The Darker the Night, the Brighter your Light

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”(Philippians 2:13).

If you observe the trend in the world today, it’s as though man has finally descended into the deepest depth of corruption, moral decadence and wickedness. Amidst all these, however, the Bible assures us of victory. We are not subject to the circumstances of this world; we are born of the Spirit of God.

We need to learn to think smartly and wisely because of the day we’re living in. We need to realise that the corruption, insincerity and wickedness around us aren’t any problem for us; we must see them as opportunity. “Opportunity for what?” you ask. They are your opportunity to show forth the glory of your heavenly Father. Remember, if there was no Goliath, there would have been no David.

The Word of God would always prevail; it will triumph in any system of government. So never think the government policies or unfavourable economic conditions are designed to destroy you. If you live by the Word of God, there’s no government policy or economic system on earth that can beat you. Jesus described the people of His day as serpents and a generation of vipers. (Matthew 23:33). Surely, these people must have been very decadent, because you don’t call good people serpents. They even conspired to kill Him. That sounds like what’s happening today, doesn’t it?

You have to realise that the darker the night, the more brightly your light shines. Don’t become like them or talk like them, and don’t succumb to their way of doing business. The more the evil and the corruption, the brighter your light shines. Jesus said you are the salt of the earth, and again He said, “ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:14).
Share your comments here.

Thought For Today: Command the Light to Shine Out of That Darkness

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts… But we have this treasures in earthen vessels… (2 Corinthians 4:6.7).

This portion of the Scripture is one of the most inspiring in the Bible because of the truth it reveals and there are two vital things I want to highlight from it. Firstly, it says that the light of God is in our hearts. Secondly, the scripture doesn’t say “God commanded the darkness to become light’ neither does it say “God brought light into the darkness. You see, either of these two statements may be good, but what this scripture really says is even better.

“For God commanded the light to shine out of darkness…” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Can light come out of darkness? We all know that light and darkness don’t mix yet the Bible says that God commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Remember, the earth was a chaotic mass that was enveloped in complete darkness (Genesis 1:2). But at His command, God brought order to the maddening chaos and light leapt out of the looming darkness. As a child of God, you have received the same ability; you can call the light out of darkness. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” There’s a treasure in you; it’s a treasure of love, light and divine perfection. God has shone in our hearts and given us the ability to bring light out of darkness. Therefore, make a change in your situation today. There’s no problem too hard that you can’t solve, no situation is too hopeless that you can’t change. If you feel pain in your body for example, turn to where the pain is and say, I command healing to come out of this pain in Jesus’ Name.” Bring forth light from that darkness in your body. The reason some Christians are full of regrets, suffer all kinds of problems and even die is that they are ignorant of their inherent ability.

If you find yourself in any predicament, prophesy your way out of it for God has given you the power to command light out of darkness. You were born to be great because you’re the seed of Abraham. You’re more than a conqueror (Romans 8:3 7) and you can never be disadvantaged. No wonder the Bible says that all things work together for your good (Romans 8:28). Just as Isaiah prophesied upon the children of Israel in Isaiah 61:7, I prophesy to you today; “For your shame, you shall have double; and for confusion you shall rejoice in your portion: Therefore, in your life (this month and beyond), you shall possess the double (abundance): Everlasting joy shall be in your household.” Hallelujah!
In this month of light, you must refuse to negotiate with the darkness; rather you must always command the light to come out of that darkness. Praise the Lord!!

Share your comments here with us.

Still Human!

. . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God —1 Corinthians 10:31

In the Scriptures, the great miracle of the incarnation slips into the ordinary life of a child; the great miracle of the transfiguration fades into the demon-possessed valley below; the glory of the resurrection descends into a breakfast on the seashore. This is not an anticlimax, but a great revelation of God.

We have a tendency to look for wonder in our experience, and we mistake heroic actions for real heroes. It’s one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, “What a wonderful man of prayer he is!” or, “What a great woman of devotion she is!” If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time.

We want to be able to say, “Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God!” But to do even the most humbling tasks to the glory of God takes the Almighty God Incarnate working in us. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His. The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life “hidden with Christ in God” in our everyday human conditions (Colossians 3:3). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited.

Blog Summary

The Energy Of God

20 Encouragement Quotes To Keep You Going In Your Christian Faith

That feeling of you never fitting in is God leading you from faith to faith and glory to glory, steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord

Anytime you come into a new arena, you must humble yourself and become a student so you can move from this level to the next.

You CANNOT lead what you fit in with! Leaders always stand out from the crowd!

God has the ability to take all the things of your life that seem to make no sense and use them all for His purpose and your benefit.

You CANNOT rebuke a devil you continuously grant access to your life.

If you curse the way God led you, you will not reach the place He is taking you.

You cannot lead someone to a place you’ve not been yourself.

If God exposes you to something and you turn the other way and keep walking its not for you. You CANNOT ignore what God has ordained for you

Relationships are 1 of your greatest resources, invest wisely, protect vehemently, and always try to be the friend you wish you had!

God is going to use everything you’ve been through to get you ready for what He’s going to do through your life!

Your need for affirmation and acceptance from your critics will often derail you from your purpose.

When the enemy comes in like a FLOOD, Spirit of The Lord lift up a STANDARD against the enemy!

If you are not prepared, you will find yourself torn between who you were and who God has called you to be!

We all have our failures and defeats. The good news is that God never disqualifies us. God never writes us off.

Don't forget, you have been called to live a bold, confident, overcoming life!

You are not here on earth by accident. God has a plan and a purpose for your life.

God will always send the right person to say the right thing to keep you from missing your destiny.

What begging won't do, believing will do. Don't be a beggar. Be a believer.

God is in complete control. So be a prisoner of hope. Get up each day expecting His favor.

If God showed you everything He had in store for you, it would boggle your mind.

Joel Osteen - Having Mountain Moving Faith

Christian Parenting Advice For Raising Teenagers

I don’t know if raising teens is any harder today than it was in previous generations, but it sure seems so. Doesn’t it? You probably think your teens go through temptations worse than you had. And your parents thought that the trials you experienced as a teenager were worse than what they had to deal with.

Whether things are worse now than they were before, here are some practical tips for raising teenagers that every Christian home can put into practice regardless of the generation. These are not in any particular order and they can be worked on one at a time or together. Try to find one or two that you can implement today.

Love Your Teenagers

Love can be shown in many different ways. The actions and attitudes we show towards our teens mean much more than the words we say. However, don’t neglect to tell them you love them. It may seem mushy and unnecessary to say “I love you” to your teen, but it will mean much to them in the coming years having heard their parents say it.

A right attitude towards your teen will communicate love to them. Does every conversation leave you exasperated? It is doing the same for your son or daughter too. Find ways to engage them in conversation that does not end with one or both of you frustrated with the other. Communicate with love.

Respect Your Teen

Show your respect in the way you speak to them and about them. Talk to them with honor and speak of them respectfully before other adults and your teen’s peers. Your kids are watching and listening. They will pick up when you speak honorably towards them.

While you are probably mentally and emotionally superior to your teen, this does not mean you need to lord that over them with insults. Even as innocent as playful insults seem to you, make sure your child sees them that way too. Teasing on your part may not be accepted as funny to your teen.

Have Clear, but Few Rules

Part of respect and love is to have good rules. This sets boundaries. Even if we say we don’t like rules, the truth is, everyone likes to know the limitations and expectations. Have rules that are clear. I don’t know that I can give you a set of rules that will work in every house or situation, but I can give you an example of what my parents used with us growing up.

Your job is to train your teenagers into godly citizens who know how to think on their own.

As older teens my brothers and I had already learned what was expected of us from our parents. Therefore, I only remember one rule that we had through those last years in my parents home. The amazing thing is that rule summed up so much of everything we had been taught as younger kids. The rule was, that we must be home from any activity or outing by 11:00 PM. If we were going to be out any later, we needed to call for permission or to explain why we could not be home by then.

This simple rule kept us out of a lot of trouble. My parents knew exactly where we were and who we were with. Our parents were showing respect to us in trusting us. We showed respect to our parents by calling (even if we were only 2 minutes from home at 11:00 we would find a pay phone and call because we respected them enough to not cause them to worry). It also caused our friends to have a higher respect for my parents and they knew the rules were not negotiable.

A single-rule environment won’t work in every family. But if you can choose good clear rules that encompass many aspects of love and respect, then you will probably have fewer battles. Our system worked because we were taught well in our more formative years that rules were to be obeyed and authority was to be respected.

Don’t Have Stupid Rules

Ephesians 6 says to not provoke your children to wrath (Ephesians 6:4). This means don’t frustrate them. Stupid rules that no one understands or rules that are inconsistent with other expectations simply frustrate those being governed by them. As adults we have probably all experienced these types of rules at work.

Expect Obedience

When you set rules, you should also discuss consequences. Allow your children help you determine the consequences. You might be surprised that they would assign greater punishment on themselves than you would. Then you need to be consistent in applying the consequences. This goes along with not frustrating your child with stupid rules. Your teen needs to know that there are always consequences for disobedience. If one of your children gets away with breaking a rule and another one doesn’t then you frustrate your children and break down the respect they have for you and their siblings.

When enforcing the rules you have agreed upon, you need to remember you are the parent, not their high school best friend. Your job is to train your teenagers into godly citizens who know how to think on their own. A true friend and parent will do what is right for the teen, not partner with them to fight other authority figures.

Engage Them

Talk with your teenager. Find ways to engage them in conversations. They aren’t going to go to you for advice and share their heart if their only interaction with you is when you are saying to them: “Brush your teeth.” “Clean your room.” “Don’t wear that.”

Find conversation starters—and, “what did you do in school today?”—does not count. What is your child interested in? You should become at least somewhat knowledgeable about that subject and engage them in it.

Seek common ground to help you engage your teen in conversation. Then listen. Let them talk. If you correct them on everything they say or feel like you have to control the conversation, then you are going to turn off your teen’s interest in talking. They should talk and you should listen. You may be surprised as to what you can learn from them.

Be a Good Role Model

Be an example of how you want them to live. Speak respectfully to and of others. Model the behavior you want your child to show. If you spend the evenings complaining about the way the boss runs his business, you are modeling the behavior of your teens sitting with their friends complaining about the way you run your house.

“Do as I say and not as I do” should never be part of your training strategy. Your children will do as you do. The question is, are you living in the same way you want them to live?

I have heard it said that what leadership does in moderation, their followers will do in excess. If you took all of your own habits, good or bad, and multiplied their intensity 2 or 5 times, would you want to be around yourself? Consider that every trait you and your spouse have will be magnified in your teenagers. Do you like what you see? Change what you can.

Pass on Your Relationship with God

It is said that God has no grandchildren. What is meant by that a child is not saved because of the relationship his parents have with God. Each person must come to God on his own. Theologically that is true. However, practically a child will more likely come to a personal relationship with God because of the lessons he learns from his parents. Share your love for God with your children.

Affirm Their Good Actions

Teenagers need reassurance. While they are seeking independence they also want to know that they are accepted and loved. Praise them when they do well. It is so easy to live in the same house without talking or engaging one another. Even in a home which is free of stress.

For many, the only time they talk with their teenager is when they have to deal with a problem. Don’t let this be your relationship with your child. Seek out ways to affirm their good actions and decisions.

Your Tips?

I am curious to see what God has taught you in raising teens. Particularly I am curious as to what you consider to be good rules for teenagers. Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Bible Verses About Inner Beauty: 22 Awsome Quotes

nner beauty is inside each of us.  We are all beautiful in God’s eyes as we are created in the image of God.  God doesn’t make junk.  However, many people don’t feel beautiful inside.  We are often smothered by a lack of confidence and even a lack of acceptance of other people.  It is easy to compare ourselves to others especially when we compare our outward appearance.  God’s word makes it clear that we are all beautiful to Him.  Beauty isn’t just reserved for models and Hollywood actors and actresses.  You are beautiful.  Read the following scripture passages and let God heal you as you come to the realization of how much God loves and values each of His created beings.

Featured Bible Verse 2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self his being renewed day by day.

Beautiful In God’s Eyes

 

1 Peter 3:4-6 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.  For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,  as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

Proverbs 31:30  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Beauty is More Than Outward Appearance

God’s word makes it clear that we are all beautiful to Him.

1 Samuel 16:7  But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Psalms 34:5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Psalms 45:11  and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.

Proverbs 3:15   She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Proverbs 20:29   The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

Song of Solomon 4:7   You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

Ezekiel 28:17  Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.

Matthew 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 23:27   “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and pall uncleanness.”

John 7:24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Beauty Because We Are Created By God

 

Genesis 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Psalms 139:14   I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Beauty Because We Are Children of God

 

Genesis 1:26  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Colossians 3:12  Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

1 Thessalonians 5:5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

1 John 3:1  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that bit did not know him.

Beauty is more than skin deep.  One interesting thing is that the love of another person will often make us feel beautiful.  When we have the love of a spouse or our family member we will feel accepted and better about ourselves.  When there is a lack of love in our lives, we often feel alone and isolated and even depressed.  That is one reason why people are often drawn to the Lord God.  God is love.  It is what He is.   No matter how alone we feel in this life we can always know that God is there for us and He loves us the way we are.  Maybe today you are feeling alone and depressed.  People have let you down in your life and you don’t feel any inner beauty.  Turn to God today.  He thinks that you are His masterpiece and He loves you. Embrace Jesus Christ today.  Praise Him!!!

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-verses-about-inner-beauty-22-awesome-quotes/#ixzz2BSh455Zy