WHO? ME?

WHO, ME?
Many of us subconsciously believe,"God could never use us". We let this chorus play over & over in our minds as we consider ourselves either too young or too old, not educated enough or otherwise unsuitable for God's purposes. But the truth is this: God can do anything, and he can do anything through us!
  In Israel's early history, the anointing for ministry was given to specific individuals like Saul. But the lord said the time was coming when he would "pour out (his) spirit on all people" (Joel 2:28).
That time is now. It began on the day of Pentecost when God fulfilled this prophecy by pouring out his spirit on all who awaited him.
The crowd was amazed that God could use Galileans, men and women with little education or prestige. Peter commented: "This is what was spoken by prophet Joel " (Acts 2:16). The reality of the outpoured spirit still continues; we all can be filled with God's spirit.
Ask God for a great infilling of the holy spirit today! No ceremonies, no qualifications, no written examinations, just kneel down before him & ask in a simple conversation.
-Olu Akpata (Zûr)

LIVING AS GOD INTENDED

Akin my friend had just bought a beautiful new car, (his 1st actually) .As he drove away from the dealership, the salesman's final word was: "Remember, sir, to read the manual. It will tell you how to get the best performance out of your car." Akin wasn't interested though, he just wanted to drive his car as fast & as far as he could. His attitude was: "What authority do the manufacturers have to tell me how to use my car? "
   In one sense though, my friend was right. The manufacturers had no legal authority to make him read the manual, their authority was based on knowledge: They had designed the car, and they knew how it worked and how to care for it. Akin understood their perspective only too well when he burned out the engine a few months later.
Now change the characters. That book you read or would love to study every morning, the one probably next to you as you read this article is the "Manufacturer's Instructions " on life. Our Creator has given us the Bible to help us understand how to live. He doesn't force us to read it, but we would be foolish if we don't.
Of course, this analogy is limited. God does have authority over us and will one day hold us accountable for our actions. Through the centuries, he's given good laws to guide his people into a life -giving relationship with him.
     God's law thought the Israelites how their personal & social lives should reflect his holiness, how their broken relationships could be restored, and how they could be set apart as a unique people. The Ten commandments are the summary of his law. He also gave "case laws " that are specific examples of how the laws were to be applied. Embodied in all these laws is the message Moses gave Israel at the end of his life: "I have set before you life and death, blessings & curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live " (Deuteronomy 30:19) May I affirm strongly at this juncture that: By following God's ways we are choosing life!
    The good life is an ideal that the Bible continually sets before us. It's what life was like in the Garden of Eden. With disobedience came death and separation from God, the source of life. A world emerged that was completely out of accord with God's purposes. But he never gave up! His righteous laws held out hope for "The good life "-both now and in the future. The vision proclaimed by Isaiah must surely be one of the most powerfully touching in the Bible. It describes a time of joy, abundance and harmony with the Creator.
     When Jesus came to this earth, that good life became even more near to us because Jesus broke the curse of sin and death that was causing the earth to decay. The good life can begin right now for anyone who will lay hold of the promises of God. And when we've lived this life to the fullest, we have an even better fulfillment of a promise to inherit - The joy of spending eternity with our maker.
I am certainly looking forward to such times!!!!

LET US PRAY

LET US PRAY!
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU.WE ADORE & GLORIFY YOUR HOLY NAME BABA.
WE COME TO YOU THIS MOMENT DADDY, SINFUL AS WE ARE OH LORD! WE BEG YOU FOR FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS & OUR INIQUITIES.
INSTILL IN US A CONTRITE HEART,SO WE MAY SEE WHEN YOU DIRECT US & HEAR YOU WHEN YOU INSTRUCT US.
MAKE PERFECT OUR WAYS ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL OH LORD!
    LET OUR DREAMS NOT DIE BUT LIVE.
LET OUR PLANS NOT FAIL BUT SUCCEED.
LET OUR DESTINIES NOT BE ABORTED BUT MANIFEST.
AND LET THE DESIRES OF OUR HEART BE GRANTED ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL IJN.AMEN.

PRAYERS THAT SHAKE NATIONS

God could easily impose his will on the world, but it's not his character to rule us with an iron fist. He would rather have us:  love and obey him by our own choice.  He also wants us to be in partnership with him through prayer to change situations that are contrary to his will.  This outward, selfless kind of prayer is called  INTERCESSION.  Intercessors seek God's help on behalf of individuals, cities & nations.
        The faithful prayers of one Godly person can change the destiny of a whole nation.
In 1 Samuel 7:5-9, the people of Israel were facing an enemy invasion and pleaded with the prophet Samuel to intercede before the lord for them. Samuel said he would only do so if they would stop worshipping idols and repent of their sins. When they did,  Samuel cried unto God on their behalf, and the Lord saved them from their enemies.
Let us identify something outside of our own situation today:  for which we would like to intercede. Let's ask God to show us specific ways to pray.

LET THE SPARKS FLY!

LET THE SPARKS FLY!
With voices getting louder by the moment and faces turning beet red, the two roommates squared off in sharp disagreement.
Though they were close friends, their strong personalities and opinions seemed to draw them regularly into conflict. As they worked harder to listen to each other and respond in a godly way, God began to shape them. After some months together, they were astonished at how many "rough edges " God had polished through their occasional disputes.
  Iron is sharpened by rubbing two equally hard pieces together. The friction polishes the metal but also causes the spark to fly! In the same way, the Lord uses our relationships to sharpen us spiritually. The habits and personalities  of our companions may grate on us at times, but these conflicts, even if they don't result in heated sparring, serve a useful purpose.
When our different strength, opinions & perspectives rub against one another, qualities such as pride, obstinacy & selfishness get ground away until we are sharpened tools, effective and ready for use.
Consider your difficult relationships. Can you see how Jehovah is using them to sharpen some rough areas in your life? (Proverbs 27:15-17)