Psalm 121:1 – 8

I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth!
He will not let you stumble and fall;
The one who watches over you will not sleep.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not hurt you by day, nor the moon at night
The Lord keeps you from all evil and preserves your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come, and go both now and forever.

LEAST IN THE FAMILY

Many at times growing up people can say bad things (gossip) about us that discourage us and sometimes we remember those experiences and are afraid to move forward in life or move into new challenges. Most time the bad experiences cripple us and leave bad scars forever. Sometimes our families can be problems in our lives. This was the case for young Gideon in the Book of Judges (Bible)
Judges chapter 6 to 8
As a young lad Gideon has seen the land oppressed by the Midianites and Amalekites for seven years. Like invading locusts, the roving bands camped on the land of the Israelites. At harvest time, they destroyed the crops and animals and plundered the farmers’ houses. Israel’s misfortune was apparently caused by their spiritual relapse into Baal worship.
As young Gideon was threshing wheat; the angel of the Lord appeared with strong words of encouragement: And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "The Lord is with you, you Mighty Man of Valour." And the Lord turned to him and said, "Go in this Might of Yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; Have I not send you." And Gideon said to him, "Pray, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
According to Gideon's thinking he was the least to be considered as a leader but God believed in him and he again was the man to deliver Israel out of the hands of their enemies. All he had to do was to trust what God says about him. Many at time we focus on our weakness and are not prepared to venture out into what others may see of us. Gideon’s obedience gave Israel victory and Gideon became a conquering warrior. He was even invited to become king but he declined.
I also heard this story of a young boy which I thought to share.
A long time ago, a little boy was taking piano lessons. His mother hoped to encourage and inspire her young son's progress, so she took him to a concert of the world-renowned pianist, Paderewski. Paderewski, who was born in 1860, is reputedly the "most famous and popular pianist of all times." The mother and her son arrived at the concert and were seated. A few moments later, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Her son decided to explore the magnificent concert hall. Eventually he walked through a door marked, "NO ADMITTANCE."
The house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing. Suddenly the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance. He quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy’s ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligator.
Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized. That's the way it is with God and His people! God chooses and uses the weak. You are that little boy and God is the Master. It is the Master who surrounds you and whispers in your ear, time and time again, "Don't quit! Keep playing!" And as you do, He works with you to accomplish what you could never do on your own.
Gideon's story shows that God calls leaders from unlikely situations. Gideon was a poor farmer’s son who worked with his hands, and his father was an idol worshipper. Still, Gideon was an effective leader in God’s service. If we are dedicated and disciplined in what we are called to do we will overcome and become great. Your back ground should not hinder what you want to achieve in life. Esther was an orphan and Moses who stammer and yet God used them to rescue nations. You could be one of those that God is counting on to rescue your people or your nation.

Never give up on your dream!

HERE COMES THAT DREAMER . . . LET'S KILL HIM..."' GENESIS 37:19

Joseph was a dreamer; his life teaches us the following lessons.
1) Do not give up on your dream, though you did not start well. At 17 Joseph dreamed that one day his family would bow down to him. But he made the mistake of sharing that information with them. And it got him into a lot of trouble. But it did not stop him. The beginning of a dream often generates more enthusiasm than wisdom. We say and do things we should not. But Joseph encourages us to recapture the dream we abandoned.
2) Do not give up on your dream, though others do not support it. Joseph's brothers said, 'Look, this dreamer is coming . . . let us now kill him.' It is hard to keep your dream alive when others are trying to kill it. But when your dream comes from God; it holds you, even when you are unable to hold it!
3) Do not give up on your dream, though your journey is full of surprises. Your dream will invite attack; do not let that discourage you! Attack is a sign of respect. It means you have not been defeated. Five times we read: 'The Lord was with Joseph.' And He is with you too!
4) Do not give up on your dream, though it takes a lifetime to fulfil. Twenty-three years passed before Joseph's dream was fulfilled, but in the end he ruled his family, was reconciled with his brothers, and saved the nation. You never know what God's timetable will look like. The important thing to remember is - never give up on your dream!

TRUE MAN

When I think of a true man I think of David the shepherd boy. He lived the fullness of his masculinity, who loved and failed and wandered and returned, who battled and risked and won and lost, who preserved and danced and sang. The Bible declares as “a man after God’s own heart,” he is a fitting model for a man living in the fullness of his masculinity, moving along the rapid currents of his life’s calling not with perfection but with a passion and perseverance that has to teach us today. David provides a complete and completes portrait of a man in motion, in his pursuit of his God-given destiny.
He is also a man who had his faults – committed adultery, blood on his hand (war), one of his sons raped his sister and so hatred existed in the family.
I have also discovered from Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2 the definition of man. Archaeologists have searched for the Garden of Eden (from the Bible) and are not able to find it. Eden in Hebrew means spot, presence, open door, moment and delight. Someone said it this way, ‘Eden is a spot for the moment where the presence of God is an open door to heaven.
God created Adam and introduce Himself to Adam. He put all creative ideas in Adam and left him to complete it. For example He made a tree and the man is able to build a house or canoe from the it. That is the kind of talent that a man has. Before the fall, wherever Adam walked, the presence of God was with him in that moment. Man cannot function outside God’s presence. For instance if you take fish out of its environment, it will die. Man is the foundation of a family and has authority in the family. Their role as a father and a husband is very important and must be valued and recognised. A building is only out of bound if the foundation is shaken or disturbed and is never seen but it holds the house together, in the same way a husband is the foundation of a family.
When Satan came to the garden, he was not afraid of the woman (Eve) but he was afraid of the man (Adam). Eve was the window but Adam was what Satan was after. He is like David, king in the kid. There are lots of men who are smart and talented. I have a brother who did his education up to grade 6. He got an old rubbish radio and using car batteries made a big loud speaker in the village. I was blown by what I saw. There was a story of an African boy who was a school dropout because his parents were unable to pay his school fees. When he went home he collected all the scraps of metal and other rubbish and made a windmill. Many at times we look at men and think they pump iron, run the show, never cry, showing off or woo women. But that is not true, as not all men lift weights or lead groups. Some of them shed tears, walk around normally and drink hurriedly because they are nervous in talking to the lady beside them.
Man was created to worship God. He is to work to provide for his family. When he is not working he will be frustrated or won’t be satisfied. He is to cultivate and bring the best out of something that adds value. I see this with my father and husband; they are always trying to perfect something that I think is complete. This is the reason why God never gives a man a finish product. Furthermore, you are not given a complete woman; you will never find the woman you are looking for. She is trapped in the one you have. Eve was taken out of Adam.
In Ephesians 5: 25 declares that husband ought to love their wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. Wives are to respect their husbands. This is how he knows that you love him.
Having large muscles is to protect his wife and children. That is the reason why he is aggressive. He is very competitive and gets involve in recreation activities. It is a need for a man to do these things. Man is stimulated by what he sees but a woman is stimulated by what she hears. A man wants a woman that is beautiful to protect. (Ephesians 5: 22-28) Many women do the submission and complain about it but don’t show respect to their husbands. In Genesis it declares that a man leaves his father and mother and is cleaved or joined to his wife and the two become one flesh. The word ‘cleaves’ in Hebrew language means to chase after his wife. Man would chase a woman till he marries her and then stop chasing her, why? This is because she is not attracted to him anymore. A woman should look better after marriage as the husbands’ job is to present his wife without blemish just like Christ who present his wife – the church without spot and blemish and present her to Himself a glorious church. She reflects her husband, so if she lacks confidence she should be encouraged and the husband or fathers have that ability to bring it out. After a day’s work a man should return home to his wife and hide from the world's pressure. When he comes home, he desires to see his beautiful wife not nagging wife. He needs support and encouragement and admirations. Men interpret respect as love. Men love but women show respect. Respect means speak highly of, or to hold in high regard or to praise.
Lastly a man is to teach the Word. God never told Eve anything. The reason why Eve was easily tempted is because she had no knowledge of the Lord God. This is true because when Satan question Eve about the tree, she answered by saying ‘yes, God has said...’ Genesis 3:3. If she had responded by saying the Lord God instead of God, then Satan would have not pursued his temptation. When God created the world, including angels and Satan He revealed Himself to them as God (Elohim) indicating no relationship with creation. However, when He created man He revealed Himself as Lord God (Jehovah Elohim) and so there is a relationship/covenant with humanity.
I hope this will bless all the men who call by. May God bless you as you aspire to be the best you can be!

Manus - Papua New Guinea

Manus - Papua New Guinea

STRUGGLING?

Jacob’s story is the story of a struggle. He came out of the womb that way. His twin brother was named Esau (means hairy) and the Bible tells us that these two brothers began their struggle in the womb. Jacob (means he supplants) a twin brother of Esau was born in answer to his father’s prayer, but he became the favourite son of his mother. He was named Jacob because he was holding onto his elder brother’s (Esau) heel. (Genesis 25: 24-26)
According to the book of Genesis, Jacob continued to take hold of the possessions of his brother’s birthright, his father’s blessing and his father-in-law’s flocks and herds.
Jacob's role as a heel-grabber is seen in his dealings with his older brother. The first such indication is when Esau, the outdoorsman to Jacob’s stay-at-home approach to life, came in from the fields to find Jacob with a tasty pot of stew. We are not told whether or not Jacob had cunningly planned the incident or whether he happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right temptation. The result was the same in any case -- Esau was persuaded to sell his birthright for a pot of stew.
Would you sell your right for something that is worthless? What is value to you is value to God. It can be your family or your possessions. Those are his blessings to you; this includes your wife or your husband. He or she may not be the perfect person right now but one does not know tomorrow. The very person you despise may be somebody some day. Jacob’s relatives never thought he would be a millionaire.

The heel-grabbing came to full fruition when their father, Isaac, determined to give to Esau the family blessing. While Esau was away, Jacob was persuaded by his mother to put on a disguise that would fool his aged and blind father into thinking he was Esau. By means of this deception, he was able to steal the family blessing.
For Esau, this was the last straw. As far as he was concerned, Jacob had swindled him for the last time. He swore revenge and Jacob was forced to leave his home, fleeing from the wrath of Esau, never to see his beloved mother again.
It was while he was on the run, that Jacob had his first significant encounter with God. Jacob is in the midst of a journey. He has set out from Beersheba and he is headed for Haran. He is alone upon the road and the reason that he is alone and the reason he is upon the road is because he is an escapee from his own family. He comes to a place near the city of Luz. We do not know what the name means and it doesn't appear to have meant much to Jacob, either. There is nothing compelling about this place. It is just a place to stop for the evening. (Genesis 28:12-14) While sleeping in this place that he had a dream of a ladder that reached the heavens and the angels were using it to go up and down. He then saw the Lord spoke and was afraid. He was blessed by the words of the Lord, promising him of his inheritance of the land, descendents and God’s divine presence. When this night was over, Jacob gave this place a new name, Bethel - the House of God - the Gate of Heaven.
This is important as many people are running away because of the mess they are in but God has other plans in his heart for you. Many people feel they are not worth it, or have done the worst crime and so God will not look at them. That is not true. Look at Jacob, a liar, thief, and yet God was willing to bless him abundantly and above. Remember, FAILURE is the womb for success. When one fails they never want to repeat that mistake again. For those who carry on the same pattern of behaviour is due to guilt.
The experience at the ford of the River Jabbok (means "to wrestle) occurred as Jacob returned from his long stay at Haran. While preparing a union with his brother, Esau, of whom he was still afraid, he had a profound experience that left him changed in both body and spirit. At the ford of the Jabbok, Jacob was left alone. It was night, and he found himself suddenly engaged in a wrestling match in the darkness with an unknown figure. The match lasted until the break of dawn. The socket of Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he struggled with this mysterious stranger but he refused to release his grip until he was given a blessing. When asked to identify himself in the darkness, he confessed he was Jacob – the heel grabber.
Every individual is living out their destiny but it is affected by the decisions we make in life. If you are a journalist, preacher, teacher, cleaner then it is the beginning of your journey towards your purpose. Who said that, that is where you should be all your life? Life always brings challenges but it is how we deal with the situation that brings us to the next level of our purpose. Rebecca, Jacob’s mum knew that he (Jacob) would be a heel grabber because she has heard of the Lord. When she enquired during her pregnancy, the Lord said this to her, “Two nations are in your womb, two people shall be separated from your body, one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25: 23) The troubles that Jacob encounter were, I believe related to what God said about him when he was in his mother’s womb. His parents named him Jacob but God had other plans. Many at times we may feel alone but when we are lonely it is not the absence of people but it is the absence of direction in our life.
What began as a physical struggle seemed to take on epic proportions as it continued throughout the entire night? It must have seemed endless to Jacob, but he would not quit. This was the story of his life. He had come into this world as the heel-grabber, grasping for what he could get. It had cost him everything. But he had not given up. As a foreigner in a faraway land, he had persisted until today he was a rich man. He had not given up then and he does not give up now. So as you, you cannot give up now, you have come a long way, stand and keep moving, it may be slow but it surely will come to pass.
All his life had been a struggle and a striving and a wrestling. But the real struggle had always been with this one with whom he now grappled -- this unknown adversary in the night. Wrestling with God deepens our relationship with Him and brings revelation knowledge.
Jacob had been worried about his encounter with Esau. Now he has an encounter in the middle of the night with one that is much greater than Esau. Jacob had been wrestling all his life. But now he comes to understand that his real struggle has been a spiritual one.
Jacob’s victory is not one of strength, but of desperation. It is a struggle of faith. He holds on to the angel and refuses to let go. The One to whom he holds is not bound by Jacob’s strength, but by Jacob’s faith. Jacob wants what he has always wanted -- the blessing of God. He holds to the One who can give the blessing. He holds to the One who is the blessing.
Jacob’s struggling earned him a new name. For his struggle “with God and with men” had prevailed, his name was changed to Israel (prince with God). When we have favour with God nothing can stop us. He is the only one who holds the key to our success in life.

PLANS

Proverbs 19:21 There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel - that will stand.

We are all created to live life with meaning. This is the reason why we are never satisfied with where we are. Rom.8:28 -29 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined... Therefore I can say the following: purpose is more important than plans, purpose is more powerful than plans and purpose precedes plans. In order to produce purpose we will undergo pressure and persecution. God has predestined our lives because He is the manufacturer just like Mitsubishi that manufacture cars. Pre is a prefix and destined is end of a thing so God has already seen our finish lives. To cut the story short - Your destiny pulls you to it, destiny is the source of your frustration, destiny makes you uncomfortable and frustrated, your dreams, passions, and desires are manifestations of your destiny. Plans change but purpose and destiny stands because it is of God.

JOKE

Three old guys are out walking.
First one says, 'Windy, isn't it?'
Second one says, 'No, it's Thursday!'
Third one says, 'So am I. Let's go get a beer.'

Living Water

Luke 8:43-44
In the past, defiled people needed to cleanse themselves in living waters (running waters) to make them clean again. However, in Israel (a place where 70% of annual rainfall falls between November and March), it was not easy to find living waters whenever they wanted. So, they found a way to collect running water from everywhere into a container. Whenever anyone needs cleansing, they would release just one drop of that living water and it would turn the whole pool of dead water into living water.
Today, dead water is associated to the areas of troubles around you and living water is associated to Jesus. What do you think of when you see failures, stress and bondages around you? Do you imagine all these trials (problems/deaths) consuming you eventually or are you confident that the life in you will swallow up every single area of death? When Jesus met the leper, the leper received healing, when Jesus met the blind man, he received sight. When the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus, she was healed of her affliction. So start to believe that you carry around the death swallowing kind of life that Jesus has. Every encounter with Him will SURELY make you a success, fill you with peace and set you free.

Joke

Couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. During a check-up, the doctor tells them that they're physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember

Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. 'Want anything while I'm in the kitchen?' he asks.
'Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?'
'Sure.'
'Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?' she asks.
'No, I can remember it.'
'Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so not to forget it?'
He says, 'I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.'
'I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, write it down?' she asks.
Irritated, he says, 'I don't need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for goodness sake!'
Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes,
The old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment.
'Where's my toast?'

JOKE

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple’s house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen.
The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, 'Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly'
The other man said, 'What is the name of the restaurant?'
The first man thought and thought and finally said, “What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love?”
You know... The one that's red and has thorns.'
'Do you mean a rose?'
'Yes, that's the one,' replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, 'Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?'

JOKE

This is just to put a smile or giggle on those who call by.

An elderly gentleman...
Had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%
The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, 'Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.'
The gentleman replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'

A little old man shuffled slowly into an ice cream parlour and pulled himself slowly, painfully, up onto a stool.. After catching his breath, he ordered a banana split.
The waitress asked kindly, 'Crushed nuts?'
'No,' he replied, ' Arthritis.'


I'll put some more when you stop laughing.