WELCOME TO ALFA COLLEGE 

CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

SHARING FELLOWSHIP 

THIS COMING WEDNESDAY ( 9- MAY-2012) . OUR CF IS HAVING A SHARING FELLOWSHIP. WE WILL BE MEETING IN ALFA COLLEGE 12 FLOOR - (L4).COME AND JOIN US TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.  YOU ARE OFFICIALLY INVITED TO JOIN US. WE ARE READY TO LISTEN TO YOUR STORIES...

BEFORE THAT WE WILL BE HAVING LUNCH TOGETHER, 12PM. MEETING UP IN 11TH FLOOR OF ALFA COLLEGE.

MIKE'S SHY TALK 

FEELING SHY? COME AND JOIN US IN HOW TO OVER COME YOUR SHY, SHARED BY ONE OF ALFA FORMAL STUDENT. DONT MISS IT OUT...:D 

Come and join us for a brand new start. 

we are meeting up every wednesday 12:30pm- 2pm.

YOU WILL EXPLORE SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOU HAVE EVER

 ENCOUNTER. LIVE FOR SOMETHING BIGGER.

WHETHER YOU'RE AN INCOMING FRESHMAN OR YOU JUST

 GRADUATED OR EVEN JUST A NORMAL STUDENT IN ALFA.

YOU ARE OFFICIALLY INVITED TO JOIN US.

 WE WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU.

AND PRAYING FOR YOU.

God always always bless us with fine fine weather!!! :D

The last time ACCF went up hill. This time, we chilled and relax at Ulu Yam waterfall. Again, God blessed us with awesome weather! and also with wonderful time of fellowship with one another. We praise God for everything.

AMEN!!!  

Roadblocks !!!

Roadblocks. There are many roadblocks that God has put in our lives. Have you ever thought that Roadblocks, are actually sometime to help us?

Art Hallett has shared with us a story that day, and it goes like this.

There was once a man, who was driving on a bridge. a 23 miles long bridge on a very foggy day. A moment he was in the fog, and a moment later he was out of it. 

When he enters the foggy part of the bridge, he drove really slowly. But as he enter the clear part, he stepped on the pedal and accelerate. He drove in and out of the fog throughout the 23 miles.

so, as he continues to drive in and out of the fog, at one point, he saw a guy waving and jumping wildly somewhere near the other side of the bridge. At first, he thought it was one of the mental patients that ran away from the insane asylum nearby. He didn't bother. 

but as he drove closer and closer to that guy. He was getting worried. What if , it was a scheme to rob him, what if, he is some maniac who wanted to harm him. He stepped on the oil, hoping to move past that stretch of the bridge quickly. But as he move to the right lane, the wild guy blocked ahead of him. and when he moved to the left lane, the guy followed. 

He didn't understand. Though the messy looking, wildly waving guy was screaming at the top of his lungs, he didn't understand a word from him. The man was scared. He wanted to just step on the pedal and drive ahead, thinking that the wild guy will surely move avoid his car. But as he stepped on the pedal, the guy didn't move. He hit the break immediately. Barely an inch away from the guy. 

And within the distance, he finally heard what the guy was trying to say. 

"The bridge is down, the bridge is down!! Do not drive any further!!" He was screaming. 

Then only he realized that, the bridge was parted into two. Cars and cars were coming from the other side without knowing that the bridge was not connected to the other side. Because of the fog, a number of cars had drove across and fell into the water. Many lives were lost. 

The man finally understand, the wild guy was not a roadblock that was trying to harm him. But a roadblock that God has placed, in his way, to save him. 

Just like everyday scene in our lives, God has placed many different roadblocks in our lives. Perhaps, some that seem to bring nothing good to us, when things don't go along our ways, we complained and asked why...

Through this testimony, God has told us why. These roadblocks are there for a purpose. Maybe, to stop us from going the wrong way....Maybe, to strengthen us along the way.....and Maybe maybe maybe more.

So, let us not be disappointed or get distress when things don't go our way. Pray for God to help us see the clear picture.  

Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. 

Exodus 14:13

God's Plan????  

Today, in ACCF, we talked about Jonah. It was definitely a refreshing session. 

We were supposed to be sharing a short video today, but God's plan, always amazing, always all wonderful, led us into this character learning session. 

In the bible, it is stated that Jonah runs away from God. Right after God spoke to Jonah, he promptly runs away from God.  He was called by God to go to the Nineveh, a city full of sin, and ask the people to repent. But he disobeyed. or at least, he tried to disobey.

Many times, just like Jonah, God speaks through us by a conviction of our hearts, a counsel by a godly friend or through the clear teaching of scripture as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Like Jonah, we understood that it was a word from God, yet, since the word was something we either did not want to obey, we turn our hearts and head our own way.

But despite all our unwillingness, all our disobedience, all our attempts of trying to run away from Him,. God always give us a second chance, like how He gave Jonah a chance to fulfill the commission he was first given.

God's plan, may not be visible now, we may not comprehend, but one thing the bible told us, God always has a plan for us, not any plan, but His plan, His special plan, perfectly and specially created plan for every single one of us. Everything that happened, be it humiliation, success, failure or roadblocks, its all for His greater plan, a plan so wonderful and complicated that even if He tells us now, we may not be able to understand. 

So, let us not run when we can't comprehend. For we are like little ants who can't run far from God, He's there, He's always there. 

Jeremiah 29:11 states,

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, " plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

by  ACCF ~19th September 2011

___________________________________________________________________________

WHat hAve God done to ACCF??!!

Hey guys!! 

from the last post, we said that during that semester (March-Aug), we want to go ALL OUT in CF. We want to  introduce CF to all Alfaians, to let them at least know that ACCF exist. 

and now that the last semester has gone by and the new semester has come, we can conclude that , ACCF did quite a great job!!!  From all the poster-making, games planning, food preparing, inviting speakers and all...with God's blessing and thanks to all members, it was one fruitful and awesome semester. 

let's take a look at what we've gone through.....

tada~~~ in the very beginning! The Welcoming party~~

from none to many............. 

and food for every!!

of course, also games and plenty :) :) :)  

on that day, majority of the new students know ACCF exist!! 

In this semester,  

 we also celebrated Easter together for the very first time!!

with the silly bunny games :) that made the pastor hopped,

we also invited a special speaker to share with us bout God's salvation.

though not everytime we succeed in planning, we tried to have frisbee!

although it rained in the end. but we never give up.

ACCF went all the way up hill. and From the Broga Outing, 

We learned to have faith that we do not need a back up plan just in case God's plan fail.

Our plan may fail but He never fails!! 

We also learned to never leave anyone behind!! because together we can!! :) :)

that was why everyone who went conquered Broga Hill!! yay! 

but some days, when assignments are piling up, 

we stayed in college and have games and fun ~~ 

and when we're stressed out and tired and exhausted, 

we take crazy pictures to de-stress ourselves. 

we learned bout God's words through sharing sessions. 

we shared bout anger, God and each other.

and towards the end we fortunate to have,

 David Story himself singing live in Alfa with us!! 

ACCF had whole two hours of his very own concerT! :)

in this semester, we started having prayer walk. 

sometimes we gathered in a class and pray, some days we walked around and prayed for every corner of the college.

and finally.....

 after all the busy weeks,

and all the packed up schedules...

 i do seriously think, God has made ACCF known in Alfa college :)

when God say pray and have faith, He will never fail us.

God has MaDE IT HAPPENED!!! and He will continue to do great things in our lives, if we allow Him into ours. 

so who says Design students never have time for anything??

ACCF people have definitely proven that they'll always have time for God.

PRAY AND HAVE FAITH

 JESUS says in Mark 11: 24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Recently, we've had meetings over meetings to plan for the next semester. Confused? lost? discouraged? tired? Starting something new has never been an easy task. With no experience in this, we might be discouraged when things don't go smoothly in the beginning.

But always remember, we're not doing this by our own might. In fact, we can never succeed if we try to depend on our own strength. We may grow weary, but God will never will. Have faith in Him and pray.

There's a reason for us to have found each other,

There's a reason that we're called to come together to work this out.

Of all the billions people out there, with thousands of colleges and universities, we are the few that have gathered here in this small college, starting this ACCF. This shows, God has something planned in His mind and its definitely something great.

WHEN we believe in God, we are willing to take the leap of faith that He will come through for us.  Once we lay our concerns at His mighty throne of grace, we, in trust, can sigh with relief that it is in the almighty hands of an infinite and loving God.  With confidence that our loving Father will take care of whatever we ask of Him, we go forth in trust knowing that He will make things right.

So brothers and sisters, 

Don't be discouraged!! :D have hope! have faith!!!!

keep your heads up and :D

BE ENERGETIC FOR GOD!!!!

Let us all really pray throughout this week. For guidance and for strength.

And not to forget to believe in what you've pray.

We're going all out this coming semester.

believe that GOD is going to MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!

Our next meeting will be on

Date: Thursday 17th March 2011 5pm-7pm

Venue: College 12th floor

Let us all come together and pray on that day!! see you guys then :)

PLAN OF SALVATION

SAVED, SANCTIFIED and SINGLE: When God’s Plan Excludes Marriage

“His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.” ~ Matthew 19: 10-11

Once upon a time, I had real difficulty with verses like this. I was your typical American girl, raised on stories of fairy tale princes who would someday sweep me off my feet and carry me to their castle far, far away to live happily ever after. Armed with a bevy of movies and books on the subject, I knew that no matter what happened to me in life I wanted to be in on this falling-in-love thing. I promised God anything He wanted, as long as it involved a good-looking guy with perfect manners and a stunning diamond ring just waiting in his back pocket for me and only me.

I was homeschooled through high school, so once college came around it was on. While outwardly I rolled my eyes at the girls who were working hard for their MRS Degree and plugged away in proper feminist-age zeal at my chosen field of study, inwardly, I wanted nothing to do with a career and everything to do with a guy who would let me stay home and be the wife. There really wasn’t much to stand in the way that I could see – I was young, I was cute, I was a darn good cook. In no time The Guy would find me and our lives of wedded bliss would ensue.

When I left college, it was with a nursing a degree and without a ring. Sure, there had been a couple of Mr. Wrongs in there, and several Never-Gonna-Happen-So-Don’t-Even-Asks, but The Guy had somehow not surfaced. I came home feeling like a failure instead of a success. College was where the guys were; how was I supposed to find Mr Right now? Or rather, how was he supposed to find me? I quelled the nervous quivers of doubt and moved into my career and my local church, determined not to be dismayed. After all, there were singles at church. I just had to have faith.

So when a single man at church (finally!) noticed me, in my eyes he was practically perfect: good-looking, hard-working, a Christian good ole boy with a savings account and a nice car. OK, so he lived with his parents: but he had good reasons for that. Alright, he was 30 and had never married or really had a long-term relationship: that’s because he’d been waiting for me. Convinced I was on the verge of being rewarded for my patience, I shut my eyes and dove in heart first. Way too late I realized that his heart had stayed in the kiddie pool while I was paddling in the deep end, and I finally had to face something I had avoided my whole life:

I was never going to get married. No amount of wanting it on my end would make it happen, no amount of trying could undo this truth. I was simply not ever going to get married.

Maybe it sounds like I gave up to soon, but to be brutally honest, I saw it coming. I turned the radio up in my head to drown out the hints along the way that I was destined for something different: that sense of relief every time a relationship ended, those Scriptures that talk about dying to your own plans in life and not trying to make bargains with the God of the Universe. And mostly, that quiet but distinct voice I remembered from childhood, every time I presented my demands to God. Like clockwork, every time my head said “When I get married…” my heart whispered “Not married… Not alone, but not married.”

Funny thing is, once I embraced God’s plan for my life, I couldn’t figure out why I’d fought it for so long. Even amidst the pain of loss, I was so happy: contented, at peace, relieved. The pressure to go against what was best for me was gone, and my entire soul rejoiced. I was never going to get married. Thank God.

Suddenly, those verses about remaining unmarried became sweet love notes from a God I had run from for far too long. There was a place for me, a blessed place.

Sing, O barren, thou [that] didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou [that] didst not travail with child: for more [are] the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. ~ Isaiah 54:1

Yes, I would never taste the benefits of married life; but the kindest and gentlest of Husbands would be my provider. I was to be all for God, and He would be all for me.

My life started that day I died to my own demands. I have since watched God be true to every promise He ever made. He truly is the best Husband I could ever ask, and more than I could have dreamed. Sure, some days I still dream, but it’s not with desperation; it’s with the quiet knowledge that marriage is a beautiful and desirable thing, even if I know it will never be for me. Since that day, my life has been an incredible adventure, so different from the sedate life I had planned – and so well suited to my personality and tastes that I often sit back and just marvel at where I am, and thank God for not letting me mess things up.

Christian singlehood is not something that a lot of people talk about. Most Christian singles groups start off right, only to eventually dissolve as members of the fellowship pair off and join the Young Couples group down the hall. And that’s perfectly alright; marriage is a blessed institution, and God’s will for many people. But, there are also a lot of people like me: people ordained by God to be preserved for him alone, free from the burdens of a spouse and children. If you’re one of those people, then rest assured that even if you never marry, you are far from alone!

So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better. ~ 1 Corinthians 7:38

All Fired Up

"God said to Moses, "I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:14)

Moses was terrified. First he had spent forty years in Egypt- the most powerful nation on earth- as a prince. Popular, revered, and held in the highest esteem. Add to his resume forty years in the desert as a shepherd working for his father-in-law. Lonely, unappreciated, and punching the clock at smelly job central.

Now he kneels trembling before Jesus in the burning bush being commissioned for a holy cause. He was being sent by God Himself to set the Israelites free from the Egyptians. Promotion? Sure. Chance to be restored to greatness? Absolutely!

Only - he didn't want to go.

He fired excuse after excuse at the blazing King. Christ had an answer for every one of them. One of Moses' excuses was "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

Jesus had an answer... "I AM who I AM."

In the same way Moses was a master of excuses when it came to delivering the Jews, aren't we the excuse experts when it comes to delivering the gospel? God Himself has commissioned us (Matthew 28) to "go and make disciples of all nations..."

But God - what if I don't I know what to say? What if they reject me? What if they ask me a question I don't have the answer to?" Blah. Blah. Blah.
The bottom line is this... the great "I AM" has sent us. Excuses fade into oblivion when it comes to Christ. When we realize who God is- excuses fall flat.

So who is God? Who is this "I AM"?

First - we know that He is "one God". Deuteronomy 6:4 reminds us, "The LORD our God, the LORD is one." Christianity is a monothesitic faith. "Mono" means one. "Theo" means "God." We believe in one God.

Second - we believe in one God who is comprised of three persons... the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each is fully God. Each is fully unique. Three persons: one essence.

The title some have given this truth is "The Trinity." One God (unity)- comprised of three persons (Trinity)

Get it? Neither do I. Neither does anyone, except God. God is infinite. We are finite. As one expert said, "For us to try to comprehend God is like a gnat trying to drink in the ocean."

But get this. This triune God is sending you on a mission. This holy mission is to spread the Gospel to a dying world. Just like Moses, our excuses fail. Why? Because the "I AM" has sent us. We are on a mission from God- let's get busy!

Counterfeits Of The Heart

New Committee Member Year 2011

Pray on all occasions 

A New Year's Prayer Solution

Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Are you two-faced? Maybe we all are at some point. But did you know that the word January refers to a two-faced Roman deity: one face looking back at the past and one face looking towards the future.

This would be a great time to be doing the same...looking back at the previous year and looking forward to the year ahead.

The past...to many that is a scary phrase. The year in review brings back guilt anew. The sorrows, sins and silly slip-ups get in your face and haunt you like re-occurring nightmare. So looking back over 2010 would be about as fun as being dragged over wounded scorpions. Yet I would still encourage you to do so for this reason: grace. If you peer hard enough into your accumulated memories, you will find the fingerprints of God over all your botches and blunders- and the finger that left the prints is pointing towards forgiveness and restoration. Remember that Jesus is the God of second chances (and third, fourth, fifth etc.). Learn from your mistakes and move on- that's what the Apostle Paul did:

Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Paul was a lot like us. He looked back and saw things he was proud of, and things he was ashamed of. Yet rather than revel and grovel in obsessive observations, he made a decision to employ a wonderful technique for dealing with the past: forgetting.

Let's get practical. Try writing out a journal of all the highs and lows of 2010. Beside all the mistakes, write "forgiven"; and beside all the victories, write "thank you".

Remember the other face? It looks towards the future. Not in a ridiculous and useless resolution sort of way, but in a dedicated and determined fashion that takes seriously the high calling of being a believer left on this planet to advance God's Kingdom one day and one life at a time- because each day is a gift.

What impact does the attitude of 'each day being a gift' have on a person? Perhaps it differs with each individual- but here is the prayer of an African pastor who was later killed for his faith. Read it, memorize it, speak it and live it. Instead of a New Year's resolution, make it a New Year's 'prayer solution'. May Christ give you the grace to have it profoundly affect the way 2011 unfolds:

I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His and I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I'm done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.

My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.

I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!

Questions:

1. What do you need to forget from last year?
2. How can you apply this prayer?
3. Which people in your life need to hear the gospel?

SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP

AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,

BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. 
SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY.' 

The minister feeling foolish, 
Told Jim, that was fine. 
He told the man he was welcome 
To come and pray just anytime 

Time to go, Jim smiled, said 'Thanks.' 
He hurried to the door. 
The minister knelt at the altar, 
He'd never done it before. 

His cold heart melted, warmed with love, 
And met with Jesus there. 
As the tears flowed, in his heart, 
He repeated old Jim's prayer: 

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, 
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP

AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,

BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. 
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY.' 

Past noon one day, the minister noticed 
That old Jim hadn't come. 
As more days passed without Jim, 
He began to worry some. 

At the factory, he asked about him, 
Learning he was ill.

The hospital staff was worried, 
But he'd given them a thrill. 

The week that Jim was with them, 
Brought changes in the ward. 
His smiles, a joy contagious. 
Changed people, were his reward. 

The head nurse couldn't understand 
Why Jim was so glad, 
When no flowers, calls or cards came,  Not a visitor he had. 

The minister stayed by his bed, 
He voiced the nurse's concern: 
No friends came to show they cared.. 
He had nowhere to turn. 

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke 
Up and with a winsome smile; 
'the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, 
That He's in here all the while 

Everyday at noon He's here, 
A dear friend of mine, you see, 
He sits right down, takes my hand, 
Leans over and says to me:

'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, 
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.

ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, 
I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY.'

If this blesses you , pass it on. Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart 

May God hold you in the palm of His hand 
And Angels watch over you. 

Please pass this page on to your friends & loved ones. If you aren't ashamed. Jesus said,

' If you are ashamed of me,' I will be ashamed 
Of you before my Father.' 

If you are not ashamed, pass this on..

But only if you mean it. 

So this is me ... Just Checking In  
Live in peace and peace will live in you.

Jesus Calls Us to Himself 

You Need to Care if You Want to SUCCEED

"So if God's going to teach you real love,

realize that he's going to put you around unlovely people."

Everything you do must be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (NLT)

One of the most important keys to receiving God's favor on your work is this: you must care about the people you work with. Even when they are irritable, even when they don't like you, even when they make fun of you, even when they put you down for being a Christian, you must still be a friend to them.

1. Start working enthusiastically.
2. Understand who you really work for.
3. Concentrate on building your character.
4. Care about the people you work with.

Why is this so important for success? Because the number one lesson in life, the number one reason God put you on this earth, is to learn how to love. God is love and he wants you to be like him.

It's easy to love people you like, the people you find easy to get along with. So if God's going to teach you real love, realize that he's going to put you around unlovely people.

"Everything you do must be done with love" (1 Corinthians 16:14 NLT). "Everything you do" - that means in the office, in the car, on a sales trip, whatever. The good news is this really is not hard. It's easy to underestimate the power of a kind word, a friendly smile, a pat on the back, a genuine compliment, a word of encouragement, and a listening ear.

I have seen so many lives changed when somebody takes time to pay attention to them. There is not a person on this planet who isn't starving for attention. But a caring person is hard to find. The Apostle Paul said this, "I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare" (Philippians 2:20 NLT). Does that sound like your workplace? Everyone looking out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ? Those who really care are really aware.

People need affirmation, attention, and affection. Learn to care about the people you work with and show them God's love. "Be humble and gentle, be patient with each other, making allowances for each other's faults because of your love" (Ephesians 4:2 LB).

Biblical Obedience: Love + Trust + Action

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15 (NIV) 

"God wants us to see obedience to him as a relationship of love. And out of love comes trust."

In the middle of all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, let's pause and think back to the first Christmas. Have you ever stopped to put yourself in Joseph's shoes? Here was a guy who found out his fiancé was pregnant, claiming she was visited by an angel and it's God's baby. And she wanted him to believe her!

In an instant Joseph's whole world was turned upside down. This was not the way his life was supposed to turn out.  It just didn't make any sense.

Do you know the feeling? Maybe you finances suddenly take a turn for the worse, or layoffs are looming at work, or you've just received news of a health crisis in your family. How are you going to handle it? What do you do when things in your life don't make sense?

Joseph made the choice to do what God said to do and it changed everything. Joseph chose to obey God even though he didn't understand what was happening.

Today, the word obey has a negative connotation. We view obedience as a forced, unwilling decision to do something we don't want to do because we're afraid of punishment.

But that's not the kind of obedience that's in God's Word. Obedience in the Bible means this: love + trust + action.

It starts with love, as Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (NIV). Obedience comes from knowing that God loves you and you love him in return.

A lot of people think obedience is about fearing God, but God wants us to see obedience to him as a relationship of love. And out of love comes trust. If you trust what God is saying to you, and you believe that he loves you, then that will lead to action.

You need to have all three because action without love is just rote religion. And love without action is just mere talk.

Joseph was able to accept what Mary and the angel told him because of his relationship with God. He knew God loved him and he loved God. He trusted God and made the choice to do what God asked him to do. And because of that, Joseph's life is still impacting lives today.

Letting God Choose

Genesis 13:9-13 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

 ¹⁰ Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. ¹³ Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company:

Pointing Fingers

The Pretender

What Is This About?

Listen to Your Echo

Drinking Problem

Jesus replied, "People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life." (John 4:13-14)

Many years ago in South America, a crew of Peruvian Sailors headed up the Amazon River came upon a strange sight. A Spanish ship was anchored off the coast, and as the Peruvians drew closer they saw that the Spaniards were in terrible physical condition. They looked the picture of death itself, their lips parched and swollen. They were dying of thirst.

"Can we help you?" shouted the Peruvians.

The Spaniards cried out, "Water! Water! We need fresh water!"

The Peruvian sailors, surprised at this request, told them to lower their buckets and help themselves.

The Spaniards, fearing they'd been misunderstood cried back, "No, no we need FRESH water!"

But they received the same reply from the Peruvians to lower their buckets and help themselves. They finally did lower their buckets into the ocean waters and when they brought the buckets on deck they discovered (to their amazement) fresh water.

There at the mouth of the Amazon river, anchored for days, too far from land to see the coast, but not too far from the mouth of the river, they had fresh water in abundance.

The sailors nearly died of thirst when the cure was easily within reach. When they placed their faith in someone who had 'been there', it saved their lives.

Sound familiar? You and I are on this incredible journey called life. Our past is forgiven and our future is secure, but sometimes we mess up the present pretty well.

Why is that? Well for one thing, just because we have trusted Christ doesn't mean that we don't have the same thirst for love, meaning, and significance. I think that some Christians are surprised when they get spiritually thirsty, so they go into denial and go through life in terrible spiritual condition.

Your salvation experience was not intended to be a fix-all happy pill that would solve all your personal issues...anybody who preaches that is probably trying to sell you something.

Believer- wake up! The Living Water is all around you, but your going to have to lower your bucket and get it yourself. Believe me, I've been on that boat- and it's not fun. But I can testify to you now that the Water is fine- don't be afraid of it: drink deeply.

Am I dampening your spirit down with too many metaphors? Let me translate some of this for you so that the message will flow better.

• Ship: your circumstances
• Journey: your life
• Saltwater: The things you used to try and make you happy, but now you know they end up making life worse
• Bucket: Your relationship with Christ
• Freshwater: The Bible, prayer, pure worship, and fellowship with other Christians.

As long as you are on this earth, you are going to have deep needs. If you want to truly satisfy your soul-oriented sigh-ings, you must develop a drinking problem. That is, it's a problem if you aren't drinking from the bucket of frequent prayer, reading the Bible (at least) daily, spending time in pure worship and hanging out with solid believers.

Cheers!

Questions:

1. Feeling 'thirsty' lately? Could it be because you have dropped the bucket?
2. How do you get your basic needs met?
3. Do you have a drinking problem? Why or why not?

Smile, God Loves You

I think that God truly loves to hear the prayers of children- especially when they mess up. Have you ever read some of the bloopers that kids have made of the Lord's Prayer? Here are a few: "Give us this steak and daily bread, and forgive us our mattresses." Or: "Give us this day our jelly bread." These children must have been hungry.

Then there's the heartfelt prayer of a brother wanting to get his sister into trouble:

"Lead a snot into temptation."

But my all-time favorite is the petition of the pre-schooler:

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, how didja know my name?"

In the mind of this little one is a big mystery: how can Someone whom he has never met before possibly know his name? So naturally it would make sense to ask this since he was checking in anyway.

What I like best about that boy's inquiry is that it is a great reminder of the same wonder and curiosity that we should have towards God. Remember when we first trusted in Him? Everything was a completely cool discovery- like the way the Bible seemed to speak to exactly what we were going through, and the strangest ways that God would meet our deepest needs...almost like He was with us wherever we went. Oh yeah- can you also recall how blown away you were that the God of the Universe knew you before you were even born, knew how sinful you were then, and still died on the cross for you?

Then, little by little...sermon by sermon...meeting by meeting- the marvel of the Majesty of the King melted into a matter-of-fact mutual relationship that is more 'mature' now. You just don't seem so excited to pick up that Bible because there are so many other things that are more entertaining. And prayer? Mostly now it's when you're either in trouble, or sick, or both. Your perception of the Almighty has been reduced to a vending machine who dispenses grandfatherly advice and gives you the loose change out of His pockets.

But remember - He still knows your name...

In fact, He knows everything about you. Want proof? Here you go:

I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too -- your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful -- I can't take it all in!

Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute--you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God--you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration--what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

Your thoughts--how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them--any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! (Psalm 139:3-18)

In a nutshell- "Our Father, who art in heaven, how didja know so much about me?"

For some, this might be scary. For others, it is 'too wonderful'. Maybe that's because for some- the fact that God knows all this and is still crazy about us is the greatest news in the universe. How could you ever grow tired of that?!?

I guess that all depends on where you are in your relationship with your Creator.

If you have misplaced some of your primary passion, my suggestion to you would be to bring back some of that curiosity and inquisitiveness that you first had as a new Christian. It's no wonder that unbelievers aren't attracted to Christ when they meet 'older' believers - would you be? Ah, but then there's the ones whose hearts still leap for joy at the Name of Jesus. They are still in awe that they can read the love letter from God called the Bible. Their enthusiasm just pours out, and it is like a drink of water for a spiritually parched population.

Begin today to rekindle the same amazement at the works and words of the God who became a man- otherwise you may find on Judgment Day that Jesus really doesn't know your name!

Questions:

1. On a scale of 1-10, how much amazement do you have towards God?
2. What is one way you could bring back some of your 'early years' enthusiasm?
3. What impact does the information is Psalm 139 have on you?

Memory Verse:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Christian Cover Ups

"The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him..." (II Chronicles 9:16)

In Basel, Switzerland each year the good Christian townspeople have a festival in which they all put on masks and go through the city doing things and going places they would never even think about doing/going under normal circumstances. The mask, which veils their identity, makes it easy for them to do these things.

One year, the Salvation Army, concerned about how easy it was for these people to abandon their convictions, put up signs all over the city which read: "God sees behind the mask."

These days, it seems as though this festival goes on everyday with Christians.

Which mask is your favorite? Let me list a few:

1. The "I'm no different" mask.
* This is the one for believers who smile, say 'amen', and quote verses on Sunday with no mask- but then Monday through Saturday it's back to the festival. They hide behind a fear of rejection from friends and co-workers, and they rationalize their pagan lifestyle by saying to themselves: "I don't want to offend anyone." If you fit in this category, God wants you to trust your reputation to Him and ditch the disguise. Remember that hypocritical Christians do more damage to the cause of Christ than anything else. Paul put it this way: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10)

2. The "I'm super-spiritual" mask.
* This is the one that the Pharisees of Jesus' day wore. On the outside, they seemed spiritually superior to everyone around them. On the inside, they were self-righteous moral highlanders. This disguise keeps you from telling anyone about your struggles because you are too prideful to admit them. You think that if you were truthful with others about your failures, you would be rejected. Yet keep in mind that if you are rejected by 'friends' for being honest, then they were horrible friends to begin with. In the words of James: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." (James 5:16)

3. The "I don't need God" mask.
* This person's favorite "verse" is: "God helps those who help themselves" (which really isn't in the Bible). If, and only if, all other solutions have been tried will they turn to God and ask for help. Let's face it, though, don't we need God to even keep us alive moment to moment? If Jesus needed to constantly ask for God's help, how much more do we? Jesus said: "I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:15)

Questions:

1. How would you describe the mask that you wear most often?
2. What would God say about it?
3. What is the first step you need to take in taking the mask off?
 

 GOD IS WORKING!!

 READ Scripture: Hebrews 10:14-19

A Message You Can't Afford to Miss

I have to admit that sometimes following God puts me in the middle of some very strange circumstances. Today for example, I had several different options going as far as this devotion- but every time I started writing, my thoughts got stuck as fast as a warm tongue on a subzero metal pole.

So what to do? For some reason, I kept being drawn back to an e-mail I received last week. I came to the conclusion that its message is what you need to read today.

But before you do, I want to ask you to do something.Pray.I mean really pray. Quiet your heart, remove all distractions, and ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your heart...because what you are about to read may be the most important thing you see all week.

My prayer for you? Treat this letter like it is real, and written for you.

A LETTER TO YOU FROM SATAN

I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night. You are so unthankful, I like that about you.

I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living, Fool, you are mine.

Remember, you and I have been going steady for years. and I still don't love you yet. As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate God. I am only using you to get even with God. He kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as long as possible to pay him back.

You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you. But you have yielded your life to me, and I'm going to make your life a living hell. That way, we'll be together twice. This will really hurt God.

Thanks to you, I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life with all of the good times we've had. We have been watching dirty movies, cursing people out, stealing, lying, being hypocritical, fornicating, overeating, telling dirty jokes, gossiping, being judgmental, back stabbing people, disrespecting adults, and those in leadership positions, no respect for the Church, bad attitudes.

SURELY you don't want to give all this up. Come on, Fool, let's burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us. This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say "THANKS" for letting me use you for most of your foolish life. You are so gullible, I laugh at you.

When you are tempted to sin, you give in HA HA HA, you make me sick. Sin is beginning to take its toll on your life.
You look 20 years older, and now, I need new blood. So go ahead and teach some children how to sin. All you have to do is smoke, get drunk or drink while under-aged, cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate, and live being as selfish as possible. Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it too. Kids are like that.

Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess you sins, and live for God with what little bit of life that you have left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning; it's becoming a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I still hate you. IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.

Your Enime,

Satan

Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. (I Peter 5:8)

Questions:

1. Which part of this letter applies to you the most? What do you need to change right away?
2. If this letter didn't speak to you at all, could it be that you are prideful?
3. What would you write back to Satan?

 Thoughts For Daily Living

By Being Willing To See, You Will Discover a God of Love

There is nothing God requires that you do. There is no payment or sacrifice he requires or desires. There is no path to discover by racking your brain in trying to figure out what it is that God would have you do. There is no physical thing in the entire universe that you need to give God or to those who claim they follow God. There is only one thing that God desires from you and that is for you to Be Willing.

• Be Willing to see clearly.
• Be Willing to choose differently.
• Be Willing to set aside what the world has taught you.
• Be Willing to be what he would have you be.

Your willingness creates an opening in your being that allows the Holy Spirit to Do things. It allows the Holy Spirit to heal you, teach you and guide you. Learn to Be willing and you'll truly see what God Can Do.

Spiritual Junk Food

 Say No And Yes

The Bridge of Hope

      Give your life to him now before its too late

Jesus said " Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.                                Matthew 11:28  

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