Rose Bud

A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice. The older preacher walked up to a rose bush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing any of the petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try and unfold the rosebud while keeping every petal intact... It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do. 

Noticing the young preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem:

It is only a tiny rosebud, A flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals , With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers, Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so sweetly, Then, in my hands, they die.


If I cannot unfold a rosebud, The flower of God's design,

Then how can I have the wisdom, To unfold this life of mine?

So, I'll trust in Him for leading, Each moment of my day.

I will look to Him for His guidance, Each step of the Pilgrim's way.

The pathway that lies before me, only my Heavenly Father knows.

I'll trust him to unfold the moments, Just as He unfolds the rose

An Irish Blessing

~ An Irish Blessing ~

May the blessings of light be upon you.
Light on the outside, Light on the inside.

With God's Sonlight shining on you,
may your heart glow with warmth like a turf fire
that welcomes friends and strangers alike

May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes
like a candle in the window,
welcoming the weary traveler

May the blessing of God's soft rain be on you,
falling gently on your head,
refreshing your soul with the sweetness
of little flowers newly blooming.

May the strength of the winds of heaven bless you,
carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean-
sparkling after, in the Sonlight.

May the blessing of God's earth be on you,
and as you walk the roads, may you always
have a kind word for those you meet.

May you understand the strength and power of God
in a thunderstorm and in winter,
the quiet beauty of creation,
and the calm of a summer sunset

And may you come to realize that insignificant
as you may seem in this great universe,
you are an important part of God's plan.

May He watch over you and keep you safe from harm
Amen.

When You

Author Unknown

When you are tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts...
God knows how hard you have tried. 

When you've cried so long and your heart is in anguish...
God has counted your tears. 

If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed you by...
God is waiting with you. 

When you're lonely and your friends are too busy even for a phone call...
God is by your side. 

When you think you've tried everything and don't know where to turn...
God has a solution. 

When nothing makes sense and you are confused or frustrated...
God has the answer. 

If suddenly your outlook is brighter and you find traces of hope...
God has whispered to you. 

When things are going well and you have much to be thankful for...
God has blessed you. 

When something joyful happens and you are filled with awe...
God has smiled upon you. 

When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to follow...
God has opened your eyes and called you by name. 

Remember that wherever you are or whatever you are facing...GOD KNOWS!!

21 Lessons On How To Avoid Missions - By C.T. Studd

Studd is remembered both as a cricketer and as a missionary. As a cricketer he played for England in the 1882 match won by Australia which was the origins of Ashes. As a British Protestant Christian missionary to China he was part of the Cambridge Seven, and later was responsible for setting up the Heart of Africa Mission which became the Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade. C.T. Studd faithfully served His Saviour in China, India, and Africa .

1. Skilfully avoid the command in John 4:35 to take a long, hard look at the fields. This is not only depressing but unsettling and could lead to genuine missionary concern.
2. Have a good healthy socially legitimate target ahead of you, such as higher qualifications, promotion, bigger home, better car, etc.
3. Get married as soon as possible so you can devote your life to the socially accepted norm of settling down, raising a family and saving up for old age.
4. Stick to generalities. Never allow the stark needs of specific mission fields to make an impact on you.
5. Never expose yourself to personal contact with missionaries. Their testimonies are disturbing, and the situations they describe tend to contrast with the materialistic living in the western world.
6. Insist that your theology of guidance rules out any possibility of specific personal direction from God.
7. Keep busy. Always bow to the tyranny of the urgent and avoid concentration on the importance of the strategic.
8. If you've been wrongly criticized, had a dirty trick played on you, etc. maintain that hurt and stay offended. People with a chip on their shoulder don't usually have time for the needs of others.
9. Rationalise about missions. After all, if 250,000 missionaries can't finish the job, what difference will you make?
10. Develop a closed-door mentality. Remember, Albania, Pakistan, Tibet, North Korea... all turn down visas from time to time.
11. Develop a 'national church can do it' attitude. Never investigate the percentage of the population they constitute, or the severe limitations of their resources.
12. Focus your attention on the evils of your own society. All fair-minded Christians will applaud your concerns about the 'unsaved right here in our own country'. Mission begins at home - make sure it finishes there too.
13. Always keep in mind your past failures. It is unreasonable to expect that you will ever get any better and besides, you're not ready to go yet...maybe never will be. Of course, ignore the examples of Peter, Moses, etc.
14. Always look at those involved in mission as super-spiritual people with extraordinary gifts and saintly characters. This will heighten your sense of inadequacy and remove any guilt complex about trying to be like them.
15. Avoid all books that emphasise the ability of the Holy Spirit to change lives and to provide power for service.
16. You can always claim you don't have `The missionary calling' and since you have not been in a cross-cultural communicating ministry no one can prove you are wrong. (On the other hand, you can't prove yourself right, either!)
17. Finally, if you are getting a little concerned about missions and God's heart for all the world: Go right away without any training at all. That way you will be back soon and can say you tried.
18. Insist that you must find a slot that is exactly tailored to your qualifications (that way you'll never find an opening).
19. Start worrying about money and the impossibility of surviving in a country with an annual one hundred percent inflation rate. (The Lord couldn't possibly cope with that.)
20. Listen to those who feel you are indispensable where you are, and that your church can't do without you.
21. Never sing the hymn 'Onward Christian Soldiers'. Always substitute with the version: "Mark time Christian heroes, Never go to war. Stop and mind the babies Playing on the floor. Wash and dress and feed them, Forty times a week. Till they're roly poly, Puddings so to speak."

Salvation and How?

"Is there a way to live happily ever-after - here and now, and life after death, too?"
Christ Jesus died for MY sins, taking away the "death-sentence" written all over me.
"I Believe, Lord Jesus"; You have borne my punishment.

My SINS are FORGIVEN (washed away / not remembered anymore by God)! I am given a new lease of life with a right-standing (righteousness) before God.
Yes, I am born-again (A NEW CREATION).

"By GRACE, we have been saved through FAITH, and that NOT of YOURSELVES, lest any man should boast; it is the GIFT OF GOD" - Eph. 2:8
"For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only BEGOTTEN SON (JESUS), that whosover BELIEVES in HIM shall not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE" - John 3:16.

"You never give up on me" - Josh Bates

A fb friend's status message led me to listen to this song by Josh Bates from the movie "Facing the Giants". Comforting thoughts that God is not going to give up me or you anytime now... Thanks to the inspiring post by Ebenezer Davidraj, here are the words from the song...

Stanza1:
Time after time You’ve been left behind
Like the sun when it’s starting to rain
Time after time You’ve been forgotten
Like a picture that’s faded with age;
Time after time You ran after me
When I was still running away

Chorus:
You never give up on me
No, You never give up on me
Though I’m weak You are strong
You told me I still belong
No, you never, never give up on me

Stanza2:

Time after time I’ve used your grace
As a way to do what I please
I’ve taken for granted prayers that you answered
Never been all I could be
You are holding out your hands
And now I clearly see...

[Chorus]

Bridge:

You always erase all my mistakes
You lift me up when I'm down
Through all the ages, Your love never changes
You welcome me just as I am

Prayer Today

Dear Father,

Thank You for Your everlasting love that stretched down and picked us from our own sin and shame. By Your merciful gift of faith, we came to know our Lord Jesus; and through His blood obtained forgiveness. You are the Comforter to the fatherless; and Healer to the wounded hearts. Redeeming grace is the reason for the song on our lips and the spring in our steps. In our soul too, Lord, we need Your healing touch; that we may freely forgive those who wronged us- for this pleases You, our Father.

We love You and we know that You redeem all things- even the painful things, the shameful things, the sinful things of our past living - to use them all to work together for our good, not wasting a moment of our sufferings and struggles. You work forgiveness and restoration in our own hearts, and in the hearts of those we may have hurt unknowingly. Lord, forgive us; heal us from the wounds and afflictions because of words and attitudes of those against us; heal us from all the circumstances and sufferings we've endured by the wrong choices of others and our wrong choices as well. Use it all to allow us to become all You've created us to be.

Lord, remind us today of our calling and purpose and destiny. Give us a humble and a forgiving heart - hearts of flesh that would respond to Your voice. Create is us a clean heart and give us the spiritual sensitivity to know when it's time to arise into the moments of our destiny for the sake of our own fulfillment, but more so for the fulfillment of Your purposes in our own lives and the lives of those around us. You have called us; You have chosen us. Now we hold on in faith to Your hand that holds us. Let Your words of truth determine our identity and let Your purposes for our lives determine our destiny. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

(The above prayer is a slightly modified version of the one I found on Tommy Hays' blog of 'Morning by Morning, prayer journey with Tommy Hays' for June 6, 2011. The portion of Scripture is Judges 11:1-7 about the story of Jephtah. You can find more prayers in that blog or visit http://www.messiah-ministries.org/)