Mumias mission in Kenya

Praying for people..

Are you living life God’s way, or your own way? Do you know how God defines “successful living”? Are you letting God have His way in your life? God changes people from the inside out. It all begins with heart change that leads to personal transformation, which makes it possible to have healthy relationships.

Mumias mission in Kenya

Praying for people..

Are you living life God’s way, or your own way? Do you know how God defines “successful living”? Are you letting God have His way in your life? God changes people from the inside out. It all begins with heart change that leads to personal transformation, which makes it possible to have healthy relationships.

PASTOR NICHOLAS

Are you living life God’s way, or your own way? Do you know how God defines “successful living”? Are you letting God have His way in your life? God changes people from the inside out. It all begins with heart change that leads to personal transformation, which makes it possible to have healthy relationships.

PASTOR NICHOLAS

Are you living life God’s way, or your own way? Do you know how God defines “successful living”? Are you letting God have His way in your life? God changes people from the inside out. It all begins with heart change that leads to personal transformation, which makes it possible to have healthy relationships.

DOES GOD HAVE A VISION FOR US? (MY SUMMARY PREVIEW ABOUT THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH)

Does God have a vision for us? Are there "walls" that needs to be build today..God still wants His people to be united and trained to do his work. As we recognize deep needs in our world God can give us a vision and desires "built" with that vision, we can mobilize others to pray and put together and plan of action.

 

PRAYER is still mighty force in solving problems today. Prayer and action go hand in hand. Through Prayer, God guides our preparation, team work, and diligent efforts to carry out his will.

 

Being Gods' Leader is not just gaining recognition, holding a position or being the BOSS. It requires planning, hard work, courage  and perseverance, positive expectations are never a substitute for doing the different work and in order to lead others, you need to listen for Gods' direction in your own life.

 

When difficulties comes there is tendency conflict and discouragement to set in. We must recognize that there are no triumphs we out troubles. When problems arise, we must face them squarely and press on to complete the Gods' work.

 

Recognizing and admitting sin are not enough revival must result in reform, or it is merely the expression of enthusiasm. God does not want half heated measures. We must not only remove sin from our lives but also ask God to move into the center of all we do.

DOES GOD HAVE A VISION FOR US? (MY SUMMARY PREVIEW ABOUT THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH)

Does God have a vision for us? Are there "walls" that needs to be build today..God still wants His people to be united and trained to do his work. As we recognize deep needs in our world God can give us a vision and desires "built" with that vision, we can mobilize others to pray and put together and plan of action.

 

PRAYER is still mighty force in solving problems today. Prayer and action go hand in hand. Through Prayer, God guides our preparation, team work, and diligent efforts to carry out his will.

 

Being Gods' Leader is not just gaining recognition, holding a position or being the BOSS. It requires planning, hard work, courage  and perseverance, positive expectations are never a substitute for doing the different work and in order to lead others, you need to listen for Gods' direction in your own life.

 

When difficulties comes there is tendency conflict and discouragement to set in. We must recognize that there are no triumphs we out troubles. When problems arise, we must face them squarely and press on to complete the Gods' work.

 

Recognizing and admitting sin are not enough revival must result in reform, or it is merely the expression of enthusiasm. God does not want half heated measures. We must not only remove sin from our lives but also ask God to move into the center of all we do.

PASTOR NICHOLAS PRAYING FOR PEOPLE

AND YOU SHALL LAY YOUR HANDS ON THE SICK

PASTOR NICHOLAS PRAYING FOR PEOPLE

AND YOU SHALL LAY YOUR HANDS ON THE SICK

PR. NICHOLAS PRAYING FOR PEOPLE

JOIN US AT DAYSTAR

PR. NICHOLAS PRAYING FOR PEOPLE

JOIN US AT DAYSTAR

QUITETED WITH HIS LOVE.

As I worked my way through some devotional readings, I came across this passage: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)
 I thought of my life. I thought of what the passage says about God and how He feels about me. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in me. He will quiet me with his love. He will rejoice over me. I confess that although I do not know if I fully understand what it means to be quieted by His love, I do know that there is something inside me that says, "I need that, Lord!" As I pondered more, I prayed, "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."
 "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."
 "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."
 "Lord, I get loud sometimes. Not so much verbally loud, but my spirit gets loud. My heart gets loud. My mind gets loud. The world around me gets loud and the loudness overwhelms me to the point that everything within me and around me seems to be loud. So, Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

In these times of unrest and confusion in our nation and world, I need to be quieted by your love, dear Lord. Decisions are being made that may well change the way we live and function as a people. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
 As the years pass more rapidly than my mind can comprehend, I need to be quieted with Your love.
 I cannot keep up. I try, but I seem to fall farther and farther behind. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
 In times of discouragement when I have failed to live like You have asked me to live, I need to be quieted by Your love.  In times of disappointment over dreams that have faded and when other people have failed to live up to my expectations, I need to be quieted by Your love.  Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
 In times of loss and my heart has been broken, I need to be quieted by your love. In times of sadness when a joyful spirit seems too much to consider, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
 In times of suffering and pain as the result of another's actions or my own, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when others are suffering because of my actions and I am helpless to undo what I have done, I need to be quieted by Your love. And they need to be quieted by Your love. Lord,
please quiet me with Your love.
 In times of distress and anxiety over all that I must do, or feel that I must do, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when life is so loud that I cannot hear my own thoughts, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
 Unless You quiet me with Your love, dear Lord, my life will surely be filled with noises that may drown Your voice from my ears. Lord, I need to be quieted by Your love.
When I remind myself that You are with me, when I contemplate Your power, when I consider that You take great delight in me and when I think of You rejoicing over me with singing because of Your love for me, I am quieted. My heart is quieted. My spirit rests. "Lord, You have quieted me with Your love."

 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

GOD SEE THE HURT IN YOUR HEART LIKE NOBODY ELSE CAN

You know how troubled I am; you have kept a record of my tears. Psalm 56:6 (Good News)

"God sees the hurt in your heart like nobody else can.

You may think, "Nobody knows what I'm going through, nobody feels the pain I'm experiencing."
But God knows!

He knows your feelings and frustrations.  He's seen the crisis in your soul. There's no hurt that goes unnoticed by God. Psalm 56:6 says, "You know how troubled I am; you have kept a record of my tears." (Good News) Often when we're hurting, we feel very isolated and lonely. Maybe there's been a death in the family, a divorce, maybe we've gotten fired, and we start to think, "Nobody understands the way I feel; nobody can tell the way I feel; nobody feels the pain." But God knows, and "The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." (Psalms 103:13, NLT) God not only sees, He cares! He knows the causes, the reasons, the things that brought you to this point. He understands because he made you, and he sees the hurt in your heart like nobody else can.Because God knows our frustrations and despair, we can give those feelings to God: "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you." (1 Peter 5:7, NLT) Cast them all permanently on God, once and for all, and then, don't take them back.

DIVORCE IS A REALITY TODAY

http://nicholasministries.blogspot.com/2010/10/divorce-is-reality-today.html
What can you do? First, turn to Christ for the wisdom and grace you need, and commit your life and your future to Him. Then avoid constantly talking about the past with your children; that only makes things worse. In addition, trust God to work in your son's heart; he's still young, and in time he'll hopefully move beyond this

DIVORCE IS A REALITY TODAY

http://nicholasministries.blogspot.com/2010/10/divorce-is-reality-today.html
What can you do? First, turn to Christ for the wisdom and grace you need, and commit your life and your future to Him. Then avoid constantly talking about the past with your children; that only makes things worse. In addition, trust God to work in your son's heart; he's still young, and in time he'll hopefully move beyond this

nicholasministries: YOU CAN HAVE WHAT YOU CONFESS

http://nicholasministries.blogspot.com/2010/10/you-can-have-what-you-confess.html
There’s power in word’s and especially in God’s Word. What you consistently say, whether good or bad will have a great impact on your life. That’s why it’s so necessary to speak good words.

nicholasministries: YOU CAN HAVE WHAT YOU CONFESS

http://nicholasministries.blogspot.com/2010/10/you-can-have-what-you-confess.html
There’s power in word’s and especially in God’s Word. What you consistently say, whether good or bad will have a great impact on your life. That’s why it’s so necessary to speak good words.

would you ever refuse to follow God’s commands? In general, Christians believe that they are supposed to do what God tells them to do. My question for the Christians here: are there any sorts of orders that you would refuse if you thought that they came from God? For example, in the bible God orders his followers to slaughter babies (and they do it). If God gave you that sort of order today, would you follow it? Or would you refuse God’s command, and tell him that you thought killing babies was simply wrong and that you weren’t going to do it?

would you ever refuse to follow God’s commands? In general, Christians believe that they are supposed to do what God tells them to do. My question for the Christians here: are there any sorts of orders that you would refuse if you thought that they came from God? For example, in the bible God orders his followers to slaughter babies (and they do it). If God gave you that sort of order today, would you follow it? Or would you refuse God’s command, and tell him that you thought killing babies was simply wrong and that you weren’t going to do it?

GOD SEE THE HURT IN YOUR HEART LIKE NOBODY ELSE CAN

You know how troubled I am; you have kept a record of my tears. Psalm 56:6 (Good News)

"God sees the hurt in your heart like nobody else can.

You may think, "Nobody knows what I'm going through, nobody feels the pain I'm experiencing."

But God knows!

He knows your feelings and frustrations.  He's seen the crisis in your soul. There's no hurt that goes unnoticed by God. Psalm 56:6 says, "You know how troubled I am; you have kept a record of my tears." (Good News) Often when we're hurting, we feel very isolated and lonely. Maybe there's been a death in the family, a divorce, maybe we've gotten fired, and we start to think, "Nobody understands the way I feel; nobody can tell the way I feel; nobody feels the pain." But God knows, and "The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." (Psalms 103:13, NLT) God not only sees, He cares! He knows the causes, the reasons, the things that brought you to this point. He understands because he made you, and he sees the hurt in your heart like nobody else can.Because God knows our frustrations and despair, we can give those feelings to God: "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you." (1 Peter 5:7, NLT) Cast them all permanently on God, once and for all, and then, don't take them back.

GOD SEE THE HURT IN YOUR HEART LIKE NOBODY ELSE CAN

You know how troubled I am; you have kept a record of my tears. Psalm 56:6 (Good News)

"God sees the hurt in your heart like nobody else can.

You may think, "Nobody knows what I'm going through, nobody feels the pain I'm experiencing."

But God knows!

He knows your feelings and frustrations.  He's seen the crisis in your soul. There's no hurt that goes unnoticed by God. Psalm 56:6 says, "You know how troubled I am; you have kept a record of my tears." (Good News) Often when we're hurting, we feel very isolated and lonely. Maybe there's been a death in the family, a divorce, maybe we've gotten fired, and we start to think, "Nobody understands the way I feel; nobody can tell the way I feel; nobody feels the pain." But God knows, and "The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." (Psalms 103:13, NLT) God not only sees, He cares! He knows the causes, the reasons, the things that brought you to this point. He understands because he made you, and he sees the hurt in your heart like nobody else can.Because God knows our frustrations and despair, we can give those feelings to God: "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you." (1 Peter 5:7, NLT) Cast them all permanently on God, once and for all, and then, don't take them back.

QUITETED WITH HIS LOVE.

As I worked my way through some devotional readings, I came across this passage: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

 I thought of my life. I thought of what the passage says about God and how He feels about me. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in me. He will quiet me with his love. He will rejoice over me. I confess that although I do not know if I fully understand what it means to be quieted by His love, I do know that there is something inside me that says, "I need that, Lord!" As I pondered more, I prayed, "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."

 "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."

 "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."

 "Lord, I get loud sometimes. Not so much verbally loud, but my spirit gets loud. My heart gets loud. My mind gets loud. The world around me gets loud and the loudness overwhelms me to the point that everything within me and around me seems to be loud. So, Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 

In these times of unrest and confusion in our nation and world, I need to be quieted by your love, dear Lord. Decisions are being made that may well change the way we live and function as a people. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 As the years pass more rapidly than my mind can comprehend, I need to be quieted with Your love.

 I cannot keep up. I try, but I seem to fall farther and farther behind. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 In times of discouragement when I have failed to live like You have asked me to live, I need to be quieted by Your love.  In times of disappointment over dreams that have faded and when other people have failed to live up to my expectations, I need to be quieted by Your love.  Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 In times of loss and my heart has been broken, I need to be quieted by your love. In times of sadness when a joyful spirit seems too much to consider, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 In times of suffering and pain as the result of another's actions or my own, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when others are suffering because of my actions and I am helpless to undo what I have done, I need to be quieted by Your love. And they need to be quieted by Your love. Lord,

please quiet me with Your love.

 In times of distress and anxiety over all that I must do, or feel that I must do, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when life is so loud that I cannot hear my own thoughts, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 Unless You quiet me with Your love, dear Lord, my life will surely be filled with noises that may drown Your voice from my ears. Lord, I need to be quieted by Your love.

When I remind myself that You are with me, when I contemplate Your power, when I consider that You take great delight in me and when I think of You rejoicing over me with singing because of Your love for me, I am quieted. My heart is quieted. My spirit rests. "Lord, You have quieted me with Your love."

 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

QUITETED WITH HIS LOVE.

As I worked my way through some devotional readings, I came across this passage: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

 I thought of my life. I thought of what the passage says about God and how He feels about me. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in me. He will quiet me with his love. He will rejoice over me. I confess that although I do not know if I fully understand what it means to be quieted by His love, I do know that there is something inside me that says, "I need that, Lord!" As I pondered more, I prayed, "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."

 "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."

 "Lord, please quiet me with Your love."

 "Lord, I get loud sometimes. Not so much verbally loud, but my spirit gets loud. My heart gets loud. My mind gets loud. The world around me gets loud and the loudness overwhelms me to the point that everything within me and around me seems to be loud. So, Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 

In these times of unrest and confusion in our nation and world, I need to be quieted by your love, dear Lord. Decisions are being made that may well change the way we live and function as a people. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 As the years pass more rapidly than my mind can comprehend, I need to be quieted with Your love.

 I cannot keep up. I try, but I seem to fall farther and farther behind. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 In times of discouragement when I have failed to live like You have asked me to live, I need to be quieted by Your love.  In times of disappointment over dreams that have faded and when other people have failed to live up to my expectations, I need to be quieted by Your love.  Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 In times of loss and my heart has been broken, I need to be quieted by your love. In times of sadness when a joyful spirit seems too much to consider, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 In times of suffering and pain as the result of another's actions or my own, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when others are suffering because of my actions and I am helpless to undo what I have done, I need to be quieted by Your love. And they need to be quieted by Your love. Lord,

please quiet me with Your love.

 In times of distress and anxiety over all that I must do, or feel that I must do, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when life is so loud that I cannot hear my own thoughts, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

 Unless You quiet me with Your love, dear Lord, my life will surely be filled with noises that may drown Your voice from my ears. Lord, I need to be quieted by Your love.

When I remind myself that You are with me, when I contemplate Your power, when I consider that You take great delight in me and when I think of You rejoicing over me with singing because of Your love for me, I am quieted. My heart is quieted. My spirit rests. "Lord, You have quieted me with Your love."

 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

IS SMOKING A HELL DESERVING SIN?

1Co 3:16-17 say, “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple”. Some Christians say that these verses mean that people who smoke tobacco will end up in hell because they are destroying God's temple. If that was true then we would have to tell a person who is fat from overeating that they are heading for hell too because being overweight is also bad for our health. When 1 Cor. 3 is examined closely it will be found that these verses are not saying that God will destroy people who destroy their bodies but rather that He will destroy people who destroy His church.
1 Cor. 1:11-13 and 1 Cor. 3:1-8 tell us that the Corinthians were fighting about which man they should follow. Paul said that they should follow Jesus rather than follow men like himself or Apollos. He goes on to say that they were just servants with God-given tasks; one man plants, another waters but God makes things grow and each man will be rewarded according to his own labor. Then in 1 Cor. 3:9-11 he says that we Christians are God's building and that he has laid a foundation as an expert builder and each of us must be careful how we build on that foundation, which is Jesus Christ.
Then 1 Cor. 3:12-15 talk about how we build the church and warn that fire will test the quality of each man's work. The verses say that we can -
a) Build with gold, silver or costly stones and receive our reward or
b) Build with wood, hay or straw and, although we will still be saved, our work will be burned up.
Building with gold, silver or costly stones represent good leadership and sound doctrine while wood, hay and straw represent poor leadership and unsound doctrine.
So far, the chapter has spoken about building the church with good or poor leadership but there can also be bad leadership which destroys a church. Back in 1 Cor. 3:9, we Christians were referred to as God's building and 1 Cor. 3:16-17 continue with that picture, calling us God's Temple - “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you [plural] are that temple”. The term “God's temple” is referring to the church, not individuals. When these verses are taken in the context of building the church, we see that they are saying that God will destroy bad leaders who destroy His church rather than build it up.
From this we can see that 1 Cor. 3:16-17 is not referring to destroying our body but to destroying the church. 1 Cor. 3:18 to 1 Cor. 4:6 continue on to further warn us not to follow the wisdom of men and in 1 Cor. 4:6 we are told, “Do not go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over against another”. So, if we follow what is written, and not follow men, then we will build well and not be corrupted by false teaching which will destroy a church.
So, we can see that this chapter is telling us to be careful how we build and to build on the foundation of Jesus because our rewards will be according to the way we build.
If we build well then we will be rewarded.
If we build poorly then we will still be saved but lose our rewards.
If anyone destroys the church then they will be destroyed.
If we take 1 Cor. 3:16-17 out of context and tell a smoker that he is going to hell then we ourselves will be guilty of poor doctrine. Also, the smoker may have little faith and poor self-control and what we say may destroy the little faith he has. Feeling hopelessly lost, he may turn to wine, women and song … which will certainly lead him to hell.
There is no doubt that smoking is bad for our health and people are in bondage to it but nowhere does the Bible say that smokers will go to hell. When the Bible is silent on something then we should be also but of course smokers should be encouraged to quit the habit.

IS SMOKING A HELL DESERVING SIN?

1Co 3:16-17 say, “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple”. Some Christians say that these verses mean that people who smoke tobacco will end up in hell because they are destroying God's temple. If that was true then we would have to tell a person who is fat from overeating that they are heading for hell too because being overweight is also bad for our health. When 1 Cor. 3 is examined closely it will be found that these verses are not saying that God will destroy people who destroy their bodies but rather that He will destroy people who destroy His church.
1 Cor. 1:11-13 and 1 Cor. 3:1-8 tell us that the Corinthians were fighting about which man they should follow. Paul said that they should follow Jesus rather than follow men like himself or Apollos. He goes on to say that they were just servants with God-given tasks; one man plants, another waters but God makes things grow and each man will be rewarded according to his own labor. Then in 1 Cor. 3:9-11 he says that we Christians are God's building and that he has laid a foundation as an expert builder and each of us must be careful how we build on that foundation, which is Jesus Christ.
Then 1 Cor. 3:12-15 talk about how we build the church and warn that fire will test the quality of each man's work. The verses say that we can -
a) Build with gold, silver or costly stones and receive our reward or
b) Build with wood, hay or straw and, although we will still be saved, our work will be burned up.
Building with gold, silver or costly stones represent good leadership and sound doctrine while wood, hay and straw represent poor leadership and unsound doctrine.
So far, the chapter has spoken about building the church with good or poor leadership but there can also be bad leadership which destroys a church. Back in 1 Cor. 3:9, we Christians were referred to as God's building and 1 Cor. 3:16-17 continue with that picture, calling us God's Temple - “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you [plural] are that temple”. The term “God's temple” is referring to the church, not individuals. When these verses are taken in the context of building the church, we see that they are saying that God will destroy bad leaders who destroy His church rather than build it up.
From this we can see that 1 Cor. 3:16-17 is not referring to destroying our body but to destroying the church. 1 Cor. 3:18 to 1 Cor. 4:6 continue on to further warn us not to follow the wisdom of men and in 1 Cor. 4:6 we are told, “Do not go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over against another”. So, if we follow what is written, and not follow men, then we will build well and not be corrupted by false teaching which will destroy a church.
So, we can see that this chapter is telling us to be careful how we build and to build on the foundation of Jesus because our rewards will be according to the way we build.
If we build well then we will be rewarded.
If we build poorly then we will still be saved but lose our rewards.
If anyone destroys the church then they will be destroyed.
If we take 1 Cor. 3:16-17 out of context and tell a smoker that he is going to hell then we ourselves will be guilty of poor doctrine. Also, the smoker may have little faith and poor self-control and what we say may destroy the little faith he has. Feeling hopelessly lost, he may turn to wine, women and song … which will certainly lead him to hell.
There is no doubt that smoking is bad for our health and people are in bondage to it but nowhere does the Bible say that smokers will go to hell. When the Bible is silent on something then we should be also but of course smokers should be encouraged to quit the habit.

LIFE ON EARTH IS A TEST

"LIFE ON EARTH IS A TEST"

"God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart. 2 Chronicles 32:31 (NLT)
-------------------------------------------

Over your Decade of Destiny, you will be tested by God as he develops your character, faith, obedience, love integrity, and loyalty.

Words like trials, temptations, refining, and testing occur more than 200 times in Scripture. God tested Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac. God tested Jacob when he had to work extra years to earn Rachel as his wife.

Adam and Eve failed their test in the Garden of Eden, and David failed a test from God on several occasions. But the Bible also gives us many examples of people who passed great tests, such as Joseph, Ruth, Esther, and Daniel.

Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested. God constantly watches you response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment, and even the weather! He even watches the simplest actions such as when you open a door for others, when you pick up a piece of trash, or when you're polite toward a clerk or waitress.

We don't know all the tests God will give you, but we can predict some of them, based on the Bible. You will be tested by major changes, by delayed promises, by impossible problems, by unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies. In my own life I have noticed that God tests my faith through problems, tests my hope by how I handle possessions, and tests my love through people.

A very important test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life. Sometimes God intentionally draws back, and we don't sense his closeness. A king named Hezekiah experienced this test. The Bible says, "God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart." (2 Chronicles 32:31 NLT)

Hezekiah had enjoyed a close fellowship with God, but at a crucial point in his life God left him alone to test his character, to reveal a weakness, and to prepare him for more responsibility.

When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.

The good news is that God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows them to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them (1 Corinthians 10:13).


More Friendship Fact Comments

THE SECRET OF ACHIEVING HOLINESS

"If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanor, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector. 'In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 'In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them."

In other word

In our gospel, Jesus shows us the right attitude in correcting a person by telling him/her faults with respect and love. Keep in mind that we correct a person because we care and we want to show how important that person is in our lives, being our brother or sister in Christ.

The secret of achieving holiness is to help reminding each other of our ways of life. Doing fraternal correction means that we are responsible to one another, that we are one family of God who helps one another to become holy. Fraternal correction therefore does not mean pulling each other down but rather pushing each other up to reach perfection.




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FRIENDSHIP MATTERS MOST

Humanity does not survive by bread alone. Life requires other things, and Faith and Love are amongst them. For many, perhaps for all, they are the only really important things we have. Success, whether measured in business, family or love, is often determined by the "right" attitude. Unfortunately, maintaining that proper frame of mind, a positive attitude, isn't always easy. Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, Life just seems intent on bringing us down. Inspiration, however, is rarely far away - if we are but willing to look for it. Friendships mean the best of things in this world and that too if it's with a spiritual friend, it's really a gift from God.




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