Discover Your Vision With Bible References.

Discover your vision (4)

‘In this vision he saw an angel of God coming toward him.’ Acts 10:3 TLB

In the New Testament, a centuries-old barrier was broken, allowing the Gentiles (anyone who wasn’t Jewish) to hear the Gospel preached for the first time. Jesus told his disciples, ‘This Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations’ (Matthew 24:14 NIV). In those days, Jews and Gentiles were bitter enemies. The divide between them was vast. Jews would often shun Gentiles and call them offensive names. But God told Peter to go to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile, and preach the Gospel.

Prejudice is the product of a closed mind. It’s a pride that must be humbled. And sadly, it’s possible to be a Christian and be prejudiced. So how did God change Peter’s heart? It needed not one, but two different visions! God gave Cornelius a vision in which he told him to invite a Jewish preacher named Peter into his home to preach the Gospel. And at the same time, he gave Peter a vision in which he told him, ‘If I accept someone, don’t you dare reject them!’

The truth is, when God wants to change things, he starts the process by giving someone a vision – and that person could be one of us!

So what now? Pray that you will be open to any vision, big or small, that God gives you, especially if it involves people or places, you don’t like or agree with. Ask him to help you with any prejudice you have, so you can take whatever steps are necessary to fulfil the vision.

Discover your vision (5)

‘Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions.’ Joel 2:28 GWT

Here are three things to bear in mind about discovering our vision: (1) Vision starts within. We can’t borrow someone else’s vision; we must look within and draw on our God-given gifts and desires. What do we feel passionate about? What do we think about and pray about? Our most persistent desire will help point us to our purpose. (2) Vision draws on our history. Moses grew up in the comfort of Pharaoh’s palace hearing the cries of Hebrew slaves. That experience prepared him to lead the exodus. Vision isn’t a mystical quality that appears from nowhere; it’s interwoven with our past and the history of the people around us. (3) Vision attracts resources. One of the sure signs of vision is that it acts like a magnet, attracting, challenging and uniting people. It draws the resources needed to complete it.

When God gives us a vision, it doesn’t mean everyone else will support it or believe in it. And if it’s a really big vision, we may not either! It may seem too big, or we may feel we’re not qualified or capable enough to fulfil it. But when we say yes to God and trust him to guide us, nothing will stop us from achieving what God’s laid out for us to do.

So what now? If you’re waiting for God to reveal his vision for your life, ask him to show if you could be a supporter of someone else’s vision while you wait to discover yours – this could help to inspire you on your journey.

[12/9, 4:12 AM] +49 1512 7925327: Your ‘password’ of praise

Friday 9th December 2022

‘Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you.’ Psalm 89:15 NIV

There are so many things we need a password for – it enables us to sign in, participate, download and get the information we need. In a similar way, praising Jesus is like a ‘password’ to a being in his presence: ‘Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence’ (Psalm 89:15 NIV). Praise is like a ‘super password’. It opens the door for God to enter our lives and work on our behalf.

The name Judah means ‘praise the Lord’, and when the twelve tribes of Israel travelled, Judah led the way (see Judges 20:18). On one occasion when Judah’s enemies were grouped against them, Jehoshaphat, their king, sent a choir to the front line ahead of the army to sing the praises of God. It brought a supernatural victory: ‘As soon as they began singing, the Lord confused the enemy camp…Then they turned against each other’ (2 Chronicles 20:22-23 CEV).

Praise is an expression of faith; an affirmation that we believe God is in charge of the situation. The Bible talks about ‘the sacrifice of praise’ (Hebrews 13:15 NKJV). Praise often doesn’t come naturally, but it’s good to choose to do it anyway. Nehemiah said, ‘The joy of the Lord is your strength’ (Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV). Praise can heal our emotions and lift the weight of negativity. Let’s try it – let’s use our ‘password’ of praise!

So what now? Is there a worship song that always reminds you of God’s presence? Make that song your ‘password’ of praise, and play it to help you focus on him.

[12/10, 4:56 AM] +49 1512 7925327: Heman and Jeduthun

Saturday 10th December 2022

‘Heman and Jeduthun…chosen by name to give thanks to the Lord.’ 1 Chronicles 16:41 NLT

Heman and Jeduthun were two of the Bible’s more inconspicuous characters. They were appointed by King David to give thanks. It was literally their job. And it’s our job too! We’re under the authority of the King of Kings who commands us to ‘be thankful’, ‘offer to God thanksgiving’, ‘come before his presence with thanksgiving’, ‘enter into his gates with thanksgiving’, and ‘in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’ (Colossians 3:15; Psalms 50:14; 95:2; 100:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV).

Nothing is more thrilling than being moved to worship spontaneously. It doesn’t matter what our style of worship is – whether we lift our hands, cry out, laugh, sing, dance, whatever – if we do it in a spirit of praise, thanksgiving and gratefulness, God will absolutely love it. Praise and thanksgiving bring peace to a troubled heart and tranquillity to an anxious mind. The Creator of our souls is a master psychologist; he knows that thanksgiving is necessary and therapeutic. It’s hard to be thankful and at the same time be grumpy, critical or bad tempered.

Let’s choose to overflow with thanksgiving. ‘Shout to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with joy; come before him with singing…Come into his city with songs of thanksgiving and into his courtyards with songs of praise…The Lord is good. His love is forever, and his loyalty goes on and on’ (Psalm 100:1-5 NCV).

So what now? Do yourself a favour – choose to praise and give thanks! It is designed to give you strength, joy and new perspective.

[12/10, 6:49 AM] +233 54 641 7491: (Birth and Childhood of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ) Luke 2:26-36; (Luck 2:36; the Angel said remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have child but she herself is now 6 months pregnant, So if Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant so which month Mary started his pregnant?

[12/10, 7:04 AM] +233 54 641 7491: (Birth and Childhood of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ) Luke 2:26-36; (Luck 2:36; the Angel said remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have child but she herself is now 6 months pregnant, So if Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant so which month Mary started his pregnant? And which month she gave birth?

[12/11, 5:36 AM] +49 1512 7925327: Coping with crisis (1)

Sunday 11th December 2022

‘When my spirit was overwhelmed…you knew my path.’ Psalm 142:3 NKJV

How we handle a crisis determines whether we come out of it feeling overwhelmed or stronger. Here are some ways to get through crisis well:

(1) Acknowledge our feelings. David said, ‘When my spirit was overwhelmed…you knew my path’ (Psalm 142:3 NKJV). God already knows how we feel, which gives us freedom to go through the process of healing and recovery with him. (2) Confide in someone. It’s helpful and valuable to open up to those who love and care about us: ‘A friend always loves, and a brother is born to share trouble’ (Proverbs 17:17 GWT). (3) Start a journal. Writing about an issue helps us let go, reorder our thoughts and process the situation. And it gives us a record to look back on and gain a better understanding of where God was at work in the situation.

(4) Avoid blame-shifting. There are times when it’s important to point out people’s mistakes, but we need to acknowledge if we ourselves are blame-shifting and take responsibility for our own part in a crisis situation. (5) Forgive ourselves. We all make mistakes. When we do make a mistake, it’s healthy to acknowledge it, ask God for forgiveness, then forgive ourselves and move on. God says that when he forgives, he does not remember our sins (see Isaiah 43:25); we should do the same.

So what now? Why not consider writing a journal of your faith journey? Document the positive things and the disappointments. Use your journal to look back and see where God was faithful and what he was teaching you through the challenges.

Coping with crisis (2)

Monday 12th December 2022

‘Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.’ Philippians 1:9 NLT

When we’re in a crisis situation, having a positive attitude is critical to get through it. Here are some ways to help us achieve that:

(1) Look for ways to use the experience for something positive. Resilient people use their experience to help others. ‘[God] comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble’ (2 Corinthians 1:4 CEV). (2) Check our priorities. ‘Teach us to use wisely all the time we have’ (Psalm 90:12 CEV). How would we spend our time differently? Who would we most like to spend it with? How can we use our strengths to serve others? (3) Believe we can overcome. A crucial aspect of resilience is faith that God brings us through crisis. Even if we have great practical skills, we still need to lean on God bring us through well.

(4) Step out of our comfort zone. ‘Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding’ (Philippians 1:9 NLT). Learning something new, like a foreign language, sport or hobby, can help build our confidence. Embracing the unfamiliar strengthens our capacity to handle new situations. (5) Clear the weeds that are choking our optimism. Let’s acknowledge pessimistic and negative thoughts and reframe our perspective. Consulting God helps us gain insights into his perspective and discover steps we need to take towards solutions.

So what now? Think about a crisis or challenge you’ve faced. Ask God to show you what you learned from that experience, then consider how to use that knowledge to help someone in a similar situation.

Caring well for each other

Tuesday 13th December 2022

‘We are all members of the same body.’ Ephesians 4:25 GWT

It is easier to say nothing when others are messing up; but it’s not the loving thing to do. The Bible tells us that, ‘Giving an honest answer is a sign of true friendship’ (Proverbs 24:26 CEV).

This is what the apostle Paul advised: ‘If someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again’ (Galatians 6:1 NCV). More often than not, when an issue arises that might cause tension, it’s glossed over to preserve the peace. We don’t want to ruffle any feathers, so the issue is not resolved. This is what Paul said: ‘Speak the truth to each other, because we are all members of the same body’ (Ephesians 4:25 GWT). But let’s be clear – honesty doesn’t give us permission to be rude or hurtful and say whatever we want. Thoughtless words can wound people. ‘Do not speak angrily to an older man, but plead with him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters’ (1 Timothy 5:1-2 NCV). In short, we should be thoughtful and gracious in the way we speak and the word s we use.

When a difficult issue comes up, caring means getting involved in an honest and loving way.

So what now? Ask a trusted friend to be a care-partner – agree to pray regularly for each other and to honestly and gently point out when you see each other making mistakes or taking a step that could lead away from God’s