“I’M WELL SITUATED…!
“GOD ASKED ME TO KILL MY SON!”
A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet. He couldn’t hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff.
So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something. “HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? “HELP!” He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice.
“Jack, Jack. Can you hear me?”
“Yes, yes! I can hear you. I’m down here!”
“I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?”
“Yes, but who are you, and where are you?
“I am the Lord, Jack. I’m everywhere.”
“The Lord? You mean, GOD?”
“That’s Me.”
“God, please help me! I promise if, you’ll get me down from here, I’ll stop sinning. I’ll be a really good person. I’ll serve You for the rest of my life.”
“Easy on the promises, Jack. Let’s get you off from there, then we can talk.”
“Now, here’s what I want you to do. Listen carefully.”
“I’ll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do.”
“Okay. Let go of the branch.”
“What?”
“I said, let go of the branch.” Just trust Me. Let go.”
There was a long silence.
Finally Jack yelled, “HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?”
This story reminds me of how God tested Abraham’s faith. First He asked him to leave his father’s house and go to an unknown land. “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you…So Abram went, as the Lord had told him” (Genesis 12:1-4). This was a risk, but Abraham, believing the sovereignty of God, obeyed and followed through.
And then the test of faith that left Abraham and Sarah with no child for many years, even after the promise. The promise was that Abraham would become the father of many nations through his own son. When God made this promise, Abraham believed it, despite being quite old and his wife having attained the age of menopause. However, It took a total of 25 years for the promise of God to Abraham to be fulfilled.
And then, at the fullness of time, the couple were miraculously blessed with Isaac, the child of promise. After several years, God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac to which Abraham obeyed, but was stopped before he could fulfill it. What a request, you’d thought?
I suppose, Abraham, at first, must have felt like this young man who would not let go of his only hope -the branch – at least he could hold up to the branch until he gets someone else who is more realistic to help. I believe, if Abraham was to open up to Sarah or anyone else about his mission, he would have said, “God asked me to kill my son”
Sounds ridiculous, isn’t it? Humanly speaking, it makes no good sense that God would ask you to offer such a precious heritage as a burnt offering. But, amazingly, Abraham obeyed God, and was ready to kill his son. This is a hard thing to do! But whatever motivated Abraham to go all the way must have been his faith in God.
Indeed, religion is not a tool by which we get God to do what we want but an invitation to open ourselves to being and doing what God wants. God’s ways is never our ways. He works in ways we cannot see, as such it is only with faith and absolute trust in his character that we can overcome life’s difficulties.
No matter how wonderful your plans are it can never be better than God’s plans for you. His thoughts for you are good, to give you a hope and a future. With Him, there’s no risk of a thing! You can trust Him to handle your life, and give you an expected end. It takes faith to walk with Him. It takes absolute reliance on His promises to survive life’s battles. You are winning! Yes, we are winning!
https://yeswearewinning.com/2017/05/26/dont-swap-the-price-tag-theres-no-discounted-promise/
GreatMark
Anyone Else Up There? Source unknown.
LIFE SAYS, “I’LL SURELY GET BACK TO YOU, JUST HANG ON…”
Truly when I look back over my life I discover that the many times I thought my prayers were denied was actually only delayed. Of course, at such times, I would query God on why He refused to give answer my deepest heart desires, and yet He answers some others. I believe if life is to speak to you, it will say, I’ll surely get to you, hang on! Life is good, so it will never suggest suicide!
At some point I had thought my iniquities were so much that they defiled God’s mercies. This thought sometimes led to self-comparison, which further made me cast aspersion on God’s love and goodness. Through it all, God’s word tried me and proved me. And, I can testify that it was good for me to have experienced those adversities, because it deepened my understanding of God and His acts.
Yes, Life will always present broken places, places of struggles and conflicts. To assume that life will always be rosy is the height of self-deception. Even your faith which is more precious than silver or gold will be tried (1 Peter 1:4). It is these terrifying moments that has taught me how to soar! This is the reasons why I believe and confidently proclaim that, ‘I am winning!’
The real test of faith is in the silence of being on hold. There are certain times when life seem stagnant, or suspended. Then, you feel you’re are the verge of something phenomenal. Then, it would feel like eternity, when these silent coaches take your patience into strenuous calisthenics.
Do you feel you’re on hold? If you have a divine purpose and life has put you on hold hang on there. Yes, stay on the line until life gets back to you. Patience gets a workout when God’s answer is no answer. Stay on the line, life will surely get back to you! You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
“THE PRESENT IS THE KEY TO THE PAST; BUT THE PAST IS NOT THE PRESENT.”
GreatMark
IT’S WORLD’S UFO DAY: HERE’S SOMETHING TO WATCH OUT FOR IN THE FUTURE
July 2nd is the day when the supposed Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) was said to have crashed. Altbough the day is celebrated by some on June 24, which is said to be the date that Aviator Kenneth Arnold reported the sighting of an unidentified flying object in the United States.
World UFO Day is an awareness day for people to gather together and watch the skies for unidentified flying objects.
I remember vividly when I was in primary school, we use to watch the skies to look for UFOs. And even played the computer game of UFOS so much more that it became very popular amongst my peers.
Today, as the world marks the day, what came to mind was about a similar future event but which has a contrast to the occurrence of UFOs.
It is a future event that would some day see the world also gaze into the skies prompted by the sound of trumpets that would Herald the descent of a King. It is the second coming of Christ.
The event would be so sudden that many would attempt to identify where the sound of a trumpet is coming from as well as the image of a man riding on a horse. Every eyes shall see Him. Some would be transformed while some would watch on, and would call to remembrance what has been said about Him. For many, it would be too late to make a change.
It is the rapture of the saints. A final call up of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Rev. 1:7.
Unlike the UFO, everyone who sees him would recognize him. He would be an identified image. His source is heaven, his purpose is clearly to rapture the saints, for whom he has prepared a place in heaven (John 14:6). He’s Jesus Christ, the coming King. He is coming soon. Are you ready to meet him?
Be expectant. Be prepared. You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
GreatMark
Reference: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_UFO_Day
SEE WHAT A TRANSFORMER DID TO THESE PEOPLE
Despite all their efforts to avoid the transformer, its impact turned out to be an amazing story of national significance.
Just immediately after returning from exiles the people gave all efforts and attention to re-building their ruined homes, and businesses while abandoning the place of worship, which was at the centre of their community, and was a symbol of their sustenance.
The determination to catch up with years lost in captivity, and regain the lost years of business activities and economic boom was at the top of their agenda. Their pursuit was to re-enact the days of prosperity by every means, therefore, ‘God and his business can wait’, they thought.
This action by the people made God issue a warning and instructions through the Prophet Hagai, saying, “…consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified.” Haggai 1:7-8. Apparently, God had watched them struggle in vain. In His sovereignty, He had prevented their land from yielding its fruits, and has made national blessings elusive.
Despite all the efforts to achieve a desired result, failures and disappointments met all their endeavours. Though they made several attempts at success, yet frustrations wasn’t far away from them. They invested so much in agriculture and anticipated flourishing commercial harvest. But instead of celebrating abundance, calamities and adversities were the reoccurring phenomenon.
Is your story and experience similar to the one painted above? Have you struggled so much to achieve a desired results yet several of your expectations have failed you? Could it be that like these returning exiles, you have given little or no time to the things that concerns God, and you have become so pre-occuppied with the busyness of this life? Little wonder your achievements are elusive and you have little or no result to show for all your frantic efforts. You may have even fasted and prayed, and used your hitherto sure human connections, yet your efforts ended in futility.
Perhaps, this is because you have forgotten that it is never how far but how well. You should not also forget that, except God builds a house, the labourers works in vain (Psalm 27:1). I know you have committed so much to your business yet you get poor results. Up till now your sincere efforts to pass an exam has been in futility, even though you have committed so much resources into it. Perhaps, you should consider your ways, and do it right again!
God is saying, “Give me your attention and mind my own business as well, and I’ll make your little effort yield great harvest. Seeing that I control the wind and the rains, I can choose to shut the heavens so that your hard labour would yield futility. Likewise, I can choose to open up the gates of heaven so that your little efforts would yield bountiful harvests.
“I am the fountain of life.” How much longer can you survive without me? Just as a river that forgets its source would dry up, so also you cannot truly succeed without me. A consistent friendship with me is the sure way to true prosperity because I don’t only give you the good things of life, I also give life, abundant life!”, says the Lord.
For the returning exiles, God’s instructions to them was to make the building of the place of worship a reality. It was a call to give God the best place in their national life, whilst they go about their own businesses.
In the new covenant, we are God’s temple as such He wouldn’t want our temple to be in ruin. For you, God’s instruction might be a call to re-awaken from your state of spiritual lethargy. It might be a call to rise up to your duty and calling. Or to you, it might be a call to cease from your struggles and embrace the way of godliness, peace and righteousness.
“Go up to the mountain…!” Begin the process of experiencing a closer and more intimate fellowship with your creator. Like the Israelites did obeyed the voice of the Lord, their God, and they worked on the house of the Lord, you too should heed His instructions so you can be transferred, and enjoy the promise of great and bountiful harvest.
The word of God is the transformer that changes us and our situations. God’s instruction is Like a Step-up-transformer that connects us to a higher realm of grace and favour with God. If you want to follow God more closely you must know what He says every moment. The more we know the scope of God’s word, the more resources we would have to guide us in our daily decisions, and more fulfilling our lives would be.
God’s word is a grace-carrying-conductor. It impacts strength to our hearts and inspire our zeal. As long as our delights is in the things that pleases God, He will always transform us by His grace, and He will empower us to yield excellent results. We must daily spend time in His presence, and make the choices that show our love and devotion for Him.
Dear friend, rise up from the ashes and step up with God. Let God’s word transform you (Romans 12:2). You’re winning! Yes, we are winning! Welcome to the month of July. Cheers!
GreatMark