You Speaking Life or Death?